A passively mode-locked solid-state laser is designed to emit a continuous-wave train (51, 52) of electromagnetic-radiation pulses, the fundamental repetition rate of the emitted pulses exceeding 1 GHz, without Q-switching instabilities. The laser includes an optical resonator (3.1), a solid-state laser gain element (2) placed inside the optical resonator (3.1), a device (1) for exciting said laser gain element (2) to emit electromagnetic radiation having the effective wavelength, and a device (4) for passive mode locking including a saturable absorber. The laser gain element (2) is a laser material with a stimulated emission cross section exceeding 0.8×10−18 cm2 at the effective wavelength, and is made of Nd:vanadate. The saturable absorber (4) is preferably a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) device. Even higher repetition rates are achieved by operating the laser in the soliton regime. For use in fiber-optical telecommunication, the laser wavelength is preferably shifted to 1.5 μm by use of an optical parametric oscillator. The laser is simple, robust, compact, efficient, and low-cost. It generates a relatively large average power of 100 mW and higher, which is useful for a number of optical probing and detection applications, in a beam (51, 52) that is substantially a fundamental spatial mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lasers, and more particularly to passively mode-locked solid state lasers designed to operate at repetition rates exceeding 1 GHz.
2. Description of Related Art
Solid-state lasers are known in the art. Their laser gain media are dopant ions incorporated in dilute concentrations in solid hosts. The laser gain medium can be optically excited to emit electromagnetic radiation by impinging a pumping beam on the laser gain medium.
High-repetition-rate lasers are desirable for a number of applications, such as for use as seed sources for driving radio-frequency photocathodes. These RF photocathodes are then used to inject high-energy electron bunches into a linear accelerator. It is often desirable to have the laser repetition rate operating at the drive frequency of the linear accelerator, which is typically at 2.8 GHz or higher. It is also possible to use high-repetition-rate lasers synchronized to the drive frequency of the accelerator in diagnostic tools or in optical-electron interactions after the electrons are fully accelerated.
Other possible applications of high-repetition-rate lasers are in the area of telecommunications, photonic switching, and optoelectronic testing. As networks and electronic components continue to increase in terms of bandwidth and clock frequency, optical pulsed laser sources become more important for driving, sensing, and testing of these components. One example of this application for optical clocking of integrated circuits is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,812,708, V. R. Rao, "Method and apparatus for distributing an optical clock in an integrated circuit".
Mode locking is a special operation regime of lasers where an intracavity modulation (amplitude or phase modulator) forces all of the laser modes to operate at a constant phase, i.e., phase-locked or "mode-locked", so that the temporal shape of the laser output forms a continuously repeating train of short (typically in the range of picoseconds or femtoseconds) optical pulses. The repetition rate of this pulse train is set by the inverse of the laser round-trip time, or equivalently by the free spectral range of the laser, frep=c/2L where c is the speed of light and L is the cavity length for a standing wave cavity. This repetition rate frep is termed the fundamental repetition rate of the laser cavity, since this corresponds to only one laser pulse circulating in the cavity per round trip. The repetition rate can be scaled by integer multiples N of the fundamental repetition rate under certain conditions, and this is called harmonic mode locking. In this case, there are multiple laser pulses circulating in the cavity per round trip.
The minimum possible pulsewidth of the laser is nominally set by the linewidth of the laser transition, following approximately the condition that tmin≧0.44/Δf where Δf is the linewidth of the laser transition. For typical laser materials such as Nd:YAG or Nd:vanadate (Nd:YVO4), the laser linewidth can support pulses to less than 10 ps. For broader-bandwidth materials such as Nd:glass, Cr:YAG or other Cr-doped garnets, semiconductor materials (in optically pumped surface-emitting semoconductor lasers) or Ti:sapphire, pulsewidths to below 100 fs and even below 10 fs can be generated.
Mode-locked lasers are well known in the state of the art, having been first described in the 1960's (see H. W. Mocker et al., "Mode competition and self-locking effects in a Q-switched ruby laser," Applied Physics Letters, vol. 7, pp. 270–273, 1965). Passive mode locking using a saturable absorber was discovered almost immediately thereafter. Most mode-locked lasers have used active modulators, where the term "active" means that a source of power such as a radio-frequency signal or another electronic signal must be periodically applied to the modulator. Typical active modulators are acousto-optical modulators (AOMs, Bragg cells) or electro-optical modulators (EOMS, Pockels cells). Active modulators can modulate the amplitude (AOMs or EOMs) or the phase (EOMs) of the optical signal to achieve mode locking.
Active mode-lockers have the disadvantages of cost and complexity. A typical device requires a precision electro-optical component, plus drive electronics that typically consists of high-power, high-stability RF-signal (for AOMS) or high-voltage (for EOMS) components. Additionally, feedback electronics may be required to stabilize either the drive signal for the modulator and/or the laser cavity length to achieve the necessary stability from the system (cf. U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,875, Fletcher et al., "Length controlled stabilized mode-lock Nd:YAG laser", and Lightwave Electronics, Series 131 data sheet, March 1994).
Active mode locking has been available in commercial lamp-pumped laser systems and more recently in diode-pumped laser systems at repetition rates typically of 100 MHz and extending up to 250 MHz. Research on active mode locking has been done on higher repetition rates, achieving repetition rates of approximately 2 GHz (see K. J. Weingarten et al., "Two gigahertz repetition rate, diode-pumped, mode-locked Nd:YLF laser", Optics Letters, vol. 15, pp. 962–964, 1990), 5 GHz (P. A. Schulz et al., "5-GHz mode locking of a Nd:YLF laser", Optics Letters, vol. 16, pp. 1502–1504, 1991), 20 GHz (A. A. Godil et al., "Harmonic mode locking of a Nd:BEL laser using a 20-GHz dielectric resonator/optical modulator", Optics Letters, vol. 16, pp. 1765–1767, 1991), and more recently 40 GHz (A. J. C. Viera et. al., "Microchip laser for microwave and millimeter-wave generation", IEEE MTT-S IMOC '97 Proceedings). In all cases the systems required an active modulator driven by a stable RF source and an RF amplifier. The highest repetition rates at 40 GHz were achieved with "harmonic" mode locking (see M. F. Becker et al., "Harmonic mode locking of the Nd:YAG laser", IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, vol. QE-8, pp. 687–693, 1972), where the modulator is driven at some integer multiple of the fundamental laser repetition rate. This is an additional source of complexity and instability in the laser system. In general we wish to avoid harmonic mode locking if possible.
It is also possible to generate high repetition rates using other laser medium such as rare-earth-doped fiber lasers, and semiconductor lasers. Repetition rates of >10 GHz have been demonstrated in semiconductor quantum well lasers (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,183, Chen et al., "Apparatus comprising optical pulse-generating means"), achieving pulse repetition rates even above 100 GHz. However, their approach appears to be limited in terms of average power. Fiber lasers have also been demonstrated to high repetition rates using active or harmonic passive mode locking (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,725, Fermann et al., "Harmonic partitioning of a passively mode-locked laser", and S. V. Chernikov et al., "Duration-tunable 0.2–20 ps 10-GHz source of transform-limited optical pulse based on an eletroabsorption modulator", Optics Letters, vol. 20, pp. 2399–2401, 1995).
Passive mode locking at the fundamental repetition rate, on the other hand, is a much simpler, robust, and lower-cost approach to generating mode-locked pulses. Passive mode locking is also well established in the state of the art (see A. J. DeMaria et al., "Self mode locking of lasers with saturable absorbers", Applied Physics Letters, vol. 8, pp, 174–176, 1966). The most significant developments in passive mode locking in the recent years have been Kerr-Lens Mode locking (KLM) (U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,059, Negus et al., "Mode-locked laser using non-linear self-focusing element") for generation of femtosecond pulses from Ti:sapphire and other femtosecond laser systems, and the semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) device for generating picosecond and femtosecond pulses in a wide number of solid-state lasers (see U. Keller et al., "Semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMS) for femtosecond to nanosecond pulse generation in solid-state lasers," Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics (JSTQE), vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 435–453, 1996). Passive mode locking relies on a saturable absorber mechanism, which produces either decreasing loss with increasing optical intensity, or similarly an increase gain with increasing optical intensity. When the saturable absorber parameters are correctly adjusted for the laser system, the optical intensity in the laser cavity is enhanced such that a mode-locked pulse train builds up over a time-period corresponding to a given number of round-trips in the laser cavity.
Most passively mode-locked lasers have been operated at repetition rates of approximately 100 MHz, corresponding to a cavity length of approximately 1.5 m. This cavity length is appropriate for many applications (such as seeding a regenerative laser amplifier) and is also convenient for building laboratory-scale lasers. Work has been done to achieve higher repetition rates, which could be important for telecommunications and optical clocking applications (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,131, Sizer, "Source of high repetition rate, high power optical pulses", U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,659, Harvey, et. al., "Harmonically mode-locked laser", U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,059, Keller et al., "Nonlinear external cavity mode-locked laser"; B. E. Bouma et al., "Compact Kerr-lens mode-locked resonators", Optics Letters, vol. 21, 1996, pp. 134–136; and B. C. Collings et al, "True fundamental solitons in a passively mode-locked short-cavity Cr4+:YAG laser", Optics Letters, vol. 22, pp. 1098–2000, 1997).
However, passive mode locking in solid-state lasers has not been readily achieved at fundamental repetition rates beyond 1 GHz. There are a number of reasons for this limitation. First, for a given average power, the pulse energy and, thus, the peak power in a pulse will decrease as the laser repetition rate increases (given that the pulsewidth also stays constant). For laser relying on peak-power induced nonlinearities to achieve passive mode locking (i.e., lasers using KLM) it becomes increasingly difficult to mode-lock at higher repetition rates. In addition, the cavity size decreases in length inversely proportional to the repetition rate, and it becomes more difficult to adequately provide dispersion compensation. As noted, solid-state lasers using KLM have not been reported substantially beyond repetition rates of 1 GHz (see B. E. Bouma et al., "Compact Kerr-lens mode-locked resonators", Optics Letters, vol. 21, 1996, pp. 134–136, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,093 Ramaswamy et. al., "Dispersion-compensated laser using prismatic end elements").
For passively mode-locked lasers using SESAMs for mode locking, the limitation on repetition rate is the onset of Q-switching instabilities (see U. Keller et al., "Semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMS) for femtosecond to nanosecond pulse generation in solid-state lasers," Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics (JSTQE), vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 435–453, 1996, and U. Keller, "Ultrafast all-solid-state laser technology", Applied Physics. B, vol. 58, pp. 347–363, 1994). This has also limited the laser repetition rate to the range of several hundred megahertz typically. Using the technique of coupled cavity mode locking (RPM), a repetition rate of 1 GHz was demonstrated (see U. Keller, "Diode-pumped, high repetition rate, resonant passive mode-locked Nd:YLF laser", Proceedings on Advanced Solid-State Lasers, vol. 13, pp. 94–97, 1992). However, this is a much more complicated laser due to the additional laser cavity which has to be carefully aligned with the main laser cavity.
It would be advantageous to achieve repetition rates greater than 1 GHz for many applications such as synchronization with linear particle accelerators (which typically operate at 3 GHz or higher), use in high-speed telecommunication networks as optical pulse sources, and optical clocking of circuits and system in the gigahertz range. These lasers may also find applications in measurement applications such as precision ranging, optical testing of photodetectors and other optically triggered components, and electro-optical test methods on electronics and integrated circuits.
Since an interesting field of application for high-repetition-rate lasers is optical telecommunication, it is also desirable to operate such lasers at wavelengths around 1.3 μm or 1.5 μm, which are most frequently used for signal transmission through glass fibers. Some solid-state gain materials are available for these wavelength domains, e.g., Nd:YVO4 for 1.3 μm or Cr:YAG for 1.3–1.5 μm. A Cr:YAG laser operating at 1.5 μm has been demonstrated (R. Mellish, S. V. Chernikov, P. M. W. French, and J. R. Taylor, "All-solid-state high repetition rate modelocked Cr4+:YAG laser", Electron. Lett. 34 (6), 552 (1998)) with up to 1 GHz repetition rate. Other Cr-doped garnets also emit in these wavelength domains (cf. S. Kück, K. Petermann, U. Pohlmann, and G. Huber, "Near-infrared emission of Cr4+-doped garnets: lifetimes, quantum efficiencies, and emission cross sections", Phys. Rev. B 51 (24), 51 (1995)). Using these similar materials with a laser design according to the invention, significantly higher repetition rates should be achievable.

High-repetition-rate passively mode-locked solid-state laser


A high frequency module for converting a high frequency wave in a free space to a high frequency wave in a planar waveguide includes two metal plates, a dielectric substrate and a planar waveguide disposed on the dielectric substrate. The dielectric substrate between the two metal plates has the planar waveguide disposed thereon, and the planar waveguide protrudes either in a through hole bored in one of the two metal plates, or in a hollow space defined by the other of the two metal plates on the dielectric substrate.

In recent years, demand for use of communication systems that use high frequency waves is increasing. The high frequency communication systems utilizes a millimetric-wave, and the high frequency communication systems cover frequency band of a broad range, thereby being designated as an Ultra Wide-Band system or the like. In addition, demand for passive millimetric-wave imaging systems is also increasing in an area of sensing system.
In the course of developing the millimetric-wave sensing systems, an antenna for covering the broad band and electric circuits for signal processing are required. The antenna for the broad band is, for example, a waveguide type antenna (a horn antenna). The electric circuit for the signal processing is, for example, a microstrip type circuit. The millimetric-wave captured by the horn antenna is sent to a waveguide-microstrip conversion system before being supplied to the microstrip type circuit.
Conventional millimetric-wave antennas and related circuits for the broad band are disclosed in Japanese Patent Documents JP-A-H11-163636 and JP-A-H11-330846. The antenna disclosed in these documents are planar antennas, and the planar antennas can be formed on the same substrate as the circuit for millimetric-wave detection. Therefore, there is no need for the planar antenna to have the waveguide-microstrip conversion system that is conventionally required for waveguide antennas.
In addition, it is disclosed in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation Vol. 38, No. 9, September 1990, pp 1473-1482, as another technology of combination of the waveguide horn and the planar antenna. In this structure, the planar antenna has the shape of a horn antenna and a membrane (a film) is established in the horn antenna perpendicularly in a propagation direction of a millimeter wave. In this manner, compactness of a depth direction of the structure is substantiated.
However, the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Documents JP-A-H11-163636 and JP-A-H11-330846 uses the antenna of an end-fire type that has a great dimension in a direction of depth of the waveguide. Therefore, the high frequency module with the end-fire type antenna has to be housed in a long package of a receiver unit, thereby preventing downsizing of the package.

High frequency module and array of the same

National University Corporation Nagoya Institute of Technology


An allocation of tables across a distributed database provides for taking into account existing table groups while also obtaining newly calculated table groups by complementing the existing table groups with regards to the results of the new allocation. Maintaining and protecting one or more types of existing table groups allows for the existing table groups to not be overwritten during allocation of the tables. An identification of tables is used, as well as a determination related to connections between the existing table groups and the newly calculated table groups.

Data in a distributed database system is stored across a multitude of physically and/or logically distinct nodes. For example, data in a distributed database system may be stored on different computers. Alternately or additionally, data in a distributed database system may be managed by separate processes. As such, executing a query (e.g., a structured query language (SQL) statement or the like) in a distributed database system may require multiple nodes to perform operations on the data stored at and/or managed by each individual node. Moreover, executing the query may further require a transfer of data (e.g., intermediate query results) between multiple nodes.

Complementing existing tables while grouping tables in a distributed database


Exemplary embodiments of devices and method for affecting at least one anatomical tissue can be provided. A configuration can be provided that includes a structure which is expandable (i) having and/or (ii) forming at least one opening or a working space through which the anatomical tissue(s) is placed in the structure. For example, the structure, prior to being expanding, can have at least one partially rigid portion. In addition, or as an alternative, upon a partial or complete expansion thereof, the structure can be controllable to have a plurality of shapes. Further, the structure can be controllable to provide the working space with multiple shapes and/or multiple sizes.

Current endoscopic technologies may not facilitate treating colon perforations, large polyps and tumors, and a significant colon bleeding effectively and safely. A gastrointestinal bleeding is a common and potentially life-threatening medical condition, which can complicate any polypectomy (polyp removal), and excision of colonic tumors. A colon perforation can occur when excessive mechanical force or excessive energy is inadvertently applied to a colonic wall. A colon perforation is a life-threatening condition and currently requires major emergency surgery to close the colon perforation and preclude fecal contamination of an abdominal cavity and resulting sepsis.
Consequently, many patients who develop large polyps, colon perforation, colon bleeding and other significant colon pathology currently have to undergo a major surgery and endure a significant operative trauma and, typically, painful and prolong recovery. Currently there are no effective and safe devices and methods for replacing major abdominal surgery in case of colon perforation or when large wide-based polyps need to be removed.
Thus, there may be a need to address at least some of the deficiencies described herein above.
U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/247,605 filed on Oct. 1, 2009 and entitled "Detachable Balloon Catheter" describes exemplary embodiments of device and method for treatment of a gastrointestinal perforation and/or a gastrointestinal bleeding. The exemplary device can include a balloon catheter that can control bleeding by pressing on a bleeding area or/and prevents the gastrointestinal contents trespassing outside a gastrointestinal lumen into a body cavity by blocking an opening in the luminal wall or blocking the colon distal to the perforation. Such exemplary device can be inserted using an endoscope, and can allow a partial or complete withdrawal of an endoscope, while leaving the balloon at the target area. More specifically, the exemplary device and method can facilitate ceasing a colonic bleeding and blocking a colon perforation.
The Minos Megachannel is a large bore flexible reinforced tube, which is designed to be inserted over the standard colonoscope. After the colonoscope is removed, the tube can be used as a passage for insertion of different instruments into the colon.
Further, conventional endoscopes generally have one to two working channels, which likely do not have independent movements from the main body of the endoscope. As a result, when conventional flexible endoscopic instruments are inserted via such channels into the intestinal lumen, an operator can only manipulate these instruments axially (e.g., forward and backward movements), and possibly somewhat rotationally. In addition, since the conventional instruments can only be advanced from the tip of the endoscope towards the target lesion axially and in front of the endoscopic image, the conventional instruments have only limited functionality.
Accordingly, there may be a need to address at least some of the deficiencies described herein above.

Substaintially rigid and stable endoluminal surgical suite for treating a gastrointestinal lesion


Provided is a particle behavior simulation method and a particle behavior simulation system for representing behavior of each particle in a large-scale particle system quickly and accurately. The particle behavior simulation system is configured to execute a coarse-graining processing of reconstituting a plurality of particles that mix with each other and constitute a predetermined powder as a particle system into a plurality of particle groups each including a plurality of the particles, an acting force calculation processing of calculating an acting force acting on each of the particle groups, and a mixing state calculation processing of calculating a parameter representing a mixing state of constituent particles of each of the particle groups after a predetermined time based on the calculated acting force.

The present disclosure relates to a particle behavior simulation method and a particle behavior simulation system.
Behavior of each particle in a system in which a powder including a plurality of particles exists is predicted or analyzed by simulation. For example, JP-A-2010-108183 describes a simulation method for analyzing behavior of a plurality of particles by applying an arithmetic processing based on a discrete element method on analysis target data indicating a state of a solid-liquid multiphase flow including a plurality of particles in liquid and solid phases by a computer, the simulation method including a coarse-grained model generation process of modeling groups each including some of the particles as coarse-grained particles whose particle diameter is larger than a particle diameter of the particles, and applying a coarse-graining processing to the analysis target data by setting predetermined forces, which act depending on sizes of the particle diameters in the solid-liquid multiphase flow, to be identical between the coarse-grained particles having a large particle diameter and the plurality of particles having small particle diameters constituting the coarse-grained particles, in which the arithmetic processing based on the discrete element method is applied on coarse-grained model data obtained according to the coarse-grained model generation process.
In the simulation method of JP-A-2010-108183, although behavior of particles in a large-scale system can be simulated by coarse-graining the particles, information of micro-scale particles smaller than the coarse-grained particles is lost, and therefore, a problem exists that accuracy of the simulation is impaired. In order to analyze a mixing process accurately by simulation, it is necessary to simulate a state of powder on a micro scale in addition to an overall movement of the powder in a mixing vessel. However, this is difficult for the simulation by the coarse-graining method in related arts as disclosed in JP-A-2010-108183, while on the other hand, in a simulation method without using coarse-grained particles, a problem exists that it takes a lot of time for calculation of particles in a large-scale system (mass production scale).

Particle behavior simulation method and particle behavior simulation system


A process of configuring a media facility is provided. A source icon representing at least one media source is generated. Then, characteristics of the media source is encrypted in the source icon including settings and recalls for all devices in the signal path. Further, a media space representing an output device is generated. Then, characteristics of the output device is encrypted in the media space. The source icon and the media space are presented, for example, on a display system, to a user for selection. The user may select the source icon and apply it to the media space including settings and recalls for all devices in the signal path, for example, through dragging and dropping. Once the media source, the output device and/or other devices in the signal path between them have been configured, the user may store the configuration for a later recall.

Today, complex, media rich environments such as visualization centers, command and control facilities, emergency response centers, media auditoriums, planning centers and even media based conference rooms are becoming more and more commonplace and complex.
It is typical in these media environments that many media sources, including complex multi-channel media sources and output devices become part of the user's information mix and thus a new type of media control system is required to route and configure the complex media components.
Sources may include one or more of various computers, VCRs, cable and satellite feeds, audio sources, DVD players, video servers, cameras, sensors, MP3 players, microphones, and more, many of which could be multi-channel sources.
The outputs devices may include one or an array of video projectors, monitors, flat panels, control monitors, audio systems, televisions, LCDs (liquid crystal displays), PDPs (plasma display panels), and more. This becomes a very complex management matrix quickly as users require the ability to send each media source component to any output device or array with impunity.
Each media source typically has particular characteristics including the number of horizontal and vertical pixels, the image frame rate, the analog or digital nature of the signal, image processing device settings, associated audio source, and with multi-channel computer, video or audio sources, how many channels the source is comprised of.
Each output device in the signal chain typically also has particular characteristics which can include multiple inputs as well as adjustments to the type of signal that is sent to it. Often the output device has to have multiple recall memories for multiple signal types.
Any media source should be compatible with the display characteristics or audio characteristics of the output device and all devices in the signal chain should be adjusted.
A single command center could have dozens of display and audio playback systems being fed by dozens of sources.
It is common to use a device called a matrix switcher which allows any input to be routed to any output electronically. These matrix switchers can be very large with an array of combination possible. A 16 input by 16 output matrix switcher for video and audio offers over 65,000 combinations. As stated above, if some sources and some displays are multi-channel systems with additional component(s) in the signal chain, the selection of proper combinations becomes very confusing and complex.
The problem becomes exacerbated when the users of these systems are not media experts, but simply users who wish to get a result. Bringing a multi-channel computer onto a multi-channel display may comprise a sequence such as:
1. Route output 1 from the computer to the left screen;
2. Route output 2 from the computer to the center screen;
3. Route output 3 from the computer to the right screen;
4. Route output 2 from the computer to the control monitor;
5. Switch the left screen projector to the correct signal preset;
6. Switch the center screen projector to the correct signal preset;
7. Switch the right screen projector to the correct signal preset;
8. Route the audio from the computer to the main sound system;
9. Set the volume control of the audio to the proper level;
10. Modify the signal processing recall of output 1 (for systems such as edge blending);
11. Modify the signal processing recall of output 2 (for systems such as edge blending); and
12. Modify the signal processing recall of output 3 (for systems such as edge blending).
Exemplary edge blending systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,073 entitled "Seamless Video Display," U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,390 entitled "Adjustable Multiple Image Display Smoothing Method and Apparatus" and U.S. Pat. No. 6,115,022 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Adjusting Multiple Projected Raster Images," the contents of each of which are incorporated by reference herein.
And it could go on to more complexity if at the same time other systems needed to be turned off or if the computer needs to be reset into a special mode.
In the past, one would assist the user in achieving results more simply by providing a computer control for the various components and then scripting complex sequences into presets. This scripting limits the user to ideas that have been pre-agreed on and thus programmed. Such conventional control systems with pre-configured scripting are available, for example, from AMX Corporation, Richardson, Tex.


Thermal management and communication is described in the context of memory modules that contain several memory devices. In one example, the invention includes determining a temperature of a first memory device, the first memory device containing a plurality of memory cells, determining a temperature of a second memory device after determining the temperature of the first memory device, the second memory device containing a plurality of memory cells, and generating an alarm based on an evaluation of the first and the second temperatures. In another example, the invention includes detecting a thermal event on a memory device of a memory module that contains a plurality of memory devices, detecting the state of an event bus of the memory module, and sending an alert on the event bus if the event bus is in an unoccupied state.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to thermal control in memory systems and, in particular, to determining and communicating operating temperatures of solid state memory devices.
2. Related Art
The temperature of a semiconductor memory, such as a RAM (random access memory) is largely determined by its activity level (rate of reads and writes into the memory cells) and its environment. If the temperature becomes too high, then the data stored in the memory may be corrupted or lost.
In addition, as the temperature of a solid state memory increases, the memory loses charge at a faster rate. If the memory loses charge, then it loses the data that was stored in its memory cells. RAM chips have self-refresh circuitry that restores the lost charge at periodic intervals. As the temperature increases the self-refresh rate must be increased in order to avoid losing the data. This increases power consumption.
In order to keep the refresh rates low and to avoid damage to the memory or loss of data, some information about the memory temperature must be known. The more accurate the temperature information, the hotter the memory may be permitted to run and the lower the refresh rate may be without risk of data loss. If the temperature information is not reliable or accurate, then the memory is run at a slower access rate and a faster refresh rate then necessary in order to provide some margin for error. Accurate temperature information may also be used to control cooling fans and other thermal controls.
Memory is often packaged in modules that contain several similar or identical IC (Integrated Circuit) chips, such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) chips. The temperature of each chip may be different, depending on its level of use, available cooling and its own unique characteristics. Other devices on the memory module may have different temperatures as well. In order to accurately monitor all aspects of such a memory module, expensive thermal circuitry is required for each DRAM chip and maybe even for different portions of each DRAM chip. In addition, a communication system is required to transfer all of the temperature information to a device that can interpret the information and cause some action to be taken, if necessary. This additional circuitry may significantly increase the cost of the memory module.

Temperature determination and communication for multiple devices of a memory module


Adapting database queries from a common interface into conditions specific to database storage formats, optimization of a data model, and virtualization of query results from combined databases.

In conventional computerized SCADA systems, the size of configuration data can be very large (e.g., greater than 100 GB) and the configuration data format is proprietary, fixed, and requires familiarity with the low-level storage implementation to read and write data outside the proprietary toolsets. Features such as sorting, filtering, and selecting of data from generic technologies cause computing resource (e.g., processor, memory, etc.) exhaustion and extremely slow response times, significantly impairing engineer productivity. In addition, merging data from data sources with different storage methods is extremely complicated, time-consuming, and unnecessarily utilizes computing memory and communications network resources. Conventional techniques cannot sort or filter data records in more than one database file at a time and require loading all data records into memory before sorting and filtering can occur.

Adapting database queries for data virtualization over combined database stores


A method and system is directed to routing a flow of packets over a network to multiple traffic management devices. An apparatus receives each packet from a network and forwards the packet to one of a group of traffic management devices. The apparatus also may receive packets from servers for which the traffic management devices are managing communications. When forwarding packets, a traffic management device is selected from the group of traffic management devices by employing a hash of an IP address and port number. The IP address and port number are selected from source or destination information in the packet that has a greater port number. When the traffic management device performs a network address translation, further actions may be performed so that packets that are part of a flow between two network devices are delivered to the same traffic management device.

The Internet's core bandwidth continues to double every year. Some of this additional bandwidth is consumed as more and more users access the Internet. Other additional bandwidth is consumed as existing users increase their use of the Internet. This increase of Internet use translates into an increase in traffic directed to and from World Wide Web (WWW) servers and other Internet servers.
Replacing a WWW server with a WWW server of twice the capacity is a costly undertaking. Adding additional WWW servers is less costly but generally requires a load-balancing mechanism to balance workload so that each virtual server performs work proportional to its capacity and the number of servers available to the traffic management device that is performing the load balancing.
This requirement for more sophisticated traffic management requires more processing. With a sufficient rate of requests, eventually a traffic management device may not be able to process traffic in a timely manner. Therefore, it is with respect to these considerations and others that the present invention has been made.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system for scaling network traffic managers


The present invention relates to a method, subscriber database, network element, an interface, and a computer program product for distributing position- or network-related information from an access network to a core network, wherein a first interface between the access network and the subscriber database is associated with a second interface between the core network and the subscriber database in a manner so that, in response to at least one predetermined notification indicating a registration or change of position and signaled to the subscriber database via the first interface, the position- or network-related information is selectively signaled via the second interface to a network element of the core network in a server assignment answer or in a push profile request. Thereby, position or location information of a subscriber or user in an access network is directly or automatically availability in the core network.

Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards for mobile communication define applications for various interfaces in the Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network. In the IMS reference architecture, the home subscriber server (HSS) comprises a subscriber database which holds all information about subscribers and their subscriptions. Access to any information regarding this profile needs to be queried from the HSS such as the location, authorization for conferencing, etc. Required messages are defined in terms of a command set identified by various reference points, such as Cx/Dx, Sh, Rf/Ro, Gq, Wx, Bi. Hence, on subscriber related interfaces, such as Cx and Sh, requests to access and update a subscriber profile are transferred. A base protocol defines the basic Diameter message format. Data is carried within a Diameter message as a collection of Attribute Value Pairs (AVP). An AVP consists of multiple fields: an AVP Code, a Length, Flags, and Data. Some AVPs are used by the Diameter base protocol itself—other AVPs are intended for Diameter applications.
Access to the IMS network or other types of core networks is possible by using a wide range of access technologies. Mobile access via the General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) plays an important role as such an access technology. Knowledge about the position, location, or access technology and monitoring of movement profiles of mobile subscribers is important for network operators of the IMS or other core networks to provide for example charging services, lawful interception, and other services depending on the position or location of the subscriber, or the type of access network.
More specifically, knowledge about the position of a subscriber and his or her positional change (i.e., roaming) allows charging of a use of IMS services independent from the actual position or location of the subscriber or user, as is usual in fixed networks. In big countries this information is interesting for network operators, to differentiate charging of local calls and far-distance calls. For lawful interception usefulness of this information is also apparent. The same applies to location dependent services, such as traffic congestion information, advertisement or transmission of location information to friends and family, as e.g. kid tracking services.
However, a problem resides in that, so far, direct transmission of position-related or network-related information and its change from the access network to those nodes in the IMS or core network which are responsible for charging, interception and other related services was not standardized or automated.

Transmission and distribution of position- and/or network-related information from access networks


An engine system for a machine is disclosed. The engine system may have a first intake manifold configured to distribute air into a first cylinder bank of an engine. The engine system may also have a second intake manifold configured to distribute air into a second cylinder bank of the engine. The engine system may have a first exhaust manifold configured to discharge exhaust from the first cylinder bank to the atmosphere. The engine system may further have a second exhaust manifold configured to discharge exhaust from non-donor cylinders in the second cylinder bank to the atmosphere. In addition, the engine system may have a third exhaust manifold separate from the first and second exhaust manifolds and configured to recirculate exhaust from donor cylinders in the second cylinder bank to the first and second intake manifolds.

Internal combustion engines such as diesel engines burn a mixture of air and fuel within the engine, generating mechanical power and a consequent flow of exhaust. Engine exhaust contains air pollutants, including unburned fuel, particulate matter such as soot, and harmful gases such as nitrous oxide or carbon monoxide. A modern engine must meet stringent emissions standards, which limit the amount and type of pollutants that the engine may discharge into the atmosphere.
Modern engines often use EGR systems to help reduce pollutants in the engine exhaust. An EGR system recirculates engine exhaust through the combustion chambers of an engine by mixing some of the exhaust with fresh air entering the combustion chambers. The exhaust-air mixture lowers the combustion temperature and helps to reduce the amount of undesirable pollutants produced during operation of the engine.
An exemplary EGR system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,941,999 of Kasper et al. that issued on May 17, 2011 ("the '999 patent"). The '999 patent discloses an engine with a first cylinder bank and a second cylinder bank. Exhaust gases from a first cylinder group in the first cylinder bank are collected in a first section and supplied to a turbocharger. Exhaust gases from a second cylinder group in the first cylinder bank are collected in a second section and supplied to the charge air supply lines connected to the first and second cylinder banks. Exhaust gases from the second cylinder bank are supplied to a different turbocharger before being discharged to the atmosphere. The exemplary EGR system of the '999 patent also includes three control devices for setting the EGR rate. A first control device is located between the first and second sections. A second control device is located between the second section and the turbocharger. A third control device is located downstream from a cooler, which cools exhaust from the second section before supplying the exhaust to the charge air supply lines.
Although the system of the '999 patent may help lower engine emissions by re-circulating the exhaust through all cylinders of the engine, the system may still be less than optimal. Specifically, the number of control devices used by the system of the '999 patent may increase the cost and complexity of the engine. Additionally, the first and second control devices can be subjected to an extreme environment, leading to excessive wear and premature failure of these devices.
The engine system of the present disclosure solves one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems in the art.

Engine system having dedicated donor cylinders for EGR


A streak tube sweeping method in which a synchronization scan sweeping signal of a fixed repetition frequency is applied to vertical deflection plates in a streak tube, causing an electron beam, generated when a light to be measured is introduced to a photocathode in the streak tube, to sweep at the fixed repetition frequency across a phosphor screen in a first direction. At predetermined intervals that are multiples of the synchronization scan sweeping signal period, a horizontal blanking signal is applied to horizontal deflection plates in the streak tube, causing the electron beam to sweep a streak once every pulse across an output effective area of the phosphor screen. Hence, information of emitted light can be accurately measured even if the life of the light to be measured is longer than the period of the synchronization scan sweeping signal (or the period of the light pulse output from a laser light source, which is the source of the sweeping signal).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sweeping technology for a streak tube that can detect optical events which occur in very short time intervals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In streak tubes, light to be measured is introduced onto a photocathode which generates a number of photoelectrons corresponding to the amount of light. The photoelectrons are accelerated and focused in an electron beam. A sweeping signal is applied to deflection plates provided in the path of the electron beam. The electron beam is deflected on the deflection plates, forming a streak image on a phosphor screen. The streak image is used to measure the strength of the introduced light.
When used in combination with a titanium sapphire laser light source for generating a light pulse at a high repeating frequency stabilized at about 100 MHz, the streak tube not only can measure extremely faint fluorescent light and the like, but can accurately accumulate faint streak images at the same position on the phosphor screen by applying to the deflection plate a sweeping signal in the form of a sinusoidal wave, synchronized with the high repeating frequency of the laser light source. Therefore, optical event can be measured in a short time duration with few jitters and a high signal-to-noise ratio.
Methods for applying a sweeping signal to the deflection plates in a streak tube that are well-known in the art include a single sweeping method, synchronization scan sweeping method, duplex sweeping method, and elliptical sweeping method. The diagrams in FIGS. 1(a) through 1(c) illustrate the single sweeping method known in the art. FIG. 1(a) shows the waveform of a synchronization scan sweeping signal; FIG. 1(b) shows the waveform of a horizontal (H) blanking signal; and FIG. 1(c) shows the movement of the electron beam over the phosphor screen. The synchronization scan sweeping signal and horizontal blanking signal are generated in synchronicity with the light pulse output from the laser light source.
The synchronization scan sweeping signal is applied to vertical deflection plates in the streak tube. Simultaneously, the horizontal blanking signal is applied to the horizontal deflection plates in the streak tube. When these signals are applied, the electron beam issued when light to be measured is introduced onto the photocathode is deflected by the electric fields formed by the vertical and horizontal deflection plates. The electron beam is scanned over the phosphor screen as shown in FIG. 1(c). When the horizontal blanking signal is at a low level and the synchronization scan sweeping signal is changing from the low level to the high level, the electron beam is swept to move across the output effective area on the phosphor screen. A streak image is therefore obtained for each period of the synchronization scan sweeping signal, in other words for each optical pulse output from the laser light source. The other conventional sweeping methods also form a streak image of the light to be measured on the phosphor screen for each pulse output from the laser light source.
However, all of the conventional streak tube sweeping methods require the use of a laser light source capable of outputting an optical pulse at a stabilized repeating frequency, because the streak images are all formed precisely at the same position on the phosphor screen. Hence, it is necessary to use a laser light source outputting an optical pulse with a repeating frequency as high as 100 MHz. However, since a streak image of the light to be measured is formed for each optical pulse output from the laser light source, streak images for different times are formed at the same position on the phosphor screen when the time required to generate the light to be measured is longer than the period of the optical pulse.
For example, when exciting fluorescent matter by an optical pulse output from the laser light source and measuring the fluorescent light emitted from the fluorescent matter, if the life of the fluorescent light is longer than the period of the optical pulse output from the laser light source, the fluorescent matter will be excited by the next optical pulse, creating new fluorescent light, before generation of the first fluorescent light has sufficiently completed. In this example, the fluorescent light cannot be accurately measured.

Streak tube sweeping method and a device for implementing the same


The present invention provides apparatuses and methods for an antenna in a wireless receiving system. The antenna includes an opened segmented component that is electrically coupled to a printed circuit board and a capacitive top loaded component that provides a capacitive load. The vertical profile of the antenna may be reduced sufficiently so that the antenna may be internally located in the same enclosure as the printed circuit board. The capacitive top loaded component is situated away from a ground plane of a printed circuit board to reduce the capacitive coupling is reduced, and consequently the required voltage standing wave ration (VSWR) is maintained over a broad operating range. The capacitive top loaded component includes a closed shape that provides a capacitive load. In order to tune the antenna to operate with a desired characteristic (e.g., within a VSWR criterion), the closed shape may be modified.

With wireless microphones, one or more antennas are often mounted to the outside of the chassis and/or have ports into which external antennas can be connected directly or via RF (radio frequency) shielded cabling. In order to be optimally matched to varying transmitter polarization directions and environmental conditions, external antennas with rotating attachments to the receiver chassis are typically used, thus allowing the user to orient the antennas for optimal reception. However, this approach is costly, resulting in mechanical complexity and reliability concerns. A user typically does not know how to orient the antennas properly and can actually degrade reception if the user selects a poor orientation. Moreover, an externally mounted antenna is prone to be disturbed from the desired position or even damaged.


A camshaft for controlling the valves in internal combustion engines, including a shaft 1 and at least one forged cam slid- or pushed-upon the shaft and solidly connected with it, with the cam having an opening for receiving the shaft. The shaft having a segment with an increased diameter at the location of the cam compared to the other regions or segments of the shaft, this region is manufactured rollers or rolls, wherein circumferential beads or webs are generated by material displacement in the circumferential direction of the shaft, the opening in the cam for receiving the shaft is widened in a funnel-shaped manner at least on one side and at least over a portion of its axial length, and the dimension of the mouth aperture of the funnel-shaped widening corresponds approximately to the radial height of the beads or webs.

The invention deals with a camshaft for controlling valves in internal combustion engines. The cam shaft having at least one cam pushed upon the shaft and solidly connected thereto. The shaft having regions for the cams that have a larger diameter than the other regions of the shaft, and are provided with webs and beads formed by material displacement.
A camshaft of this type is described and shown in DE-OS 37 17 190, and a method for manufacturing such a camshaft is explained therein. The cams, which in this known design are pushed onto the shafts, are manufactured by sintering. The blank pressed from this sintered material is shaped so that the penetration into which the shaft must fit comprises radially projecting protrusions which extend across the entire axial length of the cam or the mentioned penetration. Herein several of such projections are provided so as to be uniformly distributed across the circumference of the penetration. As a consequence of the ledge or spring-like projections, the penetration is non-uniform across its circumference, meaning this penetration has several points at which an infinite quantity of tangents can be applied, at least theoretically.
The diameter of this penetration in the cam corresponds essentially to the diameter of the widened regions of the shaft, so that if the mentioned inner projections are non-existent, the cam could be slid upon the widened regions of the shaft without exerting any particular force. These ledge- or spring-like projections molded into the penetration, or their front end edge and end face viewed in sliding-on direction, have the task in this known design to act, as it were, as levers, and to serve to produce the groove when sliding the cam upon the shaft, which groove is required for the positive lock between the shaft and the cam. The slid-on cam is retained by pure positive lock upon the shaft in this previously known design. This known design can be remarkably rationally manufactured for camshafts with sintered cams.
Numerous motors exist, for which camshafts with forged steel cams are preferred and prescribed. Such steel cams are forged and subsequently tempered, in order to achieve a specific texture, the outer contour is hardened and the bore is drilled on a lathe. It is impossible with such forged steel cams to provide ledge- or spring-like projections as can be achieved with sintered cams, without significant effort. In a steel cam, the bore must be remachined with a cutting tool bit in order to create such projections, for instance it would have to be broached. Such a manufacturing step is impractical because of costs. For such a machining process the costs would be considerably increased compared to those which would have to be necessarily expended for a forged cam.
On the other hand, applicant is aware that a camshaft with sintered cams and the previously described construction can be manufactured economically, so that the aim exists to strive for a comparable manufacturing method also for camshafts with forged steel cams. However, cost considerations, as stated above, stand counter to this desire.

Camshaft for controlling valves in internal combustion engines


A light source 165 of a projection unit 16 AM modulates an electric current supplied to a built-in LED. The projection unit 16 projects the modulated light on a projection screen. A photoreceiver 171 receives, with a time lag, a reflected portion of the modulated light from the screen, which corresponds to a time required for the light to travel from its projection to its reception. A calculation unit 173 acquires a phase difference between the projected light and its reflection at a respective one of a plurality of points on the screen, acquires a distance from the projector to the respective one of the plurality of points on the screen, and then acquires an inclination angle of the screen. Because the distance from the projector to a respective one of the plurality of points on the screen is acquired based on the corresponding phase difference, the measurement accuracy is improved compared to the triangular distance measuring method. The projector requires no distance measurement-only light source, thereby reducing the size of the projector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to projectors for images, methods of measuring a distance from the projector to a projection screen, and methods and programs for acquiring an inclination angle of the projection screen.
2. Background Art
With a projector which projects an image on a screen, if the screen is not vertical to the optical axis of the projector, the image would be distorted by the screen even when the original image is not distorted. In order to avoid this situation, the projector performs an Automatic Keystone Correction (AKC) on the image, which includes correction of distortion of the image without correcting the inclination of the screen.
There are projectors that include a device which measures an inclination angle of the screen relative to an ideal projection screen perpendicular to the optical axis thereof. These measuring devices use a sensor which operates based on a triangular distance measuring method to measure a plurality of distances each between the projector and a respective one of a like number of points on the screen. These devices calculate the inclination angle of the screen based on the plurality of distance data obtained by the measurement. Then, the projector performs the AKC on the image based on the angle calculated.
For example, Published Unexamined Patent Application 2005-233880 (pages 5, 6; FIGS. 1, 2) discloses such conventional projection screen inclination measuring device using, for example, a passive phase difference distance measuring sensor. This sensor focuses an image on each of a pair of image capturing elements with a lens and then detects a phase difference between the two focused images. This device measures a plurality of distances each between this device and a respective one of a plurality of points on the screen based on the phase difference sensed by the sensor.
With this device, as the distances increase, the measurement accuracy decreases. With a general front type projector, the projection distance is 3-4 m and the conventional projection screen inclination angle measuring device cannot achieve sufficient measurement accuracy for that projection distance.
Since the conventional phase difference sensor requires the lens for focusing images on the respective two image capturing elements, an interval equal to the focal distance is required between the lens and the image capturing elements. Especially, at present, the projectors and cameras sensors are required to be reduced in size, although the phase difference sensors are difficult to miniaturize further.

Projector, method of measuring distance to the projector, and method and program for acquiring inclination angles of projection screen


A spectroscopy wavelength and amplitude referencing system comprises an optical bench receiving a tunable optical signal from a tunable signal source, a wavelength reference detector on the bench for determining a wavelength of the tunable optical signal, an amplitude reference detector on the bench for determining an amplitude of the tunable optical signal and an output optical signal fiber for transmitting the tunable optical signal to a sample. Also, spectroscopy system controller determines a spectral response of the sample to the tunable optical signal by determining an instantaneous wavelength of the tunable optical signal by reference to the wavelength reference detector.

All spectrometers require a radiation source, a wavelength selective or encoding device, and a detector. Analytical spectrometers require a means to transport light to and from a sample, and the sample is commonly examined in transmission or reflection.
An emerging spectrometer design standard employs a semiconductor light source, a scanning filter, and a single element detector; light is carried to and from the sample via fiber optics, and a wide variety of accessories, cells and probes, can be used as the sample interface. Examples of such systems are described in U.S. Pat. Appl. Publ. Nos. US 2006/0072632 A1 and US 2005/0083533, which are incorporated herein by this reference in their entirety. These systems use small, powerful, and efficient semiconductor sources combined with small, stable and efficient microelectromechanical system (MEMS) tunable filters. Theses spectrometers employ MEMS-based tunable Fabry-Perot filters in a pre-dispersive mode; that is with the wavelength selective device before the sample being examined. All the components are affixed to small, such as 14 millimeter (mm) long aluminum nitride, optical benches that sit atop thermoelectric coolers, and all optical coupling on this bench is via free-space micro optics. Collection fiber(s) deliver transmitted or reflected light back to the spectrometer, where a single-element InGaAs detector and transimpedance amplifier convert the light into electrical signals for processing.

Spectroscopy wavelength and amplitude referencing system and method


Ongoing growth in transport demand is served while deferring or eliminating expenditure for additional capacity by reclaiming the protection capacity and inefficiently used working capacity in existing multi-ring network. Reclamation is through re-design of the routing and restoration in the network using mesh principles within the pre-existing ring capacities. The installed working and protection capacity of existing rings is viewed as a sunk investment, an existing resource, to be “mined” and incorporated into a mesh-operated network that serves both existing and ongoing growth. A complete double or even tripling of demand could be supported with little or no additional capacity investment through the period of ring-to mesh conversion by ring-mining. An existing ring set may be converted to a target architecture of “p-cycles” instead of a span-restorable mesh, through placement of straddling span interface units to convert ring ADMs to p-cycle nodal elements.

Today many network operators have a deployed ring-based network but state that they see "mesh" as the way to go in future with DWDM-based optical networking . It is generally recognized that while rings have been a practical and economic alternative, especially in metro networks, ring networks consume a lot of transmission capacity, making them less suitable for long-haul applications. We have previously analyzed that even efficiently designed ring networks may embody total capacity that is up to three times the shortest-path capacity for the amount of demand they serve.
Ring protection capacity is a source of 100% minimum redundancy, but the efficient utilization of working capacity tends to also be limited by ring loading and "stranded capacity" issues. Additionally demand routing can rarely follow the true shortest path over the facilities graph. At the same time as rings are locking up so much physical transport capacity, some operators can barely deploy new capacity fast enough to keep up with demand. In circumstances of such rapid growth, transport efficiency is important: Even if the cost of the capacity was zero, more efficient transport architectures can serve more revenue-bearing demand for the same installed base of transmission systems.
One method of increasing reliability of a ring such as a SONET ring is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,370,110 issued Apr. 9, 2002. In this patent, a ring is connected, or interworked, with a mesh to access each other's protection capacity. Both ring and mesh continue to exist, and to operate individually as ring and mesh. The only change is that if needed the ring protection channels are made available to the mesh, and vice versa. The method proposed in this patent, however, does not deal with a ring to mesh conversion directed to serving an increased amount of demand.

Evolution of a telecommunications network from ring to mesh structure


A stator includes a first through a third windings, and a first and a second interphase insulators. The first interphase insulator has a first pair of strip-shaped insulating sheets and a first connecting portion. End portions of the insulating sheets are connected to the respective opposite end portions to form joints. The first connecting portion connects the insulating sheets so that the joints are shifted so as to be disposed in a region avoiding an interference with the first winding on both of a lead-extending side and the opposite side. In the second interphase insulator similarly constructed, a second connecting portion connects a second pair of the strip-shaped insulating sheets so that joints are shifted so as to be disposed in a region avoiding an interference with the third winding on both of the lead-extending side and the opposite side.

The present invention relates to a stator, and more particularly to a stator having an interphase insulator for insulating phase windings from one another.
Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-119739 discloses an example of an interphase insulator for insulating phase windings of a stator as a background art. Such an interphase insulator 50 is shown in FIG. 8. The interphase insulator is formed by connecting a pair of strip-shaped insulating sheets 51 with connecting portions 52 so that the phase windings are insulated from each other on both of the lead-extending side of the stator and the opposite side. Each of the connecting portions 52 is adjusted its length depending on the thickness of the laminated layer of the stator core, therefore, the pair of the strip-shaped insulating sheets 51 is arranged parallelly and spaced apart with each other. When such interphase insulators are utilized for a stator, the opposite end portions 51a, 51b of each of the strip-shaped insulating sheets 51 are adhered with each other so as to form joints 53 thereby forming a cylindrical body as shown in FIG. 9.
When the pair of strip-shaped insulating sheets 51 is connected by the connecting portions 52 with each other so that the opposite end portions 51a, 51b are arranged symmetrically, the joints 53 of the strip-shaped insulating sheets 51 are positioned coincident with each other as viewed in the axial direction of the cylindrical body. When such interphase insulators 50 are utilized for a stator in which each phase windings are inserted into slots of the stator core in wave winding form, the joints 53 of the strip-shaped insulating sheets 51 may interfere with the windings at either the lead-extending side of the stator or the opposite side. Accordingly, the interphase insulator 50 may be torn or broken.
The present invention is directed to a stator having an interphase insulator that is not torn easily.


A system and method that determines a number of scan lines for each image of a view using a resolution of the recording media, a pitch of the lenticules and a number of views needed to minimize angular transitions between views. The viewing range is also increased by allowing the primary visual field to be offset with respect to the projection field of the lenticules such that the image lines can be positioned under lenticules adjacent to the lenticule projecting the image lines as the distance from a central viewing position increases.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the field of depth images and, more particularly, to a system that produces a lenticular image with improved viewing range and in which thickness of a lenticular faceplate or overlay applied directly to the image recording media is determined for the improved viewing range.
2. Description of the Related Art
Three-dimensional photography is comprehensively described in Three-Dimensional Imaging Techniques by Takanori Okoshi (New York: Academic Press, 1976, translated from the Japanese edition published in 1972) which provides a basis for describing the attributes and advantages of the present invention. Okoshi distinguishes between truly three-dimensional imaging and stereoscopic imaging. Integral photography is a method of recording a complete three dimensional spatial image, that is, one viewable from a multiplicity of directions, upon a single flat photographic plate. Integral photography refers to the composition of the overall image as an integration of a large number of small photograph image components. Each photographic image component is viewed through a separate small lens usually formed as a part of a mosaic of identical spherically-curved surfaces embossed or otherwise formed on the front surface of a plastic sheet. The plastic sheet is subsequently bonded to or held in close contact with the emulsion layer containing the photographic image components.
A lenticular photograph is a special case of an integral photograph where the small lenses have cylindrical refracting surfaces running the full extent of the print area in the vertical direction. The long cylindrical lenses are called lenticules, and the principles of integral photograph apply equally well to lenticular photography as long as one views the layouts or optical schematics in planes perpendicular to the cylindrical axis of the lenticule refracting surfaces. An optical method of making lenticular photographs is described by Okoshi in Chapter 4 of the aforementioned book. A photographic camera is affixed to a carriage on a slide rail and a series of pictures is taken in which the camera is translated between subsequent exposures in equal increments from a central perspective location to lateral perspective locations on either side of the central perspective location. The distance that the lateral perspective locations are displaced from the central perspective location is dependent upon the maximum angle through which the lenticular material can project photographic image components contained behind any given lenticule before it begins to project photographic image components of other portions of the image contained behind an adjacent lenticule. The sum of the total number of views contained between and including the extreme lateral perspective locations is limited by the resolution of the photographic emulsion which can be contained behind each lenticule and the optical characteristics of the lenticular faceplate.
In accordance with Okoshi, the negatives resulting from each of these views are then placed in an enlarger equipped with a lens of the same focal length as the camera lens. In making the print, an assemblage is made of a sheet of unexposed photographic material oriented with its emulsion side in intimate contact with the flat side of a lenticular faceplate, i.e., a clear plastic sheet having parallel cylindrical refracting surfaces embossed or otherwise formed into its front side. The assemblage is placed on the enlarger easel with the lenticular side facing the enlarger lens and the orientation of the cylindrical axes being adjusted normal to the direction of perspective shift in the views. The position of this assemblage on the easel is adjusted until the field of the central image is centered on the center of this assemblage, and an exposure of the information being projected out of the enlarger lens is made through the lenticules onto the photographic emulsion. Subsequently, negatives from the successive exposures are placed in the film gate and the position of this assemblage is readjusted on the easel in the same direction as the perspective shift in the views to reposition each respective view to the center of the assemblage, and additional exposures of the information being projected from the enlarger lens are made. When all the views contained between the lateral vantages have been exposed on the emulsion through the lenticular plastic sheet, the film sheet is separated from the lenticular plastic sheet-and developed. When the aperture of the enlarger lens is set to equal the amount of lateral shift between alternate views, the space behind each lenticule will be found to be exactly filled with photographic image components. The final step in this process is to again reassemble the developed photographic print media and the lenticular faceplate with intimate contact between the emulsion layer and the flat side of the faceplate, with the faceplate so positioned laterally that the long strips of adjacent images resulting from exposures through the cylindrical lenticules are again positioned in a similar manner under the lenticules for viewing. This method of image recording is called an "indirect" technique because the final print recording is indirectly derived from a series of two-dimensional image recordings. Because the exposure of the recording media is performed through the lenticular faceplate before the media is developed and attached to the faceplate, no consideration need be given to the thickness of the overlay material necessary for properly focussing the images toward the viewer.
Because the successive exposures in the prior art are performed in a fixed position with a restricted fixed field aperture, the image components align directly under the corresponding lenticules and the viewing range of prints created by this method is limited.
Ideally, an integral or lenticular photograph would display an infinite number of different angular views from each lenslet or lenticule to create an infinitely smooth viewing transition as is experienced in real life when viewing the world. This is practically impossible since each angular view much have a corresponding small finite area of exposed emulsion or other hard copy media which is its source of display. Consequently, as an upper limit, the number of views must not exceed the resolution limit of the hard copy media, and, perhaps practically more significantly, must not exceed the resolving power of the lenticules.
In addition to a lenticular faceplate, horizontal image separation may also be provided through raster occlusion, such as by using a Ronchi ruling on a faceplate spatially located in front of the composite print, so as to prevent the images intended for viewing by the right eye from being seen by the left eye and vice versa. The technique of raster occlusion is described in textbooks such as Foundations of the Stereoscopic Cinema by Lenny Lipton (New York: VanNostrand Reinhold, 1982, pages 74, 166, 287) and Stereoscopy by N. A. Valyus (Focal Press, 1966) and is the preferred embodiment of the International Patent Application publication number WO 90/08343 (Jul. 26, 1990) filed by D. J. Sandin, E. R. Sandor, W. T. Connally, and S. B. Meyers. Compared to lenticular methods, however, raster occlusion or barrier technology suffers from the additional problem of reduced image brightness. While the Sandin application mentions the use of a spacer with lenticulation on one side as a viewing device and is an "indirect" method, there is no discussion of or recognition of the conditions necessary to put this into practice.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,552,442 and 4,674,853, naming Graham S. B. Street as inventor, teach a "direct" method of recording images with correct angular correlation. In this method, the converging bundle of optical rays from a very large aperture camera lens is directed onto a sheet of lenticular material to which photographic film has been affixed in the same manner as described in the previously mentioned projection method. In optical terms, the apertures of the respective lenslets form the sub-apertures which sample the taking lens aperture. Left-right image correspondence is properly established by reflecting the converging beam from a beamsplitter onto a retroreflecting surface prior to reaching the lenticular assemblage. In the geometric space between the object field and the taking lens, different aperture coordinates, or positions on the aperture of the taking lens represent different perspectives of the object field. Bundles of light rays leaving the taking lens from localized sub-apertures within the taking lens aperture are relayed by different lenslets on the lenticular film array to the photographic emulsion optical reflections, and result in the need for a uniformly accurate retroreflector sheet with elements not substantially larger than the display print lenticules. Moreover, the depth of field of the camera lens severely limits the photographic space, and the camera itself is extremely large, necessitating the use of large format film sheets for each copy and a shutter means of very large aperture.
The Sandin application also illustrates a different technique for creating a three-dimensional image using a printer to electronically record the image on the recording media. However, no consideration is given to determining the proper spacer thickness for various printer scan line resolutions. As in the optical printing method, the image lines are restricted or limited to being aligned directly under the corresponding projection means.

Electronically printed depth photography system with improved viewing range


In an exemplary embodiment, software made in accordance with the present invention allows for template building, template matching, facial point detection, fitting a 3D face model, and other related concepts. Such techniques can be utilized, for example, in a process for fitting a deformable 3D face model to an image or video containing a face. Various corresponding and related methods and software are described.

Face model fitting can allow a range of human to computer interaction applications. Examples of such applications include, but are not limited to, live facial puppetry, facial feature detection, head pose estimation, face tracking, face recognition, facial expression recognition, and any combinations thereof. Prior techniques for face model fitting have several shortcomings, especially when run on lower powered computing devices, such as a mobile device running an ARM processor. Examples of shortcomings of prior techniques include, but are not limited to, intensive training stages, requirements for initial head pose estimation, difficulty tracking 3D movement, difficulty in variations from one person to another, and others.

Systems, methods, and software for detecting an object in an image


A generally “S” shaped clip is formed from a band of resilient material having a first end a second end. The clip has a front side and a back side. The front side of the “S” shape corresponds to the back side of the clip. The back side of the “S” shape corresponds to the front side of the clip. The clip has an upper end and a lower end. The band of material is doubled back on itself at the lower end of the clip in the direction of the back side of the clip to form a slot for receipt of a projecting edge of a hat. An upper portion of the clip forms a curved clasping arm for securing objects against a crown portion of a hat.

A worker's eyes are often the most at-risk of bodily parts. Eyes are easily injured, and easily permanently injured. A worker's loss of vision can also lead to loss of life.
Eyesight is easily protected to some extent with safety glasses. However, as anyone who has worn them knows, they are easily misplaced. A worker's inability to quickly locate their safety glasses leads to wasted time, and can possibly tempt them to take chances with their vision by not donning glasses. A device that guards against misplaced glasses would be very desirable.


Apparatus is provided for a heat transfer assembly for direct attachment to a high heat generating chip, which assembly includes a pump, air side heat exchanger mounted adjacent to a fan and a heat transfer plate which is attached to the high heat generating component for dissipating heat from such component under operating conditions. In another embodiment, apparatus is provided for dissipating heat from a hard disk drive including a U-shaped heat exchange clip resiliently mounted on opposite surfaces of a hard disk drive. In another embodiment, apparatus for dissipating heat from a hard disk drive includes a generally rectangular plate for mounting on the top or bottom of the hard disk drive. And, in another embodiment, apparatus is provided transferring heat from a vertical array of hard disk drives, which apparatus includes one or more panels interposed between adjacent vertically disposed hard disk drives.

Not applicable.
Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for liquid cooling by conduction of specific computer components mounted within a housing for a computer in order to reduce the operating temperature of such components.
2. Description of the Related Art
As certain components for computers, such as microprocessors or hard disk drives become more powerful and complex, while maintaining compact size, more effective thermal management becomes necessary in order to maintain desirable operating temperatures. It is well known that according to the Arrhenius equation, there is an exponential increase in failure rates with incremental increases in operating temperatures. For example, assuming a 1.0 eV activation energy, the failure rate doubles for every 10xc2x0 rise in operating temperature. Therefore, increase in power of computer chips such as the Pentium(copyright) requires more effective heat management techniques to prevent undesirable rises in operating temperatures.
It is known to apply air-cooled fin modules directly to electronic components in order to dissipate heat through conduction by use of finned heat exchangers and convection with such heat exchangers being cooled by air flow. For example, Intel""s 486 microprocessor was cooled by a conformal finned heat exchanger, and Intel""s Pentium(copyright) chip has been cooled by finned type heat exchangers which have surface area extending beyond the actual contact surface area of the Pentium(copyright), sometimes known as extended surface heat exchangers. The operating power of certain components such as newer versions of Pentium(copyright) chips of Intel has reached levels which require high volumes of forced ambient air to dissipate generated heat; however, forced air to cool finned modules have limitations in that there may be an upper limit to volumetric flow of cooling air due to noise or other factors such as increased power requirements.
Cooling systems other than finned surface area exchangers are currently known in the prior art. For examples Peltier coolers and heat pipes are known. But, the potential height of Peltier coolers as well as the requirement for extra cooling load due to inherent inefficiencies reduce the probability for successful application to high heat load components. And, heat pipes have heat transfer capacity limitations due primarily to losses in realizing connection to hot and cold thermodynamic reservoirs, but also due to limitations of heat transport due to internal design limits.
It is also known to use cooling plates for circulating liquid coolant, which plates are mounted in contact with various power modules such as transistors, diodes and rectifiers. For example, the EGandG Components Division of Wakefield Engineering of Wakefield, Massachusetts manufacturers sheet plates which are bent to conform, that is, crimped about cooling tubes and water-cooled solid copper blocks designed to cool pressure mounted rectifiers and SCR""s dissipating up to 2 kw per device. The Wakefield cooled plates have several disadvantages in that there is significant thermal resistance across the interface between the copper tube and the aluminum plate, and in that crimping of tubes in such a manner has been found to lead to variations in cooling of up to 50 percent.
A number of prior art patents are directed to the use of liquid coolant to cool electronic components, particularly in large main frame type computers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,529 utilizes a plastic internal cooling core having mounted to it one or more cooling plates of copper to receive various electronic components. However, the attachment of cooling plates of copper to a plastic core may cause possible leak problems due to material incompatibility. U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,532 discloses the use of two oppositely positioned liquid cooling plates which are in contact with printed circuits positioned on opposite sides of a multi-layer printed circuit board. U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,495 discloses a liquid cooling module for a plurality of integrated circuit chips arrayed in uneven height wherein cooling fluid is routed either through a group of heat sinks or independently through each of a number of heat sinks. And, U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,926 discloses utilizing heat sinks having microchannels to receive cooling fluid for cooling chips.
While the prior art encompasses the general use of cooling fluid or coolant to cool electronic components, there remains a need to develop a high capacity cooling system for mounting within computer housings for desktop and server size computers where the cooling system is in direct contact with the most powerful and highest heat generating electronic components, such as more recent and more powerful versions of the Pentium(copyright) processor and hard disk drives. It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a cooling system specifically directed to such components.
In accordance with various embodiments of this invention, apparatus is provided for transferring heat from high heat generating electronic components such as advanced, high powered computer chips and hard disk drives. In one embodiment, such apparatus includes a generally rectangular chassis having a plurality of components including a mother board, with a processor chip being mounted in one of the processor slots on the mother board. A heat exchange assembly includes a power supply mounted in one corner of the chassis having a fan mounted adjacent to the power supply. The heat exchange assembly is provided for dissipating heat generated by the chip including an air to liquid heat exchanger mounted on the chassis adjacent to the fan, a pump mounted on the chassis at a convenient point and a heat transfer plate having a configuration substantially identical to the bottom surface of the high heat generating chip. The heat transfer plate is connected to the air side heat exchanger and pump by suitable tubing lines so that a liquid coolant can be transferred to the heat transfer plate in order to remove heat from the high heat generating chip, with the heated coolant being cooled in the air side heat exchanger and returned by the pump to the heat transfer plate in a continues fashion.
In another embodiment of this invention, apparatus is provided for cooling an operating hard disk drive, including a generally U-shaped heat exchange clip for resilient mounting onto the sides of the hard disk drive container. The U-shaped clip has external liquid coolant flow loops attached on the outside of the clip in order to transfer heat from the hard disk drive. In another embodiment of cooling for an individual hard disk drive, apparatus includes a generally rectangular heat transfer plate having substantially the same dimensions as a surface of a hard disk container for transferring heat from such container.
And, further apparatus is provided for transferring heat from a vertical array or stack of hard disk drive units. Such apparatus includes one or more panels mounted between adjacent, vertically positioned hard disk drive units in order to remove heat from adjacent units simultaneously.
This summary of the invention is intended as a general description of the attributes of this invention, which will now be described in more detail in the detailed description, with the claims to follow setting forth the subject matter sought to be patented.

Apparatus for liquid cooling of specific computer components

Compaq Information Technologies Group, L.P.


In a steering mechanism for a motor vehicle having a steering wheel with a steering shaft connected to a steering gear arrangement, the steering shaft comprises a first vibration damping element for accommodating and attenuating vibrations with relatively low amplitudes as they are generated by uneven road surfaces and a second element having lower damping characteristics than the first element for the transmission of steering movements from the steering wheel to the steering gear arrangement.

The invention relates to a steering mechanism for a motor vehicle, including a steering wheel which is connected by way of a shaft to a steering gear.
DE 35 27 236 A1 discloses a steering mechanism which includes a pinion and a steering rack arranged in a steering gear housing. A friction structure is provided for absorbing shocks effective on the steering rack. In this way, rotational steering wheel vibrations caused by wheel flutter are dampened. The friction structure comprises an engagement ring arranged on the steering wheel shaft and a friction disc pressed against the engagement ring. The engagement force is determined by a spring under tension.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for damping oscillations in vehicle steering systems which do not need additional friction structures.


The present invention relates to an apparatus for determining a concentration of a substance in a liquid medium of a test sample. The apparatus comprises a light source for directing a light beam of a first wavelength range towards the test sample, and a first detector for measuring intensity of irradiation emitted from the liquid medium at a second wavelength characteristic for the liquid medium. The apparatus further comprising a second detector for measuring intensity of irradiation emitted from the substance at a third wavelength characteristic for the substance, and a determining unit for determining the concentration of the substance in the liquid medium based on the measured intensities of the irradiation collected at the second wavelength and at the third wavelength.

There are many application areas where it may be of interest to determine a concentration of a substance in a liquid medium. One such application area is for detecting oil concentration in water that is to be let out in the see from offshore platforms and large vessels. In offshore platforms, water and oil is pumped up, water is filtrated and let out into the sea again. Before the filtrated water is let out into the water, the remaining concentration of oil in the water is measured to determine that the concentration is not exceeding any prescribed limits, such as based on statutory regulations. The concentration of oil in water may be measured by an optical detector system where light is sent onto a sample containing water that may be mixed with oil, and light scattered from the sample is detected at wavelengths that are characteristic for oil and water.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,727 shows a prior art optical detector system where the oil pollution content of water is monitored by measuring the oil fluorescence spectrum scattered from a liquid sample comprising water polluted with oil, when being illuminated by an ultraviolet light source and by comparing the oil fluorescence spectrum with the Raman spectrum of water from the liquid sample. The sample is illuminated from a first direction and the scattered spectrum is detected at a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
With such a system, however, it is difficult to correctly determine the concentration of oil in water when the sample contains a high percentage of particles, as the particles will reduce the amount of scattered irradiation that is detected. The particles may be e.g. oil forming lumps, which may occur when there are high concentration of oil in water, or the particles may be from other pollutants in the sample.

Method and apparatus for determining a concentration of a substance in a liquid medium