A hand crank generator includes a crank, a gear transmission, and a generation motor driven by the gear transmission. The crank and the gear transmission are coupled to each other. A clutch gear is coupled between the crank and the gear transmission. The crank is manually driven to further drive the gear transmission, and the generation motor is driven to generate electric current through the clutch gear. When the cranking stops, the clutch gear disengages from a motor gear disposed on the generation motor. A weighted wheel continues to revolve under inertia for a while to drive the generation motor to keep on generating electric current, so that the purpose of saving manual efforts can be achieved.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a hand crank generator, and more particularly, to one that is applied in small sized electric appliances.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Small size electric appliances, e.g., flashlights, battery chargers, are indispensable in our daily life; however, so far all these small sized electric appliances must use batteries or connection to a power source to operate. Though those battery dependent products permit easy portability and convenient use, battery must be continuously replaced or recharged due to the limited storage capacity of the battery. As a result, these electric appliances are not necessarily always readily available; and that could be a problem particularly for those who spend much time on the road. To correct this problem, a hand crank generator is introduced into the market.
Conventional hand crank generator operates by cranking to drive gears to rotate, and those gears in turn directly drives the generator. Once the cranking stops, the generator also stops generating power. Accordingly, to generate more power, a great effort must be consumed to exchange for sufficient electric energy.


The present invention relates to a tool/collet alignment and securement arrangement for a vertical milling machine having a J-head and a manually adjustable spindle for the secure and rapid change of a tool held in a collet in a lower end of the spindle. An arrangement of receiving bores are spaced annularly around the lower end of the spindle. An arrangement of locating pins are correspondingly arranged about the tool/collet so as to mate with the receiving bores in the spindle, to provide secure and efficient engagement of the collet/tool with the spindle in the vertical milling machine.

1. Field of the Invention
2. Prior Art
Metal milling machines have been around for many years. One very common one is the Bridgeport type universal standard vertical milling machine. This type of milling machine may be characterized by a vertical spindle, which spindle is manually activated by a handle, to pull a tool towards and push it away from a surface to be worked.
In a Bridgeport type universal milling machine, a collet is utilized to hold a specific tool. The collet is removed and a new collet is put in its place in the spindle, with a new tool in the new collet. The collet provides a machined surface so as to accurately mate with the spindle, thereby maintaining accuracy of the tool during its milling operation. Such a collet may be known under its common name as an "R-8" collet.
In a standard universal Bridgeport type universal milling machine, to release a tool therefrom, a draw bar, which extends through the spindle at the top of the machine head, has to be turned, so as to unscrew the lower end of the draw bar from the existing collet within the lower end of spindle. As the draw bar is unscrewed, the collet is pushed downwardly and the top of the draw bar is given a sudden sharp blow by a heavy object such as a wrench or a hammer. The collet is thus freed from the grip of the lower end of the spindle, and a new collet with a new tool therein, is put into the chuck of the spindle and the new collet is tightened into place by turning the top of the draw bar which turns the lower end of the draw bar into the female portion of the top of the collet. Such an operation can take between one and two minutes to complete in order to successfully change a tool in a vertical milling machine.
There are a number of patents amongst the prior art, which attempt to show arrangements for changing a tool in a milling machine. One such arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,135,861 issued to Thompson. This particular arrangement is for a broaching machine, and would not be utilized with a rotary milling machine inasmuch as it would gall any rotary member utilized therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,281 issued to Hedrick shows a tool chuck assembly with a spring which is utilized to press a ball against a wire/tool within a tapered cup. The spring however, is not pulling on the tool itself, it is utilized only for wedging engagement of a ball against the tool. U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,821 issued to Miller shows a quick change collet tool holder assembly. A spring however, merely holds the outside of a sleeve in position. This spring is not utilized to locate and position the tool in place. U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,190 issued to Anderson shows a mounting device for machining tools wherein a ball and a bar locking engagement to secure a milling cutter on the end of a spindle nose. U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,145 issued to Hendricks et al. shows a quick change drill chuck system which utilizes a hydraulic system for changing a nose piece of a tool. U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,282 issued to Reick et al., shows a tooling quick release change apparatus for a metal working machine. This arrangement permits the elimination of a draw bar mechanism commonly used in standard metal working machines.
It is the object of the present invention however, to provide a "Bridgeport" type universal vertical milling machine, having a manual tool advance arrangement, with a quick tool change mechanism for larger tools, which will also prevent the tools from coming loose.
It is yet a further object of the present invention, to provide a quick tool change mechanism which will be readily retrofittable in existing "Bridgeport" type "kneemill" manual universal vertical milling machines utilizing R-8 type collets.
It is yet still a further object of the present invention, to provide a quick tool release mechanism which will maintain tool accuracy and alignment after changing from one tool to another, while insuring that the tool will not slip or kick out.
Therefore, it is the object of the present invention, to provide an apparatus for retrofitting existing vertical type milling machines to permit them to have their tools changed and maintained more securely in the spindle, in a fraction of the time than it presently takes.

Quick tool release mechanism for vertical milling machines


A retractable stern reaction frame for reinforcing self elevating platform cantilever beams. The preferred embodiment contemplates a support framework mounted on a self elevating platform transom and positioned to engage the cantilever to project the reaction point farther towards the cantilever reach. The frameworks are to be retractable (or portable) to allow the self elevating unit to position itself closer to the jackets than would otherwise be possible. The framework is designed to transmit the reaction forces back to the main deck, cantilever support bulkheads, inner bottom and bottom structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to structural supports, and particularly to a system for selectively enhancing the support configuration of cantilever beams on jack-up drilling units or the like.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
A major limitation with oil well drilling or work over activities involving jack-up units utilizing a platform jacket and cantilever beam is the reduced drilling load available, due to the outreach position of said cantilever beams.
In such systems, the drill-floor that carries the drilling derrick is typically supported by 2 independent beams via a substructure that forms the cantilever assembly. The drill-floor skids transversely, to reach the drilling template ports, and as a result of this movement, the drilling load is applied unequally on the two cantilever beams. Thus, maximum outreach and offset of the drill-floor are dictated by the allowable load limits of the beams.
To assist the operator, a chart specific to every vessel indicates the position of the floor in relation with the allowable drilling load, and on average, the maximum drilling load is achievable over a limited portion of the drilling envelope. Generally, when drilling over a platform jacket the cantilever works at a far outreach only where the drilling load is reduced.
Accordingly, the reduced drilling loads impose limitations on operations, the greater extent maximum drilling load being achievable only within the pre-established drilling envelope. Self elevating platforms (jack-ups) which have good load chart capabilities surely are preferred by operators in a competitive market.

Auxiliary reaction frame system for cantilevered jack-up rigs, and method therefore


Systems and methods for editing digital audio data are provided. In one implementation, a method is provided that includes receiving digital audio data. Input is received selecting a noise threshold identifying a level at which one or more segments of audio data are considered to be noise. The noise threshold is associated with a plurality of parameters of the audio data and applicable to a plurality of frequency bands of the audio data. A first segment and second segment of the digital audio data are analyzed at a selected frequency band to identify noise. When the audio data in the first segment exceeds the noise threshold, the first segment is identified as including a first noise and the audio data is compressed. When audio data in the second segment exceeds the noise threshold, the second segment is identified as including a second noise and the audio data is compressed.

The present disclosure relates to editing digital audio data.
Different visual representations of audio data are commonly used to display different features of the audio data. For example, an amplitude display shows a representation of audio intensity in the time-domain (e.g., a graphical display with time on the x-axis and intensity on the y-axis). Similarly, a frequency spectrogram shows a representation of frequencies of the audio data in the time-domain (e.g., a graphical display with time on the x-axis and frequency on the y-axis).
Audio data can be edited. For example, the audio data may include noise or other unwanted components. Removing these unwanted components improves audio quality (i.e., the removal of noise components provides a clearer audio signal). Alternatively, a user may apply different processing operations to portions of the audio data to generate particular audio effects.
The application of compression is one way of removing or reducing noise from audio data. A compression amount is initially specified (e.g., compress 20 dB for all amplitudes over −12 dB), and corresponding audio data is compressed (i.e., the amplitude is attenuated) by that compression amount.


A contaminant-resistant bearing assembly includes a multi-lip seal with an extended shroud supported from the outer ring and projecting adjacent a stepped inner ring shoulder. A steel slinger supported from the inner ring is offset outwardly adjacent the shroud and includes a radially outer edge terminating closely adjacent the connection of the seal shroud to the outer ring. The slinger includes an outer portion angled inwardly from the radial direction and supporting a lip seal which contacts an angled portion of the seal shroud at a central location between the rings. A primary step machined on the inner ring prevents the slinger from being pushed into the seal.

A bearing assembly for use in extreme conditions often encounters dirt and mud which in time can accumulate and pack against sealing structure and push contaminants into the bearing cavity. Maintenance-free bearings cannot be easily lubricated, and therefore the foreign material typically cannot be flushed away. In applications where power washers are used to clean areas around the bearing, contaminants are often forced into the bearing cavity by the cleaning process. Once a bearing is contaminated, the bearing will eventually seize and fail to turn or become loose due to wear.
Contamination problems are particularly apparent in agricultural tillage implement bearings such as disk bearings operating in wet and muddy soil conditions. Mud packing and pushing against the seals compromises the contaminant protection of the bearing seals. Extreme temperature conditions and freezing of material around the bearing increases exposure to contamination. Several times a year such bearings may be exposed to high pressure washing, further increasing the contamination problem. Although bearing assemblies such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,782 assigned to Deere & Company, have generally performed well most of the time, incidences of failure caused by the harsh environmental operating conditions still occur.

Bearing seal assembly for agricultural applications


A system for enabling identity verification of an individual in a transaction between the individual and an entity that utilizes a data processing system, an entity device, and an individual device. The individual registers with the data processing system biometric data taken from the individual and data pertaining to an individual device. The entity registers with the data processing system entity identifying information. Once the individual and entity agree on a transaction, the entity notifies the data processing system of the pending transaction and requests verification of the individual's identity. The individual communicates to the data processing system individual biometric data. The data processing system compares the biometric data from the individual with registered biometric data. The data processing system forwards a result of the comparison to the entity and upon a successful comparison, may forward any requested information regarding the individual to the entity.

There is an increasing need for individuals to be able to conveniently and securely verify their identities via biometric authentication for various types of transactions with entities.
Conventionally, in a biometric authentication system, individuals must present their biometric data to an entity via an entity device. The entity device then communicates with a data processing system to affect biometric data matching of the presented biometric data to registered biometric data to determine if individuals presenting the biometric data are who they claim to be. However, for some individuals, presenting biometric data via an entity device has proven a transaction deterrent, as they may question the security of entering such personal data into the entity device.
There are numerous problems with this conventional approach. First, the conventional approach is often uncomfortable for the individual to use, as he must enter a significant amount of personal data into an entity device, thereby trusting the entity with his highly personal data. Second, this approach requires that an entity invest in a biometric device that it may not use often and must incorporate somewhere near a point of transaction where it inevitably monopolizes valuable space. Third, this approach is inflexible in that it requires that the individual and entity be co-located in order to affect a transaction. Fourth, in the case of a financial, token-based transaction, those made without a card being physically present (as in the case of a telephone or Internet order) are charged a higher "discount rate" than transactions where the card is present. The discount rate is the amount that the credit card associations, issuing banks, acquiring banks, and third-party transaction processors collectively charge the entity (e.g., merchant) on each transaction, generally expressed as a percentage of the gross transaction amount. Discount rates of 3%-5% for card-not-present transactions are common.
As a result, there is a need for a system that solves these problems. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new biometric authentication system and method for facilitating identity verification of individuals conducting transactions that allows an individual to utilize an individual device to enter sensitive biometric data into the system.
Biometric authentication systems are known in the art; examples include U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,012 to Hoffman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,812 to Pare, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,723 to Pare, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,148 to Pare, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,154,879 to Pare, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,613,659 to Hoffman, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,512,567 to Bemmel, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 7,269,737 to Robinson, all of which are incorporated by reference.
In particular, it is an object of the invention that an individual be enabled to use an individual device to facilitate verification of his identity in a variety of transactions.
It is another object of the invention that the system and method are secure, eliminating the possibility of fraud via intercepting transmissions from the individual device.
It is another object of the invention that the system and method provide the flexibility of supporting multiple types of individual and entity devices.
It is still another object of the invention that it be easy to integrate the present invention with existing entity computer, information, and transaction systems.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A locking belt is used with a container having an annular end portion defining a top opening and a removable cover overlying the opening. The locking belt comprises a split circular ring, generally U-shaped in cross section, having first and second ends and including an outer circumferential wall. A through opening is in the outer circumferential wall proximate the fist end. An arm extends outwardly from the outer circumferential wall proximate the second end to define a notch opening away from the second end. A lever arm has a near end and a distal end. The lever arm comprises an arcuate handle having sides proximate the near end to be received in the split circular ring and includes a tongue connected between the sides and extending outwardly from the near end. A connecting strap is provided for integrally connecting the split circular ring second end and the lever arm. The ring, the connecting strap and the lever arm are of one piece plastic construction. In use, the lever arm is threaded through the through opening so the connecting strap is received in the through opening and the tongue is received in the notch with the lever arm overlying the split circular ring at the second end to retain the cover on the container.

In one form of conventional shipping and storage container, in the form of a drum, a tubular side wall is formed of fibrous material or other material. It is conventional to provide connecting rings at opposite ends of the sidewall for securing closures thereacross. The connecting rings may be of metal or plastic. Alternatively, the drum may be of one piece plastic construction, such as made by blow molding.
In one form of a container closure, a removable cover is configured to rest on the annular connecting ring at the top of the container. A locking belt secures the cover to the retaining ring. The locking belt most commonly has been formed of metal and includes metal locking structure riveted thereto. Such a metal locking band can be expensive and might also rust, which could contaminate the product stored in the container. Locking belts have also been formed of plastic. The plastic locking belts are formed of multiple plastic pieces. This requires that the multiple pieces be molded or otherwise formed separately.
The present invention is directed to solving one or more of the problems discussed above in a novel and simple manner.


The invention provides a navigation device that displays a map image representing a map and a recommended route graphic representing a recommended route from a current location to a destination on the map image. The navigation device includes a self intersecting place detection unit that detects a place where the recommended route intersects itself as a self intersecting place, and a recommended route plotting unit that plots the recommended route graphic on the map image so as to display part of the recommended route graphic corresponding to an interval to be passed next through the self intersecting place, and parts of the recommended route graphic corresponding to the intervals passing through the self intersecting place other than the interval to be passed next, in different display modes. Thus, it is possible to display the recommended route on the map so that the user will easily recognize the correct travel path at the self intersecting place on the recommended route.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a navigation device that performs route guidance using a map.
2. Related Art
As a method of route guidance in a navigation device, a technique is broadly applied which accepts the setting of a destination by a user, searches for a route from a current location to the destination to set it as a recommended route, and displays, as illustrated in FIG. 12(a), a recommended route graphic 1202 representing the recommended route on a map 1201 with a range covering the current location along with a current location mark 1203 that represents the current location on the map 1201 (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-170703).
As another method of route guidance in a navigation device, a technique is well known which displays, when approaching an intersection, a map with a surrounding area of the intersection expanded, and displays on the map an arrow indicating a travel direction at the intersection along the recommended route (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-83761), and a technique is also well known which provides the travel direction at the intersection by voice (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-10495).
As illustrated with arrows in FIG. 12(b), if a route is set which passes an intersection 1211 twice in different directions as a recommended route, when the current location is just before the intersection 1211, the recommended route graphic 1202 representing the recommended route may be displayed on the map 1201 as if the recommended route were divided into three directions illustrated by the arrows in the drawing near the recommended route graphic 1202, as shown in FIG. 12(c) and FIG. 12(d). In this case, the user will have trouble understanding which direction the user should take at the intersection 1211 on the basis of the recommended route graphic 1202. Here, FIG. 12(c) shows the map at a relatively small scale, and FIG. 12(d) shows the map at a relatively large scale.

Navigation device and route guide method


A display screen for displaying multiple sets of information is provided. In one embodiment, an aviation display screen includes a main window and a plurality of miniature windows. The main window is adapted to illustrate one set of information. Each miniature window is adapted to display a set of avionic information. The avionic display is further adapted to toggle a select set of avionic information in one of the miniature windows into the main window.

Current avionic displays are typically designed to display different sets of information either on separate displays or only one set of information at a time. This is required because the displays typically display different information in a similar way. For example, both threatening terrain regions and severe weather are typically illustrated with color regions on a display screen. Moreover, it is common for terrain and weather information to be displayed using similar color palettes. For example, both terrain and weather radar may be displayed using the same colors red, yellow and green to represent increasing degrees of threat, safety criticality, or need for flight crew awareness or response. Red is typically designated as indicating either the most severe weather or the most critical terrain relating to the position of the aircraft. The green color is typically designated as indicating the least severe weather or the least critical terrain relating to the current position of the aircraft. Moreover, the yellow color is typically designated as indicating weather that has a severity level somewhere between the severity level designated by the red and green colors and a terrain that is in between the terrain indicated by the red and green colors in relation to the position of the plane.
To avoid confusion in displaying weather and terrain information, separate displays are used or the information is toggled between screens of the same display. However, there are limitations to this implementation. For example, with separate screens, the pilot must be able to integrate the weather and terrain information mentally in order to avoid conflicts. This takes time and can be confusing especially when the screens may provide the information in different size grids (scale) or orientation. Moreover, in critical situations the use of different screen or toggling between screens is detrimental in conveying the needed information is a fast an effective manner.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for a method of conveying different information simultaneously in an efficient and effective manner on a single display screen.


A optical disc holder and protector designed to retain a disc and remain thereon when the disc is inserted into a standard disc player/recorder so as to maintain protection of the disc and allow the disc to be utilized in the player/recorder. The disc holder includes a bottom tray configured to receive a standard disc. An upper retaining flange is present contiguously integrated into an outer wall, the upper retaining flange downwardly biases an inserted disc onto a lower retaining flange peripherally disposed adjacent to the outer wall creating a barrier to dust and debris.

With the proliferation of CD and DVD technology, the average consumer now has ten's if not hundreds of discs to manage. The difficulty in using the discs is in the area of disc management. The discs must be stored and then removed from their storage units, usually a standard jewel case made of polystyrene with a hinged cover, and placed in a desired player. Frequently, after normal use, the removing of the disc from its protective case to the player can result in permanent damage. Scratches to the disc, usually caused from dirt or dust accumulated on the disc renders the disc inoperable and must be replaced. It is highly beneficial to a user to keep the optical or information side of the disc free from all debris such as dust.
The damaged disc present several problems. First, as discs are used as backup devices in the information technology industry, the loss of crucial data can result in unfortunate circumstances. Another problem is the expense of the loss of data itself or the expense of the act of having to recover the data from another source and record it again on the disc.
Another problem for the individual consumer market is the cost of replacing the CD's or DVD's. With the average inventory of discs for the typical consumer being around a hundred discs, the cost of replacing damaged discs each year can be a significant expense.
Another problem in the area of disc management is that of shelf space. With the average jewel case being 1-2 cm in width, a slimmer storage case will allow storage of more encased discs per square inch of shelf space.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device that can protect the information containing side of CD's or DVD's from contamination of dust and debris without having to be removed from the device in order to use the enclosed disc in a standard CD/CVD player.

Optical disc case usable in player with disc encased therein


Provided is a diaphragm valve that can improve durability when the diaphragm valve is downsized. In a pressing adaptor, a whole lower surface thereof has a taper shape at a predetermined inclination angle. A bottom surface of a depression of a body has a circular flat portion and a depression that is continued to an outer circumference of the flat portion and is depressed with respect to the flat portion. In a diaphragm, in a state where a fluid inflow channel is opened, an upper surface of an outer circumferential edge portion comes into surface contact with the taper-shaped lower surface a of the pressing adaptor, and a lower surface of the outer circumferential edge portion comes into line contact with the outer circumference of the flat portion of the bottom surface of the depression of the body.

The present invention relates to a diaphragm valve, and particularly to a diaphragm valve that can be downsized.
As a diaphragm valve, there has been known one including a body provided with a fluid channel and a depression opening upward, a seat arranged in a circumferential edge of the fluid channel formed in the body, a spherical shell-shaped diaphragm that opens and closes the fluid channel by being pressed against and separated from the seat, a pressing adaptor that retains an outer circumferential edge portion of the diaphragm between a bottom surface of the depression of the body and itself, a diaphragm presser that presses a central portion of the diaphragm, and up and down movement means for moving up and down the diaphragm presser (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 05-80858 and the like).
In the above-described diaphragm, the outer circumferential edge portion thereof is fixed to the body, so that the depression opening upward provided in the body is sealed, and a central portion thereof can be elastically deformed (can move up and down) with respect to the outer circumferential edge portion. Thus, the diaphragm is elastically deformed with the up-to-down movement of the diaphragm presser to thereby contribute to fluid channel opening and closing.
Conventionally, a lower surface of the pressing adaptor is made up of a tapered portion having a predetermined inclination angle, and a flat portion provided in an outer circumference of a tapered surface, and an outer circumferential edge portion of the bottom surface of the depression of the body is circular and flat, so that the outer circumferential edge portion of the diaphragm is sandwiched between the flat portion of the pressing adaptor and the flat bottom surface of the outer circumferential edge portion of the body.
In the above-described conventional diaphragm valve, since the diaphragm is largely deformed every time opening and closing operations are performed, it is important to increase durability. Particularly, since when the diaphragm valve is downsized, the diaphragm is also downsized, the downsizing is disadvantageously difficult in view of durability assurance. In the conventional diaphragm valve, since the outer circumferential edge portion of the diaphragm is sandwiched between the flat portion of the pressing adaptor and the flat bottom surface of the outer circumferential edge portion of the body, the flat portion that cannot be deformed and is bent with respect to a spherical shell-shaped portion exists in the outer circumferential edge portion of the spherical shell-shaped and elastically deformable diaphragm, which brings a disadvantage in durability.


A photo and memorabilia album is disclosed which includes an audio tape player. The invention contemplates a holder mounted on a cover of the photo album which is configured to retain an audio tape player therein. In one embodiment, the holder is formed by a frame which defines the compartment into which the tape player is removably placed. The holder includes openings for the speaker and for the tape access door of the tape player. In addition, a second holder mounted on the photo album cover can be provided for removably supporting an audio tape for use with a tape player.

The present invention concerns albums, such as photo albums. In particular, the invention contemplates combining a photo album with an audio tape player.
Nearly every family in this country has a photo album in which various photographs and other memorabilia are maintained. The albums naturally serve as a sort of historical archives for the people and events that shape a family history. Photo albums memorialize these people and events for access by future generations interested in tracing their heritage.
One drawback of photo albums is that over time the meaning behind certain photographs or memorabilia can be lost or forgotten. For example, it is not uncommon for a photograph taken at a family event to show a person whose identity has faded from memory. This problem can sometimes be solved by including a written description with each photograph in an album describing the events or/or people in the photograph. The same difficulty and possible solution surrounds memorabilia and photographs whose significance in a family history requires some explanation. It is certainly a less than optimal solution to the problem to require people preparing the album to make what could be lengthy entries within the album pages to describe the contents of the album.
One alternative to a photo album is a video tape recorder. However, video tape systems are often very expensive to own and maintain. In addition, a video tape lacks the great convenience presented by a photo album that can be reviewed easily by anybody. Moreover, even though particular events and activities can be captured more completely with a video tape, the problem still exists concerning the identity of people on the tape, or the reasons for recording the events on tape, that may be lost in the memories of the participants over time. Finally, it is considerably easier to take individual photographs of people and events, as opposed to simply videotaping every day in the life of a family.
There therefore remains a great need for some means for providing a more complete description of the photographs and memorabilia contained within a photo album. This means should be easily connected with the album for use by future generations interested in learning a little about their family heritage.


The variable start-up circuits basically include a sensor, triggering transistors, current mirror, current source, an N-bit triggering circuit array, and a feedback line. If the sensing voltage does not reach the expected voltage compared to the midpoint voltage of the sensor, the output voltage of the sensor turns on the triggering transistors, which provide a total current to its output through the current mirror until the voltage at feedback reaches the midpoint voltage. The time to reach the midpoint voltage at a load is simply equal to the charge stored at the load divided by the total current, which is controlled by an N-bit digital input and a device aspect ratio of each triggering transistor. Consequently, all variable start-up circuits provide an output voltage level closer to the output voltage level that reaches the equilibrium according to schedule.

Switching regulator is a vitally important device. Switching regulators are building blocks used extensively in power systems, industry, motor, communication, networks, digital systems, consumer electronics, computers, and any other fields that high efficient voltage regulating functions.
Switching regulators (i.e., DC-TO-DC converters) can provide output voltages which can be less than, greater than, or of opposite polarity to the input voltage. Prior Art FIG. 1 illustrates a basic architecture of a conventional switching regulator 100. The conventional switching regulator 100 basically consists of an oscillator, a reference circuit 102, an error amplifier, a modulator including a comparator, resistors, and a control logic circuit. Control technique of switching regulators has typically used two modulators: a pulse-width modulator and a pulse-frequency modulator. The output DC level is sensed through the feedback loop including two resistors. An error amplifier compares two input voltages: the sampled output voltage and the reference voltage. The output of the error amplifier is compared against a periodic ramp generated by the saw tooth oscillator. The pulse-width modulator output passes through the control logic to the power switch. The feedback system regulates the current transfer to maintain a constant output voltage within the load limits. In other words, it insures that the output voltage level reaches the equilibrium. However, it takes a vast amount of time until the output voltage level reaches the equilibrium from an initial condition after the system starts. When the output voltage level reaches the equilibrium, VF is equal to VREF, as shown in Prior Art FIG. 1.
Since a power supply of a core processor is connected to one of the outputs of switching regulators in most system applications, even the core processor should stand by to operate until it receives the expected output voltage level from the switching regulator. Therefore, power and time are consumed until the switching regulator's output voltage level reaches the equilibrium. In most switching regulator applications, it is highly desirable to control all of the switching regulators on a chip to start differently according to power sequence such as core-up-first and core-down-last or enable all of the switching regulators' output voltage levels to reach the equilibrium immediately for much higher power efficiency. In addition, the conventional switching regulator 100 has taken a long time to be simulated and verified before they are fabricated since the simulation time in designing the conventional switching regulator is absolutely proportional to time to require the switching regulator's output voltage level to reach the equilibrium. Hence, this long simulation adds additional cost and serious bottleneck to design time-to-market. In other words, the slow start-up of the switching regulator increases design simulation time. For these reasons, the conventional switching regulator 100 of Prior Art FIG. 1 is very inefficient to implement in system-on-chip (SOC) or integrated circuit (IC).
Thus, what is needed is a fast starting-up switching regulator that can be highly efficiently implemented with a drastic improvement in start-up time controllability, performance, time-to-market, power consumption, power and time management, efficiency, cost, and design time. The present invention satisfies these needs by providing five embodiments.

Variable start-up circuit for switching regulators


The invention relates to aboveground plant parts of Sideritis ssp. or extracts produced therefrom for use to boost cognitive performance.

Sideritis (Sideritis L.) is a genus of plants belonging to the Lamiaceae family. This genus contains some 140 species, which may be subdivided into roughly 320 subspecies, ecotypes and cultivars. It is composed of annual or perennial herbaceous plants and small shrubs. Several species are used as tisanes and are sold as Greek mountain tea. The geographical area of the genus stretches from the Atlantic islands of Western Europe and North-West Africa (Macaronesia), to the Mediterranean region and Russia, Tibet and Western China. The centre of origin is in the west of the area [Ramón Morales: Sideritis L., In: Flora Ibérica, vol. 12].
The mountain tea is usually made from Sideritis species whose botanical classification is at times difficult. Depending on the region, they have widely different names and some of them only a local meaning. Just in Turkey there are 46 and in Spain 45 species of Sideritis, many of which are endemic. In addition to their species diversity, what they all have in common is that they belong to the Lamiaceae family and can easily be mistaken for sage. The rural population often pick Sideritis plants on the mountain slopes and dry them for their own use. The aromatic tea then frequently consists of several Sideritis species. It is brewed with boiling water, drunk either hot or cold and can be sweetened with sugar or honey. Drinking such teas is a part of everyday life in many Mediterranean countries; its healthy effect tends to be of minor importance. The medicinal effects have been known for a long time, however, and were described as long ago as two thousand years by the famous Greek physician Dioscorides (the first century AD). We can read in his pharmacopoeia, for example, that Sideritis plants used as a compress "have the power to close wounds and prevent inflammation". Traditional folk medicine in the countries around the Mediterranean has made advances since the days of Dioscorides. Today, Sideritis plants are mostly used as teas and not so often as essential oils. They have a wide spectrum of applications: for relaxation where there are disorders of the gastrointestinal tract or for their calming effect in cases of insomnia and restlessness. Today's phytotherapists use the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial action to support treatment of infections of the lower urinary tract or bladder. Cold teas can also be used for gargling to alleviate inflammations in the mouth (throat and gums) and to help them heal more quickly. And drunk hot, the teas traditionally serve to prevent coughs and colds and in particular to fight respiratory diseases. Like many other Lamiaceae from the Mediterranean region (sage, thyme) the Sideritis species are also rich in essential oils but free from stimulating caffeine. Most varieties contain monoterpenes, which are regarded as an important raw material for many naturopathic medicines with only slight side effects. Various scientific studies have provided evidence of the therapeutic effects of many essential oils of the Sideritis species in the last few decades (e.g. stress-reducing).
In their search for effective phyto-active ingredients, scientists from the Mediterranean area have also studied their indigenous plants. A long-term programme was initiated at the Gazi University in Ankara (Turkey) to study the Sideritis genus, for example. The scientists examined the methods used in folk medicine and were actually able to show that various species of Sideritis did in fact have an antibacterial, anti-oxidative, palliative and anti-inflammatory effect.
There is, however, no or at the most only sketchy documentation showing which defined species exhibits a specific pharmacological activity. It is especially with regard to the influence on the human central nervous system that there is no information available about which Sideritis species in which type of preparation is particularly advantageous.
Cognition is a term not used uniformly referring to people and other systems processing information. What is often meant by "cognition" is thinking in a broad sense. Even if many cognitive processes in humans are conscious, "cognition" and "consciousness" do not mean the same thing. Certain processes in humans can be unconscious and yet cognitive, for example, one instance of this being unconscious learning. The cognitive abilities of a human being include attention, memory, learning, creativity, planning, orientation, imagination, reasoning, introspection, will, belief and quite a few more. Cognitive abilities are studied by various disciplines, such as psychiatry, psychology, philosophy and the neurosciences.
Cognitive performance is thus a complex process which can be quantified on brain power with measurable parameters.
The ability to learn includes not only committing something to memory (duration and quantity of the input retained) but also the influence on the reaction speed, the ability to carry out logical operations (quickly and correctly), and spatial intellectual powers, such as during a period of orientation under new or changed conditions. Dysfunctions in this cognitive capacity are described with, inter alia, the syndrome MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment). MCI constitutes a special condition of an age-related reduction in cognitive functions and abilities. This syndrome is not only characterised by the subjective loss of the powers of memory; other cognitive mechanisms are generally affected too (e.g. attention, executive functions). Testing healthy people for MCI can be regarded as a pre-indicator for later forms of dementia. The final stage of losing cognitive faculties then results in absolute disorientation, both spatially and with regard to time (e.g. Alzheimer's disease).
Electroencephalography (from Greek enkephalon 'brain', graphic 'writing') is a method used in medical diagnostics to measure the totalised electrical activity of the brain by recording the voltage fluctuations on the scalp. The electroencephalogram (abbreviated to EEG) provides a visual trace of these fluctuations and is a standard technique in neurology. The cause of these potential differences are physiological processes in individual brain cells which through changes in their electrical state affect how the brain processes information. According to their specific spatial arrangement, the potentials produced by individual neurons add up and changes in potential over the entire head can be measured. Recordings in at least twelve channels of different combinations of electrodes are needed for clinical evaluation. The spatial resolution of the usual EEG is several centimetres. If a higher resolution is needed, the skull first has to be opened up surgically and the electrodes then have to be placed directly on the cortex to be examined. This is only necessary in exceptional cases, however, for example before surgery for epilepsy. Such a procedure is known as an electrocorticogram (ECoG) and it enables a spatial resolution of less than 1 cm. In addition, it is then possible by means of selective electrical stimulation of one of the electrodes to test the function of the cortex lying underneath. Ascertaining single-cell activity in greater detail is only possible by carrying out tests on animals. The data acquired can be examined for unusual patterns by skilled specialists. A common mathematical method for analysing an EEG is the Fourier transformation of the data from the time domain (i.e. the usual way of showing changes in voltage over time) to the so-called frequency domain. The picture this produces enables rhythmic activity to be quickly determined. With the paperless or computer EEG, the signal is digitised and usually evaluated by the neurologist or psychiatrist on their screen.
The macroscopically visible electrical brain activity may exhibit motifs which closely resemble rhythmic activity. The EEG does resemble the frequency-dependent noise (pink or 1/f noise), however, and does not contain any long-lasting oscillations. Various levels of awareness are accompanied by changes in the frequency spectrum of the EEG signals. Vague statements on the state of consciousness can thus be made by analysing the voltage waveforms measured. The EEG is frequently divided into frequency bands (so-called EEG bands), although the number of bands and also their precise division are at times given differently. There are historical reasons for how the frequency bands are divided and their ranges; they are not all congruent with ranges which are regarded as appropriate on the basis of more recent studies. The theta band, for instance, has been divided into a theta 1 and theta 2 range to allow for the different meanings of the subranges. EEG evaluation is traditionally done by trained evaluators recognising patterns. It is especially for long-term and sleep EEGs that software algorithms designed to reproduce this pattern recognition are also used for assisted or automatic evaluation. This proves to be easier for the EEG bands defined mainly in the frequency range but it is somewhat more difficult for other typical patterns in the EEG. A highly asynchronous pattern of all frequency bands, for example, suggests strong emotional stress or loss of voluntary control while increasingly slow waves coupled with few fast waves indicate a state of sleep or dozing.
Delta waves have a low frequency of 1 to 4 Hz. They are typical for the dreamless, slow-wave sleep period (deep sleep). Delta waves are influenced by intervention in the cholinergic system.
A signal in the frequency range between 4 and 7 Hz is known as a theta wave. They occur with increasing frequency in the light stages of sleep and one only reacts to important or powerful stimuli from the environment. Theta waves are changed by interactions with the noradrenergic alpha-2 receptor.
A signal in the frequency range between 8 and 13 Hz is known as an alpha wave. An increase in the number of alpha waves is associated with light relaxation or relaxed wakefulness with the eyes closed. Alpha waves mainly appear when the eyes are closed and then change to the beta range when the eyes are opened. The same effect can be achieved with the eyes closed if a person begins to solve a simple arithmetical problem in his head, for example. A distinction is made between alpha-1 and alpha-2 waves. Alpha-1 waves appear to be under serotonergic control; alpha-2 waves change with changes in the activity of the dopaminergic system.
Beta waves occupy a range between 14 and 30 Hz. There are various meanings attached to the occurrence of beta waves and reasons for them; beta waves are found in some 8% of all people, for instance, as normal EEG variants. Beta waves also appear in REM sleep. β-oscillations also occur physiologically when holding a constant force, for example. A signal in the frequency range above 30 Hz is known as a gamma wave. Hard concentration causes them to appear, for example, or learning processes. More recent research has shown the significance of the gamma range with regard to the so-called top-down regulation and synchronisation of various areas of the brain for integrating different qualities of a stimulus. A distinction is made in an EEG between changes primarily in the beta-1 and beta-2 waves. Changes in the beta-1 waves can be observed when there are interventions in the glutamatergic system. Drugs which intervene in the GABA-ergic system produce changes in the beta-2 waves.
But brain waves can not only be measured; they can also be influenced. This may take place by stimulating sensory nerves (visual, acoustic or olfactory stimuli) or as neuro-feedback—a special form of bio-feedback—as a result of pharmacologically active substances, such as psychotropic drugs [Dimpfel W, et al. (1996) Source Density Analysis of Functional Topographical EEG: Monitoring of Cognitive Drug Action. Eur J Med Res 1: 283-290]. The evaluation is also referred to as an electropharmacogram. With neuro-feedback it is usual to subdivide the EEG bands more finely and to interpret them differently to the clinical EEG. An increased amplitude within the frequency ranges is correlated with certain mental states or activities. Theta-2 waves can be associated with recollection and learning ability, concentration and/or creativity, for example. After extensive calibrations, conclusions can likewise be drawn about neurotransmitter-communicated CNS activities, which can be divided into dopaminergic, serotonergic, cholinergic or noradrenergic subgroups.


A control section relatively decreases an absolute value of a current supplied to a discharge lamp in a first period and relatively increases the absolute value in a second period, and in the second period, performs any one of a first control for supplying an alternating current to the discharge lamp, a second control for supplying, to the discharge lamp, a current in which a maximum duration of a first polarity is longer than that in the first control, and a third control for supplying, to the discharge lamp, a current in which a maximum duration of a second polarity is longer than that in the first control, and as the state of deterioration proceeds, decreases at least one of the maximum duration of the first polarity in the second control and the maximum duration of the second polarity in the third control.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a projector.
2. Related Art
A projector which uses a discharge lamp such as a high pressure mercury lamp or a metal halide lamp has been put into practical use. As such a projector, for example, in JP-A-2003-102030, a projector is disclosed which includes means for changing the intensity of a light source through color separation means or the like in synchronization with an image signal. However, JP-A-2009-237302 discloses that if the intensity of the light source is simply changed, there is a problem that electrode wear of a discharge lamp becomes noticeable.
Further, in recent years, a projector which uses a discharge lamp such as a high pressure mercury lamp or a metal halide lamp and outputs a stereoscopic image has been put into practical use.
As an example of a method of outputting the stereoscopic image, there is a method of switching and alternately outputting a right-eye image and a left-eye image (for example, an active shutter glasses type such as "XPAND beyond cinema (trademark of X6D Limited)"). In this method, the right-eye image is viewed with the right eye and the left-eye image is viewed with the left eye using active shutter glasses or the like which are synchronized with an image signal, and thus, the image is viewed stereoscopically using the parallax between the left eye and the right eye.
In a case where a stereoscopic image is projected using the method of alternately outputting the right-eye image and the left-eye image, compared with a case where a planar image (two-dimensional image) is projected in the related art, the amount of light which enters the right eye and the left eye becomes half or less. Further, if crosstalk occurs in which the right-eye image enters the left eye and the left-eye image enters the right eye, the image is not perceived stereoscopically, and thus, a period when both of the active shutters are closed is necessary. Thus, in a case where the stereoscopic image is projected using the method of alternately outputting the right-eye image and the left-eye image, compared with a case where the planar image is projected in the related art, there is a problem that the image appears dark. In order to cause the image to appear bright, a method of simply increasing drive power may be considered. However, in this method, for example, there is a problem that the power consumption of the projector is increased or deterioration of peripheral parts is facilitated as the power consumption is increased.
Further, if a control is performed so that the luminance of the discharge lamp is decreased in a period when both the active shutters are closed and is increased in a period when any one of the active shutters is opened in order to cause the image to appear bright, the temperature of the electrode of the discharge lamp is decreased in the period when the luminance of the discharge lamp is decreased, and the meltability of the tip end of the electrode becomes insufficient, so that the electrode may be deformed. If the electrode is deformed, the occurrence of flickering or the like may be caused. If flickering occurs, the brightness of an image projected during usage of the projector is changed.
In particular, in a case where the drive current of the discharge lamp is decreased as the state of deterioration of the discharge lamp proceeds, the brightness of the discharge lamp is decreased and the meltability of the tip end of the electrode becomes insufficient, and thus, the electrode is easily deformed. Thus, in order to project the stereoscopic image to appear bright while suppressing deformation of the electrode, a particular consideration is necessary.

Projector and method for controlling a projector discharge lamp


A method, apparatus, and manufacture for generating an HDR image is provided. An original image is received from an HDR interlaced sensor that includes at least two fields captured with different exposures. The fields are separated from each other to provide separate images, and each of the separate images is upscaled. Next, blending is performed on each of the upscaled separate images to generate a high-dynamic range image, and ghost identification is performed on the high-dynamic range image. Subsequently, detail identification is performed on the high-dynamic range image. The detail identification includes identifying areas in the non-ghost areas of the high-dynamic range image that have details, and modifying the high-dynamic image by replacing each of the areas identified to have details with the corresponding area from the original image.

Images captured by digital cameras are most commonly Low Dynamic Range (LDR) images, which have a loss of detail in bright or dark areas of a picture, depending on the camera's exposure setting. A High Dynamic Range (HDR) image can accurately represent dark areas (e.g., shadows) and well-lighted areas (e.g., sunlight). An HDR image can be captured, for example, by acquiring at least two LDR images of a scene that are captured at different exposure levels. These LDR images are called a bracketed exposed image series. A low exposure level will properly capture the scene areas fully illuminated by bright sunlight and a high exposure level will properly capture the scene areas that are dimly lighted (e.g., areas that are shadowed by other objects like buildings). By mixing these LDR images, an HDR image can be generated that depicts the full dynamic range of the scene.

Method, apparatus, and manufacture for enhanced resolution for images from high dynamic range (HDR) interlaced sensors


A method for improving sensivity of a QIT by overcoming deleterious space charge effects on the collection of higher mass ions in a QIT by rejecting residual air gas ions during ionization and by rejecting other ions during ionization employing a 1/m/z weighting of the amplitude of each secular frequency, where m/z is the mass to charge ratio of the ions.

Mass spectrometers are devices for making precise determinations of the constituents of a material by providing separations of all the different masses in a sample according to their mass to charge ratio. The material to be analyzed is first disassociated/fragmented into charged atoms or molecularly bound groups of atoms, i.e. ions.
There are several distinct types of mass spectrometers. The quadrupole mass spectrometer is a relatively recent apparatus which was first described in a paper by Paul, et al. in 1952. The quadrupole mass spectrometer differs from earlier spectrometers because it does not require use of large magnets but employs radio frequency fields in conjunction with a specifically shaped electrode structure. In this structure, RF fields can be shaped so that they interact with ions so that the resultant force on certain ions is a restoring force so that the ions are caused to oscillate about a neutral position.
In the quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS), four, long, parallel electrodes, each having precise hyperbolic cross sections, are connected together electrically. DC voltage, U, and RF voltage, V.sub.o cos Wt can be applied to the electrodes. In the QMS, restoration forces act on the ions in two directions only, so the trapped ions travel with a constant velocity down the axis as they oscillate around the axis.
Another closely related device also disclosed in the Paul, et al., paper has become known as the quadrupole ion trap (QIT). The QIT is capable of providing restoring forces to the ion in all three directions and can actually trap ions of selected mass/charge ratio. The ions so trapped are capable of being retained for relatively long periods of time which supports separation of selected masses and important scientific experiments and industrial testing which is not as convenient to accomplish in other spectrometers.
Only in very recent years has the QIT become of increased importance as a result of the development of relatively convenient techniques for ionizing, trapping, isolating and separating trapped ions. Ionization is usually by electron bombardment. By adjusting the QIT parameters so that it stores only a selectable range of ions from the sample within the QIT, and then linearly changing, i.e. scanning one of the QIT parameters, it is possible to cause consecutive values of mass/charge (m/z) of the stored ions to become successively unstable. This is called the instability scanning mode, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,884. The mass spectrum of the trapped ions is obtained by sensing the intensity of the unstable ions which provide a detected ion current signal as a function of the scan parameter.
The QIT has also become very useful in a new mass spectrometer technique known as MS/MS where a selected ion is retained in the QIT and all the other trapped ions are ejected; then the remaining ion or ions (parent) are disassociated and the fragments (daughter ions) are scanned out of the trap to obtain the mass spectrum of the daughter ions.
The MS/MS technique requires improved ion isolation. Isolation techniques have been improved by use of so called "supplementary generators" to assist in the selective isolation of particular ions by resonantly ejecting unwanted ions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,860 employs such a supplemental generator RF field which is connected across the QIT end caps and provides an excitation frequency which corresponds to the so called "secular frequency" of an ion which is to be ejected. For example, to isolate an ion m(p), the supplemental frequency can be selected, for a particular RF trapping voltage, to be equal to the secular frequency of the next closest trapped ion having m/z ratio of m(p)+1. The supplemental voltage is applied to the end caps of the trap simultaneously with the scanning of the voltage of the trapping field. This approach suffers from at least three problems. First, mass instability scanning to eject ions of mass less than m(p) suffers from poor mass resolution and thus results in significant loss in the intensity of the m(p) ion while attempting to completely remove the m(p)-1 ion out of the stability region. Second, the stability boundary on the high side is flat so that this procedure also suffers significant loss of the m(p) ion when trying to eliminate the m(p)+1 ion. Finally, it is essential to know the precise value of the voltage of the RF trapping field. To calculate the precise secular frequency, it is probably impossible to know the exact voltage acting on the ions because of the mechanical or electrical (electrode) imperfections and because of space charge effects which act to shift the stability region significantly. The so called space charge effect is known to significantly effect the secular frequency. The equation which defines the secular frequency is ##EQU1## where W.sub.o is the RF trapping field frequency and W is the secular frequency at any value of .beta..sub.z. It has become the practice to apply the supplemental frequency to eject the higher m(p)+1 ions at low values of .beta..sub.z because the relationship between .beta..sub.z and the other stability parameters outside this region is non-linear and the resolution at usual scan speed is poor. Also, at lower RF trapping field voltage, the average ion energy is lower and ions can be created and retained in the trap more efficiently, other parameters being equal. Furthermore, there is a limit to the maximum mass which can be ejected by this technique unless the value of the RF field is increased. The '860 patent, to eject the higher masses, adds the additional step of frequency scanning the supplemental frequency down to low frequencies which requires complex equipment and introduces undesirable additional isolation process steps.
It is known to employ broadband supplemental waveform generators such as a Fourier Transform (FT) synthesizer to create a time domain excitation based on a spectrum of desired excitation frequencies to cause tailored ejection of specific bands or ranges of ions. As pointed out in U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,545, the FT synthesizer technique employs very high power amplifiers. Also, even when phase scramblers are used with FT, it is not possible to achieve arbitrary excitation frequency spectrum at suitable low peak excitation voltages because of so called Gibbs oscillations.
It is also known from European Patent Application, EPO 362432A1, to shorten the process scan time in a QIT by simultaneously eliminating uninteresting ions at the same time off their creation. The express reason for the procedure is stated in this EPO patent, at Col. 4, line 7, "The advantage of this method is the shorter time needed to eliminate the unwanted ions as compared to . . . alternate steps . . . ".
The McLuckey paper, J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrometer, 1991, V. 2, p. 11-21 recognizes that situations can occur where desired ion accumulation cannot occur due to rapid buildup of matrix ions, and that matrix ion ejection might be most useful when applied during ion accumulation. Although McLuckey noted empirically seeing discrimination effects of space charge in situations of widely different m/z values, he did not disclose or identify the relationship between space charge and stored mass or the significance of the effects of common environmental air gases on the accumulation of high m ions.

Quadruple ion trap method having improved sensitivity


Disclosed according to various embodiments are an electronic device for opening a communication service and a method for an operation of the electronic device. The electronic device may comprise: a display; a memory for storing device information about the electronic device and an application for activating a communication service for an external electronic device; a first communication module for establishing a first communication channel to communicate with at least one of a first external server in which information about a plurality of service providers providing communication services is stored, a second external server related to the activation of communication services, and a third external server for providing a profile for the use of communication services; a second communication module for establishing a second communication channel to communicate with the external electronic device; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to control the application to: transmit the device information about the electronic device to the external electronic device by using the second communication module; receive, from the external electronic device, information for activating a communication service identified on the basis of the device information about the electronic device; and display a screen for activating the communication service for the external electronic device according to whether each of two or more activation methods for the communication service and contained in the information for activating the communication service is supported.

An electronic device may use a network provided by a communication service operator in order to perform wireless communication. In order to use a network provided by the operator, authentication between a server provided by the operator and the electronic device is necessary. The electronic device may perform authentication with the server provided by the operator by using a profile stored in the electronic device.

Electronic device, external electronic device, and method for managing eSIM of external electronic device


A process for automatically controlling power excavators is disclosed. In the process, the motions of the working members in accordance with lever handling motions of an operator are stored in a controller and reproduced to approximately conduct the operation. The operational errors of the reproduced motions of the working members are corrected and compensated in accordance with newly inputted lever handling motions of the operator while approximately conducting the operation, thereby accomplishing the desired operation. The process optimally controls the excavators regardless of working conditions, thereby improving the operational precision of the excavators. The above process does not need to use any sensors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a process for automatically controlling construction equipment such as power excavators to conduct the desired operations.
2. Description of the prior Art
As well known to those skilled in the art, the working members such as a boom, an arm and a bucket of a typical power excavator are designed to be operated by pressurized oil outputted from a hydraulic pump driven by an engine. In typical power excavators, the pressurized oil of the pump is delivered to working member's actuators such as a boom cylinder, an arm cylinder and a bucket cylinder under the control of directional control valves. Therefore, starting, stopping and moving the working members or the actuators can be controlled by controlling the above directional control valves.
In addition, automatic power excavator have been proposed and used. The above automatic power excavator is provided with a control system for automatically controlling the operation of the actuators. The automatic control system typically includes a controller such as a microprocessor used for processing a preset control program. The above control system also includes a plurality of electrical control levers for applying the lever signals to the controller and for setting target values of the working members. The control system further includes a plurality of positional sensors for sensing output values, that is, the operational positions and angles of the working members, and for applying output value signals to the controller.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are block diagrams representing the construction and operation of the typical automatic control system for the automatic power excavator. The power excavator with the control system of the above drawings is assumed to have four working members, that is, a swing motor, a boom, an arm and a bucket.
As shown In FIG. 1, a plurality of signal sets "sa", "sb", "sc", "sd" and "se" flow in the control system when automatically controlling the operation of the four working members. Each signal set "sa", "sb", "sc", "sd", "se" has four signals used for controlling the four working members, respectively. The output value signals "se" outputted from the positional sensors mounted to the working members are fed back to the controller. Upon receiving the output value signals "se", the controller operates, i.e., processes the above signals "se" in accordance with the preset control program and applies the control signals "sa" to the directional control valves. At this time, the operator of the excavator presets the above control program by operating the control panel of the dashboard prior to starting the control system. In the operation of the power excavator, the operator starts or stops the working members or controls the moving directions of the working members by handling the electrical control levers. The control system will automatically be operated after starting in the manner as shown in FIG. 2. That is, the control system is almost automatically operated after starting under the control of the controller, while the operator simply handles the electrical control levers to perform as the above-mentioned extremely limited part, i.e., start or stop the working members or control the moving directions of the working members.
Typically, power excavators conduct various types of operations, such as land finishing and loading operations, under various working conditions. That is, power excavators may be operated on either rugged or smooth sites. Power excavators may be operated on sites having many or no obstacles. The weather of the sites may also vary. In addition, the power excavators may be operated on either firm or soft ground. However, the typical control programs used with the automatic control systems for the power excavators are programmed to be used in extremely normal working conditions. That is, the typical control programs are not programmed considering the different working conditions of the excavators due to technical difficulties. In this regard, when an automatic power excavator is operated in an abnormal working condition, for example, a rugged site having many obstacles, the power excavator will not achieve the desired operational precision. The power excavator in the above state will also be faced with the danger of a rollover accident.
As described above, the operator of the above automatic control system simply handles the electrical control levers to perform the extremely limited part, while the control system is almost automatically operated after starting under the control of the controller. Therefore, the automatic power excavator cannot be optimally operated in the abnormal working conditions, particularly, on a rugged site having many obstacles. In addition, the control algorithm of the control system for conducting a series of operations is extremely complicated. In order to conduct a series of operations under the control of the control system, the output values, or the output positions and angles of the working members, are sensed by positional sensors mounted to the working members. The sensors In turn apply output value signals to the controller. Upon receiving the output value signals, the controller operates,i.e., processes, the output value signals while comparing the output values with the preset target values, thereby precisely determining the output positions and angles of the working members. The controller in turn outputs control signals to the directional control valves, thereby allowing the working members to achieve the target positions and angles. The above control process overloads the controller and thereby extremely complicates the control algorithm. In this regard, the control process not only increases the cost of the control system, it also prevents the automatic power excavators from being optimally used in poor working conditions. The above control process also reduces the operational precision of the power excavators which operate in poor working conditions. The above problems are caused by the fact that the positional sensors mounted to the working members only sense the rudimentary output values of the working members. Furthermore, the controller only roughly controls the control system in accordance with the preset control program without any regard for the working conditions of the power excavator.
The automatic control system for the power excavators may be provided with many more sensors in order to optimize the control performance of the control system. However, the sensors are not only apt to experience difficulties in the poor working conditions, they also increase the cost of the control system.
In the above control process, the operator is required to handle the electrical control levers every time the operation of the power excavator changes to another operation. Therefore, the control process fails to preferably improve the operational efficiency of the excavator and is still inconvenient to the operator. Another problem of the above control process is resided in that the operator should handle the control levers when the operation of the power excavator needs to be slightly changed.

Process for automatically controlling power excavators


A method and apparatus for calibrating an analog equalizer in a sampled amplitude read channel is disclosed wherein the filter's frequency response is measured and calibrated directly. This is accomplished by injecting a known periodic signal into the analog filter and measuring a spectrum value at a predetermined frequency. The filter parameters are adjusted accordingly until the spectrum reaches a predetermined target value. In the preferred embodiment, the analog filter comprises at least one second order low pass filter (referred to as a biquad filter), and the filter's spectrum is adjusted relative to the well known parameters f.sub.o and Q. Specifically, the parameters f.sub.o and Q are optimized relative to a power measurement at predetermined harmonics of the input signal. In this manner, the present invention enables auto-calibration of the analog equalizer without reading any data from the disc. Furthermore, the calibration process can be executed during the storage system's normal operation without significantly degrading its overall performance.

Sampled amplitude read channels are commonly employed in recording devices, such as optical and magnetic storage systems, for detecting and decoding binary data stored on a disc medium. A transducer (read head), positioned in close proximity to the disc, senses alterations on the disc's surface such as magnetic transitions or optical "pits", which represent the recorded binary data. The surface alterations induce a corresponding change, or pulse, in the analog read signal emanating from the read head. Thus, the read channel must detect and translate these pulses into an estimated binary sequence which, in the absence of errors due to system dynamics, will be the originally recorded binary sequence.
In sampled amplitude read channels, the read signal is equalized into a predetermined partial response (e.g., PR4 or EPR4) meaning that the response of the channel to an isolated surface alteration (i.e., an isolated pulse) will take on a particular shape. The output of the channel can then be approximated as a linear combination of time delayed pulses modulated by the binary input sequence; for example, a binary "1" translates to a positive or negative pulse (alternating) and a binary "0" translates to no pulse.
An important advantage of partial response system is the ability to control and compensate for intersymbol interference (ISI) from neighboring pulses, thereby allowing an increase in recording density without compromising the bit error rate (BER). This intersymbol interference is taken into account when the pulses are detected using a maximum likelihood sequence detector, such as a Viterbi detector, comprised of a state machine, or trellis, "matched" to the particular partial response target. The sequence detection process entails sampling the analog read signal and evaluating the sample values in context. That is, a predetermined number of consecutive input samples are compared to a number of valid binary output sequences, taking into account ISI, and the most likely binary sequence in euclidean space is selected as the correct output sequence. Errors in equalizing the read signal to the desired partial response, however, can cause errors in the detection algorithm (i.e., it can cause the wrong output sequence to be selected) because the sequence detector is no longer "matched" to the channel's response.
Thus, to optimize operation of a sampled amplitude read channel, the filter(s) responsible for equalizing the read signal must be adjusted to an optimal operating setting. This is normally accomplished through some type of "off-line" filter calibration procedure, or through a "real-time" adaptive equalization algorithm, or a combination of both. For example, the filters may first be optimized off line to determine initial optimum settings, and then the filters may be fine tuned in real time during normal operation using, for example, a least mean square (LMS) adaptation algorithm.
The equalization function in a sampled amplitude read channel is typically carried out by a front-end analog filter for equalizing the analog read signal before sampling, and a downstream discrete filter for equalizing the sample values before sequence detection. The analog filter also performs an anti-aliasing function by attenuating noise caused by under sampling the analog read signal.
A prior art method for calibrating the equalizer filters "off line" is to read a test pattern recorded on the disc and compute a mean of squared sample errors (MSE). The test pattern is read several times using a number of different filter settings, and the setting that minimizes MSE is selected as the initial operating point. Thereafter, a real time adaptation algorithm may fine tune the filter settings during normal operation.
There are problems associated with calibrating the equalizer filters not addressed by the prior art. Namely, when a recording system is first powered on after manufacturing, the dynamics of the system are unknown. Consequently, the equalizer filters must be set to "nominal" settings which, hopefully, will allow the read channel to read a test pattern recorded on the disc and execute the filter calibration routines. This "nominal" setting, however, may not be sufficient to enable the read channel to successfully read any data from the disc--thereby disabling the calibration process and the read channel altogether. This undesirable result is more likely to occur due to process variations in the analog components, such as the analog equalizer. That is, the nominal setting for one analog equalizer may be vastly different from that of another. When the process variations are significant, it becomes impracticable to search for an optimal setting by retrying the calibration routine with different filter settings until an operable setting is found.
Furthermore, calibrating the analog equalizer in real time (i.e., with an adaptive algorithm) is typically too complex and expensive to implement. This relegates the analog equalizer to operating settings determined by the off line calibration procedure--where the off line calibration is preformed intermittently (e.g., only at power on) to avoid degrading the storage system's overall performance. Thus, if the system dynamics change during normal operation due, for example, to temperature drift, such changes are not normally accounted for in the analog equalizer.
What is needed, then, is a way to calibrate the analog equalizer in a sampled amplitude read channel without having to rely on "nominal" settings to enable an off line or real time calibration procedure. That is, there is a need to calibrate the analog equalizer without having to read any data from the disc. Further, there is a need for a sampled amplitude read channel capable of calibrating the analog equalizer during normal operation in order to compensate for changes in the system that can occur over time. Still further, there is a need to calibrate the analog equalizer quickly during normal operation to avoid significantly degrading the storage system's overall performance.

Method and apparatus for calibrating an analog filter in a sampled amplitude read channel


The present invention relates to assays for monitoring activity of OGFOD1 activity, in particular, to assays for identifying modulators of OGFOD1 activity. The invention also relates to assays to monitor the prolyl hydroxylase activity of OGFOD1 on its substrate, the human ribosomal protein RPS23. The invention also enables the introduction of 3-hydroxyprolyl residues into peptides and proteins.

The oxygenase-catalyzed post-translational hydroxylation of prolyl residues is important for protein function and structure in animals. In the case of collagen, prolyl-4-hydroxylation stabilises the triple helix fold whereas prolyl-3-hydroxylation is thought to destabilise the triple helix fold. More recently, prolyl-4-hydroxylation has been shown to play an important role in the animal hypoxic response by signalling for the proteasomally mediated degradation of the hypoxia inducible transcription factor alpha subunit (HIFα) by enhancing its binding to the targeting component of a ubiquitin ligase. The oxygen dependence of the HIFα prolyl hydroxylases (PHD/EGLN enzymes), in addition to appropriate kinetic properties, is proposed to enable them to act as an oxygen-sensing component for the HIF-based hypoxic response system, which is conserved in all animals and involves transcriptional regulation of multiple genes in a context-dependent manner. Several reports of alternative substrates for the PHDs have emerged but the biological role of these modifications is unclear.
In some animals, including humans, HIF transcriptional activity is also regulated by asparaginyl hydroxylation, which reduces HIF binding to transcriptional coactivator proteins including p300. The HIF asparaginyl hydroxylase (FIH) and the PHDs belong to the ubiquitous family of Fe(II) and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent oxygenases (2OG oxygenases). 2OG oxygenases couple the two-electron oxidation of their 'prime' substrate to the oxidative decarboxylation of 2OG to give carbon dioxide (CO2) and succinate.
A number of human 2OG oxygenases are of therapeutic interest including the hypoxia inducible factor prolyl (PHD) and asparaginyl hydroxylases (FIH), the deoxyribonucleic acid demethylases (ALKBHs and FTO), the 5-methylcytosine hydroxylases (TET enzymes), ribonucleic acid hydroxylases (C2ORF60), lysyl hydroxylases (JMJD6), phytanoyl coenzyme A hydroxylase (PAHX), procollagen prolyl and lysyl hydroxylases, and the histone lysyl and arginyl demethylases (JMJ-domain containing enzymes, FBXL11, PHF8).
Following the assignment of the HIF hydroxylases as 2OG oxygenases and the solution of crystal structures for them, several other oxygenases with unknown function were identified by structurally informed bioinformatic analyses. Importantly, the JmjC jumonji-domain-containing oxygenases that bear structural similarity with FIH have been found to catalyze the N-demethylation of Nε-lysyl residues of histones. Further, FIH itself has been found to have multiple substrates from the ankyrin repeat domain family, including transcription factors, and JMJD6 was found to catalyze lysyl 5-hydroxylation of splicing-related proteins. Collectively, these results suggest the presence of multiple regulatory levels and interfaces between oxygen and transcriptional activity, and maybe splicing, which are mediated by 2OG oxygenases.


There is provided a water supply control apparatus for an ice maker and method thereof. In the apparatus and method, an ejector pushes out ice, a sensor detecting portion is formed on the ejector, and at least two sensors detect a senor transit time for the sensor detecting portion to travel from one of the sensors to the other. Therefore, an adequate amount of water can be supplied to the ice maker to make ice with a desired size regardless of the variation in the water pressure of a water inlet line from a household water source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ice maker of a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a water supply control apparatus for an ice maker and method thereof. In the apparatus and method, the amount of water supply to the ice maker is properly controlled according to the pressure of the household water source, thereby allowing stable operation of the ice maker.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ice maker is a device for making ice. For home use, some refrigerators are equipped with the ice maker to provide ice, and more refrigerators are being equipped with the ice maker to satisfy user's taste.
The ice maker requires a water inlet line to receive water from a household water source. Other devices such as a water purifier can be interposed between the water inlet line and the household water source. The user can supply water to the ice maker by simply pressing an ice button formed on a predetermined portion of the refrigerator instead of manually supplying the water.
However, the water pressure of the household water source differs from one house to another. Therefore, water supply time cannot be set equally. For example, an ice maker at a high water pressure area may be supplied with large amount of water in a short time to cause overflow, and an ice maker at a low water pressure area such as a hilly section may be supplied with small amount of water though the water is supplied for a relatively long time to result in undesired small-sized ice. To obviate this problem, the water supply time must be adjusted depending on the pressure (speed) of the water in the water inlet line: a short time for a high speed and a long time for a low speed.
According to a related art method for obviating the problem, the size of water passage of the water inlet line is adjusted depending on the water pressure of the household water source when the ice maker is installed for the first time. However, this method has a drawback in that the adjustment work should be repeated when the water pressure is changed for some reason such as when the user moves to a new house.
According to another method, the user can adjust the water supply time to make the ice with a desired size. However, this alternative method is not suitable for users who are not familiar with the ice maker. Also, since the user does not know the approximate ice size for the ice maker, it is hard for the user to adjust the water supply time.
Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus and method that can automatically adjust the amount of water supply to the ice maker.

Water supply control apparatus for ice maker and method thereof


A vehicle body has front and rear door openings defined by front, middle and rear pillars and by the vehicle roof. A bi-fold door includes upper and lower door portions, each of which extends full length from the front pillar to the rear pillar. An upper hinge acts between the roof and the upper edge of the upper door portion. A door panel hinge acts between the adjacent edges of the upper and lower door portions. A track extends vertically along the middle pillar and a track follower is carried by the lower door portion at the lower edge adjacent the bottom thereof and is engaged in the track. A door beam is mounted within the lower door portion and extends the full length of the door from the front to the rear pillar. A first door latch is mounted on the front pillar and a second door latch is mounted on the rear pillar. Latch strikers are mounted respectively on the front and rear ends of the lower door portion to engage with the first and second door latches. A telescopic spring strut acts between at least one of the pillars and the upper door portion to assist in lifting the upper door portion about the upper hinge. As the upper panel pivots upwardly about the roof hinge, the upper and lower panels hinge relative one another at the door panel hinge and the bottom edge of the lower panel follows the track in the middle pillar so that the door assumes a folded-in-half position stored above the vehicle roof.

It is well known in motor vehicles to have a front door opening and a rear door opening which are respectively closed by separate front and rear doors.
It is also known to provide a "gull wing" door in which a single door closes both the front and rear door openings, with that single door hinged to the roof so that the door pivots upwardly about its top edge to simultaneously open the front and rear door openings. In its open position, the gull wing door projects substantially above the vehicle roof.
The present invention provides a new and improved bi-fold gull wing door which stores in a compact folded position above the vehicle body.


The present invention relates to an ultraviolet curable ink composition including a colorant, an epoxy monomer, an oxetane monomer, a cationic photopolymerization initiator, and a polymerization inhibitor, wherein the weight ratio of epoxy monomer:oxetane monomer is 1:0.5 to 1:6, to a method for forming a bezel pattern by using the same, to a bezel pattern manufactured thereby, and to a display substrate having the same.

Metal wiring for driving a device is located around a display device such as a TV or a monitor. Conventionally, a separate bezel structure is provided to cover it. However, in recent years, a method of directly printing a light-shielding bezel pattern on a substrate by using a printing method such as an ink jet is used in order to attain lightening and thinning.
Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-0143071 discloses a composition for printing a bezel pattern which enables to perform an inkjet process at a temperature close to room temperature and exhibits excellent adhesion property to a glass substrate. However, in the composition, a oxonium salt is decomposed by irradiation of light energy, and the resulting Lewis acid (cation) initiates a polymerization reaction, which causes a thickening problem because the oxonium salt is decomposed to form Lewis acid even when the composition is stored at a high temperature.
Therefore, it is required to develop a ultraviolet curable ink composition having excellent reaction stability, such as maintaining stability of the composition even at a high temperature is required.

Ultraviolet curable ink composition, method for manufacturing bezel pattern in display substrate by using same, and bezel pattern manufactured thereby


In addition to the three electrodes of a unipotential lens following a plasma chamber, an ion source for ion beam lithography or ion beam semiconductor or the like has a fourth electrode which is at the same potential as the second electrode and at a potential lower than the potential of the first and third electrodes The result is improved resolution.

In ion projection lithographic systems, the structure of a mask can be imaged or reproduced in a substrate (e.g. a wafer of semiconductive material), by means of an ion beam. The imaging is effected by ion optics disposed downstream of the mask and comprised of a combination of ion optical lenses. In the case of electrostatic lenses, the imaging characteristics, like, focal length and principal planes, are defined by the so-called potential voltage ratio.
The voltage ratio R is understood, for two-electrode lenses (so-called immersion lenses) with the potentials V.sub.o, and V1 for the two lenses, as R=E.sub.o /E.sub.i where Ei is the input energy of the ions and E.sub.o is the output energy of the ions. For the case in which E.sub.i =-V.sub.o.e (where e is the elemental charge unit or electron charge), R=V1/V.sub.o.
For a three electrode lens operated as a so-called EINZEL lens, the three electrode potentials in succession are V.sub.o, V.sub.1, V.sub.o, for which R=(Ei-(V1-Vo).e/Ei), where again e is the elemental charge. For the case in which Ei=-Vo.e, R=V1/Vo.
By applying the corresponding potentials to the electrodes, the voltage ratio for the desired imaging characteristic can be obtained for predetermined values of the ion energy Ei or Eo. Every deviation of the ion energy from the basic value Ei results in a variation, as noted above, in the potential ratio R and therefore a different image scale for the same point of the mask. That means that the resolution decreases. The greater the energy blurring or spread of the energy spectrum of the ions deriving from the ion source, the poorer is the resolution of the structure formed upon the wafer. The magnetic lenses operate analogously and the settings thereof also are applicable only for a predetermined energy value of the ions.
Another parameter which determines the resolution is the size of the so-called virtual ion source. The location of the virtual ion source is found by projecting the ion trajectories leaving the extraction system, i.e. from the field free space, rearwardly towards their origin and locating the smallest diameter of that bundle. The size of the virtual source is given by that diameter. The smaller the virtual source, the greater is the resolution.
For ion projection lithographic systems, ion sources are required at which the diameter of the so-called virtual ion source is held as small as possible, preferably smaller than or equal to 10 microns. For lithographic systems, duoplasmatron ion sources have been found to be particularly effective because with these sources there is a practically laminar extraction of the ions and, at a diameter of the outlet of the plasma chamber and of the source anode closing this outlet of 200 microns, the virtual ion source can attain a diameter of about 10 microns (see Austrian Patent 386 297).
For the reasons stated, a further critical point in the ion projection lithographic system is the distribution of the energy of the ions over the mask against which the ions impinge. Since the potential ratio can only be set for a single input energy of the ions at the imaging lenses, ions whose input energy deviates from the predetermined energy E.sub.o, result in an unsharp reproduction of the mask structure upon the wafer and thus a reduction in the resolution.
Previously used duoplasmatron ion sources (R. Keller, "A High-Brightness Duoplasmatron Ion Source", in "Ion Implantation: Equipment and Techniques", Springer Series, ed. H. Ryssel, H. Glawischnig) have an anode-bounded plasma chamber in which gas particles are ionized by electrodes and/or ions are produced with the aid of a thermonic generator and then passed via two further electrodes of which one (the so-called suppressor electrode) is at a lower potential than the anode and a second electrode (the so-called extraction electrode) is at a higher potential than the suppressor electrode but which is still significantly less than that of the anode. The ions are thus accelerated to their final energy by the potential difference between anode and extraction electrode and the ions thus are passed from the plasma chamber with an energy which is the sum of the starting energy from the plasma chamber and the acceleration energy applied in the electrode assembly. The suppressor electrode serves to suppress the secondary electrons which arise at the extraction electrode and pass counter to the ion current.
Because of the statistical energy distribution within the plasma corresponding to the plasma temperature, the heretofore used duoplasmatron ion sources are characterized by a so-called intrinsic energy unsharpness of about .+-.5 eV with respect to the mean value given by the extraction potential.
An additional contribution to energy distribution of the ions impinging upon the mask results, in prior duoplasmatron sources, from ions which are first formed downstream of the anode by impact ionization of neutral gas particles. Such impingement ionization occurs primarily in the region between the anode and the suppressor anode because of the comparatively high ion current density predominating in this region. Since these ions travel only over a part of the acceleration stretch, their energy is significantly less than that of the ions emerging from the plasma chamber. Since this effect may produce a relatively high number of ions with relatively low energy as compared with the predetermined energy E, the contribution of these ions to the energy distribution of the ions impinging at the mask may be significantly higher than that of the intrinsic energy spread.

IMS Ionen Mikrofabrikations Systeme Gesellschaft m.b.H.