A wireless communication method is provided. This method includes: selecting one of a plurality of predetermined frequency bands each time a switch operation is manually performed in a transmitter, and then using the selected frequency band to transmit a radio signal corresponding to the switch operation for a predetermined specified transmission time; in a receiver apparatus, receiving the transmitted wireless signal, and then recognizing the content of a command that has already been assigned in accordance with the switch operation; and defining an intermittent reception standby period, which is repeated at a predetermined cycle for each of the frequency bands.

Generally, in a wireless communication apparatus for remotely operating a security device and the like such as the remote keyless entry system and like, mutual communication is carried out in a wireless manner between a portable device (transmitter), which is held by a vehicle user and has a transmitting and receiving function, and an in-vehicle device (receiver) including a communication control device having the same transmitting and receiving function. With such mutual communication, the door lock of the vehicle can be automatically locked and unlocked, and the engine can be started.
Such a wireless communication apparatus often uses a "multi-channel" method for mutual communication between the portable device and the in-vehicle device. In the multi-channel method, one frequency band is selected from multiple frequency bands prepared in advance to be used in the mutual communication. The frequency band to be used in the mutual communication is automatically switched each time the user operates the portable device. Therefore, even if the mutual communication at the selected frequency band is interfered due to degradation in a communication environment caused by noise and the like, the frequency band used in the mutual communication can be appropriately switched from a frequency band with large influence of noise to a frequency band with small influence of noise by switching the frequency band.
A periodic checking by the frequency band specified in advance is carried out between the portable device and the in-vehicle device to periodically check whether or not the portable device complies with the standard of the in-vehicle device.
Thus, the mutual communication, which uses the frequency band to be switched through input operation of the user, and the mutual communication, which uses a specific frequency band for periodic checking, are carried out between the portable device and the in-vehicle device. In other words, the portable device transmits a signal of an unknown frequency band switched through the input operation of the user and a signal of a known frequency band specified in advance to the in-vehicle device. Thus, it is difficult for the in-vehicle device to stably receive all the signals transmitted from the portable device. This leads to lowering in communication success rate between the portable device and the in-vehicle device.
A wireless communication apparatus described in Patent Document 1, for example, thus has been proposed to stably establish the mutual communication between the portable device and the in-vehicle device using multiple frequency bands. FIGS. 7 to 9 show an outline of the wireless communication apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 7, the wireless communication apparatus includes a portable device 10 having a wireless communication function, and a communication control device 20, which is mounted on a vehicle and used as a door lock/unlock device for performing a lock/unlock control of a door lock of the vehicle, for example.
The portable device 10 includes a mutual communication function for communicating with the communication control device 20. An operation command made by the user of the vehicle is input to an operation unit 13. The operation unit 13 transmits the input operation command to a control unit 11 serving as control means, which is a computer unit including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. The control unit 11 thereby generates various operation signals such as a lock operation signal and an unlock operation signal for locking/unlocking the door lock of the vehicle in response to the operation command from the operation unit 13. The generated operation signal is output to a transmission unit 12. The transmission unit 12 modulates the operation signal input from the control unit 11 to a radio wave having a predetermined frequency, and transmits the modulated operation signal to outside via a transmission antenna 12a. The transmission unit 12 can modulate the operation signal to the radio wave of plural types of frequencies, and can change the transmitting frequency in accordance with a frequency control signal input from the control unit 11.
In the portable device 10 as described above, the control unit 11 successively transmits six data frames (first to six data frames) when transmitting the lock/unlock operation signal. In this case, the control unit 11 outputs a frequency switching signal to the transmission unit 12, so that the frequency channel is switched to a first channel or a second channel, and the lock/unlock operation signal can be transmitted over both channels.
As shown in FIG. 8, the transmission unit 12 includes two transmission circuits; a first transmission circuit 31 and a second transmission circuit 32. The transmission unit 12 further includes a first switch 33 arranged between the control unit 11 and the transmission circuits 31 and 32, and a second switch 34 arranged between the transmission antenna 12a and the transmission circuits 31 and 32. The first transmission circuit 31 modulates an operation signal input from the control unit 11 to a signal having a first frequency fa, and transmits the modulated signal to outside via the transmission antenna 12a. On the other hand, the second transmission circuit 32 modulates an operation signal input from the control unit 11 to a signal having a second frequency fb different from the first frequency fa, and transmits the modulated signal to outside via the transmission antenna 12a. The switches 33 and 34 switch between a connection state of "control unit 11-first transmission circuit 31-transmission antenna 12a" and a connection state of "control unit 11-second transmission circuit 32-transmission antenna 12a".
The communication control device 20 includes a communication control unit 21 serving as communication control means, which is a computer unit that includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, as shown in FIG. 7. The communication control device 20 has a reception antenna 22a for receiving the radio wave (lock/unlock operation signal) transmitted via the transmission antenna 12a. The lock/unlock operation signal received by the reception antenna 22a is input to a reception unit 22. The reception unit 22 demodulates the lock/unlock operation signal transmitted from the portable device 10 to a pulse signal, and outputs the pulse signal to the communication control unit 21. The communication control unit 21 performs a drive control of a door lock device 23 in accordance with the demodulated lock/unlock operation signal. The door lock of the vehicle is thereby locked/unlocked.
As shown in FIG. 9, the reception unit 22 includes a high frequency filter 61, a high frequency amplifier 62, an image cancelling mixer 63, an intermediate wave filter 64, an intermediate wave amplifier 65, and a demodulation circuit 66. These elements are connected in that order between the reception antenna 22a and the communication control unit 21. The reception unit 22 further includes a first local oscillator 68a capable of detecting the radio wave having the first frequency fa, and a second local oscillator 68b capable of detecting the radio wave having the second frequency fb. A switch 67 is connected between the first and second local oscillators 68a, 68b, and the image cancelling mixer 63. The switch 67 switches between a connection state of "image cancelling mixer 63-first local oscillator 68a" and a connection state of "image cancelling mixer 63-second local oscillator 68b". In other words, the reception unit 22 can detect the radio wave having the first frequency fa in a state where the image cancelling mixer 63 and the first local oscillator 68a are connected, and can detect the radio wave having the second frequency fb in a state where the image cancelling mixer 63 and the second local oscillator 68b are connected.
In such a wireless communication apparatus, the lock/unlock operation signal is modulated to the radio wave of different frequencies such as the first frequency fa and the second frequency fb by switching the connection states of the switches 33 and 34 arranged in the portable device. In the communication control device 20, the connection state of the switch 67 is switched to receive the different frequencies, the first and second frequencies fa, fb, so that the first and second frequencies fa, fb are detected by the first and second local oscillators 68a, 68b, respectively. The portable device 10 then is capable of transmitting the radio wave of different frequencies selected in accordance with the communication environment, and the communication control device 20 is capable of receiving the radio wave having the selected frequency.

Wireless communication method and wireless communication apparatus


A sequence operation processor and a sequence operation processing method for processing sequence operations at high speed using a multi-port RAM. The sequence operation processor reads data from the multi-port RAM and performs operations as instructed. An operation result which is to be written into RAM is stored in a data register and in a desired address of the multi-port RAM. If the next sequence operation requires that a different address in the multi-port RAM be read, the sequence operation processor writes the operation result to the previously desired address and simultaneously reads the data corresponding to the designated address of the next sequence operation. If, on the other hand, an address where the sequence operation result is to be written is identical to the address from which data used for the next sequence operation is to be read, the sequence operation processor writes the operation result to the multi-port RAM, and reads the data required for the next sequence operation from the data register.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sequence operation processor used to execute a plurality of sequence operations. More specifically, the invention is directed to a sequence operation processor and a sequence operation processing method which employs multi-port RAMs for storing operation data to increase the speed of an operation execution cycle.
2. Description of the Background Art
A sequence processing apparatus, also known as a "programmable logic controller (PLC)," is widely used with machine tools, industrial machines, and the like. The sequence operation processing apparatus executes operations in accordance with a sequence set forth in a program format such as a "ladder program." Such a program is shown in FIG. 10, wherein logical relay contacts X5, X12, and M15 respectively correspond to logical relay coils M13, M6, and Y34 and Y35. Each of the relay coils M13, M6, Y34 and Y35 represents 1-bit data.
In the sequence operation processor, the ladder program is executed by using the following operations:
______________________________________ Instruction Device Processing Time ______________________________________ LD X5 (contact input) t1 OUT M13 (coil output) t1 + t2 LDI X12 (contact input) t1 OUT M6 (coil output) t1 + t2 LDI M15 (contact input) t1 OUT Y34 (coil output) t1 + t2 OUT Y35 (coil output) t1 + t2 ______________________________________
A known sequence operation processor described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 304570/1989 is shown in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 8, the sequence operation processor includes a microprocessor 31 for controlling an address decoder 32, a memory 33, and a co-processor 34. The sequence operation processor performs the sequence of operations set forth above in accordance with the timing chart shown in FIG. 9. For example, when the operation of the contact input X5 (instruction LD) is performed, microprocessor 31 outputs a 32-bit instruction word to a first bus 35. As shown in FIG. 8, the seven most significant bits of the 32-bit word designate the co-processor address, the next five significant bits designate the instruction code (e.g., LD, OUT, etc.), the next four significant bits designate the bit location, and the remaining sixteen least significant bits designate the address of the data to be operated on. When the address decoder 32 detects the co-processor address from the instruction word appearing on first bus 35, address decoder 32 outputs a chip select (CS) signal 37 to the co-processor 34, thereby causing the bit location and the instruction code fields to be latched. The co-processor 34 then reads data from memory 33 corresponding to the address field in the instruction word, and executes a bit operation. Similarly, when the coil output operation M13 (instruction OUT) is executed, data read from memory 33 is operated on by the co-processor 34 and the operation result is written into memory 33. In the foregoing description, assuming that t1 is the data read time of the memory 33 and t2 is the data write time, the total time necessary to process the ladder program shown in FIG. 10 is (7.times.t1+4.times.t2).
In order to perform faster processing of a ladder program, Japanese Patent Publication No. 113492/1990 discloses a RAM which allows the data read time t1 to be shortened. This RAM is shown in FIG. 11 and includes a multiplexer 210 for multiplexing an external address bus 222 and an internal address bus 224 to produce an output on a bus 220. The output appearing on bus 220 is stored in a write address register 212 which outputs data on the address bus 224 for input to a multiplexer 214. Multiplexer 214 also selects between external address bus 222 and internal address bus 224 to produce an output on address bus 234. A RAM array 254 receives the output from address bus 234 under control of a write enable signal 230. A comparator 216 is used to compare the address on external address bus 222 with the address on internal address bus 224, and for outputting an address match signal 238 upon detecting a match between the addresses. A multiplexer 250 selects either external data bus 262 or internal data bus 264 under control of chip enable signal 226, thereby providing an output to bus 260. The RAM further includes a write data register 252, a data bus 268 coupled to RAM array 254, and a multiplexer 256 for selecting between data bus 268 and internal data bus 264 depending on the state of the output enable signal 272 and the state of the address match signal 238, thereby providing an output to the external data bus 262.
The operation of the sequence operation processor is similar to the operation described above, except in the instance when the address field in the 32-bit instruction word specified for a new sequence operation is identical to the address field in a preceding sequence operation (e.g., preceding coil output operation). In such a case, the content of the write address register 212 (having been stored during the previous coil output operation) is identical to the content on the external data bus 222 (FIG. 11). Hence, the comparator 216 outputs the address match signal 238, thereby causing the multiplexer 256 to output the information stored in the write data register 252 as output data on internal data bus 264, instead of outputting information stored in RAM array 254 as output data on bus 268. Since the data is read from the write data register 252 rather than from RAM array 254, the data processing of the instruction can be performed in a time t3 which is shorter than the ordinary read time t1 (i.e., the time if the data is read from the RAM array 254). Thus, a coil output operation can be executed in a time (t3+t2) which is shorter than the time (t1+t2). Although the time (t3+t2) achieved by implementing the RAM of FIG. 11 in the sequence operation processor of FIG. 8 is shorter than time (t1+t2), the coil output operation is still limited to the steps of reading data from a memory or a write data register, then executing an operation with the read data, and subsequently writing the operation result back to the memory. Accordingly, such an operation can not be executed in any time shorter than either (t1+t2) or (t3+t2).

Sequence operation processor employing multi-port RAMs for simultaneously reading and writing


This invention relates to the draining of foundations by using an elongate subterranean drainage structure located approximately horizontally and parallel to the foundation in combination with a plurality of elongate upwardly extending hollow drain structures extending from the structure toward the surface of the earth. Hydrostatic pressure of water in the soil forces water through holes in the upwardly extending drain structures. The water then passes rapidly to the bottom of the upwardly extending drain structures by the force of gravity and thereupon into the horizontal drain structure wherein it is carried away from the foundation.

Drainage systems are often installed to prevent water from accumulating in the soil near foundations of buildings. This water, acting under hydrostatic pressure, is forced through small gaps in the foundation wall and enters the building.
A common method to prevent this is to place an approximately horizontal drain external to and near the base of a foundation wall to channel water away from the foundation and thus relieve the hydrostatic pressure and consequent leakage.
This method reduces the hydrostatic pressure in the soil near the horizontal drain. It does not provide effective protection from water which permeates the soil from above, however, since this water percolates downward from the surface of the ground to the bottom of the foundation before it enters the drainage system. While percolating downward, this surface water saturates the soil and applies hydrostatic pressure on the upper foundation walls before it reaches the drainage system at the bottom of the foundation.
Another method for preventing foundation leaks is to coat the outer surface of the foundation with a sealant that prevents water in the saturated soil from forcing its way into the building. These sealants are fragile and are often damaged when installed or degrade after installation.
Drainage systems have been devised providing a sheet-like barrier covering the buried outer face of a foundation wall. Typical sheet systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,840,515, 3,965,686, 4,810,573, and 4,733,989.
Such sheet systems typically have interior voids between an inner sheet and a permeable outer sheet allowing water to leave the soil, pass into the voids, and flow by gravity downward into the horizontal drainage tube. Such systems are difficult and expensive to install, as the entire subterranean foundation wall is typically covered from near the surface of the ground to the horizontal drainage tube.
Other drainage systems (such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,930,272 and 4,869,032, below) channel water from between the walls of a foundation into a horizontal drain located inside the building and underneath a basement slab. For example, DiCello, U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,386, describes a drainage system comprised of horizontal drain pipes laid both outside the foundation wall and inside (within the foundation boundaries) the foundation walls, The internal drain pipes connect to the interior of a foundation wall and allow water to drain therefrom.
Many other devices are known in the art for soil drainage in general. For example, Delattre, U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,305, describes an extruded multichannel porous drainage strip for placing in water filled soil. There are also devices for forming a solid wall of backfilled material around a foundation, thus providing a porous path for downward water percolation. Minor et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,042, describe a biodegradable accordion-like container for holding a layer of such coarse drainage material vertically against a foundation wall while the gap between the foundation and the excavation is backfilled.


The present invention is an aircraft people lift system for use in combination with a movable elevated passenger walkway/bridge having an attached auxiliary access stairway and landing platform. The system includes a lifting portion which has a longitudinal base portion and a longitudinal elevating portion from which a personnel carrier platform is pivotally attached to a distal end of the longitudinal elevating portion. The longitudinal base portion is attached at its approximate distal end to a bogie wheel carriage frame structure of a passenger walkway/bridge. The lifting portion is capable of raising and lowering the personnel carrier platform such that the personnel carrier platform maintains a generally perpendicular relationship with the ground surface beneath the landing platform as it is being raised and lowered to and from the ground surface from and to an upper portion landing platform of the auxiliary access stairway.

Passenger walkway/bridges typically lack the ability to load and unload handicapped passengers from the ground surface area. Certainly, airports that invest in mobile elevator and baggage ramps such as that disclosed by the present inventor in U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,359 may be able to drive the ramp system over to a walkway/bridge and connect it so as to board or deboard a handicapped person. However, this is time consuming and could delay aircraft departure time.
In some cases, to bring a portable lift to a bridge area is often not practical as the stairway landing platform may have steel permanent hand rails.
What is needed is a less costly system that is attached to the walkway/bridge with a "cherry picker" type of lifting platform or box, which will allow for immediate boarding or deboarding of the handicapped person. However, where "cherry picker" types of lifts would not allow for maintaining a side-by-side perpendicular relationship with the stairway landing platform without moving the complete lift assembly, what is needed is an apparatus where the personnel box can simultaneously adjust horizontally and vertically without being moved relative to or physically detached from the walkway/bridge. That is, a system where the apparatus has means for raising and lowering the personnel carrier platform such that the personnel carrier platform maintains a generally perpendicular relationship with the ground surface beneath the landing platform as it is being raised and lowered to and from the ground surface from and to an upper portion landing platform of the auxiliary access stairway.
Also, with some lifts currently available with attached stairways such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,359, the end of the attached stairway is vulnerable to being hit by moving trained baggage carts, which can cause problems when the lift portion is elevated to the landing level. What is needed is a system that telescopes or collapses out of the way of trained baggage carts when the system is in an elevated mode.


The method includes receiving historical data from a first data source; analyzing the historical data for a desired characteristic; determining a representative value for the desired characteristic of the historical data; determining a first data expectation for the historical data based on the representative value; transmitting the first data expectation to a first data recipient; receiving first incoming data from the first data source; analyzing the desired characteristic of the first incoming data; determining a first incoming data value for the desired characteristic for the first incoming data; comparing the first incoming data value and the representative value; determining a first difference between the first incoming data value and the representative value; and/or comparing the first difference to a difference threshold which indicates whether a difference between an incoming data value and the representative value is significant.

Systems for receiving, processing, and/or distributing data may receive incoming data from various sources. The data received may comprise non-uniform characteristics, for example, based on the data source from which the data was received. Such non-uniform characteristics may include format, file size, required processing time, required ingestion time, arrival time, arrival frequency, and/or the like. Such data characteristics may vary between data received from the same data source. Therefore, it may be difficult to predict the characteristics of incoming data at different times and/or from different sources, thus adding uncertainty to subsequent data processing and distribution.

American Express Travel Related Services Company, INC.


An apparatus for reading and/or writing data markings of an optical recording medium having data markings arranged along a track and header markings arranged laterally offset with respect to the center of the track, the apparatus having a header identification unit. According to the present invention an intermediate track signal is formed, which enables direction identification during the traversal of tracks. The present invention comprises an apparatus having a header sequence detector, a track crossing detector and an intermediate track detector, wherein the intermediate track detector is connected to outputs of the header identification unit, the track crossing detector and the header sequence detector, and generates an intermediate track signal.

An apparatus of this type is disclosed in EP-A2-0 801 382. This apparatus is suitable for the use of optical recording media having data markings both in the track and in the intermediate track, so-called land and groove recording media. The known apparatus may be regarded as having the disadvantage that it is not possible, during the traversal of the tracks in the radial direction during the use of such recording media, to obtain information about the direction in which the light beam traverses the tracks of the recording medium. The so-called mirror signal which is generated for this purpose in the case of conventional data media and detects a region free of data markings, the so-called mirror area, has a doubled frequency in the case of land and groove recording media. Owing to the data markings that are present there, the track and (intermediate track) have a lower reflectivity than the region located between track and intermediate track, in which region the mirror signal is then at a maximum. Consequently, a comparison of the phase angle of the track error signal and of the mirror signal for the purpose of direction identification is no longer meaningful, on account of the doubled frequency of the mirror signal.

Apparatus for scanning optical recording media


At least either of image data and image generation record information is analyzed to determine an image quality parameter relating to image quality, and an output target decision regarding selection of image data as an output target is performed on the basis of the image quality parameter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image data processing technique for executing image data output decisions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image data generated by an image generating device is output from a suitable output device according to user preference. Known image output devices include CRTs, LCDs, printers, projectors, and television receivers; known image generating devices include digital still cameras (DSCs), and digital video cameras (DVCs).
Image data generated by an image generating device is sometimes generated under improper operating settings. Examples of such image data include image data focused on a subject other than the intended subject. Additional examples are cases of improper exposure resulting in an image that is too bright or too dark; and cases where camera shake caused by an unsteady hand during shooting results in a blurred image. These improper images are typically not desired to output. In such instances, it is typically necessary for the user, when outputting images from an output device, to select whether or not a particular image should be output; and this selection process is particularly arduous where a large number of images are being handled.


The present invention relates to a device including a ferroic material having a ferroelectric order parameter and including at least two domains, as well as a first and second electrode in electrical contact with the ferroic material. The device is configured to form a head-to-head polarization orientation or a tail-to-tail polarization orientation at an interface between the two domains to form a charged domain wall at said interface and between the first and second electrodes. The present invention relates to a corresponding method for operating such a device.

Contemporary electronic devices widely exploit properties of hetero-interfaces between differently doped regions in semiconductors. The doped regions are used as three-dimensional thermally activated conductors while the two dimensional interfaces between the distinctly doped regions are used as electronic junctions which provide specific volt-ampere characteristics, bias-dependent capacitance, light emission, light sensitivity etc. The hetero-junctions in semiconductors can be combined to form diodes, transistors, photonic sensors, photovoltaic cells, and related devices. Analogous properties of hetero-interfaces between some dielectric metal oxides (e.g. between LaAlO3 and SrTiO3) have been reported [2]. These hetero-interfaces behave as two dimensional degenerate semiconductors or conductors and display specific quantum properties due to two-dimensional confinement of free carriers. The hetero-interfaces form quasi-two-dimensional electron or hole gases [3] whose one dimensional junctions with each other were demonstrated as basic elements in oxide electronics [1]. In all the introduced cases, hetero-interfaces are spatially fixed, thus cannot be created, displaced or erased inside an existing device unless they are physically grown or destroyed.
Unlike the fixed hetero-interfaces, which often require atomic-layer precision growth, homo-interfaces in ferroics—so called domain walls—are formed between two distinct, but energetically equivalent, domain states of a single material. Thus, domain walls are in principle mobile and provide a naturally high quality structure. In ferroelectrics (a subset of ferroics), the domain walls are transition regions, typically 1-10 nm thick, between two domain states which differ in the orientation of their switchable spontaneous polarization. Ferroelectric domain walls can be moved by the electric field or by coupling forces with other order parameters whose preferred orientations are controlled by related force fields (e.g. by mechanical stress in ferroelastics, magnetic field in ferromagnets, etc.).
Natural ferroelectric domain walls are formed with head-to-tail continuity of the polarization vector across a domain wall, which results in zero net polarization charge at the domain wall. Some of these neutral domain walls show enhanced conductivity and photovoltaic response which has been proposed for memory and photovoltaic applications in the patent US 2011/308580 A1.
In contrast, the devices described in this invention are based on intrinsic properties of so called charged domain walls in ferroelectrics. Unlike neutral domain walls, the charged domain walls are regions of head-to-head and tail-to-tail net polarization divergences which accumulate large polarization charge and therefore require compensation by charged defects or free-carriers. [4-6] In typical ferroelectrics with small defect concentrations, the stability of charged domain walls depends vitally upon almost perfect free carrier compensation of their polarization charge (and partially on additional stabilization factors like ferroelastic clamping, defect pinning etc.). The existence of charged domain walls mainly in undoped and defect-free ferroelectrics may therefore be fundamentally accompanied by presence of free carriers.
For example, the free carrier concentration at charged domain walls in the prototypical perovskite ferroelectric BaTiO3 reaches levels of degenerate semiconductors [6]. The free carriers form a quasi-two-dimensional electron or hole gas analogically to the oxide hetero-interfaces [2]. Hence, the polarization charge at charged domain walls effectively acts as a localized highly concentrated dopant. Unlike in heterostructures, these "quasi-doped" regions (charged domain walls) can be written, displaced, and annihilated repetitively inside a material monolith where they form mobile conductive channels. The devices described in this invention exploit also effects of the electric field on domain structures and on free carriers at charger domain walls which controls the properties of conducting channels.

Electronic elements based on quasitwo-dimensional electron/hole gas at charged domain walls in ferroelectrics

ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE (EPFL)


An array of light emitters includes a plurality of light emitting structures formed over a layered structure with at least one quantum well layer. At least one cladding layer is formed on over the at least one quantum well layer. At least one waveguide layer is formed on or over the at least one cladding layer. At least one isolation region is formed at least in between at least two of the plurality of light emitting structures. The at least one isolation region isolates the at least two light emitting structures from each other.

1. Field of Invention
The invention is directed to light emitters having layered semiconductor structures.
2. Description of Related Art
Light emitters with layered semiconductor structures, such as solid-state semiconductor lasers, are used as light sources for high-speed laser printing, optical fiber communications, data storage and other applications. One exemplary semiconductor laser is a so-called "edge emitting laser", where light is emitted from the edge of the layered semiconductor structure. The light from the light emitters is usually emitted from specific defined regions, called ridge waveguides, of the structure. Such ridge waveguides form the lateral optical confinement structure and are typically small ridges of semiconductor material, with a generally flat upper surface and sloped sidewalls, that are created on top of the active semiconductor layer that emits light. A quantum well lies below the ridge waveguides. Light is generated in the quantum well by combining holes and electrons when the light emitter is driven. The quantum well is surrounded by cladding layers.
The semiconductor layers forming the light emitter are often formed using group III-V semiconductors. Many different group III-V semiconductor layers are stacked in turn to form the light emitter. Some of these layers are either p or n doped. Other ones of these layers are intrinsic, i.e., undoped. Many of the layers are multiple compound semiconductors that contain multiple group III cations and multiple group V anions. For example, group III cations include aluminum and gallium, while group V anions include arsenic and phosphorus. In many light emitters, the cladding layers and the waveguide layers includes phosphorous as part of the group V element. An example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,399, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
When used in applications such as printing, optical fiber communications, data storage or the like, such phosphorous-containing semiconductor light emitters are often arranged in an array of multiple emitters. A multiple light emitter array shares a common bottom, or n-electrode and has separate, independently addressable, upper or p-electrodes.

Densely-packed light emitters with layered semiconductor structure and methods of making the light emitters


A holder for compressing a filter of a cigarette includes a cylindrical gripping member having an end provided with a plurality of longitudinal pawls, and a tubular mouthpiece formed with an axial passage having an end open to outside and an axial conical recess having a small end in communication with another end of the axial passage, the axial conical recess being formed with a conical surface, whereby when the gripping member is inserted into the mouthpiece, the longitudinal pawls will be forced to move inwardly to compress the filter of a cigarette to one-fifth of its original volume thereby decreasing the amount of nicotine and tars from passing therethrough.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to an improvement in a holder for compressing the filter of a cigarette and in particular to one which can compress a filter to one-fifth of its volume thereby decreasing the amount of nicotine and tars from passing therethrough.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As we all know, cigarettes contain chemical substances such as tar and nicotine which are harmful to the health and will be accumulated in the body. It has been reported that tobacco would cause smokers to have lung cancer if they have smoked for a long period of time. Hence, under the pressure of the government and some civil organizations, most cigarette manufacturers have printed warning such as xe2x80x9csmoking is a health-riskxe2x80x9d on the cigarette pack. However, once one smokes, it is difficult for one to stop smoking simply upon reading the warning on the cigarette pack. Thus, various filtering devices for reducing the amount of tar and nicotine into the body have been developed and sold on the market.
The filtering devices generally fall into two categories, i.e. the first one utilizes chemical substances and the second one a plurality of distorted fins to separate, absorb or discompose tar and nicotine from the cigarette.
However, the chemical substance of the first filtering device ray be inhaled together with the smoke into the smoker""s body thereby causing another kind of danger. In addition, such a filtering device is expensive and cannot be accepted by most smokers. The capability of the second filtering device for separating tar and nicotine from smoke will be decreased with time. As a consequence, the second filtering device will become useless and has to be discarded after a certain period of time thereby giving a burden to the smoker.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improvement in the structure of a holder for compressing a cigarette filter which can obviate and mitigate the above-mentioned drawbacks.
This invention is related to an improvement in the structure of a holder for compressing the filter of a cigarette and in particular to one which can compress a filter to one-fifth of its volume thereby decreasing the amount of nicotine and tars from passing therethrough.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a holder which can compress the filter of a cigarette to one-fifth of its original volume thereby decreasing the amount of nicotine and tars from passing therethrough.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a holder for compressing the filter of a cigarette which is simple in construction and low in cost.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a holder for compressing a filter of a cigarette includes a cylindrical gripping member having an end provided with a plurality of longitudinal pawls, and a tubular mouthpiece formed with an axial passage having an end open to outside and an axial conical recess having a small end in communication with another end of the axial passage, the axial conical recess being formed with a conical surface, whereby when the gripping member is inserted into the mouthpiece, the longitudinal pawls will be forced to move inwardly to compress the filter of a cigarette to one-fifth of its original volume thereby decreasing the amount of nicotine and tars from passing therethrough.
The foregoing objects and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

Structure of a holder for compressing a filter of a cigarette


In a chassis (1) for a robot for traveling over smooth, curved or firm surfaces with two track guides that are mirror-symmetric to one another and firmly arranged in the chassis (1) in parallel with the traveling surface and self-contained in each case, along which controllable adhesive modules (14) circulate one behind the other in such a way that their adhesive feet (15), which can be lifted and lowered vis-a-vis the traveling surface, always point towards the traveling surface, the individual adhesive modules (14) have their own controllable lifting and traveling drives in each case.

A self-climbing chassis for facades, especially glass facades, that has a drive mechanism made up of endless series of controllable suction units is known from the category-defining DE 103 20 570 B4. The suction units circulate at the traveling level of the chassis on two track guides that are self-contained in each case and mechanically connected to one another; the suction sides of the suction units always point towards the traveling level. The suction units are connected to one another at a fixed distance for this with driving means, such as a chain or a toothed belt that are driven by a motor. The traction means provide for a synchronous circulation of all of the suction units for each track guide. A pneumatic suction unit control is designed for uniform lifting of the suction units. The chassis is advantageously flat as a result of the circulation of the suction units at the traveling level, which is why its center of gravity is located close to the traveling surface, which helps to keep it from tipping over on a vertical wall, for instance. Furthermore, it very easy to steer and makes it possible to overcome small obstacles such as glass profile rods or mounting straps.
A drawback of the chassis is that travel can only be done over heavily curved surfaces under certain circumstances, because suction units can either hang in the air as a result of the uniformly set suction-unit lifting and fixed suction-unit spacing or can skid the chassis. A sensor system monitors conditions that could present the risk of a crash and brings the chassis to a standstill if necessary. The chassis speed is quite slow as a result of the time-consuming negotiation of the direction-changing points, and its own weight is relatively high as a result of its universal pneumatic control.


A secondary battery protection circuit may include an over voltage detector circuit configured to monitor a voltage level of an associated cell of a rechargeable battery and provide an output signal to a switch in response to a comparison of the voltage level of the cell to an over voltage threshold level. The switch may be coupled between the rechargeable battery and a DC power source and capable of moving between conducting and non-conducting states. The switch may also be responsive to the output signal to protect the rechargeable battery if the voltage level of said cell is greater than the over voltage threshold level for a time interval less than or equal to a transient time interval.

A variety of electronic devices may utilize a rechargeable battery. Such electronic devices may include laptop computers, cell phones, personal digital assistants, power tools, etc. A variety of rechargeable batteries may be utilized in such devices, e.g., lithium ion, nickel-cadmium, and nickel-metal hydride batteries. Some rechargeable batteries, in particular lithium ion batteries, may become hazardous under certain conditions including over voltage conditions. Hence, a variety of battery protection circuits may be utilized in battery packs of such rechargeable batteries.
In some instances, a secondary battery protection circuit may be utilized in addition to a primary battery protection circuit. The secondary battery protection circuit may provide an output to a fuse element to permanently disable the fuse element in response to a sustained over voltage condition. However, such secondary protection circuit does not protect against short over voltage spikes. In addition, the fuse element is not capable of moving between conductive and non-conductive states since once the fuse element enters a non-conductive state, it cannot move back to a conductive state (i.e., once tripped the fuse element would need to be replaced).
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended that the claimed subject matter be viewed broadly.

Secondary battery protection circuit with over voltage transient protection


A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is provided. The DAC includes a positive converter, a negative converter, and a comparator for receiving outputs of the positive converter and the negative converter, comparing the outputs with a reference voltage, and generating an output voltage. Each of the positive converter and the negative converter includes an upper-bit converter including a plurality of bit capacitors corresponding to respective upper bits, a lower-bit converter including a plurality of bit capacitors corresponding to respective lower bits, and a coupling capacitor for connecting the upper-bit converter with the lower-bit converter in series. Each of the positive converter and the negative converter receives a bias voltage to have a uniform offset when converting the respective bits. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain a high resolution using a small area. Also, the number of capacitors can be reduced, and the capacitance of a unit capacitor can be maximized. Consequently, it is possible to minimize heat noise and device mismatching.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), and more particularly to a DAC used in successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs).
2. Discussion of Related Art
Lately, SAR ADCs have been attracting attention in an area having an 8 to 16-bit resolution and a 5 to 100-MS/s conversion rate. Also, due to SAR ADCs' primary advantage of low power consumption, SAR ADCs are rising as a next-generation high-efficiency data converter.
SAR ADCs employ a method of searching for a digital output value closest to an input while fixing the input and sequentially changing a reference voltage. Thus, SAR ADCs must be able to precisely perform such a process.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a conventional ADC having a DAC.
For detailed comparison and analysis, a DAC having a 5-bit resolution will be representatively described.
Referring to FIG. 1, a SAR ADC includes a logic unit, a positive DAC PDAC, a negative DAC NDAC, and a comparator AMP.
The positive DAC PDAC and the negative DAC NDAC sample analog inputs IN and INB, receive a reference voltage according to a digital signal of the logic unit, and generate input voltages for the comparator AMP.
The comparator AMP receives the input voltages from the positive DAC PDAC and the negative DAC NDAC, compares the input voltages, and generates a "low" or "high" output signal VOUT.
The logic unit stores the output signal VOUT of the comparator AMP and uses it as a next operation control signal of the positive DAC PDAC and the negative DAC NDAC.
In other words, the positive DAC PDAC and the negative DAC NDAC generate the input voltages of the comparator AMP according to a digital signal of a previous bit applied from the logic unit.
The DACs PDAC and NDAC of FIG. 1 have the general DAC structure, which includes binary weighted capacitors.
To be specific, a most significant bit (MSB) capacitor has a capacitance C4=2*C3=4*C2=8*C1=16*C0, and a capacitor C0 at the left end is an offset compensation capacitor that can be removed.
Operation of the SAR ADC including the binary weighted capacitor DACs PDAC and NDAC of FIG. 1 will now be described. First, all capacitors are connected with the analog input IN or INB at an input sampling phase.
Thus, when sampling is finished, the analog inputs IN and INB are stored in the capacitors of the positive and negative DACs PDAC and NDAC.
Here, to reduce an offset between the DACs PDAC and NDAC occurring during the sampling, electrodes connected with the top plate of the capacitor arrays of the DACs PDAC and NDAC can be connected with each other through a switch (not shown) using a prime clock, electrodes being connected to the input terminals of the comparator AMP.
When the input analog signal is sampled in the DACs PDAC and NDAC, the logic unit sets a MSB D4 to 1 and other bits to 0 and compares the sampled values with an intermediate code (10000).
To be specific, the bottom plate of the capacitor C4 of the positive DAC PDAC corresponding to the MSB is connected with a positive reference voltage REFP, the bottom plate of the capacitor C4 of the negative DAC NDAC is connected with a negative reference voltage REFN, other capacitors are reversely connected, and then the voltage levels of the two input voltages are compared with the level of a reference voltage by the comparator AMP.
When the comparator AMP compares the input voltages with the reference voltage and outputs the "high" or "low" output signal VOUT, the logic unit determines the output signal VOUT as the final MSB D4 and stores it.
Also, the logic unit repeats a conversion operation for determining a bit D3 after the MSB D4 is determined, and determines other bits using a general successive approximation method.
Such a DAC using binary weighted capacitors requires 32 unit capacitors to have a 5-bit resolution, and a logic unit must perform a successive approximation operation six times to obtain a whole 5-bit digital signal.

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A process for preparing coated particles of a plant material includes: (a) combining plant material particles and a protein in a liquid medium, wherein the protein adsorbs onto at least a portion of a surface of the particles to form a first layer; and (b) mixing a polysaccharide including a pectin with the liquid medium, so that the polysaccharide adsorbs onto at least a portion of a surface of the first layer to form a second layer. In addition, a palatable product comprising at least one coated particle prepared by this process is described.

Some users of orally-enjoyed plant material including chewing tobacco and/or snuff compositions notice certain negative flavor characteristics associated with bitterness, astringency, acridness, and/or aftertaste; thus there is perceived a need to overcome these negative taste characteristics.
A related disclosure exists in the commonly-assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 12/155,227 filed on May 30, 2008.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Production of coated tobacco particles suitable for usage in a smokeless tobacoo product


A method of making a shrink sleeve in which the inner surface of the shrink sleeve is provided in a hot melt adhesive and a cross-linking substance which, when heat is provided the shrink sleeve onto a cable, causes cross linking of the hot melt adhesive to reduce its flowability.

Shrink sleeves are widely used to form water-proof connections have electrical and other cables, especially at cable connections, branches or the like, wherein the sleeve or sheath of a thermally shrinkable thermoplastic synthetic resin is slipped over the cable across the connection or branch and is then heated to shrink the sleeve around the cable insulation on either side of the junction and around the conductors connected at this junction.
At the ends of this sleeve, the latter hugs the insulation and can form a water-proof and hermetic seal thereagainst, the seal bridging the connection so that the entire joint is sealed satisfactorily against the incursion of moisture and against electrical leakage.
Shrink sleeves of the type described have been internally coated with an adhesive which allows a sufficient adhesion with the cable to be achieved. Conventional adhesives for this purpose, however, have failed when pressurized cable networks are employed, i.e. the monitoring of the cable network is effected through the gas (e.g. compressed air) pressurization of the conductors within the insulation jacket thereof. In these cases, the adhesive may lose its effectiveness because of the internal pressure, especially over long periods of time and with use of the cables in elevated temperature environments, thereby causing the shrink sleeve to lose its effectiveness.
While special adhesives have been developed for use in conjunction with pressurized gas monitoring of the integrity of cable networks, these adhesives contribute to a significantly thicker and therefore harder and less flexible sleeve and require, for example, fiber-reinforced sleeves as are described in DE 38 33 415 and EP 0 116 393.
For standard shrink sleeves with a thickness, for example, of about one half those of the special sleeves mentioned above, an adhesive has been provided which has a fifty times greater viscosity than conventional melt adhesives and which satisfies the requirements in pressurized systems. However it has been found that such adhesives require an increased supply of heating to make them effective so that during installation thermal deterioration of the shrink sleeve can occur.
Additionally, it has been found to be a drawback with shrink sleeves that the application of especially high temperatures can give rise to a combustion of the sleeve materials and can spread fire from droplets of the adhesive or combustion of the deteriorating sleeve, thereby reducing the adhesion of the sleeve and its sealing effectiveness and contributing to the spread of fire.
Indeed, as a rule the viscosity of an adhesive will drop with increased heating so that especially at the ends of the sleeve droplets of the adhesive can emerge to present the danger of combustion and fire spread.
As increasing temperature, the stresses within the sleeve can increase to the point that the sleeve can tear and on occasion can completely fall off from the cable splice and/or the cable. There is thus a significant danger even with partial heating of tearing of the sleeve and melting of the adhesive to the point that droplets thereof may emerge in a detrimental manner.

Method of producing shrink sleeves for cable connections and junctions


A drive assembly for a combine head includes a hub and a bearing received over a portion of the hub. The bearing defines a rotational axis of the hub. A plane passes radially through the bearing relative to the axis. A sprocket is coupled to the hub and is coaxial with the bearing. The sprocket has a plurality of teeth located around a perimeter of the sprocket, the plurality of teeth being located so that the plane passes radially through the plurality of teeth.

In the prior art, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a drive system 10 includes a pair of elongated driveshafts 12, 14 that are arranged to be substantially parallel. Each of driveshafts 12, 14 are rotatably coupled to a frame member 16 via a respective bearing 18, 20. Coupled to the ends of driveshafts 12, 14, is a respective sprocket 22, 24, which are drivably coupled by a chain (not shown) in a manner as is well known in the art. In this prior art arrangement, the teeth of sprockets 22, 24 are cantilevered outward on respective driveshafts 12, 14 with respect to bearings 18, 20. Accordingly, for example, under the high loads that drive the row units of a corn head via sprockets 22, 24, this prior art arrangement results in forces in directions F1 and F2, and in turn results in the flexing of driveshafts 12, 14, as illustrated by curved lines C1 and C2. As a result of the flexing of driveshafts 12, 14, the chains that drive, or are driven by, the driveshafts 12, 14 are bent and wear rapidly.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved combine row unit drive system that is more rigid and reduces wear on the sprockets and chains.

Drive assembly and drive system for a combine head


A method and apparatus for determining and tracking the geodetic position of a mobile platform (i.e., aircraft). The apparatus comprises a ground controller assigned to a geographic space (i.e., an airspace) and at least one mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) communicating with the ground controller on a bi-directional communications link, wherein each mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) transmits a mobile platform (i.e., an aircraft) signal comprising at least a time of transmission of the mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) signal; the ground controller transmits a ground signal comprising at least a time of transmission of the ground signal and a location of the ground controller; each mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) performs time-of-arrival (TOA) measurements on the mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) signals received by that mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) and also performs TOA measurements on the ground signal received by that mobile platform (i.e., aircraft); the ground controller performs TOA measurements on each of the mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) signals received by the ground controller; each mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) determines a range (i.e., an air range) between that mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) and other mobile platforms (i.e., aircraft) and a ground range between that mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) and the ground controller; each mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) determines its geodetic position based on at least the ranges (i.e., air ranges) and ground range for that mobile platform (i.e., aircraft) and the position of the ground controller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless communications systems, and particularly to wireless communications systems using aircraft to determine aircraft position and for monitoring aircraft position.
2. Description of the Related Art
Locating mobile platforms is vital for many applications and consequently attracts much attention. Radio positioning or use of radio waves to locate mobile platforms includes both non-cooperative techniques (e.g., radar) and cooperative techniques wherein mobile platforms receive only, transmit only, or both receive and transmit (e.g., GPS, Teletrac, or EPLRS, respectively).
All of these techniques rely on radio wave propagation time between transmitter and receiver. Most systems based on these techniques employ reference sites with fixed, known geolocations as a basis for locating mobile platforms although some systems use mobile reference platforms with locations separately determined, e.g., state of the art literature describes a means for determining locations for satellite reference platforms used in a positioning system such as GPS.
In using GPS, each user (mobile platform) makes simultaneous or near-simultaneous time-of-arrival measurements on signals arriving from at least four different GPS satellites. These measurements resolve unknown user platform parameters (px, py, pz and t) because satellite ephemeris are approximately known and GPS satellites are synchronized (i.e., their relative clock offsets are known). However, specialized GPS receivers are necessary to perform GPS-related geodetic determinations.
In using Teletrac, each of four or more reference sites makes simultaneous time-of-arrival measurements on signals arriving from the mobile platform. Together, these measurements resolve unknown user platform parameters (px, py, pz and t) because reference site geodetic positions are known, and these sites are synchronized (i.e., their relative clock offsets are known). Some systems of this type use measurements, not necessarily time-of-arrival measurements, made at different times (e.g., Doppler frequency measurements on different orbital passes for SARSAT) to determine locations.
Position Location Reporting System (PLRS) relies on two-way time-of-arrival measurements to develop range measurements subsequently converted to position fixes based on three participating platforms with known locations (references) as well as barometric altitude for each mobile platforms. Mobile platforms with position fixes can serve as references for determining positions for other mobile platforms as they enter the system. All computation of position occurs at master stations, and mobile platforms know their positions only if master stations provide this information to these platforms.
Four reference platforms are sufficient to provide absolute position for asynchronous participants in position location systems (e.g., GPS): three to resolve position and one for participant timing (clock) offset. Reference platforms may be mobile (like GPS satellites) provided their positions (and offsets) are calculable by user platforms. Among position location systems using reference sites with known geolocations as a basis for locating mobile platforms, position determination for cellular phones has enjoyed great popularity recently due largely to government-mandated E911 requirements.
As already described, other systems use two-way ranging, between mobile platforms and reference platforms only, to locate mobile platforms. These systems reduce the minimum number of reference sites from four to three for three-dimensional position location or from three to two for two-dimensional position location, because paired two-way measurements (platform j to platform k and vice versa) eliminate timing offsets. Use of two-way ranging (or round trip delay measurements) has ancillary benefits such as eliminating the need for highly accurate clocks for mobile platforms.
Alternatively, use of additional measurements such as angle-of-arrival measurements can also reduce the number of fixed sites required to as few as two for a three-dimensional position location. Especially where ground-based reference sites support position location over vast areas, reducing the number of sites required is important in controlling infrastructure cost.
Available systems cannot reduce the number of reference sites below two regardless of the technique(s) employed without significant sacrifices in performance (whether position location quality or time to first fix), depending upon the approach taken and mobile platform parameters.
Further, presently available systems all rely on outside systems, such as GPS, to perform position determination. However, GPS systems and signals may not always be available due to weather, satellite degradation or failure, or other factors.
It can be seen, then, that there is a need in the art for an independent system for determination of geodetic position without the use of, and independent of, GPS or other external signals. It can also be seen that there is a need in the art for making position information for all mobile platforms available externally without recourse to an external communications system as required when using GPS for developing mobile platform locations.


A beer vending machine of the invention includes a cylinder containing compressed carbon dioxide gas, a gas regulator for adjusting a secondary pressure of the carbon dioxide gas, a temperature sensor for monitoring a beer temperature, gas and leak valves, and a pressure controller. The gas valve is disposed in a gas pipe line between the beer barrel and the gas regulator to open or close the gas pipe line, and the leak valve is disposed in a branch pipe for depressurizing the beer barrel. Based on the beer temperature obtained by the temperature sensor, the pressure controller controls the gas regulator, the gas valve and the leak valve to set the secondary pressure at an equilibrium pressure corresponding to the obtained beer temperature. Therefore, the beer barrel is pressurized under the suitable equilibrium pressure.

The present invention relates to a beer vending machine which stores beer in beer barrels cooled in a refrigerator and serves the beer to a cup by further cooling the same by passing through a cooling coil, and a method of controlling pressure in the beer barrel.
FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing showing the structure of a conventional beer vending machine. Referring to FIG. 4, a cylinder 1 stores carbon dioxide gas therein. A gas regulator 2 regulates the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas on a secondary side thereof at a certain value. A pressure sensor 3 on the secondary side of the gas regulator 2 monitors the secondary pressure of the carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide gas fed through the regulator 2 is distributed to beer barrels 7a, 7b through a gas distributor 4. Gas valves 5a, 5b disposed in gas feed pipes between the gas distributor 4 and the beer barrels 7a and 7b operate to supply and stop the carbon dioxide gas. Check valves 6a and 6b are disposed in the gas feed pipes near the beer barrel 7a and 7b. A temperature sensor 8 monitors the temperature of the beer stored in the barrels 7a and 7b.
The beer barrels 7a, 7b are stored and cooled in a refrigerator. For vending the beer, one of the gas valves 5a and 5b is opened and the carbon dioxide gas is fed through the gas distributor 4 to either one of the beer barrels 7a or 7b at a predetermined pressure regulated by the gas regulator 2 and monitored by the pressure sensor 3. The beer stored in the barrel 7a or 7b is pushed out by the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas, cooled while flowing through a cooling pipe (not shown) connected to a piping on the secondary side of the barrels 7a and 7b, and served to a cup or cups. The check valves 6a, 6b are disposed between the gas valves 5a, 5b and the beer barrels 7a, 7b to prevent the beer from flowing back to the gas distributor 4.
The preferable storing temperature of the beer is 25.degree. C. or lower before the beer barrel is stored in the refrigerator of the vending machine, and in the refrigerator, the beer is cooled down in a range of 10.degree. to 12.degree. C. At the exit end of the cooling pipe, i.e. where the beer is poured into the cup, the beer, even if supplied at 25.degree. C., is cooled down into 1.degree. to 5.degree. C.
When the beer temperature monitored by the temperature sensor 8 is outside the range between 10.degree. and 12.degree. C., the gas regulator 2 is manually adjusted to regulate the gas pressure and to push out the beer under the pressure suitable to the beer temperature.
It is preferable to keep the internal pressure in the beer barrel at the equilibrium pressure at which the dissolution rate of the carbon dioxide gas to the beer is equal to the dissociation rate of carbon dioxide gas from the beer. The equilibrium pressure rises as beer temperature increases. When the internal barrel pressure is much lower than the equilibrium pressure, it becomes vapid beer with no bubble head. When the internal barrel pressure is much higher than the equilibrium pressure, beer becomes too bubbly and too bitter.
When the beer is stored at the normal temperature, it is preferable that the storage temperature is 25.degree. C. or lower. When the storage temperature exceeds 30.degree. C., the beer loses its flavor quickly. The aforementioned equilibrium pressure is 3 to 4 kg/cm.sup.2 for the beer temperature of around 25.degree. C., and 1 to 2 kg/cm.sup.2 for the beer temperature of 10.degree. C. or lower.
If a replaced beer barrel has not been sufficiently cooled before vending, vapid beer will be served. If the gas regulator 2 has been adjusted such that the internal pressure in the beer barrel at the secondary side is raised to prevent the vapid beer, the internal pressure of the beer barrel will be too higher than the equilibrium pressure after the beer is sufficiently cooled in the refrigerator of the vending machine. Therefore, the internal pressure of the beer barrel should be reduced into the equilibrium pressure.
However, the internal pressure of the beer barrel can not be reduced in the conventional beer vending machine, since the check valves 6a, 6b are disposed in the feeder piping on the upstream side of the beer barrels 7a and 7b. When the beer is served under the pressure much higher than the equilibrium pressure, the amount of served beer will vary from cup to cup because of too many bubbles. Therefore, while the beer is not cooled sufficiently, there is no way but to vend vapid beer without pressurizing the beer barrel or to stop vending and wait until the new beer barrel is cooled sufficiently. Thus, the beer with poor quality will be served or sales chances will be lost.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the invention to provide a beer vending machine, which facilitates vending a predetermined amount of beer with a constant bubble head.
It is another object of the invention to provide a beer vending machine, which facilitates meticulously pressurizing the beer barrel under the equilibrium pressure corresponding to the beer temperature.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a method of pressurizing the beer barrels in the vending machine which facilitates pressurizing the beer barrel under the equilibrium pressure corresponding to the beer temperature.

Beer vending machine and method of controlling pressure in a beer barrel


An optical connector (1) includes an housing (2) having a front wall, an upper wall, a bottom wall, a pair of side walls and a receiving cavity (215) formed therebetween for receiving a mating plug; and an optical member (3) having an optical portion (31) for receiving or emitting light and a number of contacts connected to the optical portion; an insulative cover member (25) attached to the housing and defining a first portion (251) covering an upper portion of the housing and a second portion (258) enclosing a rear portion of the housing, the first portion defining a cutout (252) extending therethrough along an up-to-down direction; a metal lock member (6) defining a lateral arm (61) being retained in the cutout and a locking portion (62) extending downward from the lateral arm and projecting through the housing to be soldered to a printed circuit board, the locking portion locks with the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an optical connector and more particularly to an optical connector with improved retaining element to be mounted onto a printed circuit board.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional optical connector which is mounted on a printed circuit board typically comprises an insulative housing having an insertion hole for receiving an optical signal transmission plug, and an optical element which may be a photoelectric converter retained in a rear portion of the housing for transferring and receiving an optical signal to/from the optical signal transmission plug. The optical element defines a plurality of soldering legs for being soldering onto the printed circuit board. In order to retaining the optical connector reliably to the printed circuit board, the optical connector is designed to include an metal shell covering the housing, the shell is provided with a number of retaining legs fixed on the printed circuit board to attach the optical connector to the printed circuit board. However, the metal shell needs to be made large in dimension to enclose the housing, therefore increasing the overall cost of the optical connector.
It is thus desired to provide an optical connector having an improved retaining portion.

Optical connector with improved retaining element


Convertible wireless remote controls for controlling a variety of media devices are described. The convertible wireless remote controls function in a non-PC mode and a PC mode. The convertible wireless remote controls transition between modes offering control of a variety of devices in the different modes and are shaped with usability and power consumption in mind.

A wide variety of remote controls are conventionally available for controlling a wide variety of devices including but not limited to media devices and players (e.g. Televisions, DVD players, VCRs, stereos, etc.), and media receivers (e.g. cable TV boxes, satellite TV receivers, etc.). These conventional remote controls often have a multitude of controls.
In addition, consumers are increasingly accessing Internet content to supplement more traditional media experiences. Common examples include using other devices including but not limited to laptop and desktop computers, cell phones, smart phones, etc. to obtain web pages while watching a television show.


The present invention is directed to a single lamina tissue paper having visually discernible, large scale patterns made during the drying step of the papermaking process. Particularly, the tissue is made on a blow through drying belt having a pattern of alternating knuckles and deflection conduits. This pattern produces a like pattern of regions in the paper having alternating values of crepe frequencies, opacities and elevations. The differences in these values produces a visually discernible pattern.

Cellulosic fibrous structures, such as tissue products, are in almost constant use in daily life. Toilet tissue, paper towels and facial tissue are examples of cellulosic fibrous structures used throughout home and industry.
Many attempts have been made to provide tissue products which are more consumer preferred than the tissue products offered by the competition. One approach to providing consumer preferred tissue products has been to provide a cellulosic fibrous structure having improved bulk and flexibility, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,771 issued Nov. 30, 1976 to Morgan et al. Improved bulk and flexibility, may also be provided through bilaterally staggered compressed and uncompressed zones, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,609, issued Mar. 4, 1980 to Trokhan.
Another approach to making tissue products more consumer preferred is to increase the softness of such products. Softness may be enhanced by providing desired surface characteristics, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,981, issued Nov. 17, 1981 to Carstens. Another approach to increasing the softness of a cellulosic fibrous structure is to provide an emollient on the cellulosic fibrous structure substrate, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,243, issued Nov. 6, 1984 to Allen and U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,051, issued Apr. 23, 1985 to Lavash.
Another approach to making tissue products more consumer preferred is to advantageously dry the cellulosic fibrous structure to impart greater tensile strength and burst strength to the tissue products. Examples of cellulosic fibrous structure made in this manner are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,859, issued Jan. 20, 1987 to Trokhan. Alternatively, the cellulosic fibrous structure may be made stronger, without utilizing more cellulosic fibers and hence making the tissue product more expensive, by having regions of differing basis weights as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,345, issued Apr. 30, 1985 to Johnson et al.
Within the constraints imposed by the foregoing ways to make cellulosic tissue products more appealing to the consumer, manufacturers have attempted yet another manner to make the cellulosic tissue products have more appeal to the consumer--improving the aesthetic presentation of such products. A number of approaches have been attempted to improve the aesthetic appearance of the tissue product to the consumer.
For example, embossed patterns in cellulosic fibrous structures are very common. In fact, considerable efforts in the prior art have been directed to embossing cellulosic fibrous structures. One well-known embossed pattern, which appears in cellulosic paper towel products marketed by The Procter & Gamble Company and assignee of the present invention, is illustrated in U.S. Patent Des. 239,137 issued Mar. 9, 1976 to Appleman.
Typically, embossing is either performed by an apparatus directed to one of two well known processes, nested embossing or knob to knob embossing. Nested embossing is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,907 issued Jan. 19, 1971 to Nystrand and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,867,225 issued Feb. 18, 1975 to Nystrand. In the nested embossing process, as illustrated by the Nystrand teachings, protrusions and depressions in the embossing rolls are registered and axially synchronously rotated, producing a like pattern of protrusions and depressions in the cellulosic fibrous structures produced thereby.
Knob to knob embossing registers the protrusions of the embossing rolls, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,414,459 issued Dec. 3, 1968 to Wells. Knob to knob embossing produces a cellulosic fibrous structure having discrete sites in each of the two plies bonded together.
Variations in these embossing processes have also been attempted. For example, having embossments on a cellulosic fibrous structure with a major axis substantially aligned in the cross machine direction, is illustrated in UK Patent Application GB 2,132,141A published Jul. 4, 1984 in the name of Bauernfeind.
However, any of the embossing processes known in the prior art imparts a particular aesthetic appearance to the cellulosic fibrous structure at the expense of other properties of the cellulosic fibrous structure desired by the consumer. This expense results in a trade-off between aesthetics and certain other desired properties and aesthetics.
More particularly, embossing disrupts bonds between fibers in the cellulosic fibrous structure. This disruption occurs because the bonds are formed and set upon drying of the embryonic fibrous slurry. After drying, moving selected fibers normal to the plane of the cellulosic fibrous structure breaks the bonds. Breaking the bonds results in a cellulosic fibrous structure having less tensile strength and possibly less softness than existed before embossing. Unfortunately, this trade-off is not consumer preferred because, as discussed above, softness and tensile strength are consumer preferred properties. Thus, a functional, but plain appearing cellulosic fibrous structure can be transmogrified into a less functional, but visually more attractive, cellulosic fibrous structure through embossing.
Another method to impart visible and aesthetically distinguishable patterns to a cellulosic fibrous structure is by printing an ink pattern onto the cellulosic fibrous structure. The ink pattern contrasts in color with the background of the cellulosic fibrous structure, so that the pattern is aesthetically distinguishable from background of the cellulosic fibrous structure and is readily visually detected by the consumer. Ink printing a pattern onto a cellulosic fibrous substrate has the advantage that any variety of sizes, shapes and colors of patterns may be utilized.
However, printing ink patterns onto cellulosic fibrous structures has several drawbacks. The ink represents an additional material cost which must be accounted for in manufacture and is commonly passed on to the consumer. The ink must be qualified for epidermal contact and not present a biological hazard upon disposal. Ink has been known to spill during manufacture, presenting a health hazard to workers.
Furthermore, the machinery necessary to contain the ink is often complex and sophisticated, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,995, issued Apr. 15, 1986 to Stone and U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,832, issued Aug. 7, 1990 to Odom. Such complex machinery represents a capital investment and must be frequently cleaned and maintained. Cleaning and maintenance leads to downtime and expense in producing the tissue product having an ink printed cellulosic fibrous structure substrate.
Yet another manner in which a visually discernible pattern may be imparted to a cellulosic fibrous structure is by utilizing the forming section of the papermaking machine used to manufacture the cellulosic fibrous structure. For example, the aforementioned Trokhan and Johnson et al. patents disclose cellulosic fibrous structures having varying basis weights in different regions of the cellulosic fibrous structures.
In particular, Johnson et al. discloses a cellulosic fibrous structure having a continuous high basis weight network with discrete low basis weight regions dispersed therein. Conversely, Trokhan discloses a cellulosic fibrous structure having a continuous low basis weight network with discrete high basis weight regions dispersed therein.
The difference in opacity, which is incidental to a difference in basis weight or difference in density of such regions, will often cause a pattern to be visually discernible to the consumer. Thus, an visually discernible pattern can be formed in a cellulosic fibrous structure by adjusting the basis weight of different regions of the cellulosic fibrous structure.
However, such patterns may neither be aesthetically pleasing nor relatively large in scale. Furthermore, the aesthetic discernibility of such patterns may be limited by foreshortening of the cellulosic fibrous structure which occurs during creping.
During creping, it is typical for a doctor blade to scrape the cellulosic fibrous structure from a Yankee drying drum and cause foreshortening of the cellulosic fibrous structure to occur. This foreshortening results in flutter or rugosities normal to the plane of the tissue. The amplitude and frequency of the flutter will differ in various regions of the cellulosic fibrous structure, in a manner visually discernible to the consumer.
If a region of the cellulosic fibrous structure is too large, rather than foreshorten to an aesthetically pleasing pattern, the region may buckle and hang, presenting a limp, low quality appearance to the consumer. This undesirable appearance frequently occurs when trying to make relatively large scale patterns visually discernible in the cellulosic fibrous structure by using the forming section of a papermaking machine.
Also, elevational differences in various regions of the cellulosic fibrous structure are often aesthetically discernible to the consumer. For example, if one region of the cellulosic fibrous structure is raised or lowered within the plane of the cellulosic fibrous structure relative to another region of the cellulosic fibrous structure, highlights and shadows may appear. The highlights and shadows cause different regions of the cellulosic fibrous structure to appear lighter or darker even though the cellulosic fibrous structure is monochromatic. Furthermore, if the elevational differences are significant the regions will be visually discernible to the consumer due to his or her depth perception.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to impart visually discernible patterns to a cellulosic fibrous structure, and in particular, relatively large scale visually discernible patterns to a cellulosic fibrous structure. It it also an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for making such a cellulosic fibrous structure.

Tissue paper having large scale, aesthetically discernible patterns


A system and method is provided for displaying an image in a cable system including a cable headend having a plurality of cable channels and a subscriber unit with a video display, a receiver for receiving the cable channels from the cable headend, a channel selector for selecting a cable channel of the plurality of cable channels and applying the selected cable channel to the video display in order to display an image. Advertising information is transmitted to the subscriber unit. A first cable channel is selected and a first image is displayed in accordance with the first selected cable channel. A second cable channel is selected and a second image is displayed in accordance with the second selected cable channel. A channel change is determined according to the selecting of the second channel. The transmitted advertising information is applied to the video display in response to the determining to provide a display of an image representative of the advertising information. A time period between channel changes is determined and display of the image is inhibited for the time period. The advertising information is stored in the subscriber unit. The advertising information can include identification information corresponding to an advertiser.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of cable television systems and, in particular, to transmitting advertising information from a cable headend to a subscriber unit of a cable television system and applying the transmitted advertising information to a television receiver display attached to the subscriber unit.
2. Prior Art
In the prior art it is well known for large numbers of homes subscribing to cable television systems to receive a number of commercial and public television signals by way of transmission cables. Each television signal includes video and audio signals, which can be transmitted along a coaxial cable by a system headend within a discrete frequency band known as a channel. The subscriber tunes a television receiver to the desired channel and receives a composite television signal.
It is known to transmit information in addition to the television signals to the subscribers of prior art cable systems during blank field intervals of the video signals. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,809, issued to Yabe, describes transmitting alphanumeric information during the blank field intervals. The alphanumeric information is stored in a temporary memory for display on a television receiver within a subscriber unit. Yabe further describes an index that permits the viewer to determine by an overlay on the screen what information is available. The index is contained on a RAM which can be updated by the blank field interval transmitted data.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,728, issued to Insam, also discloses means for displaying information sent during field blanking of video information. The Insam patent describes a memory unit for storing information to be displayed, a display unit for synchronizing and producing addresses to memory containing the information to be displayed, a decoder unit, a control unit which is accessible through remote control, and a microprocessor which is responsive to programmed instruction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,719, issued to Hutt, also describes the transmission of auxiliary information during the field blanking intervals of video signal transmission. On the receiving end, a television system has a RAM for collecting and storing the transmitted information, a selector, and a reading device. The viewer has the choice of viewing the video signal or the auxiliary information separately or together on the screen.
It is also known for stored advertising information to be displayed on television receivers such as the television receiver found in cable television systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,090, issued to Belisomi, discloses a picture display device using a ROM to store coded data corresponding to a television image in memory. The coded data represents advertising information that can be viewed upon demand and can be superimposed upon a received video signal or viewed as an alternative to the received video signal. Pococh, U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,041, also teaches a system for selectively delivering television video for advertising.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,423, issued to Jernigan, teaches a television receiver equipped with a graphics generator capable of generating single or multiple graphic images from data representing advertisements permanently stored in a local memory device. Images corresponding to the advertisements are displayed when a control function of the receiver is activated.
However the advertising information of the above described systems cannot be updated because it is permanently stored in the local devices.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a display of a visual image on a television receiver in a subscriber unit of a cable television system.
It is a further object to provide such a display of a visual image that can be updated.
It is a further object of the invention to transmit the updated images to the subscriber unit of the cable television systems over the same transmission cable as the cable television signals.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent from the description and claims that follow or may be learned by the practice of the invention.

Method for transmitting and displaying an interchannel interval image in a cable system


Process for recycling soluble or dispersible plastics from a waste product containing plastics by treatment with an organic solvent, concentrating the plastics solution thus obtained to more than 40 wt % of plastics, preconditioning the concentrated plastics solution to a pressure of at least 2 bar using a first pump and a temperature of 1-10° C. below the boiling temperature of the solvent at that pressure, bringing this preconditioned concentrated plastics solution above the critical point of the plastics solution using a high-pressure pump and a high-pressure heat exchanger, spraying the concentrated plastics solution above the critical point to recover the plastics through evaporation of the organic solvent, and recovery of the organic solvent. The process has advantages over known processes in that higher concentrations of plastics can be processed, without the danger of cavitations, and the need for solvent and energy can be reduced.

It is common knowledge that most plastics are soluble or dispersible in organic solvents. This feature is often applied in the regeneration of plastics from products consisting of different materials, in particular from waste products. With the environmental awareness recycling of plastics has attracted many attention, making use of the solvability properties of the plastics to selectively separate them from waste.
In the prior art the general idea is that the plastics are first removed from the product by mixing the product with a solvent able to dissolve or disperse the plastics. The plastics are then recovered in the form of a residue obtained by removing the solvent component from the plastics. Direct heat application to evaporate the solvent from the plastics disadvantageously yields plastics recyclates with considerable remainders of solvent, and the extensive heat load results in inferior recyclate properties.
It is known in the art that with coagulation methods often lower residual contents can be established. An example hereof is given by DE-A40 33 604, wherein a mixture of plastics and solvent is introduced in a heated coagulation bath; the following heat exchange between non-solvent and solvent results in the evaporation of the solvent and reclamation of the plastics. A drawback of the coagulation method is that the plastics then need to be freed from the coagulation medium, the method involving an additional drying step.
Moreover, these techniques often do not recover important additives in the plastics, such as the softeners in soft PVC, therewith leaving the end product with totally different—and unwanted—properties.
Alternatively, WO-A-02/31033 teaches a polystyrene reclamation process wherein waste polystyrene-type materials are dissolved in a reusable low-boiling polystyrene solvent, and wherein the solution of polystyrene-type material after concentration is devolatilised by extrusion at a temperature less than 190° C. The process involves a preheating step, in which the temperature is controlled to superheat the solution to 125-150° C., therewith enhancing evaporation. The additional evaporation step is required to concentrate the polystyrene solution to an extrudable viscosity range. Secondly, it is long known that extrusion in itself does not give satisfactory solvent evaporation, since the surface area available for evaporation in extrusion is limited. It is exactly for this reason that shearing is applied.
WO-A-02/31033 exemplifies a concentrated 33 wt % polystyrene solution, hours-lasting run times and recovery rates of 3.5-12 lbs/hr. The presence of volatiles in the recycled product may be reduced to less than 0.5%. The temperature is controlled to below 150° C. during preheating and lower than 190° C. in order to minimise the effect of heat on polymer quality. Even then, because of extended processing times, the heat loads still result in a dramatic loss of recyclate properties, especially severe molecular weight degradation. Another disadvantage of the energy-consuming extrusion process is that it is limited to a small viscosity range.
The problems existing in the art are advantageously solved by the process as disclosed in DE-A-198 29 898 A yield of reclamated plastics with a solvent content of less than 0.5 wt % is obtained even without the application of a coagulation bath. The process according to DE-A-198 29 898 comprises the above-described step of mixing waste with an organic solvent. However, instead of coagulation or extrusion, the mixture of plastics and solvent is subsequently sprayed at conditions above the temperature required to evaporate all of the solvent present. Upon spraying the overheated solvent evaporates from the optimally extended polymer solution-air interface, far more efficient that extrusion.
However, the process according to DE-A-198 29 898 is only applicable to low-viscous solutions having a plastics content of less than 40 wt %, comparable to those reported in connection to extrusion. At higher concentrations cavitations occur and a continuous throughput, especially not at high-pressure, is no longer guaranteed. Obviously, the restriction to low plastics concentrates and therewith related additional evaporation and condensation steps decrease the process efficiency, and increases the degradation of the recycled plastics, due to the prolonged and higher heat load.
In addition, with mixing techniques commercially available in the art it is only possible to separate plastics from waste in concentrations of about 10-15 wt %. It is mentioned in DE-A-198 29 898 that the separated plastics need to be concentrated to achieve 20-40 wt % throughput in the rest of the process. In WO-A-02/31033 this is achieved by the preheating step. Disadvantageously, such inefficient mixing results in high solvent and energy demands, also because of the limited energy capacity of a low plastics concentration.
Finally, the reclamation processes in the art, including the process according to DE-A-198 29 898, are disadvantageously affected by water accumulation in the solvent. Hence, the products need to be dried prior to submittal to the recycling process and the water-contaminated solvent is subjected to an additional cleansing step before it can be reused.
It is therefore an aim of the invention to provide a process for recycling plastics from waste material with an increased yield of plastics, wherein higher concentrations of plastics can be handled and wherein water contamination of the separated plastics and the applied organic solvents can be maintained at low levels.


A movable magnetic construction kit that is suitable for creating a variety of different construction profiles and including at least one primary connecting element that can be operatively associated with one or more secondary connecting elements via magnetic and/or mechanical connections. The primary connecting element has at least one aperture therein and a plurality of magnets operatively associated with an edge thereof. The primary connecting element in combination with the secondary connecting elements provides for a movable construction kit for enhanced construction and design capabilities.

Individuals often find enjoyment in the challenge of building aesthetic structural designs and/or functional structural models. Frequently, the utility associated with constructing such structures is found in the creative and/or problem solving process required to achieve a desired structural objective. Currently, construction assemblies that exploit magnetic properties to interlink various structural components and thereby form different two and/or three dimensional structures are known and can provide an added dimension of sophistication to the construction process. For example, the magnetic construction toy disclosed by Balanchi in U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,727, the modular assemblies disclosed by Vicentielli in U.S. Pat. No. 6,566,992, and the magnetic puzzle/toy disclosed by Smith in U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,262. A significant shortcoming associated with conventional magnetic construction assemblies, such as those disclosed in the aforementioned patents, involves inherently restrictive and at times penalizing design alternatives provided thereby. It is often the case that these traditional magnetic construction assemblies have only a limited number of component parts, which parts typically have constrained geometries to ensure effective and suitably stable or secure connections. Thus, despite efforts to date, a need remains for a magnetic construction kit that provides greater construction flexibility and/or design choice. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide a magnetic construction kit that is suitable for movement thereby providing an additional degree of design/construction sophistication.
These and other needs/objectives are addressed by the present invention. Additional advantageous features and functionalities of the present invention will be apparent from the disclosure which follows, particularly when reviewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Magnetic construction kit with wheel-like components