An all-reflective optical system includes an all-reflective afocal module, an all-reflective imaging module and an all-reflective switching structure being operated to direct a light beam through the afocal module and the imaging module. A first position of the switching structure directs the light beam to enter the first optical end of the afocal module and exit the second optical end of the afocal module, and thereafter to enter the input optical end of the imaging module. A second position of the switching structure directs the light beam to enter the second optical end of the afocal module and exit the first optical end of the afocal module, and thereafter to enter the input optical end of the imaging module. A third position of the switching structure directs the light beam to enter the input optical end of the imaging module so that the light beam completely bypasses the afocal module.

In one type of optical system, a light beam from a scene is processed through a set of optical elements to image the light beam onto a detector. The optical elements may be refractive, reflective, or a combination of each type. The detector converts the light signal to an electrical signal for further processing.
It is sometimes desirable that the optical system have more than one field of view (i.e., more than one focal length). In an example of interest, a spacecraft carrying an optical surveillance system overflies the earth in a roughly elliptical high earth orbit. The altitude of the spacecraft above the surface of the earth varies according to its position in the orbit. In order to keep the magnification of the image of the optical system approximately constant regardless of the position of the spacecraft in its orbit, the field of view and the focal length of the optical system must be changed.
One approach to providing the optical system with a changeable field of view is to utilize a zoom telescope in the optical system. The positions of the lenses or mirrors that form the zoom telescope may be varied axially along the light path to change the magnification, field of view, and focal length of the zoom telescope. Other types of zoom lenses may also be used. However, in all cases the optical systems with the zoom telescope are mechanically complex due to the need to move several lens or mirror groups with respect to each other. Significant boresight and image quality errors may also result. Additionally, the weight and volume of the zoom telescopes tend to be high, which is a significant disadvantage in spacecraft and aircraft applications.
There is a need for an improved approach to providing multiple fields of view in a optical system such as that used in a spacecraft in high earth orbit. The present invention fulfills this need, and further provides related advantages.

Optical system having three fields of view using two all-reflective optical modules


A data buffering device having a data buffer permitting data storage in a first storage area A while the area A is advanced over a predetermined number of storage areas of the buffer in a predetermined sequence and permitting data reading from a second storage area B while the area B is advanced in the same sequence; a first device judging whether or not it is permissible to carry out at least one of a simple data storage and a simple data reading; a second device executing, if the judgement of the first device is negative, a return judgement whether or not it is necessary to return a corresponding one, or each, of the areas A and B to a leading storage area of the buffer, and a possibility judgement whether or not the buffer has at least a predetermined number of storage area or areas permitting a corresponding one, or each, of a data storage and a data reading, if the possibility judgement is affirmative the second device placing the first device in a condition in which the first device provides an affirmative judgement, and carrying out the corresponding one or each of the data storage and reading; and a third device carrying out, if the judgement of the first device is affirmative, the at least one of the simple data storage and reading, without the return and possibility judgements of the second device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data buffering device having a data buffer which permits plural sets of data to be stored one set by one therein such that each set of data is stored in a first storage area as the first storage area is advanced from one area to another over a predetermined number of storage areas of the buffer in a predetermined sequence, and which permits the stored sets of data to be read out one set by one therefrom in the same sequence such that each set of data is read out from a second storage area as the second storage area is advanced from one area to another over the storage areas in the sequence. The present invention particularly relates to improving the processing rate or speed of at least one of data storage in the buffer and data reading from the buffer.
2. Related Art Statement
The data buffering device as indicated above is used for, for example, a printer which is connected to a print data supply such as a personal computer or a word processor and serves as an output unit of the data supply. The data supply supplies print data such as code data or vector data to the printer. The printer has processing means for converting the print data to dot data, and printing means for carrying out printing according to the dot data. More specifically, the data buffering device has a data buffer which permits plural sets of print data supplied from the data supply to be stored one set by one therein such that each set of data out of the supplied sets of data is stored in a first storage area as the first storage area is moved or advanced from one area to another over a predetermined number of storage areas of the buffer in a predetermined sequence, and which permits the stored sets of data to be read out one set by one therefrom in the same sequence such that each set of data out of the stored sets of data is read out from a second storage area as the second storage area is advanced from one area to another over the storage areas in the sequence. The print data read out from the data buffer is converted into dot data, and printing is carried out according to the dot data. Thus, the data buffering device assures that the printer carries out printing in a reliable manner even if a data storage in the buffer and a data reading from the buffer do not synchronize with each other, or even if processing speeds (or cycle times) of a data storage and a data reading do not match each other. These data buffering devices find various applications, other than use for printers, in which the above-described advantageous function thereof is required.
In a data buffering device, data storage in, or data reading from, a data buffer thereof is started from a head or leading storage area (or leading address) of the buffer and is advanced in a predetermined sequence to a last or trailing storage area (or trailing address) of the buffer. In other words, the above-indicated first or second storage area is advanced in the predetermined sequence from the leading address to the trailing address of the buffer. If the first or second storage area comes to the trailing address, then the area is required to return to the leading address so that data storage or reading can further be advanced from the leading address. Meanwhile, if the data buffer has no storage area which permits data storage therein, or no storage area which has data stored therein and permits data reading therefrom, it is not permissible to carry out data storage or reading on the buffer. Therefore, the data buffering device is required to have judgements-executing means for executing a return judgement whether or not it is necessary to return the first or second storage area from the trailing address of the buffer to the head address thereof, and executing a possibility judgement whether or not the buffer has any storage area that permits data storage therein or data reading therefrom. Conventional data buffering devices are adapted to execute these return and possibility judgements each time a set of data is stored in, or read out from, the data buffer thereof.
Thus, the conventional data buffering devices suffer from the problem that a comparatively long time is needed for a data storage in the data buffer or a data reading from the buffer, that is, that the rate or speed of data storage or data reading is unsatisfactory.

Data buffering device having simple data reading and/or storing function


A narrow-linewidth micropulse LIDAR transmitter based on a low-SBS single clad, small-mode-area optical fiber. High narrow-linewidth peak powers are achieved through the use of an erbium doped fiber with an acoustic waveguide. Over 6 μJ per pulse (100 ns pulse width) is achieved before a weak form of stimulated Brillouin scattering appears. This laser has the potential to scale to very high power in a low-SBS dual clad fiber.

Fiber Lasers have become very attractive for use in lidar applications. This is due to a number of superior parameters that are characteristic of these lasers, namely high efficiency, small size, and low weight, making them suitable for space applications. Many lidar applications, such as differential absorption (DIAL) and resonance fluorescence, require narrow linewidth operation of the fiber laser (<<100 MHz). For example, the remote detection of CO2 could be facilitated by narrow linewidth erbium doped fiber lasers due to the presence of a strong absorption feature near 1572 nm that resides in the Er L-Band.
In pulsed mode, however, these systems are ravaged by the effects of Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS), substantially limiting the peak power available for narrow-linewidth systems [2,3]. Considering the low duty cycles required for a traditional pulsed lidar transmitter (˜ 1/104− 1/103), SBS substantially limits total average power and degrades system signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

Micropulse lidar transmitter based on a low-SBS erbium-doped silica fiber


The snowboard binding with a pivoting heel element and a movable instep element has, in the area stepped on by the sole of the snowboard boot, a movable tread element that is coupled both to the instep element and to the heel element such that, when the tread element is pressed down in the direction of the snowboard surface, the instep element and the heel element are simultaneously and synchronously forcibly moved into their closed position.

The invention pertains to a snowboard binding having a base element and a pivotable heel element. Snowboard bindings of this general nature have been disclosed, for example, in DE 44 16 023 C1. This binding has a heel or calf element that remains unchanged in the normal snowboarding position and an instep element connected so as to pivot via a lever rod to lateral cheeks of the binding, with this lever rod being directly coupled to the tread element and with a tread element pivoting about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the binding being provided on this lever rod and pivoting the instep element downwards when stepped upon and being held in place in the closed position by a locking unit.
A similar snowboard binding is described in DE 295 20 277 U1, in which a continuous instep element extending past the boot tip is used, which instep element is fastened to an L-shaped lever that can pivot about an axis running across the longitudinal axis of the binding. The snowboarder steps into the free space formed by the L-shaped lever and the instep element with his boot tip and, by pressing the foot down, pivots the instep element into the closed position.
WO 95/33534 describes a snowboard binding without a step-in function, in which the heel element can be pivoted backwardly into an open position and is additionally coupled to the back end of the instep element such that, upon pivoting the heel element upwardly into a closed position, the instep element is pivoted in the opposite direction downwardly, likewise into a closed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,123 shows a snowboard binding without the step-in function, in which the instep element is crossed over by sheathed cables guided via idle rolls seated in the lateral cheeks to the back side of the pivoting heel element. If the heel element is moved forwardly from an open position in which it is pivoted backwardly and roughly horizontal into a vertical closed position, the instep element is pressed against the instep of the boot.
DE 44 35 113 C1 likewise shows a snowboard binding whose heel element can be pivoted sufficiently far into an open position that a snowboard boot can be inserted into the binding with a fixed instep element. An actuation unit consists of a belt reaching around the outside of the heel element and capable of being displaced along the outside of the heel element in the direction of the latter's free end and pivoting the heel element when displaced into a predefined closed position, in which the heel element supports the snowboard boot and presses it against the instep element, holding it there. To open and close this binding, the snowboarder must operate the belt by hand, for which purpose he must bend down.
To improve the comfort of snowboard bindings, a number of so-called "step-in bindings" have already been proposed, which are ultimately brought from an open into a closed position by moving the boot. Essentially, three types of step-in bindings are known. The first type works with so-called hard-shell boots whose soles have projections at the front and the back in which clamp clips of tensioning elements engage. Examples of this are found in EP 0 672 438 A1, DE 44 06 047 A1, WO 95/20423, and DE 44 24 737 C1. These bindings fit all common hard-shell boots, but not popular soft boots, as they are called, which are normally used with shell bindings that have a heel element supporting the heel and an instep element.
The second type of step-in binding places one binding component into the boot, in particular, the boot sole, and a second part, to be connected detachably to the first, on the snowboard. Examples of this are shown in DE 37 17 108 C2, DE 94 21 380 U1, WO 96/01575, WO 96/26774, WO 96/03185, WO 96/05894, or WO 95/09035. However, these bindings, some of which are quite comfortable to use, can only be used with special boots having the appropriate binding components. If these bindings are used with soft boots, then the boot must additionally take on the supporting function of the heel rest and the instep element, which causes additional problems because suitable boots are not yet on the market.
A third type of step-in binding, which can be used with nearly all boot types and in particular with soft boots, is known from the aforementioned DE 44 16 023 C1, DE 24 16 024 C1, and DE 295 20 277 U1.
In DE 44 16 023 C1, the binding has a heel or calf element that remains in the normal snowboarding position for getting in and out. There is also an instep element connected so as to pivot via a lever rod to lateral cheeks of the binding, with this lever rod being directly coupled to the tread element. A tread element pivoting about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the binding is provided on this lever rod and pivots the instep element downwards when stepped upon, and is held in place in the closed position by a locking unit.
In DE 44 16 024 a rigid heel element is also used. The instep element is divided in two parts in the longitudinal direction of the binding with each part pivoting about an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the binding. Both instep element parts are rigidly connected to L-shaped levers likewise pivoting about this axis, with the boot sole pivoting the two instep element parts inward into a closed position upon stepping on the free legs of these levers. The snowboarder then, however, must close a tension belt connecting the two parts of the instep element.
DE 295 20 277 U1 uses a continuous instep element that extends past the boot tip and is fastened to an L-shaped lever that can pivot about an axis running across the longitudinal axis of the binding. The snowboarder steps into the free space formed by the L-shaped lever and the instep element with his boot tip and, by pressing the foot down, then pivots the instep element into the closed position.
WO 95/33534 describes a snowboard binding without a step-in function, in which the heel element can be pivoted backwards into an open position and is additionally coupled to the back end of the instep element such that, upon pivoting the heel element upwards into a closed position, the tread element is pivoted in the opposite direction downwards, likewise into a closed position.


When integrally producing a lamp holder, which is provided with a lamp body and a lens portion, by using a mold-sliding injection system, a lamp holder having a reflection surface formed on the interior surface thereof is produced. A fixed mold is provided with a vacuum deposition apparatus, wherein a lamp holder having a reflection surface is produced by a reflection surface forming process, which is provided between a primary injection process for molding a lamp holder and a lens portion and a secondary injection process for integrating the lamp holder and the lens portion by matching the same together, for vacuum-depositing the reflection surface on the interior surface of the lamp holder.

The disclosure relates to a film forming method for various types of moldings including headlamps, blinkers (including side blinkers), and tail lamps, etc., a method for producing film-formed moldings and a mold for producing the film-formed moldings.
Generally, as such a type of molding, there is a molding, such as a lamp body of a headlamp for a vehicle, having a mirror-finished surface being a reflection surface film-formed on the injection-molded molding to increase the light amount and to secure a wider range of irradiation. However, conventionally, a lamp body is produced so that a lamp holder in which a bulb is incorporated and a lens portion formed of resin having transmittance are mold-matched, and the surfaces of the mold-matched portions are adhered together. As such a production method, a mold-slide injection system has been known, for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application No. 62-087315, now Patent Publication No. Hei-2-38377. According thereto, after a lamp holder and a lens portion, which are primary products, are respectively injection-molded in a state where a movable mold and a fixed mold are disposed so as to be opposed to each other, the movable mold is caused to slide, and the respective primary products are mold-matched to be matched to each other. Then, a resin material is secondarily injected to the mold-matched portions of the primary products, thereby integrally molding the lamp body.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method of forming film on molded body, method of producing molded body with film formed thereon, mold for producing molded body with film formed thereon


A method manufacturing a thin film transistor is provided. A gate, a first insulation layer covering the gate, a semiconductor layer over the gate, and a first photoresist pattern are sequentially formed on a substrate. The semiconductor layer is patterned into a channel layer by using the first photoresist pattern as a mask and the first photoresist pattern is subsequently shrunken to remain a portion of the first photoresist pattern on the channel layer. A conductive material layer covering the remained portion of the first photoresist pattern, the channel layer and the first insulation layer is patterned by using a second photoresist pattern as a mask to form a source and a drain separated by a gap region exposing the remained portion. The second photoresist pattern and the remained portion are removed by performing a stripping process to expose the channel layer between the source and the drain.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor and a pixel structure, in particular, to a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor having oxide channel layer and a pixel structure has the thin film transistor.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally speaking, a pixel structure in the display panel usually adopts a thin film transistor as a switch and elements (e.g., a gate, a source, a drain, and a channel layer) that form the thin film transistor are manufactured with a plurality of thin layers, respectively. Specifically, the source and the drain are usually manufactured in the same thin layer, whereas the channel layer is manufactured with another thin layer. In addition, the manufacturing of the source and the drain can be performed before or after the manufacturing of the channel layer.
Recently, an oxide semiconductor material such as IGZO (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide) is used for manufacturing the channel layer in the thin film transistor because of the high field-effect mobility. However, the manufacturing of the channel layer by using the oxide semiconductor material, i.e., the oxide channel layer, requires overcoming certain problems. For example, when the source and the drain are formed before the channel layer, the processing gas (e.g., oxygen) for forming the oxide channel layer may oxidize the surfaces of the source and the drain. Thereby, the oxidized surfaces of the source and the drain may result in higher contact impedance between the oxide channel layer and the source/drain and reduce the device reliability of the oxide semiconductor thin film transistor.
Alternately, when the oxide channel layer is formed before the source and the drain, the step of patterning a conductive layer into the source and the drain by using an etching process may damage the oxide channel layer, thus reducing the device reliability of the oxide semiconductor thin film transistor. Therefore, the oxide semiconductor thin film transistor though can have desirable field-effect mobility, the difficulty of manufacturing the oxide semiconductor thin film transistor need be overcome.

Method of manufacturing a thin film transistor and a pixel structure


A door assembly is provided having an ergonomic egress handle. The egress handle includes a door release lever that is pivotally connected to an automotive vehicle door about an axis that is generally perpendicular to the door for unlatching the door so that the door may be opened relative to the vehicle. A method is also provided for operation of the door assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to door assemblies, and more specifically, to door assemblies having an egress handle.
2. Background Art
Passenger vehicles often include vehicle doors for ingress and egress of passengers. The vehicle doors are often hinged to the vehicle so that each door may be pivoted open and pivoted closed. The doors often include latch mechanisms to secure the door in a closed position. The latching mechanisms are often temporarily released by manual actuation of a door release lever or button provided on the exterior or interior of the vehicle. For example, the prior art has provided automotive door assemblies having ingress handles provided on the exterior of the vehicle door, which may be utilized for unlatching the latching mechanism and may be utilized as a handle for pivoting the door to an open position.
Another offering of the prior art is to provide an egress handle within the vehicle. Often, the egress handle includes a door release lever that is mounted to an interior door panel and is pivoted about an axis generally parallel with an axis about which the door hinges. Conventionally, the passenger grasps the handle and pivots the handle by pulling the handle towards the passenger while concurrently pushing the door away from the passenger for opening the door. Due to this egress handle arrangement, the passenger is required to exert both a pulling force toward the passenger and a pushing force away from the passenger in order to open the vehicle door.
Door release levers of the prior art are commonly oriented in a central region of the door panel for passenger access. In order to permit the passenger to grasp the handle, the handle either extends from the door panel or is provided within a cavity in the door panel. Conventional door release levers may affect the overall size of the door panel and/or may limit the arrangement and location of other components provided on the door panel.
Another offering of the prior art is to provide an armrest on the door panel for facilitating passenger comfort within the vehicle. Since armrests are generally provided in a location that maximizes passenger comfort, ergonomics may be compromised in the placement of prior art door release levers.
Due to prior art arrangements of armrests and door release levers, door panel appearances may be compromised, by requiring distinct regions for an armrest and a door release lever.
In light of the foregoing, what is needed is a door assembly for a vehicle that satisfies ergonomics, compactness limitations and vehicle interior aesthetics. Further, a simplified method for opening an automotive vehicle door is needed.


An input signal is accurately separated into a component in which a change in signal level is sharp and having a large edge, and the other components.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal processing apparatus and a signal processing method, a recording medium and a program. More particularly, the present invention relates to a signal processing apparatus, a signal processing method, a recording medium and a program which can use a narrow band filter and a wide band filter for accurately separating an input signal into a component of a sharp change in signal level with large edge and other components.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in video cameras and the like, there is a method of improving contrast (a difference between brightness and darkness of image) of image data, sharpness (clearness of boundaries) and the like, emphasizing only components of the image data brightness signal without sharp change in signal level and large edge. Such method carries out a process for firstly separating the brightness signal into the component (edge component), in which the change in the signal level is sharp and the large edge is included, and the other component (nonedge component) and then emphasizing the nonedge component.
FIG. 1 is a view showing a configuration example of a conventional signal separator.
In FIG. 1, a signal separator 10 is provided with: a non-linear smoothing filter 11 for extracting the edge component of the input brightness signal; and an adder 12 for calculating a difference between the input brightness signal and the edge component in order to extract the nonedge component of the input brightness signal. It separates an input signal 21 into an edge component and a nonedge component, and outputs an output signal 31 composed of,the edge component and an output signal 32 composed of the nonedge component.
The non-linear smoothing filter 11 is provided with: a register group (not shown), which is composed of a plurality of registers each holding the brightness signal corresponding to one pixel, for holding the brightness signal corresponding to a pixel group in entirely continuous predetermined sections; and a selector group (not shown) for comparing the signal levels of the brightness signals outputted from the plurality of predetermined registers included in the register group and then judging whether or not a differentiated value between those signal levels is higher than a preset threshold.
Each of the selectors in the selector group built in the non-linear smoothing filter 11, if the differentiated value between the compared signal levels is higher than the preset threshold, outputs the signals of these pixels in their original states. If the differentiated value is less than the threshold, it smoothes the signals of these pixels to a predetermined level and outputs them. In other words, the non-linear smoothing filter 11 detects the change in the signal level higher than the preset threshold from the input signal 21, and judges that portion as an edge and outputs it in its original state, and smoothes and outputs the other portions as low amplitude components. Consequently, the non-linear smoothing filter 11 extracts the edge component from the input signal 21 and generates the output signal 31.
Also, the adder 12 subtracts from the output signal 31 extracted by the non-linear smoothing filter 11, from the input signal 21, and extracts the nonedge component, and then generates the output signal 32.
As mentioned above, the signal separator 10 separates the input brightness signal (input signal 21) into the edge component (output signal 31) and the nonedge component (output signal 32) and outputs them.

Signal processing apparatus and signal processing method, recording medium and program

Abstract: A narrow band non-linear filter extracts an edge component in a relatively narrow frequency band from an input signal and outputs the signal. A wide band non-linear filter extracts an edge component in a relatively wide frequency band from the input signal and outputs the signal. A selector outputs a signal composed of the signal where an edge portion is replaced, based on a differentiated value of the signal sent by a differentiator, as the edge component of the input signal. An adder subtracts an output signal from the input signal and outputs the calculated output signal as the edge component of the input signal. This process, may be applied to an image processor.


An oscillating element which can improve the adhesiveness thereof with an actuator is disclosed. In an oscillating element which includes a substrate which is configured to support an oscillation portion in an oscillating manner, and a driving layer which is configured to oscillate the oscillation portion, the driving layer including an adhesive layer formed on a substrate side thereof, an intermediate layer is positioned between the substrate and the driving layer. The intermediate layer is made of a material which allows surface activation bonding with the substrate, and the surface roughness of the intermediate layer on the adhesive layer side is set coarser than the surface roughness of the intermediate layer on the substrate side thus allowing the intermediate layer to easily acquire an anchoring effect with the adhesive layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oscillating element used for scanning by laser beams or the like, for example, and more particularly to an oscillating element oscillated by an actuator such as a piezoelectric element or the like, a manufacturing method of the oscillating element, an optical scanning device which includes such an oscillating element, an image forming device including such an optical scanning device, and an image display device including such an optical scanning device or an image forming device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as the constitution for oscillating a mirror used in performing scanning by laser beams, for example, JP-A-2004-347769 (hereinafter referred to as document 1) discloses the constitution in which a counter electrode is arranged to face a rotary support portion of a mirror formed by making use of a micromachining technique, and the rotary support portion is rotatably oscillated due to an electrostatic force induced by supplying electricity between the electrodes.
Further, as a drive part which rotatably oscillates the rotary support portion of the mirror, as disclosed in patent document 1, an electromagnetic force or a piezoelectric element may be used.
FIG. 6A is a plan view for explaining the oscillating constitution of a mirror using a piezoelectric element. In FIG. 6A, the mirror 100 has both ends thereof rotatably supported on torsional beams 101. An axially end portion of the torsional beam 101 is bifurcated, and the piezoelectric element 102 is mounted on each bifurcated portion.
Due to such a constitution, the torsional beams 101 are rotated in the reciprocating manner by changing over electricity applied to the piezoelectric elements 102 so as to oscillate the mirror 100.
FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of an oscillating element 103 when the piezoelectric elements 102 are used as actuators for oscillating a mirror. In FIG. 6B, the oscillating element 103 is configured such that a piezoelectric element 106 is integrally joined to an upper surface of a silicon substrate 104 used as a base.
The piezoelectric element 106 is a device having the three-layered structure, wherein a piezoelectric layer 106A is sandwiched by electrodes 106B. The piezoelectric element 106 is preliminarily formed into a product by cutting out from a bulk or a block and is adhered to a silicon substrate 104 using an adhesive layer 105 which constitutes a portion of the silicon substrate 104.
Such a scanning device is incorporated into a scanning optical system of the above-mentioned optical scanning device or image display device (for example (patent document 1)).

Oscillating element, manufacturing method of oscillating element, optical scanning device, image forming device and image display device


The multichannel waveguide device includes an array of waveguides located in a plane. Each waveguide channel has a redirecting element for redirecting a guided wave out of said plane, or vice versa. The redirecting elements are staggered in the direction of the waveguides so as to transform a one-dimensional array of in-plane waves into a two-dimensional array of out-of-plane waves, or vice versa.

In a multichannel waveguide device, such as an integrated wavelength dispersive device (for example a planar waveguide microspectrometer) or an optical planar waveguide circuit containing multiple waveguides, there is an increasing demand to connect a large number of waveguides located on a single chip with output readout circuitry. A similar interconnection problem exists when optically coupling a large number of optical input ports, such as VCSELs (vertical cavity surface emitting lasers) or optical fibre arrays to a multichannel optical waveguide device; or when optically coupling together various multichannel waveguide devices.
The optical interconnect problem is discussed for example in the following references, which are incorporated herein by reference: D. A. B. Miller, "Rationale and challenges for optical interconnects to electronic chips," Proc. IEEE, vol. 88, pp. 728-749 (2000); Y. Li et al., "Optical interconnects for digital systems," Proc. IEEE, vol. 88, pp. 723-863 (2000).
None of the existing interconnection techniques, electrical or optical, is practical for coupling between a large number, up to tens of thousands or more, of waveguides located on a single chip with input/output device or another optical chip.
Optical off-chip interconnects of up to several hundred channels have been demonstrated for example in optical demultiplexers for WDM applications by using coupling from the chip edge to a fibre array held in a v-groove assembly. However, it is not practical to provide off-chip interconnects of several hundreds or more optical channels using present packaging technology because the alignment tolerances and resulting packaging cost becomes prohibitive. This limitation causes a bottleneck in connecting multichannel waveguide devices with input and output devices or other multichannel waveguide devices.

Optical off-chip interconnects in multichannel planar waveguide devices


The disclosure concerns a method for operating a wind farm, the wind farm includes a wind turbine, and an energy storage device, the wind farm being connected to an external grid, the method comprising determining a demanded active power, determining a demanded reactive power, determining power production of the wind turbine, and charging the energy storage device, when the power production is above the demanded active power, the demanded reactive power, or the vector sum of demanded active power and demanded reactive power. Furthermore, corresponding wind farm controllers, wind farms, program elements, and computer readable media are subject of the current disclosure.

Ordinary power plants operated with nuclear power or combustion are to be substituted with renewable energy sources such as wind farms, solar power stations and wave farms for example. In particular, wind turbines are becoming more and more popular for ecological power generation. The kinetic energy of the wind is converted to rotational energy of a wind turbine rotor by the wind turbine rotor blades and there from to electric energy by a generator.

Method for operating a wind farm, wind farm controller and wind farm


A two way communication system is adapted for compatible inter-operation of a plurality of devices operating in accordance with a plurality of protocols. The communication system includes a first group of one or more remote devices that interface with a local host in accordance with a first protocol and a second group of one or more remote devices that interface with the local host in accordance with a second protocol. The local host includes a protocol processor that identifies transmissions from the first and second groups of remote devices and routes transmissions from the first group of remote devices to a first processor operating in accordance with the first protocol and also routes transmissions from the second group of remote devices to a second processor operating in accordance with the second protocol.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to broadband multimedia data distribution systems, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for interfacing non-DOCSIS cable modems with DOCSIS compatible cable modems.
2. Background Art
Traditional dial-up modems provide online access through the public telephone network at up to 56 Kbps (equal to 56,000 bits per second). A cable modem, on the other hand, provides users with high-speed Internet access through a cable television network. A cable modem is capable of providing data rates as high as 56 Mbps, and is thus suitable for high speed Internet access, digital television (such as pay-per-view) and digital telephony.
The Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) protocol was developed to ensure that cable modem equipment built by a variety of manufacturers is compatible, as is the case with traditional dial-up modems. However, DOCSIS compliant systems, as currently defined, do not efficiently transmit many types of data, such as, for example, voice.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus for operating a proprietary MAC protocol in customer premise equipment, such as, for example, a cable modem, that overcomes the limitations of the DOCSIS protocol, and interoperates with DOCSIS compatible cable modems resident on the same mixed network.

Apparatuses and methods to utilize multiple protocols in a communication system


Perfluoroalkylether (PFAE) tertiary mono- and poly-alcohols of the general structure: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.3 represent perfluoroalkyl groups having from one to fifty carbon atoms or PFAE groups having 2-50 carbon atoms and 1-49 oxygen atoms; R.sup.2 represents a PFPAE group having 3-50 carbon atoms and 1-48 oxygen atoms; A represents perfluoroalkylene groups containing 2-30 carbon atoms or perfluoroalkyleneether groups having 2-30 carbon atoms and 1-29 oxygen atoms; and n is an integer having a value ranging from zero to ten; and wherein the alcohol contains at least 12 carbon atoms per molecule. The perfluoroalkylether (PFAE) tertiary mono- and poly-alcohols are mixed with perfluoropolyalkylether fluids in an amount ranging from 0.01 to 1.00 weight percent to provide fluids having improved antiwear properties.

This invention relates to the preparation of perfluoroalkylether (PFAE) tertiary alcohols and the chemical intermediates useful in their preparation. The invention also relates to use of such alcohols and their intermediates as antiwear additives for perfluorinated fluids.
Highly fluorinated compounds have long been of interest because of their excellent potential for high temperature applications. Fluids based on perfluoropolyalkylethers (PFPAE) have, in addition to high thermal and oxidative stability, a wide liquid range which make them ideal candidates for aerospace applications. These fluids consist essentially of a mixture of linear fluorinated polyethers. These fluids have the general formula: EQU R.sub.f O(Z).sub.m (Y).sub.n R.sub.f
wherein R.sub.f is a lower perfluoroalkyl group, such as CF.sub.3, C.sub.2 F.sub.5, C.sub.3 F.sub.7 and the like, wherein Z is --CX.sub.2 CX.sub.2 O--, --CX.sub.2 CX.sub.2 CX.sub.2 O-- or --CX.sub.2 OCX.sub.2 CX.sub.2 O--, where X is --F, --CF.sub.3, --C.sub.2 F.sub.5 and the like, and Y is --CFXO--, m and n are integers whose sum is between 2 and 200 and the ratio of n to m is between 0.1 and 10, and wherein the Z and Y units are statistically distributed along the PFPAE chain. Commercial base fluids of this type have been available for some time, for example, Krytox.RTM. (DuPont), Fomblin.RTM. (Montedison), Demnum.RTM. (Daikin) and the like. Their practical utility in aerospace and military applications has been hampered by the wear and corrosion of certain metal components exposed to these base fluids under extreme conditions.
Deficiencies in base fluids are generally removed and the performance of the fluids improved by the use of additives. Conventional additives developed for the improvement of a variety of specific properties of hydrocarbon base fluids are generally not suitable for perfluorinated fluids. These conventional additives are not soluble in perfluorinated fluids and are ineffective. One way of overcoming this incompatibility is to synthesize compounds containing fluoroalkylether groups plus selected functional groups for specific activity. Although this approach may make the compound soluble in a fluorinated base fluid, mere replacement of hydrocarbon groups with fluorocarbon groups can change the useful properties of the additive itself by changing the properties of the critical functional group present in the additive. These difficulties are well known to those familiar with the art. In spite of these difficulties, a few useful additives have been developed for perfluorinated fluids. One such example is the development of PFAE substituted triphenylphosphines, C. E. Snyder, Jr. and C. Tamborski, U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,388. These additives, when dissolved in PFPAE fluids, have significantly reduced the corrosion of certain metal components exposed to the fluid at high temperatures in an oxidative environment. Reducing corrosion of the metal components exposed to a PFPAE fluid is only one of the requirements for its successful application as a functional fluid in the range of -65.degree. to 700.degree. F. The problem of wear of metal components must be addressed. An antiwear additive should have sufficient solubility in the PFPAE fluid even at -65.degree. F. Another requirement is that in order to be effective for long periods of time at temperatures as high as 700.degree. F., the antiwear additive should have low volatility characteristics. Such stringent property requirements are not essential when these antiwear additives are used for other applications such as instrument oils, space lubes, etc. For instance the antiwear additives for space lubes require low vapour pressure but not high temperature stability. Thus in order to incorporate the required combination of properties in the additive for different applications, it is desirable that the methods used for the synthesis of these additives readily permit structural variations in terms of the number of active functional groups per molecule as well as the nature of the pendant groups. It is additionally desirable if the starting materials necessary for the synthesis of the aforementioned antiwear additives are readily available or can be easily synthesized.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel antiwear additive for perfluoropolyalkylethers.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method for making novel antiwear additives for perfluoropolyalkylethers.
A further object of this invention is to provide perfluorinated fluids improved antiwear properties
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


The present invention aims to provide a method by which fluorine-containing sulfide compounds, particularly sulfide compounds that contain hydrogen and fluorine, can be produced in a simple, low-cost and industrial manner. Provided is a method of producing a fluorine-containing sulfide compound represented by the following formula (2):(F)n-A3-S-A4-(F)m  (2)(wherein A3 and A4 are independently an optionally substituted hydrocarbyl group with a carbon number of 1 to 3; n and m represent the numbers of fluorine atoms binding to A3 and A4, with n+m=1 to 13 being satisfied), comprising reacting a chlorine-containing sulfide compound represented by the following formula (1):(Cl)n-A1-S-A2-(Cl)m  (1)(wherein A1 and A2 are independently an optionally substituted hydrocarbyl group with a carbon number of 1 to 3; n and m represent the numbers of chlorine atoms binding to A1 and A2, with n+m=1 to 13 being satisfied) and a fluorinating agent.

As typically shown in Patent Document 1, fluorine-containing thioethers are useful as dry etching gases intended for the application in semiconductors. And a trifloromethylthio group of the type disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a useful substituent found in pharmaceutical and agrochemical compounds. And in Patent Document 3, fluorine-containing thioethers are also intermediates that can be derivatized to sulfone compounds that are used with advantage in liquid electrolytes.
Methods conventionally known to be capable of synthesizing these fluorine-containing thioethers include a reaction using thiophosgen as disclosed in Patent Document 2 and an addition reaction between thiols and olefins which is described in Patent Document 3; in recent years, reagents for introducing the trifloromethylthio group are the subject of active R&D efforts. Sulfur compounds such as thiophosgen and thiols have the problems of strong toxicity and extreme odor whereas the trifloromethylthio group introducing reagents are so expensive that they are difficult to produce on an industrial scale.
As far as the synthesis of aromatic sulfides is concerned, methods to synthesize fluorine-containing thioethers employing halogen exchange have been reported in many articles. Take, for example, Patent Document 4, in which 2-(trichloromethylthio)biphenyl is reacted with a fluorinating agent, allowing for the synthesis of 2-(trifluoromethylthio)biphenyl. According to Non-Patent Document 1, antimony trifluoride is used for converting a trichloromethylthio group to a trifluoromethylthio group in the step of synthesizing 4-(trifluoromethylthio)aniline.
To synthesize fluorine-containing thioethers from aliphatic sulfides by means of halogen exchange reaction, a trichloromethylthio group may be converted to a trifluoromethylthio group using a fluorinating agent of the type disclosed in Non-Patent Document 2 ((HF)10-pyridine); however, this method requires at least 15 equivalents of the fluorinating agent and, what is more, in order to synthesize the fluorinating agent, a preparation need be made by mixing HF and an organic basic compound but then this causes problems such as an increased number of manufacturing steps and the organic basic compound becoming waste.
A method of converting a chained sulfur compound to a trifluoromethylthio group using a metal fluoride is described in Non-Patent Document 3, in which halogen exchange reaction is effected on bis-(trichloromethyl)disulfide using potassium fluoride. In the metal fluoride based halogen exchange reaction, at least a stoichiometric amount of the metal fluoride is required and after the reaction, a metal chloride and other by-products occur in the form of a slurry with the solvent used. What is more, the reactivity of the metal fluoride varies considerably with the particle size and shape used and its water content, so it is difficult to use the metal fluoride as a feed on an industrial scale.

Method of producing fluorine-containing sulfide compounds


The inventive compounds of the present invention are comprised of phenyl and pyridinyl-1,2,4-oxadiazolone derivatives and their physiologically acceptable salts and functional derivatives that are shown to provide peroxisome proliferator activator receptor (PPARdelta) agonist activity. The compounds of the present invention are comprised of the formula:

The present invention is directed to pharmaceutical compounds and compositions which are able to therapeutically modulate lipid and/or carbohydrate metabolism for the treatment of metabolic disorders and the diseases as well as de-myelinating and other neurodegenerative disorders of the central and peripheral nervous system. The inventive compounds of the present invention are comprised of phenyl and pyridinyl-1, 2,4-oxadiazolone derivatives and their physiologically acceptable salts and functional derivatives that are shown to provide peroxisome proliferator activator PPARdelta agonists have been described in the prior art. (e.g. WO 01/00603 and WO 02/092590 to Keil et. al., WO2003/074495, WO2004/093879, WO2004/080943, WO2005/054213 and WO2005/097786). Compounds comprising an oxadiazolone component have been disclosed as inhibitors of factor Xa and described in DE 101 12 768 A1 and also as orally administrable hypoglycemic agents in WO 96/13264. WO 97/40017 teaches oxadiazolone compounds having a phenyl group linked to Heterocyclic rings and these are disclosed as modulators of those molecules that comprise phosphotyrosine recognition units. Benzene derivatives of oxadiazolone compounds are known to be useful as inhibitors of squalene synthase and protein farnesyltransferase and these are described in WO96/34851. The present invention however, is directed to pharmaceutical compounds and compositions comprised of phenyl and pyridinyl-1,2,4-oxadiazolone derivatives and their physiologically acceptable salts and functional derivatives showing that exhibit peroxisome proliferator activator receptor (PPAR) delta agonist activity. PPARdelta agonists have are well in the biochemical and pharmaceutical arts. Phenyl derivatives of oxadiazalones are described as agents for the therapeutic treatment of thrombobolic disorders as described in WO 02/057236. Benzene derivatives of oxadiazalone have also been shown to inhibitor squalene synthase and protein farnesyltransferase as described in WO96/34851. See also U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,995 to De La Brouse-Elwood et. al. as well as WO 03/043997 and WO 02/092590 to Johnston et. al.
The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) are transducer proteins belonging to the steroid/thyroid/retinoid receptor superfamily. The PPAR receptors were originally identified as orphan receptors without known ligands, but were known for their ability to mediate the pleiotropic effects of fatty acid peroxisome proliferators. These receptors function as ligand-regulated transcription factors that control the expression of target genes by binding to their responsive DNA sequences as heterodimers with RXR. The target genes encode enzymes involved in a number of metabolic and cell growth/cell proliferation/cell differentiation inductions. These then act as targets for the development of therapeutic agents for the treatment of metabolic and central nervous system disorders, among others.

Phenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazolone derivatives, processes for their preparation and methods for their use as pharmaceuticals

Abstract: wherein the substituents R1-R5 and R7-R10 are defined herein. The compounds are therapeutically effective in the regulation and modulation of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism in mammals and are thus suitable for the treatment of diseases such as type-2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disorders and the like.


An interactive video menu system provides an economical method for the storage, transmission, and reception of data necessary for interactive video sessions, which allows high-resolution images to be broadcast to end users along with all the control information necessary to display and navigate through these images. A simple interpretive script is run on the end user's device which traps the broadcast information and allows rapid response time and control of the interactive session without requiring expensive high-bandwidth facilities. Buffer equalized coding is used so that still, picture-in-a-still; and moving video images can be compressed at rates below those typically used with the MPEG-2 standard and continuously transmitted as video backgrounds in a seamless loop saving bandwidth without degradation in video quality. Data that instructs the end-user device how to display the video backgrounds and what foreground text to overlay on the video backgrounds is broadcast simultaneously in the bit stream This creates the appearance of a dedicated connection to the server while minimizing bandwidth and equipment cost and complexity.

Previous architectures for interactive television systems require high-bandwidth transmission facilities to enable high-resolution images to be displayed and quick response times to be achieved during interactive sessions. This bandwidth is costly in terms of available resources and network elements involved.
Industry efforts have been directed toward developing and improving technology for storing and transporting information using an analog coaxial cable channel. A typical coaxial channel has a bandwidth of about 6 MHz, which accommodates a bit rate of up to about 28 Mbps.
The Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG), an International Standards Organization (ISO)-sanctioned group provides a standard for full motion digital video compression. The MPEG compression standard for full motion video takes advantage of the fact that full motion video is made up of many successive frames consisting of large areas that are not changed, such as blue sky background. MPEG performs "differencing", that is noting differences between consecutive frames. If two consecutive frames are identical, the second can be stored with the appropriate information.
In server applications it is desirable to convert input data to bit sequences insertable in a bit stream for transmission. For example, according to the MPEG standard, input video data is encoded as compressed bitstreams as specified in the MPEG standard specification: MPEG TEST MODEL 4, "Coded Representation of Picture and Audio Information", ISO-IEC/JTC1/SC29/EG11, CCITT SG XV, Working Party XV/1, Document AVC-445b, February 1993.
Video data can be streamed through a coaxial cable using the MPEG-2 compression standard at a bit rate in a range from 2.5 Mbps through 6 Mbps without noticeable degradation of video imagery, and without artifacts. It is difficult to create an interactive video menu session that creates the appearance of a dedicated session using lower bit rates than that.
Previous interactive video menu architectures require large pipes (i.e., large transmission bandwidth) and costly set-top boxes (STBs) associated with the television. A larger pipe (i.e., more bandwidth) is necessary if compression of the video is performed at a higher speed. Some architectures use locally generated graphics for the background, requiring costly and more complex STBs associated with the television. As a result, there is a continuing need for a low-cost, low-memory menuing system for use in interactive television, which is able to transmit still, moving, or picture-in-picture video images using MPEG-2 compression at below 1.5 Mbps to cost-effectively minimize bandwidth, while maintaining image quality and quick response times.

System and method for displaying a video menu


A swift wheel locking device for a golf cart includes a wheel axle and a bracket member. The wheel axle has a small diameter portion with an annular groove for a locking member to lock or unlock the wheel axle with a solid portion of the bracket member by means of a control member movably fitted in and on the solid portion and extending a little out of a cap covering on the solid portion and keeping the locking member and the control member in place in and on the bracket member. A press portion of the control member extending out of the cap can be pressed to lock and unlock swiftly the locking member with and from the wheel axle.

This invention relates to a swift wheel locking device for a golf cart, particularly to one having a wheel axle and a bracket member swiftly locking and unlocking the wheel axle by means of a control member moving a locking member to lock and unlock the wheel axle.
A golf cart is indispensable for golf players to carry various golf clubs around a golf course. A conventional golf cart shown in FIG. 6 has a releasable wheel assembly having an axle 11 combined with a bracket member 10 attached to a lower end of a leg of a golf cart. The axle 11 has an annular groove 12 formed in an outer end for a C-shaped ring 13 to securely keep the wheel 14 on the axle 11.
Further, as shown in FIG. 7, when the conventional golf cart having the above-mentioned releasable wheel assembly is to be packaged for transportation, the golf cart body has a height LA and a width L1, and a height LA+LB and a width L1+L2 after the brackets 10 are combined with the cart body, necessitating a large carton for packing the whole golf cart, resulting in a larger cost for packaging and transporting.
There is another conventional releasable wheel assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 5,029,946 filed in July, 1991 shown in FIG. 8. It includes a bracket member 4 having a lower solid portion 41, a coil spring 53 and a control member 5 contained in the lower solid portion 41 for control and unlocking an axle 11. The control member 5 is T-shaped, having a flange 51 formed in an upper end for pressing the locking member 5 manually, and a key 52 in the form of a plate formed with spaced slots 521 and 522 extending down from the flange 51. The first slot 521 is dimensioned to allow a relative movement between the key 52 and a rivet 42 along a longitudinal direction of the key 52 and the second slot 522 is dimensioned to allow the axle 11 passing through the key 52 from an outer side portion 524 of a larger diameter and the groove 112 of the axle 11 being engaged by an inner side portion 523 of smaller diameter.
In operation, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the flange 51 is pressed manually to overcome biasing forces of the coil spring 53 and move the locking member 5 inwardly, the inner side 523 of the second slot 522 is disengaged from the groove 112 and the axle 11 is located within the outer side portion 524, the wheel set 3 can be removed by retracting the axle 11 from the bracket member 4. The rivet 42 serves as a guider for the locating slot 522 of the key 52 of the locking member 5 in assembly and disassembly operations of the wheel set 3.

Swift wheel locking device for golf cart


A PTC thermistor provided with a conductive member having PTC characteristics and two electrodes each placed in two different locations on the conductive member. The, conductive member and at least one of the two electrodes is bonded via an adhesive which has conductivity and which at the same time deteriorates in an overheated state and irreversibly increases the electrical resistance.

A polymer PTC thermistor is a device which allows the flow of current, or which reduces current flow by using a positive resistance temperature characteristic, that is, a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) of a conductive polymer which varies in conductivity due to thermal expansion. In detail, it is common that in a conductive member which is composed of a conductive polymer, ceramic or the like, the conductive member is soldered to two electrodes disposed on two separate positions thereof.
The conductive polymer is one type of material which composes the conductive member. The conductive polymer is a polymer resin prepared, for example, by kneading polyethylene and carbon black together and crosslinking thereafter with radiation. Within the conductive polymer, the carbon black particles are linked to each other in a room-temperature environment so that numerous conductive paths are formed through which current flows, and good conductivity is exhibited. However, when the conductive polymer expands thermally due to excessive current flowing in the conductive paths or an increase in the ambient temperature, the distances between the carbon black particles are increased, thus severing the conductive paths, and the resistance rises sharply. This is called the positive temperature coefficient of a conductive polymer, or PTC. This invention utilizes this characteristic.
The polymer PTC thermistor can be used as a switch using as a trigger the magnitude of current flowing between the electrodes disposed on two separate positions of the conductive member. When an overcurrent occurs between the electrodes, the conductive member thermally expands due to self-heating caused by Joule heating, and the distances between the carbon black particles are increased, thus the conductive paths are severed. As a result, it becomes difficult for current to flow. When current flow between the electrodes is cut off, the conductive member shrinks due to stoppage of the self-heating, and the distances between the carbon black particles are decreased, thus conductive paths are formed. As a result, the PTC thermistor returns to a state enabling the passage of current.
Also by utilizing the PTC characteristic of the conductive member, a PTC thermistor as described above may allow current of a prescribed size or less (called the hold current) to flow if the ambient temperature is lower than a prescribed temperature (the temperature at which the conductive member will thermally expand). If the ambient temperature reaches the prescribed temperature or higher, the conductive member will thermally expand so that it becomes difficult for current to flow. In this way, it may also function as a switch using the change in the ambient temperature in which the conductive member is placed.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H06-163203, describes a conductive paste whose conductivity changes in response to temperature change.
When a PTC thermistor as described above is installed in a circuit, there is no occurrence of a problem when it is used in a proper state. However, it has been pointed out that if the device is activated for a long time owing to an overcurrent, or if it is placed in a very high temperature environment for a long time, the conductive member may fail and the electrode may be short-circuited.
This invention was made in view of the above circumstances and is intended to prevent a short between the two electrodes to secure the safety of the circuit.

PTC thermistor and method for protecting circuit


A light module for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The light module includes a light source and a reflecting unit. The light module also includes an optical waveguide, wherein the waveguide is formed by a plate-shaped body having an L-shaped cross section, the light-reflecting unit comprises a reflector arranged in front of a shorter input part of the waveguide, and wherein at a place where a shorter inlet part of the waveguide passes into a longer outlet part of the waveguide, an angled surface is provided for total reflection of light passing through the shorter inlet part of the waveguide to the longer outlet part of the waveguide, wherewith a bottom area and an adjacent face of the outlet part of the waveguide are provided with a white coating.

The invention relates to a light module, which is designed especially for tail lights, directional signal lights, or daytime lights, for motor vehicles.
From JP 2005032579 (A) a design for lights is known which is comprised of a straight optical waveguide (lightguide), which is connected to a light module on its (the waveguide's) input face, which light module is comprised firstly of a light source disposed perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the waveguide and provided with one or more LEDs, and secondly of a collimating lens, to ensure full reflection of light from the light source, wherewith this light is directed to the input face of the waveguide. The waveguide is then provided with a reflective surface, disposed in parallel to its longitudinal axis, for emitting light in the region along the straight waveguide.
Disadvantages of this design are particularly limitations on its use, particularly limitation to areas requiring illumination by a narrow strip of light through straight elongated fixtures.


A decoder for access data stored in n memories comprises a function matrix containing addresses of the memory locations at unique coordinates. A decomposer sorts addresses from coordinate locations of first and second m×n matrices, such that each row contains no more than one address from the same memory. Positional apparatus stores entries in third and fourth m×n matrices identifying coordinates of addresses in the function matrix such that each entry in the third matrix is at coordinates that matches corresponding coordinates in the first matrix, and each entry in the fourth matrix is at coordinates that matches corresponding coordinates in the second matrix. The decoder is responsive to entries in the matrices for accessing data in parallel from the memories.

Data processing systems using convolutional codes are theoretically capable of reaching the Shannon limit, a theoretical limit of signal-to-noise for error-free communications. Prior to the discovery of turbo codes in 1993, convolutional codes were decoded with Viterbi decoders. However, as error correction requirements increased, the complexity of Viterbi decoders exponentially increased. Consequently, a practical limit on systems employing Viterbi decoders to decode convolutional codes was about 3 to 6 dB from the Shannon limit. The introduction of turbo codes allowed the design of practical decoders capable of achieving a performance about 0.7 dB from the Shannon limit, surpassing the performance of convolutional-encoder/Viterbi-decoders of similar complexity. Therefore, turbo codes offered significant advantage over prior code techniques.
Convolutional codes are generated by interleaving data. There are two types of turbo code systems: ones that use parallel concatenated convolutional codes, and ones that use serially concatenated convolutional codes. Data processing systems that employ parallel concatenated convolutional codes decode the codes in several stages. In a first stage, the original data (e.g. sequence of symbols) are processed, and in a second stage the data obtained by permuting the original sequence of symbols is processed, usually using the same process as in the first stage. The data are processed in parallel, requiring that the data be stored in several memories and accessed in parallel for the respective stage. However, parallel processing often causes conflicts. More particularly, two or more elements or sets of data that are required to be accessed in a given cycle may be in the same memory, and therefore not accessible in parallel. Consequently, the problem becomes one of organizing access to the data so that all required data can simultaneously accessed in each of the processing stages.
Traditionally, turbo decoding applications increased throughput by adding additional parallel turbo decoders. However, in integrated circuit (IC) designs, the additional decoders were embodied on the IC and necessarily increased chip area dramatically. There is a need for a turbo decoder that achieves high throughput without duplication of parallel turbo decoders, thereby achieving reduced IC chip area.

Decomposer for parallel turbo decoding, process and integrated circuit


The disclosure relates to a forearm support strap for supporting various types of portable electronic equipment or instruments. The forearm support strap includes three exposed pile areas which will receive various types of equipment that has been provided with a mating Velcro loop strip on its base. A plurality of quick-release buckles are included to provide secure attachment to the user's forearm. A battery compartment is also included to provide electrical current to the attached instrument. Significant advantages of the forearm support strap include its ease of attachment, comfortable anti-rotation features and its availability to right-handed as well as left-handed users. Through the use of the forearm strap the user has both hands free to perform other tasks.

Today, with the explosion of electronic technology, more and more types of portable equipment are becoming available. Although many of these types of portable equipment are small enough to be held in one hand, they are not normally easily accessible for use since they usually require the use of at least one hand, leaving the user with the one remaining hand, thus placing severe limitations on his/her capabilities to function properly in using this equipment. In order to make these types of equipment more accessible for use, applicant has designed a versatile handsfree forearm strap which allows portable equipment to be carried about and available for convenient use without the use of one's hands for holding the equipment.
There are presently various types of "gloves" which attempt to solve the aforementioned problems. However, these known "gloves" are provided with a cut-away hand portion to free the fingers of the user. These "gloves" come in left and right configurations to accommodate left and right-handed persons and also to enable the user to read the instrument and make entries, if necessary. Since the glove extends into the hand portion, the same "glove" could not be used by two persons of opposite hand. Therefore a plurality of gloves are required to accommodate left and right-handed users.

Handsfree forearm strap for portable equipment


A method for milking is provided in a milking system which includes a milking machine having a plurality of teat cups, which teat cups are attached to, and detached from, teats of animals as part of the milkings of the animals. The method determines whether an animal, which presents itself at the milking system, has a regular milking permission and when the animal has a regular milking permission the animal is milked in a regular milking procedure. When the animal does not have a regular milking permission, the method determine whether the animal has at least one udder compartment that was incompletely milked last time the animal was milked, and provided that the animal has at least one udder compartment that was incompletely milked last time the animal was milked, the animal is given a partial milking permission and the animal is milked in a partial milking procedure, wherein the regular and partial milking procedures differ from one another with respect to the procedure for the attachment of the teat cups to, and/or detachment of the teat cups from, the teats of the animal.

In modern dairy farm industry there are continuous research and development activities in order to improve the efficiency of various activities such as machine milking, which, inter alia, involves increased milk yield and reduced milking time, while, naturally, ethical aspects as well as animal care are considered.
Voluntary milking systems, which cows visit on a voluntary basis, have become increasingly common during the last years. In such systems cows are monitored and are given milking permission on an individual basis. Sometimes the milking performed by such a milking system is not complete, that is, it may happen that a cow that has been milked has an udder compartment that was incompletely milked. The incomplete milking may have been caused by a teat cup kick or fall off during milking. Incomplete milking may also be caused by a failed teat cup attachment, e.g. caused by a dirty camera lens, an unfavorable teat position, or interfering hairs. Incomplete milking may as well depend on a damaged or infected teat.
Typically, such cow may obtain a new milking permission directly or soon after the incomplete milking, and in connection with such subsequent milking, teat cups are again attached to the teats of the cow.
Such subsequent milking, wherein teat cups are attached to all teats of the cow and milking of all teats is performed, is time consuming and the teats get unnecessarily worn or rubbed.

Method for milking, computer program product, and milking system


A semiconductor acceleration sensor comprises a semiconductor sensor chip for detecting acceleration and an IC chip for processing the signal from this sensor chip, the IC chip is bonded to the sensor chip, the sensor chip is mounted to a die pad, electrical connection is established by lead wires connected to lead terminals, and a package is formed by molding with resin wherein the die pad is electrically connected to a particular lead terminal by a lead wire and is grounded by the particular lead terminal, and the die pad is positioned remote from the mounting surface of the package.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor acceleration sensor for automotive applications, and relates particularly to a semiconductor acceleration sensor used with air bags.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been known a semiconductor acceleration sensor for detecting vibration and acceleration wherein a semiconductor substrate having a thin-film diaphragm at a middle portion thereof is cantilevered at one end thereof. On the thin-film diaphragm, plural piezoresistance elements are formed to detect a force exerted thereto based on changes in the resistances of the piezoresistance elements.
FIG. 11 is a cross section of a conventional semiconductor acceleration sensor using a hermetically sealed package.
Referring to FIG. 11, semiconductor acceleration sensor 100 is a hermetically sealed package comprising a cap 101 and stem 102 with plural conductive leads 103. The cap 101 is a box-shaped member of which the side with the greatest area is open. The open edge of this cap 101 is welded to the flat panel-like stem 102 such that the stem 102 closes the box-shaped container.
A thick-film substrate 104 is bonded to the stem 102. A pedestal 106 is bonded to the thick-film substrate 104, and a sensor chip 105 is bonded to the pedestal 106 in a cantilevered manner. The thick-film substrate 104 and sensor chip 105 are connected by bonding wires or other lead wires 107. By thus using a metal package, the semiconductor acceleration sensor is shielded from operating errors induced by electromagnetic interference from such sources as engine noise, radios, and portable telephones. It is, however, difficult to reduce the size and cost of the semiconductor acceleration sensor when a metal package is used.
As a result, capacitance-type semiconductor acceleration sensors that electrically detect acceleration from the change in the capacity of the capacitor have been used as semiconductor acceleration sensors because of the ability to thereby reduce the package size and cost.
FIG. 12 is a partial cross section of a conventional capacitance-type semiconductor acceleration sensor, and FIG. 13 is a cross section along line IV--IV in FIG. 12.
As shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, this capacitance-type semiconductor acceleration sensor 110 comprises a sensor chip 111 for sensing acceleration and converting acceleration to a change in electrostatic capacity; an IC chip 112 for converting the change in electrostatic capacity output by the sensor chip 111 to an electrical signal, and applying a particular signal processing operation to the resulting electrical signal; a die pad 113 to which the sensor chip 111 is die bonded; lead terminals 114 for electrical connection to the circuit board; bonding wires or other lead wires 115 for connecting the sensor chip 111 and IC chip 112, and the IC chip 112 to the external lead terminals 114; and a molded resin package 116.
Inside the sensor chip 111 are a fixed electrode and a moving electrode that is displaced by the force of inertia at acceleration. The dielectric constant between the fixed electrode and moving electrode is constant at a constant gap therebetween. As a result, the capacitance of the capacitor formed by the dielectric between the fixed electrode and moving electrode changes when the electrode distance between the fixed electrode and moving electrode changes due to displacement of the moving electrode at acceleration. It is therefore possible to detect acceleration by detecting this change in electrostatic capacity using the IC chip 112. However, the change in electrostatic capacity is extremely small, specifically on the order of 1 pF or less, and is therefore susceptible to the effects of external noise.


An electromagnetic radiation seal, particularly adapted for sealing a rotary or linearly movable shaft penetrating a shielded enclosure includes a housing mountable on an enclosure wall and forming a cavity delimited by the housing and the shaft and which is filled with metal particulates, such as tungsten or lead shot pellets. The metal particulates are in intimate contact with the shaft and with the seal housing to prevent transmission of electromagnetic radiation between the interior and exterior of the enclosure at the penetration formed by the shaft.

The present invention pertains to a seal or shield to prevent transmission of electromagnetic radiation, particularly in the radio frequency range, along a shaft or outer tube of a coaxial cable penetrating a shielded enclosure.
Shielded enclosures or rooms are provided for shielding certain electrical equipment and communications devices from electromagnetic interference (EMI) and so called radio frequency interference (RFI). In many applications of shielded enclosures, it is necessary to penetrate the enclosure wall with a rotating or reciprocable shaft or a coaxial cable structure for various purposes. For example, in testing communications devices in a shielded enclosure, it is often necessary and desirable to be able to rotate o r reciprocate the device within the enclosure without placing actuators, such as electrical motors and controls therefor, within the enclosure itself. In this regard, drive mechanisms for rotating or reciprocating devices within a shielded enclosure have been mounted on the enclosure wall on the exterior thereof with a rotatable or reciprocable shaft penetrating the wall. Such penetration provides a path for transmission of EMI and RFI through the enclosure wall. Heretofore this type of transmission path has been isolated or shielded by so called labyrinth type shields. Labyrinth type shields or seals for EMI and RFI shielded enclosures are relatively complicated devices requiring close tolerance machining and assembly processes in order to ensure that an electromagnetic radiation signal on one side of the penetration is not detectable on the other side of the penetration of the enclosure wall. These precisely machined parts are subject to wear and the shielding performance of same tends to degrade over time.
Consequently, there has been a need and desire to provide improved means for shielding shafting and cable outer conductors or sleeves, for example, in applications where these devices must penetrate the wall of a shielded enclosure. Moreover, prior art devices and methods for shielding cylindrical shafts or cable outer sleeves do not suitably provide for a shaft or other structure which must be moved or reciprocated linearly along its longitudinal axis rather than rotated about such axis. It is to overcome the problems associated with prior art methods and structures for shielding or sealing the transmission of EMI and RFI that the present invention has been developed.
The present invention provides a shield or so-called seal mechanism to prevent the transmission of electromagnetic interference or radio frequency interference through a wall of a shielded enclosure which has been penetrated by a rotatable, or axially movable shaft, in particular.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an electromagnetic radiation seal is provided for a rotatable or linearly movable, generally cylindrical shaft or tube penetrating a wall of a shielded enclosure to prevent transmission of electromagnetic interference or radio frequency interference through the wall by way of the shaft or tube.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an electromagnetic radiation seal is provided for a shaft or tube wherein an electrically conductive media is in intimate contact with the shaft or tube to redirect the radiation and prevent transmission of same into or out of the interior of a shielded enclosure penetrated by the shaft or tube. The seal also provides for supporting a rotatable or linearly movable shaft or tube on suitable spaced apart bearings. In one embodiment of the invention, the seal also includes axial shaft locating collars to prevent axial excursion of the shaft and to contain the conductive media. In another embodiment, rotation and/or linear reciprocation or oscillation of the shaft is permitted without loss of electromagnetic radiation sealing capability.
Those skilled in the art will further appreciate the above mentioned advantages and superior features of the invention together with other important aspects thereof upon reading the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the drawings.

Electromagnetic radiation seal for a member penetrating a shielded enclosure


A signal estimator for an OFDM radio receiver is configured to generate a signal power estimate for a reference signal received on a subcarrier from a plurality of OFDM subcarriers. The signal estimator generates a first channel estimate as a first function of a first set of one or more unfiltered reference-signal channel estimates, where the first set includes an unfiltered reference-signal channel estimate. It generates a second channel estimate as a second function of a second set of one or more unfiltered reference-signal channel estimates, where the second set has no unfiltered reference-signal channel estimate in common with the first set. The signal estimator then generates the signal power estimate by multiplying the first channel estimate with the second channel estimate, such that the generated signal power estimate does not increase with the absolute square of any of the unfiltered reference-signal channel estimates in the first and second sets.

This invention relates to signal and noise estimation in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) radio receivers.
OFDM is a form of radio transmission that is used in various radio protocols such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), various IEEE 802.11 standards, DAB radio, DVB-T, and WMAX. Rather than encoding data on a single carrier frequency, a data stream is spread over multiple closely-spaced subcarriers. The subcarriers are orthogonal to avoid mutual interference. This approach can provide increased resilience to multipath fading and to external interference.
It is known for an OFDM radio transmitter to transmit predetermined reference signals at predefined time slots and frequencies, where the reference signals, time slots and frequencies are known in advance by the radio receiver. In LTE, these reference signals are predetermined QPSK di-bits, known as cell-specific reference signal (CRS) resource elements (RE); every third subcarrier carries reference signals, at predetermined intervals. A radio receiver can use these reference signals to generate channel estimates for individual subcarriers. These can then be used to calculate estimates of signal power and signal-to-noise ratio for a particular subcarrier.
For each reference signal i (e.g., for each CRS resource element in LTE), an unfiltered channel estimate, ĥCRS (i) can be obtained for the particular reference signal position.
A filtered channel estimate for a particular reference signal i can also be calculated by applying a filter to a set of unfiltered channel estimates for reference signals received around the particular reference signal i in time and/or frequency—i.e. within a time and frequency window around the particular reference signal. The filter may be defined by a set of coefficients or weights αj that are applied to the set of reference signals as follows:
                              h          ^                filt                          (        i        )              =          (                                    α                          -                              ⌊                                  K                  2                                ⌋                                                                                h                ^                            CRS                                                  (                              i                -                                  ⌊                                      K                    2                                    ⌋                                            )                                      +        …        +                              α                          -              1                                                                                h                ^                            CRS                                                  (                              i                -                1                            )                                      +                              α            0                                                                        h                ^                            CRS                                                  (              i              )                                      +        …        +                              α                          ⌊                              K                2                            ⌋                                                                                h                ^                            CRS                                                  (                              i                +                                  ⌊                                      K                    2                                    ⌋                                            )                                          )        ,
where Σjαj=1, and where K+1 represents the area of the filter in time and/or frequency. The filter represents a weighted averaging over time and frequency. Note that the indexing of the reference signals is only intended to be illustrative here; the indexing will, in practice, need to be updated as the filter moves over the channel in time and/or frequency.
A signal power estimate, {circumflex over (P)}S, for a particular reference signal i (corresponding to a particular subcarrier frequency and time instant) might then be calculated as the absolute square of the filtered channel estimate, as follows:{circumflex over (P)}s(i)=|ĥfilt(i)|2.
An instantaneous noise power estimate, {circumflex over (P)}N, for a particular reference signal might be obtained by subtracting the filtered channel estimate from the unfiltered channel estimate, as follows:{circumflex over (P)}N(i)=|ĥCRS(i)−ĥfilt(i)|2.
An estimate of the noise power averaged over the whole system bandwidth, or over a particular channel, might then be calculated as:{circumflex over (P)}N=Σi|ĥCRS(i)ĥfilt(i)|2.
A signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) estimator, {circumflex over (γ)}(i), for a particular reference signal, i, can then be calculated by dividing the estimated signal power of the reference signal by the averaged noise power over the whole system bandwidth or channel, as follows:
            γ      ^                  (      i      )        =                                          P            ^                    S                                  (          i          )                                      P          ^                N              .
Such an approach generally works well at high SNR levels, but can sometimes be inaccurate, especially at low signal-to-noise ratios.
One non-limiting situation where reliable performance at low SNRs is important is in the coverage extended (CE) mode of LTE cat-M1 and LTE cat-NB1, where a radio receiver may be operating at SNR=−15 dB or even −20 dB. The applicant has found that, for example, the channel state information (CSI)-based link adaption can perform very badly when using SNR estimators as described above in such contexts.
The present invention therefore seeks to provide improved signal and noise power estimators that are more reliable, including at low SNR levels.


A device relating to the technical field of LED display devices, and more particularly to an intelligent LED display which may be maintained at the front and the rear, may be fast assembled, supports intelligent connection of screens of the display, is light and slim, is integrated with receiving card and power supply, and has a power backup function. The intelligent LED display includes a unit display module assembly structure, a rear frame assembly structure, and a transverse fixed beam assembly structure. The unit display module assembly structure is connected at the front of the rear frame assembly structure through a magnetic attraction so that an intelligent LED display unit is formed, and the transverse fixed beam assembly structure is connected with the intelligent LED display unit in a hanging or seating manner.

With the maturing of technology of all aspects of LED display devices, there is a need for more high-definition pictures in the market; therefore, the demand of small-spacing LED displays is increased in a burst mode. The smaller the spacing is, the higher the resolution of a unit area is, and the clearer display images are. Meanwhile, since the required assembling precision is higher and higher, a box body needs to be rapidly maintained, the weight of the box body needs to be lighter, and the volume of the box body needs to be thinner. A single LED box body of an existing LED display device is formed by assembling an LED display module with an LED display box body frame, then, this LED box body and other box bodies are assembled to form a large screen, and finally these box bodies are fastened through a fixing structure. However, installation surface machining precision of the box body in the industry has reached the limit, this splicing method cannot meet the requirements of pre-maintenance and high precision simultaneously under the market situation of smaller and smaller dot spacing. When these box bodies are assembled together, accumulative errors between display modules and box bodies are larger; meanwhile, a wire rod is exposed so that an attractiveness of an assembled large screen may be influenced. Each single box body is provided with a power supply, so that the box body is heavy, the cost is high, and an assembly efficiency of screen of the display is influenced.

SHENZHEN CREATELED ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.


The topical ophthalmic use of certain 2,4-diamino-substituted 1,3-triazines for preventing or alleviating ocular pain in patients is disclosed. Topical ocular pharmaceutical composition are also disclosed.

Pain is a perceived nociceptive response to local stimuli in the body. The perception of pain at the level of the central nervous system requires the transmission of painful stimuli by peripheral sensory nerve fibers. Upon stimulation of tissue (i.e., thermal, mechanical or chemical), electro-chemical signals are transmitted from the sensory nerve endings to the spinal column, and hence to the brain where pain is perceived.
Ocular pain can be co-incident with a number of conditions, including but not limited to trauma due to accidental or surgical injury, uveitis, dry eye, and diabetic neuropathy. The standard of care for treatment of ocular pain is typically either topically administered non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or orally administered analgesic agents, such as NSAIDS or opioids like hydrocodone. These treatments suffer from limited efficacy and systemic and ocular side-effects. The use of topical ocular anesthetic agents is limited to physician settings, since patient-administered anesthetic regimens can lead to dry eye (due to the interruption of the neuronally-supported tear production feedback loop), possible impairment of wound healing, and corneal abrasion (due to the patient being unable to detect corneal injury).
Local anesthetics are another class of pain modulators that relieve pain by directly inhibiting nerve cellular function. One problem with local anesthetic therapy is that the anesthetics exhibit a short duration of action. Another problem with the use of local anesthetics is that their mechanism of action, non-specific membrane stabilization, can have the undesired coincident effect of also inhibiting biological functions of other cells, such as fibroblasts and surrounding neural cells. Therefore, even though pain sensation can be abated with local anesthetic treatment, healing and normal function of the tissue may be significantly compromised. There is a need, therefore, to discover agents which potently and specifically inhibit the transmission of painful stimuli by sensory afferents, without local anesthetic activity, following topical ocular application.
In addition to treating ocular pain, local topical ocular application of anesthetics has been proposed to reduce or eliminate sensations on the ocular surface to treat the symptoms of dry eye. However, chronic use of local anesthetics is accompanied by toxic side effects.
Consequently, there is a need for effective topical ocular agents that provide analgesic effects without causing anesthetic effects.


A hybrid electric vehicle control apparatus increases a speed of an engine in view of a speed of a drive motor when starting the engine, and turns on an engine clutch after identifying a self-operation of the engine, based on a disturbance torque, thereby rapidly synchronizing the engine speed and the drive motor speed and preventing waste of fuel, which in turn improves fuel efficiency.

In general, a hybrid vehicle means a vehicle that is driven by an efficient combination of two or more different types of power sources, but in most cases, refers to a vehicle that obtains a driving force by using an engine that burns fuel (e.g., fossil fuel such as gasoline) to obtain a driving force and an electric motor driven by electric power of a battery.
Hybrid electric vehicles may have various structures with an engine and an electric motor as power sources. A parallel hybrid electric vehicle refers to a vehicle that directly transmits mechanical power of an engine to wheels and is assisted by an electric motor, which is driven by electric power of a battery, when necessary. A series hybrid electric vehicle refers to a vehicle that converts mechanical power of an engine to electric power through a generator and drives an electric motor, or charges a battery, with the electric power. Usually, the parallel hybrid electric vehicle is advantageous for high-speed driving or long-distance driving, and the series hybrid electric vehicle is advantageous for city driving or short-distance driving.
Recently, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle whose battery has a higher capacity than that of a conventional hybrid electric vehicle and can be recharged by plugging it into an external source of electric power has been developed. The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle travels in only an EV mode during short-distance driving and travels in an HEV mode when the battery is depleted. For example, the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is equipped with a gasoline internal combustion engine and a battery engine and driven by either or both of them similarly to a conventional hybrid electric vehicle, but has a high-capacity, high-voltage battery that can be recharged by external electricity.

Apparatus and method for controlling hybrid electric vehicle