A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is configured for use in a vehicle. A first air moving device blowing air through a heat exchanger provides a first airstream having a first temperature to a second air moving device configured to generate a second airstream having a second temperature that is different from the first temperature. The second airstream is a mixture of the first airstream and cabin air that is drawn from a rear portion of the vehicle cabin. The second air moving device may be disposed in the rear portion of the vehicle. The HVAC system further includes a nozzle that is configured to direct the second airstream toward an occupant in the rear portion of the vehicle cabin to provide spot conditioning.

Heat exchangers used to heat and cool air for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in a vehicle are typically located in the front portion of the vehicle. In vehicles such as sport utility vehicles (SUV), crossover utility vehicles (CUV) or minivans that have a second and third row of seats in a rear portion of the vehicle cabin, the HAVC system typically provides an airstream of conditioned air having the proper temperature and flow rate to provide a comfortable thermal environment for occupants in a rear portion of the vehicle cabin. A duct 3 to 4 meters (9.843 to 13.12 feet) long and capable of carrying an airstream with a flow rate of about 94.4 L/s (200 CFM) may be required to deliver the airstream from the HVAC system to the rear portion of a vehicle cabin to the second and third row seats. Packaging a duct of this length in a vehicle may be difficult due to limited space within the vehicle. Additionally, a long plenum with the multiple turns that are required to package the plenum in the vehicle may have a large pressure drop that requires greater power from an air moving device to deliver the necessary flow rate for the airstream. Alternatively, a dedicated rear HVAC system may be include a heat exchanger in the rear portion of the vehicle, but this undesirably adds cost and complexity to the vehicle.

Heating and cooling system for occupants of the rear portion of a vehicle


The present invention relates to a RUNX3 gene showing anti-tumor activity which is essentially involved in TGF-β dependent-programmed cell death (apoptosis) and use thereof. In addition, the present invention finds that the RUNX3 gene expression is suppressed in the various gastric cancer and lung cancer cell lines. The suppression of the RUNX3 gene expression is due to hyper-methylation of CpG island located around RUNX3 exon (1). The RUNX3 gene and its gene product of the present invention can be used effectively for the development of anti-cancer agents. CpG island around RUNX3 exon (1) could also be used not only for the development of anti-cancer agents which regulate the abnormal DNA methylation and there by induce RUNX3 expression but also for the development of methods for cancer diagnosis by measuring the abnormal DNA methylation.

Tumors are assemblies of cells that show excessive autonomous proliferation, and are classified into malignant tumors, which may result in death, and benign tumors; however, it can be difficult to discriminate between these types. Cancers are genetic diseases attributed to the mutation of genes such as oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, and their causes can be found at a cellular level. Oncogene products constitute a signaling network within cells, and are involved in regulating signal transduction systems for cell division and differentiation. When their regulation becomes abnormal, cells do not differentiate further, but rather divide infinitely; that is, they become tumorigenic. If a way could be found to enable such an abnormal signal transduction pathway to be converted into a normal one, anticancer agents could be developed that would obtain excellent therapeutic effects without side effects.
At present, cancers are for the most part treated in three ways: with surgical therapy, chemical therapy, and radiation therapy. In practice, combinations of these therapies or further combination with laser therapy are prevalent. However, chemical therapy is preferred to other therapies when the pain accompanying therapy and metastatic conditions are taken into account. Numerous anticancer agents have been developed, most of which are based on the selective killing of cells that are actively dividing. However, these anticancer agents suffer from the disadvantage of also killing some normal cells, such as immune cells and hair root cells, with concomitant significant side effects; they are thus not able to be used for long periods of time. Therefore, there remains a need for novel anticancer agents. A therapeutic agent based on the causes of cancer might be expected to be highly effective and to have few or no accompanying side effects.
Abnormal activation of oncogenes induces cell proliferation, and is one cause of cancer. In contrast, tumor suppressor genes function to prevent abnormal cell proliferation or to trigger programmed cell death (apoptosis). Often, tumor suppressor genes trigger apoptosis to kill the cells with abnormally activated oncogenes thus preventing the formation of cancerous cells. Where tumor suppressor genes show normal activity, cells with abnormally activated oncogenes cannot progress toward cancer, but are annihilated. Therefore, to become cancerous cells, cells must have inactivated tumor suppressor genes as well as activated oncogenes.
One of the mechanisms by which tumor suppressor genes are inactivated is by hyper-methylation of CpG islands (Jones and Laird, Nature Genet. Vol. 21, 163-167, 1999). Methylation of CpG islands is performed by DNA methyltransferase. After significant methylation, DNA binding proteins such as methyl cytosine binding protein 2 (MECP2) bind to the methylated cytosine of the DNA, which recruits histone deacetylase (HDAC) to repress gene expression. In detail, HDAC removes the acetyl groups associated with histones, and the chromosomal DNA in the vicinity of the deacetylated histones becomes dense, which leads to repression of gene transcription. If gene expression is repressed by DNA methylation, DNA methyltransferase or HDAC inhibitors may be useful for inducing gene expression. Tumor suppressor genes whose expression is repressed by DNA methylation are exemplified by RB1, TP53, VHL, CDKN2A, CDKN2B, MLH1, and APC (Jones and Laird, Nature Genet. Vol. 21, 163-167, 1999).
As mentioned previously, histone acetylation and deacetylation are known to play important roles in regulating DNA transcription in eukaryotic cells (Grunstein M., Nature, 389, 349-352, 1997). Some naturally occurring compounds have been found to prevent cells from progressing toward cancer by inhibiting HDAC. Exemplified by trapoxin, trichostatin A, and depudecin, HDAC inhibitors have been studied for their ability to reverse the transformation of cancerous cells. Of the HDAC inhibitors, depudecin is the best characterized as to its anti-angiogenic activity in vivo and in vitro. In addition, the HDAC inhibitors have been studied with regard to cellular responses, including cell cycle interruption, alteration of gene expression patterns, and induction of apoptosis.
The TGF-β signal transduction system is well known for its tumor suppressor activity. The binding of TGF-β to TGF-β receptors causes the activation of the receptors, which in turn activate Smad proteins by phosphorylation. Once activated, Smad proteins move into the nucleus and regulate gene expression in cooperation with other transcription factors, thereby suppressing cell division or inducing apoptosis (Massague et al., Cell, 103 (2):295-309, 2000). Runx3 is one of the transcription factors that physically interact with Smad proteins (Hanai et al., J. Biol. Chem. 274; 31577-31582, 1999). Deletion or mutation of TGF-β receptors or Smad genes is observed in cells of various types of cancer. The tumor suppressor activity of TGF-β receptors was also demonstrated by an experiment in a cell strain lacking the TGF-β receptor. When the cell was transformed to express the TGF-β receptor, cell proliferation was reduced and tumorigenesis was decreased in an assay in nude mice (Chang et al., Cancer Res., 57 (14):2856-2859, 1997). The TGF-β signal transduction system is well characterized as to the repression of cell proliferation, which is achieved by promoting the expression of the CDK inhibitor protein p21. However, the mechanism by which TGF-β induces apoptosis remains to be clearly elucidated.
PEBP2 (polyoma virus enhancer binding protein 2) is composed of two submits, α and β. There are three genes which encode the α subunit.: RUNX1/PEBP2α B/CBFA2/AML1, RUNX2/PEBP2α A/CBFA2/AML2, and RUNX3/PEBP2α C/CBFA3/AML2 (Bae and Ito, Histol. Histopathol, 14(4):1213-1221, 1999). The RUNX1, RUNX2, and RUNX3 genes show homology of about 60-70% in amino acid sequence among them. They are highly conserved evolutionarily, with homology of about 95% between mouse and human.
Regarded as an important causative gene in leukemia, the RUNX1 gene becomes associated with other genes by chromosome translocation to cause acute myeloid leukemia or acute lymphoid leukemia in humans (Miyoshi et al., EMBO J., 12:2715-2721, 1993; Romana et al., Blood, 85:3662-3670, 1995; Okuda et al., Blood, 91:3134-3143, 1998; Okuda et al., Cell, 84:321-330, 1996). The RUNX2 gene plays a crucial role in osteogenesis, and its disruption has been implicated in causing cleidocranial dysplasia (Komori et al., Cell, 89:755-764, 1997; Lee et al., Nat. Genet., 15:307-310, 1997; Mundlos et al., Cell, 89:773-779, 1997; Otto et al., Cell, 89:756-771, 1997). Also, it has been reported that the RUNX2 gene shows oncogenic activity in the formation of T-cell lymphoma (Stewart et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 94(16):8646-8651, 1997).
The RUNX3 gene was identified by the present inventors several years ago as a member of the PEBP2 family (Bae et al., Gene, 159(2):245-248, 1995; Levanon et al., Genomics, 23(2):425-532, 1994). However, diseases associated with the activation or inactivation of the RUNX3 gene, other than what we describe in this invention, hasn't been reported.

RUNX3 gene showing anti-tumor activity and use thereof


An electrode assembly having a super-capacitor for allowing high current charge/discharge operations and a lithium secondary battery having the same. The electrode assembly includes first and second electrode plates, a separator interposed between the first and second electrode plates; and a super-capacitor. Each plate has an electrode charge collector, an activation material layer formed on at least one surface of the electrode charge collector, and an electrode tap attached to the electrode charge collector.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrode assembly and a lithium secondary (rechargeable) battery having the same, and more particularly to, an electrode assembly having a super-capacitor for allowing high-rate charge/discharge operations and a lithium secondary battery having the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, compact and lightweight electric/electronic devices such as cellular phones, laptop computers, and camcorders are being widely developed and produced. Such portable electric/electronic devices are typically provided with a battery pack so that they can be operated in any place where a separate power supply is not connected. The battery pack has at least one battery to drive the portable electric/electronic devices for a predetermined time period.
Now, rechargeable secondary batteries are usually adopted in consideration with cost efficiency. For example, rechargeable secondary batteries such as Ni—Cd, Ni—MH, Li, and Li-ion batteries are available in the art.
Particularly, the lithium secondary battery has a high energy density per unit weight and an operation voltage of 3.6V, which is triple that of a Ni—Cd battery or a Ni—MH battery, which are widely used as power supplies for portable electronic devices. Therefore, the lithium secondary battery is increasingly used in the art.
In the lithium secondary battery, lithium based oxide is used as a positive electrode activation material, while a carbon based material is used as a negative electrode activation material. Generally, the lithium secondary battery is classified into either a liquid electrolyte battery or a polymer electrolyte battery depending on the electrolyte used therein. A battery using the liquid electrolyte is referred to as a lithium ion battery, and a battery using the polymer electrolyte is referred to as a lithium polymer battery. In addition, the lithium secondary battery is fabricated in a variety of shapes such as cylindrical, rectangular, pouch types, and the like.
Typically, a lithium secondary battery includes an electrode assembly, a case storing the electrode assembly, and an electrolyte injected into inside of the case to allow lithium ions to travel. The electrode assembly is formed by winding: a positive electrode plate to which a positive electrode tap is attached, a negative electrode plate to which a negative electrode tap is attached, and a separator interposed between the positive and negative electrode plates to prevent a short circuit and allow only lithium ions to travel.
The lithium secondary battery may be formed as follows.
First, a positive electrode is coated with a positive electrode activation material, and a positive electrode tap is connected thereto, and a negative electrode plate is coated with a negative electrode activation material, and a negative electrode tap is connected thereto. The coated positive electrode, coated negative electrode, and a separator are stacked and then wound to provide an electrode assembly.
Subsequently, the electrode assembly is inserted into a case so that the electrode assembly will not separate. Then, an electrolyte is injected into the case and the case is sealed, thereby completing the lithium secondary battery
However, a conventional lithium secondary battery does not satisfy the requirements of high energy density and output density for high performance electronic devices such as Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) phones and hybrid vehicles.
Such high performance electronic devices require excellent initial discharge properties, and conventional lithium secondary batteries cannot satisfy this requirement.

Electrode assembly having super-capacitor and lithium secondary battery having the same


A display for a vehicle includes an indicator such as a pointer or needle. The display is configured such that (1) the position of the indicator is responsive to, and thus indicative of, a first measurable vehicle characteristic; and (2) the appearance of the indicator is responsive to, and thus indicative of, a second measurable vehicle characteristic. In a preferred embodiment, the first measurable characteristic is vehicle speed and the second measurable characteristic is engine speed so that the display functions as a combined speedometer and tachometer. A corresponding method is also provided.

Vehicles typically include a plurality of displays for conveying information about the vehicle, including its components, to a driver. For example, vehicles typically include a speedometer that indicates the speed of the vehicle to a driver. Prior art speedometers are typically gauges with markings expressing a range of vehicle speeds and a movable pointer. The position of the pointer with respect to the markings indicates vehicle speed. Vehicles often employ a tachometer to indicate engine speed. Prior art tachometers are also typically gauges with markings and a movable pointer.
Modern vehicles convey a significant amount of information to a driver regarding the status of the vehicle and its component systems. However, informational displays take up limited space in an instrument panel and limit the design of the cockpit.


A cable support system uses at least one connection element to hold together two cable support device elements at an overlapping connection section. Each cable support device element has at least one contact face within its connection section. The contact faces of the cable support device elements are in contact. The connection element includes a press-on section and latching arms on opposite sides of the press-on section. Each latching arm includes a connection limb and a hook element on the free end of the connection limb. At least one of the latching arms has spring-elastic material properties. In use, the connection limbs extend through the contact faces. The connection element is held under spring prestress with its press-on section on the surface of one cable support device element's connection section and its hook elements on the opposite surface of the second cable support device element's connection section.

The invention relates to establishing a connection between two cable support device elements with overlapping connection sections for the formation of a cable support system with at least one connecting element attaching the two cable support device elements together. The invention further relates to a connecting element for establishing a mechanical connection between two cable support device elements disposed with overlapping connection sections for the formation of a cable support system.
Cable support device elements include cable ducting, cable channels, cable conduits or the like where several individual elements are combined to form a cable support or cable guidance system. A cable support system formed by combining several cable support device elements without tools and bolts is disclosed in DE 198 41 643 A1. These known cable support device elements have a connection section at both ends with complementary mechanical connection members. The connection section of these known cable support device elements is formed by crimping the lateral cross-pieces, slightly enlarging the interior space, as well as of the bottom unit, while the other connection section is not crimped. Mechanical connecting members serve as snaps and latch recesses, on the one hand, and snaps and latches as complementary members, on the other hand. This known cable support device element is made from sheet metal with the snap and latch recesses as punch-outs and the snap and latch are outformings, reshaped notchings, clips or the like.
The prior art individual cable support device elements can be connected to one another without tools. However the development of the necessary connection members, such as outformings, notchings and the like, require significant technical expenditures. Additionally, for the intended connection of two cable support device elements, a certain material elasticity is assumed. However, not every cable support device element has a sufficient degree of material elasticity.
Bolts are also applied as connection elements to connect two cable support device elements with one another. This type of cable support device elements does not need any further connection members to be attached together, with the exception of the necessary breakthroughs for inserting the bolts. Such cable support device elements are therefore less expensive to produce. However, the connection of two cable support device elements of this type requires tools.
Cable support systems serve primarily for supporting cables. Cable support systems installed in buildings often have requirements beyond a pure support function. The individual cable support device elements of a metal cable support system often must be permanently connected in an electrically conducting manner with an equipotential bond. To ensure the intended electrical contacts in known cable support device elements, the adjoining cable support device elements are connected with bolts. While this is possible, it has the disadvantage that the meaning and purpose of bolt-less cable support systems, such as disclosed in DE 198 41 643 A1, are lost. In this known prior art, two sheet metal cable support device elements that are connected together have overlapping connection sections. However, electric contacts are left to chance due to the necessary tolerances for realizing the snap and latch connections. Therefore, bolts are additionally employed to bolt-connect the lateral cross-pieces in the region of the overlapping connection sections or with an additional bottom connector bolt-connected to the two adjoining bottoms.
These additional bolt connection of two cable support device elements is particularly necessary when the cable support system formed of several cable support device elements has a grounding conductor function for diverting short circuit currents. In this case, the adjoining cable support device elements must be connected together with the necessary contact area to be electrically conducting to allow the transmission of the short circuit current.
Even if the known cable support device element that can be connected tool-free and bolt-free establish a connection between two cable support device elements that may be sufficient for equipotential bonding, these known elements have the disadvantage that additional mounting steps must be carried out to establish the necessary electrical connection for the diversion of a short circuit of two adjoining cable support device elements. In particular, these additional steps are ones in which tools are required such as for tightening bolts.
The foregoing example of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.
Building on this discussed prior art, the invention addresses the problem of providing an arrangement with which the tool-free connection of two cable support device elements is possible without this connecting having a disadvantageous effect on the production process for the production of the individual cable support device elements, and with which a permanent electrical connection, corresponding to the requirements, of two cable support device elements is also possible.

Arrangement for establishing a connection between two cable support device elements and connection elements


An RNC server issues an encryption start instruction to a media gateway (MG) and a terminal. The MG and terminal, which have received the encryption start instruction, encrypt U-Plane information using a predetermined secret key, and adds a predetermined encryption start bit to the encrypted U-Plane information for transmission to a communication partner. The communication partner, upon detection of the encryption start information, decrypts the received U-Plane information using the predetermined secret key.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cryptographic communication technologies in communication networks such as a mobile communication network, and more particularly, to a cryptographic communication method in a communication network which has a control plane (hereinafter called the "C-Plane") separated from a user plane (U-Plane).
2. Description of the Related Art
First, a conventional cryptographic communication technology will be described in connection with an exemplary mobile communication system which employs an IMT-2000 logical system configuration.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a mobile communication system. Illustrated herein is a mobile communication system which includes radio access network (RAN) 100′ and a plurality of terminals 200′. RAN 100′ includes a plurality of base stations 101a′, 101b′, 101c′, . . . capable of communicating with terminals 200′, and radio network controller (RNC) 105 connected to these base stations through lines. RNC 105 is connected to core network 300 as required.
Radio access network 100′ is in synchronization with terminals 200′, and they have common frame numbers called "CFN" (Connection Frame Number). See, for example, DoCoMo Technical Journal Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 61-79.
In such a system, RNC 105 specifies an encryption start timing using CFN upon encryption, so that a base station and a terminal, which have established the synchronization therebetween, start encryption at the same timing (same CFN).
FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating a conventional encryption procedure. Assume in this procedure that a secret key has been previously shared between RNC 105 and terminal 200′. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the conventional encryption starting procedure is performed in the following manner.
Step S1-1: RNC 105 indicates a "CFNs" (Connection Frame Number start) value indicative of an encryption start timing to terminal 200′. As described later, CFNs has a value larger than a current CFN.
Step S1-2: RNC 105 sets a terminal supporting function unit to start encryption of user signals if CFN matches CFNs.
Step S1-2′: Terminal 200′ also makes seftings therein to start the encryption of the user signals if CFN matches CFNs.
Step S1-3: When CFN=CFNs after the lapse of certain time, the encryption is started by RNC 105 and terminal 200′ in synchronization with each other.
Here, CFNs indicated at step S1-1 must be set to a larger value than CFN at the time of step S1-1. Specifically, the value of CFNs should be determined in consideration of a time margin for absorbing a transmission delay between RNC 105 and terminal 200′, and processing delays within RNC 105 and terminal 200′.
A cryptographic communication method similar to the above is disclosed in JP-6-237248-A. This conventional method involves previously transmitting temporal positional information to a communication partner for starting encryption, and changing a cryptographic key at a specified temporal position at both parties after confirmation. In this way, even during communications, encryption processing can be changed without interrupting the communications (see JP-6-237248, Paragraphs 0012-0014 and FIG. 3).
Some mobile communication network has a communication device associated with the C-Plane responsible for signaling such as call setting and disconnection of a network, separated from a communication device associated with the U-Plane responsible for transmission and reception of user data (C/U separation).
In such a C/U separated network system, the aforementioned RNC 105 is divided into an RNC server 103 associated with the C-Plane, and a media gateway (MG) 104 associated with the U-Plane. Specifically, RAN 100′ comprises a plurality of base stations, an RNC server, and an MG which are interconnected through an IP network, with the IP network being further connected to a core network.
FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram illustrating a conventional encryption starting procedure in a C/U separated mobile communication access network. Note herein, however, that a synchronization establishment procedure is omitted in FIG. 3. Assume that a secret key has been previously shared between the MG and terminal.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the conventional encryption starting procedure is performed in the following manner.
Step S2-1: An RNC server indicates an encryption start timing CFNs to the MG. As later described, CFNs has a value larger than a current CFN.
Step S2-1′: The RNC server indicates the encryption start timing CFNs to the terminal.
Step S2-2: The MG sets a terminal support function unit to start the encryption of user signals if the value of CFN is equal to CFNs.
Step S2-2′: The terminal also makes settings therein to start the encryption of the user signals if the value of CFN is equal to CFNs.
Step S2-3: When CFN is equal to CFNs after the lapse of a certain time, the encryption is started by both the MG and terminal in synchronization.
CFNs indicated herein must be set to a larger value than CFN at the time of step S2-1, as is the case with the example illustrated in FIG. 2. However, in the C/U separated network system, CFNs must be set in consideration of a transmission delay between the RNC server and terminal, a transmission delay between the RNC server and MG, and a difference in delay in internal processing between the MG and terminal, in order to ensure that the MG and terminal, which are actually involved in the encryption, operate at the same timing.
However, in the C/U separated network system, a larger margin must be allowed for the encryption start timing CFNs, as compared with the system illustrated in FIG. 2, because the C/U separated network system must take into account a transmission delay on a network as well as a processing delay. Particularly, when the Internet is used as IP network 102, variations in transmission delay become larger, so that an even larger margin must be allowed for CFNs. As a result, a long standby time is required at all times before the MG and terminal actually start the encryption, resulting in an exacerbated response.

Cryptographic communication method in communication system


A remotely operated vehicle mountable hot water injection skid comprises skid frame, one or more floats, a power interface, one or more subsea power transformers, one or more electrical power interfaces, one or more data communication interfaces, one or more heater skid telemetry systems, a predetermined set of integration equipment, a water collection and heating container, a pumping and circulation system, and a hot seawater circulation flying lead or spray wand which allows delivery of heated fluid directly to a subsea asset using heated seawater delivered through a common hydraulic hot stab or directly to via a pressurized spraying wand.

Subsea assets may become occluded or frozen while deployed subsea. It is therefore desirable to have a subsea tool that delivers heat directly to such subsea assets. This is currently not always achievable using via heated seawater delivered to or near such a subsea asset through a common hydraulic hot stab or spraying wand.

Subsea ROV-mounted hot water injection skid


A method and apparatus for displaying information of multiple applications simultaneously on the execution screen of a common application is provided. A method for providing information in mobile terminal includes displaying an execution screen having a plurality of information display regions with execution of a common application, detecting an interaction made to one of the information display regions, executing an application related to information presented in the information display region at which the interaction is detected, and displaying original data corresponding to the information presented in the information display region at which the interaction is detected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to providing information of multiple applications. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing information of multiple applications simultaneously on the execution screen of a common application.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the rapid advance in communication and semi-conductor technologies, the use of mobile communication terminals is widespread and increasing. Recent mobile terminals feature mobile convergence for covering the functions of other devices. Typically, recent mobile terminals are provided with various supplementary functions, including a broadcast playback function for supporting Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) or Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), an audio file player such as an MP3 player, a camera function, an internet access function, a dictionary function, and the like.
A conventional mobile terminal operates in a single tasking manner in which only the execution screen of a currently running application is displayed. In order to execute an application while another application is running on the mobile terminal, the user must either end the currently running application and execute the new application, or process the current application to run in background and the new application to run in foreground. Accordingly, the conventional mobile terminal has a drawback in which it is difficult to satisfy a user's desire to simultaneously review the information of multiple applications running in parallel.

Method and apparatus for providing information of multiple applications


The invention provides a tractor-drawn mower for use in harvesting a crop. The mower comprises a frame and at least two rotatable cutting elements for cutting the crop mounted rotatably on the frame. The cutting elements have non-overlapping loci of cutting movement and are arranged on the mower to cut in use overlapping swathes of crop material. Preferably, the cutting elements are provided at or towards the periphery of a plurality of cutting discs which are spaced along a substantially common axis on the mower frame.

This invention relates to a mower for use in harvesting crops.
One type of conventional tractor-drawn mower comprises a series of cutting discs mounted rotatably to the chassis of the mower in a row at right angles to the direction of movement of the mower as it advances through the crop. The discs are usually provided with peripheral cutting elements with the circular cutting paths of such elements on adjacent discs usually being arranged to overlap so that the discs cut a complete swathe of grass between them without leaving a ridge of unmowed grass behind the mower. Complicated and expensive synchronisation means or gearboxes have thus been required on such mowers to ensure that overlapping elements do not come into contact with each other as they rotate about their respective axes. Clearly, much damage would be caused to the mowing machine should two cutting elements collide with each other. However, even when synchronised, it is possible for one of the rotating discs to hit an obstacle, such as a small rock or boulder for example, and to be thrown out of synchronisation which may lead to even further damage of the cutting elements or mower, and also may require the mower operator to stop the mowing operation and re-synchronise the disc. This of course wastes time and is a laborious process.
Previous attempts to avoid the necessity of having synchronisation means have included arranging the cutting discs at different heights so that the cutting elements disposed on the periphery of the disc rotate in different planes. However, these methods suffer the disadvantage that the crop or grass is not cut uniformly even and the lower elements tend to cause unsightly "scalping" when coming into contact with slight undulations or contour differences in the field. In commercial crop harvesting applications where profit margins are important, many farmers consider a large cutting height discrepancy to be unacceptable as this leads to crop wastage and loss of profits.
Another type of conventional machine for cutting grasses recreational areas and the like employs rotating blades or "slashers" to cut through the grass. Such machines clearly have no application in harvesting applications where the crop is sought to be recovered in a more or less undamaged state. Indeed, in such conventional grass cutting machines it is only by coming into contact with the rotating blades several times that the grass is cut finely and thrown clear of the machine. In crop harvesting applications, it is exactly the opposite effect which is required. Ideally, the stalks of the crop which is to be harvested should be cut only once so that a following bailing machine is able to lift and recover the cut crop.
Various types of gang mowers have also been proposed which employ a plurality of cutting blades which are arranged in several parallel rows which extend at right angles to the direction of advancement of the gang mower through the grass. Once again, these types of machine are not suitable in harvesting applications as the front row of cutting blades throws cut material into the path of the rearward row of cutting blades which only serves to cut the mown material more finely. In harvesting applications, the aim is to prevent further damage to the cut material as far as possible.
Many commercial farmers employ tractors for drawing large agricultural implements and machinery around their farms. It would therefore be advantageous when designing a mower to design a machine which can be drawn behind a tractor and is able to draw power from the tractor.
The present invention seeks to address these requirements.


A field emission device and a field emission display (FED) having dual cathode electrodes. The field emission device includes a substrate; a first cathode electrode formed on the substrate; a cathode insulating layer formed on the first cathode electrode, and having a first cavity that exposes a portion of the first cathode electrode; an electron emission source disposed on the first cathode electrode and being exposed by the first cavity; a second cathode electrode formed on the cathode insulating layer, and including a cathode hole aligned with the first cavity; a gate insulating layer formed on the second cathode electrode, and having a second cavity aligned with the first cavity; and a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating layer, and having a gate hole aligned with the second cavity.

This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 2004-11482, filed on Feb. 20, 2004, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a field emission device and a field emission display having dual cathode electrodes, and more particularly, to a field emission device having dual cathode electrodes disposed beneath a gate electrode and a field emission display including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Displays, essential for communicating information, have been adapted for use as personal computer and television monitors. Displays can be grouped into a cathode ray tube (CRT) which operates based on discharge of thermoelectrons at high speed, and a flat panel display which has widely been used in recent years. The flat panel display includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display (PDP), and a field emission display (FED).
The FED is a display, in which a strong electric field is applied from a gate electrode to electron emission sources arranged on a cathode electrode with predetermined intervals therebetween, thereby emitting electrons from the electron emission sources, and emitting light by collision of the electrons onto a fluorescent material of an anode electrode. A micro tip that is made of a metal such as Mo has typically been used as the electron emission source of a FED in the conventional art. The metal tip has been replaced by a carbon nanotube (CNT) in recent years. The FED employing a CNT provides advantages such as a wide viewing angle, high definition, lower power consumption and temperature stability, and can thus be used in various fields such as car navigation and as a view finder of an electric image apparatus. Especially, the FED can be used as a substitute display for a personal computer, a personal data assistant (PDA) terminal, medical equipment, or a high definition television (HDTV).
FIGS. 1 and 2 show two structures of a conventional FED.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional FED includes a substrate 10, a cathode electrode 11 successively stacked on the substrate 10, a first insulating layer 12, a first gate electrode 13, a second insulating layer 14, and a second gate electrode 15. The first and second insulating layers 12 and 14 have a cavity 17 having a predetermined diameter, and a first gate hole 13a and a second gate hole 15a are formed on the first and second gate electrodes 13 and 15 so as to be aligned with the cavity 17. In addition, an electron emission source 19 is disposed on the cathode electrode 11, which is exposed through the cavity 17. A glass substrate is generally used as the substrate 10, and the cathode electrode 11 is formed of indium tin oxide (ITO), that is, a conductive transparent material. The electron source 19 is generally made of CNT or the metal tip described above.
Referring to FIG. 2, the conventional FED includes a substrate 20, a cathode electrode 21 stacked on the substrate 20, a first insulating layer 22, a first gate electrode 23, a second insulating layer 24, and a second gate electrode 25. In addition, a first cavity 27 and a first gate hole 23a, which have the same diameters, are formed on the first insulating layer 22 and the first gate electrode 23, and a second cavity 28 and a second gate hole 25a, which have larger diameters than that of the first cavity 27, are formed on the second insulating layer 24 and the second gate electrode 25. The CNT or the metal tip as the electron emission source is disposed inside the first cavity 27.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the FED having a dual-gate electrode structure controls a voltage applied to the second gate electrodes 15 and 25 so as to prevent an electron beam emitted from the electron discharging sources 19 and 20 from diverging. Accordingly, the electron beam can be focused to a desired position with a beam spot of small size, such that higher image quality can be realized. Also, in a field emission display having the above described FED, an electric arc generated between the electron emission source and an anode electrode can be discharged through the second gate electrodes 15 and 25 that are arranged closer to the anode electrode. Therefore, the electric arc does not directly affect the electron emission sources 19 and 29 that emit the electron beam, the cathode electrodes 11 and 21, and the first gate electrodes 13 and 23.
Specifically, the FED device having the structure shown in FIG. 1 having a narrow and deep cavity 17 and gate holes 13a and 25a provides enhanced focusing of the electron beam emitted from the electron emission source 19. The FED device having the structure shown in FIG. 2 has a wide second cavity 28 and a wide second gate hole 25a, and thus can be manufactured more easily.
FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating a simulation of electron speed at a position apart from the gate electrode. As shown in FIG. 3, the electrons extracted by the gate electrode are accelerated while moving towards the anode electrode which faces the field emission device. Thus, the electron beam is more effectively focused at an initial stage of emission before the electrons are highly accelerated.
In a FED device having the dual-gate electrode structures shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the beam can be focused to a greater degree than that of a FED device having a single gate electrode. However, when the electron beam is focused by a second gate electrode that is 5˜10 μm apart from the first gate electrode, it is the accelerated electron beam that is focused. Thus the focusing efficiency is lowered.

Field emission device and field emission display including dual cathode electrodes


A constant current annealing device for annealing a wire or surgical needle is disclosed. The device includes amplitude and time setting devices, such as thumb-wheel switches. A constant current source is connected to the current setting device. The constant current source is switchable, through a switch for example, in response to a timing signal to provide a constant current for a predetermined duration. A pair of spaced apart electrodes are clamped on the needle and a switching device is connected between the constant current source and the pair of electrodes. The voltage drop across the switching device varies to compensate for load variations, thus keeping the anneal current constant in the anneal ON mode. In the anneal OFF mode, where current is not provided to the needle, the switching device shunts a residual current away from the electrodes. The time setting device include a programmable logic controller (PLC) and a solid state relay to provide an accurate timing signal. A current measuring and monitoring device is connected to another PLC, which shuts down the annealing device after a predetermine number of alarms or after the constant current amplitude deviates by a predetermined amount.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a device and method for the continuous high speed and high current electric resistance heating and annealing of wires, and more particularly, to a constant current surgical needle annealing device and method.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Surgical needles are formed from wires cut to provide needle blanks. After processing one end of the needle blank to a desired needle shape, excess portion of the needle blank is cut. Prior to cutting the excess needle blank, the portion to be cut is annealed or heated. This softens the portion to be cut to facilitate cutting and further processing, such as forming a channel or drilling a hole in the soft portion for suture insertion.
Annealing may be performed using flames, conventional ovens, induction heating or resistance heating. U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,033 (Lindgren) discloses an annealing oven. Conventional annealers suffer from a number of disadvantages, such as limited accuracy, consistency and speed. Some flame annealers are limited to rack or manual operations. Open flames, including a pilot light, increase the danger of accidents, oxidize the needle, and deposit carbon and soot on the needle. Further, heat sinks may be required to confine the anneal zone. Heat transfer from flame annealing is inconsistent due to variations in flame temperature, gas pressure, and flame application time or traverse rate. Moreover, there is no feedback or indication of proper or improper annealing. In addition, the speed of annealing is low, thus reducing the overall needle manufacturing output.
Various types of flame annealers have been used to anneal a specific portion of a wire or needle blanks. Flame annealers may be used in a continuous needle forming process where needle blanks are mounted on a carrier strip 15, as shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, flame annealers are used with a batch needle forming process. In batch needle forming processes, needles are formed in batches. A batch of needle blanks are manually arranged on a fixture or rack for processing. The fixture may be an integral part of the annealing mechanism. Alternatively, the fixture may have its own free standing mechanism which is attached to the annealing mechanism.
A motor may control exact positioning of the rack mounted needle blanks. The rack mounted needle blanks may be presented to various operations requiring organized presentation of needle blanks or needles. Such operations include grinding, channel forming, curving, needle blank cut-off, drilling, annealing, needle point forming, needle body forming, needle passivation, de-greasing, electro-polishing, washing, rinsing, drying, and coating with a lubricating substance, such as silicon mixture for example.
Annealing a portion of the needle blank prior to cut-off may be performed by introducing a flame and moving either the flame or the rack in a controlled fashion. One type of flame annealers, referred to as a channel flame annealer, uses a long fixed continuous burner tube. Fuel for the flame may be natural or bottled gas (propane or butane) mixed with air or compressed air. The burner tube may be a standard pipe or tubing with series or rows of drilled holes to provide flames. Wider holes provide a wider flame to anneal a wider portion of the needle blanks.
A timer controls duration of the flame, turning the flame on and off, or controls duration of the needles blanks in a continuous flame. This controls the heat transfer to the needle blank portion or anneal zone. A heat sink is used to confine the anneal zone. The duration of the flame may be controlled by electrically controlling a gas solenoid, which when opened, uses a pilot light or a piezo crystal to ignite the entire burner.
Alternatively, the duration of the needle blanks in the combustion zone may be controlled by moving the rack in and out of the combustion zone using conventional mechanical means. For example, a pivoting fixture receiving mechanism is used to lower the fixture mounted needle blanks into a position of engagement with the combustion zone. The duration of the engagement may be pre-set using a conventional timing mechanism. The timer setting may be realized by mechanical means, such as engagement of rotational means which applies a rotational action to the pivoting fixture receiving mechanism. The timer mechanism, through an air actuation means, could also allow the pivotal motion of the fixture receiving mechanism to be transferred through a cylinder means. This provides the proper duration of the needle blanks engagement with the combustion zone.
This channel flame annealer may be semi-automatic, where a micro-switch detects presence of the rack, actuates cylinders which clamp and locate the rack having needle blanks thereon, and automatically starts, times, and stops the anneal cycle.
In another flame annealer, referred to as a precision flame annealer, the burner itself is moved in and out of anneal zones of a batch or individual needle blanks mounted on the rack. The duration of annealing is controlled by a conventional timing mechanism. The burner may be a single small port burner or a multi-port long burner. The small burner may traverse the rack mounted needle blanks to heat one needle at a time in a very precise zone. Heat transfer is controlled by the speed of traverse. The burner may be moved by conventional means, such as a linear motor, a motor driven ball screw or timing screw, a motor with rack and pinon, or an air cylinder. This precision flame annealing may be semi-automatic, where loading the rack activates the anneal cycle.
In higher speed annealing, propane or similar fuels mixed with air may not burn hot enough. Instead, oxygen or other flammable gases, e.g., hydrogen, may be mixed with conventional fuels or methane, to achieve a more consistent and higher burning temperature. Despite increased speed, flame annealers are still slow and typically limited to 20 parts per minute.
Instead of mounting the needle blanks on a fixture or rack, the needle blanks may be mounted on the carrier strip 15 shown in FIG. 1. This increases annealing speed and needle production output. For a stationary flame, the strip mounted needle blanks may be continuously moved or indexed, pausing for a brief moment withing the flame. The limiting factor is again consistency and repeatability of the heat transfer. Using intense heat, anneal timing is critical for proper annealing. Due to the high intensity heat, even a slightly long anneal time leads to burning or melting the anneal zone portion of the needle blanks. Precise regulation of gas pressure or flame temperature is needed. This is difficult to achieve and still may not lead to a repeatable annealing. To improve annealing, a hydrogen gas generator is used and a small amount of alcohol is added as a flash suppressant.
The conventional flame annealers suffer from low speed. To increase annealing speed, laser flame annealers have been used. Laser high speed flame annealers provide a hot flame at a fairly precise anneal zone without the need for heat sinks. However, such annealers require a complex fuel supply and have some drift in the heat output. Other disadvantages include lack of feedback, presence of open flames, and difficulty in achieving repeatability.
Resistance annealers heat the anneal zone by passing a current therethrough. Current is passed through a pair of spaced electrodes clamped at two ends of the anneal zone. This current heats the wire potion 25 (FIG. 1) located between the clamped electrodes to the annealing temperature. Delivered heat to the anneal zone portion of the wire equals the product of time and the square of the current as shown in equation (1) : EQU H=I.sup.2 T (1)
where:
H is total heat; PA1 I is current; and PA1 T is time or duration. PA1 (a) setting a constant current amplitude and a current time; PA1 (b) providing a constant current for the set time to the needle through a switching device; and PA1 (c) varying a voltage drop across the switching device in response to a voltage drop change across the needle. PA1 connecting one terminal of the reference resistor to a power supply; PA1 generating a reference voltage using a reference voltage generator; and PA1 switching a switch to provide the reference voltage at another terminal of the reference resistor using an operational amplifier. Another step includes generating a current timing signal using a timing programmable logic controller. PA1 setting a current amplitude using a current amplitude setting device; PA1 setting the current time using a current duration setting device; PA1 clamping a pair of spaced apart electrodes on the wire or needle; PA1 generating an anneal signal from a system programmable logic controller indicating a completion of the clamping; PA1 measuring an amplitude of the constant current using a current detector; PA1 indicating a level of the detected current amplitude on a monitoring device; and PA1 stopping the annealing device when the indicated current level exceeds a predetermined level, or when a number of improper indications exceeds a predetermined number.
Conventional resistance annealers do not suffer from some of the flame annealer disadvantages. For example, soot or carbon build-up is eliminated. The annealer has dual clamping contacts which are cam operated. The anneal cycle is cam actuated. However, conventional resistance annealers operate at low speed, such as 10 parts per minute, and are limited to use with small wire sizes. This is because conventional resistance annealers have a maximum current of approximately 20 amps. In addition, no feedback is provided and proper annealing is manually checked, e.g., by viewing the color of the annealed wire. Color of the annealed portion ranges from gold, red, blue to silver. Determining the properness of annealing by viewing is imprecise and subjective.
In addition, current is monitored using an oscilloscope and adjusted manually with a potentiometer. The current duration is determined using an electro-mechanical timer having a resolution of 0.1 seconds. Such annealers are inaccurate, slow and require operator intervention. Conventional resistance annealers are complex, cannot operate at high speed, and suffer from inadequate precision and high failure rate of annealed wires or needles.
Other conventional resistance annealers measure voltage or temperature of the annealed wire to adjust the current therethrough. A resistance annealer which measures temperature is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,042 (Dornberger). Such annealers require complex reflectors and are not suitable for high speed annealing. Speed is limited due to the response time of temperature sensors. UK Patent Application GB 2 091 002 (Ash) discloses a wire annealer where wire resistance is measured as a representation of wire temperature. U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,582 (Gentry) also discloses wire annealing, wherein temperatures are controlled by varying the current through the spaced contacts for heating the wire portion located between the contacts. Other resistance annealers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,239 (Ellinghausen), and U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,898 (Tillmann). These annealers are not suitable for high speed, high precision annealing.


According to one embodiment of the invention, a system for duplicating data is provided. The system includes a first recorder having an operating clock speed. An output port of the first recorder is permanently electrically coupled to an input port of a second recorder. The first recorder and the second recorder are coupled to a time code regenerator. The time code regenerator is operable to maintain a same operating clock speed as an operating clock speed of the first recorder and to provide to the second recorder a replacement time code for any time code that may not be communicated from the first recorder to the second recorder.

Indexing data allows a user to label and locate a specific portion of data. One way to index data is to associate a unique time stamp with a particular portion of data. Where a large volume of data is involved, time stamps may be grouped into time codes, analogous to the way street addresses are grouped into zip codes.
As the level of indexing precision increases, the time increment between each time stamp, as well as the time increment between each time code, may decrease. For example, where a high level of indexing precision is required, time stamps may be in increments of one microsecond and time codes may be in increments of one millisecond. Such a level of indexing precision presents a challenge to data processing, such as the recordation of data. To overcome these challenges, specialized and expensive equipment may be required.
A recording system costing close to a million dollars currently exists that is primarily designed for recording large volumes of data and high precision indexing of data. This system uses high end recorders, such as SONY DIR-1000H available from Sony Corporation, to perform recording functions. Aside from its primary functions, the existing recording system may also be configured to perform an ancillary function of data duplication by manipulating the physical connections between the components of the recording system.
For example, the existing recording system may be manually reconfigured so that one recorder within the recording system reads a source tape and sends the data and time codes to another recorder within the recording system for duplication. The recording system is operable to address any duplication errors due to frequency drift between the two recorders by maintaining the clock speed of the recorder having the source tape. The recording system is also operable to replace any time codes that may be lost between the two recorders with replacement time codes using the appropriate time increment of the time codes. The system uses a multiplexer to use either of the recorders as a source recorder depending on where the source tape is inserted. The system also uses a regenerator to amplify and filter out noise from the time codes received from the recorder having the source tape. The system is also operable to stop the duplication process when the source tape reaches a certain time stamp or time code that is associated with the end of the data without regard to whether either of the tapes have reached their respective physical ends.
To perform data duplication using this existing recording system, the system must be manually reconfigured by manipulating cables at a patch panel of the system so that data can flow from one recorder to another recorder. Further, performing the duplication process using this system fully occupies the operational time of the system, which is undesirable in view of the high cost that is incurred for its primary function of data recording and precision indexing.


A method for ascertaining a mains frequency from a voltage signal which has a particularly high proportion of harmonics includes stipulating a sample frequency for a sample collection, polling a voltage signal at equidistant times during periods of the sample oscillation. A discrete Fourier transform may be used to calculate two phases, and a phase interval between these two phases is used to infer the mains frequency.

Power supply mains usually provide an AC voltage, for example 230 volts. In central Europe, the frequency of the AC voltage (mains frequency) is 50 Hz. Both the amplitude of the voltage and the mains frequency may be subject to fluctuations. Mains analyzers detect the amplitude of the AC voltage. This requires the mains analyzers to know the mains frequency as exactly as possible.
To derive the mains frequency in a mains analyzer, the voltage zero crossings are usually evaluated in a received voltage signal. If implausible values are eliminated, it is possible to derive the period of the AC voltage from the zero crossings, with mains analyzers checking a relatively large number of periods and forming an average.
If the voltage signal has a high level of harmonics, there are additional zero crossings. These make it difficult to derive the period duration. For this reason, mains analyzers often dispense with accurate frequency detection when they receive signals loaded with harmonics. Instead, a nominal frequency is taken as a basis for the further data capture. This harms the accuracy of the actual measurements by the mains analyzer.

Method for ascertaining a mains frequency in a voltage signal, and mains analyzer


Described are methods and apparatus for adjusting images of a stereoscopic image pair. The methods and apparatus may capture a first and second image with first and second imaging sensors. The two imaging sensors have intrinsic and extrinsic parameters. A normalized focal distance of a reference imaging sensor may also be determined based on intrinsic and extrinsic parameters. A calibration matrix is then adjusted based on the normalized focal distance. The calibration matrix may be applied to an image captured by an image sensor.

In the past decade, digital imaging capabilities have been integrated into a wide range of devices, including digital cameras and mobile phones. Recently, the ability to capture stereoscopic images with these devices has become technically possible. Device manufacturers have responded by introducing devices integrating multiple digital imaging sensors. A wide range of electronic devices, including mobile wireless communication devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), personal music systems, digital cameras, digital recording devices, video conferencing systems, and the like, make use of multiple imaging sensors to provide a variety of capabilities and features to their users. These include not only stereoscopic (3D) imaging applications such as 3D photos and videos or movies, but also higher dynamic range imaging and panoramic imaging.
Devices including this capability may include multiple imaging sensors. For example, some products integrate two imaging sensors within a digital imaging device. These sensors may be aligned along a horizontal axis when a stereoscopic image is captured. Each camera may capture an image of a scene based on not only the position of the digital imaging device but also on the imaging sensors physical location and orientation on the camera. Since some implementations provide two sensors that may be offset horizontally, the images captured by each sensor may also reflect the difference in horizontal orientation between the two sensors. This difference in horizontal orientation between the two images captured by the sensors provides parallax between the two images. When a stereoscopic image pair comprised of the two images is viewed by a user, the human brain perceives depth within the image based on the parallax between the two images.
In some environments, the primary use of an imaging device including multiple imaging sensors may still be to capture traditional two dimensional snapshots and movies. In these environments, use of the dual imaging sensors for stereoscopic images and movies may be considered a convenience feature that is less frequently used. For these users, an imaging device may be designed that provides one imaging sensor with a relatively high resolution. This first imaging sensor may be employed to capture two dimensional snapshots and movies. Since two dimensional images can be captured using only one imaging sensor, high quality two dimensional images using the one relatively high resolution sensor may be provided. The imaging device may also include a second imaging sensor, which captures images at a lower resolution than the first imaging sensor. This second imaging sensor may be used in conjunction with the first imaging sensor to capture image pairs for stereoscopic snapshots and movies. Since these stereoscopic image pairs include two images captured at different resolutions, additional image processing within the imaging device may compensate for the differences between the images captured by the two imaging sensors to provide the user with a satisfactory stereoscopic snapshot or movie.
Using two imaging sensors with different resolutions may reduce the cost of the imaging device when compared to an imaging device designed with two high resolution sensors. The cost reduction may be attributed not only to the lower cost of the second, lower resolution imaging sensor, but also to lower cost supporting electronics for the lower resolution sensor including, for example, power circuitry and image processing circuitry.
When imaging sensors with differing resolutions are utilized to capture a stereoscopic image pair, image processing methods employed by the imaging device may compensate for asymmetric sensor resolutions along with other differences that may exist between the two imaging sensors. For example, these methods may compensate for differences in the sensor geometry, brightness, and color response. Additionally, compensating for differences in the electronic timing and synchronization of the disparate sensors may also be necessary. Camera calibration methods may also be adapted to better calibrate the disparate imaging sensors.

Method and apparatus for calibrating an imaging device


A position-sensitive ionizing-radiation counting detector includes a radiation detector gas chamber having at least one ultra-thin chamber window and an ultra-thin first substrate contained within the gas chamber. The detector further includes a second substrate generally parallel to and coupled to the first substrate and defining a gas gap between the first substrate and the second substrate. The detector further includes a discharge gas between the substrates and contained within the gas chamber, where the discharge gas is free to circulate within the gas chamber and between the first and second substrates at a given gas pressure. The detector further includes a first electrode coupled to one of the substrates and a second electrode electrically coupled to the first electrode. The detector further includes a first discharge event detector coupled to at least one of the electrodes for detecting a gas discharge counting event in the electrode.

Many useful applications, such as the detection of radioactive material and computer-assisted tomography ("CAT"), rely on the detection of photon radiation, known as X-ray and/or gamma-ray radiation. Both of these types of high-energy photon radiation cause ionization and for the purposes of this disclosure the two terms, X-ray and gamma-ray, are used interchangeably. In terms of the detection of such ionizing radiation, the spectral region of greatest interest for most of these applications generally falls between the energies of about 20 keV to 20 MeV. Other applications, including the detection of particle radiation from ion beam accelerators/colliders, cosmic ray generated minimum ionizing particles ("MIP"s), and neutrons from special nuclear materials ("SNM") used in nuclear weapons (e.g., enriched uranium or plutonium-239), rely on the detection of ionizing particles that can be either atomic nuclei (e.g., alpha particles), or subatomic (e.g., neutrons, protons and muons) in nature, and which can vary over a very broad energy range from less than 1 KeV to well beyond 1 TeV.
In order to detect ionizing radiation in the above spectral range of interest, a number of known sensing devices are commonly used. One of the earliest known electronic devices is the ionization chamber. Detection of radiation in an ionization chamber, such as a Geiger-Mueller ("GM") tube, is based upon electrical conductivity induced in an inert gas (usually containing argon, neon or helium as the main component) as a consequence of ion-pair formation. One currently widely used type of ionizing-particle radiation detector is the micropattern gas detector. These devices have been under continuous development for many years in high energy and nuclear physics. Detectors such as the Microstrip Gas Chamber ("MSGC"), Gas Electron Multiplier ("GEM") and Micromegas have many desirable properties as proportional gas detectors, but are operationally limited to gains within the proportional region in the range of ˜103 to 106.
A new class of radiation detectors, known as plasma panel sensors ("PPS"), have been introduced within the past decade and are derived from the technologies used in producing plasma display panels ("PDP") for television. Compared to conventional gaseous detectors, these devices, which can have significantly higher gain, fast response and very high position resolution, encompass some of the best features of GM tubes and conventional micropattern gas detectors. PPS based detectors are inherently digital in nature and operate in the high gain, non-linear (i.e. non-proportional) Geiger mode region. This feature is unique relative to other known high quality radiation detectors that are proportional in nature and as such are confined to operation in the linear region. As such, each cell or pixel in a plasma panel based radiation detector can be thought of as generating a micro-Geiger type discharge.


A water recirculator in a dishwasher supplies water to spray arms for washing dishes and also purifies contaminated water after washing the dishes. The water recirculator includes a sump for holding water, a water supply pump connected to the sump, a guide passage for guiding a portion of the water pumped by the water supply pump to a spray arm in a washing chamber, a pre-filtering unit for purifying a rest of the water pumped by the water pumped by the water supply pump by means of precipitating contaminants included in the water therein, and a main filtering unit for purifying the rest of the water passed through the pre-filtering unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dishwasher, and more particularly, to a water recirculator in a dishwasher, wherein the dishwasher is provided with a compact water recirculator through which filtered washing water can be supplied for washing articles placed within a washing chamber.
2. Background of the Related Art
A conventional dishwasher automatically washes and dries dishes (or articles) to be washed, by spraying water mixed with detergent onto the articles, which are placed on one or more racks installed inside a washing chamber, and then supplying hot air to the washing chamber. Herein, the dishes include all types of kitchenware, utensils, tableware, and other assorted articles. In general, as shown in FIG. 1, the dishwasher includes racks 6 and 7 for placing the dishes thereon, a sump 1 for holding the washing water, spray arms 4 and 5 for spraying the washing water to the dishes on the racks 6 and 7, and a pump 2 for supplying the washing water from the sump 1 to the spray arms 4 and 5. A drain hose 9 is also included in the conventional dishwasher.
During operation of the dishwasher, when the pump 2 is activated, the spray arms 4 and 5 spray the washing water held (or accommodated) in the sump 1 onto the dishes on the racks 6 and 7, so as to wash the dishes. And, the washing water sprayed to the dishes returns to the sump 1, and is sprayed onto the dishes once again through the pump 2 and the spray arms 4 and 5.
As mentioned above, in the conventional dishwasher, the washing water once used for washing the dishes is returned to the sump 1, and the process of spraying the washing water to the dishes is repeated. Eventually, the washing water in the sump 1 becomes gradually contaminated. Continuous and repeated use of heavily contaminated washing water not only drops the washing capability of the dishwasher, but is also liable to block a passage of the washing water. In order to resolve such problems, the washing water should be changed periodically. However, a frequent change of the washing water may result in an excessive amount of water consumption.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Each element of a database may have multiple versions; the versions are partitioned into branches, and versions of a branch are ordered linearly according to their timestamps. Branches are timestamped and related to one another by a version graph. Each version of an element of a database is represented by a unique identifier, a timestamp, a branch name and a value. A new version of an element associated with a branch is created in response to an operation associated with the branch which would modify the element. An object graph in the database is represented independent of the branches and version; an application coded for elements in one version (and branch) can be reused for the same elements in a different version and (different branch) without any re-coding effort. Methods for long duration transactions, cooperative transactions and schema evolutions are provided.

Computer databases are widely used by businesses to access data for performing business transactions, such as making a savings account deposit or a withdrawal, reserve or purchase an airline ticket, buy or sell a security, etc. Each of these business transactions rely on the integrity of the data in the databases; i.e., the balance in the savings account must reflect the correct amount after the deposit or withdrawal. While conventional database applications generally comprise "short transactions" running for a few milliseconds, new applications, such as computer-aided design may include "long" transactions, which have the possibility of running for days, or even for weeks.
The databases described in the business transactions above are generally accessed and modified by multiple concurrently-run computer programs. Each of these concurrently-run programs (hereinafter, referred to as "transactions") comprise a plurality of operations on the database elements. In order to increase efficiency, the operations of the concurrently-run transactions are interleaved. The outcome of interleaved transactions, of course, should be the same as the outcome of running the transactions serially. A system which promotes this property is referred to as "serializable."
Without some control mechanism, concurrent transactions may result in one transaction's operations affecting another transaction's operations by accessing (reading and/or writing) the same element of the database. Such interferences may result in erroneous data in the databases; i.e., they may affect the "consistency" of the database. Protocols presently exist to protect the consistency of the database while it is accessed by concurrently running transactions. One such protocol is a static two-phase locking scheme. The static two-phase locking scheme provides "locking" of all the database elements to be accessed by a transaction, before any operation of the transaction is performed, thus preventing any other transactions from accessing and altering the database elements. The database elements are "unlocked" immediately following the end of the transaction. If a transaction "commits" after its last operation, all database elements retain their values as updated by the transaction. If a transaction is "aborted", all database elements return to their values before as they were before the transaction.
A similar protocol, a dynamic two-phase locking scheme, locks each data item to be accessed by the transaction immediately prior to each accessing operation, and then releases the locks on all the data items immediately following the last operation of the transaction.
Both the static and dynamic two-phase locking scheme exhibit a first phase, during which locks are acquired on required data items, and a second phase, during which all the locks are released. By locking the database elements, a form of scheduling is achieved, since only the transactions that have locked all of their required data items are executed to completion. Other transactions which require access to database elements locked by another program, must wait until the lock is released. In other words, the locking scheme in effect puts concurrently-run programs in serial execution form at the cost of reducing throughput. Thus, if a long transaction locks an element needed by one or more short transactions, the short transactions may wait days or weeks before executing.
The two-phase locking schemes are referred to as "pessimistic," since they assume that an inconsistency will result between two or more concurrent transactions. "Optimistic" concurrency control allows a transaction to proceed as if there were no conflict, and performs a validation check at the time of commit of the transaction. The system assigns a unique timestamp to a transaction when it first begins to run. The transaction has a consistent view of the database during its execution; at commit time, the database systems checks, based on the timestamp, whether this consistent view of the database has changed between the start and finish of the transaction. If the consistent view still holds, the transaction is committed; if not, the transaction is aborted.
This protocol also has disadvantages, particularly with long transactions, since a transaction will run to its end before the determination is made whether it will be aborted or committed. If aborted, the entire transaction will need to be re-executed, which is an inefficient use of processing time, especially when a long transaction must be re-executed.
Further, present day databases do not adequately provide for cooperative efforts between multiple users.
In a cooperative transaction, the work done by the team should be an atomic (indivisible) transaction. Also, members of the team should be able to view and modify the other team member's intermediate results. Accordingly, a need has arisen for a consistency control scheme that increases throughput of both long and short transactions and supports cooperative efforts between multiple users.

Time-stamped database transaction and version management system


Reclaiming storage space in a tape emulation unit includes determining portions of a tape image of the tape emulation unit that correspond to data/files that have expired, for each of the portions that have expired, overwriting each of the portions with a same value, and the tape emulation unit performing at least one of: compression or deduplication on each of the portions to reclaim storage space maintained by each of the portions. The same value may be zeros. Expiration information may be provided by header information on the tape image. The expiration information may be written by a host computer coupled to the tape emulation unit. The host computer may determine portions that have expired based on the header information. The host computer may run tape management software. The tape emulation unit may determine portions that have expired based on the header information.

In conventional computer tape systems, a single tape may contain files/data for a plurality of different sources. For example, a single tape may contain data backed up from a number of different storage devices. Each of the different sources may be subject to a separate retention policy so that the retention time for one source is a first value and a retention time for a different source is a second, different, value. Thus, a single tape could include both expired files/data as well as unexpired files/data. In many tape systems, files/data can only be added to the end of the tape and existing files cannot be physically deleted. Therefore, as a tape ages, many files on the tape may expire. However, as long as there is one active file, the entire tape must be retained. It is possible to reclaim unused tape areas (i.e., areas containing expired files/data) by copying a tape having a small percentage of unexpired files and/or data to a new or existing tape with a higher percentage of files and/or data, thus freeing up the source tape to be reused.
However, in most modern tape systems today, the tapes are not physical tape, but are tape images stored on a storage system of a tape emulation unit. However, since an entire tape image may be stored as a single file, it is not possible (or at least practical) to delete and reuse space on the storage system corresponding to expired files/data unless all of the files/data of a tape image are expired. Just as with conventional computer tape systems, if an image on a storage system includes a single unexpired file or data portion, the entire image must be maintained and any space associated with expired files/data cannot be reclaimed.
Accordingly, it is desirable to be able to reclaim space corresponding to expired files/data on a system where tape images are stored on a storage system of a tape emulation unit.


A power amplifier controller (45) for a wireless communications device (10), such as a wireless telephone, is disclosed. The power amplifier controller (45) has includes controllable bias current sources (56, 58) coupled to Schottky diodes (60), which are coupled to power amplifiers (50) to sense their power output. The controllable bias current sources (56, 58) selectably apply one of multiple available bias currents (I1, I2) to their corresponding Schottky diodes (60F, 60R). Timing and control circuitry (62) in the power amplifier controller (45) receives a desired power level signal (DESPWR), and control switches (SW1, SW2) in the controllable bias current sources (56, 58) to apply a bias current (I1, I2) responsive to the level of power indicated by the desired power level signal (DESPWR). The power detected by Schottky diodes (60F, 60R) is applied to a summing adder (65), from which a control signal (VAPC) is derived and used to control the output of the power amplifiers (50). The controllable bias currents (I1, I2) permit the power output to be selectably sensed with high dynamic range or high sensitivity, depending upon the power level to be applied.

Not applicable.
This invention is in the field if wireless telephony, and is more directed to the control of power amplifiers in wireless telephone handsets.
Modern advanced mobile computing devices and wireless telephone handsets are evolving from the so-called second generation (2G) technologies for wireless communications toward the capability of providing the so-called third generation (3G) wireless services. These 3G services are expected to extend current second generation voice and data services, by including new very high bandwidth entertainment services such as video and CD quality audio, interactive messaging including video and graphics, videoconferencing, video streaming, and remote control and monitoring services.
Examples of 2G communications standards include Global System for Mobile (GSM). Extensions of these approaches that are evolving toward 3G services include Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), which involves an eight-level phase shift keying (8-PSK) modulation of a 200 kHz carrier, and CDMA 2000, which is an evolution from the TIA IS-95 code division multiple access (CDMA) standard. 3G cellular techniques are expected to include the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and UTRA standards. In addition to these longer range techniques, the so-called Bluetooth short-distance wireless technology is also becoming popular in the art, for communication between wireless peripheral devices and computer workstations. Another example of an extended service is General Packet Radio System (GPRS), which is a nonvoice value added service that allows information to be sent and received across a mobile telephone network, for example operating as a GSM or TDMA service, and including such functions as chat, text and image communication, file transfer, home automation, and the like. It is contemplated that these and other wireless standards will be implemented in the industry.
The ability to successful transmit the high data rates required by current and future wireless services depends upon the signal-to-noise ratio at the frequencies of interest. Of course, higher data rates can be attained if the transmission power is increased. However, in order to limit interference among wireless communications, and between wireless transmissions and other radio services, communications standards generally include a specification on the maximum transmission power to be used by a wireless device. These specified power limits can be expressed in many forms, including absolute power levels, a specified power over time profile as in the case of GSM communications, and the like.
In order to maintain operation of a wireless telephone device within the appropriate power specification, as well as for general operating stability and battery life concerns, conventional wireless telephone devices include closed-loop feedback control of power amplifier circuits used for transmission. In general, conventional power amplifier controllers receive a feedback signal corresponding to the current level of power output from the power amplifiers in the device, and compare this measured power output against a desired power level signal to produce an error signal. This error signal is then used to control an input to the power amplifiers so that the output power eventually matches the desired power level.
Conventional power detection circuits for various applications, such as video detector circuits and video receiver circuits, have included semiconductor diode detectors, for example Schottky diode circuits. Examples of such power detectors are described in xe2x80x9cThe Zero Bias Schottky Detector Diodexe2x80x9d, Application Note 969 (Agilent Technologies, Inc., 1999), xe2x80x9cSchottky Barrier Diode Video Detectorsxe2x80x9d, Application Note 923, (Agilent Technologies, Inc., 1999), and xe2x80x9cSurface Mount Zero Bias Schottky Detector Diodes: Technical Dataxe2x80x9d (Agilent Technologies, Inc., 1999). These circuits typically receive radio frequency signal inputs, and the Schottky diode detector effectively produces a voltage that is proportional to the power of the input radio frequency signal. However, conventional Schottky diode detectors are inadequate for use as detectors for power amplifier control in wireless telephones, because the dynamic range of Schottky diode detector circuits is not adequate for this application. For example, in a conventional GSM telephone, the transmission power can vary over a dynamic range of 70 dB. Conventional Schottky diode detectors are incapable of accurately detecting power levels over such a wide dynamic range.
This dynamic range limitation has been addressed by other known power detector circuits for detecting power output in connection with wireless telephones, an example of which is the logarithmic detector. U.S. Pat. No. 6,163,709 discloses an example of a logarithmic detector for detecting power amplifier output in a wireless telephone. As disclosed in this U.S. Pat. No. 6,163,709, the logarithmic detector circuit includes a series of amplifiers that saturate at different current levels. Each amplifier output is connected to a detector circuit that generates an output signal corresponding to the power of the associated amplifier. These output signals are summed to produce the output of the logarithmic detector.
While the logarithmic detector circuit is capable of sensing power levels over a wide dynamic range, the circuit and others like it are quite complex, typically involving several amplifier and detector stages. Accordingly, significant integrated circuit chip area and power are consumed by these conventional power detector circuits. Especially considering the important of conservation of power in battery-powered devices such as wireless telephones, the cost of the logarithmic detector can be substantial.
By way of further background, xe2x80x9cDynamic Range Extension of Schottky Detectorsxe2x80x9d, Application Note 956-5 (Hewlett Packard Co., 1975), reprinted as xe2x80x9cDynamic Range Extension of Schottky Detectorsxe2x80x9d, Application Note 956-5 (Agilent Technologies, Inc., November 1999), discloses that dynamic range of a Schottky diode detector increases with increasing bias current, and that the tangential signal sensitivity (TSS) of such a detector decreases with increasing bias current. This article also discloses that the dynamic range of a Schottky detector can be extended by using a relatively high bias current.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an efficient power detector circuit that operates over a wide dynamic range.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a circuit that can be constructed using conventional manufacturing processes.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a circuit that occupies relatively little integrated circuit chip area.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having reference to the following specification together with its drawings.
The present invention may be implemented into a power amplifier control function for a radio frequency device, such as a wireless telephone. The power amplifier control function includes a Schottky diode power detector circuit, and control circuitry for controlling the bias current applied to the Schottky diode, responsive to the power range within which the power amplifiers are operating. Adjustment of the Schottky diode bias current with increasing and decreasing output power levels provides a wide dynamic operating range for the detector, and thus for the power amplifier control function.

Selectable diode bias for power amplifier control in a wireless telephone handset


A method and system for automatically checking the quality of computer source code based on rules for identifying quality concerns. The computer source code comprises instructions for execution on the computer. Each of the instructions are represented by at least one node stored in a parse tree. Both the parse tree and the rules are stored in the computer. A violation of one of the rules is checked by examining each of the instructions as represented by nodes in the parse tree. An error message for describing the quality concern identified is generated whenever such a rule violation is found in the computer source code.

The problem of writing error-free computer programs has plagued programmers since the very beginning. Sophisticated schemes for automatically ferreting out program errors and bugs of all kinds, including lexical, syntactic, semantic and logical, have been developed. However, these schemes have generally been directed to enforcing adherence to concrete programming standards inherent in the definition of the programming language itself and not to more extrinsic quality-related concerns, such as language evolution, portability, testing costs and language-specific feature exploitation. Many of these quality-related concerns can be expressed as rules amenable to automated implementation.
The first of these quality-related concerns is caused by the inevitable evolution of programming languages through the extension of features or the introduction of an entirely new language superset. For example, the C++ programming language is by design a superset of the C programming language to make it more accessible to the large number of existing C language programmers. The problem with language evolution is that programmers familiar with the original language often cling to the same old programming practices more out of habit than good sense. Moreover, features formerly preferred have sometimes been refined or replaced by new features in the successor language, yet are largely ignored in favor of the old.
Another concern is portability. Experienced programmers are generally aware of the horizontal portability concerns for different target computing platforms. However, vertical portability concerns relating to the migration of language features to a standardized version of the language, such as an ANSI/ISO standard, are easily overlooked, especially when a compiler fails to implement or acknowledge the proposed standardized features.
A third concern is avoiding unnecessary software testing which is labor intensive and accounts for approximately 50 percent of commercial software development costs. Often, the need to test software is caused by poor or inefficient programming practices. A more disciplined programming style would help diminish testing costs in many cases.
Finally, a concurrent concern to language evolution is a need to fully exploit the language-specific features of the chosen programming language. For instance, two features of the C++ programming language are strong type safety and extensibility, features formerly unavailable in the C language. Even seasoned C language programmers can sometimes overlook these features.
Other quality-related problems are caused by inexperience or lack of exposure to other programmers. As in most disciplines, knowledge of a preferred solution to a commonly encountered problem is generally passed from programmer to programmer in the time-honored oral tradition. This also means that a programmer will only grow insofar as he is able to obtain exposure to other programmers. It is unlikely a lone programmer will quickly adopt a new solution to a solved problem absent some guidance from a sage source.
One system for checking software based on rules is embodied in a computer program called lint++, as described in S. Meyers, Effective C++ 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your Programs and Designs, p. xi (Addison-Wesley 1992), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. However, this system only focuses on the particular software constructs for the C++ programming language and does not formalize a great majority of the guidelines used by experienced programmers.
Another system for checking software based on rules is embodied in a computer program product called CodeAdvisor, manufactured by Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, Calif., and described in E. Bailey, C++ SoftBench CodeAdvisor 5.0, SoftBench Insights, pp. 5-6 (Dec. 1995), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. However, this system also only focuses on the particular software constructs for the C++ programming language and requires rules that are reliant on detailed source code information stored in a static database.
Therefore, what is needed is a system and method for automatically checking source code quality based on rules of programming style and technique. Such a system and method would operate beyond the boundaries of the raw programming language definition and impart expert programming language knowledge by applying rules embodying extrinsic quality-related concerns, such as language evolution, portability, testing costs and language-specific feature exploitation. Preferably, such a system and method would incorporate error message outputting and global and specific rule suppression features.

Method and system for automatically checking computer source code quality based on rules