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The present invention relates to flat plate antennas.
Flat plate or low profile antennas such as planar inverted-F antennas (PIFA) are well known in the art. An example of a PIFA having an edge feed is shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings. The PIFA 100 comprises a flat conductive sheet 102 supported a height L.sub.1 above a reference voltage plane 104 such as a ground plane. The sheet 102 may be separated from ground plane 104 by an air dielectric, or supported by a solid dielectric. A corner 106 of the flat sheet 102 is coupled to ground via stub 108. A feed section 110 is coupled to an edge of the flat sheet 102 adjacent grounded corner 106 at feed point 112. Feed section 110 may comprise the inner conductor of a coaxial feed line having a dielectric inner 114, and an outer conductor which is coupled to the ground plane 104. The PIFA 100 forms a resonant circuit having capacitance and inductance per unit area. Feed point 112 is positioned on sheet 102 a distance L.sub.2 from corner 106 such that the impedance of the antenna 100 at that point matches the output impedance of the feed section, which is typically 50 ohms. The main mode of resonance for PIFA 100 is between the short circuit 106, and open circuit edge 116. Thus, the resonant frequency supported by PIFA 100 is dependent on the length of the sides of sheet 102, and to a lesser extent the distance L.sub.1 and thickness of sheet 102.
Planar inverted-F antennas have found particular applications in the radio telephone art where their high gain and omni-directional radiation patterns are particularly suitable. They are also suitable for applications where good frequency selectivity is required. Additionally, since the antennas are relatively small at typical radio telephone frequencies they can be incorporated within the housing of a radio telephone, thereby not interfering with the overall aesthetic appeal of the radio telephone and giving it a more attractive appearance than radio telephones having external antennas. By placing the antenna inside the housing of a radio telephone, the antenna is less likely to be damaged and therefore have a longer useful life. The PIFA lends itself to planar fabrication, and may suitably be fabricated on the printed circuit board typically used in a radio telephone to support the electronic circuitry. This lends itself to cheap manufacture.
However, PIFA are relatively narrowband devices, typically 3.5% bandwidth about a nominal centre frequency. Thus, they are unsuitable for wide band or multi-band applications. | {
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FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram illustrating a traditional resistive touch panel 10, which includes an upper panel 102, a lower panel 102 and some insulating materials 106 dispersed between the two panels. When the resistive touch panel is under external stress, the stress-receiving zone of the upper panel contacts the lower panel 104, thereby a touched location can be determined by detecting electrical signals between the two panels.
FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram illustrating a traditional 4-terminal resistive touch panel with four terminals connecting to different sides of the upper and lower panels 102 and 104. Additionally, FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram illustrating a traditional 5-terminal resistive touch panel with one terminal connecting the upper panel 102 while the other four terminals connecting to the four corners of the lower panels 104.
The 4-terminal or 5-terminal resistive touch panel needs to be connected to a controller, which is usually done through a connection head. However, there are many different ways of connecting the touch panel and the connection head due to different manufacturers. | {
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The invention relates to an exhaust system for a stern drive marine propulsion system.
The invention arose during continuing development efforts relating to the exhaust system in Winberg et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,215, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and incorporated herein by reference.
The transom of the boat has two exhaust passages therethrough. The exhaust control assembly has a valve which is automatically controlled to control engine exhaust between different outlets in response to a given parameter. | {
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In a typical automobile air conditioning system, a refrigerant is compressed by a compressor unit driven by the automobile engine. The compressed refrigerant, at high temperature and pressure, enters a condenser where heat is removed from the compressed refrigerant. The refrigerant then travels through a receiver dryer to an expansion valve. The expansion valve causes the pressure of the refrigerant to drop as it flows through the valve, which causes the refrigerant to change phase from liquid to gas form as it enters the evaporator. In the evaporator, heat is drawn from the environment to replace the latent heat of vaporization, thus cooling the environmental air. The low pressure refrigerant flow from the evaporator returns to the suction side of the compressor to begin the cycle anew.
The high pressure refrigerant flow through the expansion valve must be regulated in response to the degree of superheat in the low pressure refrigerant flow between the evaporator and suction side of the compressor to maximize the air conditioning performance. The superheat is defined as the temperature difference between the actual temperature of the low pressure refrigerant flow and the temperature of evaporation of the flow. Traditionally, the low pressure flow superheat has been sensed remotely by use of a feeler bulb. The feeler bulb is positioned in contact with the pipe carrying the low pressure refrigerant. A pressure carrier extends from the feeler bulb to a power element in the expansion valve which modulates the valve. Many of these components are affected by external thermal disturbances, reducing the accuracy of the modulation. Also, the complexity results in a long "dead time" between a superheat transient in the low pressure refrigerant flow, and a compensating regulation in the expansion valve.
Attempts have been made to improve expansion valve performance. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,450,345 discloses a bulbless thermostatic expansion valve. U.S. Pat. No. 3,537,645 also discloses a bulbless expansion valve. Japanese laid-open patent application No. 144,875/1984, and Japanese laid-open utility model application No. 130,378/1985, also illustrate expansion valve designs. However, the need remains for an expansion valve which maximizes performance of the system, while minimizing cost and maximizing reliability. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to microprogrammed data processing systems and more specifically to the aligning of long operands which are the result of a decimal numeric instruction calculating with the long operand for storage in memory.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Data processing systems process data stored in memory in the form of decimal digits. Computer instructions are also stored in memory. Some of the instructions when processed by the data processing system result in arithmetic operations being performed on the decimal digits. For example, a decimal numeric instruction may be processed by the computing system to add one set of decimal digits--operand 1, from one group of memory locations to another set of decimal digits from another group of memory locations--operand 2, and place the result--operand 3, into a third group of memory locations.
Descriptors associated with the instruction define the characteristics of each of the operands. Each operand may be a floating point number or a scaled number. Each decimal digit may have 4 bits or 9 bits. The descriptor also defines the number of decimal digits in the operand, the location of the decimal point, i.e., the scale factor, the character position within a word of the most significant character of the operand, and the location of the sign if the operand contains a sign, either in the most significant character position--leading sign, or the least significant character position in a scaled operand--trailing sign. The instruction will indicate if the operand is ASCII or EBCDIC and if the sign is part of an overpunched character.
This invention processes operand 3 in accordance with its descriptor for storage in memory.
Prior art systems, for example, the Honeywell 6000 family of computers stored operand 3 in the bank of registers with combination logic setting up the pointers to identify the number and positions of leading and trailing zones as well as the character size, 4 bits or 9 bits, within each word and the position of the sign, trailing or leading.
Microprogrammed systems were developed to perform the same functions as the hardware systems such as the Honeywell 6000 and at a reduced product cost. However, in certain areas such as during the processing of decimal numeric instructions a considerable number of firmware steps were required to condition the resultant operand 3 for storage in memory, thereby reducing the system throughput during the processing of decimal numeric instructions. | {
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The present invention relates to devices providing visual indication of elapsed and ongoing values and parameters of a moving object such as speed, distance traveled, engine rotation, oil pressure, fuel reading, satellite navigational map readings as well as various warnings. The device is intended for usage on various types of automobiles and other vehicles including military transports used on the ground, air or water and require human interaction. The principal difference of the present invention is as follows: Vehicular data as mentioned above and that is formulated within driver's line of sight is displayed via collimated means. The shape, size and the color spectrum of the presented data is derived from the 2 primary direction positions of the driver's view: the dashboard or the outside environment. Display mode adjustments are fully automatic and are derived from the direction of the driver's view by tracking positioning of the eyeballs at any given moment.
The conception for the suggested multifunctional collimator indicator is necessitated by the need to augment safety measures as well as lower psychophysical strain levels relating to operating motor vehicles and other moving objects. For instance, operating an automobile at high speeds and/or under severe traffic conditions.
At this time, a number of high end models of selected car manufacturers such as Cadillac and BMW are equipped with some or all of the 3 types of gauges and indicators listed below: Traditional needle type or digital indicators mounted inside the dashboard behind the steering wheel. Navigation System display screen, usually mounted in the center of the dashboard on the symmetrical axis of a given vehicle. Heads-Up windshield indicators that are positioned above or “behind” the vehicle's dashboard and which on the background of an outside environment project into “infinity” graphical monochrome (commonly green or orange colored) display of selected critical parameters of a moving vehicle. The vertical optical axis of the indicator also passes through the axis of a steering wheel and is directed at a point located on the same level as the driver's eyes.
The gauges that are positioned inside the dashboard are standard and usually vary from one another only by design, color and sizes. Regardless of the vehicle's type and size, the distance between the driver's eyes and gauges is constant with only minimal variations dictated by driver's height and seat positioning.
The navigation system display is positioned on the vehicular axis of symmetry usually in the middle or upper portions of the dashboard. In order to obtain readings, this setup requires a head movement in the direction of the navigational display by the driver. While engaged in the activity of obtaining updated reading off the navigational display, the driver's ability to track the ever changing conditions of the outside environment is limited only to peripheral vision which severely handicaps one's judgment, especially in extreme conditions.
The quality of the display from the traditional gauges and the satellite navigational screens is greatly affected by the lighting factors of the external and internal environments. One of the most challenging conditions for obtaining quality readings pertains to convertible automobiles. In these autos, the quality of the reading acquisition process from vehicular gauges and navigational displays is directly subjected to the intensity of direct sunlight, causing hardship in obtaining quality and timely readings. The usage of sunshields on the gauges helps however does not serve as a solution to the problem.
The glance shifting of the eyes between the outside environment, vehicular gauges, and the satellite navigational map requires constant accommodations and readjustments of the eyes which subsequently dictates a certain delay. The significant valid differentiation factors in lighting conditions inside and outside of the vehicle causes further significant time delay in visual eye adjustments. The above stated factors subsequently influence the driver's overall state, judgment and reactions, by so causing decline in safety of the vehicle's operability, especially under severe conditions.
Thus, the combined presences of the 3 above stated independent visual sources of information, located in different places inside a vehicle varying in operation, functionality, design and that are intended to facilitate safe operability of a motor vehicle, in actuality worsen a number overall safety factors.
The conducted patent search has shown that devices closest to the present invention by structural design are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,497,271, 6,443,573 and 5,734,357, the last disclosing a method of tracking eyeball positioning.
A device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,271 stated above consists of an image formulator in place of a standardized dashboard, as well as a heads-up projection system used to display the generated image onto the windshield and consists of a semitransparent mirror and a lens. Depending on environmental conditions, the driver has the option to either visually follow the gauge readings directly from the image formulated in place of a standard dashboard with the help of a semitransparent mirror, or its optically generated equivalent which is reflected off the windshield of a vehicle and is projected onto the external environment “behind” the windshield.A device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,573 is comprised of two image formulating channels, the low channel (direct line of sight) as well as the top channel (on the windshield), and each containing an independent visualizing element. The utilization of the low channel provides the driver with the ability to view the non-collimated data that is being reflected off a mirror. The top channel is equipped with a rotational dual positioned semi-reflective flat mirror as well as a secondary flat reflecting mirror with an adhesive Fresnel Lens. The implementation of the above listed components allows for a dual stage top channel image formulation. First stage is a short distance image display (via direct reflection off the mirror) and where the second stage is a long distance image display by utilizing collimation via means of the Fresnel Lens. The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,357 is listed as a reference relating to a method of tracking driver's pupil movement.
The device as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,271 contains two conceptual shortcomings: With the mirror engaged and projecting onto the windshield, the displayed data is identical to that displayed on the dashboard. This places significant limits on size and shape of the projected data considering generally acceptable principles governing graphical data projection. For instance, the windshield projection of gauges and/or navigational map is not practical as the overabundance of images displayed onto the windshield can interfere with driver's awareness of the external environment which subsequently can contribute to a hazardous condition. The usage of a semitransparent mirror providing the ability for visual tracking of data projected onto the windshield simultaneously with the identical image formulated on the dashboard significantly diminishes the brightness of both displays in turn negatively affecting the contrast of both displays, especially in highly illuminated external environments such as direct sunlight, tunnels and garages.The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,573 also consists of the following identified major shortcomings: Image collimation only occurs on the top channel (the windshield) and only in a single position of the rotating semi-transparent mirror. The second position provides close distance image formulation with no collimation. Introduction of a semi-transparent mirror in the optical system of the top channel causes decreased brightness levels in the non-collimated display mode by approximately two times while brightness levels in the collimated display mode are decreased approximately quad-fold The low channel imaging is displayed via means of being reflected off a flat mirror with no collimation which effectively contradicts a set goal where all image formulation has to utilize collimated display.The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,357 utilizes and infrared system to track positioning of the driver's pupils in which the source of the infrared light is located on the dashboard, and where the receiving camera is built into the optical system of the indicator. The suggested system is once again unreasonably overcomplicated and possesses low sensitivity due to significant light loss while passing through the optical system of the device.
The disclosed multifunctional collimator indicator allows to fully mitigate and/or significantly minimize the above stated shortcomings with respect to safe operation of an automobile and others including but not limited to motor vehicles, vessels and aircrafts. Simultaneously, the invention presents the operator with an array of visual information such as: Virtual display of standardized needle style gauges and/or other digital indicators. Display of a navigational map inside the traditional dashboard located in front of the driver as opposed to midsection of the dashboard. Display of relevant individual parameters of a moving vehicle on the windshield. Display of warning and other mnemonic signals in place of a standard dashboard as well as projecting them onto a windshield. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nitride semiconductor light emitting device having an improved emission life and an apparatus including the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-124500 discloses a technique of forming convex portions on a GaN layer stacked on a sapphire substrate, flatly covering the convex portions with a GaN underlayer and forming a gallium nitride semiconductor laser device on the GaN covering layer for improving the emission characteristics of a nitride semiconductor light emitting device. According this gazette, the distance between adjacent ones of the convex portions is preferably within the range of 1 to 10 xcexcm, the width of the upper surfaces of the convex portions is preferably at least 1 xcexcm, and the height of the convex portions is preferably within the range of 0.1 to 2 xcexcm. This gazette also describes that the sapphire substrate may be replaced with a GaN substrate.
Even if the sapphire substrate is replaced with a GaN substrate in the nitride semiconductor laser device according to the prior art, however, the oscillation life is still insufficient.
Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a nitride semiconductor light emitting device having a long oscillation life.
According to the present invention, the nitride semiconductor light emitting device includes a worked substrate including grooves and lands formed on a main surface of a nitride semiconductor substrate, a nitride semiconductor underlayer covering the grooves and the lands of the worked substrate and a nitride semiconductor multilayer emission structure including an emission layer including a quantum well layer or both a quantum well layer and a barrier layer in contact with the quantum well layer between an n-type layer and a p-type layer over the nitride semiconductor underlayer, while width of the grooves is within the range of 11 to 30 xcexcm and width of the lands is within the range of 1 to 20 xcexcm.
The width of the grooves is preferably larger than the width of the lands, and the depth of the grooves is preferably within the range of 1 to 10 xcexcm.
The longitudinal direction of the grooves or the longitudinal direction of the lands is preferably substantially parallel to the less than 1-100 greater than direction or the less than 11-20 greater than direction of a crystal of the substrate.
The nitride semiconductor underlayer preferably contains Al. Further, the nitride semiconductor underlayer preferably contains InxGa1xe2x88x92xN (0.01xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa60.18).
The quantum well layer preferably contains at least any of As, P and Sb.
The aforementioned nitride semiconductor light emitting device can be either a laser device or a diode device. Further, such a light emitting device can be preferably employed in an optical apparatus or a semiconductor light emitting apparatus.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. | {
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Flash memory is an increasingly popular type of non-volatile memory (NVM). NVM is a type of memory storage that can retain data even while it is not powered on.
A typical flash memory includes a memory array having a large number of memory cells arranged in blocks. Each of the memory cells includes a field effect transistor having a control gate and a floating gate. Pairs of field effect transistors share a common source region. Conventional techniques for forming a common source region involve formation of floating gate and control gate structures prior to etching to form a common source region between the structures. As device sizes decrease a width between field effect transistors and an aspect ratio relating a depth to the common source region to a width between field effect transistors makes it difficult to etch a region for the common source without damaging gate structures of the transistors. | {
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(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a channel access method for supporting vehicle communication handover.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Wireless access in vehicular environments (WAVE) is technology that supplements a conventional wireless local area network (WLAN) (IEEE 802.11) method in order to support communication of a vehicle moving at a high speed. Intelligent transport systems using such WAVE communication include roadside equipment (hereinafter referred to as “RSE”) that is positioned at the roadside and on-board equipment (hereinafter referred to as “OBE”) that is mounted in a vehicle and perform vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications between the OBE and the RSE and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications between the OBEs.
To continuously provide a communication service under the road conditions to which the intelligent transport system is applied, base stations are disposed so that propagation ranges with neighboring base stations may be overlapped. When the propagation ranges of the base stations are overlapped, the base stations use the same frequency as the neighboring base stations to generate interference and communication problems caused by the neighboring base stations.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art. | {
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Prior to the background of the invention being set forth, it may be helpful to set forth definitions of certain terms that will be used hereinafter.
The term ‘stereoscopic artifacts’ as used herein are defined as one or more discomfort effects which might occur while watching a stereoscopic image or video, causing for example dizziness, nausea, eye-strain, etc.
The term ‘Virtual Reality’ (VR) as used herein is defined as a computer-generated environment that can generate physical presence in places in the real world or imagined worlds. Virtual reality could recreate sensory experiences, including virtual taste, sight, smell, sound, touch, and the like. Many traditional VR systems use a near eye display for presenting a 3D virtual environment.
The term ‘Augmented Reality’ (AR) as used herein is defined as a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment with elements that are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as video, graphics or GPS data. In some cases AR may be related mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented), by a computer.
The term ‘near eye display’ as used herein is defined as a device which includes wearable projected displays, usually stereoscopic in the sense that each eye is presented with a slightly different field of view so as to create the 3D perception.
The term ‘virtual reality headset’ sometimes called ‘goggles’, is a wrap-around visual interface to display video or computer output. Commonly the computer display information is presented as a three-dimensional representation of real-world environments. The goggles may or may not include optics beyond the mere structure for holding the computer display (possibly in a form of a smartphone).
The use of stereoscopic 3D video photography in various fields is dramatically growing. Filmmakers, game developers as well as social mobile video platforms and live-streaming options on online video platforms, are all utilizing the visual benefits of stereoscopic 3D video photography over traditional two dimensional (2D) video. Accordingly, various technologies such as applications and systems for capturing and generating 3D stereoscopic video are developed to provide users with tools to create a stereoscopic 3D video.
Traditional three-dimensional image or video capture devices, such as digital cameras and video recorders include creating a 3D illusion by a pair of 2D images or videos. Shooting a stereoscopic 3D video, is fundamentally different and more challenging from traditional 2D video capturing. Stereoscopic 3D video photography has its rules and benchmarks. Keeping these rules and measures is fundamental to avoid discomfort artifacts in the resulted 3D video. These phenomena include for example dizziness, nausea, eye-strain, etc.
While professional 3D photographers are well aware of these rules a layman photographer will find it difficult and time-intensive to figure out how a stereoscopic 3D should be captured to avoid these discomfort artifacts. | {
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Because cured articles prepared from an epoxy resin have excellent adhesion, mechanical properties, thermal properties, chemical resistance and excellent electrical properties, they are utilized widely and commercially as paints, adhesives, and electrical and electronic insulation materials. Epoxy resin formulations used for such applications can be either a one-component system or a two-component system.
The two-component system is made of an epoxy resin composition and a curing agent which are separately stored. When needed, they are weighed and mixed just prior to use. In so doing, it is often difficult to avoid mistakes in weighing the correct amount of epoxy and curing agent, as well as difficult to form a homogeneous curing composition. These mistakes are further compounded by the fact the reaction of the epoxy resin and the curing agent starts as they are mixed.
The epoxy resin/curing agent composition is typically in liquid form. The viscosity of the system increases gradually, goes through gelation, and finally the system cures. The time from formulation until it can no longer be used is called "pot life". The pot life is decided by the chemical structures and the ratio of the epoxy resin and the curing agent employed. Generally, the system with a faster curing rate has a shorter pot life. If a curing agent which is designed with an emphasis on the curing rate is used, a formula can usually be cured at room temperature or lower. However, it will naturally shorten the pot life and it creates a need to frequently formulate a small amount of the composition. Thus, such room temperature curing compositions cause a reduction in working efficiency.
In contrast, because a curing agent is added ahead of time in the epoxy resin of the one-component system, the above-mentioned problems associated with the two-component system can be eliminated. The curing agent used in such systems is typically called a "latent curing agent". The simplest one-component system is based on the curing agent which can cure epoxy resin at high temperatures. Such agents include, but are not limited to, dicyandiamide, phenol novolak, adipic dihydrazide, diallyl melamine, diamino maleonitrile, BF.sub.3 -amine complexes, amine salts, and modified imidazole compounds and the like. Because these curing agents require a high temperature a slow curing rate is inherent. Thus, the reaction proceeds slowly at room temperature and the epoxy resin compound formulated with curing agents can be stably stored at room temperature or lower temperatures for a certain period. Thus, these systems are especially suitable for one-component systems which are cured at high temperatures.
Such high temperature curing agents do not dissolve in an epoxy resin at room temperature. If such a curing agent is dispersed as particles, the storage stability can be improved drastically. This is due to the small contact area with the epoxy resin. In this case, a small particle size for the curing agent is important because smaller particle sizes increase the curing rate and also make the structure of the cured article very uniform. See J. Appl. Polymer Sci, 32, 5095(1986) Such a dispersion type curing agent can also be called a latent curing agent.
Generally, the epoxy resin curing composition of a one-component system, in its normal state, requires a latent curing agent which can be activated by some form of stimulation. Examples of such latent curing agents include amineimide compounds which are activated by thermal decomposition; ketimine compounds which are activated by contact with moisture; aromatic diazonium salt compound, diallyliodonium salt compounds which are activated by exposure to light; and curing agents which are microencapsulated in material which can be destroyed by mechanical pressure or by heat. However, due to problems such as performance and cost, they are not widely used. As a link before they become truly useful, currently the above-described latent curing agent of the dispersion type is important because the preparation method involved is simpler and less expensive.
However, a particularly promising latent curing agent is the modified amine curing agent adduct obtained by reaction with an epoxy compound. Due to the modification by the epoxy compound, the flaws of amine curing, such as volatility which causes problems in handling, hygroscopicity which significantly affects curability, and compatibility with the epoxy resin, can be improved. Even further, control of the melting point is also possible. Epoxy resin is cured by polyaddition reaction with a curing agent or by ionic polymerization.
However, because curing agents which require secondary processing tend to be expensive, a curing agent of a catalytic polymerization type which does not depend on the addition of equivalent amounts and can be cured with the addition of a small amount, will be an advantage. From the aspect of performance, the curing agent of the anionic polymerization type which does not risk corrosion of metal (tertiary amine adduct) is preferred. A suitable catalyst for this purpose is an imidazole/epoxy resin adduct, and its technology is disclosed in detail in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. SHO 58-13623 (1983) and SHO 61-268721 (1986). This solid adduct which is synthesized from amine compounds and epoxy resins can be obtained by reacting an amine compound and an epoxy resin in a solvent and then removing the solvent from the system as a whole. Then, it is crushed and pulverized and then sieved to obtain particles of the curing agent of a desired size. There is a limitation to the degree of crushing and pulverization, and it is extremely difficult to commercially prepare fine particles having a Stokes diameter of smaller than about 4 .mu.m.
Because the above-described preparation method is a long and laborious process, it incurs a very high production cost. In addition, due to the limitation of the particle size of the curing agent formed by crushing and pulverization and also to the pulverized state, there are the following disadvantages:
a. bulky and inconvenient for packaging and shipment, PA1 b. aggregation of the particles require enormous work to disperse the particles in an epoxy resin when used, PA1 c. increase in viscosity takes place when added to an epoxy resin, PA1 d. a limit in the degree of improvement on the curing rate by reduction in particle size, and PA1 e. relatively short stable storage period of the formulated curing composition. PA1 (a) dispersing spherical particles of an amine compound/epoxy compound adduct having a melting point of at least 50.degree. C. and a diameter of 0.1 .mu.m to 30 .mu.m in a liquid epoxy resin; PA1 (b) adding 1 to 100 parts by weight of a polyfunctional isocyanate compound based on 100 parts by weight of a polyfunctional isocyanate compound based on 100 parts by weight of said spherical particles at a temperature below the melting point of said spherical particles with agitation; and PA1 (c) heating and agitating the resulting mixture at said temperature until the isocyanate groups in said polyfunctional isocyanate compound have been completely reacted.
Although the particles of the amine compound/epoxy compound adduct has a variety of advantageous features as a curing agent, such advantages have not been used to the full extent with the one component curing composition due to the reasons mentioned above.
On the other hand, the curing agents which are more widely used are ones obtained by treating solid particles of an amine compound/epoxy compound adduct with a polyfunctional isocyanate to improve its latent curability. See Japanese Patent Publication SHO 64-70523 (1989) and HEI 1-113480 (1989). In this case it is presumed that the polyfunctional isocyanate has been reacted with the particles of the adduct to form an encapsulated film on their surfaces. With this type of latent curing agent which tends to be expensive, it will be advantageous to use an ionic polymerization type curing agent which can be cured with a small amount of addition without regard to the addition of equivalent amounts. From the performance viewpoint, anionic polymerization type curing agents (tertiary amine adducts) which have no risk of corrosion of metal are preferred. The amine compound/epoxy compound adduct can be obtained firstly as a lump by removing the solvent from the reaction system after reacting the amine compound and the epoxy resin in a solvent. Subsequently, it is crushed and pulverized, and then classified and a curing agent of a desired size is removed. Subsequently, the particles of the amine compound/epoxy compound adduct are dispersed in a liquid epoxy resin, and a polyfunctional isocyanate compound is added and reacted in a heated state to prepare a desired latent curing agent as a masterbatch. In Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. HEI 1-113480 (1989), it is assumed that the polyfunctional isocyanate compound added has been adsorbed on the particles of the amine compound/epoxy compound adduct dispersed in an epoxy resin, and that the hydroxyl group therein and the moisture therein are reacted to form a polyurethane polymer and a polyurea polymer to form an encapsulating film. The latency of the agent is imparted by this thermal fusible film which prevents direct contact of the particles of the adduct with the epoxy resin. Further, the polymer composition of the encapsulating film is controlled by the amount of the moisture contained in the particles of the adduct to allow the production of the particles of an encapsulated adduct which has enough solvent resistance against an organic solvent added only in the presence of a suitable amount of water and can withstand the mechanical mixing treatment in the compounding step.
The particles of the amine compound/epoxy compound adduct used for the production of the above described prior art curing agent masterbatch are in the form of relatively large pulverized particles having an average Stokes diameter of about 3 .mu.m or more. Due to the shape of these particles, there are created various following adverse problems when used as the curing agent masterbatch.
The increase in viscosity is greater when using pulverized particles than when using spherical particles. Accordingly, in regards to a curing agent masterbatch, since there is a limit as to the viscosity which can be handled, the concentration of the curing agent has to be lowered in a relative manner. Therefore, when this curing agent masterbatch is added to prepare an epoxy resin curing composition, no problem emerges if the epoxy resin to be cured is the same epoxy resin as the dispersing medium of the curing agent masterbatch. However, if they are different, the desired properties of epoxy resin to be cured will be diluted by the epoxy used as the dispersing medium. Further, it is not desirable for the viscosity to increase during formulation since it will lower the degree of freedom of formulations design. For example, in order to lower the thermal expansion coefficient of the epoxy resin, a filler is usually added to the epoxy resin curing composition. However, the addition of the filler also increases the viscosity of the composition and accordingly, it is preferred to use a composition having a low as possible viscosity in order to increase the amount of the filler which can be added. For this reason, even if the curing agent of an amine compound/epoxy compound adduct treated with a polyfunctional isocyanate compound has various advantages, such advantages are not fully used in the one-component curing composition. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital broadcast system and more particularly, to a system which allows for changing the content elements interactively in response to the viewer operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
0. Outline of the Satellite Broadcast System
First, the outline of the satellite broadcast system is to be described.
0.1. Radio Wave Transmission Status in the Satellite Broadcast
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the radio wave transmission status in a satellite broadcast. The radio wave from an earth station 2 is transmitted to earth via a broadcast satellite 4. A plurality of transport streams TS1, TS2, and TS3 are transmitted from the broadcast satellite 4. The transport streams (MPEG-2) are distinguished according to the frequency, plane of polarization, and the like. The transport stream TS1 has a plurality of services (corresponding to channels of the ground wave broadcast) SV11, SV12, SV13, and SV14 provided in packets and multiplexed by time division. Likewise, the transport stream TS2 has services SV21, SV22, SV23, and SV24 multiplexed, with the transport stream TS3 having services SV31, SV32, SV33, and SV34 multiplexed. Incidentally, each of the transport streams carries video and audio data for each service as well as control data for indicating program information, control data for indicating current time, and control data necessary for packets, etc. In FIG. 1, only three transport streams are shown, however, more transport streams are transmitted in practice. Additionally, in FIG. 1, each transport stream has four services multiplexed, however, more services are multiplexed in practice.
0.2. Configuration of Transmitter
As shown in FIG. 2, each transport stream is generated and transmitted by means of a transmitter 1. Referring to the figure, only the transport stream TS1 is shown and the other transport streams TS2 and TS3 are generated in the same way.
Video/audio data ES11, ES12, ES13, and ES14 of the services SV11, SV12, SV13, and SV14 are provided to the transmitter 1. The transmitter 1 converts these video/audio data ES11, ES12, ES13, and ES14 into packets for multiplexing. The transmitter 1 also generates control data for multiplexing packets. The control data for multiplexing packets are employed for discriminating correctly video/audio data of a plurality of services in packets processed by time division. Packetized and multiplexed video/audio data (Contents) are transmitted as transport streams together with control data.
0.3. Configuration of Transport Stream
As shown in FIG. 3, the transport stream TS1 generated by the transmitter of FIG. 2 comprises multiplexed video data ES (V) 1 and audio data ES (A) 1 of the service SV11, video data ES (V) 2 and audio data ES (A) 2 of the service SV12, video data ES (V) 3 and audio data ES (A) 3 of the service SV13, and video data ES (V) 4 and audio data ES (A) 4 of the service SV14.
Furthermore, control data NIT, PAT, PMT1, PMT2, PMT3, and PMT4 for packet multiplexing are multiplexed. Video/audio data of each of the multiplexed services SV11, SV12, SV13, and SV14 can be separated by the control data. Packetization is carried out as shown with a vertical line 18a of FIG. 3. That is, packetization is performed in the order of control data NIT, PAT, EIT, TDT, ECM, video data ES (V), and audio data ES (A). After packetization is completed up to the audio data ES (A), packetization is then repeated again for the control data NIT and so forth (see a vertical line 18b).
FIG. 4 shows a basic configuration of packetized data. Control data and video/audio data are made into a packet with the configuration shown in FIG. 4. A packet ID (PID) is provided on the head of the packetized data. The packet ID is a unique symbol provided for each packet to identify individual packets. The data contents are the data (control data, video/audio data, etc.) targeted for packetization.
FIG. 5 shows the relationship between the control data PAT, PMT1, PMT2, PMT3, and PMT4, and video/audio data ES of each service, in the transport stream TS1. For example, video/audio data 500 into which the service SV12 is encrypted is packetized and provided with PID 502. Referring to the figure, though one packet is schematically shown, the video/audio data 500 is time-divided and transmitted in a number of packets.
The packet ID of the video/audio data 500 of the service SV12 is described in the control data PMT2. Accordingly, the packet ID of the video/audio data 500 of the service SV12 can be known by obtaining the contents of the control data PMT2. This control data PMT2 is also packetized and provided with PID512. In the figure, though one packet is schematically shown, the control data PMT2 is also time-divided and transmitted in a number of packets.
The packet ID of the control data PMT2 is described in the control data PAT. Accordingly, the packet ID of the control data PMT2 of the service SV12 can be known by obtaining the contents of the control data PAT. This control data PAT is also packetized and provided with PID522. Incidentally, the control data PAT has the description of packet IDs of PMT1, PMT2, PMT3, and PMT4 of services SV11, SV12, SV13, and SV14, which are multiplexed in the transport stream TS1.
A transport stream has control data and video/audio data which are packetized and associated as in the foregoing. Thus, in order to identify the services multiplexed in a transport stream, the control data PAT must be obtained first. For this reason, the packet ID of the control data PAT is fixed to a predetermined value (000 in hexadecimal notation, designated hereinafter ×0000.
Incidentally, transmission parameters (such as frequency) of each of the transport streams TS1, TS2, and TS3, and kinds of services multiplexed in each of the streams are described in the control data NIT (see FIG. 6). Accordingly, it can be known in which transport stream a particular service is multiplexed, by obtaining the contents of the control data NIT. The packet ID of the control data NIT is described in the control data PAT.
0.4. Configuration of Receiver
FIG. 7 shows the outline of a receiver. A tuner 22 selects a transport stream, and a transport decoder 26 separates the video/audio data ES relating to the desired service. Incidentally, MPU 28 sets the packet ID of the video/audio data ES of the desired service to the transport decoder 26. This allows the transport decoder 26 to output the video/audio data ES of said service. In addition, in the case where the packet ID of control data is set to the transport decoder 26, the separated control data is given to the MPU 28.
Assuming that the service SV33 of the transport stream TS3 is being received, the operation to be performed in the case where the command of switching to the service SV12 of the transport stream TS1 is given to the MPU 28 is to be explained below. First, the MPU 28 controls the transport decoder (that is, by setting the packet ID of the control data NIT) to take NIT in. The description of the NIT teaches that the service SV12 desired for reception has been multiplexed in the transport stream TS1 (see FIG. 6).
Then, the MPU 28 controls the tuner 22 to receive the transport stream TS1. Moreover, the MPU 28 controls the transport decoder 26 to obtain the PAT and PMT2, obtaining the packet IDs of the video data ES (V) 2 and the audio data ES (A) 2 of the desired service SV12 (see arrows α and β of FIG. 5).
Subsequently, the MPU 28 sets these packet IDs to the transport decoder 26 to allow the transport decoder 26 to output the video data ES (V) 2 and the audio data ES (A) 2 of the desired service SV12. As mentioned above, services are switched for reception. | {
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A social-networking system, which may include a social-networking website, may enable its users (such as persons or organizations) to interact with it and with each other through it. The social-networking system may, with input from a user, create and store in the social-networking system a user profile associated with the user. The user profile may include demographic information, communication-channel information, and information on personal interests of the user. The social-networking system may also, with input from a user, create and store a record of relationships of the user with other users of the social-networking system, as well as provide services (e.g. wall posts, photo-sharing, event organization, messaging, games, or advertisements) to facilitate social interaction between or among users.
The social-networking system may send over one or more networks content or messages related to its services to a mobile or other computing device of a user. A user may also install software applications on a mobile or other computing device of the user for accessing a user profile of the user and other data within the social-networking system. The social-networking system may generate a personalized set of content objects to display to a user, such as a newsfeed of aggregated stories of other users connected to the user.
Social-graph analysis views social relationships in terms of network theory consisting of nodes and edges. Nodes represent the individual actors within the networks, and edges represent the relationships between the actors. The resulting graph-based structures are often very complex. There can be many types of nodes and many types of edges for connecting nodes. In its simplest form, a social graph is a map of all of the relevant edges between all the nodes being studied.
There may be information associated with particular users stored with the system (e.g., in connection with the corresponding user accounts). Each user may upload and submit information to the system. The system may store each user's information on behalf of that user and in association with that user. The user may access his information stored with the system. In addition, the user may choose to grant other users access to his information stored with the system. | {
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This invention relates to a disc brake adapted to be operated by a dual control liquid pressure system. In many vehicles, in order to obtain a safe and positive braking operation, brakes adapted to be operated by dual control liquid pressure systems have been and are being employed.
FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows one of the prior art brakes of the above type in which a stepped piston is provided and in which during braking operation, liquid under pressure is supplied into hydraulic chambers A.sub.1 and A.sub.2 from a common master cylinder. When the brake is to be released, such release operation relies upon the elastic deformation or roll back of seals S.sub.1 and S.sub.2. Thus, in order to obtain rapid and positive separation between the disc and friction pads after a particular braking operation, the design preferably provides that all the seals between the piston and caliper produce a force due to the so-called roll back so as to retract the piston to its initial or non-application position, to thereby improve the operation efficiency. However, if only the seals S.sub.1 and S.sub.2 are employed (in which case, there would be no drain D provided because the liquid under pressure from the hydraulic chamber A.sub.2 would tend to flow out through the drain if any) and the seal S.sub.2 becomes damaged, although the liquid under pressure tends to flow out between the piston and caliper whereby damage on the seal S.sub.2 can be detected, when the seal S.sub.1 becomes damaged, communication is established between the hydraulic chambers A.sub.1 and A.sub.2, but damage to the seal S.sub.1 can not be detected. Therefore, in the prior art disc brake of FIG. 1, an additional intermediate seal S.sub.3 is positioned between the hydraulic chamber A.sub.2 and seal S.sub.1 and a drain D is provided extending from between the seals S.sub.1 and S.sub.3 to the exterior of the device. According to this design, if and when the seal S.sub.1 becomes damaged, the liquid under pressure within the hydraulic chamber A.sub.1 is prevented from flowing into the hydraulic chamber A.sub.2 by the presence of the additional intermediate seal S.sub.3 and is diverted to the exterior of the device through the drain D whereby damage to the seal S.sub.1 can be detected. However, the prior art disc brake as shown in FIG. 1 has the disadvantage that the roll back effect provided by the seals S.sub.1 and S.sub.2 is impeded by the seal S.sub.3. In other words, the seal S.sub.3 itself has no roll back effect (the roll back effect can not be obtained unless the direction of liquid pressure from the hydraulic chamber A.sub.2 to which the seal S.sub.3 is subjected corresponds to that in which the piston advances when the disc brake is applied) and thus, the resistance offered by the seal S.sub.3 tends to impede the roll back effect provided by the seals S.sub.1 and S.sub.2 and, thus, the sliding movement of the piston.
FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings shows another prior art disc brake in which the piston employed is a cup-shaped piston and the additional intermediate seal S.sub.3 as shown in the prior art disc brake of FIG. 1 is eliminated because provision of the intermediate seal is difficult in the device of FIG. 2. When the disc brake is released, the piston is retracted to its initial or non-application position by the roll back effect. The seal S.sub.5 which separates the hydraulic chambers A.sub.3 and A.sub.4 is subjected to pressure on the opposite sides thereof or from the hydraulic chambers A.sub.3 and A.sub.4, and as a result, the seal S.sub.5 does not provide any roll back effect to thereby impede the roll back effect provided by the seal S.sub.4.
Therefore, in the above two prior art piston arrangement systems, it was difficult to obtain both proper designing of the additional or intermediate seal and proper provision of the roll back effect of the seals. | {
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Conventionally, fiber sheets are generally molded in order to fit them to certain shapes for various applications. As such molding methods, a heat press method, in which a pair of molds are used to mold a fiber sheet by the action of heat and pressure, or a cold press method, in which a pair of molds are used to mold a pre-heated fiber sheet by the action of pressure, are known.
In the case of molding by the former, i.e., the heat press method, the present applicant proposed “a fiber sheet for molding, characterized by being made of a fiber base material containing latent crimpable fibers of which crimps are expressed” (Patent literature 1) in order to improve the followability of the fiber sheet to the shape of the molds. However, since this fiber sheet for molding is poor in sound absorbing properties, in order to obtain sound absorbing properties, it is necessary to laminate it with a base material mat having good sound absorbing properties, or to use an adhesive resin film as an adhesive layer for adhering it to the base material mat. However, in the case of the former, i.e., laminating it with the base material mat having good sound absorbing properties, there is a problem in that the base material mat is limited, and that it is poor in versatility. In the case of the latter, i.e., using the adhesive resin film, regardless of the fact that it contains latent crimpable fibers of which crimps are expressed in order to improve the followability to the shape of the molds, there is a problem in that, since the adhesive resin film is difficult to stretch, a large amount of force is needed during molding, and if the molding is completed, there is another problem in that, since the adhesive resin film has low air permeability and it is difficult for the air to escape during molding, wrinkles are likely to occur.
Further, the present applicant proposed “a surface material for molding, characterized by consisting of a nonwoven fabric containing latent crimpable fibers of which crimps are expressed, wherein air permeability is 5 to 20 (cm3/cm2·s), and an extension at a load of 10 N in at least one direction is 50 mm or more” (Patent literature 2). Such a surface material for molding is actually produced by heating and pressing a crimp-expressing fiber web containing latent crimpable fibers, of which crimps are expressed. However, in order to achieve such a low air permeability, it is necessary to relatively strongly heat and press the web, and therefore, there is a problem in that the bulk of the surface material for molding is crushed to become paper-like, and that wrinkles are likely to occur when deep-drawing is carried out. | {
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This disclosure relates generally to refrigeration systems having a compressor powered by a fuel-fired engine. More particularly, this disclosure relates to calibration of an engine throttle position sensor during operation of a fuel fired engine of a transport refrigeration system.
Fruits, vegetables and other perishable items, including meat, poultry and fish, fresh or frozen, are commonly transported in the cargo box of a truck, a trailer, or in an intermodal container. Accordingly, it is customarily to provide a transport refrigeration system in operative association with the cargo box for cooling the atmosphere within the cargo box. The transport refrigeration system includes a refrigerant vapor compression system, also referred to as a transport refrigeration unit, and an on-board power unit. The refrigerant vapor compression system typically includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator serially connected by refrigerant lines in a closed refrigerant circuit in accord with known refrigerant vapor compression cycles. The power unit includes a fuel-fired engine, typically diesel fueled.
In many truck/trailer transport refrigeration systems, the compressor of the transport refrigeration unit is driven by the engine shaft either through a belt drive or by mechanical shaft-to-shaft link. More recently, all electric transport refrigeration systems have been developed for truck/trailer applications wherein the engine drives an on-board generator for generating sufficient electrical power to drive an electric motor operatively associated with the compressor of the transport refrigeration unit. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,546, assigned to Carrier Corporation, the same assignee to which this application is subject to assignment, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses an electrically powered transport refrigeration unit powered by an engine driven synchronous generator capable of producing sufficient power to operate the compressor drive motor and at least one fan motor. With respect to intermodal containers, clip-on power units, commonly referred to as generator sets or gensets, are available for mounting to the intermodal container, typically when the container is being transported by road or rail, to provide electrical power for operating the compressor drive motor of the transport refrigeration unit associated with the container. The genset includes a diesel engine and a generator driven by the diesel engine.
In conventional transport refrigeration systems, the control system is open loop in that the refrigeration system controller is unaware of the actual operating engine load. The fuel-fired engine is controlled by an electronic engine controller independently of the transport refrigeration unit which is controlled by a dedicated refrigeration unit controller. The electronic engine controller controls fuel flow to the engine so as to maintain the engine speed at a target RPM irrespective of the load imposed on the engine by the refrigeration unit. The refrigeration unit controller is unaware of the actual load being imposed on the engine and controls the refrigerant unit to meet cooling demand irrespective of the actual load on the engine. | {
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NVM is now widely used for a variety of applications, since it may store information without continuously applied electric power, and by applying appropriate voltages, the NVM may be programmed or re-programmed (erased). Such a memory may provide a basic operating system or microcode for a logic device, such as a processor. A kind of NVM, embedded NVM in a CMOS device, allows a single chip produced by a manufacturer to be configured for various applications, and/or allows a single device to be configured by a user for different applications. Programming of the embedded NVM is typically done by downloading code from an external source, such as a computer.
However, many NVM processes require multiple layers of poly-silicon, while many conventional CMOS processes require only a single layer of poly-silicon. In order to embed this kind of NVM into a CMOS device, several additional processing steps are required. These additional processing steps result in increased processing time, higher cost of manufacturing, increased possibility of defects, and in turn result in lower yields. To address this problem, repair circuit regions on a die are included in some circuit designs in order to compensate for the reduced device yield. But valuable areas on the die are consumed by these repair circuits, further increasing the cost of manufacturing.
For example, a conventional 2-transistor EEPROM typically requires a high voltage (>15 Volts) in the bit line or word line diffusion to perform the erase and program operations. In addition, the conventional EEPROM cell structure creates manufacturing difficulties. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the conventional EEPROM is higher, the cell size is bigger, and the array density is limited to low density devices. Additionally, the complex topology of the conventional EEPROM cell also results in difficulties in alignment and scalability.
In another kind of EEPROM, stacked gate flash EEPROM, each cell typically includes a MOS transistor structure having a source, a drain, and a channel in a substrate or P-well, as well as a stacked gate structure overlying the channel. The stacked gate may further include a thin gate dielectric layer (sometimes referred to as a tunnel oxide) formed on the surface of the P-well. The stacked gate also includes a polysilicon floating gate overlying the tunnel oxide and an interpoly dielectric layer overlying the floating gate. Unfortunately, the thin tunnel (or floating gate) oxide may easily impact the wafer yield, and creates problems concerning reliability in manufacturing process.
Yet another kind of flash memory, split gate flash, is desirable to achieve efficient programming through carrier injection at a lower programming voltage (about 12V). The injection efficiency is achieved at desirably low programming currents by applying a relatively large potential to a first gate and a relatively small potential to a second gate. However, the design of typical split-gate device has an adverse impact on the cell density (the amount of information that may be stored in a defined area), as the first and second gates both consumes precious wafer area.
Other NVM cell structures are proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,892,709 discloses a single level gate nonvolatile memory device, which is simple and inexpensive to fabricate. Further more, the single level gate NVM is efficient and reliable to be accessed. However, the applied voltages for program and erase operations are definitely too high.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,087 discloses a single polysilicon EEPROM memory device that operates at relatively low erase and program voltages and currents. Furthermore, single polysilicon EEPROM does not suffer from various disturbances during the program, read and erase operations. For programming the memory cell, a bias voltage of 5V is applied, while a bias voltage of approximately −5V is applied for erasing operation. However, the bias voltage range of +5V to −5V is still too large, and as known to those skilled in the art, the applied negative voltage will bring negative impact on its application in many aspects.
To overcome these problems listed above, there is a need for a NVM which is compatible with the CMOS process, uses lower voltages for operating, and is more reliable in program, read, or erase operation. | {
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The invention relates in general to manifolds for fluid systems, and more particularly, the invention relates to a modular gas distribution system for use in high purity fluid systems and corrosive fluid systems such as the clean room environment used to manufacture semiconductor wafers.
To manufacture semiconductors, the industry uses various high purity gases. These gases are controlled by systems made up of high purity valves, regulators, pressure transducers, mass flow controllers and other components connected together by welding and high purity metal seal fittings. These connections are undesirable in many applications because they add additional time and cost for welding operations, unnecessary space between components and make it difficult to replace a component located between other components. Further, these systems are typically custom designed and manufactured which make the manufacturing costs and procurement of replacement parts quite expensive.
New modular manifold systems have been recently introduced into the industry in order to overcome these problems. Typical components of these systems such as valves, pressure regulators and other typical fluid components have been reconfigured so that their inlet and outlet ports and attachment mechanisms are compatible with surface mount manifolds. These manifolds are typically comprised of modular blocks which are machined of high purity metal and have machined internal flow passageways. These prior art modular systems typically utilize a metallic seal between the component and a modular block face to ensure near leak-free seal integrity. One objective of such systems is to use surface mount standard configurations based upon industry standards to permit interchangeability of surface mount components.
One disadvantage to these type of prior art modular systems is that the entire modular block is made of high purity metal. Thus money and natural resources are inefficiently utilized. Further, these block components also have higher manufacturing costs due to the complexity of machining multiple passageways of a single block as well as a higher risk of expensive scrap being formed due to the manufacturing complexity. Further, the mating blocks require the use of mating seals therebetween, which require additional manufacturing time, and further require proper installation and makeup torque of the fastener members in order to ensure a leak-tight seal.
Thus it is desired that a modular manifold design be provided which eliminates the seals between modular mating blocks, dramatically reduces the amount of expensive material utilized, and results in a simpler and cheaper system to manufacture while providing a reduced system footprint or envelope which meets or surpasses the performance; integrity and reliability of existing systems.
The invention provides in one aspect a bridge fitting for use in a fluid manifold system for being in fluid communication with two or more fluid components, such as valves, regulators, pressure transducers, mass flow controllers, and the like. The bridge fitting comprises a first elbow, fitting connected to a second elbow fitting, with the connected elbow fittings having an internal fluid passageway therethrough. The internal passageway of the bridge fitting has an inlet end and an outlet end, with the inlet end in fluid communication with an outlet port of the first fluid component, and the outlet end of the bridge fitting in fluid communication with an inlet end of a second fluid component.
The invention provides in another aspect a bridge fitting for use in a fluid manifold system for being in fluid communication with three or more fluid components, wherein one or more of said fluid components has a single port. The bridge fitting comprises a first and second elbow fitting having a respective end connected to a tee fitting. The tee fitting is located between the elbow fittings, with each of the elbow fittings and the tee fittings having an internal fluid passageway in fluid communication with each other. The internal passageway of the fittings have an inlet end and a first and second outlet end, with the inlet end in fluid communication with an outlet port of the first fluid component, and the outlet ends of the fluid passageway being in fluid communication with an inlet end of a second and third fluid component, respectively.
The invention provides in yet another aspect a modular fluid manifold system for connecting with one or more surface mount type fluid components having an inlet port and an outlet port, the modular system comprising: one or more bridge fittings having an internal fluid passageway therethrough; the internal passageway of the bridge fitting having an inlet end for connecting to an outlet port of the first fluid component, and an outlet end for connecting to an inlet port of the second fluid component, whereby the internal fluid passageway of the bridge fitting is in fluid communication with the first and second fluid components when the system is assembled.
Finally, the invention provides a modular fluid manifold system for connecting with one or more fluid components comprising an inlet port and one or more outlet ports. The manifold system comprises one or more bridge fittings having an inlet end and an outlet end and an internal passageway joining said ends therethrough. The system further includes a locator plate having an upper surface for mounting the fluid components thereon and a plurality of holes aligned with the inlet and outlet ports of the fluid components. The locator plate has a lower surface for mounting the bridge fittings thereto. The inlet end of each of the bridge fittings are in fluid communication with an outlet port of a fluid component, and an outlet end of each of the bridge fittings are in fluid communication with an inlet port of another fluid component.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the detailed description and claims to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures. | {
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Generally, various interior materials beginning with a fascia board (FACIA) inside an automobile are configured wherein a combination panel is assembled to the fixed panel, and when the combination panel is assembled to the fixed panel in this manner, there are many examples using a plastic clip composed of the clip boss integrally formed in the fixed panel, and the clip main body detachably assembled to the clip boss.
However, conventionally, in the plastic clip composed of the clip boss integrally formed in the fixed panel, and the clip main body detachably assembled to the clip boss, it is very difficult to assemble the clip main body to the clip boss or disassemble, so that there are problems that not only many assembly hours are required, but also many assembly defects occur so as to cause a low productivity and a cost increase. Also, there is a problem that a breakdown repair relative to the combination panel is difficult.
Also, in a conventional structure, an assembly state of the clip main body relative to the clip boss is unstable, and there is a problem that a flowage and noise of the clip main body due to an external impact in a usage process occur. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of manufacturing magnetic head air bearing sliders, and more particularly to a method for fabricating structural elements in magnetic head air bearing sliders using an etching process.
2. Description of Related Art
Magnetic recording systems utilizing transducers that are supported by an air bearing layer as they move relative to the surface of a magnetic recording disk are well known in the art. Such transducers "fly" on a layer of pressurized air at just a few microinches above a rotating disk surface. The transducer is mounted in a slider assembly which has a contoured surface. The air bearing layer is produced by pressurization of the air as it flows between the disk and slider, and is a consequence of the slider contour and relative motion of the two surfaces. The purpose of the air bearing is to provide, with minimal or no contact, a very narrow clearance between the slider and rotating disk. This allows a high density of magnetic data to be transferred and reduces wear and damage to the magnetic assembly and recording media during operation.
Typical sliders of the prior art, as illustrated in FIG. 1, utilize at least two lower rails 1a, 1b having flat surfaces 2 oriented toward the recording medium. Each of these rails 1a, 1b has a tapered forward surface 3a, 3b oriented against the direction of rotation 4 of the recording medium. The rotating recording medium forces air by viscous effects into the tapered forward surfaces 3a, 3b and thereby produces a pressure beneath each of the rails 1a, 1b, resulting in the air bearing. These sliders are typically gimbal-mounted to a flexure which is attached to an arm. The arm is driven by an actuator which positions the transducer over the recording surface from one data track to another. The arm can move in a linear motion (which is termed linear access) or it can rotate about a pivot point (which is termed rotary access). With rotary access, the slider will be positioned at varying angles with respect to the direction of disk rotation as the slider moves over the recording surface. This angular orientation is referred to as the "skew" angle.
When a typical slider is positioned so as to have any angular skew, the rotation of the recording medium introduces pressurized air at the forward edge of the slider, thereby generating the air bearing. However, this air is pressurized at a reduced value because of the skew, thus giving rise to a reduction in the flying height. Also, the skew angle gives rise to a roll of the slider such that the air bearing flying height is not uniform under both of the rails 1a, 1b. Accordingly, the position of the transducer with respect to the recording medium can vary as the slider is caused to roll in one direction or the other or fly at different heights. Such variations in flying height adversely affect the data transfer between transducer and recording medium. In particular, the density of bit storage is adversely affected if the flying height of a slider is increased.
Furthermore, the slider must move radially across the recording medium at a substantial rate of speed to access various portions of the medium. This motion also introduces air under one edge of each slider rail 1a, 1b and results in a roll of the slider and a change in the spacing between the transducer and the recording medium. When any of these variations of spacing occur, particularly with a substantially reduced spacing between the slider and the recording medium, contact may occur between the slider (and its transducer) and the recording medium, or at least potentially rough surfaces thereof. Any such contact introduces wear into the slider and the recording surface.
Moreover, the relative speed between the magnetic disk and the slider varies as a slider moves from an inner diameter of the recording medium to an outer diameter. Such variations in speed result in variations of air flow under a slider, which changes the flying height of the slider. As noted previously, such variations in flying height adversely affect the data transfer between transducer and recording medium.
One solution that has been proposed for minimizing change in the flying height and roll of a slider as skew angle or relative air flow speed changes is to provide a transverse pressurization contour along each side edge of the air bearing surfaces 2 of the slider such that any air flow from the side of the slider assembly due to skew angle and/or access velocity produces pressurization adjacent to one side edge and depressurization (or expansion) adjacent to the other side edge of each air bearing surface 2. Such a transverse pressurization contour (or "TPC") causes a pressure distribution across each air bearing surface 2 that is substantially symmetrical from side to side. This construction makes the slider assembly flying height and roll angle essentially insensitive to skew angle and/or access velocity and/or air flow speed. A design of a slider having such a transverse pressurization contour is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,996. That patent shows three transverse pressurization contours for air bearing sliders (see FIGS. 6 and 7 of that patent).
One problem that arises with the TPC design is in fabricating the fairly precise angles or angular structures required to form the transverse pressurization contour on an error bearing edge. Considering the contours shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,996, the angled contours of the left hand air bearing surface of FIG. 6, and the rounded contours shown in FIG. 7, are difficult to manufacture on a repetitive, reliable basis. The "stepped" TPC structure shown in the right hand air bearing surface in FIG. 6 is generally more desirable from a manufacturing point of view because the width and depth of the step structure can be more readily controlled than an angled or rounded contour. Moreover, in terms of the horizontal lift surface provided for the slider air bearing surface, the step structure is preferred.
Even though the step structure is preferred over the other transverse pressurization contours, such a structure is still quite expensive to manufacture. Normally, such a step structure could not be machined into the slider air bearing surface using conventional machining. The depth of the step is typically about 30 microinches, .+-.5 microinches. Conventional machining in a production environment permits tolerances of only about .+-.300 microinches. Further, since the entire width of a typical air bearing surface is only about 0.635 mm, and the typical width of each TPC is about 127 mm (meaning that about 40% of the air bearing surface of a rail is occupied by two TPC's for that rail), such machining is difficult and time consuming, and therefore expensive.
A second method of fabricating such a step structure would be to etch (e.g., chemically etching) the slider material. However, most sliders are made of calcium titanate or polycrystalline ferrite material, zirconia, or alumina titanium carbide (for thin film heads). These materials are not generally etchable with the degree of precision required to make a step structure. While single-crystal ferrite material can be chemically etched, this material is at present quite expensive, and requires a relatively expensive photomasking operation to shield portions that are not to be etched.
Another method for forming the TPC step structure is ion milling. However, this process is expensive.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method of forming transverse pressurization contours into the air bearing surfaces of a slider at low cost, and with the precision requisite in forming such TPC's. The present invention provides such a method. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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There have been numerous attempts to provide a device, apparatus, or article to achieve remote discharge of the contents in a spray container. Several devices designed for such use and function are intended to allow a user to discharge the container contents away from the user at variable heights or depths, typically focused on discharging aerosolized paint, epoxy, insulation, or other types of construction-grade material at a height (or depth) or angle not easily negotiated by the user without the use of a ladder, scaffolding or other such devices. Many of these devices include a lever directly connected to the aerosol nozzle and a means for actuating the lever, such as a draw-string or cord, in an attempt to remotely control the discharge and resulting placement of the contents dispensed via the container. Most of the known art is designed and intended for discharge of the contents in a direction away from the user.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention; however, the following references were considered related:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,461 B2, issued in the name of Warner et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,252,210 B1, issued in the name of Schultz et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,716,195, issued in the name of Silva;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,745, issued in the name of Hess, Jr.;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,870 B1, issued in the name of Taylor;
U.S. Pat. No. 8,444,020 B1, issued in the name of Kenny;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,191, issued in the name of Yoshitomi;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,336 B1, issued in the name of Orozco;
U.S. Pat. No. D636,266 S, issued in the name of Walker et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,658 B2, issued in the name of Hall et al.;
U.S. Patent Application no. 2004/0094577 A1, published in the name of Drew; and
U.S. Patent no. 6, 293, 442 B1, issued in the name of Mollayan.
However, at present, there appears to be a need for an article for remotely operating a spray container to control the discharge and placement of container contents in a manner that places such contents on the user as desired, and more broadly, for accommodating unusual angles or other such challenges.
This application presents claims and embodiments that fulfill a need or needs not yet satisfied by the products, inventions and methods previously or presently available. In particular, the claims and embodiments disclosed herein describe an article for retaining and allowing for the remote operation of a spray container, the article comprising: a spine; a base; a handgrip; a mechanical finger; a depressible actuating trigger formed along the handgrip; means for pivotally-adjusting the grip relative to the spine; a means for vertically adjusting the spine; a retention member; and an extension member, the article of the present invention providing unanticipated and nonobvious combination of features distinguished from the products, devices, apparatuses, inventions and methods preexisting in the art. The applicant is unaware of any product, method, disclosure or reference that discloses the features of the claims and embodiments disclosed herein. | {
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This invention relates to a new and improved postcard-type mailing piece. More particularly, the invention relates to a mailing piece which may be of postcard size, with one or more removable message labels adhesively bonded to one surface thereof. Still more particularly, the invention is directed to a mailing piece having at least one removable message label with a coating of an adhesive such as to enable the message label to readhere to a variety of surfaces following removal from the mailing piece.
Mailing pieces have heretofore been designed and constructed for mailing to which have been applied advertising, commercial or other messages or photographs. All such prior articles, however, suffer from one or more disadvantages especially when it is contemplated to apply a multi-color printing to one or both surfaces of the mailing piece. In some cases, adhesives used were either inadequate to resist postal handling, in which case the message label may be lost, or if strong enough to bond to the paper mailing piece, did not satisfactorily adhere to surfaces of other materials. The adhesive used to bond the message label to the paper stock of the mailing piece must be strong enough to withstand handling during postal or other distribution yet have sufficient bonding strength and releasability such that the message label may be removed from the mailing piece and reapplied to a variety of surfaces which may be made of paper, cloth, glass, metal, wood, plastic etc. The surface of the paper stock for the mailing piece must permit adhesion by the adhesively bonded message label but must also be capable of accepting and retaining marking by inks from writing implements such as ballpoint pens, felt tip pens, pencils, typewriter ribbons, as well as multi-color printing, without smudging and bleeding. Similarly, the paper stock used for the message label must be capable of receiving multi-color printing, also without smudging and bleeding.
Various articles have been proposed for mailing pieces, some of which include peelable message labels on one side thereof. For ordinary ink-written messages, bleeding of the ink through the paper stock used for postcard manufacture is not a problem. It is sufficient to merely employ paper stock of sufficient thickness to resist penetration of the ink. However, for mailing pieces with removable message labels that are designed to have multi-color printing, e.g. four or eight color printing, applied to one or both sides thereof, it is necessary to carefully select construction materials including paper stock and adhesives for the mailing piece and the removable message label.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,881 to Sabb describes a postcard for attaching and mailing pictures comprising a single, non-laminated, piece of paper stock. An address and message may be written on one surface and the other surface may be covered with an adhesive for holding a photograph in place during mailing. The photograph is removable by peeling from the body of the card.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,805,816 to Morgan describes a composite business mailing card having one surface which may be addressed or inscribed and postage applied thereto; and another surface having a coating affixed to the entire face which is resistent to permanent adhesion of pressure sensitive adhesive materials. Information labels having a pressure sensitive adhesive coating are applied to the adhesive resistant coating surface of the card. While the composite mailing card may be suitable for some purposes, the patent does not describe a mailing piece with removable message labels suitable for accepting multi-color printing on one side of the mailing piece and removable message labels which may be also with multi-color printing on the opposing side of the mailing piece. Moreover, both of the aforementioned patents do not describe particular paper stocks or adhesives which may be used. | {
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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to dihydrate and anhydrous crystalline forms of 5,11-dihydro-11-ethyl-5-methyl-8-{2-{(1-oxido-4-quinolinyl)oxy}ethyl}-6H-dipyrido[3,2-b:2′,3′-e] [1,4]diazepin-6-one.
2. Background Information
5,11-Dihydro-11-ethyl-5-methyl-8-{2-{(1-oxido-4-quinolinyl)oxy}ethyl}-6H-dipyrido[3,2-b:2′,3′-e][1,4]diazepin-6-one is a non-nucleoside HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitor. Its chemical structure is as depicted below.
The synthesis of 5,11-dihydro-11-ethyl-5-methyl-8-{2-{(1-oxido-4-quinolinyl)oxy}ethyl}-6H-dipyrido[3,2-b:2′,3′-e][1,4]diazepin-6-one, its use for the treatment of HIV infection, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising this substance and suitable for this use are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,420,359 and the corresponding WO0196338. | {
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In a system using a credit card, a cash card of a bank, and the like, an owner (patron) of the card is identified by identification (ID) information such as a membership number, a name, a position, and the like printed on the card. At the same time, the identity of a user is confirmed, in other words, identification operation is carried out by a PIN number or a password which an operator (user) of a card reading terminal inputs.
With the progress of information technology in recent years, on the other hand, the information technology of not only a system developer but also an antisocial organization abusing it is advanced, fraudulent transactions by card theft, forgery, and PIN number decipherment are rapidly increased.
As measures for them, the technology of encrypting information printed on the card and the like, the technology of biometric identification using biometric information such as a fingerprint and an iris pattern, and the like are developed.
The publication of Japanese Patent No. 3475304, for example, discloses an IC card which holds security information in the form of a hologram or the like in contrast to magnetically recorded ID information.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-67399 discloses an identification system which sends biometric identification information to an IC card to carry out validation.
In the foregoing IC card disclosed in the publication of Japanese Patent No. 3475304, an image into which the security information is encoded is stuck on the IC card as the hologram. There is a problem that the security information is easily extracted from the hologram when an encoding scheme is stolen.
Also in the case of the IC card of the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-67399, there is a problem that the identification information can be extracted from the IC card when an algorithm for encoding data is recognized.
Furthermore, in an identification system by the ID card like described above, using high cryptographic technology can increase safety but, on the other hand, the amount of data processing and an infrastructure necessary for carrying out the system become large and hence convenience is reduced. Thus, a tradeoff occurs between safety and convenience. | {
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Liquid crystal displays are widely utilized for a monitor of a personal computer and a portable equipment, and for televisions, because of various advantages such as a low voltage drive, a lower electric power consumption and possibility for a compactification and a thin structure. Such liquid crystal displays are proposed in various modes depending on the liquid crystal molecules within a liquid crystal cell, but a TN mode, in which the liquid crystal molecules are twisted by about 90° from a lower substrate to an upper substrate of the liquid crystal cell, has been employed principally.
In general, the liquid crystal display is constituted of a liquid crystal cell, an optical compensation sheet, and a polarizer. The optical compensation sheet is used for removing a coloration on the image or expanding a view angle, and a stretched birefringent film or a transparent film coated with a liquid crystal material is used for this purpose. For example JP-A-62-210423 discloses a technology of applying an optical compensation film, which is prepared by coating, aligning and fixing a discotic liquid crystal on a triacetyl cellulose film, to a TN-mode liquid crystal cell, thereby expanding a viewing angle. However, a liquid crystal display for a television use, having a large image size and anticipated for observation from various angles, involves strict requirements for the viewing angle dependence of the image, and even the aforementioned method is unable to meet such requirements. For this reason, liquid crystal displays different from the TN mode are being investigated, such as those of an IPS (in-plane switching) mode, an OCB (optically compensatory bend) mode and a VA (vertically aligned) mode. In particular, the VA mode is attracting attention for use in television, because of a high contrast and a relatively high production yield.
However the VA mode, though being capable of displaying an almost complete black color in a normal direction to the panel, causes a light leakage when the panel is observed from an inclined direction, and thus results in a limited viewing angle. In order to avoid such drawback, it is proposed to position a retardation plate, having a refractive index anisotropy in which a refractive index in a film thickness direction is sufficiently smaller than a refractive index in an in-plane direction, between the liquid crystal layer and at least one of the polarizing plates (for example JP-A-62-210423). It is also proposed to reduce the light leakage, by utilizing, in combination, a first retardation plate having a positive monoaxial refractive index anisotropy and a second retardation plate having a negative refractive index anisotropy in which the refractive index in the film thickness direction is sufficiently smaller than the refractive index in the in-plane direction (for example Japanese Patent No. 3027805). It is further proposed to improve the viewing angle characteristics of a VA-mode liquid crystal display, utilizing an optically biaxial retardation plate, having refractive indexes different in three-dimensional directions of a film (for example Japanese Patent No. 3330574).
On the other hand, also in the IPS mode, a slight light leakage in a diagonally inclined incident direction in a black display state is recognized as a cause of deterioration in the display quality. For improving the displayed color and the viewing angle in the black display state, it is being considered, also in the IPS mode, to provide an optical compensation material with birefringent characteristics, between the liquid crystal layer and the polarizing plate. It is disclosed, for example, that the coloration of the image, when a white display or a display of an intermediate tone is observed from an inclined direction, can be improved by positioning a birefringent medium, having mutually orthogonal optical axes and capable of compensating a change in the retardation of the liquid crystal layer in an inclined position, between a substrate and a polarizing plate (see JP-A-9-80424). There are also disclosed a method of utilizing an optical compensation film, formed by a styrenic polymer or a discotic liquid crystalline compound, having a negative intrinsic birefringence (see JP-A-10-54982, JP-A-11-202323 and JP-A-9-292522), a method of combining, as an optical compensation film, a film having a positive birefringence and having an optical axis in the plane of the film and a film having a positive birefringence and having an optical axis in a normal direction to the film (see JP-A-11-133408), a method of utilizing a biaxial optical compensation sheet with a retardation of a half wavelength (see JP-A-11-305217), and a method of utilizing a film having a negative retardation as a protective film of a polarizing plate and providing a surface of such film with an optical compensation layer having a positive retardation (see JP-A-10-307291). Also disclosed is an invention of utilizing a retardation film having Nz of from 0.4 to 0.6 and an in-plane retardation of from 200 to 350 nm thereby suppressing a light leakage, caused by an aberration in a crossing angle of the polarizing axes from an orthogonal relationship, experienced when orthogonally disposed polarizing plates are observed from an inclined direction (see JP-A-2004-4642).
However, the aforementioned methods reduces the light leakage only in a certain wavelength region (for example green light around 550 nm), and do not take into consideration the light leakage in other wavelength regions (for example blue light around 450 nm and red light around 650 nm). Therefore, so-called color shift phenomenon, in which a black display is colored blue or red when observed from an inclined direction, has not been resolved. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc apparatus having a DC motor which rotates a disc.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a disc apparatus which rotates a disc such as CD, CD-R, DVD or the like by using a DC motor such as a spindle motor to record and reproduce images and so on, dust particles are sometimes generated due to an abrasion of a brush in the DC motor and cause a short circuit of a commutator in the DC motor. When the commutator is short-circuited, the spindle motor stops rotating, and the disc thereby stops rotating. When the disc stops rotating, a controller which controls the disc apparatus increases an output current of a drive IC which drives the DC motor to speed up a rotation speed of the spindle motor. The drive IC produces heat due to the increase of the output current. The heat may cause a malfunction of the drive IC and a large current flowing through an actuator. Moreover, when the disc stops rotating, the controller gets less able to obtain an accurate operation of the actuator. As a result, the controller forces the drive IC to operate to rotate the disc. In this case, the drive IC passes the large current through the actuator and consequently, a cover of the actuator sometimes burns.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-174795, there is a disclosure of a technique to detect a failure caused by a short circuit in a field-effect transistor which performs a drive control of a motor when the motor starts driving and stops.
Although the technique described in 2003-174795 enables the detection of the failure caused by the short circuit in the field-effect transistor, it does not enable a detection of a failure caused by a short circuit in a motor.
The present invention is to solve the problem described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a disc apparatus having a spindle motor to rotate a disc which can judge accurately whether or not the spindle motor is at fault due to a short circuit and also prevent the spindle motor from driving in case of failure in the spindle motor due to the short circuit. | {
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The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to LiDAR and aerial mapping of the ground topography, and more particularly but not exclusively to the mapping process using the data obtained from the LiDAR sensor.
LiDAR, an acronym for Light Detection and Ranging, is a sensor that enables rapid generation of dense, accurate, digital models of the topography and vertical structure of a target surface.
The airborne LiDAR laser sensor is mounted on the underside of an aircraft. It transmits pulses of narrow laser beam towards the earth as the aircraft flies. A receiver affixed to the aircraft receives reflections of the pulses as they bounce off the ground surface, and objects on the ground, back to the aircraft. Most LiDAR systems use a scanning mirror to generate a swath of light pulses. Swath width depends on the mirror's angle of oscillation, and the ground-point density depends on factors such as aircraft speed and mirror oscillation rate. Each LiDAR laser reflection provides a single point on the ground. Ranges are determined by computing the amount of time it takes light to leave an airplane, travel to the ground and return to the sensor. The precise position and altitude of a sensing unit, instantaneous scan mirror angle and the collected ranges are used to calculate 3-D positions of terrain and object points from the detected reflections.
The LiDAR data is typically coupled with additional precise positioning information gathered by on board Global Positioning Instruments (GPS) and other Inertial Navigation Systems (INS). Once the total information volume is stored and processed, the result is an extremely accurate “x.y.z.” mapping for every position scanned on the ground.
FIG. 1 shows a basic system in which an aircraft uses a laser beam to scan the ground and detect reflections. GPS data is used to fix the position of the aircraft, with which position the LiDAR data can be correlated to the ground.
LiDAR collects on average 10 points per square meter so a flight that covers 50 Sq. Km acquires approximately 2*1010 data points to be processed, and one of the issues preventing widespread acceptance of LiDAR is the lack of software tools that automatically and efficiently process the LiDAR data. In general today the raw LiDAR data is given to a specialist, who interprets the data in terms of recognizing and indicating structures on the ground. Thus huge numbers of man-hours are spent on LiDAR data, making the final product very expensive. | {
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Cigarette packs are currently displayed and sold in stores such as so-called convenience stores. The “cigarette pack” mentioned here does not mean a cigarette which is actually smoked, but means a rectangular solid package which accommodates a plurality of cigarettes.
The cigarette display system for displaying cigarette packs includes a plurality of magazine units and a system frame, for example. The magazine unit is formed in the shape of a box which is elongated in a direction from front to back and has an opened top, using a colorless, transparent resin, for example.
The magazine unit can then accommodate upright cigarette packs arranged in the direction from front to back, which are provided from above. A slider member is attached to the magazine unit on its bottom surface so as to be slidable in a direction from front to back.
More specifically, at the bottom of the magazine unit, an elongated opening is formed in a direction from front to back. Upward-protruded ribs are formed on both left and right sides of the opening. The slider member is attached to the pair of ribs and the opening so as to be slidable in a direction from front to back.
A wound plate spring to serve as an urging mechanism is attached at a rear of the slider member. One end of the plate spring is pulled out from the slider member and attached to a front bottom part of the magazine unit.
Accordingly, a slider member, which is slidable in a direction from front to back, is resiliently urged by the plate spring. Therefore, a plurality of cigarette packs accommodated in the magazine unit is pushed to a forefront by the slider member.
The system frame holds a plurality of magazine units arranged in the vertical and lateral directions. The system frame includes a plurality of guide rails and a single main frame. A pair of guide rails holds both sides of the magazine unit. The main frame is formed by, for example, metal bars in a solid shape. The plurality of guide rails is fixed in pairs to key points of the main frame.
In the cigarette display system as mentioned above, for example, 20 magazine units are mounted in the system frame in an array of 4 rows and 5 columns. For example, 10 cigarette packs are accommodated in each of the magazine units.
In such the cigarette display system, since cigarette packs are accommodated in colorless, transparent magazine units while the cigarette packs are in an upright state, the cigarette packs are displayed while their representative surfaces facing the front. Therefore, in the cigarette display system, it is possible to display 20 types of cigarette packs, while 10 packs for each kind are accommodated, for example.
When selling a cigarette pack, the cigarette pack is pulled out upward from the forefront part of the magazine unit and remaining cigarette packs accommodated in the magazine unit are pushed to the front by the slider member. Thereby, the magazine unit may keep the state of displaying the cigarette packs at the forefront position, even after one cigarette pack is pulled out.
When replenishing cigarette packs in the cigarette display system, a magazine unit is detached from the system frame. Cigarette packs are accommodated in the magazine unit, and the magazine unit having the cigarette packs accommodated therein is mounted in the system frame. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform a troublesome operation for replenishing cigarette packs in a magazine unit fixed in the system frame.
In a cigarette display system as mentioned above, it is possible to wash and clean a magazine unit, by detaching the magazine unit from the system frame, for example.
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Laid-open patent publication NO. 10-151047 | {
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The present application relates to a cathode active material containing a lithium cobalt compound oxide containing lithium Li and cobalt Co and to a battery using the cathode active material.
In recent years, many portable electronic apparatuses have been developed and a secondary battery is occupying an important position as a power source of such an apparatus. Particularly, in recent years, the realization of a high capacitance and a light weight of the secondary battery is demanded. As a secondary battery which meets such a request, a lithium secondary battery using lithium as an electrode reactive substance has been put into practical use.
Lithium cobalt acid LiCoO2 is widely used as a cathode active material of the lithium secondary battery. This is because lithium cobalt acid has a stratified structure which is advantageous to diffuse lithium ions, the structure is stable even for doping and dedoping of the lithium ions, and excellent characteristics can be obtained. However, in recent years, use in a wider temperature range and use at a large current are also requested, and a request for the characteristics becomes further severe.
Therefore, many trials for improving the characteristics by replacing cobalt in lithium cobalt acid by another element or by adding another element have been made. For example, in Patent Document 1 (JP-A-2001-319652), there has been disclosed a cathode active material whose stability at a high temperature can be improved by replacing a part of cobalt by a first element of at least one kind selected from a group containing aluminum Al, chromium Cr, vanadium V, manganese Mn, and iron Fe and a second element of at least one kind selected from a group containing magnesium Mg and calcium Ca. In Patent Document 2 (JP-A-2004-311408), there has been disclosed a cathode active material in which when lithium cobalt acid is synthesized, a zirconium compound is coprecipitated and zirconium Zr is allowed to exist on a particle surface of lithium cobalt acid, so that load characteristics, low-temperature characteristics, and thermal stability can be improved.
However, according to the cathode active material disclosed in Patent Document 1, although the high-temperature characteristics can be improved, it is difficult to obtain the satisfactory characteristics with respect to the load characteristics and the low-temperature characteristics. It is also requested to further improve the cycle characteristics. According to the cathode active material disclosed in Patent Document 2, although the thermal stability can be improved, it is difficult to obtain the characteristics near the characteristics which have been requested in recent years. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sense amplifier circuits for memory devices, and more particular relates to sense amplifier circuits for static random access memory (SRAM) integrated circuit devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram for an SRAM memory device 100. A memory array 102 includes a plurality of word lines 105 (also frequently referred to as “row lines” or “rows”) and a plurality of complementary bit line pairs 110 (also frequently referred to as “column lines” or “columns”). One such word line 132 is shown, which is also labeled as WLx. One such complementary bit line pair 136, 134 is shown, which includes a true bit line 136 (also labeled as BLxT) and a complement bit line 134 (also labeled as BLxC). The memory array 102 includes a plurality of memory cells (such as memory cell 130) each coupled to an associated word line (such as word line 132) and coupled to an associated complementary bit line pair (such as bit line pair 136, 134).
A row decoder 104 receives and decodes a plurality M of row addresses 106 to generate the plurality 2M of word lines 105, one of which is selected and driven to an active level during a memory operation (e.g., a read or write), and the remaining word lines are unselected and driven or maintained at an inactive level. The word line 130 may be viewed as the selected word line, which is typically driven to an active level equal to the VDD voltage, while unselected word lines 105 are typically held at an inactive level equal to the ground reference voltage (i.e., typically “held at ground”).
A column decoder and multiplexer 112 receives and decodes a plurality N of column addresses 108 to select one or more of the plurality 2N of complementary bit line pairs 110, and couple the selected bit line pairs via interconnections 113 to a group of sense amplifiers 114. In a read operation, the respective output from each sense amplifier 114 is coupled via interconnections 116 to a respective one of a group of input/output circuits 118 to drive the respective inputs/outputs 120. In a write operation, data to be written is presented to the inputs/outputs 120, buffered by the input/output circuits 118 and conveyed to the sense amplifiers/write drivers 114, and coupled through the column decoder and multiplexer 112 to the one or more selected complementary bit line pairs 110.
A control circuit 122 serves to control the operation of the various components of the SRAM memory device 100 in its various modes of operation, such as a read mode, a write mode, and a standby mode, in response to one or more control signal inputs (not shown).
Referring now to FIG. 2, a common six-transistor CMOS memory cell 130, and a traditional sense amplifier 114 are shown for such a SRAM memory device 100. The memory cell 130 includes a pair of cross-coupled inverters, and a pair of passgate transistors (also known as “access transistors”). One such inverter is formed by P-channel transistor 144 and N-channel transistor 146, and the other inverter is formed by P-channel transistor 145 and N-channel transistor 147. The two cross-coupled nodes 141, 143 are coupled respectively to bit lines 136, 134 by respective access transistors 140, 142 whose gate terminals are coupled to the word line 132.
If selected in a read mode of operation, the bit line pair 136, 134 is coupled through the column multiplexer 112 to nodes 152, 154 of sense amplifier 114. The three P-channel transistors 164, 165, 166 together form an equilibration circuit to equilibrate the internal sense amplifier nodes 154, 156 and to precharge both such nodes to VDD when enabled by an active-low precharge signal PCX conveyed on node 168.
Transistors 156, 158, 160, 162, 163 together form a latching differential amplifier which is enabled by asserting an active-high enable signal SAEN on node 172. Since the internal sense amplifier nodes 152, 154 are equilibrated to VDD between sensing operations, when sensing begins both P-channel transistors 156, 158 are turned off. The two N-channel transistors 160, 162 form a differential pair, and transistor 163 serves to provide the tail current for transistors 160, 162. The sense amplifier node 152, 154 having the lower voltage (as a result of the data state of memory cell 130) is driven to ground, and the other sense amplifier node 152, 154 having the higher voltage is driven to (or maintained at) VDD.
When bit lines are precharged to a relatively “high” VDD voltage, a selected memory cell may experience a read stability failure due to the voltage divider formed by the passgate transistor and the inverter pull-down transistor in the bitcell. For example, if a logic “1” is stored in the memory cell 130, internal bitcell node 141 is high (VDD) and internal bitcell node 143 is low (ground). Both bit lines 136, 134 are precharged to VDD before the read operation begins. When the selected word line 132 is driven to VDD, transistors 142 and 147 form a voltage divider that tends to raise the voltage of internal node 143 from ground to a voltage higher than ground, since the gate terminals of both transistors 142 and 147 are at VDD, the drain terminal of transistor 142 is at VDD, and the source terminal of transistor 147 is at ground. Node 143 may easily rise in voltage to a significant fraction of the VDD voltage, depending upon the ratio of transistors 142 and 147. If the voltage of node 143 is raised high enough, it may cause instability in the cross-coupled latch and cause the memory cell 130 to flip states, thereby causing an error in the memory array.
However, if bit lines are precharged to a voltage lower than VDD, the common-mode voltages of the true and complement sense amplifier nodes (which largely follows the common-mode voltage of the selected bit line pair) may be too low to “steer” the N-channel differential amplifier (i.e., transistors 160, 162, and 163) when enabled by the SAEN signal, or at best may cause the N-channel differential amplifier to function very slowly. In addition, a short-circuit current (i.e., “crowbar” current) may flow through the sense amplifier output inverters as a result of the non-rail input voltage of such inverters. In this context, VDD is the voltage to which the selected word line is driven, and which is used to power the memory cells in the array.
As process technology improvement has steadily reduced the critical line widths and feature sizes, the VDD operating window has become smaller, and proper circuit operation has become more difficult to obtain. | {
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When working on material with power tools, such as sawing wood with radial type saws, it is often necessary to hold down said material with one hand while operating the cutting tool with the other hand, particularly when dealing with small light pieces which tend to move out of position while being cut.
My invention provides a simple, easily operated hold down arm that is readily adjusted for varying thicknesses of workpieces and which is adapted to accommodate irregularities in material being worked.
My invention further provides a means whereby one member of the hold down arm may be quickly replaced by an entirely different member when an unusual work piece, or the surface of the table supporting the work piece, requires that such a change be made. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The routing problem in optical network is defined as determining individual wavelength paths in a Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) network considering functions such as regeneration, amplification, Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexers (ROADMs), Fixed Optical Add/Drop Multiplexes (FOADMs), optical cross connects, wavelength converters, and the like. Some descriptions of this are in IETF RFC 6163 “Framework for GMPLS and Path Computation Element (PCE) Control of Wavelength Switched Optical Networks (WSONs),” April 2011, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. In addition to the aforementioned functions, other aspects in routing include wavelength continuity, non-linear impairments, and the like. As such, routing of individual optical channels can be an extremely complex proposition. As technology evolves, impairment effects, signal loss, etc. are becoming less applicable in the routing considerations. This is also the case in campus, metro, and/or regional networks in which degree size (e.g., typically four or less) and distance are such that various aspects can be eliminated in the routing problem. Further, conventional photonic networks cannot perform restoration from line faults at the speed expected for protection. By photonic, this refers to switching at the wavelength level as opposed to switching at a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) level (e.g., Optical Transport Network (OTN), Synchronous Optical Network (SONET, Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH), etc.).
Two exemplary photonic networks include a broadcast and select optical network and an all-broadcast optical network. The broadcast and select optical network forms individual nodes based on WSSs and 1:N splitters to form a ROADM degree architecture. Examples of broadcast and select optical networks are described in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/970,575 filed Jan. 8, 2008 and entitled “WAVELENGTH-SWITCHED OPTICAL ADD-DROP MULTIPLEXER WITH WAVELENGTH BROADCASTING CAPABILITY” and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/103,204 filed Apr. 15, 2008 and entitled “DIRECTIONLESS RECONFIGURABLE OPTICAL ADD-DROP MULTIPLEXER SYSTEMS AND METHODS,” the contents of each are incorporated by reference herein. Examples of all-broadcast optical networks are described in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/436,470 filed May 6, 2009 and entitled “OPTICAL ROUTING DEVICE AND OPTICAL NETWORK USING SAME” and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/371,920 filed Feb. 13, 2012 and entitled “COLORLESS, DIRECTIONLESS, AND GRIDLESS OPTICAL NETWORK, NODE, AND METHOD,” the contents of each are incorporated by reference herein. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Analog and digital circuits are used in countless varied applications, and are being integrated even more with each passing year. Prefabricated components and chips lie at the heart of most of these circuits. As these circuits have become not only more prevalent but also more complex, it has become increasingly important to those who manufacture and sell the component parts, as well as to those who purchase components and implement circuits using them, that secure and efficient methods be available to package and transport these often delicate or sensitive components. In addition, similar demands exist with respect to other electrical and mechanical components. Component suppliers traditionally ship their parts to the end user in various forms of transport packaging, the most popular being waffle trays or tape-and-reel arrangements. In tape-and-reel arrangements, the tape is thermoformed with a series of pockets formed along its length. A component part is inserted into a pocket and covered with a cover tape which secures the part inside. The cover tape is usually a film or web with a thermally-activated or pressure-sensitive adhesive deposited on its underside. A length of the carrier/cover tape combination is then spooled onto a circular shipping reel. This system provides an efficient arrangement in which the components can be packaged, shipped and presented to an automated assembly process.
Waffle trays are similar, except the pockets are provided in a grid pattern on a thermoformed tray. Instead of rolling the carrier onto a reel as with the tape, the trays are stacked for shipping and storage.
Circuit components are generally formed of a main body with terminals extending from near the edges of the main body. The main body is generally more robust than the terminals, and able to withstand forces typically encountered in shipping and storage. The terminals, however, are often quite delicate, and therefore, cause the most concern in shipping and storage. Any impact between a terminal and the interior of the carrier tape pocket, for example, can be potentially damaging to the component. Therefore, it is desirable to separate the component terminals from the inner surfaces of the pocket and to maintain that separation. To create the separation, a typical pocket includes a "pedestal" that holds the component off the bottom surface of the pocket. To maintain the separation, the pocket and pedestal must resist crushing during typical shipping and storage conditions.
The carrier is generally formed of a thin layer of thermoplastic, typically less than a millimeter thick. Because the pocket walls are so thin, the pockets are susceptible to being crushed when spooled onto a reel or stacked for shipping. The formation of the recessed pocket stretches the material even thinner in the side walls of the pocket, further reducing the strength of the pocket. Conventional efforts to increase the crush resistance of carrier pockets have centered around increasing wall thicknesses or changing the material. Unfortunately, increased thicknesses result in proportionate increases in shipping weight and cost, as well decreases in component capacity. Further, stronger materials are generally more expensive and/or heavier, which also increases production and shipping costs. Many tapes and trays have been fashioned from either high strength plastic or laminates of various plastics. These materials are more expensive than standard plastics, but do not significantly improve the overall pocket strength when used in typical industry thickness ranges.
In certain applications, it is desirable that the packaging materials conduct electricity or dissipate static in order to protect the component from electrostatic damage. In these cases, the resin from which the carrier is formed is generally impregnated with a carbon powder or the like. The presence of the carbon powder, however, tends to degrade the structural integrity of the plastic, and the design of a conductive carrier pocket must take into account the resultant loss of strength.
Some carrier manufacturers compensate for the resultant loss of strength by providing a laminate structure in which a more pure plastic structural layer is sandwiched between two thin carbon-impregnated layers. This approach does provide added strength, but has several drawbacks in addition to the increased production costs generally involved with producing such a laminate. The conductive qualities of the laminates are generally inferior. Further, the thin conductive layer can be stretched too thin in the forming process or scratched off the structural layer in use, either of which can diminish the electrostatic protection desired. Also, the three-layer structure under certain conditions, can store charge like a capacitor. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a single conductive layer and compensate for the reduced strength of the material in other ways.
As for the pedestal, conventional designs extend at steep angles from the pocket bottom and provide a flat support surface on which the component rests. One disadvantage of these typical designs is that the pocket and the pedestal strength depend almost entirely on the inherent strength and rigidity of the material. Further, these pedestals often have near-vertical sides that are even more susceptible to bending, buckling, or collapsing. The typical pedestal is not very resistant to compressive forces applied to the component from above or to the pedestal from below.
Examples of known carrier tape designs are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,723, to Chenoweth et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,393, to Chenoweth, each of which illustrate microchip storage tape having pockets for accommodating electronic components. In Chenoweth (which is incorporated by reference into Chenoweth et al.), a bottom wall has a plurality of linear, upwardly-projected, V-shaped ridges, the inclined inner surfaces of which lie at the edges of a center portion of the pocket and serve to keep the microchip centered. Rectangular, raised support shoulders with substantially parallel, vertical walls, extend diagonally across the corners of the center portion of the pocket between adjacent ends of the ridges. The shoulders, which are lower than the ridges, support the microchip, elevated above the bottom wall, with its leads extending over the ridges so that the leads do not engage the bottom wall or the ridges. While this pedestal arrangement serves well its intended purpose, maintaining the microchip in position in the center of the pocket, it does not account for the particular concerns addressed by the present invention.
Another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,281, to Kawanishi et al., relates to an electronic component carrier tape with a number of cavities. In FIGS. 8a and 8b of this patent, the surface of a "valley" (between a "component-mounting portion" and a peripheral wall) of the cavity is corrugated with an angular pattern. Because the electronic component is bonded to the component-mounting portion, when the component is to be removed, bending strain will develop in the valley portion. The corrugations distribute this strain, increasing the resistance to bending. While the squared corrugations of this arrangement do somewhat improve the rigidity of the peripheral wall, stress can be concentrated by the corners of the corrugations themselves, which become points of potential failure.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 8-198317, of Sakurai, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-149393, of Takahashi, illustrate other examples of component carrier tape pockets with side walls reinforced by corrugation or patterning. U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,988, to Skrtic, illustrates a buttressed carrier tape pocket side wall, whereas U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,239, to Sandish et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 2,858,224, to Darrah, illustrate examples of other containers with side walls reinforced by corrugations or the like.
Rounded, as compared to squared, corrugations provide better stability by eliminating corners in which stress can be focused. However, if a flat component lead does contact the rounded inner surfaces of such a corrugation, the region of contact will be more focused than it would be with a flat wall, increasing the likelihood of damaging the component.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a component carrier pocket with a pedestal designed to better resist compression.
There is a further need for a component carrier with side walls designed to better resist compression.
There is also a need for a component carrier with side walls that resist compression but include regions that distribute impacts of the component leads.
There is an additional need for a component carrier incorporating each of these features, wherein the pedestal and the pocket side walls better resist compression, and the side walls include regions that distribute component impacts. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Rhododendron plant, botanically known as Rhododendron hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Farrow’.
The new Rhododendron plant is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of Rhododendron hybrida ‘Silver Sword’, not patented. The new Rhododendron plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor on a single flowering plant of ‘Silver Sword’ in an outdoor nursery in Earleville, Md. during the summer of 2001.
Asexual reproduction of the new Rhododendron plant by softwood cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Earleville, Md. since 2001 has shown that the unique features of this new Rhododendron plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Traditionally, spacecraft customers order one or two spacecraft at a time from a spacecraft manufacturer for its business venture because of the cost associated with the purchase and launch of the spacecraft. A spacecraft manufacturer may have two to four spacecraft designs in its portfolio, from which the customer typically picks. The manufacturer will customize the payload and antennas to fit the customer's needs, thus leveraging the economies possible with a standardized manufacturing process while maintaining flexibility in design. Spacecraft manufacturers typically need from 15 months to 2 years to build a standard spacecraft.
Every spacecraft has a payload section and a bus section. The payload section houses the transponder/repeaters and the antennas of the spacecraft. The bus section of the spacecraft is the structure that supports many of the functions needed to operate and control the spacecraft. Manufacturing of a spacecraft is organized into areas of specialization, such as structures, propulsion, power, telemetry and command, attitude control, thermal control, and solar array assembly hardware and electronics, and payload integration and test, antenna fabrication, spacecraft integration and test. As a spacecraft is constructed, it passes through each of these areas of specialization. The spacecraft undergoes final integration and test before shipment to the launch site. Specialized test equipment, alignment tools, and large rollover fixtures, which allow technicians to reposition the spacecraft for easy access, are featured in the area of final integration.
With as many as seven specialization areas to be completed sequentially during the manufacture of the bus section of the spacecraft, the manufacturing process itself is time consuming and complex. It would be nice if the manufacturing process could be shortened. However, each of the functions carried by the bus section is necessary for spacecraft operation.
Much effort by the spacecraft manufacturer goes into research and development of new materials to make the bus section lighter weight, while maintaining its strength requirements. However, due to the small size of typical spacecraft orders, it had not been economically feasible for the spacecraft manufacturer to redesign the spacecraft bus to improve manufacturability. Much work has been done to continuously improve the existing manufacturing processes each year to stay competitive.
As in the manufacture of any product, the more of that product that you sell, the more feasible and desirable it becomes to streamline the manufacturing process and reduce production costs and risk. The same is true in the spacecraft manufacturing business. Satellite communications have become such an intricate part of society that more and more satellites are being purchased each year. The spacecraft manufacturers are realizing backlogs in the manufacture of spacecraft as much as 5 to maybe 10 years.
A more recent trend is the large volume orders of identical spacecraft for satellite constellations to support mobile telephone services, paging, faxing, videoconferencing, broadband multimedia and remote monitoring and tracking around the world. Motorola has recently launched approximately 66 satellites for its Iridium program and is working on another large volume satellite constellation with Teledesic having over 200 satellites. The assignee to this application is manufacturing 12 satellites for ICO Global Communications for estimated launches starting in 1999 and has another constellation of 8 satellites in development for its SPACEWAY.TM. Program. Therefore there is a need to streamline the design and manufacture of these satellites to reduce manufacturing time and cost and to maintain reliability to meet the competitive and ambitious schedules of the customer.
Thus, it would be advantageous to have a low cost, lightweight spacecraft telemetry, command and control architecture which integrates into a single electronic system many functions that previously have been implemented as physically separate systems on the spacecraft. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device comprising a plurality of easily-controllable memory cells which can be accessed at high speed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional, standard, general-purpose DRAM has a page mode for access at a high speed cycle time. As is commonly known, in this page mode it is possible to access specified memory cells in a row of a memory cell array selected by means of a row address, by arbitrarily changing a column address in a string of simultaneously sensed memory cells.
High speed access is possible with this type of mode for the following reasons. Considerable time is required for sense amplification of the cell data in a DRAM, but once the data has been sensed, the read-out of this data proceeds very quickly. Once a column address has been changed in the page mode operation, the access to the sense amplifier which has sensed that cell is commenced and the data is output when a CAS signal is switched to "L." Accordingly, the page mode is a random access mode.
Recently, the capacity of memory chips has been increasing year after year. Accordingly, the number of chips used in a system has been reduced. Therefore, when large volume chips are used in the prior art, namely when many chips are used in a system, these chips are divided into a number of groups which are interleaved, making it possible to construct and utilize a memory system in which the apparent cycle time is short, but this method cannot be used in a system having small volume chips.
On the other hand, the speeds of MPUs have been increasing year after year, and even in a small scale system there is a necessity to achieve high speeds. For these reasons, it has become necessary for a memory to operate at even higher cycle speeds. Also, from these requirements it is not absolutely necessary for the access operation to be random; there are many cases in which all that is required is the ability to read or write a string of data at high speed.
A method for providing a high speed operation for RAML including SRAM and the like has been reported in the following literature.
Chikai Ohno, "Self-Timed RAM: STRAM", FUJITSU Sci. tech. J., 24, 4, pp 293-300, December 1988.
In the literature, the following method is disclosed. A RAM (STRAM) operates in synchronization with a system clock, namely in the RAM, an address signal and R/W signals for a read-out or for write-in are received in synchronization with the clock signal at a timing, then at the next timing a content of the memory cell addressed by the address signal is output.
However, in this method, the address signal must be provided at every cycle of the system clock. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that the access operation to a memory cell in the RAM cannot be followed by the period of the system clock when the period becomes high.
When a conventional page mode is used, an address change is absolutely necessary. Therefore, it is impossible to operate with a higher access cycle time which is more than the time needed by the address control of the system. Speed increases for the memory access operation are therefore limited.
Control signals such as RAS signals and CAS signals must be supplied to the memory chip. These control signals are produced by the system. Accordingly, the control for supplying the control signals to the memory chip is an obstacle to providing a high speed operation with a memory system which includes an access means. In this case, the operation control of the system becomes so complex that it is difficult to use the control of the system. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates generally to fluid control valves for production well equipment. In particular, this invention relates to back pressure valves for reverse cementing applications.
Production wells typically have valves and valve seats also known as check valves and back pressure valves. These valves are utilized in different applications in various industries including but not limited to the oil and gas industry. Current back pressure valves supply a one direction flow and a negative flow from the other direction. This may be desirable when a controlled flow is important for such purposes as safety well control while placing a casing string and/or tubing in a potentially active well.
Typical valves may be mechanically manipulated to selectively change the direction of flow during operations and then selectively change the flow direction back to an original direction. Valves are usually manipulated between configurations by mechanical movement of the casing/tubing, or placing an inter string inside the casing/tubing string to apply weight on the valve so as to hold the valve in an open configuration. Other mechanisms for manipulating valves include disabling the valve with a pressure activated ball or plug allowing flow to enter the casing/tubing string. But these valves cannot be reactivated, if desired. Other valves are manipulated when the casing bottoms in the rat hole at the bottom of the well bore so that the valve is mechanically held open by the set down weight. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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L-carnitine is known as vitamin B.sub.T and chemically termed L-.gamma.-amino-.beta.-hydroxybutyric acid trimethylbetain.
L-carnitine known as vitamin B.sub.T exists in tissues of many living organisms, including microorganism to human being, and is an indispensable factor for the growth of dark mealworm (Tanebrio obscurus Fabricius). For this reason, various studies have recently been made with regard to its physiological activities and clinical application (See S. L. De Felice, Orphan Drugs, F. E. Karch, Ed. C. Marcel Dekker, New York, 1982, pp. 33-56). Under such circumstances, it has already been known that D-carnitine competitively inhibits the physiological activities of L-carnitine, though carnitine has been synthesized as DL-carnitine chloride on an industrial scale. Therefore, an effective method of resolving DL-carnitine has been desired.
In this connection, a method of optical resolution of DL-carnitine has been disclosed in East German Patent No. 93347 specification, wherein L(+)tartaric acid, dibenzoyl-D(-)tartaric acid, D(+)camphoric acid and D(-)camphoric acid are recited as resolving agents. This prior art method, however, involves a problem in its application to industrial production of L-carnitine, because the resolving agents used therein are relatively expensive and L-carnitine of high purity is difficult to obtain. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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A barcode is a static, optical machine-readable representation (image) of data. The bars are read by variances in reflected light. Barcode readers are relatively inexpensive and more accurate than key entry. However, issues arise when the barcode image is low resolution or has become obstructed or damaged in some way, causing a failed read or misread of the barcode information. Barcodes are also susceptible to limitations of the printer and reader. For example, barcodes printed on dark backgrounds like corrugated cardboard may be difficult to read. Heretofore, several unsuccessful attempts have been made to address these shortcomings.
U.S. Patent Application 20110000958 discloses a method and system for communicating encoded information through “animated” barcodes wherein a single bar code area on an electronics' display or television is scanned multiple times while the bar code area changes from one bar code image to another.
U.S. Patent Application 20100020970 discloses a system and method for creating a camera imaging data channel by encoding a sequence of bar codes from a display screen and captured by a camera, then decoded by software on a cell phone or similar device.
U.S. Patent Application 20060054695 discloses a dynamic bar code display apparatus that includes a storage medium and means for displaying at least two or more bar codes continuously.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,360,706 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,273,180 disclose a hand-supportable digital imaged-based bar code symbol reading device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,952 discloses a bar code reader that utilizes a CCD imager device to capture the image, and the memory data from the imager device is analyzed to recognize and decode any symbols included within the image.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,397 discloses a multi-resolution bar code reader in which the bar code reader's optics and sensing elements are organized to send two channels of data derived from a bar code scan.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,954 discloses the bar code location and recognition processing system in which a bar code is optically scanned, and a digital video processor converts the scan to binary data and determines the location and pattern of the bar code in the scan image.
U.S. Patent Application 20080277475 discloses a digital image capture and processing system that combines video and snapshot image captures into a single bar code data capture cycle.
U.S. Patent Application 20070199993 and U.S. Patent Application 20070187509 disclose a hand-supportable digital bar code reader that has multiple modes of image processing capabilities that include reading both 1D and 2D bar code symbols.
None of these references, however, teach the use of an error-identifying or two-way communication feed-back loop in a dual electronic device apparatus that uses image display and image capturing devices to communicate between the devices via bar codes in at least one direction. Furthermore, none of these references teach the use of bar codes that have varying sections of bar code image pattern resolution within a single bar code pattern. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Various data processing systems have been developed including storage systems, cellular telephone systems, and radio transmission systems. In such systems data is transferred from a sender to a receiver via some medium. For example, in a storage system, data is sent from a sender (i.e., a write function) to a receiver (i.e., a read function) via a storage medium. As information is stored and transmitted in the form of digital data, errors are introduced that, if not corrected, can corrupt the data and render the information unusable. In some cases, data decoding fails to properly decode.
Hence, for at least the aforementioned reasons, there exists a need in the art for advanced systems and methods for data decoding. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to the field of integrated circuit memory technology. More specifically, the present invention provides an enhanced static memory cell for storing data.
Memory cells are used in the implementation of many types of electronic devices and integrated circuits. These devices include microprocessors, static random access memories (SRAMs), erasable-programmable read only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable programmable read only memories (EEPROMs), Flash EEPROM memories, programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), among others. Memory cells are used to store the data and other information for these and other integrated circuits.
As integrated circuit technology and semiconductor processing continue to advance, there is a need for greater densities and functionality in integrated circuits, which are often determined in a large part by the size of the memory cells. Further, it is desirable that the memory cells have improved operating characteristics, such as lower power consumption, nonvolatility, greater device longevity, improved data retention, better transient performance, superior voltage and current attributes, and improvements in other similar attributes.
Furthermore, improved memory cells are especially needed for particular applications, such as PLD integrated circuits. PLDs are well known to those in the electronic art. Such programmable logic devices are commonly referred as PALs (Programmable Array Logic), PLAs (Programmable Logic Arrays), FPLAs, PLDs, EPLDs (Erasable Programmable Logic Devices), EEPLDs (Electrically Erasable Programmable Logic Devices), LCAs (Logic Cell Arrays), FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), and the like. Such devices are used in a wide array of applications where it is desirable to program standard, off-the-shelf devices for a specific application. Such devices include, for example, the well-known, Classic.TM., and MAX.RTM. 5000, and FLEX.RTM. 8000 EPLDs made by Altera Corp.
PLDs are generally known in which many logic array blocks (LABs) are provided in a two-dimensional array. LABs contain a number of individual programmable logic elements (LEs) which provide relatively elementary logic functions such as NAND, NOR, and exclusive OR. Further, PLDs have an array of intersecting signal conductors for programmably selecting and conducting logic signals to, from, and between the LABs and LEs. The configuration of the LABs, LEs, and interconnections between these logical elements is stored in memory cells. Memory cells may be used to programmably control the composition, configuration, and arrangements of logic array blocks (LABs) and logic elements (LEs) and also the interconnections between these logic array blocks and logic elements.
Resulting from the continued scaling and shrinking of semiconductor device geometries which are used to form integrated circuits (also known as "chips"), integrated circuits have progressively become smaller and denser. For programmable logic, it becomes possible to put greater numbers of programmable logic elements onto one integrated circuit. Furthermore, as the number of elements increases, it becomes increasingly important to improve the techniques and architectures used for interconnecting the elements and routing signals between the logic blocks. Also as PLDs increase in size and complexity, greater numbers of memory cells are required on to hold the configuration information of the logical elements.
While such devices have met with substantial success, such devices also meet with certain limitations, especially in situations in which the provision of more complex logic modules and additional or alternative types of interconnections between the logic modules would have benefits sufficient to justify the additional circuitry and programming complexity. There is also a continuing demand for logic devices with larger capacity. This produces a need to implement logic functions more efficiently and to make better use of the portion of the device which is devoted to interconnecting individual logic modules. Moreover, there is a need to more efficiently and effectively store the configuration information of PLDs. The memory technology used to store the configuration information of the PLD should be compact, power efficient, reprogrammable and nonvolatile, require little additional programming circuitry overhead, and generally provide enhancements to the performance and features of PLD logic modules and interconnections.
As can be seen, an improved memory cell is needed, especially an improved memory cell for storing the configuration information for the logic elements and interconnections of a programmable logic device. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Targeted web advertising has become a very successful business for companies like GOOGLE. Such advertising is a success for much the same reason certain search engines are a success—it brings users information that is relevant to them. Advertising is typically provided along with search results, often in an area separate from the actual results themselves. In such a situation, the advertisements selected for display may be matched to terms in the search request. The GOOGLE ADWORDS service is an example of such targeted advertising.
Targeted advertisements may also be delivered apart from search, such as on web pages themselves. For example, an ad system may analyze the content of a web page to determine important words or concepts to associate with the page, and may deliver ads directed to those words or concepts when the page is displayed. Such delivery may occur when the page is retrieved for a user, with the host of the page delivering the page content and the ad server delivering the targeted advertising. The GOOGLE ADSENSE service is an example of such targeted advertising. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a liquid composition for the preparation of a permeable membrane and to a method for the manufacture of the permeable membrane. More particularly, this invention relates to a liquid composition for the preparation of a permeable membrane (hereinafter referred to "membrane") to be used as in a mechanical kidney, plasma separator, etc. and to a method for the manufacture of the membrane.
2. Description of Prior Arts
Mechanical kidneys and other devices for the filtration of body fluids operated by means of osmosis, ultrafiltration, etc. have achieved notable growth and have come to find extensive utility in the medical field. In such mechanical kidneys and other devices for the filtration of body fluids, extremely fine hollow fibers and membranes adapted for dialysis of body fluids are playing the most important role. These transmitting membranes such as hollow fibers for dialysis are represented by hollow fibers made of regenerated cellulose which is obtained by the deacetation of cellulose triacetae. The hollow fibers are deficient in water permeation capacity and, therefore, require a long time for the treatment of blood. At times, the treatment by use of such hollow fibers inevitably necessitates prolonged confinement of patients. And, such prolonged confinement possibly brings about undesirable results particularly in the case of senile patients and patients of delicate physical conditions. Hollow fibers made of cellulose esters have been proposed. Adoption of cellulose esters as the raw materials obviates the complicate work of deacetation inevitably entailed when regenerated cellulose is used as the raw material. The hollow fibers using such cellulose esters exhibit rather satisfactory water permeation capacity. When these cellulose esters are prepared in the form of dopes for spinning, however, they pose a problem of hygienic safety. In one of such dopes, for example, acetyl cellulose is used in a concentration of 30 weight percent in the mixture of acetone and formamide (40:60).
With a view to eliminating the faults found with the hollow fibers made of regenerated cellulose derived from cellulose triacetate or those made of cellulose acetate, a method for the preparation of hollow fibers has been proposed which comprises a steps of extruding the spinning dope of cuprammonium cellulose through annular spinning orifices, allowing the continuously extruded hollow tubes to fall down gravitationally and, during the descent of the hollow tubes, filling to capacity the interiors of the continuous hollow tubes formed from the dope with a liquid incapable of coagulating the spinning dope, then allowing the descending hollow tubes to be amply fluidly elongated by the gravitational pull exerted thereon, and thereafter immersing the elongated hollow tubes in a dilute sulfuric acid solution to be coagulated and regenerated (Japanese Patent Publication No. 1363/1980). Although the hollow tubes of cuprammonium cellulose thus prepared exhibit higher water transmitting capacity than those made of regenerated cellulose derived from cellulose triacetate and those made of cellulose esters, they are capable of being permeated only by low molecular compounds such as, for example, urea and vitamin B.sub.12 and incapable of being permeated by compounds of medium and high molecular weights. When they are used in a mechanical kidney, for example, they betray a disadvantage that melanin pigments and other similar matter gradually accumulate on their walls.
An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a liquid composition for the manufacture of a novel membrane and a method for the manufacture of the membrane.
Another object of this invention is to provide a liquid composition for the manufacture of a membrane capable of passing compounds of not merely low molecular weights but also medium and high molecular weights and a method for the manufacture of the membrane.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a method for the manufacture of dialytic hollow fibers capable of being permeated by substances of low molecular weights and substances of medium and high molecular weights as well. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In existing sprayguns for spraying fluids using conventional atomising air the needle is sealed by woven asbestos filled with a P.T.F.E. (polytetrafluoroethylene) and a grease mixture. Sometimes graphite is used in the grease.
The needles of these existing needle valves are subjected to wear and to improve the seal an adjustment has to be made of a spring loaded collar. This has the disadvantage of having to remove the front of the spraygun to provide access to the needle packing assembly. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for supporting game animals in order to better facilitate skinning and dressing the animals. More particularly, the invention relates to a game skinning aid which is characterized by a wire member featuring a leg support having a bend approximately in the middle thereof for attaching the leg support to a tree or other supporting structure and diverging, outwardly and downwardly extending legs which terminate in upturned, pointed contact segments. A head support extends from attachment to the legs downwardly between the contact segments and is characterized by a curve which defines a head support bend. Skinning of the animal is accomplished using the game skinning aid by initially securing the front or rear legs of the animal to the upward extending, pointed contact segments while skinning the upper body and subsequently reversing the carcass and suspending the head from the head support bend and skinning the lower body.
One of the problems realized in the skinning and dressing of small animals such as squirrels, raccoons, rabbits and like animals, is that of supporting and positioning the animal carcass in the proper orientation to achieve efficient skinning and dressing. Since the skinning technique requires the use of a knife while positioning the animal in a proper configuration to facilitate efficient use of the knife, it is very important to use a support of proper design in the skinning operation. It is frequently necessary to hang an animal carcass in an elevated, head-down position and sometimes in an elevated, head-up position, in order to properly skin and dress the carcass. In both cases the carcass should be supported in a secure manner and the support should allow ample working space to facilitate application of considerable force to the carcass in order to remove the skin and complete the dressing operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various devices for suspending animal carcasses for skinning and dressing game are known in the art. An early invention entitled "Gambrel", is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 828,620, dated Aug. 14, 1906, to D. H. Martin. The Martin "Gambrel" is characterized by a pair of hooks, each of which is attached to elongated scissor means, with a separate, curved connector bar used to adjust the spacial relationship of the hooks with respect to each other. A "Suspension Device for Use in Skinning Small Animals" is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,027,335, dated May 21, 1912, to A. G. Huyerdahl. The Huyerdahl device is characterized by a U-shaped frame, the rear support of which is slidably adjustable to position the parallel, extending ends or fingers closer to or farther away from each other, as desired. The fingers extend from the support member in sets of two and the paired fingers in each set are joined by a thumb screw to facilitate securing the legs of an animal therebetween. U.S. Pat. No. 2,169,928, dated Aug. 15, 1939, to H. Saley, entitled "Gambrel", includes a ring, to which are pivotally attached a pair of rods having hooks secured to opposite ends thereof. A spacer bar is removably positioned between the ends of the rod to facilitate support of an animal carcass from the hooks. A "Small Game Hanging Device" is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,188,130, dated June 8, 1965, to S. P. Pietrowicz. The Pietrowicz device includes a tubular member having a length of cord extending therethrough, with the cord exiting the tubular member at both ends and at the center, in opposite directions. The end of the cord which exits the tubular member in the center is attached to a tree limb or other support, while the legs of the animal are secured in spaced relationship to the two ends of the cord which extend downwardly from opposite ends of the tubular member.
One of the problems which exists in prior art suspension members used for skinning and cleaning or dressing animal carcasses is that of the lack of facility to support both the head and the legs of the animal. This facility is often necessary in order to properly position the carcass to allow more efficient skinning and cleaning of the animal. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a game skinning aid which is characterized by a shaped wire member having spaced, upwardly extending contact segments for supporting the legs of an animal and a downwardly extending head support for supporting the head of the animal.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved, substantially rigid game skinning aid which is shaped from heavy wire and is characterized by a pair of spaced, upwardly extending, pointed contact segments for receiving and supporting the legs of an animal and a curved head support extending downwardly between and beneath the contact segments to support the head of the animal.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved game skinning aid which can be used to skin and dress substantially any small animal and is characterized by a substantially rigid, shaped wire member having a pair of downwardly extending legs which join at the top in an apex bend for supporting the game skinning aid, extend outwardly and downwardly to define a pair of frontal bends and terminate at the bottom in sharp, upward turned, spaced contact segments for supporting the legs of an animal and further including a shaped head support which is welded or otherwise attached to the legs and loops downwardly between and below the contact segments for supporting the head of the animal.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved game skinning aid which is fashioned from two lengths of stainless steel wire to define a substantially rigid frame, which frame includes a leg support shaped to define an apex bend at the top for suspending the game skinning aid from a nail driven into a tree, the first leg support defining a pair of legs which extend downwardly from the apex bend in diverging relationship and terminate in upward standing, forwardly oriented, pointed contact segments for receiving the legs of an animal. The game skinning aid further includes a head support which is characterized by a pair of head support arms extending downwardly from welded attachment to the legs and projecting between the contact segments, the arms terminating at a head support bend which is shaped to support the head of the animal. | {
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1. The Field of the Invention
Generally, this disclosure relates to firearms. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to methods, devices, and systems for operating a closed-bolt belt-fed firearm with greater reliability of operation, flexibility in platform, and ease of maintenance.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Belt-fed machine guns generally fall into two broad categories based on the way the gun fires ammunition: open-bolt or closed-bolt. In an open-bolt gun, the operating group, which includes the bolt, is held toward the rear of the receiver and away from chamber when not firing. The operating group is restrained, under tension from a spring, such that when the operating group is released, it moves forward forcefully. The forward movement shears a bullet off of a belt, delivers the bullet to the chamber, closed the chamber, and fires the bullet. In a closed-bolt gun, the operating group is held forward and against the barrel extension when not firing. The bolt is mated and locked to the barrel extension forming a closed chamber. The chamber may house a bullet waiting to be fired by an impulse from a hammer or other impulse source delivered to the bullet's primer by a firing pin.
An open-bolt gun is inherently a machine gun. Without input from an operator, an open-bolt gun will continuously fire, typically at a very high rate, as long as the weapon has ammunition or until the gun malfunctions. Each time the operating group moves forward in an open-bolt gun, the forward motion detonates the bullet's primer, firing the gun. The firing of a bullet generates a rapidly expanding gas within the barrel and some of the gas is diverted to a gas piston which forces the operating group rearward, opening the chamber and moving the next round into position, before a spring forces the operating group forward again, repeating the process until the ammunition is exhausted or an operator restrains the operating group in a rearward position.
A closed-bolt gun, conversely, may remain at rest with the operating group forward and a bullet chambered. The firing pin remains withdrawn from the bullet until an impulse source, such as a hammer or a striker, delivers an impulse to the firing pin to detonate the primer and charge in the bullet. At which time, the expanding gas in the barrel may be diverted to provide energy to cycle the operating group similarly to an open-bolt gun, except when the spring returns the operating group to a forward position, the bolt locks adjacent the barrel extension and the bullet in the chamber awaits the operator releasing the impulse source.
Prior to the Firearms Owners' Protection Act of 1986, open-bolt machine guns could be newly registered legally in the United States. The FABRIQUE NATIONALE D'HERSTAL (“FN”) MINIMI open-bolt machine gun (and the affiliated United States variant, the M249 light machine gun platform) was among the most common open-bolt machine guns available at the time, and remains one of the most common open-bolt machine guns in the world. The FN MINIMI was originally developed in 1974 and has continued in operation with militaries in 45 countries. There are a great deal of parts, accessories, and assemblies available for the platform on the market, and the transfer of open-bolt machine guns legally registered before May 19, 1986 is legal through proper channels and with proper documentation. However, the production of new open-bolt machine guns, such as the M249 platform, for civilian sale in the United States is now illegal. Due to the reputation and restricted availability of the M249 platform, there remains a demand for M249-type firearms among civilians, as well as a robust market around the original guns.
However, an open-bolt belt-fed machine gun, such as the M249 platform has a number of disadvantages for use in military or law enforcement conflicts despite the high rate of fire of the weapon. Typically, the high rate of fire of the M249 platform (approximately 800 rounds per minute) results in challenges for the operator to control the recoil and therefore accuracy of the weapon. Furthermore, in many cases, the advantages of outputting up to 800 rounds per minute may be outweighed by the consumption of ammunition. For example, 200 rounds of 5.56 mm×45 mm NATO ammunition, not including the belt links, weighs almost 6 pounds and an M249-platform machine gun can fire all 6 pounds of ammunition in 15 seconds. The M249 platform also supports a 7.62 mm×51 mm NATO variant that weighs twice as much per round. Therefore, mobility of the gun and operator is directly tied to ammunition consumption.
Closed-bolt rifles are legal to manufacture, sell, and own (when properly registered in territories required registration) and are not subject to many of the 1986 registration limitations. Closed-bolt rifles capable of full-automatic firing are still regulated. Conversion of a semiautomatic closed-bolt gun to a full-automatic closed-bolt gun is possible with a registered sear that is properly registered with appropriate authorities. However, closed-bolt rifles are capable of semi-automatic fire, burst fire (a fixed number of rounds greater than one), or full-automatic fire with each pull of the trigger. Furthermore, the different firing modes of closed-bolt rifles may be freely selected by a fire mode selector switch commonly mounted on the grip of the rifle allowing a closed-bolt rifle to be freely altered between semi-automatic, burst, and full-automatic firing modes quickly and easily depending on the needs of the operator.
The closed-bolt, hammer- or striker-operated platform, therefore, has operational flexibility that an open-bolt platform cannot offer. Additionally, there are many manufacturers that offer a wide variety of hammer- or striker-operated trigger packages for sale. For example, HECKLER & KOCH manufactures hammer-operated trigger packages that offer selectable fire modes between “safe;” semi-automatic fire; burst fire of two, three, or more rounds at a time; or full-automatic and any combination thereof.
However, an open-bolt gun is not hammer- or striker-operated, and therefore, there is no mechanism by which a hammer or striker may strike a firing pin. Previous attempts to simply drill a bore through the slide and extend the firing pin through the operating group necessitated an additional extension of a hammer beyond the available sizes as is described in “MGA's Semiautomatic MK46 Variant” by Dan Shea, The Small Arms Review, Vol. 13 No. 4, January 2010, pp. 48-54, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. The target operational lifetime for belt-fed firearms is more than 100,000 rounds. The extra length of the bore, firing pin, and hammer all create additional strain on internal components resulting in increased likelihood of firearm failure.
Therefore, it would be desirable to enable the use of a hammer- or striker-operated trigger package with selectable fire modes with an M249-type platform by conversion of the open-bolt M249 or similar platform to a closed-bolt platform and providing a mechanism by which a commercially available standard hammer or striker may impart force to a firing pin. | {
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Multiple input multiple output (MIMO) is a radio communication technique in which both a transmitter and a receiver use multiple antennas to wirelessly communicate with one another. By using multiple antennas at the transmitter and receiver, the spatial dimension may be taken advantage of in a manner that improves overall performance of the wireless link. MIMO may be performed as either an open loop or a closed loop technique. In open loop MIMO, a transmitter has no specific knowledge of the condition of the channel before signals are transmitted to a receiver. In closed loop MIMO, on the other hand, channel-related information is fed back from the receiver to the transmitter to allow the transmitter to precondition transmit signals before they are transmitted to better match the present channel state. The amount of feedback information that is delivered from a receiver to a transmitter in a system using closed loop MIMO can be very large. This may be particularly true in closed loop MIMO systems that utilize singular value decomposition (SVD) techniques in the receiver. There is a general need for strategies to reduce the overall amount of feedback used in a closed loop MIMO system. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to new anthracycline glycoside antitumor antibiotics and to their production. More particularly, it relates to new antitumor antibiotic substances designated aclacinomycins A and B and to processes for the preparation thereof by the fermentation of a strain Streptomyces galilaeus (e.g., MA144-M1), to methods for their recovery and purification, and to their application as cancer chemotherapeutic agents.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of anthracycline glycosides have been found in the cultured broth of Streptomyces. Among them, daunomycin and adriamycin are particularly being watched with keen interest in the field of cancer chemotherapy and have already been applied clinically for human cancers. In the continuation of the study of antitumor antibiotics, the present inventors discovered new compounds and after characterization and purification based on their physico-chemical properties, they confirmed that these antibiotics now named aclacinomycin A and B are new compounds which show low cardiotoxicity and potent antitumor activity in various animal tumors, and they established processes and methods for their production and isolation.
Farmitalia's U.S. patent on adriamycin (B-106FI; 14-hydroxy-daunomycin; INN is Doxorubicin) is U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,028 claiming the product by structure and disclosing its direct fermentation by S. peuceticus var. caesius. Farmitalia also issued U.S. Pat. No. 3,803,124 on chemical conversion of daunomycin to adriamycin; for direct fermentation of daunomycin (as antibiotic FI 1762) by S. peuceticus see U.K. Pat. No. 1,003,383.
Farmitalia's daunomycin (U.S. Pat. No. 1,003,383) may be the same as Rhone-Poulenc's 13057 R.P. (formerly rubidomycin and now Daunoribicin (U.K. Pat. Nos. 985,598; 1,188,262; 1,241,750 and see U.S. Pat. No. 3,616,242) and is "probably" identical with Ciba's danubomycin (U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,550; U.K. Pat. No. 901,830). See also U.S. Pat. No. 3,686,163 on dihydrodaunomycin.
Cinerubin A and cinerubin B are disclosed in U.K. Pat. No. 846,130 and see also U.S. Pat. No. 3,864,480 and Keller-Schierlein et al., Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, page 68 (1970) and Chemical Abstracts, 54, 1466i (1960).
For further illustrative and summary disclosures of anthracycline antibiotics see Index of Antibiotics from Actinomycetes, Hamao Umezawa, Editor-in-chief, University Park Press, State College, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. (1967) as follows:
______________________________________ Antibiotic Page Number ______________________________________ Aklavin 111 Cinerubin A 220 Cinerubin B 221 Danubomycin 242 Daunomycin 243 Pyrromycin 542 Rhodomycin A,B 561 Rubidomycin 574 ______________________________________
The textbook Antibiotics, Volume 1, Mechanism of Action, edited by David Gottlieb and Paul D. Shaw, Springer-Verlag New York, Inc., N.Y., N.Y. (1967) at pages 190-210 contains a review by A. DiMarco entitled Daunomycin and Related Antibiotics.
Information Bulletin, No. 10, International Center of Information of Antibiotics, in collaboration with WHO, December, 1972, Belgium, reviews anthracyclines and their derivatives
For a description of Streptomyces galilaeus see Arch. fur Mikrobiol., 31, 356 (1958) and International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology, 22, 298 (1972).
This specification on page 37 refers to disclosures by K. Eckardt et al. on galirubins; see Chemical Abstracts 64, 3896g and 67, 90573z. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector examination device. In particular, the connector examination device examines a connector having metal terminals inserted therein and determines whether or not there is an electrical connection established between the metal terminals. The connector examination device also detects the inserted condition of metal terminals in a connector housing and an improper attachment of metal terminals inserted into a connector housing.
2. Related Art
Generally, a connector assembly comprises a connector housing constructed of a synthetic resin. Metal terminals, secured to ends of wires, are inserted in the housing. When a metal terminal is inserted into a proper insertion position, the metal terminal is retained against withdrawal by a lance or retaining pawl provided on the metal terminal or the connector housing. In a connector of this type, if the metal terminal is not attached in the proper insertion position, so that it is not retained against withdrawal by the lance, the possibility exists that the metal terminal can be withdrawn during use. Therefore, it is necessary to first check for a proper insertion and correct the insertion if it is improper.
Previously, a conventional method has been used to check for proper insertion. A retainer is used in combination with lances. The retainer engages a metal terminal inserted into the proper position and cooperates with the lance to form a double retaining means. Before the metal terminals are inserted, the retainer is initially retained at a position where it will not interfere with the insertion of connector and the metal terminals. The metal terminals are inserted and the retainer is moved into a completely retained position to engage the metal terminals.
If any one of the metal terminals fails to reach the properly inserted position, so that it is disposed in an improper inserted position, the retainer is caught by the metal terminal during movement of the retainer into the completely retained position, so the retainer can not be moved into the completely retained position.
Therefore, by determining whether or not the retainer can be moved into the completely retained position, it can also be ascertained whether or not the metal terminals have been inserted to the proper position. If it is determined that the metal terminal has not been inserted to the proper position, the metal terminal insertion operation is carried out again.
In this conventional method, the retainer, fit in the completely retained position, is not removed from the connector and the connector must be used with the retainer fit into the connector. Therefore, an equal number of retainers and connector housings are required. Thus, the number of the component parts is unnecessarily high, which in turn creates a high cost.
Furthermore, the retainer only determines whether or not any improperly inserted metal terminal exists. If it is determined that there exists an improperly inserted metal terminal, the metal terminal must be pushed deeper into the connector or the insertion of the metal terminal must be carried again to correct the position of the terminal. The insertion condition of the metal terminals must be re-checked. Therefore, much time and labor is required. Further, if the metal terminal is disposed in an improper position near to the proper inserted position, it can not be clearly and readily determined from the appearance alone if the metal terminal is in an improper position. Thus, the position of all of the metal terminals must be corrected. Particularly, in the case of a multi-pole connector having many metal terminals, the correction of all the terminals requires much time and labor to correct the position of the metal terminals. Therefore, the problem that the efficiency of the metal terminal insertion operation is low has been encountered.
Previously, there have been proposed various kinds of connector examination devices for detecting incomplete insertion of metal terminals. One example of a known connector examination device is shown in FIG. 22. In this device, lance check pins 206 extend and oppose lances 203 in a connector 201. Each lance check pin 206 is inserted into a lance flexure space 204 formed in a connector housing 202. If a metal terminal 205 is completely inserted into a proper position, when the lance check pin 206 is inserted into the lance flexure space 204, it does not abut against the lance 203. The lance check pin 206 advances to a position beneath the lance 203, as shown in FIG. 23. If the metal terminal 205 is in an incomplete inserted condition, the lance check pin 206 abuts against the front end portion of the lance 203 projected substantially into the lance flexure space 204 and elastically deforms. In this arrangement, the lance 203 projects substantially into the lance flexure space 204. Because of the improper attachment of the metal terminal 205, the lance check pin 206 abuts against the front end of the lance 203. Hence, the lance check pin 206 can not move to the position beneath the lance 203. As a result, the insertion of the metal terminal 205 is incomplete.
In this conventional connector, the lance 203 has a large thickness so that it has an elastic restoring force and a strength for retaining the metal terminal against withdrawal. A metal terminal support portion 208, which is provided between the lance flexure space 204, and a cavity 207, which receives the metal terminal 205, need to have only sufficient strength to maintain the positioning of the metal terminal 205. Therefore, the thickness of the support portion 208 is less than the thickness of the lance 203. Even when the metal terminal 205 is completely inserted in the proper position, the lance 203 projects slightly toward the lance flexure space 204 beyond the metal terminal support portion 208.
The thickness of a front end portion 206a of the lance check pin 206 is less than the inner dimension of the lance flexure space 204 so that the front end portion 206a can be positioned beneath the lance 203. When the lance check pin 206 is initially inserted into the lance flexure space 204, a gap forms between the front end portion 206a of the lance check pin 206 and the metal terminal support portion 208.
However, in the known device described above, the lance check pin 206 can be inserted into the lance flexure space 204, with its front end portion 206a bent or deformed and the lance check pin 206 obliquely advances in the space 204. In this case, even if the metal terminal 205 is completely inserted into the proper position, with the lance 203 retracted from the lance flexure space 204, the front end portion 206a of the lance check pin 206 abuts against the portion of the lance 203 extending into the lance flexure space 204, as shown in FIG. 24. As a result, even though the metal terminal 205 is disposed in the proper position, the front end portion 206a of the lance check pin 206 can not be brought into the position beneath the lance 203. As a result, a wrong determination that the metal terminal 205 is in an incompletely attached condition is possible.
Another example of known devices is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Examined Publication No. 62-47093. In this device, a connector holder for holding a connector in a predetermined position is provided with lance check pins projected in an opposed relation to lances in the connector. Each of the lance check pins extends toward an associated lance flexure space. Each lance check pin contacts the front end of the lance disposed in a lance flexure space when an associated metal terminal is in an improperly inserted position. In this device, if a metal terminal is improperly attached, so the lance is disposed in the lance flexure space, the lance check pin abuts against the front end of the lance when the connector is set in the connector holder. The connector can not be properly set in the connector holder. Thus, the improper attachment of the metal terminal can be determined.
In the above device, however, if the connector is forced into the connector holder, though the metal terminal is disposed in an improperly attached condition, the front end of the lance check pin abuts against the lance with a force large enough that a lance made of a synthetic resin is deformed. When deformation occurs, not only is the improper attachment of the metal terminal undetected, but the lance is also damaged. Thus, the connector is rendered unusable. | {
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Vehicle systems can use various types of data for lane recognition. Lane recognition can be used by advanced driving assistance systems, for example, lane keep assist systems. Some vehicle systems can use satellite data, image data, or mapping data for lane recognition. Satellite data can be obtained by a Global Positioning Systems (GPS) or Differential Global Positioning Systems (DGPS). These positioning systems operate by using signals received from one or more satellite receivers. In some instances, the signals received from the satellite receivers can be blocked, for example, due to man-made obstructions or natural circumstances. Image data related to a current road and/or lane the vehicle is travelling on can be obtained from cameras and/or sensors located on and/or around the vehicle. In some cases, the image data can be skewed or unavailable due to man-made obstructions or lighting conditions. Further, in some instances, the satellite positioning systems and/or the imaging sources that capture image data may not be working properly or may be inactive. | {
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Field of the Invention
Protein-based binding reagents have various uses in therapeutic or diagnostic application. Antibodies have proven to be an excellent paradigm for such reagents. Indeed, a number of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been successfully used for treating cancers, infectious diseases, and inflammatory diseases (Adams et al., Nat. Biotechnol. 2005 September; 23:1147-57.).
Description of the Related Art
Antibody affinity is a key factor in the success of an antibody as a therapeutic agent. An antibody with high affinity allows the antibody to compete effectively with the natural ligand for the targeted receptor to reduce dosage, toxicity, and cost. Multimerization of antigen binding sites has been shown to be an effective means of increasing the overall strength of the binding of an antibody to an antigen which is defined as the antibody avidity (functional affinity) (Miller et al., J Immunol 170:4854-4861, 2003; Rheinnecker et al., J Immunol 157:2989-2997, 1996; Shopes, J Immunol 148:2918-2922, 1992; Shuford et al., Science 252:724-727, 1991; Wolff et al., J Immunol 148:2469-2474, 1992). Multivalent antibodies have increased antitumor activity in vivo (Liu et al., Int Immunopharmacol 6:79 1-799, 2006; Wolff et al., Cancer Res 53:2560-2565, 1993). Due to the bivalent nature of immunoglobulin G (IgG), conventional and engineered IgG cannot be used for simultaneous binding to more than two different antigens. Thus, there is a need for multi-valent or multi-specific protein-based binding reagents.
In some cases, avoiding the effector function, such as antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), through engineering the Fc region is necessary to reduce mitogenicity side-effects. For example, the murine anti-human CD3 mAb (Orthoclone OKT3, muromonab-CD3), is a potent immunosuppressive agent targeting the T-cell receptor (TCR/CD3 complex on human T cells. It has been used during the last two decades to prevent or treat allograft rejection (Cosimi et al., N Engl J Med 305:308-314, 1981; Group, N Engl J Med 313:337-342, 1985; Kung et al., Science 206:347-349, 1979). However, one major drawback to the use of this therapy is the systemic release of cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-2, and IFN-γ, which result in a series of adverse mitogenic effects, including flu-like symptoms, respiratory distress, neurological symptoms, and acute tubular necrosis (Abramowicz et al., Transplantation 47:606-608, 1989; Chatenoud et al., N Engl J Med 320:1420-1421, 1989; Goldman et al., Transplantation 50:158-159, 1990; Toussaint et al., Transplantation 48:524-526, 1989). Since the mitogenic activity of OKT3 and other anti-CD3 mAbs depends upon extensive TCR/CD3 cross-linking via binding to FcR-positive cells (e.g. monocytes), recent efforts have been devoted to developing nonmitogenic forms of anti-CD3 antibodies by altering binding to FcR. Thus, there is a need for protein-based binding reagents that have high affinity, low mitogenic effect, and high in vivo stability.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in mammals. It is an extracellular matrix protein that contains one or more triple-helical regions (collagenous domains) with a repeating triplet sequence Gly-X-Y, where X and Y are frequently proline (amino acid code, P or Pro) and hydroxyproline (amino acid code, O or Hyp). The presence of such triplets allows three collagen polypeptide chains (α-chains) to fold into a triple-helical conformation. Many collagen-like proteins with collagenous domains are present in human serum and serve as an innate immune system in protection from infectious organisms. These include complement protein C1q, macrophage receptors, collectin family proteins-mannose binding lectin (MBL), ficolins and surfactant proteins A and D (SP-A and SP-D). A common structural feature among these “defense collagen” molecules is that all of them are in multi-trimeric protein units with a target-binding domain at the C-terminus. Consequently, multimerization significantly increases the functional affinity of the binding domain of these defense collagen molecules.
Trimerization of heterologous fusion proteins containing collagenous domain(s) has been accomplished by employing either a homogeneous or heterologous trimerization domain fused to the collagenous domain to drive the collagen triplex formation. Examples of a trimer-oligomerizing domain include a C-propeptide of procollagens, a coiled-coil neck domain of collectin family proteins, a C-terminal portion of FasL and a bacteriophage T4 fibritin foldon domain (Frank et al., (2001) J Mol Biol 308: 1081-1089; Holler et al., (2003) Mol Cell Biol 23: 1428-1440; Hoppe et al., (1994) FEBS Lett 344: 191-195).
The trimeric assembly of fibrillar collagens (types I, II, III, IV, V, and XI) and collectin family proteins are initiated by trimeric association of their large globular C-terminal domains (C-propeptides, ˜250 amino acids) and C-terminal coiled-coil neck domains (˜35 amino acids), respectively, following by propagation of the collagen domain(s) in a zipper-like fashion from the C to the N terminus (Bachinger et al., (1980) Eur J Biochem 106: 619-632; Hakansson et al., (1999) Structure 7: 255-264; Hakansson and Reid, (2000) Protein Sci 9: 1607-1617; Prockop and Kivirikko, (1995) Annu Rev Biochem 64: 403-434; Sheriff et al., (1994) Nat Struct Biol 1: 789-794; Weis and Drickamer, (1994) Structure 2: 1227-1240).
The sequence Gly-Pro-Hyp is the most stabilizing and most common triplet in collagen and the peptide (Gly-Pro-Hyp)10 (SEQ ID NO: 19) can self-associate into a highly stable triple helical structure (Chopra and Ananthanarayanan, (1982) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 79: 7180-7184; Engel et al., (1977) Biopolymers 16: 601-622; Sakakibara et al., (1973) Biochim Biophys Acta 303: 198-202; Yang et al., (1997) J Biol Chem 272: 28837-28840). In contrast to chemically synthesized (Gly-Pro-Hyp)10 (SEQ ID NO: 19) peptide, the (Gly-Pro-Pro)10 (SEQ ID NO: 20) peptide does not self-assemble into a stable triple-helix under physiological conditions (Engel et al., (1977) Biopolymers 16: 601-622). For obtaining a thermally stable (Gly-Pro-Pro)10 (SEQ ID NO: 20) triplex, two approaches have been described. First, a interchain disulfide-bonded (Gly-Pro-Pro)10 (SEQ ID NO: 20) triplex was obtained in vitro by a redox-shuffling process of a disulfide knot of type III collagen either C- or N-terminal adjacent to the collagen-like peptide at 20° C. (Boudko et al., (2002) J Mol Biol 317: 459-470; Frank et al., (2003) J Biol Chem 278: 7747-7750). Second, a stable heterologous trimerizing foldon domain derived from bacteriophage T4 fibritin was fused to the C-terminus of (Gly-Pro-Pro)10 (SEQ ID NO: 20) peptide to drive the trimerization and correct folding of the collagen-like peptide in a P4H-deficient E. coli expression system (Frank et al., (2001) J Mol Biol 308: 1081-1089). Many studies have examined the melting temperatures/stability of G-X-Y repeats. Frank et al., (2001); Persikov et al., (2000) Biochemistry 39, 14960-14967; Persikov et al., (2004) Protein Sci. 13: 893-902; and Mohs et al., (2007) J. Biol. Chem. 282: 29757-29765. Based on these studies, the stability of various repeat structures can be predicted.
The approaches described above are limited in their use because they may not support normal trimerizing and folding of a heterologous polypeptide, and may introduce a hetero-antigenetic fragment associated with the risk of an immune response that could severely limit potential therapeutic applications. Thus, what is needed is an in vivo expression system capable of forming a thermally stable triple helical structure that drives the formation of a trimeric fusion protein, enabling use of such trimerized polypeptides both in vitro and in vivo.
The recombinant expression of collagens and hydroxyproline-containing peptides with functional triple-helix conformation requires specific post-translational enzymes, in particular prolyl 4-hydroxylase (P4H) (Prockop and Kivirikko, (1995) Annu Rev Biochem 64: 403-434). Prolines specified in the Y position of Gly-X-Y motif of collagen are generally post-translationally modified to 4-hydroxyproline by prolyl 4-hydroxylase (P4H) to stabilize the triple-helical structure of collagen. In the absence of proline hydroxylation, the essential triple helical conformation of collagen is thermally unstable at below physiological temperatures (Berg and Prockop, (1973) Biochem Biophys Res Commun 52: 115-120; Rosenbloom et al., (1973) Arch Biochem Biophys 158: 478-484). Procaryotes do not possess any P4H activity. Yeasts and insect cells exhibit insufficient enzyme activity to achieve recombinant collagen expression unless exogenous P4H genes (both α and β subunits) are introduced simultaneously to form an active α2β2 tetramer.
The non-fibrillar FACIT (fibril-associated collagen with interrupted triple-helices) collagens (types IX, XII, XIV, XVI, XIX, XX, XXI and XXII) are a subgroup within the collagen family. They appear to connect with fibrillar collagens and other matrix components or cells (Shaw and Olsen, (1991) Trends Biochem Sci 16: 191-194). In FACITs, the two conserved cysteines, separated by four amino acids, are located at the junction of the COL1 and NC1 domains and are responsible for interchain disulfide bonding among the three assembled collagen chains (Mazzorana et al., (2001) J Biol Chem 276: 27989-27998), which is hereby specifically incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Type XII and XXI minicollagens comprising the extreme C-terminal collagenous (COL1) and noncollagenous (NC1) domains, along with the two subunits of human P4H genes have been co-expressed in a baculovirus-infected Trichoplusia ni and Drosophila S2 insect cells, respectively (Mazzorana et al., (2001) J Biol Chem 276: 27989-27998; Li et al., (2005) Biochem Biophys Res Commun 336: 375-385). Formation of interchain disulfide-bonded minicollagen XII and XXI depends on the hydroxyproline content of collagen chains, suggesting that the folding of the triple helix precedes the formation of the disulfide bonds. Insufficient prolyl hydroxylation in minicollagen XXI leads to the production of interchain disulfide-bonded dimers and intrachain disulfide-bonded monomers (Li et al., (2005) Biochem Biophys Res Commun 336: 375-385). Constructs containing the entire COL1 domain of chicken collagen XII could form trimers. Mazzorana et al. have shown that constructs containing the entire NC1 domain of chicken collagen XII and the only the five terminal G-X-Y repeats of the COL1 domain could not form trimers. The presence of five additional C-terminal G-X-Y repeats of the COL1 domain allowed the formation of trimers. The constructs used by Mazzorana contained a short fragment of human c-myc protein as a tag. As such, Mazzorana did not address the effect of trimerization with these sequences on the folding or functionality of an attached molecule or the effect of a larger attached molecule on self-trimerization. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Cordless power tools are typically powered by portable battery packs. These battery packs range in battery chemistry and nominal voltage and can be used to power numerous tools and electrical devices. Typically, the battery chemistry of a power tool battery is either Nickel-Cadmium (“NiCd”) or Nickel-Metal Hydride (“NiMH”). The nominal voltage of the battery pack usually ranges from about 2.4 V to about 24 V. | {
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1. Field
The exemplary embodiments generally relate to a method for controlling the load variations, in particular load reductions, in a gas turbine.
2. Brief Description of Related Developments
The use of gas turbines normally consisting of a multiphase compressor, in which air sucked from the outside is compressed, a combustor, in which the combustion takes place of gaseous fuel added to the compressed air, and a turbine or expander, in which the gases coming from the combustor are expanded, is known for the production of electric energy. The turbine is therefore capable of generating mechanical energy which can be exploited for driving operating machines or for charging electric generators, such as for example, one or more alternators.
A gas turbine destined for the production of electric energy must consequently be able to face sudden disconnections from the electric supply, which can be due, for example, to particular circumstances or inefficiency which can arise in the electric supply. In a situation of this kind, the turbine must be brought to an anomalous but stabile functioning condition, in which the nominal rotation regime is reached, but the alternator does not supply power (a functioning condition called “full speed no load”), until the voltage is re-established in the outside electric supply to restart the service, i.e. reconnection with the electric supply.
During this disconnection phase with the supply, a so-called “load rejection” procedure must be activated as soon as possible, to immediately reduce the power and rotation regime of the turbine to a sufficiently low value so that at least one alternator can self-charge the auxiliary services of the machine or plant to which it is connected. The load rejection procedure is particularly critical for a gas turbine of the double shaft type, as the mechanical inertia of the turbine itself is extremely low and the corrective actions for preventing reaching an excessive rotation regime must be rapid and effective. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Audiovisual works are viewed in numerous different situations, for a variety of purposes, such as entertainment and education. Many times, it is desirable or necessary to view an audiovisual work in a public location, for example at a trade show to learn more about a product or service, or in an airport to pass the time while waiting for a flight.
Currently available devices for viewing an audiovisual work include television and computer monitors that are placed in a given location for viewing by one or more people. Such devices have shortcomings, however, in that they may be difficult for a user to view and hear the audiovisual work, given the fixed location of the monitor, as well as external light, glare and sound.
A need therefore exists for an improved device for viewing audiovisual works. | {
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Exercise and fitness have become increasingly popular and the benefits from such activities are well known. Various types of technology have been incorporated into fitness and other athletic activities. For example, a wide variety of portable electronic devices are available for use in fitness activity such as MP3 or other audio players, radios, portable televisions, DVD players, or other video playing devices, watches, GPS systems, pedometers, mobile telephones, pagers, beepers, etc. Many fitness enthusiasts or athletes use one or more of these devices when exercising or training to keep them entertained, provide performance data or to keep them in contact with others, etc. Such users have also demonstrated an interest in recording their athletic activities and metrics associated therewith. Accordingly, various sensors may be used to detect, store and/or transmit athletic performance information. Oftentimes, however, athletic performance information is presented in a vacuum or based on the overall athletic activity. Exercisers may be interested in obtaining additional information about their workouts. | {
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Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a method for the real-time exchange of speech and other audio over the Internet and other networks. Audio may be converted into digital form, broken up into units of data called packets, and transmitted across a network. Upon receipt, the packets are assembled, and the audio may be converted from digital form to analog form and played.
VoIP calls may be made by several methods. In one method, a call is placed from a standard telephone which is connected to a computer with an analog telephone adapter. The adapter converts sound into digital form for transmission over a network. In a second method, a call is made from an IP phone. The IP phone may convert audio to digital form. The IP phone may connect directly to an Ethernet port for transmission of the digital audio across a network. A third method is from a computer. The computer may include equipment for processing sound, such as a microphone to capture sound, a sound card to convert the sound to digital form, and speakers to play the sound. The computer may be connected to a network for transmission of the sound.
VoIP calls may be made in several settings. A VoIP call may be limited to one participant at each end. A VoIP call may be a conference call, with multiple participants. In addition, a VoIP call may be part of a chat conference. Chat conferences are the real-time exchange of text among groups of people.
It may be desirable to obtain permission to record VoIP calls. Obtaining permission may be demanded by the law or suggested by civility. In some US jurisdictions, it may be illegal to record a call without obtaining the proper permission. In addition, a participant in a VoIP call may become angered upon learning that a message originated by the participant was recorded without permission. Current VoIP systems may provide little or no aid in controlling the recording of VoIP messages based upon permission to record the messages. They may leave it up to participants to generate requests for permission to record VoIP messages. They may not provide restrictions on recording VoIP messages when permission to record has not been obtained. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Recently, in various devices, electric power is saved due to the prevalence of low-power-consumption types of devices from the viewpoint of respecting the environmental conservation and the environment-friendly performance. In the International Energy Star Program, standard values of energy consumption are defined for seven kinds of items, that are, computers, displays, printers, scanners, facsimile machines, copying machines, and multifunction peripherals (see, for example, an incorporated foundation “The Energy Conservation Center, Japan”, “Standard Values of Energy Saving under the International Energy Star Program”, [online], [retrieved on May 18, 2006], the Internet <URL: http://www.eccj.or.jp/ene-star/prog/p9.html>).
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-006696 discloses a technique which converts the value of the power consumption consumed by use of an image forming apparatus during a specific time period into the amount of CO2 discharged, obtains the amount of CO2 discharged from the consumption of the expendable supplies consumed by the use of the image forming apparatus during the specific time period, and outputs the total amount of CO2 discharged as the amount of CO2 discharged of the image forming apparatus during the specific time period.
Though the standard values for saving electric power are defined in the Energy Star Program as in the above webpage, those standard values are only to regulate the maximum electric power consumption in the low power consumption state (standby mode) by classifying the power consumption in the low power consumption state of an image forming apparatus based on the largest recoding paper sheet and the printing speed. That is, in the Energy Star Program, there are no regulations on power consumption in the operation of the image forming apparatus and supplies and replaceable portions that consumed when the image forming apparatus forms an image.
The above Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-006696 describes the technique that displays the amount of CO2 discharged converted from the power consumption of the image forming apparatus. However, as to a recording sheet that is one of the supplies used when an image is formed, the amount of CO2 discharged is only displayed, that is obtained from the power consumed when the recording sheet is produced. The portion of the amount of CO2 discharged is not recognized by the ordinary users, and even when the portion is presented to the users, an improvement of the interest of the users in the ecology can not be expected. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The process of lumber stacking involves a stacker, a conveyor conveying lumber pieces, e.g., 8' to 12' long and 2".times.4" in cross section, to the stacker where the pieces are accumulated into layers, e.g., twelve 2".times.4" pieces making up a layer and stacking the layers one on top of the other but separated by stickers. The stickers are laid perpendicular to the length of the lumber pieces at, e.g., 2' intervals. The stickers separate the layers by about 1"-2" to allow air flow above and below the layers (and between the spaced apart stickers).
Speed is of the essence and whereas the lumber can be accumulated and stacked in layers very rapidly, the bottleneck has long been considered the placement of the stickers between the layers. One form of the lumber stacking apparatus used for placing the stickers between layers provides a sticker holding pan attached alongside the forks of the stacker. As the forks receive a layer of lumber pieces and with the stickers residing in the sticker pan below the top side of the fork whereat the lumber is received, the layer is carried to the stack and as the layer is deposited on the stack, so too are the stickers deposited under the layer. This process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,253,787 and 4,324,521, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
As disclosed in these patents, the process of sticker placement involves cycling the forks back and forth between lumber receiving and stack depositing positions. Just prior to the step of lumber receiving and with the forks positioned below the next layer of lumber pieces, the fork movement is paused to allow time for the stickers to be picked off a sticker conveyor by a transfer mechanism and deposited into the pan. It is an object of the present invention to avoid the necessity of pausing the fork movement and with such avoidance, to shorten the stacking time and increase the rate of lumber stacking. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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An engine of a vehicle may be automatically stopped and restarted during periods of time when vehicle motion is not requested or desired by the vehicle operator. By stopping the engine, it may be possible to conserve fuel that would otherwise be consumed if the engine were allowed to continue to operate. However, restarting the engine can increase engine emissions if an undesirable amount of fuel is inducted to engine cylinders. Further, where the engine is a port fueled engine, it may be more difficult to control fuel amounts entering engine cylinders since fuel can only enter the cylinders during times when intake valves of the cylinders are open. Consequently, it may take longer to start an engine that is port injected. One way of decreasing engine starting time of a port fueled engine is to inject fuel to engine cylinders when valves of the cylinders are open during an engine restart. However, injecting fuel during a time when an intake valves are open can reduce fuel vaporization and may cause fuel to impinge on cylinder walls, thereby increasing engine emissions.
The inventors herein have recognized the above-mentioned disadvantages and have developed a method for starting an engine, comprising: during an engine start and after an engine start request, selectively injecting fuel to a port of a single cylinder of the engine having an open intake valve at a time fuel is injected to the port; and injecting fuel to each remaining cylinder of the engine at a time when an intake valve of a cylinder receiving fuel is closed.
By injecting fuel to a single cylinder during intake valve opening of the cylinder, it may be possible to reduce engine emissions and improve engine starting. In particular, after the first cylinder is fueled at a time when its intake valve is open, fuel may be injected to remaining engine cylinders during timing when valves of the remaining cylinders are closed. Open valve injection to the one cylinder allows the cylinder to combust fuel earlier than if fuel injection started at only at closed valve timing. However, the cylinders that subsequently receive fuel can receive fuel when intake valves of the cylinders are closed so that fuel vaporization is improved and so that cylinder wall wetting may be decreased in the remaining cylinders at start. Thus, in one example, only one cylinder is fueled to promote early combustion while all remaining cylinders are fueled to reduce emissions and promote fuel vaporization.
In some examples, the open intake valve injection may be selectively applied. For example, during some conditions open intake valve injection may occur while during other conditions open intake valve injection is not permitted. Specifically, open intake valve injection is permitted when the intake valve opening duration from engine stop position to intake valve closing time (e.g. a remaining amount of intake valve opening duration) is greater than a predetermined number of crankshaft degrees. Selectively injecting fuel based on valve opening timing can reduce engine emissions by reducing the amount of excess fuel in the cylinder port for subsequent ignition events.
The present description may provide several advantages. Specifically, the approach may improve engine emissions by improving cylinder mixtures at engine start time. In addition, the approach may reduce engine noise during starting by helping to ensure that a desired amount of fuel is in a cylinder when combustion is initiated in the cylinder. Further, the approach may reduce excess fueling of engine cylinders during a start so as to reduce engine fuel consumption.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to tonometry, the measurement of intraocular tension or pressure. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a sensor means for use in tonometry for monitoring of intraocular pressure or tension.
Glaucoma is a disease in which the intraocular pressure is too high in a given eye. This elevated intraocular pressure produces a gradual loss of peripheral vision. Glaucoma is also characterized by hardening of the eyeball, and the disease, while leading to a gradual impairment of sight, can often result in blindness. There are a large number of people who are becoming visually impaired or going blind due to glaucoma, even with current diagnostic methods, modalities of treatment, the present level of knowledge and careful follow-up care.
It has been shown that some glaucoma victims had higher intraocular pressures than was originally thought, due to inaccuracy of current diagnostic methods which may not reliably evaluate the severity of a patient's condition. A current diagnostic method is to evaluate a patient's intraocular pressures on an intermittent basis, the intermittency being determined by a number of factors such as visual field defects, the health of the optic nerve, and the intraocular pressure levels. It has been shown from research testing that the intraocular pressure fluctuates widely and undergoes a diurnal variation. However, in general, most checking of a patient's intraocular pressure is done by the physician over a limited period of time between the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., which may not permit accurate monitoring of diurnal variations in the intraocular pressure.
Thus, for accurate assessment of a patient's intraocular pressure, the intraocular pressure level should be monitored over an extended period such as for 24 hours. Such extended monitoring, while highly desirable, is impractical due to the technical requirements of current testing methods and the fact that it would necessitate waking the patient every hour or every other hour as well as requiring the attendance of a physician. Consequently, intraocular pressure testing is generally not done during the period from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., which period represents a significant portion of a patient's diurnal cycle. Furthermore, in the case that a patient's intraocular pressure is highest late at night or in the early morning hours, this would not be revealed by present testing methods.
The currently employed intraocular pressure testing devices and methods vary, but are based generally upon the well known principle that the pressure within a spherical body having a flexible surface, such as a balloon, can be measured by measuring the force required to deform the surface of the sphere. As applied to measuring intraocular pressure, this has been done in a number of ways.
The so-called "Shiotz tonometer" is a gravity indentation device which utilizes a blunt, weighted pin which rests against the eyeball. As the pin deforms the eye's surface, a linkage attached to the pin causes a pointer to move along a calibrated numerical scale, permitting the indicated intraocular pressure to be read from the scale.
The so-called "Applanation tonometer" is widely employed today and utilizes a small flat lens having a circle inscribed on its surface. This lens is placed against the surface of the eye and force is increasingly applied to deform the eye until the area of the eye surface thereby flattened against the flat lens matches the area of the inserted circle on the lens, whereupon the force is then read from a scale which is calibrated to the intraocular pressure.
In the so-called "air-test tonometer", a puff of air of a known volume and pressure is applied against the surface of the eye, while sensors detect the amount of deformation in the eye's surface caused by application of the puff of air. Such a device is described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,260.
The so-called "MacKay-Marg tonometer" is an applanation-type device in which a sensor is bounced off the cornea and the intraocular pressure is recorded graphically on a chart.
A common disadvantage of the currently used devices is that a physician and/or assistant is required to be in attendance during the testing procedure. In some cases, it is also necessary to medicate or topically anesthetize the patient's eye prior to testing. Thus, with the devices currently employed no practical means has been provided for measuring a patient's intraocular pressure around the clock and over an extended period of time, and without the attendance of a physician or technician. Consequently, with the currently available devices, the conventional practice is to routinely check a patient's intraocular pressure, for example at intervals of from two weeks to six months, and in such cases the intraocular pressure is only tested for a brief period of a few seconds at a time. Thus, the current testing practices are rather crude in that there is little assurance of an accurate reading being obtained during such a brief testing period, given the variations and fluctuations in intraocular pressures over a diurnal or longer period which cannot be practically monitored with the currently used testing devices and methods. Therefore, it may not be possible to reliably determine whether or not a patient's intraocular pressure is under control, nor to determine the proper treatment, nor to assess whether or not the patient may go blind.
Thus, there is presently a great need for a means for accurately monitoring a patient's intraocular pressure on an extended basis, such as over a period of 24 hours or longer. It is also desirable to monitor a patient's intraocular pressure under normal living conditions, and without the need for anesthesia or other drugs. It is further desirable to be able to monitor a patient's intraocular pressure without the constant attendance of a physician or technician. Still further, it is highly desirable to be able to monitor a patient's intraocular pressure outside the doctor's office or hospital and under various living conditions, such as while the patient is sleeping, exercising, relaxing, straining, at different altitudes, while under stress, etc.
The present invention is directed to meeting the above-mentioned needs as well as to overcoming the problems and disadvantages inherent in current devices and methods.
The intraocular pressure sensor of the present invention utilizes a small piezo-electric strain gauge for directly monitoring intraocular pressure. The piezo-electric strain gauge is mounted in a small holder which is shaped similar to a contact lens. The sensor is intended to be placed in contact with the sclerotic portion of the eyeball (sclera), that is, so that the sensor presses on the white part of the eye. The sensor is held in position against the eyeball by the eyelid as well as by the suction effect of the shaped holder. By making the sensor small, it is possible to place the sensor in the lower cul-de-sac of the eye behind the lower eyelid. Wire leads from the strain gauge are passed through the holder and along and out over the lower eyelid, and these wire leads may be connected to a suitable power source and monitoring/recording circuitry for receiving the sensor output signal and converting the output signal into a pressure value.
It is known to use piezo-electric and other devices for remotely monitoring bodily pressures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,239,696 discloses a piezo-electric pressure transducer for measuring cardiovascular circulatory system pressure in the human body. U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,562 discloses a miniature piezo-resistive transducer device adapted to be implanted within the body for directly monitoring internal fluid or pneumatic pressures therein, utilizing semiconductor strain gauge elements including a piezo-resistive bridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,248 describes placing a piezo-resistive weight on the corneal surface to record intraocular pressures, in connection with the ultrasonic detection of intraocular pressures. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,871 there is disclosed a portable compression-type opthalmodynamometer for determining retinal artery pressures, while in U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,662 there is disclosed a microprocessor-controlled device which stores the magnitude value data of systolic and diastolic pressures and calculates the percentage difference therebetween. Also disclosed are a display and bar graph as well as a strip chart recorder.
However, the known devices fail to offer a suitable sensor for monitoring intraocular pressure which can provide accurate intraocular pressure readings over an extended period while worn in the eye under various living conditions.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an intraocular pressure sensor which enables the intraocular pressure to be accurately monitored on an extended basis over a long period of time.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an intraocular pressure sensor which permits the intraocular pressure to be monitored under normal living conditions.
It is additionally an object of the present invention to provide an intraocular pressure sensor which permits intraocular pressures to be monitored without a doctor or technician in attendance.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide an intraocular pressure sensor which can be worn in the eye like a contact lens.
It is still further an object of the present invention to provide an intraocular pressure sensor which permits a patient's intraocular pressure to be tested without the necessity for administering medication or anethesia. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention relates to a method for synchronization in a radio communication system having a plurality of mobile stations, the radio communication system being at least partly self-organizing.
The invention also relates to a mobile station in a radio communication system, the radio communication system being at least partly self-organizing, and to a radio communication system.
Communication systems are extremely important in the field of business as well as in private use. Significant efforts are being made to link cable-based communication systems to radio communication systems. The resulting hybrid systems lead to an increase in the number of available services as well as allowing greater flexibility in terms of communication. Devices that can use different systems (multi-homing) are therefore being developed.
In this context, great importance is attached to radio communication systems due to the mobility they offer to the subscribers.
In radio communication systems, information (e.g. voice, image information, video information, SMS [Short Message Service] or other data) is transmitted between a sending station and a receiving station (base station or subscriber station) via a radio interface using electromagnetic waves. In this case, the emission of the electromagnetic waves takes place using carrier frequencies that lie in the frequency band which is designated for the system concerned.
In the case of the established GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) mobile radio system, frequencies at 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz are used. These systems principally transfer voice, facsimile and SMS short messages (Short Message Service) as well as digital data.
For future mobile radio systems that use CDMA or TD/CDMA transmission methods, e.g. UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) or other third-generation systems, frequencies in the frequency band of approx. 2000 MHz are planned. These third-generation systems are being developed to meet the aims of worldwide radio coverage, a broad offering of data transmission services and, most importantly, flexible management of the capacity of the radio interface, which is the interface with the fewest resources in the case of radio communication systems. In the context of these radio communication systems, the flexible management of the radio interface should primarily allow a subscriber station to send and/or receive a large volume of data at high data speeds as required.
The access of stations to the shared radio resources of the transmission medium, e.g. time, frequency, throughput or space, is governed by multiple access (MA) methods in these radio communication systems.
In the case of time division multiple access methods (TDMA), each send and receive frequency band is divided into time slots, wherein one or more cyclically repeated time slots are allocated to the stations. Using TDMA, the radio resource of time is separated in a station-specific manner.
In the case of frequency division multiple access methods (FDMA), the complete frequency domain is divided into narrow-band domains, wherein one or more narrow-band frequency domains are allocated to the stations. Using FDMA, the radio resource of frequency is separated in a station-specific manner.
In the case of code division multiple access (CDMA) methods, the throughput/information which has to be transmitted is encoded in a station-specific manner by a spreading code which is formed of a multiplicity of individual so-called chips, whereby the throughput which must be transmitted is spread randomly over a wide frequency domain in accordance with a code. The spreading codes which are used by different stations within a cell/base station are mutually orthogonal or essentially orthogonal in each case, whereby a receiver recognizes the signal throughput which is intended for the receiver and suppresses other signals. Using CDMA, the radio resource of throughput is separated in a station-specific manner by spreading codes.
In the case of orthogonal frequency multiple access methods (OFDM), the data is transferred in a broadband manner, wherein the frequency band is divided into equidistant orthogonal subcarriers, such that the simultaneous phase shifting of the subcarriers covers a two-dimensional data flow in the time-frequency domain. Using OFDM, the radio resource of frequency is separated in a station-specific manner by orthogonal subcarriers. The combined data symbols which are transferred on the orthogonal subcarriers during a time unit are called OFDM symbols.
The multiple access methods can be combined. Many radio communication systems therefore use a combination of the TDMA and FDMA methods, wherein each narrow-band frequency band is divided into time slots.
For the purpose of the aforementioned UMTS mobile radio system, a distinction is made between a so-called FDD (frequency division duplex) mode and a TDD (time division duplex) mode. In particular, the TDD mode is characterized in that a shared frequency band is used for the signal transmission in both uplink (UL) direction and in downlink (DL) direction, while the FDD mode uses a different frequency band for the two transmission directions in each case.
In radio communication connections of the second and/or third generation, information can be transmitted in a circuit-switched (CS) or packet-switched (PS) manner.
The connection between the individual stations takes place via a radio communication interface (air interface). Base station and radio network controller are usually components of a base station subsystem (RNS radio network subsystem). A cellular radio communication system normally includes a plurality of base station subsystems which are connected to a core network (CN). In this case, the radio network controller of the base station subsystem is usually connected to an access facility of the core network.
In addition to these hierarchically organized cellular radio communication systems, self-organizing wireless radio communication systems—e.g. so-called ad-hoc systems—are becoming increasingly important, this applying also in the context of cellular radio communication systems.
Self-organizing radio communication systems generally also allow the direct communication between mobile terminals, and need not have a central entity which controls the access to the transmission medium.
Self-organizing radio communication systems make it possible for data packets to be exchanged directly between moving radio stations without the involvement of base stations. Consequently, an infrastructure in the form of base stations within a cellular structure is not required in such a radio network. Instead, data packets can be exchanged between moving radio stations which are within radio range of each other. In order to allow the exchange of data packets in principle, a synchronization is required between the radio stations which are usually moving. In the case of a wireless transmission via electronic waves, this means e.g. the balancing of carrier frequency (frequency synchronization) and time slot pattern (time synchronization).
Various solutions are conceivable for the synchronization in mobile radio data networks. For example, the mobile stations can have a shared reference which is transmitted e.g. via GPS. The system therefore includes globally known time information which all mobile stations can follow (e.g. VDL Mode 4, or WO 93/01576, “A Position Indicating System”). This method is disadvantageous firstly because all mobile stations must have a cost-intensive GPS receiver. Secondly, the reception of GPS signals e.g. in buildings is not always guaranteed. Other systems such as TETRA, for example, support the selection of a master which assumes the function of a ‘clock signal generator’ for the frequency domain that is assigned to it. However, such methods preclude a high granularity in relation to the time (TDMA) and/or the code (CDMA). An FDMA component is preferably used for separating the subscribers in this case. A third group of systems, such as e.g. IEEE802.11, operate without a shared time slot pattern. The mobile stations synchronize themselves by a one-shot synchronization on the basis of the data burst which is received in each case. Reservation of resources in the form of time slots for ensuring the QoS is no longer possible in this case, however. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dyeing method of dyeing a plastic, lens and a dyeing device.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a dip dyeing method has been adopted in most cases as one of dyeing methods of dyeing plastic lenses for spectacles. This dip dyeing method includes the steps of preparing a dyeing solution by mixing disperse dyes of primary colors of red, blue, and yellow at a predetermined ratio and dispersing the mixture in water; heating the dyeing solution to about 90° C.; and dipping a plastic lens into the heated solution, thereby dyeing the lens.
As an alternative to the dip dyeing method, there has been proposed a vapor deposition dyeing method, which is for example disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,999 (Japanese patent unexamined publication No. 2001-59950). This method includes heating a sublimatable dye under vacuum to sublimate the dye and vapor deposit the sublimed dye onto a lens, thereby dyeing the lens. According to this vapor deposition dyeing method, a lens made of a material hard to dye by the conventional dip dyeing method can also be dyed and additionally working conditions can extremely be improved.
If the dyeing is repeatedly performed by the above vapor deposition dyeing method, however, there way be cases where lenses are dyed in different color densities from desired ones depending on the condition in each dyeing operation.
Furthermore, a hard-coating treatment is well known to enhance the surface strength (hardness) of a lens. Such hard-coated lens is desired to be dyed by the vapor deposition dyeing method. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Technical Field
The technology disclosed herein relates to an electronic device and an imaging device equipped with an air pressure sensor.
2. Background Information
It is conventionally known in the art to test the watertightness (whether or not a watertight state is maintained) of a housing having a watertight structure. For instance, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2010-135429, a separate apparatus had to be connected in order to test the device in question. | {
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There are networks wherein a client device can request delivery of a media file along with some processing done to that requested media file such as noise reduction. Once the request for media delivery and processing is received by a server, the media file is retrieved and then the requested processing is performed on that media file by the server. Once the processing is completely done, the server provides streaming delivery of the processed media file to the client device. However, there are disadvantages associated with this type of system.
For example, one of the disadvantages is that the user of the client device may have to wait quite a while if the server is trying to handle many separate requests for processing and streaming media files to different requesting client devices. Also, the streaming media file can be very large, and it can take a long time to complete the requested processing on the content prior to initiation of streaming delivery. This can be frustrating to the client device user especially if he or she is trying to complete something before a deadline.
For these and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an armoire with an interior desk surface and, more particularly, to an armoire having an interior desk surface which can store a conventional chair within the interior of the armoire, thereby providing a completely storable office.
2. Prior Art
There is a need for hideable or storable desktop surfaces. This is particularly true in the home environment where space limitations may not allow an entire room to be dedicated to office use. The wide use of computers adds another design constraint to any desktop storing system. Furthermore, a desktop hiding or storing system which does not account for the associated chair in the stored position has been found to be unsatisfactory. A remaining, detached office chair often is a cumbersome, awkward object which significantly detracts from any benefit of the hidden or stored desktop.
A wide variety of furniture cabinets have been developed which open, fold out or reassemble to provide flat tabletop surfaces with associated chairs. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,614,018 to Engel; 2,665,963 to Wallack and 2,963,332 to Breuning are illustrative of the variety of designs that have been developed to create a storable desktop working surface. These patents also illustrate the various disadvantages of the prior art systems. In some prior art systems, such as in the Wallack patent, the tabletop surface is not hidden and remains in view when transformed from a table or desk into a standing cabinet. With other designs, the tabletop surface must be cleared, such as the tabletop of the Breuning or Engel patent designs, before being placed back into the stored or closed position. Clearing the tabletop surface when moving the tabletop into the stored position is a severe drawback when the tabletop is utilized as a desk. Additionally, all of these patents require the use of a specialized chair in connection with the tabletop surface representing another limitation of these prior art systems.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art. It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact, completely hideable office. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an armoire which can provide a hidden desktop surface and further allows for hiding an associated conventional chair within the armoire interior when the desk is in the stored or retracted position. A further object of the present invention is to provide an attractive armoire design with an effective desk which is easily manufactured and easily adaptable to specific user requirements. | {
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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an HTTP server compatible with a chunked transfer coding and a computer readable medium storing a program therefor.
2. Description of Related Art
As on of the responses to an HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) request, there is a response by chunked transfer coding, the detail of which is defined by Hypertext Transfer Protocol, RFC (Request for Comments) 2616 of HTTP/1.1. The chunked transfer coding is a transfer coding for dividing data into several chunks as a response to the HTTP request.
For example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-208266 discloses a technology for transferring chunked tile parts of the JPEG 2000 compliant codestream.
Conventionally, in case of inquiring the server about the job status in a printer on the network, a connection is initiated from the client to the server to request the status of the printer or the job. Then, the server returns a single status report to the client, and disconnects or terminates the communication thereafter. Thus, if the client attempts to successively or cyclicly acquire the status of the printer, a series of operations, each including the initiation of the connection, the transmission of the request, the response to the request, and the termination, are required. In this method, there have been problems that: a communication overhead is large; the process load increases in both a server and a client; and a mismatch may occur between the actual status in the printer and the status comprehended on the client side, depending on the length of the transmission cycle of the request for the status report.
For example, in FIG. 10, a notification of job list is requested (Req) by connecting from a client to a printer controller having a server function. As the response (Res) to the request, the job list is replied one time. Then the communication is terminated. The job list in the client side is updated by repeating the series of communication set H at a constant cycle.
In this example, since the communication sets H2 and H6 were conducted after the previous communication sets H1 and H5 had been conducted and before the job statuses of the printer controller side have changed, the communication sets H2 and H6 becomes useless communication sets having no new information to be notified to the client.
Further, from the time T1 when the response (Res) is transmitted from the printer controller to the client in the communication set H2 to the time T4 when the response (Res) is transmitted in the communication set H3, a job of ID3 is newly submitted at time T2 and the print of the first page is completed in the printer controller at time T3. Thus, the information when the job of ID3 was submitted is skipped without being displayed.
The times (T4, T6, T8 and T10), when the changes are reflected to the job list of the client side, delay from the times (T2, T3, T5, T7 and T9), when the job statuses have changed in the printer controller side, in a time-wise. In the delay period, the mismatch of the job statuses between the printer controller side and the client side exists.
The problems, such as a communication overhead being large, the process load increasing in both the server and the client; and a mismatch occurring between the statuses comprehended by the server side and the client side, may occur not only in the case where the client monitors the printer status but also in the cases of any monitoring objects. | {
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Conventionally, as a gas turbine system including a gas turbine unit, there has been known a cogeneration system that produces hot water, etc. by utilizing the waste heat caused when the gas turbine unit generates electricity. In recent years, there also has been proposed a gas turbine system that directly produces hot water and cold air by using a gas turbine unit without generating electricity. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a gas turbine system 100 as shown in FIG. 6.
The gas turbine system 100 includes a first compressor 101 and a first expansion turbine 102 coupled to each other by a shaft, a combustor 103, a regenerative heat exchanger 104, and a heat exchanger 123 for hot water, as elements constituting a gas turbine unit. The first compressor 101 compresses air taken from the atmosphere. The air discharged from the first compressor 101 passes through the regenerative heat exchanger 104, and then flows in to the combustor 103. A fuel is injected into the combustor 103 and combusted therein. A combustion gas generated in the combustor 103 heats the air to flow into the combustor 103 in the regenerative heat exchanger 104, and then flows into the first expansion turbine 102 to be expanded therein. The first expansion turbine 102 creates power from the expanding combustion gas as a rotation torque to drive the first compressor 101. The combustion gas discharged from the first expansion turbine 102 is utilized, in the heat exchanger 123 for hot water, as a heat source for producing hot water, and then exhausted into the atmosphere.
The gas turbine system 100, the gas turbine unit has no power generator. Thus, in order to start the gas turbine unit, the gas turbine system 100 is provided with a reciprocating type compressor 105 for supplying compressed air to the combustor 103 at the time of starting.
Furthermore, the gas turbine system 100 has a configuration to extract, from the gas turbine unit, the air compressed in the first compressor 101 and lower the temperature of this extracted air (so-called bleed air) so as to produce cold air. Specifically, the gas turbine system 100 is provided with a first heat exchanger 121 for cooling the air extracted from the gas turbine unit with cold water, a second compressor 111 for compressing the air that has flowed out of the first heat exchanger 121, a second heat exchanger 122 for cooling the air discharged from the second compressor 111 with cold water, and a second expansion turbine 112 for expanding the air that has flowed out of the second heat exchanger 122. The second expansion turbine 112 is coupled to the second compressor 111 by a shaft, and creates power from the expanding air as a rotation torque to drive the second compressor 111. A moisture separator 113 for separating moisture from the air is provided between the second heat exchanger 122 and the second expansion turbines 112. The water heated by cooling the air in the first heat exchanger 121 and the second heat exchanger 122 is supplied to the heat exchanger 123 for hot water in the gas turbine unit. | {
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The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for optically inspecting a surface of a disk, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for optically detecting surface defects of a disk, such as scratches or pin holes.
Conventionally, a surface of a disk, such as a laser visual disk (which is hereinafter referred to as an LVD) or a compact disk (which is hereinafter referred to as a CD), is visually inspected and evaluated. Because of the dependency of the accuracy of visual inspection on the inspector's ability and of the low efficiency of visual inspection, much effort has been put into the development of automatic inspection technology for LVDs and CDs for many years.
To automatically detect surface defects of, for example, a long web, the web is continuously transported lengthwise in one direction at a constant speed and scanned with a flying spot in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the web is transported. Light modulated and reflected by the surface of the web including surface defects is measured by means of a light-detecting device to detect surface defects, thereby evaluating the surface of the web. Such a method is described in, for example, Japanese Unexam. Pat. Publ. No. 55-87907. Because it is a noncontact method, it is basically effectively applicable in inspecting LVDs and CDs.
Meanwhile, optical disks, such as LVDs, have a signal recording surface that is formed thereon with a great number of pits or bumps and covered with a transparent protective layer. These pits or bumps are distributed on coaxial tracks at regular spacings. Light diffracted and reflected by the pit is detected to read a signal recorded on the recording surface of the disk. Pit configurations and arrangements are classified into two groups according to how the disks are driven to record and reproduce signals, namely the types of disk drive systems, which are a constant linear velocity (CLV) system and a constant angular velocity (CAV) system. In the CLV type of LVDs which are driven so that all tracks run at a constant and same linear velocity, the pits are formed in a same configuration and arranged at regular circumferential spacings for all tracks. On the other hand, in the CAV type of LVDs which are always driven at a constant velocity independently of the positions of the tracks, pits on a track are formed so as to be shorter in circumferential length than those on a track located outwardly of the track and are arranged more closely than those on the other track.
One such conventional surface defect inspection apparatus that scans a surface of an LVD with a flying spot is shown in FIG. A scanning beam 3 generated by a scanner 2 scans a surface of an LVD 4 along a line 5 disposed radially of the center of rotation 6 of the LVD 4. The light 3a reflected directly from the surface of the LVD 4 is received by a light-detecting unit 7 and converted into a photoelectric output thereby. The photoelectric output is analyzed to evaluate the surface of the LVD 4. Because of the uniformity of surface reflectance over the surface of the LVD 4 to be inspected, if the scanning line 5 is disposed radially of the center of rotation 6 of the LVD, the reflected light 3a from the rotating LVD has no fluctuations. If the scanning beam 3 passing through a transparent protective layer 8 coated over the LVD 4 is diffracted and diffused by the pits of the LVD 4, the rays diffracted and diffused by the pits usually travel in directions greatly different from that in which the reflected light 3a from the surface of the transparent layer 8 of the LVD 4 travels and so are not received by the light-detecting unit 7.
If the light-detecting unit 7 receives not only diffused rays 3b reflected by a surface defect S of the LVD 4 but also diffracted and diffused rays 11 reflected by the pit 10a of the LVD 4 as shown in FIG. 2, because, in the CLV type of LVDs, the light 11 diffused and reflected by the respective pit 10a is directed toward the light-detecting unit 7 at the same angle as the light diffused and reflected by the surface of the LVD 4, the light-detecting unit 7 will receive the diffracted and diffused light 11, which is undesirable to evaluate the surface of the LVD 4, as well as the reflected light 3a.
Because the amount or intensity of the light diffused by each pit is substantially constant independently of its location on the CLV type LVD, the light-detecting unit 7 can easily separate the diffused light 11 reflected by the pits 10a from those reflected by the surface defect S. In the CAV type LVD, because the pits on different tracks are different in size and distributed at different angular spacings, angles at which the light rays diffused and reflected by the pits on the different tracks are oriented are different according to the locations of the tracks. On the other hand, the angle of reflection of the diffused light from the surface of the LVD 4 is substantially constant over the surface of the LVD 4. The light-detecting unit 7, which has an effective light-detecting area having a width W (shown by a dotted line in FIG. 3), receives the diffused light 11 in the form of a circular arc reflected from the pits on different tracks at different locations thereof and misses them partly as is shown in FIG. 3. That is, as is shown in FIG. 4, the farther radially inward is the track on which a pit is located, the lower will be the photoelectric output from the light-detecting unit 7 receiving the diffused light from the pit. The change or difference of output from the light-detecting unit 7 due to the locations of the pits is considerably greater than that due to surface defects of the LVD 4. Therefore, it is quite difficult to electrically compensate such changes caused by the locations of pits and, accordingly, the conventional surface inspection method and apparatus is not always effectively applicable to LVDs. | {
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1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to methods for making solid electrolytes, in particular, to a method for making a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE).
2. Discussion of Related Art
The demand of high power and high energy density lithium based batteries has been with the rapid development of electric vehicles and portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, digital cameras and notebook computers.
Electrolytes are important components in lithium based batteries. Solid electrolytes, especially solid polymer electrolytes, are non-volatile, non-explosive, flexible, and electrochemically stable. The polymers with CH2—CH2—On segments are compatible with general lithium salts and can be used as solid electrolyte matrixes. However, the polymers with CH2—CH2—On segments have high crystallization degrees, which make the solid electrolytes using the polymers be have low ion conductivities and bad thermal stabilities.
What is needed, therefore, is to provide a method for making a solid polymer electrolyte including CH2—CH2—On segments, which can overcome the above-mentioned shortages. | {
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In a computer system operating under control of the UNIX operating system, user terminal devices provide the principle interface to human operators. In order to make this interface as responsive as possible, input and output (I/O) operations to these user terminal devices are handled with special techniques. These techniques are generally described below. A more detailed description is contained in a book by M. C. Shaw et al. entitled UNIX Internals A Systems Operation Handbook, Tab Books, Blue Ridge Summit, Pa., at pages 131-145, which pages are hereby incorporated by reference.
In normal operation, the UNIX operating system maintains three character lists (clists) for each user terminal device. One of these clists, the output clist, contains data which is to be sent to the terminal device for display. A second clist, the raw input clist, contains the data, in raw form, provided by the user terminal This data is in the form of keystrokes. If, for example, a first character were typed and then replaced by a second character through the use of the backspace key, the raw data would contain indications that the first key was pressed, followed by the backspace key and then the second key.
The third clist, the canonical data clist, contains data from the user terminal that has been canonically processed. Canonical processing converts the keystroke data into character data. In so doing, it fixes the data to incorporate the effects of editing keystrokes such as backspace, line feed and delete-line.
In responding to requests to send data to or receive data from a user terminal, the host processor in a typical UNIX based computer system processes the data one character at a time. The host processor is interrupted as each keystroke is made at the user terminal, it then loads the keystrokes into the raw clist. When a carriage return keystroke has been received or when a sufficient number of keystrokes have accumulated, the host processor reads out the keystrokes, one at a time, to perform the canonical processing.
I/O operations from the user terminals are thus handled with a priority that is relatively high in comparison to other tasks running on the host processor. These operations are handled in this manner to ensure that the user perceives an acceptable level of responsiveness from the computer.
This "hands on" approach to managing user terminal devices may result in a relatively large portion of the processing resources of the computer being monopolized by these terminal I/O operations. Monopolization of this type may occur, for example, when a number of user terminals request the display of a relatively large amount of data, while users at other terminals are simultaneously inputting relatively large amounts of data into their terminals.
One solution to this problem has been to couple so-called "intelligent" terminal processors to the host system. These processors collect keystrokes in an internal buffer, and pass the buffer to the host processor when an certain event has occurred. These events may include, for example, a carriage return keystroke, a pause between keystrokes that is greater than a preset maximum, or the collection of a predetermined number of keystrokes. Whenever one of these events occurs, the terminal processor transfers the collected block of characters to the raw clist in the host processor. The host processor then canonically processes the keystrokes to produce the character data for the canonical data clist.
Thus, although the host processor has been relieved of the burden of handling character-by-character interrupts from the user terminals, it still performs the canonical processing on the keystrokes and implements any control functions needed to operate the terminals. In addition, the host still responds to interrupts generated by the "intelligent" terminal processors which indicate, for example, that data is ready for transfer to the host. Even this reduced level of interaction between the host and the remote user terminals may produce a significant reduction in the apparent performance of the entire computer system.
Furthermore, even in this configuration, many UNIX based computer systems are unable to handle terminal devices which are periodically polled to effect data transfer. These terminals do not generate interrupts to control data transfer. This type of terminal may be handled by a UNIX based computer having terminal I/O functions that are modified to allow polling of the remote devices. Alternatively, hardware may be added between the terminal and the host to periodically poll the terminals and simulate interrupts to the host processor at the appropriate times. | {
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This invention relates to a lithium ion secondary battery employing a thin film solid electrolyte and a method for manufacturing the same.
In the past, a non-aqueous electrolytic solution was generally used as an electrolytic solution for a lithium ion secondary battery. A lithium ion secondary battery employing a polymer electrolyte made of polymer as disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2000-067917 has recently attracted more attention of the industry than such electrolytic solution employing liquid.
The lithium ion secondary battery employing a polymer electrolyte holds a liquid electrolytic solution in the polymer electrolyte and, therefore, has the advantage that there is little possibility of leakage of the liquid, that there is little possibility of corrosion, that short-circuiting between electrodes caused by precipitation of lithium in the form of dendrite can be prevented and that assembly of the battery is easy because the structure of the battery is very simple.
Since lithium ion conductivity of such polymer electrolyte is lower than an electrolyte containing only an electrolytic solution, there has occurred a practice to reduce thickness of the polymer electrolyte. There, however, has arisen a problem in such polymer electrolyte whose thickness is reduced that, since its mechanical strength is reduced, the polymer electrolyte tends to be broken or give rise to a hole during production of the battery resulting in short-circuiting between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The gel polymer electrolyte is reported to have thickness in the order of 30 μm to 80 μm.
For improving the mechanical strength, there is a proposal in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2001-015164 for a compound electrolyte containing lithium ion conductive glass-ceramic powder. This proposal however has not realized a thin film electrolyte having thickness of 20 μm or below.
There are also many proposals, e.g., in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. Hei 07-326373, for a solid electrolyte battery which does not employ an electrolytic solution at all. Since a lithium ion secondary battery employing a solid electrolyte does not require an organic electrolytic solution as in the prior art batteries, there is no risk of leakage of solution and combustion and, therefore, a highly safe battery can be provided. In the prior art battery employing an organic electrolytic solution, the positive electrode and the negative electrode contact each other by means of the organic electrolytic solution through the solid electrolyte and, therefore, resistance in moving of ions in the interface does not cause a serious problem. If, however, all of the positive electrode, negative electrode and electrolyte composing the battery are made of solid, contact in the interface between the positive electrode and the electrolyte and contact in the interface between the negative electrode and the electrolyte become contacts between solids which include point contacts in some parts of the interfaces and thereby produce a large interface resistance as compared with the prior art batteries employing the electrolytic solution. Hence, the solid electrolyte battery has a large impedance in the interfaces which tends to cause polarization and thereby restrict moving of lithium ion in the interfaces with the result that it is difficult to realize a battery having a large capacity and a large output by such solid electrolyte battery.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a lithium ion secondary battery which has solved the above problems and has a thin electrolyte and thereby has small resistance notwithstanding that a solid electrolyte is employed and, therefore, has a high battery capacity and a high output and an excellent charging-discharging characteristic and thereby ensures a stabilized use over a long period of time. | {
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This invention relates generally to cassette tape recorders, and more particularly, the present invention relates to information or music scanning circuitry adapted to such cassette tape recorders.
Nowadays, many cassette tape recorders having a radio has a music scanning function so that a desired piece of music in a music tape can be readily played back. Music scanning, which is also called top-finding, is a function of searching and finding a desired piece of information or music prerecorded in a magnetic recording tape. Namely, the prerecorded information is played back at a high speed so that the amplitude of the reproduced signal is detected to find a no-signal portion positioned between two consecutive information or music pieces. When such a no-signal portion is detected, the fast playback is terminated to put the tape recorder in normal playback mode so that the desired piece of music or the like can be played back from the beginning thereof.
High-speed playback is actualized by depressing both a playback button and a fast forwarding or rewinding button simultaneously, and fast playback is continuously effected until a no-signal portion is detected. Therefore, music scanning mode consumes relatively large electrical power when compared with other operating modes. For this reason, music scanning function is provided to tape recorders which are powered by an a.c. line or large capacity cells. In other words, portable tape recorders of pocket size which are powered by small capacity cells, do not have such music scanning function.
Furthermore, in a cassette tape recorder having a mechanical manipulative buttons, the music scanning circuit or device requires a solenoid which automatically stops fast playback in response to a detection signal, and as a result, the music scanning circuit causes the increase in current consumed by the motor and the solenoid, while the solenoid control circuit is subjected to power source condition, in other words it is less tolerable to power source voltage drop.
This music scanning feature may be incorporated into a cassette tape recorder with a radio receiver having already many other functions. As a result it may become larger and larger in size and inconvenient for carrying. On the other hand, pocket size tape recorders are appreciated in the market for their portability.
However, since such portable cassette tape recorders use U-3 type cells, most of them are capable of only monaural recording and playback with headphone, and therefore portable cassette tape recorders with a music scanning circuit is not yet in the stage for practical application due to the above-mentioned power source conditions.
Recently, portable tape recorders with a radio receiver arranged such that a pocket size cassett tape recorder is detachably coupled with a radio receiver body, have appeared in the market. Although such detachably arranged tape recorder sets satisfy the requirements of portable and handy use or the tape recorder proper and also many functions, such combined or coupled sets have been provided to add various functions, such as playback with high power via speakers, recording of radio programs, and long-time recording by using a power source of large capacity in addition to the original function of the tape recorder proper. | {
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The present invention relates to a method for forming a semiconductor device having a crystalline silicon semiconductor film such as a polycrystalline silicon film, a single crystalline silicon film and a microcrystalline silicon film. The crystalline silicon film formed by the present invention is used in various semiconductor devices.
A thin film transistor (TFT) using a thin film semiconductor is well known and constructed by forming a thin film semiconductor, particularly a silicon semiconductor film. The TFT is used in various integrated circuits and attracted as, in particular, a switching element provided with each pixel and as a driver element formed in a peripheral circuit portion in an active matrix type liquid crystal display device.
As a silicon film used in a TFT, it is convenient to use an amorphous silicon film. However, there is a problem that an electrical characteristic of the amorphous silicon film is very low than that of a single crystalline semiconductor used in a semiconductor integrated circuit. Therefore, the amorphous silicon film is used in only limited use such as a switching element in an active matrix circuit. To improve a characteristic of a TFT, a crystalline silicon film may be used. The crystalline silicon film other than a single crystalline silicon is called a polycrystalline silicon (poly-silicon) film, a microcrystalline silicon film or the like. To obtain such crystalline silicon film, an amorphous silicon film may be formed and then crystallized by heating (thermal annealing). This is called a solid phase growth method because an amorphous state is changed into a crystalline state while maintaining a solid state.
Since a solid phase growth for silicon needs a heating temperature of 600.degree. C. or higher and 10 hours or longer, it is difficult to use an inexpensive glass substrate as a substrate. Since, for example, a Corning 7059 glass used in an active matrix type liquid crystal display device has a glass warp point (glass transition temperature) of 593.degree. C., when a large size substrate is used, a thermal annealing with 600.degree. C. or higher produces a problem.
To contrast this, according to research of the inventors, the following has confirmed. That is, an extremely small quantity of elements such as nickel, palladium, lead or the like is deposited on a surface of an amorphous silicon film and then heated, so that crystallization can be performed at 550.degree. C. for about 4 hours.
To introduce an extremely small quantity of elements (a catalytic element which promotes crystallization) as described above, a film containing the catalytic element or a compound thereof may be deposited by sputtering. However, if a semiconductor includes a large quantity of elements as described above, reliability and electrical stability of a device using such semiconductor is deteriorated. When a film is formed by sputtering, it is difficult to accurately adjust a quantity, that is, a thickness of the film. Also, it is further difficult to form a film having a uniform thickness on a substrate. Therefore, variations in a characteristic of a semiconductor device to be obtained produce.
Also, When a film is formed by sputtering, since an amorphous silicon film is damaged largely by shock in sputtering, a characteristic of a semiconductor device is not always preferred.
There is a method for forming a film by, for example, a spin coating, in stead of sputtering. However, it is difficult to obtain a film having a uniform thickness by the spin coating. For example, in a rectangular substrate used in a liquid crystal display device, a solution concentrates easily on corners of the substrate, so that a film thickness is nonuniform. Also, when a film containing a catalytic element compound is formed by drying a solvent, a film thickness is nonuniform by nonuniformity of drying and generation of crystal nucleus, so that it causes variations of semiconductor devices. | {
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Solid ink or phase change ink printers conventionally receive ink in a solid form, either as pellets or as ink sticks. The solid ink pellets or ink sticks are placed in a feed chute and a feed mechanism delivers the solid ink to a heater assembly. Solid ink sticks are either gravity fed or urged by a spring through the feed chute toward a heater plate in the heater assembly. The heater plate melts the solid ink impinging on the plate into a liquid that is delivered to a print head for jetting onto a recording medium. U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,402 for a Solid Ink Feed System, issued Mar. 31, 1998 to Rousseau et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,861,903 for an Ink Feed System, issued Jan. 19, 1999 to Crawford et al. describe exemplary systems for delivering solid ink sticks into a phase change ink printer.
In known printing systems having an intermediate imaging member, such as ink printing systems, the print process includes an imaging phase, a transfer phase, and an overhead phase. In ink printing systems, the imaging phase is the portion of the print process in which the ink is expelled through the piezoelectric elements comprising the print head in an image pattern onto the image drum or other intermediate imaging member. The transfer or transfix phase is the portion of the print process in which the ink image on the image drum is transferred to the recording medium. The overhead phase is the portion of the print process in which the operation of the intermediate imaging member and the transfer roller are synchronized for transfer of the image from the image drum or intermediate imaging member.
In currently known print processes for ink printing machines, bi-directional rotation of the intermediate imaging member is used for formation of the image on the intermediate imaging member. After the image is formed, the intermediate imaging member is stopped and its direction of rotation is reversed for transfer of the image from the drum. As the leading edge of the image approaches the transfer roller, the transfer roller is engaged to press the recording medium against the intermediate imaging member for transfer of the image from the intermediate imaging member to the recording medium. The intermediate imaging member is rotated more slowly during the transfer phase to transfer the image to the recording medium more efficiently. After the image is transferred and while the recording medium which bears the image is being transported into the output tray, the transfer roller is disengaged and the intermediate imaging member rotation is reversed for a new imaging operation. | {
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The field of the present invention relates to interconnection systems for computers and computer peripherals or more specifically, methods and devices for selecting proper interface between a computer peripheral and its host interface such as may include a computer.
Host computers need to be interconnected to a wide variety of peripheral devices including printers, scanners, monitors,and controllers among others. When the host computer is being connected to a certain type of peripheral, for example a handheld laser scanner, the computer typically has a single input/output connector to which the scanner may be connected by an interconnect cable. It is frequently desirable that a particular handheld scanner be usable with a variety of different host computers. Conversely, it is also desirable that the host computer be able to support a variety of different handheld scanners.
Heretofore there have been several systems for achieving proper configuration between the host computer and the peripheral. In a typical system, a particular peripheral is configured to work with a particular host computer or terminal, that is, the peripheral has contained a single dedicated interface. Similarly, the host computer was configured to accept only a particular type of peripheral. Any time the peripheral was moved to a different host computer, it was necessary to replace the interface software and hardware in the peripheral.
The host computer may include a software selection program in which the user inputs information identifying the particular peripheral enabling the system to have proper operation. Such an operation requires the user to correctly input information into the host computer identifying the particular peripheral. Alternately, means are provided for scanning a code on the outside of the peripheral which informs the computer of the type of peripheral. Some peripherals actually include identifying signals which again inform the particular host of the type of peripheral and software provides the desired configuration. Many of these systems still require correct interface hardware.
In another configuration technique, the peripheral includes interface hardware for more than one host computer. When configuring, the printed circuit board of the peripheral requires certain hardware configuration in order to be correctly linked to a host computer. Such hardware configuration may be effectuated by manually actuable external switches or by internal switches or "jumpers" within the printed circuit board (and/or within the host computer) which activate or deactivate certain components. Such an operation typically requires the expertise of an electronics technician or skilled user and is not a desirable field operation to be performed by the typical user. It is desirable to have an inexpensive and easy to use interconnection system which can be effectively used by the average user. | {
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Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a heat exchanger with mutually adjacent first flow channels and second flow channels, whereby the first flow channels and the second flow channels at a first end region are received in a first header and at a second end region in a second header, whereby the first header has a first base and a first cover and the second header has a second base and a second cover, whereby the first base and the second base have a plurality of openings in which the end regions of the flow channels are received, whereby the first header has a first longitudinal channel and a second longitudinal channel, whereby the first flow channels are in fluid communication with the first longitudinal channel and the second flow channels are in fluid communication with the second longitudinal channel.
Description of the Background Art
Apart from known PTC (positive temperature coefficient) heating elements, heat pumps can also be used for climate control, particularly for the heating, of electric vehicle and hybrid vehicles but also in conventionally powered motor vehicles. To enable the greatest possible range for vehicles, a lowest possible power requirement of the climate control system is preferred.
The use of a heat pump is advantageous in comparison with the use of a PTC heating element, because the power requirement is much lower. The power requirement of a heat pump is approximately half as a great as the power requirement of a PTC heating element.
The heat exchanger, which functions as a condenser in the heat pump mode of a climate control system and is thereby used as a heat source for heating the passenger compartment, is often integrated into the climate control unit itself. The result is that only a small installation space is available for the condenser. This is especially disadvantageous for the temperature distribution within the condenser.
Two-row arrangements of the condenser can be used nevertheless to achieve an advantageous temperature distribution in the condenser, particularly in the condensation of the refrigerant. These are characterized in that two rows of tubes are arranged one behind the other in the air flow direction.
Designs with two headers per row in each case are known in the prior art for the realization of two-row condensers. This results in disadvantages, such as a higher required refrigerant amount, a more laborious soldering of the components, or a tightness of the connections that is difficult to produce. | {
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Embodiments of this invention relate generally to systems and methods used to insulate an interior of various items such as coolers, refrigerators, containers, automobiles, buildings etc. More specifically, embodiments of the invention pertain to the use of inflatable or gas-filled insulation panels used to insulate such items. | {
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The present invention relates to weight-measuring devices and more particularly to an air-driven hydraulic weighing system.
Spools of paper are weighed as one step of the paper-manufacturing process. Different types of scales are employed to perform this weighing step. Some of these scales are completely mechanical in nature. Others employ hydraulic systems using electric motors to pump the hydraulic fluid. Others require that the spools of paper be removed from the processing line in order to be weighed.
The known systems have known drawbacks. Mechanical scales require continuous maintenance because of the number of moving parts which such scales include. Because any mechanical scale is subject to wear, it must also be recalibrated periodically by taking the scale out of service and using it to weigh a reference load.
Hydraulic systems having electrically-powered fluid pumps also require a relatively high level of maintenance as well as periodic recalibration.
Of course, if the scale is of a type which requires that the paper to be weighed be diverted from the processing line, the manufacturing process is necessarily slowed by the weighing step. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to motors. In particular, the present invention is an electronic motor in which a shaft is rotated by lever arms which are driven by interactive magnetic fields.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electric motors have become a mainstay of everyday life. No home, factory or place of business could function without them. Many different types of motors have been developed to meet this myriad of uses. DC motors, for example, may be of a shunt or series type. An AC motor may be of the synchronous type, or an induction machine.
Functional characteristics of each type vary. Efficiency, speed range, speed stability, load capacity, power requirements and starting ability are important operating charcteristics. Typically, the environment and application to which the motor is to be put will dictate a set of operating parameters. Characteristics of specific motors must then be matched to those parameters in order to arrive at the correct motor type for the application. Use, therefore, dictates choice.
It may be readily understood that there is a continuing need for new types of motors which enable the designer to better match the motor to the application. New motors having reduced weight and higher efficiencies are always desirable. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a radio (wireless) terminal apparatus such as a mobile vehicle telephone and a portable telephone, and a mobile communication system such as a mobile (vehicle) telephone system and a portable telephone system with employment of this radio terminal apparatus. More specifically, the present invention is directed to battery power saving techniques under call waiting states of radio terminal apparatuses for constituting this sort of mobile communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a radio (wireless) terminal apparatus for constructing a mobile communication system performs a location registering operation when a power supply is turned ON, and thereafter operation of this radio terminal apparatus is brought into a call waiting state. Then, under this call waiting state, a battery power saving operation is carried out.
As such a conventional radio terminal apparatus, for instance, Japanese Laid-open Patent Disclosure JP-A-Showa 63-316942 opened in 1988 discloses "RADIO TELEPHONE APPARATUS". It should be noted that the disclosed radio telephone apparatus will be referred as "first conventional technique" hereinafter in this specification. Referring now to FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B and FIG. 2A to FIG. 2D, a description will now be made of this radio terminal apparatus related to the first conventional technique.
FIG. 1A schematically represents the arrangement of the mobile communication system according to the first conventional technique. This mobile communication system is arranged by a radio (wireless) base station control apparatus, a plurality of radio base station apparatuses, and a plurality of radio (wireless) terminal apparatuses. FIG. 1B is a block diagram for showing the arrangement of the radio terminal apparatus for constituting this conventional mobile communication system. This radio terminal apparatus is arranged by a radio (wireless) signal transmitting/receiving unit 1, a speaker 2, a microphone 3, an input/output apparatus 4, a control unit 5, a memory unit 6, and an antenna 9. A detailed description of each of these elements will be explained in connection with a preferred embodiment.
FIG. 2A to FIG. 2D are explanatory diagrams for explaining the summary of battery power saving operation executed in the radio terminal apparatus of the first conventional technique. More specifically, FIG. 2A is a timing chart for representing a notification signal group transmitted from the radio base station control apparatus via the radio base station. FIG. 2B is a timing chart for showing an ON/OFF condition of the power supply supplied to the radio signal transmitting/receiving unit 1 (simply referred to as a "signal receiving circuit") of the radio terminal apparatus. FIG. 2C is another timing chart for showing the above-described notification signal group, in which the scale of the abscissa in FIG. 2A is reduced. FIG. 2D is another timing chart for representing the above-described ON/OFF condition, in which the scale of the abscissa in FIG. 2B is reduced at the same reduction ratio of FIG. 2C.
Under call waiting state of the radio terminal apparatus, the turn-ON/OFF operation of the power supply of the signal receiving circuit is controlled in a predetermined time period (this time period is referred as the "battery power saving period"). As shown in FIG. 2B, within 1 battery power saving period, the power supply of the signal receiving circuit is turned ON in a 1/4 section of 1 time period, whereas this power supply is turned OFF in a 3/4 section of 1 time period. In other words, a ratio of the turn ON/OFF of the power supply of the signal receiving circuit is 1:3. Then, while the power supply of the signal receiving circuit is turned ON, a confirmation is made as to whether or not the call signal to the own radio terminal apparatus is produced. This call signal contains the notification signal and the calling signal (will be explained later).
As shown in FIG. 2C, the radio base station control apparatus transmits the notification signal group to the radio terminal apparatus via the radio base station apparatus, for instance, at an interval of 5 minutes in order to register the location. This notification signal group is constituted by a plurality of notification signals identical to each other, and these notification signals are transmitted in the asynchronous mode within the above-described battery power saving period. Also, a total number of notification signals contained in the notification signal group is determined in order that the transmission time of the notification signal group becomes longer than the battery power saving period. Such a notification signal overflowed from the battery power saving period is called as a "notification signal of +a.alpha.". As represented in FIG. 2A, in this first conventional technique, 4 pieces of the notification signals are transmitted within 1 battery power saving period, and further one piece of the notification signal is transmitted as the "notification signal of +.alpha.". In other words, the radio base station control apparatus transmits 5 pieces of the continuous notification signals via the radio base station apparatus in the interval of 5 minutes.
As indicated in FIG. 2B, in the radio terminal apparatus, the power supply of the signal receiving circuit is turned ON under control of the control unit in the 1/4 section of the battery power saving period. As previously explained, the timing when this power supply is turned ON is not synchronized with the notification signal sent from the radio base station control apparatus via the radio base station apparatus.
It should be understood that when a call is issued to the radio terminal apparatus managed by the radio base station control apparatus, this radio base station control apparatus transmits the calling signal group via the radio base station apparatus irrelevant to the above-described transmission timing of the notification signal group, as shown in FIG. 2C. Similar to the above-described notification signal group, this calling signal group is constructed of 5 pieces of continuous calling signals (not shown).
The reason why either the same notification signals or the same calling signals are continuously transmitted 5 times in this first conventional technique is given as follows. That is, the power supply of the signal receiving circuit is turned ON only in the 1/4 section of the battery power saving period and further the battery power saving period is not synchronized with the send timing of either the notification signal group or the calling signal group. Thus, in order to firmly receive either the notification signal or the calling signal while the power supply of the signal receiving circuit is turned ON, either one piece of the notification signal or one piece of the calling signal is outputted in addition to either four pieces of the notification signals or four pieces of the calling signals, which correspond to the battery power saving period.
The battery power saving ratio is 75% in the case that the radio terminal apparatus of the first conventional technique is operated under call waiting state. Assuming now that the ON/OFF ratio of the power supply of the signal receiving circuit is 1:4, the battery power saving ratio is increased to 80% when this radio terminal apparatus is operated under call waiting state. However, in this case, either the same notification signals or the same calling signals are required to be continuously transmitted 6 times, so that the load given to the radio base station control apparatus is increased.
Another conventional radio terminal apparatus is disclosed in "JTC (AIR)/95.06.08-033R3 [SP-3418]", section 6.4.1 "Alerting Protocol" on pages 69-74. This disclosed convention radio terminal apparatus is called as "second conventional technique".
FIG. 3A to FIG. 3F are explanatory diagrams for explaining the summary of battery power saving operation executed in the radio terminal apparatus of the second conventional technique. More specifically, FIG. 3A is a timing chart for representing the calling signal transmitted from the radio base station control apparatus via the radio base station, and FIG. 3B is a timing chart for showing the ON/OFF condition of the power supply of the signal receiving circuit of the radio terminal apparatus. FIG. 3C is another timing chart for showing the above-described calling signal, in which the scale of the abscissa in FIG. 3A is reduced. FIG. 3D is another timing chart for representing the above-described ON/OFF condition, in which the scale of the abscissa in FIG. 3B is reduced at the same reduction ratio of FIG. 3C.
The circuit arrangement of the mobile communication system and the circuit arrangement of the radio terminal apparatus contained in this mobile communication system, according to this second conventional technique, are identical to those of the first conventional technique shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B. As represented in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3C, the calling signal is transmitted from the radio base station control apparatus via the radio base station apparatus in 1 second time period. FIG. 3E shows a frame structure of the calling signal within the 1-second time period. As apparent from FIG. 3E, this signal transmitting period is constructed of 400 frames (BOB-399). When the location registering operation is performed, an operation of the radio terminal apparatus is synchronized with that of the radio base station control apparatus (radio base station apparatus), and the block used to transmit the calling signal is allocated. The radio base station control apparatus transmits the calling signal at the timing of the block allocated to the radio terminal apparatus during the location registering operation by using 1 frame through 3 frames every 1 second via the radio base station apparatus. For the sake of simple explanations, it is assumed that the calling signal is transmitted every 1 second by using 1 frame.
Even when no calling signal is received at such a radio terminal apparatus corresponding to a certain block, the radio base station control apparatus sends out the dummy data to this radio terminal apparatus by using 1 frame. In the case that a call signal is received at a certain radio terminal apparatus, the radio base station control apparatus continuously transmits the call signal via the radio base station apparatus at the timing of the block allocated to this radio terminal apparatus only the number of times of transmission (2 times to 5 times) which are determined as the system information.
As a result, assuming now that when a location of a certain radio terminal apparatus is registered, for example, a block 3 (B3) is allocated as a calling block, the power supply of the signal receiving circuit is turned ON at the timing of the block 3 only one time per 1 second during 1/400 second (minimum) to 3/400 seconds (maximum) under control of the control unit 5 in the radio terminal apparatus. FIG. 3F represents such a condition that the power supply of the signal receiving circuit is turned ON at the timing of the block B3 within the respective sending period (1 second).
In such a case that the predetermined number of times of transmission is equal to, for example, 4 times, when a calling signal is received by such a radio terminal apparatus allocated to the block 398 (B398), as indicated in FIG. 3E, a calling signal for calling this radio terminal apparatus is continuously sent 4 times every 1 second at the timing of the block B398 by the radio base station control apparatus.
The battery power saving ratio when the radio terminal apparatus of this second conventional technique is operated under call waiting state becomes 99.25% (=(400-3)/400) in such a case that, for example, the calling signal is sent out by using three frames.
There is a great difference between the first conventional technique and the second conventional technique. That is, in the first conventional technique, the calling period of the radio base station control apparatus is not synchronized with the time period during which the power supply of the signal receiving circuit employed in the radio terminal apparatus is turned ON, but is synchronized with the time period in the second conventional technique. As a consequence, in the response waiting process operation for the calling operation, the calling signal is resent when the time out of the timer set to a predetermined value is occurred in the first conventional technique, whereas the calling signal is continuously transmitted irrelevant to the response in the second conventional technique.
A first problem occurred in such conventional technique, the duration time of the battery employed in the radio terminal apparatus is short. This first problem is caused by such a fact that the power of this battery is consumed even when the radio terminal apparatus is operated under call waiting state. In a certain condition, the user of this radio terminal apparatus cannot recharge this battery for a long term.
In such a case, when the remaining power quantity of this battery becomes zero while the user continues the telephone communication, this telephone communication is interrupted.
A second problem of the conventional technique is caused by such a fact that there are great possibilities that the calling signal cannot be surely received. That is, when the reception signal field strength of the control channel is low (weak), if only one calling signal is sent, then there are high possibilities that the reception of this calling signal fails because of the fading phenomenon.
Furthermore, Japanese Laid-open Patent Disclosure JP-A-Heisei 4-273695 discloses "MOBILE COMMUNICATION APPARATUS" as the related art. In this mobile communication apparatus, the location registering operation of the changed radio base station is carried out only when the location registering demand transmitted from the radio mobile station in a predetermined time period is received by the respective radio base stations, and the reception signal field strength of this demand signal can be detected as such a highest reception signal field level continuously received preselected times. However, in this conventional mobile communication apparatus, the power supply of the signal receiving circuit is not turned ON/OFF in response to the reception signal field strength level.
Also, Japanese Laid-open Patent Disclosure JPA-Heisei 1-177223 opened in 1990 discloses "MOBILE RADIO COMMUNICATION APPARATUS". This mobile radio communication apparatus is applied to the radio communication system arranged by that a plurality of base stations are arranged at random; the channels are allocated to the respective base stations whose channels are different from those of the adjacent base stations; the mobile radio communication apparatus owns the transmitting/receiving means for the respective channels; and then the radio communications are established with the base stations within the service areas of the respective base stations by using the channels allocated to the relevant base station. This mobile radio communication apparatus is arranged by the field strength measuring reception means, the comparing means, and the control means. The field strength measuring reception means sequentially receives the channel signals outputted from the respective base stations to thereby acquire the field strength measurement output. The comparing means compares the measurement output from this field strength measuring reception means with the field strength output of the reception signal derived from the above-described signal transmitting/receiving means, and produces the switching output when the measurement output of the field strength measuring reception means exceeds the field strength output of the reception signal of the signal transmitting/receiving means. The control means continuously outputs the measuring channel switching command used to sequentially switch the reception channels of the field strength measuring reception means, and switches the transmission/reception channel of the signal transmitting/receiving means to such a reception channel of the field strength measuring reception means upon receipt of the switching output from the comparing means. In accordance with the conventional mobile communication apparatus, this mobile communication apparatus can continuously access to such a base station where the reception signal field strength is the highest level. However, in this mobile communication apparatus, the power supply of the signal receiving circuit is not turned ON/OFF in response to the reception signal field strength level.
Further, Japanese Laid-open Patent Disclosure JP-A-Heisei 4-251370 opened in 1992 discloses "POWER SUPPLY FOR PORTABLE TYPE INPUT/OUTPUT APPARATUS". This power supply for the portable type input/output apparatus is arranged by the secondary battery corresponding to the power source; the charge/discharge detecting unit for discriminating the charge operation from the discharge operation based on the current flowing direction of the secondary battery to transmit the discrimination data; and the A/D converting unit for measuring the charge voltage and the discharge voltage of the secondary battery to A/D-convert these measured voltages into the corresponding digital data. Further, this power supply is constituted by the RAM for temporarily storing the digital data derived from the A/D converting unit; the ROM for previously storing the control software; the CPU for executing the data process operations based on the digital data stored into the RAM and also the data derived from the charge/discharge detecting unit under control of the control software stored in this ROM; the display unit for displaying the remaining battery power quantity and the battery lifetime based on the data process result of the CPU; and the connection unit for connecting the main body of the portable type input/output apparatus so as to supply the electric power of the secondary battery. However, this conventional portable type input/output apparatus power supply does not execute the battery power saving operation in response to the remaining power quantity of the secondary battery, but merely displays the remaining electric power of the secondary battery.
Also, Japanese Laid-open Patent Disclosure JP-A-Showa 58-103238 opened in 1983 discloses "RADIO APPARATUS". This conventional radio apparatus is arranged by the transmitter and the receiver having the power supply control unit. The transmitter transmits the calling signal during a preselected time period after the calling switch is turned ON. The receiver is intermittently operated only within a short time period in such a time period shorter than the above-described preset time period, and the electric power is supplied to the demodulating circuit unit having the relatively slow response characteristic in response to the power application within this short time period. Thereafter, the electric power is applied to the other circuit units such as the low frequency amplifier having the quick response characteristic. This radio apparatus further includes the power supply voltage detecting circuit for detecting the power supply voltage, and the receiver with such a power supply control unit having the following functions. That is, when the power supply voltage detected by this power supply voltage detecting circuit is low, the start timing of the power supply voltage is advanced. Conversely, when the detected power supply voltage is high, the start timing of the power supply voltage is delayed so as to vary the power supplying period for the demodulating circuit unit. As previously explained, this conventional radio apparatus controls the start timing of the power supply voltage to the demodulating circuit unit so as to vary the power supplying period. In contrast, a radio terminal apparatus (will be explained later) according to the present invention owns such a different technical idea. That is, the time duration during which the power supply voltage is applied is varied by changing the power supplying period.
Also, Japanese Laid-open Patent Disclosure JP-A-Heisei 4-345330 opened in 1992 discloses "MOBILE RADIO APPARATUS". This mobile radio apparatus employs the means for intermittently operating the signal reception system when the call is received, the means for controlling the time period of this intermittent reception operation, and the means for detecting the field strength during the intermittent signal reception. Then, when the detected field strength is low, the time period of the intermittent signal reception operation is prolonged to reduce the power consumption. To the contrary, in the radio terminal apparatus according to the present invention, when the detected field strength is low, the time period of the interrupted signal reception operation is shortened so as to surely receive the calling signal.
Also, Japanese Patent Publication JP-B-Showa 59-12055 published in 1984 discloses "MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM". In this mobile communication system, the paging call sent via the saving control channel from the base station is received/detected by the calling signal receiving circuit to which the electric power is supplied from the power supply in a predetermined time period, and the electric power of the power supply is supplied from the telephone battery saving circuit to the telephone transmitting/receiving circuit in response to this paging call reception, or the on-hook operation of the transmitting/receiving device. The designation information of the communication channel sent from the base station via the connection channel is received/discriminated to set the communication channel. However, this conventional mobile communication system does not describe the battery power saving technique in response to the remaining power quantity of the power supply.
Also, Japanese Laid-open Patent Disclosure J-PA-Showa 62-160830 opened in 1987 discloses "SELECTIVE CALLING SIGNAL RECEIVER". This selective calling signal receiver is arranged by that in the radio receiver having the battery power saving circuit, for receiving/processing the selective calling signal, the synchronization monitoring means is employed which includes the detecting means for detecting the error of the selective calling code contained in the selective calling signal, and the control means for controlling the battery power saving circuit in response to the error detection signal derived from this error detecting means. However, in this conventional selective calling signal receiver, such a power saving operation cannot be carried out in response to the remaining power quantity of the power supply as executed in the inventive radio terminal apparatus.
Further, Japanese Laid-open Patent Disclosure JP-A-Heisei 4-211529 discloses "BATTERY POWER SAVING METHOD OF PAGING SYSTEM". This conventional battery power saving method of the paging system is featured by that in the paging system using the paging signal for sending the sync code and the calling signal subsequent to the preamble signal, there are employed the first battery power saving means for executing the battery power saving operation in the short time period until the first preamble signal is detected, and the second battery power saving means for turning OFF the power supply under such a condition that when the preamble signal is once detected and the subsequent sync signal is detected, from the end of the calling signal until this preamble signal of the paging signal is detected, namely from the end of this paging signal, this power supply is turned OFF. However, this conventional battery power saving method of the paging system cannot carry out such a battery power saving operation in response to the remaining battery power quantity as executed in the inventive radio terminal apparatus.
Furthermore, Japanese Laid-open Patent Disclosure JP-A-Heisei 4-304043 opened in 1992 discloses "RADIO SELECTIVE CALLING RECEIVER". This conventional radio selective calling receiver is equipped with the radio signal unit, the decoding unit, the calling signal detecting unit, and the notifying unit. Further, the zone detecting unit and the power supply control unit are employed. This zone detecting unit detects whether the present location of the receiver is located within the signal receivable zone, or outside the signal receivable zone in response to the individual calling signal. In the power supply control unit, the first time interval and the second time interval longer than this first time interval are set, and the intermittent power supplying operation of the power supply unit 6 is selected as the first time interval or the second time interval in response to the output from the zone detecting unit. However, this conventional radio selective calling receiver cannot perform such a battery power saving operation in response to the remaining power quantity of the power supply as executed in the inventive radio terminal apparatus. | {
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A semiconductor memory IC, such as a synchronous graphics random access memory (SGRAM), typically includes an array of memory cells organized into rows and columns. Each memory cell can store one bit of data and is accessed by activating a row line of the row of the memory cell and a column line or pair of column lines of the column of the memory cell. Herein, the invention is illustrated assuming that a pair of column lines is connected to each column of memory cells, without loss of generality. A memory cell access can occur in the course of a read or write operation and a row line or column line pair can be activated by applying a particular voltage to the row line or column line pair or by monitoring the voltage thereon. Each memory cell is assigned a unique address which can be divided into a row address, indicating a row line connected to the cell, and a column address, indicating a column line pair connected to the cell.
FIG. 1 shows the column decoder architecture 10 of a conventional RAM. In writing a data value to a particular accessed memory cell, the data value appearing on I/O pad 12 is inputted to a write driver 14. The data value is outputted from the write driver 14 on a pair of data lines 22 to I/O line pairs 16-1, 16-2, . . . , 16-N. The data value is provided to each of N column decoders 18-1, 18-2, . . . , 18-N to which each corresponding I/O line pair 16-1, 16-2, . . . , 16-N is connected. Each column decoder 18-1, 18-2, . . . , 18-N activates one column line pair of a set of (in this case, eight) column line pairs 20-0, 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, 20-5, 20-6 or 20-7 which activated column line pair is connected to the particular accessed cell. The particular column line pair 20-0 to 20-7 activated is indicated by part of the column address Y of the to-be-accessed cell. (Another portion of the column address Y of the cell not shown may be used to selectively activate only the particular one of the column decoders 18-1, 18-2, . . . , 18-N connected to the set of column line pairs 20-0 to 20-7 possessing the column line pair of the accessed cell).
The SGRAM column decoder architecture 10 shown in FIG. 1 is advantageous in that a savings is achieved in layout area for the I/O lines 16-1, 16-2 and 16-N. Specifically, (other than the address lines Y) only a single pair of data lines 22 need extend along the top of the memory array.
Desirably, the column decoder architecture 10 supports a block write operation, during which a single data value is stored in multiple memory cells simultaneously. Another signal can be propagated by a line (not shown) for causing a column decoder, e.g., the column decoder 18-1, to activate all column line pairs 20-0 to 20-7 simultaneously during a block write operation, thereby storing the data value transferred via data line pair 22 in a cell of each column.
In a more advanced block write operation, a mask is externally supplied which specifies only selected ones of the columns, of a set of columns, to be written with the data value during the block write. However, the column decoder architecture 10 of FIG. 1 cannot accommodate such a maskable block write operation.
FIG. 2 shows a second conventional column decoder architecture 30 that supports a maskable block write operation. A data value appearing on the I/O pad 32 is driven by the write driver 34 onto a data line 46. The data value on data line 46, and an externally supplied mask signal CMSK, are received at a mask circuit 44. The mask circuit 44 outputs the data value of data line 46 on each pair of I/O lines 36 corresponding to a particular column line, as specified by the mask. For instance, the column line pairs are organized into N sets 41-1, . . . 41-N, of, for example, eight column line pairs per set. The mask has eight bits specifying which of the column line pairs of a set of column line pairs should be written with the data value. The mask circuit 44 outputs a copy of the data value on only those I/O line pairs 36 corresponding to column line pairs of a set indicated by the mask signal CMSK. Each copy of the data value is carried to a respective column decoder 38-1, . . . , 38-N by a corresponding set of I/O line taps 36-1, . . . , 36-N. (The column address Y is also received at the column decoders 38-1, . . . , 38-N for use in an ordinary write or read operation.) In response, the column decoders 38-1, . . . , 38-N activate the column line pairs for which data is provided so as to simultaneously store the data values into each non-masked column.
Multiple pitch column decoders, such as double pitch and quad pitch column decoders are known. Multiple pitch column decoders can save layout spacing in the area allocated to the column decoders. For example, a double pitch column decoder is connected to two sets of column line pairs and has a separate sense amplifier for each set of column line pairs. During an ordinary read or write operation to a single addressed cell, the double pitch column decoder actually selects two column line pairs, namely, one column line pair in each of the two sets to which it is connected. The particular selected column line pair in each set is indicated by a portion of the column address. However, a column select signal activates only one of the two sense amplifiers, thereby only enabling one column line pair to be activated. Likewise, a quad pitch column decoder is a decoder connected to four sets of column line pairs. The quad pitch column decoder selects four column line pairs in response to an ordinary read or write operation, namely, one column line pair in each of the four sets to which it is connected. However, one or more column select signals disable three of the four sense amplifiers of the non-selected sets of column line pairs so that only one column line pair is effectively activated.
The column decoder architecture 30 of FIG. 2 can accommodate the maskable block write operation. The problem, however, is that multiple I/O lines 36 must be provided at the top of the array that run the entire length of the array. Each I/O line requires, for example, 2 .mu.m of spacing for the width of the line and for separating adjacent lines from each other. The example in FIG. 2 shows only eight I/O line pairs 36 running across the top of the array requiring a total area of 8.times.2.times.2 .mu.m wide.times.the length of the top of the array.
It is an object of the present invention to decrease the spacing requirement necessary to implement a maskable block write operation in a semiconductor memory IC. | {
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The invention concerns an arrangement comprising a drawer and an extension guide for the drawer, wherein the drawer has a drawer container and a front panel which can be connected to the drawer container and wherein the extension guide has at least one carcass rail for fixing to a furniture carcass and at least one drawer rail which is moveable relative to the carcass rail between an open position and a closed position and to which the drawer can be fixed with the extension guide. A releasable locking element is provided by which, in a locking position, the movement of the drawer rail in the closing direction relative to the carcass rail can be stopped in an intermediate position before reaching the closed position and, in a release position, the movement of the drawer rail in the closing direction relative to the carcass rail is enabled until reaching the closed position. The invention also concerns an article of furniture having a furniture carcass and such an arrangement.
In the case of extension guides, the drawer rail and the carcass rail in the non-mounted condition are movable relative to each other from a completely open position to a completely closed position. The same applies if such an extension guide is mounted at both sides by way of a carcass rail in a furniture carcass. Fitting or fixing a drawer on the extension guide is possible in the mounted condition of the extension guide, even if the drawer rail is in the closed position relative to the carcass rail—and is thus entirely inward. When inserting the drawer into the extension guide, poor accessibility to the drawer rail which is disposed entirely rearwardly or inwardly can lead to problems. Even worse are the problems if the drawer is already inserted and a front panel of a front pull-out arrangement is to be mounted to the drawer container as the front panel butts against the furniture carcass before it in any way moves into a position sufficiently close to the drawer container.
Such an arrangement is also already known from AT 384 535 B, in which a locking element in the form of a pawl inhibits the movement of the rails relative to each other. In that patent it will be noted that the locking element serves only for making it easier to fit the drawer to the extension guide as the drawer rail cannot reciprocate unimpededly between the open and closed positions.
In addition DE 33 26 400 A1 shows a drawer mounted on telescopic rails, wherein the movement between the telescopic rails is checked by a lock. In this specification also that lock can only be released by hand. There is not a functional connection in respect of releasing the lock with the fitment of a drawer. The lock serves in particular to lock the inserts mounted on the telescopic rails in a given position, in particular when the telescopic rails are fully pulled out.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,689 discloses a locking element for checking the movement between rails of an extension guide. That locking element serves in particular to provide that the drawer cannot be simply removed in the completely open position as the stop element butts in a recess in the carcass rail. It is only by manual actuation of the member that the arresting position can be released and then the drawer together with the drawer rail can be lifted away from the carcass rail.
Therefore the object of the invention is to facilitate fitment of the drawer to the extension guide or fitment of the front panel to the drawer container. In particular, the invention seeks to provide that, in the mounted condition of the extension guide, the drawer rail can be easily reached so that fitment of the drawer or fitment of the front panels to the drawer container is possible without any problem. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a package for a semiconductor chip and a method of forming the same. More particularly, the invention relates to a multi-row semiconductor package with an improved leadframe and a method for making said package.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices and integrated circuits (ICs) are made up of components, such as transistors and diodes, and elements such as resistors and capacitors, linked together by conductive connections to form one or more functional circuits. Interconnects on an IC chip serve the same function as the wiring in conventional circuits.
Once the components of an IC package have been assembled, the package is typically sealed by plastic encapsulation in order to improve the strength of the package and to provide necessary protection to the components within.
One type of package is a single sided multi row quad flat no-lead (QFN) package. See for example FIGS. 1 and 2. A multi row QFN is a type of copper leadframe based semiconductor package with more than one row of terminals at the bottom surface of the package to at least one peripheral side for the purpose of providing interconnection to external devices for example PCB.
Single sided multi row QFN packages can be singulated by two main methods, punch singulation and sawn singulation. However, both methods have several problems associated with them. For example, with punch singulation, solder bridging 101 can occur during solder plating and lead-to-lead shorting 102 can occur during package singulation. See FIGS. 1a and 1b respectively, which are top views of a portion of FIG. 1. FIG. 1b corresponds to the rectangular box drawn on top of FIG. 1. Solder bridging is a defect where solder bridged between adjacent leads. Lead-to-lead shorting is an un-wanted connection between neighboring leads caused by the inherent solder squeeze-out during package singulation. The existence of such defects in the package will affect the quality and functionality of the device.
Likewise, a single sided multi row QFN package, such as that shown in FIG. 2, formed by being sawn singulated, also has several problems associated with it. For example, adjacent leads 201 and 202 can be shorted as a result of the inherent smearing 203 of the copper material during package singulation. See FIG. 2a, which is a side view of a portion of FIG. 2 indicated by the circle in FIG. 2.
One object of the present invention is to produce a single sided multi-row package that reduces or eliminates solder bridging and lead-to-lead shorting when the package is punch singulated.
Another object of the present invention is to produce a single sided multi-row package that reduces or eliminates shorting of adjacent leads caused by smearing when the package is sawn singulated.
The invention can also act as an interlock that reduces the risk of having a separation between the mold cap and the leadframe. It also improves reliability by preventing the moisture to easily penetrate through the interface between the outer leads and mold cap. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to a vortex generating apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus that produced a captive vortex capable of attracting and removably adhering one or more solid objects or removably adhering the apparatus itself to a surface.
The use of vortex forces is known in various arts, including the separation of matter from liquid and gas effluent flow streams, the removal of contaminated air from a region and the propulsion of objects. However, vortex forces have not previously been provided in a device capable of attracting itself to and/or removably attract other solid objects.
Related to the field of separations, Bielefeldt U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,310 and related U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,991 teach methods of directing particles tangentially using centrifugal forces within a vortex chamber. A mixed fluid flow is directed tangentially into the cylinder of a vortex chamber inclined toward the opposite end of the cylinder. The process is said to separate heavier solid or liquid particles from lighter gas or liquid flow. The lighter fluid flow is directed toward the center of the vortex chamber and is collected with separate suction tubes, while the heavier particles are directed to the outer periphery and along the length of the vortex chamber for collection by a separate apparatus. In this system, the heavier particles are separated by the centrifugal forces created within the vortex chamber separator. A constant stream of fluid passes through a vortex chamber. While the process may attract particles to the periphery of the vortex chamber, they are collected within the chamber and removed with a separate device. This is in stark contrast to the vortex apparatus of the present invention, which uses the vortex forces to attract or suspend objects in a controllable manner.
In addition to the centrifugal forces of vortex apparatuses, low pressure regions created by vortex airflow have been taught which attract fluid streams. For example, Barry U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,880 teaches an apparatus for desalinating water. A vortex generating apparatus consists of a discontinuous cylinder having a cross section of a spiral. When a continuous stream of air is directed toward an inlet opening in the spiral, the air swirls into the interior of the cylinder and creates a spinning tower of air, or a vortex. A water stream is attracted to the area of low pressure at the vortex and travels through the apparatus, with the salt being separated by centrifugal forces. Unlike the present invention, this apparatus is not with the use of large solid objects. It is not capable of attracting and removably adhering objects for disposal, transport, mounting, or otherwise.
Vortex vents are proposed to remove contaminated air from a defined region in place of conventional vents, where air is extracted from a general area. For example, the Vortex Technology Center at the University of Houston proposes an apparatus that creates a swirling suction flow of air. A swirler is activated in a manner that draws air spirally upward through an exit area above. This swirling motion creates a reverse vertical flow near the axis of the swirler. This is said to be more efficient and convenient than conventional hoods for removing contaminated air from a directed region. However, this apparatus is not capable of attracting and removably adhering objects.
Attempts have also been made to develop thrusters to vertically propel an object using a vortex airflow. For example, the Vortex Technology Center proposes an apparatus which is capable of vertically ascending. This device, described in more detail herein, consists of a chamber header, a cargo area and swirler. At the base of the chamber header is a high pressure input source. Air enters through the high pressure input source to the swirler, which provides angular momentum to the airflow. The airflow is forced out and around the body of the chamber header over diffusers. The lack of air pressure directly above the axis of the swirler creates a low pressure region, which is said to create upward lift. This apparatus differs from the vortex generating apparatus of the present invention as it is not capable of lifting and holding objects, nor is resistance minimized by limiting overall airflow.
These apparatuses proposed by the Vortex Technology Center (the vortex vent and the vortex thruster) use the pressure differences created by the vortex airflow to provide a directed low pressure region. The devices above describe the xe2x80x9cartificial tornadoxe2x80x9d theory in conjunction with the illustrations presented. However, while they may be similar to a tornado because they use spirally flowing air to create a pressure difference, they do not take advantage of the potential forces that may be generated by emulating the flow of a natural tornado.
A tornado is a strongly rotating column of air, or vortex, generally attached to the base of a thunderstorm cloud and extending to a tip. The pressure in the center of the rotating column is lower than ambient and becomes lower still as the tip of the column approaches and attaches the ground or a solid surface such as a roof. If the vortex or vortices are not connected to the base of a cloud, they are not tornadoes, but rather are termed xe2x80x9cgustnadoesxe2x80x9d. The devices proposed by the Vortex Technology Center do not use the principles of a connected tornado, but instead resemble an unconnected tornado.
Many devices and methods are used to attract solid objects or particles. A common method is with the use of suction generated by a vacuum. However, the vortex attraction force created by the present invention is distinguished from a typical vacuum impeller system. The operation of an impeller vacuum system is described and contrasted with the present invention in further detail herein. Briefly, a motor driven impeller causes a circular fluid motion within its vanes, whereby the centrifugal force or centripetal acceleration throws fluid out through an exhaust. Pressure is reduced and fluid is drawn into the inlet and through the impeller blades to the exhaust. In contrast, rather than providing a continuous flow of fluid through the impeller the present invention prevents fluid flow radially through the spinning impeller blades, which improves efficiency over a conventional vacuum impeller as described herein.
Other methods of attracting or displacing solid objects or particles (on both large and small operational scales) include cranes, forklifts, springs, slide assemblies, hydraulics or electromagnets. However, the vortex generating apparatus of the present invention provides an efficient and versatile substitute for existing lifting or displacement methods and devices. For example, unlike electromagnets, the present invention is not limited to displacing or attracting objects having magnetic properties. Additionally, unlike traditional forklifts and cranes, pallets, straps or chains are not required to lift objects as the device presented herein may be configured to attract a surface of an object. Other benefits will become apparent from the summary and descriptions set forth herein.
Furthermore, devices using the invention herein may be configured to attract itself to a solid surface. Prior methods of removably adhering devices to solid objects include magnets and suction cups. The present invention may replace these prior methods in applications where control, movement and predictability are added concerns.
Heretofore unknown to the present inventors is a device utilizing the principles of a connected tornado for optimum attraction force. These attraction forces are generated by a vortex apparatus that may be used for attracting and removably adhering solid objects or for removably adhering itself to a surface. The prior art is desolate of an apparatus utilizing the negative pressure created from a vortex force to accomplish the objects relayed herein.
The present invention is directed to an efficient apparatus capable of generating a negative pressure region that produces attractive forces in the form of a vortex flow (also referred to herein as a xe2x80x9cvortex attractorxe2x80x9d). The vortex attractor may be used alone or in conjunction with other mechanical or electronic systems. The present invention has the functional ability to pull, suck, suspend, hold, lift and interrupt. The negative pressure regions also can adhere a vortex attractor to a surface. For example, an apparatus is provided that is capable of pulling itself toward a surface or maintaining itself a certain distance relative to a surface. Furthermore, the fluids that may be acted on by the present invention include any gas (e.g., air), liquid (e.g., water), any combination thereof, slurries, or any gas and/or liquid having solids and/or particulates dispersed therethrough.
These general uses and additional examples described herein are accomplished by providing an apparatus comprising one or more impellers or vanes, and a shell. The impeller or impellers are positioned within a shell that has one open end, or impeller end. Materials of construction for a vortex attractor will vary depending on the desired application.
The shell comprises a containing ring or wall and a backplate for said wall. The containing ring or wall may be attached to the impeller vanes and rotate with them or may be separate from the vanes (relatively close to the vane ends) and may be mounted on a stationary frame. The backplate may be connected with the impeller vanes and rotate with them or may be separate from the vanes (relatively close to the vanes), and may be mounted to a stationary frame. The containing ring and/or backplate may be sealed such that fluid cannot flow radially through the vanes or backwards behind them, or they may have apertures or vents in them to allow for some fluid to circulate radially and behind. These apertures or vents preferably are configured such that sufficient surface area remains upon the containing ring and/or backplate to act upon the fluid and induce a vortex flow. Furthermore, the apertures or vents may be controllable in order to rapidly reduce attraction. The fluid flow through the vents may be used to power auxiliary functions or for measurement control.
The impellers rotate about an axis within the containing ring. The axis typically corresponds with a driveshaft which passes through the backplate. Generally, the impellers rotate about a central axis of the containing ring or wall. However, this axis may be positioned other than centrally depending on the impeller configuration, the shape of the containing wall and the particular application. The impellers or vanes may be incorporated in the containing walls, or may be separately rotatable. The vanes may be flat, curved or pitched and various configurations are possible, as further described infra.
The device may optionally include a safety screen or ring, or may have a shield mounted on the vanes in a manner that does not obstruct fluid flow in directions necessary for correct operation of the vortex attractor. Such shields are for safety purposes or to prevent the possibility of obstructions within the vanes.
The shape of the shell may vary depending on aesthetics, functionality or efficiency requirements. One particularly useful effect of differing shapes of the shell is the variations in the shape if the fluid flow. The containing wall may have a plan view resembling a circle, ellipse, polygon or polygon having rounded vertexes or corners. The containing walls may be perpendicular to the backplate or may be at an acute or obtuse angle relative to the backplate. Furthermore, the containing walls may be straight, arcuate, U-shaped, V-shaped (with the open portions of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d facing away from or toward the impeller) or S-shaped (which may also be in the form of a backwards xe2x80x9cSxe2x80x9d), for example.
When the backplate is not connected to the impeller blades an aperture is provided for the driveshaft to rotatably pass through said backplate. If a completely sealed backplate is required, the driveshaft may pass through sealed and lubricated gasket or bearing assembly. The backplate, whether connected to the impeller blades, or separate from them, may also contain one or more additional apertures or slits. These additional apertures or slits may be provided to minimize weight, for decorative purposes or to provide any desired functionality related to specific configuration or application. These additional apertures or slits may be provided in order to generate external fluid flow for auxiliary finctions or monitoring.
Moreover, it is not necessary that the backplate be planar. The backplate may be convex or concave, or it may have a shaped of a cone, pyramid, truncated pyramid or other polyhedral. Additionally, alternate designs may incorporate a backplate which is asymmetrical or irregular with respect to the vanes. Any three-dimensional shape that does not interfere with the impeller action may serve as the backplate.
The driveshaft may be powered by any conceivable means, such as AC or DC electric motors, gas or fuel combustion motors, steam power, compressed gas or air, flywheel or a mechanical winder device. The driveshaft may be of any length or shape, and it may be flexible, allowing for optimum positioning and maneuverability of the vortex attractor. Power may be provided directly from the motor to the driveshaft, or by one or more drive belts or chains connecting the driveshaft to the motor. Optional gears may be provided which allow the driveshaft to reverse the direction of rotation or allow for the speed of the impeller to be controlled at a constant motor speed. Alternative drive mechanisms may also be used, such as water, wind or magnetic arrangements. Furthermore, the power source may also provide energy to additional devices fixed to the vortex attractor.
Preferably, the containing ring height should be similar to that of the impeller. A stationary containing ring may be made to extend above the height of the impeller so that when the vortex attractor pulls an object or pulls itself toward a surface, the edge of the containing ring contacts the object or surface rather than the blades of the impeller. Alternatively, the containing ring wall height may vary around the impellers, for example, to provide a means to direct the vortex flow. Other arrangements may include a flexible or adjustable containing wall, so that when the impeller end contacts a non-planer surface, ambient fluid can be prevented from entering the system.
The forces of the vortex attractor are generated by the spinning impeller or impellers which act upon fluid entering from the open end of the vortex attractor. Fluid is drawn in through the region about the axis of the impellers, and it is forced through the impellers to the walls of the containing ring. The fluid flows tangentially from the containing ring in an upward direction. Generally, the path of the fluid flow resembles a spiral, with a loop that travels through the center of the spiral to the region about the axis of the impeller. The direction of the spin does not matter, as the only change would be the direction of the fluid flow and the same attractive forces are generated as described herein. The fluid flow creates a low pressure region near the axis of the impeller. Fluid is forced back toward the impellers due to the loss in velocity caused by resistance encountered from ambient fluid outside the path of fluid flow. This spiral path having a return loop through the spiral is continuous while the impellers spin. If the impeller velocity is decreased or increased, the distance of the fluid flow from the containing ring and the speed of the fluid flow will accordingly vary.
A desirable feature of vortex attractor is that the flow through the system is limited, as there is not a separate fluid intake and exhaust. The fluid circulating through the vanes of the impeller originates from the region about the impeller axis and within the confines of an imaginary frustum or cylinder extending away from the impeller end of the shell rather than from a separate inlet. This eliminates the inefficiencies created by methods of the prior art because the system need not continuously cause a fluid flow from an intake through an exhaust.
A protective screen, plate or specific shell geometry may be applicable to position a shield in front of the impeller blades to minimize injury and to prevent objects from striking the impeller. The screen may comprise concentric circles or a spiral screen. Other arrangements include covering the region above the impeller blade path with a separate ring plate or with certain shell geometry. For example, the containing wall may be fabricated having a portion that extends toward the impeller axis to protect the vanes. Preferably, such a plate or extended portion allows fluid to flow through the region about the axis of the impeller, and allows fluid to exit through the region near the containing ring walls.
The invention described herein generates a low pressure area that extends from the impeller end to the object or objects to be attracted (or object being attracted to). The low pressure region between the impellers and the object is maintained by the impeller motion. The vortex attraction forces increase as the object moves closer to the containing ring, as there is less resistance from ambient fluid.
One particularly useful feature of the vortex apparatus is that the distance from the impeller blades to the surface has an approximate linear relationship with the impeller operating power requirement and the attractive forces generated. The vortex power increases linearly as distance increases, and the vortex lift decreases linearly as distance increases. This linearity (over part of the range of distances from the impeller blade) provides predictability and efficiency in applications where the vortex apparatus of the present invention is maintained a certain distance from a stationary or non-stationary surface. Objects may be suspended a distance from the vortex attractor (rather than be removably adhered), or alternatively, the vortex attractor may be suspended a distance from a stationary surface. For optimal suspension, a responsive control system is provided which senses any change which may effect the required impeller speed and accordingly adjust the speed. Moreover, the linearity proves useful for control mechanisms, motion sensors, measurement devices or speed detectors. Outside fluid effects, such as wind, turbulence or deterioration of the fluid flow from movement of the vortex device, should be taken into consideration when fluid is between the impeller and the surface (note that this is not a major factor when the object is removably adhered to the vortex attractor, as little or no additional fluid flows from the ambient surrounding acts upon the system).
Furthermore, the pressure differential (and hence the attractive forces) may be varied for certain applications (i.e., maintain separate distances between the impeller end and the surface) by changing the speed of the impellers. The impeller speed can be changed by varying the power input or with a gear transmission system. Additionally, a gear transmission may also relate power from the impeller power source to auxiliary devices.
The principles of the vortex flow and reduced pressure are applicable in multiple applications, on scales ranging from microscopic to very large. The vortex attractor may be used alone, in combination with wheel or tracks, on a conveyor belt, etc. Various devices may be attached to the vortex attractor for sensing, measuring, recording, etc. A warning system may be provided for vortex attractors operating on a limited power source, such as a battery, to prevent the attractor from failing while in use. Furthermore, the vortex attractor may be controlled manually, remotely by computer, conventional remote control or via on-board software. The controlled elements of the vortex attractor may include impeller speed, by variations in power input and/or by gear changes, impeller blade distance from the impeller end of the containing ring or outer shield or power source variations.
A substantially modified vortex attractor comprises an impeller or vanes and a shell having an inner shield and an outer shield. The vanes may be mounted to a backplate, or an impeller assembly may be separately rotatable relative to the inner shield. The impeller is positioned within one end of the outer shield (the impeller end), and the inner shield is concentric to the outer shield, and generally prevents fluid flow within the center of the portion of the outer shield behind the impeller assembly. Fluid is directed through the center of the impellers and spirals out through the region between the inner shield and the outer shield. Attractive forces are generated toward the impeller end of the outer shield due to the vortex flow extending therefrom.
Therefore, according to the present invention,an efficient device is provided that uses the low pressure zone created by a vortex fluid flow to attract objects or attract itself to a surface. This device may be employed for numerous purposes, such as industrial transport, underwater lifting, electromagnet applications, switches, sensors, detectors, toys and other applications where objects or tools are displaced and/or maintained in a suspended or removably adhered position.
Lifting Devices
In the field of industrial transport, a vortex attractor may be used in place of or in addition to a crane or other hoisting machinery. It can be used to lift, maintain, and move objects across a factory or warehouse. This type of vortex attractor may be particularly useful in lifting, maintaining and/or moving delicate objects such as glass panes. Furthermore,the object lifted may have a non-planer surface. As described further herein, the vortex attractor requires less energy than vacuum systems. Additionally,unlike a magnet or electromagnetic crane, magnetic properties of the attracted object are not relevant.
An assembly including one or more vortex attractors may be suspended from a ceiling track system or other suspended transport system capable of traversing about an area1. For example, an extendable and retractable cable may be suspended from a ceiling track system within a plant that travels in the x axis and y axis. A vortex attractor having the impeller end facing the ground is provided at the opposite end of the cable. When the attractor is positioned no more than some maximum distance (based on the weight of the object, the size of the attractor and the impeller speed) over the object to be moved, the impellers are activated. This causes the object to rise, preferably contacting the impeller end either the containing ring or the outer shield. The track system may then be activated to traverse the plant and the cables may be extended and retracted as needed. Alternatively, the objects may be suspended a distance from the vortex attractor. In situations where a suspended object is moved, the effects of the changed fluid flow must be considered in maintaining the proper impeller speed. Note that this is not a factor when the object is removably adhered to the vortex attractor, as no additional fluid flow acts upon the system. When moving a load attached to the vortex attractor, there are no adverse effects on the low pressure generated (assuming the minimum impeller speed for that load is maintained). In an alternate arrangement vortex attractors may be used in place of the overhead track system to traverse the ceiling while suspended vortex attractors perform the above mentioned lifting functions.
1See discussion infra regarding vortex attractors including wheels or ball bearings capable of traversing a wall or ceiling.
Vortex attractors are also applicable as substitutes for forklifts or on flatbed trucks with winch or overhead forklifts attached for loading and unloading. This may be similar to the suspended systems described above, using a boom in place of or in conjunction with a tracking system. However, other arrangements are contemplated, including a rigid arm system, for instance, where the vortex attractor is attached to the extremity and the arm is capable of moving, extending and retracting. Often, the objects lifted by these various arrangements are fragile or easily subject to scratching or marring from conventional forklifts. A vortex attractor may perform the tasks of a forklift or suspended forklift capable of moving large delicate objects without breakage or scratching. This is accomplished, for example, by providing a non-marring surface on the impeller end of the containing ring or outer shield, providing a cushion between the vortex attractor and a delicate object.
Similarly, a vortex attractor is useful as a lifting device for physically handicapped people. The forces required to displace access platforms and chair lifts in vehicles or homes may be provided by a suspended vortex attractor or a vortex attractor attached to a boom. Furthermore, a lifting device may be created which comprises a vortex attractor attached to a flexible or non-flexible pole to aid in lifting commonplace objects such as cups, boxes, etc.
The driveshaft of a vortex attractor may be.flexible. Such a driveshaft configuration may be incorporated as a portion of a suspended attractor (at the attractor end of the cable), as a portion of or substitute for an attached arm, or on a hand-held device. This is useful, for example, on an assembly line, where the vortex attractor can maintain an object in a desired position while is mounted in place. Another use of a vortex attractor having a flexible driveshaft is as a tool for holding or retrieving an object or workpiece in a tight area. For example, a mechanical snake having an attractor on one end may be directed through a wall or ceiling. Optimally, sensors and remote control capability are included for enhanced accuracy.
Furthermore, if a screen or protective ring is placed in front of the impeller end, the vortex attractor may be used to lift piles of objects which would otherwise lodge within the impeller assembly. The objects would instead adhere to a screen, preferably constructed of concentric rings, and may be removed from the vortex attractor by reducing impeller velocity. For example, loose objects may be adhered to the screen until the flow is sufficiently obstructed to prevent attractive forces.
Also, various waste can be collected using a vortex attractor shell comprising an inner shield and an outer shield. The impellers in such an arrangement are preferably protected by a ring or plate, and the center of the impeller assembly remains open. Waste is collected by the vortex flow and travels through the impellers and may be discharged into a separate collecting bin. Alternatively, the inner shield may serve to both guide the flow (about the outside wall of the inner shield) and collect the debris.
Objects can also be lifted underwater using a vortex attractor. A vortex attractor will provide a low pressure region near a surface of an object and adhere itself to the surface. This is very useful for removing objects underwater or within other fluids without disturbing the ground under the object, thereby preserving the underlying terrain.
Toys and Amusement
In addition to industrial and commercial uses, the vortex attractor of the present invention can be the core of various toys. As safety is a major concern with children, a safety plate, ring or screen of concentric members may be mounted on the face of the impeller end. A lifting toy can be created, which is capable of lifting and holding an object. The forklift and crane replacements described above may be recreated on a smaller scale for various toys and models. A vortex attractor may be provided at an end of a rigid or flexible arm or handle to create a toy in the form of a hollow tube or wand, which, when the impellers are caused to spin, creates a low pressure area capable of attracting and holding objects. The hollow tube may also be flexible, with the vortex attractor at one end driven by a flexible driveshaft. This type of lifting toy may be incorporated in various games including games of skill, or to improve hand-eye coordination and response time. A variation of a lifting toy may be also included with building block and mechanical model sets, including sets using interlocking blocks and/or separate fasteners.
This lifting arm or handle can also be incorporated on toys such as dolls or action figures so that the toy is capable of holding an object without having predetermined grooves or openings. A toy may be created which can throw an object by providing arm motion coupled with timed vortex release of an attracted object. Additionally,vortex attractors may be provided at the feet, hands, knees or posterior of dolls or action figures, allowing it to stand, sit or kneel in any position, and more complex toys and models may be created which can crawl, walk, run or sit. With sufficient draw force is provided by the vortex attractors, the toy may be capable of walking or crawling across a floor, up an incline or vertical wall, and across a ceiling.
Various positions of vortex attractors will increase the crawling or climbing capabilities. For example, a slithering toy resembling as snakes or worms may be created using multiple vortex attractors. Essentially, several attractors are placed within a flexible tube at various positions and facing various directions. The attractors may be controlled in a pattern or randomly by on-board software or manually be remote control. The toy can slither across a floor, climb walls and scale ceilings. Additionally, various types of insects, arachnids, reptiles, dinosaurs, mammals or fictional creatures may be created having vortex attractors at the extremities and tails of the respective creature. Controls, on-board or remote, allow the creature to move by activating, reversing and deactivating certain attractors. Optionally, vortex attractors on other positions, for example the backside or underside to allow the creature to lay flat, roll over, etc. Any of the action figures, creatures, etc. described may be made on a larger, even life size, scale using the attractor positioning and activation to simulate movement. These are useful for various entertainment purposes such as movies and other displays, but in certain applications may also prove to be efficient devices to transport various tools and materials.
A toy car, truck, boat, train, etc. may also be created with a vortex attractor. One type of toy car comprises wheels and one or more vortex attractors having impeller ends substantially perpendicular to the plane of the wheelbase. The wheels may also be powered by conventional means. The toy car will xe2x80x9cpropelxe2x80x9d if the vortex attractor is placed toward a wall or other solid object. Vortex actuation, power, steering, or other functions may be controlled remotely or with on-board software. When the vortex attractor is actuated, the toy car will move toward a wall or object opposite the impeller end because of the low pressure region created between that surface and the toy car. By activating an additional attractor on the toy, for example on the opposite end, the toy will xe2x80x9cpropelxe2x80x9d toward another wall or object. Several of such toys can be combined with a toy bumper car rink, where bumper cars are simulated with the additional feature of attracting toy cars to each other and maintaining the captive state.
Another type of toy car, truck, boat, train, etc. may include a vortex attractor having an impeller end facing the plane of the wheelbase. The wheels (or rollers, tracks, casters or ball bearings) may share the power source of the impeller or may operate from a different power source. If certain types of casters or ball bearings are provided, the toy car may traverse omnidirectionally over a surface, rather than separately in the x-axis direction and in the y-axis direction. The vortex attractor placed essentially on the underside of the toy car allows it to climb up a wall and across a ceiling when the attractive forces are actuated. This type of device, also referred to as xe2x80x9cclimbing attractorsxe2x80x9d, are described further in relation to other applications.
Any of the toys and entertainment devices described may be used alone or in conjunction with a board game, story, book, or computer or video game. For example, for use with a computer game or story, the power input may be measured and other sensors included on the toy with appropriate peripheral hardware and software to relay the information about the toy""s position to the game or story. Also, various mazes and labyrinths may be created by using the principles of the bumper cars, described supra, with multiple vortex attractors on a multi-sided shape (movement similar to creatures) or with various climbing attractors described supra.
A vortex attractor may also be used to suspend an object from a ceiling or wall. For example, an attractor may be provided that adheres to a ceiling and includes a cord or flexible attached to an object. The object may be of any variety, such as toy airplanes, helicopters, rocket ships, flying saucers, lighted or Illuminated forms and still frame and video cameras. The cord may be controlled to spin the object, or a flexible gooseneck attachment may be provided.
On a larger scale, may of the above described toys may be created for props and simulated scenes in the movie and entertainment industry, museums, displays and other exhibits. For example, video cameras may include a vortex attractor attached directly thereon or attached at the opposite end of a cord, rod or gooseneck. It may be positioned anywhere in a set on a surface. Wheels or casters and various remote and/or computer controls are used to easily position the camera.
Props may also be hoisted, pulled, suspended or held by vortex attractors. For example, props or cameras may be suspended from a ceiling by a device comprising one or more vortex attractors facing the wheelbase of a caster assembly having a flexible gooseneck extending therefrom, and a second set of one or more vortex attractors attached to the opposite end (or, props or cameras may be affixed to the opposite end by other means). The caster end can track up a wall, across a ceiling and across a floor, moving the prop in any desired direction and holding it in any desired position. The same device may be reused for other props, and there is no need to construct an extensive tracking system, thereby increasing speed and efficiency. Further, vortex attractors may replace booms in various applications.
Components
Vortex attractors may also be used as a component of an electronic and/or mechanical device. For example, instruments containing circuit breakers, relays, and other switches using electromagnets, may be improved with the present invention. The role of electromagnets may be replaced without generation of a magnetic field with a vortex attractor. For example components used in conjunction with magnetic storage such as computers may be improved with the elimination of electromagnets. The absence of a magnetic field allows such a component to be located closer to magnetic storage media without fear of corruption.
Furthermore, the weight of circuit breakers, relays and other types of switches can be reduced by substituting vortex attractors for electromagnets. Magnetic metals are not necessary. Instead, one or more vortex attractors may be provided which may be fabricated of lighter material such as paper, cardboard, wood, plastic blends, rubber compounds, aluminum, etc.
Vortex forces are useful for operating switches. A vortex attractor mounted opposite a sliding gate can open the gate (by spinning the impellers causing vortex attraction) and close the gate (by stopping the attraction). Changing the speed of the impeller to gradually increase and release the attractive forces of the vortex can also variably control the gate. Moreover, as discussed infra and supra, the power input requirement and attractive force are in partial linearity with the distance from the impeller to a surface. Thus with variations in power input, precise distances of the switch may be achieved and maintained and the speed of the switch in action may be controlled.
The present invention may also be employed in various types of door and window mechanisms. A vortex attractor could be used to operate a lock or deadbolt. This would allow for simplified electronic control of a structurally locking device. For example, a proximity switch using the vortex attractor can operate an aircraft door. The electronic control operates to switch on and off the impeller, which draws the locking mechanism toward it. Also, a vortex attractor could be used to control a sliding door or window.
Removable Mounting Means
The attractive forces generated also may be used to removably adhere a vortex attractor having an object fixed thereon to a wall or ceiling. Security surveillance such as video, audio or motion sensors, including those described herein, is facilitated by use of the vortex attractor. Other sensors may be included for industrial surveillance, such as gas-detect, including specific chemicals (i.e., radon, carbon monoxide, etc.), temperature, pressure, radiation, infrared, electromagnetic field, etc. These devices comprising a vortex attractor and a sensor may be removably adhered to any surface, and is particularly useful in relatively inaccessible locations such as high walls or ceilings. A vortex attractor may be used for surveillance in locations where atomic or other radiation precludes human access such as nuclear reactors or for furnace inspection while the furnace is hot.
Other devices may be attached to a vortex attractor for functional or decorative purposes. A vortex attractor may be used to temporarily mount something to a wall or ceiling. For example, paintings, sculptures, advertising displays, shelves, projectors, masks, etc. may be adhered to a wall or ceiling with a vortex attractor. A vortex attractor may, for example, have a Velcro(trademark) patch, a cord or a hook affixed thereon to adhere a decoration. Wall marring, holes and tape residue can be minimized. It may also be used as a base for a vertical object such as a mannequin, coat rack, etc.
Climbing and Traversing Apparatus
Vortex attractors may include wheels, casters or tracks attached for numerous applications, including toys, inspection, surveillance, lifting, spraying or injecting, etc. (some applications are briefly described supra). The wheels, casters or tracks may be powered by the same source as the vortex attractor or a different source. Casters may be provided which rotate freely and omnidirectionally,and typically provide a well-known ball-bearing type construction that reduces the friction as the wheels rotate. These types of casters provide smooth movement and direction change, as opposed to separate movement in the directions of the x-axis and y-axis.
A traversing apparatus may also have the capability to traverse sharp angles, for example, from a wall to a ceiling. This can be achieved by increasing the power to the impeller, as the distance from the surface to the vanes increases as an angle is traversed, or with vortex attractors mounted in various positions on the climbing device. Multiple vortex attractors are employed generally having impeller ends facing multiple wheelbases. Any functional shape may be used, such as a sphere, cylinder, cone, cube, prism, pyramid, truncated pyramid, tetrahedron, parallelepiped or rectangular parallelepiped. Wheelbases are provided on any or all faces (or portions of arcuate surfaces, as in spheres, cones and cylinders).
This type of apparatus, a traversing vortex attractor, may be controlled remotely or by on-board software. Essentially, the climbing or traversing vortex attractor may traverse a wall or ceiling by activating both the wheels and the vortex attractor. The vortex forces adhere the apparatus to the wall or ceiling and the amount of attractive forces may be varied remotely or automatically via on-board software. A traversing vortex attractor is also useful underwater or submerged in other fluids.
A traversing vortex attractor may be used for both large and small applications. To illustrate, an industrial traversing vortex attractor may include a cargo area for transporting materials or equipment up walls. Such an industrial use is applicable in situations where overhead lifting means are prevented, or when a versatile pick and place machine is desired. Additionally, a traversing vortex attractor may be configured with an additional vortex attractor suspended via a cable or other suspension means that can lift objects (as described infra).
Another device incorporates one or more miniature sensors and/or tools. This apparatus is appropriate for various purposes, such as inspections of both the outside and inside of pipes, tanks and other apparatus, performing structural evaluations of concrete or masonry walls, detecting atmospheric conditions at various heights, or remote control security devices, for example. Tools provided may include pens, paint rollers, sprayers or brushes, cutting edges or tips or stampers for drawing, painting, etching or imprinting various patterns on a surface.
Optionally, a warning signal may indicate that energy reserves are low, whereupon a controller may act upon that signal to prevent the attractive forces from diminishing and the apparatus falling. Alternatively, on-board software may be programmed to sense the diminishing energy and act appropriately, such as reverse direction for energy replacement or shut down secondary loads.
Security surveillance devices such as video, audio or motion sensors, including those described infra, may be controlled with a traversing vortex attractor. Other sensors may be included for industrial surveillance, such as gas-detect, including specific chemicals (i.e., radon, carbon monoxide, etc.), temperature, pressure, radiation, infrared, electromagnetic field, etc. These devices comprising a traversing vortex attractor and a sensor may be removably adhered to any surface and may freely move about the surface via human remote control (assisted by cameras and/or sensors where required), remote computer control, or on-board computer control.
Various materials can be sprayed from a traversing (or stationary) vortex attractor. For example, a vortex attractor may include one or more sprayers, jets or nozzles. Such a device may be used, for example, to paint a wall or ceiling by placing the vortex attractor on the surface and activating a rotating sprayer, whereby paint can be spread. A paint (or other coloring solution, including various types of invisible ink) supply may be carried by the vortex attractor, or may be separately fed through a tube. Sensors may be added for particular applications. For example, a vortex attractor including wheels, a jet sprayer and a depth sensor may be used to locate and apply paint where existing paint is chipped.
In addition to spraying, materials can be injected from a vortex attractor. A traversing vortex attractor may be provided including an injection means. This may have particular application in new construction or maintenance. For example, a joint of a wall may be caulked with a vortex attractor comprising powered wheels, casters or tracks, an injection means and a caulk supply (either attached or fed via a tube). As with the sprayer embodiments, various sensors may also be incorporated. Such a device may be used to sense defects in a wall, as where an existing caulk or mortar joint is void, and accordingly inject the appropriate material therein.
Any of these devices incorporating a traversing vortex attractor may be modified to perform functions underwater. For example, a traversing vortex attractor incorporating various sensors can be submerged in a tank and may detect changes in the temperature, pressure, turbulence, etc. at various levels. Furthermore, a traversing vortex attractor may be used as a swimming pool cleaner and detritus collector. The low pressure region acts to both attract the apparatus to a solid surface such as a wall or floor of the pool and to dislodge dirt and other debris from the solid surface.
Sensors and Detectors
Vortex attractors may also be used as motion detectors. A spinning airflow could extend to an object suspended by the vortex forces. When the path of the spinning airflow is broken, i.e., by a foot or a tire, the suspended object would be released due to the increase in pressure. This loss of attraction of the suspended article could trip an alarm or trap, and may be automatically reset once the path of spinning airflow becomes unhindered.
The relationship between the power input and the distance between a surface and the impeller is extremely useful for sensors and detectors. For example, the distance of a surface or body may be determined by measuring the power input at that impeller position. Velocities, acceleration, drag, friction and turbulence may also be detected in a similar manner. Utilizing this relationship, vortex attractors may replace other measurement devices in weather meters such as barometers.
Another type of vortex attractor sensor can be used for windows, doors or glass panes. Essentially, for a window, a small vortex attractor driven by an electric motor is situated within a window frame, having the open face toward the bottom of the window. When the window is closed, very little power is required to maintain the impeller speed because there is no interference from ambient air. If a window is opened the air load on the impeller is increased and the motor slows down accordingly. The change in motor speed can be detected via sound, RF or other means. A sound, RF or other detector would indicate the variation and trigger an alarm system (i.e., sound an audio and visual alarm, emit a separate RF or other signal to a station, signal a telephone alarm service, etc.).
Miscellaneous Uses
The vortex attractor is not limited to the uses described herein. For example, in various types of vehicles, such as automobiles, trucks, trains, boats, ships, submarines (manned and unmanned), airplanes, helicopters, spacecrafts and satellites, vortex devices may be employed for many applications. As with the above-described uses, vortex attractors may be used for door locks, window locks, power windows or sliding doors. Vortex attractors may also be used with power mirrors. With power mirrors, a single vortex attractor could be mounted behind a mirror on a circular tracking device. The mirror would be mounted on a sturdy ball-joint attachment to allow full adjustment. Additionally, several vortex attractors could be mounted behind the mirror and the appropriate combination would adjust the mirror to the user""s need. Adjustable seats may also be provided wherein the base of the chair houses a plurality of vortex attractors. For example, the seat may be mounted on one ball-joint attachment, and the one or more vortex attractors could be actuated to tilt the seat in any direction by pulling the chair toward the floor. This type of seat may be used in a home, automotive, nautical or aircraft.
Vortex attractors may also provide an active weight balancing system, which may also be used as a leveling system for any type of fixed installation, aircraft, ship or vehicle. For instance, in a tanker, vortex attractors may be placed at various positions to generate forces that may counter uneven weight distribution of the fluid in the tanker.
In a vehicle, vortex attractors may be placed at various positions on the underside to aid in balancing. This may be accomplished by a centrally located vortex attractor or multiple vortex attractors. In a system employing a single vortex attractor, when the vehicle is on a slope, the attractor is activated providing a stabilization force to aid the existing gravitational forces. In a system employing multiple attractors, appropriate attractors are separately activated to leveling the vehicle or preventing the vehicle from flipping over.
Another tool or device which may be created with one or more vortex attractors may be used as a hammer or cutting tool. Such a device comprises one or more vortex attractors and a hammer head or a cutting head. Said hammer head or cutting head is attracted to the impeller end of the vortex attractor upon activation, and is released upon deactivation. The action (hammering or cutting) may be from gravity or by other force-generating means. Such other force generating means may comprise existing art (such as means used in air chisels or electric compression chisels) or may be provided via mechanical linkage of the vortex attractor. | {
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The increasing sophistication of electronic circuits and systems presents unique challenges for circuit designers. The operating frequency of modern electrical and electronic equipment continues to increase, in order to reduce the physical size and weight of the electronic circuits and systems. However, the trend is hindered by the possible generation of undesirable effects, such as ringing and resonance, due to parasitic effects associated with the components, the physical orientation of the components, and/or the layout of components, devices and/or conductive tracks on printed circuit boards within an electronic circuit or system. These parasitic elements degrade the high-frequency performance of the entire electronic circuit or system.
There are many electronic circuit or system designs where parasitic inductance is a significant element that restricts circuit performance. Given an applied voltage, the parasitic inductance limits the rate at which the current can change. At high frequencies, parasitic inductance can have a major impact on chip performance and can cause chip failure if inductance is not properly detected and corrected. Self inductance is a property of a circuit whereby a change in current causes a change in voltage especially in circuit designs containing long paths or board traces. Mutual inductance comprises the full electromagnetic effect of one current loop over another especially in circuit designs containing long paths that are shielded.
A capacitor is one of the key components in the input and output filters of an electrical circuit. It is typically used as a shunt element to attenuate undesirable signals. However, its equivalent series inductance (ESL) and equivalent series resistance (ESR) significantly affect the capacitor's high frequency (HF) performance, causing non-ideal filter behavior.
FIG. 1 shows the schematic representation of a prior art high-frequency model for a capacitor 10. The capacitor 10 behaves like an inductor when the operating frequency is higher than the damped resonance frequency of the capacitor 10. The damped resonance frequency is determined by the capacitance of the capacitor, its ESL 12, and its ESR 14. FIG. 2 shows an impedance against operating frequency curve 20 for a 470 μF electrolytic capacitor, in which its ESL is 147 nH and its ESR is 67 mΩ. The damped resonance frequency fdr of the capacitor 10 coincides with the minimum value of impedance as illustrated in FIG. 2. The capacitor impedance is dominated by the ESL at high frequencies and its impedance increases with the operating frequency.
The ESL and ESR will introduce undesired voltage ripple at the output of the filter, conducted noise at the input of the filter, and resonance with the other components and parasitic element in the circuit. FIG. 3 shows a buck converter 30 with prior art capacitors 10 as the input and output capacitors. The supply source 32 of the converter 30 is vin. The duty time of the switching element S 34 is adjusted to control the output voltage 36 across the load. FIG. 4 depicts the effects of ESL and ESR on the output voltage of the buck converter 30 when there is a sudden load change. The initial voltage spike 40 is firstly caused by ESL. Then, the effect of the ESR that causes a voltage step 41 that follows. After the transient period settles, the capacitor 10 will discharge to the load 36. Thus, it is crucial to cancel the effects caused by the ESL and ESR.
One prior-art approach for overcoming the parasitic effects is to connect several capacitors of different types in parallel so that different frequency ranges can be covered. However, this only partially resolves the problem at the expense of increasing the physical size, complexity and cost of the electronic circuit or system. Moreover, the added capacitors might resonate with the stray inductance within the circuit and the ESL of other added capacitors.
There are two main approaches to canceling the effects of parasitic inductance on a circuit or system. The first is based on canceling the parasitic inductance of a particular component while the second is based on canceling the effect caused by all parasitic inductances in the entire circuit or system.
As shown in FIG. 5, some coupled magnetic windings 11a, 11b are used to nullify the effect of the parasitic inductance of the capacitor 10. The coupled windings 11a, 11b will give an equivalent negative inductance in series with the capacitor. Although the ESL can be canceled, the structure will produce an additional inductance in series with the load 36. Moreover, it cannot cancel the ESR effect. This will affect the dynamic behavior of the output voltage across the load 36. Such structure is more suitable for input filter design. Nevertheless, the coupling effect is highly dependent on the magnetic properties of the core materials of the coupled windings.
A prior-art method using the second approach is based on adding passive circuits. The parasitic effects are canceled at the circuit level. By extending the first approach, a coupled winding that can cancel parasitic inductance of capacitors in an electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter has been proposed. In other approaches, some active noise cancellation circuits that can cancel the undesired effects caused by the parasitic elements have been proposed. | {
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In many aerospace applications, particularly airplane manufacture, whenever a rivet or other fastener will be installed in an assembly, a sealant must be applied around the fastener at the same time. Currently, aircraft sealants are two-part sealants that need to be mixed accurately and used within a certain amount of time. The mixed sealant is hand applied to fasteners and the “wet” fasteners are then installed. Excess sealant is wiped off and disposed of along with unused sealant.
The labor spent applying sealant to rivets and fasteners in aircraft manufacture and repair is a significant cost and time factor. To put the wasted time and effort into perspective, the C-17, the largest military aircraft currently in production, has over 1.4 million rivets and fasteners in each aircraft. It is estimated that there are on the order of 10 million wet installed fasteners going into military and commercial aircraft per year in the U.S. alone. Eliminating or greatly reducing the number of wet fastener installations could save tens of thousands of labor hours and millions of dollars on the manufacture of just one C-17 aircraft.
In addition, the process variability associated with “wet” installations is large. The amount of sealant applied, and areas of the rivet/fastener coated or uncoated vary widely with the installer. Excess sealant is often applied, resulting in additional time and expense for clean up of the excess sealant. Further, prior art wet installation creates toxic waste disposal problems because excess and unused sealant often contains toxic materials such as Chromium.
A number of attempts have been made at developing automated or semi-automated methods for coating rivets and fasteners over the past 30 years, but all were either unsuccessful or suffer from significant shortcomings.
What is needed is an improved fastener suitable for use in airplane manufacture that does not require the expensive, wasteful, and time-consuming wet installation methods presently in use. Also needed are methods of producing such fasteners in commercially viable quantities. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to briquetting presses. More particularly, this invention is directed to a ram-feeder for briquetting presses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Briquetting presses for compacting paticulate material in complementary cavities disposed about the peripheries of a pair of cooperating rolls have been in use for many years. As new applications for such briquetting presses develop, the structure and operation of the presses have to be modified.
The basic elements of briquetting presses are a pair of cooperating rolls, means for feeding particulate material into the nip of the rolls, means for rotating the rolls and means for biasing the rolls together. Each new application of a briquetting press requires variation in the structure or operation of these elements. While determination of suitable roll geometry is of primary concern, providing means for feeding particulate material into the nip of the rolls is a significant design concern. For each application, the feeder must meter the proper mass of paticulate material into each pair of complementary cavities on the peripheries of rapidly rotating rolls.
In early presses which were used primarily for forming or shaping materials, the problem of feeding the material was not severe; simple gravity-type feeders were generally adequate. For each tool geometry, however, there is a maximum increase in density which can be imposed on the material being formed between the rolls.
As the requirement for briquettes of greater density arose, the density-increasing effect of the rolls was supplemented by a screw or auger-type feeder which tended to increase the material density as it was fed into the nip of the rolls. The common use of screw-type feeders in briquetting presses today attests to their success for certain applications.
There have developed, however, many new applications for briquetting presses where screw-type feeders have proved impractical or a source of constant maintenance. The briquetting of high temperature or abrasive materials has presented particular problems. These materials have caused severe wear of screw-type feeders. Even though screw-type feeders have been made of expensive, exotic metals which resist the effects of high temperature and abrasive materials, frequent maintenance and replacement of scrrew feeders remain a problem. These problems with screw feeders have placed limits on the effective increase of density which may be provided by screw feeders when used to briquette high temperature or abrasive materials.
The present invention overcomes the problem by providing a feeder which greatly reduces the abrasive wear caused by the sliding or relative motion between the feeder and the particulate material being briquetted.
In particular, this invention is directed to an axially reciprocating ram feeder which pre-compresses particulate material into the nip of the rolls. In addition to reducing wear-causing abrasion, by varying the rate of reciprocation or length of stroke of the ram depending upon the rate of rotation of the rolls or roll geometry, the invention provides means for varying the amount of pre-compression obtained.
The ram feeder of the invention is also designed to be installed in the space occupied by screw-type feeders on existing briquetting machines. Thus, the advantages of the ram feeder may be obtained without having to invest in a new briquetting press.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. | {
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Low rank carbonaceous materials, such as brown coal, peat and lignite, are materials having water locked into a microporous carbonaceous structure. The water content is typically high—for example 60% or higher. This means that such raw materials have a low calorific value. Moreover, these materials have the undesirable mechanical properties of being soft, friable and of low density, meaning that they are difficult, messy and inconvenient to handle.
Prior processes for upgrading low rank carbonaceous materials (which for ease of discussion will be hereinafter collectively referred to as “brown coal”) in order to remove water and increase calorific value have included “briquetting” and solar drying.
Briquetting typically involves heating the raw brown coal to remove excess water, then pressing the cooled brown coal into briquettes using a press or roll briquetting machine. However, briquetting is energy intensive due to the need for thermal energy to heat the raw brown coal.
The solar drying process involves milling of the brown coal with addition of water, then solar drying of the milled slurry in shallow ponds. This process is lengthy—particularly the solar drying step which may take up to several months—and energy intensive.
Another proposal mechanically releases water from brown coal by physically breaking up the brown coal. However, this process is inconvenient and time consuming and still requires lengthy air drying of the final product.
WO 01/54819 describes an upgrading process which comprises subjecting brown coal to shearing stresses which cause attritioning of the microporous structure of the brown coal and release of water contained in the micropores.
The shearing-attritioning process is conducted at a nip defined between two or more converging surfaces, wherein at least one of the surfaces is rollable towards the nip. The two or more converging surfaces may comprise part of a pelletising machine, such as a rotating roll type pelletising machine. The shearing-attritioning is continued until the brown coal forms a plastic mass that can be simultaneously formed into pellets, then subsequently dried. The pellet formation may be by way of forcing (“extruding”) the mass through apertures in the wall of the pelleting machine. The moisture content of the formed pellets may be around 50-60%, depending on the provenance of the brown coal. Run of mine Loy Yang lignite, from Victoria, Australia typically contains around 65% moisture, which reduces to around 52% moisture after pellet formation.
All of the above upgrading processes, and particularly those involving the use of thermal energy applied through direct-drying applications, can suffer from the problem of dust generation during drying of the product, thereby requiring use of dust control steps, such as wet scrubbing or use of dust removal means including bag-house applications, which are inconvenient and expensive and can even be dangerous.
In the case of WO 01/54819, in order to accelerate drying of the upgraded brown coal pellets, hot air may be blown through the pellets. However, this can cause significant generation of dust and associated environmental pollution. Moreover, due to the pyrophoric nature of brown coal, hot air drying may also pose a significant risk of spontaneous combustion of the upgraded brown coal under some circumstances.
Another disadvantage of hot air drying is that evaporated moisture is lost. Given the current imperative to conserve water in industrial processes, it would be desirable to capture the evaporated moisture for other purposes.
The above discussion of the background to the disclosure is included to provide a context for the present disclosure. It is to be understood that such discussion does not constitute an admission that any of the material referred to was published, known or part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.
It would accordingly be desirable to provide a process and an apparatus for drying material prone to generating dust, such as low rank carbonaceous material (which will hereon be collectively referred to as “brown coal” for ease of discussion), which overcomes, wholly or partly, one or more disadvantages of the prior art. | {
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Electronic equipment involving semiconductive devices are essential for many modern applications. The semiconductive device has experienced rapid growth. Technological advances in materials and design have produced generations of semiconductive devices where each generation has smaller and more complex circuits than the previous generation. In the course of advancement and innovation, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has generally increased while geometric size (i.e., the smallest component that can be created using a fabrication process) has decreased. Such advances have increased the complexity of processing and manufacturing semiconductive devices.
The major trend in the electronic industry is to make the semiconductor device smaller and more multifunctional. The semiconductor device comprises an electrical interconnection structure for electrically connecting a number of metallic structures between adjacent layers of the semiconductor device so as to minimize the final size of the semiconductor device as well as the electronic equipment. In a field of microelectronics as well as three-dimensional wafer level integration, a technology of wafer bonding is applied to support the dense and multifunctional semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes two or more wafers which are bonded together by different principles such as direct bonding or interlayer bonding.
As technologies evolve, design of the devices becomes more complicated in view of small dimension as a whole and increase of functionality and amounts of circuitries. The devices involve many complicated steps and increases complexity of manufacturing. Numerous manufacturing operations are implemented within such a small and high performance semiconductor device. An increase in a complexity of manufacturing the semiconductor device may cause deficiencies such as poor coplanarity of bonded wafers, poor reliability of the electrical interconnection, development of cracks within components, and high yield loss. Thus, there is a continuous need to modify the method for manufacturing the semiconductor device in order to improve the device performance as well as reduce manufacturing cost and processing time. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a diagnostic method for stroke/asymptomatic cerebral infarction using polyamine or acrolein content, polyamine oxidase activity or protein content thereof as an indicator. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a screening method for patients with stroke/asymptomatic cerebral infarction using polyamine or acrolein content, polyamine oxidase activity or protein content thereof as an indicator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cerebrovascular disease is the common cause of death next to malignant neoplasm and cardiac disease, and the annual loss of life number thereof is around 10 times of that of renal disease. Moreover, it causes such a tremendous trouble in daily life, for aftereffect of the disease accompanies paralysis and akinesia for example. Stroke constitutes a majority of the cerebrovascular diseases, and early detection and treatment of the disease are difficult. Furthermore, asymptomatic brain infarction that does not show any subjective symptoms is mostly detected accidentally by diagnostic imaging. So, in present circumstances, there have been no diagnostic markers available in blood or urine examination. Therefore, development of a simple and accurate diagnostic method, which does not require expensive medical equipments such as diagnostic imaging system, has been desired.
By the way, polyamine is biogenic amine that exists in the body universally, and spermine, spermidine or putrescine is the representatives. And these polyamines exist in high concentration in cells and act as cell growth factors by interacting with nucleic acids within the body. On the other hand, polyamine produces cytotoxic acrolein (CH2═CH—CHO) during its metabolic process. This acrolein is detoxified by aldehyde dehydrogenase in cells, but it shows intense toxicity when it leaks out of cells.
In addition, since polyamine accumulates in the plasma of patients with chronic renal failure, it is assumed that polyamine is one of the causative substances of uremia. Moreover, it is said that it is difficult to remove this polyamine by dialyses thoroughly. Thus, clarification the essence of polyamine-induced toxicity leads to the development of more effective therapeutic agents of uremia.
Based on this standpoint, the present inventors tried to inhibit polyamine oxidase, which acts in the pathway for the synthesis of acrolein from polyamine, by using amino guanidine. And as a result, it was confirmed that the polyamine lost its toxicity (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-281999). In diseases that involve tissue destruction, it is possible with high probability that polyamine liberated from cells receives oxidative deaminated by polyamine oxidase in plasma, then acrolein is formed in large quantities, so that the formed acrolein is associated with toxicity. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a nonmagnetic conductive material separating apparatus preferably adapted for separating a nonmagnetic conductive material represented by aluminum cans from a mixture material collected as waste.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A mixture material collected as waste, generally speaking, is supplied into a magnetic sorter, so that a magnetic material represented by iron pieces is removed from the mixture material. The mixture material from which the magnetic material has been removed by the magnetic sorter is largely classified into a nonmagnetic nonconductive material represented by wood pieces and waste paper, and a nonmagnetic conductive material represented by aluminum cans. To the effect that the former is separated from the latter, the mixture material is supplied into the nonmagnetic conductive material separating apparatus.
The inventor of the present invention has proposed a separating apparatus in U.S. Application Ser. No. 59,648, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,560. The separating apparatus includes a drum rotating in one direction about the longitudinal central axis inclined with respect to the horizontal plane and having an equal inner diameter throughout the length thereof; a chute through which a mixture material to be separated is thrown into the drum from the upper opening thereof; and a means for generating a shifting magnetic field for exerting an electromagnetic force opposite to a rotating direction of the drum on the conductive material contained within the mixture material moving toward the lower opening of the drum.
In the separating apparatus, the mixture material thrown from the upper opening of the drum through the chute into the drum is forced upward along the inner peripheral wall of the drum in the direction of rotation of the drum due to friction relative to the inner peripheral surface of the rotating drum, and then slid down therefrom due to its own weight. The mixture material is moved up and down in the drum in a meandering fashion in the state of being deviated toward the direction of rotation along the bottom wall of the drum toward the lower opening. During the above-described movement, the mixture material passes a magnetic field zone produced by the magnetic field generating means. In the magnetic field zone, the conductive material receives the electromagnetic action, so as to be separated from the nonconductive material. In order to increase the separation efficiency by the action of the electromagnetic force, it is desirable that the conductive material and the nonconductive material which are interwined with each other be loosened before the mixture material arrives at the magnetic field zone.
In the prior art separating apparatus described above, the conductive material twined about or held on the nonconductive material, such as waste paper has been partially loosened, and hence, both are likely to move through the drum integrally, resulting in poor separation efficiency. | {
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Cloud computing allows a user to obtain computing resources, such as processing cycles, applications and storage, from a cloud provider on demand. A public cloud provider provides computing resources to users and organizations over the Internet. As computing resources are provided on demand, an enterprise only needs to pay for what it uses and, therefore, reduces its expenditure on the computing infrastructure such as hardware, application and bandwidth costs. Therefore, cloud computing presents a cost effective solution for meeting the computing needs of an enterprise.
One of the resources that a public cloud can provide is a virtual machine (VM). The VM is executed under the control of an enterprise user. The VM image itself might be stored at the cloud provider. Therefore, an enterprise user has to rely on the best security practices of the cloud provider to protect the VM image. When persisted data is stored at a public cloud provider, by the nature of their business, there is a higher risk that the data could be leaked or stolen, and thus accessed by an unauthorized entity. Therefore, an enterprise typically avoids storing any kinds of passwords, keys, or certificates that would allow a VM to connect back to the enterprise resources.
When a VM connects to an enterprise, the VM may gain access to the data stored within the firewall of the enterprise computers. In a standard login procedure, an ordinary user who tries to gain access to the data within the firewall would need to type in his user ID and a password (e.g., a one-time password (OTP) since static passwords are not secure enough for remote users). In the case of automatically connecting a VM to an enterprise, there is a chicken and egg problem: for the purpose of connection, the VM needs to have an identity and know its password (e.g., an OTP or another kind of key or credential that the VM can be authenticated with). However, if the password is stored persistently within the VM, it can be stolen. With a stolen password, an intruder will be able to impersonate the VM and penetrate the enterprise security without the enterprise even knowing about the attack. | {
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The present invention relates to the field of embroidery and monogramming and more specifically to a hoop that incorporates magnets to hold and secure a garment, piece of material, or other item to be embroidered.
In the embroidery industry “hoop” or “hoops” are referred to by many different terms, like frame, clamp, hooping device, fabric holding device, fabric retaining device and fabric mounting frame. The definition of each of these terms is intended to apply to all of these terms to give these terms their broadest meaning individually and collectively as they are used interchangeably herein. In an instance where the term or terms have more than one meaning, all meanings will apply.
Various types of hoops and frames for holding an item to be embroidered are commonplace for both home embroidery and commercial embroidery machines. Generally, embroidery hoops comprise upper and lower hoops or clamping members that mate with one another. Clothing is placed between the clamping members, usually with a backing material also placed between the lower member and the item to be embroidered. These types of hoops tightly pinch the material between the vertical sides of the upper and lower hoops. Because of this, the lower hoop member needs to be adjusted for any change in thickness of the item to be hooped, which may not always result in the material being sufficiently taut or tight, potentially resulting in an improperly embroidered piece of material.
The use of standard embroidery hoops becomes more difficult when the item to be embroidered is a heavier or thicker material, such as a winter jacket, work overalls, Carhartt® type jackets, or items made of leather. Properly embroidering such items can be very difficult and time consuming. It is very difficult to figure out what adjustment should be made to the lower hoop or clamping member to securely hold the garment, while not having too tight of an arrangement that the two clamping members cannot properly mate with one another. It often takes multiple tries to get the adjustment correct. Some fabrics, like that of Carhartt® type jackets, are not made to be stretched or formed in a manner needed to allow standard hoops to be applied to the fabric, which requires application of a great deal of pressure to try to make the fabric conform to the shape of the hoop.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,416 illustrates a clamp style prior art type of hoop or frame that was designed to overcome some of these obstacles. This type of frame does not need to pinch the fabric between vertical edges on its body, so this frame can hold various thicknesses of fabric much easier. It pinches the material between the faces of its upper clamping member and lower clamping member. These clamping members are spring loaded to allow for different thickness of material to be held without adjustment, but they do have limitations. One of the main limitations of the prior art is how far from an edge of a garment that it can hold a portion of fabric to be embroidered. This is because the device requires a pivot point to properly operate. The arrangement makes placing a logo in the middle of the back of a jacket, or on the left or right chest of a garment very difficult. If the distance to the logo location is larger than the distance from the clamping members to the pivot point, the material will need to be gathered in the pivot point to reach the embroidery location, which is usually impossible or impractical for these types of hooping machines.
Other problems arise when using computerized embroidery machines, since the position and orientation of the embroidery on the item is a function of how the item is captured within the hoop. Items to be embroidered are usually placed directly within the clamps while they are mounted on the embroidery machine, as it is difficult and time consuming to remove and reinstall the clamps onto the machine. This creates extra downtime for the machine, since it is not possible to have the next set of items hooped and ready to load onto the embroidery machine. The finished items have to be removed from the clamps and the next items have to be placed in the clamps, while the machine is waiting. The added downtime becomes more evident on machines with multiple heads. Mounting the fabric in the clamps while they are attached to the machine also makes aligning the exact portion of the garment to be embroidered very difficult. Even if the clamp were removed from the machine, there are no commercially available hooping devices or jigs to help align the clamp with a particular portion of a garment. Because of the need for a pivot point and at least one spring for biasing the base plate and upper clamping member in closed contact, the maximum sewing area of the embroidery machine is further limited by this prior art space requirement.
Prior art clamps are typically made out of steel to make them rigid enough to perform their intended operation. Such rigid material, and the extra mechanism needed for the pivot point and spring bias, makes the clamps heavier than standard hoops, with the added weight applying unnecessary stress to the mechanical and electrical components of the embroidery machine. The physical size of the clamp can also cause damage to some embroidery machines if the entire body of the clamp cannot fit under the needle bars used for embroidery. Operators need to be careful not to move the machine to a position that the body of the clamp can contact the needle bars.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,240,863 and 6,394,012 illustrate an alternative hoop or frame, created to address the limitations of standard upper and lower hoop members. These frames are designed to hold a special type of sticky backing material. The garment is then placed over and adhered to the sticky material to hold it in place while the embroidery operation is performed. This type of frame is very good for getting into small areas like pockets on garments, or for sewing on delicate fabrics, but is not really designed for everyday normal hooping of garments; it is more for specialty items. One disadvantage to these frames is the need for special sticky backing, which is generally more expensive than standard backing and can leave a residue on the needles of the embroidery machine over time. The residue can cause increased thread breaks and other problems. Also, the backing material has a limited number of uses before it needs to be removed from the frame and a new piece applied, which can increase the production time needed to complete a job. The sticky backing is not strong enough to adequately hold heavy items like Carhartt® type jackets during the embroidery process. The extra expense and increase in production time that is created by the use of sticky backing makes the sticky backing type of frame impractical for most normal placements of designs on shirts and jackets.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,960 discloses a magnetic monogramming frame. This frame is designed to be mounted to the pantograph of an embroidery machine from its lower member. The pantograph of the machine is the part that holds and moves the embroidery hoop under the stationary needle to create the design. Mounting a hoop directly to the pantograph requires that you physically fasten the hoop to the pantograph or that you fasten a separate adapter directly to the pantograph. Newer style machines use a set of arms that extend out from the pantograph and have adaptors on the ends of the arms that allow for quicker and easier mounting of hoops. The hoop from this prior art device is not designed to be releasably mounted to the existing hoop holding arms on these newer style commercial embroidery machines. This outdated design increases the time it takes to switch from using one type of frame to another. This prior art frame also incorporates continuous magnetic tape type material instead of separately mounted magnets. This type of magnetic material arrangement does not provide any automatic alignment between the upper and lower members of the frame. The frame of this prior art device pinches the material directly between the magnetic materials; it also does not provide a ridge to help hold the material to be embroidered taut and against the needle plate of the embroidery machine. If the material to be embroidered is not held taught and against the needle plate, this causes bouncing of the material during the embroidery process. This bouncing can cause looping of the embroidery thread and an undesirably look of the finished embroidery.
It is also desirous to improve and simplify the hooping process, in general. Hoops used in the commercial market must be suitable for repetitive, quick and accurate processes. That is, the devices must be set-up quickly for each successive embroidered piece of material, which requires that the hoop will sufficiently hold the fabric solidly in place, in a manner that can be accomplished quickly and efficiently. When embroidering, there is generally a backing piece of fabric located below the piece of clothing to be embroidered. Both the backing material and the item to be embroidered should be sufficiently held in place and not be allowed to move during the embroidery process, once properly aligned.
Present hoops leave room for improvement, as noted above. It would be desirable to have a hoop that would not have to be adjusted for different thicknesses of materials and placement of designs would not be limited by the mounting brackets of the hoop, and would not require a great amount of force to apply it to thick materials. It would also be desirable to be able to hold a large area of material to be embroidered without the embroidery hoop or clamping members limiting the potential sewing area of the embroidery machine, or adding an excessive amount of weight that the machine will have to move during the embroidery process. Another improvement would be to have a hoop that was easy to quickly align and apply to different types of garments. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to conveyors such as augers and other screw conveyors. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved design for the flighting of such conveyors and the equipment and methods used to make such flighting.
Screw conveyors are one of several inventions and discoveries traditionally attributed to Archimedes in the Third Century B.C. Such conveyors comprise a screw inside a hollow pipe or tube. The screw has a shaft and flighting surrounding the shaft. As the screw turns inside the tube, material is carried by the flighting from one end of the tube to the other. Such material can be a liquid such as water or other aggregate materials such as grain.
Efforts have been made since the earliest invention of the screw conveyor to improve on the basic invention. Some of these efforts relate to trying to improve the capacity of the screw conveyor by, for example, changing the diameter of the tube and changing the number and angle of the flights. Other efforts have been made to improve the life span of the conveyor which is susceptible to substantial wear especially at the outside peripheral edge of the flighting. In the more than 2300 years since the screw conveyor was first invented, no one has been able to satisfactorily modify the basic design to improve the capacity of the conveyor and reduce wear at the outside peripheral edge of the flighting.
Historically, the shaft and flighting of a screw conveyor have been integrally formed. More commonly, however, the flighting and shaft are separately formed and then joined together by a weldment. A cold rolling process is typically used to form the flighting.
The cold rolling process traditionally used has resulted in a helical flighting having an inner edge nearest the shaft which is thicker than the outside peripheral edge nearest the tube surrounding the screw. The outside peripheral edge has traditionally been the portion most subject to wear because of frictional forces between the tube, the material being conveyed and the flighting.
Various attempts have been made to improve the wear characteristics of flighting by increasing the thickness of the outside peripheral edge. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,113,688 to G. M. Porter dated Oct. 13, 1914 discloses several embodiments in which auxiliary helical members are secured to the flighting to augment the thickness of the outside peripheral edge of the flighting for improved wear characteristics. U.S. Pat. No. 1,684,254 to J. O. Bailey dated Apr. 26, 1927 discloses several embodiments including a peripheral bead or thickened portion 7 on the outside peripheral edge of the flighting. Adding auxiliary helical members as disclosed in the Porter patent or beading as disclosed in the Bailey patent increases the time, expense and number of steps required to complete construction of the flighting. Also, these additional efforts have been of marginal utility because, for example, the abrupt edges, points, and transitions of the beading shown in Bailey and the auxiliary members and thin areas near the auger shaft of Porter are subject to wear and the result is still not long lasting flighting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,440 to Hamilton represents an effort to provide beading similar to that disclosed in Bailey without requiring additional steps, time, or money. However, the flighting disclosed in the Hamilton patent, shown herein in FIG. 2, is subject to unacceptable wear. Such wear is particularly acute in the area of the sharp radius on the carrying side of the flighting where the flighting transitions from a thinner area to the thicker area adjacent the outside edge of the flighting.
II. Related Art | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Vaccines are one of the most efficacious human health interventions available and protect against a very broad spectrum of infectious diseases. However, protective or therapeutic immunity still can not be raised against a number of latent and chronic pathogens. Conventional approaches that mainly elicit antibody responses have not been successful. Reasons include that epitopes may be variable, frequently masked or protected by microbial decoys, or because the pathogen hides in a way not accessible to antibodies.
Compared to vaccination with inactivated virions or purified subunits, live vaccines induce a broad response that also involves the cellular compartment of the immune system. However, due to the increased numbers of immunocompromized individuals and expansion of international mobility, the use of replication-competent strains can be associated with risks such as reversion to more pathogenic forms (Zurbriggen et al. 2008 in Appl Environ Microbiol 74, 5608-5614) or are severe adverse events both in recipients and contact persons of vaccinees (Kemper et al. 2002 in Eff Clin Pract 5, 84-90; Parrino and Graham 2006 in J Allergy Clin Immunol 118, 1320-1326).
Modern vectored vaccines (Excler et al. 2010 in Biologicals 38, 511-521; Plotkin 2009 in Clin Vaccine Immunol 16, 1709-1719) combine the advantages of an attenuated infection with the strong safety profile inherent to host-restricted vectors that can not replicate in the human or animal recipient. Especially promising hyperattenuated vectors are host-restricted poxviruses including the Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) virus. The hyperattenuated poxviruses have demonstrated safety in clinical trials (Cebere et al. 2006 in Vaccine 24, 417-425; Dorrell et al. 2007 in Vaccine 25, 3277-3283; Gilbert et al. 2006 in Vaccine 24, 4554-4561; Mayr 2003 in Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 26, 423-430; Webster et al. 2005 in Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102, 4836-4841) and yet are efficient stimulators of the immune response (Drillien et al. 2004 in J Gen Virol 85, 2167-2175; Liu et al. 2008 in BMC Immunol 9, 15; Ryan et al. 2007 in Vaccine 25, 3380-3390; Sutter and Moss 1992 in Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 89, 10847-10851; Sutter et al. 1994 in Vaccine 12, 1032-1040). Particularly, the MVA virus is related to Vaccinia virus, a member of the genera Orthopoxvirus in the family of Poxviridae. The MVA virus has been generated by 516 serial passages on chicken embryo fibroblasts of the Chorioallantois Vaccinia Ankara (CVA) virus. In the course of the attenuation process by repeated passaging to chicken derived material as production substrate, the MVA virus has lost approximately 15% of the genomic DNA at multiple sites (Mayr and Munz 1964 in Zentralbl Bakteriol Orig 195, 24-35; Meyer et al. 1991 in J Gen Virol 72 (Pt 5), 1031-1038). The MVA virus has been analysed to determine alterations in the genome relative to the wild-type CVA strain. Six major deletions of genomic DNA (deletion I, II, III, IV, V, and VI), totalling 31.000 base pairs, have been identified (Meyer, et al. 1991 in J Gen Virol 72 (Pt 5), 1031-1038). It became severely host cell restricted to avian cells. Whereas parental vaccinia virus has a broad host range, the MVA virus has a very narrow host range. For example, MVA does not replicate in human and non-human primate cells. In the human HeLa cell line, the replication block appears to occur at a defined step in genome packaging (Sancho et al. 2002 in J Virol 76, 8318-8334). In addition, the cells lines HEK 293 and Vero are not a preferred production system. It was further shown in a variety of animal models that the resulting MVA virus was significantly avirulent (Mayr and Danner 1978 in Dev Biol Stand 41, 225-234). Additionally, the MVA strain has been tested in clinical trials as vaccine to immunize against the human smallpox disease (Mayr 2003 in Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 26, 423-430). These studies involved over 120.000 humans, including high risk patients, and proved that, compared to CVA, MVA had diminished virulence or infectiousness while it maintained good immunogenicity.
However, the provision of adequate supply of the MVA virus is challenging. On the one hand, the MVA virus has to be given at high doses because it replicates at very low levels or not at all in the recipient. On the other hand, the MVA virus production systems which are presently available are time-consuming and expensive and can not satisfy the needs of the pharmaceutical industry.
As mentioned above, research on and production of MVA depends on avian cells. Currently, vaccine strains adapted to avian hosts are produced only in embryonated chicken eggs or on fibroblasts prepared from such eggs. This technology is associated with further disadvantages including continuous flow of primary animal-derived material into a demanding clinical production process and costs for maintenance of SPF (specific pathogen free) donor flocks. Because time from collection of the embryonated eggs to production of the vaccine is short, testing for extraneous agents is performed on the final bulk (Philipp and Kolla 2010 in Biologicals 38, 350-351). Occasionally, complete vaccine lots have to be discarded when contamination is confirmed by quality testing (Enserink 2004 in Science 306, 385).
Recently, to facilitate industrial application and vaccine programs in developing or newly industrialized countries, the inventors of the present invention designed and generated a host cell line fully permissive for vaccine strains depending on avian substrates (Jordan et al. 2009 in Vaccine 27, 748-756). They also developed a highly efficient and fully scalable chemically-defined production process for these viruses (Jordan et al. 2011 in Biologicals 39, 50-58).
Here, for the first time and with the above technology at hand, the inventors characterized stable isolates of subsequent generations of an already adapted and hyperattenuated MVA virus on a cell substrate fully permissive for the same hyperattenuated virus under highly artificial conditions imposed by virus production in a chemically defined suspension culture. This is an unusual experiment and the result is surprising. As described in the Principles of Virology (ISBN-10: 1555814433), the motivation of serial passaging is generally to adapt viruses to substrates with initially low permissivity: “Less virulent (attenuated) viruses can be selected by growth in cells other than those of the normal host, or by propagation at non-physiological temperatures. Mutants able to propagate better under these selective conditions arise during viral replication. When such mutants are isolated, purified, and subsequently tested for pathogenicity in appropriate models, some may be less pathogenic than their parent”.
The above characterization resulted in the identification of novel MVA viruses with point mutations in structural proteins. This result is consistent with virus propagation under artificial culturing conditions rather than selection within a certain host cell. The novel MVA viruses show beneficial properties in a chemically defined suspension culture compared to known MVA virus strains such as an increased infectious activity and a greater number of infectious units in the extracellular space. Said beneficial properties improve the industrial production of said MVA viruses. Particularly, they allow the production of the novel MVA virus strains in high yields. In addition, the novel MVA virus strains can be isolated directly from the cell-free supernatant which facilitates purification and, thus, the logistic and the operation of bioreactors producing said MVA viruses. This, in turn, reduces the costs of MVA virus production. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Conventionally, the sliding bearing used in turbochargers of internal combustion engines has been required to have corrosion resistance and wear resistance properties, and it has been made of brass in which grains of Mn—Si compounds are dispersed in a matrix of the brass. There has been proposed such a sliding bearing in JP-A-2003-42145, according to which an extension direction of crystallized Mn—Si compounds crystallized in brass is arranged to correspond to an axial direction of a rotating shaft to be supported by the sliding bearing on a sliding surface of the sliding bearing. The technique disclosed in JP-A-2003-42145 is schematically illustrated in FIG. 3 (in which SD denotes a sliding direction and AD an axial direction, crystallized Mn—Si compounds 2a are dispersed in a copper alloy matrix 1a). Depending on the direction of the crystallized Mn—Si compounds, an effect can be obtained, which effect is improvement of the wear resistance property of the sliding bearing.
With regard to the technique disclosed in JP-A-2003-42145, however, it was confirmed that in respect of the crystallized Mn—Si compounds, which exist on the sliding surface of the sliding bearing, and which extend to the axial direction of the rotating shaft, the larger the grain size (i.e. an extension length) increases, the more the wear resistance property is improved while the anti-seizure property is deteriorated.
During operation of the turbocharger of the internal combustion engine, the bearing use environment becomes a high temperature and the viscosity of lubricant oil drops. In the case where the oil viscosity excessively drops, an enough oil film is not formed in a clearance between the sliding surface of the sliding bearing and a mating shaft resulting in that both the sliding surfaces of the sliding bearing and the mating shaft are caused to directly contact. The sliding bearing disclosed in JP-A-2003-42145 has a disadvantage in that a sulfide film is hard to be formed on a surface of a brass matrix in the sliding surface of the sliding bearing, thus causing a contact of metals between the brass matrix and the mating shaft and thereby decreasing the anti-seizure property. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a method for improving the traffic handling capacity of a packet switched mobile telephone communication system.
GPRS is a new standard for packet switched mobile telephony. This invention proposes an improvement in the SGSN for the NS ETSI specification, see ref. [1], of the GPRS interface, i.e. the interface from SGSN towards BSS (downlink direction).
Problem
On the Gb-interface, see FIG. 1, there are a number of links (NS-VCs) between the SGSN and the BSS. The number of links might vary from one to many hundreds. In the NS ETSI specification, see ref. [1], section 4.4.1, bullet two, it is stated that traffic related to a specific MS (LSP) should be transmitted on the same link (NS-VC). This will ensure in order delivery of packets from the SGSN to the BSS or vice-versa for one MS. Transmission capability of the different links might very well be different. The in-order delivery might be jeopardised if using multiple links for the same MS. Hence, if packet 1 is sent from the SGSN to the BSS on link 1, and then the next packet, packet 2, is sent on link 2, then we are not guaranteed that packet 1 will arrive before packet 2 at the BSS. According to ref. [1] section 4.4.1, bullet two, another link will be selected when the used link fails. In this link failure case it accepted to receive traffic out of order.
The specified Load sharing function in ETSI specification, ref. [1], section 4.4.1, covers the following use cases:
New LSP (MS) shall be allocated a NS-VC, and in order delivery of NS-SDU are preserved
Link failure, another link will be selected, traffic might be received out of order
Block/unblock of links (NS-VC), traffic shall be received in order
The use case: xe2x80x9cOne link is congestedxe2x80x9d is not specified for the Load Sharing function in ref. [1].
The problem with not being able to migrate traffic for an MS from one link to another, is that if the link currently assigned gets congested then there is no way of reducing the traffic load on the congested link. I.e. if the link gets congested the MS can not send on another link which is not congested instead, since that might inflict out of order delivery of the packets. The problem is: xe2x80x9cis it possible to migrate traffic (due to congestion) without inflicting in order delivery?xe2x80x9d
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,110, there is known a method for equalizing (by buffering) and give priority to traffic in a communication network.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,607 relates to a method for evaluating the throughput in a packet switched system (ATM). A similar method is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,961.
ETSI Spec. GSM 08.16 relates to load sharing in case of
New subscribers (LSP/MS)
A break in the channel
Blocking/de-blocking of channels
However, none of the publications mentions what should be done when a channel is congested.
Introduction
The problem described above are solved according to the invention by introducing a load sharing function between the BSS and the SGSN. The load sharing function is situated in the network service control sublayer, which is a sublayer of the network service layer. The purpose of the load sharing function is to distribute the traffic load from the SGSN to a BSS (downlink traffic) among the available NS-VCs.
Between the SGSN and a BSS, there will be one or more NS-VCs for each NSE. An NSEI identifies a group of NS-VCs. The responsibility of the load sharing function is to distribute the NS SDU traffic among the available NS-VCs of the same group.
A requirement for the load sharing function is that it should ensure that NS SDUs with the same LSP should be sent on the same NS-VC, this to ensure that for each BVC, the in order delivery of all NS SDUs marked with the same LSP value are preserved.
The load sharing function is only invoked in the SGSN for downlink traffic.
The scope of the present invention is as defined in the appended claims. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Safety engineering is a growing field in which engineers use redundancy techniques in order to mitigate adverse consequences if an error occurs. For example, space vehicles and many aircraft include redundant systems so that if an engine control component fails during flight, for example, another engine control component can be activated to allow the aircraft to land safely.
In a similar regard, timed input/output (I/O) signals in safety conscious systems can be generated and then subsequently checked to ensure they were actually delivered correctly. This can be useful in any number of applications. For example, in an automotive system, if an output drive signal (e.g., sparkplug signal from an engine controller) is provided to an automobile's engine, a feedback signal (which is derived from the output drive signal that was actually delivered to the engine) can be compared with the original output drive signal to determine whether the output drive signal was, in fact, delivered correctly. Thus, if there is a “bad” connection between the engine controller and the engine itself (or if some other error event occurs), a comparison of the original drive signal and the feedback signal can detect this error, thereby allowing a control system to notify the driver, for example, by illuminating a “check engine” light on the driver's dashboard. In this way, a driver can be informed that an engine problem (e.g., a sparkplug misfire) has occurred, and can then get the vehicle serviced to remedy any corresponding problems.
Although conventional timed I/O techniques are sufficient in some instances, the inventors have appreciated that they are less than ideal in many cases. For instance, in previous timed I/O solutions, software in the form of an interrupt service routine (ISR) compares the output drive signal and feedback signal at each and every edge of the output drive signal. Because the ISR is carried out for each and every edge of the output drive signal, the repeated ISRs represent a significant load on the system's microprocessor. As such, the inventors have appreciated that ISRs create a processing bottleneck for many existing control systems. Because of this, the inventors have devised improved techniques for generating and measuring timed I/O signals. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Electronic systems and industrial electronics, especially compute systems, control systems, and devices such as cellular phones, navigations systems, portable digital assistants, and combinations of systems and devices, are providing increasing levels of functionality to support demands of modern life. Efficient and expedient access to data of storage devices by the systems and devices continually grow as research and development in the existing technologies take a myriad of different directions.
The increasing demand for efficient and expedient access to storage devices in modern life requires the combinations of systems and devices to access information at any time, while data rates continue to increase and data latencies continue to decrease. Interface between host systems and storage devices are not efficient.
Thus, a need still remains for an electronic system to provide an improved and more efficient messaging capability with storage devices. In view of the ever-increasing commercial competitive pressures, along with growing consumer expectations and the diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to these problems. Additionally, the need to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and performance, and to meet competitive market pressures, adds an even greater urgency to the critical necessity for finding answers to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Traditional peripheral lead integrated circuit (IC) test sockets are generally constructed of a machined engineering grade plastic housing and frame, which is populated with a series of contact members that correspond to the terminals on two or four sides of the IC device. These contacts provide a temporary connection between the IC device terminals and the appropriate location on a test printed circuit board (PCB), also called a test or load board. This temporary electrical connection provides the mechanism to power the IC device and test performance.
The IC devices are graded based upon performance, and the devices that pass are identified while the devices that fail are either retested or discarded. In many cases, the performance windows in which the IC devices must operate can be fairly precise. Accordingly, the electrical performance of the contact members in the socket are important so as to not introduce degradation in signal or power delivery. A socket with good electrical performance is critical for many IC testing functions since poor performance can result in retesting or discarding devices that are actually acceptable but failed the test due to degradation within the socket.
IC manufacturers and their sub-contractors test millions or even billions of devices, and it is important for the socket to not only perform well electrically, but to also be mechanically robust enough to last hundreds of thousands of test cycles before being replaced. Many of the traditional sockets utilize very small metal contacts that are biased using elastomers. These contact members are mechanically compressed as the device is pushed against the contacts. An elastomeric material functions like a spring and provides the normal force to return the contact to the original position. The elastomeric material functioning as a spring member allows the contact members to be much shorter than they otherwise would have to be in order to fashion a spring in conjunction with a contact member. The short length provides an electrical path that has fewer distortion effects as the current or signal passes through the contact. In some cases, spring probes are used which contain opposing metal contacts that are biased by a coil spring.
There are a wide range of contact types used in traditional sockets. In general, they all have a range of mechanical life that is limited by the effects of contacting the solder that is plated onto the terminals of the IC device. As the solder collects on the tips of the contacts, the Tin within the solder oxidizes to form a high resistance layer that causes the contact to lose electrical performance.
In some cases, the contacts move with respect to the interface to the circuit board as the device actuates the contact. This movement can cause wear on the PCB which can degrade performance of the circuit board. In general, the need for thousands of cycles before replacement drives sophisticated design that can be expensive. The socket volumes can also be relatively small requiring custom production methods that can also be expensive. The methods used to produce the plastic socket housings which hold the contacts are typically expensive precision machining operations. Many of the sockets are assembled by hand, where the elastomeric members and contacts are inserted by hand under magnification.
Socket users typically look for the best mix of electrical performance, yield, cost, and mechanical life to determine the costs to test each IC device. Electrical performance can be a hurdle that eliminates many of the socket options. Those sockets that can pass the electrical performance requirements can be limited by cost or the amount of use before they must be repaired or replaced. It can take hours or days to replace the failing socket, with the corresponding unit volume of IC devices which could have been tested being a major factor in the overall cost of use (e.g., an opportunity cost). Damage to the PCB used for the test interface can also dramatically impact the cost of use as the PCB's can be very expensive and have a long lead-time to build (and replace). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
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