Abstract: An electrically controlled expansion valve package (10) comprises an expansion valve (30), sensors (32, 33, 36) and control electronics (35) all included in a monolithic package that greatly simplifies installation, while also enabling performance enhancements. The expansion valve is controlled by control electronics that, among other things, determines from pressure and temperature sensors the type or nature of the refrigerant being used in the refrigeration system for adapting control of the expansion valve to the refrigerant.

Abstract: A storage medium with electronic paper is provided with a disk drive that can refresh the display on the electronic paper using a simple arrangement. A disk drive includes a motor that generates rotational force and a drive shaft support for clamping a disk thereon by contacting with the disk and for turning the disk thereon by the rotational force. The drive shaft support includes at least one output terminal for outputting an electrical signal. If the disk includes electronic paper on which the display is refreshable in response to the electrical signal, the at least one output terminal of the disk drive is arranged so as to contact with at least one input terminal that is arranged on the disk to supply the electrical signal to the electronic paper.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus according to the present invention includes: a controller 111, which receives an instruction that a layer-to-layer jump be performed from a current layer to a target layer; a layer-to-layer jump control section 146, which adjusts a spherical aberration correction value to the target layer and then gets the layer-to-layer jump attempted; a decision section 146 for determining whether the layer-to-layer jump has been carried out successfully; and a layer determining section 146 for determining, if the focus position has been set on a non-target storage layer as a result of the layer-to-layer jump, where the non-target storage layer is located in the optical disk. The layer-to-layer jump control section 146 shifts the focus position of the light beam from that non-target storage layer to the target layer by reference to information indicating which of the multiple storage layers the non-target storage layer is.

Abstract: The disclosed technology relates to a sterilization indicator, including a carrier, the carrier having a first surface and a second surface; a support, the support having a first section and a second section, the carrier overlying the first section of the support, the second surface of the carrier being adhered to the first section of the support; and a biological indicator supported by the carrier; the sterilization indicator being formed by applying the biological indicator to the carrier and then adhering the carrier to the support, the carrier being adhered to the support using sonic welding, in which the sonic welding, when applied to the carrier with the biological indicator applied, exhibits no significant difference in viability of the biological indicator following the sonic welding as compared to prior to the sonic welding.

Abstract: A distance measuring apparatus includes: a reference object; a plurality of optical systems; imaging sections for converting images of an object for distance measurement and the reference object formed in the respective imaging regions into picture data; and a calculation section. The calculation section generates a plurality of picture data of the reference object by light of a first wavelength band and a plurality of picture data of the object for distance measurement by light of a second wavelength band, the second wavelength band being longer in wavelength than is the first wavelength band. From the plurality of picture data, parallax amounts of the reference object and the object for distance measurement are calculated. A distance to the object for distance measurement is calculated based on a corrected parallax amount of the object for distance measurement.

Abstract: The present invention provides a barrier unit structure that can avoid not only ruining the appearance of a barrier unit due to a vertical misfit of blades that contact with each other at their edges when closed but also interfering with smooth movement of the blades due to their unintentional overlap. The barrier unit includes: a base, which defines a first window; a cap, which defines a second window and which is arranged so that the second window faces the first window; and a number of blades, which are arranged between the base and the cap so as to open or close with respect to the first and second windows. In a space between the base and the cap, clearance e left in the vicinity of a first position, where the blades contact with each other at their edges when closed, is smaller than clearance d left at a second position, which is different from the first position.

Abstract: A solid fuel rocket motor, a castellated propellant cartridge and a method of controlling a pressure differential in a cartridge-loaded rocket motor are disclosed. The rocket motor may include a housing having an inside surface, a plurality of propellant cartridges disposed within the housing, an igniter disposed to ignite propellant material within the propellant cartridges, and a nozzle disposed to exhaust combustion gases out of the housing. At least some of the propellant cartridges may be castellated propellant cartridges.

Abstract: An inertial barrier includes a standard size plastic container and a single size insert that is supported by a ledge inside the container for supporting different amounts of sand or other dispersible granular energy absorbing material thereon to achieve different barrier weight configurations. The insert has an axially upwardly, radially inwardly extending top wall that permits some downward flexing of the insert inside the container as the weight of the material that is placed on the insert builds up, causing the sides of the insert to expand and push radially outwardly against the container side wall, preventing the material from leaking past the insert inside the container. Axially extending ribs may be provided in the container side wall for increased strength and rigidity.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a bracket configured to hold a pressure transducer comprises a body, a face plate, and one or more pressure fitting connectors. The body has a rear portion and a front portion that meet to form an angle less than 180 degrees. The face plate is coupled to the front portion of the body, and has a surface defining a plate aperture configured for a cable to pass through. The pressure fitting connectors are coupled to the rear portion of the body. Each pressure fitting connector is configured to receive a pressure hose.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an electronic equipment for reducing the set-up time required to establish video calls between handheld communication devices, wherein the method comprises the steps of detecting (16, S1) a signal to establish a video call via a communication link, determining (16, 30) the party to which the video call has to be established, searching, in a data base (30), for information indicating the capability of the party with respect to the video call, defining, for the electronic equipment (1), specifications for the video call based on the information, and initialling the electronic equipment (1) according to the specifications. By storing the negotiated result of a previous video call between communication devices, no further negotiation is necessary in the following video calls. The calling device can start its camera (8) and load its codecs during the calling phase and the called device can do it after receiving the set-up message from the network.

Abstract: A document reading apparatus includes an integral display portion integrally provided with the area sensor portion and a main CPU for controlling screen display of the integral display portion, in which a document placed on a screen of the integral display portion is read by the area sensor portion. The integral display portion has an operation area for displaying various operation keys of the document reading apparatus on its screen, and the main CPU detects an area of the document placed on the screen by the area sensor portion and sets an area other than an area where the document is placed as the operation area of the document reading apparatus.

Abstract: Paint roller cover support includes a cage assembly mounted for rotation and limited axial movement in opposite directions on the shaft portion of a roller frame. The cage assembly includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially extending semi-cylindrical sleeve segments that move radially outward and inward relative to the shaft portion during axial movement of the cage assembly in opposite directions. Elastomeric rings surrounding opposite ends of the sleeve segments maintain cam members on the sleeve segments in engagement with cam lifters on respective hub members on the shaft portion. Both the elastomeric rings and elastomeric material attached to radial outer surfaces of the sleeve segments may be pressed into frictional engagement with the inner diameter of a surrounding roller cover during radial outward movement of the sleeve segments for securely retaining the roller cover on the support.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing media content to electronic equipment includes transferring media content to the electronic equipment, and using rules to determine how pre-existing media content and the cached media content are stored in memory when free memory in the electronic equipment is insufficient to store the cached media content. At least part of the transferred media content is cached in memory of the electronic equipment for use at a later time.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a mobile communication device and a method for operating a mobile communication device with which triggering of a certain function can be avoided in some situations. The mobile communication device comprises an imaging section operable to acquire an image of a user of said mobile communication device, a user interface operable to receive an input of a user, and a controller configured to deactivate at least one function of said user interface based on an output signal of said imaging section.

Abstract: The invention relates to a polymer composition comprising a matrix polymer, silica particles dispersed therein, and a coupling agent and a screening agent for the silica particles, and is characterized in that the screening agent is an alkylamine compound. The polymer composition is particularly suitable for the manufacture of rubber tires with improved rolling resistance.

Abstract: A clamp includes first and second parts, each of the parts having a circular central section and a pair of straight extensions extending away from the circular central section in opposite directions. In the first part the holes are closed holes, while in the second part the holes are open holes, connected by slots to an upper edge of the part. Bolts may be pre-located through the closed holes, with nuts threaded onto the bolts, but not tightened. The pre-placed bolts may be received through the slots and into the open holes of the second part. The nuts may then be tightened against the second part to clamp the circular central sections on opposite sides of a circular object, such as a vertical pipe run, between the parts. According to a variant, the bolts are permanently secured to the first part so as to prevent rotation of the bolts.

Abstract: A lens drive unit includes a movable member with lenses; and a guide portion configured to movably guide the movable member back and forth along a predetermined direction and rotatably guide the movable member about a predetermined rotational axis in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens. A distance r between the gravity center of the movable member and the rotational axis satisfies the following expression (A): r??{square root over (0.2J/M)}??(A).