Abstract: The invention relates to a method for refining a feed oil having contaminants therein. In the method, the feed oil is exposed to reducing conditions at elevated temperature and pressure so as to reduce at least some of said contaminants. The resulting oil is then degassed under reduced pressure under non-oxidising conditions and the resulting oil extracted with water so as to produce a refined oil.

Abstract: An impedance matching circuit is provided for use with a piezotransducer that includes a parasitic capacitor comprising: an inductor coupled in parallel with the parasitic capacitor; a peak and valley detection circuit configured to detect output voltage waveform peaks and valleys; a first switch circuit configured to bias flip the output voltage waveform at a selectable first time relative to a detected peak and at a selectable first time relative to a detected valley; a second switch circuit configured to couple the inductor to the energy storage circuit at a selectable second time following each output voltage bias flip; an energy monitoring circuit to provide an indication of energy flow from the inductor to the energy storage circuit following each output voltage bias flip; and a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) circuit configured to select the first time and the second time based at least in part upon the indicated energy flow.

Abstract: Methods for accurately modeling blends in a solid model and corresponding systems and computer-readable mediums. A method includes receiving a solid model including a plurality of faces and identifying a pocket from the plurality of faces, including one or more pocket edges to be blended. The method includes performing an analyze pockets process on the pocket and identifying at least one of a tool type, a tool method, or a tool dimension for machining the pocket. The method includes performing a blend pocket process to model blends on the pocket edge and adding a blend to the solid model at the pocket edges, according to the blend pocket process, to produce a modified solid model. The method includes displaying the modified solid model by the data processing system.

Abstract: Electrically, insulating composite material is obtained from the form of a paper of a pressboard with an electrical device through post-treating by electron beam irradiation treatment, gamma irradiation treatment or x-ray irradiation treatment.

Abstract: This invention is related to an apparatus which incorporates a microfabricated silicon mass flow sensor to measure city gas flow rate in a medium pressure range for utility industry which is dominated by conventional mechanical meters such as turbine and rotary meters. The microfabricated mass flow sensor is so called micro-electro-mechanical systems (a.k.a. MEMS) device. Due to the small feature size of micro scale for MEMS mass flow sensor, the invented apparatus includes many advantages such as low power consumption, compact package, high reliability and extended dynamic measurement range. This apparatus is also provided with a stable flow conditioning to achieve a desired dynamic range capability. Furthermore, because of the high accuracy characteristic, the apparatus in this invention could be applied for custody transfer or tariff in utility industry as well.

Abstract: A voltage regulator includes a feedback regulation loop and a drive transistor configured to source current to a regulated output. A transient recovery circuit is coupled to the voltage regulator circuit and includes a first transistor coupled to source current into a control terminal of the drive transistor, wherein the source current is in addition to current sourced in response to operation of the feedback regulation loop. The first transistor is selectively actuated in response to a drop in voltage at the regulated output. The transient recovery circuit further includes a second transistor coupled to sink current from the regulated output. The sink current has a first non-zero magnitude in the quiescent operating mode of the regulator circuit. In response to an increase in voltage at the regulated output, the operation of the second transistor is modified to increase the sink current to a second, greater, non-zero magnitude.

Abstract: A reference current path carries a reference current. A first transistor is coupled to the reference current path. A second transistor is also coupled to the reference current path. The first and second transistors are connected in parallel to carry the reference current. The first transistor is biased by a first voltage (which is a bandgap voltage plus a threshold voltage). The second transistor is biased by a second voltage (which is a PTAT voltage plus a threshold voltage). The first and second transistors are thus biased by voltages having different and opposite temperature coefficients with a result that the temperature coefficients of the currents flowing in the first and second transistors are opposite and the reference current accordingly has a low temperature coefficient.

Abstract: Determining a quality parameter for a verification environment for a register-transfer level hardware design language description of a hardware design. A netlist is generated from the hardware design language description. A list of hardware design outputs is generated, and logical paths in the netlist are generated based on the list of hardware design outputs. Furthermore, a modified netlist involving logical paths is generated by determining whether a gate is selected as an insertion point, and selecting a fault type, which is part of the efficiency vector for the selected gate in the netlist and inserting a mutant. Additionally, a fault simulation is performed and the quality parameter for the verification environment is determined from the fault simulation and the simulation result data.

Abstract: A pick up mechanism includes a pick up rod, a pick up head, and a resisting assembly. The pick up head is assembled to an end of the pick up rod. The resisting assembly includes a guiding seat, a resisting member, a pair of guiding rods, and a pair of elastic members. The guiding seat is fixedly sleeved on the pick up rod, the resisting member slidably shields the pick up head. The pair of guiding rods is fixed on the guiding seat, and blocks the resisting member. The pair of elastic members is resisted between the guiding seat and the resisting member, wherein the pick up head is exposed or shielded by moving the resisting member relative to the pick up rod.

Abstract: An all-electronic utility gas meter using with micromachined (a.k.a. MEMS Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) silicon sensor to measure gas metrology data for custody transfer or tariff in city gas metering application is disclosed in the present invention. The meter has two separate metrology units. One of the units is located in the main flow channel with the insertion probing configuration while the other is configured as a bypass unit assembly with the main metrology unit. The bypass metrology unit can perform independent metrology tasks and can be exchanged onsite during service, maintenance or repair without dismantle the meter from the service pipeline. The bypass metrology unit also can be used to compare the measured data from time to time and performance self-diagnosis that shall help the performance and data authentication during the meter field service. Both of the units can be powered by battery or external sources.

Abstract: A method for pattern matching finds a target pattern from a stream of patterns, both of the stream of patterns and the target pattern being comprised of elements. The method includes acquiring occurrence numbers of target elements in the target pattern, initializing the buffer, the buffer indicating a section in the stream of patterns, determining whether occurrence numbers of the target elements in the buffer reach the occurrence numbers of the target elements in the target pattern, updating the buffer and then returning to the determining step, in response to determining that the occurrence numbers of the target elements in the buffer do not reach the occurrence numbers of the target elements in the target pattern, and outputting the elements in the buffer for subsequent processing, in response to determining that the occurrence numbers of the target elements in the buffer reach the occurrence numbers of the target elements in the target pattern.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a content addressable memory and a method of searching data thereof. The method includes generating a hash index data item from a received input data item; searching the cache for presence of a row tag of the RAM data row corresponding to the data item of hash index; in response to presence, searching the RAM for a RAM data item corresponding to the input data item according to the corresponding row tag of the RAM data row; in response to absence, searching the RAM for a RAM data item corresponding to the input data item by using the data item of hash index; and in response to finding a RAM data item corresponding to the input data item in the RAM, outputting data corresponding to the RAM data item. The method can accelerate data search in the CAM.

Abstract: Embodiments include a method for adjusting layout size of a hyperlink. The method comprises: displaying at least one hyperlink in a user interface; detecting a touch operation for the at least one hyperlink, and extracting position coordinates of a touch point formed by the touch operation on the user interface; determining a target hyperlink from the at least one hyperlink, and determining the precision of the touch operation with respect to the target hyperlink based on the position coordinates of the touch point; and adjusting layout size of the target hyperlink based on the determined precision. A hyperlink layout in a web page can be adapted to the touch precision of user's finger automatically, which facilitates the recognition of hyperlinks by the user's finger.

Abstract: Adjusting the layout size of a hyperlink includes displaying at least one hyperlink in a user interface; detecting a touch operation for the at least one hyperlink, and extracting position coordinates of a touch point formed by the touch operation on the user interface. Adjusting the layout size further includes determining a target hyperlink from the at least one hyperlink, and determining the precision of the touch operation with respect to the target hyperlink based on the position coordinates of the touch point; and adjusting layout size of the target hyperlink based on the determined precision. The hyperlink layout in a web page can be adapted to the touch precision of user's finger automatically, which facilitates the recognition of hyperlinks by the user's finger.

Abstract: A pick up mechanism includes a pick up rod, a pick up head, and a resisting assembly. The pick up head is assembled to an end of the pick up rod. The resisting assembly includes a guiding seat, a resisting member, a pair of guiding rods, and a pair of elastic members. The guiding seat is fixedly sleeved on the pick up rod, the resisting member slidably shields the pick up head. The pair of guiding rods is fixed on the guiding seat, and blocks the resisting member. The pair of elastic members is resisted between the guiding seat and the resisting member, wherein the pick up head is exposed or shielded by moving the resisting member relative to the pick up rod.

Abstract: A robot includes a base, a movable platform, a shaft rotatably connecting the movable platform and the base, three kinematic chains rotatably connecting the movable platform and the base, an end effector defining an air orifice, and a rotary member. The rotary member is rotatably connected to the movable platform, and two opposite ends of the rotary member are connected to the shaft and the end effector, respectively. The movable platform defines an air hole, and the rotary member defines an airflow passage communicating between the air hole and the air orifice.

Abstract: This invention is related to an apparatus which incorporates a microfabricated silicon mass flow sensor to measure city gas flow rate in a medium pressure range for utility industry which is dominated by conventional mechanical meters such as turbine and rotary meters. The microfabricated mass flow sensor is so called micro-electromechanical systems (a.k.a. MEMS) device. Due to the small feature size of micro scale for MEMS mass flow sensor, the invented apparatus includes many advantages such as low power consumption, compact package, high reliability and extended dynamic measurement range. This apparatus is also provided with a stable flow conditioning to achieve a desired dynamic range capability. Furthermore, because of the high accuracy characteristic, the apparatus in this invention could be applied tot custody transfer or tariff in utility industry as well.

Abstract: An all-electronic utility gas meter using with micromachined (a.k.a. MEMS Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) silicon sensor to measure gas metrology data for custody transfer or tariff in city gas metering application is disclosed in the present invention. The meter has two separate metrology units. One of the units is located in the main flow channel with the insertion probing configuration while the other is configured as a bypass unit assembly with the main metrology unit. The bypass metrology unit can perform independent metrology tasks and can be exchanged onsite during service, maintenance or repair without dismantle the meter from the service pipeline. The bypass metrology unit also can be used to compare the measured data from time to time and performance self-diagnosis that shall help the performance and data authentication during the meter field service. Both of the units can be powered by battery or external sources.

Abstract: A laptop computer includes a main body, a display, a component, and a frame. The main body includes a front end, a back end opposite to the front end, a left side surface and a right side surface connected between the front end and the back end, and a socket positioned at the back end. The display is pivoted to the front end of the main body. The component is detachably inserted into the socket. The frame is movably connected to the left side surface and the right side surface. The frame is able to rotate between a locked position and an unlocked position, when the frame is at the locked position, the frame keeps the component in the socket, and when the frame is at the unlocked position, the component is able to be pulled out from the socket.

Abstract: A portable computer includes a main body, a display, and a wireless keyboard. The main body includes a keyboard supporting panel. The display is hinged to the main body. The wireless keyboard detachably attached on the keyboard supporting panel. The wireless keyboard is mechanically coupled to the main body and wirelessly communicatively coupled to the main body.