text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Publication date
|Oct 22, 1974
|Filing date
|Nov 8, 1971
|Priority date
|Nov 8, 1971
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Burlow S
|Original Assignee
|Velsicol Chemical Corp
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Referenced by (7), Classifications (9), Legal Events (2)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
United States Paten [1 1 Burlow [451 Oct. 22, 1974 RODENTICIDAL COMPOSITIONS AND PROCESSES EMPLOYING GELATINIZEI) AMYLACEOUS MATERIALS [75] Inventor: Stanley N. Burlow, Chicago, Ill.
[73] Assignee: Velsicol Chemical Corporation, Chicago, Ill.
[22] Filed: Nov. 8, 19711 [21] Appl. No.: 196,738
[52] U.S. Cl 424/84, 424/283, 424/33l [51] Int. Cl AOln 17/14 [58] Field of Search 424/84, 283, 331
[56] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 756,698 9/1956 Great Britain 424/84 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Chemical Abstracts, Vol. 49, (1955), p. l272g.
Soriano, P., Philippine Jour. of Ag., Vol. 23, (114)( 1962), PES. 45-54.
Primary Examiner-Vincent D. Turner Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert J. Schwarz; Dietmar H. Olesch [57] ABSTRACT 11 Claims, No Drawings This invention relates to improved rodenticide compositions and more particularly relates to waterresistant rodenticide pellets.
Rodenticides and particularly poisons used for controlling rats and mice are typically formulated into food baits. These food baits are often in the form of hard pellets which can be conveniently handled and are acceptable to rodents. Such pellets are made by agglomerating ground cereal grains in combination with the toxicant. Sugar when used as the agglomerating agent also imparts improved acceptability to the product. Additional flavoring agents as well as preservatives are also incorporated into the bait.
While the described bait compositions have proven to be successful, they have in the past suffered from physical breakdown upon exposure to high humidity or excessive moisture. To avoid breakdown of the pellets and to enable their use, outdoors wax has been added to the pellets. The use of wax has improved the moisture and water resistance of bait pellets but has not proven to be entirely satisfactory. Only minor amounts of wax can be used while preserving the acceptability of the bait by rodents. Such amounts of wax do not impart the degree of water resistance desired in a product used under moist conditions. a
It has now been found that rodent bait pellets having excellent water resistance can be prepared without the use of wax. More specifically it has been found that a water-resistant rodenticide pellet can be readily prepared by utilizing a gelatinized amylaceous material as the carrier.
Thus, one embodiment of the present invention resides in a water-resistant rodenticide'pellet comprising a gelatinized compacted amylaceous material having a water content below about 14 percent by weight based on the total composition in admixture with a rodenticidal amount of rodenticide.
The particular rodenticide which is used in the compositions of the present invention is not critical and the well-known stomach poisons and anticoagulants can be employed. Preferred rodenticides useful in this invention are 3-(a-acetonylbenzyl)-4-hydroxycoumarin, 2- di-phenylacetyl-l,3-indandione and the alkali metal, ammonia and amine salts thereof.
Exemplary alkali metal salts are the sodium salt of 2- diphenylacetyl-l,3-indandione and the potassium salt of Z-diphenylacetyll ,3-indanedione. Exemplary amine salts are the trimethylamine salt of Z-diphenylacetyll,3-indandione, the triethylamine salt of 2- diphenylacetyl-l,3-indandione, the dimethylamine salt of Z-diphenylacetyl-l ,3-indandione, the propylamine salt of 2-diphenylacetyl-l,3-indandione and the like.
The amount of rodenticide which can be used in the composition will vary somewhat with the particular toxicantemployed. Generally an amount of from about 0.0005 to about 0.1 percentby weight based on the total composition is used.
The amylaceous material which can be used in the rodenticide pelletof this invention can comprise any comminuted vegetable material consisting predominantly of starch. Particularly useful are ground cereal grains such as corn meal, oat meal, wheat flour, sorgum, waxy maize, mixtures thereof and the like. Starch 2 itself such as corn starch can also be used as the amylaceous component of the pellets.
The amylaceous material is preferably in a finely divided particulate state such as in the form of a flour or finely ground meal. A particle size range capable of passing through a 50 to mesh screen is most preferred.
As previously indicated, the amylaceous material must be gelatinized in order to impart the desired physical properties tothe pellets of this invention. This gelatinization can be effected by a heat treatment or a combination of heat treatment with mechanical shear in the presence of water as will be hereinafter described in greater detail. Upon completion of the gelatinization, the product is compacted and the water content is reduced to below about 14 percent by weight of the total composition to produce a hard, water-resistant pellet.
The rodenticide pellets of this invention are prepared by a process which results in the surprising water resistance of the final product. Thus, a further embodiment of the present invention resides in a process for preparing a water-resistant rodenticide pellet which comprises: i
(a) mixing a rodenticidal amount of a rodenticide and amylaceous material to provide a blend; 7 r (b) gelatinizing the amylaceous portion of the blend in the presence of sufficient'water to provide a doughy mass;
- (c) compacting the gelatinized blend; and
(d) drying the compacted product to a moisture content below about 14 percent by weight. To effect the process of the present invention, the rodenticide and amylaceous material are first mixed into a blend to insure a substantially homogeneous dispersion of the toxicant in the product. This mixing can be carried out in standard mixing equipment such as ribbon blenders and the like.
The blend is subjected to gelatinization conditions capable of gelatinizing the amylaceous material contained therein. The gelatinization can be effected by various means. One method of gelatinizing the blend is by subjecting the blend to pressure cooking in the presence of from about l5to about'25 percent water based on the weight of said blend. Such pressure cooking comprises heating the blend to temperatures ranging from 2l5 to about 350F under superatmospheric pressure for a sufficient time to disrupt the starch granules contained in the amylaceous material.
The gelatinization can also be effected by subjecting the amylaceous mixture to mechanical shear forces in addition to heating at a temperature from about to 300 F. Preferrably the application of shear force and heating of the amylaceous mass are performed in the presence of from about 15 to about 25 percent moisture. The simultaneous heating and application of mechanical shear forces can be readily accomplished through the use of high shear force blending, kneading or extruding equipment which is provided with heating means. Steam jacketed sigma blade blenders, dough mixers, kneader or extruder which force the product through a restricted orifice can be suitably employed.
The exact degree of gelatinization of the amylaceous of the starch granules in the amylaceous material is V achieved. The degree of gelatinization will have an effeet on the water resistance of the final product. Generally, a greater degree of gelatinization provides a final product of increased water resistance.
Upon completion of the gelatinization step of the process of the present invention the gelatiized blend is subjected to a compacting step. This compacting step is essential to impart water resistance to the rodenticide compositions of this invention. The compacting step generally comprises subjecting the gelatinized blend to mechanical pressure sufficient to form a substantially continuous composition. This compacting step can be carried out by subjecting the blend to mechanical pressure in a die of suitable dimensions to form a pellet of a desired shape. Pressures ranging from about to about 25,000 per square inch can be effectively used. Typically, the higher pressures result in a product of greater water resistance.
The compacting step of the process of the present invention can also be carried out through the use of compacting rolls. These compacting rolls typically comprise two facing steel cylinders having cavities on their peripheral surfaces. The cylinders rotate towards each other at a synchronized rate such that the cavities on the surface of the cylinders directly oppose each other during rotation. The distance between the two cylinders can be varied thereby providing different compacting pressures. When using the compacting rolls the gelatinized blend heretofore described is fed into the rolls and is thereby formed into pellets having the configuration of the cavities in the cylinders.
The compacting rolls can also be corrugated rolls or cylinders having a corrugated or fluted surface in an axial direction. Such corrugated rolls permit the formation of rodenticide compositions in the form of flakes of varying thickness.
Upon completion of the compacting step, the product is dried to a moisture content below 14 percent by weight of the composition. Preferrably the composition is dried to a moisture content ranging from about 5 to about 12 percent by weight of the composition. The drying step'can be conveniently carried out by conventional drying equipment such as forced air heating ovens and the like. 1
ln addition to the essential ingredients of the rodenticide compositions of this invention, namely, the toxicant and the amylaceous materials herein described, it is often desirable to incorporate other additives including binding agents, flavoring agents, preservatives and the like.
Binding agents can comprise saccharides or polysaccharides such as sucrose, dextrose, maltose, dehydrated corn syrups, dextrin, starch hydrolyzates, gelatin, guar gum, carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium alginate and the like.
Preservatives can comprise any of the common preservatives used in foods to retard spoilage or decomposition ofthe product. Bacteriacides and fungicides can be effectively used. Exemplary preservatives are malathion, sodium benzoate, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and the like.
1t is desirable to incorporate the flavoring agents into the rodenticide compositions of this invention for the purpose of improving the acceptability of the compositions to rodents. For example, proteinaceous material such as fish meal, soya meal and whey solids can be efficaciously used. Artificial flavoring agents capable of imparting meat flavors, cheese flavors and the like can be used. Furthermore, flavor enhancers such as sodium chloride and monosodium glutamate can also be employed.
The preparation of the rodenticide compositions of this invention is more specifically illustrated in the following examples.
EXAMPLE 1 Preparation of Water-Resistant Rodenticide Pellets The following ingredients were heated and charged into a ribbon blender and were mixed into a uniform blend. The quantities are in parts by weight.
Heating and blending of the mixture was continued and sufficient water was added to raise the total moisture content of the mixture to about 18 percent by weight. This mixture was then charged into a dough mixer maintained at a temperature of about 210F and was subjected to heat and mechanical shear until gelatinization of the amylaceous material was effected. The gelatinized product was then pelletized utilizing compacting rolls to provide pillow shaped pellets of a light brown color. The pellets had a moisture content of about 18 percent by weight. The pellets were then dried in a forced air oven until the moisture content was reduced to from about 8 to 9 percent by weight to yield a desired rodenticide composition of this invention.
EXAMPLE 2 Preparation of Water-Resistant Rodenticide Flakes The following ingredients are ground to a particle size capable of passing through a 50 mesh screen:
INGREDIENTS AMOUNT PARTS BY WEIGHT whole ground corn 60.0 steel cut oats 20.0 baker's fine sugar 5.0 soya meal 10.0 fish meal 4.0 salt 1.0 3( a-acctonylbenzyl )-4-hydroxy- 0.1
coumarin content of about 14 percent to yield the desired waterresistant rodenticide flakes.
EXAMPLE 3 Preparation of Water-Resistant Rodenticide Pellets The following ingredients are ground to a particle size capable of passing through a 100 mesh screen and are charged into a ribbon blender.
The ingredients are mixed into 'a uniform blend. Water in an amount sufficient to provide a total moisture content of about 15 percent by weight of the blend is added. The resulting blend is then gelatinized by subjecting it to the action of a sigma blade blender at a temperature of about 2lOF for a period of about 2 hours. After this time the gelatinized product is placed in dies to a mechanical pressure of about 25,000 pounds per square inch. The resulting compacted product is then dried to a moisture content of about 12 percent to yield the desired water-resistant rodenticide pellets.
I claim:
1. A water-resistant rodenticide composition comprising a gelatinized, compacted amylaceous material consisting of ground cereal grain having a water content of from about 5 to about 12 percent by weight based on the total composition in admixture with a rodenticidal amount of a rodenticide.
2. The rodenticide composition of claim 1 wherein the amylaceous material comprises corn meal.
3. The rodenticidal composition of claim 1 wherein the rodenticide is selected from the group consisting of 3-(a-acetonylbenzyl)-4-hydroxycoumarin, 2- diphenylacetyl-l,3-indandione and the sodium, potas- LII sium, ammonia or amine salts of said indandione.
4. The rodenticide composition of claim 3 wherein the rodenticide comprises from about 0.0005 to about 7 0.1 percent by weight based on the total composition.
5. The rodenticidal composition of claim 1 which in addition contains at least one flavoring agent selected from the group consisting of sugar, sodium chloride, fish meal and soya meal.
6. A process for the preparation of the waterresistant rodenticide composition of claim 1 which comprises a. mixing a rodenticidal amount of a rodenticide and amylaceous material consisting of ground cerealgrain to provide a blend;
b. gelatinizing the amylaceous portion of the blend in the presence of sufficient water to provide a doughy mass;
c. compacting the gelatinized blend; and
d. drying the compacted product to a moisture content of from about 5 to about 12 percent by weight.
7. The process of claim 6 wherein the gelatinization is performed in the presence of from about 15 to about 25 percent water based on the weight of the blend.
8. The process of claim 6 wherein the rodenticide is selected from the group consisting of 3-(aacetonylbenzyl-4-hydroxycoumarir1, Z-diphenylacetyll,3-indiandione and the sodium, potassium, ammonia and amine salts of said indandione.
9. The process of claim 6 wherein the rodenticidal amount is from about 0.0005 to about 0.1 percent by weight of the rodenticide composition.
10. The process of claim 6 where gelatinizing comprises heating the blend to a temperature from about to about 300F while subjecting said blend to mechanical shear.
11. The process of claim 6 wherein compacting comprises subjecting the gelatinized blend to mechanical pressure ranging from about 15 to about 25,000
pounds per square inch.
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Feb 10, 1982
|Apr 8, 1986
|United Agri Products, Inc.
|Rodenticide compositions comprising an artificial sweetener and a rodenticide
|Dec 2, 1986
|Sep 19, 1989
|Ici Americas Inc.
|Composition for rodent control
|Nov 14, 2007
|Dec 4, 2012
|Bayer Intellectual Property Gmbh
|Plant protection granulates to be applied to leaf surface
|Nov 14, 2007
|Nov 5, 2009
|Bayer Cropscience Ag
|Plant protection granulates to be applied to leaf surface
|Dec 11, 2013
|Apr 3, 2014
|Novartis Ag
|Palatable ductile chewable veterinary composition
|Nov 14, 2007
|May 29, 2008
|Bayer Cropscience Aktiengesellschaft
|Plant protection granulates to be applied to the leaf surface
|Nov 14, 2007
|Apr 23, 2009
|Bayer Cropscience Ag
|Plant protection granulates to be applied to the leaf surface
|U.S. Classification
|424/84, 514/777, 514/681, 514/457
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Jun 14, 1985
|Assignment of assignor's interest
Owner name: UNITED AGRI PRODUCTS, INC., GREELEY, CO., A CORP.
Owner name: VELSICOL CHEMICAL CORPORATION
Effective date: 19850513
|Jun 14, 1985
Owner name: UNITED AGRI PRODUCTS, INC., GREELEY, CO., A CORP.
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:VELSICOL CHEMICAL CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:004452/0508
Effective date: 19850513


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Regular arrays of entangled carbon nanotube (CNT) columns were grown on p-Si substrates with bimetallic (aluminum and patterned iron) catalyst by water assisted chemical vapor deposition based on a pyrolysis of ethylene. Rounded CNT columns of about 20 μm diameter and 5 μm height in an asymmetric triangular array of 256 and 270 μm pitch were obtained. The field emission (FE) maps yielded high efficiency and good alignment of the CNT emitters. Local FE investigations of single columns revealed initial onset field of ~ 11 V/μm for 1 nA. The FE current was rather stable (± 10 %), first FN-like (<; 0.1 μA) but then saturated above 20 V/μm to 1-2 μA. Above 40-60 V/μm, however, irreversible current jumps up to 10-40 μA occurred reproducibly for all emitters. This strong activation effect was often combined with a visible light emission from hot spots at the top of the columns. Finally stable FN-like current-voltage curves with onset field of ~ 30 V/μm and maximum current of ~40 μA were obtained. This strange FE behavior of CNT cathodes is considered to be caused by the creation of conducting channels into the SiO2 layer and will be explained by the band structure.

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By Steve Stark Editor's Note: The Army family—a way of life and a core foundation of what makes our Army strong. As the holiday season is upon us, it's fitting for Access AL&T to share just one of the many Army family stories within our AL&T community that most, if not all Army families can relate to. Happy holidays. Sean and Yolanda Friendly's marriage is an Army marriage—the Army brought them together and, now and again, it's kept them apart. In 1990, while stationed in Korea, Yolanda got a flu shot from young medic. For her, the flu shot wasn't particularly memorable. For the young medic—Sean Friendly—however, it was […]
Daily Archives: November 22, 2013
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It still might be too cold to take a dip, but some of the city's outdoor swimming pools are open for the summer as of Saturday, June 14.
Twelve outdoor pools will be open after school and on weekends.
The rest will open up June 21.
The following will be open for public swimming on Saturday:
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James Patrick Stuart
Jeff Bennett
John DiMaggio
Danny Jacob
Julien, King of the Lemurs
Nicole Sullivan
Tom McGrath
Andy Richter
Recurring Role
Kevin Michael Richardson
Recurring Role
At end end of the episode, when Marlene gets the crowbar from Rico, Kowalski is on her left (right to the viewer) but then when Marlene goes to chase after King Julien, Kowalski is suddenly on the right (left to the viewer)
Rat King: You and me, bird. One on one.
Rat King: You are going down to rat town!
Private: Aren't we already there?
Kowalski: Oh, boy. Sewer rats.
Private: They're actually quite cute.
Julien: It is puffy and complicated.
Mort: Like me!
Julien: (gasps) My crown! (repeatedly kisses crown) How I have missed you, little head thing!
Marlene: Okay, okay, I failed. I failed! Everybody, I failed. There, I am an utter failure. (as she says this next part, the penguins arrive back with Julien's crown) If I could just say a magic word and make the crown appear, I would.
Marlene: (speaking into walkie-talkie) Uh, hey Skipper. It turns out the new crown didn't fly.
Julien: Oh, it did fly! Too much!
Julien: How am I supposed to be kingly without my crown?!
Marlene: Alright, I'll try and calm down the screamer, while you guys go and get his crown. Sound like a plan?
Skipper: Does sound like a plan, Marlene. Gentlemen, commence operation "Give The Furry Crybaby His Bottle".
Maurice: YOU! YOU DID THIS!
Skipper: (is playing chess with Marlene. All the penguins and Marlene have earmuffs on) What?
Maurice: You did this!
Skipper: (takes off earmuffs) I know, I take full responsibility. Well 90%.
Marlene: (takes off earmuffs) Woah, woah. I said have fun; I did not say go nuts!
Skipper: Hey, I'm as fun as the next guy!
Marlene: Not if the next guy is that guy! (twists Skipper round so he can see Julien "having fun")
Skipper: I can handle anything.
Marlene: Uh-huh, except fun.
Skipper: Especially fun!
Skipper: How am I supposed to know this stuff? C'mon people, I'm not a mind reader!
Marlene: You, Skipper, are just not fun day material.
Skipper: Woah, hit the break, sister.
Marlene: What?
Marlene: Why are you guys working anyway? C'mon, it's fun day!
Skipper: Nice work, Rico.
Marlene: Morning, guys.
Skipper: You might wanna watch out for the ninjas, Marlene.
Marlene: You mean bowling pins?
Skipper: I mean ninjas.
King Julien: My head is naked, my head is nude! My head is crownless! Dark is my mood..
Marlene: Crazy poetry there! Good stuff.
(Rat King appears to the steel cage trap)
Private: Oh, you are toast!
Skipper: What's that Private?
Private: Uh-- crusty on the outside, soft in the inside and good with a jam.
Skipper: Oh, that's nice.
Rat King: You are going down, clown! Down to rat town!
Private: Aren't we already there?
Julien: (about his crown) Eh, it has a smudgy spot on it.
Private: Well, there was the sewer and- (pushed by Rico)
Julien: No! This simply will not do. Maurice, bring me my spare crown!
Original International Air Dates:
Czech Republic: January 29, 2011 on TV Nova
If you ever noticed, the poses that the penguins do before they begin their training closely resembles their silhouette poses they do in the cut scenes that come on during some episodes.
First appearance of the giant king sewer rat.
Julien screams the longest and loudest out of all other other episodes in Crown Fools.
This is the very first episode where we discover King Julien has a spare crown.
The only episode so far where King Julien loses his crown in a sewer.
This episode story is similar to The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie were the main character goes to find a missing crown.
S 3 : Ep 14
Aired 5/27/12
S 3 : Ep 11
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S 3 : Ep 7
Aired 5/6/12
S 3 : Ep 6
Aired 4/22/12
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User Score: 14
User Score: 14
User Score: 11


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On Second Thought is a one-hour, daily news talk show that airs at 9 a.m. ET weekdays.
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Slim, stylish LUMIX SZ Series zoom compacts offer fuss-free shooting enjoyment for travel and every day
NORFOLK ISLAND, 17 February, 2012 - Panasonic has introduced a range of slim, stylish LUMIX zoom models designed to be pocketable for travel and everyday shooting. The versatile DMC-SZ7 and DMC-SZ1 offer photographers on the move flexible photography with a 10x zoom and an ultra wide-angle 25mm LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens.
Special effects add fun to the shooting experience, including Miniature Effect, Panorama Shot and Auto Retouch, and Intelligent Auto (iA) for intuitive control.
The DMC-SZ7 is designed for fast, impressive imaging and movie capture - with a 14.1 megapixel MOS sensor, ultra-fast Light Speed AF of around 0.1 second, and Full HD movie recording. This sleek camera has everything the creative photographer wants, with effects such as 3D Photo and Creative Retouch, supported by the latest iA features such as High Dynamic Range, Handheld Nightshot and Motion Deblur modes.
Ms Aki Yamamoto, Product Manager - LUMIX, Panasonic Australia, said: "The SZ Series offers the advantage of a zoom that fits in your pocket, so you are ready for any photographic occasion. You have everything you need to achieve stunning results with ease, from a 10x zoom LEICA lens, to Full HD movies with the SZ7 and the latest effects to enhance your images."
In Miniature Effect[viii] mode, the peripherals are defocused while saturation and contrast is emphasised to create the look of a diorama. The range and location of the area to defocus is adjustable according to the composition of the picture either in horizontal (landscape) or vertical (portrait). Video recorded in this mode can also be played back in 10x fast forwarding for full effect. Panorama Shot makes it possible to create a dramatic horizontal or vertical panoramic image by taking consecutive shots and then overlaying the images.
Both models also feature Auto Retouch which at the touch of a button, corrects contrast and brightness to enhance the image. The DMC-SZ7 adds to this with Creative Retouch, which includes six filters - Toy Effect, Soft Focus, Dynamic Monochrome, Expressive, High Key and Retro, each of which give photos a more artistic look.
The DMC-SZ1 offers Sonic Speed AF for responsive shooting. Other convenient features offered by both the new cameras include MEGA O.I.S, which suppresses the hand-shake that tends to occur when shooting with high zoom, USB charging, and sharing of images and movies instantly via Facebook© or YouTube with LUMIX Image Uploader.
The DMC-SZ7 is also equipped with 3D Photo mode, which produces realistic 3D images. Take 20 panning shots and the camera automatically selects the two most suitable images - one for the right eye and one for the left eye - to produce a 3D composite. The 3D images can be viewed on a VIERA 3D HDTV or played back on other MPO-compatible 3D equipment such as TVs, digital photo frames or printers.
LUMIX DMC-SZ7 RRP $329 Available March 2012
14.1-megapixel MOS sensor
Black, pink, white
LUMIX DMC-SZ1 RRP $249 Available March 2012
16.1-megapixel CCD sensor
Red, silver, blue, black
Key features
LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens system
Both cameras offer a new 25mm ultra wide-angle LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens system with a powerful 10x optical zoom (35mm camera equivalent: 25-250mm). Comprising nine elements in seven groups, including four aspherical lenses with six aspherical surfaces, this slim, compact lens unit offers a versatile zoom range from ultra-wide to telephoto and delivers exceptional optical performance with stunning clarity and minimum distortion and flare.
Intelligent Zoom extends the 10x optical to 20x digital equivalent, incorporating Panasonic's Intelligent Resolution technology to maintain picture quality.
14.1-megapixel MOS Sensor - DMC-SZ7
The new 14.1-megapixel MOS sensor and the Venus Engine excel in image processing for both sensitivity and speed. The excellent S/N ratio of the MOS sensor and the Intelligent Noise Reduction system in the Venus Engine reduce noise for the best possible picture even in low-light conditions.
The high speed digital signal output technology ensures smooth video, and lets the DMC-SZ7 shoot at 10 fps in 14-megapixel full resolution with mechanical shutter and 5 fps with continuous AF. The frame rate, AF setting and the recording resolution can be easily adjusted according to the subject movement. The DMC-SZ7 offers fast start-up and achieves Light Speed AF of around 0.1 second to capture even the most fleeting photo opportunities.
AVCHD Full HD Video Recording - DMC-SZ7
The LUMIX DMC-SZ7 records Full HD 1920 x 1080 50i videos in AVCHD (MPEG-4 / H.264)[ix] format and also offers shooting in MP4 at 25p. A separate button on the top lets the user instantly start recording videos while shooting photos without having to make any extra settings. iA (Intelligent Auto) is also conveniently available.
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Photos or video recorded in AVCHD on SD Memory Cards can also be viewed on a Panasonic VIERA TV or Blu-ray Disc Player - simply insert the card into the device's SD Memory Card slot. Alternatively, users can use an optional mini HDMI cable to output still images and movies directly to the TV via VIERA Link.
The DMC-SZ1 records video at 720p in MP4.
Convenient features
Convenient Intelligent Auto features include High Dynamic Range, Intelligent Handheld Nightshot and Motion Deblur mode, offered by the DMC-SZ7; in addition to AF Tracking, Intelligent ISO Control, Face Recognition (DMC-SZ7) / Face Detection (DMC-SZ1), Intelligent Scene Selector and Intelligent Exposure.
Using High Dynamic Range, the camera takes several shots at different exposure levels and then automatically combines them to produce an image that faithfully represents the scene and preserves detail in the highlights, midtones and shadows for a clear, sharp shot. Handheld Night Shot takes advantage of the DMC-SZ7's high-speed sensor, combining consecutive shots to produce a blur-less, beautifully illuminated night shot without the need for a tripod. The Motion Deblur mode updates motion detection (Intelligent ISO Control) and brightness control (Intelligent Exposure) to gain as high a shutter speed as possible. Users can be confident that their images and video will be clear and blur-free, when captured on the go or with moving subjects.
Both cameras have a 3.0-inch Intelligent LCD that automatically adjusts the backlight for easy viewing based on the lighting situation.
Included accessories: Battery pack, AC adaptor, USB cable, hand strap, CD-ROM with PHOTOfunSTUDIO software.
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text:
Ray throws three TD passes to lead Argos to first victory at BMO Field
The Toronto Argonauts' first regular-season win at BMO Field might've have come at a terrible price. Quarterback Ricky Ray threw three TD passes to lead Toronto past the Montreal Alouettes 30-17 on Monday night. But dampening the Argos' enthusiasm … More »The Canadian Press - 13 hours ago
Argos win first game at BMO, but lose Ricky Ray in the process
While Toronto came up with a key 30-17 win over Montreal Monday, they lost Ricky Ray along the way. … More »55 Yard Line - 13 hours ago
Duron Carter shouts out Black Lives Matter after touchdown against Argos
Montreal Alouettes' receiver Duron Carter shouted out Black Lives Matter after a CFL TD Monday. … More »55 Yard Line - 16 hours ago
RAW: Blue Bombers Mike O'Shea - July 25
Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea meets with the media on Monday, July 25, 2016. … More »Global News - 20 hours ago
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Matt Nichols is ready to take a turn at trying to ignite the Blue Bombers' stagnant offence. Nichols will replace starter Drew Willy when Winnipeg (1-4) visits the Edmonton Eskimos (2-2) on Thursday — the team that traded the quarterback last year. … More »The Canadian Press - Sun, 24 Jul, 2016 6:40 PM EDT


text:
- Anónimo
- Estados Unidos, Hombre, 25-30
- Nómada principiante
- 3 comentarios
Ideal backpackers location in Hanoi Old Quarter. The staff were flexible and accommodating as we arrived late from Sapa and had an early turn-around the next morning. The A/C in our room struggled to get into the 16-19 range but the staff were helpful and switched to a room where everything worked. Would be happy to stay here again when visiting Hanoi!
Aplicaciones de Hostelworld para móviles
Reserve sobre la marcha con las nuevas aplicaciones móviles de Hostelworld.


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Type: Posts; User: Jack the Ripper; Keyword(s):
Nice Camera!
Cobra Shots! Any links? big mustang fan here!
How bad are they in the grand scheme of things?
Here is why i ask.
My wedding this summer, my friend did the photography wth a Canon Rebel DSLR (not sure which) and the pics all look great on...
Been taking pics of this car for a while, this is the first time i got to take it somewhere fun since i got my Nikon though. Im still a noob at this, so be gentle, but criticism is always welcomed....
400-500 for any single item really is my budget at this point, but i can always pick up a paper route if need be. ;)
Do they need to be mine?
or can i just take them from some hooker?
I went up to redrocks today
I think im gonna have to follow your lead.
political threads never go well. lol
so why do they hate us? i mean, that is what they are saying... drive the infadels from the holy land, i never heared them bashing america for producing such TV crap like "The hills"....
which is...
Lol... I like the 2nd pic.. the bird actually looks annoyed that you are bothering him during his meal.
stepping in as a newb on this board...
isreal can take care of itself.
as for the terrorists, all they really want is us to pack it up and leave thier land. If we obliged them, they...
very good advice!
I have a friend who is an amatuer photographer who does do some photography ont he side, weddings, pics of planes, whatever strikes his fancy. He has been giving me some advice...
The shots i see here are amazing!!!!!! Some of these bugs look as big as buffalo
I want a macro lens. lol.
Here is my first entry to this thread, found this guy out by my garage last night.
thankyou for all the replies!
Looks like a better flash will be the first on the list. So far im pretty happy with my lenses, that is probably because i dont know how much better they could be, as...
Thanks for all the input!
Yeah i have the lenspen, and i love it. i forgot to ad that in what i do currently have.
The price difference between the SB400 and SB600 is not that much, would it...
so far i got a pretty modest camera setup.
I have the Nikon D40, the Kit lense AF-S 18-55mm and the non vr AF-S 55-200 nikon lense.
I have a inexpencive Vanguard tripod, 2 spare...
Lol... im definatly a mustang fan myself.
Unfortunatly i have to sell her, i got her when i was single with 2 roomates to split my mortgage, now im married with a baby and a stepson and that money...
Damn, nice call. It is near Chatfield actually, its right next to Hine Lake which is maybe 5-6 miles north of chatfield
Yeah that is about one of my favorite places to shoot.
I oughtta shine her up and get her there at dusk some day soon and get some sunset shots.
Well, my car will definatly be flattered! ;)
small world!
Yeah the color came out pretty bright on that one. lol. :eek:
I have the 18-55mm kit lens along with the 55-200m.
Got a tripod. cheap vanguard $40 tripod, nothing fantastic but it...
Hey Folks!
New to the site, new to photography.
About me, im 31, married, kids. Im just now getting into photography.
I guess it started about a month ago when i got my bonus from work. I...


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Welcome to the final day of the Mixed Media Blog Hop with Stampendous and Tando Creative! This is the last day for this fun collaboration, and there are tons of blogs to visit, so I will make my info as short and sweet as possible. Of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention the prizes.
To be eligible, leave a comment and where you live on the Stampendous blog, Tando Creative blog and each designer's blog. Every comment is an entry to win one of THREE terrific prize packages. This is open to commenters with either a US or UK mailing address.
Each prize package includes a Tando Creative Mini Heart Printer Tray plusStampendous NK Studio Fiesta Stamp Set.
My post today is a little Christmas project. Here it is:
Thanks for stopping by. There are plenty of wonderful posts to look at today. Be sure to comment on all of them for your chance to win!


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Life |
Jan 26 Sri Lanka beat Australia by five wickets in the first Twenty20 International in Sydney on Saturday to go 1-0 up in the two-match series.
Melbourne hosts the second and final match on Monday.
Score: Australia 137-3 in 20 overs (D. Warner 90 not out) v Sri Lanka 139-5 in 18.5 overs (A Mathews 35 not out, K Perera 33). (Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Aug 28, 1990
|Filing date
|Jun 1, 1989
|Priority date
|Oct 18, 1988
|Fee status
|Publication number
|Benjamin Pless, John G. Ryan
|Original Assignee
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (6), Referenced by (65), Classifications (19), Legal Events (7)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
The most important feature of any battery powered system after the obvious functionality is longevity. The limiting component in the life of such systems is almost invariably the battery amp hour rating. Therefore, particularly in implantible medical devices, power conservation measures are extremely important.
It is well known that the power consumption of a digital system is a function of approximately the square of the power supply voltage. Thus, for example, halving the voltage can potentially result in a fourfold increase in battery longevity.
Another important reason for lower voltage operation in implantible devices is a function of recent trends in integrated circuit technologies, namely, reduction in IC line width generally requires a lower power supply. However, it is typical of implantible devices to incorporate a mix of integrated circuit types with different power supply requirements. For example, power DMOS or VMOS devices typically require in excess of 5V for good operation, while many microprocessor integrated circuits typically require operating voltages in the3V range. In the particular implantible device application for which the circuitry of the present invention was developed, two operating voltages are required: a battery terminal voltage Vbatt which varies, depending on battery condition, from 4.5V to 6.5V and a regulated 3V supply from which most of the device's digital logic operates.
It will be obvious to those familiar with battery powered devices which include some high power components that it is desirable to monitor battery terminal voltage under high current load. This is due to the fact that excessive dips in battery terminal voltage may endanger the logical states of the circuitry controlling the high power components. Also, excessive terminal voltage dips may be indicative of an impending battery failure which, in the case of an implantible medical device, triggers immediate replacement of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,523 issued to Pless et al on July 8, 1986, discloses a power distribution controller that regulates the load placed on a pacemaker power source. The controller selectively sWitches the power source between the output capacitor of the pacemaker's output circuitry and the pacemaker's voltage sensitive control circuitry so that the peak power requirement of the output capacitor does not affect the supply voltage of the control circuit. The control circuit is disconnected from the battery whenever the battery is connected across the output capacitor. When the output capacitor is charging, a hold-up capacitor maintains the control circuit supply voltage at or above the minimum required for powering the control circuit. As required, the controller switches to connect the battery to the control circuit and to disconnect the output circuitry.
The present invention provides circuitry for detecting when the battery terminal voltage Vbatt drops below a predetermined trigger voltage Vtrig. This trigger voltage Vtrig is dependent only upon capacitor ratios and a reference voltage Vref. The output of the detection circuitry is a digital signal which can be used to disable the high current circuitry in the implantible device and, thus, allow the battery terminal voltage Vbatt to recover. Alternatively, the output of the detection circuitry can simply be used as a battery status indicator flag.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by reference to the detailed description of the invention provided below which should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating control circuitry in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a circuit embodiment of operational amplifier OP1 in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a circuit embodiment of operational amplifier OP2 in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a circuit embodiment of a voltage downconverter in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a timing diagram illustrating the timing relationships of the P1, P2 and P3 clock phases utilized in the FIG. 4 voltage downconverter in relation to master clock fc2.
FIG. 6 is a logic diagram illustrating an embodiment of circuitry which can be used to generate the P1, P2 and P3 clocks.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a low battery detector circuit in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a timing diagram illustrating a typical timing waveform for a low battery detection cycle of the circuit shown in FIG. 6.
FIG. 9 is a logic diagram illustrating an embodiment of circuitry which can be used to generate the control signals Autozero AZ and Not Autozero AZN utilized in the FIG. 7 low battery detector circuit.
The control circuit of the present invention can be thought of as being composed of several subsystems for efficiently supplying battery current ata regulated voltage which is less than battery terminal voltage and for protecting the regulated voltage from excessive battery voltage dips caused by large currents being drawn directly from the battery terminals. The following description of the operation of such a control circuit in accordance with the present invention is set forth in terms of an illustrative embodiment. However, it should be understood that this is done for purposes of clarity only and should not be interpreted as limiting the applicability of the invention to other circuits.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a power supply/low battery detection system in accordance with the present invention. A voltage downconverter 10 is shown in FIG. 1 as configured with N capacitors. This configuration represents the general case in which the output of downconverter 10, a selected intermediate voltage Vint, can be any voltage tap comprising an integer multiple of the battery terminal voltage Vbatt divided by N, up to and including Vbatt. An illustrative example of voltage downconverter 10 is described in greater detail below.
FIG. 1 further shows voltage regulator circuitry comprising operational amplifiers OP1 and OP2, comparator COMP1, resistors RFB, RGAP, and R1, and capacitors CR, CB and CSPEED. The voltage regulator circuitry generates a regulated voltage Vreg which serves as the supply for low voltage electonics 12.
Low voltage electronics circuit 12 represents a group of circuits that are powered from the regulated voltage Vreg. These circuits might include, for example, a microprocessor and its associated logic devices.
Power electronics block 14 represents circuitry which at certain times can draw substantial current from battery 13. The size of this current may be such that its product with the battery source impedance Rbatt may be a significant portion of the battery potential. Thus, low battery detect circuitry 16 detects when the battery voltage Vbatt dips below a predetermined trigger voltage Vtrig and, in response, disables the power electronics 14 so that the large current draw Ip from the battery 13 is interrupted. This current interruption is illustrated conceptually in FIG. 1 by switch SP1.
FIGS. 2 and 3 show illustrative embodiments of operational amplifiers OP1 and OP2, respectively. Operational amplifier OP1, as shown in FIG. 2, applies a high voltage gain to the differential signal applied between its + and - inputs. The + and - inputs to op amp OP1 are applied to the gates of N-channel amplifier devices M8 and M7, respectively. Devices M8 and M7 are commonly tied to the negative rail via a constant current source IBIAS and are tied to the positive rail, i.e. battery terminal voltage Vbatt, via a current mirror comprising P-channel devices M9 and M10. The output of the differential gain stage of op amp OP1 is provided to the gate of P-channel output device M11 which provides the regulated voltage Vreg.
A comparison of FIGS. 2 and 3 will show that amplifiers OP1 and OP2 are identical except that the P-channel output device M5 of op amp OP2 may be disabled by switching on P-channel device M6 by setting the ENABLE line low. Also, the drain of device M5 is connected to the intermediate voltage Vint.
It is assumed that a substantial percentage of the average device current is expended in the low voltage electronics 12 which is powered from the regulated voltage Vreg. This current is labeled IL1 in FIG. 1.
The total battery power consumed is given by:
P=Vbatt * Ibatt
where, as shown in FIG. 1, Ibatt is the total current drawn from the battery terminals.
If the battery voltage Vbatt was simply linearly regulated down to the regulated voltage Vreg level, a substantial percentage of the battery power output would be dissipated in the regulator. This power loss is given by:
Plossreg=IL1 * (Vbatt-Vreg) (1)
It is clear that power loss is a function of the difference between the battery voltage Vbatt and the regulated voltage Vreg. Thus, an efficient voltage downconverter to an intermediate voltage Vint between Vreg and Vbatt would improVe overall efficiency.
Efficiency without the voltage downconversion, efined as power used divided by power drawn from the battery, is given by:
e=Vreg/Vbatt (2)
Thus, with Vreg=3V and Vbatt=6V, the efficiency is 50% at best. With a downconverter working with efficiency y, the efficiency becomes:
e=y * Vreg/Vint,
where intermediate voltage Vint is the output of the downconverter.
Thus, with Vint=2/3 (Vbatt) and Vbatt=6V as before, and assuming a lossless downconversion, the maximum efficiency becomes:
E=3/2 * e or 75% in this case. (3)
This means that for every 3I supplied by regulated voltage Vreg, only 2I is drawn from battery terminal voltage Vbatt, thus potentially allowing for up to a 33% increase in battery longevity, assuming negligible current on average being drawn directly from the battery 13.
The above analysis assumes that Vint=Vbatt * 2/3; but other possibilities exist for intermediate voltage Vint. In the general case of an N capacitor downconverter, for example, any integral multiple of Vbatt/N can be chosen for Vint or, indeed, a number of voltage outputs might be selected in sequence as battery voltage Vbatt drops throughout life to end of service.
As an example, consider N=4 with Vreg=3V and Vbatt starting at 6.5V and reaching end of service at 5V. Initially, the Vbatt/2 output would be selected as the intermediate voltage Vint, which would be sufficient to support regulated voltage Vreg until battery voltage Vbatt dropped close to 6V. With Vbatt below 6V, the Vbatt * 3/4 output would be selected as Vint, which could support Vreg to end of service. For the initial part of battery life, i.e. from 6.5V to 6V, the efficiency would approach
E=2 * Vreg/Vbatt=96% at Vbatt=6.25V (4)
while for Vbatt between 6V and 5V, the efficiency would approach
E=4/3 * Vreg/Vbatt=73% at Vbatt=5.5V (5)
FIG. 4 shows the arrangement of switches and capacitors for a voltage downconverter 10 with N=3. Two downconverted voltage taps are available, i.e. 1/3 (Vbatt) and 2/3 (Vbatt), shown in FIG. 4 as V1/3 and V2/3, respectively. Switches S1 through S18 and switches SM1 through SM3 are shown as relays for clarity, but in practice are preferably electronic switches which can pull to both power rails. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that these switches could be CMOS transmission gates.
Switches SM1 through SM3 comprise a multiplexor that allows for the selection of one of Vbatt, V1/3(Vbatt) or V2/3(Vbatt) as Vint by asserting one of the control lines SELB, SEL1/3 or SEL2/3, respectively.
Switches S1 through S18 are driven by clock phases P1, P2 and P3. The switching phases for clocks P1, P2 and P3 are shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 provides a logic diagram that illustrates the derivation of the P1, P2 and P3 clocks from a master clock fc2.
Referring back to FIG. 4, the illustrated downconverter circuit 10 consists of 3 equal-valued capacitors C1, C2 and C3 and 18 switches which, as mentioned above, can be implemented with CMOS transmission gates. The Ron of the switches is chosen to be small in relation to the switched capacitor impedance of the circuit.
As can be deduced from of FIGS. 4 and 5, operation of downconverter circuit 10 consists of connecting the three capacitors C1, C2 and C3 in series between the battery voltage Vbatt and ground in different orders during each of the three clock phases P1, P2 and P3. For example capacitor C3 is connected between battery voltage Vbatt and V2/3 during P1, between V2/3 and V1/3 during P2 and between V1/3 and ground during P3. Capacitors C2 and C1 follow this pattern except that they are two and one full cycles of master clock fc2 out of phase, respectively.
The downconverter circuit 10, thus, functions as a switched capacitor voltage divider while the V2/3 output approaches Vbatt * 2/3 and the V1/3 output approaches Vbatt * 1/3, assuming negligible loading.
The component of output impedance due to the switched capacitor action can be deduced from looking at the source capacitance at the V2/3 output. The current loading causes a voltage drop during each active clock phase given by:
dV=I load/(fc2 * C source) (6)
This drop appears as ripple on the V2/3 output and is filtered by the capacitor CR in FIG. 1.
Assuming that the output impedance can be approximated by: ##EQU1##
For example with C=100 nF and fc2=4 kHZ, then Rsc=0.83 kohm.
With regard to the contribution of the switch resistances Ron, a worst case analysis in the N=3 case described above would take the equivalent resistance of the switch combination with each capacitor shorted:
Rsw=2 * Ron in parallel with 6 * Ron=1.33 * Ron (8)
(An additional Ron should be included if the multiplexor arrangement comprising switches SM1 through SM3 is considered.)
Reference is made above to "y", which related to the efficiency of the downconversion circuit. The value of y can be estimated as follows for N=3 with Vint=V2/3 ##EQU2## where Rout is the total output impedance of the downconverter.
IL1 is the current drawn from downconverter 10.
For example, with IL1=20 microamps, Rout=1 kohm and Vbatt=6 V, the efficiency y approaches 99.5%. The value of y will, in fact, be lower when the overhead of operating the control logic at frequency fc2 is considered.
Referring back to FIG. 1, amplifiers OP1 and OP2 are configured in parallel with non-inverting gains of: ##EQU3##
Assuming RGAP is small compared with R1 and RFB, amplifier OP2 attempts to regulate to a voltage Vregh slightly higher than that of amplifier OP1 . Conflict between these two amplifiers is removed by judicious choice of an amplifier structure which, as stated above, does not include an active pull down device on the output node. The actual regulation voltages are the product of the reference voltage Vref and the individual amplifier gains. Amplifier OP2 will dominate if its power supply, intermediate voltage Vint, is greater than the output voltage Vreg. In this case, amplifier OP1 will be biased off and, hence, all the output current will be drawn through the voltage downconverter 10.
In the case where intermediate voltage Vint drops below Vreg, Vreg will drop such that amplifier OP1 will source current directly from the battery and will regulate at a slightly lower voltage than before. This voltage is denoted Vregl.
Thus, Vregh and Vregl are the high and low limits, respectively, on the Vreg line.
Referring to FIG. 1, capacitor CSPEED, which is connected across the RFB resistor, has the effect of speeding up the response of the regulator circuitry to a switched load. A typical value of capacitor CSPEED is 47 nF.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, voltage comparator COMP1 disables the output transistor M5 of amplifier OP2 when intermediate voltage Vint drops below Vreg. This is necessary to prevent battery current from being sourced through transistor M11 of amplifier OP1 and, hence, through transistor M5 into Vint. If this were allowed to occur, intermediate voltage Vint would be pumped to a voltage higher than its proper operating point, causing a reduction in efficiency and increasing the ripple component of the battery voltage.
The size of the voltage difference between Vregh and Vregl, denoted Vdiff, is given by:
Vdiff=Vref [RFB /(RGAP +R1)-RFB /R1 -RGAP /R1 ] (9)
Note that for fixed RFB and R1, Vdiff can be adjusted by the value of RGAP. For example, given:
Vref=1.235V (Silicon Bandgap)
RFB =4 Mohm
R1 =3 Mohm
RGAP =100K ohm gives Vdiff=95 mV with Vregh=2.92V and
RGAP =200K ohm gives Vdiff=186 mV with Vregh=2.96V.
It is desirable to keep Vdiff as small as possible so as to confine the range over which Vreg varies with battery voltage. The limit to how small Vdiff can be set is determined by the worst case amplifier voltage offsets that can be expected. If both amplifiers have equal but opposite maximum offset Vosmax then, ##EQU4##
Hence, in the above example with Vdiff=95 mV, Vosmax would be 20 mV, which is a reasonable value for good quality CMOS operational amplifiers.
As stated above, op amps OP1 and OP2 are CMOS amplifiers without an active pull down N-channel device on their outputs. It is assumed that the gain setting resistors R1, RGAP and RFB and the load current IL1 are sufficient to counteract leakage through the output P-channel devices M5 and M11. As stated above, the output of op amp OP2 can be made high impedance (i.e. disabled) using the ENABLE control line.
Frequency compensation is achieved by the addition of capacitor CB between Vreg and ground. The combination of the amplifier output impedance and capacitor CB form a dominant pole in the amplifier frequency response. Capacitor CB also serves as a decoupling capacitance for low voltage electronics 12.
As mentioned above, the combination of a large digital system operating from a regulated supply and a high current circuit drawing current directly from the battery, albeit infrequently, suggests the need for a circuit to both detect a low battery and prevent a reset of the digital system by disabling the high current circuitry. This is important in implantible medical electronics, particularly in a defibrillator, since the digital systems contain physician presets which would be lost by even a momentary loss of power.
FIG. 7 shows low battery detector circuitry in accordance with the present invention. It consists of two precisely ratioed capacitors CA1 and CA2, an operational amplifier OP3, switches S19-S23, AND gate AND1 and a cross-coupled latch comprising NOR gates NOR1 and NOR2. The control lines for the detector circuitry are AZ (Autozero), AZN (Not Autozero) and a reset RESLBD. The output ALARMN goes low when battery voltage Vbatt drops below a preselected trigger voltage Vtrig.
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, during the autozero cycle, operational amplifier OP3 is configured in unity gain and, hence, its inverting input, which is also the top plate of capacitors CA1 and CA2 (node B), is charged to Vref+Vos, where Vos is the amplifier offset voltage. During this time, the bottom plates of capacitors CA1 and CA2 are charged to ground and Vref, respectively. At the end of the autozero cycle, all switches S19-S22 are opened and op amp OP3 acts as a comparator.
On the leading edge of AZN, which is non-overlapping with AZ, the bottom plates of capacitors CA1 and CA2 are switched to battery voltage Vbatt and ground, respectively. The charge on the top plate of capacitors CA1 and CA2 is, thus, changed by a dQ given by:
dQ=Vbatt * CA2-Vref * CA1 (10)
If the battery voltage Vbatt is greater than (CA1/CA2) * Vref, then dQ will be positive, resulting in an increase in voltage dV at node B which in turn drives the output of op amp OP3 negative. Assuming that the Set/Reset latch comprising NOR gates NOR1 and NOR2 has previously been set such that ALARMN is high, the low going output of op amp OP3 will leave the latch in an unchanged state.
If, on the other hand, the battery voltage Vbatt is less than (CA1/CA2) * Vref, then a negative dV results, causing the output of op amp OP3 to switch high, thus resetting the latch and flagging a low battery. The trigger level for this to occur is thus:
Vtrig=(CA1/CA2) * Vref (11)
A number of factors should be noted. First, this low battery detect circuit is insensitive to parasitic capacitance on node B, assuming that op amp OP3 has a high gain. Second, the trigger level Vtrig is independent of the amplifier offset voltage Vos, since this is cancelled during the autozero operation. Third, the trigger level Vtrig can be very precisely defined on an integrated circuit since it relies only on a capacitor ratio and a reference voltage. It is well known to those skilled in the art that capacitor ratioing in integrated circuits can be controlled to about 0.1% accuracy. For example, reference may be made to "Analog MOS Intgrated Circuits for Signal Processing" by Gregorian and Temes (Wiley), Chapter 3, for details on achieving such ratioed accuracy. Fourth, the exact configuration of the digital logic is dependent on the application and is described herein as an illustrative embodiment. This particular embodiment relies on reference voltage Vref being less than the trigger level of AND gate AND1 to avoid spurious high going glitches on its output and, hence, erroneously resetting the latch. Delaying the signal to the second input of AND gate AND1 to allow for op amp OP3 settling would remove the glitches in the event of reference voltage Vref being higher.
The duty cycle of clock fc1, which controls the autozero cycle, is assumed to be small. This is necessary since, during autozero time, the circuit cannot detect a low battery trigger crossing. A circuit for generating AZ and AZN from clock fc1 is shown in FIG. 9.
FIG. 8 shows a cycle of operation of the low battery detector circuit 16, including its interaction with the power electronics circuit block 14.
An autozero occurs when the battery voltage Vbatt is higher than the detection trigger level Vtrig. Some time later, Vbatt drops below Vtrig, resulting in ALARMN going low which results in the power electronics being disabled, shown for illustration by turning off switch SP1. The battery voltage Vbatt later recovers, but ALARMN remains low. It will remain low until RESLBD is strobed low resetting the low battery detect latch.
It should be understood that, as stated above, various alternatives to the embodiment of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is intended that the following claims define the invention and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.
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|Jan 7, 1992
|Certificate of correction
|Feb 15, 1994
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Nov 14, 1997
Owner name: PACESETTER, INC., CALIFORNIA
Free format text: MERGER;ASSIGNOR:VENTRITEX, INC.;REEL/FRAME:008842/0454
Effective date: 19970515
|Feb 17, 1998
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Mar 12, 2002
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Aug 28, 2002
|Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
|Oct 22, 2002
|Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 20020828


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text:
- Ensemble:
- Format:
Wood's Bolero (Grade 2)
By Mark Wood and Joseph Baldassare
String orchestra - Grade 2
Composed by Mark Wood and Joseph Baldassare. Score and set of parts. Published by Latham Music Enterprises (LA.53250103).
Item Number: LA.53250103
Take advantage of this over-stock pricing while supplies last.
Wood's Bolero incorporates elements of both the American and Spanish versions of the bolero dance. The fun Spanish rock feel, evoking flamenco dancing and even the excitement of a bull fighting arena, comes from the urgent rhythms and modal harmonies common to boleros of all types and rock itself. The rock aspects can be emphasized with the use of the optional rock and roll rhythm section consisting of piano, guitar, bass, and drums. Wood's Bolero may be performed by Grade 2 string orchestras and above, Grade 3 orchestras and above, or both levels together.


text:
LAGOS Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan had doubts this year about whether he would stand in elections next April, saying his focus was organizing credible polls, according to a leaked U.S. diplomatic cable.
The cable, obtained by WikiLeaks and published by Britain's Guardian newspaper, says Jonathan told then-U.S. Ambassador Robin Sanders in February that he would only consider running if and when those around him sought to persuade him to do so.
"Jonathan said he does not anticipate standing for elections in 2011 and that he is not working toward a presidential candidacy. He wants to put into place an electoral structure that will be ready for national elections," the cable said, referring to a February 26 meeting with Jonathan.
"He did, however, note that 'if they want me to run, that will be something to consider at that time'," it said.
Jonathan was acting president of Africa's most populous nation at the time of the meeting with Sanders.
President Umaru Yar'Adua was in a "semi-comatose" state, according to the cable, and had just been flown back from treatment in Saudi Arabia. A cabal led by his wife Turai was trying to maintain a grip on power, the documents said.
Jonathan's office said in a statement that the accounts of his conversations with U.S. diplomats were "essentially third party narratives" and "largely inaccurate."
"At the time he made those statements, he was acting president. He cannot say he is going to run when the president is still alive," Ken Saro-Wiwa, Jonathan's special assistant on international affairs, told Reuters.
Jonathan was sworn in on May 6 after Yar'Adua died.
He has since announced his candidacy for 2011, but faces a tough battle securing the ruling party nomination because of a pact in the party that power rotates every two terms between the mostly-Muslim north and largely Christian south.
Yar'Adua, a northerner, died part way through his first term and Jonathan's opponents say a northerner must therefore serve what would have been his second term. Jonathan is from the Niger Delta, the OPEC member's southern oil heartland.
History has always favored the incumbent, but Jonathan faces a challenge for the ruling party ticket from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, selected by a group of influential northern politicians as a rival consensus candidate.
The cable said Jonathan noted that northern politicians "would always be uncomfortable with him as president" and that he understood he had originally been chosen as Yar'Adua's vice president because he represented the restive Niger Delta.
"I was not chosen to be Vice President because I had good political experience ... I did not. There were a lot more qualified people around to be Vice President, but that does not mean I am not my own man," he was quoted as saying.
The cable said the U.S. government advised Jonathan to assert himself as a national figure rather than a regional one, and to assert his independence from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a powerful background figure in the ruling party.
But the United States welcomed Jonathan's apparently sincere desire to overhaul the electoral system and ensure credible polls in 2011. Previous elections in the West African country have been marred by voter intimidation and ballot-stuffing.
"It is always hard to judge how someone will behave (or surprise you) when leadership is unexpectedly thrown in their lap," the February cable said.
"The verdict is out on Jonathan, and his previously underwhelming personality and performance needs to keep us in the cautious lane, but so far, so good."
(Additional reporting by Joe Brock and Felix Onuah in Abuja)
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- Miss Florida 2017 stripped of crown days after win - US Weekly
- Lindsay Lohan steps out amid relationship drama - TMZ
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29 October 2012 at 8:04 PM
Nikki Reed & Kellan Lutz: London Photocall!
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NATO refuses to rule out bombing Libyan Roman ruinsBreaking News
NATO refused to say Tuesday whether or not it would bomb ancient [Leptis Magna] Roman ruins in Libya if it knew Moammar Gadhafi was hiding military equipment there.
"We will strike military vehicles, military forces, military equipment or military infrastructure that threaten Libyan civilians as necessary," a NATO official in Naples told CNN, declining to give his name in discussing internal NATO deliberations.
But he said the alliance could not verify rebel claims that Libya's leader may be hiding rocket launchers at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Leptis Magna, a Roman city between the capital Tripoli and rebel-held Misrata.
Wing Commander Mike Bracken, a spokesman for NATO's Libya mission, later said it "would be a concern for us that Gadhafi and pro-Gadhafi forces would choose to contravene international law in hiding themselves in such a location."...
Related Links
Background on Leptis Magna
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Gary Neville discusses the Man United link-up play between Juan Mata and Shinji Kagawa [Video]
- By Dov Rawson
- April 7, 2014
- Comments0
Manchester United have had a decent few weeks, playing some good football after a season of abject performances.
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What if you didn't have your favorite farmers market to go to this Saturday or Sunday morning or Wednesday night? What if instead of a bustling market where you can … read more


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