Author: claimsbot

1. A supporter of a backlight unit, said backlight unit comprising a bottom cover, a lamp, a diffuser and the supporter, the bottom cover having a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface and a hole formed on the bottom cover, through the first surface to the second surface, the lamp disposed over the first surface, the diffuser disposed over the lamp, the supporter comprising:
a body, disposed on the first surface of the bottom cover, for supporting the diffuser;
a pillar abutting to the body and protruding through the hole; and
a clip disposed on the second surface for clamping the pillar.
2. The supporter of claim 1, wherein the body comprises:
a cone having a first inclined surface and supporting the diffuser; and
a plate having a second inclined surface abutting to the cone.
3. The supporter of claim 1, wherein the pillar comprises:
a first portion above the second surface of the bottom cover; and
a second portion connected the first portion and the body through the hole.
4. The supporter of claim 3, wherein the cross-section radius of the second portion is smaller than the cross-section radius of the first portion.
5. The supporter of claim 1, wherein the clip is of \u201c\u03a9\u201d shape comprising a clip body and two arms.
6. The supporter of claim 1, further comprising a convex-concave structure disposed between the clip and the pillar.
7. The supporter of claim 2, wherein the angle between the second inclined surface and the bottom cover is about 5 degree to about 30 degree.
8. The supporter of claim 2, wherein the angle between the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface is about 100 degree to 120 degree.
9. The supporter of claim 1, wherein the pillar comprises:
a first portion above the second surface of the bottom cover;
a second portion connected the first portion and the body through the hole, wherein the cross-section radius of the second portion is smaller than the cross-section radius of the first portion; and
a third portion disposed in the hole and outside the second portion.
10. The supporter of claim 9, wherein the thickness of the third portion of the pillar substantially equals to the thickness of the bottom cover.
11. The supporter of claim 9, wherein the cross-section radius of the pillar corresponding to the third portion substantially equals to the radius of the hole.
12. A backlight unit, comprising:
a bottom cover having a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a hole formed on the bottom cover, through the first surface to the second surface;
a lamp disposed over the first surface;
a diffuser disposed over the lamp; and
a supporter, comprising:
a body, disposed on the first surface of the bottom cover, for supporting the diffuser;
a pillar abutting to the body and protruding through the hole; and
a clip disposed on the second surface for clamping the pillar.
13. The backlight unit of claim 12, wherein the body comprises:
a cone having a first inclined surface and supporting the diffuser; and
a plate having a second inclined surface abutting to the cone.
14. The backlight unit of claim 12, wherein the pillar comprises:
a first portion above the second surface of the bottom cover; and
a second portion connected the first portion and the body through the hole, wherein the cross-section radius of the second portion is smaller than the cross-section radius of the first portion.
15. The backlight unit of claim 12, wherein the clip is of \u201c\u03a9\u201d shape comprising a clip body and two arms.
16. The backlight unit of claim 12, further comprising a convex-concave structure disposed between the clip and the pillar.
17. The backlight unit of claim 13, wherein the angle between the second inclined surface and the bottom cover is about 5 degrees to about 30 degrees.
18. The backlight unit of claim 13, wherein the angle between the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface is about 100 degrees to about 120 degrees.
19. The backlight unit of claim 12, wherein the pillar comprises:
a first portion above the second surface of the bottom cover;
a second portion connected the first portion and the body through the hole, wherein the cross-section radius of the second portion is smaller than the cross-section radius of the first portion; and
a third portion disposed in the hole and outside the second portion.
20. The backlight unit of claim 19, wherein the cross-section radius the pillar corresponding to third portion substantially equals to the radius of the hole.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. In a mobile radio telecommunications system, a method of handing over control of a mobile system (60) from a serving controller (52) to a target controller (54) in which the target controller (54) sends a handover command signal to the mobile system (60) through the serving controller (52), characterized in that the handover command signal is sent directly from the target controller to the serving controller without passage through a core network (62).
2. A method according to claim 1 in which the target controller (54) sends said signal to the serving controller (52) over an existing Iur link (50) between the controllers.
3. A method according to claim 1 in which the target controller (54) sends a command and a protocol to the serving controller (52) so as to set up an Iur link (50) between the two controllers.
4. A method according to any preceding claim applied in the Universal Mobile Telephone System.
5. A method according to claim 1 or 3 applied in the Global System for Mobile Communications.
6. A controller (54) for a mobile telecommunications system which, on taking control of a mobile system (60) is characterised by being arranged to send a handover command signal to said mobile system directly through a serving controller (52) without passage through a core network.
7. A controller (54) according to claim 6 arranged to send said hangover command signal over an existing Iur link (50) with said serving controller (52).
8. A controller (54) according to claim 6 arranged to send a command a protocol to said serving controller (52) so as to set up an Iur link between the controllers.
9. A controller according to any one of claims 6, 7 or 8 which is a radio network controller (52, 54) for a Universal Mobile Telephone System network.
10. A controller according to any one of claims 6, 7 or 8 which is a Base Station Controller for a Global System for Mobile Telecommunications network.

1. A system comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive parking space environmental characteristics, from a parked vehicle;
download weather data for an area containing the parking space, during a time while the vehicle was parked;
correlate the weather data to the environmental characteristics to build a parking space environment profile; and
update a stored parking space model based on the environment profile to reflect how the particular space is affected by weather conditions.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the environmental characteristics are based on vehicle sensor data.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the environmental characteristics are wirelessly received from a vehicle computer.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the environmental characteristics include temperature.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the environmental characteristics include humidity.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the environmental characteristics include wind speed.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the environmental characteristics include ambient light.
8. A system comprising:
a processor configured to:
retrieve an environmental model for a parking location;
retrieve weather data for the parking location;
build a forecast model for the parking location covering an estimated parking duration, including the affect of the weather data on individual parking spaces based on the environmental model;
determine a first parking space having better battery life preservation likelihood than another parking space, within the parking location, based on the forecast model; and
recommend the first parking space.
9. The system of claim 8, the processor further configured to determine that a vehicle is proximate to a parking location including a determination that a vehicle is near a destination.
10. The system of claim 8, the processor further configured to determine that a vehicle is proximate to a parking location including a determination that a vehicle is in a parking lot.
11. The system of claim 8, the processor further configured to determine that a vehicle is proximate to a parking location including a determination that a vehicle transmission is in a parked state.
12. The system of claim 8, wherein the environmental model is based on data stored with respect to the parking location.
13. The system of claim 8, wherein the environmental model is extrapolated from data stored with respect to a proximate-parking-location sharing predefined characteristics with the parking location.
14. A system comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive a forecast model for a parking space in which the vehicle is parked, for an estimated parking duration;
determine surplus battery energy;
determine a cooling strategy for a vehicle battery, based on the surplus energy and the forecast model; and
implement the cooling strategy by using surplus power to cool the battery in accordance with the strategy while the vehicle remains parked.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the surplus amount of battery energy is energy above and beyond that needed to complete a planned trip.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the surplus amount of battery energy is reduced by a predetermined reserve amount.
17. The system of claim 14, wherein the forecast model is based at least in part on data gathered from vehicles previously parked in the parking space.
18. The system of claim 14, wherein the forecast model is based at least in part on retrieved weather data.
19. The system of claim 14, wherein the estimated parking duration is based on driver input.
20. The system of claim 14, wherein the estimated parking duration is based on observed driver behavior.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method for measuring the extension of a solid state actuator comprising:
inputting an acoustic signal to the actuator;
measuring the acoustic signal that has passed along the actuator; and
using the measured signal to determine the actuator length or a change to that length.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising monitoring changes in the measured signal, thereby to determine changes in the actuator length.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein inputting comprises transmitting the input signal from one end of the actuator where the signal is reflected from an opposing end of the actuator and said measuring comprises measuring the signal at the transmit end.
4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein inputting comprises transmitting the input signal from one end of the actuator where the signal is reflected from an opposing end of the actuator and makes multiple passes along the actuator and said measuring comprises measuring the signal at the transmit end.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein inputting comprises transmitting the input signal from a point along the actuator and reflected from one or more ends.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein inputting comprises transmitting two input signals simultaneously from opposing ends of the actuator.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein inputting comprises transmitting the input signal from one end of the actuator and measuring comprises measuring at the other end of the actuator.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein using comprises using the input and measured signals to determine an actuator transit time, and the method further involves using the transit time to determine the actuator length or changes in the actuator length.
9. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising determining the resonant frequency of the actuator and using the determined resonant frequency of the actuator to determine its length or a change in length.
10. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising:
using a transducer to input and measure the acoustic signal; and
determining the resonant frequency of the transducer and using the determined resonant frequency of the transducer to determine length or a change in length of the actuator.
11. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising applying a DC voltage to the actuator to cause a change in its length.
12. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the solid-state actuator is one of: a piezo ceramic actuator; a piezo electric actuator; an electrostrictive actuator.
13. A system comprising means for implementing the method of claim 1.
14. A device comprising:
a solid-state actuator;
means for inputting an acoustic signal to the actuator; and
means for measuring a resultant signal to determine the actuator length or a change to that length.
15. A device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the input means andor the measuring means are at an end of the actuator.
16. A device as claimed in claim 15 wherein input means and measuring means are provided at both ends of the actuator configured to input acoustic signals at both ends of the actuator and measure acoustic signals at both ends.
17. A device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the actuator comprises layers of material, and the input means andor the measuring means are integrated with those layers.
18. A device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the input means andor the measuring means are defined by layers of the same material as the actuator.
19. A device as claimed in claim 18 wherein the input means andor the measuring means are defined in the same laminar structure as the actuator.
20. A device as claimed in claim 14 wherein input means andor the measuring means are separate from but attached to the actuator.
21. A device as claimed in claim 20 wherein input means andor the measuring means are attached using epoxy or by a covalent bonding process.
22. A device as claimed in claim 20 wherein input means andor the measuring means are formed on the actuator by a thin film deposition process.
23. A device as claimed in claim 14 wherein input means and the measuring means are implemented by the same single element.
24. A device as claimed in claim 23 wherein an input and measurement element is provided at both ends of the actuator.
25. A device as claimed in claim 14 wherein input means and the measuring means are separate elements.
26. A device as claimed in claim 25 wherein the input means and the measuring means are located at opposite ends of the actuator.
27. A device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the solid-state actuator is one of: a piezo ceramic actuator; a piezo electric actuator; an electrostrictive actuator.
28. A system comprising:
a solid-state actuator;
means inputting an acoustic signal to the actuator;
means measuring the acoustic signal that has passed along the actuator; and
means using the measured signal to determine the actuator length or a change to that length.
29. A device comprising:
a solid-state actuator;
an acoustic or ultrasonic transducer or resonator incorporated with said solid-state actuator; and
means for measuring a frequency of the transducer or resonator to determine the solid-state actuator length or a change to that length.
30. A device as claimed in claim 29 wherein the solid-state actuator is one of: a piezo ceramic actuator; a piezo electric actuator; an electrostrictive actuator.