Author: claimsbot

1. An automatic machine for counting articles, in particular tablets, capsules, pills, including:
a feeding tray containing articles in bulk open at bottom;
a rotating disc-shaped support for closing said feeding tray at bottom, with a plurality of through holes made in sad disc-shaped support for receiving at least one single article from the feeding tray in each through hole;
retaining means connected to said disc-shaped support for keeping the articles within the respective through holes;
a check station, situated downstream of the feeding tray and provided with first support means operating therein to keep the articles in the respective holes, and cooperating with first optical means for verifying the integrity and the presence of the articles in each hole of the disc-shaped support;
a rejection station situated downstream of the check station and provided with second support means for keeping the articles in the respective holes and for allowing the articles to leave the respective holes according to signals coming from the first optical means, concerning the integrity of the articles;
a discharge station situated downstream of the rejection station and provided with third support means for allowing the articles to be released into containers dwelling below, and for keeping the articles in the holes according to signals coming from the first optical means concerning the integrity andor presence of articles in the respective holes.
2. A machine according to claim 1, including a verify station situated downstream of the discharge station and equipped with second optical means for detecting the presence of the articles in the respective holes, in time relation with operation of the third support means, to allow acceptancerejection of said containers.
3. A machine according to claim 1, including guiding means operating in the discharge station to allow conveying andor accumulation of articles released by the third support means.
4. A machine according to claim 3, including closing means connected to said guiding means and defining at least one accumulation chamber for articles released by the third support means.
5. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said through holes are gathered in radial sections, with the holes in each section of said radial section placed side by side along concentric rings and aligned in radial direction.
6. A machine according to claim 5, wherein the number of through holes for each radial section is equal to the number of articles selected to fill at least one container.
7. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the first support means, operating in the check station, include a plate of transparent material, preferably antistatic, interposed between upper vision means and lower vision means defining said first optical means, for checking integrity and presence of articles in each through hole.
8. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the second support means, operating in the rejection station, include a plurality of first wings, each of which connected to a through hole and operated by first actuating means to openclose, respectively to releasekeep articles contained in the through holes, according to signals coming from the first optical means, operating in the check station.
9. A machine according to claim 8, wherein said first actuating means are operated pneumatically.
10. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said third support means, operating in the discharge station, include a support plate, connected to a plurality of through holes and operated by second actuating means to openclose, respectively to releasekeep articles contained in the through holes according to signals coming from the first optical means, operating in the check station.
11. A machine, according to claim 10, wherein said second actuating means are operated pneumatically.
12. A machine, according to claim 1, wherein third support means, operating in the discharge station, include a plurality of second wings connected to said through holes and operated by second actuating means to openclose, respectively to releasekeep articles contained in the through holes, according to signals coming from the first optical means, operating in the check station.
13. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said check means connected to the disc-shaped support, include a motionless disc-shaped plate geometrically similar to said disc-shaped support.
14. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the rotating disc-shaped support has axis inclined.
15. A machine according to claim 1, including:
a verify station situated downstream of the discharge station and equipped with second optical means for detecting the presence of the articles in the respective holes, in time relation with operation of the third support means, to allow acceptancerejection of said containers;
guiding means operating in the discharge station to allow conveying andor accumulation of articles released by the third support means;
closing means connected to said guiding means and defining at least one accumulation chamber for articles released by the third support means;
and wherein:
the first support means, operating in the check station, include a plate of transparent material, preferably antistatic, interposed between upper vision means and lower vision means defining said first optical means, for checking integrity and presence of articles in each through hole;
the second support means, operating in the rejection station, include a plurality of first wings, each of which connected to a through hole and operated by first actuating means to openclose, respectively to releasekeep articles contained in the through holes, according to signals coming from the first optical means, operating in the check station,
said third support means, operating in the discharge station, include a support plate, connected to a plurality of through holes and operated by second actuating means to openclose, respectively to releasekeep articles contained in the through holes according to signals coming from the first optical means, operating in the check station;
third support means, operating in the discharge station, include a plurality of second wings connected to said through holes and operated by second actuating means to openclose, respectively to releasekeep articles contained in the through holes, according to signals coming from the first optical means, operating in the check station;
said check means connected to the disc-shaped support, include a motionless disc-shaped plate geometrically similar to said disc-shaped support.
16. A machine according to claim 15, wherein the rotating disc-shaped support has axis inclined.
17. A machine according to claim 15, wherein said through holes are gathered in radial sections, with the holes in each section of said radial section placed side by side along concentric rings and aligned in radial direction.
18. A machine according to claim 17, wherein the number of through holes for each radial section is equal to the number of articles selected to fill at least one container.
19. A machine according to claim 15, wherein said first actuating means are operated pneumatically.
20. A machine, according to claim 15, wherein said second actuating means are operated pneumatically.
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 pulse width modulation power converter, comprising:
an output stage generating an output voltage according to a pulse width modulation signal and an input voltage by a switching element,
means for providing an output voltage reference,
an analog digital converter connected to the output stage and the means for providing an output voltage reference, sampling and amplifying a difference between the output voltage and the output voltage reference to generate an error signal,
a PID controller connected to the analog digital converter and the switching element wherein the PID controller is configured by a set of PID coefficients, for determining a duty ratio for a pulse width modulator that generates the pulse width modulation signal,
means for detecting a steady state and a load transient,
wherein the pulse width modulation converter further comprises storage means for storing a first set of PID coefficients and a second set of PID coefficients,
means for selecting a set of PID coefficients,
the first set of PID coefficients being selected in case the steady state is detected, and the second set of PID coefficients being selected in case a load transient is detected, wherein the means for detecting a steady state and a load transient comprise means for monitoring the error signal and comparing each value of the error to its predecessor by generating an error signal difference.
2. The pulse width modulation power converter according to claim 1, wherein the means for comparing each value of the error to its predecessor by generating an error signal difference comprise means for taking into account a second derivative of the error signal.
3. The pulse width modulation power converter according to claim 2, wherein a duty ratio difference of the duty ratio and its predecessor is computed and in case during an off-time of the pulse width modulation signal the duty ratio difference exceeds a threshold, the pulse width modulator is triggered to start a new pulse width modulation period.
4. The pulse width modulation power converter according to claim 1, further comprising means for storing a plurality of nonlinear gain coefficients KP of the second set of PID coefficients and adaptively selecting a nonlinear gain Kp in case of load transient detection.
5. The pulse width modulation power converter according to claim 1, further comprising means for providing the analog digital converter with a first clock frequency and the pulse width modulator with a second clock frequency, wherein the first clock frequency is higher than the second clock frequency.
6. The pulse width modulation power converter according to claim 1, further comprising means for computing a moving average of the error signal.
7. A control method for a power converter wherein
an output voltage is generated according to a pulse width modulation signal and an input voltage;
an error signal is generated by sampling the output voltage and differencing the sampled output voltage and an output voltage reference;
a duty ratio that defines a duty cycle of a pulse width modulation signal is determined by a PID controlling algorithm;
the pulse width modulation signal is generated by providing the duty ratio to a pulse width modulator;
a steady state or a load transient is detected, and
a first set of PID coefficients is selected in case a steady state is detected and a second set of PID coefficients is selected in case a load transient is detected, and wherein the step of detecting a steady state or a load transient comprises monitoring the error signal and comparing each value of the error signal to its predecessor by computing an error signal difference.
8. The control method according to claim 7, wherein the step of comparing each value of the error signal to its predecessor by computing an error signal difference comprises taking into account a second derivative of the error signal.
9. The control method according to claim 8, wherein a duty ratio difference of the duty ratio and its predecessor is computed and in case during an off-time of the pulse width modulation signal the duty ratio difference exceeds a threshold, the pulse width modulator is triggered to start a new pulse width modulation period.
10. The control method according to claim 7, wherein a nonlinear gain KP is selected in case of load transient detection.
11. The control method according to claim 7, wherein the output voltage andor the error signal is oversampled by sampling a plurality of error signals within one PWM period.
12. The control method according to claim 7, wherein a moving average of the sampled error signal is computed.

1. A method for executing a first application program for a first control unit on a computer, the method comprising:
executing, by the first application program, functions for controlling actuators andor functions for processing sensor data, the first control unit having a control unit hardware unit with at least one first computing core of a first computing core type, the computer having a computer hardware unit with at least one second computing core of a second computing core type, the first computing core type and the second computing core type having different types of instruction sets;
providing a source code of a control unit operating system;
establishing a first interface between the control unit hardware and the first application program of the control unit by the control unit operating system;
providing a source code of the first application program;
compiling the source code of the control unit operating system and the source code of the first application program to be executable on the second computing core type;
generating a first virtual control unit operating system and a first virtual application program by the compilation,
providing a computer that comprises a simulation environment, a computer operating system, and a hypervisor, wherein a simulation environment interface is made available by the simulation environment for transfer of a data item andor of an event to the first virtual application program andor the virtual control unit operating system, wherein a second interface between the computer hardware and the simulation environment is established by the computer operating system, wherein the hypervisor provides a first virtual machine of the computer, wherein the computer hardware is made partly or completely available in the form of virtual hardware by the first virtual machine, and wherein the virtual hardware comprises at least one first virtual computing core;
executing the virtual control unit operating system in the first virtual machine;
initiating and controlling, via the simulation environment, an execution of the first virtual application program within the control unit operating system within the first virtual machine through the simulation environment interface, the control including transfer of data andor events to the virtual application program andor the virtual control unit operating system; and
providing, via the virtual control unit operating system, the first virtual application program with direct access to the hardware made virtually available of the first virtual machine.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the virtual hardware provided by the hypervisor comprises a memory management unit andor a memory protection unit of the computer, and wherein the memory management unit andor memory protection unit are used through the direct access of the application program.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first application program meets an AUTOSAR specification, and mechanisms specified by the AUTOSAR specification for using the memory management unit or memory protection unit are used within the first application program.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the hypervisor is executed as a user process of the computer operating system.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein direct access to the computer hardware is made possible for the hypervisor, wherein the hypervisor provides a second virtual machine of the computer, and wherein the computer operating system is executed within the second virtual machine.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first virtual application program uses at least one virtual computing core of the first virtual machine through direct access in a privileged mode.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first virtual application program comprises a first subroutine and a second subroutine, and wherein the first subroutine is executed on the first virtual computing core and the second subroutine is executed on a second virtual computing core.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein source code of a second application program for execution on the control unit is present, the source code of the second application program is compiled to be executable on the second computing core type, wherein a second virtual application program is generated by the compilation, and wherein the first application program is executed on the first virtual computing core and the second application program is executed on the second virtual computing core.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a clock rate of the first virtual machine is changed by the simulation environment.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the simulation environment has a simulator interface to an HIL simulator, wherein a second control unit is connected to the HIL simulator, wherein data is exchanged between the second control unit and the first virtual application program, and wherein the data exchange comprises a transmission of electrical signals between the HIL simulator and the second control unit.
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein a second virtual control unit operating system of the first control unit is generated, wherein the hypervisor provides a third virtual machine, and the second virtual control unit operating system is executed in the third virtual machine, wherein a third virtual application program is executed within the second virtual control unit operating system, wherein the simulation environment initiates and controls an execution of the third virtual application program within the second virtual control unit operating system within the third virtual machine, and wherein the second virtual control unit operating system provides the third virtual application program with direct access to the hardware made virtually available of the third virtual machine.
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 compound represented by the following formula (I-b) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof
wherein symbols in the formula have the following meanings;
R1: \u2014N\u2550C(NH2)2, \u2014N(R0)-(nitrogen-containing saturated heterocyclic group which may be substituted), \u2014N(R0)-lower alkylene-N(lower alkyl)2, \u2014N(R0)-lower alkylene-(nitrogen-containing saturated heterocyclic group which may be substituted), \u2014N(R0)-lower alkylene-(heterocyclic group substituted with \u2014N(lower alkyl)2) or \u2014N(R0)-lower alkylene-(cycloalkyl substituted with \u2014N(lower alkyl)2),
R0: each independently \u2014H or lower alkyl,
wherein (I) when R1 is \u2014N\u2550C(NH2)2, then
R2: \u2014H, lower alkyl, halogeno-lower alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, heterocyclic group, \u2014CH(aryl)2 or lower alkylene-R21, wherein the aryl and heterocyclic group in R2 may be respectively substituted,
R21: \u2014OR0, \u2014O-aryl, \u2014N(R0)2, \u2014CH(OH)R0,\u2014C(O)R0, \u2014C(O)-aryl, \u2014CO2R0, \u2014C(0)N(R0)2, cycloalkyl, aryl, heterocyclic group or CH(aryl)2, wherein the aryl and heterocyclic group in R21 may be respectively substituted,
R3 and R4: \u2014H, lower alkyl, halogeno-lower alkyl, lower alkylene-OR0, lower alkylene-N(R0)2, \u2014O-lower alkyl, \u2014S-lower alkyl, \u2014S(O)-lower alkyl, \u2014S(O)2-lower alkyl, \u2014C(O)R0, \u2014CO2R0 or \u2014C(O)N(R0) 2, and
the substituting position of \u2014C(O)R1 may be any position on the benzene ring,
with the proviso that,
R2 is \u2014H, methyl, isopropyl or unsubstituted benzyl, at least one of R3 and R4 is not \u2014H, and
(II) when R1 is \u2014N(R0)-(nitrogen-containing saturated heterocyclic group which may be substituted), \u2014N(R0)-lower alkylene-N(lower alkyl)2,) \u2014N(R0)-lower alkylene-(nitrogen-containing saturated heterocyclic group which may be substituted), \u2014N(R0)-lower alkylene-(heterocyclic group substituted with -N(lower alkyl)2) or \u2014N(R0)-lower alkylene-(cycloalkyl substituted with \u2014N(lower alkyl)2), then
R2: lower alkylene-aryl or lower alkylene-heterocyclic group, wherein the aryl and heterocyclic group in R2 may be respectively substituted,
R3 and R4: lower alkyl, lower alkylene-OR0, \u2014C(O)R0, \u2014S-lower alkyl, \u2014S(O)-lower alkyl or \u2014S(O)2-lower alkyl, and
the substituting position of \u2014C(O)R1 is at the para-position of N(R2),
with the proviso that 1-benzyl-N-2-(dimethylamino)ethyl-2,3-dimethyl-1H-indole-5-carboxamide
is excluded.
2. The compound described in claim 1, wherein the substituting position of \u2014C(O)R1 is at the para-position of N(R2); R2 is lower alkylene-(aryl which may be substituted) or lower alkylene-(heterocyclic group which may be substituted); R3 is lower alkyl or \u2014C(O)R0; and R4 is lower alkyl.
3. The compound described in claim 2, wherein R2 is lower alkylene-(phenyl which may be substituted with halogen).
4. The compound described in claim 3, wherein R1 is \u2014N\u2550C(NH2)2, \u2014N(R0)-(nitrogen-containing saturated heterocyclic group which may be substituted with lower alkyl), \u2014N(R0)-lower alkylene-N(lower alkyl)2 or \u2014N(R0)-lower alkylene-(nitrogen-containing saturated heterocyclic group which may be substituted with lower alkyl).
5. The compound described in claim 4, wherein R1 is \u2014N\u2550C(NH2)2 or \u2014NH-(nitrogen-containing saturated heterocyclic group which may be substituted with lower alkyl).
6. A compound described in claim 1, which is selected from the group consisting of:
3-ethyl-1-(4-fluorobenzyl)-2-methyl-N-(3S)-1-methylpyrrolidin-3-yl-1H-indole-5-carboxamide,
N-(diaminomethylene)-3-ethyl-1-(4-fluorobenzyl)-2-methyl-1H-indole-5-carboxamide, and
3-acetyl-N- (diaminomethylene)-1-(4-fluorobenzyl)-2-methyl-1H-indole-5-carboxamide, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
7. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound desribed in claim 1 or a salt thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
8. A method for treating irritable bowel syndrome, which comprises administering to a patient a therapeutically effective amount of the compound described in claim 1 or a salt thereof.