Author: claimsbot

1. A method in a wireless communications device, the method comprising:
obtaining a measure of mobility of the wireless communications;
monitoring a first system whiles selected to a second system only if the measure of mobility exceeds a mobility threshold.
2. The method of claim 1, obtaining the measure of mobility based on a regression error of a signal measurement on the second system.
3. The method of claim 1, monitoring the first system includes obtaining a signal measurement from the first system and synchronizing with the first system.
4. The method of claim 1, selecting the first system if a signal measurement of the second system drops below a second system lower threshold.
5. The method of claim 1,
selecting the first system and deselecting the second system if the signal measurement of the second system drops below a second system lower threshold,
re-selecting the second system if the signal measurement of the second system exceeds a second system upper threshold for a predetermined time period after selecting the first system.
6. The method of claim 5,
monitoring the first system after reselecting the second system,
discontinuing monitoring the first system if the measure of mobility is not greater than the mobility threshold.
7. The method of claim 1,
obtaining the measure of mobility based on cell selection information obtained while selected to the second system,
monitoring the first system while selected to the second system only if the measure of mobility exceeds the mobility threshold.
8. The method of claim 1,
the second system is a cellular system,
obtaining the measure of mobility based on number of different cells selected while selected to the second system.
9. The method of claim 2, obtaining the signal measurement based on any one of a received signal strength indication, bit error rate information, and block erasure rate information.
10. A method in a hybrid wireless communications device, the method comprising:
comparing a mobility measurement of the wireless communications device to a mobility threshold while connected to a broadband wireless network;
monitoring a cellular communications network if the mobility measurement is greater than a mobility threshold;
not monitoring the cellular communications network if the mobility measurement is not greater than the mobility threshold.
11. The method of claim 10, determining the mobility measurement from regression error information of a signal measurement on the broadband wireless network.
12. The method of claim 11, determining the mobility measurement based on a root mean square of the regression error information.
13. The method of claim 10, selecting the cellular communications network if a signal measurement on the broadband wireless network is less than a lower threshold.
14. The method of claim 13,
selecting the broadband wireless network if the signal measurement on the broadband wireless network is greater than or equal to an upper threshold for a specified time period,
remaining on the cellular communications network if the signal measurement on the broadband wireless network is not greater than or equal to the upper threshold for the specified time period.
15. The method of claim 11, obtaining the signal measurement based on any one of received signal strength indication information, bit error rate information, and block erasure rate information.
16. A method in a wireless communications device capable of communicating in a cellular communications network and in a broadband wireless network, the method comprising:
determining regression line error information based on broadband wireless network signal measurements;
monitoring a cellular communications network if the error information is greater than a threshold;
not monitoring the cellular communications network if the error information is not greater than the threshold.
17. The method of claim 16, determining regression line error information includes determining a root mean square of regression error associated with a regression line.
18. The method of claim 16, selecting the cellular communications network if a signal measurement on the broadband wireless network is less than a lower threshold.
19. The method of claim 18,
selecting the broadband wireless network if signal measurements on the broadband wireless network is greater than or equal to an upper threshold for a specified time period,
remaining on the cellular communications network if the signal measurement on the broadband wireless network is not greater than or equal to the upper threshold for the specified time period.
20. A method in a wireless communications device operable on first and second wireless communication systems, the method comprising:
operating on the first wireless communications system;
making signal measurements on the second wireless communications system;
selecting the second wireless communications system if signal measurements on the second wireless communications system exceeds a dynamic threshold for a specified time period,
the dynamic threshold compensates for changes in regression error of the signal measurements on the second wireless communications system.
21. The method of claim 20, making signal measurements based upon any one of received signal strength indication information, bit error rate information, and block erasure rate information.
22. A method in a wireless communications device, the method comprising:
obtaining a measure of mobility of the wireless communications while selected to a cellular wireless communication system;
monitoring for a broadband wireless communication system while selected to the cellular wireless communications system only if the measure of mobility exceeds a mobility threshold.
23. The method of claim 22,
obtaining the measure of mobility based on changes in a universe of different cells selected while selected to the second system.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. An ink jet recording apparatus for producing records by scanning a carriage and discharging ink in predetermined timing, wherein a component with a solid semiconductor element placed is mounted on said carriage, and communication means or energy supply means fixedly placed in a scanning range of the carriage is provided.
2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said component is an ink jet recording head.
3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said component is an ink tank.
4. An ink jet recording method in which an ink jet recording head is mounted on a carriage and the carriage produces records while moving by discharging ink from recording means of said ink jet recording head,
wherein an electric wave is transmitted from fixed communication means to the solid semiconductor element fixed on said ink jet recording head,
said solid semiconductor element receives said electric wave and detects a position of said recording means based thereon, and controls timing of ink discharge according to it.
5. The ink jet recording method according to claim 4, wherein said solid semiconductor element acquires the ink discharge position of said recording means, and corrects the timing of ink discharge in order to make up for a deviation of the detected ink discharge position from a desired discharge position.
6. The ink jet recording method according to claim 5, wherein said solid semiconductor element transmits to said recording means a discharge timing control signal for controlling the ink discharge so as to correct the timing of ink discharge.
7. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said solid semiconductor element receives, identifies and analyzes said electric wave so as to acquire a communication distance of said electric wave.
8. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said solid semiconductor element acquires the communication distance based on a phase deviation of said electric wave, acquires the position of said solid semiconductor element from the communication distance, and detects said discharge position of said recording means based on the position of the solid semiconductor element.
9. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said solid semiconductor elements are used.
10. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording means performs ink discharge operation based on a driving signal supplied from the recording apparatus body and said solid semiconductor element.
11. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least three of said fixed communication means transmit electric waves to said solid semiconductor element.
12. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said respective fixed communication means transmit electric waves of which frequency, amplitude or signal pattern is different respectively.
13. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said position detection is performed by a trilateration method.
14. An ink jet recording head having a recording means for producing records by discharging ink, and a solid semiconductor element for detecting a position of said recording means and controlling timing of ink discharge according to it.
15. The ink jet recording head according to claim 14, wherein said solid semiconductor element has a position detection portion for acquiring the ink discharge position of said recording means and a discharge timing control portion for correcting discharge timing in order to make up for a deviation of said discharge position detected by the position detection portion from a desired discharge position.
16. The ink jet recording head according to claim 15, wherein said discharge timing control portion transmits to said recording means a discharge timing control signal for controlling the ink discharge.
17. The ink jet recording head according to claim 15, wherein said solid semiconductor element has an electric wave receiving portion for receiving an electric wave from the outside and an electric wave analyzing portion for identifying and analyzing said electric wave to acquire a communication distance of the electric wave.
18. The ink jet recording head according to claim 17, wherein said electric wave analyzing portion and said position detection portion acquire the communication distance of the electric wave based on the phase deviation of the electric wave from the outside received by said electric wave receiving portion, and acquire the position of said solid semiconductor element from the communication distance, and detect the discharge position of said recording means based on the position of said solid semiconductor element.
19. The ink jet recording head according to claim 17, wherein said electric wave analyzing portion can identify at least either the frequency or the amplitude of the received electric wave.
20. The ink jet recording head according to claim 14, wherein said solid semiconductor element has a clock.
21. The ink jet recording head according to claim 20, wherein said clock can have its time adjusted by a signal from the outside.
22. The ink jet recording head according to claim 14, wherein said solid semiconductor element has a memory for storing data for position detection and discharge control.
23. The ink jet recording head according to claim 22, wherein said memory stores a desired discharge position and data for correcting said discharge timing based on a positional relation between the desired discharge position and said actual discharge position detected by said position detection means.
24. The ink jet recording head according to claim 14, wherein it has a plurality of said solid semiconductor elements.
25. An ink jet recording apparatus having the ink jet recording head according to one of claims 14 to 24, a moving carriage on which said ink jet recording head is mounted, and a recording apparatus body having fixed communication means for transmitting an electric wave to said solid semiconductor element.
26. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said recording apparatus body has driving signal supply means provided for supplying a driving signal to said recording means, and said recording means performs ink discharge operation based on said driving signal and said solid semiconductor element.
27. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said recording apparatus body has at least three of said fixed communication means placed for transmitting electric waves to said solid semiconductor element.
28. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the electric waves transmitted from said respective fixed communication means have different frequency, amplitude or signal pattern respectively.
29. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 25, wherein a recording area on a record medium for recording by said recording means is an area extending two-dimensionally.
30. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 25, wherein a recording area on a record medium for recording by said recording means is an area extending three-dimensionally.
31. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said recording area is an outer surface of a cube.
32. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said recording area is a spherical surface.
33. An ink jet recording apparatus having a recording head, an ink tank for accommodating ink to be supplied to the recording head, and a moving carriage on which said recording head and said ink tank are mounted,
wherein a solid semiconductor element having an inductor is accommodated in said ink tank, and
standstill electromotive force supply means for supplying electrical energy to said solid semiconductor element at a standstill in a non-contact manner is placed at a specific position in the movement range of said carriage.
34. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said specific position is a home position.
35. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said standstill electromotive force supply means include an electromagnetic apparatus.
36. An ink jet recording apparatus having a recording head, an ink tank for accommodating ink to be supplied to the recording head, and a moving carriage on which said recording head and said ink tank are mounted,
wherein a solid semiconductor element having an inductor is accommodated in said ink tank, and
movement time electromotive force supply means for supplying electrical energy to said solid semiconductor element in movement in a non-contact manner is placed in the movement range of said carriage.
37. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the movement time electromotive force supply means for supplying electrical energy to said solid semiconductor element in movement in a non-contact manner is placed in the movement range of said carriage.
38. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said movement time electromotive force supply means includes a plurality of electromagnetic apparatuses.
39. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said movement time electromotive force supply means includes a plurality of permanent magnets.
40. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said solid semiconductor element at least partially contacts said ink accommodated in said ink tank.
41. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 40, wherein said solid semiconductor element is hollow-structured and floating in said ink accommodated in said ink tank so that said inductor constantly faces a fixed direction.
42. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said solid semiconductor element has power accumulating means mounted.
43. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 33, wherein there is communication means for sending a signal to said solid semiconductor element, and said solid semiconductor element has a function of transmitting whether or not there is sufficient electrical energy for driving said solid semiconductor element in response to a request from said communication means.
44. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 33, wherein there is communication means for sending a signal to said solid semiconductor element, and said solid semiconductor element has a function of detecting and transmitting at least one of the amount, type, ingredients and state of said ink in said ink tank in response to a request from said communication means.
45. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said solid semiconductor element has energy converting means for converting energy from the outside into a different type of energy and light-emitting means for emitting light with the energy converted by the energy converting means.
46. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 45, wherein said light-emitting means is configured to emit light including a wavelength in the range of 300 to 700 nm.
47. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 45, wherein said light-emitting means is configured to emit light having a wavelength of 500 nm.
48. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the external energy converted by said energy converting means is supplied in a non-contact manner.
49. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the energy converted by said energy converting means is power.
50. A method of gathering information on ink of an ink jet recording apparatus,
wherein an ink jet recording apparatus having a recording head, an ink tank for accommodating ink to be supplied to the recording head, a moving carriage on which said recording head and said ink tank are mounted, and a solid semiconductor element having an inductor and accommodated in said ink tank is used, and electrical energy is supplied in a non-contact manner to said solid semiconductor element when said carriage is at a standstill at a specific position in the movement range, and
said solid semiconductor element is activated with said electrical energy so as to gather the information in said ink tank.
51. The method according to claim 50, wherein said specific position is a home position.
52. A method of gathering information on ink of an ink jet recording apparatus,
wherein an ink jet recording apparatus having a recording head, an ink tank for accommodating ink to be supplied to the recording head, a moving carriage on which said recording head and said ink tank are mounted, and a solid semiconductor element having an inductor and accommodated in said ink tank is used, and electrical energy is supplied in a non-contact manner to said solid semiconductor element when said carriage is moving, and
said solid semiconductor element is activated with said electrical energy so as to gather said information in said ink tank.
53. The method according to claim 52, wherein electrical energy is supplied in a non-contact manner to said solid semiconductor element even when said carriage is moving.
54. The method according to claim 52, wherein electrical energy is supplied to said solid semiconductor element by electromagnetic induction.
55. The method according to claim 52, wherein said solid semiconductor element at least partially contacts said ink accommodated in said ink tank.
56. The method according to claim 54, wherein said solid semiconductor element is hollow-structured and floating in said ink accommodated in said ink tank so that said inductor constantly faces a fixed direction.
57. The method according to claim 52, wherein the information on said ink to be gathered by said solid semiconductor element is whether or not there is sufficient electrical energy for driving said solid semiconductor element.
58. The method according to claim 52, wherein the information to be gathered by said solid semiconductor element is at least one of the amount, type, ingredients and state of said ink in said ink tank.

1. A method comprising:
providing a contiguous tubular member comprising at least a first tube portion comprising one of a first material or a second material, so that the first tube portion does not include a weld joint along the circumference thereof and has a wall thickness that varies along the length of the tube portion wherein the tubular member comprises the first material and the second material and wherein the first material is galvanically isolated by the second material;
bending the tubular member; and
hydroforming the tubular member into a part.
2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of the first material or the second material comprises at least one of aluminum, magnesium, steel, titanium, or alloys thereof.
3. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein providing the tubular member comprises providing the first tube portion comprising at least one of tube spinning or extrusion with a movable mandrel.
4. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein providing the tubular member comprises providing a sheet having a thickness that varies, roll forming the sheet into a tube-like structure, and seam welding the tube-like structure to form the first tube portion, wherein seam welding comprises at least one of induction welding, friction stir welding, or laser welding.
5. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein bending the tubular member comprises using a computer-numerical-control (CNC) bender.
6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of an outer diameter or an inner diameter of the tubular member varies along the length of the tubular member.
7. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the part comprises one of a frame rail, bumper beam, or engine cradle.
8. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the wall thickness of the tubular member ranges from about 1 mm to about 10 mm and wherein the minimum internal diameter of the tubular member ranges from about 4 mm to about 300 mm.
9. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising forming a crush initiator in the tubular member prior to bending the tubular member, wherein the crush initiator comprises a region wherein the wall of the tubular member is thinner than the walls of adjacent regions.
10. A method comprising:
providing a tubular member comprising providing at least a first tube portion having a wall thickness that varies along the length of the tube portion and which does not include a weld joint along the circumference thereof and a second tube portion which has a wall thickness that varies along the length of the tube portion and which does not include a weld joint along the circumference thereof, wherein the portions of tubing comprise at least one of a first material or a second material, so that the tubular member has a wall thickness that varies along the length of the tubular member wherein the tubular member comprises the first material and the second material and wherein the first material is galvanically isolated by the second material;
abutting the first tube portion against the second tube portion;
friction spin welding the at least first and second tube portions at the abutment;
bending the tubular member; and
hydroforming the tubular member into a part.
11. A method as set forth in claim 10 further comprising connecting the second portion of tubing to a component comprising steel.
12. A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the tubular member comprises the first material and the second material, and further comprising connecting the tubular member to another component comprising a third material and so that the second material galvanically isolates the first material from the third material.
13. A product comprising:
a first vehicle component comprising at least a first tube portion which has a wall thickness that varies along the length of the tube portion and which does not include a weld joint along the circumference thereof and a second tube portion which has a wall thickness that varies along the length of the tube portion and which does not include a weld joint along the circumference thereof, wherein the portions of tubing comprise at least one of a first material or a second material, and wherein the component has a wall thickness that varies along the length of the component, and wherein the first vehicle component comprises the first material and the second material and wherein the first material is galvanically isolated by the second material.
14. A product as set forth in claim 13 wherein the first tube portion comprises the first material comprising magnesium, and the second tube portion comprises the second material comprising aluminum.
15. A product as set forth in claim 13 further comprising a second vehicle component comprising steel and wherein the second tube portion is connected to the second vehicle component.
16. A product as set forth in claim 13 wherein the wall thicknesses of the first and second tube portions range from about 1 mm to about 10 mm and wherein the minimum internal diameters of the first and second tube portions range from about 4 mm to about 300 mm.
17. A product as set forth in claim 13 wherein at least one of an outer diameter or an inner diameter of the first and second tube portions varies along the length of the first vehicle component.
18. A product as set forth in claim 13 wherein the first vehicle component comprises a crush initiator comprising a region of the first vehicle component wherein the wall is thinner than the walls of the adjacent regions.
19. A product as set forth in claim 18 wherein the thickness of the wall of the crush initiator is about 90% to about 98% of the thickness of the walls of the adjacent regions.
20. A method comprising:
providing a solid contiguous tubular member comprising at least one of a first material and a second material different from the first material, so that the tubular member does not include a weld joint along the length of the tubular member and has a wall thickness that varies along the length of the tubular member wherein the tubular member comprises the first material and the second material and wherein the first material is galvanically isolated by the second material;
bending the tubular member; and
hydroforming the tubular member into a part.
21. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the first material comprises stainless steel and the second material comprises aluminum.
22. A method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the first material comprises steel and the second material comprises magnesium.
23. A method as set forth in claim 22 wherein the magnesium is galvanically isolated from the steel.
24. A method as set forth in claim 22 further comprising a third material comprising aluminum interposed between the steel and magnesium.
25. A method comprising:
providing a plurality of solid tubular members having walls of different thicknesses, each tubular member having a first end and an opposite second end, wherein each solid tubular member does not include a weld joint along the length of the solid tubular wherein the tubular members comprise a first material and the second material wherein the first material is galvanically isolated by the second material;
welding one end of one solid tubular member to another end of another solid tubular along the circumference of the walls;
bending the tubular member; and
hydroforming the tubular member into a part.
26. A method as set forth in claim 25 wherein the one solid tubular member comprises aluminum and the another solid tubular member comprises steel.
27. A method as set forth in claim 25 wherein the one solid tubular member comprises aluminum and the another solid tubular member comprises magnesium.
28. A method as set forth in claim 25 wherein the one solid tubular member comprises aluminum and the another solid tubular member comprises steel, and a third solid tubular member comprise magnesium positioned between the steel and aluminum.
29. A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the first tube portion and second tube portion have different outer diameters.
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 calculator having a timer function, comprising:
a housing;
a display disposed on the housing;
a plurality of function keys disposed on the housing;
a plurality of numeral keys disposed on the housing;
a first processing section disposed in the housing for performing calculation functions;
a second processing section disposed in the housing for performing timer programming and time keeping functions; and
a switching section coupled to the first and second processing sections and coupled to at least the numeral keys, the switching section having a first switching state in which it forwards signals from the numeral keys to the first processing section and a second switching state in which it forwards signals from the numeral keys to the second processing section;
wherein the first processing section receives signals from the numeral keys via the switching section, receives signals from at least some of the function keys, generates calculation results based on the received signals, and displays calculation results on the display; and
wherein the second processing section receives signals from the numeral keys via the switching section, receives signals from at least some of the function keys, sets a time interval for each event based on the received signals, keeps track of a total elapsed or remaining time, a current event number, and an elapsed or remaining time of a current event based on a clock signal and the time interval value, and displays them on the display.
2. The calculator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of function keys includes a plurality of calculator function keys directly coupled to the first processing section, and a plurality of timer function keys directly coupled to the second processing section.
3. The calculator of claim 2, wherein one or more of the plurality of timer function keys are coupled to the switching section for changing its switching state.
4. The calculator of claim 2, wherein one or more of the plurality of calculator function keys are coupled to the switching section for changing its switching state.
5. The calculator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of function keys includes a plurality of dual function keys coupled to the switching section, and wherein the switching section forwards signals from the dual function keys to the first processing section or to the second processing section when the switching section is in the first or second switching state, respectively.
6. The calculator of claim 1, further comprising a switch key coupled to the switching section for changing its switching state.
7. The calculator of claim 1, wherein the switching section is a switching circuit.
8. The calculator of claim 1, wherein the display includes a first display window coupled to the first processing section for displaying the calculation result generated by the first processing section, and a second display window coupled to the second processing section for displaying the total elapsed or remaining time, the current event number, and the elapsed or remaining time of a current event.
9. The calculator of claim 1, wherein the second processing section receives, from the function keys and the numeral keys, a value representing a total time period and a value representing a number of events being repeated, and calculates the time interval value for each event by dividing the total time period by the number of events.
10. The calculator of claim 1, wherein the total elapsed or remaining time and the elapsed or remaining time of the current event are incremented or decremented based on the clock signal, and each time the time interval passes, the current event number is incremented by one and the elapsed or remaining time of the current event is reset.
11. A method implemented in a calculator having a timer function, comprising:
setting a switching state of a switching section to a first switching state or a second switching state;
the switching section receiving a signal from a numeral key, and forwarding the signal to a first processing section when the switching section is in the first switching state and forwarding the signal to a second processing section when the switching section is in the second switching state;
the first processing section receiving the signal from the switching section and receiving first additional signals from one or more function keys, generating a calculation result based on the received signals, and displaying the calculation result on a display; and
the second processing section receiving the signal from the switching section and receiving second additional signals from one or more function keys, setting a time interval for each event based on the received signals, keeping track of a total elapsed or remaining time, a current event number, and an elapsed or remaining time of a current event based on a clock signal and the time interval value, and displaying them on the display.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first additional signals are received directly from one or more calculator function keys, the second additional signals are received directly from one or more timer function keys, wherein the calculator function keys and timer function keys are different keys.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the switching state of the switching section is set based on signals received from one or more of the timer function keys.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the switching state of the switching section is set based on signals received from one or more of the calculator function keys.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
the switching section receiving a signal from a dual function key and forwarding the signal to the first processing section when the switching section is in the first switching state and forwarding the signal to the second processing section when the switching section is in the second switching state.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the switching state of the switching section is set based on a signal received from a switch key.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the signals received by the second processing section represent a value representing a total time period and a value representing a number of events being repeated, and wherein the second processing section calculates the time interval value for each event by dividing the total time period by the number of events.
18. The method of claim 11, wherein the total elapsed or remaining time and the elapsed or remaining time of the current event are incremented or decremented based on the clock signal, and each time the time interval passes, the current event number is incremented by one and the elapsed or remaining time of the current event is reset.