Author: claimsbot

1. An engine starting device for an automatic idle-stop system for performing idle-stop when a predetermined idle-stop condition is satisfied and for restarting an engine when a restart condition is satisfied, comprising:
a crank-angle sensor for detecting a crank angle of the engine;
a ring gear connected to a crankshaft of the engine;
a ring-gear rpm detecting section for detecting an rpm of the ring gear;
a starter motor for starting the engine;
a pinion gear for transmitting rotation of the starter motor to the ring gear;
a pinion-gear push-out section for pushing out the pinion gear to bring the pinion gear into meshing engagement with the ring gear; and
a pinion-gear push-out control section for driving the pinion-gear push-out section to bring the pinion gear and the ring gear into meshing engagement when the ring-gear rpm detected by the ring-gear rpm detecting section becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value,
wherein the predetermined threshold value is determined by at least one of the crank angle, a gear range, and the restart condition.
2. The engine starting device according to claim 1, wherein the pinion-gear push-out control section drives the pinion-gear push-out section to bring the pinion gear and the ring gear into meshing engagement when the ring-gear rpm becomes smaller than a first threshold value after rotation of the engine is reduced by the idle stop as a result of satisfaction of the idle-stop condition and drives the pinion-gear push-out section to bring the pinion gear and the ring gear into meshing engagement for restart in a case where the ring-gear rpm is smaller than a second threshold value higher than the first threshold value when the restart condition is satisfied before the ring gear rpm becomes smaller than the first threshold value.
3. The engine starting device according to claim 2, further comprising a gear-range detecting section for detecting a current set position of a gear range of a transmission of the engine, wherein the first threshold value and the second threshold value of the pinion-gear push-out control section are set for each gear range detected by the gear-range detecting section.
4. The engine starting device according to claim 2, wherein the first threshold value and the second threshold value of the pinion-gear push-out control section are set lower in a predetermined crank-angle range in a vicinity of TDC of each cylinder of the engine.
5. The engine starting device according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined crank-angle range in the vicinity of TDC is a crank-angle range in which an angular acceleration of rotation of the engine tends to increase.
6. The engine starting device according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined crank-angle range in the vicinity of TDC is a crank-angle range corresponding to a cylinder for which an intake valve and an exhaust valve of a piston of the engine are both closed.
7. The engine starting device according to claim 2, wherein the pinion-gear push-out control section does not drive the pinion-gear push-out section in a predetermined crank-angle range in a vicinity of TDC of each cylinder of the engine.
8. The engine starting device according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined crank-angle range in the vicinity of TDC is a crank-angle range in which an angular acceleration of rotation of the engine tends to increase.
9. The engine starting device according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined crank-angle range in the vicinity of TDC is a crank-angle range corresponding to a cylinder for which an intake valve and an exhaust valve of a piston of the engine are both closed.
10. The engine starting device according to claim 2, wherein, when there is an angle range in which a pulse of the crank-angle sensor is not detected so as to obtain a reference of the crank angle, the first threshold value and the second threshold value in an angle range immediately before the angle range in which the pulse is not detected are set higher.
11. The engine starting device according to claim 2, further comprising a power-supply voltage detecting section for detecting a power-supply voltage, wherein the pinion-gear push-out control section sets the first threshold value and the second threshold value higher when the power-supply voltage detected by the power-supply voltage detecting section is lower than a predetermined voltage.
12. The engine starting device according to claim 2, further comprising a vehicle-speed detecting section for detecting a vehicle speed, wherein the pinion-gear push-out control section changes the first threshold value and the second threshold value according to the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle-speed detecting section.
13. The engine starting device according to claim 1, further comprising a gear-range detecting section for detecting a current set position of a gear range of a transmission of the engine, wherein the predetermined threshold value of the pinion-gear push-out control section is set for each gear range detected by the gear-range detecting section.
14. The engine starting device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold value of the pinion-gear push-out control section is set lower in a predetermined crank-angle range in a vicinity of TDC of each cylinder of the engine.
15. The engine starting device according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined crank-angle range in the vicinity of TDC is a crank-angle range in which an angular acceleration of rotation of the engine tends to increase.
16. The engine starting device according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined crank-angle range in the vicinity of TDC is a crank-angle range corresponding to a cylinder for which an intake valve and an exhaust valve of a piston of the engine are both closed.
17. The engine starting device according to claim 1, wherein the pinion-gear push-out control section does not drive the pinion-gear push-out section in a predetermined crank-angle range in a vicinity of TDC of each cylinder of the engine.
18. The engine starting device according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined crank-angle range in the vicinity of TDC is a crank-angle range in which an angular acceleration of rotation of the engine tends to increase.
19. The engine starting device according to claim 17, wherein the predetermined crank-angle range in the vicinity of TDC is a crank-angle range corresponding to a cylinder for which an intake valve and an exhaust valve of a piston of the engine are both closed.
20. The engine starting device according to claim 1, wherein, when there is an angle range in which a pulse of the crank-angle sensor is not detected so as to obtain a reference of the crank angle, the predetermined threshold value in an angle range immediately before the angle range in which the pulse is not detected is set higher.
21. The engine starting device according to claim 1, further comprising a power-supply voltage detecting section for detecting a power-supply voltage, wherein the pinion-gear push-out control section sets the predetermined threshold value higher when the power-supply voltage detected by the power-supply voltage detecting section is lower than a predetermined voltage.
22. The engine starting device according to claim 1, further comprising a vehicle-speed detecting section for detecting a vehicle speed, wherein the pinion-gear push-out control section changes the predetermined threshold value according to the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle-speed detecting section.

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 of simulating communications links using a link simulation tool implemented on computing equipment, wherein each communications link includes respective link subsystems and wherein the link subsystems in each of the communications links are represented by subsystem models in the link simulation tool, the method comprising:
performing two-dimensional convolution operations on the subsystem models to determine link performance for the communications links using the link simulation tool.
2. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the link subsystems of each communications link comprise a transmitter subsystem that is represented by a transmitter subsystem model in the link simulation tool and wherein performing the two-dimensional convolution operations comprises performing two-dimensional convolution operations with the transmitter subsystem model.
3. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the link subsystems of each communications link comprise a receiver subsystem that is represented by a receiver subsystem model in the link simulation tool and wherein performing the two-dimensional convolution operations comprises performing two-dimensional convolution operations with the receiver subsystem model.
4. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the link subsystems of each communications link comprise a channel subsystem that is represented by a channel subsystem model in the link simulation tool and wherein performing the two-dimensional convolution operations comprises performing two-dimensional convolution operations with the channel subsystem model.
5. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the link subsystems of each communications link comprise transmitter and receiver subsystems that are respectively represented by transmitter and receiver subsystem models in the link simulation tool and wherein performing the two-dimensional convolution operations comprises performing the two-dimensional convolution operations with the transmitter and receiver subsystem models.
6. The method defined in claim 5, wherein the transmitter and receiver subsystems of each communications link comprise transmitter and receiver subsystem components each of which is represented by a respective one of a plurality of characteristic functions, the method further comprising:
performing two-dimensional convolution operations on the characteristic functions.
7. The method defined in claim 6, wherein the transmitter subsystem components of each communications link comprise components selected from a first group consisting of: a first equalizer, a first phase-locked loop, a first oscillator, and a driver and wherein the receiver subsystem components comprise components selected from a second group consisting of: a buffer, a second equalizer, a second phase-locked loop, and a second oscillator.
8. The method defined in claim 7, wherein performing the two-dimensional convolution operations on the characteristic functions comprises:
convolving the characteristic functions of the first equalizer, the first phase-locked loop, the first oscillator, and the driver to produce the transmitter subsystem model; and
convolving the characteristic functions of the buffer, the second equalizer, the second phase-locked loop, and the second oscillator to produce the receiver subsystem model.
9. A method of simulating communications links using a link simulation tool that is implemented on computing equipment, comprising:
with the link simulation tool, displaying a timing diagram for transmitted signals having varying signal amplitudes at a given point in each of the communications links; and
with the link simulation tool, displaying a probability density function plot that represents a distribution of signal amplitude variations in the transmitted signals for each of the communications links.
10. The method defined in claim 9, wherein displaying the timing diagram comprises displaying an eye diagram of the transmitted signals for each of the communications links.
11. The method defined in claim 9, wherein displaying the probability density function plot comprises displaying a noise histogram plot for the transmitted signals for each of the communications links.
12. The method defined in claim 11 further comprising:
with the link simulation tool, displaying a jitter histogram plot for the transmitted signals for each of the communications links.
13. The method defined in claim 9 further comprising:
with the link simulation tool, displaying a three-dimensional bit error rate plot for the transmitted signals at the given point in each communications link.
14. The method defined in claim 13 further comprising:
with the link simulation tool, displaying cumulative density function plots associated with the bit error rate plot for each of the communications links, wherein the cumulative density function plots include a first cumulative density function plot that is a function of voltage and a second cumulative density function plot that is a function of time.
15. A method of simulating communications links using a link simulation tool implemented on computing equipment, comprising:
with the link simulation tool, providing a user with an opportunity to specify random jitter requirements for each of the communications links;
with the link simulation tool, providing the user with an opportunity to specify random noise requirements for each of the communications links; and
with the link simulation tool, producing simulation results for each of the communications links based on the random jitter and noise requirements specified by the user.
16. The method defined in claim 15 further comprising:
with the link simulation tool, providing the user with an opportunity to specify a data rate for each of the communications links.
17. The method defined in claim 15 further comprising:
with the link simulation tool, providing the user with an opportunity to specify a target bit error rate for each of the communications links.
18. The method defined in claim 17, wherein producing the simulation results comprises displaying jitter and noise cumulative density function plots that are based on the random jitter and noise requirements and the target bit error rate specified by the user for each of the communications links.
19. The method defined in claim 15, wherein producing the simulation results comprises displaying jitter and noise probability density function plots that are based on the random jitter and noise requirements specified by the user for each of the communications links.
20. Software on a computer-readable storage media for simulating performance in communications links, comprising:
code for providing a user with an opportunity to specify link simulation settings for the communications links;
code for performing two-dimension convolution operations to simulate performance in the communications links; and
code for displaying simulation results for each of the communications links produced by performing the two-dimensional convolution operations.

1. An apparatus for securing bedding, comprising:
a generally U-shaped lower member having a bottom side and a top side;
a complimentary generally U-shaped upper member having a bottom side and a top side; and
securing means for releasably securing the lower member and the upper member to each other, the top side of said lower member and the bottom side of said upper member being adapted to cooperate with one another to secure bedding placed therebetween and to form a pocket of bedding suitable to surround a substantial portion of the lower portion of the body of a user resting on a mattress.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said securing means comprises a plurality of magnets.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said plurality of magnets comprises:
a first plurality of magnets having a first polarity along the top side of said lower member; and
a second plurality of magnets having a second polarity opposite the first polarity along the bottom side of said upper member.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein each of said magnets along the top side of said lower member is positioned to mate with a corresponding magnet along the bottom side of said upper member for releasably securing the lower member and the upper member to each other.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:
each of said lower member and said upper member comprises a pair of similarly sized generally horizontally extending side arms and a curved end extending between and connecting said side arms;
said first plurality of magnets are substantially equally spaced apart from each other along the top side of the side arms and curved end of the lower member; and
said second plurality of magnets are substantially equally spaced apart from each other along the bottom side of the side arms and curved end of the upper member.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:
the top side of said lower member comprises a plurality of recesses comprising a magnet having said first polarity; and
the bottom side of said upper member comprises a plurality of complimentary recesses comprising a magnet having said second polarity.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein each of said magnets has a generally conical shape with opposing ends placed within a corresponding recess so that one of said opposing ends is substantially flush with the outer surface of said lower or said upper member.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said top side of said lower member and said bottom side of said upper member are complimentarily shaped to align said top member and said lower member when secured to each other.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of said top side of said lower member has a generally convex shape and at least a portion of said bottom side of said upper member has a generally concave shape such that the top side of the lower member and the lower side of said upper member fit together in a complementary manner.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the bottom side of said upper member is defined by a plurality of intersecting transverse and longitudinal ribs.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said transverse ribs comprise a plurality of ribs extending downwardly from the bottom side of said upper member having different lengths to define said generally concave shape.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said downwardly extending ribs provide a gripping mechanism to secure bedding material placed between the bottom side of the upper member and the top side of the lower member when said upper member and said lower member are secured to one another via said securing means.
13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the bottom side of said lower member is defined by a plurality of intersecting transverse and longitudinal ribs.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an anchor strap comprising a first end releasably attachable to a portion of said lower member for anchoring said lower member to a mattress.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said anchor strap further comprises a second end releasably attachable to a different portion of said lower member.
16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said anchor strap further comprises a second end fixed to a different portion of said lower member.
17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said apparatus further comprises a releasable fastener comprising a male component secured to the first end of the anchor strap and a female component for receiving the male component fixed to a portion of an arm of the lower member.
18. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a handle along said upper member for separating said upper and lower members.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said handle is integrally formed along a portion of the top side of the upper member.
20. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising friction enhancing material on the bottom side of said lower member.
21. A method for securing bedding, comprising:
placing a generally U-shaped lower member on a sleeping surface of a mattress;
drawing at least one article of bedding over the lower member; and
releasably securing a complimentary generally U-shaped upper member to the lower member, thereby clamping the at least one article of bedding in place to form a U-shaped pocket, the U-shaped members being of a size adapted to surround a substantial portion of the lower portion of the body of a user resting on the mattress.

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 displaying a screen on an electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:
displaying a locked screen on which at least one object is arranged; and
determining a location on the locked screen at which event information corresponding to an event is displayed, based on an attribute of the at least one object, when the event occurs.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
displaying the event information in a first area at which the at least one object is arranged or a second area at which the at least one object is not arranged, according to a comparison of an attribute of the event and the attribute of the at least one object.
3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
determining a size of the at least one object, and adjusting a size of the event information to correspond to the size of the at least one object; and
displaying the event information in a location at which the at least one object is arranged.
4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
displaying the event information with a color associated with a background image of the locked screen.
5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
displaying the event information in a location at which an object corresponding to a size of the event information is arranged.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:
the event comprises at least one of a communication related event and a specified time related event, and
the at least one object comprises at least one of a first object having an attribute to display information and a second object having an attribute to execute a specific function when selected.
7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising overlaying the event information on an area at which the at least one object is arranged.
8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
overlaying a layer on the locked screen; and
displaying the event information on the layer,
wherein a same background image is displayed on the locked screen and the layer.
9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising overlaying, on the locked screen, a layer including the event information, which has a size corresponding to an object of the locked screen,
wherein a portion of a background image corresponding to the object is displayed on the layer.
10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:
selecting a first object to be maintained on the locked screen or a second object to be removed from the locked screen according to attributes of the first and second objects; and
overlaying the layer on a location of the second object.
11. An electronic device comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory and configured to display a locked screen on which at least one object is arranged, and determine a location on the locked screen at which to display event information corresponding to an event, based on an attribute of the at least one object, when the event occurs.
12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:
display the event information in a first area at which the at least one object is arranged or a second area at which the at least one object is not arranged, according to a comparison of an attribute of the event with the attribute of the at least one object.
13. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a size of the at least one object, and adjust a size of the event information to correspond to the size of the at least one object; and
display the event information in a location at which the at least one object is arranged.
14. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:
display the event information with a color associated with a background image of the locked screen.
15. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:
display the event information in a location at which an object corresponding to a size of the event information is arranged.
16. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein:
the event comprises at least one of a communication related event and a specified time related event, and
the at least one object comprises at least one of a first object having an attribute to display information and a second object having an attribute to execute a specific function when selected.
17. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to overlay the event information on an area at which the at least one object is arranged.
18. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to overlay a layer on the locked screen, and display the event information on the layer, and the same background image as that of the locked screen is displayed on the layer.
19. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein:
the processor is further configured to overlay, on the locked screen, a layer including the event information, which has a size corresponding to an object of the locked screen, and
a portion of a background image corresponding to the object is displayed on the layer.
20. The electronic device according to claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to select a first object to be maintained on the locked screen and a second object to be removed from the locked screen according to attributes of the first and second objects, and overlay the layer on a location of the second object.