All The Claims

1. A positive electrode for a rechargeable lithium battery, comprising:
a current collector including pores on a surface thereof; and
a positive active material layer on the current collector and including a positive active material, the positive active material including a lithium metal compound including primary particles and secondary particles including agglomerations of the primary particles,
an average diameter of the pores of the current collector being greater than an average particle diameter (D50) of the primary particles and less than an average particle diameter (D50) of the secondary particles.
2. The positive electrode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the average diameter of the pores is about 0.2 \u03bcm to about 10 \u03bcm.
3. The positive electrode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pores of the current collector are formed by etching the surface of the current collector.
4. The positive electrode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the average particle diameter (D50) of the primary particles is about 0.2 \u03bcm to about 1 \u03bcm.
5. The positive electrode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the average particle diameter (D50) of the secondary particles is about 1 \u03bcm to about 15 \u03bcm.
6. The positive electrode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lithium metal compound includes LiFePO4, LiNiaCobMncO2 (0.2\u2266a\u22660.6, 0.2\u2266b\u22660.6, 0.2\u2266c\u22660.6), or a combination thereof.
7. The positive electrode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positive active material layer further includes activated carbon.
8. The positive electrode as claimed in claim 7, wherein the lithium metal compound is included in an amount of about 55.5 wt % to about 99.5 wt % based on a total amount of the lithium metal compound and the activated carbon.
9. A rechargeable lithium battery, comprising:
the positive electrode as claimed in claim 1;
a negative electrode including a negative active material; and
an electrolyte.
10. The rechargeable lithium battery as claimed in claim 9, wherein the negative active material includes amorphous carbon.

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 microporous polymer web configured for use as a battery separator, the microporous polymer web including a three-dimensional matrix of polyolefin, a dispersed wettability component, and interconnecting pores that exhibit tortuosity and communicate through the thickness of the microporous polymer web, and the battery separator formed from the microporous polymer web characterized by a porosity, a pore size distribution, and an electrical resistivity when an electrolyte penetrates the interconnecting pores, the improvement comprising:
an electrolyte-soluble pore former distributed throughout the microporous polymer web such that the porosity, pore size distribution, and tortuosity are modified to reduce the electrical resistivity of the battery separator upon dissolution of the electrolyte-soluble pore former.
2. The microporous polymer web of claim 1, in which the electrolyte-soluble pore former includes magnesium hydroxide.
3. The microporous polymer web of claim 1, in which the electrolyte-soluble pore former includes magnesium oxide.
4. The microporous polymer web of claim 1, in which the electrolyte-soluble pore former includes a sulfate of zinc, lithium, aluminum, magnesium, tin, potassium, or sodium; or a carbonate of lithium, magnesium, potassium, or sodium.
5. The microporous polymer web of claim 1, in which the polyolelin comprises ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene.
6. The microporous polymer web of claim 1, in which the wettability component includes a siliceous filler.
7. The microporous polymer web of claim 6, in which the siliceous filler includes precipitated silica.
8. A method of manufacturing a separator suitable for use in a lead-acid battery, comprising:
forming a microporous polymer web including a three-dimensional polymer matrix of polyolefin, a dispersed wettability component, interconnecting pores exhibiting a tortuosity and communicating through the thickness of the microporous polymer web, and an electrolyte-soluble pore former distributed throughout the microporous polymer web, and the microporous polymer web, in the absence of the electrolyte-soluble pore former, characterized by an electrical resistivity when an electrolyte penetrates the interconnecting pores; and
causing uptake of electrolytic fluid to dissolve the electrolyte-soluble pore former and thereby produce newly generated pores where the electrolyte-soluble pore former resided before dissolution, the newly generated pores modifying the tortuosity of the interconnecting pores to reduce the electrical resistivity of the microporous polymer web.
9. The method of claim 8, in which the causing of uptake of electrolytic fluid is accomplished by:
installing the microporous polymer web in a battery case;
introducing the electrolytic fluid into the battery case so that the microporous polymer web takes up the electrolytic fluid to dissolve the electrolyte-soluble pore former in situ, thereby to form the newly generated pores in locations previously occupied by the dissolved electrolyte-soluble pore former.
10. The method of claim 8, in which the polyolefin web comprises ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene.
11. The method of claim 8, in which the dispersed wettability component includes a siliceous filler.
12. The method of claim 11, in which the siliceous filler includes precipitated silica.
13. The method of claim 8, in which the electrolyte-soluble pore former includes magnesium hydroxide.
14. The method of claim 8, in which the electrolyte-soluble pore former includes magnesium oxide.
15. The method of claim 8, in which the electrolyte-soluble pore former includes a sulfate of zinc, lithium, aluminum, magnesium, tin, potassium, or sodium; or a carbonate of lithium, magnesium, potassium, or sodium.
16. The method of claim 8, in which the newly generated pores are of sizes that are larger than the sizes of the interconnecting pores.
17. A lead-acid battery including a separator constructed in accordance with the method of claim 8.
18. A lead-acid battery, comprising:
multiple electrodes contained in a case tilled with an electrolytic fluid; and
a battery separator in the form of a microporous polymer web that includes a three-dimensional matrix of polyolefin, interconnecting pores exhibiting a tortuosity and communicating through the thickness of the microporous polymer web, and newly generated pores produced by dissolution of an electrolyte-soluble pore former distributed throughout the microporous polymer web, the microporous polymer web, in the absence of the electrolyte-soluble pore former, characterized by an electrical resistivity, and the newly generated pores in the microporous polymer web decreasing the tortuosity of the interconnecting pores to reduce the electrical resistivity of the battery separator.
19. The battery of claim 18, in which the electrolyte-soluble pore former includes magnesium hydroxide.
20. The battery of claim 18, in which the electrolyte-soluble pore former includes magnesium oxide.
21. The battery of claim 18, in which the electrolyte-soluble pore former includes a sulfate of zinc, lithium, aluminum, magnesium, tin, potassium, or sodium; or a carbonate of lithium, magnesium, potassium, or sodium.
22. The battery of claim 18, in which the newly generated pores are of sizes that are larger than the sizes of the interconnecting pores.

1. A support comprising:
a support column,
a first carrier arm,
a second carrier arm mounted pivotably with respect to said first carrier arm, on a first horizontal axis and a second vertical axis,
a restoring device for producing a restoring force around said first horizontal axis,
a coupling device that couples said second carrier arm with said restoring device, and
a suppressing device that suppresses feedback of movement of said second carrier arm around said second vertical axis to said restoring device,
wherein said restoring device comprises a weight.
2. A support comprising:
a support column,
a first carrier arm which is rotatably mounted around the support column for being rotatable about a vertical support column axis,
a second carrier arm mounted pivotably with respect to said first carrier arm on a first horizontal axis and a second vertical axis, wherein said second vertical axis extends parallel to the support column axis,
a restoring device for producing a restoring force around said first horizontal axis,
a coupling device that couples said second carrier arm to said restoring device,
a suppressing device that suppresses feedback of movement of said second carrier arm around said second vertical axis to said restoring device,
said restoring device comprising a weight that moves in a region of said column axis of said support column.
3. The support according to claim 1, wherein said coupling device comprises a cable connection.
4. A support comprising:
a support column,
a first carrier arm,
a second carrier arm mounted pivotably with respect to said first carrier arm, or a first horizontal axis and a second vertical axis,
a restoring device for producing a restoring force around said first horizontal axis,
a coupling device that couples said second carrier arm with said restoring device, and
a suppressing device that suppresses feedback of movement of said second carrier arm around at least one of said first axis and said second axis to said restoring device,
wherein said restoring device compensates a weight acting on said second carrier arm due to a load arranged on said second carrier arm.
5. A support comprising:
a support column,
a first carrier arm,
a second carrier arm mounted pivotably with respect to said first carrier arm, on a first horizontal axis and a second vertical axis,
a restoring device for producing a restoring force around said first horizontal axis,
a coupling device that couples said carrier arm with said restoring device, and
a suppressing device that suppresses feedback of movement of said second carrier arm around said second vertical axis to said restoring device,
wherein said first carrier arm rotates around a rotation axis that is substantially parallel to said support column.
6. A support comprising:
a support column,
a first carrier arm,
a second carrier arm mounted pivotably with respect to said first carrier arm, on a first horizontal axis and a second vertical axis,
a restoring device for producing a restoring force around said first horizontal axis and said second vertical axis,
a coupling device that couples said second carrier arm with said restoring device, and
a suppressing device for suppressing feedback of movement of said second carrier arm around said second vertical axis,
wherein said suppressing device comprises a rotary decoupler.
7. A support comprising:
a support column,
a first carrier arm,
a second carrier arm mounted pivotably with respect to said first carrier arm, on a first horizontal axis and a second vertical axis,
a restoring device for producing a restoring force around at least one of said first axis and said second axis,
a coupling device that couples said second carrier arm with said restoring device, and
a suppressing device for suppressing feedback of movement of said second carrier arm around said second vertical axis,
wherein said suppressing device comprises a freewheel rotary joint arranged to decouple a rotary movement of said second carrier arm.
8. A support comprising:
a support column,
a first carrier arm,
a second carrier arm mounted pivotably with respect to said first carrier arm, on a first horizontal axis and a second vertical axis,
a restoring device for producing a restoring force around said first horizontal axis,
a coupling device that couples said second carrier arm with said restoring device, and
a suppressing device that suppresses feedback of movement of said second carrier arm around said second vertical axis to said restoring device,
wherein said first axis is substantially orthogonal to said second axis.
9. A support comprising:
a support column,
a first carrier arm,
a second carrier arm mounted pivotably with respect to said first carrier arm, on a first horizontal axis and a second vertical axis,
a restoring device for producing a restoring force around said first horizontal axis,
a coupling device that couples said second carrier arm with said restoring device, and
a suppressing device for suppressing feedback of movement of said second carrier arm around said second vertical axis,
said suppressing device comprising a freewheel rotary joint arranged to decouple a rotary movement of said second carrier arm,
wherein said freewheel rotary joint is situated on said second vertical axis.
10. The support according to claim 3, further comprising rollers that guide said cable connection sectionally along one of said first horizontal axis or said second vertical axis.
11. A support comprising:
a support column,
a first carrier arm,
a second carrier arm mounted pivotably with respect to said first carrier arm, on a fast horizontal axis and a second vertical axis,
a restoring device for producing a restoring force around at least one of said first horizontal axis and said second vertical axis,
a coupling device that couples said second carrier arm with said restoring device, and
a suppressing device that suppresses feedback of movement of said second carrier arm around said second vertical axis to said restoring device,
wherein said restoring device comprises a lever arm arranged on one of said first carrier arm or said second carrier arm and carries a counterweight, and
wherein said coupling device couples a pivoting movement of said lever arm to a pivoting movement of said second carrier arm.
12. A support comprising:
a support column,
a first carrier arm,
a second carrier arm mounted pivotably with respect to said first carrier arm on a first horizontal axis and a second vertical axis,
a restoring device for producing a restoring force around said first horizontal axis, coupling device that couples said second carrier arm with said restoring device, and
a suppressing device that suppresses feedback of movement of said second carrier arm around said second vertical axis to said restoring device,
wherein said support comprises a ceiling support.
13. The support according to claim 1, wherein said support supports a medical operation microscope.
14. The support according to claim 3, wherein said support supports a medical operation microscope.
15. The support according to claim 4, wherein said support supports a medical operation microscope.
16. The support according to claim 2, wherein said support supports a medical operation microscope.
17. The support according to claim 2, wherein said coupling device comprises a cable connection.
18. The support according to claim 2, wherein a weight acts on said second carrier arm due to a load arranged on said second carrier arm, and said restoring device compensates said weight.
19. The support according to claim 18, wherein said restoring force is transmitted by a cable connection, and acts on said second carrier arm at a distance from said support column, and
wherein said cable connection is deflected into a direction parallel to said support column.
20. The support according to claim 17, further comprising a deflector in a neighborhood of said support column for guiding said cable connection.
21. The support according to claim 2, wherein said first carrier arm rotates around a rotation axis that is substantially parallel to said support column.
22. A support comprising:
a support column,
a first carrier arm which is rotatably mounted on the support column for being rotatable about a vertical support column axis,
a second carrier arm mounted pivotably with respect to said first carrier arm on a first horizontal axis and a second vertical axis,
a restoring device for producing a restoring force around said first horizontal axis,
a coupling device that couples said second carrier arm to said restoring device,
a suppressing device that suppresses feedback of movement of said second carrier arm around said second vertical axis to said restoring device,
said restoring device comprising a weight that moves in a region of said column axis of said support column, and
wherein said suppressing device comprises a rotary decoupler.
23. A support comprising:
a support column,
a first carrier arm which is rotatably mounted on the support column for being rotatable about a vertical support column axis,
a second carrier arm mounted pivotably with respect to said first carrier arm on a first horizontal axis and a second vertical axis,
a restoring device for producing a restoring force around said first horizontal axis,
a coupling device that couples said second carrier arm to said restoring device,
a suppressing device that suppresses feedback of movement of said second carrier arm around said second vertical axis to said restoring device,
said restoring device comprising a weight that moves in a region of said column axis of said support column, and
wherein said suppressing device comprises a freewheel rotary joint arranged to decouple a rotary movement of said second carrier arm.
24. The support according to claim 2, wherein said first axis is substantially orthogonal to said second axis.
25. The support according to claim 2, wherein said first axis is arranged at a distance from said second axis.
26. The support according to claim 23, wherein said freewheel rotary joint is situated on said second vertical axis.
27. The support according to claim 17, further comprising rollers that guide said cable connection sectionally along one of said first axis or said second axis.
28. The support according to claim 2, wherein said restoring device comprises a lever arm arranged on one of said first carrier arm or said second carrier arm, that carries a counterweight, and
wherein said coupling device couples a pivoting movement of said lever arm to a pivoting arm of said second carrier arm.
29. The support according to claim 2, wherein said support comprises a ceiling support.

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 comprising:
performing first motion estimation with respect to a current frame of a sequence of frames of image data, the first motion estimation being performed with reference to a first set of reference frames, said first set of reference frames preceding said current frame in said sequence of frames of image data;
evaluating a result of said first motion estimation; and
determining, based on an outcome of said evaluating, whether to perform second motion estimation with respect to said current frame, said second motion estimation to be performed with reference to a second set of reference frames different from said first set of reference frames, said second set of reference frames preceding said first set of reference frames in said sequence of frames of image data wherein:
said first set of reference frames includes three reference frames that immediately precede said current frame in said sequence of frames of image data; and
said second set of reference frames includes two frames that immediately precede said first set of reference frames in said sequence of frames of image data.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating includes comparing with a threshold a difference between a first motion vector obtained with reference to a middle one of said frames of said first set of reference frames and a multiple of a second motion vector obtained with reference to a last one of said frames of said first set of reference frames.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating includes comparing with a threshold a difference between a first motion vector obtained with reference to an earliest one of said frames of said first set of reference frames and a multiple of a second motion vector obtained with reference to a last one of said frames of said first set of reference frames.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating includes comparing a degree of block matching obtained with reference to a middle one of said frames of said first set of reference frames with a degree of block matching obtained with reference to a last one of said frames of said first set of reference frames.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating includes comparing a degree of block matching obtained with reference to an earliest one of said frames of said first set of reference frames with a degree of block matching obtained with reference to a last one of said frames of said first set of reference frames.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating includes:
comparing with a threshold a difference between two times a first motion vector obtained with reference to a last one of said frames of said first set of reference frames and a second motion vector obtained with reference to a middle one of said frames of said first set of reference frames;
comparing with said threshold a difference between three times the first motion vector and a third motion vector obtained with reference to an earliest one of said frames of said first set of reference frames;
comparing a degree of block matching obtained with reference to said middle one of said frames of said first set of reference frames with a degree of block matching obtained with reference to said last one of said frames of said first set of reference frames; and
comparing a degree of block matching obtained with reference to said earliest one of said frames of said first set of reference frames with said degree of block matching obtained with reference to said last one of said frames of said first set of reference frames.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first set of reference frames includes at least two frames.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein said evaluating includes comparing a degree of block matching obtained with reference to an earlier one of said frames of said first set of reference frames with a degree of block matching obtained with reference to said a later one of said frames of said first set of reference frames.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein said evaluating includes calculating a difference by subtracting a first motion vector obtained with reference to said later one of said frames from a multiple of a second motion vector obtained with reference to said earlier one of said frames.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein said evaluating further includes comparing said difference with a threshold.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein each reference frame comprises a plurality of macroblocks.
12. A method comprising:
performing first motion estimation with respect to a current frame of a sequence of frames of image data, the first motion estimation being performed with reference to a first set of reference frames, said first set of reference frames preceding said current frame in said sequence of frames of image data;
evaluating a result of said first motion estimation; and
determining, based on an outcome of said evaluating, whether to perform second motion estimation with respect to said current frame, said second motion estimation to be performed with reference to a second set of reference frames different from said first set of reference frames, said second set of reference frames preceding said first set of reference frames in said sequence of frames of image data,
wherein said first motion estimation includes:
determining a plurality of candidate motion vectors for a first pixel block in said current frame, the candidate motion vectors including at least two of the following:
(a) a motion vector for a pixel block that adjoins the first pixel block;
(b) a motion vector for a pixel block that is a superset of the first pixel block;
(c) a motion vector for a second pixel block that is part of a reference frame that is a last frame in said first set of reference frames, said second pixel block having a position in said reference frame that corresponds to a position of the first pixel block in said current frame; and
(d) a scaled motion vector for a third pixel block that is part of another reference frame, said another reference frame preceding said last frame in said first set of reference frames, said third pixel block having a position in said another reference frame that corresponds to a position of the first pixel block in said current frame;

determining a number of said plurality of candidate motion vectors that are the same; and
comparing said number to a threshold;

and wherein said first motion estimation further includes:
determining a characteristic of a frame of image data that is prior to said current frame in the sequence of frames; and
selecting, on the basis of the determined characteristic, a block-matching search pattern for use with respect to said current frame, said prior frame immediately preceding said current frame in said sequence of frames, wherein said determining said characteristic of said prior frame includes analyzing a statistical distribution of motion vectors for said prior frame, wherein said selecting includes selecting between a hexagonal search pattern and a cross search pattern said first set of reference frames includes three reference frames that immediately precede said current frame in said sequence of frames of image data and wherein said second set of reference frames includes two frames that immediately precede said first set of reference frames in said sequence of frames of image data.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein each reference frame comprises a plurality of macroblocks.