All The Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An adaptive cruise control system capable of executing at least a vehicle speed increase restriction control mode, an automatic accelerating control mode, and a following control mode, comprising:
an object detector that captures a preceding vehicle positioned ahead of a host vehicle;
a lane-change detector that detects the presence or absence of a driver’s intention for a lane change by the host vehicle;
an adaptive vehicle speed control unit executing the following control mode during which the host vehicle automatically follows the preceding vehicle, maintaining a host vehicle’s distance from the preceding vehicle at a desired inter-vehicle distance when the preceding vehicle exists ahead of the host vehicle;
the adaptive vehicle speed control unit executing the vehicle speed increase restriction control mode during which an increase in the host vehicle’s speed is restricted until such time that a time period corresponding to either of a predetermined distance and a predetermined holding time has expired from a time when the object detector loses the preceding vehicle during the following control mode, and thereafter executing the automatic accelerating control mode during which the host vehicle’s speed is automatically accelerated up to a set speed; and
the adaptive vehicle speed control unit comprising a vehicle speed increase restriction control releasing section that releases the vehicle speed increase restriction control mode, in presence of the driver’s intention for the lane change when the object detector loses the preceding vehicle during the following control mode.
2. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
the adaptive vehicle speed control unit comprises a preceding-vehicle candidate detection section that detects a vehicle positioned in either of left and right traffic lanes corresponding to a direction of the lane change based on the driver’s intention as a candidate for a next preceding vehicle after the lane change by the host vehicle; and
the vehicle speed increase restriction control releasing section of the adaptive vehicle speed control unit releases the vehicle speed increase restriction control mode, in presence of both the driver’s intention for the lane change and the candidate for the next preceding vehicle, detected after the lane change by the host vehicle, when the object detector loses the preceding vehicle during the following control mode.
3. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:
a relative velocity detector that detects a relative velocity of the candidate for the next preceding vehicle with respect to the host vehicle; and
a host vehicle’s approach state determination section that determines a degree of the host vehicle’s approach to the candidate for the next preceding vehicle, based on the relative velocity;
wherein the adaptive vehicle speed control unit varies an execution time for the vehicle speed increase restriction control mode depending on the degree of the host vehicle’s approach to the candidate for the next preceding vehicle.
4. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein:
the execution time for the vehicle speed increase restriction control mode increases, as the degree of the host vehicle’s approach to the candidate for the next preceding vehicle becomes greater so that the host vehicle approaches closer to the candidate for the next preceding vehicle.
5. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:
a relative velocity detector that detects a relative velocity of the candidate for the next preceding vehicle with respect to the host vehicle;
a host vehicle’s approach state determination section that determines a degree of the host vehicle’s approach to the candidate for the next preceding vehicle, based on the relative velocity; and
a cornering state determination section that determines whether the host vehicle goes around a curved road;
wherein the adaptive vehicle speed control unit varies an execution time for the vehicle speed increase restriction control mode depending on the degree of the host vehicle’s approach to the candidate for the next preceding vehicle, and
wherein the adaptive vehicle speed control unit sets the execution time for the vehicle speed increase restriction control mode so that a first execution time produced when the host vehicle goes around the curved road is longer than a second execution time produced when the host vehicle is traveling on roads except the curved road.
6. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein:
the cornering state determination section determines, based on a comparison result between a road curvature and a road-curvature threshold value, whether the host vehicle goes around the curved road; and
the cornering state determination section determines that the host vehicle goes around the curved road, when the road curvature is less than the road-curvature threshold value.
7. An adaptive cruise control system capable of executing at least a vehicle speed increase restriction control mode, an automatic accelerating control mode, and a following control mode, comprising:
an object detection means for capturing a preceding vehicle positioned ahead of a host vehicle;
a lane-change detection means for detecting the presence or absence of a driver’s intention for a lane change by the host vehicle;
an adaptive vehicle speed control unit executing the following control mode during which the host vehicle automatically follows the preceding vehicle, maintaining a host vehicle’s distance from the preceding vehicle at a desired inter-vehicle distance when the preceding vehicle exists ahead of the host vehicle;
the adaptive vehicle speed control unit executing the vehicle speed increase restriction control mode during which an increase in the host vehicle’s speed is restricted until such time that a time period corresponding to either of a predetermined distance and a predetermined holding time has expired from a time when the object detection means loses the preceding vehicle during the following control mode, and thereafter executing the automatic accelerating control mode during which the host vehicle’s speed is automatically accelerated up to a set speed; and
the adaptive vehicle speed control unit comprising a vehicle speed increase restriction control releasing means for releasing the vehicle speed increase restriction control mode, in presence of the driver’s intention for the lane change when the object detection means loses the preceding vehicle during the following control mode.
8. An adaptive cruise control system capable of executing at least a vehicle speed holding mode, a constant-speed control mode, and a following control mode, comprising:
an object detector that captures a preceding vehicle positioned ahead of a host vehicle;
a lane-change detector that detects the presence or absence of a driver’s intention for a lane change by the host vehicle;
an adaptive vehicle speed control unit electronically connected to the object detector and the lane-change detector for executing the following control mode during which the host vehicle automatically follows the preceding vehicle, maintaining a host vehicle’s distance from the preceding vehicle at a desired inter-vehicle distance when the preceding vehicle exists ahead of the host vehicle;
the adaptive vehicle speed control unit executing the vehicle speed holding mode during which the host vehicle’s speed is restricted until such time that a time period corresponding to either of a predetermined distance and a predetermined holding time has expired from a time when the object detector loses the preceding vehicle during the following control mode, and thereafter executing the constant-speed control mode during which the host vehicle’s speed is automatically accelerated up to a set speed, manually set by a man-machine interface; and
the adaptive vehicle speed control unit initiating the constant-speed control mode while inhibiting the vehicle speed holding mode, in presence of the driver’s intention for the lane change when the object detector loses the preceding vehicle during the following control mode.
9. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 8, wherein:
the adaptive vehicle speed control unit comprises a preceding-vehicle candidate detection section that detects a vehicle positioned in either of left and right traffic lanes corresponding to a direction of the lane change based on the driver’s intention as a candidate for a next preceding vehicle after the lane change by the host vehicle; and
the adaptive vehicle speed control unit continuously executing the following control mode while releasing the vehicle speed holding mode, in presence of both the driver’s intention for the lane change and the candidate for the next preceding vehicle, detected after the lane change by the host vehicle, when the object detector loses the preceding vehicle during the following control mode.
10. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:
a relative velocity detector that detects a relative velocity of the candidate for the next preceding vehicle with respect to the host vehicle; and
a host vehicle’s approach state determination section that determines a degree of the host vehicle’s approach to the candidate for the next preceding vehicle, based on the relative velocity;
wherein the adaptive vehicle speed control unit varies an execution time for the vehicle speed holding mode depending on the degree of the host vehicle’s approach to the candidate for the next preceding vehicle.
11. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein:
the execution time for the vehicle speed holding mode increases, as the degree of the host vehicle’s approach to the candidate for the next preceding vehicle becomes greater so that the host vehicle approaches closer to the candidate for the next preceding vehicle.
12. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:
a relative velocity detector that detects a relative velocity of the candidate for the next preceding vehicle with respect to the host vehicle;
a host vehicle’s approach state determination section that determines a degree of the host vehicle’s approach to the candidate for the next preceding vehicle, based on the relative velocity; and
a cornering state determination section that determines whether the host vehicle goes around a curved road;
wherein the adaptive vehicle speed control unit varies an execution time for the vehicle speed holding mode depending on the degree of the host vehicle’s approach to the candidate for the next preceding vehicle, and
wherein the adaptive vehicle speed control unit sets the execution time for the vehicle speed holding mode so that a first execution time produced when the host vehicle goes around the curved road is longer than a second execution time produced when the host vehicle is traveling on roads except the curved road.
13. The adaptive cruise control system as claimed in claim 12, wherein:
the cornering state determination section determines, based on a comparison result between a road curvature and a road-curvature threshold value, whether the host vehicle goes around the curved road; and
the cornering state determination section determines that the host vehicle goes around the curved road, when the road curvature is less than the road-curvature threshold value.
14. A method of controlling a host vehicle’s speed by either of a vehicle speed holding mode, a constant-speed control mode, and a following control mode, the method comprising:
capturing a preceding vehicle positioned ahead of a host vehicle;
detecting the presence or absence of a driver’s intention for a lane change by the host vehicle;
executing the following control mode during which the host vehicle automatically follows the preceding vehicle, maintaining a host vehicle’s distance from the preceding vehicle at a desired inter-vehicle distance when the preceding vehicle exists ahead of the host vehicle;
executing the vehicle speed holding mode during which the host vehicle’s speed is restricted until such time that a time period corresponding to either of a predetermined distance and a predetermined holding time has expired from a time when the preceding vehicle is lost during the following control mode, and thereafter executing the constant-speed control mode during which the host vehicle’s speed is automatically accelerated up to a set speed, manually set by a man-machine interface; and
initiating the constant-speed control mode while inhibiting the vehicle speed holding mode, in presence of the driver’s intention for the lane change when the preceding vehicle is lost during the following control mode.
15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:
detecting a vehicle positioned in either of left and right traffic lanes corresponding to a direction of the lane change based on the driver’s intention as a candidate for a next preceding vehicle after the lane change by the host vehicle; and
continuously executing the following control mode while releasing the vehicle speed holding mode, in presence of both the driver’s intention for the lane change and the candidate for the next preceding vehicle, detected after the lane change by the host vehicle, when the preceding vehicle is lost during the following control mode.
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 filter cartridge assembly comprising:
i) an elongated housing having axially opposed proximal and distal ends, the housing defining an interior cavity, a central axis and first, second and third flow paths which extend from the proximal end of the housing to the distal end, wherein the housing includes a pair of coaxially positioned peripheral walls of the housing;
ii) a first pleated filter element disposed along the central axis and within the interior cavity of the housing for conditioning fluid traversing the first flow path from a first inlet port to a first outlet port;
iii) a second pleated filter element disposed along the central axis and within the interior cavity of the housing for conditioning fluid traversing the second flow path from a second inlet port to a second outlet port; and
iv) a third non-pleated filter element disposed along the central axis and within the interior cavity of the housing for conditioning fluid traversing the third flow path from a third inlet port to a third outlet port; and wherein the first flow path is isolated from the second and third flow paths and the second flow path is isolated from the third flow path.
2. A filter cartridge assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein a portion of each of the second and third flow paths traverse axially between the peripheral walls of the housing.
3. A filter cartridge assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the first filter element is radially a horizontally pleated filter and fluid is conditioned in the first flow path by traversing in a radially inward direction through the first filter element.
4. A filter cartridge assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the second filter element is radially a horizontally pleated filter and fluid is conditioned in the second flow path by traversing in a radially outward direction through the second filter element.
5. A filter cartridge assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the third filter element is disc a flat filter and fluid is conditioned in the second flow path by traversing axially through the third filter element.
6. A filter cartridge assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing includes two longitudinal ribs which define two longitudinal channels in the interior cavity of the housing and the second flow path traverse one of the channels and the third flow path traverses the other channel.
7. A filter cartridge assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the proximal end of the housing includes a connector element for a tri-lumen tube set.
8. A filter cartridge assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein the connector element includes the first inlet port and the second and third outlet ports.
9. A filter cartridge assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing includes a cylindrical inner housing element positioned within the interior cavity of the housing and forming a first chamber for the first filter element.
10. A filter cartridge assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the housing further includes a second inner housing element positioned within the interior cavity of the housing and forming a second chamber for the second filter element.
11. A filter cartridge assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the first outlet port, the second inlet port and third inlet port are located at the distal end of the housing.
12. A filter cartridge assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein the first outlet port, the second inlet port and the third inlet port are coaxially arranged.
13. A filter cartridge assembly comprising:
i) an elongated housing having axially opposed proximal and distal ends, the housing defining first, second and third filter chambers and first, second and third flow paths which extend from the proximal end of the housing to the distal end;
ii) a first filter element disposed within the first filter chamber of the housing for conditioning fluid traversing the first flow path from a first inlet port to a first outlet port;
iii) a second filter element disposed within the second filter chamber of the housing for conditioning fluid traversing the second flow path from a second inlet port to a second outlet port; and
iv) a third filter element disposed within the third filter chamber of the housing for conditioning fluid traversing the third flow path from a third inlet port to a third outlet port; and wherein the first flow path is isolated from the second and third flow paths and the second flow path is isolated from the third flow path wherein the first outlet port, the second inlet port and third inlet port are located at the distal end of the housing.
14. A filtration system for conditioning fluid received from three distinct fluid sources, comprising:
i) a controller including means for regulating and monitoring fluid flow in the filtration system, the controller defining an elongated receptacle;
ii) a socket assembly positioned at least partially within the elongated receptacle defined by the controller, the socket assembly including a locking element; and
iii) a filter cartridge assembly inserted into the socket assembly and secured in fluid communication with the controller by the locking element.
15. A filtration system as recited in claim 14, wherein the locking element includes a cam mechanism for engaging a lug extending from an exterior surface of the filter cartridge assembly.
16. A filtration system as recited in claim 14, wherein the filter cartridge assembly includes:
i) an elongated housing having axially opposed proximal and distal ends, the housing defining an interior cavity and first, second and third flow paths which extend from the proximal end of the housing to the distal end;
ii) a first filter element disposed within the interior cavity of the housing for conditioning fluid traversing the first flow path from a first inlet port to a first outlet port;
iii) a second filter element disposed within the interior cavity of the housing for conditioning fluid traversing the second flow path from a second inlet port to a second outlet port; and
iv) a third filter element disposed within the interior cavity of the housing for conditioning fluid traversing the third flow path from a third inlet port to a third outlet port; and wherein the first flow path is isolated from the second and third flow paths and the second flow path is isolated from the third flow path.

1. A magnetic recording disk drive slider having a disk-facing surface and comprising:
an optical waveguide having a generally rectangularly-shaped output end at the disk-facing surface, the waveguide output end having a thickness in a first direction and a width in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and greater than the thickness in said first direction;
a write head having a write pole tip at the disk-facing surface with a trailing edge spaced from the waveguide output end in the first direction, the pole tip having a width in the second direction less than the width of the waveguide; and
a read head having a sensing edge at the disk-facing surface and spaced from the waveguide output end in the first direction on the side of the waveguide opposite the write pole tip.
2. The disk drive slider of claim 1 wherein the waveguide aspect ratio of the width to thickness is greater than or equal to 4 and less than or equal to 12.
3. The disk drive slider of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the width of the waveguide output end to the distance from the center of the waveguide output end to the trailing edge of the write pole tip is greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 12.
4. The disk drive slider of claim 1 wherein the optical waveguide is a rectangular waveguide having a core with a first index-of-refraction, a cladding layer with a second index-of-refraction less than said first index-of-refraction on the side of the core facing the pole tip, and a cladding layer with an index-of-refraction between said first and second indices of refraction on the side of the core opposite the side facing the pole tip.
5. The disk drive slider of claim 4 wherein the core is formed essentially of Ta2O5, the cladding layer on the side of the core facing the pole tip is formed essentially of one of SiO2 and Al2O3, and the cladding layer on the side of the core opposite the side facing the pole tip is formed of a composite selected from SiO2\u2014Ta2O5 and Al2O3\u2014Ta2O5.
6. A thermally-assisted shingled-writing magnetic recording disk drive comprising:
a rotatable magnetic recording disk comprising a substrate and a perpendicular magnetic recording layer on the substrate for storing data in a plurality of generally concentric tracks;
a slider having an air-bearing surface (ABS) facing the recording layer;
a laser;
an optical waveguide on the slider and coupled to the laser, the waveguide having a generally rectangularly-shaped laser radiation output end at the ABS, the waveguide output end having an along-the-track thickness and a cross-track width greater than the along-the-track thickness for generating an optical spot on the disk to heat an area of the recording layer as the disk rotates, the optical spot having a generally elliptical shape with its long axis extending across multiple tracks;
a write head on the slider and having a write pole tip at the ABS with a trailing edge spaced down-track from the waveguide output end in the along-the-track direction, the pole tip generating at its trailing edge a magnetic write field to magnetize regions of the recording layer in the heated area, the magnetized regions having a cross-track width generally equal to the cross-track width of the write pole;
an actuator connected to the slider for moving the slider generally radially across the disk, the actuator being capable of moving the pole tip in an increment less than the cross-track width of the pole tip, whereby the pole tip may generate partially overlapping generally circular paths of magnetic regions with the non-overlapping generally circular paths of magnetic regions forming the concentric tracks; and
a read head having a sensing edge at the ABS for reading magnetized regions in the tracks.
7. The disk drive of claim 6 wherein the ratio of the optical waveguide’s cross-track width to its along-the-track thickness being greater than or equal to 4 and less than or equal to 12.
8. The disk drive of claim 6 wherein the ratio of the width of the waveguide output end to the distance from the center of the waveguide output end to the trailing edge of the write pole tip is greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 12.
9. The disk drive of claim 6 wherein the long axis of the generally elliptically-shaped optical spot extends across at least 20 tracks.
10. The disk drive of claim 9 wherein the long axis of the generally elliptically-shaped optical spot extends across at least 40 tracks and up to 120 tracks.
11. The disk drive of claim 6 wherein the optical waveguide is a rectangular waveguide having a core with a first index-of-refraction, a cladding layer with a second index-of-refraction less than said first index-of-refraction on the side of the core facing the pole tip, and a cladding layer with an index-of-refraction between said first and second indices of refraction on the side of the core opposite the side facing the pole tip.
12. The disk drive of claim 11 wherein the core is formed essentially of Ta2O5, the cladding layer on the side of the core facing the pole tip is formed essentially of one of SiO2 and Al2O3, and the cladding layer on the side of the core opposite the side facing the pole tip is formed of a composite selected from SiO2\u2014Ta2O5 and Al2O3\u2014Ta2O5.

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 selected from a group consisting of the following structures:
wherein
each R2 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and substituted or unsubstituted alkyl groups,
R3 is selected from the group consisting of substituted and unsubstituted heteroaromatic rings and substituted and unsubstituted heterocyclic rings, said rings being linked to the triazine group through a nitrogen atom within the of R3, and when R3, is a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaromatic ring and said substituted or unsubstituted heteroaromatic ring has a postive charge associated therewith, R3 has a counterion X\u2212 associated therewith,
each M+ is a noble metal cation; and
wherein the anionic and cation components of said structure are present at a molar ratio so as to result in an overall neutral charge.
2. The compound of claim 1 wherein each R2 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, unsubstituted alkyl groups, alkyl groups substituted with a hydroxy or halide functional group, and alkyl groups having an ether, ester, or sulfonyl moiety therein.
3. The compound of claim 2 wherein R3 is a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaromatic ring selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted pyridine, pyridazine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, imidazole, oxazole, isoxazole, thiazole, oxadiazole, thiadiazole, pyrazole, triazole, triazine, quinoline, and isoquinoline.
4. The compound of claim 3 wherein R3 is a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaromatic ring selected from substituted or unsubstituted pyridine or imidazole.
5. The compound of claim 4 wherein R3 is selected horn the group consisting of pyridinium-1-yl, 4-(dimethylamino)pyridinium-1-yl, 3-methylimidazolium-1-yl, 4-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)pyridinium-1-yl, 4-isopropyridinium-1-yl, 4(2-hydroxyethyl)methylaminopyridinium-1-yl, 4-(3-hydroxypropyl)pyridinium-1yl, 4methylpyridinium-1-yl, quinolinium-1-yl, 4-tert-butylpyridinium-1-yl, and 3-(2-sulfoethyl)pyridinium-1-yl.
6. The compound of claim 1 wherein each M+ is selected from the group consisting of a Ag cation, a Au cation, and a Pt cation.
7. The compound of claim 6 wherein each M+ is a Au cation.
8. The compound of claim 1 wherein each M+ is a Fe cation.
9. The compound of claim 1 represented by following structure:
10. The compound of claim 9 represented by the following structure:
11. The compound of claim 10 wherein each M+ is a Au cation.
12. The compound of claim 10 wherein X\u2212 is selected from the group consisting of HSO4\u2212, Cl\u2212, CH3COO\u2212, and CF3COO\u2212.
13. A method of making oriented metallic nanostructures comprising (a) applying a solution comprising the compound of claim 1 to a surface of a substrate and (b) reducing the metal cation.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising removing said at least one anionic component such that oriented metallic nanostructures remain or the surface.
15. A compound selected from a group consisting of the following structures:
wherein
each R2 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, unsubstituted alkyl groups, alkyl groups substituted with a hydroxy or halide functional group, and alkyl groups comprising an ether, ester, or sulfonyl moiety;
R3 is a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaromatic ring selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted pyridine, pyridazine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, imidazole, oxazole, isoxazole, thiazole, oxadiazole, thiadiazole, pyrazole, triazole, triazine, quinoline, and isoquinoline, and when said substituted, or unsubstituted heteroaromatic ring has a positive charge associated therewith, R3 has a counterion X\u2212 associated therewith;
each M+ is a noble metal cation; and
wherein the anionic and cation components of said structure are present at a molar ratio so as to result in an overall neutral charge.
16. A method of making metallic nanostructures comprising (a) applying a solution comprising the compound of claim 15 to a surface of a substrate and (b) reducing the metal cation.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
orienting the solution on the surface of the substrate; and
removing said at least one amonic component such that oriented metallic nanostructures remain of the surface.
18. A compound of the following structure:
wherein
M+ is a metal cation selected from the group consisting of a Ag action, a Au cation and a Pt cation; and.
wherein the anionic and cation components of said structure are present at a molar ratio so as to result in an overall neutral charge.
19. A method of making metallic nanostructures comprising (a) applying a solution comprising the compound of claim 18 to a surface of a substrate and (b) reducing the metal cation.