All The Claims

1. A method, comprising:
determining a priority level of a received software upgrade process in a content distribution system; and
regulating at least one software upgrade process based on the determined priority level.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
interrupting a first software upgrade process when a second software upgrade process is determined to have a higher priority level.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:
determining if the first software upgrade process is downloading; and
sending an interrupt kill signal to the first software upgrade process if the process is not downloading.
4. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:
re-initializing the first software upgrade process automatically after a higher level software upgrade process has completed.
5. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:
using an upgrade process unique signal to interrupt the first software upgrade process.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
determining if a software upgrade has at least one of a forced, a rescue or a periodic priority level.
7. A method for resolving upgrade conflicts in a content distribution system, comprising:
entering a first upgrade on a content distribution system client receiver;
assigning a priority level to the first upgrade;
continuing with the first upgrade until the first upgrade is interrupted or completed;
entering a second upgrade process on the content distribution system client receiver;
assigning a priority level to the second upgrade;
determining whether the first, already running upgrade should be interrupted based on the priority levels of the first and second upgrades;
if the already running upgrade should not be interrupted, ending the second upgrade process and continuing with the already running upgrade;
if the already running upgrade should be interrupted, sending a signal to kill the already running upgrade process, causing the already running upgrade to safely exit, and then continuing with the second upgrade process until the second upgrade is interrupted or completed.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein after entering the first upgrade process, the first upgrade process ignores any kill signals until after the priority level is assigned to the first upgrade process.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of continuing with the first upgrade further comprises the steps of:
downloading upgrade information from a content distribution server; and
upon completion of the download, continuing with the first upgrade process.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first upgrade process ignores kill signals while the downloading is in progress and listens for kill signals upon completion of the download.
11. The method of claim 7 wherein after entering the second upgrade process, the second upgrade process ignores any kill signals until after the kill signal is sent to the first upgrade process, at which time the second upgrade process listens for kill signals.
12. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of continuing with the second upgrade further comprises the steps of:
downloading upgrade information from a content distribution server; and
upon completion of the download, continuing with the second upgrade process.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the second upgrade process ignores kill signals while the downloading is in progress and listens for kill signals upon completion of the download.
14. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:
after sending the signal to kill the first upgrade process and before continuing with the second upgrade, determining if the sent kill signal was ignored by the first upgrade; and
if the kill signal was not ignored, continuing with the second upgrade process;
if the kill signal was ignored, waiting for the already running upgrade to begin listening for kill signals, resending the kill signal to the already running upgrade, and continuing with the current upgrade.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the second upgrade process ignores kill signals while resending the kill signal to the first upgrade and listens for kill signals after the kill signal is sent.
16. The method of claim 7 wherein the priority levels are assigned based on the type of upgrade being performed.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein an upgrade that occurs at regular periodic intervals is given a low priority and will not interrupt any already running upgrade.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein a rescue upgrade launched to restore a system after an error occurs, is given a middle priority and will interrupt any already running upgrade except for another running rescue upgrade.
19. The method of claim 16 wherein an upgrade forced by a user, is given the highest priority and will interrupt any already running upgrade.
20. The method of claim 7, wherein the signal sent to kill the first upgrade is not used for any other purpose in the system or application.
21. The method of claim 7 wherein a plurality of upgrades are running when the second upgrade is entered and the following steps are performed for each of the plurality of already running upgrades:
determining whether the already running upgrade should be interrupted based on priority levels,
if the already running upgrade should not be interrupted, ending the second upgrade process and continuing with the already running upgrade, and
if the already running upgrade should be interrupted, sending a signal to kill the already running upgrade process, causing the already running upgrade to safely exit, and then continuing with the second upgrade process until the second upgrade is interrupted or completed.
22. A content distribution system client receiver device which resolves upgrade conflicts, comprising:
one or more processors which at least execute upgrades to the applications andor system processes stored on the device and execute commands to resolve upgrade conflicts by interrupting a running upgrade in favor of a newly launched upgrade;
memory storage for storing at least upgrade priority levels;
software storage which stores at least applications and system processes which are upgradeable; and
a communications interface for communicating with at least a content distribution server over a network.
23. The receiver device of claim 22 further comprising an inputoutput interface which allows a user to interact with the device.
24. An upgrade conflict resolution system, comprising:
an upgrade launching module configured to launch upgrades on a client receiver in a content distribution system;
a priority determining module, stored in memory on the client receiver, configured to identify the priority of the upgrade launched and determine whether an already running upgrade should be interrupted in favor of the newly launched upgrade; and
an interrupter module, stored in memory on the client receiver, configured to send kill signals to an upgrade which should be interrupted.
25. The upgrade conflict resolution system recited in claim 18 wherein the interrupter module is further configured to ignore kill signals directed to a certain upgrade during times in the upgrade process.

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. A method for picking a media sheet from a media stack, comprising the steps of:
rotating a pick roller in contact with a media sheet;
during the step of rotating, hinging a pick arm which supports the pick roller, the pick arm having a proximal portion located proximal to a pivot point and a distal portion located distal to the pivot point, and the pick arm hinging the distal portion relative to the proximal portion at the hinge point, the pick roller located along the distal portion;
picking the media sheet by advancing the media sheet away from the media stack under a force attributable to at least the pick roller; and
limiting to a maximum angle, an angle which the distal portion of the pivot arm forms relative to the media stack while the pick roller maintains contact with the media stack, wherein said limiting is achieved using a stop mechanism.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
inducing a moment on the pick arm, the moment being in response to the rotation of the pick roller while in contact with the media sheet, said hinging of the pick arm occurring at the hinge point in response to the induced moment.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of pivoting the pick arm about the pivot point in response to the induced moment.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:
blocking the pivoting of the pick arm about the pivot point in a first direction with a stop mechanism.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:
stopping the hinging of the pivot arm with another stop mechanism to limit an angle formed between the distal portion and the proximal portion to a minimum angle.
6. An apparatus for picking a media sheet from a media stack, comprising:
a pick arm having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion connected to the proximal portion at a hinge point, the distal portion hinging relative to the proximal portion at the hinge point, the pick arm being anchored at a pivot point along the proximal portion away from the hinge point, the pick arm rotating relative to the pivot point;
a pick roller coupled to the distal portion away from the hinge point; and
a drive motor for rotating the pick roller, wherein during a pick operation the drive motor rotates the pick roller while the pick roller is in contact with the media sheet to move the media sheet away from the media stack;
a separation ramp onto which the media sheet is moved during the pick operation; and
means for limiting an angle formed between the distal portion and the media stack, while the pick roller maintains contact with the media stack, to a maximum angle to limit a distance between the pick roller and the separation ramp.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:
means for inducing a moment on the pick arm which causes the distal portion to hinge relative to the proximal portion while the drive motor rotates the pick roller allowing for effective picking of the media sheet from the media stack.
8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:
means for forcing the distal portion to hinge relative to the proximal portion while the drive motor rotates the pick roller, allowing for picking of the media sheet from the media stack.
9. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:
means for inducing a moment on the pick arm which causes the proximal portion to pivot relative to the pivot point.
10. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:
means for limiting rotation of the pick arm about the pivot point.
11. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:
means for limiting the hinging of the distal portion about the hinge point relative to the proximal portion to a minimum angle between the proximal portion and the distal portion to limit a distance between the pick roller and the separation ramp, while the pick roller maintains contact with the media stack.
12. A print recording system for recording print onto a media sheet which is picked from a media stack, the system comprising:
a print recording source;
a pick arm having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion connected to the proximal portion at a hinge point, the distal portion hinging relative to the proximal portion at the hinge point, the pick arm being anchored at a pivot point along the proximal portion away from the hinge point, the pick arm rotating relative to the pivot point;
a pick roller coupled to the distal portion away from the hinge point; and
a drive motor for rotating the pick roller;
wherein during a print operation, the drive motor rotates the pick roller while the pick roller is in contact with the media sheet to move the media sheet away from the media stack onto a feed path to receive print recording.
13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:
means for inducing a moment on the pick arm which causes the proximal portion to pivot relative to the pivot point and causes the distal portion to hinge relative to hinge point while the drive motor rotates the pick roller allowing for effective picking of the media sheet from the media stack.
14. The system of claim 13, in which the distal portion is spring-biased into a first orientation relative to the proximal portion about the hinge point, wherein the inducing means overcomes the spring-biasing to move the distal portion into a second orientation relative to the proximal portion during a picking portion of the print operation.
15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:
a separation ramp onto which the media sheet is moved during the pick portion of the print operation;
means for limiting the hinging of the distal portion about the hinge point relative to the proximal portion to a minimum angle between the proximal portion and the distal portion to limit a distance between the pick roller and the separation ramp.
16. The system of claim 14, further comprising:
a separation ramp onto which the media sheet is moved during the pick portion of the print operation;
means for limiting an angle formed between the distal portion and the media stack to a maximum angle to limit a distance between the pick roller and the separation ramp.

1. An automotive door lock device, comprising: a housing having a housing body including an opening portion, and a cover portion formed integrally with the housing body for opening and closing the opening portion; an operating lever member placed in the housing and having an operating lever connecting portion; and operation means having an operation connecting portion to be connected to the operating lever connecting portion,
wherein the cover portion of the housing has an arc-shaped projecting portion for preventing a dropout of the operation connecting portion of the operation means, and the projecting portion is located along an arc-shaped moving locus of the operation connecting portion.
2. The automotive door lock device recited in claim 1, wherein the projecting portion prevents the dropout by inhibiting movement in a direction to separate from the operating lever connecting portion to which the operation connecting portion is connected.
3. The automotive door lock device recited in claim 1, wherein a convex portion capable of contacting the operating lever member is formed on the housing at a position facing the projecting portion of the cover portion in a closed state.
4. The automotive door lock device recited in claim 3, wherein the convex portion prevents the dropout by inhibiting movement in a direction to separate from the operation connecting portion to which the operating lever connecting portion is connected.
5. The automotive door lock device recited in claim 1, wherein either one of the operating lever connecting portion and the operation connecting portion is constituted by a concave portion, and the other one of the operating lever connecting portion and the operation connecting portion is a spherical portion to be attached and connected to the concave portion.
6. The automotive door lock device recited in claim 5, wherein the operating lever connecting portion is the concave portion and the operation connecting portion is the spherical portion held slidably by the concave portion.
7. The automotive door lock device recited in claim 5, wherein a tapered surface is formed on an opening periphery of the concave portion and a projection is formed inside the opening periphery.
8. The automotive door lock device recited in claim 5, wherein an opening of the concave portion faces the opening portion of the housing body.
9. The automotive door lock device recited in claim 5, wherein space sectioned by the concave portion is hemispherical.
10. The automotive door lock device recited in claim 1, wherein the housing body and the cover portion have distance keeping means for keeping the distance between the housing body and the cover portion constant when the cover portion is in a closed state.

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. An electrosurgical generator which supplies a high-frequency, high-voltage electrosurgical output signal to tissue to ornate an electrosurgical effect, the electrosurgical generator including a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the secondary winding conducting the electrosurgical output signal, the transformer inducing voltage and current signals between the primary and secondary windings that are distorted relative to one another due to inherent characteristics of the transformer at the high frequency and high-voltage of the electrosurgical output signal, the electrosurgical generator further comprising:
a primary voltage sensor connected to the primary winding to supply a primary voltage sense signal related to the voltage across the primary winding;
a primary current sensor connected to the primary winding to supply a primary current sense signal related to the current conducted through the primary winding; and
a simulation circuit receptive of the primary voltage sense signal and the primary current sense signal, the simulation circuit executing a mathematical simulation algorithm to transform at least one of the primary voltage and current sense signals into at least one simulated signal which accurately represents an actual value of the voltage or current of the electrosurgical output signal conducted by the secondary winding of the transformer, the transformation of the one of the primary voltage and current sense signals by the simulation algorithm correcting the distortion introduced by the transformer.
2. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 1, wherein:
the simulation algorithm executed by the simulation circuit responds to both the primary voltage and current sense signals to supply the one simulated signal.
3. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 1, wherein:
the simulation circuit executes at least one simulation algorithm which responds to both the primary voltage and current sense signals to supply simulated signals which accurately represent accurate values of both the voltage and current of the electrosurgical output signal.
4. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 1, wherein:
the simulation circuit responds to both the primary voltage and current sense signals and executes one simulation algorithm to supply one simulated signal which accurately represents the actual value of the voltage of the electrosurgical output signal conducted by the secondary winding of the transformer and executes another simulation algorithm which accurately represents the actual value of the current of the electrosurgical output signal.
5. An electrosurgical generator as defined In claim 4, wherein:
one of the simulation algorithms is derived from a lumped parameter, equivalent circuit model over a range of load parameters representative of the electrosurgical loads to which the electrosurgical output signal is normally applied; and
the other of the simulation algorithms is derived from iterative numerical comparison of the primary voltage and current sensed signals and the voltage and current of the electrosurgical output signal over a range of load parameters representative of the electrosurgical loads to which the electrosurgical output signal is normally applied.
6. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 1, wherein:
the simulation circuit comprises an array of logic gates which receive the primary voltage and current sense signals and execute the simulation algorithm in response to the primary voltage and current sense signals.
7. An electrosurgical generator as defined In claim 1, wherein:
the primary current and voltage sensors supply the primary current and voltage sense signals as analog signals, respectively; and further comprising:
an analog-to-digital converter for converting the primary voltage and current sense analog signals into primary voltage and current sense digital signals, respectively; and wherein:
the simulation circuit comprises an array of logic gates which receive the primary voltage and current sense digital signals and execute the simulation algorithm directly in response to the primary voltage and current sense digital signals.
8. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 1, wherein:
the simulation circuit comprises an array of logic gates which am programmed to execute the simulation algorithm.
9. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 1, wherein:
the transformer comprises part of a sensor, the secondary winding of the transformer conducts the electrosurgical output signal, and the primary winding of the transformer conducts at least one of the primary voltage and current sense signals.
10. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 1, wherein:
the transformer comprises a power output transformer of the electrosurgical generator, the secondary winding of the power output transformer supplies the electrosurgical output signal, and the primary winding of the power output transformer conducts an input voltage and an input current applied to induce the electrosurgical output signal from the secondary winding.
11. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 10, wherein:
the primary voltage sensor comprises a portion of the primary winding.
12. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 10, wherein:
the power output transformer comprises part of a power output circuit of the electrosurgical generator which also includes isolating capacitors connected in series with the secondary winding; and
the simulation circuit is responsive to both the primary voltage sense signal and the primary current sense signal and executes at least one mathematical simulation algorithm to transform the primary voltage and current sense signals into at least one simulated signal which accurately represents an actual value of voltage or current of the electrosurgical output signal conducted by the power output circuit, the simulation algorithm correcting for distortion introduced by the power output transformer and for any signal anomalies introduced by the isolation capacitors.
13. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 12, wherein:
the simulation algorithm is derived from a lumped parameter, equivalent circuit model of the power output circuit over a range of load parameters representative of the electrosurgical loads to which the electrosurgical output signal is normally applied.
14. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 13, wherein:
the simulation algorithm derived from the lumped parameter, equivalent circuit model supplies the simulated signal representative of voltage of the electrosurgical output signal.
15. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 12, wherein the simulation algorithm comprises a mathematical function which has a first variable formed by the primary-voltage sense signal, a second variable formed by the primary current sense signal, and a set of coefficients determined from an equivalent circuit model of the power output circuit.
16. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 12, wherein:
the simulation algorithm Is derived from iterative numerical comparison of the primary voltage and current sense signals and voltage and current of the electrosurgical output signal over a range of load parameters representative of the electrosurgical loads to which the electrosurgical output signal is normally applied.
17. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 12, wherein the simulation algorithm comprises a mathematical function which has a first variable formed by the primary voltage sense signal, a second variable formed by the primary current sense signal, and a set of coefficients determined by an iterative numerical comparison of the primary voltage and current sense signals and voltage and current of the electrosurgical output signal over a range of load parameters representative of the electrosurgical loads to which the electrosurgical output signal is normally applied:
18. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 12, wherein:
the simulation circuit executes at least one simulation algorithm which supplies a simulated signal that accurately represents the power of the electrosurgical output signal.
19. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 18, wherein:
the simulated signal supplied represents a mathematical product of accurate values of the voltage and current of the electrosurgical output signal.
20. An electrosurgical generator as defined in claim 18, wherein:
the simulated signal supplied represents a mathematical product of the primary voltage sense signal and the primary current sense signal from which is subtracted a value representative of core losses of the transformer.
21. A method of accurately simulating at least one of voltage or current of an electrosurgical output signal conducted by a secondary winding of a transformer which has inherent characteristics that distort the respective values of the current and voltage induced between a primary winding and the secondary winding of the transformer, comprising:
sensing a primary voltage across the primary winding of the transformer and supplying a primary voltage sense signal related to the voltage across the primary winding;
sensing a primary current conducted through the primary winding of the transformer and supplying a primary current sense signal related to the current conducted through the primary winding;
executing a mathematical simulation algorithm in response to the primary voltage and current sensed signals to transform at least one of the primary voltage and current sensed signals into at least one simulated signal which accurately represents an actual value of the voltage or current of the electrosurgical output signal conducted by the secondary winding of the transformer; and
compensating for the distortion Induced by the transformer in the mathematical simulation algorithm.
22. A method as defined in claim 21, further comprising:
executing the simulation algorithm to supply simulated signals which accurately represent actual values of both the voltage and current of the electrosurgical output signal.
23. A method as defined in claim 21, further comprising:
executing one simulation algorithm to supply one simulated signal which accurately represents the actual value of the voltage of the electrosurgical output signal conducted by the secondary winding of the transformer; and
executing another simulation algorithm to supply another simulated signal which accurately represents the actual value of the current of the electrosurgical output signal.
24. A method as defined in claim 23, further comprising:
deriving one of the simulation algorithms from a lumped parameter, equivalent circuit model over a range of load parameters representative of the electrosurgical loads to which the electrosurgical output signal is normally applied; and
deriving the other of the simulation algorithms from iterative numerical comparison of the primary voltage and current sensed signals and the voltage and current of the electrosurgical output signal over the range of load parameters representative of the electrosurgical loads to which the electrosurgical output signal is normally applied.
25. A method as defined in claim 21, further comprising:
executing the simulation algorithm in an array of logic gatos in response to the primary voltage and current sense signals.
26. A method as defined In claim 21 wherein the transformer comprises part of a sensor and the primary winding of the transformer conducts at least one of the primary voltage and current sense signals.
27. A method as defined in claim 21, wherein the transformer comprises a power output transformer of the electrosurgical generator, the secondary winding of the power output transformer supplies the electrosurgical output signal, and the primary winding of the power output transformer conducts an input voltage and an input current applied to induce the electrosurgical output signal from the secondary winding.
28. A method as defined in claim 27, wherein the power output transformer comprises part of a power output circuit of the electrosurgical generator which also Includes isolating capacitors connected In series with the secondary winding.
29. A method as defined in claim 28, further comprising:
deriving the simulation algorithm from a lumped parameter, equivalent circuit modal of the power output circuit over a range of load parameters representative of the electrosurgical loads to which the electrosurgical output signal is normally applied.
30. A method as defined in claim 28, further comprising:
forming the simulation algorithm as a mathematical function which supplies the simulated signal from a first variable formed by the primary voltage sense signal and from a second variable formed by the primary current sense signal and a set of coefficients determined from one of either an equivalent circuit model of the transformer or iterative numerical comparison of the voltage and current signals from the primary winding and the voltage and current of the electrosurgical output signal over a range of load parameters representative of the electrosurgical loads to which the electrosurgical output signal is normally applied.
31. A method as defined in claim 21, further comprising:
deriving the simulation algorithm from iterative numerical comparison of the primary voltage and current sense signals and the voltage and current of the electrosurgical output signal over a range of load parameters representative of the electrosurgical loads to which the electrosurgical output signal is normally applied.
32. A method as defined in claim 21, further comprising:
forming the mathematical algorithm as a mathematical function which supplies the simulated signal from a first variable formed by the primary voltage sense signal and a second variable formed by the primary current sense signal and a set of coefficients determined by an iterative numerical comparison of the primary voltage arid current sense signals and the voltage and current of the electrosurgical output signal over a range of load parameters representative of the electrosurgical loads to which the electrosurgical output signal is normally applied.
33. A method as defined in claim 21, further comprising:
executing at least one simulation algorithm which supplies a simulated signal that accurately represents the power of the electrosurgical output signal.
34. A method as defined in claim 33, wherein the simulated signal supplied represents a mathematical product of accurate values of the voltage and current of the electrosurgical output signal.
35. A method as defined in claim 33, wherein the a simulated signal supplied represents a mathematical product of the primary voltage sense signal and the primary current sense signal from which is subtracted a value representative of core losses of the transformer.