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Oil field operations often require the injection of a mixture of gaseous and liquid components to enhance the production of hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon-bearing formation. Wet steam, i.e., steam that has a water phase and a vapor phase, is often injected in hydrocarbon fields having heavy hydrocarbons to assist the movement of the hydrocarbons within the formation toward a production well. Typically, a 10% to 80% quality steam is injected into the formation. As the liquid and vapor phases travel down the injection tubing toward the formation, the liquid phase tends to segregate out along the walls of the tubing while the vapor phase remains within the center of the tube. In order to adequately assess the quality of steam being injected into the formation, it is necessary to have a uniform steam quality or liquid and vapor mixture as it enters the formation.
Steam flow agitators are placed in the string of injection tubing to insure the mixing of the liquid and vapor phases. Many of these flow agitators are baffles or restrictions in the tubing which cause the vapor and liquid phases to intermix. However, these baffles can cause undesirable back pressure within the injection tubing and may eventually clog unless high-purity water is used. The clogging can occur more rapidly if additives such as surfactants, foaming agents, or other chemicals are utilized along with the injected steam. More importantly, well logging survey tools, such as temperature, pressure, and spinner tools, cannot be used because of the restriction in the injection tubing.
Thus, it would be highly desirable to have an agitator which intermixes the liquid and vapor phases prior to injection but does not present a blockage within the tubing and permits the use of logging tools to pass through the flow agitators. | {
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Flash memory is an electronic non-volatile computer storage medium that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. Flash cells are used in a wide variety of commercial and military electronic devices and equipment. In flash memory cells, over erase associated with stacked gate structures is eliminated by the use of a split gate structure. | {
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Fluorescent lights are the most common light source used in commercial buildings. As is well known, to provide the same amount of light output, a fluorescent bulb requires more electrical power when cold than after it has heated up. Once heated up, the extra power provided during start-up is dissipated as heat and does not substantially affect the light output of the bulb as perceived by the user. Indeed, the extra power has the advantage that the light output from the bulb does not perceptibly decrease when the line voltage drops, as, for example, when a large piece of electrical equipment such as an air-conditioner compressor comes on-line.
As a result of these considerations, the manufacturers of fluorescent lighting have historically used ballasts whose effective impedance, whether provided by electrical components (resistors, capacitors and/or inductors) or by electronic circuits, has been selected so that the fluorescent bulb is always operated in an overpowered condition. This overpowering has been substantial, with power consumption typically running 20-30% higher than that actually required to operate a warmed-up fluorescent bulb. Recently, energy efficient fluorescent bulbs have been introduced to the market. These bulbs consume less energy but take substantial periods of time before they reach full light output. Also, these energy efficient bulbs come with their own ballasts and thus do not address the problem of the installed base of existing fluorescent fixtures with ballasts designed for overpowering.
The need to reduce the electrical power consumed by lighting has become especially acute in older buildings whose electrical systems were designed at the time when the use of electronic equipment, e.g., computers, was less prevalent or substantially non-existent. In many of these buildings, it is physically impossible to feed more power to the building, especially in the case of older skyscrapers where the electrical conduits running up the center of the building are already filled to capacity. The situation has become so severe in some older buildings that entire floors cannot be used because of insufficient power to both light the floor and provide users with the electricity needed in a modern office.
Some efforts have been made to address the power consumption problem by installing fixed phase SCRs in the power lines leading to fluorescent light fixtures. In practice, these approaches have proved unacceptable to consumers because of (1) low output from the fluorescent lights during start-up and (2) reduced light output under low voltage conditions. That is, these approaches have simply re-introduced the problems which led to overpowering in the first place. Moreover, switching of the SCRs leads to unacceptable levels of noise (e.g., harmonic distortion) on utility power lines, as well as power factor issues. For large buildings, the electrical noise/power factor problems can reach levels where power companies often seek premium rates for their power, thus reducing the consumer's economic incentive to reduce power consumption.
There thus exists a need in the industry for improved systems for reducing the power consumption of fluorescent lights. In particular, there exists a need for improved systems that can be readily retrofitted into existing buildings employing overdriven fluorescent lights without reintroducing start-up and low voltage problems and without significantly affecting the operation of utility power lines. The present invention, in its preferred embodiments, addresses and solves these existing problems in this field. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Generally, users employ keywords in conducting searches in different domains, including online media. Keywords tend to be predetermined by search engines or other online media being accessed by a user. Lists of keywords, as such, are typically static and then may be partly refreshed based on retrieved search results. However, the evolution of an event or other item associated with a keyword (and that may be sought in a search) is normally not considered, nor is temporal or spatial information relating to the event or other item.
As such, conventional keyword management arrangements tend not to take into account complexities such as those just mentioned. More particularly, such methods tend only to focus on expanding a query based on words which are thought to increase precision and recall, while no contextual, spatial or temporal information is considered. Query expansion methods thus become static, and terms that may be useless or outdated may well not be removed, even if such may be warranted on the basis of a realtime status of the event or item in question. | {
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The present invention relates to a method for controlling computer network security.
Firewalls and intrusion detection systems are devices that are used to protect a computer network from unauthorized or disruptive users. A firewall can be used to secure a local area network from users outside the local area network. A firewall checks, routes, and frequently labels all messages sent to or from users outside the local area network. An intrusion detection system (IDS) can be used to recognize suspicious patterns of behavior in a communication system. Examples of an intrusion detection system include a network intrusion detection system (NIDS) and a host intrusion detection system (HIDS). A NIDS can be used to examine information being communicated within a network to recognize suspicious patterns of behavior. A HIDS can be used to examine information being communicated through a particular host computer within a network to recognize suspicious patterns of behavior. Information obtained by the intrusion detection system (IDS) can be used to block unauthorized or disruptive users from accessing the network.
Either a firewall or an intrusion detection system can create log records that record incoming and outgoing events into or out of a network. Log records can include events such as security violations, bandwidth usage, email usage, and employee access to the Internet. Typically, these log records are reviewed by network security administrators in order to detect attempted security breaches or to find trends in traffic patterns. Since the number of log records is typically quite large, query languages are often used to analyze the log records to detect attempted security intrusions. Query languages can also be used to analyze the log records and generate reports summarizing these log records for the network administrator. These reports can be used by the network administrator to respond to a recognized network security intrusion. Query language instructions operating on log records can also be used to generate alerts for the network administrator. Since the number of log records can be quite large, the network security solutions utilizing query language instructions to analyze the log records can be slow. Query language based solutions can be slow when all the log records are analyzed every time a new query is received. | {
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The use of free-standing potty chairs by young children is well known. Potty chairs provide a portable, and conveniently-sized toilet means for young children, and serve as preparatory appartuses in teaching young children to use conventional toilets.
Another device used in the teaching process is a toilet trainer which is designed to be supportably positioned on top of and cooperate with the water closet and/or seat of a conventional toilet. Such toilet trainers are provided with seats having apertures small enough to prevent young children from slipping through. Additionally, toilet trainers are available which include a step and, in some devices, hand grips to help young children position themselves on top of the toilet trainer seat.
Free-standing potty chairs and toilet trainers are most generally available as separate units. As a result, parents have incurred the expense and inconvenience of having both types of devices on hand. In the past, unitary, convertible potty chair and toilet trainer devices which have been made available have proven to be inadequate primarily from a stability and ease-of-use standpoint. Specifically, such convertible devices have not provided for a toilet trainer arrangement wherein the training device, when positioned upon the water closet and/or seat of a conventional toilet, is adequately stabilized on and about the water closet and/or seat. Additionally, known convertible devices have failed to provide a step means for children to use when positioning themselves upon a toilet trainer seat that is resting on top of the water closet and/or seat of a conventional toilet. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ion measuring system, and in particular relates to a multi-electrode measuring system which is able apply for biomedicine, chemistry related fields, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
The ion sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET) was first invented by P. Bergveld in 1970, and the ISFET is based on a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). Moreover, the gate of the MOSFET was replaced by a sensing membrane and electrolyte. A sensing membrane and H+ and OH− in a sample solution results in an adsorption-binding effect to make the potential on the surface of an electrode change, thus obtaining the ion concentration of a sample solution.
In 1983, J. Van der Spiegel et al developed an extended gate chemical sensitive field effect transistor, which used a plane array structure, including four sensing parts deposited of different materials such as IrOx, LaF3, AgCl and Ag2S to from the sensing thin films for detecting four kinds of ions, H+, F−, Cl− and Ag+, (J. Van der Spiegel, I. Lauks, P. Chan D. Babic, 1983, “The extended gate chemical sensitive field effect transistor as multi-species microprobe”, Sensors and Actuators B, Vol. 4, pp. 291-298).
Taiwan Patent No. I236533, disclose a biochemical sensing method and the sensing device thereof. A current/voltage converting circuit is able to convert current signals into analog voltage signals; and the analog voltage signals may be converted into digital voltage signals by an analog/digital converter; finally an electronic device is used to receive and analyze the digital voltage signals and an amount of a specific compound is determined by the analyzing step.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,348,783 disclose a multi-functional pH meter and the fabrication thereof. The pH meter provides an immediate display of the measurement result and a saving function which is beneficial for development of a portable detecting device. In addition, the multi-functional pH meter has data communication functionality with a computer, drift and hysteresis software calibration is also provided. | {
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The increasing sophistication of electronic circuits and systems presents unique challenges for circuit designers. The operating frequency of modern electrical and electronic equipment continues to increase, in order to reduce the physical size and weight of the electronic circuits and systems. However, the trend is hindered by the possible generation of undesirable effects, such as ringing and resonance, due to parasitic effects associated with the components, the physical orientation of the components, and/or the layout of components, devices and/or conductive tracks on printed circuit boards within an electronic circuit or system. These parasitic elements degrade the high-frequency performance of the entire electronic circuit or system.
There are many electronic circuit or system designs where parasitic inductance is a significant element that restricts circuit performance. Given an applied voltage, the parasitic inductance limits the rate at which the current can change. At high frequencies, parasitic inductance can have a major impact on chip performance and can cause chip failure if inductance is not properly detected and corrected. Self inductance is a property of a circuit whereby a change in current causes a change in voltage especially in circuit designs containing long paths or board traces. Mutual inductance comprises the full electromagnetic effect of one current loop over another especially in circuit designs containing long paths that are shielded.
A capacitor is one of the key components in the input and output filters of an electrical circuit. It is typically used as a shunt element to attenuate undesirable signals. However, its equivalent series inductance (ESL) and equivalent series resistance (ESR) significantly affect the capacitor's high frequency (HF) performance, causing non-ideal filter behavior.
FIG. 1 shows the schematic representation of a prior art high-frequency model for a capacitor 10. The capacitor 10 behaves like an inductor when the operating frequency is higher than the damped resonance frequency of the capacitor 10. The damped resonance frequency is determined by the capacitance of the capacitor, its ESL 12, and its ESR 14. FIG. 2 shows an impedance against operating frequency curve 20 for a 470 μF electrolytic capacitor, in which its ESL is 147 nH and its ESR is 67 mΩ. The damped resonance frequency fdr of the capacitor 10 coincides with the minimum value of impedance as illustrated in FIG. 2. The capacitor impedance is dominated by the ESL at high frequencies and its impedance increases with the operating frequency.
The ESL and ESR will introduce undesired voltage ripple at the output of the filter, conducted noise at the input of the filter, and resonance with the other components and parasitic element in the circuit. FIG. 3 shows a buck converter 30 with prior art capacitors 10 as the input and output capacitors. The supply source 32 of the converter 30 is vin. The duty time of the switching element S 34 is adjusted to control the output voltage 36 across the load. FIG. 4 depicts the effects of ESL and ESR on the output voltage of the buck converter 30 when there is a sudden load change. The initial voltage spike 40 is firstly caused by ESL. Then, the effect of the ESR that causes a voltage step 41 that follows. After the transient period settles, the capacitor 10 will discharge to the load 36. Thus, it is crucial to cancel the effects caused by the ESL and ESR.
One prior-art approach for overcoming the parasitic effects is to connect several capacitors of different types in parallel so that different frequency ranges can be covered. However, this only partially resolves the problem at the expense of increasing the physical size, complexity and cost of the electronic circuit or system. Moreover, the added capacitors might resonate with the stray inductance within the circuit and the ESL of other added capacitors.
There are two main approaches to canceling the effects of parasitic inductance on a circuit or system. The first is based on canceling the parasitic inductance of a particular component while the second is based on canceling the effect caused by all parasitic inductances in the entire circuit or system.
As shown in FIG. 5, some coupled magnetic windings 11a, 11b are used to nullify the effect of the parasitic inductance of the capacitor 10. The coupled windings 11a, 11b will give an equivalent negative inductance in series with the capacitor. Although the ESL can be canceled, the structure will produce an additional inductance in series with the load 36. Moreover, it cannot cancel the ESR effect. This will affect the dynamic behavior of the output voltage across the load 36. Such structure is more suitable for input filter design. Nevertheless, the coupling effect is highly dependent on the magnetic properties of the core materials of the coupled windings.
A prior-art method using the second approach is based on adding passive circuits. The parasitic effects are canceled at the circuit level. By extending the first approach, a coupled winding that can cancel parasitic inductance of capacitors in an electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter has been proposed. In other approaches, some active noise cancellation circuits that can cancel the undesired effects caused by the parasitic elements have been proposed. | {
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1. Related Applications
This application is a Continuation-In-Part of application Ser. No. 534,805, filed 9-22-83, entitled "Vehicle Compactor" now U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,858, which is a Divisional of application Ser. No. 347,489, filed 2-10-82, entitled "Vehicle Compactor" which has now been issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,928.
2. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to junk metal compactors and in particular to those designed for the compaction of vehicles.
3. Description of the Prior Art
One type of compactor for vehicles has a flat frame supporting a plurality of upstanding members. Several of the upstanding members support a pair of opposed doors which pivot toward and, when closed, parallel the frame to sequentially crush segments of the vehicle as it is advanced through the compactor. To manipulate each door a two-part linkage, connected by an elbow pin, has one of its ends secured to the door. The other end of the linkage is pivotally mounted by several other upstanding members, the pivot axis being supported substantially above the frame and above the pivot axis for the corresponding door. Each door is raised and lowered by a hydraulic cylinder having one end supported by still other upstanding members, the other end of the cylinder connected to the linkage elbow pin. Accordingly, actuating the hydraulic cylinders manipulates the linkages to, in turn, drive the doors for opening and closing.
One drawback of the type of compactor described above is that the linkages are supported at the ends of the upstanding members which are relatively distant to the frame. Accordingly the upstanding members must be large or additional supporting means are required to prevent these members from deforming under the forces imposed upon the linkage during compaction. This adds not only additional weight but also cost to the device.
Another drawback is that the doors, linkages and hydraulic cylinders all require independent, pivotal supports. Again, this increases the weight and cost of the device.
Another problem with prior compactors, including the type described above, relates to the means by which the vehicle is advanced through the device. Typically a winch line, supported in front of the device by a pulley secured to a stake in the ground, is attached to the front of the vehicle to pull it through the device for compaction. The disposition of the pulley in front of the device enables the entire vehicle to be pulled therethrough. However, during advancement of the vehicle, the compactor tends to walk toward the stake. Eventually the space between the stake and device becomes such that one or the other must be repositioned. Accordingly, constant supervision is required and time is wasted during repositioning.
Still another drawback found in the compactors of the prior art, is that manual operation is required to repeatedly compact a segment of the vehicle and advance a new segment into the device for compaction. Manual operation is time consuming and costly.
Yet still another drawback is that many prior art compactors are not easily portable from one location to another. Often the weight of a compactor necessitates the use of a large flatbed trailer. In turn, apparatus must be provided to lift the compactor onto the trailer. These are contributing factors to the cost of compactor operation. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wheeled carriers, and more particularly to two wheeled dumping carts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Two wheeled dumping carts are known in the prior art. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,178,228 of C. Gibson et al a dumping hand cart is disclosed including a three sided frame pivotally supporting a hopper, a wheel and axle assembly mounted to the frame, a semi-circular handle rigidly attached to the frame, and a rather complex over center link and lever assembly for controlling the dumping action of the hopper.
While the cart of Gibson et al is efficient to use, it is not as correspondingly efficient to store or to ship. The frame, handle, link and lever assembly, and wheel assembly are all either permanently or semi-permanently attached together and thus cannot be easily removed to make the dumping cart more compact. Furthermore, even if Gibson's cart could be disassembled its component members would be too large to fit within the cart's hopper and thus would have to be stored separately. Also, the number of members to the link and lever assembly would tend to indicate that Gibson had not contemplated a disassemblable dumping cart.
What the prior art fails to disclose, then, is a dumping cart that can be easily broken down to its component members so that it may be compactly stored and shipped. | {
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The present invention relates generally to high density multilayer interconnect (HDMI) structures, and more particularly, to an attachment method for assembling flexible HDMI decals comprising flexible fine line interconnect structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,245, entitled "Methods of Forming Two-Sided HDMI Interconnect Structures", assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses methods of forming double-sided high density multilayer interconnect structures. These inventions produce single- and double-sided HDMI structures that are useful in producing interconnection substrates for electronic components, three-dimensional flexible cables, membrane IC test boards and power devices, and the like that require fine line metallized conductors. The present invention improves upon these particular inventions.
No prior art is known that specifically relates to the present invention. An alternative to the present invention is to not use a protective film on the top surface of the HDMI decal. This structure would be subject to problems that the present invention avoids. More specifically, the top surface of the HDMI decal would not be flat after mounting to a carrier substrate which causes problems when mounting integrated circuit chips to the top surface of the HDMI decal, and adhesive bleedout could encroach onto the top surface of the decal preventing electrical connection of the decal to its mounting substrate. The protective film also serves to prevent mechanical damage to the top of the HDMI decal during delamination of the HDMI decal from the substrate and through the decal mounting process.
Consequently, it is an objective of the present invention to provide for an improved attachment method for assembling flexible HDMI structures that provides a flat surface for mounting integrated circuit chips. It is also an objective of the present invention to provide for an improved attachment method for assembling flexible HDMI structures that eliminates problems of adhesive bleedout encroaching onto the top surface of the decal which would prevent electrical connection of the decal to its mounting substrate. It is an additional objective of the present invention to protect the top of the HDMI decal from mechanical damage. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pressure vessel for a toilet, particularly to one that able to guide pressured water into a drain valve so as to open it for flushing the toilet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Commonly, a conventional vessel used for a toilet to carry out flushing is based on gravity force and water level drop, which, actually, are not strong enough to flush down, always needing more water to clean up the toilet, causing a waste of water. In order to be more economic, a pressure vessel has been invented to overcome such a disadvantage. The pressure vessel is mainly installed with an airtight vessel inside it, provided with a drain valve. When water flows into the airtight vessel, air in the airtight vessel is to be compressed to store up some pressure energy that is to strongly enhance extra force, plus the gravity force and the water level drop, to obtain more complete and cleaner flushing when the piston of the drain valve is raised up to keep a water exit opened for releasing the pressurized water in the pressure vessel, able to achieve a good flushing effect with even less water. Such a pressure vessel is disclosed in a U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,698 that includes an airtight vessel, an air and water entry device, a drain valve, a controlling valve and a water entry valve for supplying a pressure for the drain valve. The conventional pressure vessel has still disadvantages as described below.
1. The moment when the drain valve is opened, water in the drain valve to be rushed down is still too less to carry out flushing.
2. If water in the drain valve is to be dropped down for washing, a pressing device on the top has to be pressed down to enable the drain valve to open. In practice, it needs a considerable force to press down the pressing device initially because a strong rebounding force possessed by a compressed spring in the drain valve must be surpassed, inconvenient for operation.
Next, another pressure auxiliary double flushing system disclosed in a U.S. patent No. 2004/0194200 can, though, solve the disadvantages mentioned above, it has a very complicated structure, difficult for assembly and having a high cost. Relatively, it has a higher possibility of breakdown. Also, the pressure vessel of the pressure auxiliary double washing system is to be filled with water until the water exit of the drain valve is completely sealed by a piston in the pressure vessel pressed down by the pressured water rushing into the drain valve. So, it is to take a longer time, about 10 seconds, than a regular pressure vessel for refilling the vessel, having to wait a while for next use. In addition, because the pressure auxiliary double washing system is operated via releasing the pressured water from the drain valve to enforce the piston to move up and disclose the water exit for water to flush down, therefore, the drain valve is as well to move upwards mistakenly to release water if a pressure releasing tube communicated with the drain valve is damaged or leaking, possible to cause a waste of water source. | {
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Implantable medical devices (IMDs) are often utilized in modern healthcare to facilitate the ability for patients to lead healthy and full lives. For example, IMDs such as pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), neurostimulators, and drug pumps can facilitate management of a wide range of ailments, including, but not limited to, cardiac arrhythmias, diabetes, and Parkinson's disease. Patients and medical care providers can monitor the IMD and assess a patient's current and historical physiological state to identify conditions or predict impending events.
The sophistication of IMDs is evolving to provide for advanced computing and telemetry capabilities. There is a desire to use commercially available or non-proprietary telemetry communication protocols for wireless communication between implantable devices and external devices in order to more easily facilitate widespread provisioning of telemetry solutions. However, as commercially available telemetry protocols are employed to perform telemetry with an implantable device, the knowledge of how to initiate and conduct a telemetry session with the implantable device can become publicly available. As a result, it is important that the implantable device securely provide or receive sensitive information to or from only authorized devices. Accordingly, systems, methods, apparatus and computer-readable storage media that facilitate telemetry data communication security between an implantable device and an external device are desired. | {
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Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various communication services such as, for example, voice, video, packet data, messaging, or broadcast. These wireless networks may be multiple-access networks capable of supporting multiple users by sharing the available network resources. Examples of such multiple-access networks include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) networks, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) networks, Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) networks, and Single-Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) networks.
A wireless communication network may include a number of base stations that can support communication for a number of user equipments (UEs), also referred to as mobile devices or mobile entities. A UE may communicate with a base station via a downlink and an uplink. The downlink (or forward link) refers to the communication link from the base station to the UE, and the uplink (or reverse link) refers to the communication link from the UE to the base station. As used herein, a “base station” means an eNode B (eNB), a Node B, a Home Node B, or similar network component of a wireless communications system.
The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) represents a major advance in cellular technology as an evolution of Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). The LTE physical layer (PHY) provides a highly efficient way to convey both data and control information between base stations, such as an evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and mobile devices, such as UEs. In prior applications, a method for facilitating high bandwidth communication for multimedia has been single frequency network (SFN) operation. SFNs utilize radio transmitters, such as, for example, eNBs, to communicate with subscriber UEs. In unicast operation, each eNB is controlled so as to transmit signals carrying information directed to one or more particular subscriber UEs. The specificity of unicast signaling enables person-to-person services such as, for example, voice calling, text messaging, or video calling.
In multicast broadcast operation, several eNBs in an area broadcast signals in a synchronized fashion, carrying information that can be received and accessed by any subscriber UE in the broadcast area. The generality of multicast broadcast operation enables greater efficiency in transmitting information of general public interest, for example, event-related multimedia broadcasts. As the demand and system capability for event-related multimedia and other multicast broadcast services has increased, system operators have shown increasing interest in making use of multicast broadcast operation in 3GPP and 3GPP2 networks. In the past, 3GPP LTE technology has been primarily used for unicast service, leaving opportunities for improvements and enhancements related to multicast broadcast signaling. Analogous multicast operations may also be implemented in wireless communications outside of the 3GPP or 3GPP2 context. | {
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There is a significant and growing need for the ex vivo creation of mammalian tissues for the augmentation or replacement of damaged tissues and organs. For example, cartilage cells produced in vitro may be useful for repairing cartilage that has been damaged in a knee injury or deteriorated by osteoarthritis.
The successful development of tissues created ex vivo depends on several factors. Such factors may include an adequate cell source that can be grown and differentiated into the desired tissue, a template that will promote cell adhesion and induce the deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, and a growth environment that will foster cell communication.
Different cells must possess different properties for proper functioning in the human body. For example, articular cartilage, or the cartilage that lines bones in joints, is firm and flexible connective tissue that is specialized to absorb and resist compression. Articular cartilage is protected by a nutritive and lubricating medium known as the synovial fluid of the joint. Cartilage is composed of chondrocyte cells, which occupy 10-20% of its volume, and an extracellular material that contains up to 80% water by weight.
The chondrocytes are enclosed within small cavities, called lacunae, generally in groups of 2, 4, or 6 cells as a result of mitosis and restricted cellular movement. The extracellular material consists primarily of large hydrated proteoglycan aggregates entrapped within a matrix of collagen fibrils. The matrix is predominantly made of type II collagen which forms a meshwork of high tensile-strength fibrils. The entrapped proteoglycans (also called mucopolysaccharides) are composed of a core protein that forms a backbone to which many glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains are covalently attached. The GAGs are high negatively charged molecules that encourage the binding of water and the generation of a large osmotic swelling pressure.
The mechanical behavior of articular cartilage is similar to that of a sponge. During rest, for example when a person is sitting or lying down, the osmotic pressure generated by the proteoglycan aggregates fills the tissue with water up to its maximum capacity. This swelling pressure is contained only by the resilient collagen meshwork. Under load, such as when the person is standing up or walking, the weight of the body compresses the cartilage, squeezing water out until the osmotic pressure generated by the polyglycan produces a swelling force (due to the bound water) equal to the compressive force across the joint. When the load is removed, the cartilage slowly swells back to its full extent.
In order for the tissue created in vitro to function properly, it must have the same properties as the native tissue, or tissue found naturally in the human body. For example, experimental evidence has shown that the application of mechanical stimuli to engineered chondrocytic constructs that emulate the forces applied to articular cartilage leads to the production of a more functional artificially-produced tissue. In other words, tissue developed using the application of mechanical loading is more similar in its content and mechanical properties to physiologic cartilage than tissue produced without mechanical loading.
The main types of mechanical loads that have been investigated include (1) hydrostatic pressure, (2) direct mechanical compression, (3) high and/or low shear forces, (4) forced perfusion, and (5) ultrasonic compression or shear wave induction. Each of these involves the application of actual mechanical stimulation to the cells growing in vitro. A persistent drawback of each of these types of mechanical stimulation, however, is the increased complexity of the system necessary to produce the mechanical load stimulus. This complexity is magnified when production systems are scaled-up for producing large quantities of tissue.
Thus, there is a need for a bioreactor and method for producing and maintaining cells that are similar in content and possess similar mechanical properties to physiologic cells on a large scale with reduced complexity. | {
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Technical Field
The invention relates to a system and architecture that enables customer service applications to access and share data with enterprise information systems in real time.
Description of the Background Art
To automate customer service functions, business applications need to exchange data with a variety of enterprise information systems, such as: customer relationship management systems (for managing customer profiles and transactions), supply chain management systems (for managing logistics and procurement), order entry systems, and e-commerce systems. Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) tools have emerged to enable business applications to connect and share data with multiple information systems. These tools shield applications from the development and maintenance burden required to link data across systems that use different data structures, run on different architectures, or are provided by different vendors.
Current EAI tools have a number of limitations. These tools are heavyweight, requiring specialized staff for system administration. They may not use business objects or, if they use business objects, these business objects are vendor-specific, or are limited to business objects from one specific business vertical, e.g. health care, travel, insurance, etc. As a result, these tools facilitate integration with information systems from only a single vendor or a specific vertical. These tools are low-level; they essentially comprise a programming model and a development kit that provides only basic building blocks. Current tools will support a predefined set of data protocols, and cannot be easily extended to handle custom protocols. These tools do not monitor and adapt their operation to the quality of service of the connected enterprise information systems. Also, current tools were designed and architected for single-tenant use, and force the deployment of multiple instances to handle multi-tenant applications. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to connectors for high-speed signal transmission. More specifically, the present invention relates to connectors in which wires are directly connected to contacts of the connectors.
2. Description of the Related Art
High-speed cable routing has been used to transmit signals between substrates, such as printed circuit boards, of electronic devices. Conventional high-speed cable routing often requires routing in very tight and/or low-profile spaces. However, as data rates increase (i.e., the frequency of the high-speed signal increases), the cost of high-performance high-speed transmission systems increases as well. High-speed signals transmitted from between substrates generally follow a path of: 1) a trace of the transmitting substrate; 2) a first connector mounted to the transmitting substrate; 3) a substrate of a second connector that is inserted into the first connector; 4) a high-speed cable connected to the second-connector substrate at a transmitting end of the high-speed cable; 5) a substrate of a third connector connected the high-speed cable at a receiving end of the high-speed cable; 6) a fourth connector, mounted to the receiving substrate, that receives the third-connector substrate; and 7) a trace of the receiving substrate.
Conventional high-speed cable assemblies typically include two connectors (i.e., the second and third connectors listed above) that are connected by high-speed cables. Accordingly, conventional high-speed cable routing also requires an additional two connectors (i.e., the first and fourth connectors listed above) to connect the high-speed cables to transmitting and receiving substrates.
The signal quality is affected every time the transmitted signal transfers from each of the listed items above. That is, the signal quality is degraded when the signal is transmitted between 1) the trace of the transmitting substrate and 2) the first connector mounted to the transmitting substrate, between 2) the first connector mounted to the transmitting substrate and 3) the second-connector substrate that is inserted into the first connector, etc. The signal quality can even be affected within each of the items above. For example, a signal transmitted on the trace of the transmitting or receiving substrate can suffer significant insertion loss.
High-speed cable assemblies are relatively expensive, due in part to the cost of high-speed cable and the two connectors that include substrates (i.e., the second and third connectors listed above). Each connector of the high-speed cable assembly also requires processing time. Thus, the full cost of a high-speed cable assembly cable includes the cable, the high-speed-cable-assembly connectors on each end of the cable, the processing time required for each of these connectors, and the area required on a substrate for each connector.
To reduce the overall size of the high-speed cable assembly, smaller connectors and cables have been attempted. However, using smaller connectors and cables can both increase the cost and reduce the performance of high-speed cable assemblies. Eliminating the high-speed cable assembly has been attempted by transmitting the signal only on substrates. However, signals transmitted on a substrate generally have higher insertion losses compared to many cables, including, for example, micro coaxial (coax) and twinaxial (twinax) cables. Thus, eliminating the high-speed cable assembly can result in reduced signal integrity and degraded performance.
Exotic materials and RF/Microwave connectors have been used to improve the performance of high-speed cable assemblies. However, such materials and connectors increase both the cost and the size of a high-speed cable assembly. Low-cost conductors, dielectrics, and connectors have been used to reduce the overall cost of systems that rely on high-speed cable routing. However, low-cost conductors, dielectrics, and connectors decrease the performance of high-speed cable assemblies and can also increase their size. | {
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This invention relates to remediation of environmental contamination. More particularly, the invention relates to methods for accelerating or enhancing in situ dehalogenation of nonaqueous halogenated solvents in ground water. These methods involve adding to the contaminated ground water a composition of matter that both functions as an electron donor for halorespiration processes carried out by indigenous or exogenously supplied bacteria, wherein the nonaqueous halogenated solvents are dehalogenated and degraded to innocuous compounds, and promotes mass transfer of the nonaqueous halogenated solvents from a source into the ground water where such solvents can be broken down.
For many years little care was taken in the handling of organic solvents and other materials that were used in industry and at government installations, such as military bases. Because of poor handling techniques and, occasionally, intentional dumping, many industrial sites and military bases now have contaminated areas containing relatively high concentrations of these contaminants. Chlorinated solvents, such as trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), and other types of liquids, are common at such sites, and if not removed can infiltrate groundwater supplies, rendering the water unfit for consumption and other uses.
A variety of techniques have been used to promote the removal of such chemical contaminants, both from the soil and from the ground water. The principle method of ground water remediation currently used where dense, non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) are involved is what is commonly referred to as “pump-and-treat” remediation. According to this method, wells are drilled into the contaminated area and contaminated ground water is pumped above the surface, where it is treated to remove the contaminants.
The limitations of the pump-and-treat method have been documented in articles such as D. M. Mackay & J. A. Cherry, Groundwater Contamination: Pump and Treat Remediation, 23 Environ. Sci. Technol. 630-636 (1989). The authors of this article concluded that pump-and-treat remediation can only be relied on to contain ground water contamination through the manipulation of hydraulic gradients within an aquifer. The reasons for the failure of the pump-and-treat method to decontaminate aquifers are rooted in the limited aqueous solubility of many DNAPLs in ground water and other processes involving contaminant desorption and diffusion. Because of the low aqueous solubility of most DNAPLs, their removal by ground water extraction requires exceptionally long periods of time.
Due to the general impracticability of the pump-and-treat method, considerable attention has been paid recently to other methods for effecting remediation. One such process is commonly referred to as enhanced solubilization. This method uses micellar surfactants to increase the effective solubility of the DNAPLs to accelerate the rate of removal. The mechanism of solubilization displayed by surfactants arises from the formation of microemulsions by the surfactants, water, and the solubilized DNAPLs. For example, Table 1 shows solubilization of PCE by various nonionic and anionic surfactants. These data indicate that even dilute surfactants can significantly increase the aqueous solubility of PCE.
TABLE 1SurfactantPCESurfactantConcentrationSolubilized (mg/l)Water0%240Nonylphenol ethoxylate and2%11,700its phosphate ester (1:1)Sodium diamyl and dioctyl4%85,000sulfosuccinates (1:1) in 500 mgCaCl2/lNonylphenol ethoxylate1%1,300
A serious drawback with the surfactant-enhanced aquifer remediation is that the vertical mobility of the solubilized DNAPLs substantially requires that an aquiclude be present to catch any solubilized contaminant that migrates vertically. Many aquifers, however, lack such an aquiclude. If the traditional surfactant-enhanced aquifer remediation method were to be used with an aquifer lacking an aquiclude, there is a significant risk that the solubilized DNAPLs will spread vertically and contaminate an increasingly large volume. Another drawback of surfactant-enhanced aquifer remediation is the need to pump high concentrations of contaminated water above ground, which results in exposure risks to workers and the environment, and the need to dispose or recycle the surfactant.
Another method for effecting remediation of ground water contaminated with DNAPLs is known as enhanced bioremediation. Enhanced bioremediation, as opposed to intrinsic bioremediation, of halogenated solvent-contaminated ground water falls into the two broad categories of aerobic and anaerobic bioremediation. The aerobic processes, regardless of whether they are carried out in situ or in a bioreactor, require addition of (1) oxygen as the electron acceptor for catabolism of the halogenated solvents, and (2) a carbon source, such as methane, propane, phenol, toluene, or butane. The utilization of an appropriate carbon source induces an enzyme that fortuitously degrades many halogenated solvents, but without any immediate benefit to the microorganisms involved. This process has been applied in situ to aqueous contamination in several instances, and at least one patent has been granted for this approach (U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,048). It has also been used to treat aqueous contamination in above-ground bioreactors with numerous variations, especially using proprietary microorganisms and nutrient mixes. Many patents have been granted in this area, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,057,221; 5,962,305; 5,945,331.
Anaerobic bioremediation of halogenated solvents is a fundamentally different process than aerobic bioremediation. Under appropriate anaerobic conditions, chlorinated solvents can be used directly by some microorganisms as electron acceptors through a process that has come to be known as “chlororespiration,” or, more generally, “halorespiration.” D. L. Freedman & J. M. Gossett, Biological Reductive Dechlorination of Tetrachloroethylene and Trichloroethylene to Ethylene Under Methanogenic Conditions, 55 Applied Environ. Microbiol. 2144-2155 (1989), first published the complete degradation pathway for chlorinated ethenes to ethene. In the following years, several publications reported evidence that the degradation could be achieved through microbial respiration, indicating that the microorganisms could actually grow by using chlorinated solvents directly as electron acceptors. The primary requirement to facilitate this process is the addition of a suitable electron donor or carbon source. Many electron donors have been described in the literature, including acetate, lactate, propionate, butyrate, formate, ethanol, hydrogen, and many others. U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,815 issued in 1994 for in situ electron donor addition along with control of redox conditions to effect the desired end products. U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,210 issued later for enhanced anaerobic in situ bioremediation using “biotransformation enhancing agents,” i.e., electron donors such as propylene glycol, glycerol, glutamate, a mixture of proteose peptone, beef extract, yeast extract, malt extract, dextrose, and ascorbic acid, and mixtures thereof. Based primarily on what was publicly available in the scientific literature, studies of enhanced anaerobic in situ bioremediation of chlorinated solvents began in the mid-1990s. This approach generally includes electron donor addition, sometimes with other micronutrients, to facilitate biotransformation of aqueous-phase contaminants. To date, only a few large-scale studies have been published in the peer-reviewed literature, but environmental consulting companies and remediation contractors are increasingly using the general approach.
With one very recent exception, discussed below, all of the work done in this area to date has focused on the biodegradation of aqueous contaminants, because microorganisms cannot directly degrade nonaqueous contaminants. Consequently, bioremediation is not generally thought to be applicable to sites with residual DNAPLs in the subsurface. Therefore, the technologies currently in use include thermal technologies such as steam stripping, in situ chemical oxidation, surfactant flushing, or co-solvent flushing. Surfactant (or co-solvent) flushing, briefly described above, is a chemical process that aims to facilitate transport of nonaqueous contaminants, but without attention to biodegradation. At many sites, however, the pump-and-treat process continues to be used to hydraulically contain residual source areas although it is almost universally accepted that these systems will have to operate in perpetuity because of their inefficient removal of nonaqueous contaminants.
The notable recent exception to the focus of bioremediation on aqueous contaminants away from residual source areas is a study by C. S. Carr et al., Effect of Dechlorinating Bacteria on the Longevity and Composition of PCE-Containing Nonaqueous Phase Liquids under Equilibrium Dissolution Conditions, 34 Environ. Sci. Technol. 1088-1094 (2000), demonstrating that anaerobic bioremediation of tetrachloroethene (PCE) enhanced mass transfer from the nonaqueous phase to the aqueous phase and significantly shortened the longevity of the nonaqueous source. The mechanisms identified were (1) enhanced dissolution of PCE resulting from the continuous removal of the compound from the aqueous phase by bacteria, and (2) increased solubility of the intermediate chlorinated ethenes relative to PCE, allowing the total moles of chlorinated ethenes in the aqueous phase to increase due to biotransformation. This study is important because it identifies some of the advantages of enhancing mass transfer from the nonaqueous phase to the aqueous phase.
In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that providing methods for accelerating or enhancing in situ bioremediation of halogenated solvents in ground water would be a significant advancement in the art. | {
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This disclosure relates to a system for evaluating agricultural material, such as an imaging system for evaluating samples of agricultural material.
Certain prior art imaging systems use cameras that are connected to a bypass channel on a clean grain elevator of a combine. The bypass channel can become clogged with agricultural material with high moisture content, or foreign materials, such as weed, plastic, packaging, branches or brush that enter into the combine or harvesting machine. Further, the lens of the camera may become obscured or affected by debris, dirt, dust or other contaminants that impacts detrimentally the accuracy of the evaluation of images of the agricultural material. In some prior art imaging systems, an operator or technician can remove clogged agricultural material or foreign matter from the bypass channel or clean the lens of the camera only by time-consuming disassembly of the imaging system from the combine with tools, such as wrenches. Accordingly, there is need for a system for evaluating agricultural material that is well suited for rapid cleaning of the bypass channel and lens of the camera, such as in real-time in the field. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically winding up a photographic paper that has been subjected to printing or other photographic processes onto a spool.
2. Description of the Related Art
A photographic printer which employs a continuous photographic paper needs to wind up a printed photographic paper onto a spool.
When a printed photographic paper is wound up onto a spool, it is conventional practice to wind up the leading end portion of the photographic paper onto the outer periphery of the spool by a manual operation and then to rotate the spool so as to wind up the paper thereonto. For this reason, even when the other sections of the printer are automated, or a printing operation is effected at high speed, the overall operating efficiency of the printer cannot be satisfactorily increased due to the manual operation required to wind up the photographic paper onto the spool. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention relates to a process for the preparation of methionine of high bulk density, in which a mixture which comprises a compound which has a foaming action and a compound which influences crystallization is added to the hydrolysis solution, and to the mixture itself.
It is known that the preparation of amino acids is often associated with difficulties. Handling of solutions or suspensions containing amino acids already leads to severe foaming in laboratory processes, but above all of course in industrial production. This undesirable effect can lead not only to the production proceeding in a very problematic manner and with poor space/time yields, but in individual cases also to failure of an economical production of the amino acid.
JP 09000241 thus describes that the addition of various additives from the family of nitrogen-containing polyoxyalkylenes in the fermentative production of amino acids leads to a reduction in foaming. JP 09000241 relates to the preparation of defoamer mixtures which are composed of fats or oils and the reaction products of fatty acids or derivatives thereof and polyalcohols with alkylene oxides. These mixtures are suitable for use in fermentations. It is known that the yield of lysine and tryptophan production can be increased if silicone are used as foam-destroying additives, instead of sunflower oil. The influence of various silicone oils is investigated by comparison in Khim.-Farm. Zh (1972), 6(5), 27–30.
In the carbonate process known from EP 0 780 370, methionine is obtained on acidification of a solution of potassium methioninate with carbon dioxide in accordance with the equation
Methionine is in general precipitated out of these solutions in the form of very flat leaflets, separating off of which proceeds only very slowly and therefore uneconomically.
There are therefore attempts to influence the crystallization properties of the methionine by addition of particular auxiliary substances.
It is demonstrated in JP-11-158140 that the use of various auxiliary substances, such as hydroxymethylpropylcellulose, sorbitan monolaurate or polyvinyl alcohols, influences the crystal habit, and the bulk density of the methionine obtained in this way increases.
These compounds are added in an amount of at least 500 ppm during the crystallization, which is carried out continuously and proceeds in two stages under specific stirring conditions. A round-particled methionine is obtained.
No additive or mixture of additives with the aid of which at the same time the foam which forms in the various stages of methionine preparation can be suppressed and the crystal habit of the methionine which has precipitated out, in particular in the carbonate process, can be improved is known from the prior art. | {
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Reference is made to my own prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,287,866 upon an improved foundation and wall drainage system including a drainage tile positioned adjacent the inner wall of the footer of the outer block wall-footer construction in a conventional basement wall. The basement wall has drain openings provided in the inner wall of the block wall whereby water seeping into the block wall center openings can flow out to a gravel bed and down to a drain tile embedded in the gravel bed and positioned adjacent the footer. However, these drain tile and gravel bed in the prior units can get blocked with silt, or dirt. Normally gravel is placed around the drain tile to allow entry of the water into the drain tile. However, the chemicals in the water will stick to the gravel and, in time, not let the water pass through the pipe. These chemicals can be iron or lime in the water or chemicals on the surface of the rock. That is, the system has worked well but the material used for filling around the footer and foundation wall may become tightly packed and sand and gravel may pack into any original open areas adjacent the footer-drain tile area and tend to slow down or prevent good drainage through the system.
I also refer to my copending patent application, Ser. No. 535,157 relating to an improved wall and foundation drainage construction and utilizing a drainage member secured to or positioned on an upper inner surface of the footer and connecting to drainage openings provided in a bottom block of the wall and extending out to gravel means associated with the drain tile and an improved action can be obtained from a construction of that type which aids in the flow of water to the drain tile means provided.
Yet another type of a construction is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,283,460 wherein a protector strip of generally L-shape in vertical section is positioned on the inner corner of a wall and foundation unit to aid in sealing the connection therebetween, but to permit drainage from the wall thereunder down to an associated drain tile unit. A drain tile, is positioned on a basement floor and is operatively connected to the wall-foundation unit at the lower inner surface thereof, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,304,672 but this type of a drainage tile means is unsightly and is exposed to damage by not being covered in the wall-foundation unit. Further, relative to the piping system of this patent which is placed upon the floor, this system will not work for various reasons. The cement used will come loose in time, as there is no cement which will permanently adhere where water is constantly present. In addition, since the unit is placed upon the floor, there is always that half of the block under the floor which will never drain, resulting in the constant presence of corrosive water and musty odors.
In poured concrete basements, water will penetrate between the footer and the wall due to the pressure existing on the outside of the wall and footer. This new inside drainage system allows water to move freely into the pipe.
The general object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved block wall and foundation drainage construction apparatus wherein an open drainage area is provided immediately adjacent an inner wall of the footer of the wall-foundation unit.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved drainage tile in a foundation drainage assembly wherein the drainage tile can be molded from plastic or other extrudable material and wherein drain apertures can be provided in a lower portion thereof and a reinforcing or support flange can be provided thereon on an upper portion of the drainage tile.
Another object of the invention is to provide a drainage tile which can be molded in a plurality of pieces and be readily assembled into an open centered drainage unit, and to have an upper shelf provided on the drainage tile and position it at and above an open area provided adjacent the footer and which support shelf connects to the block wall above drainage openings provided therein.
Other objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improved hollow centered drainage means, to support a cover plate or support shelf of a drain tile assembly in a unique manner in a basement drainage system; to utilize conventional members in making up a block wall-footer unit and to form an efficient, long lived drainage means for a basement which is competitive in price and which will provided long service life.
In general the present invention relates
a foundation wall and drainage tile system which comprises PA1 a footer, an inner wall of the footer having an open area extending therealong, PA1 a wall formed of hollow building blocks with openings in their upper and lower surfaces and arranged vertically on the footer, the lower most row of the building blocks having space and portions in the inner wall surfaces thereof communicating with the interior of the hollow building blocks to form drainage openings adjacent to the open area provided, and PA1 a basement floor is present and is above the drainage openings, and a drain means including a hollow center portion having a plurality of drain slots formed in a lower area thereof is positioned in the open area provided adjacent the footer, and PA1 a plate means bridging over said open area and supported on the drain means and a part of the blocks above the drainage openings whereby the plate means can support a marginal portion of the basement floor thereon. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to water amusement attractions and rides. More particularly, the disclosure generally relates to jet and side control gates for controlling water flow in water amusement rides.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
The 80's decade witnessed phenomenal growth in the participatory family water recreation facility (i.e., the water park) and in water oriented ride attractions in the traditional themed amusement parks. The main current genre of water ride attractions (e.g., waterslides, river rapid rides, and log flumes, and others) require participants to walk or be mechanically lifted to a high point, wherein, gravity enables water, rider(s), and riding vehicle (if appropriate) to slide down a chute or incline to a lower elevation splash pool, whereafter the cycle repeats. Some rides can move riders uphill and downhill but for efficiency and performance reasons these rides also generally start on an elevated tower and generally require walking up steps to reach the start of the ride.
With this phenomenal growth came the subsequent problem of finding enough appropriate land available for development into water recreation facilities. One of the problems facing water park developers is finding enough land upon which to develop their water parks. The development of water parks is an expensive enterprise to which the addition of having to purchase large tracts of land only further adds to the expense of developing water parks.
Generally speaking, the traditional downhill water rides are short in duration (normally measured in seconds of ride time) and have limited throughput capacity. The combination of these two factors quickly leads to a situation in which patrons of the parks typically have long queue line waits of up to two or three hours for a ride that, although exciting, lasts only a few seconds. Additional problems like hot and sunny weather, wet patrons, and other difficulties combine to create a very poor overall customer feeling of satisfaction or perceived entertainment value in the water park experience. Poor entertainment value in water parks as well as other amusement parks is rated as the biggest problem of the water park industry and is substantially contributing to the failure of many water parks and threatens the entire industry.
Additionally, none of the typical downhill water park rides is specifically designed to transport guests between rides. In large amusement parks, transportation between rides or areas of the park may be provided by a train or monorail system, or guests are left to walk from ride to ride or area to area. Trains or monorails have relatively minor entertainment value and are passive in nature in that they have little if any active guest-controlled functions such as choice of pathway, speed of riders or rider activity besides sightseeing from the vehicle. They are also generally unsuitable for water parks because of their high installation and operating costs and have poor ambience within the parks. These types of transportation are also unsuitable for water park guests who, because of the large amount of time spent in the water, are often wet and want to be more active because of the combination of high ambient temperatures in summertime parks and the normal heat loss due to water immersion and evaporative cooling. Water helps cool guests and encourages a higher level of physical activity. Guests also want to stay in the water for fun. Water parks are designed around the original experience of a swimming hole combined with the river rafting or tubing. The preferred feeling is one of natural ambience and organic experience. A good river ride combines calm areas and excitement areas like rapids, whirlpools, and beaches. Mechanical transportation systems do not fit in well with these types of rides. There exists a need in water parks for a means of transportation through the park and between the rides.
For water rides that involve the use of a floatation device (e.g., an inner tube or floating board) the walk back to the start of a ride may be particularly arduous since the rider must usually carry the floatation device from the exit of the ride back to the start of the ride. Floatation devices could be transported from the exit to the entrance of the ride using mechanical transportation devices, but these devices are expensive to purchase and operate. Carrying the floatation device or using mechanical transportation to transport the floatation device may reduce guest enjoyment, cause excess wear and tear on the floatation devices, contribute to guest injuries, and/or make it impossible for some guests to access the rides. Also, a park that includes many different non-integrated rides may require guests to use different floatation devices for different rides, which makes it difficult for the park operators to provide the guests with a general purpose floatation device. It is advantageous to standardize riding vehicles for rides as much as possible.
Typically water parks are quite large in size. Typically guests must enter at one area and pass through a changing room area upon entering the park. Rides and picnic areas located in areas distant to the entry area are often underused in relation to rides and areas located near the entry area. More popular rides are overly filled with guests waiting in queue lines for entry. This leads to conditions of overcrowding in areas of the park which leads to guest dissatisfaction and general reduction of optimal guest dispersal throughout the park. The lack of an efficient transportation system between rides accentuates this problem in water parks.
For the reasons stated above and more, a natural and exciting water transportation system to transport participants between rides as well as between parks may be used to interconnect many diverse and stand-alone water park rides. The transportation system relieves the riders from the burden of carrying their floatation devices up to the start of a water ride. The transportation system also allows the riders to stay in the water, thus keeping the riders cool while they are transported to the start of the ride. The transportation system also may be used to transport guests from one end of a water park to the other, between rides and past rides and areas of high guest density, between water parks, or between guest facilities such as hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers. The transportation system itself may be a main attraction with exciting water and situational effects while seamlessly incorporating into itself other specialized or traditional water rides and events.
A transportation system may use sloped and/or flat water channels to transport participants. The depth and/or flow of water in these water channels may be controlled by narrowing or widening the water channels. Narrowing or widening the water channels may especially be useful in deeper water channels typically used for water amusement rides. Typically, a fast moving water section (e.g., a downhill or downhill rapids section) is located following a slow moving water section (e.g., a flat water section). The slow moving water section is typically an area used to collect and/or organize participants before they move into the fast moving water section. The fast moving water section may have a narrower cross-section so that water flows through the fast moving water section at a higher velocity.
It is important to control the water depth in the slow moving water section for several reasons. One reason is that the velocity (flow rate) and momentum of water entering the fast moving water section from the slow moving water section is dependent upon the head (depth) of water at the beginning of the fast moving water section. The depth of water at the beginning of the fast moving water section is dependent upon the depth of water in the slow moving water section.
A second reason is that the velocity of riders in the slow moving water section and upstream of the fast moving water section is determined by the width, depth, and water flow of the slow moving water section of the water channel. Typically, the width and water flow are assumed to be constant, so the velocity of the riders is mainly determined by the water depth in the slow moving water section. The water depth in the slow moving water section may be maintained at a desired level (e.g., a relatively constant level) by selectively restricting the flow of water out of the slow moving water section. A restriction in the flow of water out of the slow moving water section increases the head in the slow moving water section. This increase in head may be balanced by an increase in velocity of the water flowing past the restriction so that the water depth in the slow moving water section is maintained at the desired level. Thus, the velocity of riders in the slow moving water section may be controlled by selecting the water depth in the slow moving water section using the restriction. Selective adjustment of the restriction may be used to adjust water depth in the slow moving water section and control the velocity of riders in the slow moving water section.
Some examples of devices that are used to restrict water flow through an open channel include a sluice gate or an adjustable submerged obstruction (e.g., an adjustable weir). Sluice gates are typically unsuitable for use in water parks in which people participate due to safety reasons. Adjustable submerged obstructions are generally expensive and difficult to install in a water park and/or are unsuitable for controlling the flow of water in a water park. Adjustable side gates may be used to restrict water flow through an open channel. Adjustable side gates include moving parts that open and close into a water channel. The adjustable side gates may be manually controlled and/or actuated by mechanical means. These moving parts may be unsuitable for water parks because of safety issues involving riders in the water channel, especially for the high volume flows of water seen in water parks. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wheel simultaneous brake mechanism and a caster rotation preventing mechanism and more particularly, it relates to a wheel simultaneous brake mechanism and a caster rotation preventing mechanism which always work on the safe side and have a simple constitution.
2. Description of the Background Art
A conventional wheel stopping apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication NO. 60-240566, for example. According to the conventional wheel stopping apparatus, wheel stopping mechanisms are provided at two rear wheels in a baby carriage and they are constituted so as to be moved together by a wire. Both wheel stopping mechanisms can be operated at the same time by operating an operating member provided at either one of the two rear wheels.
The conventional wheel stopping mechanism is constituted as described above. Although both wheel stopping mechanisms can be operated at the same time by operating one operating member, little consideration is given to a case where the operating member is broken or a wire or the like connected to the operating member is cut. In addition, there is a problem that a constitution of the wheel stopping mechanism is complicated and the number of parts is large so that the cost is increased. | {
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The present invention relates generally to lithography and more particularly relates to a system and method for measuring films associated with lithography processes or other type semiconductor fabrication processes.
In the semiconductor industry there is a continuing trend toward higher device densities. To achieve these high densities there has been, and continues to be, efforts toward scaling down the device dimensions on semiconductor wafers. In order to accomplish such a high device packing density, smaller features sizes are required. This may include the width and spacing of interconnecting lines and the surface geometry such as the comers and edges of various features.
The requirement of small features with close spacing between adjacent features requires high resolution photolithographic processes. In general, lithography refers to processes for pattern transfer between various media. It is a technique used for integrated circuit fabrication in which, for example, a silicon wafer is coated uniformly with a radiation-sensitive film (e.g., a photoresist), and an exposing source (such as ultraviolet light, x-rays, or an electron beam) illuminates selected areas of the film surface through an intervening master template (e.g., a mask or reticle) to generate a particular pattern. The exposed pattern on the photoresist film is then developed with a solvent called a developer which makes the exposed pattern either soluble or insoluble depending on the type of photoresist (i e., positive or negative resist). The soluble portions of the resist are then removed, thus leaving a photoresist mask corresponding to the desired pattern on the silicon wafer for further processing.
As process designers continue to shrink the size of the features which make up various semiconductor components, various process parameters must be tightly controlled. For example, in order to provide small, repeatable feature sizes, the thickness of various films such as photoresist layers and anti-reflective coatings (ARCs) must be small and uniform about the surface of the wafer. Consequently, process designers regularly measure the thickness of such films.
Film thicknesses typically are determined using characterization equations provided by the tool manufacturers which use various film material constants such as absorption coefficients and optical constants such as the index of refraction. Using such equations, process developers can implement various tests and take various parametric measurements, insert the measured data into the equations, and calculate an approximate film thickness. Although such thickness determination techniques are modestly accurate, the characterization equations require that the various film material constants which characterize the film be known. For newly developed materials such as next generation photoresists and ARC materials, such advanced characterization data is not easily available, thus making the determination of such film thicknesses difficult.
The present invention relates to a system and method of measuring accurately a film thickness without the use of film material characterization data.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the system and method of measuring a film thickness includes identifying a location of a defect, for example, a crystalline defect, in an underlying material such as a semiconductor substrate. Using the defect location information, the depth or height of the defect is measured using, for example, a topography evaluation tool. After the film to be measured is formed over the underlying material, the defect, which is reproduced in the overlying film, is again measured to identify the depth or height associated therewith. Using the measured pre-film and post-film defect depth data, the film thickness is determined. The present invention avoids the need to have characterization data associated with the film to be measured and thereby facilitates process development using new and/or advanced film materials.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of determining a film thickness includes identifying a location of one or more defects such as pits or crystal-originated particle defects in a material such as a semiconductor wafer. Once the defect location(s) is identified, the location data is used to measure the depth or height of the defect(s). Subsequently, the film to be measured is formed over the material and, because the film generally is conformal, the defect(s) is reproduced therein. Again, using the defect location data, the depth or height of the defect(s) are measured. The defect depth/height data (both prior to film formation and after film formation) is then utilized to calculate the film thickness without the need of characterization data related to the film material. In addition, if multiple defects exist, the multiple data points may be utilized to determine an average film thickness along with other statistical data.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a system for determining a film thickness is disclosed. The system includes a defect inspection tool, a topography measurement tool and a processor. The defect inspection tool evaluates an underlying material such as a semiconductor substrate to identify a location associated with one or more defects and transmits the location data to the processor. The processor then uses the location data to control the positioning of the topography measurement tool in order to collect depth or height data. The topography measurement tool identifies the depth or height associated with the one or more defects and transmits the defect depth/height data to the processor. After the film to be measured is formed over the underlying material, the processor and topography measurement tool again interface to collect the defect depth/height data associated with the one or more defects which are reproduced in the overlying film. Using the defect depth/height data, the processor determines the film thickness without the need for film characterization data, thus substantially facilitating process development associated with new materials.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention. These embodiments are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to monomers for use in the synthesis of polyurethanes, and more particularly to carboxyl-containing monomers made from a low molecular weight polyol compound and an acid anhydride, and in the presence of 5-500 ppm phosphoric acid.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known that polyurethanes are generally manufactured by reacting a polyisocyanate and a polyol. The produced polyurethane may have unique chemical and/or mechanical properties depending on the reacting conditions, as well as other additives such as catalysts, solvents, surfactants, blowing agents, fillers, and the like. The polyols used in manufacturing polyurethanes are typically low molecular weight poly-hydroxyl-containing polymers, such as those containing polyethers, polyesters, polyacrylics, polycarbonates, and the like. These polyols are generally provided with at least two hydroxyl groups so that they can be easily incorporated into a lengthening polymer in an ordered fashion.
Due to environmental and toxicity concerns, water-based polyurethanes and aqueous dispersions of polyurethanes are becoming the materials of choice for many applications, including aqueous applications. However, in many instances, the components of the polyurethane product are not easily soluble in water. To overcome this problem, it is known to introduce ionizable groups into the monomers prior to their condensation into the final polyurethane polymer. These ionizable groups are thought to aid in the solubilization of the polymer and thus produce a uniform aqueous dispersion of the final polyurethane mixture.
The reaction of succinic anhydride with triols or tetrols has been described generally in U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,980 to Kuen-Bae Choi. According to the disclosure, acid groups are introduced in the main chain in the absence of catalysts, including acid catalysts. In order to perform reaction between succinic anhydride and polyol, high reaction temperature was used and resulted in highly viscous polyols. When such highly viscous polyol was reacted with diisocyanate, a viscous prepolymer was obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,2267 to Wulf von Bovin discloses a process for preparation of stable suspensions of inorganic fillers in poly-hydroxyl compounds by grafting olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid onto polyol. As an example, acrylic acid and peroxide type initiators are used for this process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,077 to Wulf von Bovin et al. discloses a suspension which is stable and contains inorganic filler and graft polymer which was produced by free radical polymerization of olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,738 to Frentzel et al. discloses a process for grafting carboxyl groups to mono and polyether polyols by reacting maleic acid, fumaric acid, itaconic acid or their mixtures with polyether polyols in presence of peroxy-type free radical initiator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,615 to Frentzel et al. discloses a process for grafting carboxyl groups to mono and polyether polyol by reacting maleic acid, fumaric acid or their mixtures with short chain polyether polyols in presence of peroxy-type free radical initiator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,990,250 to Housel et al. discloses a process for incorporating carboxyl groups into main polyester chain by reacting polyether or polyester polyol with aliphatic dianhydride.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,242,954 and 5,250,582 to Hire et al. disclose a process for making cellular and microcellular polyurethane foams using a carboxylic acid-grafted polyol.
A common result of introduction of a carboxyl group into the polyol component is undesirable side reactions between the carboxyl group and nearby hydroxyl groups. The side reactions markedly increases viscosity of the monomer mixture, and provides fewer usable monomers for incorporation into the final aqueous urethane dispersion. In addition, the reacted carboxyl group results in reduced hydrophilicity of the final urethane dispersion.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for water-soluble monomers to be incorporated into a urethane dispersion that possesses low viscosity, and does not undergo undesirable side reactions. The present invention is believed to be an answer to that need.
In one aspect, the present invention is directed to carboxyl-containing monomers for use in preparing a polyurethane polymer, the carboxyl-containing monomer being the reaction product of a low molecular weight polyol compound and an acid anhydride in the presence of 5-500 ppm phosphoric acid, the carboxyl-containing monomer having a viscosity in the range of about 3,000-100,000 centipoise, and having free oligomer content in the range of about 2-30 mg KOH/g.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of preparing a carboxyl-containing monomer for use in preparation of a polyurethane polymer, comprising the step of combining a low molecular weight polyol compound and an acid anhydride in the presence of 5-500 ppm phosphoric acid to produce the carboxyl-containing monomer, the carboxyl-containing monomer having a viscosity in the range of about 3,000 to about 100,000 cps and having a free oligomer content in the range of about 2 to about 30 mg KOH/g.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a prepolymer for use in preparing a polurethane polymer, the prepolymer being the reaction product of (1) the carboxyl-containing monomer described above, and (2) a polyisocyanate compound, the prepolymer having a viscosity in the range of about 3,000 to about 100,000 cps.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of preparing a prepolymer for use in preparation of a polyurethane polymer, comprising the step of combining the prepolymer described above with a polyisocyanate compound to produce the prepolymer, the prepolymer having a viscosity in the range of about 3,000 to about 100,000 cps.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a water-borne polyurethane polymer, the water-borne polyurethane polymer being the reaction product of (1) the prepolymer of described above, and (2) an amine compound.
These and other aspects will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the invention.
It has been surprisingly found, in accordance with the present invention, that a carboxyl-containing monomer being the reaction product of a low molecular weight polyol compound and an acid anhydride, and made in the presence of phosphoric acid, results in a chemical monomer that is very beneficial for making waterborne polyurethane dispersions. The present inventors have unexpectedly discovered that phosphoric acid is very efficient in catalyzing polyol-anhydride addition reactions with anhydride ring opening mechanism, while exhibiting little or no acceleration of acid and polyol condensation side reactions.
In contrast to the prior art where the hydroxyl groups of polyol are reacted with polyisocyanate to produce polyurethane prepolymer, the monomer made according to the present invention possesses an polar center (by virtue of the grafted carboxyl function) that is thought to stabilize and solvate waterborne polyurethane emulsions when polyurethane prepolymer is dispersed in a water or alkaline-water solution. In addition, the presence of phosphoric acid in the reaction medium is thought to maintain the grafted carboxyl group in a protonated state and thus prevent it from participating in undesirable side reactions which lead to a high viscosity product that has limited usefulness.
The present invention provides a process for xe2x80x9cgraftingxe2x80x9d carboxyl groups to polyol monomers, and the low-viscosity carboxyl-containing polyol monomers made by the process. The term xe2x80x9cgraftingxe2x80x9d refers to addition of one molecule onto another molecule by means of a chemical reaction. The process of the present invention generally consists of reacting a polyol monomer, preferably containing three hydroxyl groups per molecule, with an organic acid anhydride under conditions such that an organic acid group is grafted to the polyol monomer. Because the polyol monomer is preferably selected to have three hydroxyl groups per molecule and is reacted with only one molecule of anhydride, the resulting carboxyl-containing monomer possesses two free hydroxyl groups per molecule and one carboxyl group grafted to the polyol. As indicated above, the two free hydroxyl groups of the carboxyl-containing monomer are used in subsequent reactions that form the ultimate polyurethane, while the carboxyl group aids in hydration of the polyurethane dispersion and prevents generation of highly viscous, unwanted side reactions and undesirable by-products.
As defined herein, the term xe2x80x9cpolyolxe2x80x9d refers to compounds having between two and four free hydroxyl (xe2x80x94OH) groups per molecule, and preferably three hydroxyl groups. As defined herein, the phrase xe2x80x9clow molecular weight polyolxe2x80x9d refers to those polyols having a molecular weight less than 8,000, more preferably less than 2,000, and most preferably less than 500. The phrase xe2x80x9ccarboxyl-containing monomerxe2x80x9d refers to a polyol having a carboxyl group added to one of the hydroxyl groups of the polyol.
As indicated above, in one aspect, the present invention is directed to a carboxyl-containing monomer for use in preparing a polyurethane polymer. The carboxyl-containing monomer is the reaction product of a low molecular weight polyol compound and an acid anhydride, and the resulting carboxyl-containing monomer has a viscosity in the range of 3,000-100,000 centipoise (cps) and has oligomer content in the range of 2-30 mg KOH/g. Each of these components are discussed in more detail below.
Examples of polyols that are useful in the present invention include low molecular weight polyols having from two to four hydroxyl groups. Preferably, the polyol contains three free hydroxyl groups (hereinafter termed xe2x80x9ctriolxe2x80x9d). Triols suitable for use in the present invention are generally based on the structure of glycerol, trimethylolpropane, trimethylolethane, and the like. Preferred triols include Poly-G 76-635 (a polyether triol of molecular weight 265, available from Arch Chemicals, Inc..) and Poly-G 35-610 (a polyether triol of molecular weight 275), and their mixtures with trimethylolpropane or pure trimethylolpropane. Alternatively, polyalkylene polyether polyols produced by the poly-addition of any of the mentioned above triols and an alkylene oxide such as ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, epoxybutene, and the like, may also be used. These triols usually have molecular weight from less than 100 to about 6000.
Suitable acid anhydrides used in the present invention include any acid anhydride that results in the addition of a carboxyl group to the monomer molecule. Useful acid anhydrides include maleic anhydride, phthalic anhydride, succinic anhydride, glutaric anhydride, and mixtures thereof. A preferred acid anhydride is succinic anhydride.
The preparation of the carboxyl-containing monomer is generally accomplished by reacting the low molecular weight polyol compound with an acid anhydride in the presence of phosphoric acid. Generally, the polyol is heated with anhydride to about 80-105xc2x0 C. in presence of about 5-500 ppm of orthophosphoric acid (H3PO4), more preferably from about 100-400 ppm orthophosphoric acid, and most preferably from about 250-350 ppm orthophosphoric acid. According to the present invention, addition of 5-500 ppm of orthophosphoric acid catalyzes the selective reaction between polyol and anhydride, and an acid group is xe2x80x9cgraftedxe2x80x9d to the polyol molecule. Preferably, a triol is selected that has three hydroxyl groups per molecule, and each triol molecule is reacted with one molecule of anhydride to generate a product that has two hydroxyl groups per molecule and one carboxyl group grafted to the polyol.
The reaction is monitored by acid number, and as soon as theoretical acid number has been reached, the reaction is stopped. In order to dry the reaction product, a solvent capable of forming an azeotropic mixture with water is added. Later, the azeotropic mixture of solvent and water is removed by vacuum distillation.
Preferably, the carboxyl-containing monomers are liquid at room temperature because liquids are more easy to handle as compared to solids. A useful range of viscosities for the carboxyl-containing monomers is generally less than 100,000 cps at 25xc2x0 C. Preferably, the viscosity of the carboxyl-containing monomers is from about 3,000 to about 100,000 cps, more preferably from about 3,000 to about 50,000 cps, and most preferably from about 3,000 to about 20,000 cps.
The viscosity of prepolymers made with carboxyl containing monomers is preferably less than 100,000 centipoise (cps) at 25xc2x0 C. in order to obtain good water borne dispersions. A preferred range of viscosity is from about 3,000 to about 100,000 cps, more preferably from about 3,000 to about 50,000 cps, and most preferably from about 3,000 to about 20,000 cps. If viscosity of prepolymer is more than 100,000 cps, the prepolymer usually is too thick for high speed mixing and no good waterborne dispersion can be obtained.
In order to increase the shelf life of prepolymer products made from the carboxyl-containing monomers, it is desirable that the carboxyl-containing monomers made as described above contain minimal amounts of oligomers. As defined herein, oligomers are molecules which result from the reaction of the grafted carboxyl function with another hydroxyl function, which can lead to oligomerization of the monomer products. Oligomers are undesirable due to their propensity to cause increased viscosity of the monomer product.
It has been found that the presence of oligomers above about 30 mg KOH/g (as analyzed below) results in undesirable gelling of the prepolymer product. Preferably, the carboxyl-containing monomers have less than 30 mg KOH/g oligomers, preferably between 2 and 30 mg KOH/g oligomers, more preferably between 2 and 20 mg KOH/g oligomers, and most preferably between about 2 and 15 mg KOH/g oligomers. Oligomer content in the carboxyl-containing monomer can be measured by calculating the difference between theoretical acid number and acid number determined by chemical analysis as known in the art.
Briefly, acid number is determined using 1-2 grams of sample. 100 ml of isopropyl alcohol and 50 ml water is added to the sample, and stirred until the sample is completely dissolved. Approximately 15 drops of 1% phenolphtalein solution is added, and the sample solution is titrated with 0.5 N potassium hydroxide (or 0.5 N sodium hydroxide) until a light pink color appears. Oligomer content in the carboxyl-containing monomer can be measured by calculating the difference between theoretical acid number and acid number determined by chemical analysis (expressed as mg KOH/g sample). This difference in mg KOH/g is then correlated to oligomeric ester units per gram of monomer.
As indicated above, the carboxyl-containing monomers prepared above may be used in the production of a xe2x80x9cprepolymerxe2x80x9d. In general, the prepolymer is made by combining the carboxyl-containing monomers prepared above with a polyisocyanate compound. Organic polyisocyanates useful as reactants in the production of the prepolymer include any aromatic, cycloaliphatic and aliphatic diisocyanates and higher polyisocyanates. Diisocyanates are the preferred class of polyisocyanates. Suitable aliphatic diisocyanates include hexamethylene diisocyanate, 4,4xe2x80x2-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate; isophorone diisocyanate;1,4xe2x80x2-tetramethylene diisocyanate; and 1,10-decamethylene disiocyanate and 1,12-dodecamethylene diisocyanate. Suitable aromatic diisocyanates include tolulene-2,4- or 2,6-diisocyanate; 1,5-naphthalene diisocyanates; 4-methoxy-1,3-phenylene diisocyanate; 4-chloro-1,3-phenylene diisocyanate; 2,4xe2x80x2-diisocyanatodiphenyl ether; 5,6-dimethyl-1,3-phenylate diisocyanate; 2,4-diemthyl-1,3-phenylene diisocyanate; 4,4xe2x80x2diisocyanatodiphenylether; benzidene diisocyanate, 4,4xe2x80x2-diisocyanataodibenzyl; methylene-bis(4-phenylisocyanate); and 1,3-phenylene diisocyanate. Particularly useful polyisocyanates for use in preparing the polyurethane prepolymers include toluene diisocyanate, 4,4xe2x80x2-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 2,4xe2x80x2-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, hexamethylene diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, 4,4xe2x80x2-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, 1,12-dodecanediisocyanate, 2,4,4-trimethylhexamethylene diisocyanate, xylylene diisocyanate, tetramethyl-xylylene diisocyanate and other polyisocyanates such as polymethylene polyphenyl isocyanate and isocyanate prepolymers having at least two isocyanate groups which are produced by reacting an isocyanate with a polyhydroxyl compound such as polyoxyalkylene polyol or polyester polyol or mixtures thereof.
The reaction in which hydroxyl groups are reacted with isocyanate groups and polyurethane prepolymer is produced is usually performed at 50-100xc2x0 C. for 1-5 hours under an inert atmosphere such as nitrogen gas and at atmospheric pressure. Preferably the reaction is performed at 70-90xc2x0 C. for 2-3 hours.
The ratio of isocyanate to carboxyl-containing polyol is such as to have the desired amount of grafted carboxyl groups per molecule of polyurethane prepolymer. Usually, the carboxyl-containing monomer is added to result in an acid number for the prepolymer of 10-30 mg KOH/g. The preferred procedure for producing the prepolymer is to react the selected polyisocyanate with regular polyether or polyester polyol for 1-2 hours at 80-90xc2x0 C., and then add carboxyl-containing monomers until the theoretical isocyanate group content has been reached. If desired, catalysts such as dibutyltin dilaurate, stannous octoate, or amine-type catalysts like triethylamine or triethylene diamine, may be used to assist prepolymer formation. The prepolymer composition may also include solvents such as methylethylketone, methylpyrrolidone, and the like
Because carboxyl groups are grafted to the polyol molecule, the resulting main polyurethane chain is linear with carboxyl groups as side pendants. This structure is ideal for obtaining good water-borne dispersions. The chemical structure of an exemplary prepolymer made from 1 mole of 1000 molecular weight propylene oxide based diol (Poly-G 20-112 from Arch Chemicals, Inc., Norwalk, Conn.), three moles of 4,4xe2x80x2dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, and one mole of trimethylolpropane with succinic anhydride grafted to a side chain is as follows:
This prepolymer is easy to disperse in water by converting side pendant carboxyl groups into salt groups and then reacting free NCO groups with diamine to obtain a high molecular weight urethane dispersion in water. Because, according to the present invention, there is one carboxyl group grafted to each triol molecule, the resulting prepolymer has low viscosity, low oligomer content, and is very easy to disperse in water. The dispersion process proceeds easily and water-borne dispersions may be prepared without the use of high shear/high speed mixers.
The prepolymer described above, may be combined with an amine compound to extend the prepolymer and further dispers the polymer in water. Suitable amines for dispersing prepolymer in water and chain extending the prepolymer include triethylamine, tripropylamine, ethylene diamine, n-butylamine, diethylamine, trimethylamine, monoethanol amine, dimethylethanolamine, aminoalcohols, hydrazine, hexamethylene diamine, isophorone diamine, cyclohexane diamine, dimethylcyclohexylamine, tris(3-aminopropyl)amine, 2-methylpentamethylenediamine, 1,12-dodecanediamine and combinations thereof.
The chain extension reaction occurs when free isocyanate groups of water dispersed prepolymer react with amino groups and is described in the art. The reaction between isocyanate groups and amine groups is very fast and chain extension step can be carried out in water.
It may be desirable to add other conventional additives such as blowing agents, thickening agents, pH adjusters, monoisocyanates and the like to the composition of the invention. Furthermore, fillers, plasticizers, pigments, and the like may be utilized as desired. It may be also desirable to add other polyurethane prepolymers made from modified or unmodified polyether polyols or polyester polyols or the like.
The following examples are intended to illustrate, but in no way limit the scope of the present invention. All parts and percentages are by weight and all temperatures are in degrees Celsius unless explicitly stated otherwise. | {
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It is often necessary for trained personnel to provide a variety of gases of medical quality in a medical facility. Examples of such gases include medical air, oxygen, nitrogen, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide. Systems are also often installed in medical facilities which provide vacuum or gas evacuation. Gas service may be provided through a system which delivers the gas throughout a facility or portions or zones thereof. A number of primary supply sources of gas are used to deliver gas through outlet ports positioned at locations within the medical facility. The delivery system for each type of gas commonly includes manifolds with appropriate shut-off valves and pressure gauges. The delivery system also commonly includes at least one pressure regulator, check valve, and piping supply lines connecting the elements of the system. The primary supply source for each gas may be located in a secure area in the interior of the medical facility. Alternatively a primary supply source may be located at the exterior of the facility for maintenance by outside vendors providing the various gases.
It is critically important that the correct gas at the proper pressure be supplied when required from a medical gas supply system. Great effort is taken to assure that the various gases supplied are clearly marked at all locations. The possibility for delivery of the wrong gas at an incorrect location should be minimized. The pressure of each gas delivered may also be appropriately monitored throughout the system.
There are occasions which may require a secondary gas source to be connected to the gas delivery system of a medical facility. These instances might involve an emergency, a need for maintenance, a requirement of inspection, certification testing or service. One method of connecting the secondary gas source involves connecting the secondary gas source to the system through a hose to a conduit in the facility which normally serves as an outlet. Such an arrangement, known as backfeeding in the industry, is unacceptable according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the regulatory agency responsible for medical gas piping standards. Such a connection, according to NFPA, puts the system and possibly users thereof at risk of injury or damage.
Gases delivered by medical gas systems are generally at relatively low pressures. Typical desired pressure levels are 50 psi for oxygen, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and medical air, 180 psi for nitrogen, and 15 in/Hg to 25 in/Hg for vacuum or gas evacuation. Bottled gases by comparison have considerably higher pressures, commonly about 2000 psi. If the wrong gas were delivered to the wrong supply line through backfeeding, incorrect pressure or flows in portions of the system may occur. Such incorrect pressures and flows may place equipment and personnel at risk.
The medical system for each gas type is designed to provide gas flow from the primary source toward the various outlets and devices which utilize the gas within the medical facility. Gas should not be allowed to flow in a direction opposite to that for which the equipment was designed. Reverse operation requires a user to thoroughly understand every component of the system and what is necessary to safely accomplish reverse flow. It is often difficult to conduct such an analysis when many types of devices may be connected to the system.
For these reasons NFPA has disapproved of the practice of backfeeding of gas supply lines. Despite the NFPA position, personnel in medical facilities when faced with the necessity of keeping gas systems in operation are forced to use such backfeeding connections. In 1996 NFPA took the position that emergency service of an oxygen supply could be provided by a low pressure inlet located in the main supply line. This inlet is required to be located at the exterior of the medical facility. The use of such an inlet is authorized only for use to achieve an emergency supply of oxygen and is not to be used in the case of inspection/certification. Since this emergency inlet port is not required to be retrofit into existing "grandfathered" systems, most medical facilities are not equipped with this capability. Such an arrangement is of no help when the problem in the system is something other than the main supply, such as a system break inside the medical facility. In addition, gas delivery systems are normally divided into zones. This port does not allow gas service to be selectively supported or inspection/certification activities to be performed by selected zones. As a result, even in oxygen systems which have such a port the practice of backfeeding is sometimes necessary.
Thus there exists a need for an apparatus and method for connecting a secondary supply of a medical gas to a medical gas supply system. There further exists a need for an apparatus and method of connecting such a secondary supply of medical gas in a quick and reliable manner, which can be connected to selected zones of the supply system and which does not require backfeeding of any portion of the gas supply system. | {
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The storage and transport of hazardous fluid substances poses challenges because of potential or actual damage to persons, equipment or the environment. Fluid substances pose a greater risk than solid ones, because a fluid, whether liquid or gas, is likely to disseminate more rapidly than a solid. Furthermore, if the fluid is a fuel or potential fuel, the failure to contain the fluid (whether intentional or accidental), may lead to detonation or ignition, resulting in explosion or fire.
The act of freezing a hazardous fluid fuel, thereby to render it a solid fuel, is known to increase the stability of the fuel, reducing the risk of fire and/or explosion; Chilling a fuel may have a similar effect. Freezing a hazardous substance will make it easier to contain in the event of a breach of the container. To the extent that chilling a hazardous substance increases its viscosity/decreases its fluidity, the chilling process will lessen the consequences of a breach of the substance container, by decreasing the rate at which the substance emerges from the compromised container. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a data transmitting method of a network line in a TCP/IP protocol environment.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, networking of various apparatuses has been progressed owing to the spread of the Internet. Not only a personal computer and a printer in each home but also an electric refrigerator, an electric washing machine, and the like have begun to be connected to a network. IP (Internet Protocol) addresses are dynamically allocated to most of those apparatuses by an Internet service provider.
In this case, since the IP address changes each time it is allocated, a server to render an address solving service and a name solving service is arranged and it executes a conversion from a host name or an MAC (Media Access Control) address into an IP address.
However, it is difficult to arrange the server to a small LAN such as a home LAN (Local Area Network) or the like. Therefore, development of a network line connecting method whereby the server is not arranged has been progressed (for example, refer to a patent literature 1: JP-A-11-53143 (pages 2-3, FIG. 1).
An outline of the patent literature 1 will now be described with reference to the drawing.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a conventional network printer connecting construction.
When built-in utility software is activated, each of host apparatuses 101 and 102 broadcasts a packet (information of a predetermined size obtained by lumping information) for management and setting onto the LAN. Since the broadcast denotes that data is transmitted to all apparatuses connected to the network irrespective of the IP address, even if no IP address is set, if the apparatuses have physically been connected to the network, the packet is sent to all printing apparatuses (hereinafter, simply referred to as printers). Such a packet is called a response request packet.
When the packet is received, a printer 104 which supports the software returns response data to the host apparatuses on the basis of the utility software.
The utility software displays the response data from the printer 104 which made a response onto display screens of the host apparatuses, thereby allowing the operator to recognize which printer is operating at present. Since the MAC address held in each NIC (Network Interface Card) 103 is included in the response data, the MAC address of the printer 104 can be recognized.
In the case of setting an IP address or the like into the printer, a set packet including the MAC address of a partner printer into which the operator wants to set the IP address is broadcasted. Since the set packet is sent by the broadcast, it is sent to all of the printers in a manner similar to the response request packet.
The printer 104 which received the set packet compares its own MAC address with the MAC address described in the response request packet. If they coincide, the printer 104 determines that the packet has been sent to itself and sets the IP address. If they do not coincide, the printer 104 determines that the packet has been sent to another printer and abandons the data. As mentioned above, the IP address can be set also to the printer in which the IP address is not set yet.
In the prior art described above, the IP address can be set without arranging the server to the small LAN. However, according to the prior art, a problem to be solved such that irrespective of whether the IP address is newly registered or has already been registered or whether the IP address has been changed or not, in all cases, it has to be transmitted by the broadcast and reset on the printer side, and thereafter, the data has to be transmitted, so that processes become complicated, still remains. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to an information processing system, a client device and a method of control.
2. Description of the Related Art
A system has been proposed that enables use of various services on the Internet from a terminal of an intranet provided in a corporate environment. This system generally includes installation of a firewall on the internet/intranet boundary. The firewall allows connection from the intranet to the Internet, but is configured to refuse connection from the Internet to the intranet. In this manner, access from a terminal on the Internet into the intranet is limited. The above configuration is also premised on the fact that a conventional communication system using the WEB generally includes performance of an information acquisition request from a client to a server by PULL-type communication in which the server responds by transmitting the information.
However, in recent years, technical developments in PUSH-type communication have increased in which information is sent from the server to the client. An example of a PUSH-type communication technology is Comet or WebSocket. If an HTTP request is sent by a client to a server in Comet, the server retains the request without immediately responding. Thereafter, when information is produced to be sent from the server to the client, the information is sent as a response to the retained request.
WebSocket is a technology for bidirectional communication prepared by W3C or IETF which is the standardization body for the Internet. Establishment and maintenance of a TCP connection, rather than an HTTP connection, does not require mapping onto a HTTP protocol such as when using Comet, and thereby enables communication at a free timing from either the client or the server.
In this manner, in the context of a PUSH-type communication technology, information can be sent by use of a server connection even in an environment provided with a firewall by establishing and maintaining a connection from a client in an intranet.
Consequently, in recent years, a printing system has been proposed that uses PUSH-type communication. A PUSH-type printing system establishes a connection of a client device (printer) in an intranet with a server apparatus (print server) and constantly maintains that connection. In this manner, the print server can issue a request (print job execution request) when the print server is the starting point, and communicate that request at an arbitrary timing through a firewall to a printer. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-140275 discloses a communication system configured so that an external host in an external network can transmit communication path maintenance data to an internal host with which access by the external host is restricted by a firewall for the maintenance of a communication path to the internal host.
For the promotion of continuous system development, a PUSH-type communication system using WebSocket has added a WebSocket connection in response to the addition of an application. That is to say, rather than for each printer, a WebSocket connection is required for each application that is installed on a printer.
When a WebSocket connection is provided for each application, the processing load for management of a constant connection for the number of applications by the print server is increased as the number of applications increases. Consequently, print server operations may become unstable or suitable processing operations may no longer be enabled. Furthermore, in a PUSH-type communication system using WebSocket, when a printer is started up, the printer must extend the WebSocket connections corresponding to the number of preinstalled applications. Therefore, the WebSocket connections that correspond to the applications that are not used for execution of a request issued by the print server are consequently an unnecessary resource. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Field
The present application relates to an electronic device, a control method, and a non-transitory storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
There is a known type of life-saving lamp that is lit automatically when it falls into water and that contributes to discovery of a person who has fallen into water (for example, refer to Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2000-344185).
Conventional electronic devices have room for improvement in their functions to be executed at the time of detection when they fall into water, or the like. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a semiconductor device and fabrication method thereof which increases a junction breakdown voltage and improves a snap-back characteristic thereof.
2. Description of the Background Art
An integrated circuit unified within a single chip with regard to a control function and a driving function is referred to as a smart power device. An output terminal of the smart power device includes a high power transistor operating at a high voltage of about 15-80V, and a logic unit includes a normal transistor operating at a low voltage of about 5V. Such smart power devices are employed to drive a display apparatus such as LCD (liquid crystal display), and HDTV (high definition TV).
A high power transistor of the smart power device is formed such that a lightly doped region (or, called as drift region) which is lightly doped between a drain and a channel region, compared to the drain.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a high power semiconductor device unit of a smart power device according to the conventional art. Therein, a p-channel transistor is shown but an n-channel transistor has the same structure. That is, the conductive type of impurities or ions is opposite and the structure remains identical.
As shown therein, an n-type well 110 is formed in a p-type semiconductor substrate 100. A plurality of field oxide layers 101 are formed on the p-type semiconductor substrate 100 and the n-type well 110. A gate electrode 102 is formed to cover a predetermine portion of the upper surface of the field oxide layer 101 and the n-type well 110. In the n-type well 110 at the sides of the gate electrode 102 there are formed p+ type impurity layers 103a, 103b. the p+ impurity layer 103a is formed adjacent to an end portion of the gate electrode 102, and the p+ type impurity layer 103a is formed at an end portion of the field oxide layer 101 with the gate electrode 102 laid thereon and spaced from the end portion of the gate electrode 102.
The p+ type impurity layer 103b distanced from the gate electrode 102 is a drain. Also, a p-type impurity layer 104 which is a lightly doped impurity layer in comparison to the source/drain 103a, 103b is extended from a certain point between the field oxide film 101 and the source 103a to an end portion of the drain 103b and covers the drain 103b from bottom and side surfaces thereof. Also, the junction depth of the drift layer 104 remains constant at respective sides of the source and drain. The drift layer serves as a buffer layer when a high electric field is applied to the drain side, thereby preventing a junction breakdown and restraining a hot carrier effect from generating.
However, the semiconductor device as shown in FIG. 1 has disadvantages. That is, since the junction depth of the drift layer is constant, the thickness D1 of the drift layer beneath the drain is relatively thin compared to the thickness D2 of the drift layer beneath the field oxide layer. Accordingly, when high power is applied to the drain region, the electric field loaded at the drain is not sufficiently relieved. Therefore, a junction breakdown easily occurs at the drain region, and the breakdown voltage is relatively low. Further, the snap-back voltage is low due to the hot carrier generation, thereby deteriorating reliability of the semiconductor device.
The present invention is directed to overcoming the conventional disadvantages.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device wherein a drift layer of a portion of a drain region and a field oxide layer edge having a strong electric field is formed deeper than a drift layer of the other portion thereof, thereby sufficiently relieving electric field and preventing a hot carrier generation as well as improving product reliability.
To achieve the above-described object, there is provided a semiconductor device according to the present invention which includes a semiconductor substrate having a first conductive type impurity, a well having a second conductive type impurity formed in a predetermined region of the semiconductor substrate, a plurality of field oxide layer formed on an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate having the first conductive type impurity and the well having the second conductive type impurity, a gate electrode formed on corresponding portions of the field oxide layer and the well, and a lightly doped first impurity region formed in the well between the gate electrode and the first conductive type impurity region and surrounding the first conductive impurity region from sides and lower portions thereof and relatively lightly doped in comparison to the first conductive type impurity region, wherein the device includes a junction of the lightly doped first impurity region surrounding the first conductive type impurity region is relatively deep in comparison to a junction of the lightly doped first impurity region below the field oxide layer.
Further, to achieve the above-described object, there is provided a semiconductor device fabrication method according to the present invention which includes the steps of forming a second conductive type well on a predetermined portion of a first conductive type semiconductor substrate, forming a plurality of field oxide layers on the semiconductor substrate and the well, forming a mask on the semiconductor substrate and the well so as to form a first conductive impurity layer in the well, forming a first conductive type impurity layer by implanting and annealing first conductive type impurity ions in the well using the mask, removing the mask, forming a gate electrode on the field oxide layer, the drift layer and the well, and forming a source in the well adjacent to an end portion of the gate electrode and a drain in the first conductive type impurity layer at an end portion of the field oxide layer adjacent to the other end portion of the gate electrode.
The features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific example, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a surface-acoustic-wave parametric device for use as a variable-frequency selecting device. More particularly, this invention relates to a surface-acoustic-wave parametric device wherein a plurality of pumping electrodes are arranged in the direction of propagation of surface acoustic waves, and values of DC bias voltages or pumping voltages for forming parametric interaction regions, which are to be applied to the respective pumping electrodes, are differentiated from each other so as to correspond to a desired output frequency characteristic, thereby enabling desired design of a frequency characteristic of the variable-frequency selecting device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the inventors of the present invention has already disclosed, in Japanese Laying-Open No. 54-41089 (1979), a surface-acoustic-wave device having a variable frequency selecting function as illustrated in FIG. 1.
In FIG. 1, numeral 1 designates a semiconductor substrate, and an insulator film 2 and a piezoelectric layer 3 are laminated on the semiconductor substrate 1. A rectangular pumping electrode 4 to which a DC bias voltage and a pumping voltage are applied and input and output transducers 5 and 6 are arranged on the piezoelectric layer 3.
Numeral 7 designates a DC power source for applying a DC bias voltage, 8 designates an inductor for AC blocking, 9 designates a high-frequency power source for applying a pumping voltage, 10 is a capacitor for DC blocking, and 11 and 12 designate surface-acoustic-wave absorbing members for preventing undesired reflection of surface acoustic waves at the ends of the device.
The DC bias voltage is applied from the DC power source 7 to the pumping electrode 4 so as to create a suitable depletion-layer capacitance at a surface portion of the semiconductor substrate 1 under the pumping electrode 4. Further, the pumping voltage having a frequency which is twice that of a center frequency fo of a desired frequency band is applied from the high-frequency power source 9 to the pumping electrode 4 so that the depletion layer capacitance is oscillated and modulated at the frequency 2fo.
When an electric signal is applied to the broad-band input transducer 5, the input electric signal is converted into a surface-acoustic-wave signal which is propagated on the surface of the piezoelectric layer 3 rightwardly and leftwardly as viewed in FIG. 1.
When a signal component of the surface-acoustic-wave input signal 13 propagating in the rightward direction and having a frequency around fo passes through an operating region under the pumping electrode 4, the piezoelectric potential thereof is subjected to a parametric interaction with the pumping voltage due to the depletion layer capacitance non-linearity effect on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 so that the component is amplified. This amplified surface-acoustic-wave signal 14 is converted into and outputted in the form of an electric signal by the output transducer 6.
At the same time, a surface-acoustic-wave signal 15, which has a frequency fi (fi=2fo-fs, fs: a frequency of the input signal) corresponding to the amplitude of the surface-acoustic-wave input signal 13, is also produced from the pumping electrode 4 and propagated leftwardly as viewed in FIG. 1. This surface-acoustic-wave signal 15 may also be outputted as an output signal.
The frequency characteristics 14a, 15a, 14b and 15b of the respective output surface-acoustic-wave signals 14 and 15 are shown, in FIGS. 2 and 3, in relation with the input signal 13 whose amplitude is shown as 1 in the figures. FIG. 2 shows the case where the pumping voltage is relatively small and FIG. 3 shows the case where the pumping voltage is relatively large.
As apparent from FIGS. 2 and 3, in the surface-acoustic-wave device having a rectangular pumping electrode, a response at a signal passing band and a spurious response are substantially determined when an output at a desired center frequency fo is selected. By this reason, when the conventional surface-acoustic-wave device is used as a frequency selecting device, the frequency characteristic cannot be designed freely. And yet, the spurious response is still too high to be practically used. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In carrying several fishing rod and reel assemblies at the same time, it frequently occurs that the fishing lines of the various rods may become entangled. Further, there is frequently no convenient place to store small items of equipment associated with the fishing rods such as fishing tackle.
The prior art is already aware of U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,190 to Wright which carries plural fishing rod and reel assemblies along a backbone member. However, the device of Wright is both complicated in regard to the purposes of the present invention and does not provide a place for storing fishing tackle. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention relates to an apparatus and method for dewatering the suspension of comminuted fiber material and a liquid. There are many existing prior art structures for a suspension of comminuted fiber material and a liquid, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,579,420 and 3,348,390. While such prior art devices are generally successful, there usually is a passageway that is movable with respect to a container through which a suspension to be dewatered flows associated therewith. This means that there is a potential for leakage of fluid from the container, which leakage, of course, is undesirable. Also, such prior art devices are relatively complicated, and rely on an outside pressure source or the like for movement of a dewatering screen, while the present invention utilizes the liquid of the suspension, and/or liquid that is removed from the suspension, for movement of a relatively simple screen moving mechanism.
According to the present invention, a dewatering apparatus is provided which includes a generally circular cross-section container through which a suspension to be dewatered flows in a given direction, a hydraulic piston mounted substantially concentrically in the container and having an interior chamber therein for transporting liquid removed from the container to an area remote from the container (i.e., reservoir), screen means mounted on the piston for allowing the passage of liquid removed from the suspension through the interior chamber of the piston to the remote area, while not allowing removal of material suspended in the suspension therethrough, means responsive to the fluid pressure of liquid from the suspension for moving the hydraulic piston relative to the container in either a first direction, corresponding to the direction of flow of fluid in the container, or a second direction opposite to the first direction, the means including a first and a second piston faces, and means for forcing liquid removed from the suspension through the piston chamber to the second piston face to move the piston in the second direction, so that no substantially dewatering takes place during movement of the piston in the second direction and so that the piston is moved to a position wherein it again may be moved in the first direction. Preferably, means are provided to insure that the piston moves more quickly in the second direction than in the first direction, so that unclogging of the screen means is facilitated during movement of the screen means in the second direction. The screen means may comprise a plurality of annular screen members having an internal chamber thereof operatively connected to a plurality of supporting arms radially extending from the piston.
According to the method of dewatering of a suspension of comminuted fiber material in a liquid, according to the present invention, the following method steps are effected: a suspension to be dewatered is passed through a container in a first direction, and a portion of the liquid from the suspension is separated out with screen means, and the separated liquid is removed from the container. A piston supporting the screen means is moved in a first direction -- the direction of suspension flow -- under the pressure of liquid of the suspension while separating out of a portion of the liquid from the suspension takes place, and then the separating out of liquid from the suspension is substantially terminated while the piston is moved in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, under the influence of liquid which has been separated from the suspension. Preferably, backflushing of the screen means also takes place during movement of the piston in the second direction in order to further facilitate unclogging of the screen means.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus and an improved method for dewatering of a suspension of comminuted fiber material and a liquid. This and other objects of the present invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image determination method that determines whether or not characters or graphics included in an image are prepared by handwriting, an image processing apparatus that applies processing to the image in accordance with a determination, and an image outputting apparatus that outputs the image thus processed.
2. Description of Related Art
There is a publicly-known method in which the image of an original is optically read, and handwritten characters and printed characters included in the image thus read are determined and extracted. For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-162102, whether or not the character is handwritten is determined by extracting a thickness of a stroke, linearity, and angle. Also, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-265424 and Laid Open No. 5-189604, whether or not the character is handwritten is determined by using the shape and size, and linearity of binarized data. Also, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-93466, whether or not the character is handwritten is determined by using the linearity of the binarized data. Further, in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 4-190473, whether or not the character is handwritten is determined by binarizing image data and using its pattern.
However, in the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 10-162102, it is necessary to extract the stroke, linearity, and angle of characters, and therefore objects to be determined such as characters need a certain degree of size. Namely, when the character to be determined is small, there is a problem that determination accuracy is deteriorated. In addition, in recent years, the font to be used in the printed character is diversified, and there is also a handwriting like character. When such a kind of font is used, according to the conventional method, there is a high possibility that the character is determined to be a handwritten character, involving the problem of causing deterioration of the determination accuracy to occur.
In addition, according to the method disclosed in the conventional documents such as Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 11-265424, binarization is required in any case, thus involving a problem that a process time is increased. Moreover, it is necessary to add hardware, due to binarization, involving a problem that a manufacturing cost is increased. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Because audio equipment installed in vehicles are essentially expensive, light weight and small in size, audio equipment has historically been the subject of much theft. With the thriving aftermarket network, the stolen equipment may be installed in almost any other vehicle.
Automobile manufacturers have employed numerous methods to prevent the audio equipment from being stolen out of the vehicles. For ease of description, the audio equipment will be referred to as a car radio. It is, however, understood that the audio equipment would encompass any sound system installed within an automobile, including cassette tapes and compact disc ("CD") players. One such method employed by automobile manufacturers to reduce car radio theft is to use special security screws to fasten the radio to the vehicle. These screws may only be unfastened using specially adapted tools.
Another method used to prevent audio equipment theft is to equip the car radio with a security code and a flashing anti-theft LED. Such a system requires the operator to manually input a multi-digit security code to "unlock" the car radio whenever the radio has been disconnected from the vehicle battery. A variation of this anti-theft method is to allow for after-market initialization of the car radio. Here, the consumer inputs a security code into the car radio's memory during initialization. Once the car radio is disconnected from its power source, for example, the car battery, the radio locks up. The operator must then reinsert the same security code to unlock the car radio. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,700 to Seibold et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,894 to Bochmann, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,462 to Takeda et al. all disclose car radio security systems that automatically sense whenever the car radio is disconnected from its power source. Whenever the operating voltage is interrupted, the car radio shuts off until a code word, known only to the authorized user, is reentered by the authorized user. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,981 to Seibold discloses an automotive electronic communication apparatus which prevents the connection of an external battery to a car radio prior to stealing it, in order to prevent an interruption in the power supplied to the car radio. Here, the system measures the impedance of a connected accessory, for example the loudspeaker, and if the impedance of the loudspeaker does not match the impedance stored in the memory of the car radio, the radio will not operate, until the appropriate code word is reinserted.
Yet another method used to prevent car radio theft is to equip the car radio with a removable face plate. Whenever the operator leaves the vehicle, the operator removes the radio face plate, thereby rendering the car radio inoperative. Along these same lines, removable radios have also been designed. Here, the customer removes the entire radio when leaving the vehicle.
Each of these prior art methods are either cumbersome or inconvenient to the consumer. For the methods where the radio, or parts of the radio, are removed from the vehicle, the consumer is required to carry the radio around with him/her. For the methods employing a security code, the consumer is required to memorize this security code in order to "unlock" a radio which has been removed from a permanent power source. Also, the security code would have to be reentered every time the battery is changed or disconnected for ordinary maintenance of the vehicle. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for actuating an air-conditioning system or automatic air conditioner in a vehicle. Here, the air-conditioning system or automatic air conditioner can be switched on or off when the engine is operating. Moreover, the air-conditioning system or automatic air conditioner is switched off if the air-conditioning system or automatic air conditioner is switched on when the engine is operating and the engine is subsequently switched off. Additionally, when the engine of the vehicle is stationary, the air-conditioning system or automatic air conditioner continually possesses a function via which the residual heat of the engine is utilizable.
Presently, vehicles are being increasingly equipped with air-conditioning systems. Such air-conditioning systems have a compressor with which air can be cooled. In an air-conditioning system, the power of the compressor is directly set by the driver of the vehicle or an occupant of the vehicle. Here, it is the interior temperature of the vehicle which is controlled. If the temperature of the interior of the vehicle does not correspond to the expectations of the driver or the occupant, the driver or the occupant will change the power setting of the compressor appropriately.
The interior temperature of the vehicle is thus controlled in a closed-loop manner. Similarly, it is known to continuously control such an air-conditioning system in a closed-loop manner so that the air-conditioning system thus becomes an automatic air conditioner. In such an automatic air conditioner, the driver or the occupant of the vehicle must enter the interior temperature setpoint of the vehicle. Using at least one temperature sensor, the power of the compressor is then set in such a way that the temperature setpoint in the interior of the vehicle is maintained. Additionally, or as an alternative, a temperature is also maintained while taking into account other ambient conditions such as, for example, solar radiation. The driver or occupant of the vehicle can expect this temperature to corresponding to the setpoint temperature while accounting for the ambient condition.
Because of the comparatively large power requirement of the compressor, the operation of such an air-conditioning system or such an automatic air conditioner is permitted only if its power is provided by the engine for the vehicle. The air-conditioning system and/or the automatic air conditioner can therefore basically be switched on and off by the driver of the vehicle or an occupant of the vehicle. Here, it is possible to activate the air conditioning system and/or the automatic air conditioner only if the engine is running.
Moreover, it is also known to equip an air-conditioning system or an automatic air conditioner with a further function with which the residual heat of the engine can be utilized to heat the interior of the vehicle. Here, in a manner comparable to the heat exchanger of a conventional heater of a vehicle, heat is then obtainable from the coolant of the engine. With this function, the residual heat of the engine is utilized when the engine is not operating. In the prior art, the on/off switch of the air-conditioning system or automatic air conditioner and the switch for the residual heat utilization function are different (i.e., separate) switches.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a circuit arrangement for actuating an air-conditioning system or automatic air conditioner in a manner such that its control is simplified and the expenditure (in terms of components) is minimized.
This and other objects and advantages are achieved by the circuit arrangement according to the invention, in which at least one function of the air-conditioning system or automatic air conditioner, which is manually switchable when the engine is operating, is switchable via the same control element utilized to activate and deactivate the function of utilizing the residual heat when the engine is stationary.
Here, in comparison to the prior art, an advantage is achieved by eliminating the use of one control element. Since the air-conditioning system or automatic air conditioner is switched off automatically when the engine is switched off, the control element with which the at least one manually switchable function can be switched on or off when the engine is operating can be used (when the engine is stationary(off)) to switch the function in which the residual heat is utilized. This is because at least one function can be switched only when the engine is operating. On the other hand, the function of utilizing the residual heat can be switched only if the engine is not operating. As a result, via this double assignment of the control element, in comparison to the prior art, it is possible to eliminate the use of one control element.
In an embodiment of the circuit arrangement according to the invention, the at least one function of the air-conditioning system or automatic air conditioner, which is manually switchable when the engine is operating, is the activation and deactivation of the air-conditioning system or automatic air conditioner when the engine is operating.
Via this refined embodiment of the invention, the use is simplified insofar as one control element is provided with which different functions can be switched on or off. This proves advantageous insofar as, in the two cases in which the engine is operating and in which the engine is switched off, this control element has a switching-on and switching-off function, i.e., in the switching on/off of the air-conditioning system or automatic air conditioner, and in the other case the switching on/off of the function where the residual heat of the engine is utilized. Therefore, by virtue of the fact that the control element is not used to set any variables, but rather a switching on/off function is implemented, the device is simple for the user to operate (in terms of the control). This is particularly advantageous in view of the comparatively large number of control elements of an air-conditioning system and an automatic air conditioner.
In another embodiment of the circuit arrangement according to the invention, the control element is a switch. In a switch, haptic feedback (i.e., information learned by touching the switch) of the switched state is easily provided. This enables the user to determine which switched state the switch is in.
In yet another embodiment of the circuit arrangement according to the invention, the control element is a pushbutton switch. The actuation of a pushbutton switch can be input by a controller or microprocessor in a simple manner. This is advantageous insofar as it is in any case necessary to use a controller or microprocessor for the open-loop or closed-loop control of the air-conditioning system or automatic air conditioner. Here, in an advantageous manner, it is possible to feed into the controller or microprocessor the external signals in a particularly simple way when pushbutton switches are used.
In a still further embodiment of the circuit arrangement according to the invention, there is at least one display element with which it is possible to display which of the functions can be switched by the control element. As a result, the operation of the device by the user becomes easier. This is because it is always possible to determine which of the functions can be switched via the control element. For example, in each case a designation of the two switchable functions can be printed onto the control element itself. Assignable to each of these designations is a light-emitting diode. Here, the light-emitting diodes is driven in accordance with the operating state of the engine. As a result, it is always possible to determine which function can be switched. Additionally, it is also possible to provide a corresponding display in a display device. Further, the control circuit arrangement can be implemented via software, hardware or some combination thereof, with reference to the controller or microprocessor.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a semiconductor light-emitting device and a method of manufacturing said semiconductor light-emitting device. The semiconductor light-emitting device can be utilized as, e.g., a light-emitting diode and a laser diode.
2. Description of the Related Art
Light-emitting devices using compound semiconductors are known as those covering visible to short wavelength regions. Among others, group III nitride semiconductors have attracted attention in recent years, not only because these semiconductors are of direct transition type, so that they exhibit high light-emitting efficiency, but also because these semiconductors emit blue light, which is one of the three primary colors.
One example of such light-emitting device is formed by laminating an AlN buffer layer, a first clad layer, a light-emitting layer, and a second clad layer sequentially on a sapphire substrate. Here, the first and the second clad layers are made of AlXInYGa1xe2x88x92Xxe2x88x92YN (including X=0, X=Y, X=Y=0). The light-emitting layer has a superlattice structure formed by laminating a barrier layer made of InY1Ga1xe2x88x92Y1N (Y1xe2x89xa70) and a quantum well layer made of InY2Ga1xe2x88x92Y2N (Y2xe2x89xa7Y1 and Y2 greater than 0) repetitively.
These semiconductor layers are formed in accordance with an ordinary technique based on a metal organic vapor phase epitaxial growth method (hereinafter referred to as the xe2x80x9cMOVPE methodxe2x80x9d).
The thus superlattice-structured light-emitting layer, requiring steepness in difference of composition between the barrier layers and the quantum well layers, is formed at relatively low growth temperatures. Further, the respective barrier layers are generally formed to have the same thickness, and similarly the respective quantum well layers are formed to have the same thickness. This is because there is a danger that the wavelengths of light emitted from the respective quantum well layers will be slightly varied by the quantum effect if thicknesses differ between layers.
On the other hand, the second clad layer that is formed on the light-emitting layer is formed at higher temperatures than the light-emitting layer in order to meet thickness and composition requirements (the second clad layer is thicker than the barrier layers and the quantum well layers).
The inventors have found that the following problems have been addressed in manufacturing the semiconductor light-emitting device.
In the superlattice-structured light-emitting layer, if layers adjacent to the respective clad layers are quantum well layers, the following problems are encountered. When a clad layer is of the p-type and a quantum well layer is contiguous to such clad layer, the depth of the well of such quantum well layer differs from those of the other quantum well layers because the clad layer has a different energy level from a barrier layer. Therefore, there is a danger that the wavelengths of light will be shifted. Further, if a clad layer is of the n-type and a quantum well layer is contiguous to such clad layer, the well is hard to form in such quantum well layer because the energy level of the clad layer is lower than that of the quantum well layer. As a result, emission of light cannot be expected.
To overcome the aforementioned problems, a first aspect of the invention is applied to a semiconductor light-emitting device that includes:
a first semiconductor layer that is made of n-type GaN;
a light-emitting layer of superlattice structure that is formed on the first semiconductor layer by laminating a barrier layer being made of InY1Ga1xe2x88x92Y1N (Y1xe2x89xa70) and a quantum well layer being made of InY2Ga1xe2x88x92Y2N (Y2 greater than Y1 and Y2 greater than 0); and
a second semiconductor layer that is made of p-type AlXGa1xe2x88x92XN (0.05 less than X less than 0.2), and
in such a semiconductor light-emitting device,
layers that are adjacent to clad layers are the barrier layers in the light-emitting layer. That is, the light-emitting layer is designed to have a barrier layerxe2x80x94a quantum well layerxe2x80x94 . . . xe2x80x94a quantum well layerxe2x80x94a barrier layer.
It may be noted that the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer correspond to clad layers or optical guide layers in the following description. It may further be noted that impurities introduced due to the background at the time of growing the semiconductor layers such as the barrier layers and the quantum well layers are not intentional impurities.
However, when the inventors have examined again, the following problems have further been found out.
When the second clad layer is formed on the light-emitting layer of superlattice structure, the barrier layer that comes on top of the light-emitting layer (hereinafter referred to as the xe2x80x9cuppermost barrier layerxe2x80x9d) becomes thin. The reason therefor is assumed to be as follows. Since the second clad layer is formed at higher temperatures than the uppermost barrier layer, the material of which the uppermost barrier layer is formed is blown away from the upper surface of the second clad layer at the time of forming the second clad layer.
It is not desirable that the uppermost barrier layer become thin, because the wavelengths of light are shifted toward the short wavelength side by the quantum effect.
Further, if the barrier layer is designed to be thin (e.g., to a thickness of some nanometers), there is a danger that no uppermost barrier layer substantially exists.
To overcome this problem, a second aspect of the invention is applied to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device that includes the steps of:
forming a first semiconductor layer that is made of AlXInYGa1xe2x88x92Xxe2x88x92YN (including X=0, Y=0, X=Y=0);
forming a light-emitting layer of superlattice structure that is formed on the first semiconductor layer by laminating a barrier layer being made of InY1Ga1xe2x88x92Y1N (Y1xe2x89xa70) and a quantum well layer being made of InY2Ga1xe2x88x92Y2N (Y2 greater than Y1 and Y2 greater than 0); and
forming a second semiconductor layer that is made of AlAInBGa1xe2x88x92Axe2x88x92BN (including A=0, B=0, A=B=0) on the light-emitting layer, wherein
an uppermost barrier layer, which is an uppermost layer of the light-emitting layer, is formed thicker than the other barrier layers.
Further, a third aspect of the invention is applied to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device according to the second aspect of the invention, which is characterized in that at the time of forming the second semiconductor layer, an upper surface of the uppermost barrier layer is caused to disappear and the uppermost barrier layer is made to have substantially the same thickness as the other barrier layers.
Further, an object of the invention is to provide a semiconductor light-emitting device in which the peak wavelengths of emitted light do not vary even if an applied current is varied.
Another object of the invention is to provide a semiconductor light-emitting device having a narrow wavelength distribution, i.e., a semiconductor light-emitting device that emits light that is close to ideal monochromatic light.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a semiconductor light-emitting device that has high light-emitting efficiency and an active layer of superlattice structure exhibiting strong emission of light.
In the semiconductor light-emitting device according to the first aspect of the invention, layers that are adjacent to the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer are barrier layers in the light-emitting layer. Therefore, the shape of a quantum well, i.e., the potential wells in the quantum well layers closest to the respective semiconductor layers are substantially the same as those of the other quantum well layers. As a result, the wavelengths of light emitted from the respective quantum well layers become substantially the same.
Further, a crystal of the barrier layer made of InY1Ga1xe2x88x92Y1N in the light-emitting layer is grown on the first semiconductor layer made of n-type GaN. Since the indium mole fraction of the barrier layer is zero or relatively smaller than that of the quantum well layer, the composition of the barrier layer is closer to that of the first semiconductor layer. Therefore, the crystal of the light-emitting layer is hard to distort.
In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device according to the second aspect of the invention, the uppermost barrier layer is made thicker than the other barrier layers. Therefore, even if the material on the surface of the uppermost barrier layer is caused to disappear at the time of forming the second semiconductor layer, there is no likelihood that the entire part of the uppermost barrier layer will not substantially exist. In order to allow the uppermost barrier layer to exist, the thickness of the uppermost barrier layer must, of course, be designed while taking into consideration a part of thickness to be caused to disappear at the time of forming the second semiconductor layer.
According to the third aspect of the invention, the uppermost barrier layer is designed while taking into consideration a part of thickness to be caused to disappear at the time of forming the second semiconductor layer so that the uppermost barrier layer has the same thickness as the other barrier layers after the second semiconductor layer has been formed. As a result, the respective barrier layers have substantially the same thickness in the superlattice-structured light-emitting layer, which in turn contributes to preventing wave wavelength shift caused by the quantum effect.
Further, according to a mode of embodiment of the invention, the peak wavelengths of light emitted from the semiconductor light-emitting device remain substantially unchanged even if an applied current is changed.
Still further, according to another mode of embodiment of the invention, a wavelength distribution of light emitted from the semiconductor light-emitting device becomes narrow. That is, light close to ideal monochromatic light can be emitted from the semiconductor light-emitting device.
Still further, according to still another mode of embodiment of the invention, light-emitting efficiency is high and light-emitting strength is increased in the superlattice-structured light-emitting layer. | {
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1. Field
Aspects of the exemplary embodiments relate to a display apparatus and a controlling method thereof, and more particularly, to a display apparatus where a battery is inserted and a controlling method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, even when a user does not use a display apparatus such as a TV, the user keeps connecting the display apparatus to AC power. When a display apparatus is connected to AC power, the display apparatus consumes power even when it remains in a standby mode.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method for reducing standby power which is consumed by a display apparatus in a standby mode. | {
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1. Technical Field
The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to data processing technology, and particularly to an image processing apparatus and method.
2. Description of Related Art
Digital cameras are very popular and widely used in daily life. However, images captured by a digital camera may have an off-color effect due to inaccurate focusing, bad illumination, or movement of objects (such as children or pets) to be captured. | {
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This invention relates to patient monitoring systems, particularly to such systems that use automatic sensing devices to provide a signal indicating the movements or absence of a patient, or body conditions of the patient.
It is to interest to hospitals and other institutions that the movements of persons confined to a bed or to any constrained location or position be controlled and monitored to indicate the physical activities and body condition of these persons. At present, elaborate arrangements are necessary to monitor many conditions of patients and often a desired or necessary monitoring is not used because of cost or unavailability of necessary equipment. Some prior art devices have been developed that use magnets attached to persons being monitored, physical connections of various types, or mechanically actuated switching devices that respond to the presence or absence of a patient from his bed or chair.
All of the known prior art devices suffer from various deficiencies. The need to make physical connections is obviously burdensome and is usually defeated by the activity of the patient. Also, these systems require special equipment so as to limit their availability to many hospitals. One device uses a capacitor that is deformed by pressure so that its capacitance changes when the deforming force is removed. This change is sensed to indicate the absence of the patient. However, this device is of limited application and requires a source of constant electrical potential. | {
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The present invention relates to liquid droplet ejection systems and, more particularly, ink jet system and, even more particularly, to drop-on-demand ink jet systems.
Ink jet systems generally fall into two categoriesxe2x80x94continuous systems and drop-on-demand systems. Continuous inkjet systems operate by continuously ejecting droplets of ink, some of which are deflected by some suitable means prior to reaching the substrate being imprinted, allowing the undeflected drops to form the desired imprinting pattern. In drop-on-demand systems, drops are produced only when and where needed to help form the desired image on the substrate.
Drop-on-demand ink jet systems can, in turn, be divided into two major categories on the basis of the type of ink driver used. Most systems in use today are of the thermal bubble type wherein the ejection of ink droplets is effected through the boiling of the ink. Other drop-on-demand ink jet systems use piezoelectric crystals which change their planar dimensions in response to an applied voltage and thereby cause the ejection of a drop of ink from an adjoining ink chamber.
Typically, a piezoelectric crystal is bonded to a thin diaphragm which bounds a small chamber or cavity fill of ink or the piezoelectric crystal directly forms the cavity walls. Ink is fed to the chamber through an inlet opening and leaves the chamber through an outlet, typically a nozzle. When a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric crystal, the crystal attempts to change its planar dimensions and, because the crystal is securely connected to the diaphragm, the result is the bending of the diaphragm into the chamber. The bending of the diaphragm effectively reduces the volume of the chamber and causes ink to flow out of the chamber through both the inlet opening and the outlet nozzle. The fluid impedances of the inlet and outlet openings are such that a suitable amount of ink exits the outlet nozzle during the bending of the diaphragm. When the diaphragm returns to its rest position ink is drawn into the chamber so as to refill it so that it is ready to eject the next drop.
Thermal bubble systems, although highly desirable for a variety of applications, suffer from a number of disadvantages relative to piezoelectric crystal systems. For example, the useful life of a thermal bubble system print head is considerably shortened, primarily because of the stresses which are imposed on the resistor protecting layer by the collapsing of bubbles. In addition, because of the inherent nature of the boiling process, it is relatively difficult to precisely control the volume of the drop and its directionality. As a result, the produced dot quality on a substrate may be less than optimal.
Still another drawback of thermal bubble systems is related to the fact that the boiling of the ink is achieved at high temperatures, which calls for the use of inks which can tolerate such elevated temperatures without undergoing either mechanical or chemical degradation. As a result of this limitation, only a relatively small number of ink formulations, generally aqueous inks, can be used in thermal bubble systems.
These disadvantages are not present in piezoelectric crystal drivers, primarily because piezoelectric crystal drivers are not required to operate at elevated temperatures. Thus, piezoelectric crystal drivers are not subjected to large heat-induced stresses. For the same reason, piezoelectric crystal drivers can accommodate a much wider selection of inks. Furthermore, the shape, timing and duration of the ink driving pulse is more easily controlled. Finally, the operational life of a piezoelectric crystal driver, and hence of the print head, is much longer. The increased useful life of the piezoelectric crystal print head, as compared to the corresponding thermal bubble device, makes it more suitable for large, stationary and heavily used print heads.
Piezoelectric crystal drop-on-demand print heads have been the subject of much technological development. Some illustrative examples of such developments include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,087,930 and 4,730,197, which are incorporated by reference in their entirety as if fully set forth herein and which disclose a construction having a series of stainless steel layers. The layers are of various thicknesses and include various openings and channels. The various layers are stacked and bonded together to form a suitable fluid inlet channel, pressure cavity, fluid outlet channel and orifice plate.
The systems disclosed in the above-referenced patents illustrate the use of a fluid inlet channel having a very small aperture, typically, 100 microns or less. The use of a very small aperture is dictated by the desirability of limiting the backflow from the ink cavity during. ejection of a drop but is problematic in that the small aperture is susceptible to clogging during the bonding of layers as well as during normal operation of the print head.
The construction disclosed in the above-referenced patents requires the very accurate alignment of the various layers during manufacture, especially in the vicinity of the small apertures which form portions of the fluid path. Furthermore, the openings in the orifice plate which form the outlets of the various flow channels have sharp edges which could have adverse effects on the fluid mechanics of the system.
Additionally, the techniques used in forming the openings in the orifice plate, which typically include punching, chemical etching or laser drilling, require that the thickness of the orifice plate be equal to, or less than, the orifice diameter which is itself limited by resolution considerations to about 50 microns.
Finally, any air bubbles trapped inside the flow channel cannot easily be purged and, because the bubbles are compressible, their presence in the system can have detrimental effects on system performance.
According to the present invention there is provided a liquid droplet ejection device, comprising: (a) a plurality of liquid ejection nozzles; (b) a liquid supply layer including porous material, the liquid supply layer featuring holes related to the nozzles; and (c) a plurality of transducers related to the holes for ejecting liquid droplets out through the nozzles.
In some embodiments of devices according to the present invention, the porous material includes sintered material, such as, sintered stainless steel.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the transducers are piezoelectric elements, the nozzles are the outlets of capillaries and the device further comprises: (d) a deflection plate, the piezoelectric elements being connected to the deflection plate; and (e) a liquid cavity layer formed with cutouts therethrough, the cutouts being related to the piezoelectric elements, the liquid cavity layer adjoining the deflection plate, the liquid cavity layer adjoining the liquid supply layer, the holes of the liquid supply layer being related to the cutouts, the capillaries located in the holes, the liquid supply layer being configured so that liquid is able to flow from the porous material into the cutouts.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the liquid cavity layer is omitted and the deflection layer directly adjoins the liquid supply layer.
According to yet other embodiments of the present invention, the nozzles are formed by an orifice plate which adjoins the liquid supply layer, which may, in turn, adjoins the deflection plate or the liquid cavity layer, when present.
According to other embodiments of the present invention, the transducers are heat elements and droplet ejection is effected by the thermal bubble method, rather than through the use of piezoelectric elements.
The ejection of ink drops using a device according to one embodiment of the present invention is accomplished as follows: A pressure pulse is imparted to a volume of ink in an ink cavity through the deflection of a thin deflection plate, or diaphragm, located on top of the ink cavity. The plate is deflected downward by the action of a piezoceramic crystal whenever a voltage is applied across its electrodes, one of which is in electrical contact with the usually metallic deflection plate.
The pressure pulse created by the downward bending of the deflection plate drives the ink towards and through an outlet, preferably a glass capillary having a convergent nozzle at its outlet end, causing the ejection of a drop of a specific size.
When the piezoelectric crystal is de-energized, it returns to its equilibrium position, reducing the pressure in the ink cavity and causing the meniscus at the outlet end of the glass capillary to retract.
The retracted meniscus generates a capillary force in the glass capillary which acts to pull ink from an ink reservoir into the ink cavity and into the glass capillary. The refilling process ends when the meniscus regains its equilibrium position.
In alternative embodiments of devices of the present invention there are provided systems similar to those presented above but which, instead of relying on piezoelectric elements and a deflecting plate, features heating elements which serve to boil the ink, thereby causing its ejection.
A key element in print heads according to the present invention is the presence of porous material which is in hydraulic communication with both the ink reservoir and the individual ink cavities. Preferably, the glass capillaries are embedded in openings in the porous material. The porous material preferably also defines part of the walls of the ink cavities.
Proper selection of the porous material makes it useful as a filter, serving to prevent any foreign particles which may be present in the ink from reaching the nozzles and possibly blocking them.
It will be readily appreciated that in order to achieve high drop ejection rates, the time required to refill the ink cavity following ejection of a drop must be as short as possible. The refilling time can be reduced by reducing the restriction to flow into the ink cavity. However, reduction of the restriction to inflow tends to increase the adverse effects of cross talk, i.e., the undesired interactions between separate ink cavities.
The optimization of the system in terms of the conflicting requirements of low cross talk and high refill rate can be effected through the judicious selection of a porous material having optimal characteristics for the intended application, taking into account, in addition, the viscosity of the ink and the nozzle geometry. The important characteristics of the porous material include the pore size and the permeability to flow (together referred to as xe2x80x9cmicron gradexe2x80x9d), as well as the macro and micro geometries of the porous material.
As stated above, the optimal balance between the in-flow of ink into the ink cavity and its out-flow from the cavity is also affected by the ink viscosity and nozzle dimensions. The lower the viscosity of the ink, the faster is the refilling rate of the ink cavity but the more pronounced is the cross talk between separate cavities. Also, the smaller the outlet nozzle diameter, the more pronounced is the capillary action of the nozzle and hence, the higher is the refilling rate.
Ink jet print heads are generally designed so that the dimensions of the ink channels into and out of the ink cavity are such that the channels have acoustic impedances which are optimal for a specific ink of a given viscosity and for a specific nozzle diameter. If it is desired to use a print head with a different nozzle diameter and/or with a different viscosity ink, the print head channels must be redesigned to accommodate the new nozzle diameter and/or different viscosity ink.
By contrast, use of a porous material according to the present invention, makes it possible to preserve the same print head geometry and structure even when ink of a different viscosity and/or when a different nozzle geometry are to be used. The optimization of the acoustic impedances of the channels can be effected merely through the proper selection of a suitable porous material having suitable characteristics, such as a suitable micron grade.
Apart from the ability to optimize the print head without the need to redesign the flow channels, use of porous materials according to the present invention eliminates the small, and easily clogged, ink inlet apertures leading to the ink cavities.
Still another advantage offered by the use of the porous material according to the present invention is the material""s ability to act as a filter, thereby reducing, or even completely obviating, the need for special filtration of the in-flowing ink.
Finally, the fabrication of print heads including porous material according to the present invention can be effected using simple production techniques without the need for complex and expensive micro-machining. | {
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Mostly, electronic devices such as mobile phones and smart phones support multi-tasking capable of concurrently running two or more applications at one time. For example, while otherwise performing other operations, the electronic device can convert into a calendar application in order to view appointments or convert into an address book application in order to view contacts. While the electronic device plays multimedia data such as video or Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) Audio layer 3 (MP3), the electronic device can convert into a message application and respond to a message. However, as a result of the limitation of a display size of the electronic device such as the mobile phone and the smart phone, the electronic device has to convert one application screen into other application screen or display two application screens through screen split in order to perform multi-tasking.
Therefore, there are limitations in doing a multi-tasking work in the electronic device, because of requirements associated with portability of electronic devices, the electronic device has a display smaller than a monitor of a Personal Computer (PC).
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game program production method, a game system, and a recording medium used in role playing games.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, proposals have been made about many and various game systems and also made about a wide variety of video or television games used in these game systems. For example, such games include simulation games, role playing games, fighting games, and puzzle games.
Among these games, the role playing games are such that the player becomes the main character in the game and has various experiences within the game space along the lines of the story set up within the program. It is a recent trend that such role playing games tend to become more complex and longer as the game systems become more advanced. Accordingly, some role playing games require up to 50 hours from start to finish. In such long role playing games, usually all data up to the stage reached by a player is stored in a memory card that can be attached to or detached from the game system. When the player plays a next time, the game can be continued and be progressive to the next stage by reading the data from the memory card attached to the game system.
Herein, it is to be noted that players playing a long role playing game do not always necessarily want to play the game continuously. Sometimes, a player may neither want to play such a game nor may play the game for a long period of time. When a situation continues such that a game has been interrupted on the way of the game or is not used for a long time, a player may sometimes lose interest in the game.
On the other hand, a player""s interest even in a long role playing game tends to weaken once the game is cleared or comes to an end. Therefore, consumers are always expecting role playing games to have more variations and are wanting games that they do not tire of.
To the contrary, it is very laborious and time consuming for software developers developing role playing games to develop long role playing games. This trend is becoming more pronounced as game systems become more advanced.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a game program production method for producing programs for games with substantial variation that can maintain a player""s interest over a long period of time.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a game program production method that can reduce the labor and time imposed on software developers and furthermore that can create games with a wide variety of the scenarios provided.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a game system that can be finished in a relatively short period of time, that can enjoy each game with substantial variation as a single game unit, and that can readily lengthen games by combining a plurality of single game units.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a recording medium for storing programs for the above games.
A method to which the present invention is applicable is for use in producing a game program that executes a game in accordance with a story. According to a first aspect of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of preparing a plurality of partial programs for partial scenarios each equipped with end conditions, selecting a first one of the partial programs that has a first one of the end conditions, and determining, from the partial programs, a second one of the partial programs that has a second one of the partial programs in accordance with the first end condition of the first partial program, on the condition that the second partial program continues with the first partial program in the story. In this way, the partial programs for partial scenarios are combined to create the story.
Thus, in the game program production method according to the present invention, combinations of programs, namely, partial programs for partial scenarios can be used to create games with abundant variety.
Therefore, combining partial scenarios programs with one another in a substantially random manner can create various different stories and, players can thus enjoy the game as played along each story line.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a game system is capable of executing a game in accordance with a story and player operations. The game system comprises storage means for storing a plurality of partial programs for partial scenarios that partially define the story and that are each equipped with end conditions and scenario processing means, operable in response to the player operation, for determining a first one of the partial programs for the first partial scenario that makes up a first part of the story, and for selectively determining a second one of the partial programs for the second stage partial scenario, that follows the first partial program for the first stage partial scenario, so that the story continues from the end condition of the first partial program for the first partial scenario. The first and the second partial programs for the first and the second partial scenario are combined to create the story.
A computer-readable recording medium according to still another aspect of the present invention is for use in executing a game according to a story and player operations. The recording medium comprises the steps of determining a first one of partial programs for the first partial scenario that executes a first part of the story in accordance with the player operations by selecting a plurality of partial programs for partial scenarios that execute parts of the story and that are each equipped with end conditions and selectively determining, among the plurality of the partial programs for the partial scenarios, a second one of the partial programs for the second partial scenario that follows the first partial program for the first stage partial scenario with reference to the end condition of the first partial program for the first partial scenario on the condition that the second partial program can continue the story from the end condition of the first partial program for the first partial scenario. The story is composed of a combination of the partial programs for partial scenarios.
Using such a recording medium can enjoy various games with different stories by managing programs for a plurality of partial scenarios. | {
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The ongoing development of data networks often involves incorporating additional, demand-responsive functionality and/or capacity into networking equipment in order to enable greater connectivity and flexibility. These ends are pursued in part by increasing the number of functional modules included in a network node and/or the capacity of a particular node function (e.g., switching, routing, etc.) by increasing the number of components that contribute to the functional capacity. However, as the number of modules and/or components increases, power supply management issues become more complex in view of competing demands for efficiency, redundancy and sufficiently high power.
For example, it is typically desirable to ensure a reliable power supply to heavily utilized information technology (IT) infrastructure nodes, while also managing efficiency and link stability. Known power distribution systems for networking equipment employ two power supplies that are arranged and operated to supply more power than is utilized at a given instant. The two power supplies are coupled such that each power supply provides some power to a combination of loads (e.g., the modules and/or components of a network node). If one power supply fails, the second power supply remains available to deliver power to the combination of loads. This power distribution system ensures that both power supplies are normally always active in order to provide redundancy and limit packet loss and/or link failures that may result from hard switching between power supplies. However, this power distribution system a number of problems. For example, it susceptible to brown-outs that are caused by rapid increases in demand because the power supplies are not responsive enough to closely track rapid demand changes. In turn, packets or even links can be lost. Conversely, when demand drops suddenly, the overall efficiency suffers because the power supplies are again not responsive enough to closely track demand changes.
In accordance with common practice the various features illustrated in the drawings may not be drawn to scale. Accordingly, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. In addition, some of the drawings may not depict all of the components of a given system, method or device. Finally, like reference numerals may be used to denote like features throughout the specification and figures. | {
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1. Field
Embodiments relate to methods of forming semiconductor devices and, more particularly, to methods of forming variable resistive memory devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices can be, e.g., semiconductor memory devices and semiconductor logic devices. The semiconductor memory devices may store data. The semiconductor memory devices may be categorized as, e.g., volatile memory device and nonvolatile memory devices. Volatile memory devices may lose their stored data when their power supply is interrupted. Nonvolatile memory devices may retain their stored data even when their power supply is interrupted. The nonvolatile memory devices may include, e.g., programmable read only memory (PROM) devices, erasable PROM (EPROM) devices, electrical EPROM (EEPROM) devices and flash memory devices.
Semiconductor memory devices may also include, for example, ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) devices, magnetic random access memory (MRAM) devices and phase-change random access memory (PRAM) devices. Memory cells may include a variable resistive material, which may have a characteristic that the electrical resistance of the material varies according to current or voltage applied thereto. Further, when included as part of a memory cell, the variable resistive material may retain its final electrical resistance even though the current and/or voltage supply is interrupted. | {
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This invention relates, in general, to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to a semiconductor package having leads that break-away from supports.
It is common in the semiconductor art to employ surface mount packages for placement on printed circuit boards and the like. Typically, the leads of a surface mount package are soldered directly to the printed circuit board so that electrical coupling occurs therebetween. An often arising problem is that the surface mount package and the printed circuit board on which it is mounted have different coefficients of thermal expansion. As a result, thermal contraction causes stress throughout the package and printed circuit board, especially at the leads and solder joints. The stress often causes the solder joints to break and the semiconductor package to function improperly.
One solution to reduce the problems caused by thermal contraction stress is to employ surface mount packages having thin metal leads that are flexible. The thin leads flex during thermal contraction and reduce damage to both the leads and solder joints. However, flexible leads on surface mount packages have a tendency to become misaligned. Lead misalignment results in open solder joints and has many deleterious effects in the mounting of surface mount packages. These problems are especially prevalent when very thin leads are required due to high lead counts and the like.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to have a semiconductor package that may be employed in surface mount applications that adequately counters the stress problems caused by the differing thermal expansion coefficients of the package and the printed circuit board on which the package is mounted while not having serious misalignment problems. | {
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention relates to an information reproducing system and, more specifically, to a process for the preparation of an image-forming element and related printing device. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Technical Field
The present disclosure pertains to internal combustion engines having a reciprocating piston slidably mounted within a cylinder and, more particularly, to a compression ring adapted to provide a seal between a top surface of the piston and a wall of the cylinder.
Description of the Related Art
Today's most common internal combustion engines are equipped with a cylinder, a piston slidably mounted in the cylinder, and a cylinder head mounted on the cylinder that in combination define a combustion chamber. Such engines are operated with a variety of fuels, including gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, hydrogen, ethanol alcohol (ethyl alcohol), propane, natural gas and others. In the past few years, new technologies have emerged, some in development and some already on the market, in which water, water injection, and other similar liquids are utilized.
In most internal combustion engines employing a piston-cylinder arrangement, the piston is slightly smaller in outside diameter than the inside diameter of the cylinder bore. At least one and usually three rings are used around the circumference of the piston to provide a seal between the piston and the wall of the cylinder. These rings are used in different configurations and are typically made from spring metal.
Most liquid type fuels are fed to the combustion chamber using a carburetor, port fuel injection or direct injection. The liquid fuel is converted to a mist or a spray during its transition to the combustion chamber. Once such spray touches a surface of the combustion chamber, it is turned back to a liquid. One such surface is the cylinder walls. This conversion back to liquid form inhibits complete consumption and burning of the fuel.
In current technologies during compression cycles the top ring is collecting liquid fuel from the cylinder walls, and it becomes trapped in the volume between the piston and cylinder. It is most critical during the compression stroke of a 4-stroke engine, where the pressure is high enough that once the piston reaches top dead center, the combustion creates maximum pressure to push the piston away from the cylinder head. This pressure pushes some of the liquid collected from between the piston and the cylinder wall past the piston and into the oil pan area. This is known as “blow-by.” In a water-based fuel system and in hydrogen-based fuels where the by-product of the combustion is mostly water, such blow-by liquids are mixed with the engine oil residing in the oil pan below the piston.
Piston reciprocation occurs more than 1000 times per minute even at low rpm. In a multiple cylinder engine the amount of blow-by is substantial. The blow-by results in wasted fuel and contamination of the oil, creating a milky type substance that can cause rapid wear of internal parts of the engine and premature failure.
Although the space between the piston cylinder wall and top ring is very small, it can accumulate trapped liquid to a large volume very rapidly. Attempts have been made in the past, with some success, to reduce blow-by by using multiple rings in a variety of shapes and configurations on the piston. None, however, appear to have addressed eliminating or preventing the accumulation of liquid in this space between the piston cylinder wall and the top ring.
Shown in FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an assembly 20 having a piston 22 slidably mounted within a cylinder 24 that is covered with a cylinder head 26 to define a combustion chamber 28. The piston 22 is mounted to a connecting rod 30 that in turn is coupled to a crankshaft 32, which is configured to move the piston 22 in a reciprocating fashion up and down in the cylinder 24. The construction and operation of the crankshaft 32 and connecting rod 30 will not be described in detail herein inasmuch as these are well-known elements to those of skill in the art. Similarly, the cylinder head 26 includes a pair of valves 34, a spark plug 36, and a fuel injector 38 that are in communication with the combustion chamber 28 in a well-known manner. These elements will also not be described in detail herein inasmuch as they form the environment within which the invention is designed to function, and such elements are well known to those of skill in the art.
Turning next to FIG. 2, shown therein in greater detail is a partial enlarged view of the assembly 20 of FIG. 1 showing a top ring 40 mounted within a channel 42 formed in a sidewall 44 of the piston 22. As is well known, the piston 22 has a cylindrical exterior sidewall surface 44 that is slightly smaller in diameter than an exterior sidewall surface 46 of the cylinder 24. The top ring 40, generally known as a compression ring, extends outward from the exterior sidewall surface 44 of the piston 22 to ride up against the interior cylinder wall 46 in a fashion that scrapes liquid 48 off the cylinder wall 46 and reduces blow-by from the combustion chamber 28 to a crankcase area around the connecting rod 30 and crankshaft 32 below the piston 22.
More particularly, during a typical four-stroke combustion cycle, fuel is injected into the combustion chamber 28 via the fuel injector 38. This fuel is shown as a spray 50 in FIG. 1. The spray of liquid fuel 50 can accumulate on the cylinder wall 46 in the form of droplets 48 shown in FIG. 2. During the movement of the piston 22 in a reciprocating fashion within the cylinder 24, the top ring 40 will scrape and collect the droplets 48 in the space 52 between the piston 22 and the cylinder 24. The liquid accumulates as indicated by reference number 54 within the space 52. Under the pressure of combustion, this trapped liquid 54 can blow past the top ring 40 and be injected into the crankcase containing the crankshaft 32, connecting rod 30, and lubricating oil.
Hence, there is a need to eliminate this trapped liquid 54 in the space 52 between the piston 22 and cylinder wall 24 to reduce the potential for damage to the engine, and to increase engine performance. | {
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The present invention relates to an insulation system and method for insulating marine vessels. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to vessels that are adapted to transport cryogenic liquids. Examples of such liquids include liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied propane gas (LPG) or liquefied ethylene gas (LEG).
The invention can also be applied to other applications where insulation is required.
International agreements determine the type and construction of marine vessels/ships which may be used to transport cryogenic liquids. Specifically, the regulations define how the cryogenic liquid is safely contained on the ship and importantly how the liquid can be contained should a hold fail.
Cryogenic transport ships are designed according to regulations that require the containment holds to have very high integrity. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) sets these regulations. Holds must be constructed such that the holds do not fail and allow liquid to be released. These designs require high integrity welding and thick hold walls, such as IMO type C and B holds. They are extremely safe but inherently expensive to manufacture and maintain.
As the use of cryogenic liquids increases there is a growing need for transport systems that allow these liquids to be safely transported in varying quantities and at competitive prices. The cost of constructing and operating conventional cryogenic transport ships is a barrier preventing the fuels being more widely distributed and utilised.
The inventor of the present technology has devised a system which allows cryogenic transport ships to be constructed at vastly reduced costs whilst maintaining very high safety standards. Furthermore, the technology can be applied to existing ship designs and easily and efficiently incorporated in a ship's structure. The technology may even be retro-fitted to existing ships. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of coated carbon fibers and to the field of carbon fiber composite materials.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is now known that fibers produced from certain materials may have exceptional mechanical properties, properties which are many times greater than those of the same material produced in bulk form. Because of their form, however, such fibers have limited utility. To increase the utility, it is known to combine many such fibers in a suitable matrix material to form a composite material having a good overall combination of properties. Such a composite material is typlified by the material commonly known as fiberglass which consists of glass fibers in an organic resin matrix. Among the fibers which have been used in composites are glass fibers, boron fibers, ceramic fibers, metal fibers and carbon fibers. An overview of the fiber composite area is presented in the book entitled "High Modulus Fibers and Composites" by F. S. Galasso, published by Gordon and Breach, Science Publishers, Inc., New York, N.Y., 1969.
Carbon fibers have received a great deal of attention since they have a low density and high modulus. Such fibers are typically produced by heating an organic precursor fiber at a high temperature to first carbonize the fiber and then graphitize the carbonized fiber. Commercial carbon fibers have diameters of 5-10 microns and can be quite long; e.g., 10 feet or more. Such carbon fibers can be used in conjunction with a wide variety of organic matrices to produce composite materials. The specific details of the carbon fiber preparation and matrix material do not form a part of the present invention. Rather the invention is directed at a method for increasing the electrical resistance of the carbon fibers and their resistance to oxidation and corrosion so that when the fibers are incorporated in an organic matrix they will have high stability; and in the event of a fire and subsequent release into the air will not cause electrical short circuits.
It has been known in the prior art to form silicon carbide on various substrates by chemical vapor deposition. Silicon carbide filaments have been produced by using heated filaments as a substrate. Since the intent is to produce a high strength filament of silicon carbide, the precursor filaments are of small diameter relative to the finished filament diameter; e.g., 10%.
Limited work has been done using carbon fibers as a starting filament. For example, the article "Elevated Temperature Strength of Silicon Carbide on Carbon Filaments" by K. D. McHenry and R. E. Tressler in J. of Composite Materials V9 (January 1975) pp. 73-76 describes filaments formed on a starting carbon fiber of 0.001 in diameter. On this was deposited a pyrolytic graphite layer about 0.0001 thick, followed by silicon carbide. The resultant fiber was 0.004 inches in diameter. In this situation, the carbon core constituted about 7.5% of the final fiber area with silicon carbide making up the balance.
Similar work is described in "Improvement of Manufacturing Methods for the Production of Low Cost Silicon Carbide Filament" by H. DeBolt and V. Krokonis, AFML-TR-73-140 December 1972. This report is incorporated herein by reference for its teachings relating to specific methods of silicon carbide deposition.
SiC coated carbon fibers may also be advantageously combined with metal matrices. The SiC surface is more resistant to attack by molten metal than is the uncoated carbon surface. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a model and accompanying algorithm to simulate and analyze ink ejection from a piezoelectric print head. More particularly, the model of this invention includes a quadrilateral grid for finite-difference-based ink-jet simulation where the algorithm is designed to solve a set of partial differential equations for two-phase flows that have been newly developed on the quadrilateral grid. The quadrilateral grid is transformed to a uniform square grid, and the derivatives of various parameters (e.g., the velocities, pressure, and level set) in the newly developed partial differential equations are calculated on the uniform square grid. A stable and powerful numerical algorithm is developed to solve the derived equations. The simulation model may be embodied in software, hardware or combination thereof and may be implemented on a computer or other processor-controlled device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Results of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) ink-jet simulation have been very useful in the design of piezoelectric ink-jet print heads. FIG. 1 shows how a practical inkjet simulation may be carried out. An analytical tool such as an equivalent circuit 11 receives as an input the dynamic voltage to be applied to the piezoelectric PZT actuator and simulates the ink behavior under the influence of the ink cartridge, supply channel, vibration plate, and PZT actuator. That is, from the input voltage and an ink flow rate, the equivalent circuit 11 calculates an inflow pressure that drives the CFD code 12. The CFD code 12 then solves the governing partial differential equations, i.e., the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations for two-phase flows, for fluid velocity, pressure and interface position, and feeds back the ink flow rate to the equivalent circuit. The sequence is repeated as long as needed.
A CFD code has been used by Seiko Epson to solve the Navier-Stokes equations. Such code employs the volume of fluid method (VOF) to take into account the ink-air interface. VOF performs fairly well with regard to mass conversation but is not so accurate on surface tension aspects of fluid flow, especially when the ink droplet is smaller than 5 pico liters. However, since the capability of ejecting ultra small ink droplets is essential for any photo quality ink-jet printer today, an improved modeling method which included the level set method was adopted by Seiko Epson to more accurately capture the ink-air interface in CFD simulations. Since there is a mathematical relation between the level set and the interface curvature, and hence the surface tension, the level set method excels whenever surface tension is important.
Because solving the level set equation by finite element analysis usually results in a serious mass conservation problem, finite difference analysis is usually the best choice among numerical schemes to be used with the level set method. FIG. 2 shows a typical rectangular grid for a finite difference analysis. Since the wall of the narrowing section of the modeled nozzle is not parallel to any coordinate axis, the discretized computational domain can not faithfully fit the real nozzle wall. The body-fitted quadrilateral grid in FIG. 3 does not have that problem. While a non-rectangular quadrilateral grid like the one in FIG. 3 can be naturally handled in finite element analysis, performing a finite difference analysis on such a grid is very difficult.
The first finite difference scheme for solving the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations on quadrilateral grids works well for single-phase fluids on a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. The scheme was later extended to an axisymmetric coordinate system. It was not clear, however, how to extend the algorithm to two-phase flows, to include surface tension, and to include the level set convection equation. | {
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1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems for gravel packing wells, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a one trip gravel packing system which can perform a squeeze pack on a well, and can subsequently produce well fluids without tripping the gravel packing system and the tubing string to which it is attached out of the well.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
In a typical gravel packing operation, the gravel packing assembly is run into the well on a work string. The appropriate zone or zones of the well are gravel packed, and then the work string and some portion of the gravel packing apparatus are removed from the well. Subsequently, a production tubing string with associated apparatus is lowered into the well and engaged with that portion of the gravel packing apparatus which was left in the well.
This tripping of the initial work string out of the well and tripping of the production string back into the well is a time consuming and expensive operation, particularly with relatively deep wells where it may take on the order of eighteen hours of rig time. | {
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1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a motor control system, and more particularly, to a DC motor speed control system having a simple current limiting circuit for limiting excess current to a DC motor from a DC power source.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional speed control system for a DC motor, wherein drive current to the DC motor is controlled by chopping signals, a current limiting circuit is provided in order to prevent the motor and DC power source from buring when excess current (or sometimes called overcurrent) flows continuously.
In such a prior current limiting circuit; however, disadvantageously, if a large load is momentarily applied to a DC motor during starting or driving, the current limiting circuit is caused to operate, and consequently, current above a predetermined value will not flow in the motor and torque of the motor cannot be increased during that time.
Moreover, in the conventional current limiting circuit, overcurrent to a motor is detected during conduction of a power control element, such as a power transistor. Since the overcurrent may vary near a predetermined limit value, a high frequency switching signal, in synchronization with the frequency of the current variation, is applied to the power transistor, by the current limiting circuit. However, the power transistor cannot respond accurately to the high frequency signal. Thus, overcurrent may flow in the motor continuously. As a result, current limitation is not reliably effected by the prior current limiting circuit and the motor and power transistor may be burned, or in certain circumstances, the power source transformer may also be burned.
Thus, the prior art DC motor control systems leave something to be desired, and improvement is greatly desired. | {
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The present invention relates to an endless flexible conveyor belt.
More particularly, the invention relates to an endless flexible conveyor belt of the type which is of box-shaped or trough-shaped cross-section, i.e., which has a bottom wall and side walls which extend upwardly from the same.
Still more particularly, the invention relates to such an endles flexible conveyor belt which has side walls provided with corrugations.
Conventional endless conveyor belts are, in their simplest execution, endless strips of flexible material which are trained about reversing rollers. There are many types of materials which can not be conveyed on these belts, because they drop off the lateral edges of the belt.
To avoid this problem it has been proposed to utilize an endless conveyor belt of box-shaped or trough-shaped cross-section, i.e., a belt having the usual strip-shaped supporting portion which is smooth and is trained about smooth drum-shaped reversing rollers and sidewalls which project normal or otherwise inclined to the plane of the supporting portion. This type of belt is especially advantageous for applications where material is to be transported between two or more levels, e.g., a higher level and a lower level.
However, when the conveyor belt is deflected from one level to another level, it is necessary that the sidewalls be able to accommodate themselves to the change of direction which takes place at each point of deflection, i.e., depending upon the direction of deflection the sidewalls must be able to longitudinally stretch or undergo compression. To facilitate this it has been proposed to corrugate the sidewalls transversely to their elongation, so that the resulting folds are either pulled apart (i.e., stretched) or squeezed together (i.e., compressed), depending upon the direction of deflection. It will be evident that the degree of stretching or compression is the greater the higher the sidewalls are; the reason for this is an increase in the height of the sidewalls also results in increasing spacing of the upper free edges of the sidewalls from the neutral bending zone of the belt which in the known conveyor belts lies within the bottom wall or strip of the belt.
This, in turn, dictates the deflection radius required for deflecting the belt where the belt changes direction. For example, a known conveyor belt of the type under discussion, having sidewalls of about 300 mm height, requires a deflection radius of about 750 mm to be deflected from the horizontal into the vertical. This translates into a need for deflecting drums having a diameter of 1500 mm. When this belt is deflected around these drums the sidewalls are longitudinally compressed; the limit of possible compression is evidently reached when the adjacent folds of the corrugation move into surface-to-surface abutment with one another. This is of course generally true of all corrugated sidewalls, whether high or low, which are required to continue to extend substantially normal to the bottom wall at all times, i.e., even during deflection. The use of sidewalls which are so profiled that they fold over laterally during deflection of the conveyor belt, has been proposed but is almost completely discontinued in the industry because of their susceptibility to damage and their low ability to retain conveyed materials against spilling.
Conversely, during deflection of the belt from the upper run to the lower run or vice versa a longitudinal stretching of the sidewalls takes place. The folds formed by the corrugations open up but this is of course limited to the degree of stretching achieved at the time the sidewalls have become completely flat, i.e., until the folds have been stretched flat. The degree of stretching is therefore limited by the amount of sidewall material which is "stored" in the folds. Evidently, additional material could be "stored" in this manner by increasing the depth of the corrugations, i.e., the depth of the folds in transverse direction of the belt. This, however, results in a corresponding decrease of the available load-carrying space of the belt; if one seeks to maintain that space unchanged, then the only alternative solution is to make the overall width of the belt correspondingly greater. A decrease in the load-carrying space is evidently undesired whereas an increase in belt width is often unacceptable because of space limitations at the point of use; also, belt widths are generally fixed by industrial and/or government norms.
The corrugating of sidewalls is also governed by other considerations. Thus, if the corrugated sidewall projects upwardly from the bottom wall by a distance greater than about 160 mm, it must be made specially resistant to folding-over in the lateral direction. Until now this was achieved by simply widening the corrugations in longitudinal direction of the sidewall, i.e, by making them wider in that direction than would otherwise be the case. However, this leads to deeper folds and a concomitant loss of carrying capacity. Moreover, conveyed matter tends to settle in such deep folds and, after unloading of the belt, travels along in the return run and becomes scattered during such travel.
In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,464,538 I have attempted to counteract the above problem by filling the sidewall folds at least partially with an elastic material to obtain improved stability and a better self-cleaning effect of the folds. However, I have found it to be a disadvantage of that construction that greater amounts of material are required to construct the belt and that the overall belt weight is increased. Moreover, the lateral sidewall stability can be economically improved only up to a sidewall height of about 200 mm in that manner.
The ability of a corrugated conveyor sidewall to undergo compression and extension in respect of the deflection radius for the belt, is largely a function of the geometry of the corrugation. The known solutions are not satisfactory, especially in the case of conveyor belts intended for large-volume conveying applications.
Also, known belts of this type exhibit markedly poor roll performance, which is defined as the ability of the sidewalls to be supported and roll on supporting rollers located beneath the return run of the conveyor. Conventionally, the free edges of the folds of the sidewalls are supported on cylindrical rollers as they travel in the return run but, because of the too great distance from one fold to the next and the too great depth of the folds, the sidewalls tend to flex in direction opposite the movement of the return run. This results from the point contact pressure transmission and leads to increasing destruction of the originally smooth contact surfaces on the sidewalls. As the damage proceeds the contact surfaces become progressively more uneven and this, in turn, leads to increasing damage to the support rollers. Ultimately this causes vibrations which are transmitted to the entire conveying installation. Short of using very expensive auxiliary equipment to counter these problems, there is nothing that can be done in the prior art to avoid them.
Another disadvantage of the prior art is that the construction principles employed in these conveyors often make it impossible to produce corrugated-sidewall conveyors for special conveying applications. Yet, the increasing use of corrugated-sidewall conveyors has opened up many new fields of applications and industry is constantly asking the belt manufacturers to provide such belts for new conveying applications. For example, it is currently being requested that corrugated-sidewall belts be furnished which have a width of 4000 mm and a sidewall height of 1000 mm; these belts are, however, required for use in situations where little vertical space is available so that the large 1200 mm-diameter reversing drums ordinarily required cannot be used. The only possible compromise is to use smaller reversing drums having a diameter of only about 400 mm. Moreover, such belts have a high inherent weight which makes it impossible to support the return run on rollers, requiring instead separate supporting belts for the return run. These, in turn, require additional vertical space for their installation.
It can be concluded, then, that the ability of the corrugated sidewalls to compress and to extend is the factor which governs the diameter of deflecting drums that can be used, the deflection radius required for deflection of the belt from one level to another, and the amount of vertical space required for installation and operation of the belt. The service life of the belt is largely dependent on the corrugation profile of the sidewalls and the ability of the corrugated sidewalls to resist deformation resulting from pressures acting upon them from various directions. | {
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In a typical laser-based printing/copying process, a photoconductive member is charged to a substantially uniform potential so as to sensitize the surface thereof. The charged portion of the photoconductive member is exposed to a light image of the original document being reproduced. Exposure of the charged photoconductive member selectively dissipates the charges thereon in the irradiated areas. This records a latent image on the photoconductive member corresponding to the informational areas contained within the original document.
One approach to the fixing of toner images onto a support has been to pass the support bearing the toner images between a pair of opposed roller members, at least one of which is internally heated. During operation of a fixing system of this type, the support member to which the toner images are electrostatically adhered is moved through the nip formed between the rolls and thereby heated under pressure. A large quantity of heat is applied to the toner and the copy sheet bearing the toner image. This heat evaporates much of the moisture contained in the sheet. The quantity of heat applied to the front and to the back sides of the sheet is often not equal.
One problem associated with moisture loss in paper is paper curl. Deformation of the paper generally occurs due to a change of physical properties in the z-direction of paper. This may occur through the following event: as sheets pass through an image fixing system, moisture is driven out and the sheet temperature is elevated. After image fixing, a sheet typically rests in a collection area exposed to its ambient surroundings, where its moisture content will reach equilibrium with the environment through absorption of moisture across the full face of at least one side of the paper sheet. However, if the copy sheet becomes part of a large compiled set, both sides of all of the papers in the compilation (except for the top sheet) will effectively be sealed off from ambient moisture. The only route available to the papers for moisture re-absorption is through the edges of the sheets, leaving the moisture content of the central portions of the sheets relatively unchanged. This uneven pattern of moisture re-absorption results in edge stresses that lead to paper curl along the edges of the paper.
Further, contact with moisture can cause curl prior to image fixing. Thus, in addition to being cosmetically unsightly, the curl creates a handling problem, in that pages with a wave pattern along their edges are more difficult to feed to secondary paper handling machines. It is especially important to papers which are used in automatic sheet-fed printing operations such as xerography. Excessive curl can cause the paper transport mechanism to jam, thereby creating operator frustration, lost time and service expense. Therefore, curl is an important mechanical property of non-woven webs such as paper which manufacturers seek to minimize, and there is a continuing need for a measuring device to predict the curl performance of webs which will be used in sheet-fed machines.
Moreover, in sheet-fed apparatuses, curl behavior is further influenced by the heat conductivity of the paper, moisture evaporation from the paper, and the other heating conditions. Thus, curl behavior is influenced by different types of paper as well as different apparatuses used with the same type of paper, resulting in the general unpredictability of the tendency of a paper to curl.
Generally, two types of curl may be generated in paper manufacture as a result of moistening or drying a paper sheet. Total (simplex) curl is when a paper curls in one direction, such as a sheet of paper rolled into a cylindrical tube. Diagonal curl results from a twist of paper, such that one portion of the paper rotates axially in one direction, while another portion of the paper rotates axially in a different, generally opposite direction.
Current curl tests for prediction of curl tendency are problematic. One procedure involves running multiple sheets through a specified (Xerox 5388) photo copier, hanging a preset number of sheets by the long edge and matching the resulting bend to a pattern of curves on a reference template. This test, however, requires the use of specific, expensive equipment and is costly and time consuming. It also requires that papers be sheeted prior to testing, delaying results.
Hot plate curl is another method currently in use. It involves placing cut samples on a heated hotplate and manually measuring the corners of the sample as they curl away from the heat. This method is time intensive and has very poor (r^2 0.30) correlation to end use as well as poor reproducibility.
Other tests do not account for the ability of gravity to alter the curl of a paper, resulting in errant data. For example, other mechanisms, such as a computer controlled hot-roll fusing apparatus, are able to test for a variety of paper parameters by mimicking the environment of a typical consumer printer, yet the nips are horizontal and have too high nip pressure, resulting in gravitational and mechanical effects on the test samples.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a test for the tendency of a paper to curl from which information can be achieved quickly and possible corrective feedback is rapid, has a low level of variability, and accounts for the effect of gravity on a tendency to curl for a variety of paper samples. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microprocessor with a cache memory in which debugging operations are supported, and, in particular, to a microprocessor with a cache memory in which functions for implementing debugging operations are improved.
2. Description of the Background Art
Debugging operations are generally executed to debug in programming in a microprocessor applied system to develop the system.
In detail, a program stored in the system is actually executed before the debugging operations are executed. Thereafter, for example, pieces of data transmitted on an external bus connected to an external memory are monitored. The execution of the program is braked when arithmetic processing is advanced to a designated address or when designated conditions such as access to a piece of designated data are accomplished. After braking the execution of the program, contents of registers and memories are displayed. Also, instructions executed during the arithmetic processing are listed up. Therefore, an operator can debug the program stored in the program.
In this case, the system is generally provided with a plurality of microprocessors which are connected with a cache memory, an arithmetic unit and a control unit. In addition, the system is provided with an external memory connected with the microprocessors to store a large pieces of data, and external buses through which pieces of data, instructions or addresses are transmitted between the microprocessors and/or between the microprocessor and the external memory.
However, there are drawbacks to execute the debugging operations in cases where a program executed in a microprocessor with a cache memory is debugged.
That is, the debugging operations are initially executed according to normal operations.
In detail, in cases where a piece of data is stored at an address of the cache memory, an address hit occurs in the microprocessor when the address is accessed by the arithmetic unit during the execution of the program. Thereafter, under control of the control section, the data stored at the address is read out from the cache memory to utilize in the arithmetic unit or is rewritten to another piece of data which is made in the arithmetic unit. Therefore, an operation accessing to the external memory is not executed in the microprocessor. In other words, instructions or pieces of data transmitted between the cache memory and the arithmetic unit cannot be detected even though the operation accessed from the microprocessor to the external bus is monitored.
On the other hand, in cases where a piece of data is not stored at an address of the cache memory, a cache miss occurs in the microprocessor when the data is accessed by the arithmetic unit during the execution of the program. Thereafter, the data is fetched from the external memory through the external bus to store at the address of the cache memory.
The above debugging operations are executed in the same manner as the normal operations.
In this case, the data transmitted on the external bus is monitored by a data detector. Therefore, in cases where the arithmetic processing executed in the arithmetic unit is scheduled to be braked according to the debugging operations when a piece of data DA0 relating to the cache miss is fetched from the external memory, the data DA0 is detected when the data DA0 is transmitted on the external bus. This operation is one of the debugging operations and is not executed in the normal operation.
Accordingly, the arithmetic processing executed in the arithmetic unit can be braked to debug the program executed in the arithmetic unit.
However, it has been recently required to improve the speed of the arithmetic processing during the normal operation. Therefore, in cases where the cache miss occurs, a group of pieces of data is fetched in a block unit from the external memory to improve the speed of the arithmetic processing. The pieces of data fetched in a block unit are likely to be utilized in the arithmetic unit in serial order.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, in cases where the arithmetic processing executed in the arithmetic unit is scheduled to be braked according to the debugging operations when a piece of data DA2 relating to the cache miss is fetched from the external memory, a data signal requiring a piece of data DA1 is, for example, transmitted to the external memory through an external bus when the data DA1 is accessed by the arithmetic unit in the microprocessor and a cache miss occurs. Thereafter, a group of sequential pieces of data DA1 to DA4 is fetched from the external memory into the cache memory in serial order. That is, the sequential pieces of data DA1 to DA4 are stored at addresses AD1 to AD4 of the cache memory. In this case, the data DA2 is not detected by a data detector because the data DA2 is not required by the data signal even though the data DA2 is fetched into the cache memory from the external memory.
Thereafter, the data DA1 stored at the address AD1 of the cache memory is read out from the cache memory to utilize for the arithmetic processing in the arithmetic unit. Thereafter, the data DA2 stored at the address AD2 of the cache memory is read out from the cache memory without the occurance of the cache miss.
Therefore, it is impossible to specify the data DA2 accessed by the arithmetic unit in the microprocessor even though data signals transmitted through the external bus are monitorred without monitorring a piece of data processed in the arithmetic unit.
Also, even though the data DA2 is detected by the data detector when the sequential pieces of data DA1 to DA4 are stored at addresses AD1 to AD4 of the cache memory, the data DA2 is not necessarily read out by the arithmetic unit after the data DA1 is read out by the arithmetic unit. Therefore, when the arithmetic processing is braked for the debugging operations, the program executed in the arithmetic unit is stopped at a step not relating to the data DA2.
As mentioned above, even though the arithmetic processing executed in the arithmetic unit is scheduled to be braked for the debugging operations when the data DA2 relating to the cache miss is read out from the cache memory to the arithmetic unit, it is impossible to specify the data DA2 because the sequential pieces of data including the data DA2 are fetched in a block unit.
Accordingly, the efficiency for specifying the data for the debugging operations deteriorates, and it is impossible to reliably specify which step is executed in the program.
Therefore, it is impossible to immediately brake the arithmetic processing according to an interruption operation of the debugging operations when the data DA2 relating to the cache miss is read out from the cache memory after the data DA2 is fetched from the external memory. That is, it is difficult to sufficiently execute the debugging operations.
On the other hand, there is another method that the microprocessor is operated according to simplified operations in which the cache memory is not used when the debugging operations are executed to prevent the efficiency for specifying the data DA2 from deteriorating.
However, the frequency that pieces of data are transmitted to the external bus according to the simplified operations is different from that in the normal operations in which the cache memory is used. In addition, the execution time of the program in the simplified operations is also different from that in the normal operations.
Therefore, there is a drawback that the debug operations cannot be efficiently executed while executing the normal operations. | {
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One of the parameters characterizing the performance of every Direction Finding (DF) system is the ambiguity threshold. The ambiguity threshold is the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) below which, for a given number of samples, the probability of an ambiguous Direction-of-Arrival (DOA) result rises and thereby sets a limit on the performance of the DF system.
The value of the ambiguity threshold depends critically on the array geometry. In certain arrays, such as uniform linear arrays with half a wavelength spacing, the threshold occurs at relatively low SNR and low number of samples, while in other arrays, such as sparse arrays, the threshold occurs at relatively high SNR and high number of samples.
To illustrate the performance of a DF system below the ambiguity threshold, reference is now made to FIG. 1 which is a histogram illustration of maximum likelihood estimation for 400 DOA results for a source having SNR of -4 dB. The source impinges from 100.degree. on a sparse three-element linear array with inter-element spacing ration of 3:4 and aperture 3.lambda., where .lambda. is the wavelength. The DOA was estimated by the deterministic maximum likelihood (DML) estimator from 100 samples of the array output. The highest peak, referenced 12, occurs at the true DOA of 100 degrees. In addition, there are high ambiguous peaks at 150.degree. and at 60.degree., referenced 14 and 16, respectively. The ambiguous peaks 14 and 16 correspond to the secondary peaks of the multi-modal likelihood function which, as a result of the noise, occasionally exceed the main peak corresponding to the true DOA.
There are several approaches to the tracking of multiple targets. Various techniques for tracking the angles of arrival of moving targets have been proposed, for example, "An Efficient Algorithm for Tracking the Angles of Arrival of Moving Targets" by C. R. Sastry, E. W. Kamen and M. Simian, published by IEEE Trans on Signal processing, Vol.39:242-246 No. 1 January 1991. Further examples include: "Tracking the Direction of Arrival of Multiple Moving Targets" by C. R. Zao, C. R. Sastry and B. Zhou, published by IEEE Trans on Signal processing, Vol.42:1133-1144 No. 5 May 1994, and "Multiple Target Tracking Using Maximum Likelihood Principle" by A. SAtish and R. L. Kashyap, published by IEEE Trans on Signal processing, Vol.43:1677-1695 No.7 July 1995.
Reference is now made to FIGS. 2A-2F which are graphical illustrations of the likelihood function {L(.theta.)} of a typical source moving along the azimuth axis, .theta..
FIGS. 2A-2F are graphical illustrations of the likelihood function {L(.theta.)} of a typical source having a signal to noise ratio (SNR) of -4 dB moving from 85.degree. (FIG. 2A) through 90.degree. (FIG. 2B), 95.degree. (FIG. 2C), 100.degree. (FIG. 2D), 105.degree. (FIG. 2E) and 110.degree. (FIG. 2F) along the azimuth axis (.theta.). The source is received by a three-element linear array with inter-element ratio of 3:4 and aperture of 3.lambda.. Each graph illustrates the directions-of arrival (DOA) likelihood function {L(.theta.)} for a plurality of samples (approximately 100) below the ambiguity threshold.
The peaks of L(.theta.) represent the most likely directions-of-arrival for the given batch. Generally, above the ambiguity threshold, the peak corresponding to the correct DOA is the highest. However, below the ambiguity threshold, the height of the ambiguous peaks rise and may exceed the peak corresponding to the correct DOA.
As shown in FIG. 2A, there are two peaks, referenced 302, having a DOA of approximately 85.degree., and 304 (having a DOA of approximately 125.degree.). Peak 302 is lower than peak 304, having a likelihood value of just below 50. (The highest peak 304 occurs for a DOA of 125.degree. instead of the correct one of 85.degree..
FIG. 2B for an angle of 90.degree., has three peaks, 306, 308 and 310 indicating DOAs of approximately 50.degree., 90.degree. and 130.degree., respectively, having likelihood values of approximately 60, 65 and 60, respectively. FIG. 2C for an angle of 95.degree., has three peaks, 312, 314 and 316 indicating DOAs of approximately 55.degree., 95.degree. and 135.degree., respectively, having likelihood values of approximately 55, 55 and 50, respectively.
FIG. 2D for an angle of 100.degree., has three peaks, referenced 318, 320 and 322 having a likelihood value above 50, indicating DOAs of approximately 55.degree., 100.degree. and 120.degree., respectively. In addition, there are three other peaks, referenced 324, 325 and 326, having likelihood values slightly above and slightly below 50 and 60, respectively. In this case, the highest peak 318 occurs for a DOA of 55.degree. instead of the correct one of 100.degree. (peak 320).
FIG. 2E for an angle of 105.degree., has three peaks, referenced 128, 130 and 132, indicating approximate DOAs of approximately 65.degree., 105.degree. and 160.degree., respectively, having likelihood values of approximately 70, 75 and 65, respectively.
FIG. 2F for an angle of 110.degree., has a peak 334 (likelihood value 55) indicating a DOA of 110.degree.. In addition, there is a second peak, referenced 336, having a likelihood value of approximately 50 indicating a DOA of approximately 75.degree. and a potential third peak 338 indicating a DOA above 170.degree..
Thus, as illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2F, hereinabove, prior art systems which are based on using the most likely DOA at each measurement point are likely to be confused by similar peaks and even incorrectly calculate the DOA (FIG. 2A and 2D). For the angles of 85.degree., 95.degree. and 105.degree., a second peak occurs close to but slightly higher in likelihood value than the correct peak, thus making a correct assessment difficult.
A disadvantage of these prior art techniques is that the direction-of-arrival tracking algorithms cannot handle the frequent, large and non-random errors resulting from operation below the ambiguity threshold. | {
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Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adapter for a centrifuge tube and to a removal tool for removing the adapter from the centrifuge tube.
Description of the Prior Art
A centrifuge rotor is a device used with a centrifuge instrument in order to subject a sample of a liquid to a centrifugal force field. The sample is carried in a suitable container, such as a test tube. The sample container is itself received within a recess provided in the body of the centrifuge rotor. The axis of the recess may be parallel to or inclined with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotor. The rotor in the latter case is known as a fixed angle rotor.
The sample container may, in some cases, exhibit a physical size that differs from the physical dimension of the recess in the centrifuge rotor in which it is received. In these instances the sample container is introduced into the recess using an intermediate device called an adapter. The adapter is externally dimensioned and configured in a manner that makes it compatible for receipt within the recess in the centrifuge rotor and is internally dimensioned and configured to accept the sample container. The adapter with the sample container received therein are thus receivable as a unit within the recess of the rotor and the sample may be thus exposed to the centrifugal force field upon rotation of the rotor.
Relative centrifugal force (RCF) is a measure of the magnitude of the centrifugal force to which a sample is subjected during a centrifugation run. RCF is dependent upon the radial distance of the sample from the axis of rotation of the centrifuge rotor. In instances when an adapter is utilized the sample container is usually not located within the recess at the greatest radial distance from the axis of rotation. For example, if it is desired to separate in a fixed angle rotor the contents of a liquid sample carried in a microtube using a centrifuge rotor having recesses which are sized to accomodate a standard test tube an adapter must be used. Currently available adapters able to accommodate a microtube are physically configured to substantially duplicate the exterior dimensions of the standard test tube. An opening is provided in the adapter that conforms in shape and length to the microtube. This opening is typically formed in the adapter adjacent the upper end thereof. Thus, when the microtube is received within the adapter and the adapter inserted into the sample receiving recess the sample is disposed at a distance from the axis of the rotation of the rotor that is less than the radial distance between the axis of rotation and the bottom of the sample receiving recess in the fixed angle rotor. As a result the sample is exposed to a lesser relative centrifugal force during a run of a given duration. Typical examples of such adapters of this type are those manufactured and sold by the Medical Products Department of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Inc. as model numbers P/N 00410, 00425, 00419 and 00381.
At the termination of a centrifugation run the sample container must be removed from the sample carrying recess. Care must be exercised in order to avoid remixing the separated constituents or components of the sample. The degree of care which must be exercised when removing the sample is increased when an adapter has been used to carry the sample container.
In view of the foregoing it is believed advantageous to provide an adapter which will permit a sample container to be disposed at the maximum radial distance within a recess in a given centrifuge rotor and at the same time be extractable from the recess without remixing the separated components in the sample. | {
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Liquid and gas mixtures have to be phase separated in order to remove liquid droplets from industrial gas streams to satisfy environmental standards (e.g., radioactive water from steam at nuclear power plants) or to purify gas streams, increase liquid recovery, and to protect rotating equipment located downstream (e.g., oil processing facilities, engine air intakes, gas processing plants). A complete phase separation will eventually occur without employing any mechanical devices given the effects of gravity and long contact times; however, to accelerate this process several separation techniques have been proposed. These techniques operate based on one or more physical forces accelerating fluid separation, such as inertial, gravitational, diffussional, centrifugal and electrostatic. Mechanical equipment operating on these principles include impingement separators (baffle, wire mesh, vanes), cyclones, knock-out pots, and filters, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,377, and wet precipitators, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,210.
The above separation techniques are selected based on the liquid collection efficiency requirement, gas flow rate and liquid loading, solid deposition tolerance, pressure drop, and capital cost. There is a need to develop liquid/gas separators that will achieve high level of liquid removal efficiency and throughput and at the same time minimize the amount of energy that is required to treat the gas (pressure drop) and minimize capital cost.
One of the most widely used gas/liquid separators are impingement separators. The basic elements of impingement separators are strategically located devices (targets) on which liquid droplets collide. The simplest impingement separators consist of a baffle or disk inserted against the vessel inlet. These separators provide low droplet removal efficiency but can remove bulk of the liquid entering the vessel. To improve efficiency and recovery of smaller droplets more sophisticated impingement separators have been developed. One type of these devices is vane-type separator that consists of parallel plates (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,581,051 and 4,557,740) that are straight or bent creating flow channels. Typically, the channels are of uniform cross section across their entire length (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,062). In these devices, liquid droplets present in the gas stream impinge on the plates due to inertia of the droplets and collect on the vane surfaces in the form of a film of liquid. This liquid film (recovered liquid) drains down the vane into the collection devices without re-entrainment. The channels also can be arranged radially using serpentine vanes (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,375).
With reference now to FIG. 1, shown is a chevron-style impingement vane bundle or pack 10. As shown, chevron-style impingement vane bundles 10 include vanes 12 affixed to (e.g., welded) inside boxing 14. Two concavely-curved, horizontal plates or outlet baffles 16 are affixed to (e.g., welded) to the boxing 14, channeling the flow of gas so that the gas only flows through the vanes 12 from the inlet-side 18 of the vane bundle 10 towards the outlet-side 20 of the vane bundle 10 and to the outlet nozzle of the separator vessel (not shown). The boxing 14 and the outlet baffles 16 may be welded or otherwise affixed to the separator vessel walls to secure the vane bundle 10 to the separator vessel. The outlet baffles 16 are curved to fit the separator vessel walls and block the vertical flow of gas on the outlet-side 20 of the vane bundle 10. The area formed on the outlet-side of the vane bundle 10, between the vanes 12, outlet baffles 16 and the interior wall of the separator vessel may be referred to as the outlet chord area.
Chevron-style impingement vanes bundles 10 are widely used for the separation of liquid phase droplets from industrial gas streams. Often such vane bundles 10 are employed in vertical vessels in which the gas stream is directed to the vane bundle 10 from either below of from above the vane bundle 10. Several factors limit the amount of gas that can be fed to a given vane bundle 10 without encountering localized flooding in the vane pack 10 and liquid carryover from the separator.
One of these factors is the inlet chord area available between the vane boxing 14 edge on inlet-side 18 of the vane pack 10 and the interior wall of the vessel (not shown). If velocities in this chord area exceed certain values, the gas stream will not disperse itself evenly across the vane bundle 10 and flooding and carryover will occur. To increase the available chord area, vane packs 10 have been placed off center of the vessel centerline, towards the outlet nozzle of the separator vessel. This is done as the inlet chord area is more important to separator performance than is the outlet chord area.
There is a need to increase the inlet chord area even further to increase the amount of gas that can be fed to a given vane bundle without encountering localized flooding in the vane pack and liquid carryover from the separator. | {
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In a typical air handling device suitable for use in heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment, a number of dampers are typically found to facilitate the control of the airflow through the air handler unit under varying temperature and humidity conditions. In the past, it was not atypical to find that the dampers, when in the closed position, were not sealed, and that a relatively large amount of undesired airflow would be tolerated within the HVAC equipment. However, in the more recent past, the damper blades have been provided with a seal or seals to facilitate the prevention of undesired airflow when in the closed position. This prevention of the undesired airflow has been found to improve the controllability of the air handler units so as to improve the temperature and humidity controlling abilities of the units while at the same time lowering the amount of energy required to provide the desired heating, ventilating or air conditioning effect.
Several factors must be taken into consideration when employing the damper blade seals, however. The successful damper blade seal and damper blade combination must provide ease of manufacture, low initial expense, acceptable longevity in operating life, and high efficiency in performance. Typically, it has been difficult to met these goals, with one or more of the goals being obtained at the expense of the others. In many cases the damper blade is met with a single seal of the wiper type against which the damper blade seats to obtain a seal due to compression between the seal and the blade. In other cases, damper blade seals or damper blades of relatively complex confirmation are provided so that line contact sealing may be made at more than one point. While these damper blade seals are higher performance, they are often more expensive and involve a relatively large number of steps in the manufacture, and consequently drive up the cost of the air handling unit undesirably.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a damper blade and damper blade seal combination which provides for high performance sealing efficiency to prevent undesired airflow when the damper blade is in the closed position.
It is another object of the invention to provide such damper blade seal as will provide multiple line sealing engagement between the damper blade and the damper blade seal when in the closed position to reduce susceptibility of the damper blade seal and damper blade combination to undesired airflow during windy or gusty conditions when employed in an air handler unit.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a damper blade seal and damper blade combination as is inexpensive and easy to manufacture.
It is another object of the invention to provide such a damper blade seal and damper blade combination as will provide suitable longevity of operation in the air handler unit in which it is employed. | {
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Lasers are used in many different industries for many different purposes, such as, for example, in the medical industry for medical procedures, in the printing industry in laser printers, in the defense industry in a variety of defense applications, and in the optical communications industry for transmitting and receiving optical signals. In many applications, the output power of the laser is monitored and controlled to maintain the output power at a desired or required level. Due to the wide variations in laser parameters such as, for example, laser slope efficiency (SE) and laser threshold current (ITH), maintaining the optical power at a particular level is challenging because temperature and process variations and aging of system components also cause the output power level to vary. Many techniques and systems have been used or proposed to control and maintain the output power of the laser at required levels over temperature and process variations and time.
It is common practice in the optical communications industry to use a monitor photodiode to detect light output from a rear portion of the transmitter laser (or a portion of the output power reflected back through optical lenses) and to use this optical feedback to measure and control the average transmitted output power level of laser. In general, the average transmitted output power level, PAVG, of the laser can be controlled by controlling the bias current, IBIAS, of the laser. Thus, if the optical feedback indicates that PAVG has fallen below the required level, increasing IBIAS by an appropriate amount will raise PAVG to the required level. Similarly, if the optical feedback indicates that PAVG has risen above the required level, decreasing IBIAS by an appropriate amount will lower PAVG to the required level.
As the optical feedback path described above is used to maintain PAVG at the required level, the laser is modulated with a modulation current, IMOD, to cause the laser output power level to be adjusted between a level, P1, that represents a logic 1, and a power level, P0, that represents a logic 0. The amplitude of the modulation current IMOD1 corresponds to an output power level of P1. The amplitude of the modulation current IMOD0 corresponds to an output power level of P0. The laser threshold current ITH has an amplitude that is sufficient to cause the laser to begin producing laser action (i.e., to emit stimulated radiation). The amplitude of the threshold current ITH needed to produce laser action varies due to factors such as, for example, temperature and aging. Due to these variations in the amplitude of ITH that is needed to produce lasing and the slope efficiency of the laser, adjustments must be made to the amplitudes corresponding to IMOD1 and IMOD0 in order to maintain P0 and P1 at the necessary respective output power levels.
A variety of techniques have been used to control the amplitude of the modulation current. One known technique sets the amplitude of the modulation current at a level that achieves a desired extinction ratio (ER) or optical modulation amplitude (OMA) at a fixed temperature or time. The amplitude of the modulation current is then increased or decreased based on an analog temperature coefficient, or in a digital control system, based on a temperature measurement and/or and aging timer. This technique generally provides suitable results if the laser SE variation is controlled well enough to maintain the ER/OMA and the laser performance within specifications. A disadvantage of this technique is that using a single temperature reference point means the adjustment to the amplitude of the modulation current is essentially based on a “guess” of changes of the SE in direction and amount based on statistical or other data. Because the change in the SE often is not linear and can change from positive to negative slope from one temperature to the next, it is difficult or impossible to determine the optimal adjustment in the amplitude of the modulation current. In addition, this technique can also limit laser yields because the SE and ITH limits need to be within sufficiently tight tolerances to guarantee that a suitable level of performance will be achieved without the necessity of testing each laser over temperature and customizing each laser based on the results of testing.
Another known technique involves measuring the amplitudes of the modulation current needed to maintain the required output power levels PAVG, P0 and P1 over a range of temperatures on a part-by-part or wafer-by-wafer basis. The amplitude values obtained during testing are programmed into a lookup table (LUT) memory element or other non-volatile memory element. A controller uses a temperature measurement value to index into the memory element and read out the corresponding amplitude value for the modulation current. The amplitude of the modulation current of the laser is then set to the value read out of the memory element. One disadvantage of this technique is that it requires over-temperature testing during manufacturing, which is expensive. In addition, it is difficult to factor in aging when using this technique, which means that the amplitude of the modulation current often will not be set to an optimal level.
Another technique that has been proposed involves using a high-speed monitor diode in combination with an amplitude detector to monitor the output power level of the laser and adjust the amplitude of the modulation current to achieve the required output power level. This technique requires an additional high-bandwidth feedback path for the amplitude detector, which increases the cost and complexity of the transmitter. In addition, the performance of the amplitude detector can be significantly affected by temperature variations, which can lead to less than optimal performance. Also, the amplitude detector dissipates a large amount of power relative to the rest of the transmitter. Because of these difficulties, this technique has been proposed, but not actually implemented.
Another known technique involves measuring ITH in situ by adjusting the modulation current amplitude while measuring the optical feedback signal to obtain the slope and calculate the corresponding SE. The measured ITH and SE are then used to calculate the amount of modulation current needed. An advantage of this technique is that the existing feedback path for the monitor photodiode is used. A disadvantage of this technique is that it requires a large amount of signal processing to be performed to make the necessary calculations, and is therefore computationally intensive. Another disadvantage is that the method is performed during module power up or module programming, and generally cannot be used while transmitting actual data.
A similar technique also uses the existing feedback path to calculate SE, but also modulates a very small amplitude signal at low frequency on top of the IBIAS supplied to the laser. This signal is then extracted from the feedback signal, amplified and used to calculate SE. The calculated SE is then used to determine how to adjust the modulation current amplitude. This method can be used while transmitting actual data, but requires that high accuracy circuits such as amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs) be included in the feedback path. In addition, this technique also requires a significant amount of signal processing, and is therefore computationally intensive.
A need exists for a way to determine the adjustment needed, if any, to the amplitude of the modulation current in order to achieve a desired or required output power level, which can be used when transmitting actual data, which uses the existing feedback path, which does not require complex high-accuracy circuitry, and which does not require that over-temperature testing be performed. | {
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The invention relates to an apparatus for generating acoustic shock waves with a single shock wave tube and for focusing them onto a focus region. The invention particularly relates to the fragmentation of concrements (e.g. kidney stones) in a living being.
Shock wave tubes for generating acoustic shock waves are known. As indicated in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 33 12 014, shock wave tubes can be employed for the fragmentation of concrements in the body of a patient. This publication discloses a shock wave tube whose coil is curved, so that the emitted shock wave converges in a focus. In front of the coil, an insulating foil and a metal diaphragm are arranged. A voltage pulse is applied to the coil by means of a capacitor, and as a result the metal diaphragm is repelled from the coil. In this way the shock wave treatment is generated.
A shock-wave tube of the type considered herein is also described in commonly owned patent application Ser. No. 634,021, filed 07/24/1984 and entitled "Apparatus for the Contact-Free Desintegration of Calculi", the disclosure of which application is incorporated herein by reference.
Before the next shock wave is triggered, the capacitor must be recharged, which requires time.
For the fragmentation of, e.g. kidney stone in a adult person, a plurality (e.g. 500) of such shock waves (and hence a corresponding treatment time) is necessary. The effect of the shock waves can be improved if they are so closely spaced in time that they overlap in their action on the concrement. It has been proposed to provide several shock wave tubes in parallel and to activate them at short intervals in sequence. This procedure is relatively costly, because essential parts of the arrangement, such as the capacitor, spark gag and the shock wave tube itself, must be multiplied.
One object of the present invention is to develop an apparatus in which despite the existence of only one shock wave tube, time-staggered shock waves can be directed to the concrement. | {
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The present invention relates to a portable masonry saw for cutting ceramic tile, brick and paver blocks. More specifically, the present invention relates to a gasoline powered masonry saw removably mounted on a low profile hand cart in order to facilitate easy transport of the saw to and from the work site as well as during the work in progress.
Heretofore, masonry saws with gasoline power have been heavy, bulky and difficult to transport. In order to be moved to and from the work site, or during the work task being performed, required the operator to stand, lift, and carry the saw or place the saw on some type of separate hand truck assembly. This was particularly inconvenient when moving the saw during the performance of the work task, such as when cutting and assembling a plurality of pavers to form a driveway or the like.
State of the art gasoline powered masonry saws are also prone to vibrations which are detrimental to achieving a clean cut of the masonry, since the supporting surface is rigid and hard.
In addition, dust removal systems for state of the art masonry saws have been less than adequate in terms of design, compactness and portability.
Accordingly, a need in the art exists for a portable masonry saw overcoming the above deficiencies of state of the art saws. | {
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The present invention is related to filters suitable for filtering electronic signals, and particularly, AC noise from a DC signal. More specifically, the present invention is related to multi-layered ceramic filters.
Filtering of electronic signals is a widely practiced art typically practiced with filters such as discoidal filters, Pi filters, T filters, LC filters and the like. In general, the type of filter is chosen based on the filtration needs and one of the most common needs is to filter AC noise from DC filters.
Discoidal filters are commonly used where the discoidal filter is placed on the input line and contacted to ground. Placement of the filter is typically a manual operation which is not readily automated thereby significantly increasing the cost of devices containing discoidal filters. In the most demanding applications, such as on the leads of medical implantable devices, the leads must be hermetically sealed, typically in a can, and the can is grounded.
Surface mount filters are available which have some advantages over discoidal filters. Surface mount filters are typically 4 terminal capacitors with input and output terminals perpendicular to each other. This design dictates the relative location of the ground and signal traces which places a constraint on the circuit designer. The perpendicular design also complicates efforts to miniaturize the overall circuit size. As the components become smaller the distance between the signal and ground must be decreased to accommodate the filter terminations. Unfortunately, this increases the potential of arcing, particularly, in high voltage applications. The perpendicular orientation also makes the use of slotted boards impractical and radiation interference mitigation is not typically available.
Pi, T, and LC filters are widely used in either feed-through or surface mount configurations. The surface mount filters are preferred over feed-through when considering further miniaturization even though the radiation interference is superior in the feed-through configurations. The surface mount configurations comprise a magnetic inductor and a ceramic filter and integrating these components is a significant challenge. The magnetic inductor is typically ferrite or ferromagnetic materials which are not compatible with the materials used in multi-layered ceramic capacitors due to the sintering requirements of ceramic.
There has been an ongoing desire for a filter which is small in dimension yet which does not increase complexity in circuit design. There has also been an ongoing desire for a filter which is easily manufactured, is preferably surface mountable or imbeddable, and which can be adapted to various circuit requirements. | {
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A conventional laser beam level instrument is quite complex for its structure or mechanism and also occupies a larger volume.
The automatic optical levelling, plumbing and verticality-determining apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,540 also granted to the same inventor of this application includes a frame (3) for securing the illuminators (6, 7, 8) and the plumb device (4) on the frame (3) rotatably mounted on the base (1), easily causing precision problem by such a rotatable mechanism; and a longer stem (42) for mounting the plumb device (4) on the stem on the frame (3), thereby increasing the total height of the instrument and causing unstable standing and inconvenient handling of the instrument.
The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the conventional laser levelling or calibrating instrument and invented the present compact optical calibrating apparatus.
The object of the present invention is to provide a compact optical calibrating apparatus including: a housing having a base formed on a bottom of the housing, a horizontality calibrator universally pendulously mounted in the housing, a plurality of illuminators embedded or secured in a plumb pendulously secured to the horizontality calibrator, and a switch device pivotally secured in the housing for switching on or off a power source supplied to the illuminators and for braking or releasing the pendulous movement of the plumb; whereby upon embedding of the illuminators in the plumb, the height and volume of the calibrating apparatus is decreased for obtaining a compact optical calibrating instrument. | {
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This invention relates generally to golf training equipment and more particularly concerns a guide for assisting a golfer to properly align the golfer's body and putter in preparation for and execution of a correct putting stroke.
Golfers have, for centuries, sought ways to lower their score. On a par 72, 18 hole course, 36 strokes are allotted for putting. The putter is the most used club in the golfer's bag. Improvement in putting skill is, therefore, a major contributor to significant improvement in golf scores. Over the years, two keys have come to be widely accepted as common to the mechanics of good putting. The putter face must be square to the target line and the putter head should be accelerating at the moment of impact with the ball.
There are techniques golfers can use to achieve the correct conditions at the moment of impact. For example, the longer the putting stroke maintains the putter head in a square condition, the more likely that the putter face will be square at the moment of impact. And the longer the follow-through in relation to the backswing, the more likely that the putter head will be accelerating at the moment of impact. Also, if the putting stroke is to be consistent, the position of the golfer in relation to the ball and the target line must be consistent. The clearer the reference lines, the easier it will be to maintain this consistency. It is easier, for example, to always position the golfer's eyes directly over the ball than to always position the golfer's eyes at some point which is not directly over the ball. It is also easier to always position the feet and shoulders on a line parallel to the target line than to always position the feet and shoulders at some angle which is not parallel to the target line.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an alignment guide for practice putting which facilitates consistent alignment of the golfer's putting stance in relation to a golf ball and a target line. Another object of this invention is to provide an alignment guide for practice putting which facilitates consistent alignment of the putter head position in relation to a golf ball and a target line. A further object of this invention is to provide an alignment guide for practice putting which structurally guides the putter head in a path parallel to the target line for a substantial portion of the backswing and follow-through. Yet another object of this invention is to provide an alignment guide for practice putting which structurally limits the backswing of the putting stroke to one of several distances selectable by the golfer. Yet another object of this invention is to provide an alignment guide for practice putting which structurally limits the follow-through of the putting stroke to one of several distances selectable by the golfer. It is also an object of this invention to provide an alignment guide for practice putting which provides feedback to the golfer as to whether the putter face has remained square to the target line during the follow-through. Still another object of this invention is to provide an alignment guide for practice putting which provides physical feedback to the golfer as to whether the putter face has opened in relation to the target line during the follow-through. An additional object of this invention is to provide an alignment guide for practice putting which provides physical feedback to the golfer as to whether the putter face has closed in relation to the target line during the follow-through. Another object of this invention is to provide an alignment guide for practice putting which has putter head guide rails which are adjustable in relation to each other so as to accommodate any configuration of putter head. A further object of this invention is to provide an alignment guide for practice putting which has putter head guide rails which are adjustable in relation to a target line so as to accommodate the putting style of the golfer. | {
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Test tools are used to verify the correct functioning of software and modifications to existing software. Verifying the correctness of software may involve numerous tasks, including the testing of concurrency. Concurrency testing is a core requirement in the software industry and is accomplished through the execution of testcases. A testcase is a set of conditions under which a tester will determine whether an application or software system is working correctly. However, the writing of effective concurrency testcases is outside the programming skills of most testers. The concurrency test requirements instead are often assigned to specialized developers. This leads to other problems, such as the unproductive expense of waiting on a developer to program a testcase, and the risk of losing test requirements in translation.
Traditional programming languages like C, Java, and Perl offer an interface for concurrency testing. Unfortunately this interface requires a steep learning curve to master. The concurrency enablement in these languages is a thread which is the smallest unit of processing that can be scheduled by an operating system. The threading model for these languages is complex due to the number of concepts that have to be mastered, including a deep understanding of the thread model, thread pools, thread life cycle, critical sections, semaphores, synchronizing threads, race conditions, memory usage, etc. During testcase maintenance, the testers further have to depend on the same developers to fix defects and to change test coverage. These costs and risks multiply when the test requirements result in multiple test products, each involving concurrency. | {
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A suction cup or clip is usually used as a fastening mechanism of automobile data recorders and other electronic devices in a vehicle. Meanwhile, the automobile data recorder is fastened to the vehicle by combining the fastening mechanism with a rotating assembly. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electronics enclosure for an electronics assembly belonging to an electrotechnical apparatus, comprising an open end situated at the top in a filling position, through which a fluid potting compound is filled and which is closed off by a plug after filling of the potting compound.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For electronics enclosures of this kind always the same metered amount of potting compound is measured in quantity and filled to automate production. The problem in this respect is that due to production tolerances and differing sizes of electronic components the cavities to be potted may differ from one apparatus to another, so that the same filling quantity may result in differing filling heights which is undesirable f or the subsequent steps in production. If the filling quantity is metered so that the desired filling height is achieved even in the case of greatest possible remaining volume, spillage results when the remaining volume is smaller. If, on the other hand, the filling quantity is metered such that no spillage occurs even in the case of a smallest possible remaining volume, then the desired filling height fails to be achieved in the case of a greater remaining volume. A further cause f or differences in the filling height are also inaccuracies in metering the filling quantity. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to polyimide-based polymers containing dianhydride moieties having a particular structure in the repeating units thereof, and/or copolymers of the polyimide-based polymers. The present invention also relates to a positive type photoresist composition comprising at least one of the polyimide-based polymers and/or copolymers thereof as a binder resin to achieve high resolution, high sensitivity, excellent film characteristics and improved physical properties.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the recent trend toward higher integration, higher density, higher reliability and higher speed of electronic devices in the field of semiconductors and semiconductor devices, particularly, liquid crystal display devices, considerable research efforts have been made to utilize the inherent advantages of organic materials that are easy to process and purify. However, organic polymers for use in the field of semiconductors and semiconductor devices should be thermally stable even at temperatures as high as 200° C. in the device fabrication processes.
Polyimide compounds have good thermal stability and excellent mechanical, electrical and chemical properties. These advantages have extended the application of photoresists and photosensitive insulating films including polyimide compounds to the field of semiconductors and displays. Under these circumstances, there is a need for polyimide-based polymer compounds that do not undergo film reduction and swelling in the formation of fine patterns, which have previously not been required in conventional polyimide photoresists.
A polyimide polymer is typically prepared by two-step polycondensation of a diamine and a dianhydride in a polar organic solvent, such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethylacetamide (DMAc) or dimethylformamide (DMF) to obtain a polyimide precursor solution, coating the polyimide precursor solution on a silicon wafer or glass, and curing the coating by baking. Commercially available polyimide products for electronic materials are supplied in the form of polyimide precursor solutions or polyimide films. Polyimide precursor solutions are main forms of polyimide products supplied in the field of semiconductor devices.
Polyimide resins are applied to the production of buffer coating films of semiconductor devices. In a large-scale integrated (LSI) circuit, volume shrinkage of a resin after packaging and thermal stress arising from the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion between a chip and the resin induce cracks in a passivation film of the chip and damage to metal interconnections. In an effort to solve such problems, a buffer layer composed of a polyimide is formed between the chip and the packaging material. The buffer layer should be as thick as 10 μm to perform its role. The thicker the buffer layer, the better the buffering effect, leading to an improvement in the yield of semiconductor products.
A polyimide layer requires the formation of fine patterns, such as electrode interconnections and wire bonding pads. Via holes are formed in the polyimide layer by coating a photoresist on a conventional non-photosensitive polyimide film, followed by etching. In recent years, many attempts have been made to apply photosensitive polyimides to the formation of via holes. The use of a conventional non-photosensitive polyimide requires etching for processing holes through a photoresist to bond wires and connect metal interconnections, whereas the use of a photosensitive polyimide can eliminate the need for lithography using a photoresist. In the latter case, the buffer coating process is shortened by about 50%, resulting in productivity improvement and cost reduction. The final step of the semiconductor device fabrication process is also shortened, greatly contributing to an improvement in production yield.
Research is being actively undertaken on positive type photosensitive polyimides rather than on negative type photosensitive polyimides for the following reasons.
The first reason is that a positive type photosensitive polyimide has a higher resolution than a negative type photosensitive polyimide. The second reason is that a positive type photosensitive polyimide is exposed in a relatively small area, compared to a negative type photosensitive polyimide, indicating low possibility of defects. The third reason is that the use of a negative type photosensitive polyimide causes problems in terms of production cost and environmental pollution (e.g., waste water treatment) because it requires an organic solvent such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) or dimethylacetamide (DMAc) as a developer, while the use of a positive type photosensitive polyimide is economically advantageous and environmentally friendly because it requires an alkaline aqueous solution as a developer.
Many methods have been developed to impart polyimide resins with photosensitivity, for example, by chemically bonding cross-linkable functional groups to the polyimide precursors or mixing cross-linkable monomers with the polyimide precursors, in order to use the polyimide resins for the preparation of photoresist compositions.
As another example, a quinonediazide compound is added to a polyamic acid, a polyamic ester having acid functional groups in the side chains thereof or a polyimide having acid functional groups in the side chains thereof. However, high solubility of the polyamic acid in an alkaline developer causes the problem of film reduction upon development, which requires the addition of an amine, etc. Further, the polyimide or the polyamic ester has high resolution, but the acid functional groups remain even after curing, causing the problems of high water absorption or poor alkali resistance of the cured film.
Thus, there is an urgent need in the art to develop high-resolution polyimide compounds that do not suffer from film reduction or swelling during fine pattern formation while possessing appropriate solubility in alkaline developers. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a vehicle room lamp which is provided within a vehicle room (or compartment), and is switched between the ON-state (for illuminating the room) and the OFF-state by pressing a light-transmitting member such as a lens.
2. Related Art
An automobile is equipped with a vehicle room lamp (or interior lamp) so as to ensure that the passenger can comfortably get in and out of the automobile at night. For example in a passenger car, such a vehicle room lamp is usually mounted at a central portion of a ceiling of the passenger room (or compartment), and the whole of the passenger room is uniformly illuminated by light distributed by this lamp. The vehicle room lamp is so disposed that a switch can be operated both from a front seat side and a rear seat side. Generally, the switch can be located in any one of three positions, that is, an ON position, an OFF position and a DOOR ACTUATED position.
JP-A-2002-316579 Publication discloses a technical concept in which a push switch is turned on and off by a lens plate (which transmits light from a bulb therethrough in a spreading manner) such that the lens plate is used instead of a knob for operating the switch so as to turn on and off the bulb. With this construction, a box-like body can be formed into a compact size, and besides a vehicle room lamp with a novel design can be produced.
However, in such a conventional vehicle room lamp with the box-like body of a compact design as disclosed in Patent Literature 1 and others, a projection formed on a reverse surface of the lens plate is held against the push switch, and when the user presses the lens plate, the projection presses the push switch to switch the same so as to turn on and off the bulb. Therefore, light from the bulb is intercepted by this projection, and besides the thickness of the light-transmitting lens plate is increased because of the provision of the projection. Therefore, a shadow of the projection, etc., are formed on a design surface of the lens plate at the reverse side of the projection relative to the bulb, so that light and dark portions are formed on the illumination surface (i.e., the design surface) of the lens plate, and therefore it has been difficult for the illumination surface to become luminous uniformly over the entire area thereof.
It may be proposed to provide the switch and the projection at the outside of the lens plate. In this case, however, the box-like body, etc., of the vehicle room lamp increase in size, and this is not desirable because of a limited space available within the vehicle and for other reasons. | {
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The present invention relates to a collapsible lens barrel and an image pickup apparatus.
Some lens barrels incorporated in image pickup apparatuses such as digital still cameras, digital video cameras, etc. have a cam ring with a cam groove defined in an inner circumferential surface thereof and a lens holder frame which is nonrotatably, but axially movably held radially in the cam ring and which holds a lens assembly. The lens holder frame has a cam pin engaging in the cam groove such that the lens holder frame moves axially when the cam ring rotates about its own axis. For details, see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-267917, for example.
One such lens barrel is illustrated in FIG. 30 of the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 30, the lens barrel has a linear guide ring 3 interposed between the outer circumferential surface of a lens holder frame 1 and the inner circumferential surface of a cam ring 2.
The linear guide ring 3 is nonrotatably mounted on the lens barrel 1 and has axially linear guide grooves 3A defined therein. Cam pins 1A of the lens holder frame 1 extend through the guide grooves 3A and engage in cam grooves 2A defined in the cam ring 2. The lens holder frame 1 is nonrotatably, but axially movably held radially in the cam ring 2.
With the lens barrel in related art, however, since the linear guide ring 3 is interposed between the outer circumferential surface of the lens holder frame 1 and the inner circumferential surface of the cam ring 2, it poses limitations on efforts to reduce the diameter of the lens barrel and hence size of the lens barrel.
If the lens barrel has two lens holder frames 1 (only one lens holder frame 1 is shown in FIG. 30), then the cam grooves 2A in the cam ring 2 which are engaged by the cam pins 1A, 1B of the lens holder frames 1 extend continuously circumferentially at least fully around the cam ring 2, and the cam pins 1A, 1B are guided at different positions in the guide grooves 3A in the linear guide ring 3.
The lens holder frames 1 are assembled into the cam ring 2 with the linear guide ring 3 interposed therebetween, as follows.
First, the linear guide ring 3 is inserted into the cam ring 2, and then turned to align the guide grooves 3A with open ends 2B of the cam grooves 2A in the cam ring 2. Then, the cam pins 1A of one of the lens holder frames 1 are inserted into the open ends 2B and caused to engage in the cam grooves 2A.
Then, the cam ring 2 is rotated by one revolution to move the one of the lens holder frames 1 axially.
Thereafter, the linear guide ring 3 is turned to align the guide grooves 3A with the open ends 2B of the cam ring 2. Then, the cam pins 1B of the other lens holder frame 1 are inserted into the open ends 2B and caused to engage in the cam grooves 2A.
Then, the cam ring 2 is rotated to move the other lens holder frame 1 axially.
The assembling process is complex because the guide grooves 3A of the linear guide ring 3 need to be aligned with the open ends 2B of the cam grooves 2A twice and the linear guide ring 3 needs to be rotated by one revolution. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a xe2x80x9csolutionxe2x80x9d method for preparing indium tin oxide (ITO) fine powders, and more particularly, to a method for preparing ITO nanometer grade powders using different starting material sources.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The mixture of indium oxide powder and tin oxide powders, or indium tin oxide powders, i.e., the ITO powders are used as raw materials for ITO sputtering targets. To obtain high quality and high density ITO sputtering targets, nanometer grade ITO powders with uniform composition are required.
ITO is known as an N-type semiconductor material that is composed of indium oxide incorporated with tin. When a indium ion is replaced by a tin ion in the lattice, a free electron is released to preserve charge neutrality and therefore the electrical conductivity of ITO is enhanced.
ITO sputtering targets are typically used in the formation of transparent, conductive ITO films. Since ITO films have the properties of high transmittance to visible light and high infrared (IR) reflectivity, they are widely applied in the fields such as solar cells, flat panel displays, photo-detectors, transparent heating devices, anti-static coatings, electromagnetic protection coatings, and transparent electrodes for liquid crystal displays (LCD).
Various methods have been developed to manufacture ITO films. Some of these well-known methods include vacuum coating, magnetic sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and dip coating. The sputtering method is most frequently used due to the fact that it is suitable for large area coating and that it has some environmental merits such as low energy consumption and free of toxic substances during sputtering processes.
In a sputtering process, atoms are sputtered by bombarding the target with high-energy ion beams. These sputtered atoms are then deposited or coated on a substrate in a vacuum environment. The properties of the target such as purity, composition, density, microstructure, diameter distribution, etc. will thus determine the quality of the coated films.
ITO targets are manufactured by pressing and molding the ITO powders to a predetermined shape. The solid-state pressing process may be hot isostatic or cold isostatic pressing. After pressing and molding, the green bodies are sintered to produce ITO targets. The ITO powders are manufactured by mechanically mixing indium oxide powders with a predetermined composition ratio by such a method as ball milling known in the art, the mixture powders are then dried and calcined to form ITO powders.
A problem with the above prior art is that the homogeneity of the mixture of the target is limited and hard to control due to such factors as impurities in the starting materials, composition of the starting materials and their particle size distribution. Therefore, ITO thin film properties such as conductivity, transmittance, and adhesion ability to the substrate are affected.
A proposal of forming high-purity ITO ultrafine powders for sputtering targets is known as xe2x80x9csolutionxe2x80x9d method. According to a prior art of solution method, selected metallic compounds are dissolved in water. After some proper treatments known in the art, the dissolved metallic compounds react and polymerize into particles with higher molecular weight and finally form a stably suspended aqueous solution. After removing the solvent of the suspended aqueous solution by heat, high-purity ITO ultrafine powders are obtained.
However, the xe2x80x9csolutionxe2x80x9d method, like the solid-state process mentioned above, still suffers from the inability to precisely control the powder composition. Consequently, there is a strong need to develope an improved method to solve the above-mentioned problems. The fabrication method described in this invention is much simplified and suitable for different starting material sources and industrial mass production.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an improved xe2x80x9csolutionxe2x80x9d method for preparing ITO fine powders used to produce sputtering targets.
According to the claimed invention, a solution method for preparing ITO fine powders is provided. The solution method comprises the following steps:
a. Dissolution: dissolve indium compounds and tin compounds in water respectively to form two solution bodies;
b. Mixing: Mix the two solution bodies by stirring;
c. Precipitation: adding proper amount of alkaline reagents to adjust pH value of the admixed solution in step b to an extent that the precipitation completes;
d. Water washing and filtration: Water in the solution processed by step a through c is removed by using filtration method, a white filter cake is then obtained after filtration, wherein the white filter cake is re-dispersed in de-ionized(DI) by stirring, and wherein step d is repeated at least two times;
e. Peptization: the suspended solution after treated by water wash step is then mixed with proper amount of acids to control the pH value of the solution in a proper range, and then stirring to peptize the solution for a determined time period;
f. Drying: the peptized solution in step e is then dried up to obtain white powders of indium tin hydroxide (ITH); and
g. Calcination: the dry ITH powders are then placed into a high temperature oven, wherein under proper clacining conditions such as temperature heating rate, calcination temperature and calcination time, ITO powders are obtained.
It is to be understood that both the forgoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. Other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description, drawings and claims. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Processors, including microprocessors, digital signal processors and microcontrollers, operate by running software programs that are embodied in one or more series of instructions stored in a memory. The processors run the software by fetching the instructions from the series of instructions, decoding the instructions and executing them. The instructions themselves control the order in which the processor fetches and executes the instructions. For example, the order for fetching and executing each instruction may be inherent in the order of the instructions within the series. Alternatively, instructions such as branch instructions, conditional branch instructions, subroutine calls and other flow control instructions may cause instructions to be fetched and executed out of the inherent order of the instruction series.
When a processor fetches and executes instructions in the inherent order of the instruction series, the processor may execute the instructions very efficiently without wasting processor cycles to determine, for example, where the next instruction is. When exceptions to normal instruction flow such as interrupts are processed, many processor cycles are taken away from the normal instruction flow to process an interrupt service routing (ISR) corresponding to the interrupt or exception.
In processor applications in which real-time performance of the processor is critical, there is a need to regulate when an interrupt is serviced in order to prevent impairing the real-time performance of the processor. The need may arise at only certain portions of a larger program, for example, when monitoring and processing operations are being performed. At these times, there is a need for a mechanism to prevent the servicing of an interrupt in order to devote processing power to processing the critical program portions. | {
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The system according to the invention uses a rotary tablet press as has been known for a long time. It contains a rotor driven in a rotary manner by a drive motor, in which the top and bottom stamps are maintained and a die plate is held, with which the stamps work. The stamps are guided or actuated by means of pressing rollers and guide cams.
The tablet press naturally requires an energy supply and controls or regulators. A machine computer is normally used for the latter. In the state of the art, a control cabinet is either placed separately next to the tablet press or is attached laterally to the housing of the tablet press. It is known from DE 103 21 022, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, to incorporate a control cabinet, which also contains ventilation means for the control cabinet and the tablet press, on the outside of the housing of a tablet press in the bottom area in a hood.
The arrangement of the control cabinet is determined from the arrangement of the components in the housing of the tabletting machine. However, the conventional structure has its disadvantages. Connection lines to the machine are needed in the case of a separate control cabinet. This takes a lot of effort. Moreover, an additional assembly area is required for the control cabinet. Furthermore, the space between the control cabinet and the tablet press, in which the lines are maintained, can also not be used. The connection lines, which may lie on the floor, also interfere with the operation of the system.
Control cabinets attached to the side of the housing also take up more space. Moreover, access to the tablet press on the side of the control cabinet is impeded or impossible.
The object of the invention is to create a system for the production of preforms in a rotary tablet press, which takes up less space and also requires less effort to install. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Fuchsia plant, botanically known as Fuchsiaxc3x97hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Kiewilidivxe2x80x99.
The new Fuchsia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Venhuizen, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new Fuchsia cultivars with compact plant habit and numerous attractive flowers.
The new Fuchsia originated from a cross made by the Inventor of two proprietary selections of Fuchsiaxc3x97hybrida, not patented. The cultivar xe2x80x98Kiewilidivxe2x80x99 was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Venhuizen, The Netherlands. Plants of the new Fuchsia differ from plants of the parent selections primarily in flower color.
Asexual reproduction of the new Fuchsia by terminal cuttings taken at Venhuizen, The Netherlands, since 1997 has shown that the unique features of this new Fuchsia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar xe2x80x98Kiewilidivxe2x80x99 has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Kiewilidivxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Kiewilidivxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Numerous white and purple bi-colored flowers.
2. Upright plant habit.
3. Freely branching growth habit. | {
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The present invention relates generally to the “active implantable medical devices” as defined by the Jun. 20, 1990 Directive 90/385/EEC of the Council of European Communities, which includes implantable devices that continuously monitor the cardiac rhythm of a patient and deliver if and as necessary to the patient's heart electrical pulses for stimulation (pacing), cardiac resynchronization, cardioversion and/or defibrillation, as well as neurological devices, cochlear implants, drug, infusion devices, implantable biological sensors, etc. The present invention relates more specifically to a microlead for detection/stimulation for implantation in the venous, arterial or lymphatic networks of a patient.
Implantable medical devices typically have a housing generally designated as the “generator”, which is electrically and mechanically connected to one or more intracorporeal “leads” provided with electrodes that are intended to come into contact with the patient's tissues on which it is desired to apply the aforementioned electrical pulses and/or collect an electrical signal: e.g., the myocardium, nerve, or muscle tissue.
The current principle of electrical stimulation of tissue (hereinafter, stimulation is used in its generic sense of delivering an energy pulse to tissue rather than in a context of delivering an energy pulse suitable for pacing) is based on a device, usually called a “lead”, which is an object implanted through various venous, arterial or lymphatic vessels, and whose function is to transmit an electrical signal between a generator at a proximal end of the lead target and a tissue at a distal end of the lead while ensuring the following properties:
Ease of implantation by the physician in a vessel network of the patient, and especially ease of advancing the lead into the vessel(s) by pressure, to make the lead follow the tortuous paths and passing side branches in the vessel network, and to transmit torques from one end of the lead to the other;
Detectable by X-rays to allow the doctor to easily navigate through the network of vessels guided by X-ray fluoroscopy;
Atraumaticity of the lead in the veins, which requires a flexible structure and the lack of a rigid transition or sharp edges;
Ability to transmit an electrical signal to tissues and to make stable monopolar or multipolar electrical measurements;
Biocompatibility with living tissue for implantation in the long term;
Ability to connect to an implantable device generator or other source of electrical signals to be transmitted;
Ability to be sterilized (e.g., by gamma radiation, temperature . . . ) without damage;
Biostability, especially corrosion resistance in the living environment and resistance to mechanical fatigue stress related to patient and organs movement;
Compatibility with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which is, particularly important in neurology.
The current architecture of leads that meet these needs can be summarized as a generally hollow structure that allows passage of a stylet or a guidewire, and includes components such as insulated current carrying conducting cables or “lines”, connected to mechanical electrodes for ensuring electrical conductivity, radiopacity, etc. These leads therefore require a complex assembly of a large number of parts, of associated wires and insulating elements, creating substantial risks of rupture given the long-term mechanical stresses they face.
Examples of such known leads are given in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,246,014, 6,192,280, and 7,047,082.
One of the challenges in making suitable leads includes the management of stiffness gradients related to the mechanical components used, which strongly affect the implantability of the lead and its long term strength (fatigue endurance) properties.
In addition, to seal the inner lumen of the leads, for which the blood would degrade the performance during implantation and in the long term, valves and other complex devices are used, with significant associated risks.
Other difficulties may also arise in terms of fatigue of the assemblies. Indeed, any stiffness in a transition area is likely to induce a risk of fatigue, difficulty in sterilization because of the presence of areas that are difficult to access, and problems of mechanical strength at junctions of the conductors with the distal electrodes and with the proximal connector to the generator.
Moreover, the clinical trend in the field of implantable leads is to reduce their size to make them less invasive and easier to handle through the vessels.
The current size of implantable leads is typically on the order of 4 to 6 French (1.33 to 2 mm) in their active part, that is to say, the most distal end bearing the electrode(s)—even if the lead body, in the less distal end, uses conductors with a smaller diameter, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,014 above, which, at the lead body, certainly includes a conductor the diameter of which does not exceed 1 French (0.33 mm), but the overall diameter of the distal end active part at the location of the screw anchor is several French. However, it is clear that reducing the size of the leads would increase their complexity and impose technical constraints generating risks.
On the other hand, such a reduction, to less than 2 French (0.66 mm), for example, would open up prospects for medical applications in various fields ranging from cardiology to neurology in the presence of a venous, arterial or lymphatic system such as the cerebral venous system or the coronary sinus venous system.
Today, the electrical stimulation technology has led to major advances in the field of neuromodulation and stimulating target areas of the brain to treat Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and other neurological diseases. One could imagine implementing this type of technology to address new areas difficult to reach today, by using small size stimulation leads, or “microleads”, having great strength to ensure long-term biostability. Such a technique would allow a less invasive approach to these therapies and an especially superior efficacy of treatments.
It would be possible to connect one or more microleads through the considered vessel network until the target location. Their implantation could be done, because of their small size, by today's guiding devices used in interventional neuro-radiology for the release of stents (spring coils) in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a electrocardiogram (ECG) diagnostic device, and more specifically, to a disposable ECG diagnostic chest pad having pre-positioned lead electrodes and internal wiring which may be placed quickly as a single unit upon a patient and may be separated into two sections by way of perforated sections in the underling pad material, thus allowing greater flexibility in monitoring and diagnosing a patient's electrocardiogram waves.
2. Description of Prior Art
It has been long known in the medical community that the current condition, and possibly future state, of a subject patient's heart muscle can be ascertained by measuring the cardiac electrical activity. The electrical system of the heart not only initiates and controls the rate of heartbeat, but also coordinate to transmission in the most efficient mechanical manner. When such electric signals are irregular, it is a sign of cardiac problems, particularly cardiac arrest, better known as a “heart attack.”
Like all electrical signals, the electrical signals generated by the heart can be expressed as a wave or a series of waves having a frequency and amplitude. Again, like all electrical signals, these waves can be detected and measured—in this case by an electrocardiograph. Electrodes, generally pads containing conductive material, such as silver chloride and an adhesive are attached to the trunk and limbs of a patient's body. The electrodes are in turn attached to “leads” or cables which are connected to the electrocardiograph. Generally, in modem medical practice a ten-lead electrocardiograph is used to produce twelve lead measurements through the use of bipolar electrodes. The electrocardiograph receives the signals from the leads, processes them and outputs the resulting waveform patterns, usually on a strip of moving paper. These resulting patterns are known as an electrocardiogram (ECG). By viewing the resulting ECG output, the physician or other healthcare professional can determine the current condition of the patient's heart muscle and can compare such pattern against healthy and known abnormal patterns. As such, an initial diagnosis of the patient's condition can be made.
The majority of electrocardiological testing is performed in hospital emergency rooms where time of patient treatment of the essence in order to obtain a positive outcome. Trained personnel are required to properly position the electrodes onto the chest wall and limbs of the patient and connect the corresponding wires. In an emergency room situation, this procedure must be performed with speed and accuracy. The work of attaching the ten or twelve electrodes and the corresponding leads can be time consuming. In addition, the leads tend to clutter up the chest area, making additional emergency medical procedures more difficult to perform. Such problems associated with this process are increased when the patient is a small child or an infant.
Traditional prior art electrocardiograph systems typically utilize electrodes comprising elastic cloth or other material having moderate flexibility together with rigidity and strength, such as rubber, synthetic rubber or porous synthetic resins having air permeability. Lead cables are attached either externally or internally and are connected to a control box mounted on the pad. The pad is fastened with belt- or strap-like means, which must wrap around the subject's waist, chest, and arms. These pads are generally used for long term monitoring, and are not typically disposable. For the short-term use in the emergency room, single disposable electrodes are individually applied, with an adhesive backing, to the patient's body at the designated optimal locations. The corresponding leads from the electrocardiograph are then attached to the electrodes by any number of means known in the art, such as alligator clips or plugs. As previously mentioned this process is cumbersome and time consuming, particularly within an emergency situation. Under such circumstances, the electrodes may be incorrectly placed or fall off the patient, thus requiring additional time for replacement upon the patient.
Several solutions are presented in the prior art which attempt to solve some of the aforementioned problems by pre-positioning the leads. The first general solution seen in the art is a vest that contains the leads built into the material. Two such examples are an “Apparatus for Transmitting ECG Data,” to Mills, U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,987 and an “ECG Diagnostic Pad,” to Sekine, U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,479. By having the leads prepositioned within the vest, the entire apparatus can be placed upon the patient and immediately used, thus saving valuable time. However, such vests, including those seen in Mills and Sekine, have several drawbacks. First, these vests must be made in multiple sizes in order to fit the vast multitude of patient sizes and shapes from infant to adult and from thin to overweight. Production and acquisition costs are increased as well as the storage space needed to stock a supply of multiple, different-sized vests. The amount of materials used for an entire vest also adds to cost concerns. Most prior art vests are not disposable and reuse and refurbishment costs may be prohibitive.
A second solution presented in the prior art is the use of “electrode strips.” In these devices, the electrodes placed within a strip of material, usually containing an adhesive backing layer. The leads are generally wired into the strip. When need, the adhesive backing is exposed or adhesive otherwise applied and the strip is positioned and affixed to the patient's torso. Representative examples can be see in U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,987 to Feingold, U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,620 to Cudahy et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,671 to Mahoney. While cheaper to produce, store and use than vests, these and other prior art strips do have their drawbacks. First, may of the prior art electrode strips, such as the device illustrated and claimed in the Cudahy et al. patent, utilize leads which are positioned only across the torso of the patient. Readings from the upper and lower extremities cannot be taken or optimal positioning cannot be obtained. The Feingold strip allows individual placement, but having only three leads, it is likely that the medical professional would not utilize placement at the extremities. Another drawback to prior art electrode strips is their inability to be used to monitor a patent. Often, after the initial diagnosis, a physician or other medical professional may wish merely to monitor the patient's cardiac activity. As such, only certain leads of the ECG need to be used. It is, again, preferable, to eliminate as leads and other materials from the patient's chest in order to allow room for other procedures. Using the conventional technique of placement of individual leads, the unnecessary leads can be removed. However, in prior art electrode strips, one cannot remove the unnecessary electrodes without also removing the electrodes needed for the monitoring function.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means for quickly and accurately positioning electrodes and leads for electrocardiographic analysis.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrocardiographic electrode pad that provides signals from the torso and extremities of a patient.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an electrocardiographic electrode pad that can be used for patient monitoring.
It is an additional object of the present invention is to provide inexpensive and disposable ECG diagnostic pad which can be attached and removed quickly so as to not interfere with other procedures such as chest X-rays. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of pre-programming a flash memory cell. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of pre-programming a flash memory cell which can execute a continuous program operation and can reduce a pre-programming time by performing a program verification operation using a local clock.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, prior to an erase operation, a pre-program operation is performed repeatedly for all the cells of the sector to be erased by byte or word unit in a normal programming step. In pre-program operation, it can be seen that when a pre-program operation is performed based on a normal program step, the time of the pre-program operation is not so small at the time of erasure operation.
Also, as a semiconductor device becomes more higher integrated, the time taken by pre-program operation is longer than the time taken by erasure operation in an erasure operation.
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a conventional method of pre-programming a flash memory cell.
A general step of programming can be mainly divided into a programming step and a program verifying step when considering internal algorithms. The programming step is consisted of a pumping up step for programming, a real programming step, a pumping down for program verifying. Since data to be programmed are not always selected in the programming step, a program verify operation is performed simultaneously with the program operation at the time of program operation, and then data are provided so that cells can be programmed according to specified addresses, as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B.
FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining a conventional method of pre-programming, the pre-programming procedures will be explained as follows.
At step 102, a pre-program operation is performed in response to an erase command of step 101 for a cell by means of an internal counter. Thereafter, at step 103, a pumping time for programming is lapsed, then at step 104, a byte or a word program operation is executed. At step 105, when pumping-down time for a program verify operation is lapsed, a verify operation is performed at step 106. At step 107, a verify operation is performed for verifying whether the cell is normally programmed or not. If the cell was not normally programmed, a verify operation is performed at step 108 for verifying whether a maximum looping number is same as a maximum programming number preset within the internal counter N of the chip or not. If the looping number is not same as the maximum programming number, the number of program operation is increased at step 109, and then returns to step 103 in order to repeatedly perform a program operation.
However, at step 108, if the looping number is same as the maximum programming number preset within the internal counter N of the chip, it is determined whether the cell is defective or not at step 112, and then a program operation stops. Also, at step 107, if the cell is in a normally programmed state, an address of final sector is verified at step 110. At step 110, if it was not an address of the final sector, the number of the sector address preset within the internal counter of the chip is increased at step 111, and then returns to step 103 in order to repeatedly perform a program operation. Meanwhile, if it was an address of a final sector at step 110, it is determined whether the cell is normal or not at step 110, and then a program operation is finished.
In a conventional method of pre-programming as described above, since all the cells of a sectors are pre-programmed repeatedly by a byte or word unit at a normal programming step, the entire programming time of a chip is delayed. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Dot-matrix printheads have an array of printing elements that are selectively turned on and off by a printer controller to form printed shapes that are recognizable as characters. If one of the printing elements is inoperative, then the characters produced by the printhead will have a gap where the inoperative printing element would have produced a dot. If only one printing element is malfunctioning, the characters will appear deformed and unaesthetic. If several printing elements are malfunctioning, the print may be difficult to read. Unfortunately, printing elements can develop defects at any time without warning and the user must replace the malfunctioning printing elements immediately or accept inferior quality print.
Newer printheads for dot-matrix printers tend to have more printing elements so they can print at a faster rate with higher resolution. However, additional printing elements reduce the reliability of the system. If the probability of failure of each individual printing element is P and there are N printing elements, then the probability of zero nonfunctioning printing elements is (1-P).sup.N. Thus, the probability of all printing elements working properly decreases exponentially with the total number of printing elements. Hence, there is an increasing need for a fault-tolerant dot-matrix printing mode.
Some thermal ink jet printers, such as the Hewlett-Packard Desk Jet and Paint Jet printers, have a service station that restores printing elements having clogged nozzles. The service station primes the ink chambers of the printing elements and wipes the nozzle plate of the printhead to unclog the nozzles. If the service station clears a clogged nozzle, then that printing element can function normally. However, if the service station can not unclog the nozzle or if the nozzle is malfunctioning for some other reason, then the printing element will continue to malfunction and the printer will continue to produce inferior quality print. Most dot-matrix printers do not have any way of restoring malfunctioning printing elements. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display apparatus, a display panel driver and a display panel driving method, and more particularly relates to a driving technique of a display panel to execute a color reducing process and an enlarging process to image data at a same time.
2. Description of Related Art
One of requests to an LCD panel (liquid crystal display panel) installed in a portable terminal is in increase in the number of colors to be displayed. In order to satisfy this request, the LCD driver for driving the LCD panel is needed to deal with a multiple gradation display. One problem lies in increase in a chip size, when the number of the displayable gradations of the LCD driver is increased. In order to increase the number of the displayable gradations, a D/A converter used to drive signal lines is needed to deal with a large number of gradations, and this causes the increase in the chip size.
One scheme for suppressing the increase in the chip size that results from the increase in the number of the gradations lies in that the LCD driver includes a color reducing circuit, and a pseudo gradation display is performed to substantially attain the multiple gradation display. For example, Japanese Patent No. 3,735,529 and Japanese Patent Application Publication (JP-A-Heisei, 9-90902) disclose a technique that a color reducing process is executed through error diffusion and further attains the pseudo gradation display by using FRC (frame rate control).
Another request to the LCD panel installed in the portable terminal lies in increase in the number of pixels. In recent years, the LCD panel is used that has the number of pixels more than the number of pixels defined by VGA (video graphic array). However, the increase in the number of pixels increases a data transfer amount to the LCD driver from an image processing unit such as CPU or DSP (digital signal processor), and consequently increases consumption of electric power and EMI (electromagnetic interference) of the LCD driver.
The inventor considers one scheme to solve the above problems of the increases in the electric power consumption and EMI that result from the increase in the number of pixels, in which the size of an image is selected on the basis of a kind of the image to be displayed (for example, VGA, QVCA (quarter VGA) and the like) and also an enlarging process, namely, a function of enlarging the image is given to the LCD driver. For example, it is assumed that the LCD panel has the number of pixels corresponding to VGA. In displaying the image for which a high quality display is requested such as a photograph, the image data of VGA is sent to the LCD driver, and the image is displayed at a same magnification. On the other hand, in displaying the image in which a relatively low resolution is allowable such as the display screen of a game or mail, the enlarging process is executed such that the image data of QVGA is sent to the LCD driver and then the image is enlarged to twice in both of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction by the LCD driver. The enlargement of the image in the horizontal direction is attained by driving the two pixels arrayed in the horizontal direction in accordance with the same image data, as the easiest manner. The enlargement of the image in the vertical direction is attained by driving the adjacent two scan lines sequentially (or at the same time), in the state that the signal line is driven to a desirable drive voltage. Since such a scheme is used to perform the image display, it is possible to decrease the data transfer amount to the LCD driver and decrease consumption of electric power and EMI.
In order to attain the correspondence to the multiple gradation display and the reduction in the consumption of electric power and the EMI at the same time, the color reducing process and the enlarging process are desired to be used at the same time. However, according to the consideration of the inventor, when the color reducing process and the enlarging process are simply combined, there is a possibility of deterioration of the image such as generation of flicker. For example, FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of operation of the LCD driver, in which although the image of VGA is kept in its original state, the enlarging process to double in a column and a row directions is executed on the image of QVGA.
At first, it is assumed that the image data of VGA is supplied in which the gradation values of all of pixels of the image data are 18. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1A, the color reduction image data in which the pixel whose gradation value is 16 and the pixel whose gradation value is 20 are alternately repeated is generated through the color reducing process. Then, the LCD panel is driven in accordance with this color reduction image data.
On the other hand, it is assumed that the image data of QVGA is supplied in which the gradation values of all the pixels of the image data are 18. After the color reducing process is executed on the image data of QVGA, when the enlarging process to double in the column and row directions is executed, a matrix of 2×2 pixels in which the gradation value is 20 and a matrix of 2×2 pixels in which the gradation value is 20 are arranged on the LCD panel in a checker-wise pattern, as shown in FIG. 1B. In this way, when the color reducing process and the enlarging process are executed simply at the same time, a spatial frequency of a brightness change falls, thereby generating flicker. | {
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The invention relates to text messaging in a telecommunication system and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for providing text messaging between mobile handsets and TD devices in a telecommunication system.
Telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) have been developed that allow deaf persons to communicate by text messaging through the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The most common type of TDD is a telecommunication device (TD) at which a user may type in text messages for transmission and read received messages on a screen printout. A TD is fixed in location and is intended for communication with other TDDs over a landline network in an interactive manner. TDs commonly communicate according to the Electronic Industry Association""s (EIA) xe2x80x9cTelecommunications Devices for the Deafxe2x80x9d PN-1663 Standard (PN-1663).
A TDD, operating according to the PN-1663 Standard, communicates through the PSTN by transmitting and receiving strings of 1s and 0s that are encoded as either Baudot or ASCII codes. For Baudot coding, a 1 is transmitted through the PSTN as a 1400 Hz signal and a 0 is transmitted as an 1800 Hz signal. For ASCII coding, an originating TDD transmits a 1 through the PSTN as a 1270 Hz signal and a 0 as a 1070 Hz signal, and an answering TDD transmits a 1 as a 2225 Hz signal and a 0 as a 2025 Hz signal.
Recent advances in communication technology have resulted in cellular systems and technology that free users from the typical restraints of conventional landline telephone use. These advances include small, lightweight, portable, wireless phones that may be carried and used to communicate anywhere cellular service is provided. Present wireless phones have the capacity to send and receive short-text messages through a short messaging service (SMS). The SMS is standardized according to the standard in which the system operates. Unlike TDD systems using TD devices, SMS systems do not operate interactively over a circuit connection between communicating devices. SMS systems operate according to a store-and-deliver service, and SMS text messages have a fixed character length.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for providing text messaging between mobile handsets and telecommunication devices in a telecommunication system. The method and apparatus allows short messaging service (SMS) capable mobile handsets to communicate with a telecommunication device (TD). The method and apparatus may be implemented into a mobile network/public switched telephone network (PSTN) as a stand-alone gateway interface without the need to reconfigure or modify the network hardware. A user of an SMS-capable mobile handset may send text messages to a user of a TD device or receive text messages sent by the user of a TD device. The method provides an interface function that allows a deaf person having access to a TD device to communicate with mobile handset users. It also allows a mobile handset user to send communications to a deaf person using a TD device.
The method and apparatus utilizes a gateway interface between the public switched telephone system (PSTN) and cellular network. The gateway interface provides a conversion function between the SMS text messaging protocol and TD device text messaging protocol. The conversion function includes appropriate queuing and timing features that allow the SMS and TD functions to communicate.
In an embodiment of the invention, the method and apparatus is implemented as a stand-alone gateway. The gateway may be implemented anywhere there is access to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and coverage by a cellular system having short messaging service (SMS) capability. The gateway includes a controller and a transceiver. The controller may be implemented in a personal or similar type of computer. The transceiver operates according to the standard of a cellular system, including the system""s SMS features covering the area in which the transmitter is located. The transceiver is assigned a mobile network phone number and is capable of making and receiving calls under the control of the controller. The transceiver may be a conventional cellular handset connected to the controller through, for example, a bus such as an RS-232, or the transceiver may be a specially constructed transceiver built into the controller. The controller may be connected to the PSTN through a TD modem. The controller is assigned a PSTN phone number and communicates with TD devices that are connected to the PSTN using a TDD protocol. Connections may be provided through the Internet to allow multiple gateways to communicate with one another. The Internet connections allow multiple gateways to bypass the PSTN when communicating.
In order to initiate TD to mobile station communications, the user of a TD device dials the PSTN phone number that is assigned to the gateway. When a connection is made, the gateway then sends the appropriate responses in TDD protocol to prompt the user of the TD to enter the phone number of the mobile station(s) that are to receive a message. As the message is entered at the TD, the gateway buffers and converts the message to an appropriate format for SMS, according to the embodiment. By entering the message and following the prompts, the user is able to have the message sent to a destination mobile through the gateway.
In order to initiate mobile station to TD communications, the user of a mobile station sends a message via SMS to the mobile network phone number of the gateway transceiver. The message includes a phone number for each TD device that is to receive the message. Messages received by the gateway that are intended for a TD are placed in a queue within the gateway. The gateway processes the messages in the queue by dialing the phone number(s) of the message that has been in the queue the longest time. For each TD phone number that is busy, the gateway will retry dialing for a predetermined period of time. If the TD phone number is busy, the gateway will send an SMS message informing the mobile station that the TD is busy, but that the gateway will retry for the predetermined period of time. If the TD answers, the gateway performs appropriate functions so that the message sent to the TD meets TTD protocol requirements. | {
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Golf balls having multi-layer cores are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,852,044 discloses golf balls having multi-layered cores having a relatively soft, low compression inner core surrounded by a relatively rigid outer core. U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,531 discloses a solid golf ball comprising a solid core having a three-layered structure composed of an inner layer, an intermediate layer, and an outer layer, and a cover for coating the solid core. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0128904 also discloses multi-layer core golf balls. Other examples of multi-layer cores can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,743,816, 6,071,201, 6,336,872, 6,379,269, 6,394,912, 6,406,383, 6,431,998, 6,569,036, 6,605,009, 6,626,770, 6,815,521, 6,855,074, 6,913,548, 6,981,926, 6,988,962, 7,074,137, 7,153,467 and 7,255,656.
The present invention provides a novel multi-layer core golf ball construction wherein the core comprises a thermoset rubber center, a thermoplastic intermediate core layer, and a thermoset rubber outer core layer. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the temperature balancing control of a plurality of heat exchangers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As various plants become larger in size, various heat exchangers for use in them ought to be enlarged correspondingly. It is the actual situation, however, that the enlargement of the heat exchangers is limited in relation to manufacturing equipment and fabricating techniques.
For this reason, in a large-sized plant, the case of using a plurality of heat exchangers connected in parallel by piping is increasing. On that occasion, the control of the distribution of fluid flow rates to the respective heat exchangers becomes a problem.
More specifically, even when the respective heat exchangers are fabricated in accordance with the same specifications, the dispersion of fluid resistances is inevitable, and dispersions arise also in the fluid resistances of pipes connecting the heat exchangers, the fluid resistances of valves disposed midway of pipes, etc. Therefore, the flow rate distribution to the individual heat exchangers becomes unbalanced, with the result that unbalanced temperatures develop in various parts of the heat exchangers.
It is necessary to correct the unbalance and to operate all the parallel heat exchangers while their temperatures are being balanced.
The temperature balancing control is performed by equipping the respective heat exchangers with control valves for regulating the fluid flow rates and regulating the control valves individually. When only the temperature balance is considered, the temperatures may be balanced with all the control valves kept close to their fully closed states. In order to realize the stable operation and efficient operation of the plant, however, the temperatures should preferably be balanced with the control valves kept close to their fully open states.
A known prior-art method for the temperature control of a plurality of heat exchangers is disclosed in the official gazette of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 51-30304.
In the aforementioned known temperature control method for a multiple heat exchanger in which a plurality of heat exchangers are arranged in parallel, temperatures are sensed at the same positions of the respective heat exchangers except for the inlets thereof for a fluid subject to heat exchange, the mean temperature of the sensed temperatures is evaluated, and the sensed temperatures are compared with the mean temperature so as to regulate the flow rates of a heat exchanging fluid, whereby the temperatures of the fluid subject to the heat exchange are averaged.
With this known method, the flow rates of the heat exchanging fluid in the respective heat exchangers are controlled using the mean temperature as a reference value. It is theoretically possible, however, that the balanced relationship of the temperatures holds in the state in which the openings of all control valves for controlling the flow rates are close to the full opening or the full closure. Therefore, the method left intact is problematic in practical use.
In addition, a prior-art control method according to which the temperatures do not become balanced in the full closure direction is disclosed in the official gazette of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 58-9920.
In a multiple heat exchanger wherein a plurality of heat exchangers are used in parallel, this method consists in sensing the temperatures of the same positions of the respective heat exchangers except for the inlets thereof for a fluid subject to heat exchange and the inlets thereof for a heating fluid, selecting the temperature of any desired one of the positions as a control reference value, and adjusting the fluid flow rates of the respective heat exchangers so that the sensed temperatures may agree with the control reference value.
In such method, using the desired position for the control reference value, the fluid flow rates of the respective heat exchangers are adjusted so that the sensed temperatures may agree. However, when control valves have become fully open, they cannot be opened more, and the method becomes uncontrollable. | {
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A popular method employed in the manufacture of Leclanche or zinc-carbon dry cell batteries utilizes a so-called "paper liner" inside the zinc can to physically and electrically separate the zinc can (negative terminal) from the "depolarizer mix" surrounding the carbon rod (positive terminal). During manufacture, the inorganic salts and the water, which are to eventually become the battery's electrolyte, have been mixed into the depolarizer mix. Subsequent to manufacture the paper liner absorbs the electrolyte, becoming saturated with it, and for all practical purposes, the paper liner and the electrolyte become one and the same. It is important to recognize, at this point, that the depolarizer mix consists of materials which yield an electrically conductive mixture of low resistivity. Therefore, the electrical potential or e.m.f., measured at any point on the surface of, or within the mass of, the depolarizer mix is essentially the same potential or e.m.f. as measured at the carbon rod.
From the foregoing, it may be seen that three distinct electrical circuit elements may be identified in the finished battery, as follows:
(1) The zinc can (the negative terminal); PA1 (2) The saturated paper liner and the electrolyte; and PA1 (3) The carbon rod (the positive terminal) along with the surrounding mass of depolarizer mix.
Numerous techniques have been devised and employed to introduce the battery's various components into the zinc can in the proper sequence and under the required conditions. While no effort will be made here to review all of these techniques, two will be mentioned in order to illustrate the nature of the problem which the subject invention is intended to overcome.
Technique A. A rolled sheet of liner paper of appropriate size is first inserted into the zinc can, and then allowed to unroll against the inner wall of the can. A flat disc or "bottom washer" of paper, slightly larger than the can's inside diameter, is then pushed down to the bottom of the can. A controlled quantity of depolarizer mix is deposited within the paper enclosure formed by the sheet and disc, then a wipe-down washer and the carbon rod are placed in position. While the carbon rod is still held in place, a suitably shaped plunger is pressed against the wipe-down washer atop the depolarizer mix for the purpose of compacting the depolarizer mix around the carbon rod and against the paper liner, the compacted depolarizer mix forming a "bobbin."
Technique B. A preformed liner paper bag of suitable dimensions is filled with a controlled quantity of depolarizer mix, the filled bag is inserted into the zinc can, and then the carbon rod is inserted, with subsequent steps essentially those of Technique A.
The difficulty that results in the rapid spoilage of a significant percentage of batteries being manufactured is the production of "smears." These smears consist of a quantity of depolarizer mix which somehow, despite all efforts directed toward prevention, is deposited in a location which effectively "short circuits" the cell.
In Technique A, for example, a quantity of depolarizer mix may coat the paper liner while the mix is being inserted into the cell. If this coating extends to and over the top edge of the paper liner, it will eventually "bridge" or "short circuit" across the linear. In Technique B, for example, the relationship of the dimensions of the preformed liner paper bag relative to those of the can is critical, and any gap between bag and can permits the bag to burst during the compacting operation. Here again, mix leaking through the burst point will constitute a "bridge" or "short circuit" across the liner.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of making paper-lined dry cell batteries by Technique A which avoids the possibility of smear formation.
It is another object to provide such a method which does not reduce the efficiency of the battery.
It is a further object to provide such a method which is economical relative to a conventional battery making process.
Another object is to provide batteries made by such a method. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Target designators, usually employing lasers, have in the past made use of a so-called “doublet pulse”, a pulse burst containing two pulses, in which the inter-pulse spacing is varied to provide a code which can be recognized by incoming missiles, guided shells or other ordinance devices. Doublet pulse laser target designators suffer from the disadvantage of requiring almost twice the laser energy per doublet pair,in order to provide range performance equal to a single pulse system.
In a recent development, a large portion of the extra energy requirement is compensated for by the superior efficiency provided by multi-cavity single-pump lasers or single-pump multi-laser systems in which sequentially activated Q-switches are provided in the laser-cavities. In these lasers a single pumping pulse provides the energy for the multiple pulse out-put. Typical efficiency increases measured in the laboratory and during field tests show that doublet pulses generated in this manner contain 50% more energy than those from a single cavity, multi-pump laser or lasers for a given amount of flash lamp energy.
While the multiple cavity, single-pump lasers provide a substantial increase in range, a still further substantial improvement can be obtained by utilizing doublet pulse integration. While the subject invention will be described in terms of two pulses, it will be appreciated that pulse integration of any number of regularly spaced pulses will result in substantial range increases in terms of the range at which a missile carrying a seeker or optical tracking device will lock onto a target illuminated by the multiple pulses.
The purpose of the pulse integration is to time superimpose a first pulse and a second pulse in a doublet pair, such that the signal components add in-phase, while the noise components add in random phase. In the two pulse case, this results in an increase in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of at 2 at least 3 db over direct doublet detection, which corresponds to an increase in the lock-on range of approximately 18%.
If pulse integration is utilized, the seeker of the missile will lock on to the target at ranges which exceed that which would ordinarily be achievable by detection of the doublet pulse. Thus, the seeker is able to lock on to relatively weak signals due to the pulse integration technique. In the subject system there are two modes of operation, namely, the short range or doublet decode mode and the long range or extended range mode. In the extended range mode doublet pulse decoding is not utilized, and therefore, there is a certain amount of countermeasure susceptibility at distances which are at the fringe of system performance.
However, in the extended range mode, countermeasure effectiveness is minimized, since even if countermeasuring is employed, the missile will, nonetheless, approach the target. As the missile or guided shell approaches the target, the intensity of the received radiation increases. When this intensity increases above a predetermined threshold, a doublet decoder within the missile's seeker is activated and signals resulting from detected radiation are only gated to the guidance system of the missile if doublet pulses having a known predetermined inter-pulse spacing have been received. Thus, in this embodiment, the seeker system is switched from its long range or extended range mode to its short range or doublet decode mode when the detected signals reach a predetermined threshold. At this point, the seeker is hardened against countermeasuring.
In summary, in the doublet decode mode, each incoming doublet pair is decoded and if the pair has the appropriate inter-pulse spacing the outputs from the pulse integrators are sampled and transmitted to the missile's guidance system. Any signals not having the requisite pulse coding are inhibited from reaching the guidance system of the missile.
The system described, while operating in a long range—short range mode, also has two additional modes of operation. The first mode of operation leaves the pulse integration system in operation all the time, whereas, the second mode of operation disconnects the integration system when the missile is operated in the short range or doublet decode mode. In either case, range extension is achieved by the pulse integration.
Superposition of the first and second pulses is accomplished, in one embodiment, by a recirculating delay line and summation network combination. In another embodiment, the delay line is replaced by a lighter and more versatile device, called a serial analog delay or SAD.
Assuming that the seeker utilizes the conventional quad cell detector, the output from each of these detectors is amplified and mixed in three channels such that if the quad cells are designated A, B, C, and D, then the outputs of the amplifiers are applied to processors which perform the following functions: (A+B)−(C+D); (A+B)−(B+C); and A+B+C+D. This provides three channels of information from the quad cell detector. The first two of these channels constitute the up-down channel and the right-left channels respectively which provide the directional signals for the missile's guidance system.
In one embodiment, the outputs of these processors are applied to respective recirculating delay units each of which have a feedback circuit to a summing network which adds the output of the recirculating delay unit to the incoming signal. The recirculating delay is exactly equal to the expected inter-pulse spacing such that the two;pulses coherently add in the summing network. The output of each recirculating delay unit is applied through a gate to either the up-down or right-left signal channels of the guidance system of the missile.
The third channel is utilized to detect when the missile is within a predetermined short range of the target. This is accomplished by applying the output of this channel to the same type of recirculating delay unit described for the first two channels. The output of this recirculating delay unit is applied to a high level trigger, which, in essence, activates a doublet decoder when the level of the radiation at the seeker reaches a predetermined level indicating that the missile is within a predetermined short range of the target.
In order to provide a signal to the doublet decoder, the third channel is coupled to the doublet decoder. The output of the doublet decoder is applied to a switching or gating system such that the switching or gating system generates a pulse which activates the gates in the first two channels in the presence of an appropriate pulse doublet to sample the quad cell output. When the system is in its short range or doublet decode mode, assuming that the appropriate signals are available at the quad cell, the doublet decoder decodes the fact that the pulses have the requisite interpulse spacing and applies a gating pulse to the gates of the first two channels. The delay throughout the doublet decoder/switching system corresponds to the expected inter-pulse spacing. Thus, if pulses of the appropriate inter-pulse spacing impinge on the quad cell their integrated values will be sampled and transmitted to the guidance system of the missile or ordinance device. Countermeasure signals are rejected by this system and do not affect the guidance system of the missile or ordinance device.
Alternatively, the pulse integration system may be completely taken out of the loop once the doublet mode threshold has been reached. This may have some advantages in close range situations where the signal-to-noise ratio is sufficiently high. However, it will be appreciated that by utilization of the recirculating delay units in the first two channels, an even higher signal-to-noise ratio can be obtained in these channels, with a consequent reduction in the false alarm rate.
It will also be appreciated that the system described includes “preprocessing” the signals from the quad cell detector prior to recirculation. If a recirculating delay line channel is provided for each quad cell detector, the processing for guidance purposes may be accomplished after the pulse integration in a “postprocessing” step.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved target designating system utilizing pulse integration for extending the range of the system;
It is another object of this invention to provide a target desiganting system which operates in a long range and a short range mode, in which at least the long range mode includes utilization of pulse integration for range extension;
It is another object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for increasing the signal-to-noise ratio in seekers utilized with multiple pulse target designating systems.
These and other objects of the invention will be better understood in connection with the appended drawings in which: | {
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This invention relates to devices useful in supporting and displaying decorative lighting, and more particularly, to a device adapted to support a decorative light, such as a Christmas light. One aspect of the invention relates to a plastic or metal bracket that will support a decorative light and can be installed without screws, nails or other hardware which may pierce or otherwise impair gutters or roofs. Another aspect of invention relates to a mounting bracket or a device for decorative lighting and is in itself supported by frictional engagement with a support structure such as gutters or roof shingles and provides mechanism by which the decorative light may be positioned at different angles with respect to a roof or gutter or other support surface. Another aspect of the invention is a bulb holder for use with the mounting bracket which accommodates bulbs of various sizes.
The use of decorative lighting for both commercial purposes and for residential purposes is well known. A major portion of exterior decorative lighting is seasonal in nature, such lighting being installed primarily during holiday periods and then removed after the holiday period has passed. Decorative lights are typically purchased as "strings" in which a large number of individual sockets are wired together, and bulbs, frequently colored, are inserted into each socket. Plugs are provided at one or both ends for connection to other light strings or to an electrical power source. Typically, at the Christmas season, there are bulbs which are of various sizes, for instance, mini bulbs, C-7 bulbs and C-9 bulbs. The C-9 bulbs are larger than the C-7 bulbs which are larger than the mini bulbs.
The present invention is directed to deficiencies that have been encountered with devices previously used to install and display exterior decorative lighting including the necessity of using a variety of bulb holders to accommodate bulbs of various sizes. In the past, exterior decorative lights have sometimes been installed by stapling light strings onto the eaves of fascia of a building. Stapling often leaves unattractive holes in the support surface when the decorative lighting and staples are removed. Moreover, the use of staples or the like also runs the risk of damaging the exterior coating on the power cords thereby possibly rendering the strings unsafe. Threaded hooks have also been used to support light strings in the past, but the hooks themselves are difficult to install, and did not secure the bulb sockets in a preferred orientation. One light bracket which does not mutilate or otherwise impair roofs, gutters or facia is disclosed Gary U.S. Pat. No. 4,851,977 issued Jul. 25, 1989. The device there disclosed installs between shingles on a roof and works for its intended purpose but lacks the versatility of the subject invention. Another device particularly adapted for gutters is illustrated in Adams U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,192, issued Aug. 25, 1992. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention concerns periodic temporal signals the configuration of which over a time period is defined by an arrangement of seed patterns of different types resulting from a recursive construction using successively applied recurrent pattern element composition laws generating on each new iteration progressively more complex patterns. Generally speaking, the configuration over a time period of a temporal signal resulting from this kind of branching construction may be considered as a component "a.sub.n " of the Nth term Un with m components (a.sub.n, b.sub.n, c.sub.n, etc) of a recurrent sequence, this nth term being defined at the level of each of its components (a.sub.n, b.sub.n, c.sub.n, etc) according to the components (a.sub.(n-1), b.sub.(n-1), c.sub.(n-1), etc) of the preceding term U.sub.n-1 by the arrangements of the recurrent pattern type composition laws and the initial term Uo of the sequence having for its components (a.sub.0, b.sub.0, c.sub.0, etc) the seed patterns.
The branching construction process makes it possible to increase the complexity of the pattern obtained from one iteration to another extremely quickly. It produces after very few iterations a signal pattern having the general appearance of noise although it is in fact highly structured and has complex self-simulating properties resulting from the iteration process. Because of these characteristics the resultant temporal signal finds beneficial applications in varied techniques including vibration testing, transducers and stimulators, deposition of electrochemical layers using pulsed current, chemical synthesis of disordered systems, optical modulation, etc.
Signals known by the general name fractal temporal signals result from branching constructions of this kind.
An object of the present invention is a periodic temporal signal generator making it possible to generate very quickly a great diversity of periodic signals having a period with a recursive structure of the aforementioned type. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of data processing systems. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method and system for automatically selecting and installing an application onto a portable (e.g., palmtop) computer system.
2. Related Art
As the components required to build a computer system have reduced in size, new categories of computer systems have emerged. One of the more recent categories of computer systems is the portable or xe2x80x9cpalmtopxe2x80x9d computer system, or personal digital assistant (PDA). A palmtop computer system is a computer that is small enough to be held in the hand of a user and is thus xe2x80x9cpalm-sized.xe2x80x9d As a result, palmtops are readily carried about in a briefcase or purse, and some palmtops are compact enough to fit into a person""s pocket. By virtue of their size, palmtop computer systems are also lightweight and so are exceptionally portable and convenient.
The portability and convenience of palmtops has made it increasingly desirable to increase the number and types of applications that can be run on them. It is advantageous to expand the capabilities of a palmtop so that it can provide many of the same, if not the same, services provided by a desktop or laptop computer system, particularly with regard to access to the World Wide Web (WWW). As such, information currently available via the Internet using personal computers, such as on-line access to news and financial information, can also be provided via a palmtop. In addition, a palmtop can be used for electronic mail (xe2x80x9ce-mailxe2x80x9d) and multi-player gaming, and features such as voice recognition can also be added.
It has proven to be convenient to exchange data and information between a host computer and a palmtop computer using a communication interface, such as a serial or parallel input port. It has also proven to be convenient to transfer an application installed on one palmtop computer to another palmtop. Accordingly, many palmtop computers include an infrared communication port that can be used for transmitting data and applications between palmtops (commonly known as xe2x80x9cbeamingxe2x80x9d). Beaming applications from one palmtop to another has proven to be popular among users.
The portability and convenience of palmtops comes with a tradeoff in processing power and memory space. Processing issues can be addressed in part using processors that are smaller and faster than preceding generations, and innovative techniques are also available to store data and information more densely in smaller places. Still, processing and data storage issues may be present due to the size of the operating system needed to support the various applications loaded on the palmtop.
As the number and, in particular, the variety of applications increase, the operating system needed to run those applications increases in complexity and correspondingly in size. The traditional model for generic, limited resource devices such as palmtops is that a memory image is built and installed on the device. The memory image provides a certain set of abstract operating system services for the applications on the device. However, as the application set expands and becomes more diverse, the operating system needs to grow in size and abstraction and as a result uses a greater portion of the resources available in the device.
In addition, many applications today utilize the well-known Component Object Model (COM) software architecture as well as other well-known architectures such as Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), Distributed COM (DCOM), and Distributed Computing Environment (DCE). COM is based on software objects or modules that are well encapsulated and accessed through interfaces provided by services such as Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) and ActiveX. COM objects can interoperate with other COM components through their interfaces. In this way, COM allows applications to be built from different components.
Thus, with a COM-based architecture, the operating system on the palmtop provides services supporting the execution of an application, in essence building the application by defining and implementing interfaces and modules between its various COM components when the application is called. Accordingly, with COM applications, further complexity is added to the operating system, requiring more coding and hence more memory.
A recent technique for reducing the memory space needed for the operating system is to build and load the operating system memory image when the palmtop is coupled to a host computer system during a synchronization process (xe2x80x9csync-time image bindingxe2x80x9d). Typically, the palmtop is placed into a device, such as a cradle, that is communicatively coupled to the host computer system via a serial or parallel input port. The synchronization process is used to allow the computer system and the palmtop to share information such as applications and databases. With the sync-time image binding technique, the operating system is configured so that it includes only the specific code and resources required to support the palmtop and the applications installed on the palmtop. Thus, software/code or resources not required by the palmtop or its applications are not installed, thereby saving memory space.
However, the sync-time image binding technique can cause a problem when a user wishes to add an application to his/her palmtop by beaming the application from another palmtop. While the palmtop acting as the source of the application will have the operating system code and resources needed to support the application, the palmtop receiving the application may not. Thus, the application may be satisfactorily received, but the application cannot be used.
In addition, the palmtops may have different hardware that prevents operation of an application beamed from one palmtop to another. For example, the processors used by the palmtops may be different, and so each palmtop may require a different version of the same application that is compatible with their processor. Similarly, one palmtop may use a monochrome display device and the other may use a color display device. A version of an application specifically designed for a color display may not function as well with a monochrome display, or vice versa. Under these circumstances, the application can likely be beamed from one palmtop to the other, but it may not be able to function to its fullest capabilities on the palmtop receiving the application.
Another disadvantage associated with beaming is that, in those cases where the application is being sold or where licensing agreements do not permit the application to be freely shared, beaming an application between compatible palmtops can provide a ready method for circumventing the commercial and intellectual property interests of a distributor or vendor for the application. In other words, copies of the application can be beamed and thereby distributed between palmtops without having to purchase the application or otherwise compensate the entity that owns the intellectual property rights to the application.
When an application cannot be beamed from one palmtop to another because, for instance, the palmtops do not share compatible hardware or software, or because the application is not available from another palmtop, a user can instead locate the application on his/her own and then install the application by synchronizing the palmtop to a host computer system. However, there are also disadvantages to installing an application onto a palmtop in this manner. First, the application must be located, both at its source and later at a location within the host computer system. For example, if the application is obtained from an external source such as a site on the WWW, the Uniform Resource Locator for the application must be determined and properly entered so that the application can be found. Once the application is located, the proper version must be selected. For example, the user must select the version that is compatible with the hardware and software capabilities of his/her palmtop. Next, the application is downloaded onto the computer system from the WWW, given a file name, and stored somewhere in the computer system. The user must then locate the file in computer system memory.
Typically, the file is in a compressed format, so the user must locate the proper software for decompressing the file according to the compression scheme used, and then execute that software. Once decompressed, the file has to be tagged in some manner to indicate that it is to be downloaded onto the palmtop during a subsequent synchronization. In one implementation, the user accomplishes this by dragging the file into a window; files in that window are installed at the next synchronization between the computer system and the palmtop.
Thus, the process for installing an application onto a palmtop via a host computer system can be somewhat complex and tedious, and is also prone to error. For an occasional user not familiar with the particulars of locating, downloading and decompressing files, or not familiar with the specific hardware and software configurations of his/her palmtop, the task of installing a new application may to be a challenge. Such users may be inclined to avoid installing new application onto their palmtops, or perhaps will steer clear of palmtops altogether. Even experienced users may be daunted by the involved process for installing a new application onto a palmtop.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and/or method that can allow an application installed on one palmtop to be readily installed on another palmtop, in particular in those instances in which a functioning version of the application cannot be beamed from one palmtop to the other (because, for example, the hardware or the operating systems are not compatible between the palmtops). What is also needed is a system and/or method that can satisfy the above need and that can provide a user-friendly mechanism for locating a version of the application proper for a particular type of palmtop, and for installing the application onto the palmtop. In addition, what is needed is a system and/or method that can satisfy the above needs and that can, when so desired, provide a mechanism for providing billing information associated with installing the application onto a palmtop. The present invention provides these advantages and others not specifically mentioned above but described in the sections to follow.
A method and system are described for installing an application on a client device, such as a portable (or palmtop) computer system. In the present embodiment, instead of transferring the application to the client device from another client device, the client device receives a description of the application from the other client device. When a host device (e.g., a host computer system) and the client device are synchronized, the description is automatically communicated from the client device to the host device, which is also in communication with a source of applications. In one embodiment, the host device is in communication with a site on the World Wide Web. In another embodiment, the source of applications is a site on an intranet. In yet another embodiment, the application source is a data storage device such as a magnetic or optical disk.
In the present embodiment, hardware and software attributes of the client device can also be automatically communicated to the host device by the client device. The host device automatically communicates to the application source a specification comprising the description of the application as well as the attributes of the client device. The host device receives from the source one or more software elements (e.g., a component, object or file, or the application itself) characterized by the specification. The host device automatically makes the software element(s) ready for installation on the client device. The software element(s) are then installed on the client device when the host device and the client device are subsequently synchronized.
In one embodiment, the description of the application is transferred to the client device from the other client device using a wireless link (e.g., an infrared beam). In various embodiments, the description of the application can include a version number for the application, a vendor or application name, a description of the software elements (e.g., components, files or objects) needed to build the application, or a location of these software elements (e.g., a Uniform Resource Locator) or of the application itself.
In other embodiments, the attributes of the client device considered in the specification can include the type of processor, the type of display device (e.g., color or monochrome), or the type of operating system used by the client device, or the amount of memory space available in the client device.
In another embodiment, billing and payment information can be provided to the host device from the application source along with the software elements for the application.
In yet another embodiment, the software elements can be automatically decompressed (when they are in a compressed format) and tagged to indicate they are to be installed on the client device during a subsequent synchronization of the host and client devices.
The present invention thus provides a user-friendly method of transferring an application from one palmtop to another, such as for those cases in which the application as configured for one palmtop is not compatible with the hardware or software used by the other palmtop. The process of identifying and retrieving the appropriate version of an application and making the application ready for installation can be performed automatically, substantially without user intervention. The user does not have to know the particulars of the application to be installed or of the hardware and software used by his/her palmtop. The user also does not need to intervene in order to prepare the application for installation. The present invention therefore simplifies for users the process of finding an application, selecting the proper version, and downloading the application onto the palmtop. | {
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The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for wrapping of items. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an aquarium especially designed to promote a healthy environment for aquatic life
2. Description of Related Art including Information Disclosed under .sctn..sctn.1.97 to 1.99
A limited search has been made through the Patent and Trademark Office classificaiton system for art pertinent to the present invention and the following patents were developed:
______________________________________ 654,138 to Dennett 4,605,984 to Fiedler 2,753,491 to Legge 4,664,469 to Sachs 3,379,932 to Legge 4,680,668 to Belkin 3,797,459 to Harris ______________________________________ | {
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The linear FG and BG compositing system of the blue screen type has been described in my prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,595,987; 4,007,487; 4,100,569; 4,344,085; 4,409,611; and in a recent application (June 13, 1983) Ser. No. 520,067, which describes the origination and series of improvements in the compositing of video images using a linear technique.
This new technology combines the two images by first removing the color of the colored backing by a subtraction process, leaving the subject as though placed in front of a black backing. The background (BG) scene is then turned on in the area formerly occupied by the colored backing in proportion to the brightness and visibility of that colored backing. This proportional control of the BG scene permits the full and accurate retention of transparent and semi-transparent objects including smoke, fog, glassware, etc.
Since the foreground (FG) video is never subjected to a switching action, the ultimate resolution of the FG camera is retained in the composite scene. The aforementioned patents fully describe this technology, and are incorporated herein by reference. The process by which the color of the backing is removed is by subtraction and, as indicated in the above patents, may occur prior to encoding or subsequent to encoding. | {
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The emergence of portable electronic computing platforms allows functions and services to be enjoyed wherever necessary. Palmtop computers, Personal Digital Assistants, mobile telephones, portable game consoles, biometric/health monitors, and digital cameras are some everyday examples of portable electronic computing platforms. The desire for portability has driven these computing platforms to become smaller and thus have a longer battery life.
It is difficult to efficiently collect user input on these ever-smaller devices. Portable electronic computing platforms need these user inputs for multiple purposes including, but not limited to, navigation: moving a cursor or a pointer to a certain location on a display; selection: choosing, or not choosing, an item or an action; and orientation: changing direction with or without visual feedback.
Prior art systems have borrowed concepts for user input from much larger personal computers. Micro joysticks, navigation bars, scroll wheels, touch pads, steering wheels and buttons have all been adopted, with limited success, in today's portable electronic computing platforms. All of these devices consume substantial amounts of valuable surface real estate on a portable device. Mechanical devices such as joysticks, navigation bars and scroll wheels can wear out and become unreliable. Because they are physically designed for a single task, they typically do not provide functions of other navigation devices. Their sizes and required movements often preclude optimal ergonomic placement on portable computing platforms. Moreover, these smaller versions of their popular personal computer counterparts usually do not offer accurate or high-resolution position information, since the movement information they sense is too coarsely grained.
A finger image sensor detects and measures features (e.g., valleys, ridges, and minutiae) on the surface of a finger through capacitive, thermal, optical, or other sensing technologies. Most commercially available finger image sensors fall into two categories: (1) full-size placement sensors and (2) typically smaller so-called swipe sensors. Placement sensors have an active sensing surface that is large enough to accommodate most of the interesting part of a finger at the same time. Generally, they are rectangular in shape with a sensing surface area of at least 100 mm2. The finger is held stationary while being imaged on the full-placement sensor.
The other type of finger image sensor, called a swipe sensor, is characterized by a strip-like imaging area that is fully sized in one direction (typically in length) but abbreviated in the other (typically width). An example is the Atrua Wings ATW100 sensor, as described by Andrade in US Patent Application 20030016849 and PCT patent application WO 02/095349. A finger is swiped across the sensor until all parts of it are imaged, analogous to how a feedthrough paper document scanner operates. A sequence of slices or frames of the finger image is captured and processed to construct a composite image of the finger.
Several prior art devices use a touchpad for authenticating a user and moving a cursor on a display device. A touchpad, which operates similarly to a finger image sensor, does not provide enough image resolution or capability to distinguish ridges and valleys on the fingerprint. Instead, the touchpad perceives a finger as a blob and tracks the blob location to determine movement. Therefore, a touchpad cannot follow miniscule movements, nor can it feasibly detect rotational movement.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0054695A1, titled “Configurable Multi-Function Touchpad Device,” to Bjorn et al. discloses a touchpad that can be configured to authenticate a user or to control a cursor. The touchpad attempts to enhance the function of a touchpad to include fingerprint capability. It merely absorbs the hardware of a capacitive finger image sensor into the much-larger size touchpad to achieve cost-savings. It does not disclose using the finger image data for navigation control. Undoubtedly, its large size still precludes the touchpad from being used in most portable electronic computing platforms.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,087, titled “Capacitive Semiconductor User Input Device,” to Kramer discloses a system that uses a fingerprint sensor to control a cursor on the display screen of a computer. The system controls the position of a pointer on a display according to detected motion of the ridges and pores of the fingerprint.
The system has a number of limitations. It uses image-based correlation algorithms and, unlike a system using a swipe sensor, requires fingerprint images with multiple ridges, typical for capacitive placement sensors. To detect a motion parallel to the direction of a ridge, the system requires the sensor to detect pores, a requirement restricting its use to high-resolution sensors of at least 500 dpi. The system detects changes in ridge width to sense changes of finger pressure. However, ridge width measurement requires a very high-resolution sensor to provide low-resolution of changes of finger pressure. The algorithm is unique to emulating a mouse and is not suitable for emulating other types of input devices, such as a joystick or a steering wheel, where screen movements are not always proportional to finger movements. For example, a joystick requires a returning to home position when there is no input and a steering wheel requires rotational movement. The system is unique to capacitive sensors where inverted amplifiers are associated with every sensor cell. | {
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The present invention relates to a unique solenoid operated valve structure and a method of making the same and more particularly to a solenoid valve structure which is hermetically sealed and which includes a valve housing that can be manufactured and assembled in a straight forward, economical manner from a comparatively inexpensive sheet like material with a minimum of fluid leakage.
Hermetically sealed, solenoid operated valve structure in the prior art, particularly in the refrigeration industry, has been comparatively difficult, requiring valve housing structure which includes costly body parts, which are milled and machined from solid metal, thus necessitating several take-apart, bolted or screwed gasket seals to provide a leak-free housing assembly which has occasioned frequent maintenance or replacement in order to minimize fluid leakage.
The present invention, recognizing the associated disadvantages of prior art solenoid operated valve structures which have required comparatively expensive operating parts including milled and machined valve body parts and numerous take-apart gasket members to reduce fluid leakage, provides a uniquely modified, solenoid operated valve which is straightforward and economical in manufacture and assembly, utilizing a minimum of parts, eliminating most, if not all of previously required gasket seals and yet substantially reducing fluid leakage, the unique hermetically sealed, solenoid structure of the present invention allowing ready, straightforward connection and replacement disconnection in a hermetically sealed fluid system with a minimum of operating steps. In addition, the valve structure of the present includes a novel valve stem and seat arrangement which minimizes valve wear, maximizes valve life and, at the same time, can be effectively utilized with various valve sizes and fluid capacities. Further, the present invention provides a long enduring arrangement which provides tighter sealing, reduces requirements for special valve seat parts, utilizing required conduit extremities for such purposes. Various other features of the present invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth herein. | {
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The present invention is generally directed to methods and compositions that enhance growth hormone production and release, and which have been found to suppresses appetite, in human subjects.
Growth hormone plays an important role in the physiology of warm-blooded animals, including humans. To date, there have been several methods developed to increase growth hormone levels within the body to influence a disease state such as, for example, pituitary dwarfism, or to facilitate healing after trauma associated with burns, surgery, etc. Relatedly, it has been noted that growth hormone levels within the body markedly decrease after puberty, and gradually decline thereafter throughout life. It has also been noted that growth hormone supplementation in elderly individuals cause physiological changes consistent with rejuvenation. Accordingly, growth hormone supplementation is considered by many to be highly advantageous.
Additionally, there are several known compounds which are considered to be growth hormone secretogogues, but these compounds do not necessarily promote growth hormone synthesis. There are also several known compounds which promote growth hormone synthesis, but these compounds do not necessarily induce the release or secretion of the growth hormone. Moreover, due to the large size and fragility associated with growth hormone molecules (191 peptide residues), growth hormone (and similar agents) is generally administered into the body via an injection. There are, however, several shortcomings associated with systemic delivery by injection, shortcomings such as increased risk of infection at the site of delivery.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a composition that enhances growth hormone production and release within a subject, as well as to methods relating thereto. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides for further related advantages.
In brief, the present invention is generally directed to compositions and methods for enhancing growth hormone production and release, in a subject so as to effectuate rejuvenation. In the practice of this invention, it has also been found that such compositions simultaneously serve to suppress appetite.
In one embodiment, a method for enhancing growth hormone production and release in a subject so as to effectuate rejuvenation and appetite suppression is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a first composition, wherein the first composition increases cholinergic tone above a baseline level; and administering to the subject an effective amount of a second composition, wherein the second composition decreases somatostatin below a baseline level. The first composition may be a combination of an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and Vitamin E xcex1-D-succinate, whereas the second composition may be a combination of a salt of cysteamine (e.g., cysteamine hydrochloride salt) and an alkali buffer. Alternatively, the second composition may be a combination of pantothenic acid and an alkali metal salt, as well as a reducing agent as an optional component. It is to be understood that other forms of cysteamine, including the base, may also be used.
In another embodiment, a kit useful for enhancing growth hormone production and release so as to effectuate rejuvenation and appetite suppression is disclosed. The kit comprises a first composition and a second composition, wherein first composition comprises an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and Vitamin E xcex1-D-succinate, whereas the second composition is a salt of cysteamine (e.g., cysteamine hydrochloride salt) and an alkali buffer, or pantothenic acid and an alkali metal salt. In a more specific embodiment, the first composition comprises choline bitartrate in an amount ranging from 0.01 to 95% by weight; dimethylaminoethanol in an amount ranging from 0.01 to 85% by weight; Vitamin E xcex1-D-succinate in an amount ranging from 0.01 o 85% by weight; gingko biloba 24% gingosides in an amount ranging from 0.001 to 30% by weight; Huperzine A in an amount ranging from 0.000000001 to 5% by weight; and 5-Hydroxytryptophan in an amount ranging from 0.001 to 30% by weight; and wherein the second composition comprises cysteamine HCL in an amount ranging from 0.001 to 90% by weight. In an alternative embodiment, the second composition comprises calcium pantothenate in an amount ranging from 0.01 to 99% by weight; magnesium phosphate tribasic in an amount ranging from 0.01 to 99% by weight; magnesium phosphate tribasic in an amount ranging from 0.1 to 85% by weight; magnesium sulfite in an amount ranging from 0.1 to 85% by weight; and citric acid in an amount ranging from 0.01 to 95% by weight of the second composition.
The present invention is also directed to a method for suppressing appetite within a subject, comprising the steps of orally administering an effective amount of the kit of this invention.
These and other aspects of this invention will be evident upon reference to the following detailed description.
The present invention is generally directed to compositions and methods for enhancing growth hormone production and release in a subject so as to effectuate rejuvenation and appetite suppression. Although many specific details associated with certain aspects of the present invention are set forth below, those skilled in the art of pharmacology, and especially neuropharmacology, will recognize that the present invention may have additional embodiments, or that the invention may be practiced without several of the details disclosed herein.
As noted above, it is known that growth hormone plays a vital role in human physiology, and numerous methods have been developed to increase growth hormone levels within a human body so as to influence a variety of disease states. It is also known that growth hormone levels decrease after puberty, and continue to gradually decline throughout life, and that growth hormone supplementation in elderly individuals causes changes consistent with rejuvenation. However, because of the size and fragility of the growth hormone molecule, it must be administered by injection. Accordingly, an orally available composition capable of enhancing growth hormone production and release is needed.
The present invention provides an orally administered composition for enhancing growth hormone production and release, and methods related thereto. In addition, it has been surprisingly found that the composition of this invention also serves to suppress appetite in human subjects, which is a desirable attribute in and of itself.
The composition of this invention is a kit formulation, wherein the first part of the composition enhances (1) cholinergic tone and (2) growth hormone synthesis, and wherein the second part of the composition inhibits (3) somatostatin production. Because of the importance associated with the above, each is more fully discussed below.
Increasing Cholinergic Tone
Substances that will increase acetylcholine production and release tend to result in an increase in cholinergic tone above baseline. These substances include, but are not limited to various choline-containing compounds, such as choline bitartrate or phosphatidyl choline; acetylcholine precursors, such as dimethylaminoethanol and congeners related thereto. Substances that increase blood flow in the cerebral cortex are known to increase acetylcholine levels. These substances include, but are not limited to: ginkgo biloba with gincosides assayed at 24% of total weight, niacin, papaverine, hydergine and other ergot alkaloids, etc. Other substances known to increase acetylcholine release include a variety of cholinergic agents, such as pyridostigmine, etc. However, for the purpose of the present invention, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor is preferred. The Chinese moss derivative huperzine A, which is known to enhance cognition, also affects cholinergic tone. This substance, in conjunction with substances that increase the overall levels of acetylcholine, results in a substantial increase of acetylcholine levels above baseline. Other substances that increase acetylcholine levels include hypericum (St. John""s Wort) and S-adenosulmethionine. Seemingly, the antidepressant effects of these two compositions are partially related to their ability to increase acetylchie levels. As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, irreversible acetylcholine esterase inhibitors, such as malathion will increase acetylcholine levels. Unfortunately, these agents are difficult to administer therapeutically because of their narrow margin of safety.
Increasing Growth Hormone Synthesis
Several compounds will enhance growth hormone synthesis. It was recently discovered that Vitamin E xcex1-D-succinate increases growth hormone synthesis in vitro. Similarly, melatonin will also increase growth hormone synthesis. Unfortunately, there may be a negative feedback on melatonin synthesis in vivo when melatonin is exogenously administered. However, there are amino acids, such as tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan which will increase melatonin synthesis in vivo with chronic administration.
In view of the foregoing, it has been discovered that the first part of the kit of this inventionxe2x80x94that is, the part for enhancing cholinergic tone and growth hormone synthesisxe2x80x94may include (as a representative embodiment of this invention) those substances identified in Table 1 below.
Inhibiting Somatostatin Synthesis
There are a limited number of substances that will inhibit somatostatin production. The most potent of these is cysteamine. Unfortunately, this molecule is unstable in air and therefore the salt is used for oral administration in the context of this invention. This substance has been used extensively in agriculture to decrease the time it takes to bring livestock and chickens to market. Unfortunately, this substance is from the chemical class known as mercaptans, which are among the worst smelling and tasting chemicals known to man. As such, and to avoid acid hydrolysis in the gut, cysteamine may be formulated as a readily absorbable liquid preparation.
Accordingly, in view of the foregoing, it has been discovered that the second part of the kit of this inventionxe2x80x94that is, the part for inhibiting somatostatin synthesisxe2x80x94may include (as representative embodiments of this invention) those substances identified in Table 2a (liquid form) or Table 2B (capsule form).
It should be noted that Table 2B denotes a formulation of a capsule embodiment having cysteamine in the delivery system, wherein the cysteamine will buffer acid hydrolysis in the gut. In the noted embodiment of Table 2A, an alkaline earth salt-magnesium phosphate tribasic is used. However, and as is appreciated by those skilled in the art, other alkali buffers may be used.
A further pathway to increase levels of cysteamine, and thereby inhibit somatostatin, involves pantothenic acid. Pantothenic acid is a naturally occurring vitamin that is converted in mammals to coenzyme A, a substance vital to many physiological reactions. Cysteamine is a component of coenzyme A, and increasing coenzyme A levels results in increased levels of circulating cysteamine. Alkali metal salts, such as magnesium phosphate tribasic and magnesium sulphite (Epsom salts), enhance formation of coenzyme A. Furthermore, breakdown of coenzyme A to cysteamine is enhanced by the presence of a reducing agent, such as citric acid. Thus, the combination of pantothenic acid and alkali metal salts results in increased coenzyme A production and, concomitantly, cysteamine, thereby resulting in a decrease in somatostatin production. This occurs rapidly (e.g., less than 14 days) with continued administration. This, in conjunction with an increase in cholinergic tone, results in increased levels of growth hormone and cholecystokinin, with a resultant increase in lean body mass and a decrease in appetite. A representative formula containing such components and concentration ranges for the same is disclosed in Table 2C, which may be administered at a dosage of, for example, two capsules three times daily, or three capsules twice daily.
Administration of both parts of the kit of this invention to a warm-blooded animal achieves a number of beneficial results. First, the above kit is an orally administered formulation, which represents a significant improvement over existing, non-oral administration routs. As noted above, the kit of this invention serves to enhance growth hormone production, and enhance release of growth hormone by increasing cholinergic tone. In addition, by inhibiting somatostatin, both production and release of growth hormone are enhanced. Thus, an important aspect of this invention is the ability to both increase growth hormone production and release, and simultaneously antagonize an inhibitor of the same (i.e., somatostatin), and to achieve these results by an orally available route.
In the practice of this invention, it has also been found that administration of the disclosed composition results in appetite suppression. Although not intending to be limited by the following theory, it is believed that cysteamine and its various salts induces the release of cholecystokinin (CCK). This peptide is among the most powerful of all appetite suppressants (at least in humans). Therefore, it is believed that because cysteamine promotes the secretion of CCK, administration of cysteamine results in appetite suppression.
With regard to the administration of the kit, each part of the kit is, in one embodiment, administered simultaneously. For example, when both parts are in the form of a pill, capsule, tablet, liquid or the like, both parts may be taken successivelyxe2x80x94that is, at the same time or one after the other. Alternatively, administration of each part may be performed at different times. such as minutes or even hours apart. However, for convenience of administration, both parts are typically administered successively. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a timer module and to a method for testing output signals of a timer module.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is customary in safety-critical applications, for example, for control units in the automotive sector, for various output signals and values to be redundantly calculated or generated and subsequently compared. This allows erroneous signals and values to be detected, and, if indicated, to be rejected or also corrected. To this end, the data are calculated by bytes or words, and stored, before the comparison is performed.
The German Patent Application DE 10 2004 051 992 A1 describes activating a comparison by switching two processing units to a comparison mode. For such a comparison, clock cycle information can be supplied along with the data to permit a synchronous allocation of the data. If a synchronous comparison is to take place immediately, the one processing unit can be stopped by a stop signal until synchronization is reached, or the generated data are mutually synchronized by subsequent FIFO memory units. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to high-performance light emitting diodes, and more particularly to a method of using metal diffusion bonding technology as well as surface treatment process to improve light extraction efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
The MOCVD epitaxy technology has been applied in the production of high brightness Group III-V light emitting diodes (LEDs), which include aluminum indium gallium phosphide (AlInGaP, wavelength range: 560 nm˜650 nm) LEDs and indium gallium nitride (InGaN, wavelength range: 380 nm˜550 nm) LEDs. High brightness LEDs are employed extensively in the areas of indicating lamps, traffic lights, outdoors displays, special lighting, etc. The epitaxial growth of AlInGaP LED is usually grown on lattice-matched GaAs substrate in order to get good crystal quality. However, since the energy bandgap of GaAs substrate is less than the emission energy of LED, at least half of the emitted light will be absorbed by the light-absorbing GaAs substrate. Improved performance can be achieved by eliminating this light-absorbing GaAs substrate. There are several techniques for replacing this light-absorbing substrate by either a transparent substrate or an opaque substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,580 issued to Fred A. Kish, et al in 1993 disclosed a semiconductor light emitting diode structure and manufacturing process as shown in FIG. 1, wherein a wafer bonding was performed at a high temperature and a high pressure (temperature >900° C., pressure >400 kg/cm2) to bond the epitaxial LED layers 61 and the transparent GaP semiconductor substrate 60. The light-absorbing GaAs substrate can be removed either before or after the wafer bonding. To reduce the resistance at the wafer-bond interface, Fred A. Kish suggested that the bonding interface must have an InGaP layer as a bonding layer 62. Such bonding method is usually called fusion bonding. The fusion bonding process has the following drawbacks: (1) after the removal of the GaAs substrate, the remaining LED structure is very thin, e.g., ˜50 μm, and therefore fragile and difficult to handle, so that it is difficult to maintain the integrity of the bonded wafer or achieve a high yield rate; and (2) it is necessary to align precisely the lattice direction of LED structure and the permanent transparent substrate during the wafer bonding process, otherwise the operating voltage of the LED will be high.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,797,987 B2 issued to Tzer-Perng Chen in 2003 disclosed a semiconductor LED structure as shown in FIG. 2. Epitaxial structure 100 was grown on a temporary light-absorbing GaAs substrate by MOCVD. Thereafter, an ohmic contact metal 112 was formed on the p-type contact layer (GaAsP, AlGaAs or GaP). Then, a transparent conducting oxide layer 114 and a metal reflective layer 116 were deposited for reflecting the light generated in the active layer 106. The transparent conducting oxide layer 114 also served the function of conducting currents, so as to provide a vertical LED chip structure. Further, a permanent substrate 120 such as Si, AlN, SiC, copper, or aluminum was bonded to epitaxial structure 100 by using the bonding layer 124 such as Au—Sn, Au—Si, Pb—Sn, Au—Ge, or In alloy. The principle is same as soldering. During the heat up, when temperature reaches the eutectic point or melting point of the metal alloy chosen, the bonding layer 124 melted. When temperature cooled down, the liquid metal alloy solidified, and bonded epitaxial structure 100 to the permanent substrate 120. Since the bonding layer 124 is melted during the pressurized bonding process, the pressure applied for the bonding process must be less than 15 kg/cm2 to prevent the melted metal from being squeezed out during the bonding process. Such bonding method is called eutectic bonding. The eutectic points or melting points of some commonly used metal bonding layer are listed below:
Typical Eutectic Point or Melting PointIn156° C.Au—20Sn276° C.Au—3.2Si363° C.Pb—61.9Sn183° C.Au—12.5Ge381° C.
Usually, the eutectic bonding is categorized as a low-temperature (Typ. <400° C.) and/or low-pressure (<15 kg/cm2) wafer bonding. This method has the following drawbacks: (1) Since this kind of eutectic reactions is fast, it is not easy to control the thickness of the metal bonding layer after bonding; (2) It is likely to produce an intermetallic compound (IMC) which is a fragile material, and the IMC further deteriorates the bonding strength; and (3) The bonded wafer can not go through a temperature higher than the bonding temperature in the chip process steps following wafer bonding, otherwise, the metal bonding layer will be affected. Furthermore, the bonding strength is not strong enough to survive the long-term reliability test, which is essential for high brightness LED.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,900,473 B2 issued to Shunji Yoshitake et al in 2002 disclosed some manufacturing methods for roughening surface of LED epi-wafers as shown in FIG. 3. Most light generated in the active layer of LED will be trapped inside LED due to the difference of refractive indices between semiconductor LED material and air (or epoxy resin). The roughened LED surface is capable of reducing the total internal reflection between LED surface and air (or epoxy resin), and thus, enhancing the light extraction efficiency of LED. In the embodiments disclosed by Shunji Yoshitake, the roughened LED surface is manufactured either by reducing V/III ratio during the later part of the epitaxial MOCVD growth of upper cladding layer or by thermal etch after epi-growth. However, both methods cannot guarantee the uniformity of the surface roughness. Such limitation makes the implementation of the surface roughening process of AlInGaP light emitting devices difficult. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
EP0 240 732-A ("EP 732-A") discloses a process for welding butt-ended solid wall tubes of plastic. The entire end surfaces of the tubes to be welded are heated by a welding element applied between the tubes, thereby producing a undesirable welding rim on the inner circumference of the tubes. In order to keep the tubes to be joined and the welding element in alignment during welding, a special saddle part which can be placed on the outer circumference of the tubes is necessary. For compound tubes (also called double wall tubes) used recently for sewerage, for instance, the welded joint process disclosed in EP-732-A is not suitable. Tubes of this type comprise a thin-walled cylindrical inner tube and a corrugated outer tube firmly connected to the inner tube.
IT is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method by means of which a centred welded joint of tubular parts can be produced, without welding rims occurring on their inner circumference. Another object of this invention is to provide such an apparatus and method which should be suitable for the above mentioned compound tubes. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
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