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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication line connecting adapter which connects a public telephone line, an extension line (an internal lines), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) gateway and a modem/facsimile machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the progress of the Internet technology, telephone communication using the Internet (so-called IP phone) is becoming popular.
The telephone communication over the Internet uses a protocol, such as H.323 or Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).
The following describes some modes of the telephone communication over the Internet.
A local area exchanger connected to a public telephone line is connected to a VoIP gateway which is connected to a local area IP network (such as Local Area Network(LAN) and Wide Area Network(WAN)), and another VoIP gateway is connected to the local area IP network. Ordinary telephones are connected to each VoIP gateway. This connection can allow the extensions (internal lines) in a company to be constructed by an IP network and eliminates the need for constructing the extensions by a telephone network. However, to connect an extension to an outside line, a public telephone line should be used. This is a local area telephone communication over the Internet.
On the other hand, each VoIP gateway is connected to each router connected to the Internet (global IP network) and an ordinary telephone is connected to each VoIP gateway directly or via an extension line. This connection eliminates the need for a public telephone line to communicate with an outside line, therefore this connection leads to a reduction in a telephone charge. This is a WAN telephone communication over the Internet.
The “VoIP gateway” mainly converts an analog voice signal to digital voice data, divides the digitized voice data and triply encapsulates the divided digital data by using a Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) packet, an User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packet and an Internet Protocol (IP) packet in communication in one direction, and further extracts digitized voice data from an IP packet and converts the extracted voice data to an analog voice signal in communication in the other direction.
The following are the prior art documents relating to the present invention.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-1991-135148
Patent Document 2: JP-A-1993-14583
Patent Document 3: JP-A-1993-68118
Patent Document 4: JP-A-2000-354071
Patent Document 5: JP-A-2001-186193
Patent Document 6: JP-A-2001-298542
The invention disclosed in the Patent Document 1 can enable data communication of data terminals with each other without redialing by connecting multifunction telephone terminals and data terminals to each line circuit and pressing a predetermined button on one multifunction telephone terminal while the multifunction telephone terminal is communicating with another multifunction telephone terminal. This invention allows talking and data communication using the same line.
In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, immediately after a line is closed, a guidance voice message is sent and a selector circuit is switched to the modem side, transmission of a called terminal identification signal CED and digital identification signal DIS and detection of a digital command signal DCS are repeated, and facsimile reception is started if the digital command signal DCS is detected during the repetitive operation and the selector circuit is switched to the telephone side to start talking if off-hook is detected during the repetitive operation. As this invention causes a communicating party to wait for the process to be switched while a guidance voice message is sent and, the operability for the communicating party is not high. Even while process switching is being monitored, talking can begin soon in case that a communication station side (an other end of the line) is a telephone, but facsimile communication cannot be started or continued unless the telephone is on-hooked again, if telephone is once off-hooked, in case that the communication station side (the other end of the line) is a facsimile.
In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 3, a calling tone CNG from a communication station side (an other end of the line) or an off-hooking on own station side is waited while ringing a quasi ringback tone until a predetermined time elapses after closing of a line.
If the calling tone CNG is firstly detected in the predetermined time, a sequence associated with a predetermined called terminal identification signal CED, digital identification signal DIS and digital command signal DCS for facsimile reception is started and if off-hooking is firstly detected in the predetermined time, talking starts. On the other hand, if neither the calling tone CNG nor off-hooking is detected in the predetermined time, the sequence associated with the predetermined called terminal identification signal CED, digital identification signal DIS and digital command signal DCS for facsimile reception is started.
In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 4, WAN telephone communication over the Internet is generally performed and the WAN telephone communication is switched to the mode using a public telephone line when the quality of the WAN telephone communication is degraded.
The invention disclosed in Patent Document 5 relates to a VoIP gateway that is used in the aforementioned WAN telephone communication over the Internet.
The invention disclosed in Patent Document 6 can ensure that a received call from an outside line is transferred to an existing extension telephone network and network simultaneously used and can permit a response to a telephone call from an outside line received even when a failure occurs.
In a local area telephone communication over the Internet, a public telephone network is connected to a VoIP gateway. However, a facsimile machine and a modem may further be connected to the public telephone network. There was no prior art technique which would cope with how to control the connection in case where a VoIP gateway, a facsimile machine and a modem are connected to a public telephone network.
At present, ordinary telephones and IP phones coexist. Because one of an ordinary telephone and IP phone is used in the local area and one of the ordinary telephone and IP phone is used on the talking party side, there are four kinds of connections possible. However, there was no prior art technique which would cope with all of the four kinds of connections.
In case that a user owns an IP phone, it is likely that there is a growing demand of receiving not only a call for the IP phone but also a call for an ordinary telephone by using the IP phone. | {
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Oil and natural gas wells often utilize wellbore components or tools that, due to their function, are only required to have limited service lives that are considerably less than the service life of the well. After a component or tool service function is complete, it must be removed or disposed of in order to recover the original size of the fluid pathway for use, including hydrocarbon production, CO2 sequestration, etc. Disposal of components or tools has conventionally been done by milling or drilling the component or tool out of the wellbore, which are generally time consuming and expensive operations.
In order to eliminate the need for milling or drilling operations, the removal of components or tools by dissolution of degradable polylactic polymers using various wellbore fluids has been proposed. However, these polymers generally do not have the mechanical strength, fracture toughness and other mechanical properties necessary to perform the functions of wellbore components or tools over the operating temperature range of the wellbore, therefore, their application has been limited.
Other degradable materials have been proposed including certain degradable metal alloys formed from certain reactive metals in a major portion, such as aluminum, together with other alloy constituents in a minor portion, such as gallium, indium, bismuth, tin and mixtures and combinations thereof, and without excluding certain secondary alloying elements, such as zinc, copper, silver, cadmium, lead, and mixtures and combinations thereof. These materials may be formed by melting powders of the constituents and then solidifying the melt to form the alloy. They may also be formed using powder metallurgy by pressing, compacting, sintering and the like a powder mixture of a reactive metal and other alloy constituent in the amounts mentioned. These materials include many combinations that utilize metals, such as lead, cadmium, and the like that may not be suitable for release into the environment in conjunction with the degradation of the material. Also, their formation may involve various melting phenomena that result in alloy structures that are dictated by the phase equilibria and solidification characteristics of the respective alloy constituents, and that may not result in optimal or desirable alloy microstructures, mechanical properties or dissolution characteristics.
Therefore, the development of materials that can be used to form wellbore components and tools having the mechanical properties necessary to perform their intended function and then removed from the wellbore by controlled dissolution using wellbore fluids is very desirable. | {
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Semiconductor devices are commonly found in modern electronic products. Semiconductor devices vary in the number and density of electrical components. Discrete semiconductor devices generally contain one type of electrical component, e.g., light emitting diode (LED), transistor, resistor, capacitor, inductor, and power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). Integrated semiconductor devices typically contain hundreds to millions of electrical components. Examples of integrated semiconductor devices include microcontrollers, microprocessors, charged-coupled devices (CCDs), solar cells, and digital micro-mirror devices (DMDs).
Semiconductor devices perform a wide range of functions such as high-speed calculations, transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals, controlling electronic devices, transforming sunlight to electricity, and creating visual projections for television displays. Semiconductor devices are found in the fields of entertainment, communications, power generation, networks, computers, and consumer products. Semiconductor devices are also found in electronic products including military, aviation, automotive, industrial controllers, and office equipment.
Semiconductor devices exploit the electrical properties of semiconductor materials. The atomic structure of semiconductor material allows its electrical conductivity to be manipulated by the application of an electric field or through the process of doping. Doping introduces impurities into the semiconductor material to manipulate and control the conductivity of the semiconductor device.
A semiconductor device contains active and passive electrical structures. Active structures, including transistors, control the flow of electrical current. By varying levels of doping and application of an electric field, the transistor either promotes or restricts the flow of electrical current. Passive structures, including resistors, diodes, and inductors, create a relationship between voltage and current necessary to perform a variety of electrical functions. The passive and active structures are electrically connected to form logic circuits, which enable the semiconductor device to perform high-speed calculations and other useful functions.
Semiconductor devices are generally manufactured using two complex manufacturing processes, i.e., front-end manufacturing, and back-end manufacturing, each involving potentially hundreds of steps. Front-end manufacturing involves the formation of a plurality of die on the surface of a semiconductor wafer. Each die is typically identical and contains circuits formed by electrically connecting active and passive components. Back-end manufacturing involves singulating individual die from the finished wafer and packaging the die to provide structural support and environmental isolation.
One goal of semiconductor manufacturing is to produce smaller semiconductor devices. Smaller devices typically consume less power, have higher performance, and can be produced more efficiently. In addition, smaller semiconductor devices have a smaller footprint, which is desirable for smaller end products. A smaller die size may be achieved by improvements in the front-end process resulting in die with smaller, higher density active and passive components. Back-end processes may result in semiconductor device packages with a smaller footprint by improvements in electrical interconnection and packaging materials.
In the back-end process, it is known to place a semiconductor die within an embedded die package. In order to make electrical contact to the internal semiconductor die, vias or z-axis interconnect structure are formed through the embedded die package to the die by etching or laser drilling. The vias are then filled with conductive material or plated to make electrical contact with the die. The formation of conductive vias through the embedded die package adds processing steps and manufacturing costs. The via formation can also cause damage to an otherwise good functional die, which reduces manufacturing yield. | {
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Low flying unmanned vehicles have become more common and have more and more uses. As low flying vehicles become more common, the likelihood of collisions with trees, commercial airliners, buildings, and other unmanned vehicles becomes more likely. Trying to avoid collisions becomes more difficult as vehicles do not communicate with each other or FAA air traffic controllers and may take evasive action which made make collisions more probable rather than less likely. | {
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A magnetic sensor or a magnetic head using a spin-valve type magneto-resistive effect (hereinafter referred to as an “SV type GMR”) element or a tunnel type magneto-resistive effect (hereinafter referred to as a “TN type MR”) element is able to detect a change of an external magnetic field based upon a magnetic resistance change generated by a change of a relative angle between a free layer and a fixed layer whose magnetization is fixed by an antiferromagnetic layer when the magnetization of the free layer made of a soft magnetic material is rotated in response to the external magnetic field.
In this case, in order to detect the external magnetic field at a high efficiency, by a method such as film deposition, annealing in the magnetic field, a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy is given to the free layer in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which an external magnetic field is introduced. As a consequence, although the magnetization of the free layer tends to orient in the two directions extending along this magnetic anisotropy (the forward direction or the reverse direction relative to the magnetic field to which the anisotropy is given), which direction of the above two directions the magnetization of the free layer is oriented without application of the external magnetic field is not prescribed. As a result, the above-mentioned magnetic sensor and the above-mentioned magnetic head cannot detect the change of the external magnetic field with an excellent reproducibility.
On the other hand, at the end portion of the free layer in the direction perpendicular to the aforementioned magnetic anisotropy direction (hereinafter referred to as a “side end portion”), the magnetization becomes difficult to orient in the magnetic anisotropy direction due to an antimagnetic field so that a magnetic domain occurs, which causes a so-called Barkhausen noise which causes the rotation of the magnetization to become discontinuous when the magnetization is rotated in response to the external magnetic field.
Accordingly, when the bias magnetic field is applied to the free layer in one direction of the above-mentioned magnetic anisotropy direction in an opposing relation to the side end portion of the free layer, under the condition that other magnetic field is not applied to the free layer, the free layer is nucleated as a single magnetic domain by confining its magnetization direction in a constant direction. As a result, the occurrence of the magnetic domain in the above-mentioned free end of the free layer can be avoided, the Barkhausen noise can be avoided, and the resistance change of the magneto-resistive effect element can be reproduced by the detection magnetic field with an excellent reproducibility and at an excellent stability.
Although this bias magnetic field needs a magnetic field intensity high enough to nucleate the free layer as the signal magnetic domain, when the intensity of the bias magnetic field is too high, a rotation angle at which the magnetization of the free layer is rotated in response to the external magnetic field becomes too small so that the sensitivity of the magneto-resistive effect element is lowered unavoidably. Therefore, the material and film thickness of the hard magnetic layer are selected in such a manner that the sensitivity of the magneto-resistive effect element becomes appropriate.
When the magneto-resistive effect element has a so-called CPP (Current Perpendicular to Plane) configuration in which a sense current flows in the direction perpendicular to the film plane of a magneto-resistive effect element body, i.e., in the direction perpendicular to the film plane of the free layer 1 as shown in FIG. 12, a current magnetic field HI generated in the free layer by this sense current Is is generated so as to circulate along the film plane.
At that time, at the respective central portions of a front end 1F of the free layer 1 and a rear end 1R on the opposite side of the front end, which is the side into which a detection magnetic field is introduced, the current magnetic fields become parallel to the direction in which the bias magnetic field HB is applied and also become opposite to each other.
Accordingly, as mentioned before, when the bias magnetic field HB is applied to the free layer of the magneto-resistive effect element MR, the current magnetic field HI acts in the direction in which the bias magnetic field HB is increased in intensity and also acts in the direction in which the bias magnetic field is decreased in intensity at any one of the center of the front end of the free layer and the center of the rear end of the free layer.
Therefore, in order to nucleate the free layer as the single magnetic domain, a bias magnetic field having an intensity high enough to prevent the bias magnetic fields from being canceled out should be applied to the portion in which the current magnetic field HI acts in the direction in which the intensity of the bias magnetic field is decreased.
However, this bias magnetic field becomes too high in intensity at the portion in which the current magnetic field acts in the direction in which the intensity of the bias magnetic field is increased, so that a sensitivity at this portion is lowered, accordingly, the output of the magneto-resistive effect element is decreased. | {
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The present invention relates to a metallic gasket and, more particularly, to a metallic gasket for use at the junction between a cylinder head and a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine. The present invention is directed to providing a metallic gasket which prevents leakage of combustion gas, cooling water and lubricating oil or the like.
There are a variety of shapes for such metallic gaskets used at the junction between a cylinder head and a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine.
The principle structure is arranged in such a manner that a bead is provided for a base plate made of an elastic metallic plate. The bead is elastically deformed by tightening a bolt, and the elastic restoring force caused by elastically deformed bead provides the sealing effect required at the junction.
A metallic gasket such as that described above can be laminated gasket comprising a plurality of gasket sheets. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Publication No. 62-261761 submitted by the applicant of the present invention, a gasket can have a structure comprising a laminated body formed by disposing two subplates on two sides of a core provided with a bead, together with a stopper provided in the flat portion adjacent to a projection closer to the combustion chamber than the position at which the bead is provided.
However, the above-described type of gasket can break due to the difference in the coefficients of thermal expansion of the stopper which is formed by a thermal spray and the base plate on which the stopper is formed. This is because the stopper is installed at the edge of the combustion chamber, and the base plate and the subplate repeatedly move relative to one another. | {
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I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to apparatus for position measurement. In particular, this invention relates to interface circuits used with electromagnetic position transducers.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Position transducers which are of interest herein include resolvers and slider and scale systems producing AC output signals in response to AC excitation signals wherein a phase shift between the excitation signals and the output signals is introduced by the relative position of a transducer armature and stator. The position of the armature relative to the stator is measured by detecting this phase difference. Two alternative methods are known for detecting the phase difference: a phase discrimination technique wherein the excitation signals are applied to pairs of windings arranged in quadrature, and the position induced phase shift is detected by phase comparison of the output signal with a reference from which the excitation signals are derived; and, an amplitude technique wherein the output signals are produced by the quadrature windings and the position induced phase shift is detected from the ratio of the instantaneous magnitudes of the output signals.
FIG. 1a illustrates an arrangement used with the amplitude technique employing a resolver to measure position of a moveable member of, for example, machine tools, robots or other position controlled equipment. The resolver 10 includes a rotor 12 having an armature coil 14, and a stator having stator coils 16 and 18. The rotor 12 is rotated relative to the stator by, for example, a motor 28. The transducer 10 is located remotely from a control device 20 wherein a drive amplifier 22 produces an AC excitation signal applied to the armature coil 14. Output signals appearing at the stator coils 16 and 18 are returned to differential amplifiers 24 and 26 located in control 20. As shown, the return side of the drive amplifier output is grounded and the receiving amplifiers 24 and 26 present unmatched impedances to the signal and return paths because of the input resistor networks. Conducting cables 30, 32, and 34, typically twisted pairs, provide connection of excitation and output signals between the interface circuits of control 20 and the resolver 10.
FIG. 1b illustrates an arrangement used with the phase discrimination technique employing a resolver to measure position of a moveable member. In this arrangement excitation signals are produced by drive amplifiers 23 and 25 and applied to the resolver stator coils 17 and 19. An output signal appears at resolver armature coil 13 and is returned to differential amplifier 21 in control 19. The excitation signals are derived from a single reference signal and are phased displaced one from the other by .pi./2 radians.
FIG. 2 illustrates capacitive coupling between an excitation signal cable and an output signal cable which will exist as a result of proximity of the conducting cables 30, 32 and 34 of FIGS. 1a and 1b. In FIG. 2 capacitors C1, C2, C3, and C4 represent lumped values of the coupling capacitances distributed over the lengths of the conducting cables; source SD represents the source of excitation signals; and, load LD represents the load impedance presented to an output signal. Inductive coupling of the rotor and stator windings is intentionally omitted to simplify the analysis of the capacitive coupling in the conducting cables. It will be appreciated from FIG. 2 that by virtue of the grounded return paths only capacitance C1 contributes an error component to the output signal appearing across the load.
The voltage error component in the output signals arising from capacitive coupling as shown in FIG. 2 has a magnitude equal to the excitation signal magnitude and is phase displaced .pi./2 radians therefrom. The current due to this error component is added algebraically to the output signal current magnitude, resulting in a position error repeated over the range of position measured by the resolver. Such errors are referred to as "cyclic errors." It is common practice to provide individual shields for each conducting cable, such as shields 31, 33, and 35 to reduce or eliminate capacitive coupling between the excitation and output signal cables. The cost of such shielding significantly increases the material and labor costs associated with the installation of such cables. | {
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The invention relates generally to cursor control units for use with a computer system and, more particularly, to a reversible ergonomic pointer device. As used herein, an ergonomic pointer device is one which supports an operator""s hand in a biomechanically neutral position during use.
Many modern computer systems are configured to use a pointer device to control a screen cursor and/or provide operator input. One illustrative pointer device is the xe2x80x9cmouse.xe2x80x9d As a mouse is moved, a ball is rotated which causes two perpendicular slotted disks to alternately open and close a photosensor assembly. The number of open and close operations is used to generate an unambiguous indication of the mouse""s motion in the X and Y directions. In addition, the number of open and close operations per second indicates the speed of the mouse""s motion. Another illustrative pointer device is the trackball which is, for practical purposes, an upside down mouse. Yet another illustrative pointer device is the eraser-head unit. Eraser-head units are distinguished by their use of a force sensitive resistor to detect direction and speed of motion.
Pointer devices such as those described above generally provide one or more buttons which, when activated, allow operator input. It is common for a pointer device for use in a WINDOWS(copyright) based computer system to have two or three buttons. Pointer devices designed for use in a MACINTOSH(copyright) based computer system typically have one or two buttons.
Many of the original pointer devices were designed for use by either a left-handed or a right-handed operator. More recently, pointer devices have been developed for use by either a left-handed or a right-handed operator. Pointer devices of the latter type are often referred to as xe2x80x9cergonomicxe2x80x9d pointers. There are currently a variety of commercially available ergonomic mice and trackball devices.
Because of their physical construction, ergonomic units designed for a left-handed operator are not easily used by a right-handed operator and visa versa. If a computer system is shared by multiple users, some of which are left-handed and some of which are right-handed, two different ergonomic pointer devices may be needed. This, in turn, may require disconnecting and connecting the different devices as each operator uses the computer system.
Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a single ergonomic pointer device that may be adapted to either a left-handed or a right-handed operator.
In one embodiment the invention provides a pointer device having an ergonomically contoured shell with a first set of one or more button tabs at a first end and a second set of one or more button tabs at a second end, and a first set of locking elements. The pointer device also includes a base having a second set of locking elements adapted to mate with the first set of locking elements, the first and second sets of locking elements adapted to allow the shell to be removably coupled to the base, and one or more switches adapted to be activated by the first set of one or more button tabs when the shell is coupled to the base in a left-handed configuration and the second set of one or more button tabs when the shell is coupled to the base in a right-handed configuration. In another embodiment of the invention, a computer system includes a pointer device in accordance with the invention coupled to a computer system, wherein the computer system may include a processing module (including a central processing unit and memory) and, perhaps, a display unit. | {
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The present invention relates to a resonator device including a transmission line resonator and a coupling element for controlling the frequency response of the resonator device. The present invention has application in radio frequency filters.
In radio transceivers duplex filters based on transmission line resonators are generally used to prevent access of a signal to be transmitted to the receiver and that of the received signal to the transmitter. Each multi-channel radio phone network has a transmission and reception frequency band specified for it. The difference of the reception frequency and the transmission frequency during connection, the duplex interval, is also consistent with the network specification. Hence, for each network such a duplex filter should be designed which is just appropriate for it. It is not, however, economical to design a variety of different duplex filters for different radio phone networks, but the stop bands and pass bands of the filter are made, as far as possible, adjustable to some extent, whereby such filters are also suitable for use with greater or smaller bandwidths than those serving as basis for the original design. Mostly, there is no great need to adjust the stop bands or passbands, and any desired new bandwidth is thus achieved simply by increasing or decreasing the coupling between the resonator circuits in the filter. The number of resonators may then be left unchanged.
A helical coil resonator is a transmission line resonator which is widely used in high frequency range filters. A quarter-wave resonator comprises inductive elements, which are a wire wound to form a cylindrical coil, one end thereof being short-circuited, and a conductive shell encircling the coil. The conductive shell is connected to the low impedance, short-circuited end of the coil. The capacitive element of the resonator is formed between the open end of the coil and the conductive shell around the coil. A coupling to the resonator can be made either capacitively at the upper end of the resonator coil in which the electric field is strong, or inductively at the lower end of the coil in which the magnetic field is strong, or a coupling aperture may be used. The last mentioned system is used between two resonators. An inductive coupling is provided when a wire to be connected is terminated with a coupling link placed in a strong magnetic field in a resonator. The coupling is more effective the larger the coupling link and the stronger the magnetic field of the resonator acting in the coupling link.
A coupling to a resonator may also be made by connecting a wire to be coupled directly to a resonator coil, most often to the first turn thereof. This method is called tapping. The tapping point determines the input impedance detected by the wire to be coupled in the direction of the resonator, and it can be defined either by testing or by calculation. A drawback in a coupling made by tapping is that, because of the fixed direct contest the input impedance and thus, the strength of the coupling, cannot be controlled at all.
An adjustable inductive coupling can, as is well known in the art, be implemented using a so-called wire link, referentially depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B. FIG. 1A shows a resonator in top view, and FIG. 1B is a side view. Reference numeral 1 in the figures refers to a helical coil provided with a straight leg part 2 inserted in a hole made in a circuit board 3 and soldered to the metallized cover of the board surface, and becoming grounded thereby. The metallization is shown with one solid line. Only a few lowermost turns of the coil are shown. The wire link 4, shown in top view in FIG. 1A, is a bent piece of wire, the ends 5, 6 thereof being bent towards the circuit board 3, and at both ends it is inserted into the holes borred in the circuit board 3, FIG. 1B. In wave soldering, one end 5 is soldered to the metallized surface of the opposite side of the circuit board viewed from the resonator 1 and is grounded thereby. The other end is soldered to the wire strip 8 on the surface of the circuit board 3 facing the resonator, by which the radio frequency signal is conducted to the wire link 4. The self-inductance of the wire link 4 forms an inductive element by which a resonance is made via the electromagnetic field to the resonator 1. The self-inductance is determined by the thickness and length of the wire. The wire link 4 is located in the immediate vicinity of a first turn of the resonator coil 1 located on the same circuit board 3, FIG. 1A, and in The direction therewith, FIG. 1B. The nodes 7 and 9 on the ends of the wire link 4 keep it in the right position during the wave soldering, thus preventing the wire from sliding too far through the circuit board 3. The mutual inductance between the wire link 4 and the resonator 1, and hence The coupling, is adjusted by pressing the link towards the circuit board, or off therefrom, in the direction of arrow A, FIG. 1B.
This prior art approach is encumbered with certain drawbacks. Depending on the position and size of the resonator coil, a number of wire link designs of different thicknesses and shapes are needed in order to implement a desired coupling and adjustment. Adjusting the position of a wire link attached to a circuit board in the tuning phase of a filter is difficult because, firstly, the wire may be thick and therefore rigid, and secondly, when bending a wire, the foil of the circuit board may easily break. If no holes are used and the wire link is soldered to the wire pads on the surface of the circuit board 3, the wire pad foil can be torn off from the surface. In most instances, it is not desirable to have any projecting parts on the outer surface of The filter, or as in the present instance, on the outer surface of the circuit board. | {
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As an emerging energy, nuclear power plant is featured with environmental-friendliness and high efficiency and attracts a lot of attention due to radiation brought by its power supplies. Door, as a channel connecting the nuclear power plant with outside, plays roles of room divider, seal, zoning, personnel access and so on. There are many internal rooms in the nuclear power plant with different functions and characteristics. The special door of the nuclear power plant is the final barrier for blocking internal rays, airflow and other pollutants in the nuclear power plant from connecting the outside. The construction quality of the powered door directly affects the quality of the last line of defense, and is more related to safety running of the nuclear power plant.
Since American ‘9.11’ event, and aimed at the powered doors of nuclear power plants, it is requested that each door should have solid steel plates with a thickness of at least 152 mm, the side length of the door panel should be more than 4m, the net weight should be more than 30T, and moreover, the door should meet the special requirements of fire resistance, explosion resistance, bullet resistance, shock resistance and so on. This is the first powered door adopting such high requirements and large size in the world, thus, both the manufacturing difficulty and test difficulty are great. | {
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With the desire to stay active year round, there is a need for breathable insulating garments for use during physical activity in the cold weather months. Conventional cold weather garments may not allow for moisture from perspiration to escape from the inside of the garment. The trapping of moisture from perspiration may be particularly problematic for garments constructed from inherently water resistant fabrics. Often, garments with fill material such as down or fibers are constructed of textiles that are resistant to the fill material penetrating the textile, either partially or entirely. Such fill proof textiles may be created using treatments such as a durable water repellant (DWR) or by weaving or knitting a textile of sufficient weight to retain the fill material. These approaches often render the textile water resistant, however. Therefore, these garments may trap moisture inside of the garments, which may then lead to discomfort for the wearer, and eventually may become counterproductive as cold weather insulating garments. | {
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A conventional type of installation for the continuous casting of metals includes a generally vertical, cooled, open-ended mold in which a metal strand is continuously formed. The mold is followed by a secondary cooling zone which is at least partially curved so as to turn the strand towards the horizontal. A straightener is arranged behind the secondary cooling zone and straightens the strand which subsequently follows a horizontal roller table to a cutting unit where it is cut into sections. The cut sections travel along another roller table, known as a runout table, to a cooling bed or to a mill.
One type of dummy bar for starting the withdrawal of the strand from the mold extends from the latter to the straightener when positioned in readiness for casting. The straightener draws the dummy bar away from the mold and thus also serves as a withdrawal device. Once the strand has reached the straightener, the dummy bar and the strand are disconnected and the dummy bar is stored.
An early dummy bar is made up essentially entirely of pivotally connected links which are short as compared to the distance between the mold and the straightener. Dummy bars of this type are flexible and can be stored flat yet have the ability to bend to the curvature of the secondary cooling zone. This early link design has several disadvantages.
To begin with, dummy bars of this design require a great deal of maintenance to insure that the links remain freely pivotable relative to one another. Furthermore, due to their flexibility, these link-type dummy bars must be supported along the entire span between the mold and the straightener when positioned in readiness for casting. This requires a large support structure which adds to the cost of the casting machine. In addition, dummy bars of this type cause non-uniform withdrawal of the strand from the mold since they tend to flex downwardly into the spaces between adjacent rollers of the roller tables following the straightener. Moreover, since the link-type dummy bars are normally stored in a flat condition, a long storage area is required thereby increasing the cost of the casting machine and the space requirements for the latter. This is particularly true for billet casting machines where the dummy bars are stored alongside the runout tables so that these tables must have lengths at least equal to those of the dummy bars.
In order to provide for a more uniform withdrawal of the strand from the mold, it has been proposed to construct the link-type dummy bars with limited flexibility. Here, the dummy bars are free to bend in one direction but can bend back only until they are flat. This prevents the dummy bars from flexing downwardly into the spaces between adjacent rollers of the roller tables and consequently promotes a more uniform withdrawal of the strand from the mold.
Another proposal eliminates the problem of non-uniform withdrawal as well as that of a long storage space. According to this proposal, the dummy bar is raised after leaving the straightener and is passed over a group of rollers located at the level of the casting platform. The rollers define an arc of radius smaller than the casting radius and a central portion of the dummy bar rests on the rollers while the remainder of the dummy bar is suspended on either side thereof. The dummy bar thus has an inverted U-shaped configuration while in storage. The dummy bar is here composed of curved links having radii equal to the casting radius so that the dummy bar conforms closely to the curvature of the casting machine when in the casting position.
The latter proposal does result in reduced storage space requirements for the dummy bar and also eliminates the problem of non-uniform withdrawal since the dummy bar does not travel onto the roller tables. However, the maintenance problems associated with the link-type dummy bars remain as does the need for a support structure along the entire span between the mold and the straightener.
A further proposal has been presented for curved-mold casting machines designed to cast strands such as billets of relatively small cross-sectional area. Here, a rigid, curved dummy bar is used which has a radius equal to the casting radius. The length of the dummy bar is somewhat greater than the distance between the mold and the straightener so that one end of the dummy bar can close the lower end of the mold while the other end is engaged by the straightener. This design eliminates the maintenance problems associated with the link-type dummy bars and has the further advantage that reduced support structure is required between the mold and the straightener.
The rigid dummy bar is stored behind the straightener in a storage unit which defines a curved path having a radius equal to the casting radius and hence to that of the dummy bar. This path forms a continuation of the casting path and the dummy bar enters the storage unit immediately after leaving the straightener. In its stored position, the dummy bar curves towards a location above the straightener.
Due to the relatively great length of the dummy bar, the latter projects upwardly to a level above that of the casting platform when in storage. This not only causes interference with the movement of the overhead cranes used in mills but also reduces the working space available on the casting platform. In addition, since the dummy bar curves towards a location above the straightener, access to the latter from the casting platform is made difficult. Aside from these disadvantages, the use of a rigid dummy bar leads to problems in the event of distortion of the dummy bar since it may no longer be possible to readily guide the dummy bar into the mold.
The latter disadvantage has been overcome by a dummy bar having limited flexibility. This dummy bar resembles the rigid dummy bar but, as opposed to the rigid dummy bar, is composed of several long links which are connected so as to permit limited, relative pivotal movement thereof. This makes it possible to compensate for minor distortion.
A proposal similar to the rigid dummy bar has been made for straight-mold casting machines in which the secondary cooling zone is not curved in its entirety but is made up of a straight section immediately following the mold and a curved section between the straight section and the straightener. In this case, the dummy bar is composed of a link-type flexible portion and a rigid portion. The flexible portion is designed to close the lower end of the mold prior to the start of a casting operation. It is flexible out of necessity since it must be able to conform to the curvature of the curved section of the secondary cooling zone and also be capable of assuming a linear configuration when in the straight section of this zone. The rigid portion of the dummy bar is curved and has a radius equal to the casting radius. This portion of the dummy bar is located in the curved section of the secondary cooling zone at the beginning of a casting operation and is engaged by the straightener.
The storage scheme set forth for the part-rigid, part-flexible dummy bar is the same as that for the rigid dummy bar and leads to the same disadvantages. The part-rigid, part-flexible dummy bar further eliminates one of the advantages of the rigid dummy bar, namely, a reduction in the support structure required between the mold and the straightener. Thus, support for the flexible portion of the part-rigid, part-flexible dummy bar must be provided along the entire span between the mold and the straightener. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to electric power tools. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electric power tool, such as an electric screwdriver or driver-drill, employing an epicycle reduction gear unit to provide three-speed transmission for the spindle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known type of electric screwdriver includes a housing, a motor, and an epicycle reduction gear unit with a plurality of axially arranged stages each including an internal gear, a plurality of planetary gears revolving on the internal gear, and a carrier supporting the planetary gears. Attached to the front end of the housing in this known tool is a spindle to which the rotation of the motor is transmittable via the reduction gear unit, which also reduces the speed of the rotation during the transmission.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,289, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses such an electric screwdriver that employs a speed change mechanism to allow the operator to select from three rotational speeds for the spindle. More particularly, two internal gears within the epicycle reduction gear unit are disposed so as to be axially slidable between two positions. Further, a selector is operated from the outside of the housing to switch the positions of the internal gears. This causes integral or independent rotation of the planetary gears and the carriers depending on the positions of the internal gears so as to provide three spindle speeds.
While the foregoing arrangement achieves its intended objective, it is not free from certain problems and inconveniences. For example, the speed change mechanism must move the two internal gears to perform its function. Additionally, to effect such movement, a wire clip mounted on each of the two internal gears is fitted in a cam groove in a selector cam. This selector cam is provided outside a sleeve that houses the reduction gear unit. The selector cam in turn is moved in axial directions with a switch member mounted outside the cam. Accordingly, this arrangement significantly increases the number of components required and thus complicates the structure and the assembly of the power tool. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filter system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a filter system that can be controlled digitally, i.e., without controlling a resistor or a capacitor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Analog low pass filters (LPFs) and high pass filters (HPFs) may be formed using a capacitor. Thus, a capacitance value and a resistance value may be changed i, so in order to regulate a cut off frequency (fc) of such filters. Accordingly, the analog LPFs and HPFs have disadvantages in terms of varying the fc and integration.
Further, an offset may be generated due to a level integral by the capacitor. Additionally, a large driving capability may be required in order to operate the LPFs or HPFs. Accordingly, the analog LPFs and HPFs may consume a large amount of current. Moreover, it may be difficult to control a passive device, e.g., a resistor or a capacitor forming a filter, to respond to a rapidly changing input signal.
Filters using a variable resistor, a plurality of switched capacitors and/or an externally regulated capacitor have been used to improve the range of fcs available. However, all of the other attendant disadvantages noted above regarding analog filters are still present in these arrangements.
To improve integration of the filter, a capacitor may be regulated through a single pad. To aid in compensating for offset, an output signal may be converted into a digital signal, DC components removed, and then converted back into an analog signal.
However, these filters still may have the following problems.
First, an operational-amplifier offset, generated during a subtraction using a passive device, may occur in an output.
Second, chip integration is too loaded with resistors and capacitors, which are passive devices. Also, the more fcs required, complexity of an array of a switch for selecting a passive device, e.g., a resistor or and a capacitor, increases.
Third, it is difficult to apply various fcs. That is, only limited fcs can be used due to the use of passive devices.
Fourth, an appropriate response to a rapid change in an input signal may not be possible. That is, a capacitor may react even to an abnormal input signal. Accordingly, an error may occur, and an adaptive response to a rapid change in an input signal may not be executed.
Fifth, an external pad, i.e., a pin, has to be used. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device and in particular to a semiconductor memory device having a normal and redundant memory cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the storage capacity of semiconductor devices is enlarged, various measures have been proposed for remedying a memory having a deficient memory cell in order to improve the production yield of the devices. One proposal is to provide redundant memory cells in the devices beforehand to substitute for a possible deficient memory cell.
Ways of arranging redundant memory cells can be classified into two categories: one is to align one or more arrays of redundant memory cells parallel to the normal memory row (the normal memory refers to a memory in the usual sense), while the other is to align the arrays parallel to the normal memory column. In the former, the rows of the redundant memory cells are substituted for the same numbers of normal memory rows together with word lines in case the normal memory rows include a deficient memory cell, while in the latter, the redundant memory array columns are substituted for the same number of normal memory columns together with the column-selecting transistors and the sense amplifiers coupled to the columns.
Hereafter, the memory area to be substituted or by the redundant memory when it includes any deficiency will be referred to as the substitution area. Although not all the memory cells included in the substitution area are deficient, good memory cells contained in the substitution area are also substituted for by the redundant memory so far as the substitution area has at least one deficient memory cell. The good memory cells described above will be referred to as unused memory cells. Thus, in order to efficiently use the normal memory, it is necessary to minimize the number of unused memory cells. This can be attained by making the substitution area as small as possible, i.e., by dividing the entire normal memory into substitution areas of the smallest possible area. However, a large number /f substitution areas requires, if, for example, they are columnarly divided areas, a large number of sense amplifiers, which occupies a large area of the sense amplifiers on the semiconductor chip.
In order to solve this problem, a semiconductor memory device is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,798. In this device, arrays of redundant memory cells are directed parallel to the normal memory column. The normal memory is divided into a plurality of columnar memory cell blocks, and each of the blocks is further divided into a plurality of subblocks, each of which is intended for the substitution area defined above. The redundant memory, however, is made of one block which has the same dimension as that of the subblock. The location of a column in a normal memory block is designated by a duplex address made up of a subblock address and an intrasubblock address (the internal address of the subblock), while the location of a column in the redundancy memory is designated by an intrablock address. The intrasubblock address of the normal memory column and the intrablock address of the redundant memory column are both decoded by a single decoder, the first Y-decoder. The subblock address is decoded by an additional decoder, the second Y-decoder. A sense amplifier is provided for every block. Accordingly, a datum read from the redundant memory is supplied directly to the sense amplifier belonging to the redundant memory block.
Addressing a column in a normal memory block is effected by the first and second decoder in accordance with an externally supplied duplex address. A datum read from the addressed column is fed to the relevant sense amplifier (the sense amplifier belonging to the block which includes the addressed column). If the relevant subblock (the subblock which includes the addressed column) does not include any deficient memory cell, then the second Y-decoder controls the switching on of the signal path between the relevant sense amplifier and the I/O terminal. If the addressed subblock includes any deficient memory cell, then the second Y-decoder controls the switching off of the signal path between the I/O terminal and the relevant sense amplifier and the switching on of the signal path between the I/O terminal and the sense amplifier belonging to the redundant memory block, whereby the datum is read from the redundant memory in lieu of the relevant subblock. In this way, since the substitution is carried out through the subblock unit, both fewer sense amplifiers and fewer unused memory cells result.
Many recent semiconductor memory devices are internally provided with circuits necessary for a test mode operation. Some of these devices are of the type in which specified internal data are provided to external circuits. Typical of the internal data is a product-identification code designating the maker and the model of, for example, an EPROM (an erasable programmable read-only memory). This code is accessed, by applying a high voltage to a given pin (for example, pin #A9), by first applying the lowest address (#AO) with the low level and then the high level. Corresponding to the low and high levels of the lowest address (#AO), the maker code and the model code respectively, are accessed. With these codes the programmer can prescribe the conditions to write to the EPROM.
This function of disclosing the maker code and the model code is a function conferred on almost all devices provided with EPROMs. In order to allow this function to be provided to such a device, typically, arrays of a mask ROM which stores the codes are formed next to the normal memory array, the drains of the mask ROM arrays and the normal memory being interconnected so that the mask ROM and the normal memory have common bit lines. The word lines of both memories are controlled so that, when pin #A9 is at the high voltage, all word lines of the mask ROM are activated and all word lines of the normal memory are inactivated, whereby the maker code and the model code are delivered through the bit lines to the exterior.
In the semiconductor memory device provided with redundant memory columns described above, however, when the normal memory columns are substituted with the redundant memory columns, the bit lines coupled to the substituted columns of the normal memory are also substituted, as described above. As a result, the part of the mask ROM coupled to the bit lines in common with the substituted columns of the normal memory becomes unable to be accessed.
This problem arises from the positional relation between the mask ROM and the normal.redundant selector circuit in the flow of data in the device, where the normal-redundant selector circuit is a circuit which switches over the connection between the relevant sense amplifier and the output data line to the connection between the sense amplifier belonging to the redundant memory and the output data line. If the mask ROM is arranged further upstream than the normal.redundant selector circuit, which is the case in the prior art device described above, the data path from the mask ROM to the output data line is switched over by the normal.redundant selector circuit, preventing data read from the mask ROM from being output.
In order to avoid this situation, it is necessary to arrange the mask ROM further downstream than the normal.redundant selector circuit. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a semiconductor memory device of the prior art provided with a redundant memory, in which the logic circuit for generating test codes (designated by reference number 12 as an intermediate buffer in the figure) is arranged further downstreams than normal-redundant selector circuit 9. This circuitry is adopted in the semiconductor memory devices with large storage capacities manufactured by NEC Corp. The arrays of normal memory 1 and redundant memory 2 are coupled to the common word lines, and each word line is designated by a row address signal decoded by common row decoder 3.
Columns in normal memory 1 and redundant memory 2 are selected by column selector circuits 5 and 6, respectively, operated in response to a column address signal decoded by column decoder 4. Data read from the accessed columns are amplified by sense amplifier circuits 7 and 8, and are delivered to data lines Dn and Dr. (While only one data line is shown as data line Dn in FIG. 1, data lines of the same number as that of the sense amplifiers arranged in sense amplifier circuit 7, i.e., the number of the blocks in the normal memory, are actually provided for data line Dn. The data serially read from each of the blocks are amplified by the corresponding sense amplifier and delivered to the data line connected to the sense amplifier.) Redundant address memory 10 stores the addresses of deficient memory cells by means well known in the art. Transfer control circuit 11 compares a supplied address with the address stored in redundant address memory 10 and provides transfer control signal S. Transfer control signal S controls normal.redundant selector circuit (hereinafter, referred to as an NR selector circuit) 9 to transfer the outputs of all sense amplifiers provided in sense amplifier circuit 7 to common data line Data in the case that normal memory 1 does not include any deficient memory cell, and to transfer the outputs of sense amplifier circuit 7 except for the output of the relevant sense amplifier in sense amplifier circuit 7 together with the output of sense amplifier circuit 8 in the case that normal memory 1 includes at least one deficient memory cell. The operation modes of the semiconductor memory device in the former and latter cases will be referred to below as the normal access mode and the substitution mode, respectively. Thus, in the normal access mode, the data read from the normal memory are delivered to data line Data as is, while, in the substitution mode, the data read from the normal memory with the substitution area substituted with the redundant memory are delivered to data line Data.
Code generating intermediate buffer 12 is directed to generating the product identification code and also to playing a role as a buffer register to transmit data from data line Data to data line D. Code generating intermediate buffer 12 includes a logic circuit capable of transmitting data in the normal mode operation and of generating the maker code and the model code in the test mode operation in response to code selection signal T. In order to have;the logic of the data on data line D accord with that of the data on data line Data, code generating intermediate buffer 12 has logic circuits connected in two stages. Code generating intermediate buffer 12 will be referred to as intermediate buffer 12 below.
Code selection control circuit 13 generates code selection signal T in response to voltage signals externally supplied through pins #A9 and #A0.
Code selection signal T controls intermediate buffer 12 so that,
if pin #A9 is at 0 V, then intermediate buffer 12 operates in the normal mode, PA1 if pin #A9 is applied with a high voltage (typically 12 V) and pin #A0 is supplied with the low level, then intermediate buffer 12 delivers the maker code, and PA1 if pin #A9 is applied with the high voltage and pin #A0 is supplied with the high level, then intermediate buffer 12 delivers the model code.
The output signal of intermediate buffer 12 is transmitted through output buffer 14 and output terminal 16 to an external circuit.
A problem encountered in the semiconductor memory device descibed above is that, since at least two stage logic circuits are necessary for the intermediate buffer in order to have the logic of data on the output data line accord with that on the input data line of the intermediate buffer, the transmission time of the data is delayed by the time required to pass the two stage logic circuits, which results in a decrease in the read velocity for the semiconductor memory device. | {
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There are several instances when it is desirable to provide assistance to the heart in performing its function of pumping blood through the body. For example, when the heart has been arrested to perform a surgical procedure and then started again after the procedure, the heart conventionally needs assistance for some period of time until it has developed sufficient strength and overcome the trauma of being arrested. In other examples, a patient may experience some form of cardiac failure such that the heart requires more permanent assistance.
One type of assist device is known as a ventricular assist device (VAD) which helps pump blood through the body when, for example, a ventricle lacks sufficient strength to perform this function. More specifically, left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have. been used for some time to assist in the flow of oxygenated blood through the body.
An LVAD may be implemented through a procedure so as to couple, either directly, or indirectly, the device to the left atrium or left ventricle of the heart. Many of such procedures require open-heart surgery and are therefore, extremely invasive and are particularly burdensome on patients that are already experiencing extreme health problems. Other procedures may he performed, and devices implemented, in a less invasive manner, but they may still pose a considerable risk to a patient or may be impractical for longer term use.
As such, it would be advantageous for a less invasive and less life threatening methods for providing an LVAD system or apparatus to a patient experiencing circulatory challenges. Further, in many instances, it would be advantageous for such system, apparatus and method to be implanted for the long-term use and benefit of the patient. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an inductor circuit board, a method of forming an inductor, and a bias-T circuit, and more particularly to an inductor circuit board having an inductor wired on a circuit board for a high-frequency transmission application, such as 40 Gb/s, a method of forming an inductor on a circuit board for a high-frequency transmission application, and a bias-T circuit that supplies a high-frequency signal by superposing a DC component thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with the development of multi-media technology, there is an increasing demand for constructing optical communication networks that transmit high-speed, large-volume information at low costs over long distances. To meet the demand, there have been developed optical communication systems whose transmission rate is in the order of 10 Gb/s, and further, for even higher-speed, larger-volume communications, optical communication systems whose transmission rate is in the order of 40 Gb/s are under development.
In the meanwhile, an electronic circuit called a bias-T is used in optical transmitter-receivers, measurement equipment, and so forth. The bias-T is comprised of an inductor (coil) and a capacitor, and supplies a high-frequency signal by superposing a DC component, e.g. a DC current or a DC voltage, on the high-frequency signal, without adversely affecting the high-frequency signal.
In the bias-T for use in optical communication at a transmission rate of 10 Gb/s or less (≦10 Gb/s), it is possible to use a small-sized surface-mount inductor (surface-mount type having a size of approximately 1.0 mm×0.5 mm) as a component of the bias-T. Insofar as the bias-T is for applications at a transmission rate of 10 Gb/s or less, there occurs no marked degradation in high-frequency characteristics even with the use of such an inductor.
However, in performing optical communication at a transmission rate in the order of 40 Gb/s, a broad band ranging from several hundreds of KHz to 40 GHz is used. This makes it impossible to directly use such a surface-mount inductor as described above in the transmission line, and it is necessary to make the inductor compatible with broadband.
“To make the inductor compatible with broadband” specifically means to expand a blocking band of the inductor to a high-frequency band so as to prevent a high-frequency signal from being spoiled in high-frequency characteristics due to flow of the high-frequency signal into the inductor when the signal is passed through the transmission line connected to the inductor.
In general, in making the inductor compatible with broadband, it is ideal to connect component inductors having different inductances in series. However, actually, it is impossible to use an inductor formed simply by connecting the component inductors in series (hereinafter referred to as “the series inductor”) since the characteristics thereof are degraded e.g. due to occurrence of a parasitic capacitance of the inductor. Hereinafter, the problems of the series inductor will be discussed.
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the series inductor. The series inductor L10 is formed by connecting component inductors L11 to L13 having different inductances in series. Now, it is assumed that when the values of the inductances of the respective component inductors L11 to L13 are represented by L11a, L12a, and L13a, the values or magnitudes of the inductances satisfy the relationship of L11a<L12a<L13a.
FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration in which the series inductor L10 is connected to a transmission line. A measurement circuit 50 is formed by connecting the series inductor L10 to the transmission line 5 having an impedance of 50Ω through which a high-frequency signal flows. Further, it is assumed that the high-frequency signal is passed from a port p1 toward a port p2.
FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the frequency characteristics of the component inductors. In this figure, the vertical axis represents dB, and the horizontal axis represents the frequency. The individual frequency characteristics of the respective component inductors L11 to L13 forming the series inductor L10 are collectively shown.
The self-resonance frequency of the component inductor L13 having the largest inductance is represented by fr3, the self-resonance frequency of the component inductor L12 having a medium inductance by fr2, and the self-resonance frequency of the component inductor L11 having the smallest inductance by fr1 (as shown in FIG. 17, as the inductance is smaller, the self-resonance frequency becomes larger).
Here, a conceptual description will be given of an ideal signal flow to be obtained when a high-frequency signal is passed from the port p1 to the port p2 of the measurement circuit 50. Since a frequency signal, which is included in a frequency range A between frequencies a1 and a2 with the self-resonance frequency fr1 in its center, is blocked by the component inductor L11 (signal within the frequency range A is inhibited from flowing through the component inductor L11), the frequency signal flows from a port p3 in the X direction without flowing in the direction of the series inductor L10 (Y direction).
Further, in this case, if the component inductor L11 alone is connected to the transmission line 5, a frequency signal having frequencies smaller than the frequency a1 flows toward the component inductor L11. However, since the component inductor L12 is provided at the next-stage, a frequency signal, which is included in a frequency range B between frequencies b1 and b2 with the self-resonance frequency fr2 in its center, is blocked by the component inductor L12 (signal within the frequency range B is inhibited from flowing through the component inductor L12). As a consequence, a frequency signal in a frequency range between the frequencies b1 to a1 also flows in the X direction without flowing in the Y direction.
Similarly, since the component inductor L13 is connected, a frequency signal, which is included in a frequency range C between frequencies c1 and c2 with the self-resonance frequency fr3 in its center, is blocked by the component inductor L13 (signal within the frequency range C is inhibited from flowing through the component inductor L13). As a consequence, a frequency signal in a frequency range between the frequencies c1 to a2 flows in the X direction without flowing in the Y direction.
As described above, by forming the series inductor by connecting component inductors having different inductances in series, blocking bands of the respective component inductors are arranged in an overlapping manner such that no passbands of the inductors appear at any intermediate portions of the entire frequency range. Therefore, ideally, it is possible to make the inductor compatible with broadband.
FIG. 18 is a diagram showing ideal frequency characteristics of the measurement circuit 50. The vertical axis represents dB, and the horizontal axis represents the frequency. In this figure, F1 indicates the ideal frequency characteristics (dotted line) of a signal flowing in the X direction from the port p1 to the port p2 of the transmission line 5, and F2 indicates the ideal frequency characteristics (solid line) of the series inductor L10.
In the ideal frequency characteristics shown in FIG. 18, since the characteristics of a broadband signal within the frequency range between the frequencies c1 and a2 are flat, it is understood that the signal flows through the transmission line 5 in the X direction without being degraded in its characteristics.
However, the above state is an ideal one, and in the actual high-frequency circuit, parasitic capacitances of the component inductors themselves and earth capacitances cannot be ignored. This makes it impossible for a mere series inductor to be compatible with broadband.
FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an equivalent circuit of an inductor. The inductor 100 (corresponding to one component inductor of the series inductor L10) not only has an inductance inherent thereto but also includes a capacitor (parasitic capacitance or line capacitance) formed by wound electric wires, a winding resistance, and so forth.
The equivalent circuit 100a of the inductor 100 can be defined as a circuit in which an inductor L0 and a resistance R0 are connected in series, and a part formed by series connection of the inductor L0 and the resistance R0 and a capacitor Cr are connected in parallel. Further, when lead wires of the inductor 100 are mounted on a printed circuit board, earth capacitances appear at respective locations of pads (copper foils for soldering, for use in mounting the component on the printed circuit board), and therefore the equivalent circuit 100a looks as if it has capacitors C1 and C2 connected between the lead wires and ground GND.
The parasitic capacitance of the capacitor Cr has a very small value, and hence it raises no problem when the inductor 100 is used with low frequencies. However, when the inductor 100 is used as a high-frequency circuit, the parasitic capacitance is not negligible, but causes variations in the impedance of the inductor and the self-resonance frequency.
FIG. 20 is a diagram showing actual frequency characteristics of the measurement circuit 50. The vertical axis represents dB, and the horizontal axis represents the frequency. In this figure, F1a indicates the actual frequency characteristics (dotted line) of a signal flowing in the X direction from the port p1 to the port p2 of the transmission line 5, and F2a indicates the actual frequency characteristics (solid line) of the series inductor L10.
In the actual frequency characteristics shown in FIG. 20, instantaneous passbands in the Y direction appear at the frequencies f1 and f2 within the frequency range between the frequencies c1 and a2, which generate two dips in the frequency characteristics F1a. More specifically, a signal flowing through the transmission line 5 in the X direction flows in the Y direction as well from the port p3 into the series inductor L10 at the frequencies f1 and f2, which degrades the frequency characteristics. As described above, the simple series inductor formed by connecting component inductors having different inductances in series has not been applicable to high-speed optical communications at transmission rates in the order of 40 Gb/s or more.
Conventionally, a technique for forming a bias-T by using a conical coil has been proposed as the prior art of high-frequency circuits, e.g. in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2004-193886 (Paragraph numbers [0014] to [0019], and FIG. 1).
As the prior art of making inductors compatible with broadband, the use of an inductor called a conical coil which has a high self-resonance frequency is becoming popular.
FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the outline of the conical coil. The conical coil 110 is a conductor having a conical shape, which is formed by winding a conductor wire 111 covered with an insulating film, around an outer peripheral surface of a frustoconical core 112 made of a magnetic material, such that the winding diameter of the conductor wire progressively decreases from one end to the other end of the coil (from the right end to the left end, as viewed in FIG. 21). Further, the opposite ends of the conductor wire 111 have the insulating film peeled off to expose copper wire 111a, for use as terminals.
FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an equivalent circuit of the conical coil 110. The equivalent circuit 110a of the conical coil 110 is comprised of component inductors L1 to Ln which have different inductances and are connected in series. In this case, the component inductors L1 to Ln of the conical coil 110 are sequentially arranged in series in the increasing order of inductance, as viewed from the tip side of the frustoconical shape.
Compared with the above-described series inductor, the conical coil 110 configured as above is characterized in that it can secure broadband characteristics of approximately several hundreds of KHz to several tens of GHz, and since the tip thereof has a small diameter, the value of inductance thereof is small and the parasitic capacitance thereof is held small, whereby it is possible to maintain its characteristics up to a high frequency of several tens of GHz.
It should be noted that the conical coil 110 has its highest frequency characteristics determined by the component inductor L1, and the frequency characteristics in a higher to a lower frequency ranges are sequentially determined by the component inductor L1 to the component inductor Ln, respectively.
More specifically, the conical coil 110 is configured such that the high frequency characteristics are determined by the value of inductance of the component inductor L1, which is the first and smallest-diameter coil on the tip side of the conical coil 110 (the high frequency characteristics can be secured by the component inductor L1 since the component inductor L1 has a small diameter and hence has a small inductance value), and the frequency characteristics of the conical coil 110 from a higher to a lower frequency ranges are sequentially determined by the inductance values of the component inductors the diameter of which increases from the component inductor L1 to the component inductor Ln.
However, the conical coil 110 configured as above is difficult to mount on a circuit board, and is not easy to handle, either. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing how the conical coil 110 is bonded. The tip of the conical coil 110 is bonded (press-fitted) on a circuit board by heat or ultrasonic waves.
In general, the conical coil 110 is compact in size, i.e. approximately several mm long in the longitudinal direction. Further, the winding of the conical coil 110 is as thin as a small diameter of approximately several tens of μm, and has an unstable shape. Therefore, the conical coil 110 is generally mounted within an IC package. Further, it is necessary to connect the conical coil 110 by accurate bonding manually performed by a skilled worker. Therefore, the conical coil 110 can be used in limited areas or locations of devices, and is very difficult to handle.
Further, a lead wire is allowed to be extended from the tip of the conical coil 110 only by several hundreds of μm, and if it is further extended, the high frequency characteristics are degraded. Moreover, the characteristics of the conical coil 110 depend on the mounting angle thereof, and hence there is a problem that a large variation in the characteristics is caused when the conical coil 110 is mounted. | {
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} |
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit and its method of fabrication, particularly to a technique effectively applied to a semiconductor integrated circuit having a CMIS (Complementary Metal Insulator Semiconductor) for preventing thermal runaway during testing, as well as latch-up and fluctuation of the operation speed due to fluctuation of substrate potentials
In recent years, various studies have been made of semiconductor integrated circuits in an effort to attain high integration, greater speed, and low power consumption. Particularly, in the case of a semiconductor integrated circuit having a MOS FET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) device, it has been necessary to further refine the sizes of devices and wirings in order to improve the degree of device integration and the operation speed and, therefore, the reduction in size of such semiconductor integrated circuits has progressed rapidly.
The present inventor has studied the scaling of a semiconductor integrated circuit. That is, scaling of a semiconductor integrated circuit, such as an LST (Large Scale Integrated circuit) includes two types of scalingxe2x80x94constant-voltage scaling and constant-electric-field scaling. In the case of a CMOS semiconductor integrated circuit including a CMOS FET as a component, constant-electric-field scaling is mainly employed for the purpose of securing the reliability of a gate oxide film. In this case, it is also necessary to lower the power supply voltage proportionally to effect reduction of the device size from the viewpoint of securing the stability of the device operating characteristic.
The literature on the fabrication of a CMOS semiconductor integrated circuit includes, for example, W. MALY xe2x80x9cZUSETSU CHO ERUESUAl KOCAKU (transliterated)xe2x80x9d, pp. 167-191, issued by KEIGAKU SHUPPAN (transliterated) Co., Ltd. on Dec. 15, 1990. An original text of the above-transliterated publication is xe2x80x9cAtlas of IC Technologies: An Introduction to VLSI Processesxe2x80x9d by W. Maly (Copyright(copyright) 1987 by The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company Inc.).
In the case of the above-disclosed CMOS semiconductor integrated circuit, to make a scaling rule practically effective, it is necessary to lower the threshold voltage in proportion to the device size. This is because a voltage component contributing to the circuit operation can be represented by the expression xe2x80x9cpower supply voltagexe2x88x92threshold voltagexe2x80x9d. However, because lowering of the threshold voltage causes an increase in leakage current, a leakage current test (I ddq test) widely used for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit cannot be performed, and, moreover, in the case of an aging test, the temperature is excessively raised due to an increase in the leakage current and, thereby, a problem of thermal runaway occurs.
FIG. 29 illustrates the mechanism of thermal runaway in the case of an aging test. In FIG. 29, the x-axis shows the set junction temperature (junction temperature Tj1) of a semiconductor integrated circuit and the y-axis shows the temperature (junction temperature Tj2) obtained by adding a temperature rise due to the total leakage current of a semiconductor integrated circuit produced due to the junction temperature Tj1 increasing relative to the ambient temperature. Normally, the junction temperature Tj2 and the junction temperature Tj1 are stabilized at an equal temperature. However, when a leakage current component increases, the temperature is excessively raised due to the leakage current and, resultingly, thermal runaway occurs.
By applying a back bias to the well of a MOS FET in order to solve the above problem, it is possible to control the threshold voltage. In the case of this technique, however, the well potential may fluctuate due to noise under practical use (under normal operation) and a problem may occur in which a forward current is applied between the well and the source/drain to produce a so-called latch-up phenomenon.
One way of decreasing the leakage current by using a back bias is described in, for example, the official gazette of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-334010/1994, which discloses a structure in which the substrate node of a low-threshold-voltage field effect transistor, constituting a group of logic circuits, is connected to a power supply line, and a dummy power supply line, connected to the group of logic circuits, is connected to a power supply line through a high-threshold-voltage field effect transistor. In the case of this arrangement, the field effect transistor, whose substrate node is connected to the power supply line, can perform a normal operation at a low threshold voltage by turning on the high-threshold-voltage transistor under normal operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit, while the low-threshold-voltage field effect transistor can temporarily have a high threshold voltage by turning off the high-threshold-voltage field effect transistor and applying a test voltage to the dummy power supply line. However, this circuit has a problem in that the circuit impedance increases and, thereby, the general operation speed of the semiconductor integrated circuit lowers because the high-threshold-voltage field effect transistor is connected in series between the group of logic circuits and the power supply.
Moreover, the official gazette of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No 8-17183/1996 discloses a way of using switching means for making the substrate potential of a MOS FET variable as a means for controlling the threshold voltage of the MOS FET. This arrangement makes it possible to switch the switching characteristic and the sub-threshold current characteristic because the switching means switches the back gate bias of the MOS FET to a first potential or second potential and the absolute values of the threshold voltage of the MOS FET. In the case of this proposal, however, the source and n-well of a p-channel MOS FET are short-circuited each to the other through an n-channel MOS FET. Therefore, problems occur in that (1) it is necessary to generate a voltage higher than the power supply voltage under normal operation, and (2) the device characteristics are deteriorated because the high voltage in the above Item (1) is applied to the MOS FET and, thereby, the thickness of the gate oxide film of the MOS FET must be increased
It is an object of the present invention to provide a high-performance CMOS semiconductor integrated circuit which is capable of preventing the latch-up phenomenon, and its fabrication method.
Moreover, it is another object of the present invention to provide a way of preventing the latch-up phenomenon of a CMOS semiconductor integrated circuit from occurring under normal operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit and of preventing a leakage current from being generated during a test of the circuit.
Furthermore, it is still another object of the present invention to provide a way of improving the reliability of a CMOS semiconductor integrated circuit under normal operation and under test, without lowering the operation speed of the semiconductor integrated circuit under normal operation of the circuit. Furthermore, it is still another object of the present invention to provide a way of improving the reliability of a CMOS semiconductor integrated circuit under the normal operation and test of the circuit without deteriorating the device characteristics.
The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
That is, a semiconductor integrated circuit of the present invention has a first power-supply-voltage line connected to a CMOS FET and a second power-supply-voltage line to which a voltage lower than that of the first power-supply-voltage line is applied, and moreover has a third power-supply-voltage line and a fourth power-supply-voltage line, independent of the first and the second power-supply-voltage lines, which makes it possible to supply power to a first-conductivity-type well through the third power-supply-voltage line according to necessity and a second-conductivity-type well through the fourth power-supply-voltage line according to necessity.
Moreover, in the case of a semiconductor integrated circuit of the present invention, a first switching transistor comprising a MOS FET is connected between a first power-supply-voltage line and a third power-supply-voltage line, and a second switching transistor comprising a MOS FET is connected between a second power-supply-voltage line and a fourth power-supply-voltage line, which makes it possible to short-circuit the first power-supply-voltage line and the third power-supply-voltage line by operating the first switching transistor according to necessity, and to short-circuit the second power-supply-voltage line and the fourth power-supply-voltage line by operating the second switching transistor according to necessity.
Thereby, under the normal operation of a semiconductor integrated circuit, for example, it is possible to control the fluctuation of substrate potentials of the first- and second-conductivity-type MOS FETs by turning on first- and second-switching transistors and supplying the first and second power-supply voltages to the first- and second-conductivity-type wells. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the latch-up phenomenon due to fluctuation of substrate potentials.
Moreover, during the test of a semiconductor integrated circuit, for example, it is possible to decrease the leakage current by turning off the first and second switching transistors and applying a voltage suitable for the test to the first- and second-conductivity type wells from the third and fourth power-supply-voltage lines. Therefore, it is possible to control thermal runaway due to a leakage current.
Furthermore, a semiconductor integrated circuit fabrication method of the present invention comprises the steps of:
forming first- and second-conductivity-type wells on the surface of a semiconductor substrate;
forming a second-conductivity-type MOS FET for constituting a CMOS FET and a first switching transistor having a MOS FET different from the second-conductivity-type MOS FET in the first-conductivity-type well;
forming a first-conductivity-type MOS FET for constituting a CMOS FET and a second switching transistor having a MOS FET different from the first-conductivity-type MOS FET;
forming a first power-supply-voltage line so as to be connected with the source of the second-conductivity-type MOS FET for constituting the CMOS FET;
forming a second power-supply-voltage line so as to be connected with the source of the first-conductivity-type MOS FET for constituting the CMOS FET;
forming a well feeding line so as to be connected with the source of the first switching transistor and the first-conductivity-type well;
forming a well feeding line so as to be connected with the source of the second switching transistor and the second-conductivity-type well;
forming a control signal line so as to be connected with the gate electrode of thexe2x80x94first switching transistor; and
forming a control signal line so as to be connected with the gate electrode of the second switching transistor; wherein
the first switching transistor is set adjacent to the source of the second-conductivity-type MOS FET in the same semiconductor region and the second switching transistor is set adjacent to the source of the first-conductivity-type MOS FET in the same semiconductor region.
Thereby, it is possible to decrease the areas occupied by the first and the second switching transistors and thus, it is possible to improve the efficiency of layout.
Furthermore, a semiconductor integrated circuit fabrication method of the present invention comprises the steps of:
forming a first-conductivity-type well and a second-conductivity-type well on the surface of a semiconductor substrate;
forming a second-conductivity-type MOS FET for constituting a CMOS FET in the first-conductivity-type well and a first switching transistor having a MOS FET different from the second-conductivity-type MOS PET;
forming a first-conductivity-type MOS FET for constituting a CMOS FET in the second-conductivity-type well and a second switching transistor having a MOS FET different from the first-conductivity-type MOS FET;
forming a first power-supply-voltage line so as to be connected with the source of the second-conductivity-type MOS FET for constituting the CMOS FET;
forming a second power-supply-voltage line so as to be connected with the source of the first-conductivity-type MOS FET for constituting the CMOS FET;
forming a well feeding line so as to be connected with the source of the first switching transistor and the first-conductivity-type well;
forming a well feeding line so as to be connected with the source of the second switching transistor and the second-conductivity-type well;
forming a control signal line so as to be connected with the gate electrode of the first switching transistor; and
forming a control signal line so as to be connected with the qate electrode of the second switching transistor; wherein
the step of forming the well feeding line so as to be connected with the source of the first switching transistor and the first-conductivity-type well and the step of forming the well feeding line so-as to be connected with the source of the second switching transistor and the second-conductivity-type well are performed in the same step, and
the step of forming the control signal line so as to be connected with the gate electrode of the first switching transistor and the step of forming the control signal line so as to be connected with the gate electrode of the second switching transistor are performed in the same step.
Thereby, by forming a first switching transistor, its well feeding line and its control signal line, and a second switching transistor, its well feeding line and its control signal line, in the same step, it is possible to fabricate a semiconductor integrated circuit having a first switching transistor, a second switching transistor, well feeding lines, and control signal lines.
Moreover, a semiconductor integrated circuit of the present invention is fabricated by providing a set of the first and second switching transistors for a plurality of logic gates, respectively. Thereby, it is possible to decrease the entire switching-transistor occupied area compared to the case of providing a first switching transistor and a second switching transistor for each logic gate. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the chip size from increasing due to addition of switching transistors and to prevent the device integration degree from decreasing.
Furthermore, a semiconductor integrated circuit of the present invention is fabricated by constituting the third power-supply-voltage line and the fourth power-supply-voltage line with a conductor wiring, providing a connecting portion for connecting a conductor wiring for the third power-supply-voltage line with the first-conductivity-type well, and providing a connecting portion for connecting a conductor wiring for the fourth power-supply-voltage line with the second-conductivity-type well for each cell region to which each of the logic gates is set. Thereby, because a well feeding voltage can be supplied from the vicinity of each logic gate, it is possible to stably supply a potential to each logic gate.
Moreover, a semiconductor integrated circuit of the present invention is fabricated by providing a switching control section for dividing a control signal in a control signal line into two control signals having a potential different from each other and transmitting each divided control signal to each of the first and the second switching transistors for the front stages of inputs of the first and the second switching transistors. Thereby, it is possible to turn on/off the switching transistors using one control signal line.
Furthermore, a semiconductor integrated circuit of the present invention is fabricated by providing the first switching transistor and the second switching transistor in an available space in which power-supply-voltage lines are arranged. In this way, it is possible to effectively use available space in the principal plane of a semiconductor chip and prevent the area of the chip from increasing, compared to the case of providing switching transistors in an area other than the wiring arranging area.
In this specification any reference to a MOS FET or MOS FETs shall be considered to be inclusive of IGETs (Insulated-Cate Field-Effect Transistors) or MISFETs (Metal-Insulated-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors), in general. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to a process for enantioselectively hydrogenating prochiral ketones to (S)-alcohols using platinum catalysts in the presence of cinchonines or quinidines as modifiers and of hydrogen, which is characterized in that the modifiers used are cinchonines unsubstituted in the 3-position, 3-ethylidenyl- or 9-methoxycinchonines or derivatives thereof in which the quinoline ring is replaced by other rings.
The enantioselective hydrogenation of xcex1-ketoesters using platinum catalysts in the presence of cinchonidine or cinchonine and derivatives of these quinuclidines has been described by H.-U. Blaser et al. in Catalysis Today 37 (1997), pages 441 to 463. This publication also discloses that the enantioselectivity in the presence of cinchonidine for preparing (R)-alcohols is considerably higher than in the presence of cinchonine for preparing (S)-alcohols. The same observation is made by B. Txc3x6rxc3x6k et al. in Chem. Comm. (1999), pages 1725 to 1726 in the enantioselective hydrogenation of an xcex1-ketodiacetal. The hydrogenation of xcex1-ketoacetals is also described by M. Studer et al. in Chem. Comm. (1999), pages 1727 to 1728. In J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2000) 122, pages 12675 to 12682, H. U. Blaser describes the influence of modification of cinchona alkaloids on the hydrogenation of ethyl pyruvate using cinchona-modified platinum catalysts. It is established that the substitution in the 3-position of the quinuclidine radical has virtually no or only a small influence. In connection with the determination of the pKa values of cinchona alkaloids, C. Drzewiczak et al. in Polish J. Che., 67, 48ff (1993) mention 3-ethylidenecinchonine without specifying a synthesis or use.
It has now been found that, surprisingly, it is possible to achieve a distinctly higher catalyst activity and increased enantioselectivity in the hydrogenation of prochiral ketones to (S)-alcohols using hydrogen when platinum catalysts are modified with 3-ethylidene- or 9-methoxycinchonines or derivatives thereof in which the quinoline ring is replaced by other rings. The optical yields of (S)-alcohols may be over 90% ee and such high yields could hitherto be achieved in the preparation of (S)-alcohols by this hydrogenation route only by the use of ultrasound (B. Txc3x6rxc3x6k et al., Ultrasonics Sonochemistry 7 (2000) 151) or by continuously adding modifier (C. LeBlond et al., JACS 121 (1999) 4920).
The invention provides a process for enantioselectively hydrogenating prochiral ketones to (S)-alcohols using platinum catalysts in the presence of cinchonines or quinidines as modifiers and in the presence of hydrogen, which is characterized in that the modifiers used are cinchonines from the group of cinchonines unsubstituted in the 3-position, 3-ethylidenyl- or 9-methoxycinchonines or derivatives thereof in which the quinoline ring is replaced by other rings.
Prochiral ketones are well known. The prochiral xcex1-ketones may be saturated or unsaturated, open-chain or cyclic compounds which preferably have 5 to 30, more preferably 5 to 20, carbon atoms which are unsubstituted or substituted with radicals which are stable under the hydrogenation conditions. The carbon chain may be interrupted by heteroatoms, preferably from the group of xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x95x90Nxe2x80x94 and xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2xe2x80x94, where Rxe2x80x2 is H, C1-C8-alkyl, preferably C1-C4-alkyl, C5-C8-cycloalkyl, for example cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl or cyclooctyl, C6-C10-aryl, for example phenyl or naphthyl, or C7-C12-aralkyl, for example phenylmethyl or phenylethyl. The prochiral ketones preferably have an activating group in the xcex1-position, for example a carboxyl, carboxylic ester, acetal, keto or ether group.
The prochiral ketones may be xcex1-ketocarboxylic acids, xcex1-ketocarboxylic esters, xcex1-ketoethers, xcex1-ketoacetals and xcex1,xcex2-diketones. These prochiral ketones may correspond to the formulae I, II, III, IV and V
where
R1, R2, R3 and R6 are each independently a monovalent, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic radical having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a saturated or unsaturated cycloaliphatic radical having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, a saturated or unsaturated heterocycloaliphatic radical having 3 to 8 ring members and one or two heteroatoms from the group of O, N and NRxe2x80x2, a saturated or unsaturated cycloaliphatic-aliphatic radical having 4 to 12 carbon atoms, a saturated or unsaturated heterocycloaliphatic-aliphatic radical having 3 to 12 carbon atoms and one or two heteroatoms from the group of O, N and NRxe2x80x2, an aromatic radical having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, a heteroaromatic radical having 4 to 9 carbon atoms and one or two heteroatoms from the group of O and N, an aromatic-aliphatic radical having 7 to 12 carbon atoms or a heteroaromatic-aliphatic radical having 5 to 11 carbon atoms and one or two heteroatoms from the group of O and N where Rxe2x80x2 is H, C1-C8-alkyl, preferably C1-C4-alkyl, C5- or C6-cycloalkyl, C6-C10-aryl, for example phenyl or naphthyl, C7-C12-aryl, for example phenylmethyl or phenylethyl,
R1 and R2 or R1 and R6 together are C1-C6-alkylene or C3-C8-1,2-cycloalkylene, or C2-C4-alkylene or C3-C8-cycloalkylene fused to 1,2-phenylene, and R3 is as defined above,
R2 and R3 together are C1-C6-alkylene, C1-C8-alkylidene, C3-C8-1,2-cycloalkylene, C3-C8-cycloalkylidene, benzylidene, 1,2-phenylene, 1,2-pyridinylene, 1,2-naphthylene, or C3-C4-alkylene or C3-C8-1,2-cycloalkylene fused to 1,2-cycloalkylene or 1,2-phenylene, and R1 is as defined above,
and R1, R2, R3 and R6 are each unsubstituted or substituted by one or more, identical or different radicals selected from the group of C1-C4-alkyl, C2-C4-alkenyl, C1-C4-alkoxy, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-hydroxyalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxymethyl or -ethyl, C1-C4-haloalkoxy, cyclohexyl, cyclohexyloxy, cyclohexylmethyl, cyclohexylmethyloxy, phenyl, phenyloxy, benzyl, benzyloxy, phenylethyl, phenylethyloxy, halogen, xe2x80x94OH, xe2x80x94OR4, xe2x80x94OC(O)R4, xe2x80x94NH2, xe2x80x94NHR4, xe2x80x94NR4R5, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R4, xe2x80x94NR4xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R4, xe2x80x94CO2R4, xe2x80x94CO2xe2x80x94NH2, xe2x80x94CO2xe2x80x94NHR4, xe2x80x94CO2xe2x80x94NR4R5 where R4 and R5 are each independently C1-C4-alkyl, cyclohexyl, cyclohexylmethyl, phenyl or benzyl.
The heterocyclic radicals are bonded via a ring carbon atom to the oxygen atoms or the carbon atom of the carbonyl groups in the compounds of the formulae I, II, III, IV and V.
Preferred substituents are methyl, ethyl, n- and i-propyl, n- and t-butyl, vinyl, allyl, methyloxy, ethyloxy, n- and i-propyloxy, n- and t-butyloxy, trifluoromethyl, trichloromethyl, xcex2-hydroxyethyl, methoxy- or ethoxymethyl or -ethyl, trifluoromethoxy, cyclohexyl, cyclohexyloxy, cyclohexylmethyl, cyclohexylmethyloxy, phenyl, phenyloxy, benzyl, benzyloxy, phenylethyloxy, phenylethyl, halogen, xe2x80x94OH, xe2x80x94OR4, xe2x80x94OC(O)R4, xe2x80x94NH2, xe2x80x94NHR4, xe2x80x94NR4R5, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R4, xe2x80x94NR4xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R4, xe2x80x94CO2R4, xe2x80x94CO2xe2x80x94NH2, xe2x80x94CO2xe2x80x94NHR4, xe2x80x94CO2xe2x80x94NR4R5 where R4 and R5 are each independently C1-C4-alkyl, cyclohexyl, cyclohexylmethyl, phenyl or benzyl.
The aliphatic radical is preferably alkyl which may be linear or branched and preferably has 1 to 8, more preferably 1 to 4, carbon atoms, or preferably alkenyl or alkynyl, each of which may be linear or branched and preferably have 2 to 8, more preferably 2 to 4, carbon atoms. When R2 and R3 are alkenyl or alkynyl, the unsaturated bond is preferably in the xcex2-position to the oxygen atom. Examples include methyl, ethyl, n- and i-propyl, n-, i- and t-butyl, pentyl, i-pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl and dodecyl, vinyl, allyl, ethynyl and propargyl. A preferred group of aliphatic radicals is methyl, ethyl, n- and i-propyl, n-, i- and t-butyl.
The cycloaliphatic radical is preferably cycloalkyl or cycloalkenyl having preferably 3 to 8, more preferably 5 or 6, ring carbon atoms. Some examples are cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, cycloheptyl and cyclooctyl, and also cyclopentenyl, cyclohexenyl and cyclohexadienyl. Particular preference is given to cyclopentyl and cyclohexyl.
The heterocycloaliphatic radical is preferably heterocycloalkyl or heterocycloalkenyl having preferably 3 to 6 carbon atoms, 4 to 7 ring members and heteroatoms selected from the group of xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94 and xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2xe2x80x94 where Rxe2x80x2 is H, C1-C8-alkyl, preferably C1-C4-alkyl, C5- or C6-cycloalkyl, C6-C10-aryl, for example phenyl or naphthyl, phenyl or phenylethyl. Some examples are pyrrolidinyl, pyrrolinyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, dihydrofuranyl and piperazinyl.
The cycloaliphatic-aliphatic radical is preferably cycloalkyl-alkyl or -alkenyl having preferably 3 to 8, more preferably 5 or 6, ring carbon atoms, and preferably 1 to 4, or 2-4, more preferably 1 or 2, or 2 or 3, carbon atoms in the alkyl group and alkenyl groups respectively. Examples include cyclopentyl- or cyclohexylmethyl or -ethyl and cyclopentyl- or cyclohexylethenyl.
The heterocycloaliphatic-aliphatic radical is preferably heterocycloalkyl-alkyl or -alkenyl having preferably 3 to 6 carbon atoms, 4 to 7 ring members and heteroatoms selected from the group of xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94 and xe2x80x94NRxe2x80x2xe2x80x94 where Rxe2x80x2 is H, C1-C8-alkyl, preferably C1-C4-alkyl, C5- or C6-cloalkyl, C6-C10-aryl, for example phenyl or naphthyl, phenyl or phenylethyl, and preferably 1 to 4, more preferably 1 or 2, carbon atoms in the alkyl group and 2 to 4, more preferably 2 or 3, carbon atoms in the alkenyl group. Examples include pyrrolidinylmethyl or -ethyl or -ethenyl, pyrrolinylmethyl or -ethyl or -ethenyl, tetrahydrofuranylmethyl or -ethyl or -ethenyl, dihydrofuranylmethyl or -ethyl or -ethenyl, and piperazinylmethyl or -ethyl or -ethenyl.
The aromatic radicals are preferably naphthyl and in particular phenyl.
The aromatic-aliphatic radicals are preferably phenyl- or naphthyl-C1-C4-alkyl or -C2-C4-alkenyl. Some examples are benzyl, naphthylmethyl, xcex2-phenylethyl and xcex2-phenylethenyl.
The heteroaromatic radicals are preferably 5- or 6-membered, optionally fused ring systems. Some examples are pyridinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, pyrrolyl, furanyl, oxazolyl, imidazolyl, benzofuranyl, indolyl, benzimidazolyl, quinolinyl, isoquinolinyl, quinazolinyl, quinoxalinyl.
The heteroaromatic-aliphatic radicals are preferably 5- or 6-membered, optionally fused ring systems which are bonded via one of their carbon atoms to the free bond of an alkyl group or alkenyl group where the alkyl group preferably contains 1 to 4, more preferably 1 or 2, carbon atoms, and the alkenyl group preferably contains 2 to 4, more preferably 2 or 3, carbon atoms. Some examples are pyridinylmethyl or ethyl or -ethenyl, pyrimidinylmethyl or -ethyl or -ethenyl, pyrrolylmethyl or -ethyl or -ethenyl, furanylmethyl or -ethyl or -ethenyl, imidazolylmethyl or -ethyl or -ethenyl, indolylmethyl or -ethyl or -ethenyl.
R6 is preferably an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or araliphatic radical, and more preferably linear C1-C4-alkyl.
More preferred compounds of the formulae I, II, III, IV and V include those where
R1, R2, R3 and R6 are each independently linear or branched C1-C8-alkyl, C4-C7-cycloalkyl or C4-C6-heterocycloalkyl having heteroatoms from the group of O and N, C6-C10-aryl or C4-C9-heteroaryl having heteroatoms from the group of O and N, C4-C7-cycloalkyl-C1-C4-alkyl or C3-C6-heterocycloalkyl-C1-C4-alkyl having heteroatoms from the group of O and N, C6-C10-aryl-C1-C4-alkyl or C4-C9-heteroaryl-C1-C4-alkyl having heteroatoms from the group of O and N,
R1 and R2 or R1 and R6 together are C1-C4-alkylene or C4-C7-1,2-cycloalkylene, or C2-C4-alkylene or C4-C7-cycloalkylene fused to 1,2-phenylene, and R3 is as defined above,
R2 and R3 together are C1-C4-alkylene, C1-C4-alkylidene, C4-C7-1,2-cycloalkylene, C4-C7-cycloalkylidene, benzylidene, 1,2-phenylene, 1,2-pyridinylene, 1,2-naphthylene, or C3-C4-alkylene or C4-C7-cloalkylene fused to 1,2-cycloalkylene or 1,2-phenylene, and R1 is as defined above
where R1, R2, R3 and R6 are each unsubstituted or substituted by one or more, identical or different radicals selected from the group of C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-hydroxyalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxymethyl or -ethyl, C1-C4-haloalkoxy, cyclohexyl, cyclohexyloxy, cyclohexylmethyl, cyclohexylmethyloxy, phenyl, phenyloxy, benzyl, benzyloxy, phenylethyl, phenylethyloxy, halogen, xe2x80x94OH, xe2x80x94OR4, xe2x80x94OC(O)R4, xe2x80x94NH2, xe2x80x94NHR4, xe2x80x94NR4R5, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R4, xe2x80x94NR4xe2x80x94C(O)R4, xe2x80x94CO2R4, xe2x80x94CO2xe2x80x94NH2, xe2x80x94CO2xe2x80x94NHR4, xe2x80x94CO2xe2x80x94NR4R5 where R4 and R5 are each independently C1-C4-alkyl, cyclohexyl, phenyl or benzyl.
A preferred subgroup of the compounds of the formulae I, II, III, IV and V are those where
R1, R2, R3 and R6 are each independently linear or branched C1-C4-alkyl, C2-C4-alkenyl, C5-C6-cycloalkyl, phenyl, phenylethenyl, C5-C6-cycloalkyl-C1-C2-alkyl, or C6-C10-aryl-C1-C2-alkyl,
R1 and R2 or R1 and R6 together are C1-C3-alkylene or C5-C6-1,2-cycloalkylene,
R2 and R3 together are C2-C4-alkylene, C1-C4-alkylidene, C5-C6-1,2-cycloalkylene, C5-C6-cycloalkylidene, benzylidene, 1,2-phenylene
where R1, R2, R3 and R6 are each unsubstituted or substituted as defined previously.
A particularly preferred subgroup of the compounds of the formulae I, II, III, IV and V are those where
R1 and R6 are each C1-C4-alkyl, C2-C4-alkenyl, cyclohexyl, phenyl, benzyl, phenylethyl or phenylethenyl,
R2 and R3 are each independently linear or branched C1-C4-alkyl, cyclohexyl, phenyl, benzyl or phenylethyl,
R1 and R2 or R1 and R6 together are C2-C3-alkylene or 1,2-cyclohexylene,
R2 and R3 together are C2-C3-alkylene, C1-C4-alkylidene, 1,2-cyclohexylene, cyclohexylidene, benzylidene or 1,2-phenylene
where R1, R2, R3 and R6 are each unsubstituted or substituted by methyl, ethyl, n- and i-propyl, n- and t-butyl, vinyl, allyl, methyloxy, ethyloxy, n- and i-propyloxy, n- and t-butyloxy, trifluoromethyl, trichloromethyl, xcex2-hydroxyethyl, methoxy- or ethoxymethyl or -ethyl, trifluoromethoxy, cyclohexyl, cyclohexyloxy, cyclohexylmethyl, cyclohexylmethyloxy, phenyl, phenyloxy, benzyl, benzyloxy, phenylethyloxy, phenylethyl, halogen, xe2x80x94OH, xe2x80x94OR4, xe2x80x94OC(O)R4, xe2x80x94NH2, xe2x80x94NHR4, xe2x80x94NR4R5, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R4, xe2x80x94NR4xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R4, xe2x80x94CO2R4, xe2x80x94CO2xe2x80x94NH2, xe2x80x94CO2xe2x80x94NH4, xe2x80x94CO2xe2x80x94NR4R5 where R4 and R5 are each independently C1-C4-alkyl, cyclohexyl, cyclohexylmethyl, phenyl or benzyl.
Some of the compounds of the formulae I, II, III, IV and V are known or can be prepared in a manner known per se by means of similar processes.
The compounds of the formulae I, II, III, IV and V are hydrogenated to chiral secondary alcohols of the formulae VI, VII, VIII and IX
where R1, R2, R3 and R6 are each as previously defined and the symbol * represents predominantly the S-form of one of the stereoisomers.
Platinum catalysts are known, extensively described and commercially available. It is possible to use either platinum in metal form, for example as a powder, or, which is preferred, platinum metal applied to finely divided supports. Examples of suitable supports include carbon, metal oxides, for example SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, metal salts, and natural or synthetic silicates. The catalyst may also be a platinum colloid. The amount of platinum metal on the support may be, for example, 1 to 10% by weight, preferably 3 to 8% by weight, based on the support. Before their use, the catalysts may be activated by treating with hydrogen at elevated temperature and/or with ultrasound. Preferred catalysts are platinum on Al2O3.
The cinchonines unsubstituted in the 3-position, 3-ethylidenyl- or 9-methoxycinchonines or derivatives thereof to be used according to the invention may, for example, correspond to the formula XI with 8(R),9(S)-configuration
where
R9 is CH2xe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94 or CH3CH2xe2x80x94 and R7 is methyl, or
R9 is H or CH3xe2x80x94CHxe2x95x90 and R7 is H or methyl, and
R8 is unsubstituted or C1-C4-alkyl- or C1-C4-alkoxy-substituted C6-C14-aryl or C5-C13-heteroaryl having heteroatoms selected from the group of xe2x80x94Nxe2x95x90, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94 and xe2x80x94N(C1-C4-alkyl)-.
R8 as aryl and heteroaryl may be a monocyclic or fused polycyclic radical having preferably 2 or three rings. The rings preferably contain 5 or 6 ring members. Some examples are phenyl, furyl, thiophenyl, N-methylpyrrolyl, pyridinyl, naphthyl, tetrahydronaphthyl, anthracenyl, phenanthryl, quinolinyl, tetrahydroquinolinyl, isoquinolinyl, indenyl, fluorenyl, benzofuranyl, dihydrobenzofuranyl, benzothiophenyl, dihydrobenzothiophenyl, N-methylindolyl, dihydro-N-methylindolyl, dibenzofuranyl, dibenzothiophenyl and N-methylcarbazolyl.
The cinchonines unsubstituted in the 3-position, 3-ethylidenyl- or 9-methoxycinchonines or derivatives thereof to be used according to the invention preferably correspond to the formula XIa with 8(R),9(S)-configuration
where
R9 is CH2xe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94 or CH3CH2xe2x80x94 and R7 is methyl, or
R9 is H or CH3xe2x80x94CHxe2x95x90 and R7 is H or methyl,
R8 is a radical of the formulae
and R10 is H, OH or C1-C4-alkoxy.
R10 is preferably H, OH or methoxy.
The compounds of the formula XI where R9 is CH2xe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94 or CH3CH2xe2x80x94 and R7 is methyl may be prepared in a simple manner by methylating the hydroxyl group bonded to C9 of appropriate natural cinchona alkaloids. Compounds where R9 is ethyl are obtainable by hydrogenating the R9 vinyl group.
The compounds of the formula XI where R9 is CH3xe2x80x94CHxe2x95x90 may be prepared by isomerizing the R9 vinyl group in the presence of metal complexes, for example ruthenium/phosphine complexes. An implementation of the process is described in the examples. In general, mixtures of the Z- and E-isomers are obtained which can be used directly as such.
The compounds of the formula XI which are not derived from natural cinchonines are synthetically accessible, for example, by means of reacting quinuclidine N-oxide with lithium alkyls (Li-methyl or Li-n-butyl) with aldehydes R8xe2x80x94CHxe2x95x90O, subsequent reaction with a Lewis acid, for example TiCl3, and ensuing alkaline hydrolysis. The diastereomers may be separated chromatographically on silica gel, and the enantiomers may be separated chromatographically on chiral columns. This is described in more detail in the examples.
The platinum metal may be used, for example, in an amount of 0.01 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.05 to 10% by weight and more preferably 0.1 to 5% by weight, based on the prochiral ketone used, although amounts of 0.1 to 3% by weight, or 0.1 to 1% by weight generally suffice. The increased activity of the hydrogenation system to be used according to the invention allows smaller total amounts of catalyst, which makes the process more economic.
The modifier may be used, for example, in an amount of 0.1 to 10 000% by weight, preferably 1 to 500% by weight and more preferably 10 to 200% by weight, based on the platinum metal used. The modifier may be introduced into the reaction vessel together with the platinum metal catalyst, or the platinum metal catalyst may be impregnated beforehand with the modifier.
The hydrogenation is preferably carried out under a hydrogen pressure of up 200 bar, more preferably up to 150 bar and particularly preferably 10 to 100 bar.
The reaction temperature may be, for example, xe2x88x9250 to 100xc2x0 C., more preferably 0 to 50xc2x0 C. and particularly preferably 0 to 35xc2x0 C. It is generally possible to achieve better enantioselectivies at low temperatures.
The reaction may be carried out without or in an inert solvent or mixtures of solvents. Examples of suitable solvents include aliphatic, cycloaliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons (pentane, hexane, petroleum ether, cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane, benzene, toluene, xylene), ethers (diethyl ether, dibutyl ether, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol diethyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, dioxane), water, alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, ethylene glycol monomethyl or monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl or monoethyl ether), ketones (acetone, methyl isobutyl ketone), carboxylic esters and lactones (ethyl or methyl acetate, valerolactone), N-substituted carboxamides and lactams (dimethylformamide, N-methylpyrrolidone), and carboxylic acids (acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid). The choice of the solvent may be used to influence the optical yield. For example, aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, xylene) have proven particularly useful in the case of xcex1-ketoacetals and aromatic xcex1-ketocarboxylic esters, while better results can be achieved using carboxylic acids, for example acetic acid, in the case of aliphatic xcex1-ketocarboxylic acids.
The process according to the invention may, for example, be carried out in such a way that the catalyst is initially charged in an autoclave with the nitrogen base, optionally with a solvent, then the prochiral xcex1-ketone is added, then the air is displaced with an inert gas, for example noble gases, hydrogen is injected in and then the reaction is started, optionally with stirring or shaking, and hydrogenation is effected until no more hydrogen takeup is observed. The xcex1-hydroxyl compound formed may be isolated and purified by customary methods, for example distillation, crystallization and chromatographic methods.
The invention also provides compounds of the formula XIb
where
R9 is CH2xe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94 or CH3CH2xe2x80x94 and R7 is methyl, or
R9 is H or CH3xe2x80x94CHxe2x95x90 and R7 is H or methyl, and
R10 is H or C1-C4-alkoxy.
When R7 is H, R10=H and R9 is CH2xe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94, the molecule is cinchonine (Cn) and when R7 is H, R10=H and R9 is CH3CH2xe2x80x94, the molecule is hydrocinchonine (HCn).
The (S)-xcex1-alcohols which can be prepared according to the invention are valuable intermediates for the preparation of natural active ingredients (B. T. Cho et al. in Tetrahedron: Asymmetry Vol. 5, No. 7 (1994), pages 1147 to 1150), and synthetic active pharmaceutical ingredients and pesticides. The (S)-xcex1-alcohols obtainable may be converted beforehand by known processes to derivatives which may then be used as intermediates for the preparation of active ingredients. The acid hydrolysis of, for example, xcex1-ketoacetals leads to 1,4-dioxanes or the corresponding aldehydes which are either hydrogenated to 1,2-diols having a secondary optically active hydroxyl group, or reacted with amines in the presence of phenylboric acids to optionally substituted optically active 1-phenyl-1-amino-2-hydroxyalkanes. After the protection of the OH group, for example by reaction with benzyl bromide, the hydroxyl-protected aldehydes may be obtained by reacting with strong acids and may be hydrogenated to 1,2-diols or converted to S-xcex1-hydroxycarboxylic acids by oxidation (for example with chromium trioxide) and removing the protecting group. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Commercial lithium ion battery carbon negative electrode materials primarily include natural graphite and artificial graphite. The compatibility between natural graphite and electrolytes is poor, and co-intercalation of solvated lithium ions is likely to occur as charging, which makes the graphite layer peel off. Further, the electrolyte continues to react with the graphite layers, leading to a great disadvantage in cycle stability of the battery. At present, techniques to modify the materials mainly include surface-coating to construct a core-shell structure by multiphase coating technology, doping and surface oxidation, etc., thereby improving electrochemical properties. However there still exist many problems such as bad contact between one electrode material particle and another, and between one and a current collector, large surface resistance, poor peel strength, cycle swelling during charge-discharge process, etc. These problems above seriously affect the cycle life and stability of a lithium ion battery.
Chinese patent CN102299308A has reported a lithium ion battery negative electrode material and a method of preparing the same. The material is a composite material consisting of carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers directly grown in situ on the surface of graphite substrates, and carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers mixed between the graphite substrates by chemical vapor deposition method. Using the material as a lithium ion battery graphite negative electrode material enhances the discharge capacity, rate performance, liquid absorption and cycle performance. However, the specific surface area of the material obtained by this method is larger and the surface-coating layer formed merely by the vapor deposition method is looser, which leads to a poor stability of the SEI membrane formed during charge-discharge process, more consummation of electrolyte, and thus there still exists in deficiency in cycle stability of batteries at high temperature. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The use of various containers, such as boxes, for the packaging of objects for storage and/or shipment is well-known. A large portion of these containers are in varied forms of corrugated paper boxes which provide a relatively inexpensive and disposable means for packaging the objects. Often, such cardboard boxes and other containers are provided with a pair of oppositely disposed handhold openings formed in the sidewall thereof which facilitate lifting and carrying the boxed object. In cardboard boxes, these handhold openings are typically die-cut through the sidewall of the box and may be either a simple opening or, alternatively, may be a hinged opening.
The presence of the handhold openings, where they communicate with the interior of the container, correspondingly reduce the effectiveness of the container's exclusion of contaminant materials from entering the interior. Accordingly, since the interior is not sealed, dust and other contaminants may migrate from the external environment to the interior of the container. Accordingly, while handhold openings provide a highly useful convenience, they are not without their drawbacks.
The ingress of dust and other contaminants into the interior of a container that houses an object is an increasing problem where the objects so packaged are delicate electronic equipment especially because of the electrostatic charges which may be on the equipment. The electrostatic charge can attract charged dust particles and other particulate contaminants. The need to isolate such electronic equipment is prevalent in the computer industry, but the intrusion of dust and other contaminants is a problem in the packaging and shipment of stereo equipment, medical equipment and even bicycles, to name a few products. Because of this, it is often the practice to "bag" the product in a sealed plastic wrapping and place the wrapped package in the container. This naturally adds increased costs in the form of materials and labor; it also increases the amount of discarded materials when the object is removed from the container. Thus, the bagging of objects for further packaging in a container is both a costly and a non-ecologically sound practice. Nonetheless, it has heretofore been necessary in order to protect the packaged object.
In our U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,728, we provide a protective device adapted to be used with a container as well as a container including such a protective device. Our protective device described in this prior patent includes a panel piece that has a surrounding peripheral edge, with the panel piece being sized and configured to have a size greater than the size of the handhold opening so that the margin portion is securable to the wall of the container with the panel piece in the secured state over the handhold opening. A first adhesive material is disposed on the first margin portion of the panel piece and is operative to secure the panel piece in the secured state and to seal the margin portion in an area surrounding the handhold opening. A bi-fold structure is also described in order to create a chamber that receives the hand of the user with the chamber being isolated from the interior of the container when the protective device is secured over the handhold opening on the interior of the container. The panel piece includes a portal that may be provided in the bi-fold structure with this portal being positioned over the handhold opening so that the hand may be inserted through the handhold opening and through the portal. This portal may be an opening, but it is also shown as a scored portion that defines a tear-away section.
Despite the improvements afforded by our earlier invention, there remains a need for better protective devices which can be used in conjunction with a container for packaging an object in order to inhibit contact of the object with contaminant, airborne particles. There is a further need for a combination container and protective device which can house an object in an efficient manner so as to reduce the likelihood of contamination of the object during storage and shipment. A need exists, therefore, for a simplified device which can be used with containers, such as cardboard boxes, in order to isolate the interior of the box from the outside environment where the box is provided with handhold openings. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention may relate to an apparatus and method for selectively outputting data inputted from a plurality of input units based on a switching operation.
2. Background
If a user sets an output unit to output data inputted from a predetermined input unit, then the output unit may continuously output the data until the user resets the output unit. For example, a user may use an output unit to receive digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) data from a first input unit (or a first input apparatus) and navigation data from a second input unit (or a second input apparatus) at a same time or at substantially a same time. If the user initially sets the output unit to display video data of the received DMB data and to output audio data of the received navigation data, then the output unit may be continuously operated based on the initial setting even though the DMB data may be interrupted (or is corrupted).
That is, even if the DMB data is not normally inputted, the output unit may display abnormal DMB data while outputting the audio data of the navigation data.
If a terminal includes a DMB function and a navigation function, a user may be allowed to select the DMB function of the terminal for watching a DMB program while the terminal performs the navigation function. The user may also be allowed to select the navigation function while watching the DMB program.
When the user selects both the navigation function and the DMB function for operations at a same time, the terminal may be set to perform the DMB function. In this case, the terminal may output audio data for navigation while outputting the DMB program through a display device and a speaker. More specifically, the terminal may output the audio data for navigation through a speaker while outputting the DMB program through the display device and the speaker. Therefore, the user may be guided to a destination while watching the DMB program.
If the user terminates the DMB function, then the terminal may not only reproduce the audio data for navigation through the speaker but may also display a map for navigation through the display device.
However, such an output unit for DMB and navigation may not display visual information of navigation when the user selects the DMB function. Although the DMB signal may be very weak, the output unit may not display the visual information of navigation.
If the DMB signal is very weak, the DMB module of the output unit may display a predetermined still image and transition into a pause state until a normal signal is received. Although the DMB module displays a predetermined still image and is in the pause state, the output unit may output the audio data of the navigation with only the predetermined still image displayed. That is, the user may be unable to watch the visual information of the navigation. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Various techniques for coding video are described in standards promulgated by organizations such as the Moving Picture Expert Group (MPEG), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). For example, Context Adaptive Binary Arithmetic Coding (CABAC) is an entropy coding requirement specified in the H.264/AVC standard ITU-T/ISO/IEC H.264/MPEG-4 (Part 10) Advanced Video Coding (Video Coding for Very Low Bit Rate Communication, ITU-T Recommendation H.264 (May 2003), ITU-T Recommendation H.264: Advanced video coding for generic audiovisual services, ISO/IEC 14496-10:2005 (E)).
CABAC involves arithmetic coding which is quite high in computational complexity. Arithmetic coding takes a stream of symbols as input and outputs a floating point number between 0 and 1 based on the probability of occurrence of each symbol in the input stream. The longer the input stream size, the more bits required to represent the floating point number. In order to avoid this floating point number from overflowing, a renormalization process is used.
The renormalization process uses a range value (e.g., codIRange) and an offset value (e.g., codILow) to output bits at every clock into a compressed bitstream. Binary arithmetic encoding is used to modify the codIRange value and the codILow value at every clock and to provide the modified values as inputs for the next clock. The values are used again and again in a iterative loop. When values outside a certain range or window, the values are renormalized and brought back within the window.
The renormalization process generally involves restricting a nine bit codIRange value and a 10 bit codILow value to specific ranges. If the codIRange value falls within a 0-255 range, the codIRange value is pushed into a 256-511 range by multiplying the codIRange value by 2 repeatedly (e.g., in N steps).
For the N iterations, if the codILow value falls in the 256-511 range, the codILow value is subtracted by 256 while incrementing a bitsOutstanding value. If the codILow value falls in the 512-1023 range, the codILow value is subtracted by 512 while outputting ‘1’. If the codILow value falls in the 0-255 range, the codILow value is multiplied by 2 while outputting ‘0’.
This renormalization process is sequential in nature and is a bottleneck in achieving a high throughput CABAC encoder. Current solutions for CABAC renormalization are software based and take multiple cycles to normalize one value. Hardware based solutions generally take 3 to 5 cycles per bit. Typical CABAC encoders output 1 bit for every 3 to 5 clocks on the average. This means for 200 MHz clock frequency, at 1 bit for every 4 clocks, the encoding bit rate is 50 Mbps. Therefore, to encode higher bitrate video streams at real time requires higher frequency of operation. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present disclosure relates to neurostimulator implant devices, and more particularly to a system and method that uses multi-electrode stimulation provided by a neurostimulator implant device to elicit electrically-evoked compound action potentials. Such an evoked compound action potential (ECAP) provides valuable objective feedback information useful in setting the stimulation parameters associated with the neurostimulator implant device.
Traditional methods used to elicit the electrically-evoked compound action potential, or ECAP, deliver stimulation to a single electrode contact. There are cases where such application of a stimulus to a single electrode contact do not evoke a suitable action potential. The present disclosure provides an improved system and method for obtaining the ECAP through application of the stimulus to multiple electrodes. The present disclosure may be used in many different kinds of neurostimulator devices, but will be described in terms of a cochlear implant device.
Electrical stimulation of predetermined locations within the cochlea of the human ear through an intra-cochlear electrode array is described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,400,590. The electrode array shown in the '590 patent comprises a plurality of exposed electrode pairs spaced along and imbedded in a resilient curved base for implantation in accordance with a method of surgical implantation, e.g., as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,615. The system described in the '590 patent receives audio signals, i.e., sound waves, at a signal processor (or speech processor) located outside the body of a hearing impaired patient. The speech processor converts the received audio signals into modulated RF data signals that are transmitted by a cable connection through the patient's skin to an implanted multi-channel intracochlear electrode array. The modulated RF signals are demodulated into analog signals and are applied to selected ones of the plurality of exposed electrode pairs in the intra-cochlear electrode so as to electrically stimulate predetermined locations of the auditory nerve within the cochlea.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,691, incorporated herein by reference, shows an improved multi-channel cochlear stimulation system employing an implanted cochlear stimulator (ICS) and an externally wearable speech processor (SP). The speech processor employs a headpiece that is placed adjacent to the ear of the patient, which receives audio signals and transmits the audio signals back to the speech processor. The speech processor receives and processes the audio signals and generates data indicative of the audio signals for transcutaneous transmission to the implantable cochlear stimulator. The implantable cochlear stimulator receives the transmission from the speech processor and applies stimulation signals to a plurality of cochlea stimulating channels, each having a pair of electrodes in an electrode array associated therewith. Each of the cochlea stimulating channels uses a capacitor to couple the electrodes of the electrode array.
Other improved features of a cochlear implant system are taught, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,626,629; 6,067,474; 6,157,861; 6,195,585; 6,205,360; 6,219,580; 6,249,704; 6,289,247; 6,295,467; and 6,415,185; each of which patents is also incorporated herein by reference.
The implantable cochlear stimulators described in the '629, '474, '861 and '580 patents are also able to selectively control the pulse width of stimulating pulses that are applied through the electrode array to the cochlea, and the frequency at which the stimulating pulses are applied.
One of the problems encountered when using a cochlear implant device, or many other type of neurostimulator devices, is “fitting” the device to a particular patient. Fitting involves setting the stimulation parameters, e.g., the amplitude, pulse width and frequency of the stimulation pulses to a level that is efficacious and comfortable for that patient. In the past, such “fitting” has been a very subjective process, requiring constant feedback from the patient. Some patients, however, e.g., old patients and extremely young patients, are not able to provide meaningful subjective feedback. Hence, clinicians are constantly looking for improved ways to obtain objective feedback from the patient that can assist in setting the stimulation parameters.
One type of objective feedback that has been used in the past is to monitor the stapedius reflex. The implantable cochlear stimulators described in the '861 and '585 patents teach the use of the stapedius reflex (also referred to as the stapedial reflex) as a parameter for monitoring and adjusting the magnitude of the stimuli applied through the electrode array. Applicant's co-pending patent application Ser. No. 60/412,533, filed Sep. 20, 2002, incorporated herein by reference, teaches an improved way for using multi-band stimuli to obtain the Stapedial Reflex.
The new generation of cochlear implants that have the enhanced processing power, and which can provide multiple platforms for delivering electrical stimuli to the auditory nerve, including high frequency pulsitile stimulation having current pulses of controlled amplitude, width and frequency, have sometimes been referred to as a “bionic ear” implant.
As the art of cochlear stimulation has advanced to produce bionic ear implants, the implanted portion of the cochlear stimulation system, and the externally wearable processor (or speech processor) have become increasingly complicated and sophisticated. It is also noted that much of the circuitry previously employed in the externally wearable processor has been moved to the implanted portion, thereby reducing the amount of information that must be transmitted from the external wearable processor to the implanted portion. The amount of control and discretion exercisable by an audiologist in selecting the modes and methods of operation of the cochlear stimulation system have increased dramatically and it is no longer possible to fully control and customize the operation of the cochlear stimulation system through the use of, for example, switches located on the speech processor. As a result, it has become necessary to utilize an implantable cochlear stimulator fitting system to establish the operating modes and methods of the cochlear stimulation system and then to download such programming into the speech processor. One such fitting system is described in the '629 patent. Another fitting system is described in the '247 patent.
The '247 patent further highlights representative stimulation strategies that may be employed by a multichannel stimulation system. Such strategies represent the manner or technique in which the stimulation current is applied to the electrodes of an electrode array used with the stimulation system. Such stimulation strategies, all of which apply current pulses to selected electrodes, may be broadly classified as: (1) sequential or non-simultaneous (where only one electrode receives a current pulse at the same time); (2) simultaneous (where substantially all of the electrodes receive current stimuli at the same time, thereby approximating an analog signal); or (3) partially simultaneous pulsitile stimulation (where only a select grouping of the electrodes receive stimuli at the same time in accordance with a predefined pattern).
Typically, when the fitting systems described in the '629 or '247 patents are employed for multichannel stimulation systems, or when equivalent or similar fitting systems are employed, it is necessary to use directly measured threshold values and/or thresholds derived from the measurement of psycophysically-determined pseudo-comfort levels. That is, for each channel of the multichannel system, a minimum threshold level is measured, typically referred to as a “T” level, which represents the minimum stimulation current which when applied to a given electrode associated with the channel produces a sensed perception of sound at least 50% of the time. In a similar manner, an “M” level is determined for each channel, which represents a stimulation current which when applied to the given electrode produces a sensed perception of sound that is moderately loud, or comfortably loud, but not so loud that the perceived sound is uncomfortable. These “T” and “M” levels are then used by the fitting software in order to properly map sensed sound to stimulation current levels that can be perceived by the patient as sound.
Disadvantageously, determining the “T” and/or “M” levels (or other required thresholds) associated with each channel of a multichannel stimulation system is an extremely painstaking and time-intensive task. Such determinations require significant time commitments on the part of the clinician, as well as the patient. Moreover, once determined one channel at a time, such levels may not be representative of actual threshold levels that are present during real speech. That is, preliminary data indicate that thresholds set in single channel psychophysics overestimate the actual threshold required when all channels are running during live speech. Such an overestimation appears to penalize patient performance, particularly performance in noise. Hence, neural stimulation parameters which render threshold measurement unnecessary would dramatically reduce the time requirements for programming sequential and/or partially simultaneous pulsitile stimulation, as well as facilitate a higher probability of optimized programming for pediatric as well as adult populations where obtaining such measures are difficult.
As the ages of patients into which implantable cochlear stimulators are implanted decreases, it becomes increasingly more important to improve the fitting process and to minimize, or eliminate, the need to make threshold measurements. This is because very young patients, for example, two year olds, are unable to provide adequate subjective feedback to the audiologist for the audiologist to accurately “fit” the cochlear stimulation system optimally for the patient. Thus, what is needed is an improved apparatus and simplified method for fitting a speech processor where many of the threshold measurements previously required are no longer needed, or where subjective feedback from the patient is no longer needed.
As indicated, one technique that has been investigated for improving the manner in which threshold measurements are made or used is to sense the stapedius reflex of the patient in response to an applied stimulus. See, e.g., the '861 and '585 patents, previously incorporated herein by reference. An electrode that may be used to sense the stapedius reflex is described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,208,882, also incorporated herein by reference.
When the stapedius reflex is sensed, i.e., when a stapedius reflex electrode is in place that allows the stapedius reflex to be sensed, or when other techniques are used to sense the stapedius reflex, such sensing eliminates or minimizes the need to rely solely upon subjective feedback from the patient during the fitting or adjusting process. Such subjective feedback can be highly unreliable, particularly in younger and older patients.
Traditional methods for measuring stapedial reflexes present stimuli, typically pulse trains, on a single electrode and the reflex is either directly observed by visual inspection or is inferred from a change in the impedance of the tympanic membrane.
Another technique that has been investigated for improving the manner in which threshold measurements are made is to measure an evoked compound action potential (ECAP). Such ECAP measurement is particularly useful at or near the time of implant when the patient may be under the influence of anesthesia (and therefore unavailable for subjective feedback), and at a time when it is desirable for the surgeon and other clinicians associated with the implant operation to know if the implant device is working properly. An ECAP measurement is typically made by applying a stimulus to one electrode contact while monitoring the evoked action potential on an adjacent electrode contact. That is, one electrode contact is used to apply the stimulus, and an adjacent electrode contact is used as a sensor to sense the action potential (a voltage waveform) evoked by the application of the stimulus. Advantageously, in order to make an ECAP measurement, no additional electrodes or equipment are needed, beyond the neurostimulator itself, and a means of monitoring the voltage appearing on a selected electrode contact in response to application of a stimulus on a nearby electrode contact.
Disadvantageously, there are cases where it is difficult to obtain neural response measurements, e.g., an ECAP, on a given patient. In some instances, the maximal level of comfort of the patient is reached prior to seeing the ECAP, and in others the compliance level of the neurostimulator system is reached before ECAP visualization. That is, the delivery of a stimulus pulse on a single electrode contact may fail to synchronize enough neural fibers to produce a measurable evoked response. Alternatively, the delivery of a stimulus pulse on a single electrode having sufficient amplitude to evoke an action potential may exceed the compliance limits of the neurostimulator device on a single contact.
It is thus seen that improvements are still needed in the manner in which an ECAP is obtained and used during the fitting and operation of a neurostimulator implant device, e.g., a cochlear implant system. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sintered apatite body, and more specifically, to a sintered apatite body having increased mechanical strength, and a process for producing an apatite powder having improved sinterability.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, ceramic materials have been superseding polymeric or metallic materials for use as medical implant materials, because ceramics are more stable in the living body than synthetic resins and metals, and are non-toxic and non-irritating. These three properties, however, are insufficient for implant materials, and a problem of affinity with the living tissues is still to be solved.
The pore sizes of conventional implant materials composed mainly of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 are controlled in order to improve their "affinity" with cells or tissues, but their chemical bondability to the living tissues is extremely poor. Accordingly, conventional implant materials should be strengthened in physical bonding by, for example, bonding more securely with a nut. Sometimes, this brings about the defect that the embedded implant is freed within the living body because of insufficient adhesion, or by a rejection of the living body.
Apatite [Ca.sub.5 (PO.sub.4).sub.3 OH], a main mineral constituent of bones and teeth, has attracted considerable attention as an implant material which remedies the defects of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 -based implant materials. It has been made clear that a sintered body of apatite is an implant material having an affinity with the living body near that of living bones because of the composition and crystal structure of apatite, and it is less necessary to control the pore size of the apatite for improving its affinity with the cells or tissues.
Apatite, however, has the defect that it has poor sinterability, and a sintered body of apatite has low mechanical strength. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic head drive device for driving a magnetic head by supplying a drive current thereto so as to record an information signal on a magneto-optical recording medium, and a magneto-optical recording apparatus using the same.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, as a magneto-optical recording apparatus for recording an information signal on a magneto-optical recording medium such as a magnetooptical disk or the like at high density, an apparatus using a magnetic field modulation scheme is known. A magnetic field modulation magneto-optical recording apparatus comprises an optical head, a magnetic head, a magnetic head drive device, and drive means for driving a magneto-optical recording medium. When an information signal is recorded on a magneto-optical recording medium using such a magneto-optical recording apparatus, the optical head irradiates a high-power laser beam focused to a small beam spot onto a magnetic layer of the magneto-optical recording medium while driving the magneto-optical recording medium relative to the optical head and magnetic head. At the same time, the magnetic head drive device supplies a current modulated by the information signal to the magnetic head, so that the magnetic head perpendicularly applies a magnetic field modulated according to the information signal to the portion irradiated with the laser beam of the magneto-optical recording medium. As a result, a magnetic domain, the direction of magnetization of which changes in correspondence with the direction of magnetic field applied, is formed in the magnetic layer, thus recording the information signal. Using such a magnetic field modulation scheme, an information signal can be recorded at a very high density.
When the information signal recorded in this way is to be reproduced, the magneto-optical recording medium is driven, and at the same time, the optical head irradiates a lower-power laser beam than that upon recording, which is focused to a small beam spot, onto the magnetic layer of the magneto-optical recording medium. In this case, since the plane of polarization of the laser beam reflected by the magnetic layer rotates in correspondence with the direction of magnetization of the magnetic domain, it is detected by a photosensor provided to the optical head, and the information signal is reproduced based on the detection signal.
Superresolution reproduction is conventionally known. This technique uses a magneto-optical recording medium, a magnetic layer of which is comprised of a plurality of layers including at least a recording layer and reproduction layer, and transfers magnetization formed in the recording layer to the reproduction layer. Up on reproduction of an information signal, a laser beam is irradiated onto the magnetic layer, and at the same time, a magnetic field applying means applies a given magnetic field, so that the magnetization in a local region of the reproduction layer, which has reached high temperature upon irradiation of the laser beam, is switched in the direction of the applied magnetic field, irrespective of the magnetization formed in the recording layer, thus detecting a magnetic domain smaller than the beam spot size.
Especially, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 3-242845 has proposed a recording/reproduction scheme in which an information signal is recorded by magnetic field modulation, and the recorded information signal is reproduced by superresolution reproduction. With this scheme, an information signal can be recorded at a very high density, and the recorded information signal can be reproduced with high resolution.
However, conventionally, inorder to attain superresolution reproduction, a means for applying a given magnetic field is required in addition to a magnetic field applying means for magnetic field modulation recording, even though superresolution reproduction is possible to attain. For this reason, magnetic heads for magnetic field modulation and superresolution reproduction, and their drive devices must be independently equipped, and an expensive apparatus with a complicated arrangement is required. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Mobile IP network technology. More particularly, the present invention relates to a Mobile IP mobile router.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile IP is a protocol which allows laptop computers or other mobile computer units (referred to as xe2x80x9cMobile Nodesxe2x80x9d herein) to roam between various sub-networks at various locationsxe2x80x94while maintaining internet and/or WAN connectivity. Without Mobile IP or related protocol, a Mobile Node would be unable to stay connected while roaming through various sub-networks. This is because the IP address required for any node to communicate over the internet is location specific. Each IP address has a field that specifies the particular sub-network on which the node resides. If a user desires to take a computer which is normally attached to one node and roam with it so that it passes through different sub-networks, it cannot use its home base IP address. As a result, a business person traveling across the country cannot merely roam with his or her computer across geographically disparate network segments or wireless nodes while remaining connected over the internet. This is not an acceptable state-of-affairs in the age of portable computational devices.
To address this problem, the Mobile IP protocol has been developed and implemented. An implementation of Mobile IP is described in RFC 2002 of the Network Working Group, C. Perkins, Ed., October 1996. Mobile IP is also described in the text xe2x80x9cMobile IP Unpluggedxe2x80x9d by J. Solomon, Prentice Hall. Both of these references are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties and for all purposes.
The Mobile IP process and environment are illustrated in FIG. 1A. As shown there, a Mobile IP environment 2 includes the internet (or a WAN) 4 over which a Mobile Node 6 can communicate remotely via mediation by a Home Agent 8 and a Foreign Agent 10. Typically, the Home Agent and Foreign Agent are routers or other network connection devices performing appropriate Mobile IP functions as implemented by software, hardware, and/or firmware. A particular Mobile Node (e.g., a laptop computer) plugged into its home network segment connects with the internet through its designated Home Agent. When the Mobile Node roams, it communicates via the internet through an available Foreign Agent. Presumably, there are many Foreign Agents available at geographically disparate locations to allow wide spread internet connection via the Mobile IP protocol. Note that it is also possible for the Mobile Node to register directly with its Home Agent.
As shown in FIG. 1A, Mobile Node 6 normally resides on (or is xe2x80x9cbased atxe2x80x9d) a network segment 12 which allows its network entities to communicate over the internet 4 through Home Agent 8 (an appropriately configured router denoted R2). Note that Home Agent 8 need not directly connect to the internet. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, it may be connected through another router (a router R1 in this case). Router R1 may, in turn, connect one or more other routers (e.g., a router R3) with the internet.
Now, suppose that Mobile Node 6 is removed from its home base network segment 12 and roams to a remote network segment 14. Network segment 14 may include various other nodes such as a PC 16. The nodes on network segment 14 communicate with the internet through a router which doubles as Foreign Agent 10. Mobile Node 6 may identify Foreign Agent 10 through various solicitations and advertisements which form part of the Mobile IP protocol. When Mobile Node 6 engages with network segment 14, Foreign Agent 10 relays a registration request to Home Agent 8 (as indicated by the dotted line xe2x80x9cRegistrationxe2x80x9d). The Home and Foreign Agents may then negotiate the conditions of the Mobile Node""s attachment to Foreign Agent 10. For example, the attachment may be limited to a period of time, such as two hours. When the negotiation is successfully completed, Home Agent 8 updates an internal xe2x80x9cmobility binding tablexe2x80x9d which specifies the care-of address (e.g., a collocated care-of address or the Foreign Agent""s IP address) in association with the identity of Mobile Node 6. Further, the Foreign Agent 10 updates an internal xe2x80x9cvisitor tablexe2x80x9d which specifies the Mobile Node address, Home Agent address, etc. In effect, the Mobile Node""s home base IP address (associated with segment 12) has been shifted to the Foreign Agent""s IP address (associated with segment 14).
Now, suppose that Mobile Node 6 wishes to send a message to a corresponding node 18 from its new location. A message from the Mobile Node is then packetized and forwarded through Foreign Agent 10 over the internet 4 and to corresponding node 18 (as indicated by the dotted line xe2x80x9cpacket from MNxe2x80x9d) according to a standard internet protocol. If corresponding node 18 wishes to send a message to Mobile Nodexe2x80x94whether in reply to a message from the Mobile Node or for any other reasonxe2x80x94it addresses that message to the IP address of Mobile Node 6 on sub-network 12. The packets of that message are then forwarded over the internet 4 and to router R1 and ultimately to Home Agent 8 as indicated by the dotted line (xe2x80x9cpacket to MN(1)xe2x80x9d). From its mobility binding table, Home Agent 8 recognizes that Mobile Node 6 is no longer attached to network segment 12. It then encapsulates the packets from corresponding node 18 (which are addressed to Mobile Node 6 on network segment 12) according to a Mobile IP protocol and forwards these encapsulated packets to a xe2x80x9ccare ofxe2x80x9d address for Mobile Node 6 as shown by the dotted line (xe2x80x9cpacket to MN(2)xe2x80x9d). The care-of address may be, for example, the IP address of Foreign Agent 10. Foreign Agent 10 then strips the encapsulation and forwards the message to Mobile Node 6 on sub-network 14. The packet forwarding mechanism implemented by the Home and Foreign Agents is often referred to as xe2x80x9ctunneling.xe2x80x9d
In addition to providing connectivity to a mobile node, it may be desirable to provide for the mobility of one or more networks moving together, such as on an airplane or a ship. RFC 2002 section 4.5 discusses the possibility of implementing mobile routers.
In one approach suggested in RFC 2002 section 4.5, a Home Agent is configured to have a permanent registration for each fixed node. FIG. 1B is a diagram of a Mobile IP mobile router and associated environment in which a Home Agent is configured to have a permanent registration for each fixed node. As shown, a mobile router 20 may support multiple nodes 22, 24, 26 which may be fixed with respect to the mobile router 20. In order to receive communication from a corresponding node 28, messages must be routed to the appropriate fixed node 22, 24, or 26. As the RFC suggests, a Home Agent 30 may be configured to have a permanent registration for each fixed node. By way of example, the permanent registration may indicate the mobile router""s address as the care-of address. Thus, a separate mapping table may associate the IP address of each of the fixed nodes 22, 24, and 26 with the mobile router 20. However, this is problematic since the mapping table is typically configured while the mobile router 20 is coupled to the Home Agent 30. In other words, the routing table is static. Suppose a person boards an airplane and wishes to connect a laptop to the airplane""s xe2x80x9cmobile networkxe2x80x9d via the mobile router 20. If a new node 32 is added to the mobile router 20 after the airplane leaves the airport, the IP address of this new node may not be added to the mapping table. As a result, communication cannot be received by this new node 32 via the mobile router 20. In addition, since the mobile router 20 may accommodate thousands of devices, or nodes, there would potentially be an enormous number of entries to store in such a mapping table for these nodes. Moreover, such a mapping table may include entries for multiple mobile routers. Accordingly, such a mapping table would consume a substantial amount of memory as well as be cumbersome to search.
In another approach suggested in RFC 2002, the mobile router 20 may advertise connectivity to the entire xe2x80x9cmobile network.xe2x80x9d FIG. 1C is a diagram of a Mobile IP mobile router and associated environment in which the mobile router advertises 34 connectivity to each node associated with the mobile router. The RFC states that this may be performed using normal IP routing protocols through a bi-directional tunnel to its Home Agent 30. However, the RFC provides no implementation details.
In view of the above, it would be desirable to have improved techniques for implementing a Mobile IP mobile router.
Methods and apparatus for providing Mobile IP mobile router functionality are provided. This is accomplished through identifying networks associated with the mobile router which may then be used to update the appropriate tables. Thus, the Home Agent does not need to separately track each node associated with the mobile router.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the Home Agent receives a registration request packet. The registration request packet may include a care-of address for the mobile router. Networks associated with the mobile router are then identified. The Home Agent then updates a routing table to associate the identified networks with the care-of address. In addition, the Home Agent updates a mobility binding table with the care-of address for the mobile router.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, at least one network linked to the mobile router is listed in an extension appended to the registration request. Upon receipt of such request, the Home Agent identifies networks associated with the mobile router from the extension. The Home Agent then updates a routing table to associate the care-of address with the identified networks and updates a mobility binding table with the care-of address. In addition, the Foreign Agent may update a visitor table with an entry for each of the networks listed on the extension to associate those networks with the mobile router.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, routing information is exchanged between the Home Agent and the mobile router. A routing table associated with at least one of the Home Agent and the mobile router is updated as appropriate to include the exchanged routing information. By way of example, networks associated with the mobile router may be obtained from the exchanged routing information and the appropriate routing tables may be updated to associate the networks with the care-of address for the mobile router. In addition, the Home Agent updates its mobility binding table with the care-of address. If the care-of address is the address of a Foreign Agent, a visitor table may be updated to associate the networks with the mobile router. | {
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Viral marketing is a technique by which social networks are used to increase brand recognition. Content is described as “going viral” when it is disseminated in a cascading fashion. Generally, the viral growth, or “virality”, of content observations occurs when people convince or encourage others to observe (e.g., engage with) the content, and they in turn influence others to observe the content, and so on. For example, one person may have a particular level of influence over a group of people based on a variety of factors, such as personality, popularity, fame, and wealth. Once this relatively influential person observes some form of content, that person may influence others to observe the same content. In turn, those influenced may also influence others to observe the content based on their respective levels of influence, quickly escalating the number of times the content is observed.
Designing a campaign to propagate content virally is advantageous but exceptionally difficult. Thus, advertisers view viral marketing campaigns as risky ventures. An advertiser would find it appealing if it could design a “content spread strategy” that will likely maximize observances of the content. For example, if the advertiser could select a group of individuals to target for a commercial advertisement and determine who would propagate it to the largest number of people, the advertiser could assign a monetary value to the commercial advertisement. But, designing a system with such a large number of people can be complicated because of the varying levels of influence among the people observing the content. Selection algorithms exist but they are exceptionally complex and difficult to implement. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a liquid jet head used for a liquid jet recording apparatus and, more particularly, to a liquid jet head using recording liquid with fine particles dispersed therein, a liquid jet recording apparatus for the liquid jet head, and a recording liquid (ink) used for the liquid jet head.
2. Description of the Related Art
Non-impact recording methods have recently gained attention since the noise created from the methods during recording is so little that the noise is almost unnoticeable. Among such methods, the so-called inkjet recording method is known as an effective recording method which records with high speed and requires no special fixing process when recording to plain paper. Various types of inkjet recording methods have been proposed and improved. Some have been introduced to the market as actual products, while others are still being developed for practical use.
The inkjet recording method records by ejecting droplets of recording liquid (so-called ink) onto a recording medium. Various types of inkjet recording methods are described below. The various types of inkjet recording methods can be classified according to methods for creating the droplets, or methods for controlling the flight direction of the droplets.
In the prior art, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,060,429, a Tele-type method, which is an electrostatic attraction type method, is known as a method that creates droplets of ink by electrostatic attraction, controls the droplets by controlling an electric field according to recording signals, and allows the droplets to selectively adhere to a recording medium, to thereby achieve recording.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,596,275 and 3,298,030) disclose a Sweet type method which is a continuous stream and charge-controlled type method. The method creates droplets of recording liquid having electric charges thereof controlled by a continuous vibration method, and allows the electrically charged controlled droplets of the recording liquid to fly between deflection-electrodes applied with a uniform electric field, to thereby record to a recording medium.
As for another example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,416,153 discloses a Hertz type method which applies an electric field to a discharge port and a ring-like electrode, and creates a mist of droplets of recording liquid with use of a continuous vibration method, to thereby provide a recording image on a recording medium. That is, the strength of the electric field applied between the discharge port and the electrode is modulated according to recording signals, to thereby create a gradation in the recording image.
Furthermore, as another method, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,120 discloses a Stemme type method. This method is based on a principle different from those of the above-described three types. That is, all of the above-described three types employ electrical control of droplets ejected from a discharge port during their flight from the discharge port to thereby allow the droplets corresponding to the recording signals to selectively adhere to a recording medium. Meanwhile, the Stemme type is a method which ejects droplets of recording liquid only when requested in accordance with recording signals. That is, in recording with the Stemme type, electric recording signals are applied to a piezo vibration element provided to a recording head having a discharge port for discharging recording liquid, and the electric recording signals are changed to mechanical vibration of the piezo vibration element, to thereby allow droplets of recording liquid to eject from the discharge port in accordance with the mechanical vibration, and adhere to a recording medium. This type is referred as a “drop on demand type”.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Publication No.56-9429 discloses another type which is a type previously proposed by the applicant of the present invention. This type is also a “drop on demand type” which records by allowing droplets of recording liquid to eject from a discharge port according to recording signals. This type is a so-called “bubble inkjet type” which heats ink inside a liquid chamber, and creates bubbles inside the ink, to thereby allow a reaction of the bubbles to eject droplets of the ink from a discharge port.
As described above, many types of inkjet recording methods may be provided depending on the principle upon which the method is based. What is common with the inkjet recording methods is that the methods are performed by ejecting a recording liquid (so-called ink) and adhering the recording liquid to a recording medium. Furthermore, a recording liquid having a water-soluble dye dissolved therein is typically employed as a recording liquid (so-called ink) Recently, however, water-fastness and light-fastness of the ink are becoming more important. Therefore, a pigment having durable properties is anticipated to be used as a colorant of a recording liquid for inkjet recording.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. 2-255875 discloses a water-soluble pigment based ink for inkjet recording which fulfills basic requirements such as printing quality, ejection property, storage stability, and fixation.
However, unlike a dye-based ink in which dye can stably dissolve in a liquid medium, this pigment-based ink does not dissolve, but rather has particles thereof dispersed inside a liquid medium. Accordingly, this pigment-based ink has a disadvantage of instability in a liquid medium, and has yet to resolve problems such as pigment aggregation, sedimentation, and separation of the pigment in the ink, or clogging at a nozzle portion.
Meanwhile, a conventional discharge port (nozzle) of a recording head has an orifice typically ranging from Φ33 μm-Φ34 μm (approximately 900 μm2 in terms of area of a nozzle orifice) to Φ50 μ-Φ51 μm (approximately 2000 μm2 in terms of area of a nozzle orifice). However, owing to the recent advances in image quality and precision of inkjet recording, a recording head with a smaller discharge port is desired. In such a case, clogging would be no problem if a conventional water-soluble dye was employed as a recording liquid since the dye dissolves in a liquid medium. In contrast, clogging heretofore has been a grave problem for a pigment-based ink where a smaller discharge port is used (for example, an orifice no more than Φ25 μm).
Furthermore, since a water-soluble dye-based ink allows dye to dissolve in a liquid medium, droplets of the ink are able to penetrate fibers of a paper serving as a recording medium when the ink contacts and adheres to the paper, and thereby achieve satisfactory pixel formation/image formation. In contrast, with the recording liquid having pigment particles dispersed therein, the pigment particles, unlike dye, does not dissolve, but merely disperses in a liquid medium. Therefore, although the liquid medium of the ink may penetrate into fibers of a paper, pigment particles and solid content in the ink are unable to penetrate the fibers of the paper. Accordingly, color pixels are formed in a manner where particles and solid content of the ink are accumulated on the surface of the paper.
Therefore, a suitable pixel shape cannot be obtained unless the size of the pigment particles is optimized. For example, satisfactory round pixels would be difficult to obtain and high quality printing cannot be achieved if ink (recording liquid) which contains pigment particles with an order of magnitude equal to that of pixels to be formed on paper is used in forming the pixels. | {
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Separation of oil-containing water into oil and water is a commonly performed task in most oil production and processing facilities, and there are numerous methods known in the art. For example, oil and various other suspended solids can be passed through an API (American Petroleum Institute) separator using the difference in specific gravity of the oil, water, and suspended solids in a process that is based on the principles of Stokes law. Such separators are conceptually simple and relatively easy to operate, however, often require a secondary treatment device as the separation efficiency is less than ideal. Secondary separation devices include corrugated plates interceptor (CPI) separators in which a series of tilted plates in the flow path is used as an enlarged surface area to enhance coalescence of the oil phase and settlement of the suspended solids. Once more, such separators are relatively simple, however, tend to require at least some maintenance and clean-up.
Where the amount of oil and suspended solids are relatively low, induced gas flotation (IGF) and dissolved gas flotation (DGF) devices can be employed to enhance flotation and separation of the oil and suspended solids. Such devices are often effective, however, require in at least some cases multiple moving parts. Moreover, IGF and DGF devices often require maintenance and are typically less desirable for offshore operation.
Consequently, although many configurations and methods for oil water separation are known in the art, all or almost all of them suffer from various disadvantages. Most significantly, it would be desirable to have a device that could operate as a single device with minimal or no moving parts, and that also requires little or no operator attention. Thus, there is still a need to provide improved methods and devices for oil water separation. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Magneto-based ignition systems are well known and are often used with internal combustion engines in applications where batteries are not practical. Magnetos are robust devices that are typically highly reliable. Because of these qualities, magneto-based ignition systems have been historically used with internal combustion engines in aircraft applications. Magneto-based ignition systems are also used in applications employing small internal combustion engines with reciprocating pistons--e.g., lawn mowers, small power tools and the like.
Historically, a single mechanical breaker in the magneto rides an engine-driven cam and controls the timing for discharging energy from the magneto to a mechanical distributor, which distributes the energy to the spark plugs. More recently, electronic ignitions have replaced the mechanical breaker and distributor. In these electronic ignition systems, the spark timing can be dynamically adjusted in order to provide best performance and, specifically, to provide the best timing for starting the engine. However, for magnetos having a mechanical breaker, the advance of the spark timing is mechanically fixed and is typically set to provide full power from the magneto to the spark plugs when the engine is running. When the engine is started, the cranking speeds of the crankshaft of the engine are between 50 and 125 revolutions per minute (RPM). These speeds are much less then the normal operating speeds of the engine and, therefore, the mechanical advance of the spark timing is much more than needed or desired and is even a hindrance to easy starting of the engine.
For many small engine applications, the low energy and poor setting of the timing advance in the magneto during cranking of the engine is merely tolerated. For example, before electronic ignitions became Commonplace in lawn mowers powered by internal combustion engines, their magneto-based ignition systems were difficult to start in large part because of the low power and poor timing described above.
For large internal combustion engines or for applications where it is cost justified, a magneto-based ignition system having mechanical timing have in the past often included a sophisticated mechanical system to retard the spark and provide the necessary electrical energy to fire the spark plugs of the engine when it is started. The two most common types of these mechanical systems are retard breakers which use induction vibrators and impulse couplings.
In an induction vibrator, current from a battery flows through the vibrator coil and contacts and then to the primary coil of the magneto, completing its return circuit through a ground return. The vibrator is a type of buzzer that chops the battery voltage into about 200 sparking pulses per second, which are delivered to the plugs as a continuous stream or "shower" of sparks.
To get a retarded or late spark for starting using an inductor vibrator, the magneto has two breakers in it. One breaker defines the timing of a periodic discharge of energy from the primary coil of the magneto to one of the spark plugs during normal engine operation. The second breaker retards the normal timing for delivering energy from the coil to one of the spark plugs and is employed during engine starting in order to enhance the ability of the magneto to reliably start the engine. The breaker used during engine starting is often called the retard breaker.
When the engine starts, an ignition switch is released from a momentary position, which returns the switch to a position in which the magneto operates on the normal breaker and delivers sparks to each of the plugs timed for normal running operation of the engine. When the starter switch is released from its momentary position, the second or retard breaker is disconnected, which also disconnects the vibrator from the magneto.
In an impulse coupled magneto, a sophisticated mechanical arrangement retards the normal timing of the spark and boosts the energy output of the magneto without employing a second "retard breaker" or requiring a battery powered induction vibrator. An impulse coupling magneto relies solely on the rapid spring assisted rotation of the magnet rotor shaft to generate spark energy. In an impulse coupling, the magneto is snapped through its firing position at a fast angular velocity in order to couple the necessary energy from the magnet of the rotor to the coil of the magneto that delivers energy to the spark plugs. This snapping of the rotor is necessary in order to multiply the slow cranking speed of the engine. As soon as the engine starts, a mechanism responsive to the centrifugal force of the rotating crankshaft of the engine disengages the impulse coupling. In a magneto employing an impulse coupling mechanism, a single spark is delivered to each piston for each stroke cycle.
In French Patent No. 2,287,595, an induction vibrator is described that employs a capacitive discharge circuit for concentrating energy from a battery source and delivering the concentrated energy to the magneto having a "retard breaker." Because of the low frequency operation of the capacitive discharge circuit, the transformer used to pump energy into the storage capacitor and thereby concentrate energy from the battery is relatively large, heavy and inefficient--e.g., a volume of 125 cubic centimeters and a mass of 0.35 kilograms. Because of its considerable size and weight, an induction vibrator of the type disclosed in this French patent is impractical for applications in which size or weight is an important design consideration. For example, in an aircraft application, both size and weight are important design considerations that make impractical the use of the induction vibrator of the French patent. In portable power tools, such as small electrical generators, lawn mowers, pumps, etc. the relatively large size and weight of such an induction vibrator would also be considered impractical.
Although both a vibrator and an impulse coupling are reliable under conditions favorable for ignition, the energy they deliver to the plug is marginal in adverse conditions such as severe weather or poor operating conditions. For example, if an engine is re-started before it has cooled, the coil in the magneto is probably hot and, therefore, has a relatively high resistance. In such situations, starting of the engine may be difficult using only an induction vibrator or an impulse coupling. Also, as part of its normal use, the contact points of a magneto can go out of adjustment or the rotating magnets can lose some magnetism. These phenomena reduce the ability of the mechanized booster for the magneto to consistently deliver sparks of sufficient energy to reliably start the piston engine. Moreover, extreme weather conditions may cause even a magneto with a mechanical booster to not easily start the engine. It is also not uncommon for the spark plugs to be fouled by moisture, lead or fuel, particularly after the engine has sat idle and exposed to the ambient weather conditions for extended periods. In these situations, even a healthy magneto can have difficulty starting the engine. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to a lever control for steering a realistic driving toy. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
2. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improved railway car suspensions, and more particularly to improved means for stabilizing or dampening the load supporting spring suspension of a railway car so as to prevent the build up therein of vibration frequencies of objectionable amplitudes which can cause excessive swaying, rocking or bouncing of the rail car, especially of the new high volume rail cars, and can be dangerous when excessive.
It is well known that a railway car can be bounced vertically by several forces as the railway car proceeds down a railway track in operation. Most pronouned of these forces is the vertical bouncing produced when the wheels of the railway car pass over the rail joints of the track way. Other types of vertical forces can be imparted by objects on the railway track, or flat spots on the railway car wheel, etc.
It is this bouncing action that sets up forced vibrations in the spring suspension assembly of the railway car truck. This, in combination with the natural frequency of the springs of the railway car truck, determine the critical frequency of the car truck, and when the car truck is operated at speed at which this critical frequency occurs, an objectionable and dangerous bouncing action is set up in the spring suspension of the car truck. Even at speeds other than the critical frequency, it is desirable to minimize the forced vibrations incident to the car truck construction.
The earliest way to do this was to place the joints in the rails so that the rail joints on one side of the track are midway of the joints on the other side of the track. Since the bouncing by traveling over the rail joints are the main forces acting on the car truck, this minimized any vibrations incident to the track construction, and at this point one had to just make sure that the rail car truck was not operated at a speed to cause the critical frequency to be reached.
However, in addition to the spring vibrations incident to the vertical bounce of the car, there are other forced vibrations which are equally undesirable, such as, for example, the vibrations incident to the lateral swaying or roll of the car body, or the fore and aft lurching of the car body. All of these shock waves, and the forced vibration frequencies resulting therefrom vary in relation to the weight of the load, the center of gravity as effected by the density of such load, and the speed of operation. It was, therefore, found that the expedient of placing track joints on alternate sides of the track was not enough to provide a smooth riding suspension for a railway car. This was especially true when one considers the difference in weight between a loaded and an unloaded car, and now with the advent of the high volume or high-cube cars, the forced vibrations which could be set up by swaying or lurching of the car, and the effects of forced vibrations set up by the rail joints are even more undesirable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior to the present invention, many remedies have been tried to provide additional dampening force, and thus minimize the undesirable effects of these forced vibrations. My own prior U.S. Pat. No. 2,873,691 entitled, "Stabilizing Structure for Railway Car Spring Suspension" discloses a system particularly adapted for removing objectionable forced frequencies by the utilization of friction dampening means, together with different length springs to provide a different springing effect for loaded and unloaded railway cars. Because the inner and outer springs used are of two different lengths, this is known in the art as providing two-stage springing. My prior art patent provided a satisfactory solution to the problem of how to provide a railway car truck suspension which would provide satisfactory operation without objectionable resonance, both in a loaded, and unloaded, railway car.
My U.S. Letters Patent No. 4,333,403 entitled, "Retainer Railway Car Truck Bolster Spring" also relates to this problem, and provides a more satisfactory way of holding the inner coil spring in relation to the outer coil spring.
However, as the need for increased efficiency made itself felt in the American railway industry, thus forcing the move to larger and larger volume box cars, and resulting in what is known as the high volume or high-cube car, this type of railway truck suspension was not adequate, as the additional height of the car made the truck suspension acutely susceptible to forces providing objectable roll during operation of the railway car.
Essentially, two operational problems are encountered in the movement of, for example, one hundred ton high volume covered and open top hopper cars. One of these is the tendency of the cars to rock excessively when loaded, and the other problem is the operation of these cars empty.
Attempts to provide additional dampening took two directions. The use of non-linear, variable, fixed springs to control vibration of these freight cars was attempted without success due to the lack of space, and the need to control coupler height.
Thus, the only other solution that was found satisfactory was to utilize addtional hydraulic dampening or snubbing devices. However, this solution is not satisfactory because it results in the spring deflection of empty cars being very small, causing the aforementioned excessive rocking, and the very heavy spring rates needed give an objectionable ride under partially loaded conditions. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an evaporator that forms a looped heat pipe system with a condenser, a vapor transport line, and a liquid transport line, and a method of manufacturing the evaporator, and more particularly, to an evaporator for a looped heat pipe system, including an additional layer, in which a plurality of through hole pores are formed, and that is formed on an vaporization surface of a sintered wick inside the evaporator, so that a working fluid may flow a relatively long distance and under a relatively high heat flux condition.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic components such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a semiconductor chip, used in various electronic devices such as computers generate a lot of heat during operation. The electronic components are designed to perform their functions usually at room temperature, and thus if the heat generated during operation is not effectively dissipated, not only is performance of the electronic components degraded but the electronic devices are damaged in some circumstances.
Examples of methods of cooling electronic components may be a thermal conduction method using a heat sink, a method using natural air convection and radiation, a forced convection method using a fan, a method using liquid circulation, and a submerged cooling method.
However, as electronic products are reduced in size to be slim, installation intervals between electronic components thereof that generate heat during operation are continuously reduced, and thus, currently, the heat generated during use of the electronic products is not properly dissipated. Also, due to the high integration degree and high performance of the electronic components, a heat generation load of the electronic components is continuously increasing, and thus it is difficult to cool the electronic components using the above-described conventional cooling methods.
As a new technology for solving this problem, a phase change heat transport system capable of cooling electronic components having a highly thermal density has been introduced. One example of the phase change heat transport system is a cylindrical heat pipe.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, a typical cylindrical heat pipe 100 is used to perform cooling as a working fluid is circulated using a capillary pumping force of a sintered wick 102 installed on an inner wall of the cylindrical heat pipe 100.
Upon receiving heat from a heat source 101, the working fluid contained in the sintered wick 102 is evaporated and is transferred along an arrow 103 denoting a vapor flow, and then heat of the working fluid is taken away by a heat sink 104, and the working fluid is condensed again and flows through the sintered wick 102 along an arrow 105 denoting a liquid flow, by a capillary pumping force, to thereby circulate.
However, although dependence of a heat pipe on a gravity field is low, there are still limitations regarding arrangement of components; for example, if a condensation section is located below an evaporation section in a gravity field, heat transport capability of the heat pipe decreases greatly. Thus, if the heat pipe is applied as a cooling system in an electronic product, the heat pipe may be a restriction on a structure of the electronic product.
In addition, since a vapor and a liquid flow in opposite directions in a straight cylindrical heat pipe, the vapor and the liquid mix in a middle portion of the pipe. Through the mixture, an amount of heat to be transferred is substantially reduced compared to a heat amount that can be transferred theoretically.
A looped heat pipe (LHP) system is suggested as an ideal heat transfer system to solve the problems due to the structure restriction and the mixing of a vapor and a liquid.
An LHP system is a type of capillary pumped loop heat pipe (CPL) developed by NASA of the US in order to dissipate large amounts of heat generated in communication devices or electronic devices for artificial satellites.
FIG. 2 is a schematic conceptual diagram of a conventional LHP system 110. The conventional LHP system 110 includes a condenser 112, an evaporator 114, and a vapor line 116 and a liquid line 118 that connect the condenser 112 and the evaporator 114 to one another to thereby form a loop.
FIG. 3 is a schematic conceptual diagram illustrating an operation of the LHP system 110 of FIG. 2.
The evaporator 114 includes a compensation chamber 112 that accommodates a working fluid that is to be liquefied before permeating into a sintered wick 120 included in the evaporator 114, to buffer the working fluid. In the LHP system 110, the sintered wick 120 is installed only in the evaporator 114, unlike the conventional straight heat pipe 100 (see FIG. 1).
The LHP system 110 having the above-described structure operates according to the following principle.
First, when a heating plate 124 of the evaporator 114 contacting a heat source such as a heat generating component is heated, a working fluid permeated into the sintered wick 120 is heated to a saturation temperature by heat transmitted from the heating plate 124, and is changed into a vapor.
The generated vapor is transferred to the condenser 112 along a vapor line 116 connected to a side of the evaporator 114. Next, as the vapor passes through the condenser 112 and dissipates heat to the outside, the vapor is condensed, and the condensed working fluid is moved to the evaporator 114 again along a liquid line 118 connected to the condenser 112, thereby repeating the above-described operation to cool the heat source 101.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the sintered wick 120 is bonded to an inner circumferential surface of the evaporator 114, and a space formed by the inner circumferential surface of the sintered wick 120 forms a vapor passage through which the working fluid is changed into a vapor and moves to the vapor line 116.
Meanwhile, the working fluid in a liquid state is changed into a vapor on a surface of the sintered wick 120. Accordingly, this surface is referred to as an evaporation interface or a vapor-liquid interface.
The working fluid circulates while passing by points denoted by P1 through P7. The working fluid is evaporated at the point P1, and the evaporated working fluid moves to the point P2 through the vapor path inside the evaporator 114, and then moves to the point P3 along the vapor line 116. By passing from the points P3 and P4 at an inlet to the point P5 at an outlet of the condenser 112, the working fluid in a vapor state is condensed again. The working fluid in a liquid state passes by the point P6 at the inlet of the evaporator 114 along the liquid line 118 and passes a compensation chamber 122 and is absorbed by the sintered wick 120 at the point P7 to move to the point P1 again.
Meanwhile, in the LHP system 110, a force that causes movement of the working fluid is a capillary pumping force of the sintered wick 120. The capillary pumping force is related to a diameter of pores formed in the sintered wick 120.
That is, if the diameter of pores formed in the sintered wick 120 is reduced, a capillary pumping force is increased. However, at the same time, as the size of pores is reduced, permeability of the sintered wick 120 decreases. Thus, it is difficult to obtain desired cooling performance just by adjusting a size of pores in the sintered wick 120.
Consequently, a sintered wick included in an evaporator used in an LHP system needs to be configured such that a capillary pumping force is increased but permeability is not decreased, so that a working fluid may be effectively circulated. | {
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The conventional pneumatic tool is generally composed of a housing in which an air chamber and an air duct are located. The air duct is in communication with the air chamber in which a fan blade is located such that the fan blade is linked with a working portion. The compressed air is guided into the air chamber to drive the fan blade so as to work the working portion.
Such conventional pneumatic tool as described above is defective in design in that it makes use of a tubular body to connect the air duct and the source of the compressed air, and that a rotary joint is used to connect the tubular body and the housing. The rotary joint is often the source of trouble in view of the fact that the rotary joint can not meet the specification requirements of the pneumatic tool, and that the rotary joint is vulnerable to leak after the prolonged use of the pneumatic tool. In addition, the conventional pneumatic tool is provided with an extended air exhaust tube for reducing the noise level of the pneumatic tool. However, such extended air exhaust tube hardly works to reduce the noise level. Moreover, the air duct of the conventional pneumatic tool is provided with a flow adjusting cross rod for regulating the flow of the compressed air. In operation, the flow adjusting cross rod must be pulled along the axial direction and then rotated radially. In other words, the flow adjusting cross rod complicates the operation of the conventional pneumatic tool. | {
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This invention relates to an internal combustion engine and more particularly to a cam shaft drive incorporating a variable valve timing mechanism for operating the valves of such an engine.
It is well known that one of the factors that controls the performance of an internal combustion engine is the valve timing. Generally, the valves are operated by one or more cam shafts at a timed relationship to the rotation of the engine output shaft. Frequently, the intake valves are operated by the cam shaft that is different from that which operates the exhaust valves. Generally, the optimal valve timing for an engine varies, depending upon the speed and load at which the engine is operating. Thus, conventional engines having fixed valve timing arrangement generally are designed to provide a comprise between good running at low speeds and low loads and maximum engine output. Depending upon the use of the engine, the bias may be toward one or the other end of these two alternative ranges.
In order to improve performance over a wider range of engine speed and load conditions, it has been proposed to employ a variable valve timing arrangement (VVT) in the drive for the cam shafts. In this way, the timing relationship of the cam shafts can be adjusted so as to provide optimal performance for more running condition.
The variable valve timing mechanisms which have been proposed generally fall into two categories. With the first of these and the simpler arrangement, the timing of both cam shafts is generally altered in the same direction and at the same degree. This is done by interposing one variable valve timing mechanism in the timing drive between the engine output shaft and the cam shafts. This has the advantages of simplicity, lower cost and still provides greater flexibility in engine performance.
The other type of system includes a variable valve timing mechanism that is interposed between the drive for each of the cam shafts from the output shaft. This obviously doubles the number of components, including the control mechanism. It does, however, offer the possibility of a greater flexibility in overall engine performance.
It has been discovered, however, that there are a number of running conditions where the performance is optimal if both cam shafts are adjusted at the same phase angle. Other running conditions require a different adjustment between the cam shafts. Although this can be employed were it easily in an arrangement wherein there are independent variable valve timing mechanisms associated with each cam shaft, this makes the control strategy more complicated.
There has been proposed, therefore, an improved variable valve timing mechanism for an engine wherein two cam shafts may have their timing altered simultaneously or independently of each other, depending upon the running characteristics. Several embodiments of ways of accomplishing this are disclosed in the copending application of Kaoru Okui and Masahiro Uchida, entitled "Variable Valve Timing Mechanism for Engine", Ser. No. 09/471,887, filed Dec. 23, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,266, and assigned to the assignee hereof.
It is an object of this invention to provide an additional embodiment of cam shaft drives that permit either simultaneous adjustment of the timing of both cam shafts or independent adjustment of the timing of the cam shafts relative to each other to those disclosed in the aforenoted co-pending application.
All of the embodiments in the aforenoted co-pending application employ plural chain drives for driving two cam shafts from the crankshaft. When chain drives are employed, they generally are positioned within the engine body and receive lubricant from the engine lubricating system for their lubrication. This has some disadvantages with servicing and can present some objectionable driving noise.
It is, therefore, a still further object to this invention to provide a variable cam shaft driving mechanism wherein the timing of the cam shafts can be adjusted simultaneously or independently and wherein at least part of the drive is through a toothed belt that need not be enclosed within the body of the engine.
Where a flexible driving belt is employed, it is desirable to maintain a short length for this belt in order to reduce the effects of belt stretch or elongation and to simply the driving arrangement. It is, therefore, a still further object to this invention to provide an improved variable valve timing drive for the cam shafts of an engine where at least part of the drive is accomplished through a drive belt that is maintained with a relatively short length.
In the drive mechanism shown in the aforenoted co-pending application, the cam shaft drives are all cantilevered on the outer end of the cam shafts and at a point spaced outwardly from the forward most journal therefore. This tends to put large bending loads on the cam shafts and also on the bearing surfaces.
It is, therefore, a still further object of this invention to provide a variable valve timing cam drive arrangement of this general type wherein the loading on the cam shaft bearing is reduced.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved cam shaft variable valve timing mechanism wherein simultaneous adjustment of both cam shafts can be accomplished through the use of one variable valve timing mechanism and adjustment of the timing of the cam shafts relative to each other is done by a separate variable valve timing mechanism. | {
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As electronic devices have gotten smaller and faster, the need for cooling systems has increased. Cooling systems may include multiple fans. For example, a computer may have a processor fan, a motherboard fan, a power supply fan, and/or a video card fan. Heat generating electrical components on the motherboard and in the power supply of the computer may heat up to varying degrees due to power dissipation caused by power loading. The various cooling fans may share a common air inlet, so fans for the motherboard and the power supply, for example, compete for air intake volumetric flow. The various cooling fans also create noise. Although the amount of noise produced has little impact on the performance of the fan or the system being cooled, noise can negatively affect people nearby. | {
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Cab fairings are often provided either extending from the rear of a pickup truck cab or from the sidewalls of a pickup truck bed. In general, cab fairings are often provided for decreasing the drag effect of airflow over the cab and also for aesthetic appeal. Exemplary cab fairings are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,229 to Lund, U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,779 to Lund, U.S. Design Pat. No. 281,487 to Chapman, U.S. Design Pat. No. 286,143 to Lund, U.S. Design Pat. No. 294,242 to O'Neill, and U.S. Design Pat. No. 295,084 to Weber.
Items placed within a pickup truck often have a tendency to move around or shift as the pickup truck is driven. There are techniques used to hold items in the bed of a pickup truck and prevent movement or shifting. Items are often tied down if there is something to which the item can be secured. | {
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Heretofore, polyvinyl chloride was used for a heat-shrinkable film for e.g. a shrink package, but in recent years, a block copolymer made of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and a conjugated diene or its resin composition has been used. There are various processes for producing the heat-shrinkable film, and as the simplest process, a production process called tubular method may be mentioned.
Patent Document 1 discloses that beyond expectation, it is extremely difficult to produce a heat-shrinkable film by using the above block copolymer made of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and a conjugated diene or its resin composition by means of a tubular method, and the temperature control in a stretching step is to be precisely carried out so as to stabilize forming. On the other hand, Patent Document 2 discloses that some kinds of block copolymers made of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and a conjugated diene are suitable for the tubular method.
The tubular method is a process for producing a heat-shrinkable film by extruding a molten resin from a ring-shaped die to obtain a tube, controlling the tube at a proper temperature, and then injecting air into the tube so as to expand it (hereinafter referred to as “bubble formation”) for stretching in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the film. A power required for stretching the film by the bubble formation can be determined from the difference between the outside pressure of the bubble and the inside pressure for forming the bubble by the injection of the air into the tube.
Specifically, compressed air is injected into the above expanded tube by a needle to form a bubble, a cooling temperature of the bubble is controlled or the position of a pinch roll for pinching the downstream side of the bubble is further adjusted, whereby the internal pressure of the bubble is adjusted so as to stabilize the bubble. However, the tube is continuously extruded, therefore there is a case where the thickness or diameter of the tube slightly changes and further the resin temperature slightly changes with time (hereinafter generally referred to as “variable factors in production”), whereby abnormal expansion (hereinafter referred to as “excess expansion”) or the like locally occurs at the time of bubble formation, and therefore it will be difficult to stably produce the film.
In order to prevent the occurrence of the excess expansion, it has been desired to develop a material which is less influenced by the variable factors in production while it is not so much required to seriously control e.g. the amount of air to be injected or the resin temperature.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-50-6673
Patent Document 2: JP-A-07-216186 | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk drive with a unique servo pattern of special calibration bursts that are "disposably" written in a data region, used for independently calibrating a read head and, if desired, later disposed of by being written over with data.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Related Information
A conventional disk drive contains a disk with a plurality of concentric data tracks and a "head" which generally comprises a "slider" that carries a read transducer and a write transducer. The drive has "servo" information recorded on this disk or on another disk to determine the position of the head. The most popular form of servo is called "embedded servo" wherein the servo information is written on the disk in a plurality of servo sectors or "wedges" that are interspersed between data regions. Data is conventionally written in the data regions in a plurality of discrete data sectors. Each data regions is preceded by a servo wedge. Each servo wedge generally comprises a servo header (HDR) containing a track identification (TKID) field and a wedge number (W#) field, followed by at least two angularly successive servo burst regions that define a plurality of burst pair centerlines. Each servo burst is conventionally formed from a series of magnetic transitions defined by an alternating pattern of magnetic domains. The servo control system samples the servo bursts with the read transducer to align the transducer with or relative to a burst pair centerline and, therefore, with or relative to a particular data track.
The servo control system moves the transducer toward a desired track during a "seek" mode using the TKID field as a control input. Once the transducer head is generally over the desired track, the servo control system uses the servo bursts to keep the transducer head over that track in a "track follow" mode. The transducer reads the servo bursts to produce a position error signal (PES). The PES has a particular value when the transducer is at a particular radial position relative to a burst pair centerline defined by the bursts and, therefore, relative to the data track center. The desired track following position may or may not be at the burst pair centerline or data track center.
The width of the write transducer is desirably narrower than the data track pitch. The servo information is recorded, therefore, to define a data track pitch that is slightly wider than the write transducer to provide room for tracking error. The servo information is usually recorded to define a data track pitch that is about 25% wider than the nominal width of the write transducer and conversely, therefore, the nominal write transducer is about 85% of the track pitch. The percentage is not exactly 85% for every transducer, however, since the width of the write transducer will vary from nominal due to typical manufacturing distributions.
FIGS. 1A and 3A show disks 12 having a plurality of servo wedges 211 comprising servo sectors 511 disposed in concentric tracks across the disk, and corresponding data regions 212 comprising data sectors 512 disposed in the concentric tracks between the servo wedges 211. For clarity, the disks 12 are simplified to show only four wedge pairs 211, 212 whereas a typical disk is divided into 70-90 wedge pairs. The servo wedges 211, moreover, are greatly exaggerated in width relative to the width of the data regions 212. Finally, the disks 12 of FIGS. 1A and 3A have only one annular "zone" of data sectors 512 from the inner diameter (ID) of the disk 12 to the outer diameter (OD), whereas an actual disk 12 usually has multiple concentric zones in order to increase the data capacity of the drive by packing more data sectors 512 in the larger circumference tracks near the OD.
FIGS. 1A and 1B, in particular, schematically represent an older disk drive having a disk 12 wherein each servo wedge 211 only has two angularly successive servo burst regions 221, 222 that contain A and B bursts, respectively. The servo bursts A,B moreover, are 100% bursts that stretch radially from data track center to data track center such that there is only one burst pair centerline (e.g. 412) per data track (an annular collection of data sectors 512). As shown in FIG. 1B, for example, the A and B bursts A(12), B(12) define a burst pair centerline 412 that coincides with the data track centerline (not separately numbered).
The disk drive of FIGS. 1A and 1B has a head slider 200 in which the same inductive transducer 201 both reads and writes data. When the R/W transducer 201 is on track center in such arrangement, it detects equal signal amplitudes from the two angularly successive, radially offset A and B bursts such that A-B=0. If the RAW transducer 201 is offset one way or the other from the burst pair centerline 412, an inequality exists between the signal amplitudes, such that A-B.noteq.0. The degree of inequality is normally derived from an algebraic position error signal (PES), such as A-B or A-B/A+B, that is proportional to the position error (PE) or mechanical offset of the RAW transducer 201 relative to the burst pair centerline 412.
The servo pattern of FIGS. 1A and 1B, however, contains nonlinear regions because the R/W transducer 201 becomes saturated when it is in certain positions. In particular, with only two 100% bursts and one burst pair centerline per data track, if the transducer is displaced too far from the burst pair centerline, the R/W transducer 201 may be completely over one of the bursts and no longer pass over any part of the other burst. The maximum linear signal (PES) occurs when displacement is one half of the transducer's physical width. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the 80% R/W transducer 201 of FIG. 1B can only be displaced by a maximum of 40% of a data track pitch from the burst pair centerline 412 and still pass over at least a portion of both bursts A(12), B(12) to develop a linearly varying A-B position error signal. The nonlinear regions where the head position is ambiguous are called "blind spots" or "gaps" 413, 414.
FIGS. 3A and 3B schematically represent the industry's solution to the gaps 413, 414 of FIG. 2. Here, the disk drive includes two additional, angularly successive servo burst regions 231, 232 to provide C and D bursts that fill the gaps between the A and B bursts. The C and D bursts are placed in "quadrature" with the A and B bursts in that the edges of the C and D bursts are aligned with the centers of the A and B bursts. With four 100% bursts A, B, C, D positioned in quadrature, there are two burst pair centerlines (e.g. 411, 412) per data track pitch, i.e. one burst pair centerline every 50% of a data track pitch. The 80% R/W transducer 201, therefore, will always pass over both parts of an A/B pair or a C/D pair because it is always within 25% of a data track pitch from an A/B or C/D burst pair centerline. FIG. 4 shows how the linear portions of the C-D position error signal which surround the C/D burst pair centerlines are radially aligned with the gaps in the A-B position error signal, and vice versa.
The industry recently began using magnetoresistive heads (MR heads) which contain two separate transducers--an inductive transducer for writing and a magnetoresistive transducer for reading.
An MR head is advantageous in providing an improved signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) to recover data in disk drives of high areal density. However an MR head also presents a number of disadvantages. In particular, the separate read and write transducers are necessarily spaced apart from one another along the length of the slider. As a result, their relative radial separation varies from ID to OD as the MR head is moved in an arc by a swing-type actuator.
The drive industry presently compensates for the variable radial separation between the transducers by "micro-jogging" the read transducer relative to a given burst pair centerline by an amount corresponding to the radial displacement at that cylinder. This jogging solution generally requires separate and distinct track following procedures for reading and writing. The drive can micro-jog when writing data or when reading data, but it is preferable to track follow on the burst pair centerline while writing and only jog when reading so that the data is consistently written to the same location. In a typical MR head drive, therefore, the read transducer track follows a burst pair centerline at the "null" position where the average PES=0 and the write transducer records the data track offset toward the ID or the OD by the amount of radial separation between the read and write transducers at this cylinder. For reading, the read transducer 102 is "micro-jogged" away from the null position of the burst pair centerline where the average PES=0, in order to align the read transducer 102 with the recorded data.
Although the MR head provides the abovementioned advantages of velocity insensitivity and areal density resolution, significant problems exist in practical usage due to the head being relatively narrow in width relative to a track width and, particularly in light of the need for microjogging, the head's limited linear response range. FIG. 5 is a response plot of an example 65% width MR head showing the position error signal (PES) produced by the head at various negative and positive off-track positions (Position Error) relative to a track centerline over 0 to .+-.50% of the track width. The head provides linear response over a range of .+-.5-7% indicated by region 121. In a region from about .+-.7-8% to about .+-.16-20%, indicated by regions 122, the response is non-linear but can be "linearized" using techniques known in the art. In the region from about .+-.20% to about .+-.33%, indicated by regions 123, the response is non-linear and difficult to linearize. Upward from .+-.33%, indicated by regions 124, the response is "saturated" indicating that the head can no longer resolve incremental burst amplitude for incremental offsets from track center.
The drive industry conventionally reduces the problems of narrow width and nonlinear response by adding more, closely spaced, burst pair centerlines. The additional burst pair centerlines are added by packing more servo bursts into the circumferential or radial dimensions of the disk. Adding more servo bursts in the radial dimension is generally preferred because it does not increase the angular width of the servo wedges and thereby reduce the area available for storing data. Adding more servo bursts in the radial dimension does, however, require bursts that are narrower than 100% of a data track pitch. For example, using four 2/3 track pitch bursts A, B, C, D on 1/3 track pitch offsets to create a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 pattern of three burst pair centerlines per data track pitch ensures that the read head is always within 1/6th of a data track pitch (16.67%) from a burst pair centerline, i.e. well within the non-saturated range of about .+-.20% for a typical magnetoresistive read transducer.
As shown in FIG. 5, however, the farther the magnetoresistive read transducer is displaced from a burst pair centerline, the more the corresponding servo signals or PES vary from the ideal. This increasingly nonlinear variance presents a problem even with the limited 16.67% micro-jogging capability required in the context of a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 servo pattern.
Moreover, manufacturing a disk drive with a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 pattern is relatively expensive because of the time needed to record the additional servo bursts as indicated below. If possible, therefore, it is desirable to calibrate the magnetoresistive read transducer 102 to increase its reasonably linear range beyond .+-.16.67% to at least .+-.25% so that the transducer 102 may be effectively micro-jogged .+-.25% using a less expensive, 1/2, 1/2 pattern that requires only two burst pair centerlines per data track.
A manufacturing fixture called a servo track writer (STW) is ordinarily used only to record servo information on the disks of a Head Disk Assembly (HDA) by mechanically moving the HDA's actuator to a given It reference position that is precisely measured by a laser interferometer or other precision measurement device. The HDA is then driven to record the servo bursts and other servo track information for that position. The process of precisely measured displacement and servo track writing is repeated to write all required servo tracks across the disk.
We could theoretically use the STW to calibrate the magnetoresistive read transducer by leaving the drive in the STW after recording the servo information. The calibration is possible because the STW provides us with the actual displacement from a reference position (i.e. a burst pair centerline where the PES=0). In general operation, the STW would move the HDA's actuator to a plurality of known off-center positions, and the HDA would read the servo signals at those positions and then associate the servo signals or resultant PES with actual displacement to develop a compensation table or formula.
Using the STW to perform the actual calibration, however, is undesirable for several reasons. First, an STW is a very expensive piece of machinery, costing $100,000.00 or more and therefore available in limited quantities. Increasing the time each HDA spends in the STW, therefore, adversely impacts production time and cost. Second, the STW undesirably consumes floor space. Finally, it is undesirable to calibrate the drive in the STW because the calibration must be performed prior to and independent of the detailed self calibration process which the disk drive performs later in the manufacturing cycle. This is a significant disadvantage because the parameters of the servo channel may change due to adjustments in DC bias current applied to the MR transducer or other factors. Accordingly, the calibrations made with the STW may become inaccurate or entirely invalid.
There remains a need, therefore, for a disk drive that can independently calibrate its read transducers after leaving the STW and without significantly reducing the disk drive's data storage capacity. | {
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A variety of dynamic systems exist, including systems for communications, controls, signal processing, video processing, and image processing. As systems have become more complicated, the development and testing of these systems have also become more complicated. Accordingly, computational tools have been developed to help model, simulate, and analyze such systems.
In one approach to modeling, simulating and analyzing systems, computational tools may represent systems as graphical models. Systems may be graphically modeled by decomposing components of the system into individual blocks. These blocks may then be connected to one another to form a block diagram model representing a system. | {
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The present invention is related to an apparatus and a method for the measurement of mass and/or moisture of dielectric objects.
With respect to the measurement of mass and/or moisture of dielectric objects, the present invention is based on the per se known microwave method, in which the object to be measured is put into a resonator. Due to its dielectric properties, the object changes an electromagnetic resonance impressed to the resonator. The mass and the moisture of the dielectric object is then determined from the change of the resonance curve and from the shift of the resonance frequency.
From EP 1 669 755 B1, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, a method for the measurement of the mass and/or moisture of the content of capsules is known. A measurement apparatus is provided for the measurement, which hast at least two resonators. The shift of the resonance frequency (A) and the broadening of the resonance curve (B) caused by the capsule are determined and analysed in both resonators. The first resonator has a measurement field which is homogeneous across the capsule extension, for determining the total mass and/or the moisture of the capsule. In the second resonator, in which the capsule is guided through a format-dependent sample guiding, the capsule content is not homogeneously distributed in the capsule due to the force of gravity, instead it is located in a part of the capsule by which a narrow measurement field for determining a location dependent profile of the mass and/or moisture is passed through. When the capsule format is changed, back fitting of the measurement arrangement with a new format dependent sample guiding is necessary.
From EP 1 467 191 B1, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, a method and an apparatus for determining the mass in portioned units of active ingredient is known. In the method, capsules, tablets or dragées are guided through a microwave resonator, which determines a shift of the resonance frequency and a broadening of the resonance curve. The measured variables serve for the determination of the mass with compensation of the moisture influence, wherein the mass is supposed to be directly proportional to the shift of the resonance frequency and directly proportional to the broadening of the resonance curve. However, it has come out that the results remain always affected by a certain degree of inaccuracy in certain applications.
From EP 0 372 992 A1, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, a measurement apparatus is known which has a spherical resonator. Into the resonator, two identical resonance modes are supplied, which have essentially the same resonance frequency, but different field orientations with respect to each other. The measurement assembly is intended for the determination of the mass of longitudinal filaments. The analysis of the results is based on the difference of the resonance frequency of the two modes. The difference of the resonance frequencies strongly depends on the mass as well as of the moisture, so that a measurement of the moisture not depending on the mass is not possible.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,124,662, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, a method for classifying objects which are accommodated in a resonator is known. In the centre of the resonator, the objects to be classified are penetrated by an electric field which is as strong as possible. In order to be able to measure the sample in a way which does not depend on its location in the centre of the resonator, the microwave radiation of the different directions is superimposed, so that they differentiate to a field of maximal field strength in the centre of the resonator. In that the sample moves through the superposition of three orthogonal fields with about the same resonances, the shape and the orientation of the sample is averaged, and the result does not depend on the location of the sample. The information is achieved by the rotation of the electric field vector and it does not represent an independent analysis in different directions of space. In this classification method, it is disadvantageous that only spatial arithmetic means can be measured, and thus the measurement resolution is limited. Further it is disadvantageous that the method works properly only when the sample body is placed exactly into the resonator centre. For this purpose, an additional sensor arrangement is necessary.
From DE 102 26 845 A1, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, an arrangement for the determination of the distribution of the complex permittivity of an object to be observed is known. Microwaves of one single frequency are fed into the resonator, and the amplitude and the phase of the transmitted and reflected signals are analysed. There is no analysis of the resonance of the resonator. In the measurement, the object to be measured rests in the resonator, which has only the function of shielding. The spatial distribution of the permittivity is examined in that microwaves are coupled in and out at different positions.
The present invention is based on the objective to provide an apparatus and a method for the measurement of the mass and/or the moisture of dielectric objects which permits a rapid and accurate measurement on the dielectric objects. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a machine tool including a processing machine processing a workpiece and a workpiece storage unit housing workpieces, and particularly relates to the sizes of workpiece housing spaces in the workpiece storage unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a workpiece storage unit of this type, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3047847 discloses one in which pallet storage shelves formed at plural levels in a vertical direction are arranged annularly circumferentially, and a carry arm capable of moving in the vertical direction, turning about a vertical axis, and moving in a horizontal direction is disposed in the center portion thereof. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in generate to a semiconductor device, and in particular to a semiconductor device which includes a first polysilicon resistance film and a second polysilicon resistance film and is improved so that both the resistance films may have equal resistances provided that they have the same pattern. The invention also relates to a manufacturing method of such semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 16 shows an example of a constant voltage circuit used in a bipolar linear circuit. The linear circuit is a kind of monolithic ICs also called as analog IC handling continuous signals. An output voltage V.sub.0 of the constant voltage circuit is a function of resistances R.sub.A and R.sub.B as shown in the following expression. EQU V.sub.0 =(R.sub.A /R.sub.B -1) V.sub.BE
where, R.sub.A and R.sub.B indicate the resistances of resistors formed of polysilicon, and V.sub.BE indicates a forward voltage of a transistor.
FIGS. 17 and 18 show layouts of patterns of the circuit shown in FIG. 16.
FIG. 26 is a cross section of a bipolar linear circuit device in the prior art. FIGS. 19-26 are cross sections showing a manufacturing method thereof. The manufacturing steps and a construction of the bipolar linear circuit in the prior art will be described.
Referring to FIG. 19, an n.sup.+ -type embedded diffusion layer 2 is formed in a surface of a P-type silicon substrate 1. An n.sup.- -type epitaxial layer 3 is formed on the whole surface of the P-type silicon substrate 1.
Referring to FIG. 20, desired regions of the n.sup.- -type epitaxial layer 3 are oxidized by a selective oxidization method to form thin insulating oxide films 4. Thin insulating oxide films 5 are formed in regions other than the thick insulating oxide films 4. The insulating oxide film 5 has a thickness of 50-100 nm, and the insulating oxide film 4 has a thickness of 800-1500 nm.
Referring to FIG. 21, a p.sup.+ -type element isolating layer 6 and a p.sup.+ base layer 7 are formed in regions surrounded by the insulating oxide films 4. Referring to FIG. 22, a polysilicon film 8 of about 50.varies.500 nm in thickness is deposited on the insulating oxide film 4 and thin insulating oxide film 5 by low pressure CVD method at a temperature of 500.degree.-700.degree. C. n-type or p-type impurity is introduced into the polysilicon film 8, e.g., by diffusion or ion implantation, thereby the resistance of polysilicon film 8 is controlled to be in a range from several tens .OMEGA./.quadrature. to several hundreds k.OMEGA./.quadrature..
Referring to FIG. 23, photolithography is used to form a photo resist pattern 9 on the polysilicon film 8. Using the photo resist pattern 9 as a mask, unnecessary polysilicon film is removed by the etching using Freon gas plasma, thereby a first polysilicon resistance film 8b is formed on the thin insulating oxide film 5, and a second polysilicon resistance film 8a is formed on the thick insulating oxide film 4. Thereafter, the photo resist pattern 9 is removed.
Referring to FIG. 24, the CVD method is used to deposit an insulating oxide film 10 on the whole surface of the silicon substrate 1. The photolithography and etching are used to selectively remove the insulating oxide film 10 and thin insulating oxide film 5 located in emitter and collector regions of the bipolar transistor. Thereafter, n-type impurity is diffused to form an n.sup.+ emitter layer 11a and an n.sup.+ collector layer 11b.
Referring to FIG. 25, the photolithography and etching are used to form openings, which reach the P.sup.+ base layer 7, first polysilicon resistance film 8a and second polysilicon resistance film 8b, respectively, in the insulating oxide film 10. Then, metal electrodes 12 are formed, which are connected through these openings to n.sup.+ emitter layer 11a, p.sup.+ base layer 7, n.sup.+ collector layer 11b, first polysilicon resistance film 8b and second polysilicon film 8a, respectively.
Referring to FIG. 26, a plasma nitride film 13 is formed as a final protection film on the whole surface of the silicon substrate 1 by a low-temperature plasma enhanced CVD method at a temperature of 250.degree.-400.degree. C. using gas containing SiH.sub.4 +NH.sub.3. The plasma nitride film 13 obtained by the low-temperature plasma enhanced CVD method contains a large amount of hydrogen ion (H.sup.+).
Although not shown, the photolithography and etching technique are then used to remove the plasma nitride film 13 located on a bonding pad to form the bonding pad. After the subsequent thermal processing at 350.degree. C.-450.degree. C. and a series of manufacturing steps of the semiconductor device, the semiconductor device is completed.
Since the bipolar linear circuit device in the prior art has the construction described above, it has following problems.
FIG. 27 is an enlarged view of a portion in which the first and second polysilicon resistance films 8b and 8a in FIG. 26 exist.
Referring to FIG. 27, the heat treatment is applied to the plasma nitride film 13 deposited on the silicon substrate 3, and the hydrogen ion (H.sup.+) contained in the plasma nitride film 13 is supplied to grain interfaces in the first and second polysilicon resistance films 8b and 8a. In this case, the amounts of the hydrogen ion supplied to the polysilicon resistance films 8a and 8b from the upper side are substantially equal to each other. However, the amounts of the hydrogen ion supplied into the polysilicon resistance films 8a and 8b from the lower sides are different from each other. Specifically, the thin insulating oxide film 5 is disposed under the first polysilicon resistance film 8b, and the thick insulating oxide film 4 is formed under the second polysilicon resistance film 8a. Therefore, a larger amount of hydrogen ion is supplied through the thick insulating oxide film 4 into the second polysilicon resistance film 8a. As a result, the resistance R.sub.A of the second polysilicon resistance film 8a is lower than the resistance R.sub.B of the first polysilicon resistance film 8b. Generally, the resistance R.sub.A is lower than the resistance R.sub.B by approximately 10%.
As stated above, the output voltage V.sub.0 of the constant voltage circuit depends on the resistances R.sub.A and R.sub.B and the forward voltage V.sub.BE of the transistor. Therefore, if the amounts of the supplied hydrogen ion are different from each other, the resistances R.sub.A and R.sub.B unequally change, and thus the output voltage V.sub.0 intended by the circuit design cannot be obtained. | {
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Time interleaved (or multi-channel) architecture is commonly used in semiconductor or other devices to provide parallelism in circuit design. As circuit speed, resolution and complexity are ever increasing, the demands on circuit design are immense. Time interleaved architecture assists in meeting these demands by providing a mechanism for relaxing the criteria without foregoing circuit performance. As shown in FIG. 8(a), for example, the time-interleaved architecture is typically composed of a plurality of parallel channel devices 82a, 82b, . . . 82m generating a plurality of channel output signals which are ultimately combined as a single output using a device such as multiplexer 84.
Many advantages arise from the use of such a time-interleaved architecture. For example, in a circuit design requiring a final speed of Fs, utilizing a time-interleaved architcture, a series of m channels (e.g., channels 1, 2, . . . m, as in FIG. 8 (a)) can be used. Where each channel is designed to perform the required functions in parallel, the individual channels need only be designed to perform at the less demanding speed of Fs/m. The circuit design on each individual channel therefore is relaxed and more manageable.
To successfully implement any time-interleaved architecture, a precise delay multi-phase clock generator is required. As shown in FIG. 8(a), a plurality of sample and hold devices 80a, 80b, . . . 80m must sample the input signals at precise intervals to provide the correct input signal samples to the plurality of channel devices 82a, 82b, . . . 82m. The multi-phase clock signals xcfx861, xcfx862, . . . xcfx86m must therefore be precise in the time intervals between clock phases. Ideally, the delay between any adjacent phases should be exactly the same, i.e., xcfx861, xcfx862, . . . uniformly distributed within one clock period m/Fs, xcex94td1=xcex94td2= . . . =xcex94tdm=1/Fs, as shown in FIG. 8(b).
In real-world applications, however, random variations of the sampling signals is unavoidable. The instability of every individual clock phase itself makes precise sampling difficult. The instability is often caused by noise sources (commonly known as xe2x80x9cjitterxe2x80x9d) on the device itself (e.g., integrated circuit or xe2x80x9cchipxe2x80x9d). Jitter raises the noise floor, thus, reducing signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Variations in the sampling signals may also be attributed to mismatches in the device, the channel, or both. Such mismatches may introduce tones into the operation, thereby reducing spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR). Such random variations in the sampling signals is often critical to the effectiveness of the time-interleaved architecture.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, a time-interleaved (or multi-phase) architecture is provided having individual control of a plurality of output signals or phases. The time-interleaved architecture may be implemented using a first set of delay cells such as those in a ring oscillator or a delay line device receiving overall control of its output signals by a global control signal. The global control signal may be issued by a phase-locked loop, delay-locked loop, or other like structure. A second set of delay cells is provided to further delay the output signals produced by the first set of delay cells. The second set of delay cells are controlled by individual control signals uniquely calibrated in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention to provide uniform (or substantially) uniform time spacing between output signals. | {
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The present invention relates generally to communications systems, and more specifically to a space diversity receiver for TDMA (time division multiple access) burst signals which are likely to be affected by intersymbol interference due to multipath reception.
Multipath distortion is the result of simultaneous reception of a signal direct from the point of transmission and delayed signals reflected off buildings and the like. Decision-feedback equalization and most likelihood sequence estimation techniques are currently receiving attention for correcting errors in high-speed burst signals on multipath reception as discussed in Proakis, "Digital Communications", McGraw-Hill, 1983. Space diversity reception for burst signals is also discussed in William C. Y. Lee, "Mobile Communication Engineering", McGraw-Hill, 1982. These techniques are not successful for applications in which a substantial amount of delay is involved in multipath reception. Space diversity reception for burst signals using decision-feedback equalization is described in "Adaptive Equalization of the Slow Fading Channel", IEEE Transactions on Communications, Peter Monsen, Vol. COM-22, No. 8, August 1974. However, the shortcoming of this approach is that practical realizations would result in circuitry which is too complex to implement receivers at a moderate cost. | {
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This invention relates generally to the field of seal fittings. In particular, this invention relates to a frusto-conical seal fitting designed for low permeation of pressurized fluids such as refrigerants.
In certain systems such as air conditioning systems in automobiles, it is necessary to provide a pathway for pressurized fluid such as Freon or other refrigerants. These pathways are commonly constructed of metal tubing and include numerous fittings as a way of linking sections of tubing together, linking componentry and simplifying construction of the pathways. The sizes and shapes of these parts may be adjusted as required.
However, the fittings may become vulnerable to leaks and other structural weaknesses in the pathway. This can result in a loss of some pressurization, or xe2x80x9cpermeation,xe2x80x9d and reduces the amount of fluid in the system. The loss of pressurization reduces the efficiency of the system and can lead to further damage to the system.
Many different techniques have been utilized to reduce the permeation of gas or fluid out of a closed system utilizing fittings. These techniques reduce permeation in a limited fashion, but it is desirable to reduce permeation even further. U.S. Pat. No. 3,368,832, for example, discloses a conduit and tube coupling for use in a system containing pressurized fluid or gas. The conduit and tube coupling consists of three separate components and an o-ring to complete the seal. An area is provided within the interior of the outer piece such that when the two inner pieces are secured together, one of the inner pieces expands outwardly into the open area of the outer piece. The o-ring seals the space between one inner piece and the outer piece. The expansion of the inner piece and the o-ring act to create a seal in the coupling and to prevent pressurized gas or fluid from escaping. However, the o-ring used in this invention is relatively thin. The thin material can allow some pressurized gas or fluid to permeate slowly from the system over time.
As another example of the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,243 discloses a coupling for a gas container utilizing a metallic washer and a sloped surface. The washer contacts the sloped surface and provides a seal for a fitting in a system containing pressurized gas. The fitting consists of three components: a male component, a female component and a washer having a conical shape. A nut is positioned over the outside of the female component to hold the components together. The washer is positioned between a sloped surface of the female component and a sloped surface of the male component. The metal washer does not allow gas or fluid permeation over the life of the system. However, metal washers necessitate a near perfect fit, and are not forgiving to imperfections in the surfaces of the components. This creates an extra expense due to the complexity of the manufacturing process.
Other patents have also addressed the permeation problem in this type of system. For example, Italian Pat. No. 571178 illustrates a conical seal similar to the ""243 patent. A thick conical seal is shown between two smooth sloped mating surfaces, once again increasing the path necessary for permeation. French Pat. No. 889.819 also illustrates a similar concept, except that the conical seal is even longer, increasing the permeation path to a greater extent.
French Pat. No. 1.463.952 illustrates a fitting similar to the ""832 patent. An area of one component of the fitting is expanded into an open area in another component to complete the seal. Steps are defined in the open areas of the female component that create a tighter seal once the interior component is expanded. A separate sealing piece is not used in this design.
Russian Pat. No. 974,016 illustrates the use of a component with steps on its exterior surface. The component is mated with a union nipple having annular inclined elements in the shape of a comb and corresponding to the steps in the piece. The annular elements contact the steps and provide a metal-to-metal seal. Again, the metal-to-metal seal necessitates extremely precise manufacturing.
All of these inventions improve the efficiency of a system containing pressurized gas or fluid. However, it is still desirable to improve the efficiency of this type of fitting.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a seal fitting includes a generally frusto-conical male component with a plurality of annularly stepped portions on its exterior surface and an annularly extending groove defined on one end. A frusto-conical elastomeric seal is also provided in contact with the stepped portions on the male component and a female component is provided that has a frusto-conical opening adapted to receive the male component and compress the frusto-conical seal between the male and female components.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a seal fitting includes a generally frusto-conical male component with a plurality of annularly stepped portions on its exterior surface and an axially extending passage defined within the male component. A frusto-conical seal is provided to substantially cover the exterior surface and the stepped portions on the male component. A female component is provided with a frusto-conical opening defined in its interior to receive the male component. The female component also has an axial passage defined within its interior.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a seal fitting includes a generally frusto-conical male component having a first end, a second end and an exterior surface. A frusto-conical seal adapted to cover at least a portion of the male component is provided along with a female component having a first and a second end. A frusto-conical opening is defined in axially within the female component and a plurality of stepped portions extend from at least one of the male and female components.
The invention may also be embodied in a method for preventing the permeation of pressurized fluid from a fitting. The method includes the steps of providing a male component having a generally frusto-conical exterior surface with a plurality of annularly extending steps on its exterior surface and an axially extending passage defined therein and a female component with a frusto-conical opening on one end and a passage extending axially therein. The method also includes the step of placing a seal adapted to conform to the exterior surface of the male component over the male component and inserting the male component into the frusto-conical opening of the female component so that the seal is compressed between the components. | {
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1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a winch, and more particularly to a side-threading winch which can be quickly affixed to a choke strap, and tightening the same.
2) Prior Art
Choke straps are used by crane operators and the like to attach the crane hook to the object to be lifted. During lifting, the object has a desired orientation. The desired orientation is dependent on a number of possible considerations, including, but not limited to: the size of the space through which the object is to be moved, whether the object being lifted is to be connected to another device having a precise orientation, the levelness of the object being lifted (i.e. a pallet loaded with multiple objects that are only partially secured), and the effectiveness of the choke during the lift. If the orientation is wrong, the choke strap may not be secured, causing the choke to shift and the object being lifted to sift further or fall. The proper positioning and the effective length of the choke straps determines whether the desired orientation is achieved. To confirm that in fact the choke straps are properly positioned the crane operator will usually lift the object only slightly off its supporting surface, thereby confirming that none of the straps are slack, and that the object has the proper orientation. If a strap is slack or the orientation is wrong then a strap is not carrying the desired proportion of the load. Also, a slack choke strap is an indication that the center of gravity is off-line of the lifting force, and a disproportionate weight will be placed one or more of the other choke straps. To correct loose strap(s) and the orientation, the crane operator sets the object back down on its supporting surface, and the choke strap(s) is adjusted. The adjustment is usually made by either repositioning its choke position on the object, by adding another wrap to the strap, by using a shorter choke strap or by a combination thereof. The adjustment process to remove the slack is time consuming, and often has to be repeated numerous times because it is largely one of an educated guess. The problem is especially difficult to correct when the object has a complex asymmetrical shape.
What is needed a means whereby the slack can be quickly taken out of the choke strap with out either repositioning the strap, adding another wrap to the strap or changing to a shorter length strap. A possible solution is to attach the choke strap to a come-along. As a practical matter the addition of a come-along to the strap cures one problem, but causes another. The come along adds length to the choke strap, and accordingly shorter strap must be used to accommodate for the length of the come-along. The come-along adds weight, and if multiple choke straps are fitted with come-alongs, then the overall usable lifting force is lowered. Most come-alongs have a handle which can become entangled with the other straps. Since, it is not known in advance which strap will need to be adjusted, one could potentially pre-fit each strap with a come-along. The addition of multiple come-alongs also costs, increases the possibility for mechanical failure and therefore poses a safety problem. Another possible solution to removing the slack is to attach an end of the strap to a conventional strap winch. Similar problems are encountered, plus a conventional strap winch requires end on threading. What is further needed is a means of adjusting the strap that does not require the strap to be changed, does not disconnect from either the object or the crane hook, does not add length to the strap, and does not require end on threading.
The invention is a device which enables the effective length of a strap, and in particular a choke strap already attached, to be quickly adjusted. Choke straps can be of any width, but are typically 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 inches wide and xc2xc inch thick. The choice of the appropriate strap is largely dependent on the weight of the object being lifted. At least two, and often three or more straps are employed to give the object proper orientation when lifted. The invention is a device that can be attached to a choke strap without disconnecting the strap, a device that does not require end on threading, a device that does not add length to the strap, and a device that does not interrupt the continuity of the strap. In the scenario described in the Background of the Invention, when the crane operator lifts the object slightly off the supporting surface, and finds that a strap is loose, the invention can be fitted onto the choke strap, and the strap can be shorten to the needed effective length. The choke strap need not be repositioned, changed or wrapped. The choke strap is left attached to the object and the crane hook. The invention is a side-threading winch, wherein in contrast to a conventional winch where the strap is threaded from an end of the strap, the strap is threaded along a longitudinal edge. The invention can also be end threaded like a conventional winch. The quick adjusting choke winch is appropriately sized so that multiple width straps can be accommodated. For instance, one size quick adjusting choke winch can accommodate a 2, 3 and 4 inch wide strap. The quick adjusting choke winch is comprised of: a base plate having a bearing; an open-ended split-center shaft; at least two pack rollers for controlling the tangential angle of the strap being wound; a means for guiding the strap within the winch; a ratchet plate; a releasable main pawl, main pintle and main torsion spring; a releasable safety pawl safety pintle and safety torsion spring; a means for turning the open-ended split-center shaft; a cover plate; and at least one fastening element for attaching the cover plate. The ratchet plate is co-axially affixed to the open-ended split-center shaft, so that when the ratchet turns the open-ended split-center shaft turns through the same rotation. The ratchet plate is mounted proximal to the base plate, but preferably not in contact with the base plate. Mounted on the same side of the plate are an end of the open-ended split-center shaft, an end of the at least two pack rollers, the means for guiding the strap, an end of the main pintle, and an end of the safety pintle. The cover plate is removably mounted to at least the pack rollers, and receives the open-end of the split-center shaft. The split-center of the open-ended split-center shaft has an opening that is sufficiently wide to receive the thickness of the strap. This thickness is commonly between xe2x85x9 and xc2xd of an inch, with the most common thickness being xc2xc of an inch. It is understood that larger or smaller variations of the invention are anticipated, and do not fall outside the scope of the invention. The at least two pack rollers, the means for guiding the strap, and the open-ended split-center shaft, like wise, have a sufficient length to wind the width of the choke strap. The diameter of the open-ended split-center shaft and the diameter of the ratchet determine the length of strap that can be wound. For instance if the strap material is 0.25 inches, then a 1.0 inch diameter open-ended split-center shaft and 5.0 inch ratchet can hold 6.25 feet. Increasing the shaft to 1.5 inches reduces the length to 6 feet, and increasing the ratchet diameter to 6 inches allows 8.8 feet to be wound. The means for turning the open-ended split-center shaft is a handle or a powered wrench or both. If the means for turning the open-ended split-center shaft is a handle, then the handle is preferably removable, like a socket wrench. If the means is a powered wrench, then a lug wrenches, such as pneumatic or electric wrench, is preferred. Hydraulic wrenches are also anticipated. Many wrenches now, like lug wrenches, are available as either powered or manual.
The means for guiding the strap comprises a first pair of rollers and a second pair of rollers, wherein an end of each of the rollers is mounted on the base plate such that the rollers of the first pair of are separated by a distance slightly wider than the thickness of the strap, and the rollers of the second pair of are similarly separated, and such that the first pair of rollers guides the strap on one side of the open-ended split-center shaft, and the second pair of rollers guides another portion of the strap on another side of open-ended split-center shaft. An end of each roller of the first pair and an end of each roller of the second pair of rollers are mounted on the base plate such that the rollers are distal to the open-ended split-center shaft. The means for guiding the strap further comprises a first backlash roller and a second backlash roller, where an end of the first backlash roller is mounted radial to the open-ended split-center shaft and outside of a normal thread path, and where, on another side of open-ended split-center shaft, an end of the second backlash roller is mounted radial to the open-ended split-center shaft and outside of a normal thread path. The cover plate comprises apertures for receiving an opposing end of the rollers of the first pair, the first backlash roller and the second backlash roller.
The fastening elements for attaching the cover plate are one or more elements selected from the group consisting of quick connecting pins, nuts, cap nuts, wing nuts, cotter pins, ring pins, snap rings, rivets, snaps, spring loaded cams, and the like. The preferred choice of element can be optimized so that for instance a powered wrench or electric screwdriver can be used to attach the fastening elements.
The releasable main pawl of the quick adjusting choke winch is comprised of an elongated pawl, a control arm and a hub, where the control arm has a length that is sufficient to easily apply thumb pressure to disengage the pawl, and where the length is short enough so as to not project beyond an orthogonal plane defined by a perimeter edge of the base plate. The releasable main pawl has a locking mechanism by which the releasable main pawl can be disengaged from the ratchet. The locking mechanism is preferably a thumb switch which shifts a rod such that when the control arm is first depressed, the control arm is restrained by the rod. Alternatively, the locking mechanism can merely be a projection emanating from the base plate, such when the control arm is depressed it slides over the projection. Also, the locking mechanism can be a cam which moves the torsion spring such that torsional force is no longer applied to the main pawl. There is a second pawl, which is a releasable safety pawl. The safety pawl comprises an elongated safety pawl, a safety control arm, and a safety hub. The safety control arm has a length and leverage that is sufficient to easily apply thumb pressure to disengage the pawl, and where the length is short enough so as to not project beyond an orthogonal plane defined by a perimeter edge of the base plate. When the locking mechanism is engaged and simultaneously the safety control arm is depressed, then the open-ended split-center shaft and ratchet can rotate freely. Otherwise, the ratchet is always locked. It is anticipated that additional safety locks can be incorporated into the invention. When a socket wrench type handle is employed the ratcheting action of the handle can be set so that even when the open-ended split-center shaft and ratchet are free to rotate, the handle does not.
The various rollers of the quick adjusting choke winch are comprised of at least one sleeve which rotates on a roller shaft, wherein the roller shaft has an smaller diameter axial end for mounting to the base plate, and a smaller axial opposing end for affixing the cover plate to the roller.
The open-ended split-center shaft comprises a larger two lobe winding drum, wherein the lobes are separated by a distance that is greater than the thickness of the strap, a substantially solid section to which the ratchet attaches, a smaller axial end comprised of a journal and bushing for retaining the journal, and a machined end for connecting to the handle. Optionally, the two lobe winding drum further comprises a secondary journal and a secondary bushing, wherein the secondary bushing is fitted with a secondary collar. The cover plate further comprises a secondary bearing for receiving the open-ended split-center shaft. The bushing of the primary journal is fitted with a collar or some other suitable restraining/centering mechanism to prevent the open-ended split-center shaft from drifting.
The quick adjusting choke is side-threaded by temporarily removing the cover plate, or end threaded like a convention winch. | {
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A tillable converter of this type is known, for instance, from DE-C-27 39 540 and from DE-A-29 31 67 1. With these known conveyers, the convertor vessel is supported on the carrying ring surrounding the same, by means of guide rods configured, at least partially, as so-called "triangular guide rods", wherein a triangular guide rod is meant to be a guide rod that is hinged either to the converter vessel or to the carrying ring at one end by means of two spaced-apart spherical bearing and to the carrying ring or the converter vessel, respectively, at its other end by means of a single spherical bearing.
Due to this type of configuration of the guide rods, in particular due to unavoidable deformations of the converter vessel, unforeseeable and uncalculatable forces are created stressing the guide rods not only by tension or pressure, but also by bending. The introduction of force both into the carrying ring and into the converter vessel is not precisely determined such that an excessively high stress may additionally be exerted on the guide rods.
Add to this that, due to the arrangement of the known guide rods both on the upper and on the lower sides of the carrying ring, the guide rods arranged on the upper side of the carrying ring, in addition, are subjected to a high thermal load. Further difficulties may arise due to ejections or overfoaming slag. Therefore, it is necessary with the known constructions to cover the guide rods arranged on the upper side of the carrying ring, which, in turn, involves difficulties in inspection and maintenance work. Moreover, the arrangement of the guide rods on the upper side of the carrying ring involves difficulties in the structural design of a slag protection means. | {
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Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a controllable drill head containing an elongated body of which one end is meant to be attached to a bore pipe and a spout element which has been mounted in a turnable manner on the other, foremost end of the body, in and opposite an opening in this body. | {
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The present invention relates to a device for preventing a tape cassette from erroneous insertion into a tape deck. More particularly, the invention relates to such device for preventing a digital audio tape cassette from being erroneously inserted into a take deck.
In a conventional analog audio equipment using a tape cassette, normal and reverse modes are provided for sound reproduction. Therefore, in case of insertion of the tape cassette in its lontidutinal direction into the audio equipment such as a take deck, the tape cassette can be inserted into the tape deck even if the tape is loaded upside down. Accordingly, a user only draws his attention to right and left sides of the tape (tape running or exposed side and opposite side) when inserting the tape into the deck. Further, in the analog audio tape cassette, cross-sectional configuration at the right side of the tape is different from that at the left side thereof, and the tape deck is provided with a cassette insertion hole whose configuration is in conformance with the right and left cross-sectional shapes of the tape cassette. Therefore, the user can easily insert the tape cassette into the tape deck by simply checking right and left side orientation of the tape cassette. As a result, erroneous tape insertion into the tape deck can be avoided.
In case of a digital audio tape cassette, there are provided a lid member at one side (for example right side) of the cassette and a slider at a bottom portion thereof. The lid member is pivotally provided for selectively exposing a running surface of a tape, and the slider is adapted for moving the lid member. The slider locks the lid member at its tape covering posture when the tape cassette is not loaded on a tape deck, and the slider is movable for releasing the locking state of the lid member in order to expose the running surface of the tape when the tape cassette is loaded on the deck.
Some of the conventional digital audio tape deck is designed to allow the tape cassette to be inserted in a direction parallel with the extending direction of the lid member, i.e., the tape cassette is inserted in longitudinal direction thereof. In this case, reproduction by the DAT cassette is performed only by the normal running direction, i.e., no reverse mode is provided because of the tape threading contact with a head drum. Therefore, it is necessary to insert the tape cassette in a correct orientation. More specifically, if the tape is inserted upside down, or if the tape is inserted reversely in right and left sides, the cassette cannot be correctly loaded onto the tape deck.
Further, the DAT cassette has a generally rectangular cross-section in which right and left sides have similar configuration to each other. Therefore, there is a likelihood that a user may reversely insert the tape cassette with respect to right and left sides thereof. If the tape cassette is loaded on the tape deck in erroneous orientation, various mechanical breakdown may occur.
Further, in the conventional DAT cassette, if the lid member is not commpletely closed at non-service period, the exposed tape may be contaminated with dusts or foreign objects or may be damaged. | {
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The present invention relates to a process, preferably operated continuously, and a device for working up different solvents such as are used for result in the preparation and extraction of a very wide variety of products, such as, for example, cellulose ethers. In the following text, "working up" is to be understood as meaning the treatment of materials in which different solvents are used or employed. In the process and the device according to the invention, the various solvents used are separated from one another and are kept separate. In the following text the process and the device are described primarily with reference to the particularly preferred application to cellulose ethers. It is to be understood, however, that the invention has broader application.
The preparation of cellulose ethers is known, such as, for example, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) or methylcellulose (MC) and mixed ethers thereof, in the presence of a moistening or suspending agent during the etherification reaction. Aqueous, aqeuous-organic or mixed organic moistening or suspending agents whose properties are particularly advantageous for the etherification reaction are employed in this process. It is also possible to use etherifying agents themselves, in excess, as a moistening or suspending agent.
The byproducts of the reaction (for example, salts) formed in the course of the etherification must subsequently be removed from the reaction product in order to prepare purified products. It is known in this connection that the moistening or suspending agent used in the reaction as a rule has only a small capacity for dissolving salts and does not contribute substantially to purifying the cellulose ether. The extraction of the impurities from the reaction product is therefore carried out by means of an extracting agent which is better suited to this purpose.
After the reaction, the moistening or suspending agent must be removed from the cellulose ether. Various separation processes, operating continuously or discontinuously, are employed for this removal. Typical for this use are mechanical separation equipment (for example, decanters, filters or centrifuges) or dryers (for example, rotary vacuum dryers or pneumatic dryers which have been rendered inert). In the case of cellulose ethers which are insoluble in hot water, the moistening or suspending agent can be expelled in hot water.
In the case of the mechanical separation processes the moist, crude cellulose ether still contains a certain content of the moistening or suspending agent. This content becomes mixed with the second solvent or solvent mixture which has been specially selected for the extraction. Thus, subsequent to the extraction, an involved separation by distillation of the solvents becomes necessary to enable them to be recycled to the etherification reaction or extraction.
In the course of the removal of the moistening or suspending agent from the crude reaction product by drying, the particles of cellulose ether become horny as a result of the heat treatment. The hornification closes the surface of the particles, so that penetration by the extraction agent in the course of the subsequent extraction with the solvent particularly selected for this purpose is impaired. This causes a prolonged extraction time or a greater usage of solvent. A further disadvantage of intermediate drying of the crude cellulose ether lies in the fact that the dissolving quality of the purified cellulose ether is impaired as a result of the hornification.
In the case of cellulose ethers which are soluble in hot water, when the reaction medium is expelled by means of hot water, the content of reaction medium which has entered the water must subsequently be removed by expensive methods.
A process and a device of the type described above are known, for example, from the literature reference "Proceedings of the Filtration Society, Filtration and Separation", 1979, pages 176-180 and from DE-B 2,038,310, EP-A 0,052,337 (=U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,024) and EP-A 0,053,741 (=U.S. Pat. 4,404,370). When using the processes and devices of the state of the art, however, the different solvents are obtained in the course of the separation as a common mixture of solvents which is only separated at the end of the process. | {
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The invention relates generally to computer architectures and more specifically to the management of pipelining in a superscalar, superpipelined processor.
Superscalar processors allow the execution of multiple instructions simultaneously. Historically, computer software has been generally programmed as a sequence of instructions, with each instruction to be executed before the one that succeeds it. However, if a processor executes the instructions serially, one instruction at a time, the performance of the processor is limited. Thus, superscalar processors provide performance improvements by executing several instructions at once.
A technique known as pipelining is used in superscalar processors to increase performance. Pipelining provides an xe2x80x9cassembly linexe2x80x9d approach to executing instructions. The execution of an instruction is divided into several steps. A superscalar processor is provided with a number of stages. Each stage performs a step in the execution of the instructions. Thus, while one step in the execution of one instruction is being performed by one stage of the processor, another step in the execution of another instruction may be performed by another stage of the processor. Since the execution of several instructions can be staggered across several stages, it is possible to begin a new instruction every clock cycle, even if the instructions require several clock cycles to be completed.
However, it is often necessary to know the result of one instruction before executing the instruction that succeeds it. If a pipelined superscalar processor attempts to execute an instruction for which antecedent instructions have not yet been fully executed, the pipeline may be forced to stop and wait until all antecedent conditions for the execution of the instruction have been met.
Superpipelining refers to pipelining using pipes with more than five stages. Superpipelining extends the benefits of pipelining, but increases the potential for delays caused by dependencies between instructions. Thus, a pipe may be forced to stop and wait several clock cycles in order to satisfy a dependency based on an instruction being processed in another pipe.
While a pipeline structure may be optimized for certain conditions, it is extremely difficult to optimize performance for all possible sequences of instructions. Thus, a technique is needed that improves pipeline performance beyond the level that can be achieved by changes to the pipeline structure. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner image fixing device for electrophotographic copying machines, etc., and more particularly to a fixing device by which toner images formed on a sheet are fixed thereto by heating with a heat roller;
2. Description of the Prior Art
As a toner image fixing method for such electrophotographic copying machines, etc., it is known to heat the toner on a sheet with the application of pressure by feeding the sheet to the nip of a heat roller having an internal or external heat source and a press roller in pressing contact with the heat roller. This method has the advantage that the toner can be fixed quickly since the toner is heated directly under pressure, but has objectionable problems, such as offset of toner image and winding of the sheet around the heat roller. For example, if the surface temperature of the heat roller is lower than an appropriate level, the toner image will not be fixed to the sheet effectively but adheres to the surface of the heat roller and is transferred (offset) at the lower temperature to another sheet subsequently fed to the roller. Conversely, if the surface temperature of the heat roller is higher than is appropriate, the toner becomes tacky, and when fixing to the sheet, the toner partly adheres also the heat roller to become transferred (offset) on the next sheet at the higher temperature. Furthermore, the tacky toner frequently causes the sheet to wind around the heat roller. To overcome these problems, heat rollers for the fixing devices of electrophotographic copying machines in recent years are covered with silicone rubber or like non-tacky material over the surface and are used as coated with an offset preventing agent such as silicone oil.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example of a known generally described above fixing device. A heat roller 10 has an internal heat source generally designated H, and a press roller 11 is arranged in pressing contact with heat roller 10 which may be driven by some suitable means (not shown).. These rollers 10 and 11 are covered by a silicone layer 12 over their surfaces and are journalled parallel to one another in a suitable frame 20. A metallic roller 13 typically has a polished surface and is in rubbing contact with a felt element 14 impregnated with silicone oil. A metallic doctor Blade B bears against the surface of roller 13 for controlling the desired thickness of silicone oil applied to roller 13. A rubber roller 15 has its surface in light contact with the surface of metallic roller 13 and heat roller 10, and functions to transmit the rotation of heat roller 10 to metallic roller 13. The silicone oil applied to the surface of rubber roller 15 by the rotation of roller 13 is also applied to the surface of heat roller 10 by rubber roller 15. With such a fixing device, silicone oil is applied to the surface of heat roller 10 almost simultaneously with the start of rotation thereof for preventing offset when a sheet passes between rollers 10 and 11.
However, it has been noted that the aforedescribed arrangement involves difficulties in fully uniformly coating the heat roller surface with silicone oil for the following reasons.
When a large excess of silicone oil is not applied to metallic roller 13 by felt element 14, the surface of roller 13 becomes locally uncoated with silicone oil which produces problems.
Even if an excess of silicone oil applied to the polished surface of the metallic roller 13 is regulated by doctor blade B, any misalignment between the doctor blade and the roller, or any deflection of roller 13 or like causes results in an improper contact between the wiper blade edge and the metallic roller, so that the blade fails to regulate the amount of silicone oil uniformly.
Molten toner particles may thus enter the clearance between blade B and roller 13 and are cooled. When this repeatedly occurs, the initial nuclei grow to enlarge the clearance, thereby leading to an uneven application of silicone oil.
If an increased pressure is applied to blade B to eliminate uneven application, the blade in turn defaces roller 13 which likewise results in an uneven application.
For the causes or reasons given above, the surface of heat roller 10 becomes locally uncoated or coated to excess with silicone oil. Such uneven coating occurs early after the device is placed into use, thereby causing partial offset, leaving oil stains on the sheet during copying and creating other problems. Furthermore, silicone rubber covering 12 of heat roller 10, thus unevenly coated with silicone oil, absorbs the oil and locally swells, with the resulting problems that wrinkles are formed in the sheet passing between rollers 10 and 11. | {
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As software increases in complexity, the development of software is becoming more and more difficult. Development of software is increasingly evolving from a solitary occupation into a team effort, making it necessary for a developer to be familiar with and use source code he did not write. Thus it is more and more important to be able to browse information concerning symbols defined in source code (e.g. functions, classes, properties, namespaces, macros, attributes and type definitions, etc).
For example, perhaps a developer is reading a program that makes a function call. It may be helpful for the developer to know all the places where the function is called from, and where the function is defined. That is, if the developer calls the function “foo” in [one] place in the source code, it is helpful to know that “foo” is also called by [these other] places in the source code, and that function “foo” is defined in [this] place in the source code. If a developer is considering making a change to a function definition, it would be helpful to know where the function is used so that the developer can determine how the change will impact each situation in which the function is used. It might be helpful to know what symbols a given function uses or what classes are derived from a certain class, and so on. Particularly when looking at source code the developer has not written or when a program is large, such browse information is invaluable to obtain an understanding of and work with the program.
Typically, however, in order to generate this browse information, the program must be fully compilable. Compilers typically generate browse information during compilation. This information can be very helpful to further program development. For example, development tools may use the browse information generated by the compiler to display reference information. There are, however, a number of drawbacks associated with using browse information generated by a compiler.
One of the drawbacks with generating browse information with a compiler is that it is not always feasible to compile the program, making the browse information unavailable. The program may be uncompilable because the source code has errors in it that prevent it from being compiled. In addition, there are cases where it is very difficult to know all the settings and commands needed to compile the program.
Even if the program has been compiled, the browse information is only correct up to the most recent compile. As new source code is added, the browse information generated by the compiler becomes more and more outdated, detracting from its usefulness. For example, if the developer originally places calls to function “foo” in his source code, and compiles the program, browse information for function “foo” will exist in the browse information generated by the compiler. If subsequently the developer removes all the calls to function “foo”, the browse information will still erroneously contain the outdated browse information for function “foo” until the next compile. Because the compilation process itself can consume a non-trivial amount of time, explicit compilation may be infrequently initiated, compounding the problem.
Thus it would be helpful to be able to generate browse information dynamically so that changes to the source code are immediately reflected in the browse information, without having to recompile the program.
Dynamic parsers exist that attempt to address the shortcomings of compiler-generated browse information. One dynamic parser is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,068 B1 issued Apr. 2, 2002, entitled “Dynamic Parsing”.
A dynamic parser typically dynamically parses the source code that has changed since the last time it parsed (e.g., the developer has modified the source code, or a new version of the source code has been installed). Such a parser typically checks for changes using a predetermined heuristic, such as at fixed intervals such as every second, when the developer completes writing a statement or when the developer is inactive or idle, without waiting for the developer to initiate compiling. The parser may identify errors and warnings in the source code, and display limited information such as the members belonging to a class. Typically, source code is parsed for declaration and definition information. However, this declaration and definition information on symbols such as functions is frequently limited to return types and parameters, while the body of the function typically is not parsed for symbol information. Hence, browse information concerning the source code contained within the function body is not available from the dynamic parser. Some development tools available today do provide information concerning the source code contained within the function body. Typically, however, these editors provide this functionality by doing a text search through source code to find all occurrences of the name of a symbol. For example, if a portion of the source code contained the lines:
000001namespace N1000002{000003void foo( )000004{000005// I'm N1::foo000006}000007}000008namespace N2000009{000010void foo( )000011{000012//I'm N2::foo000013}000014}000015using namespace N1;000016void bar( )000017{000018//...foo is here000019foo( );000020str = “Hello foo”;000021N2::foo( );. . .000026} and a developer wanted to find every place that the function “N1::foo” was referenced, a development tool that does a text search would find the occurrences of “foo” on lines 000003, 000005, 00010, 00012, 00018, 00019, 00020, and 00021, which is incorrect. The only occurrences are on line 000003 which is the definition of N1::foo and line 00019, which is a call to “N1::foo”. Hence it would be helpful if a dynamic browse information parser existed that could dynamically generate browse information, including source code contained within a function body, and could distinguish calls made to a function, from calls made to a different function with the same name, and from comments and strings containing the function's name (i.e., that would be as smart as a compiler) without explicitly invoking a compiler. | {
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The present invention relates to a pneumatic booster used in a brake system of a vehicle or the like.
A known pneumatic booster is provided with a constant-pressure chamber where a negative pressure constantly acts, and a variable-pressure chamber whose pressure can be controlled by a switching operation of a valve. When force is applied to an input shaft connected to a brake pedal, the valve is actuated, so that the atmospheric pressure acts on the variable-pressure chamber. Consequently, force is applied to a diaphragm that divides the constant-pressure chamber and the variable-pressure chamber, and the force is transmitted to an output shaft. When the force applied to the input shaft is removed, the valve allows the constant-pressure chamber and the variable-pressure chamber to communicate with each other. Thus, the force applied to the output shaft is canceled.
In the conventional pneumatic booster, the switching valve has a readily deformable portion and hence suffers from the disadvantage that when the pressure difference between the constant-pressure chamber and the variable-pressure chamber is large, air leakage occurs, and thus the desired operation cannot satisfactorily be performed. This problem is particularly remarkable in a pneumatic booster of the type in which pressurized air is supplied to the variable-pressure chamber. | {
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Beach or garden umbrellas incorporating tilting mechanisms have long been known, but invariably have been either difficult to adjust, or, have required complex and failure prone mechanical adjusting mechanisms.
In their simplest form, the respective upper and lower sections of the mast are hinged to each other by a manually adjustable joint including a bolt passing through the two halves of the hinge joint, and a hand-operable clamp nut, whereby the two halves of the hinge joint can be clamped to each other in their required angular relationship. Such mechanisms are difficult to operate, in that the user must hold and position the upper portion of the mast carrying the weight of the umbrella, while operating the clamp nut with the other hand.
Numerous winch operated structures have been proposed for raising and extending the umbrella by means of a pull cord. Mechanisms also have been proposed which will cause tilting of the upper portion of the mast in a stepless manner, if operation of the winch is continued after the umbrella has been fully raised and extended. An example of such a mechanism is described in Militano U.S. Pat. No. 2,721,569, issued Oct. 25, 1955, in which continued operation of the winch after fully raising and opening of the umbrella causes operation of a linkage between the upper and lower portions of the mast, and an adjustment of the tilt of the upper portion of the mast relative to the lower portion. The mechanism proposed is somewhat complex, and includes numerous sliding parts, linkages and pivots, each of which is subject to wear and contamination by dust or sand. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to an implantable constriction device for constricting the urethra, urine bladder, anus, colon or rectum of an incontinent patient.
This kind of constriction device, in the form of a banding device in which a band encircles and adjustably constricts a portion of a patient's urethra, urine bladder, anus, colon or rectum, has been used in surgery for treating anal and urinary incontinence. In practice, the band is made of silicone, which is a material approved and widely used for implantation. Moreover, the silicone band has an acceptable tensile strength and is fairly resistant to aggressive body fluids. Where the band is hydraulically adjusted, the hydraulic fluid used typically is an isotonic salt solution mixed with other conventional materials.
A problem with traditional silicone bands, however, is that the silicone material gives the band certain inadequate properties, such as poor fatigue resistance and poor endurance of static bending forces, which over time might result in breakage of the band. Furthermore, silicone is a material that is semi-permeable by liquid, which is a drawback to hydraulic silicone bands, because hydraulic fluid can escape by diffusing through the silicone material. As a result, accurate adjustments of a hydraulic band are difficult to perform because of the loss of hydraulic fluid and the need for the patient to regularly visit a doctor to add hydraulic fluid to and calibrate the constriction device. These inadequate properties are serious, considering that the band is implanted for the rest of the patient's life. Another problem is that the band somewhat restrains the dynamic movements of adjacent organs necessary for the transportation of urine or fecal matter. As a consequence, the band might erode, and over time injure the urethra, urine bladder, anus, colon or rectum. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Wire bonding is used to connect electrical contact points of different devices, or different electrical contact points of the same device. When bonding wires made of reactive materials such as copper or aluminum are used for wire bonding, there is a tendency for oxidation of the wire to occur when the heated material reacts with oxygen in the atmosphere. Oxidation of the wire decreases the quality of the subsequent wire bonds that are formed. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a shielding gas comprised of a relatively inert gas such as nitrogen, hydrogen or argon gas to cover and protect the wire during ball formation of a wire ball-bonding process.
The continuing emphasis on better shielding of copper wire during bonding by providing nitrogen and/or hydrogen gas to shield the wire is driving the development of systems that ensure that the gas is captured within the sparking region of the wire, where a molten ball is formed from the wire for copper ball bonding.
An apparatus for containing shielding gas when supplying the inert gas to bonding wire is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,376 entitled “Supplying a Cover Gas for Wire Ball Bonding”. The apparatus includes a gas-containment tube to direct shielding gas to the bonding wire. Transverse in-line orifices are made in the tube to allow the capillary of the bonding tool to enter the gas-containing tube for ball formation, and then to pass through the tube to bond the ball onto a bonding surface.
Another prior art apparatus for containing shield gas is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,628,307 entitled “Apparatus for Delivering Shielding Gas During Wire Bonding”. Shielding gas is supplied during the bonding of wires to electronic components by way of an apparatus comprising a main body with an elongated slot having a width that extends into the main body from a side of the main body generally in a first direction, and the slot also extends from a top surface to a bottom surface of the main body in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction for the width of the slot. A tip of the capillary is operable to pass through the slot in the second direction while a gas outlet supplies shielding gas into the slot.
A shortcoming of conventional approaches to deliver shielding gas to the capillary is that prior art systems focus on preventing the wire from native oxidation mainly during the sparking of the wire to form a molten ball. There is loss of gas at the openings of the tubes or apparatus such that oxidation protection is not possible outside these openings. Thus, they do not effectively provide gas coverage to prevent oxidation when wire bonding is being performed, or when moving the capillary sideways to various locations unless the capillary is always located inside the gas containment tube during such movement. This limits the versatility of such systems.
It would therefore be desirable to develop an apparatus for supplying shielding gas to a bonding wire that ensures that the wire is protected by shielding gas not only within the sparking range but also along the travelling path of the capillary to the bonding pad, and thus ensuring the quality of the molten ball both before and during bonding of the same is achieved. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to propeller-driven water craft and particularly to propeller shaft bearings of the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For propeller-driven water craft, a rotating propeller shaft is required, necessitating in turn a bearing system that diminishes frictive erosion about the shaft and its environment. The bearings take the shape of sleeves located along the length of the shaft between the mooring of the shaft located in the hull of the craft and the propeller located at the extreme of the shaft. The bearing sleeve may be fixed in place along the shaft either in the hull proximate the mooring or in a propeller support strut depending from the keel of the craft. In either case the prior art relies on such a bearing sleeve tightly fitted inside a fixed housing. Ordinary use of the craft will eventually wear the shaft bearing past its usable life, requiring the bearing's replacement.
Replacement of the prior art devices is a demanding task. The fixed position of the bearing housing and consequently the bearing itself makes removal of the shaft unavoidable if the bearing is to be accessed. In order to remove the shaft, which is in direct line with the rudder on a single propeller craft, the rudder assembly must first be removed, then the propeller, and finally the shaft. This procedure requires dry docking the craft. After the shaft is removed, the worn bearing must be manually driven out of place using a chisel and sledge hammer or, if this is not possible, burned out. The new bearing is then hammered into place and shaft, propeller and rudder replaced. The entire procedure requires several days in dry dock and several thousands of dollars in expenses.
Applicant is not aware of any prior art bearing system which eliminated the necessity of removing the shaft, the rudder, or placing the boat in dry dock. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Wireless communication devices have become smaller and more powerful in order to meet consumer needs and to improve portability and convenience. Consumers have become dependent upon wireless communication devices and have come to expect reliable service, expanded areas of coverage and increased functionality. A wireless communication system may provide communication for a number of wireless communication devices, each of which may be serviced by a base station. A base station may be a device that communicates with wireless communication devices.
As wireless communication devices have advanced, improvements in communication capacity, speed, flexibility and/or efficiency have been sought. However, improving communication capacity, speed, flexibility and/or efficiency may present certain problems.
For example, a wireless communication device transmitting in unlicensed spectrum may interfere with other wireless devices. To avoid transmission conflicts in unlicensed spectrum, wireless communication devices may wait until a channel is idle before transmitting. However, wireless communication devices operating in a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) communication system may transmit nearly continuously. Therefore, LTE devices may interfere with other wireless communication devices operating in unlicensed spectrum. As illustrated by this discussion, systems and methods that reduce interference may be beneficial. | {
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During the manufacture and subsequent handling of printed circuit boards, defects such as unwanted open circuits or short circuits may develop in or between circuit pathways and electronic components. Manufacturers continually look for faster, more accurate and more economical ways to find defects. It is necessary and cost effective to perform automated testing of both populated and unpopulated printed circuit boards for manufacturing quality control.
Testing of printed circuit boards is becoming increasingly difficult and more expensive as the use of surface mount technology increases and as integrated circuits and printed circuit boards become more complex and operate at higher frequencies. Conventional techniques for automated printed circuit board testing involve applying signals through a set of test pins and measuring output signals on other test pins. "Functional testing" can be performed by energizing the printed circuit board, applying a predetermined set of input signals, and determining whether the proper output signals are generated by the circuitry on the board being tested. Alternatively, a printed circuit board may be tested on a "bed-of-nails" tester that comprises pins which directly contact the metallic traces on the printed circuit board being tested so that selected input signals may be applied at various nodes on the printed circuit board, and corresponding output signals can be measured to other nodes on the printed circuit board. Conventional bed-of-nails testing requires that the functionality of the circuits mounted on the board under test be known, so that test routines can be written to isolate the circuitry of interest, to apply input signals to the appropriate nodes, and to generate expected output signals to be received from other nodes.
Non-contact probes have been used for measurements on high frequency microwave circuits. However, at frequencies below 1 GHz, the test is difficult due to the high bandwidth of the probes. Most recent advances of the test equipment industry have resulted in devices for the evaluation of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of PCB assemblies. However, these devices, in their present forms, provide only information about electromagnetic interference caused by active populated boards, and can not be used for providing detailed information about the performance of the board. The present invention is targeted at testing for manufacturing faults of unpopulated boards and inactive populated boards.
One printed circuit board testing method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,294, issued Jun. 8, 1993 to Soiferman. The technique taught away from using a bed-of-nails tester. The patent disclosed stimulating a printed circuit board through the power and ground lines of the board with an AC signal and then contactlessly measuring the electromagnetic near field distribution proximate the board being tested. The electromagnetic "signature" of the board being tested was compared to the electromagnetic signature of a known good circuit board to determine whether the board under test was defective.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,238, issued May. 9, 1989 to Goulette, et al., discloses monitoring electromagnetic emissions from a printed circuit board by energizing the board while it is located adjacent an array of electromagnetic emission measuring probes. A division from that application, U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,788, issued to Goulette, et al. on Apr. 9, 1991. The Goulette patents are directed toward measuring radiating electromagnetic emissions from a circuit board, primarily for the purpose of eliminating or monitoring electromagnetic interference generated by a circuit board or the components thereon. Goulette's approach is not directed toward testing a printed circuit board for manufacturing defects which do not result in interfering levels of electromagnetic radiation. There are numerous other patents, as cited in the Goulette patents, which are directed toward testing printed circuit boards for undesirable radiating emissions.
One alternative printed circuit board testing method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,042, issued Apr. 15, 1986 to Riemer. That patent disclosed a circuit board test system for measuring the electrical continuity and integrity of line segments. The system consists of a capacitance meter with a pair of sensory terminals, one of which is coupled to a conductive elastomeric backside reference plane and the other is coupled to a test probe. The test probe is a single shielded one-point probe. The sensors measure voltage levels and from the voltage drop between the sensors, the line segment capacitance is determined. The test probe sensor moves relative to the test board for sequentially contacting all of the test points on the printed circuit board.
A deficiency with the Riemer system is the required electrical contact between the test probe and the printed circuit board under test. Another deficiency in the system is the dependence on the board layout, because the location of the test points must be determined prior to probing. Furthermore, it is critical for accurate measurements that the interface between the test board and reference plane be devoid of air gaps.
Another printed circuit board test system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,124,660, issued Jun. 23, 1992 to Cilingiroglu. This patent discloses a system that determines whether input and output pins of semiconductor components are present and properly soldered to a printed circuit board. The system includes an oscillator which is connected to a metallic electrode placed on top of an integrated circuit package. A probe pin in a bed-of-nails tester is connected to a printed circuit board wiring trace that is soldered to the pin being tested. The oscillator signal is capacitively coupled through the integrated circuit package to the pin being tested, so if current is measured by the current measuring device, the pin is connected to the printed circuit board.
A deficiency with the Cilingiroglu system is the direct contact required between the bed-of-nails and the board under test. Another deficiency is the test is dependent on the board layout, because the location of the bed-of-nails test points must be determined. Furthermore, it only tests the connection between the pin of a component and the printed circuit board node.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a device and method that will detect manufacturing faults on unpopulated or inactive populated printed circuit boards. Inactive refers to the fact the printed circuit board is not powered up. Furthermore, there is a need for a device in the art that does not require functional test vectors, and that does not require isolating adjacent components on the printed circuit board for test purposes. There is a further requirement in the art that the printed circuit board being tested is not functioning or energized in an unique state during the test procedure. There is still a further need in the art for a "contactless test system", or a system with simple fixturing in which direct electrical contact between sensors or sources and the board under test is not required and the printed circuit board is tested independent of its structure and functionality. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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State machines can be a valuable component in a broad range of business applications. Typically, state machines are translated into an executable program using a procedural language. A state machine program in a procedural language is useful for simple applications. However, as a result of the complexity of business applications, state machines are often realized in the Unified Modeling Language (UML) to enable business application modeling.
State machines that are employed in business applications confront situations that are not issues in simpler environments. In a business application there may be many simultaneous instances of a state machine, thus ensuring that incoming events are directed to the appropriate state machine instance is not simple. Given the context of multi-protocol service-based architectures in which business application state machines exist, flexible interfaces therein are useful for facilitating an implementation that can quickly respond to changes in the performance characteristics and constraints of the business application. Further, in a business application there are timeout and alarm conditions that should be taken into account by the state machine program. | {
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GABAergic inhibition is increasingly considered one of the most important factors in controlling the mode of operation of thalamo-cortical and re-entrant cortico-thalamic pathways as well as of the afferent septal-hippocampus and of the re-entrant hippocampal-septal glutamatergic pathways that are substrates for the regulation of complex brain functions, including normal sensory, gating, cognition, vigilance, spatial orientation, volition, and consciousness. These functions are altered in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients with mania. Thus, one may attribute the appearance of psychotic symptoms in these mental disorders to a deficit in GABAergic modulation in critical cortico-thalamic and cortico-hippocampal brain circuits.
Indeed, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients with mania who manifest an auditory gating deficit and who suffer from other associated problems, such as auditory hallucinations, cognitive impairment, delusions, and defects of volition (lack of motivation, flat affect, and social withdrawal), express downregulation of GABAergic synthesis and function in their cortical, thalamic, septal, and hippocampal circuits (Guidotti et al., 2000). The neuroanatomical and neurochemical abnormalities of the GABAergic system in postmortem brain of patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with mania can be summarized as follows: 1) decreased GABA release and uptake (Reynolds et al., 1990; Sherman et al., 1991; Simpson et al., 1998); 2) increased denervation-dependent GABAA receptor density measured by 3H-muscimol binding, particularly in layer II of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and in superficial layers of other adjacent cortical areas (Benes et al., 1992; Benes, 2000); 3) increased expression of the αl GABAA receptor subunit mRNA in the PFC (Impagnatiello et al., 1998); 4) a dorsolateral PFC decrease of presynaptic GABA transporter-1-positive cartridges in GABAergic axon terminals of chandelier cells impinging on the initial segments of pyramidal axons (Woo et al., 1998), and decreased GAD67 expression (this enzyme is important in the synthesis of GABA and is one of the two molecular forms of glutamic acid decarboxylase expressed in GABAergic neurons, the other being GAD65) (Akbarian et al., 1995; Impagnatiello et al., 1998; Benes 2000; Bunney and Bunney, 2000; Guidotti et al., 2000; Volk et al., 2000), which taken together suggest that GABAergic function may be downregulated; and 5) an altered cortical distribution of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-positive GABAergic cells (Akbarian et al., 1996).
Collectively, these data support the hypothesis that GABAergic downregulation in cortical and hippocampal networks involved in sensory information processing act as a vulnerability factor in the etiopathogenesis of psychosis and may contribute to sensory gating deficits and to the presence of visual and auditory hallucinations, cognitive impairment, and social withdrawal. As a general strategy, our studies are directed at testing whether drugs that tend to normalize a deficient GABAergic system may also be beneficial in correcting the deficit of auditory gating in schizophrenia. This deficit, commonly known as a defective prepulse inhibition of startle (PPI) is considered the most important among the few objective measurements of brain neuronal network functional alterations that can be measured in patients with psychotic disorders and in their relatives (Swerdlow & Geyer, 1998).
New therapeutic opportunities arise today due to increasing insights into the molecular architecture and diversity of components involved in signal transduction at GABAA receptors (FIG. 2). Based on the brain expression of seven subunit families comprising at least 18 different subunits (α1-6, β1-3, δ, ε, θ, p1-3) that are assembled in heteropentameric GABAA receptors, an extraordinary structural heterogeneity of the target for GABA is operative in the CNS (Barnard, 2001). Most GABAA receptor subtypes in brain are believed to be composed of αβγ subunits associated to form the above-mentioned heteropentameric structures termed GABAA receptors (FIG. 2). Although the physiological significance of this heterogeneity is only partially understood, the pharmacological significance of the various subunits with respect to, their association with various actions of anxiolytic benzodiazepines and congeners is beginning to be quite well understood. For example, GABAA receptors containing α and γ subunits are substrates for a wide spectrum of actions elicited by clinically available agonists acting at the modulatory benzodiazepine binding sites. These sites are located at the interface of the postsynaptic ectodomains of contiguous α and γ subunits on GABAA receptors composed of αβγ subunits (FIG. 2). Benzodiazepine—sensitive GABAA receptors are characterized by the expression of α1, α2 α3 or α5 subunits in their heteropentameric structure and by the contiguity of these α subunits with γ2 subunits. The GABA-gated ion channel opening frequency of these receptors is promptly enhanced to maximal efficacy by agonists of benzodiazepine sites currently available on the US market and this is the basis for their therapeutic effectiveness in the treatment of anxiety disorders, sleep disturbances, muscle spasms, and epilepsy. However, maximal amplification of GABA-gated channels by benzodiazepines is also the basis of undesirable side effects, such as sedation, amnesia, tolerance, and dependence (Costa and Guidotti, 1996).
In present clinical practice the consensus is that in schizophrenia protracted benzodiazepine monotherapy is not effective, despite anecdotical reports of antipsychotic efficacy in the first few days of treatment. The lack of antipsychotic action after protracted benzodiazepine treatment is presumably attributable to the well known phenomenon of tolerance that inevitably and rapidly occurs after administration of clinically-available benzodiazepine. Moreover their use is generally contraindicated because dlinically-available benzodiazepine drugs also elicit sedation and amnesia, and if used repeatedly in addition to tolerance produce dependence (Costa et al., 2001).
Recent studies (Möhler, 2001) have established that the sedative and amnestic action of benzodiazepines is related to the amplification of GABA action at GABAA α1 receptors including α1 subunits contiguous to the γ2 subunits, whereas their anxiolytic and anticonvulsant and antipsychotic actions are mediated presumably by similar actions at GABAA receptors having α2, α3 or α5 receptor subunits (Table 1).
Thus, opportunities for the design of a new generation of benzodiazepine binding site ligands that are partial agonists and act specifically at GABAA receptor subtypes, are now emerging. These new drugs have reduced tolerance and dependence liability and selectively act on GABAA receptor subtypes to control psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia patients without sedative or amnestic action.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,018 of May 31, 1994 describes the use of imidazo[1,5-a]benzodiazepine-3carboxamide derivatives and compositions containing such compounds for treating anxiety and panic disorders and idiopathic and psychomotor epilepsy. One such compound is 6-(2 bromophenyl)-8-fluoro-4H-imidazo[1,5a][1,4]benzodiazepine-3-carboxamide which is often referred to as imidazenil.
Unlike other partial allosteric modulators, imidazenil has a high affinity for the receptor, does not act on GABAA α1 subunit and is slowly metabolized in compounds that may act on GABAA α1 subunit. Thus, imidazenil does not produce sedation and does not produce tolerance or dependence as indeed occurs with other partial allosteric modulators of the action of GABA at GABAA receptors (Costa et al. 2001).
Auta et al PNAS 97 (No.5) 2314-2319 (Feb. 29, 2000) describe the use of imidazenil to prevent alprazolam-induced aquisition in patas monkeys and note that during a seventeen day treatment no tolerance of the effects of imidazenil were noted. Costa et al TiPS May 1996, 192-200 suggest that imidazenil may be a prototype of a new generation of anxiolytic and anticonvulsant drugs that have minimal disruptive effects on learning and memory, and are virtually devoid of the tolerance liability and other unwanted side-effects of classic benzodiazepines. As a reference compound, we used the clinically available benzodiazepine alprazolam, an 8chloro-1-methyl-6-phenyl-4-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3a][1-4]benzodiazepine whose formula is also indicated in FIG. 1. | {
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In the past, the semiconductor industry used various different device structures and methods to form semiconductor devices such as, for example, diodes, Schottky diodes, Field Effect Transistors (FETs) High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs), etc. Devices such as diodes, Schottky diodes, and FETs were typically manufactured from a silicon substrate. Drawbacks with semiconductor devices manufactured from a silicon substrate include low breakdown voltages, excessive reverse leakage current, large forward voltage drops, unsuitably low switching characteristics, high power densities, and high costs of manufacture. To overcome these drawbacks, semiconductor device manufacturers have turned to manufacturing semiconductor devices from compound semiconductor substrates such as, for example, III-N semiconductor substrates, III-V semiconductor substrates, II-VI semiconductor substrates, etc. Although these substrates have improved device performance, they are fragile and add to manufacturing costs. Thus, the semiconductor industry has begun using compound semiconductor substrates that are a combination of silicon and III-N materials to address the issues of cost, manufacturability, and fragility. A III-N compound semiconductor material formed on a silicon or other semiconductor substrate has been described in U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2011/0133251 A1 by Zhi He and published on Jun. 9, 2011 and in U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2013/0069208 A1 by Michael A. Briere and published on Mar. 21, 2013.
Semiconductor device manufacturers have used a combination of silicon semiconductor materials and III-N semiconductor materials to manufacture cascoded devices, such as a normally-on III-N depletion mode HEMT cascoded with a silicon device. Using this combination of materials helps achieve a normally-off state using a III-N depletion mode device that is normally-on. In cascoded devices configured as switches, the silicon device often operates in avalanche mode due to high leakage currents of the III-N device operating under a high drain bias. In the avalanche operating mode, the gate of the III-N device is under a large stress in which the absolute gate to source voltage exceeds the devices pinch-off voltage. Hard stress conditions such as operating the silicon device in the avalanche mode degrades device reliability, lowers the breakdown voltage, and increases leakage currents. Cascoded semiconductor devices have been described in U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2013/0088280 A1 by Rakesh K. Lal et al. and published on Apr. 11, 2013.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a cascoded semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the cascoded semiconductor device. It would be of further advantage for the structure and method to be cost efficient to implement.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements in the figures are not necessarily to scale, and the same reference characters in different figures denote the same elements. Additionally, descriptions and details of well-known steps and elements are omitted for simplicity of the description. As used herein current carrying electrode means an element of a device that carries current through the device such as a source or a drain of an MOS transistor or an emitter or a collector of a bipolar transistor or a cathode or anode of a diode, and a control electrode means an element of the device that controls current flow through the device such as a gate of an MOS transistor or a base of a bipolar transistor. Although the devices are explained herein as certain n-channel or p-channel devices, or certain n-type or p-type doped regions, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that complementary devices are also possible in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the words during, while, and when as used herein are not exact terms that mean an action takes place instantly upon an initiating action but that there may be some small but reasonable delay, such as a propagation delay, between the reaction that is initiated by the initial action and the initial action. The use of the words approximately, about, or substantially means that a value of an element has a parameter that is expected to be very close to a stated value or position. However, as is well known in the art there are always minor variances that prevent the values or positions from being exactly as stated. It is well established in the art that variances of up to about ten percent (10%) (and up to twenty percent (20%) for semiconductor doping concentrations) are regarded as reasonable variances from the ideal goal of being exactly as described. | {
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1. Field
The embodiment relates to a touch panel.
2. Background
An input function through a touch of an image displayed on a touch panel by an input device such as a stylus pen or a finger has been applied to various electronic appliances. Various types of touch panels may be provided depending on positions of transparent electrodes formed in the touch panels. For example, the transparent electrode may be directly formed on a cover substrate.
A printing layer is formed in a Bezel area where a touch is not sensed, and a wire electrode is formed on the printing layer. The wire electrode may be connected with a sensing electrode to sense the touch through a pad part. As at least two printing layers are formed, a step difference may be formed between the printing layers or between the printing layer and a cover window. The wire electrode may be formed on the printing layers having the step difference. Accordingly, the wire electrode may be cracked or the reliability of the wire electrode may be degraded due to the step difference. In addition, if the wire electrode is directly formed on the printing layer, the wire electrode may be damaged due to the high surface roughness of the printing layer when the wire electrode is formed. | {
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1. Field
Embodiments relate to an organic light emitting display and a method of driving the same. More particularly, embodiments relate to an organic light emitting display and a method of driving such an organic light emitting display capable of uniformly maintaining brightness and color coordinates so that a user cannot recognize a change in a frame frequency.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, various flat panel displays (FPD) that are lower in weight and smaller in volume than comparable cathode ray tubes (CRT) have been developed. FPDs generally include liquid crystal displays (LCD), field emission displays (FED), plasma display panels (PDP), and organic light emitting displays.
Among the FPDs, organic light emitting displays may display images using organic light emitting diodes (OLED) that generate light by the re-combination of electrons and holes. Organic light emitting displays generally have characteristics such as relatively high response speeds and lower power consumption.
In general, organic light emitting displays include pixels arranged in a matrix. Each of the pixels may include at least two transistors and at least one capacitor and organic light emitting diode (OLED).
The pixels may display an image with predetermined brightness by respectively supplying currents corresponding to voltages charged in the capacitors to the OLEDs via driving transistors. The capacitors may be charged with voltages corresponding to data signals, respectively, during a period when scan signals are supplied.
Organic light emitting displays may be adapted to be driving in a common driving mode with a first frame frequency and a low-power driving mode with a second frame frequency that is lower than the first frame frequency. Organic light emitting displays that are adapted to maintain brightness and/or color characteristics irrespective of changes in frame frequency are desired. | {
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Many machines for the processing of sheet-metal into desired components are fairly large systems, particularly those that process standard metal sheets that may be several feet in both width and length. It is generally considered important that the machine maintain a known position of the sheet metal with respect to a processing head, such as a cutting head, during processing.
In many such machines, the sheet metal workpiece is placed upon a support that remains stationary as a cutting head traverses the workpiece across a workpiece processing area. These machines generally employ a heavy and stiff frame that supports both the workpiece and processing head and the necessary motion systems that provide the relative motion. Such frames can weigh in excess of several thousand pounds, for example.
Particularly in processing machines that employ a high power beam, such as a laser beam, to process the workpieces, it can occur that the beam at times passes undeflected beyond the workpiece and can potentially damage machine components on the opposite side of the workpiece processing area. | {
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The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Distributed process control systems, like those used in chemical, petroleum or other process plants, typically include one or more process controllers communicatively coupled to one or more field devices via analog, digital or combined analog/digital buses, or via a wireless communication link or network. The field devices, which may be, for example, valves, valve positioners, switches, and transmitters (e.g., temperature, pressure, level and flow rate sensors), are located within the process environment and generally perform physical or process control functions such as opening or closing valves, measuring process parameters, etc. to control one or more process executing within the process plant or system. Smart field devices, such as field devices conforming to the well-known Fieldbus protocol may also perform control calculations, alarming functions, and other control functions commonly implemented within the controller. The process controllers, which are also typically located within the plant environment, receive signals indicative of process measurements made by sensors and/or field devices and/or other information pertaining to the field devices and execute a controller application that runs, for example, different control modules that make process control decisions, generate control signals based on the received information and coordinate with the control modules or blocks being performed in the field devices, such as HART®, Wireless HART®, and FOUNDATION® Fieldbus field devices. The control modules in the controller send the control signals over the communication lines or links to the field devices to thereby control the operation of at least a portion of the process plant or system.
Information from the field devices and the controller is usually made available over a data highway to one or more other hardware devices, such as operator workstations, personal computers or computing devices, data historians, report generators, centralized databases, or other centralized administrative computing devices that are typically placed in control rooms or other locations away from the harsher plant environment. Each of these hardware devices typically is centralized across the process plant or across a portion of the process plant. These hardware devices run applications that may, for example, enable an operator to perform functions with respect to controlling a process and/or operating the process plant, such as changing settings of the process control routine, modifying the operation of the control modules within the controllers or the field devices, viewing the current state of the process, viewing alarms generated by field devices and controllers, simulating the operation of the process for the purpose of training personnel or testing the process control software, keeping and updating a configuration database, etc. The data highway utilized by the hardware devices, controllers and field devices may include a wired communication path, a wireless communication path, or a combination of wired and wireless communication paths.
A distributed process control system can include one or more remote terminal units (RTUs), which can be implemented as flow computers coupled to field devices. An RTU can include, for example, one or more I/O modules for connecting to wired Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) field devices and one or more I/O modules for connecting to wireless HART field device. More generally, an RTU can support any suitable industrial automation protocol, including such suitable digital industrial automation protocols as HART, Fieldbus or Profibus.
An RTU can operate in a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) network. The SCADA network can be a central or distributed supervisory network or system that connects one or multiple hosts executing software applications for monitoring processes, equipment, variables, etc. with special-purpose devices operating a process control system (or, more generally, an industrial control system). For example, a host that implements an asset management system (AMS) can communicate with one or more RTUs to collect information regarding field devices connected to the RTUs to construct an hierarchy of field devices and provide a description of the hierarchy to an operator via user interface of the AMS. The host also can implement, or be communicatively coupled to, a module that supports an industrial automation protocol for tunneling commands via an RTU to a field device. For example, the host can include a HART server module.
To assess the health of a field device, the host sends a message via the SCADA network and the RTU to the field device, receives the response or detects a timeout, and provides an appropriate indication to the operator via the user interface. In other words, the approach available today is based on directly accessing a field device from a remote host via a communication network. Collecting information in this manner can take several seconds per each field device, with operators experiencing a particularly long delay when a field device is not communicating and the host detects a timeout event. Moreover, this approach generates a large amount of traffic in the network, sometimes interfering with other communications, such as SCADA telemetry data collection. | {
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Methylotrophic yeasts are those yeasts that are able to utilize methanol as a sole source of carbon and energy. Species of yeasts that have the biochemical pathways necessary for methanol utilization are classified in four genera, Hansenula, Pichia, Candida, and Torulopsis. These genera are somewhat artificial, having been based on cell morphology and growth characteristics, and do not reflect close genetic relationships (Billon-Grand, Mycotaxon 35:201-204, 1989; Kurtzman, Mycologia 84:72-76, 1992). Furthermore, not all species within these genera are capable of utilizing methanol as a source of carbon and energy. As a consequence of this classification, there are great differences in physiology and metabolism between individual species of a genus.
Methylotrophic yeasts are attractive candidates for use in recombinant protein production systems for several reasons. First, some methylotrophic yeasts have been shown to grow rapidly to high biomass on minimal defined media. Second, recombinant expression cassettes are genomically integrated and therefore mitotically stable. Third, these yeasts are capable of secreting large amounts of recombinant proteins. See, for example, Faber et al., Yeast 11:1331, 1995; Romanos et al., Yeast 8:423, 1992; Cregg et al., Bio/Technology 11:905, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,242; U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,467; U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,231; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,555; and Raymond, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,716,808, 5,736,383, 5,854,039, and 5,888,768.
Previously described expression systems for methylotrophic yeasts rely largely on the use of methanol-inducible transcription promoters. The use of methanol-induced promoters is, however, problematic as production is scaled up to commercial levels. The overall volume of methanol used during the fermentation process can be as much as 40% of the final fermentation volue, and at 1000-liter fermentation scale and above the volumes of methanol required for induction necessitate complex and potentially expensive considerations.
There remains a need in the art for additional materials and methods to enable the use of methylotrophic yeasts for production of polypeptides of economic importance, including industrial enzymes and pharmaceutical proteins. The present invention provides such materials and methods as well as other, related advantages.
It is an object of the present invention to provide transcription promoter and terminator sequences for use in Pichia methanolica. It is a further object of the invention to provide materials and methods for obtaining constitutive expression of heterologous DNA in P. methanolica. It is also an object of the invention to provide methods for production of polypeptides in P. methanolica, which methods can be readily scaled up to industrial levels, and to provide materials that can be used within these methods. It is another object of the invention to provide materials and methods for obtaining constitutive transcription of heterologous DNA to produce recombinant proteins in P. methanolica.
Within one aspect, the present invention provides an isolated DNA molecule of up to 5000 nucleotides in length comprising nucleotide 93 to nucleotide 1080 of SEQ ID NO:1.
Within a second aspect of the invention there is provided a DNA construct comprising the following operably linked elements: a first DNA segment comprising at least a portion of the sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 from nucleotide 93 to nucleotide 1092, wherein the portion is a functional transcription promoter; a second DNA segment encoding a protein of interest other than a Pichia methanolica glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; and a third DNA segment comprising a transcription terminator. Within one embodiment, the first DNA segment is from 900 to 1500 nucleotides in length. Within another embodiment, the first DNA segment is from 900 to 1000 nucleotides in length. Within an additional embodiment, the first DNA segment is substantially free of Pichia methanolica glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene coding sequence. The DNA construct may further comprise a selectable marker, preferably a Pichia methanolica gene, more preferably a Pichia methanolica ADE2 gene. The DNA construct may be a closed, circular molecule or a linear molecule. Within other embodiments, the DNA constuct further comprises a secretory signal sequence, such as the S. cerevisiae alpha-factor pre-pro sequence, operably linked to the first and second DNA segments. Within additional embodiments, the third DNA segment comprises a transcription terminator of a Pichia methanolica AUG1 or GAP2 gene.
Within a third aspect of the invention there is provided a Pichia methanolica cell containing a DNA construct as disclosed above. Within one embodiment, the DNA construct is genomically integrated. Within a related embodiment, the DNA construct is genomically integrated in multiple copies. Within a further embodiment, the P. methanolica cell is functionally deficient in vacuolar proteases proteinase A and proteinase B.
Within a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a method of producing a protein of interest comprising the steps of (a) culturing a P. methanolica cell as disclosed above whereby the second DNA segment is expressed and the protein of interest is produced, and (b) recovering the protein of interest from the cultured cell.
Within a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided a DNA construct comprising the following operably linked elements: a first DNA segment comprising a Pichia methanolica gene transcription promoter; a second DNA segment encoding a protein of interest other than a Pichia methanolica protein; and a third DNA segment comprising nucleotides 2095 to 2145 of SEQ ID NO:1.
These and other aspects of the invention will become evident upon reference to the following detailed description of the invention.
The term xe2x80x9callelic variantxe2x80x9d is used herein to denote an alternative form of a gene. Allelic variation is known to exist in populations and arises through mutation.
A xe2x80x9cDNA constructxe2x80x9d is a DNA molecule, either single- or double-stranded, that has been modified through human intervention to contain segments of DNA combined and juxtaposed in an arrangement not existing in nature.
A xe2x80x9cDNA segmentxe2x80x9d is a portion of a larger DNA molecule having specified attributes. For example, a DNA segment encoding a specified polypeptide is a portion of a longer DNA molecule, such as a plasmid or plasmid fragment, that, when read from the 5xe2x80x2 to the 3xe2x80x2 direction, encodes the sequence of amino acids of the specified polypeptide.
The term xe2x80x9cfunctionally deficientxe2x80x9d denotes the expression in a cell of less than 10% of an activity as compared to the level of that activity in a wild-type counterpart. It is preferred that the expression level be less than 1% of the activity in the wild-type counterpart, more preferably less than 0.01% as determined by appropriate assays. It is most preferred that the activity be essentially undetectable (i.e., not significantly above background). Functional deficiencies in genes can be generated by mutations in either coding or non-coding regions.
The term xe2x80x9cgenexe2x80x9d is used herein to denote a DNA segment encoding a polypeptide. Where the context allows, the term includes genomic DNA (with or without intervening sequences), cDNA, and synthetic DNA. Genes may include non-coding sequences, including promoter elements.
The term xe2x80x9cisolatedxe2x80x9d, when applied to a polynucleotide, denotes that the polynucleotide has been removed from its natural genetic milieu and is thus free of other extraneous or unwanted coding sequences, and is in a form suitable for use within genetically engineered protein production systems. Such isolated molecules are those that are separated from their natural environment and include cDNA and genomic clones.
xe2x80x9cOperably linkedxe2x80x9d, when referring to DNA segments, indicates that the segments are arranged so that they function in concert for their intended purposes, e.g., transcription initiates in the promoter and proceeds through the coding segment to the terminator.
A xe2x80x9cpolynucleotidexe2x80x9d is a single- or double-stranded polymer of deoxyribonucleotide or ribonucleotide bases read from the 5xe2x80x2 to the 3xe2x80x2 end. Polynucleotides include RNA and DNA, and may be isolated from natural sources, synthesized in vitro, or prepared from a combination of natural and synthetic molecules. Sizes of polynucleotides are expressed as base pairs (abbreviated xe2x80x9cbpxe2x80x9d), nucleotides (xe2x80x9cntxe2x80x9d), or kilobases (xe2x80x9ckbxe2x80x9d). Where the context allows, the latter two terms may describe polynucleotides that are single-stranded or double-stranded. When these terms are applied to double-stranded molecules they are used to denote overall length and will be understood to be equivalent to the term xe2x80x9cbase pairsxe2x80x9d. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the two strands of a double-stranded polynucleotide may differ slightly in length and that the ends thereof may be staggered as a result of enzymatic cleavage; thus all nucleotides within a double-stranded polynucleotide molecule may not be paired. Such unpaired ends will in general not exceed 20 nt in length.
A xe2x80x9cpolypeptidexe2x80x9d is a polymer of amino acid residues joined by peptide bonds, whether produced naturally or synthetically., Polypeptides of less than about 10 amino acid residues are commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cpeptidesxe2x80x9d.
The term xe2x80x9cpromoterxe2x80x9d is used herein for its art-recognized meaning to denote a portion of a gene containing DNA sequences that provide for the binding of RNA polymerase and initiation of transcription. Promoter sequences are commonly, but not always, found in the 5xe2x80x2 non-coding regions of genes. Sequences within promoters that function in the initiation of transcription are often characterized by consensus nucleotide sequences. These promoter elements include RNA polymerase binding sites, TATA sequences, and transcription factor binding sites. See, in general, Watson et al., eds., Molecular Biology of the Gene, 4th ed., The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Inc., Menlo Park, Calif., 1987.
A xe2x80x9cpro sequencexe2x80x9d is a DNA sequence that commonly occurs immediately 5xe2x80x2 to the mature coding sequence of a gene encoding a secretory protein.
The pro sequence encodes a pro peptide that serves as a cis-acting chaperone as the protein moves through the secretory pathway.
A xe2x80x9cproteinxe2x80x9d is a macromolecule comprising one or more polypeptide chains. A protein may also comprise non-peptidic components, such as carbohydrate groups. Carbohydrates and other non-peptidic substituents may be added to a protein by the cell in which the protein is produced, and will vary with the type of cell. Proteins are commonly defined in terms of their amino acid backbone structures; substituents such as carbohydrate groups are generally not specified, but may be present nonetheless.
The term xe2x80x9csecretory signal sequencexe2x80x9d denotes a DNA sequence that encodes a polypeptide (a xe2x80x9csecretory peptidexe2x80x9d) that, as a component of a larger polypeptide, directs the larger polypeptide through a secretory pathway of a cell in which it is synthesized. The larger polypeptide is commonly cleaved to remove the secretory peptide during transit through the secretory pathway. A secretory peptide and a pro peptide may be collectively referred to as a pre-pro peptide.
All references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The present invention provides isolated DNA molecules comprising a Pichia methanolica glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene promoter. The invention also provides isolated DNA molecules comprising a P. methanolica GAPDH gene terminator. The promoter and terminator can be used within methods of producing proteins of interest, including proteins of pharmaceutical or industrial value.
The sequence of a DNA molecule comprising a Pichia methanolica glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene promoter, coding region, and terminator is shown in SEQ ID NO:1. The gene has been designated GAP2. Those skilled in the art will recognize that SEQ ID NO:1 represents a single allele of the P. methanolica GAP2 gene and that other functional alleles (allelic variants) are likely to exist, and that allelic variation may include nucleotide changes in the promoter region, coding region, or terminator region.
The partial sequence of a second P. methanolica glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene, designated GAP1, is shown in SEQ ID NO:2.
Within SEQ ID NO:1, the GAPDH open reading frame begins with the methionine codon (ATG) at nucleotides 1093-1095. The transcription promoter is located upstream of the ATG. Gene expression experiments showed that a functional promoter was contained within the ca. 1000 nucleotide 5xe2x80x2-flanking region of the GAP2 gene.
Preferred portions of the sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1 for use within the present invention as transcription promoters include segments comprising at least 900 contiguous nucleotides of the 5xe2x80x2 non-coding region of SEQ ID NO:1, and preferably comprising nucleotide 93 to nucleotide 1080 of the sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1. Those skilled in the art will recognize that longer portions of the 5xe2x80x2 non-coding region of the P. methanolica GAP2 gene can also be used. Promoter sequences of the present invention can thus include the sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 through nucleotide 1092 in the 3xe2x80x2 direction and can extend to or beyond nucleotide 1 in the 5xe2x80x2 direction. In general, the promoter used within an expression DNA construct will not exceed 1.5 kb in length, and will preferably not exceed 1.0 kb in length. In addition to these promoter fragments, the invention also provides isolated DNA molecules of up to about 3300 bp, as well as isolated DNA molecules of up to 5000 bp, wherein said molecules comprise the P. methanolica GAP2 promoter sequence.
As disclosed in more detail in the examples that follow, the sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 from nucleotide 93 to nucleotide 1080 provides a functional transcription promoter. However, additional nucleotides can be removed from either or both ends of this sequence and the resulting sequence tested for promoter function by joining it to a sequence encoding a protein, preferably a protein for which a convenient assay is readily available.
Within the present invention it is preferred that the GAP2 promoter be substantially free of GAP2 gene coding sequence, which begins with nucleotide 1093 in SEQ ID NO:1. As used herein, xe2x80x9csubstantially freexe2x80x9d of GAP2 gene coding sequence means that the promoter DNA includes not more than 15 nucleotides of the GAP2 coding sequence, preferably not more than 10 nucleotides, and more preferably not more than 3 nucleotides. Within a preferred embodiment of the invention, the GAP2 promoter is provided free of coding sequence of the P. methanolica GAP2 gene. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that a GAP2 gene fragment that includes the initiation ATG (nucleotides 1093 to 1095) of SEQ ID NO:1 can be operably linked to a heterologous coding sequence that lacks an ATG, with the GAP2 ATG providing for intition of translation of the heterologous sequence. Those skilled in the art will further recognize that additional GAP2 coding sequences can also be included, whereby a fusion protein comprising GAP2 and heterologous amino acid sequences is produced. Such a fusion protein may comprise a cleavage site to facilitate separation of the GAP2 and heterologous sequences subsequent to translation.
In addition to the GAP2 promoter sequence, the present invention also provides transcription terminator sequences derived from the 3xe2x80x2 non-coding region of the P. methanolica GAP2 gene. A consensus transcription termination sequence (Chen and Moore, Mol. Cell. Biol. 12:3470-3481, 1992) is at nucleotides 2136 to 2145 of SEQ ID NO:1. Within the present invention, there are thus provided transcription terminator gene segments of at least about 50 bp,. preferably at least 60 bp, more preferably at least 90 bp, still more preferably about 200 bp in length. The terminator segments of the present invention may comprise 500-1000 nucleotides of the 3xe2x80x2 non-coding region of SEQ ID NO:1. These segments comprise the termination sequence disclosed above, and preferably have as their 5xe2x80x2 termini nucleotide 2095 of SEQ ID NO:1. Those skilled in the art will recognize, however, that the transcription terminator segment that is provided in an expression vector can include at its 5xe2x80x2 terminus the TAA translation termination codon at nucleotides 2092-2094 of SEQ ID NO:1 to permit the insertion of coding sequences that lack a termination codon.
Techniques for manipulating cloned DNA molecules and introducing exogenous DNA into a variety of host cells are well known in the art and are disclosed by, for example, Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 1989; Murray, ed., Gene Transfer and Expression Protocols, Humana Press, Clifton, N.J., 1991; Glick and Pasternak, Molecular Biotechnology: Principles and Applications of Recombinant DNA, ASM Press, Washington, D.C., 1994; Ausubel et al. (eds.), Short Protocols in Molecular Biology, 3rd edition, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., N.Y., 1995; Wu et al., Methods in Gene Biotechnology, CRC Press, New York, 1997. DNA vectors, including expression vectors, commonly contain a selectable marker and origin of replication that function in a bacterial host (e.g., E. coli) to permit the replication and amplification of the vector in a prokaryotic host. If desired, these prokaryotic elements can be removed from a vector before it is introduced into an alternative host. For example, such prokaryotic sequences can be removed by linearization of the vector prior to its introduction into a P. methanolica host cell.
Within certain embodiments of the invention, expression vectors are provided that comprise a first DNA segment comprising at least a portion of the sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 that is a functional transcription promoter operably linked to a second DNA segment encoding a protein of interest. When it is desired to secrete the protein of interest, the vector will further comprise a secretory signal sequence operably linked to the first and second DNA segments. The secretory signal sequence may be that of the protein of interest, or may be derived from another secreted protein, preferably a secreted yeast protein. A preferred such yeast secretory signal sequence is the S. cerevisiae alpha-factor (MFxcex11) pre-pro sequence (disclosed by Kurjan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,082 and Brake, U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,008).
Within other embodiments of the invention, expression vectors are provided that comprise a DNA segment comprising a portion of SEQ ID NO:1 that is a functional transcription terminator operably linked to an additional DNA segment encoding a protein of interest. Within one embodiment, the GAP2 promoter and terminator sequences of the present invention are used in combination, wherein both are operably linked to a DNA segment encoding a protein of interest within an expression vector.
Expression vectors of the present invention further comprise a selectable marker to permit identification and selection of P. methanolica cells containing the vector. Selectable markers provide for a growth advantage of cells containing them. The general principles of selection are well known in the art. The selectable marker is preferably a P. methanolica gene. Commonly used selectable markers are genes that encode enzymes required for the synthesis of amino acids or nucleotides. Cells having mutations in these genes cannot grow in media lacking the specific amino acid or nucleotide unless the mutation is complemented by the selectable marker. Use of such xe2x80x9cselectivexe2x80x9d culture media ensures the stable maintenance of the heterologous DNA within the host cell. A preferred selectable marker of this type for use in P. methanolica is a P. methanolica ADE2 gene, which encodes phosphoribosyl-5-aminoimidazole carboxylase (AIRC; EC 4.1.1.21). See, Raymond, U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,383. The ADE2 gene, when transformed into an ade2 host cell, allows the cell to grow in the absence of adenine. The coding strand of a representative P. methanolica ADE2 gene sequence is shown in SEQ ID NO:3. The sequence illustrated includes 1006 nucleotides of 5xe2x80x2 non-coding sequence and 442 nucleotides of 3xe2x80x2 non-coding sequence, with the initiation ATG codon at nucleotides 1007-1009. Within a preferred embodiment of the invention, a DNA segment comprising nucleotides 407-2851 is used as a selectable marker, although longer or shorter segments could be used as long as the coding portion is operably linked to promoter and terminator sequences. In the alternative, a dominant selectable marker, which provides a growth advantage to wild-type cells, may be used. Typical dominant selectable markers are genes that provide resistance to antibiotics, such as neomycin-type antibiotics (e.g., G418), hygromycin B, and bleomycin/phleomycin-type antibiotics (e.g., Zeocin(trademark); available from Invitrogen Corporation, San Diego, Calif.). A preferred dominant selectable marker for use in P. methanolica is the Sh bla gene, which inhibits the activity of Zeocin(trademark).
The use of P. methanolica cells as a host for the production of recombinant proteins is disclosed in WIPO Publications WO 97/17450, WO 97/17451, WO 98/02536, and WO 98/02565; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,716,808, 5,736,383, 5,854,039, and 5,736,383. Expression vectors for use in transforming P. methanolica will commonly be prepared as double-stranded, circular plasmids, which are preferably linearized prior to transformation. To facilitate integration of the expression vector DNA into the host chromosome, it is preferred to have the entire expression segment of the plasmid flanked at both ends by host DNA sequences (e.g., AUG1 3xe2x80x2 sequences). Electroporation is used to facilitate the introduction of a plasmid containing DNA encoding a polypeptide of interest into P. methanolica cells. It is preferred to transform P. methanolica cells by electroporation using an exponentially decaying, pulsed electric field having a field strength of from 2.5 to 4.5 kV/cm, preferably about 3.75 kV/cm, and a time constant (xcfx84) of from 1 to 40 milliseconds, most preferably about 20 milliseconds.
Integrative transformants are preferred for use in protein production processes. Such cells can be propagated without continuous selective pressure because DNA is rarely lost from the genome. Integration of DNA into the host chromosome can be confirmed by Southern blot analysis. Briefly, transformed and untransformed host DNA is digested with restriction endonucleases, separated by electrophoresis, blotted to a support membrane, and probed with appropriate host DNA segments. Differences in the patterns of fragments seen in untransformed and transformed cells are indicative of integrative transformation. Restriction enzymes and probes can be selected to identify transforming DNA segments (e.g., promoter, terminator, heterologous DNA, and selectable marker sequences) from among the genomic fragments.
Differences in expression levels of heterologous proteins can result from such factors as the site of integration and copy number of the expression cassette among individual isolates. It is therefore advantageous to screen a number of isolates for expression level prior to selecting a production strain. Isolates exhibiting a high expression level will commonly contain multiple integrated copies of the desired expression cassette. A variety of suitable screening methods are available. For example, transformant colonies are grown on plates that are overlayed with membranes (e.g., nitrocellulose) that bind protein. Proteins are released from the cells by secretion or following lysis, and bind to the membrane. Bound protein can then be assayed using known methods, including immunoassays. More accurate analysis of expression levels can be obtained by culturing cells in liquid media and analyzing conditioned media or cell lysates, as appropriate. Methods for concentrating and purifying proteins from media and lysates will be determined in part by the protein of interest. Such methods are readily selected and practiced by the skilled practitioner.
For production of secreted proteins, host cells having functional deficiencies in the vacuolar proteases proteinase A, which is encoded by the PEP4 gene, and proteinase B, which is encoded by the PRB1 gene, are preferred in order to minimize spurious proteolysis. Vacuolar protease activity (and therefore vacuolar protease deficiency) is measured using any of several known assays. Preferred assays are those developed for Saccharomyces cerevisiae and disclosed by Jones, Methods Enzymol. 194:428-453,-1991. A preferred such assay is the APNE overlay assay, which detects activity of carboxypeptidase Y (CpY). See, Wolf and Fink, J. Bact. 123:1150-1156, 1975. Because the zymogen (pro)CpY is activated by proteinase A and proteinase B, the APNE assay is indicative of vacuolar protease activity in general. The APNE overlay assay detects the carboxypeptidase Y-mediated release of xcex2-naphthol from N-acetyl-phenylalanine-xcex2-naphthyl-ester (APNE), which results in the formation of an isoluble red dye by the reaction of the xcex2-naphthol with the diazonium salt Fast Garnet GBC. Cells growing on assay plates (YEPD plates are preferred) at room temperature are overlayed with 8 ml RxM. RxM is prepared by combining 0.175 g agar, 17.5 ml H2O, and 5 ml 1 M Tris-HCl pH 7.4, microwaving the mixture to dissolve the agar, cooling to xcx9c55xc2x0 C., adding 2.5 ml freshly made APNE (2 mg/ml in dimethylformamide) (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo.), and, immediately before assay, 20 mg Fast Garnet GBC salt (Sigma Chemical Co.). The overlay is allowed to solidify, and color development is observed. Wild-type colonies are red, whereas CPY deletion strains are white. Carboxypeptidase Y activity can also be detected by the well test, in which cells are distributed into wells of a microtiter test plate and incubated in the presence of N-benzoyl-L-tyrosine p-nitroanilide (BTPNA) and dimethylformamide. The cells are permeabilized by the dimethylformamide, and CpY in the cells cleaves the amide bond in the BTPNA to give the yellow product p-nitroaniline. Assays for CpY will detect any mutation that reduces protease activity so long as that activity ultimately results in the reduction of CpY activity.
P. methanolica cells are cultured in a medium comprising adequate sources of carbon, nitrogen and trace nutrients at a temperature of about 25xc2x0 C. to 35xc2x0 C. Liquid cultures are provided with sufficient aeration by conventional means, such as shaking of small flasks or sparging of fermentors. A preferred culture medium for P. methanolica is YEPD (2% D-glucose, 2% Bacto(trademark) Peptone (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.), 1% Bacto(trademark) yeast extract (Difco Laboratories), 0.004% adenine, 0.006% L-leucine).
For large-scale culture, one to two colonies of a P. methanolica strain can be picked from a fresh agar plate (e.g. YEPD agar) and suspended in 250 ml of YEPD broth contained in a two-liter baffled shake flask. The culture is grown for 16 to 24 hours at 30xc2x0 C. and 250 rpm shaking speed. Approximately 50 to 80 milliliters of inoculum are used per liter starting fermentor volume (5-8% v/v inoculum).
A preferred fermentation medium is a soluble medium comprising glucose as a carbon source, inorganic ammonia, potassium, phosphate, iron, and citric acid. As used herein, a xe2x80x9csoluble mediumxe2x80x9d is a medium that does not contain visible precipitation. Preferably, the medium lacks phosphate glass (sodium hexametaphosphate). A preferred medium is prepared in deionized water and does not contain calcium sulfate. As a minimal medium, it is preferred that the medium lacks polypeptides or peptides, such as yeast extracts. However, acid hydrolyzed casein (e.g., casamino acids or amicase) can be added to the medium if desired. An illustrative fermentation medium is prepared by mixing the following compounds: (NH4)2SO4 (11.5 grams/liter), K2HPO4 (2.60 grams/liter), KH2PO4 (9.50 grams/liter), FeSO4.7H2O (0.40 grams/liter), and citric acid (1.00 gram/liter). After adding distilled, deionized water to one liter, the solution is sterilized by autoclaving, allowed to cool, and then supplemented with the following: 60% (w/v) glucose solution (47.5 milliliters/liter), 10xc3x97 trace metals solution (20.0 milliliters/liter), 1 M MgSO4 (20.0 milliliters/liter), and vitamin stock solution (2.00 milliliters/liter). The 10xc3x97 trace metals solution contains FeSO4.7H2O (100 mM), CuSO4.5H2O (2 mM), ZnSO4.7H2O (8 mM), CoCl2.6H2O (2 mM), Na2MoO4.2H2O (1 mM), H3BO3 (8 mM) KI (0.5 mM), NiSO4.6H2O (1 mM), thiamine (0.50 grams/liter), and biotin (5.00 milligrams/liter). The vitamin stock solution contains inositol (47.00 grams/liter), pantothenic acid (23.00 grams/liter), pyrodoxine (1.20 grams/liter), thiamine (5.00 grams/liter), and biotin (0.10 gram/liter). Those of skill in the art can vary these particular ingredients and amounts. For example, ammonium sulfate can be substituted with ammonium chloride, or the amount of ammonium sulfate can be varied, for example, from about 11 to about 22 grams/liter.
After addition of trace metals and vitamins, the pH of the medium is typically adjusted to pH 4.5 by addition of 10% H3PO4. Generally, about 10 milliliters/liter are added, and no additional acid addition will be required. During fermentation, the pH is maintained between about 3.5 to about 5.5, or about 4.0 to about 5.0, depending on protein produced, by addition of 5 N NH4OH.
An illustrative fermentor is a BIOFLO 3000 fermentor system (New Brunswick Scientific Company, Inc.; Edison, N.J.). This fermentor system can handle either a six-liter or a fourteen-liter fermentor vessel. Fermentations performed with the six-liter vessel are prepared with three liters of medium, whereas fermentations performed with the fourteen-liter vessel are prepared with six liters of medium. The fermentor vessel operating temperature is typically set to 30xc2x0 C. for the course of the fermentation, although the temperature can range between 27-31xc2x0 C. depending on the protein expressed. The fermentation is initiated in a batch mode. The glucose initially present is often used by approximately 10 hours elapsed fermentation time (EFT), at which time a glucose feed can be initiated to increase the cell mass. An illustrative glucose feed contains 900 milliliters of 60% (w/v) glucose, 60 milliliters of 50% (w/v) (NH4)2SO4, 60 milliliters of 10xc3x97 trace metals solution, and 30 milliliters of 1 M MgSO4. Pichia methanolica fermentation is robust and requires high agitation, aeration, and oxygen sparging to maintain the percentage dissolved oxygen saturation above 30%. The percentage dissolved oxygen should not drop below 15% for optimal expression and growth. The biomass typically reaches about 30 to about 80 grams dry cell weight per liter at 48 hours EFT.
Proteins produced according to the present invention are recovered from the host cells using conventional methods. If the protein is produced intracellulary, the cells are harvested (e.g., by centrifugation) and lysed to release the cytoplasmic contents. Methods of lysis include enzymatic and mechanical disruption. The crude extract is then fractionated according to known methods, the specifics of which will be determined for the particular protein of interest. Secreted proteins are recovered from the conditioned culture medium using standard methods, also selected for the particular protein. See, in general, Scopes, Protein Purification: Principles and Practice, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1994.
The materials and methods of the present invention can be used to produce proteins of research, industrial, or pharmaceutical interest. Such proteins include enzymes, such as lipases, cellulases, and proteases; enzyme inhibitors, including protease inhibitors; growth factors such as platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), fibroblast growth factors (FGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs); glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD); cytokines, such as erythropoietin, thrombopoietin, colony stimulating factors, interleukins, and interleukin antagonist; hormones, such as insulin, proinsulin, leptin, and glucagon; and receptors, including growth factor receptors, which can be expressed in truncated form (xe2x80x9csoluble receptorsxe2x80x9d) or as fusion proteins with, for example, immunoglobulin constant region sequences. DNAs encoding these and other proteins are known in the art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,889,919; 5,219,759; 4,868,119; 4,968,607; 4,599,311; 4,784,950; 5,792,850; 5,827,734; 4,703,008; 4,431,740; and 4,762,791; and WIPO Publications WO 95/21920 and WO 96/22308.
It is particularly preferred to use the present invention to produce unglycosylated pharmaceutical proteins. Yeast cells, including P. methanolica cells, produce glycoproteins with carbohydrate chains that differ from their mammalian counterparts. Mammalian glycoproteins produced in yeast cells may therefore be regarded as xe2x80x9cforeignxe2x80x9d when introduced into a mammal, and may exhibit, for example, different pharmacokinetics than their naturally glycosylated counterparts. | {
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Flossing is important to oral hygiene. However, flossing may be neglected, for a variety of reasons.
People may not floss as often as they need to. People may not be flossing because they do not see the floss. People may not be flossing because they feel it is too much trouble to get the floss. People may not be flossing because they feel flossing is boring or troublesome.
People may not floss as long as they need to. People may be flossing for a shorter time than they believe they are flossing.
What is needed is a device which will facilitate flossing. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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5th generation (5G) wireless systems represent a next major phase of mobile telecommunications standards beyond the current telecommunications standards of 4th generation (4G). Rather than faster peak Internet connection speeds, 5G planning aims at higher capacity than current 4G, allowing a higher number of mobile broadband users per area unit, and allowing consumption of higher or unlimited data quantities. This would enable a large portion of the population to stream high-definition media many hours per day with their mobile devices, when out of reach of wireless fidelity hotspots. 5G research and development also aims at improved support of machine-to-machine communication, also known as the Internet of things, aiming at lower cost, lower battery consumption, and lower latency than 4G equipment.
The above-described background relating to facilitating dynamic resource partitioning for multiple carriers using a software-defined network is merely intended to provide a contextual overview of some current issues, and is not intended to be exhaustive. Other contextual information may become further apparent upon review of the following detailed description. | {
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(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit system, and more particularly to a variable resistance linear limit voltage circuit that may, by way of example and not limitation, be used to match the rated saturation voltage VS of different rechargeable cells during charging, and that employs light emitting diodes as both illumination and impedance devices so as to reduce heat generated by the impedance devices while still achieving the desired limit voltage control.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,993 and Europe Patent No. 0487204, both granted to the applicant of the present invention, disclose a multi-voltage output circuit that uses a positive voltage drop from a diode or a zener voltage from a zener diode to control an output voltage supplied to rechargeable cells directly connected in parallel at the output of the multi-voltage output circuit during a charging process, or the positive voltage drop from multiple diodes directly connected in parallel with the cells to provide a limit-voltage-divided charging current. In either application, the circuit provides a regulated voltage V0 when the terminal voltage of the cells accumulates along with the charging current and rises up to such extent close to, and eventually becomes identical with the positive voltage drop value. However, the positive voltage drop of the diodes in such an arrangement has a gradient of approximately 0.7V difference depending on the number of diodes connected in series, and therefore it is very difficult to match the rated saturation voltage VS of the cells by changing the number of diodes connected in series when the positive voltage drop of the diodes connected in parallel is not of the same value as that of the VS. Therefore, diodes must be directly connected in parallel with the cells being charged, and such connection creates the following defects:
1. In the absence of additional connection in series of a proper limiting current, the charging current IB decreases when a composite regulated voltage V0 is generated by the positive voltage drop of the diode and the terminal voltage of the cells. As a result, the diodes are vulnerable to being burnt out due to the significantly increased current passing through the diodes, as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings of the present invention; and
2. The positive voltage drop value of the diodes is not consistent with the rated saturation voltage VS required by the cells. If the value is lower than VS, the charging current IB passing through the cells gets too small and consequently, the charging process becomes too slow or the charging current is insufficient, as illustrated in FIG. 2. On the other hand, if the value gets higher than VS, the cells will be overcharged.
The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a linearly variable resistance limit voltage circuit system including a light emitting display.
The limit voltage circuit of the invention may be used in a variety of applications, one of which is the application of matching the saturation voltage of a rechargeable cell to ensure fully saturated charging, while at the same time preventing damage to the cell due to overcharging, reducing thermal loss from the limit voltage circuit, and providing a light emitting display when required. | {
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The invention relates generally to the field of data mining. More particularly, the invention relates to the field of data mining for sequential data that represents event sequences.
Most data mining research has concentrated on set-oriented tabular data. There are, however, important types of data that do not fit within this framework. One such form of data is event sequences that occur in many application areas. An event sequence is an ordered collection of events from a finite set of event types, with each event of the sequence having an occurrence time.
One example of an event sequence is the event or error log from a process such as telecommunications network management. Here the event types are the possible error messages, and the events are actual occurrences of errors at certain times. Also a web access log from a single session of a user can be viewed as an event sequence. In this case, the event types are the web pages, and an individual event is a request for a particular page at a particular time. Other examples of application areas in which event sequences occur are user interface design (event types are different user commands), criminology (types of crime), biostatistics (different symptoms), etc. In each of these applications, the data consists of one or several event sequences. Note that an event sequence is different from a time series in that a time series describes a variable with a continuous value over time, whereas an event sequence consists of discrete events happening in more or less random fashion.
One interesting aspect of event sequences is the degree of similarity between two event types. The definition of similarity may vary depending on the application. For example, if the application is web browsing behavior, two web pages may be considered similar if they convey the same type of information. If the example is computer user interface design, two commands may be similar if they accomplish the same function. Such similarity information is useful in itself, as it provides insight into the data. The similarity of web pages may be used to determine where links may be appropriate. The similarity of computer user commands may be used to select alternative commands to be suggested to the computer user. Moreover, similarities between event types can be used in various ways to make querying the data set more useful.
Because of the increasing difficulty and expense of determining similarity between event types in large sets of event sequences, it is desirable to provide a method of determining similarity between event types by merely scanning and interpreting the data in the database. Such a method would do away with the need to compare the content of event types to determine their similarity.
Determining a degree of relative similarity between event types in event sequences by examining the context of the event types facilitates similarity analysis of large sets of event sequences.
An event sequence may be defined as an ordered collection of events from a finite set of event types, with each event of the sequence having an occurrence time. An event may be defined as a tuple containing two elements, an event type and an occurrence time.
The present invention determines the similarity between a plurality of event types in at least one event sequence. The invention may be implemented in the form of program modules or computer-executable instructions stored on a computer readable medium or in the form of an apparatus having means to process data stored on a database.
In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, an event sequence is examined, and a context for each of a plurality of event types is compiled. These contexts are then compared to determine a degree of similarity between the corresponding event types.
A context set is compiled by recording the events which occur within a predetermined time period of each occurrence of the event type. The context set may include event types which occur during the time period before each occurrence of the event type or event types both before and after the event type.
To compare the contexts, the context sets are transformed into vector representations and then the distance between the vectors is calculated. The context sets may be transformed into vectors having the same number of dimensions as the finite set of event types has elements, with each dimension corresponding to an event type and the value of each dimension being based on the number of times the corresponding event type occurs in the context set. The context sets may be transformed into centroid vectors.
Conventional distance calculations may be employed for determining the distance between vectors, such as the Euclidean distance formula. | {
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The present invention generally relates to surgical apparatus and methods. More specifically, the invention relates to an electro-surgical instrument with inhibited surface conduction and methods for use with a robotic surgical system.
Minimally invasive surgical techniques generally reduce the amount of extraneous tissue damage during surgical procedures, thereby reducing patient recovery time, discomfort, and deleterious side effects. One effect of minimally invasive surgery, for example, is reduced post-operative hospital recovery times. Because the average hospital stay for a standard surgery is typically significantly longer than the average stay for an analogous minimally invasive surgery, increased use of minimally invasive techniques could save millions of dollars in hospital costs each year. Patient recovery times, patient discomfort, surgical side effects, and time away from work can also be reduced by increasing the use of minimally invasive surgery.
In theory, a significant number of surgical procedures could potentially be performed by minimally invasive techniques to achieve the advantages just described. Only a small percentage of procedures currently use minimally invasive techniques, however, because certain instruments, systems and methods are not currently available in a form for providing minimally invasive surgery.
Traditional forms of minimally invasive surgery typically include endoscopy, which is visual examination of a hollow space with a viewing instrument called an endoscope. One of the more common forms of endoscopy is laparoscopy, which is visual examination and/or treatment of the abdominal cavity. In traditional laparoscopic surgery a patient's abdominal cavity is insufflated with gas, and cannula sleeves are passed through small incisions in the musculature of the patient's abdomen to provide entry ports through which laparoscopic surgical instruments can be passed in a sealed fashion. Such incisions are typically about ½ inch (about 12 mm) in length.
Laparoscopic surgical instruments generally include a laparoscope for viewing the surgical field and working tools defining end-effectors. Typical surgical end-effectors include, for example, clamps, graspers, scissors, staplers, hooks, electrocautery devices, needle holders and the like. The working tools are similar to those used in conventional (open) surgery, except that the working end or end-effector of each tool is separated from its handle by a long extension tube, typically of about 12 inches (about 300 mm) in length, for example, so as to permit the surgeon to introduce the end-effector to the surgical site and to control movement of the end-effector relative to the surgical site from outside a patient's body.
To perform a surgical procedure, a surgeon typically passes the working tools or instruments through the cannula sleeves to the internal surgical site and manipulates the instruments from outside the abdomen by sliding them in and out through the cannula sleeves, rotating them in the cannula sleeves, levering (i.e., pivoting) the instruments against the abdominal wall and actuating the end-effectors on distal ends of the instruments from outside the abdominal cavity. The instruments normally pivot around centers defined by the incisions which extend through the muscles of the abdominal wall. The surgeon typically monitors the procedure by means of a television monitor which displays an image of the surgical site captured by the laparoscopic camera. Typically, the laparoscopic camera is also introduced through the abdominal wall so as to capture the image of the surgical site. Similar endoscopic techniques are employed in, for example, arthroscopy, retroperitoneoscopy, pelviscopy, nephroscopy, cystoscopy, cistemoscopy, sinoscopy, hysteroscopy, urethroscopy, and the like.
Although traditional minimally invasive surgical instruments and techniques like those just described have proven highly effective, newer systems may provide even further advantages. For example, traditional minimally invasive surgical instruments often deny the surgeon the flexibility of tool placement found in open surgery. Difficulty is experienced in approaching the surgical site with the instruments through the small incisions. Additionally, the added length of typical endoscopic instruments often reduces the surgeon's ability to feel forces exerted by tissues and organs on the end-effector. Furthermore, coordination of the movement of the end-effector of the instrument as viewed in the image on the television monitor with actual end-effector movement is particularly difficult, since the movement as perceived in the image normally does not correspond intuitively with the actual end-effector movement. Accordingly, lack of intuitive response to surgical instrument movement input is often experienced. Such a lack of intuitiveness, dexterity and sensitivity of endoscopic tools has been found to be an impediment in the increased use of minimally invasive surgery.
Minimally invasive robotic (or “telesurgical”) surgical systems have been developed to increase surgical dexterity and allow a surgeon to operate on a patient in an intuitive manner. Telesurgery is a general term for surgical operations using systems where the surgeon uses some form of remote control, e.g., a servomechanism, or the like, to manipulate surgical instrument movements, rather than directly holding and moving the tools by hand. In such a telesurgery system, the surgeon is typically provided with an image of the surgical site on a visual display at a location remote from the patient. The surgeon can typically perform the surgical procedure at the location remote from the patient while viewing the end-effector movement on the visual display during the surgical procedure. Typically while viewing a three-dimensional image of the surgical site on the visual display, the surgeon performs the surgical procedures on the patient by manipulating master control devices at the remote location, which master control devices control motion of the remotely controlled instruments.
Such a telesurgery system is often provided with at least two master control devices (one for each of the surgeon's hands), which are normally operatively associated with two robotic arms on each of which a surgical instrument is mounted. Operative communication between master control devices and associated robotic arm and instrument assemblies is typically achieved through a control system. The control system typically includes at least one processor which relays input commands from the master control devices to the associated robotic arm and instrument assemblies and from the arm and instrument assemblies to the associated master control devices in the case of, e.g., force feedback, or the like. One example of a robotic surgical system is the DA VINCI® system available from Intuitive Surgical, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif.
One type of end-effector which is often advantageous for use with a robotic surgical system is an electro-surgical end-effector, such as an electrocautery device. Electro-surgical devices, such as monopolar and bipolar devices, electrocautery scissors, hooks or jaws and the like, are commonly used in laparoscopic surgery and conventional surgery to cut tissue and/or coagulate small blood vessels. Thus, electro-surgical end-effectors have been developed for use with robotic surgical systems. Although many such electro-surgical end-effectors are quite effective, there are ways in which such devices may be improved.
One shortcoming of currently available end-effectors is that they are not optimally designed to inhibit conduction of current from the active electrode at the distal end of the effector back toward proximal parts of the electro-surgical instrument. Current conducted proximally from the active electrode may melt or otherwise damage one or more proximal parts of the electro-surgical instrument. Such a proximally-transmitted current may also increase the temperature of a proximal portion of the instrument and thus cause an unwanted patient burn at a location apart from the active electrode.
Another possible shortcoming of currently available devices is that the end-effector is typically permanently connected to the rest of the electro-surgical instrument. Although such permanently connected end-effectors work well, the permanent connection makes cleaning of the electrode difficult, often requiring the entire electro-surgical instrument to be autoclaved or otherwise cleaned. Such permanently attached electrodes may also sustain larger amounts of wear and tear before being replaced, which may compromise performance of the end-effector.
Therefore, a need exists for improved electro-surgical instruments and end-effectors for use with a robotic surgical system. Improved end-effectors would include means for inhibiting surface conduction of current from a distal active electrode to more proximal portions of the end-effector and to the electro-surgical instrument. Ideally such end-effectors would be available either permanently attached to an electro-surgical instrument or removably attachable to an instrument. At least some of these objectives will be met by the present invention. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Cigarettes are packaged in primarily two types of packaging units, known in the industry as the ‘soft pack’ or ‘hard pack’. Both packages provide limited product protection from damage through end use and offer little ability to maintain freshness. Additionally limited ability exists to produce unique shapes that enable the product to be distinguished from other paper or paperboard packages that are folded into a rectangular shape. The current hard and soft packs also create a post consumer waste issue, since the cigarettes are generally packaged within three layers, and internal foil wrap, the paper or paperboard package, and a cellophane overwrap. Conventionally, after cigarettes have been manufactured they are accumulated and separated into a three-row stack of 20, which has a “7-6-7” configuration. This 7-6-7 stack is then wrapped with foil and next mechanically transferred to a station in which paper, for a softpack, or paperboard, for a hardpack, is folded around the foil wrapped cigarettes. A cellophane wrap is then applied around either the soft or hard pack.
One of the first attempts to provide a protective metal case for cigarettes was by Schulze in U.S. Pat. No. 1,711,971, which issued in 1929. There a flat-sided metal container having a rectangular internal area and a hinged top lid was used to contain a standard pack of cigarettes. This construction allowed cigarettes to be removed using the standard industry test whereby the case could be grasped with one hand, and the thumb of the same hand used for flipping open the cover, whereby a cigarette could be readily grasped at its protruding end and removed and the cover snapped closed by the index finger of the same hand, by which is had been opened. A particular advantage of this case allowed ease of opening by pressing against diagonally opposite corners of the box. In this action the upper edge of the box was deformed slightly from rectangular to an oblique parallelogram form so that the forward rim of the box drew inward away from a flange of the cover, and the indentation receded from the cover indentation releasing the lock. The pressure of the forward edge of the lateral rim of the box against the rim of the cover flange caused the latter automatically to snap upward about its hinge to open position. The box immediately resumed its rectangular form by reason of the resiliency of the thin metal of which it was made. This design also contemplated a humidor pad in the top of the lid. This box was, however, completely separate from the standard cigarette package, acting as a holder for the cigarette package, and the hard square edges did not provide ease of carrying.
Standard cigarette packages are usually made from three wrappings: an inner foil liner made from a metal foil laminated to a paper substrate or a metallized paper, which is wrapped about the cigarettes and folded, but not sealed, at the ends of the cigarettes; a “soft” or “hard” paper or paperboard package that is usually imprinted with a brand name and other information; and an exterior clear overwrap of a heat sealable polymeric film, usually polypropylene, which is heat sealed. A strip of polymeric material known as a “tear tape” is usually provided for easy opening of the polymeric overwrap films. The tear tape is positioned adjacent and parallel to the top edge of the package.
The foil inner liner is only folded over the top and bottom of the cigarettes and provides a minimal barrier to oxygen in surrounding air. The heat sealed overwrap slows the loss of moisture, freshness, and flavor only over a period of weeks. Hein, III et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,529 partially solved the moisture and freshness problem by providing a heat sealable high barrier packaging material made from a base layer of either oriented polypropylene, nylon, or biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate film that was metallized by vacuum deposition techniques. This barrier can then be printed with brand and other information followed by application of inner and outer heat seal film. This protective packaging could have as many as five separate layers.
Recently a flask-shaped cigarette pack made of recyclable plastic that is water-resistant and crushproof, named the Evo Flask was introduced in the United States. It has a 2-by-10 cigarette configuration, is slim and curved and was marketed by R.J. Reynolds in April to June of 2002, as described on http://tobaccos.com/backissues/Apr2002/story4.asp and http:/adage.com/news.cms new Id=33939. This product was advertised by at least September 2002 in for example Newsweek, Sep. 30, 2002, sandwiching p. 38p. Other R.J.R. packaging efforts are described in http://www.rjipackaging.com/frtobaccopack.html and http://www.rjrt.com/IN/COpurch_flax_packaging.asp. However, by using a design with an altered width, which enables a 2×10 configuration, the design does not take advantage of the nesting associated with a 7-6-7 configuration and could result in looser packing of the cigarettes and may contribute to a flattening of the cigarette sides. The altered dimensions also require modification to the point of sale dispensers. The design as shown is not directly transferable to a drawn aluminum package due to the sharp square corners at the bottom of the package. Bottom corners must be rounded to enable deep drawing the package without fracturing. Another feature of the package, is that package lid is attached using two small semicircular connector straps, one positioned at each of the back corners, to prevent interference between the lid and body upon opening. This method would likely be less durable upon repeated opening and closing of the package than a continuous hinge as to be described in this patent.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,526,559 and 5,934,461 (both Fleenor et al.) recognized disposal problems associated with standard paper-plastic film wrapped cigarette packages and taught an aluminum, cigarette package having improved crush resistance and recyclability made by a seamless aluminum drawing method where the body and a stamped or punched lid were independently formed and then joined at inherently sealed edges. This provided a sole metal cigarette holder having flat surfaces, which are rounded at the edges, a front panel shorter than the back panel allowing for ease of closing the lid, and a rectangular shape. This did away altogether with the standard paper cigarette holder and inner foil liner. The lid design used, would require adhesively backed tape to attach the lid and body, which also serves as the hinge.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,916 (Ortner) extended the use of metal or plastic packaging units to contain rod shaped perfume bottles. The packaging unit had flat surfaces, a rectangular shape and front panels shorter than the back panels allowing ease of closing the lid.
What is still needed is a body hugging, reclosable packaging unit with a simple lid design that addresses the post-consumer waste issue. It is a main object of this invention to provide such a reclosable packaging unit with a simple lid design that is capable of being hermetically sealed in order to improve content freshness. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention is concerned with a socket wrench comprising a socket element which is provided with a socket for engagement with a bolt or nut, and a handle which forms a lever arm when tightening or loosening nuts or bolts, which handle is fitted at a first end thereof with a hinge half for the purpose of acting in combination with a socket element fitted with a hinge half on an upper part thereof. The invention is further concerned with a second socket element hinged to a second end of the handle, or other nut wrench or similar attached to a second end of the handle.
Socket wrenches are used for tightening or loosening bolts or nuts in threaded joints that are inaccessible by non-hinged tools. Socket wrenches available on the market have a socket for engagement with the bolt or nut. The socket is located in a socket element with the hinge located above the socket of the socket element, which is fitted with a handle attached to the hinge, which handle forms a lever when tightening or loosening bolts or nuts in a threaded joint.
The drawback of socket wrenches is the location of the hinge at the top of the socket element, which restricts the ability to tighten or loosen nuts on bolts having a thread length greater than the depth of the socket of the socket element. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to the field of computers, and in particular to clustered shared-memory multiprocessor systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved region coherence array having hint bits associated with processors in a clustered shared-memory multiprocessor system.
2. Description of the Related Art
To reduce global bandwidth requirements within a computer system, many modern shared-memory multiprocessor systems are clustered. The processors are divided into groups called symmetric multiprocessing nodes (SMP nodes), such that processors within the same SMP node may share a physical cabinet, a circuit board, a multi-chip module, or a chip, thereby enabling low-latency, high-bandwidth communication between processors in the same SMP node. Two-level cache coherence protocols exploit this clustering configuration to conserve global bandwidth by first broadcasting memory requests for a line of data from a processor to the local SMP node, and only sending memory requests to other SMP nodes if necessary (e.g., if it is determined from the responses to the first broadcast that the requested line is not cached on the local SMP node). While this type of two-level cache coherence protocol reduces the computer system global bandwidth requirements, memory requests that must eventually be broadcast to other SMP nodes are delayed by the checking of the local SMP node first for the requested line, causing the computer system to consume more SMP node bandwidth and power. It is important for performance, scalability, and power consumption to first send memory requests to the appropriate portion of the shared-memory computer system where the cached data is most likely to be found.
Several Coarse-Grain Coherence Tracking (CGCT) methods which include use of Region Coherence Arrays (RCAs) to avoid unnecessary broadcasts of memory requests in a broadcast-based, shared-memory multiprocessor system have been discussed. The RCAs are hardware structures that track the coherence status of data at a coarse granularity. The RCAs exploit spatial locality beyond the cache line and temporal locality beyond the capacity of the cache hierarchy. However, the known CGCT methods are solely targeted for multiprocessor systems that are flat (not clustered)—that is, there is a single, flat interconnect and no multiple levels of interconnect hierarchy. In this type of system, the problem is simply determining whether or not to broadcast a memory request, which memory request is broadcast to the entire flat system. The system does not allow an optional broadcast of memory requests to only a specified portion of a non-clustered system.
Further, some proposed region protocol methods for clustered shared-memory multiprocessor systems identify only where data might only possibly be found in the system, and do not answer the important question of where to first send memory requests in the event that multiple region coherence state bits of an RCA are set. Under these methods, when multiple region coherence state bits of an RCA are set which indicate that cached copies of lines from a region of memory are detected at multiple levels of the interconnect hierarchy, no optimal routing of requests occurs. Instead, a policy decision must be made to determine where to first send requests for a line of data (e.g., send requests first to the highest system interconnect level, to reduce latency, or to send requests first to the lowest system interconnect level to conserve bandwidth, etc.).
Thus, there is a need for a region protocol which utilizes RCAs having bits that predict which part of the system can most efficiently satisfy a request for a line in the region so that requests may be automatically routed and sent first sent to the part of the system indicated by the bits. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to tool accessories and more particularly to an attachment system for hand-held tools.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lanyards, tethers, hooks, and similar restraints are used to prevent accidental dropping of tools. These restraints are particularly useful in environments where a tool drop can cause substantial damage or harm to plant equipment, workers, or objects below a worker who accidentally drops a tool.
One method of restraining tools is to clip one end of a tether to an opening in the handle of a tool (e.g., an adjustable wrench) and to clip the other end of the tether to the worker's belt or to a nearby structure. When workers properly tether a tool in this way, accidental drops can be eliminated or greatly reduced. However, if a worker uses many tools to complete a task, then the worker implementing this method must tether each tool. The worker may switch a single tether between multiple tools or provide one tether for each tool. In some cases, switching the tether to a different tool is the cause of an accidental drop.
One approach to tethering tools is described in PCT published patent application number WO 2012/054979 for TOOL ATTACHMENT SYSTEM. The tool attachment system is adapted for use with at least two retainers. The device has two slot-like mountings that are open at one end to receive a retainer. A latch mechanism is movable between first and second positions for each mounting. The latch mechanism pivots about a transverse pivot axis positioned between a head portion and a tail portion. A portion of the latch mechanism extends into the mounting slot so that a retainer bears on the latch as the retainer is passed into the slot. A first retainer engaged with the device causes the latch mechanism to pivot to a first position, where the first retainer cannot be detached from the device until another retainer has been engaged with the device and causes the latch mechanism to move to a second position. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Along with progress of digital technology and enhancement of life quality, digital electronic products have gone deeply into every aspect of life. Because digital still cameras (DSCs) have the advantages of small volume, convenient use, powerful function, real-time preview, and unneeded development of negatives as compared with conventional cameras, they have been widely used by people, and have become indispensable digital electronic products in life and travel.
Generally speaking, a DSC will provide a preview mode and an auto-exposure mode. In the auto-exposure mode, the DSC will automatically adjust exposure parameters like exposure time and gain value according to the environmental brightness so that a user can easily take high-quality digital pictures. In the preview mode, a user can preview the photographed pictures in real time. When a conventional DSC operates in the auto-exposure mode, a central processing unit (CPU) thereof needs to calculate exact exposure time and gain value momentarily according to the environmental brightness, hence consuming more power and shortening the usable time of battery of the DSC. It is thus necessary for the user to bring more spare batteries or charge the battery of the DSC momentarily, resulting in much trouble and inconvenience in use.
Accordingly, the present invention aims to propose an auto-exposure power-saving device of a DSC to resolve the above problem. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved sealed bearing particularly for use in oil and gas-well operations employing multiple liner-hanger assemblies.
2. Prior Art
In well-drilling operatons, such as in oil and gas wells, the well pipe is cemented into the bore hole and the liner pipes are suspended in the bore hole from hangers. It has been found desirable, during the cementing operations, to rotate the casing liner to ensure an even application of the cement and the proper displacement of the drilling mud. In operation the casing liner is cemented in the well casing by using a liner hanger, and the liner hanger is rotated through the use of a bearing assembly. Both open-type and seal bearings have been proposed for use in such liner-hanger assemblies and method, such as, for example, as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,804, issued Mar. 8, 1977, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,640, issued July 5, 1977, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety in this application.
The above patents are directed to a series of cooperating liner hangers which distribute the load on a bearing, with each hanger assembly located a selective distance from the other hanger assemblies, and a bearing arrangement employed with each of the hangers to provide rotational capacity to the hanger. FIGS. 5, 5A and 5B of the patents show prior-art bearings employed for liner-hanger assemblies and are described more particularly in column 5, lines 3-30 in each patent. The bearing assembly described comprises upper and lower bearing plates, with the interface of the two bearing plates fabricated of a resilient bearing material with a low coefficient of friction. Such bearings as described have not proven wholly satisfactory in use. The bearings being described as seal bearings are, in effect, not entirely sealed, and, under actual operating conditions, where the bearings are exposed to drilling mud and other contaminants under high torque conditions, are subject to failure. The present invention is directed to an improvement in bearings for the same end use. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to optoelectronic devices. The invention more particularly concerns an optoelectronic device that is mountable to a bulkhead.
2. Discussion of the Background
An optoelectronic device utilizes at least one optical subassembly. The optical subassembly can be an optoelectronic receiver or an optoelectronic transmitter. An optoelectronic transmitter receives electrical signals, converts the electrical signals to light signals, and then transmits the light signals. An optoelectronic receiver receives light signals, converts the light signals to electrical signals, and then transmits the electrical signals. A transceiver is an optoelectronic device which has at least one optoelectronic receiver and at least one otpoelectronic transmitter.
In order to pass optical signals through a bulkhead, an optical bulkhead connector is employed. The optical bulkhead connector employs, in this example, two channels. Two discrete optical fibers define the two channels. One end of the optical bulkhead connector conforms to an expanded beam interface and the other ends of the two optical fibers conform to an LC standard interface. The optical bulkhead connector is attached to the bulkhead of the device of interest, such as a tank, so that the expanded beam portion of the connector is exposed to the ambient environment, and the LC portion of the connector is exposed to the interior of the vehicle. The Expanded beam portion of the device is attached to the bulkhead. The optical fibers may run some distance before the LC connectors are plugged into LC receptacles of an optoelectronic device, such as a transceiver, mounted elsewhere within the interior of the vehicle. Examples of expanded beam devices are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,884,861, and 5,247,595. An example of an optical bulkhead connector is set forth in FIG. 15 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,683. Examples of optoelectronic devices are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,528,408; 5,546,281; 6,350,063; and 6,499,890. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,884,861; 5,247,595; 5,528,408; 5,546,281; 6,234,683; 6,350,063; and 6,499,890 are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Some of the following qualities are paramount during the design phase of a successful military vehicle: the maximization of useable interior space, the reduction of weight, and the increased reliability of components that are used to construct the vehicle. Furthermore, such goals must be met while operating within a limited financial budget. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to large transport vehicles. More particularly this invention relates to open top containers that are utilized to transport loads. Specifically, this invention is directed to an open-top container that has a top rail that is reinforced by increasing the thickness of various portions of the rail and by including one or more strengthening ribs that are offset from the container's wall and are spaced laterally therefrom; and which ribs run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rail for substantially an entire length of the rail.
2. Background Information
Open top containers are utilized in the transportation industry to hold loads that need to be moved from one location to another. The containers include a floor and at least three side walls. The fourth side wall may comprise a hinged door that is opened so that a load can be packed into the trailer's interior and then closed for transport. Alternatively, the trailer may include four side walls and the load is placed in the interior and removed therefrom via the opening defined by the top rail or rim of the trailer's side walls.
Typically, the floor is reinforced and sturdy in that it has to hold the load thereon. The top rail is also relative stiff and rigid but the trailer's side walls are less substantial and less rigid. If a load is placed into and removed from the trailer by reaching over the top rail there is a risk that the top rail will be forced downwardly. As this occurs, the side walls may buckle and become permanently dented or otherwise damaged.
There is therefore a need in the art for an improved open top trailer. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The increased availability and use of drugs of abuse along with the need for testing of other analytes, for example HIV or antibodies thereto, has caused employers, governmental agencies, sports groups, hospital emergency rooms and other organizations to utilize drug and analyte screening methods in a wide variety of situations such as in screening individuals for potential employment or purchasing insurance, or in order to maintain safety in the work place. In addition, in law enforcement, there is a constant need for providing improved on-the-spot testing for drugs of abuse or other analytes in a quick and simple manner since these tests will be far removed from the clinical setting. Screening tests for the detection of drugs of abuse and other analytes range in complexity from simple immunoassay tests to very complex analytical procedures.
Over the years the speed and specificity of immunoassays have made them one of the most accepted methods for screening for drugs of abuse in body fluids. Typical drug screening tests are performed for the purpose of quickly identifying on a qualitative basis, the presence of drugs in a body fluid which may be urine or saliva. A complete analysis of the sample may then be carried out in a laboratory only if the preliminary screening results are positive. More and more such drug screenings are taking place on site or at the work place, or during routine police stops or check points, and these are generally carried out by testing personnel who are generally not technically trained as would be a laboratory technician. It is thus important that the drug screening procedure is simple but yet reliable. Further, the test apparatus must be designed so as to enable the testing personnel to avoid all contact with the fluid specimen which is being tested.
While blood and urine samples have long been the primary fluids used for testing for disease as well as for evidence of substance abuse, there is increasing interest in testing regimens which can test a variety of body fluids including salivary specimens. Some advantages in a system that can test saliva in addition to bodily fluids such as blood and urine is that it is relatively easy to obtain a saliva sample and that a saliva sample obtained on the spot cannot be adulterated. Also, saliva testing is more suitable in testing of recent use since it does not maintain reactivity of the analyte after use for up to four to six weeks. Accordingly, testing of saliva gives a result in real time within a span of hours as compared to urine which gives a test result after-the-fact. In general, saliva and blood are useful to measure impairment, while urine tests generally are not suitable for this purpose.
However, the ability to collect and analyze saliva samples in addition to other bodily fluids using an immunoassay for diagnostic purposes is complicated by the relatively high viscosity of the fluid and the small volumes of salivary fluid secreted. In particular, saliva contains mucins which are a family of large, heavily glycosylated proteins which account for many of the properties of saliva. These mucins also act to disrupt or inhibit the lateral flow necessary to achieve a rapid and accurate test result and greatly restrict both the time it takes for a sample to travel through the immunoassay strip as well as the amount of the target compound in the sample which can travel up the strip and thus be determined by the immunoassay.
Because of the problems caused by mucins, certain testing systems had recommended long and elaborate procedures for removing mucins prior to testing the sample. These procedures include pre-treating a sample such as saliva with a diluent or other reagent which is capable of breaking down the interferants in a sample, e.g., mucins in saliva, so that these interferants do not restrict the capillary flow of the sample through the test strip, in order to try to achieve a rapid test of target compounds. However, these pre-treatment steps with specific reagents to dilute or denature interferants, modify analyte structure, or release analyte from binders, must generally be performed outside the confines of the test device, and this incurs additional steps and solutions which must be handled by the persons administering the test. For example, it is necessary to suitably collect the sample, have the sample expressed into a buffer solution, and then dispensed into a reaction well which generally contains a second reagent such as an identifying reagent, all before the testing solution including the sample is introduced onto an immunoassay test strip. All these steps necessitate the development of means and techniques for constructing self-contained devices which can test for saliva in addition to other body fluids in a manner that allows one to safely and efficiently control the test sample during pre-treatment and testing, but is still safe and simple to use and also able to obtain accurate results.
Previously, others have attempted to develop devices to test saliva, but none have provided a safe, quick and effective means for testing a variety of body fluids including saliva which can be used in a variety of settings including on-the-spot testing in addition to testing in the workplace setting by non-professional testing personnel. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,243 issued to Wickstead relates to a device which has an inadequate and ineffective provision for control of the test sample. Other art in this field includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,267,722 issued Anderson et al, 6,214,629 issued to Freitag et al., and 5,630,986 issued to Charlton et al. In addition, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,464,939, 6,468,474 and 6,489,172, each issued to Bachand et al, disclose other saliva testing devices which also do not allow for quick and efficient break down of mucins so as to facilitate a highly sensitive test for a drug of abuse from a saliva sample. Finally, other devices are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,524,530 and in European Patent Application 520,408 A1, but once again these references do not disclose a flexible testing system which can suitably handle the problems associated with saliva testing and at the same time be able to readily test other bodily fluids for drugs of abuse and/or other analytes.
It thus remains a highly desirable object to develop methods and devices which allow for quick, safe and accurate testing of drugs of abuse or other analytes from a variety of body fluids including saliva, and which can be used conveniently and effectively in a wide variety of settings, including on-the-spot testing. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to novel 3-furyl sulfides.
Artificial flavoring agents for foodstuffs have received increasing attention in recent years. In many areas, such food flavoring agents are preferred over natural flavoring agents at least in part because of the uniform flavor that may be so obtained. For example, natural food flavoring agents such as extracts, essences, concentrates and the like are often subject to wide variation due to changes in the quality, type and treatment of the raw materials. Such variation can be reflected in the end product and results in unreliable flavor characteristics and uncertainty as to consumer acceptance and cost. Additionally, the presence of the natural product in the ultimate food may be undesirable because of increased tendency to spoil. This is particularly troublesome in convenience and snack food usage where such products as dips, soups, chips, prepared dinners, canned foods, sauces, gravies and the like are apt to be stored by the consumer for some time prior to use.
The fundamental problem in preparing artificial flavoring agents is that of achieving as nearly as possible a true flavor reproduction. This generally proves to be a difficult task since the mechanism for flavor development in many foods is not understood. This is notable in products having meaty, roasted, sweet meat, pot roast, bloody, nutty, green, tomato-like, fishy, hydrolyzed vegetable protein-like and/or alliacious (e.g. oniony, garlic or chive-like) flavor characteristics.
Reproduction of meaty, roasted, sweet meat, pot roast, bloody, nutty, beef broth-like, green, tomato-like, fishy, hydrolyzed vegetable protein-like and/or alliacious (e.g. oniony, garlic or chive-like) flavors and aromas has been the subject of the long and continuing search by those engaged in the production of foodstuffs. The severe shortage of foods, especially protein foods, in many parts of the world has given rise to the need for utilizing non-meat sources of proteins and making such proteins as palatable and as meat-like as possible. Hence, materials which will closely simulate or exactly reproduce the flavor and aroma of roasted meat products and liver products are required. In addition, a need exists for imparting, modifying or enhancing onion-like flavors and other alliacious type of flavors (e.g. chive and garlic) flavors as well as green notes and tomato-like nuances to foodstuffs.
Moveover, there are a great many meat containing or meat based foods presently distributed in a preserved form. Examples being condensed soups, dry-soup mixes, dry meat, freeze-dried or lyophilized meats, packaged gravies and the like. While these products contain meat or meat extracts, the fragrance, taste and other organoleptic factors are very often impaired by the processing operation and it is desirable to supplement or enhance the flavors of these preserved foods with versatile materials which have either meaty, roasted, sweet meat, pot roast, bloody, nutty, beef broth-like, green tomato-like, fishy, hydrolyzed vegetable protein-like and/or alliacious (e.g. oniony, garlic or chive-like) aroma and taste nuances.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,666,495 has to do with certain furan derivatives having desirable meat, roast meat and roasted fragrance and flavor notes. Among the furan derivatives disclosed in said patent are methyl (2-methyl-3-furyl) trisulfide obtained by the reaction of 2-methyl-3-furan thiol with methyl disulfur chloride at a temperature of from -60.degree. C to 0.degree. C, and methyl (2 -methyl-3-furyl) disulfide obtained by reacting 2-methyl-3-furan thiol with methane sulfenyl chloride.
Such 3-furyl alkyl disulfides possess organoleptic properties different in flavor character and intensity from the 3-furyl sulfides of our invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,563 issued on Sept. 17, 1974 broadly discloses 3-furyl alkyl sulfides having the structure: ##SPC2##
wherein R.sub.6 ' may be alkyl such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, n-hexyl, n-octyl and n-nonyl (See Col. 4, lines 10-18) and R.sub.7 ', R.sub.8 ' and R.sub.9 ' are either hydrogen or alkyl. Such 3-furyl alkyl sulfides of U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,563 possess organoleptic properties different in flavor character and intensity from the 3-furyl sulfides of our invention. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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A multi-chamber container is a container having more than one chamber for storing respective substances out of contact with one another. It may be desirable to keep the respective substances out of contact with one another during storage of the respective substances, for example if the substances might react or deteriorate over time should they be allow to mix.
Over the years, efforts have been made to improve the design of multi-chamber containers to enable a user to control a ratio of dispensed volumes of plural flowable substances stored in respective chambers of a multi-chamber container. For example, it is known to provide a two-compartment container of flexible material, which enables a user to applying differing magnitudes of force to the two compartments, in an attempt to cause different volumes of flowable substances stored in the compartments to be dispensed.
However, while in theory such a container should provide a user with a sufficient degree of control of the ratio, in reality the degree of control provided often is insufficient. For example, applying a force to one compartment of the container may inadvertently cause some component of force to be applied to the other compartment of the container, so the user cannot be certain as to the relative forces they are applying to the compartments.
Therefore, despite these efforts, a need still exists for multi-chamber container with a structure that better enables a user to control a ratio of dispensed volumes of plural separately-stored flowable substances. | {
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Electric vehicles, which are coupled to a wall outlet to charge the battery, are sometimes provided with an interlock such that vehicle starting is prevented when the electric vehicle's cord set is plugged into the wall. As the vehicle may depend on being charged, there is a concern that the cord set and/or the vehicle would be damaged in the event of a driveaway while the cord set is attached.
The interlock may be a switch coupled to a protective door over the vehicle's receptacle. When the switch indicates that the door is open, driveaway is prevented. In another alternative, an electronic control unit (ECU) onboard the vehicle determines whether the cord set is attached and, if so, prevents driveaway.
It may be possible for a vandal, or other third party, to interfere with the vehicle's operational capability by opening the protective door or by plugging a device into the vehicle's receptacle to deceive the ECU's logic associated with the cord set. Such a situation is not only inconvenient for the vehicle operator, but could leave the vehicle operator stranded if the vehicle operator is unable to detect the issue preventing vehicle operation. | {
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The development of solid propellant thruster technology, both of propellant formulations and system configurations, largely concerns methods of burn rate control, and thus thrust control to satisfy mission design requirements. Key to successful thrust control is not only the ability to adjust the magnitude of thrust, but also the ability to completely extinguish the combustion process upon command and the facility to have subsequent reignition/extinguishment cycles, all on command. Ideally, such thrust control is achievable in real-time and not merely by a thrust profile engineered into the system at the time of manufacture. Although thrust control is readily achievable for liquid propulsion systems and hybrid propulsion systems, these systems are more expensive, more complex and less reliable than comparable solid propellant systems. In addition, the majority of thruster systems that utilize liquid propellants are highly toxic.
Consider, for example a dual thrust mode of operation. The boost/sustain thrust profile is designed to initially provide high thrust to accelerate the propelled object, followed by a reduced thrust mode of operation that merely sustains the propelled object's velocity, thereby enabling extended propellant burn times. The difficulties inherent to controlling conventional propellant burn rates and the state-of-the-art solutions are reviewed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,692, issued to Hawkins, et al. and is hereby incorporated by reference. One problem identified by Hawkins, et al. associated with conventional propellant formulations, is the inherent risk of catastrophic failure due to the potential for burn rate runaway. Burn rate runaway can occur because of the relationship between propellant burn rate and pressure. Typically, as pressure is increased, the burn rate increases causing an exponential increase in burn rate and again an increase in pressure, ultimately terminating in critical failure of the motor. Accordingly, controlling the pressure is critical and difficult for such thrusters. Hawkins, et al. propose using propellants whose burn rate is relatively insensitive to pressure offering greater reliability through consistent performance and ease of predictability. However, two significant barriers to total thrust control of solid propellant systems remain with this system: the inability to alter the thrust profile in real-time, and the inability to completely extinguish the propellant combustion followed by reignition upon demand.
Another means of controlling propellant burn rate, is the use of propellants whose burn rate may be tailored by the addition of varying amounts of a given chemical ingredient. This class of propellants can be used to tailor the thrust profile by varying, in accordance with the desired thrust profile, the density of the critical burn rate controlling ingredient throughout the propellant grain. Numerous specific examples of this design philosophy exist, as represented by the following two patents: U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,070 to Neidert, et al., and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,717 to Anderson. However, the method of burn rate control by variations in chemical composition throughout the grain also suffer the problems of extinguishability and thrust profile alteration in real-time.
Alternatively, systems have been designed to control propellant burn rates through mechanical means. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,952,341 to Sayles and 4,756,251 to Hightower, et al. Sayles discloses the method of embedding shrink tubes or spheres within the propellant for the purpose of enhancing propellant burn rate, and Hightower, et al. disclose a method of embedding within the propellant grain a series of reticulated structures such that the propellant burn rate is variable, and similarly the thrust profile may be shaped as desired. Again, though, the thrust profile of the thruster using such a system is fixed at the time of manufacture and there is no provision for a start/stop/restart capability.
Yet another common mechanical means of controlling the burn rate is to construct the grain of the propellant with deliberate variations in exposed propellant surface area and the intentional inclusion of void spaces of designed dimensions. For well characterized propellants, these methods are tolerable, but in addition to the aforementioned problems of extinguishment and the lack of real-time thrust profile adjustment, the efficiency of these motors is decreased due to the increased volume that follows from the requirement for void spaces to control pressure and thus burn rate.
To achieve total control of the thrust profile, not only must propellant burn rate be actively controlled, thrusters must also have the capability of many start/stop/restart cycles. The ability to stop and then restart liquid propellant and hybrid propellant thruster systems is well established; however, problems of high cost, propellant toxicity, system complexity, and reliability encourage the search for solid propellant thruster systems that are capable of multiple start/stop/restart cycles.
Two common methods of achieving multiple start/stop/restart cycles for solid propellant thruster systems are the inclusion of discrete segments of propellant charges separated by some form of frangible material with a separate ignition means for each segment, or a pressure release system designed to vent the chamber pressure rapidly enough that extinguishment occurs. For example, consider U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,972,673 to Carrier, et al., 5,675,966 to Dombrowski, et al., and 4,078,953 to Sayles in which dual stage solid propellant rocket motors that rely upon a physical barrier between two distinct propellant grain regions to be broken upon command are disclosed. Again, although each of these concepts addresses multi cycle operation, none offer complete control, as the segments are always of finite capacity thus preventing smooth variation in the thrust profile, and, as always, the potential for unintentional segment ignition is present.
A particularly innovative means of thrust control that also achieves the zero thrust, start/stop multicycle operation is delineated in McDonald, et al.'s disclosure, U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,024 in which a complex system of valves and ducting is employed to control thrust. However, a detrimental aspect of McDonald, et al.'s solution to the problem of thrust control and restartability is the extreme complexity of the valving apparatus and the significant mass penalty. In addition, the exhaust from a gas generator charge is routed to pass over the main propellant charge for ignition and the exhaust is routed out of the combustion chamber during the extinguishment procedure. Finally, another problem is that the gas generator propellant charge is never extinguished and has a limited lifetime.
Finally, the concept of utilizing electric power to ignite and control propellant burn rate has been previously discussed. Electric power provides one standard means of igniting typical rocket propellants, in that an element is ohmically heated to temperatures above that required for propellant ignition. A comprehensive review of the application of electric power to the problem of enhancing efficiency in gun ammunition is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,765 to Wilkinson. This patent discloses the concept of controlled ignition of propellants through the use of electrothermal chemical cartridges. However, this application of electrical power to energetic materials is limited to the control of burn rate only, combustion continues despite the removal of electric power.
A related patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,854,439 to Almstrom, et al. also discloses a method for electrically initiating and controlling the burning of a propellant charge. The innovation in this case relates to the inclusion of multiple and separate electrically conductive surfaces within the propellant for the purpose of passing electric current through the conductive segment, causing electrothermal heating of the segment followed by ignition of the propellant within that segment. The concept capitalizes solely upon the ohmic heating of a conductor to initiate propellant combustion and is unsuited, as disclosed, to the application of thrusters because of the extreme requirement for electric power. More specifically, the patent states the electric power unit is estimated to weigh 100-300 kg per kg charge weight of the propellant, a ratio clearly unfavorable to rocketry.
The state-of-the-art in controllable energetic materials that are influenced by the application of electric power is disclosed in a provisional patent to Katzakian, et al. Prov. Application No. 60/287,799, filed on Apr. 30, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The disclosed invention describes a class of solid propellants whose combustion mechanism depends on electric power such that application of electric power above some critical value results in propellant ignition with subsequent sustained combustion and application of electric power below some critical value results in a cessation of combustion; however, no discussion of how the combustion may be controlled by the application of electric power is given, nor is any mention made of the mechanism.
Accordingly, a need exists for a state-of-the-art propellant control that enables economic and simple thrust control. | {
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There are a wide variety of known barbeque designs, some of which relate to charcoal-fired barbeques, and others of which relate to gas-fired barbeques.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,159,119 (Hottenroth et al) discloses a charcoal starter and cooker. As such, it provides a separate container for charcoal and a fan for providing a forced draft, to promote rapid ignition of the charcoal. It is suggested that the device could be used as a cooker, for example, for coffee pots and frying pans, by placing some of the charcoal in the base of the unit and covering it with a mesh. Nonetheless, in either mode, it does not provide a full conventional barbeque, and suffers from the disadvantage that the fan is located very close to the charcoal itself. It would be quite possible for the heat from the charcoal to damage the fan, particularly if the device was not emptied promptly, once the charcoal was fully lit.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,326,201 (Murray) discloses a barbeque apparatus incorporating a fan for providing a forced draft. A somewhat complex arrangement is provided, including a pair of valves, one of which is intended to control the overall air flow, and the other which determines whether the air flows through or over the bed of charcoal. The fan itself is mounted immediately beside the fire bed and again, could be prone to damage through overheating.
U.S Pat. No. 3,327,697 (Berlant) discloses a cooking device provided with a so-called air curtain. Here, a fan is mounted immediately below the barbeque and blows air through inner and outer casings of housings, to create a forced air curtain rising up around the edges of the barbeque. It also provides a forced draft effect for the charcoal itself. The fan again is mounted immediately against the barbeque, underneath it, in an exposed position.
The barbeque apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,478 (Booth), again, is relatively complex. A fax is provided for providing combustion air, and there are numerous individual baskets for the fuel.
A somewhat unusual electric cooker with a heated rock bed is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,286,620 (Brown). This is primarily intended to provide a cooker suitable for Polynesian cooking, and as such provides a substantial bed of rocks that could be heated, and then enclose the food for a slow cooking process. The whole apparatus is of some bulk and is carried on a small trailer suitable for towing by a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,442,201 (Kates) and 3,442,202 (Ishida) disclose barbeque grills provided with rotisserie arrangements.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,324,788 (La France) and 3,693,534 (Martin) both disclose barbeques with devices for improving or altering the draft characteristics. The first patent is concerned with a charcoal-type barbeque, whereas the later one is concerned with a gas barbeque. | {
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1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a method and system to conduct a consistency check on a distributed filesystem. More specifically, the invention relates to conducting the consistency check while filesystem metadata is mounted and available to an end user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Systems and methods for reviewing the consistency of a filesystem are known in the art. FIG. 1 is a block diagram 10 of a node 12 running a single operating system instance. The node 12 has a native filesystem 14 specific to the hardware and operating system of the node 12, and a filesystem reviewer 16. In addition, the node is in communication with local storage media 18 that includes file and system metadata space. The filesystem reviewer 16 functions to conduct consistency checks on filesystem metadata. The filesystem reviewer 16 is not embedded within server software of the node, and as such is not able to obtain mutual exclusion locks on the filesystem metadata. Accordingly, the prior art filesystem reviewer for a node running a single operating system instance does not have the ability to operate while the metadata of the filesystem is mounted.
Similarly, FIG. 2 is a block diagram 20 of a client/server node 22 in communication with a storage area network 30. The client/server node has a native filesystem 24 specific to the hardware and operating system of the client/server node, and a filesystem reviewer 26. In addition, the client/server node 22 is in communication with the storage area network 30 that includes file data space 32 and filesystem metadata space 34. In opening the contents of an existing file object on the storage media in the storage area network 30, a client contacts the client/server node 22 to obtain metadata and locks. Metadata supplies the client with information about a file, such as its attributes and location on storage devices. Locks supply the client with privileges it needs to open a file and read or write data. The client/server node 22 performs a look-up of metadata information for the requested file within the metadata 34 of the storage area network 30. The client/server node 22 communicates granted lock information and file metadata to the requesting client, including the location of all data blocks making up the file. Once the client holds a distributed lock and knows the data block location(s), the client can access the data for the file directly from a shared storage device in communication with the storage area network 30. In addition, the client/server node 22 includes a native filesystem 24 and a filesystem reviewer 26. The filesystem reviewer 26 functions to conduct consistency checks on the filesystem metadata. However, the filesystem reviewer 26 of the client/server node 22 is not embedded within the server software, and as such is not able to obtain mutual exclusion locks on the filesystem metadata. Accordingly, the prior art filesystem reviewer for a client/server node in communication with a storage area network does not have the ability to operate while the metadata of the filesystem is mounted.
The prior art solutions for performing a consistency check on the filesystem metadata of a single node as shown in FIG. 1 as well as a distributed system with shared persistent data as shown in FIG. 2 conduct an initial check of the known filesystems at boot time. However, there are limitations associated with limiting a consistency check to boot time. For example, the filesystem metadata is dynamic and during operation of the filesystem the metadata is subject to change. Prior art consistency checks are not available for mounted filesystems. A consistency check on unmounted filesystem metadata requires that some resource in the filesystem be unavailable to a client and/or server node while the consistency check is conducted. Accordingly, there is a need for a tool that enables consistency checks and salvage of inconsistent data to be conducted on a mounted filesystem. | {
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Digital video capabilities can be incorporated into a wide range of devices, including digital televisions, digital direct broadcast systems, wireless broadcast systems, personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptop or desktop computers, tablet computers, e-book readers, digital cameras, digital recording devices, digital media players, video gaming devices, video game consoles, cellular or satellite radio telephones, so-called “smart phones,” video teleconferencing devices, video streaming devices, and the like. Digital video devices implement video coding techniques, such as those described in the standards defined by MPEG-2, MPEG-4, ITU-T H.263, ITU-T H.264/MPEG-4, Part 10, Advanced Video Coding (AVC), ITU-T H.265, High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), and extensions of such standards. The video devices may transmit, receive, encode, decode, and/or store digital video information more efficiently by implementing such video coding techniques.
Video coding techniques include spatial (intra-picture) prediction and/or temporal (inter-picture) prediction to reduce or remove redundancy inherent in video sequences. For block-based video coding, a video slice (e.g., a video frame or a portion of a video frame) may be partitioned into video blocks, which may also be referred to as treeblocks, coding units (CUs) and/or coding nodes. Video blocks in an intra-coded (I) slice of a picture are encoded using spatial prediction with respect to reference samples in neighboring blocks in the same picture. Video blocks in an inter-coded (P or B) slice of a picture may use spatial prediction with respect to reference samples in neighboring blocks in the same picture or temporal prediction with respect to reference samples in other reference pictures. Pictures may be referred to as frames, and reference pictures may be referred to as reference frames.
Spatial or temporal prediction results in a predictive block for a block to be coded. Residual data represents pixel differences between the original block to be coded and the predictive block. An inter-coded block is encoded according to a motion vector that points to a block of reference samples forming the predictive block, and the residual data indicating the difference between the coded block and the predictive block. An intra-coded block is encoded according to an intra-coding mode and the residual data. For further compression, the residual data may be transformed from the pixel domain to a transform domain, resulting in residual transform coefficients, which then may be quantized. The quantized transform coefficients, initially arranged in a two-dimensional array, may be scanned in order to produce a one-dimensional vector of transform coefficients, and entropy coding may be applied to achieve even more compression.
The total number of color values that may be captured, coded, and displayed may be defined by a color gamut. A color gamut refers to the range of colors that a device can capture (e.g., a camera) or reproduce (e.g., a display). Often, color gamuts differ from device to device. For video coding, a predefined color gamut for video data may be used such that each device in the video coding process may be configured to process pixel values in the same color gamut. Some color gamuts are defined with a larger range of colors than color gamuts that have been traditionally used for video coding. Such color gamuts with a larger range of colors may be referred to as a wide color gamut (WCG).
Another aspect of video data is dynamic range. Dynamic range is typically defined as the ratio between the maximum and minimum brightness (e.g., luminance) of a video signal. The dynamic range of common video data used in the past is considered to have a standard dynamic range (SDR). Other example specifications for video data define color data that has a larger ratio between the maximum and minimum brightness. Such video data may be described as having a high dynamic range (HDR). | {
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This invention relates to a process for the production of insulating coatings on electrical conductors by coating the conductors with thermosetting ester resins of polyhydric alcohols, polyvalent aromatic carboxylic acids, optionally aliphatic carboxylic acids and optionally compounds containing amino groups, and heating the coated conductors at elevated temperatures above 200.degree. C. The resins also contain catalysts and leveling agents.
It is known that polyester resins can be converted into a form in which they are suitable for lacquering electrical conductors by dissolution of the resins in organic solvents of the phenol, cresol and/or xylenol type. The electrical conductors are insulated by coating them with a solution of the aforementioned polyester resins, followed by heating at oven temperatures of around 350.degree. C. or higher to cure the polyester resins. Conventional lacquer solutions generally contain additives and/or hardeners of the kind normally employed for lacquers. Particularly preferred lacquer solutions are based on polyester resins containing five-membered imide rings in co-condensed form, for example, those resins disclosed in the following publications and patents: DAS No. 1,033,291; British Patent Nos. 937,377; 1,082,181; 1,067,541; 1,067,542 and 1,127,214; Belgian Patent No. 663,429; French Patent No. 1,391,834; East German Patent No. 30,838; DOS Nos. 1,494,454; 1,494,413; 1,937,310; 1,937,311; 1,966,084; 2,101,990 and 2,137,884. The disclosures of each citation is hereby incorporated by reference.
Conventional lacquer solutions have a relatively high organic solvent content. The stoving residue of the lacquer solutions generally amounts to less than 50% by weight. The reason for this is, inter alia, that the polyester resins dissolved in the solvents have relatively high molecular weights and structural arrangements in the molecule giving rise to high melting points and viscosities in solutions. The high solvent contents referred to above have to be used in order to obtain solutions of suitable viscosity for lacquering purposes. These solvents are evaporated off when the thin lacquer film surrounding the wire is subsequently heated at elevated temperatures of around 220.degree. C. or higher, and hence are lost as film formers.
Accordingly, there is a considerable need for a process for producing insulating coatings on electrical conductors in which the use of the aforementioned solvents, at least in the large quantities indicated, can be avoided. This would afford considerable advantages by contributing to protection of the environment, reducing atmospheric pollution and the dangers to health in the coating plants and lacquer factories, increasing lacquer spread or yield, decreasing storage and transportation volume and reducing the risk of ignition.
Attempts have been made to meet this need by a process for insulating electrical conductors with heat-stable resins curable through free hydroxyl groups, especially non-linear polyester resins which can even be modified by amide or imide groups, by using in the melt, at a working temperature (lacquer bath temperature) of at least 100.degree. C., resins which have been condensed at this temperature to such an extent that they do not undergo any appreciable further condensation in the melt, and which have crosslink equivalent weights of from 400 to 1600 (see DOS No. 2,135,157). However, it is in fact not possible in this process to use solvent-free resins at practicable lacquer bath temperatures. According to the examples of the aforementioned German Offenlegungsschrift, it is necessary to use from 10 to 15% of foreign, physiologically unacceptable solvents, such as xylenols or cresols. Despite these solvent contents, the process has to be carried out at melt temperatures of 170.degree. or 160.degree. C., as shown by the examples. The reason for this is that it is necessary in this process to use melts of products with as high a molecular weight as possible which, accordingly, melt only at elevated temperatures. In this connection, it is specifically pointed out in DOS No. 2,135,157, page 6, paragraph 1, second sentence, that the use of low molecular weight products has adverse effects. | {
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The prior art discloses many types of multisection telescopic crane booms and actuator mechanisms for extending and retracting the boom sections. In some prior art arrangements, each boom section is telescopically movable relative to another by means of its own individual hydraulic ram. In other prior art arrangements several boom sections are telescopically movable by one hydraulic ram. In the latter arrangements, for example, either releasable pin means are used to temporarily secure one boom section to another so that one ram can move both, or cable and pulley arrangements are used so that movement of one section by a ram effects movement of other sections. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,396,601 and 3,605,358 disclose arrangements of the latter type wherein numerous pulleys and complex cable systems are required and wherein substantial portions of the cable-pulley systems are located on the exterior of the telescopic crane boom. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to multiple layered laminated medical-surgical tubing employing different layers of different plastic materials.
Medical-surgical tubings are widely employed in the medical field for analysis and treatment of patients. Generally, such tubing is made of an extruded plastic material. For example, polyethylene is widely employed in surgical tubing. U.S. Pat. No. 3,618,614, for example, discloses a multiple wall surgical tubing for stomach, thoracic or rectal use wherein like plastics such as polyethylene are bonded together. One of the layers is provided with a radiopaque material and the other is a clear tube. The composite tube may therefore be readily observed by fluoroscopic apparatus. The clear layer provides the desired physical characteristic such as smoothness or hardness. Vinyl plastic layers may also be similarly formed to provide radiopaque medical-surgical tubing.
In various applications, particularly for transporting of blood, interveneous fluids and the like, the migrating characteristic of the plastic employed must be carefully considered to prevent unacceptable contamination of the fluid. Thus, in dialysis equipment for treatment of kidney disease and the like, it is extremely important that there be essentially no contamination of the blood. In such medical application, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is widely employed as the material for the medical-surgical tubing. Such material is basically, however, a clear brittle thermoplastic. In order to convert such brittle material into a flexible material, suitable plasticizors are added and may form as much as 50% of the finished product. In addition, lubricants and stabilizers may also be required. Although such materials are presently employed for medical applications, the possible migrating characteristic of additive materials demands careful attention in the manufacture and use. A polyurethane tubing has been suggested for such use because it is a stable material which is a relatively soft, flexible material without essentially any additives, and therefore minimizes possibility of migration of contaminants into or from the fluid. Polyurethane also has good flow characteristics and thus has many significant advantages. The cost, however, is significantly greater than polyvinyl chloride and such use has generally been limited to exceptional biological blood compatability applications. The terminology medical-surgical tubing is employed to define that unique class of tubing employed in the in vivo treatment of human patients and wherein the tubing is introduced into the patient's body or otherwise connected thereto for transfer of fluids and is otherwise used in the analysis and study of fluids related to treatment of human patients.
Although various medical-surgical tubing is therefore readily available for the various analysis, there is a very significant need for a low cost nonmigratory medical-surgical tubing where exceptional high degrees of purity are demanded. | {
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According to some embodiments, the systems and methods provided herein may be configured to index and/or collect and publish datasets. As background, electronic discovery, regulatory and investigative processes involve sensitive document review and analysis processes which often involve numerous time consuming and error prone steps associated with the gathering of relevant datasets in a legally defensible manner.
Dataset collection, review, and analysis often begins with the filing of a lawsuit, commencement of an investigation or other significant event that requires the review and analysis of certain types of datasets. These datasets may include many diverse of similar data formats associated with user created files, electronic mail, audio, video, and the like. Datasets may be collected and analyzed from a variety of document sources such as email systems and repositories, file shares, storage media, third party web sites/services, and so forth. Because document review and analysis processes rely heavily on manual human action for certain steps, such as and the publishing of the collected and processed data to document review location, these processes are often error prone and time consuming. For example, datasets may be mistakenly omitted (i.e., not collected or improperly reviewed), leading to costly errors.
In some instances, the collected datasets may be published to a virtual segregated document review environment or other secure document review construct that provides a secure location for the review and analysis of the collected datasets. These segregated document review environments provide a location (either secured or unsecured) where dataset review personnel may analyze and evaluate datasets that have been identified and selected for review. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for delivering a substantially constant reaction force in response to an applied displacement, regardless of the magnitude or change of the displacement.
2. Related Art
Many industrial applications can benefit by a device in which a substantially constant force is output in response to a varied, applied displacement input. Such devices apply a constant force in applications where the unit applying the force does not maintain a constant distance from the unit to which the force is applied. While simple to describe and understand, the concept of constant force application is not easily executed in practice. Most conventional materials and devices follow a typical force/displacement relationship: as the displacement applied to a particular body increases, the force increases correspondingly. This common relationship can, perhaps, best be understood by analyzing the traditional mechanics which describe the relationship between force and deflection of springs. The force (F) applied to a spring is proportional to the distance the spring is deflected (d) and the “spring constant,” k, illustrated by the well known equation F=kd. Although the spring constant may vary from one spring to the next, a conventional spring will typically output more force as the input displacement is increased. Conversely, as a displacement applied to a spring is decreased, the force output of the spring will decrease. Most naturally occurring materials exhibit the same response to an applied displacement: as the displacement increases, i.e., as the material is compressed, the force required to continue compressing the material increases proportionally. This relationship holds for most materials in an un-yielded state.
Despite these complexities, constant force devices have been developed. One field where constant force devices have been used is the field of materials testing. Manufacturing or developmental materials are frequently subjected to mechanical testing to determine the mechanical properties of the materials. Often materials must be qualified by undergoing a testing matrix before they can be used in production. Such testing often requires that the materials undergo constant stress testing. In order to perform such testing, machines were developed that sense the force applied to a material and adjust the displacement applied to the material in order to maintain a constant force. Similar machines have been developed to perform wear testing, a process by which a constant abrasion force is applied to a material over a period of time. Because the material abrades during the test, the abrasion force applicator must move in order to maintain contact with the material. Regardless of the required movement, the abrasive force applicator must maintain a constant force.
The machines developed for these tests are capable of precisely applying a uniform force, regardless of varying displacements, but are very sophisticated and require many components and relatively large spaces to operate. They usually include a force sensing and feedback control system in addition to the test hardware, making the constant force devices impractical for smaller applications and generally very expensive. The large expense associated with such devices is prohibitive in many fields where constant force devices are otherwise very desirable.
Because of these considerations, when a constant force device is required in smaller or simpler operations, the constant force device is often simulated using non-constant force devices and compensating for the variable force reactions. Such simulated devices often utilize conventional springs, which, as explained above, are not constant force devices. While constant force tension springs have been developed, it is believed that constant force compression springs have, to date, only been simulated with negligible success. Use of conventional compression springs as constant force simulators has led to many problems. For example, most motor brushes are equipped with springs that serve to maintain contact between the brushes and the rotor. Ideally, the brushes would exert a constant force on the rotor. However, as the brushes wear, the springs extend to compensate for the lost brush material. The springs are consequently extended beyond their initial displacement. As illustrated by the formula F=kd, the springs at this point are applying a force different than the originally applied force due to the difference in extension. Variations in spring forces can adversely affect the performance of the motors and can lead to uneven wear and premature failure of the brushes.
Another example where constant force devices are desirable is in the field of electrical contacts. The reliability of high-cycle electrical contacts is of great concern to designers. The factor that contributes most to the reliability of an electrical contact is the contact surface mating conditions. Two parameters most affect mating conditions, surface finish and contact normal force at mating. When contact normal force is maintained above a certain level, greater reliability is obtained. Contact normal forces must be small enough to minimize plating damage over the life of the contact, but must be large enough to overcome co-planarity differences and other geometric variations. Thus, a desirable electric contact would maintain a constant, optimal contact force regardless of variations in deflection due to assembly or use.
Conventional electrical contacts attempt to simulate this constant, optimal force by the use of conventional springs. Common examples include pogo type connectors and cantilever type connectors, both of which employ compression springs. While the type of spring used by these connectors differs, the objective is the same. The springs are selected in an effort to provide a constant reaction force at the electrical contact point. Due to the inherent limitations of conventional springs, however, the optimal force cannot be maintained through a range of displacements. To compensate for this, very tight assembly and use tolerances are established, as the designers of the connectors must ensure that contact is made with the spring only in a narrow range of the spring's travel. In this manner, a relatively constant force is maintained at the contact point, but considerable and costly restraints are imposed during assembly. Also, such simulated constant force contacts are not suitable in environments where vibration and movement are present. Applications such as airplanes, vehicles and heavy equipment require electric connectors that can maintain a constant contact force even in the presence of vibration and relative movement of parts. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Technical Field
The invention relates to the field of communication. More specifically, the invention relates to communication networks.
2. Background
Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) is a resource access protocol. A resource access protocol is a defined set of rules for retrieval of resources from the Internet. A resource can be an image, a hypertext markup language (HTML) page, a Java applet, program, etc. HTTP is considered to reside at the presentation layer and/or the application layer of the OSI reference model. HTTP provides guidelines for exchanges between clients and resource hosts including request and response messages. A typical HTTP exchange includes a client requesting a resource and a resource host responding with the resource. In certain scenarios, the resource host will transmit a response that redirects the client to a different resource than the one originally requested by the client. For example, a resource host may not find a requesting client's cookie in the resource host's database, and, as a result, sends a response to the requesting client that redirects the client to a login page.
Since the exchanges between clients and resource hosts often include sensitive information, security measures are applied to certain exchanges. For security, HTTP is coupled with the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) (also known as Transport Layer Security (TLS)). From the perspective of the OSI reference model, HTTP sits over SSL. This coupling is referred to as HTTPS. After HTTP has generated a message, HTTP passes the message to SSL, which performs security operations (e.g., encryption, hashing, etc.) on the message.
HTTP uses a uniform resource locator (URL) for retrieval of a resource. A URL is an address of a resource accessible on the Internet. A URL includes a resource access protocol identifier, a resource host identifier, a path identifier, and a resource identifier. In the URL “http://www.host.com/folder/main.html,” the resource access protocol identifier is “http”; the resource host identifier is “www.host.com”; the path identifier is “folder”; and the resource identifier is “main.html.”
The resource access protocol identifies HTTP as the resource access protocol to be used to retrieve the identified resource.
The resource host indicated by the resource host identifier is a resource host, or server, identified as “www.host.com.” Although the resource host identifier used above is a domain name, a resource host identifier may be a network address, such as an Internet Protocol (IP) address. A resource host identifier may identify a port in addition to a resource host. For example, the following two URLs identify the same resource, but the second indicates a port:
1) http://www.host.com/main.html
2) http://www.host.com: 80/main.html.
The indicated port is the appropriate port for communication with the identified resource host in accordance with the identified resource access protocol. The default port for HTTP is port 80 (the default port for HTTPS is port 443), so an HTTP message with the above example URL will be communicated to the resource host identified as “www.host.com” with the port 80.
A URL does not necessarily have to include a path identifier or a resource identifier because the resource may be in a default path and have a default name. Using the previous examples, the URL “http://www.host.com/” identifies the same resource as the previous example URLs, assuming that “folder” is the default path and that “main.html” is the default resource.
The HTTP protocol and HTTPS protocol were designed such that the response (including a redirect) to a request will use the same protocol as the request used. Thus, if the request used HTTP, then the URLs of the response will use HTTP. In contrast, if the request used HTTPS, then the URLs of the response will use HTTPS. While this works for many situations, it creates problems in certain environments.
FIG. 1 (Prior Art) is a diagram of an example redirect response retransmission. In FIG. 1, a first, second, and third columns indicate resource messages respectively transmitted and received by a client 101, a content switch 103 that performs HTTP proxy, and a server 105. A hyperlink with a URL “https://www.host.com/res1.htm” is activated at the client 101, typically a personal computer. The resource host identifier is resolved to an Internet Protocol (IP) address and an HTTPS session is opened with the content switch 103. After the HTTPS session is opened, a request message 107 with “GET res1.htm” is transmitted from the client 101 to the content switch 103. The content switch 103 receives the request 107 on port 443, decrypts the request 107, and forwards the decrypted request 107 over an HTTP session to the server 105.
The content switch 103 that performs HTTP proxy and the server 105 are typically network elements in the same local area network (LAN), which is separate from the client 101. The client 101 communicates with the LAN over a public network (e.g., the Internet). The server 105 is one of many servers in a server farm. The server 105 and the other servers in the server farm are not burdened with security measures since the owner of the server farm and content switch 103 relies on the content switch 103 for security. The content switch 103 is exposed to the outside world and protects the server farm by performing HTTP proxy. The owner has dedicated resources of the servers in the server farm, including the server 105, to serving of requests instead of performing security operations. The content switch 103 performs HTTP proxy for the servers in the server farm and determines the appropriate server for a received request. In FIG. 1A, the server 105 is the appropriate server for the request 107.
The server 105 transmits a response 111 with redirect URL “http://www.host.com/res2.htm” to the content switch 103. The content switch 103 encrypts the response 111 and transmits the encrypted response 111 back over the HTTPS session to the client 101. The client 101 receives the HTTPS response 111, decrypts the response 111, and closes the HTTPS session. Assuming the redirect URL is selected, the client 101 resolves the host name and opens an HTTP session with the content switch 103 in accordance with the resource access protocol indicated by the redirect URL. The client 101 transmits a request message 113 with “GET res2.htm” to the content switch 103.
The content switch 103 receives the request message 113 on the port 80 because the content switch is running a network service to listen for traffic received on port 80. Traffic received on port 80 is redirected. In response to the request 113, the content switch 103 generates a response message 119 that indicates a redirect URL “https://www.host.com/res2.htm”. The content switch 103 transmits the response 119 back to the client 101 over the HTTP session initially opened by the client 101.
The client 101 closes the HTTP session and opens a HTTPS session with the content switch 103. The client 101 generates a request message 121, encrypts the request message 121, and transmits the encrypted request message 121 to the content switch 103.
This redirect retransmission punches a hole in the security provided by HTTPS. Since the client switches to HTTP, the data transmitted from the client is unencrypted. It is assumed that the client is transmitting sensitive information (e.g., a credit card number, passwords, bank account numbers, residential address, phone numbers, etc.) since HTTPS is typically invoked for protecting communications that will most likely include sensitive information. Due to the redirect rewrite retransmission, the client is transmitting sensitive data without encryption, which can be captured and used with ease.
In addition, the number of exchanges taking place between the client 101 and the content switch 103 illustrated in FIG. 1 are unnecessary “extra” exchanges to force the client to transmit an acceptable request, which can cause substantial impact to the content switch's performance in the real world. These extra exchanges between a content switch and thousands of sessions for thousands of clients impact performance of the content switch and introduce latency in a client's wait time for a response. Both the client machine and the content switch must process an additional message per redirect. The additional redirect may also agitate users and deter them from returning to a website.
FIG. 2 (Prior Art) is an example of a client in a protected network receiving a response message with a URL that indicates HTTPS. In FIG. 2, four columns respectively indicate a client 201, an intrusion detection system (IDS) 202, a firewall 203 with a proxy, and a server 205. The firewall 203 connects external networks to the client 201. The IDS 202 sniffs traffic transmitted and received by the client 201. The server 205 transmits a response 207 with a URL “https://www.host.com/res1.htm” to the firewall 203. The firewall 203 receives the response 207 and forwards the response 207 to the client 201 (assuming the client 201 was the requesting client). If the firewall 203 has a HTTPS session open with the server 205, then the firewall 203 decrypts the response 207 before forwarding it to the client 201. The IDS 202 analyzes the response 207. Assuming the URL in the response 207 is selected, the client 201 resolves the host name of the URL and opens a HTTPS session with the firewall 203 in accordance with the URL. If the client 151 does not support SSL (e.g., corporate entities that wish to snoop traffic with an IDS, sometimes do not enable SSL on their client machines so that their traffic can be snooped by the IDS), then the client 201 cannot request the resource. The client 201 generates a request message 209, encrypts the request 209, and transmits the request 209 to the firewall 203. Since the request 209 is encrypted, the IDS 202 must be capable of decrypting the request 209 to analyze it, allow the request to pass without analysis, or hold the request. If the IDS 202 allows the request to pass, then the firewall 203 opens a HTTPS session with the server 205 and transmits the request 209 to the server 205. Hence, the request 209 has bypassed the IDS 202.
This security architecture is typically employed in a corporate environment. A corporate entity needs to protect its systems from being infected and/or prevent access to its systems by external and/or internal malignant elements while still enabling its employees to access resource beyond its local area network. The corporate entity also needs to control the types of resources or material that enters its network at the request of its employees. Therefore, a corporate entity employs both a firewall with proxy support and an intrusion detection system to protect its network from external hacking and internal violations of its computer use policy. Unfortunately, as shown in FIG. 2, an IDS can be bypassed with encryption.
Service provides also used another mechanism with a security flaw to accommodate users. In order to avoid agitating users with error messages and increasing latency, service providers allowed a pass through for messages that were not encrypted. For this mechanism, a content switch is configured to listen for traffic on both ports 80 and 443. Traffic received on port 80 is forwarded to the corresponding servers while traffic received on port 443 is decrypted. Hence, users are not inconvenienced with error messages and increased latency, but users were possibly transmitting sensitive information without encryption. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-rate coding device for performing high-rate coding of an input signal, a video signal recording and reproduction apparatus for recording and reproducing data obtained by the high-rate coding and to a video signal transmitting apparatus for transmitting data obtained by the high-rate coding. (In this specification, high efficiency coding and high efficiency decoding are expressed as "high-rate coding" and "high-rate decoding".)
2. Description of the Related Art
Video signal recording apparatuses for digitally recording a video signal are generally classified into two types: One type of apparatuses compress a standard-definition (SD) TV signal to 25 Mbps by performing intraframe coding for recording. The other type of apparatuses compress a high vision signal to 50 Mpbs for recording. In these types of apparatuses, the type of video signals usable for input and output and the quality of the signals obtained are limited. It is extremely difficult to record and reproduce a video signal which is of a different type from the signal which are input to or output from devices in the video signal recording apparatus without significantly changing the recording and reproducing processing.
For example, in a video signal recording apparatus which receives a digital TV signal obtained by interlaced scanning (hereinafter, referred to as an "interlaced scan TV signal") and compresses such a signal for recording, two successive fields of the interlaced scan TV signal are combined and converted into one frame of a progressive scan TV signal (a TV signal obtained by progressive scanning) before performing compression and recording. In the case when a progressive scan TV signal is used as an input signal, the input signal is already framed, and the frame cycle is 1/2 of the cycle of an interlaced scan TV signal. Such a progressive scan TV signal cannot be recorded by a conventional video signal recording apparatus.
In a video signal recording apparatus which receives a progressive scan TV signal and compresses such a signal for recording, the progressive scan TV signal is switched frame by frame to be sent to two channels. By such switching, data corresponding to one frame of the progressive scan TV signal is processed with high-rate coding to have the same quantity of codes as obtained by high-rate coding of data corresponding to one frame of an interlaced scan standard-definition TV signal including two successive fields. The data obtained by the high-rate coding is recorded in the same number of tracks as used for recording data corresponding to one frame of an interlaced scan TV signal.
In such a method, however, the data processing is performed frame by frame. Accordingly, recording of a still image cannot utilize the correlation between data corresponding to different frames, thus preventing improvement in the coding efficiency. Further, since the data is divided into two channels, time delay occurs between images which are output from different channels. Due to such time delay, data corresponding to different frames are arranged by turns, resulting in deterioration in the quality of an image obtained in a search picture mode.
Moreover, in order to perform high-rate coding of a signal including a standard-definition TV signal defined by 4:2:2 (hereinafter, referred to as a "4:2:2 signal") conforming to the studio standards described in CCIR Recommendation 601-1 and an auxiliary signal of a luminance signal required for progressive scanning, the conventional dividing method is not suitable for the following reason: By the division performed by the conventional dividing method, the number of effective pixels of the data corresponding to a color difference signal of the resultant signal is decreased, and thus ICs in the conventional video signal recording apparatus cannot be used for high-rate coding.
In conventional high-rate coding devices for performing high-rate coding and conventional video signal transmitting apparatuses for transmitting a video signal coded by the conventional high-rate coding devices, the type of the image signal usable for input and output and the quality of the resultant signal are limited. Accordingly, it is extremely difficult to change the specifications of such apparatuses and the characteristics of the resultant signals without significantly changing the high-rate coding processing, data recording processing, and the like.
Shuffling is one method used for performing high-rate coding in the conventional video signal recording apparatus for compressing a TV signal to be recorded in a magnetic tape. By shuffling, an image plane is divided into a plurality of areas. A prescribed number of blocks are obtained from prescribed positions of each area to form a coding unit for high-rate coding. For a high-definition (HD) TV signal, there are three systems regarding the number of the scanning lines and the field frequency: 1125 scanning lines/60 Hz, 1050 scanning lines/60 Hz, and 1250 scanning lines/50 Hz. In this specification, the system corresponding 1125 scanning lines and 60 Hz, for example, will be referred to as the "1125/60system". In the case when a signal of the 1125/60 system is used, shuffling is very complicated and thus requires a large circuit for shuffling. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program, and particularly to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program which enable display of a search result in an easily viewable manner.
In recent years, an information processing apparatus provided with a pop-up dictionary function has been distributed. According to such an information processing apparatus, at least a part of information being displayed is made to function as a search key, searching is performed from a search target such as a web page or a dictionary, and a search result is displayed in a pop-up manner.
Accordingly, there is a requirement for searching during execution of an application other than a specific application such as a plug-in of a web browser and a requirement for using an originally created file, for example, other than the web page and the dictionary as a search target. In a case where the information processing apparatus is a tablet terminal, there is a requirement for designating the search key by using a pen or the like.
In contrast, there is an information processing apparatus which determines a dominant arm and performs display in accordance with the dominant arm (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2012-226713 and 2013-69165, for example). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Hereinafter, content disseminated via any broadcasting medium is interchangeably referred to as simply “broadcast,” “program,” or “broadcast program” unless expressly disambiguated where used. A time zone refers to a geographic region that maintains and observes the same standard time across that region.
A broadcast is said to roll over time zones when the same broadcast is initiated at different times relative to Zulu time in different time zones. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is also referred to as Zulu time or Coordinated Universal Time (French: Temps universel coordonné), abbreviated as UTC.
For example, a televised program may roll over the time zones of the continental United States when the program is broadcast at 8:00 PM in each time zone. That is, the program may be broadcast at 8 PM in Eastern Standard Time which is UTC minus 5 hours, at 8 PM in Central Standard Time which is UTC minus 6 hours, at 8 PM in Mountain Standard Time which is UTC minus 7 hours, and so on.
Analysis of the sentiments expressed by the users who receive the program is an important consideration in the broadcasting industry. Whether a program or a portion thereof has evoked a desired sentiment, to a desired degree, or both, is a key factor in determining the content selection, the broadcast timing, the selection of time zones where the broadcast will occur, the selection of times in various time zones when the broadcast will occur there, and many other factors. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
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