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The engine fuel throttle of a marine engine and the associated speed of the boat are typically controlled by a throttle lever at the helm of the boat. The throttle lever typically manipulates the engine throttle assembly through cabling, either mechanically or electromechanically.
The engine controls can also include a clutch control lever that controls the clutch assembly of the engine. The clutch assembly includes clutch plates which are forced together by high fluid pressure to transmit engine power to the propeller drive train.
In some boats, the engine controls further include a trolling valve, which relieves varying levels of the fluid pressure that releases and compresses the clutch plates and allows slippage in the power transmission through the marine gear to the drive train. By manipulating the trolling valve, the idle speed of the boat can be adjusted from a normal idle speed of four to seven knots down to perhaps one knot to enhance fishing conditions and the like.
Use of the trolling valve, however, presents a significant danger of marine gear damage. The typically high oil pressure and associated oil circulation rate around the marine gear during normal operation transfers a significant amount of heat generated by the marine gear away from the marine gear. However, when the pressure is reduced by the trolling valve, the flow rate is reduced, and the marine gear can overheat as a result of inadequate heat dissipation, when the engine is reeved above factor limits during use of the trolling valve. | {
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The cost effectiveness of many large-scale chemical reactions is often determined by the marketability of the various reaction products. At the very least, the efficient utilization of reaction products produced during industrial reactions is highly desirable. Similarly, the effective and judicial use of energy and its conservation within a system produces significant economic and environmental advantages. Hence, methods and apparatus for achieving favorable product utilization and energy conservation are of great importance in the design and operation of large-scale reactions.
One reaction which has been shown by the assignee of the present invention to be economically viable is the large-scale wet oxidation of organic waste products such as municipal waste. Originally, wet oxidation reaction apparatus typically included massive, thick-walled, high pressure, above ground reactors with complex mechanical stirring mechanisms. As an alternative to these above ground reactors, attempts were made to design low-profile, subterranean or "down-hole" reaction apparatus. As a result, the first known successful subterranean wet oxidation reaction apparatus was constructed and operated by the assignee of the present invention according to the principles set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,383 to McGrew which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. This down-hole reaction apparatus has a vertical configuration which utilizes gravitational force and thermodynamic relationships to provide a high-pressure reaction environment in which thermal energy is conserved.
The down-hole reaction apparatus is particularly useful in breaking down organic matter present in municipal waste through aqueous-phase combustion, generally referred to as wet oxidation. As will be known to those skilled in the art, wet oxidation of combustible matter is an exothermic reaction which proceeds quite rapidly at temperatures above 350.degree. F. The reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the waste is the primary goal of municipal waste destruction, and by reducing the COD of the waste, eutrophication of receiving waters is prevented. In addition, the wet oxidation process degrades potentially toxic hydrocarbons which would otherwise serve as a source of pollutants. Thus, wet oxidation is a proven method for the destruction of municipal waste and industrial organic waste.
Generally, a down-hole reaction apparatus comprises a vertically oriented, large subsurface chamber defined by the casing of a subterranean shaft. The subterranean shaft extends about 3,000 to 10,000 feet and preferably about 5,000 feet into the earth. Suspended in the chamber and spaced apart from the casing is a tubular reaction vessel. The tubular reaction vessel has a closed-end waste containment tube in which a waste pipe is centrally disposed. The containment tube and waste pipe are arranged concentrically to form an external passage or annulus defined by the inner wall of the containment tube and the outer wall of the waste pipe. The bore of the waste pipe and the external passage are in flow communication at the lower end of the reaction vessel. Also suspended in the chamber is a conduit which is substantially parallel to, but spaced apart from, the reaction vessel. Through this conduit, a heat transfer medium is preferably flowed into the chamber. Thus, an externalized heat exchanger is provided.
In order to rapidly oxidize large quantities of organic matter found in municipal waste, it is necessary to supply an oxidant. Hence, in operation, municipal or industrial waste containing organic matter is flowed into the downgoing reaction passage along with an oxidant, typically air and preferably oxygen enriched air or gaseous oxygen. Generally, liquid oxygen is supplied on site which must then be converted into the gaseous state. The rate of flow of the diluted municipal waste and the gaseous oxidants through the reaction apparatus are regulated to provide a mixed flow velocity which promotes intense mixing. Mixing enhances the mass transfer between the oxygen and the combustible components of the municipal waste. The gaseous oxygen is preferably injected into the diluted municipal waste through one or more gas supply lines which are suspended in the downgoing and/or upcoming reactant passage. Hence, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the injection of gaseous oxygen or an oxygen enriched gas into the diluted municipal waste is an important aspect of the down hole wet oxidation process.
As the concentration of available oxygen and the temperature of the waste increase, the rate of the wet oxidation reaction increases. The exothermic oxidation reaction generates substantial heat which, in turn, further elevates the temperature of the reactants. When the temperature of the reactants exceeds about 350.degree. F. to about 400.degree. F., the reaction becomes autogenic. The hydrostatic head of the column of diluted waste prevents the reaction mixture in the downcomer from boiling. Typically, the column of diluted waste mixed with gaseous oxygen will extend the entire length of the mile long reaction apparatus. The temperarure of the reaction mixture is allowed to increase to about 500.degree. F. to 700.degree. F. in a reaction zone in the lower part of the downgoing reactant passage. The diluted municipal waste is thus oxidized in the wet oxidation reaction. The reaction products, or effluent, include a low-volume, sterile ash, a liquid effluent and off-gases. Supercritical reaction conditions are also possible.
These off-gases in the wet oxidation of municipal sludge, for example, include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and short chain hydrocarbon gases along with relatively smaller concentrations of other constituents. Nitrogen and hydrogen are also produced during supercritical operation. When the wet oxidation process is operated to obtain very high COD reductions, the off-gases may contain an excess of 90% by volume CO.sub.2. The off-gases generated by the wet oxidation reaction may also have an obtrusive odor. It would therefore be desirable to devise a convenient method by which the compounds producing these undesirable odors can be efficiently eliminated.
As a chemical commodity, carbon dioxide is one of the highest volume chemicals produced in the United States. CO.sub.2 is used widely in greenhouses to promote photosynthesis. CO.sub.2 is used in various industrial chemical processes, including coke gasification processes. Liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen are used as coolants in many applications such as the cooling of superconductors. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, to be a marketable commodity, these gases must be in the liquid state for ease of handling and shipment. It will also be appreciated that the liquefaction of gases generally requires a considerable expenditure of energy and is thus quite costly using conventional methods. Although the wet oxidation of municipal waste is an excellent source of gaseous CO.sub.2, the CO.sub.2 off-gas is generally not marketable unless it is liquified. Therefore it would be desirable to devise an economical method for liquefying the off-gas, and in particular the CO.sub.2 generated during wet oxidation.
The present invention provides such a method and apparatus for liquefying wet oxidation off-gases which at the same time gasifies liquid oxygen for injection into the wet oxidation reaction mixture. In another aspect, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for removing odor-producing compounds from the off-gases. | {
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This invention relates to electronic filters, and more particularly, to variable bandwidth bandpass filters.
Electrically tunable filters have many uses in microwave and radio frequency systems. Compared to mechanically and magnetically tunable filters, electronically tunable filters have the important advantage of fast tuning capability over wide band application. Because of this advantage, they can be used in the applications such as, by way of example and not by way of limitation, LMDS (local multipoint distribution service), PCS (personal communication system), frequency hopping, satellite communication, and radar systems.
Filters for use in radio link communications systems have been required to provide better performance with smaller size and lower cost. Significant efforts have been made to develop new types of resonators, new coupling structures and new configurations for the filters. In some applications where the same radio is used to provide different capacities in terms of Mbits/sec, the intermediate frequency (IF) filter""s bandwidth has to change accordingly. In other words, to optimize the performance of radio link for low capacity radios, a narrow band IF filter is used while for higher capacities wider band IF filters are needed. This requires using different radios for different capacities, because they have to use different IF filters. However, if the bandwidth of the IF filter could be varied electronically, the same configuration of radio could be used for different capacities which will help to simplify the architecture of the radio significantly, as well as reduce cost.
Traditional electronically tunable filters use semiconductor diode varactors to change the coupling factor between resonators. Since a diode varactor is basically a semiconductor diode, diode varactor-tuned filters can be used in various devices such as monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC), microwave integrated circuits or other devices. The performance of varactors is defined by the capacitance ratio, Cmax/Cmin, frequency range, and figure of merit, or Q factor at the specified frequency range. The Q factors for semiconductor varactors for frequencies up to 2 GHz are usually very good. However, at frequencies above 2 GHz, the Q factors of these varactors degrade rapidly.
Since the Q factor of semiconductor diode varactors is low at high frequencies (for example, less than 20 at 20 GHz), the insertion loss of diode varactor-tuned filters is very high, especially at high frequencies ( greater than 5 GHz). Another problem associated with diode varactor-tuned filters is their low power handling capability. Further, since diode varactors are nonlinear devices, their handling of signals may generate harmonics and subharmonics.
Commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/419,219, filed Oct. 15, 1999, and titled xe2x80x9cVoltage Tunable Varactors And Tunable Devices Including Such Varactorsxe2x80x9d, discloses voltage tunable dielectric varactors that operate at room temperature and various devices that include such varactors, and is hereby incorporated by reference. Compared with the traditional semiconductor diode varactors, dielectric varactors have the merits of lower loss, higher power-handling, higher IP3, and faster tuning speed.
High power amplifiers are also an important part of any radio link. They are required to output maximum possible power with minimum distortion. One way to achieve this is to use feed forward amplifier technology. A typical feed forward amplifier includes two amplifiers (the main and error amplifiers), directional couplers, delay lines, gain and phase adjustment devices, and loop control networks. The main amplifier generates a high power output signal with some distortion while the error amplifier produces a low power distortion-cancellation signal.
In a typical feed forward amplifier, a radio frequency (RF) signal is input into a power splitter. One part of the RF signal goes to the main amplifier via a gain and phase adjustment device. The output of the main amplifier is a higher level, distorted carrier signal. A portion of this amplified and distorted carrier signal is extracted using a directional coupler, and after going through an attenuator, reaches a carrier cancellation device at a level comparable to the other part of the signal that reaches carrier cancellation device after passing through a delay line. The delay line is used to match the timing of both paths before the carrier cancellation device. The output of carrier cancellation device is a low level error or distortion signal. This signal, after passing through another gain and phase adjustment device, gets amplified by the low power amplifier. This signal is then subtracted from the main distorted signal with an appropriate delay to give the desired non-distorted output carrier.
Traditionally, delay lines have been used to give the desired delay and provide the above-described functionality. However, delay filters have become increasingly popular for this application because they are smaller, easily integrated with other components, and have lower insertion loss, as compared to their delay line counterpart. A fixed delay filter can be set to give the best performance over the useable bandwidth. This makes the operation of a feed forward amplifier much easier, as compared to the tuning of a delay line, which simulates adjustment of the physical length of a cable. However, fixed delay filters still have to be tuned manually.
There is a need for high performance, small size tunable bandwidth filters for wireless communications applications, as well as other applications. There is a further need for electronically tunable delay devices.
A tunable electrical filter constructed pursuant to the teachings of the present invention includes: (a) a plurality of resonator units coupled between an input locus and an output locus; and (b) a plurality of tunable dielectric varactor units; respective individual varactor units of the plurality of varactor units being coupled between respective pairs of the plurality of resonator units, coupled between the plurality of resonator units and the input locus, and coupled between the plurality of resonator units and the output locus.
A method for delaying an electrical signal includes the steps of: (a) Providing a plurality of resonator units coupled between an input locus and an output locus. (b) Providing a plurality of tunable dielectric varactor units. Respective individual varactor units of the plurality of varactor units are coupled between respective pairs of the plurality of resonator units, coupled between the plurality of resonator units and the input locus, and coupled between the plurality of resonator units and the output locus. Each respective individual varactor unit includes a substrate, a layer of voltage tunable dielectric material established in a first land on the substrate, a first electrode structure for receiving an electrical signal established in a second land on the first land, and a second electrode structure for receiving an electrical signal established in a third land on the first land. The first land and the second land are separated by a gap. (c) Applying the electrical signal to the input locus. (d) Applying a respective tuning voltage to the first electrode structure and the second electrode structure of each respective varactor unit. Each respective varactor unit exhibits a respective capacitance, the respective capacitance varying in response to the respective tuning voltage. (e) Receiving an output signal at the output locus. The output signal is delayed with respect to the electrical signal.
Tunable bandpass filters constructed in accordance with this invention include first and second resonators, an input, a first tunable dielectric varactor connecting the input to the first resonator, an output, a second tunable dielectric varactor connecting the second resonator to the output, and a third tunable dielectric varactor connecting the first and second resonators. The capacitance of the varactors can be controlled by applying a tuning voltage to each of the dielectric varactors, wherein the capacitance of each of the dielectric varactors varies substantially linearly with the tuning voltage.
Changing the capacitance of the tunable bandpass filters also changes the delay of signals passing through the filters. This makes the filters suitable for use in devices requiring a tunable delay function. Thus the invention also encompasses the use of such filters as tunable delay devices. In particular, the invention also encompasses a method of delaying an electrical signal, the method comprising the steps of: providing first and second resonators, an input, a first tunable dielectric varactor connecting the input to the first resonator, an output, a second tunable dielectric varactor connecting the second resonator to the output, and a third tunable dielectric varactor connecting the first and second resonators; coupling the electrical signal to the input; and extracting a delayed version of the electrical signal at the output.
The invention further encompasses a feed forward amplifier comprising an input port, a signal splitter coupled to the input port for producing first and second signals, a main amplifier for amplifying the first signal to produce an amplified first signal, a voltage tunable dielectric varactor delay filter for delaying the second signal to produce a delayed second signal, a first combiner for combining a portion of the amplified first signal with the delayed second signal to produce an error signal, an error signal amplifier for amplifying the error signal to produce an amplified error signal, and a second combiner for combining the amplified first signal and the amplified error signal. The voltage tunable dielectric varactor delay filter comprises an input, a first resonator, a first tunable dielectric varactor connected between the input and the first resonator, an output, a second resonator, a second tunable dielectric varactor connected between the output and the second resonator, and a third tunable dielectric varactor connected between the first resonator and the second resonator. | {
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Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to systems and methods for adapting a first receptacle to power a second receptacle. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for adapting a first receptacle wired to a towing vehicle's electrical system to power a second receptacle with zero or minimal modification (e.g., cutting or splicing) of the towing vehicle's electrical system wiring.
Towing vehicle receptacles such as receptacles for use with a towed object (e.g., a vehicle, a cargo hold, a trailer such as a Gooseneck trailer, a camper, a fifth wheel, etc. to be towed by the towing vehicle) are known in the art. Such receptacles are typically included as standard equipment on vehicles equipped with a towing package. That is, the towing vehicle receptacle is typically pre-wired to the towing vehicle's electrical system (e.g., by the vehicle manufacturer or reseller) in a manner that allows the receptacle to provide power to a towed object. In many cases, this receptacle is mounted on or below the rear bumper of the vehicle in close proximity to the tow hitch. Towing vehicle receptacles are available in a wide variety of standardized forms including, without limitation, two-way receptacle (e.g., a 12-volt receptacle such as those use as a cigarette lighter receptacle, cell phone charger receptacle, etc.), four-way, five-way, six-way, and seven-way receptacles. These standardized receptacles facilitate insertion of standardized plugs that are typically included and pre-wired to objects to be towed such as trailers and the like. As used herein, the term “way” denotes the quantity of differing electrical connections. For example, the seven-way receptacle described herein has seven different electrical connections for electric brakes, taillights, 12V, ground, left turn, right turn, and auxiliary/backup even though it has eight electrical terminals due to the inclusion of two terminals for the same electrical connection of ground.
A typical standardized towing vehicle receptacle as known in the prior art is depicted in FIG. 2 as receptacle 202′. Receptacle 202′ is typically mounted through an aperture such as receptacle aperture 216′ of a commercially-available receptacle bracket such as partially shown receptacle bracket 216′. Receptacle bracket 214′ may be integral to or detachable from any stationary part of the towing vehicle such as, for example, the towing hitch, the rear bumper, and extensions thereof.
Receptacle 202′ includes two connection points, namely, power inlet 204′ and power outlet 206′. Power inlet 204′ is configured to receive plug 204′, which is connected to the towing vehicle's electrical system via wiring bus 212′. In many cases, plug 204′ is installed and wired to the towing vehicle's electrical system during the towing vehicle's manufacture; however, it may also be added at a later time. Connecting plug 204′ to power inlet 204′ provides power from the towing vehicle's electrical system to receptacle 202′ and power outlet 206′.
Power outlet 206′ is configured to receive a plug connected to the towed object's electrical system (i.e., the wiring connected to the towed object's brake lights, turn signals, etc.). Weatherproof cap 210′ is typically included in receptacle 202′ to protect power outlet 206′ when it is not in use. Connecting the towed object's electrical system plug to power outlet 206′ of receptacle 202′ provides the power provided by the towing vehicle's electrical system via plug 204′ and receptacle 202′ to the towed object's electrical system. This allows the taillights, brake lights, turn signals, etc. of the towed object to operate as required by local and/or federal laws.
As depicted in FIG. 3, towing vehicle receptacle kits such as kit 300′ are also known in the art. An example of one such kit 300′ is the 7-Way Pre-Wired Car Connector, 7′ Lead having model no. 20023 and manufactured by Draw-Tite. Such kits typically facilitate the addition of a second receptacle to a towing vehicle having a first receptacle or such kits may facilitate the addition of a first receptacle to a towing vehicle having no receptacles.
Kit 300′ typically includes receptacle 302′ and wiring harness 312′. Receptacle 302′ includes two connection points, namely, power inlet 304′ and power outlet 306′. Power inlet 304′ is configured to receive plug 308′, which is connected to a first end of wiring harness 312′. The second end of wiring harness 312′ is typically connected to the towing vehicle's electrical system via splicing or other methods. Such connection typically involves disruption (e.g., cutting) of the towing vehicle's existing electrical system. After this connection is made, connecting plug 308′ to power inlet 304′ provides power from the towing vehicle's electrical system via wires 316′, wiring harness 312′, and plug 308′ to receptacle 302′ and power outlet 306′. Power outlet 306′ is configured to receive a plug connected to the towed object's electrical system (i.e., the wiring connected to the towed object's brake lights, turn signals, etc.). Weatherproof cap 310′ is typically included in receptacle 302′ to protect power outlet 306′ when it is not in use. Connecting the towed object's electrical system plug to power outlet 306′ of receptacle 302′ provides the power provided by the towing vehicle's electrical system via plug 308′ and receptacle 302′ to a plug inserted in power outlet 306′. | {
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1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to illumination devices and, particularly, to an illumination device capable of self adjusting the brightness and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, illumination devices with light sensors are very popular. The light sensor can sense the ambient light intensity and the device can adjust the brightness of a light-emitting element according to the sensed ambient light intensity. However, the light provided by the light-emitting element may affect the sensed ambient light intensity, resulting that the device may not accurately adjust the brightness of the light-emitting element. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
An apparatus consistent with the present invention relates to a projection system and, more particularly, to a projection system which can improve contrast using a wire grid polarization beam splitter.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional projection system, a light valve, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a Digital Micro-mirror Device (DMD), controls the on/off operation of light emitted from a light source on a pixel-by-pixel basis and forms a picture, and a magnifying projection optical system enlarges the picture to be displayed on a large screen.
Projection systems are classified into 3-panel projection systems or single-panel projection systems according to the number of light valves that are used. A 3-panel projection system provides better light efficiency than a single-panel projection system but is more complicated and expensive than the single-panel projection system. The single-panel projection system can include a smaller optical system than the three-panel projection system but provides only ⅓ of the light efficiency of the three-panel projection systems, because red (R), green (G), and blue (B) colors, into which white light is separated, are sequentially used. More specifically, in the single-panel projection system, white light radiated from a white light source is separated into three color beams, namely, R, G, and B color beams, using color filters, and the three color beams are sequentially sent to a light valve. The light valve operates according to the sequence of color beams received to create images. Since the single-panel projection system sequentially uses color beams, the light efficiency is reduced to ⅓ of the light efficiency of a three-panel projection system.
A color scrolling method has been recently developed in which the light efficiency of the single-panel projection system is increased. In the color scrolling method, R, G, and B beams, into which white light is separated, are simultaneously sent to different locations on a light valve. Since an image cannot be produced until all of the R, G, and B beams reach each pixel of the light valve, the R, G, and B color beams are moved at a constant speed by a color scrolling means.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a single-panel scrolling projection system disclosed in U.S. Publication No. 2002/191154 A1. Referring to FIG. 1, white light emitted from a light source 100 passes through first and second lens arrays 102 and 104, a polarization conversion system (PCS) 105, and a condenser lens 107, and is separated into R, G, and B color beams by first through fourth dichroic filters 109, 112, 122, and 139. More specifically, the red beam R and the green beam G, for example, pass through the first dichroic filter 109 and travel along a first light path L1, while the blue beam B is reflected by the first dichroic filter 109 and travels along a second light path L2. The red beam R and the green beam G on the first light path L1 are separated by the second dichroic filter 112. The red beam R continues along the first light path L1, passing through the second dichroic filter 112, and the second dichroic filter 112 reflects the green beam G along a third light path L3.
The red, green, and blue beams R, G, and B are scrolled while passing through first through third prisms 114, 135, and 142, respectively. The first through third prisms 114, 135 and 142 are disposed in the first through third light paths L1, L2, and L3, respectively, and as the first, second, and third prisms 114, 135, and 142 rotate at a uniform speed, R, G, and B color bars are properly scrolled. The green and blue beams G and B, which travel along the second and third light paths L2 and L3, respectively, are transmitted and reflected by the third dichroic filter 139, respectively, and combined. The red, green, and blue beams R, G, and B are then combined by the fourth dichroic filter 122. The combined beam is transmitted by a polarization beam splitter (PBS) 127 and forms a picture using a light valve 130.
The scrolling of the R, G, and B color bars due to rotation of the first through third prisms 114, 135, and 142 is illustrated in FIG. 2. Scrolling represents the movement of color bars formed on the surface of the light valve 130 when the first, second, and third prisms 114, 135, and 142 corresponding to R, G, and B colors, respectively, are synchronously rotated.
A color image obtained by turning the pixels of the light valve 130 on or off according to an image signal is magnified by a projection lens (not shown) and projected onto a screen.
Since the conventional projection system uses different light paths for different colors, a light path correction lens must be included for each of the colors, components for unifying the separated light beams must be further included, and separate components must be included for each of the colors. Hence, the conventional optical system is bulky, and the manufacturing and assembly thereof is complicated, thus decreasing the yield.
Three motors for rotating the first, second, and third scrolling prisms 114, 135, and 142 generate much noise during operation. Thus, the projection system adopting three motors is manufactured at a greater cost than a color wheel type projection system which utilizes a single motor.
In order to produce a color picture using a scrolling technique, color bars as shown in FIG. 2 must be scrolled at a constant speed. Hence, the conventional projection system must synchronize the light valve 130 with the three prisms 114, 135, and 142 in order to achieve proper scrolling. However, controlling the synchronization is not easy. Due to the circular motion of the scrolling prisms 114, 135, and 142, the color scrolling speed by the three scrolling prisms is irregular, consequently deteriorating the quality of the resultant image.
The conventional projection system uses a dielectric-coated MacNeille type PBS. Since the dielectric-coated MacNeille type PBS does not properly split a beam with a wide incidence angle according to polarization direction, contrast is degraded. | {
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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a switch device that performs ON/OFF of a switch by operation of an operation knob, and particularly to a waterproof switch device that prevents water from coming into a connector.
2. Related Art
A vehicle such as an automobile includes a switch device to perform opening/closing control over windows, locking/unlocking control over doors or the like, and this type of switch device is generally provided in a door armrest, a center console or the like.
The above-described switch device includes, for example, a case 1′, a cover 9′ that covers an upper surface of the case 1′, and operation knobs 81′, as shown in 100′ of FIG. 17.
In FIG. 17, arrow F indicates a front direction of the switch device 100′. Hereinafter, similarly, arrow B indicates a back direction, arrow R indicates a right direction, arrow L indicates a left direction, arrow U indicates an upper direction, and arrow D indicates a down direction. Thus, FIG. 17 is a side view when the switch device 100′ is viewed from the left side.
The case 1′ is made up of an upper case 2′ opened downward, and a lower case 3′ attached to the upper case 2′ so as to shut this opening. Inside the case 1′, electronic components such as a printed circuit board 71′ and switches 72′ are contained. A connector 5′ is mounted on a lower surface of the printed circuit board 71′.
The connector 5′ has a housing 6′ and connection terminals 7′ supported by this housing 6′. The lower case 3′ is formed with an opening portion 33′, and the connector 5′ is fitted in this opening portion 33′ to be attached to the printed circuit board 71′ through the housing 6′ and the connection terminals 7′.
The housing 6′ has, at one end portion thereof, an opening portion 6a′ made of a depressed portion. Also, in another end portion of the housing 6′, a shielding wall 61′ with through-holes 62′ which the connection terminals 7′ penetrate. One end portion 7a′ of each of the connection terminals 7′ is connected to the printed circuit board 71′ by soldering. Another end portion of each of the connection terminals 7′ is led out to the opening portion 6a′ as a connection portion 7′b through the through-hole 62′ formed in the shielding wall 61′.
In the opening portion 6a′ of the housing 6′ is fitted a connector (illustration is omitted) with a cable to connect to a control device not shown. This allows the connection portions 7b′ of the connector 5′ and connection portions (illustration is omitted) of the counterpart connector to be connected, thereby enabling output signals of the switches 72′ to be transmitted from the switch device 100′ to the control device.
Furthermore, an upper surface 21′ of the upper case 2′ is provided with tubular portions 26′, each of which opens vertically to communicate with an inside of the case. The operation knob 81′ is attached to each of these tubular portions 26′ so as to cover an upper opening of the relevant tubular portion 26′. Each of the operation knob 81′ is operably exposed from an opening portion 91′ provided in the cover 9′.
In the above-described switch 100′, when rainwater coming in through a window forgotten to close, drinkable water spilled from a container or the like (hereinafter, collectively referred to as “water”) is poured on the cover 9′, the relevant water flows down to the upper surface 21′ of the upper case 2′ through gaps between the opening portions 91′ of the cover 9′ and the operation knobs 81′, and flows to the tubular portion 26′ side.
The water flowing to the tubular portion 26′ side, if an amount thereof is large, may go up through gaps between the operation knobs 81′ and the tubular portions 26′, and may come into the case 1′ through the openings of the tubular portions 26′. The water coming into the case 1′ will cause corrosion and a short circuit in the electronic components such as the printed circuit board 71′ and the switches 72′.
Therefore, a groove portion 28′ for drainage is provided in the vicinity of each of the tubular portions 26′ to drain the water flowing down to the upper surface of the upper case 2′ from the relevant groove portion 28′. The above-described groove portions 28′ extend, for example, in right and left directions (R and L directions) of the case 1′, and end portions on the side surface sides of the upper case 2′ are opened. Accordingly, the water drained from the end portions of the groove portions 28′ flows down on the side surfaces of the case 1′ to be drained outside.
Here, when each of the above-described groove portions 28′ is located above (in the U direction of) the connector 5′, the water drained from the relevant groove portion 28′ and flowing down on the side surface of the case 1′ can flow to the connector 5′ side along the side surface of the case 1′.
Furthermore, as a method for attaching the switch device, as shown in FIG. 17, the switch device is generally attached at an angle at which front and back directions F and B of the switch device 100′ is substantially parallel to a floor surface of the vehicle, that is, the ground.
However, in recent years, from a request from a user, convenience of the operation and the like, a method of attaching the switch device 100′ in a state where the front side thereof is inclined in the upper direction U at a predetermined angle (e.g., 20° to 30°) to the ground has begun to be employed (refer to FIG. 18).
Moreover, when the switch device 100′ is horizontally attached, the switch device 100′ is relatively inclined when the vehicle travels on a steep upslope.
In this manner, when the switch device 100′ is inclined at a predetermined angle to the horizontal direction, the water flowing down on the side surfaces of the case 1′ can flow to the connector 5′ side along the side surfaces of the case 1′, even in the case where the groove portions 28′ are not provided above (in the U direction of) the connector 5′.
The water flowing to the connector 5′ side will come into the connection portions 7′b from the opening portion 6a′ of the housing 6′, thereby causing corrosion and a short circuit inside the connector 5′.
On the other hand, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2007-97322, H9-204842, H8-212874, there have been proposed a switch device and the like in which means for preventing water from coming into a connector portion is taken.
For example, in the above-described Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-97322, a connector is included on a lower surface of a lower cover (a box body) of a relay block. In an inner bottom surface of this lower cover, an opening is formed. Moreover, a gap enabling water removal through the opening is assured between the lower cover and the connector. The water flowing into the lower cover is drained outside through the above-described opening and gap.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-204842, a connector is included in an end portion of a switch box. Moreover, in the switch box, there is provided a waterproof cover made up of eaves covering an upper part of the connector, an upper water stopping wall extending upwardly from a frontal edge of the eaves, and two side water stopping walls covering both sides of the connector. The water flowing onto an upper surface of the switch box is received by the eaves, and is then guided by the side water stopping walls and flows down along the side water stopping walls to be drained outside.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-212874, on a lower surface of a switch case, a connector is included. In this switch case, a hook formed in the connector is put into a snap fit hole formed in a case side surface, by which the connector is fixed to the case lower surface. Moreover, in a case upper surface provided with a switch knob, there is formed a water catching groove, and in the case side surface, a drainage port penetrating a deepest portion of the water catching groove, and a drainage guide that guides the water flowing out from the drainage port to cause the water to flow down. The water flowing onto the case upper surface is caught in the water catching groove, and is then drained by the drainage port and the drainage guide to a position deviating from the snap fit hole.
However, the structures described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2007-97322, H9-204842, H8-212874 are insufficient to prevent the water running along the side surfaces of the case from coming around into the connector from the opening portion of the connector, and more effective waterproof countermeasures are desired. | {
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In the art of tissue making and papermaking in general, many additives have been proposed for specific purposes, such as increasing wet strength, improving softness, or control of wetting properties. For instance, in the past, wet strength agents have been added to paper products in order to increase the strength or otherwise control the properties of the product when contacted with water and/or when used in a wet environment. For example, wet strength agents are added to paper towels so that the paper towel can be used to wipe and scrub surfaces after being wetted without the towel disintegrating. Wet strength agents are also added to facial tissues to prevent the tissues from tearing when contacting fluids. In some applications, wet strength agents are also added to bath tissues to provide strength to the tissues during use. When added to bath tissues, however, the wet strength agents should not prevent the bath tissue from disintegrating when dropped in a commode and flushed into a sewer line. Wet strength agents added to bath tissues are sometimes referred to as temporary wet strength agents since they only maintain wet strength in the tissue for a specific length of time.
Although great advancements have been made in providing wet strength properties to paper products, various needs still exist to increase wet strength properties in certain applications, or to otherwise better control the wet strength properties of paper products.
A need also exists for a composition that provides wet strength properties to a fibrous material, such as a paper web, while also providing sites to bond other additives to the material. For example, a need exists for a wet strength agent that can also be used to facilitate dyeing cellulosic materials, applying a softener to cellulosic materials, and applying other similar additives to cellulosic materials. | {
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The hydraulic valve lifter provided on internal combustion engines to automatically compensate for dimensional changes in the valve train must be matched closely to the characteristics of the valve on which the hydraulic lifter is installed, and the close match should be maintained over the useful life of the combustion engine.
The fluid reservoir that forms part of most hydraulic lifters have two inherent disadvantages; they are open to the atmosphere and they form natural traps.
Exposing the hydraulic fluid to the atmosphere allows oxidation and evaporation of the hydraulic fluid and in addition, an entranceway for foreign material which then accumulates in the trap structure. Oxidation and/or evaporation cause viscosity shifts in the hydraulic fluid as, for example, by formation of compounds that alter the original fluid viscosity properties. Foreign material, such as dust suspended in the hydraulic fluid, will eventually interfere with the intended operation if circulated through the various moving and non-moving parts of the hydraulic valve lifter.
All open reservoir lifters have the problems alluded to above, regardless of whether they are the flood type or manual fluid make-up type. The obvious solution is to seal the fluid reservoir. Sealing, however, may present still a different set of problems. Pressure may build up in the fluid reservoir which will reduce the differential across the orifice in the hydraulic lifter and reduce the lifter collapse rate. Without adequate control, the collapse rate may be reduced to zero and the engine valve spring then may experience excessive unloading. Still, in principle, a factory assembled presealed hydraulic valve lifter assembly should facilitate installation of the lifter on the engine and, moreover, the hydraulic valve lifter should undergo essentially no changes either in crucial dimensions or in operating characteristics during its normal use life.
Such a hydraulic valve lifter assembly forms the subject matter of this invention. The possibility of pressure buildup in the fluid reservoir has been made into an advantageous feature of the invention hereof.
The object of this invention is to provide a reliable gas filled sealed unit hydraulic valve lifter. | {
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The present invention relates generally to the field of conveyor ovens and more particularly to conveyor ovens which include a control system for controlling the speed at which a conveyor moves food products through the oven.
Conveyor ovens typically include an oven housing, a heat source within the housing, and a conveyor configured to move food products through the oven, whereby the food products are heated or toasted by the heat source. The use of an endless conveyor to move food products through the oven typically increases the processing capacity of conveyor ovens over other types of ovens. The degree to which food products are heated depends on the temperature within the conveyor oven and the time period during which food products are heated (which is a function of conveyor speed). Thus, to control the degree of heating, conveyor ovens typically provide operator controls configured to adjust the oven temperature or conveyor speed.
Different types of conveyor ovens are known. For example, conveyor toasters are commonly used to toast food products including bread, buns, bagels, muffins and waffles. A full line of electric conveyor toasters is made, for example, by Hatco Corporation of Wisconsin. These conveyor toasters, which include both vertical and horizontal models, include a toaster housing, electric heating elements mounted within the toaster housing, and an endless conveyor which moves food products adjacent to the heating elements such that the food products are toasted. The food products can be placed directly on the conveyor of a horizontal toaster oven, or can be held within a food-carrying basket of either a vertical or horizontal toaster oven. Food products are manually loaded through an opening in the housing, are toasted as they are moved past the heating elements by the endless conveyor, and are discharged into a product receiving tray located at the bottom of the housing.
Other types of conveyor ovens for processing food products include, for example, conveyorized pizza ovens, microwave ovens and tunnel ovens. However, conveyor ovens may also be used to heat products other than food. For example, conveyor ovens may be used to cure rubber sheets or to dry ink on printed materials. Control over the degree of heating in each type of conveyor oven is typically accomplished by varying the oven temperature or the conveyor speed. Although the description below is focused on toaster conveyor ovens, the term xe2x80x9cconveyor ovenxe2x80x9d is intended to include other conveyor oven types.
In some conveyor ovens using analog conveyor speed control systems, conveyor speed is controlled by an operator using a variable-resistance device (e.g., a rheostat) in parallel with a diode. The rheostat-diode forms part of a speed control circuit which controls the speed of an AC electric motor driving the conveyor via gears. The degree of toasting is set by appropriate adjustment of the rheostat. An increase in resistance causes the speed control circuit to decrease the conveyor speed, thereby increasing the degree of toasting. Conversely, a decrease in resistance of the rheostat causes an increase in conveyor speed, thereby decreasing the degree of toasting. The operator adjusts the rheostat setting such that the food product being processed is properly heated or toasted. An example of a toaster conveyor oven having such a speed control circuit is the TK-105E oven made by Hatco Corp.
The temperature at which food products processed by certain conveyor ovens are heated depends on the status of the oven""s electric heating elements. For example, in the TK-105E oven made by Hatco Corp., one set of elements is always powered while a second set is switched on and off by a temperature-controlled switch (e.g., thermostat). The second set of elements is switched off when the oven temperature exceeds the threshold temperature setting of the thermostat, and is switched on when the temperature drops below the threshold. Thus, the oven temperature is regulated about the threshold setting of the thermostat. The thermostat does not affect the speed of the conveyor.
Despite having control circuits for controlling the conveyor speed and heating elements, such conveyor ovens are unable to control the degree to which food products are heated under certain conditions. For example, assume a speed control circuit is adjusted to properly toast a given load of food products. Then, assume a higher load of food products is introduced. The load increase will cause a drop in temperature, and the thermostat may cause additional heating elements to switch on. After a time, the additional elements will provide additional heat to compensate for the higher load. However, the additional elements may need a significant time period to heat up. For example, metal-sheathed electric heating elements commonly used in such ovens require 3-4 minutes to reach their operating temperatures. During this period, food products being processed will receive an insufficient amount of heat energy and will be undercooked.
Attempted solutions to this problem have been to increase the power of the additional heating elements or to switch on more heating elements using the thermostat. These solutions, however, have several drawbacks. First, the higher power ratings or additional heating elements increases the cost of the ovens. Second, the additional power can result in over-heating or burning the products. Third, the power requirements of the conveyor ovens are increased, thereby increasing operating costs.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an improved speed control system for a conveyor oven for accommodating loading-induced oven temperature changes. It would also be advantageous to accommodate loading-induced temperature changes without requiring additional heating elements that use excess power, may overheat food or other products, and adversely affect temperature-sensitive oven control components. It would also be advantageous to provide a conveyor speed control system which senses oven temperature and responds to a decrease in steady state oven temperature by slowing the conveyor without manual input to increase the heating time of the food products being processed. It would be further advantageous to provide a simplified conveyor speed control system having decreased complexity, lower costs and increased reliability. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an improved speed control system for a conveyor oven having any one or more of these features.
The invention relates to a control system for controlling the speed at which an electric motor drives a conveyor to move products through a conveyor oven. The system includes a temperature sensor configured to sense the temperature of the conveyor oven at a product heating region near the conveyor and a speed adjustment input for selecting a speed setting corresponding to a desired amount of heat to be transferred to the products that move through the conveyor oven. The system also includes a controller having temperature data storage capacity and programmable logic capability. The controller receives an input signal from the temperature sensor and an input signal from the speed adjustment input and in some cases from a motor speed sensor to perform operations on the stored temperature data and the input signals to provide an output signal to control the speed of the motor according to changes in the temperature of the conveyor oven.
The invention also relates to a conveyor oven having an oven housing, a plurality of heating elements mounted within the oven housing and a conveyor configured to move products through the oven housing adjacent the heating elements such that the products are exposed to the heating elements. An AC electric motor is mechanically coupled to the conveyor to move the conveyor at different speeds in response to the temperature within the oven housing and a speed adjustment input device provides an initial speed setting to the motor.
A temperature-sensing device generates a temperature signal based upon the temperature within the oven housing. A controller is coupled to the speed adjustment input device, the motor, and the temperature-sensing device, and operates to decrease the speed of the conveyor when the sensed temperature drops below a steady state oven temperature and increase the speed of the conveyor when the sensed temperature approaches the steady state oven temperature.
The invention further relates to a method of controlling the speed at which an electric motor drives a conveyor to move products through a conveyor oven and includes the steps of setting an operator-adjustable input to a controller that provides an output signal to drive the motor at a desired speed for a given load of products, sensing a temperature within the conveyor oven, determining when a change in load of products has occurred based on a change in the sensed temperature, and compensating for the change in load by changing the output signal of the controller to the motor, effectively changing the setting of the operator-adjustable input, whereby the speed of the conveyor is changed to compensate for the change in load. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to layout and arrangement of components on a semiconductor chip, and, more particularly, to arrangement of capacitors for precision matching in an integrated circuit.
2. Relevant Background
Because capacitors are easily implemented in MOS fabrication technology, capacitors rather than resistors are used as the precision components in many analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs). A plurality of capacitors are used as the precision elements in an array. A technique referred to as "charge redistribution" is used to operate ADCs and DACs using capacitors as the storage element. The accuracy of the ADC converter using the charge redistribution technique is primarily determined by the matching of the capacitors in the array.
In a charge redistribution converter, a sample is stored dynamically with minimum loss in an array of precision matched capacitors. The sample is stored as charge that is moved from one array capacitor to another by MOSFET switches. One of the more widely used charge redistribution converter techniques is based on successive approximation. This technique primarily uses capacitors having binary weighted values with a top plate of all the capacitors connected to one input of a comparator and the bottom plates switched between various voltages. The steering of the various switches is controlled by the comparator through auxiliary logic circuitry.
The charge redistribution conversion process is begins with a sampling step followed by a charge redistribution step in which the output digital word (or "byte") is determined. In the sampling step, the top plates of the capacitors are normally connected to ground or some suitable sample reference voltage, and the bottom plates are coupled to the input voltage. This results in a stored voltage on the bottom plate that is proportional to the input voltage.
The sample step may be followed by an optional hold step in which the top plate is electrically isolated and the bottom plates are normally connected to ground or some suitable hold reference voltage. During a hold step, the charge on the top plate is conserved and the top plate potential goes to the negative of the input voltage. Because the hold step can complicate the conversion process, it is often not used.
In the conversion or redistribution step, each individual bit of the output byte is determined by sequentially connecting the bottom plates of each of the capacitors to either a redistribution reference voltage or to ground until the voltage on the top plate reaches a predetermined voltage. This is usually the trip point of the comparator.
The array is a collection of capacitors having top plates that are all connected to a comparator input node. As used herein, the term "array capacitor" means any of the capacitors used for charge redistribution and is not intended to imply that the capacitors are arranged in a grid or geometric array. Most often, a binary array is used, meaning that the ratios of the capacitors within the array are powers of 2 (i.e., C.sub.N =2C.sub.N-1 =4C.sub.N-2 =2.sup.N-1 C1). The ADC linearity is determined by the errors in these ratios.
Error mechanisms in semiconductor fabrication processes that affect these ratios include patterning and etching variations when fabricating the capacitor plates and dielectric thickness variations when fabricating the insulator layer. Other error mechanisms are known and may dominate in a particular fabrication process including variations in dielectric constant or insulator composition. The present invention addresses ADC linearity limitations that are caused by the control of the fabrication process.
To reduce factory variations, each array capacitor is formed from a plurality of small, identical "unit capacitors". In this manner, process variations that affect the periphery of a unit capacitor have a proportionate affect on each of the array capacitors. The grouping of the unit capacitors in the array mimics the desired capacitor ratios. For example, if a ratio C.sub.2 =2C.sub.1 is desired, then C.sub.2 has two capacitors identical to C.sub.1 connected in parallel. This means that a binary array of N capacitors has of 2.sup.N -1 identical unit capacitors. The capacitance of each unit capacitor is typically that of the smallest capacitor in the array.
To minimize differences between unit capacitors they are typically placed on a regular two-dimensional grid. The grid is extended one extra unit in all four directions to surround the array by a perimeter of dummy unit capacitors. The dummy unit capacitors make the local environment of all interior unit capacitors as identical as possible. In spite of this great care in array layout, the complete elimination of fabrication errors is virtually impossible.
It has been recognized that many fabrication processes have spatial variations across a wafer and across a single integrated circuit chip. These variations make precision device matching difficult. Capacitor arrays for charge redistribution ADC devices have been formed from symmetrically arranged groups of the unit capacitors to compensate for spatial parameter variation across the chip. However, it has been discovered that such groupings only compensate for linear parametric variations. Hence, certain fabrication technologies that exhibit nonlinear parametric variations have produced poor device matching when simple symmetric arrangement is used.
Although capacitors can be formed using thin film materials such as polysilicon or polycide for the electrodes, such processes are relatively expensive to add to a conventional CMOS fabrication process. Also, in conventional CMOS processes, the dielectric placed between layers of thin films is typically quite thin. Although maximizing the capacitance per unit area is often desired, the thin film capacitors resulting from a conventional CMOS flow have such high capacitance per unit area that each of the array capacitors must be physically small to provide a suitable input impedance for the ADC. However, physically small capacitors exhibit greater process variability. Hence, it would be desirable to fabricate the unit capacitors using structures that allow physically large capacitors with low capacitance per unit area.
Metal-to-metal capacitors are formed during the interconnect metallization portion of conventional CMOS processing. The metal layers are typically separated by a thick dielectric that gives them relatively low capacitance per unit area. Unfortunately, prior efforts to arrange the metal-to-metal capacitors using the same symmetrical arrangements used for polysilicon capacitors have resulted in poor matching and greater ADC linearity errors. What is needed is a capacitor arrangement and method for arranging capacitors that compensate for process variations not handled by conventional symmetrical layouts.
A great deal of effort and expense has occurred in the industry recently to develop methods and structures that correct these errors. One method uses a second binary array of capacitors that adds to the regular charged redistribution capacitor array and error correcting signal to compensate for the mismatch. This error correcting signal is then stored and the other error correcting signals for the other capacitors in the regular capacitor array are determined and subsequently stored for later correction of other capacitance mismatch.
The present invention has particular application in charge redistribution ADCs that use an array of matched capacitors. However, it should be understood that the present invention is useful in any device requiring matched performance between devices on the chip. For example, matched capacitor arrays are used in digital to analog converters and switched capacitor filters also. Moreover, other types of matched devices, such as matched resisters or matched active devices including field effect transistor or bipolar transistors, can make use of the layout method and structure in accordance with the present invention. However, for purposes of discussion the present invention will be illustrated in terms of a charge redistribution ADC only. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a voice data processing system, and in particular, to a method for buffering the received voice data to eliminate the delay and jitter to support the natural processing of a vocoder.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an effective and high-speed data transmission is very important in a communication network. With regard to the bandwidth for data transmission, the voice data does not require a wide bandwidth because the voice data can be compressed from 64 Kbps to 16 Kbps by digital encoding (or compressing). However, for video data transmission, a data transfer rate of about 1.5-6 Mbps is required, and the video compression technique as set forth by MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) is used to compress the video data while maintaining high quality. In addition, for data communication, an additional bandwidth of over 10 Mbps is required.
However, for effective and high-speed data transmission, the network should be able to satisfy the communication quality required by the respective transmission media as well as the wide bandwidth requirement. The communication quality is referred to as a quality of service (QoS), which depends on the media and applications. For example, in an internet phone service, the quality of service depends on the ability to transmit the voice data in real time from the transmission side to the receiving side with a little delay as possible, and the ability to retrieve the voice data at the receiving side from the transmission side with as little jitter as possible.
Accordingly, many efforts have been made to improve the QoS in the data transmission system, especially to minimize the jitter problem. With regard to the operation of the data transmission system to improve the transmission of the voice data, a controlled transmission environment is created to enhance the transmission through a protocol prior to the transmission of the compressed voice data. The controlled transmission environment is set by determining the type of packets to be transmitted and the type of transmission method. For example, when the transmission line exhibits a good transmission quality, a transmission packet is assembled by adding a plurality of data cells to a given header prior to transmission. On the other hand, the transmission packet is assembled with a fewer number of data cells to a given header when a poor transmission quality exists. The purpose of such implementation is to improve the transmission efficiency by attaching a plurality of data cells to one header rather than attaching one data cell to one header to a data cell.
However, when using the above method, the initial setup is maintained until the call ends, thereby causing the following problems:
(1) when receiving the voice data through a LAN (Local Area Network) with an irregular bandwidth the voice data is not received at regular intervals, thus the low delay and jitter requirement cannot be satisfied;
(2) the voice data is reproduced intermittently, thus deteriorating the quality of a call; and,
(3) the writing DSP (Digital Signal Processor) has a longer waiting time, reducing, the system efficiency.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method for buffering a specific frame before the receiving side of a voice codec processes the frame, thus satisfying the low delay and jitter requirement and reducing the transmission delay.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for enabling the codec of a receiving side of the system to synchronously process the received voice data frames, thereby to improve the voice reception characteristic.
It is further object of the present invention to provide a method for continuously retrieving the voice data accumulated in a receiving buffer when a predetermined amount of voice data is written in the receiving buffer.
To achieve the above objects, a method is provided for processing the received voice data in a voice data processing system having a receiving buffer. The method comprising the steps of: (a) generating an interruption signal for processing the received voice data at a predetermined interval; (b) determining whether the receiving buffer has the received the voice data; (c) setting an approval bit of the receiving buffer to a voice data read prevention value when the received voice data does not exist; (d) setting the approval bit to a voice data read approval value when the voice data exists; (e) determining whether a predetermined amount of voice data is accumulated in the receiving buffer when the approval bit is set to the voice data read prevention value; (f) setting the approval bit to the voice data read approval value when the predetermined amount of voice data is accumulated in the writing buffer; and, (g) reading the voice data written in a read address of the receiving buffer, and writing the read voice data in a digital signal processor in an upper layer when the approval bit is set to the voice data read approval value.
Preferably, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the step (b) comprises the step of determining that there is no received voice data when a read address and a write address of the receiving buffer are identical to each other, otherwise determining that there is received voice data. Preferably, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the step (e) comprises the step of determining that the predetermined amount of the voice data is accumulated when the difference between the read address and the write address is larger than a predetermined value, otherwise determining that the predetermine amount of the voice data is not accumulated. | {
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The invention relates to implementing a thermodynamic cycle to convert heat to useful form.
Thermal energy can be usefully converted into mechanical and then electrical form. Methods of converting the thermal energy of low temperature heat sources into electric power present an important area of energy generation. There is a need for increasing the efficiency of the conversion of such low temperature heat to electric power.
Thermal energy from a heat source can be transformed into mechanical and then electrical form using a working fluid that is expanded and regenerated in a closed system operating on a thermodynamic cycle. The working fluid can include components of different boiling temperatures, and the composition of the working fluid can be modified at different places within the system to improve the efficiency of operation. Systems that convert low temperature heat into electric power are described in Alexander I. Kalina's U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,346,561; 4,489,563; 4,982,568; and 5,029,444. In addition, systems with multicomponent working fluids are described in Alexander I. Kalina's U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,548,043; 4,586,340, 4,604,867; 4,732,005; 4,763,480, 4,899,545; 5,095,708; 5,440,882; 5,572,871 and 5,649,426, which are hereby incorporated by reference. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the use of improved flow modification devices for use with Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emission control equipment.
Flow distribution devices can be the key to the efficient operation of chemical processing equipment such as contactors and reactors, mixers, burners, heat exchangers, extrusion dies, and even textile-spinning chimneys. To obtain optimum distribution, proper consideration must be given to flow behavior in the distributor, flow conditions upstream of the distributor, and flow conditions downstream of the distributor. Guidelines for the design-of various types of fluid distributors are provided in the literature, e.g., see Chemical Engineers Handbook, R. H. Perry and C. H. Chilton, eds., Fifth Edition, McGraw Hill, pages 5-47 to 5-49.
Flow distributors are employed in thermal VOC incineration systems both for thermal energy management and for controlling emissions. Several different types of flow distributors may be used. Examples of possible locations for installation of distribution devices, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, include:
(i) The Flame Tube (Location 1): More efficient combustion of VOCs is typically obtained by increasing temperature, turbulence, and the residence time of the VOCs within the reaction chamber. Unfortunately, increased temperature also accelerates the thermal oxidation reaction between nitrogen and oxygen, thereby forming undesirable nitrogen oxides that contribute to environmental problems such as ozone formation and acid rain. Static mixers, usually characterized by a high void fraction, may be used to improve mixing within the flame tube. Improved mixing will typically enhance the destruction of VOCs and decrease NOx and CO emissions. Mixers are commercially available from several manufacturers including the Static Mixing Group of Koch Engineering Company, Wichita, Kan., and Kenics Static Mixers, Chemineer, Inc., North Andover, Mass. PA1 (ii) Turning Vanes (Location 2 and 3): Vanes may be used to improve velocity distribution and to reduce friction loss in bends. For a miter bend with low velocity flows, simple circular arcs can be used. Vanes of special airfoil shapes may be required for high-velocity flows. For a sweep bend, splitter vanes are used. These vanes are curved vanes extending from end to end of the bend and dividing the bend into several parallel channels. PA1 (iii) Perforated Plates and Flow Straighteners (Location 4): These are used for achieving flow uniformity by adding sufficient uniform resistance. Flow straighteners can include monolithic structures or a bed of solids. The degree of flow uniformity achieved via flow straighteners is related to pressure drop by relationships discussed in the literature (e.g., see Perry). Flow straighteners can be optimally located in the heat exchanger section of the thermal oxidation system to maximize heat recovery.
The object of the present invention is to incorporate catalytically-active flow modification devices into thermal oxidation systems so as to achieve both flow modification and VOC and CO emission reductions. An additional benefit may be operation of the combustor at a lower temperature. This could potentially reduce NOx emissions and permit the use of lower grade X alloy steels.
The maximum catalytic oxidation conversion is determined by the mass transfer-limited performance of the catalyzed flow modification device according to the relationship ##EQU1## where X is the fractional conversion, k.sub.m is the external mass transfer coefficient, S is the total geometric surface area and Q is the volumetric flow rate of exhaust gas. Correlations for k.sub.m as a function of the Reynolds and Schmidt numbers are available in the literature (e.g., Fundamentals of Momentum, Heat and Mass Transfer, John Wiley & Sons, 1976, page 589).
Equation 1 suggests that the catalytic conversion of the oxidation system can be increased by increasing the catalytically-active surface area of the flow modification device (S), the external mass transfer coefficient (k.sub.m), or by decreasing the flow rate of the exhaust (Q).
S may be increased by either increasing the geometric surface per unit volume of the device and/or by increasing the volume of the device. Increasing geometric surface area per unit volume typically results in increased pressure drop. Such an option can be implemented in the case of a flow straightener. Increasing the volume of the device is an option in the case of flow distribution devices, e.g., mixers or turning vanes. The coefficient k.sub.m primarily depends on the local velocity and the hydraulic radius of flow. As discussed above, k.sub.m is obtained from literature correlations.
The performance of the device can only approach the conversion predicted by equation (1) if the catalytic layer is highly active under conditions of operation. High activity may be obtained by the use of noble or base metal catalysts as practiced in the art. Another option is to fabricate the device using a metal having catalytic activity. Examples of such metals are Cr and Ni-containing stainless steels. Such steels could also be aluminized to form a surface alloy layer which is later activated by chemicals and treated to form a catalytically active surface.
Catalytic activity can also be increased by placing the device at a temperature that is high enough to increase the catalytic reaction rate but not high enough to irreversibly deactivate the catalyst or structurally damage the flow device. The catalyst could be placed in the flame tube to light off the oxidation reactions. Complete oxidation of VOCs can be accomplished either across the catalyst or by a combination of catalyst and subsequent homogeneous gas phase reactions. The latter concept is referred to by those in the art as catalytic combustion.
2. Description of the Previously Published Art
Air flow management is a key to the efficient operation of thermal oxidizers for controlling Volatile Organic Compound (VOC), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NO.sub.x) emissions. Flow modification devices (e.g., mixers, flow straighteners, flow diverters, etc.) are being used in the art to maximize both conversion of VOCs in the combustion chamber and heat recovery in the recuperative or regenerative heat exchanger. Two possible types of recuperative thermal oxidation systems conventionally used for VOC destruction are shown in FIG. 1 and 2.
A conventional thermal oxidizer operates at temperatures in excess of 1,400.degree. F. and converts over 99% of the VOCs; however, the exhaust can contain NO.sub.x (formed in the burner) and CO (a product of incomplete combustion). Environmental regulations are requiring increasingly stringent controls on VOC, CO and NO.sub.x emissions. For example, European regulations are requiring the control of VOC levels below 20 mg/Nm.sup.3, and control of CO and NO.sub.x levels below 50 mg/Nm.sup.3.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,811 teaches fluid management by static mixers which may be formed of catalyst coated materials (col. 2, line 3). The process is broadly directed to producing a "physiochemical change of (the) state of interaction between a fluid and a material which is physiochemically interactive with such fluid". The mixing device described comprises a conduit which contains a plurality of curved sheet-like elements extending longitudinally through the conduit and in which consecutive elements are curved in opposite directions. An example given for the use of the device is the removal of SO.sub.2 from air using water. It is claimed that the patented structure provides improved gas-liquid contacting compared with other conventional materials (such as ceramic Raschig rings) used in packed bed columns. The patent does not discuss the application of catalyst-coated flow modifiers for the gas phase oxidation of VOCs from industrial plant exhausts, the apparatus does not utilize a thermal oxidizer, nor does the patent specify the parameters required for efficient mixing and destruction of the VOCs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,894 is directed at catalytic purification of exhaust gases and which teaches the concept of coating a flow modifying component of a catalytic purifier with a catalytic mass (see col 2, line 27 and claim 9,). This patent describes an apparatus for the catalytic purification of exhaust gases from combustion engines of motor vehicles comprising a customary metal automobile exhaust pipe the dimensions of which do not vary along the length and which does not contain any special housings or canisters for catalysts. Further, the exhaust pipe contains flow interrupting baffle surfaces which are secured to metal ribbons mounted at one or several points inside the pipe. The exhaust pipe is mounted between the exhaust outlet of the engine and the muffler and is the sole means for control of pollutants from automobile exhausts. This patent does not address the special needs of processes for destruction of VOCs emitted from industrial plants, nor does the apparatus have a thermal burner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,573 relates to a catalyst arrangement, particularly for internal combustion engines, having a diffusor widening in the flow direction preceding a honeycomb-like catalyst body and a converger, narrowing in the flow direction, following the catalyst body. A flow guide is placed in between the diffusor and the converger and the surfaces of the flow guide are coated with catalytic active material (col. 4, line 25). The device of the present invention does not include converger or diffusor components and is, as will be discussed later, particularly suited for VOC control.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,062, is directed to a diesel engine having in its exhaust manifold, a static mixer coated with catalytic material (col. 3, line 17). In addition, nozzles are provided in an annular chamber between the static mixer and the exhaust manifold in order to introduce a reducing agent into the flow of exhaust gas prior to entry into the static mixer. This apparatus is particularly suited for diesel engine applications and, due to the compositional requirements of the exhausts, is not suitable for VOC destruction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,411 discusses a fluid treating device for carrying out chemical and/or physical reactions in a flowing stream in contact with a stationary corrugated thin metal member. The converter comprises a housing and a fluid inlet and outlet, indicating that the device is a stand-alone system for conducting physical and/or chemical reactions. The converter contains a metallic foil having zig-zag corrugations which is folded back and forth on itself into the converter as an accordion. Fluid flows through the spaces between alternate layers of foil. Catalytic washcoats may also be coated on the metallic foil and the device is useful as a catalytic converter. The device is also proposed for use as a particulate trap, especially for diesel engine applications. The above device is not proposed for use as an integral part of thermal VOC oxidizer system nor is its proposed use for fluid flow modification.
3. Objects of the Invention
It is an object of this invention to improve the performance of an emission control device such as a thermal oxidizer by using modification devices for reducing temperature and flow maldistribution within the device.
It is a further object of this invention to use flow modification devices that reduce emissions of pollutants such as VOCs, CO and NO.sub.x from thermal oxidizer exhausts. The materials of construction for these devices will withstand the local operating conditions and reduce CO and VOC emissions.
It is a further object of this invention to use flow modification devices that are coated with a catalytically active layer. Catalytic ingredients can include noble metal or base metal oxides dispersed on a high surface area mixed oxide support.
It is a further object of this invention to properly select and position these flow modification devices within the thermal oxidizer to reduce stack emissions of VOCs and CO.
These and further objects will become apparent as the description of the invention proceeds. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Cam phasers are used modern internal combustion engines to optimize consumption and power parameters and are used for controlling opening and closing timing of the gas control valves in order to be able to variably configure a phase relationship between a crank shaft and a cam shaft in a defined angle range between a maximum early position and a maximum late position. For this purpose the cam phaser is integrated into a drive train through which torques are transmitted from the crank shaft onto the cam shaft. The cam phaser thus includes a stator that is driven by the crank shaft and a rotor that is connected torque proof with the cam shaft. Between the rotor and the stator operating cavities are provided that are loadable with a pressure medium and which are divided into counter acting pressure cavities by blades associated with the rotor. During operations of the internal combustion engine both pressure cavities are permanently filled with pressure medium, so that the rotor and the stator are connected with each other in a rather rigid manner. The timing of the gas control valves is adjusted by increasing a pressure in one of the pressure cavities while reducing a pressure in a respective other pressure cavity. Thus, the pressure medium has to be provided to a first pressure cavity and drained from a second pressure cavity towards a tank which adjusts an angular orientation between the cam shaft and the crank shaft.
In the art, in particular the components rotor and stator of the cam phaser are produced from steel or aluminum alloys by a sintering method. In order to provide a correct function of the cam phaser the process steps pressing, coarse machining and sintering are followed by rather complex finishing methods including e.g. calibrating, grinding, fine turning, etc. in order to assure a required parallel alignment of axially opposite surfaces. The finishing processes are expensive and have their quality risks which are only increased by handling steps arranged there between.
DE 10 2013 015 677 A1 provides a solution for the recited disadvantages through a method and a component replacement with two sinter joined components and a radial deformation element. The proposed multi component configuration of the stator or the rotor is considered detrimental due to the number of components and the complex joining method. | {
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This invention relates to newly identified polynucleotides, polypeptides encoded by such polynucleotides, the use of such polynucleotides and polypeptides, as well as the production of such polynucleotides and polypeptides. The polypeptide of the present invention has been putatively identified as a human transforming growth factor alpha homolog. More particularly, the polypeptide of the present invention has been putatively identified as transforming growth factor alpha HII, sometimes hereafter referred to as xe2x80x9cTGFxcex1-HIIxe2x80x9d. The invention also relates to inhibiting the action of such polypeptides.
Cellular growth and differentiation appear to be initiated, promoted, maintained and regulated by a multiplicity of stimulatory, inhibitory and synergistic factors and hormones. The alteration and/or breakdown of the cellular homeostasis mechanism seems to be a fundamental cause of growth related diseases, including neoplasia. Growth modular factors are implicated in a wide variety of pathological and physiological processes including signal transduction, cell communication, growth and development, embryogenesis, immune response, hematopoiesis cell survival and differentiation, inflammation, tissue repair and remodeling, atherosclerosis and cancer. Epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor alpha (TGFxcex1), betacellulin, amphiregulin, and vaccinia growth factor among other factors are growth and differentiation modulatory proteins produced by a variety of cell types either under normal physiological conditions or in response to exogenous stimuli and are members of the EGF family.
These peptide growth factors influence wound cells through autocrine and paracrine mechanisms. They also play important roles in normal wound healing in tissues such as skin, cornea and gastrointestinal tract and all share substantial amino acid sequence homology including the conserved placement of three intra-chain disulfide bonds. In addition, all the factors of this family bind to a 170,000 molecular weight transmembrane glycoprotein receptor and activate the tyrosine kinase activity in the receptor""s cytoplasmic domain (Buhrow, S. A. et al., J. Bio. Chem., 258:7824-7826 (1983)).
The receptors are expressed by many types of cells including skin keratinocytes, fibroblasts, vascular endothelial cells, and epithelial cells of the GI tract. These peptide growth factors are synthesized by several cells involved in wound healing including platelets, keratinocytes, and activated macrophages. These growth factors have also been implicated in both the stimulation of growth and differentiation of certain cells, for example, neoplasia, and the inhibition of other types of cells.
Betacellulin is a 32-kilodalton glycoprotein that appears to be processed from a larger transmembrane precursor by proteolytic cleavage. The carboxyl-terminal domain of betacellulin has 50% sequence similarity with that of rat transforming growth factor xcex1. Betacellulin is a potent mitogen for retinal pigment epithelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells.
Amphiregulin is a bifunctional cell growth regulatory factor which exhibits potent inhibitory activity on DNA synthesis in neoplastic cells, yet promotes the growth of certain normal cells. A wide variety of uses for amphiregulin have been assigned including the treatment of wounds and cancers. For example, amphiregulin has potent anti-proliferative effects in vitro on several human cancer cell lines of epithelial origin. Amphiregulin also induces the proliferation of human foreskin fibroblasts as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,096.
TGFxcex1 has pleiotropic biological effects. The production of certain members of TGFxcex1 is synthesized by a number of oncogenically transformed fibroblasts (Ciardiello et al., J. Cell. Biochem., 42:45-57 (1990)), as well as by a variety of tumors, including renal, breast and squamous carcinomas, melanomas and glioblastomas (Derynck, R. et al., Cancer Res., 47:707-712 (1987)). There is direct evidence that TGFxcex1 expression can be a contributing factor in the conversion of a normal cell to its tumorigenic counterpart by analyzing transgenic mice in which tumor cells express high levels of TGFxcex1. TGFxcex1 transgenic animals display a variety of neoplastic lesions, depending on the strain of mouse and the choice of promotor regulating TGFxcex1 expression (Sandgren, et al., Cell, 61:1121-1135 (1990)).
TGFxcex1 also plays a role in normal embryonic development and adult physiology (Derynck, R. Adv. Cancer Res., 58:27-5 (1992)). TGFxcex1 has been expressed in many tissues including skin, brain, gastrointestinal mucosa and activating macrophages. Accordingly, TGFxcex1 is an important factor in controlling growth of epithelial cells and has a role in wound healing. TGFxcex1 has also been found to be angiogenic (Schreiber, et al., Science, 232:1250-1253 (1986)).
The polypeptide of the present invention has been putatively identified as transforming growth factor TGFxcex1-HII. This identification has been made as a result of amino acid sequence homology to human TGFxcex1.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there are provided novel mature polypeptides, as well as biologically active and diagnostically or therapeutically useful fragments, analogs and derivatives thereof. The polypeptides of the present invention are of human origin.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there are provided isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding the polypeptides of the present invention, including mRNAs, DNAs, cDNAs, genomic DNAs as well as analogs and biologically active and diagnostically or therapeutically useful fragments thereof.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there are provided processes for producing such polypeptide by recombinant techniques comprising culturing recombinant prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic host cells, containing a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide of the present invention.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there are provided processes for utilizing such polypeptides, or polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides for therapeutic purposes, for example, to stimulate wound healing to restore normal neurological functioning after trauma or AIDS dementia, to treat ocular disorders, to target certain cells, to treat kidney and liver disorders and to promote hair follicular development, to stimulate angiogenesis for the treatment of burns, ulcers and corneal incisions and to stimulate embryogenesis.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is also provided nucleic acid probes comprising nucleic acid molecules of sufficient length to specifically hybridize to nucleic acid sequences of the present invention.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there are provided antibodies against such polypeptides.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there are provided agonists to the polypeptide of the present invention.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there are provided antagonists to such polypeptides, which may be used to inhibit the action of such polypeptides, for example, in the treatment of corneal inflammation, neoplasia, for example, tumors and cancers and for psoriasis.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, there are provided diagnostic assays for detecting diseases related to overexpression of the polypeptide of the present invention and mutations in the nucleic acid sequences encoding such polypeptide.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for utilizing such polypeptides, or polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides, for in vitro purposes related to scientific research, synthesis of DNA and manufacture of DNA vectors.
These and other aspects of the present invention should be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Apoptosis is a physiological form of cell death that plays a role in various biological processes, including normal development, tissue homeostasis, and defense against pathogens (Thompson et al., 1995, Science 267:1456-1462). Different forms of apoptosis can be distinguished according to whether transcription and translation, i.e., gene expression, are involved. For example, Fas ligand (FasL) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) promote cell death by recruiting and activating caspases at the plasma membrane in the absence of transcription and translation (Rathmell et al., 1999, Annu. Rev. Immunol. 17:781-828). In contrast, other apoptotic programs require gene expression. The p53 tumor suppressor induces apoptosis in response to genotoxic agents, resulting, at least in part, from transcriptional activation of p53-dependent genes (Polyak et al., 1997, Nature 389:300-305). Other transcription-dependent apoptosis programs include glucocorticoid-induced killing of thymocytes (Cohen et al., 1984, J. Immunol. 132:38-42) and cell death induced by signaling through the T-cell receptor (TCR) (Lenardo et al., 1999, Annu. Rev. Immunol. 17:221-253).
In some cells, apoptosis can be induced by deprivation of trophic factors. For example, transcription-dependent cell death occurs following withdrawal of nerve growth factor (NGF) (Martin et al., 1988, J. Cell Biol. 106:829-844). IL-3-dependent cell lines undergo apoptosis upon cytokine withdrawal, and IL-3 promotes survival of several lymphoid progenitors (Palacios et al., 1987, J. Exp. Med. 166:12-32; Palacios et al., 1985, Cell 41:727-734).
Neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL), a member of the lipocalin family of proteins, is a secreted 25 kDa glycoprotein found in granules of human neutrophils (Kjeldsen et al., 1993, J. Biol. Chem. 268:10425-10432). Lipocalins have been characterized by their ability to bind small lipophilic substances. Lipocalins share a common three-dimensional β-barrel structure which functions, in at least some lipocalins, in binding a lipophilic ligand, e.g., a steroid, bilin, retinoid, or other lipid. For a review of structure and function in the lipocalin family, see Flower, 1996, Biochem. J. 318:1-14. Murine forms of NGAL (homologs) from mice and rats are known. NGAL in mice is known by various designations, including NGAL, 24p3 protein, SIP24, P25, lipocalin 2, and uterocalin. NGAL in rats is known as NGAL or alpha 2-microglobulin. NGAL increases 7- to 10-fold in cultured mouse kidney cells in response to viral infection (Hraba-Renevey et al., 1989, Oncogene 4:601-608). NGAL is a major secretory product of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated, cultured mouse macrophages (Meheus et al., 1993, J. Immunol. 151:1535-1547).
NGAL is a positive acute phase protein. It has been suggested that NGAL is a scavenger of bacterial products at sites of inflammation (Nielsen et al., 1996, Gut 38:414-420). It has also been suggested that NGAL has an immunomodulatory function involving the binding of lipophilic inflammatory mediators (Bundgaard et al., 1994, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 202:1468-1475). NGAL is synthesized constitutively at a particular developmental point during the maturation of granulocyte precursors in the bone marrow (Borregaard et al., 1995, Blood 85:812-817). In addition, NGAL synthesis can be induced in epithelial cells under certain conditions such as inflammation and malignancy (Neilsen et al., supra; Bartsch et al., 1995, FEBS Lett. 357:255-259; Bundgaard et al., supra).
A full-length cDNA encoding human NGAL protein has been cloned and sequenced (Bundgaard et al., supra). In addition, the human NGAL gene, which includes seven exons and six introns, has been cloned and sequenced, and its expression in various tissues has been analyzed (Cowland et al., 1997, Genomics 45:17-23). The human NGAL gene encodes a polypeptide of 197 amino acids, with a 19- or 20-amino acid signal sequence, and a mature NGAL polypeptide containing 178 amino acids (Bundgaard, supra). The motifs Gly-X-Trp (amino acids 48-50 in mature human NGAL) and Thr-Asp/Asn-Tyr (amino acids 132-134 in mature human NGAL) are present in all known lipocalins (Bundgaard et al., supra). On the basis of X-ray crystallography, it has been suggested that these motifs are important in the tertiary structure common to lipocalins, i.e., an eight-stranded antiparallel β-barrel surrounding a hydrophobic core (Cowan et al., 1990, Proteins: Structure Function and Genetics 8:44-61). The cysteine residues 95 and 194 in the human NGAL sequence are conserved, and have been reported to form an intramolecular disulfide bridge (Bundgaard, supra; Cowan et al., 1990, supra). Human NGAL contains a single N-glycosylation site (an asparagine residue) at position 65 of the mature amino acid sequence (approximately position 84 or 85 of the pre-NGAL polypeptide). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Error recovery is an important function of any computer processing system. The ability to recover from an error situation in a timely manner and in such a way that data corruption is minimized is paramount to the reliability of the computer system.
As is known, there are a number of different types of error recovery techniques. One technique that is used in some systems, such as, for instance, those computer systems running Multiple Virtual Storage/Enterprise Systems Architecture (MVS/ESA) operating system offered by International Business Machines Corporation is referred to as a stack-based technique. In particular, for each task (i.e., independent unit of execution that can be scheduled by an operating system) executing on the computer system, there is an associated stack, which includes levels of recovery services or routines for that task.
During recovery of an error, a recovery service or routine is selected from the stack particularly associated with the failed task. Specifically, the routine on the top of the stack is selected and executed, and if that routine indicates percolation, the procedural code of the system dictates that the next service or routine on that particular stack is to be selected. Thus, recovery proceeds only down the stack of the failed task.
This is a problem in those situations in which one task invokes another task. For example, assume that a task, Task A, gets invoked and an error recovery routine AE is established for the task. Error recovery routine AE is placed on Stack A. Then, Task A invokes Task B and Task B invokes a service (such as MVS' Recovery Termination Manager (RTM)) to establish an error recovery routine BE, which gets placed on Stack B (since there is a different stack for each task). Thereafter, an error occurs during execution of Task B that causes entry into error routine BE. Error routine BE wants to percolate and therefore, it will go to the next routine, if any, on its stack, Stack B. It does not percolate to the routines on Stack A, even though, in the above example, error routine AE is the next routine in logical invocation sequence.
Failing to percolate to Stack A can have catastrophic consequences for the computer system. For example, the data may be corrupted and/or uncertainty may exist in the execution of applications. Therefore, a need exists for a recovery mechanism which takes into account the logical invocation sequence of functions within the tasks. A further need exists for a mechanism which facilitates the transfer of control between different recovery units in different tasks. A yet further need exists for a mechanism that allows concurrent execution of task related and sequence related recovery. A need also exists for enabling recovery to be performed for distributed cross-system (including homogeneous and heterogeneous) functions. A yet further need exists for a mechanism that integrates procedural recovery (i.e., stack based recovery) with object-oriented technology. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
An embodiment of the present invention is related to a stackable wafer level package and a fabricating method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
An increasing demand for small-sized, lightweight and high-performance electronic devices has motivated the development of small-sized, lightweight and high-performance electronic components. This motivation has led to the development of semiconductor design and manufacturing technologies and significant advances in various packaging technologies. Representative examples of such advanced packages are ball grid array (BGA) packages, flip-chip packages and chip size packages (CSPs), which are based on area array and surface mount packaging technologies. Chip size packages (CSPs) have received considerable attention due to the possibility that the size may be reduced to that of actual chips. Particularly, wafer level chip size packages (WLCSPs), which are fabricated at a wafer level, have the advantage of greatly reduced packaging cost because of an increase in the number of semiconductor chips produced from one wafer. Therefore, when WLCSP technologies are applied to the production of wafers, e.g., 300 mm wafers featuring high chip production yield per wafer, the fabrication cost of packages can be greatly reduced. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the development of WLCSP technologies in view of packaging cost. | {
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Naturally occurring and synthetic zeolites have been demonstrated to exhibit catalytic properties for various types of hydrocarbon conversions. Certain zeolites are ordered porous crystalline aluminosilicates having definite crystalline structure as determined by X-ray diffraction studies. Such zeolites have pores of uniform size which are uniquely determined by unit structure of the crystal. The zeolites are referred to as "molecular sieves" because the uniform pore size of a zeolite material may allow it to selectively absorb molecules of certain dimensions and shapes.
By way of background, one authority has described the zeolites structurally, as "framework" aluminosilicates which are based on an infinitely extending three-dimensional network of AlO.sub.4 and SiO.sub.4 tetrahedra linked to each other by sharing all of the oxygen atoms. Furthermore, the same authority indicates that zeolites may be represented by the empirical formula EQU M.sub.2/n O.Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.xSiO.sub.2.yH.sub.2 O
In the empirical formula, M was described therein to be sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, strontium and/or barium; x is equal to or greater than 2, since AlO.sub.4 tetrahedra are joined only to SiO.sub.4 tetrahedra, and n is the valence of the cation designated M; and the ratio of the total of silicon and aluminum atoms to oxygen atoms is 1:2. D. Breck, ZEOLITE MOLECULAR SIEVES, John Wiley & Sons, New York p. 5 (1974).
The prior art describes a variety of synthetic zeolites. These zeolites have come to be designated by letter or other convenient symbols illustrated by zeolite Z (U.S. Pat. No. 2,882,243); zeolite X (U.S. Pat. No. 2,882,244); zeolite Y (U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,007); zeolite ZK-5 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,247,195); zeolite ZK-4 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,314,752); zeolite ZSM-11 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,979) and zeolite ZSM-23 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,076,842), merely to name a few.
ZSM-11 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,979. That description, and in particular the X-ray diffraction pattern of said ZSM-11, is incorporated herein by reference.
ZSM-12 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,832,449. That description, and in particular the X-ray diffraction pattern disclosed therein, is incorporated herein by reference.
ZSM-22 is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 373,451 filed Apr. 30, 1982, and now pending. The entire description thereof is incorporated herein by reference.
ZSM-20 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,983. The entire content thereof, particularly the specification of the X-ray diffraction pattern of the disclosed zeolite, is incorporated by reference herein.
ZSM-23 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,842. The entire content thereof, particularly the specification of the X-ray diffraction pattern of the disclosed zeolite, is incorporated herein by reference.
ZSM-35 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,245. The description of that zeolite, and particularly the X-ray diffraction pattern thereof, is incorporated herein by reference.
ZSM-38 is more particularly described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,859. The description of that zeolite, and particularly the specified X-ray diffraction pattern thereof, is incorporated herein by reference.
ZSM-48 is more particularly described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,573. Such a description includes the X-ray diffraction pattern for ZSM-48.
Zeolite beta is more particularly described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,308,069 and Re. 28,341.
Zeolite Y can be synthesized with an SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratio up to about 5:1; in order to achieve higher ratios of SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, various techniques have been developed to remove structural aluminum therefrom.
It is to be understood that by incorporating by reference the foregoing patents and patent applications to describe examples of specific members of the novel class with greater particularity, it is intended that identification of the therein disclosed crystalline zeolites be resolved on the basis of their respective X-ray diffraction patterns. As discussed above, the present invention contemplates utilization of such catalysts wherein the mole ratio of silica to alumina is essentially unbounded. The incorporation of the identified patents and patent applications should therefore not be construed as limiting the disclosed crystalline zeolites to those having the specific silica:alumina mole ratios discussed therein, it now being known that such zeolites may be substantially aluminum-free and yet, having the same crystal structure as the disclosed materials, may be useful or even preferred in some applications. It is the crystal structure, as identified by the X-ray diffraction "fingerprint", which establishes the identity of the specific crystalline zeolite material. The crystal structure of known zeolites may include gallium, boron, iron and chromium as framework elements, without changing its identification by the X-ray diffraction "fingerprint"; and these gallium, boron, iron and chromium containing silicates and aluminosilicates may be useful, or even preferred, in some applications described herein.
The silicon/aluminum atomic ratio of a given zeolite is often variable. For example, zeolite X can be synthesized with silicon/aluminum atomic ratios of from 1 to 1.5, while that ratio in zeolite Y is from 1.5 to 5. In some zeolites, the upper limit of the silicon/aluminum atomic ratio is unbounded. ZSM-5 is one such example wherein the silicon/aluminum atomic ratio is at least 2.5 and up to infinity. ZSM-5 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,702,886, together with its x-ray diffraction pattern which is relied upon and incorporated by reference herein. U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,871, reissued as U.S. Pat. No. Re. 29,948, discloses a porous crystalline silicate made from a reaction mixture containing no deliberately added aluminum and exhibiting the X-ray diffraction pattern characteristic of ZSM-5.
The exact chemical make-up of zeolites including ZSM-5 can determine the nature of its activity in a particular catalysis. Thus, the chemical make-up of the zeolite, in terms of its silica/alumina atomic ratio is of practical significance.
Silica precursors have been described for zeolite synthesis. For zeolite synthesis, the silica precursors are added to zeolite crystallization reaction mixtures and then admixed with organic or inorganic directing agents and then subjected to hydrothermal conditions effective for zeolite production specified by the directing agent. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention pertains to an internal combustion engine ignition control system. More particularly, the present invention pertains to an electronic ignition control system for generating a spark to ignite the fuel within a cylinder of an internal combustion engine at the optimum time to assure maximum fuel efficiency and engine performance.
The operating performances of an internal combustion engine is dependent, at least in part, on the point during the cycle of operation of each cylinder at which the fuel is ignited. The time of ignition affects the fuel efficiency, the amount of power generated by the engine, and the smoothness of engine operation. Mechanical means for controlling the ignition time are available, but generally these are cumbersome devices of questionable accuracy, often involving weights and springs to control the operating time of various components, and such mechanical components are inherently inaccurate and subject to operating fluctuations. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In order to lubricate bearings on a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, prior art techniques have passed oil through openings in the crankshaft's main bearing, which transmit oil into an internal gallery of the crankshaft, as an opening in the crankshaft rotates past the openings in the bearing. The main bearing is typically a shell bearing, with holes passing through it, having a grooved interior to facilitate oil flows into the crankshaft. After passing through the main bearing, the entering oil passes through internal galleries in the crankshaft to subsequent bearings, such as the big end bearing. Mostly because of the effect of the spinning of the crankshaft, the entering oil undergoes a pressure drop between the external pressure gallery and the big end bearing; for instance, the oil may drop in pressure from 60 psi (4 bar) in the external pressure gallery down to 30 psi (2 bar) at the big end bearing, in a common automotive engine. Thus, because of this pressure drop, in order to achieve a desired oil pressure at the big end bearing, the external gallery must have a high oil pressure. Therefore, large pumps must be used to pressurize the external gallery, which add cost and weight to the engine. To alleviate such problems, attempts have been made to force oil through the end of the crankshaft, but these techniques have proved awkward and expensive. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Computer systems use memory devices, such as dynamic random access memory (“DRAM”) devices, to store instructions and data that are accessed by a processor. These memory devices are normally used as system memory in a computer system. In a typical computer system, the processor communicates with the system memory through a processor bus and a memory controller. The processor issues a memory request, which includes a memory command, such as a read command, and an address designating the location from which data or instructions are to be read. The memory controller uses the command and address to generate appropriate command signals as well as row and column addresses, which are applied to the system memory. In response to the commands and addresses, data are transferred between the system memory and the processor. The memory controller is often part of a system controller, which also includes bus bridge circuitry for coupling the processor bus to an expansion bus, such as a PCI bus.
A memory system 10 typically used in a computer system is shown in FIG. 1. The memory system 10 includes a memory controller 14 coupled to several memory modules 20a,b . . . n through a bus system 24. The bus system 24 typically includes an address bus 26 a command bus 28 and a bi-directional data bus 30. However, other conventional memory systems may use bus systems 24 having other configurations, such as a combined address bus 26 and command bus 28. In any case, each of the memory modules 20 includes several memory devices 34, such as DRAM devices, mounted on an insulative substrate 36. Conductive leads 38 are fabricated on the substrate 36 to couple the memory devices 34 to the buses 26–30. The conductive leads 38 typically couple the memory devices 34 to all of the buses 26–30 in parallel, although some of the lines in the command bus 28, such as chip select lines, may be coupled to the memory devices 34 in fewer than all of the memory modules 20.
In operation, the memory controller 14 applies row and column addresses through the address bus 26 and command signals to the command bus 28 to read data from or write data to the memory devices 34. In the event of a write memory access, there are also coupled from the memory controller 14 to the memory devices 34. In the event of a read memory access, data are coupled from the memory devices 34 to the memory controller 14. Although address, command and write data signals are applied to the memory devices 34 and all of the memory modules 20, a chip select signal or other similar signal selects the memory devices 34 on only one of the memory modules 20 for the memory access.
The memory modules 20 shown in FIG. 1 are normally configured for a particular data format. For example, sixteen memory devices 34 may be included in the memory module 20, and each memory device 34 may couple a single bit of data to and from the memory controller 14. In such case, each of the memory modules 20 will input and output data in 16-bit words. Alternatively, the memory devices 34 may be divided into two groups or “ranks” each of which are individually accessed by, for example, being enabled by separate chip select signals. In such case, if each memory device 34 couples a single bit of data to and from the memory controller 14, the memory module 20 will output data in 8-bit bytes. By way of further example, the memory devices 34 on each memory module may be individually accessed, and each memory device 34 may couple 8 bits of data to and from the memory controller 14. In such case, each memory module 20 will output data in 8-bit bytes. Other data formats used in conventional memory systems will be apparent to one skilled in the art.
The selection of a data format controls not only the size of the data word coupled to and from each memory module 20, but it also controls the effective size of the memory that may be addressed in each module 20. More specifically, assume each memory module 20 includes eight memory devices 34 each of which has an 8-bit data bus and one million addressable locations. Each memory device 34 thus has a capacity of 1 MB so that the total size of the memory module 20 is 8 MB. Each of the memory devices 34 may be individually addressed to interface with an 8-bit data bus so that there are 8 million addresses in the address space. Alternatively, all of the memory devices 34 may be simultaneously addressed to interface with a 64-bit data bus so that there are 1 million addresses in the address space. The memory devices 34 may also be operated in two ranks to interface with a 32-bit data bus with an address space of 4 million addresses. In all of these cases, the total memory capacity of the memory module 20 is 8 MB. However, in each of these cases the data bandwidth, i.e., the rate at which data bits are coupled through the data bus, and the number of memory addresses, i.e., the depth of the memory module 20, vary. The memory bandwidth and memory depth are thus trade-offs of each other.
In conventional memory systems, the memory bandwidth and memory depth are selected based the bandwidth and depth desired for a specific application. For example, a first data format may be used for a system in which maximizing bandwidth is important, such as a memory system used in a video graphics card. However, a second data format may be used in a system in which maximizing memory depth is important, such as in a database system. Unfortunately, the memory system must be optimized for either high memory bandwidth, high memory depth or a combination of bandwidth and depth. The memory system is optimized by selecting appropriate memory devices 34 for inclusion in the memory module 20 and selecting a configuration for the bus structure 24 and conductive leads 38 formed on the substrate 36. Insofar as the data format selected is determined by the hardware design, is not possible to easily alter the data format. Instead, different memory modules must be used, a different motherboard in which the memory modules are normally inserted must be used, and a different memory controller must be used. Therefore, the data format is normally a fixed data format optimized for a particular application, even though the memory system may be called upon to operate in another application in which a different data format would be optimal. In such cases, the memory system cannot provide optimum performance.
There is therefore a need for a memory system that can have a variety of data formats each of which can be optimized to a specific application. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to a parking lock mechanism which locks an output shaft of an automatic transmission of a vehicle when a parking range is selected by a driver.
In a vehicle provided with an automatic transmission, a so-called shift by wire parking lock mechanism is known which locks the output shaft of the automatic transmission by the action of an actuator such as a motor according to the movement of a shift lever to a parking range. If the driver unexpectedly moves the shift lever to the parking range while the vehicle is running, however, a shock occurs due to sudden locking of the output shaft of the transmission which may give a discomfort to driver or passenger of the vehicle. Further, sudden locking of the output shaft may give damage to the parking lock mechanism.
In this connection, Tokkai Hei 5-280637 published by the Japanese Patent Office in 1993 discloses a parking lock mechanism wherein, when a certain predetermined vehicle speed condition is satisfied while the vehicle is running, operation of the parking lock mechanism is permitted after emitting an alarm sound, and when the vehicle speed condition is not satisfied, the operation of the parking lock mechanism is ineffectual.
In this parking lock mechanism, as the transition to the parking lock state is notified in advance to the driver, the driver is not startled by an unintended shock, but there is no difference from the state where there is a transition to the parking lock state when the vehicle is running.
In other words, all the kinetic energy of the vehicle is stopped by the parking lock mechanism alone, so a large shock nevertheless occurs, and the parking lock mechanism must also be strong enough to stop the kinetic energy of the vehicle.
The output shaft is restricted by the engaging of a locking pawl with a parking gear which rotates together with the output shaft of the automatic transmission. When the vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined value, the locking pawl does not enter the teeth of the locking gear as the teeth of the rotating parking gear push aside the locking pawl. However, the driver or passengers hear an unpleasant noise when the parking gear pushes aside the locking pawl.
Further, when the shift lever is moved to the parking range before the driver stops the vehicle, the parking mechanism does not operate if the vehicle speed condition is not satisfied. If the intended parking lock operation is not performed, it may even occur that the driver mistakenly considers the vehicle has a fault, and hastily operates the shift lever repeatedly.
It is therefore an object of this invention to mitigate the shock due to the operation of a parking lock mechanism on a vehicle when the vehicle is running.
It is another object of this invention to mitigate the load on the parking lock mechanism due to the operation of the parking lock mechanism when the vehicle is running.
It is yet another object of this invention to prevent an unpleasant noise due to the operation of the parking lock mechanism when the vehicle is running.
It is yet another object of this invention to perform a parking lock operation intended by the driver while still achieving the above objects.
In order to achieve the above objects, this invention provides a parking lock device which locks an output shaft of an automatic transmission of a vehicle according to a change-over of a shift lever to a parking range. The parking lock device comprises a parking lock mechanism which locks a rotational movement of the output shaft, a sensor which detects a vehicle speed, a sensor which detects the change-over of the shift lever to the parking range, a braking device which brakes the vehicle, and a microprocessor. The microprocessor is programmed to determine whether or not the vehicle speed is less than a first predetermined vehicle speed, activate the braking device to decelerate the vehicle when the shift lever has changed over to the parking range at a vehicle speed not less than the first predetermined vehicle speed, and prevent the parking lock mechanism from locking the rotation of the output shaft until the vehicle speed becomes less than the first predetermined speed. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to security and, more particularly, to a method and system for computer security.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the growth of the Internet, the increased use of computers and the exchange of information between individual users has posed a threat to the security of computers. Computer security attempts to ensure the reliable operation of networking and computing resources and attempts to protect information on the computer or network from unauthorized access or disclosure. Computer system(s) as referred to herein may include(s) individual computers, servers, computing resources, networks, etc. Among the various security threats that present increasingly difficult challenges to the secure operation of computer systems are computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, etc. These intrusions attempt to compromise system information and/or system resources by deleting files, system settings, etc, or by allowing intruders to modify the files on a system, either unintentionally as a consequence of their intrusion, or in order to further compromise computer security by installing Trojans, password recorders, etc.
Intruders might launch a number of different types of attacks on computer systems, including information gathering attacks, exploits, or denial of service (DoS) attacks, etc. Information gathering attacks allow intruders to perform a number of harmful actions on a computer system, including stealing confidential information such as credit cards, passwords, etc. Exploits allow attackers to make use of vulnerabilities in target servers or misconfigurations on the computer system. For example, web servers and web browsers often have a series of security loopholes. Attackers take advantage of these loopholes by executing attacks such as, buffer overflow attacks. A buffer overflow attack occurs when a program attempts to write more data onto a buffer area in the web server than it can hold. This causes an overwriting of areas of stack memory in the web server. If performed correctly, this allows malicious code to be placed on the web server which would then be executed. Denial of service attacks allow intruders to prohibit users from accessing resources on the computer system. Intruders make the system inaccessible by overloading computer system resources or crashing a service or machine on the computer system, etc.
Users may install firewalls in order to attempt to protect their computer systems from attack. A firewall may include a computer system and/or software system composed of a set of related programs that is placed between a private computer system and a public network (i.e., Internet). A firewall provides security protection to the system by screening incoming requests and preventing unauthorized access. Firewalls operate by working with router programs to determine the next destination to send information packets, ultimately deciding whether or not to forward the packets to that location. Firewalls can also impose internal security measures on users in the system by preventing them from accessing certain materials, such as websites on the World Wide Web, that may have unknown and potentially dangerous security consequences.
However, firewalls do not provide a computer system with comprehensive protection against attacks. Firewalls stop communication and only allow the traffic that a system administrator permits to go through. However, firewalls have no capability of detecting whether or not traffic that is legitimately allowed through is really an attack.
Users may also utilize intrusion detection systems in order to protect their computer systems from attack. Intrusion detection is the process where data is inspected for malicious, inaccurate or irregular activity. Intrusion detection systems may include host based intrusion detection systems and/or network intrusion detection systems. Host based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) monitor and report security lapses for the host on which the system runs by checking log files, users, and the file system. Network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) operate to protect computer systems from foreign intrusions by monitoring all network traffic and logging suspicious behavior. There are two forms of NIDS, pattern matching systems and anomaly based systems. Pattern matching systems inspect each network packet and compare it to prior information about specific attacks compiled in a signature database. If a match is found, an alarm is triggered and the system administrator is notified. Anomaly based systems create a profile of normal network traffic and compare it to the profile of the current network. Any irregular traffic will trigger an alarm and notify the system administrator.
However, conventional intrusion detection systems also do not provide a computer system with comprehensive protection against attacks. The problem with pattern matching NIDS is that the signature database needs to be continuously updated in order to detect new and modified intrusions. This not only proves to be a very tedious and time consuming task but also doesn't happen often enough to provide adequate safeguards against foreign intrusions. Furthermore, pattern matching NIDS may detect and block a large number of packets, even though those packets may not be malicious. A problem with anomaly based NIDS is that as networks grow, it becomes hard to create a profile of normal network traffic. Hackers may even generate their own traffic in order to distort the profile of normal network traffic and get past the intrusion detection system. In either type of system, if the intrusion detection system narrowly characterizes “normal”, then the system may generate a large amount of false positives, increasing the monitoring burden on users which may cause users to ultimately ignore the intrusion detection system.
Accordingly, a need exists for techniques that overcome the disadvantages of conventional methods of security protection. It would be beneficial to have methods and systems for preventing security breaches altogether and ensuring that exploitation of system vulnerabilities will never come to light. | {
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FIGS. 9(a) and (b) show two examples of article-attaching devices previously proposed by the applicant. The device (clip) 50 shown in FIG. 9(a) in the two examples has been disclosed in Patent Document 1 listed below and is formed of a casing (outer casing) 51 mounted to an object to mount an article thereto, such as a panel, and a holding member (core member) 55 assembled to the casing 51 in order to be brought into elastic engagement with an article-side hook F. The casing 51 has a flange portion 52 formed on a top edge thereof, slots 53 formed in a peripheral portion thereof under the flange portion 52, an engageable flange portion 54 formed in a peripheral portion thereof under the slots 53, and unshown engageable pawls formed in opposed parts of an outer peripheral portion thereof under the engageable flange portion 54, the engageable flange portion serving to cover an outer surface of the object around a mounting hole formed in the object when the hole has received a counterpart of the casing, and the unshown engageable pawls serving to ensure a certain distance in connection with the engageable flange portion 54. The holding member 55 is formed of such a flat cylindrical member as to be housed in the casing 51. The holding member has projections 56 formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof, bulged portions 57 formed on an inner peripheral surface to confront each other, elastic engageable portions 58 formed on the inner surface under the bulged portions 57, the bulged portions 57 being configured to be connected to the cylindrical member at top and bottom ends and to have an upper portion constricted toward the bottom end and the remaining portion expanded, and the engageable portions serving to clamp the hook F in a detachable manner. The holding member is assembled to the casing 51 through the projections 56 and the slots 53. In this arrangement, when the hook F is pressed into between the bulged portions 57, the hook passes through between both bulged portions 57 since the respective engageable portions 58 are pressed from sides thereof close to the respective bulged portions 57 to be flexed in a symmetrical shape. After the hook has passed, both bulged portions 57 are elastically returned to the original positions to prevent the hook from coming off.
The device (holder) 60 shown in FIG. 9(b) has been disclosed in Patent Document 2 listed below and is formed of a casing 61 mounted to an object to mount an article thereto, such as a panel, and a holding member 66 assembled to the casing 61 in order to be brought into elastic engagement with an article-side hook F. The casing 61 has a flange portion 62 formed on a top edge thereof, rectangular slots 63a formed in a peripheral portion thereof under the flange portion 62, an engageable flange portion 64 formed in a peripheral portion thereof under the rectangular slots 63a, rectangular slots 63b formed in a peripheral portion thereof under the engageable flange portion 64, and unshown engageable pawls formed in a peripheral portion thereof close to the respective rectangular slots 63b, the engageable flange portion serving to cover an outer surface of the object around a mounting hole formed in the object when the hole has received a counterpart of the casing, and the unshown engageable pawls serving to ensure a certain distance in connection with the engageable flange portion 64. The casing 61 includes a wide space 65a and a narrow space 65b formed at upper and lower positions therein, respectively. The holding member 66 is formed in a substantially U-character shape in vertical section. The holding member has projections 67 formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof, elastic engageable portions 68 formed in an outer peripheral portion thereof so as to confront each other, and projections 69 formed on an inner surface thereof under the respective engageable portions 68. The holding member is switched from a temporary engaged state shown in this figure to an fully engaged state, the projections 67 of the holding member being brought into engagement with the upper rectangular slots 63a in the temporary engaged state and being brought into engagement with the lower rectangular slots 63b in the fully engaged state by a downward depressing force. In this arrangement, when the hook F is inserted into the holing member 66 in the temporary engaged state, the hook F elastically spreads the elastic engageable portions 68 and passes through between both projections 69 so as to be prevented from coming off. When the hook is further depressed, the hook F presses a bottom wall of the holding member 66 and moves to a deeper position in the casing 61 after the holding member 66 brings the projections 67 out of engagement with the rectangular slots 63a. Thus, the hook is set in the fully engaged state with the projections 67 being brought into engagement with the lower rectangular slots 63b. In the fully engaged state, the elastic engageable portions 68 have outer walls restrained at the narrow space 65b in the casing 61 to firmly hold the hook F.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3686444
Patent Document 2: JP-A-2002-39132 | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Light emitting diodes (LEDs) for use as indicators are well known. LEDs have been used extensively for this purpose in consumer electronics. For example, red LEDs are commonly used to indicate that power has been applied to such devices as radios, televisions, video recorders (VCRs), and the like.
Although such contemporary LEDs have proven generally suitable for their intended purposes, they possess inherent deficiencies that detract from their overall effectiveness and desirability. For example, the light output of such contemporary LEDs is not as great as is sometimes desired. This limits the ability of contemporary LEDs to function in some applications, such as providing general illumination, e.g., ambient lighting. Even high power contemporary LEDs do not provide sufficient illumination for such purposes.
At least a part of this problem of insufficient brightness is due to inefficiency of contemporary LEDs. Efficiency of LEDs is a measure of the amount of light provided as compared to the electrical power consumed. Contemporary LEDs are not as efficient as they can be because some of the light generated thereby is lost due to internal absorption. Such internal absorption limits the amount of light that can be extracted from an LED and thus undesirably reduces the efficiency thereof.
Thus, although contemporary LEDs have proven generally suitable for their intended purposes, they possess inherent deficiencies which detract from their overall effectiveness and desirability. As such, it is desirable to provide LEDs that have enhanced brightness and/or efficiency. | {
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The present invention relates generally to pneumatic transport systems and, more particularly, to a fitting for pneumatic pipes to permit a change in direction of the material being conveyed therein.
Conveying solid particles injected into a high velocity stream of air contained within a pipe or tube is well known in industry. Dilute phase velocities often exceed sixty miles per hour and use up to one pound of air to move as much as five pounds of product per minute through the pipe. Typical air pressures for dilute phase systems will range from eight to twelve psig. High air velocity and low product particle population is accomplished with low pressure resistance, but greatly increased damage to the product particles being conveyed. Damage occurs in straight pipe sections, but is greatly increased whenever directional changes are imposed on the conveying system.
Dense phase systems move more product per pound of air, but travel at lower velocities and at higher pressures. Typically, system operating pressures will not exceed forty-five psig. Whether the conveying system is operating under dilute phase or dense phase, the product particles suffer considerable damage during transport, particularly when changes in direction are being used. To effect changes in direction elbow fittings having a radius as much as ten times the diameter of the pipe are used. Nevertheless, the combination of high velocity and centrifugal force does most of the damage, particularly on heat sensitive plastic compounds.
Elbow fittings used in pneumatic conveying systems typically suffer wear at the elbow curve in line with the product flow into the elbow fitting, whether the elbow fitting is a short radius elbow or a long radius sweep elbow fitting. Particles flowing into the elbow fitting impact the curved surface of the elbow and are redirected. The bouncing product particles create an area of turbulence that slows the speed of conveyance of the particles through the system, often causing plugging. Furthermore, the bouncing particles and the movement of the product particles around the outer surface of the elbow fitting generates friction, making the surface of the fitting warm to the touch. This heat can have a detrimental effect on the product being conveyed, particularly when the product is heat sensitive, such as plastic pellets on which the edges of the pellets will melt and adhere to the pipe.
One known attempt to overcome the problem of changing direction in a pneumatic conveying system is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,914, issued to Hammertek Corporation on Jun. 14, 1983. In this Hammertek patent, the elbow fitting is formed with a vortex opening in substantial alignment with the incoming product stream from the straight section of pipe. The vortex section emulates a blocked “T” fitting by providing a chamber in which a loose ball of product particles slowly rotates to deflect incoming product without causing excessive wear on the fitting.
Another known attempt to overcome the aforementioned problems of changing directions in a pneumatic conveying system is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,111, issued to Waeschle Maschinenfabrik GmbvH on Feb. 22, 1994. IN the Waeschle patent, an angularly disposed baffle plate is positioned within an expanded elbow section that has a greater cross-sectional area than the cross-section of the pipe carrying the incoming product. The expanded elbow cross-section increases in size from the inlet pipe by expanding inwardly toward the inner elbow side. The outer elbow side of the expanding section defines a linear relationship with the inlet pipe to direct the stream of product particles into engagement with the baffle plate that is oriented at between 55 and 65 degrees with respect to the axis of the inlet pipe. Accordingly, the expanded elbow cross-section is not intended to provide a flow of material along the outer side of the elbow fitting. Excessive wear on the baffle plate is, therefore, incurred due to the direct impact with the incoming product stream.
Other deflector plate elbow fittings for pneumatic conveying systems are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,319, issued to Richard H. Cook for Cubeco, Inc. on Jun. 17, 1986; and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,889, issued to Edwin L. Haines for The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company on Mar. 29, 1988. Both patents provide for an expanded elbow cross-section in conjunction with the obliquely arranged deflector plate or corresponding linear deflecting portion of the elbow outer side. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,556, issued to Robert E. Metzger for Fuller Company on Aug. 19, 1986, a stepped deflector plate is positioned at the outer elbow side to provide for a reduced wear elbow fitting. As the steps or ribs wear, the extra thickness of the material will permit a longer life for the fitting. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,645, issued to Josef Pausch for General Resource Corporation on Feb. 26, 1991, an open expanded area at the impact zone for the incoming particles is provided to create an accumulation of product in alignment with the incoming stream of product particles. The elbow section is expanded with a flare at 15 degrees to provide improved product flow after impacting the accumulated material.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,466, issued to Gregory R. Brotz on Jun. 18, 1991, the elbow fitting is formed with an expanded box section at the outer elbow side in which a screen is positioned to engage product particles. The expanded box section is coupled to a vacuum system to hold particles against the screen member to form an accumulation area of product into which the incoming product particles impact. The captured product particles are retained against the screen until worn sufficiently to be replaced by other product particles. While the structure of the Brotz patent provides a layer of product to absorb the impact of incoming product particles and thus reduce wear on the outer side of the elbow, the Brotz apparatus does not contemplate a moving flow of material along the outer elbow side.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an elbow fitting for use in pneumatic conveying or transport systems to improve wear characteristics on the outer elbow side of the fitting and to improve the flow characteristics for product moving through the fitting. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the manufacture of integrated circuits, and more particularly, to a process of creating a contact or via opening which allows for improved metal step coverage in the manufacture of integrated circuits.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The problem of poor metal step coverage within a contact or via opening is an important one in the art. If the metal coating within the opening is too thin, it can cause the resistance within a contact opening to be too high for the circuit to work properly. Current practice calls for the formation of contact or via openings with stepped or sloped sides rather than vertical sides to improve the metal step coverage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,034 to Bohr describes a wet anisotropic etch followed by a dry anisotropic etch, resulting in a "teacup" shape which is wide and sloping at the top and narrow at the bottom, as shown in FIG. 1A. This shape solves the step coverage problem at the top of the opening, but the problem still exists at the bottom. Another method in current practice is the resist pull technique in which a first etching creates a step in the oxide layer, then an oxygen plasma is used to pull back the resist exposing an oxide stair, as in FIG. 1B. Finally, an anisotropic etch chops the stair into a sloped pattern, as shown in FIG. 1C. One problem with this approach is fencing on the sidewall. That is, the first etching creates a polymer which remains on the sidewalls of the opening after the resist pull back step. This polymer acts as a resist mask to block the final anisotropic etch resulting in an oxide fence or shell within the opening. Another problem is the restriction of the resist pull back to 0.15 micrometers per side. This occurs since the etch rate for the resist is normally two times faster than the pull back to keep a margin of resist to prevent etching through to the oxide.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,814,041 to Auda, 4,824,767, to Chambers et al, 4,832,788 to Nemiroff, 4,908,333 to Shimokawa et al, and 4,980,316 to Huebner all describe various methods of forming contact openings. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improved methods of making glycoside compounds using non-cryogenic techniques.
2. Description of the Background Art
Glycosides are compounds containing a carbohydrate and a non-carbohydrate residue in the same molecule. The carbohydrate residue, also referred to as the glycone, is attached by an acetyl linkage via a carbon atom to the non-carbohydrate residue of aglycone. Glycosides are compounds that are useful, inter alia, as intermediates in a variety of chemical processes and as pharmaceutically active compounds.
Glycosides are difficult to synthesize. In one widely used synthesis route, which involves reaction of a protected sugar with a metalated aromatic via nucleophilic addition, hydrogen abstraction to the lactone tends to occur. Only with careful attention to conditions for the addition of the sugar and metalated aromatic, and selection of appropriate hydroxyl protecting groups, have these synthesis routes produced an acceptable yield. Rosenblum, S. B. and Bihovsky, R., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1990, 112, 2746–2748. One approach to address this problem, has been to perform batch processes under cryogenic conditions. However, in these synthesis routes, failure to use cryogenic conditions results in side reactions that produce unacceptable amounts of impurities.
In one conventional batch method, in a first reaction vessel under cryogenic conditions, a halogenated aromatic reactant is lithiated using an organo lithium reagent in the presence of a solvent to form a lithiated anion species. Under cryogenic conditions, the lithium anion species is transferred to a second reaction vessel. A reactant having a carbonyl functional group is coupled to the lithiated anion species in the presence of a solvent to form a protected form of the glycoside product. The protected form is then deprotected by reaction with methanesulfonic acid in methanol to form the desired glycoside end product. The cryogenic conditions are maintained by using a liquid nitrogen blanket. Liquid nitrogen is typically a temperature of about −196° C. The transfer line for the lithiated anionic species is maintained at about −78° C. or below. See, for example, Manabe, S. and Ito, Y.; Ogawa, T., Chem. Lett. 1998, 919–920; and Sollogoub, M., et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 2002, 43, 3121–3123.
The lithiating and the coupling steps are each highly exothermic reactions and proceed very quickly. For this reason the conventional lithiating and coupling steps must be performed under cryogenic conditions at about −80° C. and under a nitrogen blanket. The yield for this process is about 70%. The following Scheme A is representative of the conventional method:
The definitions of the symbols used and terms used in Scheme A are as follows:TMS is trimethyl silane; THF is tetrahydrofuran; R1 is hydrogen, NO2, OR4, a halogen, or a substituted or non-substituted alkyl, aryl, or heterocycle, wherein R4 is a substituted or non-substituted alkyl or aryl; R2 is a substituted or non-substituted alkyl group; X1 is a heteroatom; and PG is a protective group.
In the conventional method shown in Scheme A, cryogenic conditions (i.e., temperatures of about −78° C.) are necessary because of the exothermic and rapid nature of the lithiating and coupling steps. Allowing these reactions to proceed at normal temperatures results in formation of excessive amounts of impurities. Specifically, the lithiated anion species is unstable and has a tendency to undergo nucleophilic substitution with BuBr, a side product of reaction. To avoid formation of this impurity, transfer of the lithiated anion species to a reaction vessel must be performed, also under cryogenic conditions. Thus, it is necessary to pre-cool the lithiated anion species and cold trace the transfer line to the second reaction vessel. Coupling of the lithiated anion species to the carbonyl reactant must also be performed under cryogenic conditions. As a result, the conventional batch process requires two cryogenic reactors, one for synthesis of the lithiated starting material, and one for the coupling reaction.
Failure to maintain these stringent cryogenic conditions results in low yields and the presence of impurities. Even with temperatures as low as −10° C., a calculated yield is only about 30%. The reaction profile for reactions at these temperatures using the conventional method suggests that there is less than 50% of the desired product in the reaction mixture.
Drawbacks of the conventional methods of making the glycosides of interest include those typically associated with cryogenic processes in general. Namely, it is necessary to bring starting materials to cryogenic conditions before reacting. The lithiated anion intermediate must also be cryogenically stored and cold traced in the transfer to the coupling reaction vessel. The coupling reaction vessel must also be maintained under cryogenic conditions. This involves elevated costs related to specially designed reaction vessels and transfer lines capable of withstanding the very low temperatures involved.
Cryogenic reactions are also of concern from a safety perspective, as using liquid nitrogen as a coolant can cause bums upon contact with skin and also poses a risk of explosion if not used in conjunction with pressure relief equipment. Additionally, the addition of reagent must be closely regulated to avoid an increase in temperature which risks low yield and formation of undesirable side products, as discussed infra. Slow addition of reagent results can increase reaction time necessary to obtain end product.
Accordingly, there is a present need for a method of making glycosides that does not require costly cryogenic reaction vessels, transfer lines, or pre-cooling of starting materials, that reduces risk of formation of undesirable side products, and that provides an acceptable yield of product.
Known techniques for optimizing wet chemistry processes include close regulation of temperature, pressure, mixing conditions, relative volumes of reactants, catalysts, and the like. In order to achieve or better regulate these optimization parameters, microreactors have been developed. A microreactor is a miniaturized reaction system containing one or more reaction channels having sub-millimeter dimensions. Examples of microreactors include those disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 20010029294, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,534,328, 5,690,763, and E.P.O. Patent No. EP 1123734.
Microreactors vary in structure but generally include a series of stacked plates having openings for fluid transfer. The microreactors will have an input port for introduction of reactants and an output port for discharge of a chemical product. In addition, heat transfer fluid pathways are also incorporated into the design to perform a heat exchange function. Using microreactors allows transfer of heat and mass much more quickly than in standard wet chemistry methods, resulting in improved control of rates of reaction and addition of reactants. Specifically, using microreactors allows more accurate control over the reaction temperature of exothermic or endothermic reactions. Additionally, reactants can be heated or cooled immediately upon entry into the reactor. Although microreactors have been used to provide more accurate control of temperature per se, they have not traditionally been used to perform those reactions which must be performed under cryogenic conditions. Furthermore, to date, methods of making glycosides using microreactor technology have not been developed.
It would be a useful advantage to have methods of making glycoside compounds that include a process which consumes reactive reagents as they are made and that does not require cryogenic conditions to be performed. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for the removal of mercury from a stream of flue gas obtained from the combustion of at least one coal. The method includes the step of introducing a kaolin- or metakaolin-containing sorbent into the stream of flue gas for removing mercury from the stream of flue gas and contacting the mercury with the kaolin or metakaolin-containing sorbent in the presence of active free silica.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a method is known from W002/058823 which teaches that mercury can be removed from a gas stream using a metakaolin-comprising sorbent.
It has been found that at some facilities where coal is combusted to generate electricity, the amount of mercury captured using a metakaolin-comprising sorbent is unexpectedly low, requiring larger amounts of sorbent. This use of more sorbent increases the cost of removal of mercury, and not just because of the cost of the sorbent. The cost is also increased because spent sorbent has to be removed from the flue gas, e.g. using an electrostatic filter or a bag filter, and if more spent sorbent is to be removed from the stream of flue gas, both the financial outlay for filters and the cost of operating them is increased. In addition or alternatively, the mercury can be removed from the flue gas at relatively lower temperatures, i.e. after it has cooled down more. This also increases the cost of a facility and the operation thereof, because in this low-temperature case carbon-containing sorbents have to be used. These carbon-containing sorbents generally reduce the sale-potential of the fly-ash and spent sorbent mixture collected from the filters. Moreover, these carbon-containing sorbents are more difficult to handle and may cause fires in downstream equipment.
What is needed in the art is an improved method for the removal of mercury from a stream of flue gas obtained from the combustion of coal. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an evaporative emission control system for an internal combustion engine, and more particularly to an evaporative emission control system of this kind equipped with a function of detecting abnormality of the system.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, an evaporative emission control system has been used for an internal combustion engine installed on an automotive vehicle, which prevents evaporative fuel generated from a fuel tank of the engine from being emitted into the atmosphere. This system temporarily stores evaporative fuel in a canister thereof, and purges the stored evaporative fuel into the intake system of the engine via a purging passage thereof.
Japanese Provisional Utility Model Publication (Kokai) No. 2-26754 discloses an evaporative emission control system of this kind as shown in FIG. 1, which is comprised of a canister 101, a purging passage 102 connecting between the canister 101 and an intake pipe of the engine, a purge control valve 103 arranged across the purging passage 102, and a pressure sensor 104 arranged in communication with the purging passage at an intermediate location thereof for detecting pressure within the purging passage, thereby detecting abnormality of the system based on pressure within the purging passage detected by the pressure sensor 104 and pressure within the intake pipe.
In the conventional system, however, the pressure sensor 104 is required to detect even a subtle change in the pressure in the purging passage caused by opening and closing of the purge control valve 103, due to a small flow resistance of the canister 101, and hence high detecting accuracy is required of the pressure sensor 104.
Further, in a variation of the conventional system where the pressure sensor 104 is arranged in the purging passage 2 at a location between the purging control valve 103 and the intake pipe of the engine, a pressure level detected when the purge control valve 103 is closed is lower than one detected when the pressure control valve 103 is open. However, in the course of use of the canister 101, the flow resistance thereof increases, so that a change in the pressure caused by opening and closing of the purge control valve 103 progressively decreases, and hence in this variation as well, the pressure sensor 104 is required to have high detecting accuracy. | {
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High temperature superconducting materials based on either Y--Ba--Cu--O (YBCO) or Bi--Sr--Ca--Cu--O (BSCCO) are known to have high transition temperatures of about 90.degree. K and about 115.degree. K, respectively. Both of these systems have been successfully used to produce high quality thin films. In the YBCO system, large current densities exceeding 1 million amperes per square centimeter at 77.degree. K have been reported by many groups.
The formation of large bulk specimens (including wires) having very high current densities and high magnetizations has not been as successful as has the preparation of thin films, for reasons which have been associated with intergranular weak links and macro-defects, such as the presence of voids or other second phases, present in such larger bulk specimens. The advent of melt processing techniques in recent years, however, has allowed smaller bulk specimens to be produced, some of which are almost free from weak links, exhibit very high magnetization (about 5000 Gauss at 77.degree. K) and current densities up to about 5.times.0.sup.4 A/cm.sup.2. Unfortunately, these small articles have little practical application, and cannot be used, for example, in magnetic levitation, electric power transmission, as permanent magnets, or in magnetic energy storage, where much larger (or in the case of wires, longer) specimens are required.
Melt processed high temperature bulk superconductors have proven to be superior to sintered materials with respect to critical current density and magnetization. The melt processing techniques which have produced the best quality bulk specimens to date are those where the superconducting powder precursors (either calcined or non-calcined) are first melted and then cooled rapidly.
At this stage, however, the phases which are present are not superconducting. Thus, it is necessary to next go through several peritectic reactions in order to re-convert the majority of the material to a superconducting phase or phases. The conversion is accomplished by reheating the rapidly cooled (quenched) superconducting powder precursor to a temperature above the lowest peritectic temperature, typically above about 1080.degree. C., and then slowly cooling the mass to room temperature (about 25.degree. C.). During the phase decomposition associated with the peritectic reaction achieved by reheating the quenched material above the lowest peritectic temperature, the liquid phases which are formed are either drained from the specimen under gravitational force or are drawn to the exterior surfaces of the mass by interfacial surface energy. Under normal processing conditions both processes often take place simultaneously. A lack of sufficient liquid phase, and the rigidity of the material, which prevents changes in the volume of the solid phases, can lead to the presence of voids and insulating defects in the finished bulk specimens. See, for example, H. Hojaji, et al., "Melt-Processed YBCO Superconductors: Processing and Properties", High Temperature Superconductors, Ed. J. J. Pouch, et al., Mater. Res. Forum, Trans Tech Publications, Switz., 1992; H. Hojaji, et al., "Superconducting Cuprates Prepared by the Melt Quench Process and Containing Excess Y or Additives", Mat. Res. Bull., 25, 765-77, 1990; S. Hu, et al., "Bulk YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.x Superconductors Through Pressurized Partial Melt Growth Processing", J. Mater. Res., 7, 1-5, April, 1992.
In an attempt to produce better materials, zone melting and gradient melting have been used to produce texturing in a more controlled manner. See A. Goyal, et al., "Fabrication of Highly Aligned YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7 --.delta.-A.G MELT-Textured Composites", Physica C, 182, 203-18 (1991). However, such techniques have not been totally successful in overcoming these defects in large superconducting specimens. Other innovative methods have been tried, such as mixing superconducting powders with a polymer matrix in order to form a composite material. See C. K. Chiang, et al., "Levitation of Superconducting Composites", Amsahts, 90, 181-85, NASA Publication 3100, Apr. 1, 1990. Although these methods are capable of producing large and complex shapes, they lack the ability to eliminate the inter-granular weak links discussed above.
Another method of fabricating improved bulk materials is a method in which the grains of a granular superconductor are first aligned in a magnetic field below the transition temperature (i.e., below 90.degree. K in the case of YBCO). See Y. Nakagawa, et al., J.J. of Appl. Phys.. 28, L547-50, April 1989. The magnetic field aligns the grains along the Cu-0 planes, as they normally carry more current than the perpendicular direction. The alignment is frozen in, and then the body is sintered to preserve the alignment Although this method is superior to regular solid state sintering, it does not eliminate the weak links in the structure.
It should be noted that in order to obtain high-quality superconducting specimens, insulating line defects, such as cracks and insulating grain boundaries, should be eliminated. However, localized phase impurities can be very useful by acting as flux pinning centers. Several methods have been proposed to obtain high quality melt based materials.
One such method is disclosed in Hojaji, et al. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/659,719, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. This method includes the introduction of an impurity phase to improve flux pinning and has proved to be beneficial in increasing the pinning forces, even at very high applied fields.
Another prior art melt processing method which uses secondary processing, i.e., a second thermal treatment of the melted and quenched material. This addresses a problem found in single stage processes: leakage of the liquid phase at elevated temperatures in such processes is detrimental to the formation of macro-defectfree large bulk superconductors.
A third prior art melt processing method involves mixing silver with ground melt processed material. This method, however, also suffers from certain drawbacks. For example, the presence of non-superconducting silver at the grain boundaries can hinder the supercurrent from circulating across the whole material. As a result, complete shielding of the magnetic flux cannot be obtained. This means, in turn, that partial penetration of the magnetic flux into non-superconducting regions of the bulk superconductor produces a lower levitation force and a correspondingly low current density compared to impurity free superconductors. See A. Goyal, et al., Physica C, 182. 1991.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a method of processing bulk superconducting materials that produces highly dense bulk specimens with excellent magnetic and transport properties. It is believed, without limiting the scope of this invention, that the effectiveness of this inventive method is due to its success in eliminating the aforementioned defects and weak links which reduce current-carrying capability, while it permits the presence of flux pinning centers.
This method can be used to produce very large specimens with complex shapes that also have excellent mechanical integrity. | {
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Conventionally, various kinds of technologies have been suggested for creating and editing print data to be printed on a print medium such as a long tape or a rolled sheet or the like.
For instance, a tape printing control device comprises: a first storage section for storing a first character string to be printed on a tape-like print medium; a first image generation section for generating a print image in which the first character string stored in the first storage section is arranged along a width direction of the tape-like print medium; a second image generation section for generating a print image in which the first character string stored in the first storage section is arranged along a lengthwise direction of the tape-like print medium; and a print control section for executing print control so that the print image generated by one of the first and second image generation sections will be printed on the tape-like print medium first and thereafter the print image generated by the other will be printed on the tape-like print medium (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-148758).
However, with the structure disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-148758, after a plurality of objects have been inputted to a print area of the print medium for printing, if these objects are changed to and printed as objects including a first type of information, which is the same as the information included in any of the objects, the rest of the objects all have to be changed to objects including same information. This makes the change operation complicated. | {
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1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains generally to tuning forks for use in rate sensors and, more particularly, to a tuning fork and method in which mass balance is maintained when quadrature error is reduced.
2. Related Art
Tuning fork rate sensors make use of the Coriolis effect to sense rotation. The tuning fork is driven to oscillate in a drive move in which the tines oscillate in a plane with roughly equal and opposite amplitudes. Under rotation, the tines experience a Coriolis acceleration proportional to the velocity of the tines and in a direction orthogonal to the drive motion. In a double-ended tuning fork, the orthogonal acceleration excites a pickup mode of vibration which causes both the driven set of tines and the other (pickup) set to vibrate out of the plane of the device. In quartz rate sensors, this out-of-plane vibration is detected piezoelectrically in a manner well known in the art.
A common problem in such devices is that minute variations in fabrication of the tuning fork can cause relatively large errors in the output. These fabrication errors can arise due to faceting in crystalline materials and/or errors in the cross-sectional geometry of the tines (i.e., the tines are not perfectly rectangular). In either case, the drive tines do not oscillate in precisely the same plane, and this creates a torsional couple about the axis of symmetry of the tines. The net effect of this torsional couple is to cause the tines to oscillate in the pickup mode of vibration with a phase which is shifted by 90 degrees relative to the desired rotation signal. The shifted signal is commonly referred to as a quadrature error signal.
The quadrature error signals are often much larger than the desired full scale output of the sensor. It is, therefore, necessary to find a way to reduce these error signals to make practical devices. This is conventionally done by plating masses of material (typically gold) on the ends of the tines and then selectively removing the material from one of the tines with a laser. When mass is removed in this manner, the tines are subjected to a torsional twist about their long axes. If these torsional twists are different in the two tines, a net coupling into the pickup mode oscillation occurs, and this coupled signal can be used to negate the quadrature signals caused by fabrication errors.
The use of a laser for trimming mass in this manner is advantageous in that it is a readily automated and capable of high rates of production. However, it also has a significant disadvantage in that the two tines become unbalanced in mass. This imbalance causes the moments of the tines to be unequal so that a net lateral force is transmitted to the base of the tines and, ultimately, to the fork mount and its surroundings. This coupling of the tuning fork to the surrounding environment degrades the performance of the sensor, particularly if this environment includes any elements with mechanical resonances at or near the drive frequency of the fork.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,213 discloses a single ended tuning fork or microresonator which is intended primarily for use as a time standard in wrist watches. In this device, metal film weights are placed on the top surfaces of the tines near their free ends and trimmed to adjust the frequency of the microresonator. In this particular example, the trimming is done only for purposes of frequency adjustment, and has no relevance to quadrature reduction or tine balance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,244 discloses a tuning fork which has electrodes near the stem of the fork for detecting a voltage which is indicative of asymmetrical oscillation of the tines. A laser is used for removing mass from the front surfaces of the tines in order to provide a symmetrical oscillation of the tines and thus a balanced condition. While this technique may result in a balanced fork, it is not useful in tuning fork rate sensors because it does not provide any adjustment of the quadrature output, and the quadrature offset would, in general, remain quite large.
It is in general an object of the invention to provide a new and improved tuning fork and method of manufacture.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tuning fork and method of the above character which overcome the limitations and disadvantages of the prior art.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tuning fork and method of the above character in which quadrature error is reduced without disturbing tine mass symmetry.
These and other objects are achieved in accordance with the invention by providing a tuning fork and method in which a pair of elongated tines having front and rear surfaces are disposed symmetrically about an axis, and balancing masses on the front surface of one tine and on the rear surface of the other tine are trimmed to reduce quadrature error and also to maintain mass balance between the tines. | {
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In an internal combustion engine, two compression rings are fitted in piston ring grooves formed in an outer peripheral surface of a piston at a side of a combustion chamber, and one oil ring is fitted in a piston ring groove at a side opposite to the combustion chamber. An example of the oil ring is a so-called three-piece oil ring that includes a spacer expander and a pair of side rails. The spacer expander exerts a biasing force in the radially outward direction of the ring. The side rails are set at the axial ends of the spacer expander, respectively, and are biased by the space expander radially outwardly, or toward an inner peripheral surface of a cylinder.
In recent years, a demand has increased that fuel consumption should be reduced in the internal combustion engines for automobiles. The reduction in friction to piston rings has therefore been greatly required. To meet this demand, a thin axial width and low tension in the oil ring has been designed. Three-piece oil ring including a pair of side rails and a spacer expander is increasingly used in gasoline engines, because they help to reduce the oil consumption. The three-piece oil ring excels in sealability with respect to a piston ring groove, because the spacer expander pushes both side rails onto the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder. However, the reduction in friction decreases the tension (to 0.20 N/mm to 0.25 N/mm, i.e., a value obtained by dividing total tension of two compression rings and one oil ring by a bore diameter). Consequently, the sealing property of the three-piece oil ring becomes insufficient, inevitably increasing the oil consumption.
The spacer expander of the three-piece oil ring has seating tabs on the inner peripheral surface thereof. The seating tabs extend almost in the axial direction of the ring and push the inner peripheral surface of each side rail (see, for example, Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho-35-16503. Since the seating tabs extend parallel to the axis of the ring, the side rails cannot exert a sufficient side pressure on a radially extending wall surface of the piston ring groove. Inevitably, the side rails become floppy in the piston ring groove and may move in the axial direction of the piston. Further, oil may easily flow into the gap between the side rail and top surface of the piston ring groove. This causes an increase in oil consumption.
To solve this problem, seating tabs having so-called a predetermined seating tab angle has been proposed in which the seating tabs protrude in a direction inclined with respect to the axial direction of the ring. Thus inclined, the seating tabs urge the side rails radially outwardly and in a direction intersecting the radial direction. The seating tabs therefore urges the side rails to be in pressure contact with the radially extending wall of the piston ring groove, providing a side pressure on the radially extending wall of the piston ring groove and thus restraining mobility of the side rails. This can suppress the oil consumption. The spacer expander has side-rail supporting portions on the outer peripheral surface. The side-rail supporting portions protrude in the axial direction and support axial end face of the first and second side rails. The side-rail supporting portions hold the side rails at a specific fulcrum position when the side rails are assembled in the piston ring groove and so inclined as described above. (See, for example, Non-Patent Document 1: “Piston Rings for Use in Automobile, p. 33, FIG. 2.30.” published by Sankaido Co. Ltd., Editors' Committee of Automobile Piston Rings, dated October 1997.
A piston is formed with a drain hole that opens to a bottom of the piston ring groove. Through the drain hole, oil that has flowed into the piston ring groove is circulated into a crankcase. A width of the piston ring groove in the axial direction becomes smaller in accordance with decrease in thickness of the three-piece oil ring. Hence, a volume of the space between the ring groove and either side rail becomes extremely small. In addition, because of the enhancement in the sealing property of the side rails, which has been achieved by the above-mentioned seating tab angle, sticking the side rails or the expander to a combustion residue accumulated in the piston ring groove may occur, causing phenomenon known as “sticking”. This may degrade oil recirculation. Thus, improvement on sealing property of the side rails and the reduction in lubricant consumption are contradicting requirement to each other, particularly in the low-tension oil ring which has a small width in the axial direction. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a mobile harbor crane for the combined handling of containers and bulk materials, having an undercarriage and an upper carriage, which is mounted rotatably on the base frame of the undercarriage and on which a tower with a boom that can be pivoted about a horizontal axis is arranged.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the standard version, mobile harbor cranes of the type described above are designed for quays that allow relatively high axle loads of about 60 t/axle and surface loads of about 50 to 60 t/sq m under supporting plates provided.
For specific customers, the axle loads or surface loads can be reduced, if appropriate, by using additional axles and larger supporting plates.
In many parts of the world, however, the above measures on existing mobile harbor cranes are not technically feasible or adequate because the quays are extremely old. Even the construction of more modem quays, where standard concrete components used for building road bridges are generally employed, often allows only relatively low axle and surface loads.
It is the object of the present invention to design a mobile harbor crane for combined handling of containers and bulk materials in such a way that the mobile handling apparatus can be used with significantly reduced supporting loads for loading and unloading ships, even in seaports and inland harbors where the quays are not capable of taking the supporting loads of standard mobile harbor cranes.
To achieve the object, four support beams are connected pivotally to the base frame of the undercarriage, symmetrically to the longitudinal and transverse axes of the vehicle, in such a way that they can each be pivoted about vertical axes. The support beams are provided at their free ends with vertically acting leveling cylinders, by means of which the support beams are supported on the wheels of a plurality of traveling gear assemblies via balancers for uniform distribution of the supporting forces.
The mobile harbor crane according to the invention provides a new type of handling apparatus that is extremely mobile and flexible in application. There are no additional costs compared with a mobile harbor crane adapted specifically to customer requirements. Nevertheless, the balancer system ensures a uniform axle load matched to permitted quay loads and does so both in the transportation position and in the working position of the machine. Additional enlarged supporting plates are no longer required since the pedestal-like base frame of the undercarriage serves as a mounting for the four supporting beams, which transmit the supporting forces of the mobile harbor crane into the traveling gear assemblies via the balancers. At the same time, the traveling gear has a minimum support base during the transportation of the machine and a maximum support base when being used for work because the supporting beams can be pivoted into the working and transportation positions.
In a further refinement of the invention, it is envisaged that between the base frame and the balancer of each traveling gear assembly there is a coupling rod that forms a parallelogram linkage with the support beam and by means of which the traveling gear assembly can be adjusted parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle in any pivoted position of the support beams. During and after the pivoting of the support beams, the coupling rods ensure that the wheels of all the traveling gear assemblies adopt a basic position in which they point in the same direction, namely in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, irrespective of the size of the pivoting angle of the support beams.
To obtain stable conditions in the working position and in the transportation position, provision is made, according to a further feature of the invention, for the support beams to be capable of being fixed both in their extended working position and in their retracted transportation position by means of telescoping locking devices, which are arranged between the base frame and the free end of the support beams.
The support beams are adjusted with means belonging to the traveling gear itself since, according to another feature of the invention, it is proposed that to adjust the support beams between the transportation position and the working position, the axles of the traveling gear assemblies, which axles are pivotable through xc2x190xc2x0, can be adjusted under computer control and in a monitored manner on a common steering column, and the pivoting movements of the support beams can be performed by actuating the traveling gear drives. The position of the axles during this process is monitored by means of angular resolvers and pivoting takes place automatically in such a way that all the axles turn in the direction of the center of the machine (center of the rotary joint), for example. In this way, the support beams can be pivoted without additional hydraulic cylinders or similar devices.
The position of the axles (together with the wheels) is controlled by detectors of a control unit so that the alignment of all the wheels corresponds to the direction the crane will be moved. For example, if the crane moves straight ahead, all axles are oriented in parallel. To follow a curve, the axles are oriented so that the wheels follow an arc.
Since quays are often only relatively narrow and, after subtracting the necessary truck lane from the width of the quay, leave insufficient standing room to set up a standard-type mobile harbor crane with the required load capacity, the vehicular crane according to the invention offers, according to another feature of the invention, a free space in the longitudinal direction of the mobile harbor crane, between the traveling gear assemblies of the latter, to allow transportation vehicles to drive under the mobile harbor crane.
Because the mobile harbor crane according to the invention no longer requires separate support, the traveling gear that simultaneously serves as a support must be appropriately vibration-damped. To achieve this, the proposal is made, according to another feature of the invention, that the traveling gear assemblies of the mobile harbor crane have tires and, to damp vibration of the machine, the tires of the wheels are about 75% full of water. The vibration-damping effect of this measure is desired particularly when the machine is in the working position. Antifreeze is added to the water in the tires if required.
The invention provides a flexible and mobile handling apparatus that can be used cost-effectively and hence economically even on narrow quays where the subgrade is not very strong.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing and is described below.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein. | {
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I. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to manually operated clips and similar temporary clamping devices. More specifically, the invention relates to a reusable installation tool formed with a plurality of longitudinally interconnected clip modules which is adapted for joining laid-together portions of heat recoverable sheet material.
II. Description of the Prior Art:
A wide variety of manually operated spring clamping devices adapted for particular applications are known in the prior art. The use of such a device to temporarily clamp laid-together portions of dimensionally heat unstable polymeric sheet material during the application of heat to join the clamped portions of the material is believed by applicants to be heretofore unknown. Such a use in conjunction with the formation of a wrap-around closure member is disclosed in a concurrently filed U.S. patent application entitled "Method for Forming a Closure Using Heat Recoverable Sheet Material", U.S. Ser. No. 750,976 filed Dec. 15, 1976. This application is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is incorporated herein by reference. Of the clamping devices known in the prior art, none are particularly well adapted for this new use.
One embodiment of the invention relates to improvements in a clip described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,474,102 issued to Leon H. Ashmore on Nov. 13, 1923, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. | {
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This invention relates generally to a method and system for mapping traffic congestion and in particular to a method for improving the accuracy of said mapping when a relatively small percentage of vehicles are used as traffic probes.
Traffic congestion is an increasingly serious problem in cities.
One way to identify and map such congestion in real time (the first step to relieving it) is to identify and map the positions of vehicles that are stopped or moving slowly. Such systems are often referred to traffic control and car navigation in the field of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).
PCT publication WO 96/14586, published May 17, 1996, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes, inter alia, a system for mapping of vehicles in congestion.
In one embodiment described in the above publication, a central station broadcasts a call to the vehicles which requests those vehicles which are stopped or which have an average velocity below a given value to broadcast a signal indicative of their position. Such signals are broadcast in slots, each of which represent one bit (yes or no) which relates to a position. Preferably, only one logical slot (that may be represented by more than one actual slot) is used to define the related position. Such signals are then used to generate a map of those regions for which traffic is delayed or otherwise moving slowly.
Preferably, an additional call is sent to the vehicles requesting transmission of indication signals which locate the slow moving or delayed vehicles at a higher resolution than that of the first call. Further calls may be made to allow for transmission of additional information on the status of the vehicles and/or to provide further characterization of the delays.
FIG. 1 shows an initial map generated by such a method, wherein the area represented by a pixel (slot) may, for example, be of the order of 250 to 1000 meters square.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention described, the system then determines, based, inter alia, on the extent of the various contiguous areas which shows positive responses, a smaller area or areas for further study. Preferably, the system broadcasts a further query requesting those vehicles within the smaller area that have at least a given delay (which may be the same as or different from that used in the first query) to broadcast in slots, each representing a position, using a finer resolution, for example, 100 to 250 meters square. Based on the responses to this query a second map such as that shown in FIG. 2 is generated. As can be seen from FIG. 2, various branches of a road network radiating from an intersection, designated as A-F in FIG. 2, can be identified. To improve the usefulness of the display, a background map, such as a road map, may be displayed underlying the displays of any of FIGS. 1, 2 or 4 (described infra).
In the event that additional information relating to the delay is desired, further queries can be made. For example, vehicles which are traveling toward the intersection can be requested to broadcast in a slot which corresponds to the slot they are in and to their velocity toward the intersection. This allows for generation of the graph shown in the lower portion of FIG. 3. Additional slots may be used for the acquisition of other information regarding the responding vehicles. Such information may also be graphed as shown in the upper portion of FIG. 3.
Alternatively or additionally, a map which shows the average velocity of the vehicles toward the intersection as a function of the position can be generated. Such a map is shown in FIG. 4. To acquire the information needed for generating such a map, a number of queries maybe made, each requesting an indication from all vehicles within the area of interest having a given average velocity toward the intersection. The responding vehicles would broadcast their indication signals in slots corresponding to their position. In the map of FIG. 4, the velocity for a given pixel is determined, for example, as the average velocity of the reporting slots for that position. In a display of the map of FIG. 4, the velocity or delay toward the intersection can, for example, be displayed as a gray scale value or as a color, with for example red being the highest velocity or delay and blue being a minimum displayed velocity or delay.
FIG. 5, is a generalized block diagram for a system useful for performing the ITS function described above (and which is also useful for the method of the present invention). FIG. 5 shows a base station or control center 91 having a control center transmitter 79 which broadcasts queries and optionally other signals to vehicles on command from a control computer 80. A remote vehicle 85 (only one vehicle is shown for simplicity) receives the query at a vehicle receiver 84 and transmits commands to a microprocessor 86, based on the queries it receives from the control center.
Microprocessor 86 also receives information regarding the status of the vehicle from one or more information generators and sensors indicated by reference numeral 88. This information may be sent by the sensors on a regular basis or may be sent on command from the microprocessor.
Microprocessor 86 is then operative to command vehicle transmitter 90 to transmit indication signals (or if required, information bearing signals) in a suitable slot in accordance with the information received by microprocessor 86.
The indication (or other) signals are received by a control center receiver 92 and processed by receiver 92 and computer 80. While the operation and construction of the apparatus designated by reference numerals 82, 84, 86 and 90 is straightforward and needs no further explanation, the operation of receiver 92 is usefully expanded upon with reference to FIG. 6.
Generally speaking, the RF signals transmitted by the vehicle may be at any frequency slot. It is to be expected that there will a certain amount of frequency diversity caused by the imperfect accuracy and stability of the vehicle transmitters 90. The slots are wide enough to accommodate this diversity.
Furthermore, often the system utilizes very large numbers of vehicles. If too many of these vehicles (in some particular situation) transmit in the same slot, then the total power transmitted may exceed authorized ERP or dynamic range restrictions. To overcome this problem longer, lower power, pulses may be used for indication signals. Furthermore, if a single receiver is used for receiving signals for all of the slots, internodulation effects may cause spurious signals to appear in slots for which no actual signals have been received.
These problems as well as near-end to far-end transmission problems are substantially solved by the system shown in FIG. 6 and by certain constraints placed on the system which are not shown in FIG. 6. The problems and constraints but are described in the above referenced PCT publication, which should be consulted for a more complete exposition of the method and apparatus shown in FIGS. 1-6.
FIG. 6 shows a receiver system corresponding generally to reference number 92 and to a portion of computer 80 of FIG. 5. While the system of FIG. 6 is suitable for the prior art ITS system of the PCT publication, it is also suitable for use with the ITS system of the present invention.
An antenna 94 (or an array of antennas) receives signals from a plurality of vehicles simultaneously and passes them to a receiver and (optionally) AGC 96. Receiver and AGC 96, which may be of conventional design, downconverts the received signals from RF to IF frequencies. The threshold levels of the detection process may be dependent on the AGC process. Alternatively, the system is operated in a closed loop mode in which the power radiated by the vehicles is dependent on the power received by the base station.
The IF signal is digitized by an A/D system 98 and further down converted by a downconverter 100 to base band. It should be understood that this receiver/downconverter system does not demodulate the incoming signals, but only downconverts the RF so that the same relative frequency differences of the signals is present at the output of converter 100 as in the incoming signals, except that the absolute frequency has been reduced to a low frequency from the RF frequency of the transmitted signal. At these lower frequencies digital systems can be used to analyze and detect the signals.
The low frequency band signals are fed to a series of correlation filters 102 (correlation-type receiver), each of which has a very narrow bandwidth which is related to the correlation time of the correlation filter. Preferably, the frequency bandwidths of adjacent receivers 102 overlap so that the entire bandwidth of each of the slots is covered by one set of receivers 102. The output of each of the receivers is compared to a threshold 104 to determine if a signal is present at the frequency of the respective receiver 102 and the outputs of all of threshold detectors for a given slot are OR gated (or the best signal is selected) to determine if any signal is present in the slot.
In an alternative preferred embodiment of the embodiment disclosed, the strongest output of the set of correlation receivers is chosen for comparison with a threshold, with or without post-detection integration.
Use of a plurality of overlapping narrow band receivers in this manner also reduces the extent of side lobes of the detection process outside the band of the slot. This allows for closer frequency spacing of the slots since interference between slots having adjacent frequencies is reduced.
One set of receivers 102, threshold detectors 104 and an OR gate is provided for each slot and is referred to herein as a slot detector unit. Slot detector units for all of the slots feed a data processor 108 which, together with computer 80 processes the data as described above. When large numbers of vehicles are used in the system and intermodulation becomes a problem (or if AGC is used, and low level signals are lost), it may be necessary to provide a plurality of front end portions of receiver 92 (the front end being defined as receiver 96, converter 98 and converter 100), where each front end receives signals from only a portion of the entire frequency band including one or many of the slots. The function of correlation receivers 102 may also be implemented, for example, using set of DFT""s or an FFT (for CW signals), matched filters or other correlation receiver methods or other optimum receiver methods, depending on the transmitted signals. Other methods such as energy detectors (e.g., radiometers) with or without tracking may also be used, however, they will give less optimal results, because of practical limitations on input band-pass filter designs.
It should be understood that using a plurality of correlation receivers for the same slot may increase the false alarm probability and hence the threshold for positive detection may be adjusted to provide a desired low false alarm probability.
The system may also be provided with a display 110 for displaying the data, and with a user interface 112 which is used by an operator to control both the operation of the system. The user interface also preferably controls the display and the memory to allow for the operator to review the maps previously generated or to generated new displays based on information previously received.
This system works well. However, there is a need for improved accuracy of mapping and/or utilizing a relatively small percentage of participating vehicles.
The present invention provides a system and method for mapping parameters of a traffic congestion, e.g., a road congestion, relative to a focus. Mapping of the road congestion may include determination of an average length of the road congestion over a time interval, motion rate in the road congestion and arrival rate to the road congestion. These parameters, in turn, may be used to determine an expected delay in traveling throughout the road congestion as well as trends (i.e., changes with time) in the road congestion.
The mapping is performed relative to a mapping focus, typically the front end of a road congestion. The mapping focus is preferably identified using the system and method described in the above-mentioned PCT Publication WO 96/14586, or it may be identified using any other suitable method known in the art, for example, by simple polling of predesignated target vehicles. Alternatively, the mapping focus may be provided from an external source, for example, based on reports regarding a problematic intersection or suspect intersections that are to be continuously monitored.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the mapping system constructs snapshots of mapping samples received from a small percentage of predesignated probes, e.g., a small percentage of vehicles equipped with an appropriate receiver and transmitter. The mapping samples are preferably received in response to predefined broadcast queries sent from the mapping system. In an embodiment of the invention, the determination of the average length of a road congestion may be based on a direct approach, obviating the need to estimate discrete lengths of the road congestion, in dynamic conditions that may include variations in the arrival rate of vehicles to the road congestion and the departure rate of vehicles from the congestion over time. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the average motion rate within the road congestion may be determined without the need to increase the bandwidth of the radio spectrum that is used by the probe vehicles. The determination of motion rate in addition to the length of the congestion enables to estimate the expected time delay for a vehicle that is about to enter the road congestion. The method of determining motion rate may isolate reporter vehicles, whereby of reporting may be utilized to improve the method of the invention, e.g., to increase the accuracy at which the length of the road congestion may be determined and/or to provide information about trends in the road congestion, i.e., expansion or contraction of the congestion. Such isolated mapping enables the system, for example, to concatenate non-overlapping segments in the mapping samples and, thereby, to estimate the average arrival rate to the congested road. This technique maybe used in conjunction with an estimated departure rate to provide trends in the average length over time, whereby a preferred path chosen by a vehicle may be selected based on a current time delay as well as on the trend in the road congestion.
The concatenation of non-overlapping segments of mapping samples, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, may also be useful for estimating the percentage probe vehicles within the road congestion. Based on this estimation, in conjunction with a calculation of the estimated arrival rate and the estimated motion rate, the average length may be determined more accurately. This means that the number of mapping samples can be optimized to provide an accurate determination of the average length of the road congestion based on the parameters described above. Pre-stored data which may be generated by computer simulation of different road congestion conditions may be used in determining the optimum number of mapping samples for average length determination.
In accordance with the present invention, as described herein, concatenated mapping samples may be used to estimate the arrival rate and the percentage of probes. In traffic situations where two or more road congestions are correlated, several such concatenations from several different road congestion may be combined to improve parameter estimation. For example, to estimate the percentage of probes based on Maximum Likelihood estimator for Binomial distribution, the concatenation of more than one concatenated mapping samples from several correlated roads may be used by a statistical estimator. This can be used to improve estimates from short concatenated sample at an early stage of mapping a road congestion.
The motion rate within the road congestion, which may be detected based on two mapping samples, may also ne used for determining a minimum required rate for taking snapshots of mapping samples according to a desired accuracy in determining the average congestion length. In embodiments of the present invention, the level of accuracy in determining average length based on motion rate may be estimated by computer simulation and provided as pres-stored data to determine an appropriate mapping sample rate. As mentioned above, motion rate can be detected by two mapping samples. At an initial stage of a mapping process, when the average arrival rate of vehicles to the road congestion and the probability of an arriving vehicle being a probe cannot be correctly calculated, prior statistical data may be used to initiate the estimation process. Refinement of these initial values may be performed during the sampling process by constructing concatenated segments of non-overlapping mapping sample segments and determining the average arrival rate as well as the percentage of probes, thereby enabling to determine the probability of an arriving vehicle being a probe. A similar approach may be used for determining the number of mapping samples according to the pre-stored data.
The pre-stored data may be based on computer simulation to provide minimum error in the determination of the average length or a modified average length. The modified average length may take into account predetermined parameters, e.g., giving more weight to later mapping samples than to earlier mapping samples or any other desired criteria that may result in a more accurate estimation process. As traffic condition are being mapped, statistical data is collected relating to average arrival rates and distribution of probe vehicles, whereby the system converges to realistic values at relatively early stages of the mapping, even before one would expect to have sufficient mapping samples to estimate these parameters.
In case of traffic light control, the sampling rate may be adjusted in accordance with the rate of change of the traffic lights, e.g., the timing of the green light activations. The timing of light changes may be provided by probe reports according to their reaction time to green light setting calibrated to distance from the traffic light. According to this embodiment, the times may be provided by a report from a probe which has been isolated for the purpose of motion rate estimation and other estimations, as described above. It should be noted that the average road congestion length may be determined with minimal error when the departure rate in each mapping sample is substantially equivalent to the average arrival rate.
When the average departure rate is not equal to the average arrival rate, the departure rate may be artificially adjusted to increase or decrease the length of the mapping samples, thereby to adapt the average departure rate to the average arrival rate. This may assist in determining the length of road congestion. Once the road congestion length is determined, based on the artificial adjustment, a readjustment stage may be applied to compensate for the artificial adjustment. The compensation maybe based on a new weighted average which takes into account a trend in the length of road congestion. At any given time, the average length determination may be based on the latest mapping samples according to the number of mapping samples that will best determine the average length of the road congestion. Successive average length values may fed through an appropriate filter, as is know in the art, to remove large, random changes in value.
The present invention is comprised in a number of improvements on the prior art system which improve the position related accuracy of the system.
As in the prior art system described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention may utilize the position related data transmission system of the above referenced PCT publication. In addition, the present invention may utilize the general structure of the transmitter and receiver as described in that publication and in the Background of the present invention. It should be noted that, because the present invention may utilize a communication platform and related technology similar to those described in the above mentioned publications, many features of the methods, devices and systems described in that publication are also applicable to the present invention.
According to some aspects of some preferred embodiments of the invention, mapping of congestion is based on identification of the starting point of traffic congestion and a determination of a distance of vehicles from a congestion start point or focus. The length of the congestion is estimated from the distance of the vehicle farthest from the congestion whose velocity is below a given velocity, preferably for some minimal time period.
Preferably, the vehicle positions are not determined for individual vehicles. Rather the vehicle report according to their positions, that correspond to a pre-determined sub-area, if they are stopped or if their velocity is below some value.
Preferably, vehicle positions over a time period are combined to form a congestion map. Preferably, the positions that are combined are determined at the same position resolution. Alternatively, they do not.
According to an aspect of some preferred embodiment of the invention, the position of a vehicle is reported based on a distance to a known focus of a congestion.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the location of a potential congestion is determined by vehicles that are stopped or moving slowly reporting their positions at a low resolution, for example using a rectangular grid for two dimensional mapping. Once a potential congestion is identified, the position of the vehicles is reported based on their distance from a focus of congestion.
There is thus provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a method of estimating the position, in an ITS system, of the length of congestion at a focus of a slowdown, the method comprising:
determining the positions of one or more vehicles farthest from the focus as a function of time; and
estimating the length of the congestion based on the function.
Preferably, the position is estimated as the position of a vehicle farthest from the focus.
Preferably, the position is estimated as the position of a vehicle furthest from the focus during a given preceding time period.
There is further provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention a method of improving the reliability of an ITS system, comprising:
determining the position of a plurality of vehicles;
determining an indication of a traffic stoppage if more than one vehicle is stopped along a line of vehicles.
Throughout this disclosure, where applicable, the terms and phrases listed below may be defined as follows:
Mapping Focus
A position in a mapped road that defines the front end of the mapping range towards traffic moves usually refers to the front end of a road congestion.
Probe
A vehicle equipped with a transmitter connected to a computer both comprising an intelligent transmitter wherein the computer is provided with timing and positioning peripherals that according to a predetermined procedure can identify congested conditions and motion cycles parameters in a congested road, preferably equipped also with a receiver that enables a mapping system to control the activity of the reports preferably including levels of congestion to be experienced by the probe fore a report, resolution of position report, actual report time of a characteristic value of its position, disabling transmission of probes that are closer than a certain position to the mapping focus and re-enabling the transmission, and according to a predetermined protocol reports will preferably include, but not limited to, one or more of the following:
arrival time to a congested road preferably in a short form such as elapsed time within a mapping cycle, indication on out of mapping range, time related to passing a position such as mapping focus, expected time of green light turn on when a road controlled by traffic light based on predetermined estimate for the delay in response of vehicle to departure according to its position in a waiting line preferably in a short form such as elapsed time within a cycle such as cycle of mapping samples or cycle of traffic light control (several of such different reports can be averaged by the mapping system); reports will preferably use a method of transmission that reports characteristic values by transmitting a signal in slot that best represents its characteristic value.
Characteristic Value of Position
A value that a probe provides according to a predetermined protocol regarding its position, or an indication on its position, such as its distance from a mapping focus along a road or otherwise along a path determined by the protocol.
Mapping System
A system comprising a receiver that receives reports from probes and a computer that constructs mapping samples from received reports and processes the mapping samples to provide characteristics of the road congestion including, but not limited to, one or more of the following reports: departure length from the road congestion between mapping samples and preferably its varying characteristics; arrival length to the congested road between mapping samples and preferably its varying characteristics; estimated length of road congestion; estimated average waiting time in a congested road; trend in the length of the congested road; estimated length of a congested road at a certain time and possibly interpreted values of length in a congested road to number of vehicles based on expected average occupation length of a vehicle such as in a stoppage.
The system will preferably be equipped also with a transmitter that according to a predetermined protocol controls the transmission of probes preferably including, but not limited to, one or more of the following: required criteria of traffic conditions that enables a report; resolution of reports; and preferably the time of the transmission of a characteristic value of a position that relates to earlier time than the transmitted time, disabling transmission of probes that are closer than a certain position to the mapping focus and re-enabling the transmission.
The system will preferably allocate slots to the probes that according to a predetermined protocol slots divide a range of positions or time interval to smaller segments so that each range will be represented by a different slot.
Mapping Sample
One or more time correlated characteristic values of position usually relates to time constraints that provide a snapshot of probe positions in a congested road.
Range Characteristic Value
A value that represents one or more characteristic values such as positions within a range of reports in a mapping sample. Range characteristic values can provide an average of positions or average distance from the mapping focus or a weighting average that consider parameters that affect inaccuracy in reports. Range characteristic value can also average several reported values about a common estimate made by probes, for example, estimate of green light time setting reported by more than one probe in a waiting line according to distance form the traffic light and reaction time to the traffic light. Such reports can use differential updates referred to a common time reference.
Occupation Length of Vehicle
Average segment along a road equivalent to the length between front of one vehicle in front or behind of it.
Mapping Range
A range respective with the mapped part of the road usually covers the congestion starting from the mapping focus.
Using the above terminology, in according with preferred embodiments of the invention, there is thus provided a method of estimating the length of a road congestion, based on probe vehicles reporting characteristic values of their position to a receiver of a mapping system which processes the reports, the method including:
(a) constructing a predetermined number of mapping samples,
(b) determining in each mapping sample a position that relates to the position of a probe relatively far from a mapping focus, preferably a position close to the farthest probe position; and
(c) selecting from the positions determined in step (b) the position which is the farthest from the mapping focus, thereby to determine an indication of the length of the road congestion.
In a preferred embodiment, the position determined in step (b) is the position of the farthest probe from the mapping focus.
According to an embodiment of the invention, after construction of a mapping sample a response is transmitted to the reporters that disables transmitters that did not transmit a report within a preselected range in the constructed mapping sample, to prevent the disabled transmitters from continuing to report. The selected range may include the position of the farthest probe.
Additionally, in accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention, there is provided a method of determining traffic motion and length of road congestion, in a system wherein probes, in response to a predetermined protocol, report characteristic values of their position to a receiver of the mapping system which processes the reports, the method including:
(a) constructing a mapping sample that includes at least one of said reports,
(b) selecting a range of said position characteristic values in which the farthest reporter from a mapping focus is identified in a mapping sample constructed in (a),
(c) transmitting to reporters a response that according to a predetermined procedure disables transmitters that did not transmit a report within the selected range from continuing to report,
(d) receiving further reports and constructing a subsequent mapping sample,
(e) repeating steps (a) to (d) according to a predetermined procedure,
(f) selecting from the ranges selected in step (b) the farthest selected range to be indicative of the length of the road congestion; and
(g) determining motion length toward a mapping focus by calculating a range characteristic value for a range in a mapping sample, subsequent to the first mapping sample, which includes the position characteristic value indicative of the closest position to the mapping focus and calculating the difference between the said range characteristic value and the range characteristic value of a corresponding selected range in an earlier mapping sample.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the range selected in step (b) is substantially the characteristic value of position of the farthest probe.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the indication of the length of the road congestion is determined substantially based on the farthest selected position in the constructed mapping samples.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the resolution of the position reports acquired from the probes is determined according to an occupation length of vehicle in a congested road in different traffic conditions.
In an embodiment of the present invention, at least two different reports from at least one probe are required to determine length of road congestion.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the number of mapping samples is 3 to 6 for expected average percentage of probes in the range of 3 to 5 percent and wherein the time interval In an embodiment of the present invention, the number of mapping samples is determined based on pre-stored data relating to an average motion over time period, estimated probability of probe arrival, and estimated arrival rate of vehicles. In some embodiments of the invention, the mapping system estimates the probability of probe arrival according to a predetermined procedure based on the percentage of probes among vehicles arriving at the congestion, and the method may further include:
concatenating a plurality of non-overlapping segments of consecutive mapping samples according to motion between mapping samples,
determining the number of vehicles in the concatenated segments by the ratio of the length of the concatenated segments to expected occupation length of vehicles in the road congestion, and
determining by a statistical estimator the percentage of probes based on the distribution of the accumulated probes identified over the period relevant to mapping samples of concatenated segments.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the statistical estimator is chosen according to assumed Binomial distribution of probes in the concatenated mapping samples.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the number of concatenated mapping samples is substantially limited to elapsed time interval wherein the expected probability of probe arrival to the road congestion is stationary.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the pre-stored data is optimized to provide the number of mapping samples to produce substantially the minimum expected error in the determined indication of the length of the congestion compared to the real average length of the congestion according to the respective mapping samples.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the optimization criterion is the minimum difference between the cumulative distribution function of errors that indicates that the estimates are too long and the cumulative distribution function that indicates that the estimates are too short.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the pre-stored data is prepared based on a simulation that shows the number of mapping samples required to provide minimum expected error for various conditions of congestion including motion rate, arrival rate and percentage of probes.
In an embodiment of the present invention, at a time prior to determining the indication on the length of the road congestion, mapping samples are adjusted according to a predetermined procedure that virtually adjusts the position of the mapping focus in the mapping samples in order to remove differences between motion rate and average arrival rate.
In an embodiment of the present invention, at a time after determining indication of the length of the road congestion, the determined indication is adjusted by a value which is indicative of the prior adjustments that were made to the mapping samples in order to remove the effect of prior adjustments on the mapping samples.
In an embodiment of the present invention, successive new indications of the length of the road congestion are determined according to a procedure that include successive newest mapping samples.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a one dimensional median filter is applied to the successive indications on length of road congestion.
In an embodiment of the present invention, time correlated mapping samples are collected according to a required resolution of the road congestion length determination, based on departure rate of vehicles from the road congestion.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the number of vehicles in a lane segment of the road congestion is determined according to estimated occupation length of vehicles.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the number of vehicles in a lane segment of road congestion is determined according to the estimated occupation length of vehicles.
Further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of creating conditions which enable assessment of traffic motion rate toward a mapping focus in a congested road and of the road congestion length at a certain time, wherein according to a predetermined protocol probes report characteristic values of their position to a receiver of a mapping system which processes the reports, the method including:
(a) constructing a first mapping sample that includes at least one of said reports,
(b) determining a range of said position characteristic values in which at least one of said reports was identified in the first mapping sample, and
(c) transmitting to reporters a response that according to a predetermined procedure disables transmitters that did not transmit a report within the selected range of the first mapping sample from continuing to report.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the characteristic value of a position is an indication of the distance of a reporter from the mapping focus.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the mapping sample constructed by reports is transmitted to the mapping system within a response time synchronized to the mapping system and to the reporters.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a report of a position characteristic value is a signal transmitted by at least one probe in a slot of the response time that is indicative on a range of positions.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the time of the position related reports is determined by a broadcast query to the probes.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the selected range in which reporters are not disabled includes the position of the farthest reporter from the mapping focus.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the transmitted response to disable transmitters is a message including mapping sample that according to predetermined procedure reporters disable their transmitters from continuing to report if they had not transmitted a report within a range in the mapping sample selected according to the predetermined procedure.
In an embodiment of the present invention, after disabling a transmitter, the probe enables its transmitter by predetermined procedure at a time after it passes the mapping focus.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a non-disabled reporter reports a time indication representing its arrival at the reported position.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the time indication report is a signal transmitted by reporter in a slot that is indicative of a time interval in the mapping sample time constraints.
In an embodiment of the present invention, after a disabling response the mapping system receives the new reports and constructs a second mapping sample including new reports.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a reporter from the selected range reports an indication that it is out of mapping range if it passed the mapping focus at a time prior to time constraints of the second mapping sample. Preferably, in an embodiment of the present invention, the indication of out of mapping range determines no change in motion rate.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the indication of out of mapping range is a signal transmitted in a slot that a transmission in it is indicative on such condition.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the mapping system determines length of motion toward mapping focus by calculating a range characteristic value for a range in a mapping sample subsequent to a disabling response, which includes the position characteristic value indicative of the closest position to the mapping focus and calculating the difference between the range characteristic value and the range characteristic value of the corresponding selected range in an earlier mapping sample.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the mapping system determines the departure rate from the mapping focus in a congested road in units of length of a congested road segment per unit of time according to the determined length of motion towards mapping focus.
In an embodiment of the present invention, according to motion towards mapping focus, the mapping system determines a non-occupied space expected between vehicles along the road congestion.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the determined motion length towards the mapping focus related to average occupation length of a vehicle, including its unoccupied space, determines departure rate of vehicle from the congested road.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the time at which the traffic light system changes to a green setting is substantially identified by the mapping system through reports from probes.
In an embodiment of the present invention, according to predetermined procedure, a probe reports to the mapping system a substantial time when the traffic light system changes to the green setting by a predetermined delay taken for a vehicle to react according to its position in a waiting line.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the time of light change is substantially identified based on signal transmitted in a slot representing a time interval that best characterizes the time report.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, according to a predetermined procedure, the mapping system estimates arrival rate to the congestion, and the method further includes:
concatenating a plurality of non-overlapping segments of consecutive mapping samples according to the two said position related reports,
determining time intervals between two time of arrival reports corresponding to two position related reports,
determining average arrival rate in terms of segment length occupied by arriving vehicles between successive mapping samples by calculating the ratio of the total length of concatenated segment, in relation to the number of concatenated mapping samples.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the number of concatenated mapping samples is substantially limited to elapsed time interval in which the average arrival rate of probes to the road congestion is expected to be stationary.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the length of motion of non-disabled reporter towards mapping focus between two consecutive mapping samples determines the point between consecutive concatenated segments. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The invention concerns a multipolar electrode arrangement having a plurality of electrodes with an electrical feed line.
A particular area of use of multipolar electrode arrangements is the output of electrical signals to body tissue, in particular cardiac tissue, and picking up electrical signals from the heart. Contraction and relaxation of the cardiac muscles is controlled by electrical signals which pass through the cardiac tissue in an excitation front. Knowledge about signal propagation in the heart is an aspect of great significance, in terms of diagnosis and therapy of heart diseases. U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,923, to Kuck (Jul. 13, 1999), discloses a multipolar electrode arrangement in which the electrodes are arranged in such a way that not only the occurrence of events but in addition also the direction and speed of stimulus conduction can be detected.
For that purpose the poles are spatially arranged in relation to each other on the catheter in such a fashion that respective pairs thereof so-to-speak define a co-ordinate system. Other electrode arrangements are to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,146 to Goldreyer (Jan. 31, 1995) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,503 to Yang (Dec. 19, 1995).
That object is attained by an electrode arrangement of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, in which the electrodes are connected to an electrode carrier which is adapted to be insertable together with the electrodes into the lumen of a catheter.
An electrode arrangement of that kind permits simplified manufacture of any pole configurations in particular on a single lead electrophysiology catheter. In that respect the configuration of the electrodes is predetermined by the electrode carrier. The electrode carrier with the electrodes secured thereto can be pre-assembled and then inserted with electrical feed lines into a catheter tube.
A preferred electrode arrangement is one in which the electrode carrier is elastically deformable, more particularly preferably substantially in a first plane while it is substantially stiffer in a second plane which is perpendicular to the first plane. For that purpose the electrode carrier preferably includes a leaf spring element of preferably flat cross-sectional profile.
The leaf spring element is preferably of an electrically insulating nature and is preferably of a flat cross-sectional profile. In a preferred embodiment the electrode carrier and in particular the leaf spring element at least partially comprise a polymer. The electrode carrier can then be in the form of an injection molding in a particularly desirable fashion.
The advantages of an electrode arrangement with such an electrode carrier are pertinent in particular when the electrode carrier is connected at its distal end to a control means which is guided longitudinally slidably along the electrode carrier relative thereto so that deflection of the electrode carrier can be effected at the distal end thereof by longitudinal displacement of the control means relative to the electrode carrier. It is possible in that way to provide an electrophysiology catheter which can be targetedly and specifically deflected in cavities such as for example the atrium or ventricle of a heart and guided into a defined direction in order to be able to pick up signals at defined locations in the heart. For that purpose the catheter tip can be provided with marking means which make it possible to locate the catheter tip from outside the body by means of imaging processes.
Preferably, the electrode arrangement includes a catheter having a lumen which is adapted to receive the electrode carrier, wherein the catheter has openings which extend from the lumen and which are of such an arrangement and configuration that the electrodes connected to the electrode carrier can pick up electrical signals outside the catheter. In a preferred alternative configuration, the openings can be disposed in the peripheral surface of the catheter and in particular of a catheter tube, more specifically in such a way that a corresponding opening is provided for each individual electrode. Alternatively however the electrode carrier can also be designed in such a way that as a whole it projects out of a central opening at the distal end of the catheter or catheter tube.
A further preferred electrode arrangement is one in which the electrodes are arranged in mutually displaced relationship in the longitudinal and peripheral directions of the catheter in such a way as to afford at least one electrode matrix which makes it possible to determine the direction and speed of a signal from the time displacement with which the signal reaches various ones of the electrodes. In that respect, an adequate spacing not only in respect of the center points of the surfaces of the individual electrodes but between the electrode surfaces is advantageous in terms of determining the speed of the stimulus conduction.
In the above-mentioned electrode arrangement an electrode matrix preferably includes at least three electrodes, wherein the center points of the surfaces of the electrodes of an electrode matrix are preferably arranged at the corners of notional triangles or quadrangles.
As an alternative to the electrodes being made from metal, which affords the advantage of the high level of conductivity of metal, a particularly preferred electrode arrangement is one in which the electrodes include conductive plastic material.
In an advantageous embodiment, such an electrode arrangement makes it possible to arrange the electrodes in depressions in a non-conductive base material, in particular the insulating leaf spring element. The depressions can be produced for example with a high degree of precision by means of a laser beam so that even small microstructures can be produced. The non-conductive base material can be a component part of the electrode carrier.
In principle electrodes of conductive plastic material are known from U.S. Pat. specifications Nos. 5,433,742 and 5,029,585. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates to automated banking machines. Specifically this invention relates to an automated banking machine that enables currency bills, notes or other documents deposited by one customer to be identified and stored in the machine, and later selectively dispensed to another customer.
Automated banking machines are known in the prior art. A popular type of automated banking machine is an automated teller machine (ATM). Other types of automated banking machines are used to count and dispense cash. These machines are often used by tellers or customer service representatives in banking and other transaction environments.
ATM machines commonly in use accept deposits from customers and process the deposits using devices which are separate from the devices which dispense currency and other items to customers. Most common ATM depositories require customers to place their deposits in an envelope. The envelope is accepted into the machine for storage. Although the customer indicates the value of the contents of the envelope, the customer""s account is often not credited for the amount of deposit until the envelope is removed from the ATM by bank personnel and the contents verified.
Other ATM machines have the capability of receiving checks and other negotiable instruments. Such machines may include a device such as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,467. Devices of this type can be used to cancel and produce electronic images of checks which are deposited into an ATM machine. The cancelled checks are stored in the machine for later removal by bank personnel.
Currency notes, travelers checks and other documents and sheet materials that are commonly dispensed by ATMs, are generally housed in the machine in removable canisters. Sheets are dispensed from the canisters and delivered by the machine to customers. Periodically these canisters must be removed from the machine and the supply of sheets therein replenished. This is a labor intensive activity. To replace the canisters the secure portion of the ATM must be opened. The canisters in the machine must be removed and new canisters, which include a new supply of sheets, placed in the machine. Alternatively the canisters in the machine may be opened, money or other sheets added, and then replaced. After the canisters are replaced the secure portion of the machine must be closed.
The replacement or resupply of canisters often requires transporting filled canisters to the machine and returning partially depleted canisters to a remote location. While efforts have been made in the design of canisters to minimize opportunities for pilferage, there is always some risk. Therefore such activities are normally carried out by armed couriers. More than one person is often assigned to any task where there is access to the cash or other valuables in the machine. Because numerous individuals may be involved in loading replacement canisters, transporting replacement canisters to ATM machines, replacing the canisters, returning the removed canisters and auditing the contents of returned canisters, it is often difficult to identify the cause of any losses.
The need to periodically replace currency canisters is an inconvenience because the ATM must be shut down. Customers are not able to use the ATM while the supply of currency is being replenished, and lost opportunities to conduct transactions and customer dissatisfaction may result. Customers will also be disappointed if replenishment operations are not performed frequently enough and the machine runs out of currency or other documents.
Other types of automated banking machines, such as those that dispense cash to customer service representatives, have the same drawbacks as ATM machines. Periodic replenishment of the currency or other valuable documents that are dispensed by the machine must be done to keep the machine in operation. While such machines speed the cash dispensing service to the customer, there is a significant cost associated with segregating, preparing and transporting the currency before it is placed within the machine.
Other banking machines have been developed for identifying and counting currency. Such machines may be used in banking and vending environments. Machines which count currency generally require that the currency be pre-oriented a particular way to obtain proper identification. This is time consuming for the person operating the machine. Many currency counting machines also tend to reject valid notes due to natural deterioration which occurs in U.S. currency. The speed associated with such currency counting and accepting machines is also less than desirable in many cases.
Automated banking machines which are capable of receiving currency, identifying the particular type and denomination of currency, storing the currency and later dispensing it to a customer have been used in countries outside the United States. Such recycling machines are feasible in countries such as Japan where currency notes include special features which facilitate their identification by machines. However, such recycling machines have not generally been feasible with U.S. currency notes which generally do not include special features that facilitate identification by machine. U.S. currency notes also are subject to a wide range of conditions such as wear, soiling and bleaching which do not render a note unfit for use, but which render it very difficult for a machine to properly identify.
The currency recycling type banking machines that have been developed also generally suffer from slow operating speeds. This is particularly true when the machines are used to process a large number of notes. Often such machines require that the notes be oriented in a particular way and considerable time is associated with the rejection of notes due to improper orientation. The handling of the sheets to facilitate identification and storage is also a time consuming process. Once a sheet has been initially identified as proper and stored in the machine, there is generally no check to be sure that the original determination of the type and character of the note was correct. As a result, a customer may receive a misidentified note. This can reduce customer satisfaction.
Dispensers in automated banking machines generally pick one note at a time. Occasionally malfunctions occur and double or even triple notes are picked. The picking of double notes is particularly a concern in a currency recycling automated banking machine where notes must be separated to be identified. Various types of doubles detector devices have been developed. Some such devices rely on physical contact with passing notes to determine thickness. Other sensors determine note thickness inferentially from the optical or other properties of passing notes.
Prior note sensing devices which sense optical properties have sought to detect doubles by sensing the transmissivity of light through a small area of a note. This approach has some inherent unreliability due to the different optical properties which exist in various areas of a note. Conditions such as marking, staining or bleaching of notes can also make conventional optical sensing for double notes unreliable.
Thus there exists a need for a currency recycling automated banking machine that is more reliable, operates more quickly and which can be used with U.S. and other currencies as well as other documents which have a wide range of properties. There further exists a need for a device which senses document thicknesses more reliably in such an automated banking machine.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a currency recycling automated banking machine.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a currency recycling automated banking machine that is reliable and that operates more rapidly.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a currency recycling automated banking machine that works with currency notes and other documents that have a wide variety of properties.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a currency recycling automated banking machine that is capable of unstacking and separating documents input in a stack.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine that orients documents relative to a sheet path while moving such documents at a high rate of speed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a currency recycling automated banking machine that can transport a plurality of documents in a sheet path concurrently and at a high rate of speed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a currency recycling automated banking machine that identifies documents and which returns unidentifiable documents to a customer.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a currency recycling automated banking machine that enables a customer to deposit documents into the banking machine, and after the documents have been identified, to elect whether to deposit the documents or to have them returned.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a currency recycling automated banking machine that can identify deposited documents regardless of orientation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a currency recycling automated banking machine that enables selectively storing deposited documents in storage areas in the machine.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a currency recycling automated banking machine that enables selectively storing deposited documents in removable canisters.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a currency recycling automated banking machine that enables recovery of documents stored in storage areas and dispensing the documents to customers.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine in which documents may concurrently be transported, oriented, stored in storage areas and dispensed from other storage areas within the machine.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated banking machine that includes a device which is more reliable in sensing the thickness of documents which is more reliable.
Further objects of the present invention will be made apparent in the following Best Modes for Carrying Out the Invention and the appended claims.
The foregoing objects are accomplished in a preferred embodiment of the present invention by a currency recycling automated banking machine. The machine includes an input/output area in which a customer may insert documents that are to be deposited and from which a customer withdrawing documents may receive documents.
A customer deposits documents in a stack. The documents are moved from the input/output area into a central transport. In an unstack area documents are removed from the stack one by one and separated into a stream of single separate documents. The documents move along a document path in the central transport. The documents moving in the central transport are each deskewed to properly orient them relative to the direction of travel along the document path. The documents are further moved to align them into a proper centered relation in the document path.
Each document is then moved past a document type identifier device which operates to identify the type and/or denomination of each document. Identifiable documents are directed into an escrow area while unidentifiable documents are directed into a reject area of the input/output area of the machine.
A customer is informed of any unidentifiable documents through input and output devices on the machine. Any unidentifiable documents may then be delivered to the customer from the reject area. Alternatively, depending on the programming of the machine such rejected documents may be stored in the machine for later analysis.
Properly identified documents are initially held in the escrow area. The output devices on the machine indicate to the customer the type and/or value of the identifiable documents. The customer preferably is enabled to select whether to have such documents returned or to deposit such documents. If the customer elects to have the documents returned, the documents are passed out of the input/output area and the customer""s account is not credited for the value of the documents.
If the customer elects to deposit the documents the documents are again moved through the central transport in a stream of rapidly moving separated documents. The documents are again identified by the identification device. However, rather than being routed to the reject and escrow areas, the identified documents are now preferably routed by the control system of the machine to selected storage locations. The storage locations are locations in which documents of the particular types are stored in the machine. The storage areas in the machine of the preferred embodiment are areas in a plurality of removable canisters. The customer""s account is then credited for the value of the deposited documents.
The same customer who deposited documents or a subsequent customer wishing to make a withdrawal from the machine may receive documents that have been previously stored in the storage areas. Document dispensing mechanisms associated with the storage areas selectively remove documents from the storage areas and route them to the central transport of the machine. As the documents move through the central transport they pass the identification device. The type and denomination of each document being dispensed is verified. This assures that the initial identification of the documents made when they were deposited in the machine is correct. This third verification assures that a customer withdrawing documents from the machine is not given an improper document. The documents are removed from the storage areas concurrently so as to facilitate rapid operation of the machine and are controlled in movement through the remote transport segments and the central transport to assure that they move as a stream of separated documents as they pass the identification device.
The identified documents to be dispensed to the customer are moved by the central transport to an escrow area. From the escrow area they are presented to the customer. The customer""s account is then charged or debited for the documents that have been withdrawn.
Suitable mechanisms are used for picking and separating documents so that they may be transported in a stream through the machine. Sheet thickness sensing devices are used to assure that double or overlapped notes are not added to the stream. The document thickness sensing device includes an emitter and a receiver on opposed sides of a sheet path. Documents moving in the sheet path pass between the emitter and the receiver.
The emitter includes a radiation source. A radiation guide accepts light from the radiation source and delivers it to a linearly elongated radiation outlet. The radiation outlet extends generally transversely to the direction of document travel through the sheet path. In the preferred embodiment the radiation outlet extends transversely a distance which is greater than ten percent of the width of the documents in the transverse direction.
The receiver includes a radiation sensitive element which is aligned with the radiation outlet. The radiation sensitive element extends the width of the radiation outlet. The radiation sensitive element produces signals which are responsive to the amount of radiation which reaches the radiation sensitive element from the radiation outlet.
When documents pass between the emitter and the receiver the radiation passes through the documents. The amount of radiation which reaches the radiation sensitive element varies with the thickness of the passing documents. The transmissivity of the radiation through the areas of document also varies due to patterns of printing and other markings on the document. The relatively large width of the radiation outlet and radiation sensitive element cause the output signals generally not to be affected by local conditions on the note. If the radiation which passes through the note is below a threshold which is indicative of double documents the documents may be retrieved and separated. Once the documents are separated they can be handled by the machine. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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As was mentioned in the introduction, it is beneficial for compensating the rotary movements of the ball-and-socket joint to provide thrust rings for one of the edges of the sealing bellows. However, there is an additional hazard potential for the joint components in the case of the use of thrust rings, because the migration of moisture or corrosive media under these thrust rings, e.g., by creeping, would lead to the possibility of the development of corrosion phenomena especially in the thrust ring area of such ball-and-socket joints, which would ultimately lead to a reduced service life of the ball-and-socket joint because the joint components are subject to more rapid wear due to the corrosion in the contact area than is desired, and thus it would no longer be possible to prevent moisture and contaminants for penetrating into the sensitive joint components in the interior of the ball-and-socket joint. Additional sealing measures taken in the contact area between the thrust ring and the ball pivot also fail to rule out this risk completely. Increased requirements are imposed on the sealing of affected assembly units especially by the cleaning with high-pressure cleaning devices. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Injured intervertebral discs are generally treated with bed rest, physical therapy, modified activities, and pain medications for substantial treatment durations. There are also a number of treatments that attempt to repair injured intervertebral discs and to avoid surgical removal of injured discs. For example, disc decompression is a procedure used to remove or shrink the nucleus, thereby decompressing and decreasing the pressure on the annulus and nerves. Less invasive procedures, such as microlumbar discectomy and automated percutaneous lumbar discectomy, remove the nucleus pulposus of a vertebral disc by aspiration through a needle laterally inserted into the annulus. Another procedure involves implanting a disc augmentation device in order to treat, delay, or prevent disc degeneration. Augmentation refers to both (1) annulus augmentation, which includes repair of a herniated disc, support of a damaged annulus, and closure of an annular tear, and (2) nucleus augmentation, which includes adding or removing material to the nucleus. Many conventional treatment devices and techniques, including open surgical approaches, involve muscle dissection or percutaneous procedures to pierce a portion of the disc under fluoroscopic guidance, but without direct visualization. Several treatments also attempt to reduce discogenic pain by injecting medicaments or by lysing adhesions in the suspected injury area. However, these devices also provide little in the form of tactile sensation for the surgeon or allow the surgeon to atraumatically manipulate surrounding tissue. In general, these conventional systems rely on external visualization for the approach to the disc and thus lack any sort of real time, on-board visualization capabilities.
Accurately diagnosing back pain is often more challenging than expected and often involves a combination of a thorough patient history and physical examination, as well as a number of diagnostic tests. A major problem is the complexity of the various components of the spine, as well as the broad range of physical symptoms experienced by individual patients. In addition, the epidural space contains various elements such as fat, connective tissue, lymphatics, arteries, veins, blood, and spinal nerve roots. These anatomical elements make it difficult to treat or diagnose conditions within the epidural area because they tend to collapse around any instrument or device inserted therein. This may reduce visibility in the epidural space, and may cause inadvertent damage to nerve roots during device insertion. Also, the insertion of a visualization device may result in blocked or reduced viewing capabilities. As such, many anatomical elements within the epidural space may limit the insertion, movement, and viewing capabilities of any access, visualization, diagnostic, or therapeutic device inserted into the epidural space. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In cancer therapy, anti-angiogenesis is a promising candidate treatment protocol. The basis for tumor growth is angiogenesis; that is the creation of a blood supply to support the growth tumor cells with oxygen and other nutrients. The use of angiogenesis inhibitors (for example, the humanized monoclonal antibody Bevacizumab, trade name AVASTIN from Genentech, South San Francisco, Calif.) causes blood vessel maturation and regression in tumors. By this mechanism, the growth of a tumor can be stopped or slowed in certain circumstances.
The use of angiogenesis inhibitors results in changes in relative blood volume, permeability and perfusion which can be monitored by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. However, there is no clinically evaluated surrogate endpoint for anti-cancer therapy regimens. At present, volumetric measurements, such as measurements of the biggest tumor diameter, are used to determine the response of a patient or experimental animal to the therapy. A volumetric measurement, however, does not appear to be sufficiently reliable and nor does such a measurement provide an early assessment of outcome.
Anti-angiogenic tumor therapies (e.g., with AVASTIN) would benefit from stable and early indicators of therapeutic effectiveness. In this context, dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI in combination with the administration of diffusible contrast agents has proven promising. Applying pharmacokinetic models to the dynamic MRI data, parameter maps with physiological relevant information like transfer constant (Ktrans), extra-vascular extra-cellular volume fraction (Ve), or vascular volume fraction (Vp) can be calculated. Using user-defined regions-of-interest (ROI), it is possible to calculate and compare quantitative results for specific tissues-of-interest.
The transfer constant Ktrans has shown to be an early marker of biological response of tumor tissue to anti-angiogenic therapy, but reproducibility studies have shown that changes appear to be obscured by poor reproducibility statistics. Only changes in the range of 50% are considered to be significant in isolation as a reliable assessment of therapeutic effectiveness. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for outputting an audio signal of a laptop computer coupled with a docking station, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for improving quality of an output audio signal using a system speaker installed in a laptop computer and a speaker of a docking station.
2. Description of the Related Art
Audio systems have been used in the past for outputting audio signals of a laptop computer. Typically, main speakers installed in the computer are used and auxiliary speakers are often used to output audio signals. With these conventional audio systems, all speakers cannot be used efficiently. Furthermore, speakers installed in the computer are useless since the auxiliary speaker system is connected to the laptop computer and audio signals are outputted to auxiliary speakers of the auxiliary system. I have therefore found that it is impossible to correct or otherwise improve the conventional apparatus in order to get a more efficient and useful audio system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,663 for a Portable Computer Docking Station Having a Rotatable Member and Audio Speakers Mounted on the Rotatable Member, issued to Shin et al., discloses a portable computer and a docking station including a base, a rotatable member rotatably attaching to a front side of the base, and an electrical connector. I have noticed that this portable computer with the docking station does not use the speakers efficiently.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,696,814 for a Audio System for a Personal Computer, issued to Tran et al., discloses an audio circuit for driving audio module speakers together or individually and driving only one speaker or a microphone in a speaker phone mode. In my opinion, this reference shows the limited use of speakers in modes for being driven individually or together.
In the above conventional audio signal output circuit, the amplifiers and speakers of the laptop computer are turned off while the docking station is coupled to the laptop computer, thereby lowering efficiency in use. That is, the speakers of the laptop computer or the speakers of the docking station are selectively used. Therefore, quality of an audio signal of a low frequency band or high frequency band is deteriorated.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved audio system for output of an audio signal in a laptop computer and a docking station.
It is another object to provide an audio system with main speakers in the laptop computer and auxiliary speakers in the docking station.
It is yet another object to provide an audio system for outputting an audio signal to speakers of both the computer and the docking station.
It is still another object to provide an audio system for selecting a speaker and an amplifier process in the laptop computer when the computer is coupled to the docking station.
It is still another object to provide an audio system for selecting a speaker and an amplifier process in the docking station when the computer is coupled to the docking station.
It is also an object to provide an audio system for selecting speakers and amplifiers in both the laptop computer and the docking station when the laptop computer is coupled to the docking station.
It is a further object to provide an audio system for outputting an audio signal of a low frequency band component to the amplifier process and the speaker of the docking station.
It is another object to provide an audio system for outputting an audio signal of high frequency band component to the amplifier process and the speakers of the laptop computer. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The success of silicon as an electronic material is partially due to the characteristics of its native oxide, silion dioxide. In particular, silicon has become a dominant semiconductor due to the ability of its native oxide to act as a readily etched diffusion mask in the formation of planar diffused transistors. Gallium arsenide is rapidly becoming a popular electronic material and is used extensively for various optical and microwave devices. Spitzer et al in J. Electrochem. Soc., 121, No. 6, 820 (1974) have demonstrated that the native oxide of gallium arsenide can be used as a zinc diffusion mask. Unfortunately, the native oxide of gallium arsenide is heat sensitive. Upon exposure to heat, the oxide becomes inert to chemical dissolution. Attempts to remove the oxide usually damage the underlying crystal surface. While the oxide has been useful as an etching mask and for the surface passivation of lasers, the heat sensitivity limits its usefulness for high temperature manufacturing processes, such as diffusion steps wherein the temperature is typically in excess of 600.degree. C. The heat stabilized oxide gives gallium arsenide added versatility as a semiconductor, but some means for preventing the stabilization, would be desirable. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Cloud computing defines a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. Certain characteristics of the cloud computing model include on demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and measured service. Cloud computing can include several service models, including Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). The cloud computing model may be implemented according to one of the several deployment models, including private cloud, community cloud, public cloud, or hybrid cloud. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Lot of users feels the inconvenience of using remote controller in low/no light conditions. Some people may have to turn on a light in a room when other people may be sleeping. Presently phosphor illumination (glow in the dark) is being used. This needs light to charge, so if it is in long term darkness it would be ineffective. The glow in the dark illumination lasts for only a few minutes. Some remote controllers only illuminate buttons once a function key is pressed. The possibility of pressing an unwanted function key to activate the illumination is very high. The user will still have to search for that key in darkness.
This invention would ease the visibility of buttons in low/no light conditions. It eliminates the possibility of performing an unwanted function. It also eliminates the possibility of disturbing other people, for example, having to turn on a light in a room when other people may be sleeping.
Any feature or combination of features described herein are included within the scope of the present invention provided that the features included in any such combination are not mutually inconsistent as will be apparent from the context, this specification, and the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art. Additional advantages and aspects of the present invention are apparent in the following detailed description and claims. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The most abundant polysaccharide in the biosphere, cellulose, consists of D-glucose units linked together in linear chains via β-1,4 glycosidic bonds. These chains can vary in length and often consist of many thousands of units. Cellulose chains form numerous intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds, which result in the formation of insoluble cellulose microfibrils. This crystalline cellulose is a recalcitrant material with a natural half-life of over five million years.
In order to access this important renewable carbon source, microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, produce a cocktail of enzymes to break down crystalline cellulose into glucose. Three general classes of cellulase enzymes act synergistically to hydrolyze the crystalline cellulose into the simple energy source glucose. Endo-β-1,4-glucanases (EC 3.2.1.4) randomly hydrolyze amorphous regions of crystalline cellulose generating oligosaccharides of various lengths and consequently new chain ends. Cellobiohydrolases (or exo-β-1,4-cellobiohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.91) hydrolyze processively cellobiose units from one end of the cellulose chain. Finally, β-1,4-glucosidases (EC 3.2.1.21) hydrolyse cellobiose into glucose.
Most cellobiohydrolases and endo-β-1,4-glucanases are multidomain proteins consisting of a catalytic core domain and a cellulose-binding domain separated by a flexible linker region. The cellulose-binding domain promotes adsorption of the enzyme to regions of the cellulosic substrate (Tomme, P., et al. 1988. Eur. J. Biochem 170:575-581; Lehtio J., et al. 2003 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 100:484-489), while the catalytic core domain is responsible for the cleavage of cellulose. The linker region may ensure an optimal interdomain distance between the core domain and the cellulose-binding domain (Srisodsuk M., et al. 1993. J. Biol. Chem. 268:20756-20761).
The catalytic domains are classified into the glycoside hydrolase families based on amino acid sequence similarities whereby a family comprises enzymes having similar fold and hydrolytic mechanisms but may differ in their substrate specificity. Trichoderma reesei contains known cellulase genes for two cellobiohydrolases, i.e., Cel7A (also known as CBH1, which is a member of Family 7) and Cel6A (CBH2), at least eight endo-β-1,4-glucanases, i.e., Cel7B (EG1), Cel5A (EG2), Cel12A (EG3), Cel61A (EG4), Cel45A (EG5), Cel74A (EG6), Cel61B (EG7), and Cel5B (EG8), and at least seven β-1,4-glucosidase, i.e., Cel3A (BG1), CellA (BG2), Cel3B (BG3), Cel3C (BG4), CellB (BG5), Cel3D, and Cel3E (Foreman, P. K., et al. 2003. J. Biol. Chem. 278:31988-31997).
T. reesei Cel6A (or TrCel6A) is one of the two major cellobiohydrolases secreted by this fungus and has been shown to be efficient in the enzymatic hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose. TrCel6A is a member of glycoside hydrolase Family 6, which comprises enzymes that hydrolyse β-1,4 glycosidic bonds with inversion of anomeric configuration and includes cellobiohydrolases as well as endo-β-1,4-glucanases. The three dimensional structures of TrCel6A (Rouvinen J., et al. 1990. Science 249:380-386. Erratum in: Science 1990 249:1359), Thermobifida fusca endo-β-1,4-glucanase Cel6A (TfCel6A, Spezio M., et al. 1993. Biochemistry. 32:9906-9916), Humicola insolens cellobiohydrolase Cel6A (HiCel6A, Varrot, A., et al. 1999 Biochem. J. 337:297-304), Humicola insolens endo-β-1,4-glucanase Cel6B (HiCel6B, Davies, G. J., et al. 2000. Biochem. J. 348:201-207), and Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv Cel6A (MtCel6A, Varrot. A., et al. 2005. J. Biol. Chem. 280:20181-20184) are known.
Applications of cellulase enzymes in industrial processes are numerous and have proven commercially useful within the textile industry for denim finishing and cotton softening; in the household and industrial detergents for color brightening, softening, and soil removal; in the pulp and paper industries for smoothing fiber, enhancing drainage, and de-inking; in the food industry for extracting and clarifying juice from fruits and vegetables, and for mashing; in the animal feed industry to improve their nutritional quality; and also, in the conversion of plant fibers into glucose that are fermented and distilled to make low CO2 cellulose ethanol to reduce fossil fuel consumption, which is an emerging industry around the world (e.g. Gray K. A., et al. 2006. Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol. 10:141-146).
In order to obtain enzyme variants with improved stability properties, three strategies have generally been used within the art: 1) isolation of thermophilic enzymes from extremophiles, residing in severe environments such as extreme heat or cold, high salt concentrations or high or low pH conditions (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,677,151 U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 20060053514); 2) protein engineering by rational design or site-directed mutagenesis, which relies on sequence homology and structural alignment within a family of proteins to identify potentially beneficial mutations using the principles of protein stability known in the art (reviewed in: Eijsink, V. G., et al. 2004. J. Biotechnol. 113:105-20.); and 3) directed evolution involving the construction of a mutant library with selection or screening to identify improved variants and involves a process of iterative cycles of producing variants with the desired properties (recently reviewed in: Eijsink V G, et al. 2005. Biomol. Eng. 22:21-30). This approach requires no structural or mechanistic information and can uncover unexpected beneficial mutations. Combining the above strategies has proven to be an efficient way to identify improved enzymes (Chica R. A., et al. 2005. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 16:378-384).
Using rational design, Zhang et al. (Zhan S et al., 2000. Eur. J. Biochem. 267:3101-15), introduced a new disulfide bond across the N- and C-terminal loops from TfCel6B using two double mutations, and four glycine residue mutations were chosen to improve thermostability. None of the mutations increased thermostability of this cellobiohydrolase and most mutations reduced thermostability by 5-10° C. Surprisingly, the double mutation N233C-D506C showed a decrease of 10° C. for the T50 (Zhang S et al., 2000. Eur. J. Biochem. 267:3101-15), or a slight increase of about 2° C. for the T50 (Ai, Y. C. and Wilson, D. B. 2002. Enzyme Microb. Technol. 30:804-808). Wohlfahrt (Wohlfahrt, G., et al. 2003. Biochemistry. 42:10095-10103) disclosed an increase in the thermostability of TrCel6A, at an alkaline pH range, by replacing carboxyl-carboxylate pairs into amide-carboxylate pairs. A single mutant, E107Q, and a triple mutant, E107Q/D170N/D366N, have an improved Tm above pH 7 but a lower Tm at pH 5, which is the optimal pH of the wild-type TrCel6A. These mutations are found in, or close to, the N- and C-terminal loops. Hughes et al (Hughes, S. R., et al. 2006. Proteome Sci. 4:10-23) disclose a directed evolution strategy to screen mutagenized clones of the Orpinomyces PC-2 cellulase F (OPC2Cel6F) with targeted variations in the last four codons for improved activity at lower pH, and identified two mutants having improved activity at lower pH and improved thermostability.
The above reports describing rational design of Family 6 cellulases suggest that the introduction of hydrogen or disulfide bonds into the C-terminal loops is not a good strategy to increase the thermostability at optimal hydrolysis conditions. Furthermore, stabilizing the exo-loop of the T. reesei Family 7 cellobiohydrolase Cel7A, which forms the roof of the active site tunnel, by introducing a disulfide bond with mutation D241C/D249C showed no improvement in thermostability (von Ossowski I., et al. 2003. J. Mol. Biol. 333:817-829).
TrCel6A variants with improved thermostability are described in US Patent Publication No. 20060205042. Mutations were identified based alignment of TrCel6A amino acid sequence with those of eight Family 6 members using structural information and a modeling program. This alignment served as basis for the determination of a so-called consensus sequence. Those mutations that, according to the 3D-structure model of TrCel6A, fit into the structure without disturbance and were likely to improve the thermostability of the enzyme were selected as replacement for improved thermostability of TrCel6A. Among those identified as improving the thermostability of TrCel6A was the mutation of the serine at position 413 to a tyrosin (S413Y). This mutation increased the retention of enzymatic activity after a 1 hour pre-incubation at 61° C. from 20-23% for the parental TrCel6A to 39-43% for TrCel6A-S413Y; however, after a 1 hour pre-incubation at 65° C., the parent TrCel6A retained 5-9% of its activity while TrCel6A-S413Y retained 6-8% of its activity. The melting temperature, or Tm, improved by 0.2-0.3° C., from 66.5° C. for the parental TrCel6A to 66.7-66.8° C. for TrCel6A-S413Y.
Despite knowledge of the mechanisms of and desirable attributes for cellulases in the above and related industrial applications, the development of thermostable cellulases with improved stability, catalytic properties, or both improved stability and catalytic properties, would be advantageous. Although thermophilic and thermostable enzymes may be found in nature, the difficulty in achieving cost-effective large-scale production of these enzymes has limited their penetration into markets for industrial use. Therefore, a need exists for improved stable cellulases which can be economically produced at a high-level of expression by industrial micro-organisms such as T. reesei. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 2001-36585 filed on Jun. 26, 2001.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device, and more particularly, to a control signal generating circuit suitable for a programmable mode selector using a fuse.
2. Description of Related Art
Semiconductor memory devices comprise programmable mode selectors that are used to select various operational modes including tests and repairs.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a conventional control signal generating circuit used for a programmable mode selector. Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional control signal generating circuit 100 comprises a resistance R11 connected to a power supply voltage VCC, a break-link type fuse BL, an NMOS transistor MN11, an inverter I11 linked to a node between the break-link type fuse BL and the NMOS transistor MN11, an NMOS transistor MN12, and a ground voltage VSS.
The break-link type fuse BL is an electrical fuse which can break a connection by over-current or a laser fuse cut by a laser beam. A control signal (MODESEL) is generated to select various operational modes when the break-link type fuse BL is cut and the NMOS transistor MN11 is turned on by an input signal (IN). The break-link type fuse BL is usually not break a connection when a small amount of current flows through the break-link type fuse BL, because the fuse is lined with a conductor.
Different from a break-link type fuse, a make-link type fuse makes a connection (that is, the make-link type fuse is linked) by application of energy such as a laser beam or a surge of current. The make-link type fuse has a configuration which is simpler than the configuration of the break-link type fuse, thereby increasing the integration density of a semiconductor memory device.
A problem with a make-link type fuse is when a make-link type fuse is installed in a control signal generating circuit instead of a break-link type fuse, the make-link type fuse can unintentively make a connection by electro-migration, even from a small amount of current flowing through the make-link type fuse. Accordingly, the control signal generating circuit having a make-link type fuse is less reliable.
A need therefore exists for a control signal generating circuit having a make-link type fuse which is stable and reliable in current flowing through the make-link type fuse.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a control signal generating circuit that inhibits current flowing through a make-link type fuse, thereby improving the stability and reliability of operation.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a circuit for generating a control signal. The circuit comprises a first transistor for receiving an input signal at a gate thereof, the first transistor being connected to a first voltage, a second transistor for receiving the input signal at a gate thereof, the second transistor being connected to a second voltage, a make-link type fuse serially linked between the first and second transistors by application of energy, and a sensing circuit, connected to the make-link type fuse, for sensing whether the make-link type fuse is linked or not and for outputting a control signal based on the sensed result and the input signal. The first and second transistors are complementarily connected to turn on one of the first and second transistors in response to the input signal, thereby preventing current from flowing between the first and second transistors when the make-link type fuse is linked between the first and second transistors.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the sensing circuit preferably comprises a first inverter connected to a node connecting to the make-link type fuse, a third transistor having a gate and first and second ends, and a second inverter, connected to the first inverter, for outputting the control signal. In the third transistor, the gate receives an output signal of the first inverter, the first end is connected to the node and the second end is connected to the first voltage.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a circuit for generating a control signal. The circuit comprises a first transistor for receiving an input signal at a gate thereof, the first transistor being connected to a first voltage, a current limiter connected to a second voltage, a make-link type fuse serially linked between the first transistor and the current limiter, and a sensing circuit, connected to the make-link type fuse, for sensing whether the make-link type fuse is linked or not and for outputting a control signal based on the sensed result and the input signal.
According to further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device comprising a control signal generating circuit. The control signal generating circuit of the semiconductor device comprises a first transistor for receiving an input signal at a gate thereof, the first transistor being connected to a first voltage, a second transistor for receiving the input signal at a gate thereof, the second transistor being connected to a second voltage, a make-link type fuse serially linked between the first and second transistors, and a sensing circuit, connected to the make-link type fuse, for sensing whether the make-link type fuse is linked or not and for outputting a control signal based on the sensed result and the input signal. In an embodiment of the present invention, the control signal selects an operation mode of the semiconductor device. The first and second transistors are complementarily connected to turn on one of the first and second transistors in response to the input signal, thereby preventing current from flowing between the first and second transistors when the make-link type fuse is linked between the first and second transistors.
Advantageously, a control signal generating circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention inhibits current from flowing through a make-link type fuse to prevent unintentively making a connection. Thus, a semiconductor device comprising the control signal generating circuit can perform a stable and reliable operation. Further, since the control signal generating circuit can be configured in various ways and to realize a narrow fuse pitch, it is possible to increase the integration density of a semiconductor device. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to composite tanks.
2. Prior Art
It is known to make tanks from composite materials for various purposes. There has been considerable prior art in general for double-walled tanks for puncture resistant underground storage of environmentally hazardous chemicals, for example. There is a need for tanks and pressure vessels for the containment of fuels for aerospace and military applications. The new launch vehicles for NASA and DOD require extremely light weight hardware that is compatible with the containment of cryogenic liquid fuels and oxidizers. Long term deep space missions have even more critical and stringent storage requirements. | {
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1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a zoom lens module mounted on a portable terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable terminals, for example, personal digital assistants (PDAs) or mobile terminals, have increasingly come into wide use. These portable terminals have a high-grade camera module having a zoom function and an auto focus function according to customer's requirements.
The zoom function refers to a function in which the focal length of a lens is varied and thus the size of an image of a subject for photography produced on an image sensor is varied. Further, the auto focus function refers to a function in which a distance between a lens and an image sensor is adjusted or the curvature of the lens is varied and thus an image of a subject for photography is most clearly produced on the image sensor.
A lens module having the above-described two functions including the zoom function and the auto focus function, i.e., a zoom lens module, generally includes at least two lens groups, and adjusts a distance between the at least two lens groups, thus embodying the zoom function.
Such a zoom lens module has a structure including mechanical components, such as a gear, a screw member, and a clip member, to convert a rotary motion of a driving source into a rectilinear motion of the lens group, and a cam member to achieve the interlocking movements of the at least two lens groups.
However, the above zoom lens module has the above-described plural mechanical components to vary the distance between the respective lens groups, and thus has an increased volume and a relatively long assembly time. | {
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In order to manufacture a semiconductor device on a target substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer or an LCD substrate, film formation by deposition, such as CVD, or film formation by diffusion, such as thermal oxidation is utilized. In such semiconductor processes, a process gas is supplied while the target substrate is heated, so that a predetermined process is performed.
For example, a conventional CVD apparatus for processing semiconductor wafers one by one employs a heating body, such as a ceramic heater, incorporated in a worktable arranged in a process chamber. A plurality of lifter pins are also incorporated in the worktable, for moving each wafer up and down relative to the worktable. A shower head is disposed above the worktable, for supplying a process gas.
One wafer is transferred onto the lifter pins by a transfer arm, and mounted on the worktable by the lifter pins moving down. Then, the wafer mounted on the worktable is heated by the heating body to a predetermined process temperature. In this state, the process gas is supplied while the process chamber is exhausted, so that a thin film is formed on the wafer by deposition.
However, in the above described conventional apparatus, a certain temperature distribution is generated on the mount surface of the worktable such that it corresponds to the wiring pattern of a resistance heating wire in the ceramic heater used as the heating body. The wafer copies the temperature distribution pattern formed on the mount surface, thereby causing an unevenness in its temperature. As a result, a decrease is brought about in planar uniformity of the thickness and quality of the formed thin film.
Further, in the above described conventional apparatus, the thin film is formed continuously from the peripheral edge of the wafer to the surface of the worktable. When the wafer is pushed up from the worktable after the thin film is formed, the thin film is peeled off between the wafer W and the worktable, and generates particles.
Jpn. U.M. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 5-33535 discloses a CVD apparatus having a susceptor provided with a plurality of pins, on which a wafer is mounted while a thin film is formed. This apparatus entails a decrease in processing efficiency and a decrease in utility efficiency of processing energy, because the wafer is indirectly heated. | {
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This document relates to publication evaluation.
The Internet has enabled access to a wide variety of publications containing content, such as text, video and/or audio files related to particular subjects. Such access to these publications has likewise enabled opportunities for targeted advertising. For example, an advertiser can associate targeting keywords with the advertisement that represent the content of the advertisement. In turn, the advertisements can be presented with publications that are identified as having content that satisfies the targeting keyword, and therefore is related to the advertisement.
In some situations, targeting criteria for an advertisement can be satisfied by content that is not closely related to the content of the advertisement. For example, if an advertiser specifies a targeting keyword such as “sports” with an advertisement, the keyword may be satisfied by content that is related to any sport. If the advertisement is promoting football memorabilia, the performance of the advertisement may be significantly different when presented with content related to football relative to content related to other sports. Due to the possible wide variation in advertisement performance due to the publication with which the advertisement is presented, an advertiser may wish to pay less money for advertisements that are presented with a publication that provides lower levels of return than publications that provide higher levels of return. | {
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1. Field
The present disclosure relates to an electric connector for connecting a flat electric cable to a circuit board.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electric connectors for connecting a flat electric cable, such as a flexible flat cable, a flexible printed circuit (hereinafter referred to as an FPC) and the like, to a circuit board include an electric connector having a reinforcing member for increasing the strength in fixing the electric connector to the circuit board. In such an electric connector, not only the terminal but also the reinforcing member is soldered on the surface of the circuit board, thereby increasing the strength in fixing the electric connector on the circuit board.
Conventionally, in order to prevent a flat electric cable, such as an FPC and the like, from being removed from the electric connector, there has been proposed an electric connector having a reinforcing member formed so that the electric cable is caught thereon. For example, the electric connector described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-299554 has a plate-like reinforcing member with a lower edge to be soldered on the surface of the circuit board. The upper edge of the reinforcing member is formed with a recess on which a projecting portion, formed on a side edge of an electric cable, can be placed. With the projecting portion fitted in the recess, the electric cable is prevented from being removed. | {
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U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,705 to Gregg ostensibly discloses a synchronous drive belt with oblique and offset teeth.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,078,206 to Skura ostensibly discloses a method of forming belt teeth and reinforced positive drive belts.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,600,775 ostensibly discloses a method and apparatus for making and curing power transmission belts.
Finally, Japanese Patent No. 59-133,034 is also directed to a method of manufacturing a synchronous drive belt.
Synchronous drive belts generally comprise a resilient elastomer reinforced with a longitudinal tensile member made up of a plurality of cords of a high elastic modulus. The cords may be made from glass fiber, carbon fiber, steel, polyester, high tenacity rayon or preferably, polyamide.
The tooth surface of the belt may be reinforced with an abrasion resistant fabric, one example of which is nylon.
The elastomers may be any one of those known to be suitable for use in such belts, including polychloroprene, polyurethane, NBR, IIR, IR, SBR, CSM, EPDM, other thermosets, thermoplastic elastomers and other polymer alloys.
Typically, synchronous drive belts are manufactured by winding layers of fabric, unvulcanized elastomer and cord on a drum. The drum functions as an internal mold and may have a periphery consisting of axially oriented evenly pitched grooves. During vulcanization, the belt slab is molded by pressure exerted by an external diaphragm or autoclave which forces the slab radially inwardly against the drum periphery. After vulcanization, the belt sleeve is slid axially off the drum or mold. The sleeve is then slit transversely into individual belts in a separate operation.
The synchronous belts so formed normally have a single track of teeth extending from the belt at right angles to the belt circumference, the teeth having dimensions compatible with the grooves on the drum periphery. A simple grooved drum is utilized in the manufacture of such belts.
It is known in the art to provide synchronous belts having at least two transversely adjacent rows of teeth which are at oppositely balanced oblique angles to the direction of the belt. One such belt structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,705 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The belt structure disclosed therein provides certain advantages, especially relating to noise, which offer improvements over belts having a single track of teeth which extend at right angles to the belt circumference.
A problem encountered in the art, however, is the ability to manufacture the improved belts by a method that allows the building and vulcanization of a band having more than one belt section on an internal drum mold. The presence of the two or more tracks of teeth extending at oppositely balanced oblique angles on each belt section bars the cured belt sleeve from being slid axially off the drum mold, as is done in the prior art manufacturing method described above. Heretofore there has not been a viable method of manufacture of the improved belts.
The inventive process described herein provides a method whereby a synchronous belt having two or more tracks of teeth extending at oppositely balanced oblique angles may be advantageously manufactured in a way that is simple and effective. | {
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Light-duty trucks have grown in popularity relative to heavy-duty trucks in part because of their ability to achieve higher gas mileage. Due to the ever-increasing prices for oil and gas, the need for lighter weight and lighter duty trucks is expected to continue to grow.
Many truck owners, however, still choose to purchase a truck rather than a car because they have a need to carry loads that are less than ideal for cars to carry. For example, trucks with an open bed are more able to accommodate oddly shaped and large objects that may need to be carried when a vehicle owner moves from one residence to another. Additionally, a vehicle owner may prefer to pull a recreational vehicle such as a snowmobile or a jet ski with a truck rather than a car. A light-duty truck might be ideal for a consumer who will use the vehicle primarily as a commuter vessel, but who occasionally needs to carry loads that are less than suitable for cars.
Light-duty trucks sometimes have a physical appearance that is similar to that of a heavy duty truck. For this reason, it may be tempting for drivers of such vehicles to attempt to use light-duty trucks as though they were heavy-duty trucks on occasion. Such use can be problematic, however. For example, such use can reduce gas mileage performance of the light-duty truck. Such use can also harm the light-duty truck in many ways, including placing undue wear and tear on a suspension system and additional strain on the engine.
In presently available systems for light-duty trucks, it may be difficult for a light-duty truck driver to know when he or she has overloaded the vehicle bed or overloaded the towing capacity of the truck, or has an unbalanced load. Thus, he or she can unwittingly carry a load that is higher than that for which the truck is rated, and the load may be uneven.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a system for light-duty truck drivers so that they could readily know, when carrying a load in a truck bed or towing a trailer, whether the load is within the recommended limit for the truck or whether the recommended limit has been exceeded. It is desirable for such a system to be able to detect uneven loads. It is also desirable for such a system to be simple to manufacture, install and use. It is also desirable for such a system to be cost-effective. | {
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This invention generally relates to a desynchronizer for telecommunication signals. The invention more particularly relates to an apparatus for generating an ungapped DS-3 signal from the data component of a gapped STS-1 payload signal.
The telecommunications network servicing the Unites States and the rest of the world is presently evolving from analog transmission to digital transmission with ever-increasing bandwidth requirements. Fiber optic cable has proved to be a valuable tool of such evolution, replacing copper cable in nearly every application from large trunks to subscriber distribution plants. Fiber optic cable is capable of carrying much more information than copper with lower attenuation.
While fiber optic cable represents the future in telecommunications, presently there remains an entire telecommunications network comprised of various cable types, served by equipment of different vintages, and run according to various coexisting transmission standards. While older standards, cables, and equipment will be eventually phased out, for the time being it is necessary that all the old and new standards, equipment, and transmission lines be as compatible as possible. For example, in a wire plant, every signal should be connectable to every other signal. To achieve this, it is not enough to simply multiplex signals from lower to higher orders and vice-versa. In addition to a mux/demux function, signal format conversion operations must be performed before connectibility can be achieved. For instance, a DS-3 signal cannot simply be connected to an STS-1 signal as these signals are at different rates (51.84 MHz.+-.20 ppm for the STS-1 signal, and 44.736 MHz.+-.20 ppm for the DS-3 signal) and use different multiplexing formats. Thus, a conversion from a DS-3 signal to an STS-1 signal requires the addition of overhead bytes, stuff, control information, etc. which are accommodated in an increased data rate. Likewise, in recovering the DS-3 signal from the STS-1 signal in which it is carried, the overhead bytes, stuff, control information, etc. must be stripped out of the STS-1 signal as seen in the prior art FIG. 1, thereby producing gaps in the clock of the extracted DS-3 signal from which an ungapped slower DS-3 signal must be regenerated.
As seen in FIG. 1, for each row of ninety bytes of an STS-1 signal, three bytes of transport overhead and one byte of path overhead must be removed. Of the remaining eighty-six bytes, six bytes of fixed stuff (R) must be removed, as well as three bits of information (RCC) containing fixed stuff and stuff control, one byte of information (CCRRRRRR) containing stuff control and fixed stuff, and either seven or eight bits (CCRROORS) containing stuff control, fixed stuff and overhead communication bits. Whether seven or eight bits are removed from byte CCRROORS depends on whether the stuff opportunity bit S of the particular signal contains data or stuff. Knowledge of whether bit S is a stuff or a data signal is obtained from the stuff control signals C. Details of the STS-1 frame format and the means used to remove the overhead, stuff, and control information from the STS-1 signal are not particularly relevant to the instant invention, but may be seen with reference to prior art documents: Bellcore TR-TSY-000253; ANSI - T1.105-1988; and ANSI - Draft Proposed Technical Report T1X1/90-029. What is relevant, is that the data signal received from whatever is removing the overhead, stuff and control information of the STS-1 signal is a severely gapped data signal with a six hundred twenty-one or twenty-two data bits per row at a clock rate of 51.84 MHz.+-.20 ppm, and an average rate of 44.736 MHz.+-.20 ppm. This gapped STS-1 data payload signal is then preferably transformed into an ungapped DS-3 signal at the 44.736 MHz.+-.20 ppm rate. | {
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Printing processes require that printing inks be both fluid and capable of subsequent ready conversion to a dry, smudge-resistant film once in place on paper or another substrate. One common type of printing ink consists primarily of a pigment and a binder which are suspended or dissolved in a volatile diluent. The binder serves the purpose of adhering the pigment to the printed substrate. the diluent must subsequently be removed by allowing it to evaporate either at room temperature, or for higher printing speeds, by heating. Large amounts of heat are needed to vaporize the ink diluent, which requires that substantial quantities of fuel be consumed. Since large volumes of air must be drawn over the drying ink film to remove the diluent vapor, frequently much heat is wasted. Further, the evaporation of the ink diluent into the open atmosphere can be a source of pollution. In many instances, it is necessary or desirable to burn off or otherwise remove the solvent vapor from the drying air before discharging it to the atmosphere. Additional fuel is consumed and special equipment must be installed for this purpose.
A second common type of printing ink consists of mixtures containing oleoresinous varnishes and/or drying oils which set by air oxidation. These inks set slowly so it is necessary to take precautions to avoid set-off (transfer) or ink between printed sheets.
Inks may also be formulated which contain drying oils or the like together with some binder and volatile diluent. In the usual printing operation, heat is applied to such an ink immediately after it is printed onto the substrate. At this stage, the diluent is driven off, reducing or minimizing problems of ink set-off. However, the ink is not fully set and rub resistance is inadequate. A subsequent drying stage is necessary in which the drying oil or the like hardens, as by oxidation and/or polymerization.
While it is necessary that a printing ink set rapidly and conveniently after printing, it is equally necessary that it not set or dry on the press. Inks containing volatile components may thicken on the press as the solvent evaporates, making it difficult or impossible to control the printing process. Air oxidizing varnished, drying-oils, and the like, may thicken or gum on the press on exposure to the atmosphere. Such inks are especially inclined to "skin over" when the press is shut down during a run. An ink which is not subject to such changes while on the printing press is said to "stay open".
Ink technologists have sought to achieve inks which set rapidly with a low level of energy input to initiate setting, which do not release polluting materials to the atmosphere, and which stay open to on press, while at the same time meeting the physical and mechanical requirements of the printing process. Much attention has been directed to highly chemically reactive formulations. After printing, such inks are set by polymerization and/or cross-linking which is initiated by heat or radiation. A typical chemically reactive system contains polyfunctional acrylate esters (often in combination with other unsaturated materials), one or more ultraviolet photoinitiators, pigment and a variety of secondary components to control ink physical properties. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,640 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,942, both to Buckwalter. In normal use, such inks are printed on presses equipped with ultraviolet lamps which expose the film on the paper or other substrate immediately after printing. The inks set rapidly and with essentially no emission of polluting materials. Inks based on such highly reactive materials, however, have limited storage stability. The acrylates and other reactive materials in common use have been found to be chemically incompatible with some pigments which are desirable in printing inks. They present toxicity hazards, or are dangerous eye irritants, and are frequently skin sensitizers. When the inks are designed to be set by an ultraviolet light initiated reaction, the ultraviolet radiation itself and the high voltages necessary to power the ultraviolet lamps are additional health and safety hazards.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,024,213 to Ludlow discloses a heat drying ink vehicle based on polyvinyl chloride plastisols, more particularly finely divided polyvinyl chloride polymer dispersed in liquid plasticizers, all of which have low viscosity and solubility parameters closely matched to polyvinyl chloride, and containing a compatible thermoplastic resinous binder to increase ink cohesion and tack. Further improvements in inks based on polyvinyl chloride and vinyl chloride copolymer plastisols are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,724 to Budzinski. These inks are set by applying heat which causes the liquid plasticizers and polyvinyl chloride or vinyl chloride copolymer to co-dissolve. Thus, such polyvinyl chloride plastisol-based inks are readily heat-settable without significant release of volatile materials to the atmosphere. These inks, however, do not have good press running characteristics. Undesirable build-up of material on the blanket of lithographic offset presses occurs when polyvinyl chloride plastisol inks are used. Further, both Ludlow and Budzinski require the use of at least one plasticizer in such polyvinyl chloride plastisol inks. Such plasticizers may, as Ludlow discloses, damage ordinary natural rubber rolls on printing presses. It is thus necessary that ink rolls of polyurethane rubber or other plasticizer resistant compositions be used. | {
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The present invention relates generally to inductive heating. More particularly, the invention provides a technique for variable frequency, variable duty cycle inductive heating.
A resonant power converter converts the current or voltage available from an electrical power source into a predetermined current or voltage. Applications of resonant power converters include inductive heating and cooking. Power converter output power is determined by the control voltage, xcexdc, applied to the power converter.
Power converter output power is maximum when the switching frequency of xcexdc equals the resonant frequency of the power converter. Increasing the switching frequency above the resonant frequency enables zero voltage switching; however, it also lowers power converter output power. Conversely, decreasing the switching frequency limits power converter output power range. For applications such as inductive heaters and stoves, switching frequency must be limited to a certain range to achieve the desired heating depth.
FIG. 1 illustrates, in block diagram form, a prior power converter controller, which generates a control voltage, or voltages, in response to a power setting. Typically, three power settings are available: high, medium, and low. FIG. 2A illustrates prior art complementary control signals xcexdc1 and xcexdc2 generated in response to the high power setting; FIG. 2B illustrates prior art complementary control signals xcexdc1 and xcexdc2 generated in response to the medium power setting; and FIG. 2C illustrates prior art complementary control signals xcexdc1 and xcexdc2 generated in response to the low power setting. FIG. 2A reveals that the control voltages associated with the high power setting have a maximum switching period, TH, and the lowest switching frequency. FIG. 2B shows that the control voltages associated with the medium power setting have a higher switching frequency. FIG. 2C shows that the control voltages associated with the lower power setting alternate between periods of medium setting switching and long periods of no switching; i.e., long periods in which both xcexdc1 and xcexdc2 are held at the same voltage level. Consequently, the low power setting does not produce a continuous power level, but rather a pulsating power level that may annoy users and produce poor cooking quality.
Typically, a controller for a resonant power converter uses some type of modulation: frequency modulation, phase-shift modulation, pulse-width modulation or phase-angle modulation. Perhaps the most popular of these is pulse-width modulation. However, its application is limited because its reduced conduction period prevents balancing of the energy in the resonant inductive and capacitive components, thereby making it difficult to achieve zero voltage switching. Phase-shift modulation can be used only with full-bridge resonant power converters. The zero voltage switching range available using pulse-width modulation is slightly larger than that available with pulse-width modulation; however, the conduction losses associated with phase-shift modulation are greater than those of pulse-width modulation. This is due to the additional circulating energy during phase shifting. Frequency modulation is widely used because it permits zero voltage switching over a wide frequency range. Unfortunately, frequency modulated control limits power converter output power. Phase angle modulation ensures zero voltage switching by maintaining a fixed phase angle between the output voltage and current. Phase angle modulated control also limits power converter output power.
Thus, a need exists for a controller for a resonant power converter that supports both a wide-range output power and a limited switching frequency range. Such a power converter controller would provide both the heating depth necessary for inductive heating and cooking. In addition, such a power converter controller would provide zero voltage switching.
The inductive heat source of the present invention possesses a wide-range output power and a limited switching frequency range. The inductive heat source of the present invention is efficient because of zero-voltage switching and has the heating depth necessary for inductive cooking. The inductive heat source includes a variable frequency, variable duty cycle controller, a resonant power converter and an inductive coil. The controller generates a variable frequency, variable duty cycle control voltage in response to a power setting. The variable duty cycle of the control voltage decreases in response to an increase in the variable frequency of the control voltage. In response to the control voltage, the resonant power converter generates an output power between a first node and a second node. Coupled between the first and second nodes, the induction coil varies the amount of heat it produces in response to the output power.
The method of inductive heating of the present invention includes three steps. First, in response to a power setting a control voltage is generated that has a variable frequency and a variable duty cycle, which decreases in response to an increase in the variable frequency. Second, output power is generated in response to the control voltage. Third, an amount of heat is produced that depends upon a value of the output power. | {
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The invention relates to a method and to a system intended for drilling and cleaning operations in underground working wells or for bringing in operations in the case of a reservoir. In the method, circulation between the ground surface and the well bottom and return to the surface are performed from a string of pipes lowered into the well. The foam is generally injected through the inside of the pipes and it returns through the annular space defined by the pipes and the walls of the well. The fluid in the form of foam carries the cuttings along to the surface, thus cleaning the wall face. This technique, referred to as foam drilling, is well-known and has notably the advantage of not generating too high a bottomhole pressure thanks to the low density of the foam. However, the main drawback of this technique is that it does not allow ready recycling of the foaming solution, in view of the products initially brought into solution to stabilize the foam after stirring and gas injection. <<Breaking >> of the foam is the basic problem if one wishes to recover most of the foaming products for repeated use, or if the environment conditions do not allow spreading of the volume of foam returning from the well.
Document WO-94/17,154 proposes using an amphoteric foaming agent combined with surfactants as the base for a stable foaming composition. The foam is broken by a suitable variation of the pH value of the foam. If the foam is basic, it is broken by decreasing the pH value at least below 4, and if the foam is acid, it is broken by raising the pH value at least above 9.5. | {
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(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera. More particularly, it relates to a camera with automatic focus and exposure (AF and AE) control means and improved operability and exposure performance.
(2) Description of the Related Arts
Cameras with AF and AE control means are extensively known.
Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 53-148638, entitled "a control apparatus of a camera" and published on Nov. 12, 1978, discloses a camera in which light-measured data is stored in a memory immediately before a mirror-up operation is effected in a one-shot AF mode wherein the exposure is controlled on the basis of spot metering (spot light measuring) data. The AF operation is stopped when an objective lens (or taking lens) reaches an in-focus position defined by the relationship between a focus position of the lens and a position of an object to be photographed against the lens. Simultaneously, the spot metering data is stored in another memory by activating a switch other than that for storing the above light-measured data. Upon operation of the shutter release, the exposure control is effected on the basis of the stored spot metering data. In this camera, the exposure can be controlled with the spot metering data or with the averaged light measuring data, and thus, the exposure control may be effected on the basis of the latest light-measured data, either the spot metering data or the averaged light measuring data, at a time immediately before the shutter release operation after the focusing operation of the object lens is completed.
However, the above camera does not have a continuous AF function as provided in the present invention, but has a feature wherein the AF operation is restarted if the lens moves out of the in-focus position after the lens was once fixed (locked) at the in-focus position. In this case, the previous in-focus operation must be released and a new in-focus operation carried out. Accordingly, the above camera has disadvantages involving manual operability and speed.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 58-120225, entitled "camera" and published on July 18, 1983, discloses a camera having a one-shot AF mode and a servo AF mode. In the one-shot AF mode, the exposure control is effected on the basis of the averaged light-measuring data stored in a memory by the shutter release operation after fixing the lens at the in-focus position. In the servo AF mode, the exposure control is effected on the basis of the spot metering data. Upon pushing down the release button to a first stage, the lens is fixed regardless of whether the lens is in or out of the in-focus position, and the spot metering data is stored. The exposure control is effected on the basis of the stored spot metering data when the release button is pushed down to a second stage. Namely, the averaged light-measuring data in the one-shot AF mode and the spot metering data in the servo AF mode are unconditionally used
This type of camera has the disadvantages of insufficient exposure control and low operability. In the one-shot AF mode, the spot metering data against a main object to be photographed may not provide sufficient exposure. On the other hand, in the servo AF mode, when the main object, for example, a moving car, moves out the spot metering area after the averaged light-measuring data has been stored, a large illuminance (brightness) difference between the stored data used for calculating the exposure and a current light data may exist, and accordingly, the picture taken may be insufficiently exposed. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving mechanism for moving an object.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years, a small electronic device (for example, a cellular phone) to which an image capturing function is added by mounting a micro camera unit (MCU) is being spread rapidly. With the spread, a driving apparatus used for an AF mechanism or a zoom mechanism for the MCU is being downsized.
There is a driving apparatus using MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) manufactured by the semiconductor microfabrication technique to realize downsizing. For example, in Katsuo Kurabayashi “MEMS application (4) Formation of “polymer MEMS” on Si and application to biotechnology and optical technology by utilizing flexibility and transparency”, NIKKEI MICRODEVICES, May 2005, No. 239, pp. 71-76, a driving apparatus for driving a member-to-be-driven (a lens in this case) made of PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) in a perpendicular direction as an application example of polymer resin (polymer) MEMS is proposed.
The number of parts constructing such a driving apparatus is about 20, and the number of parts connecting those parts is also about 20. As the driving apparatus is becoming smaller, it becomes difficult to connect the parts with high precision, and there is a problem such that an assembly error occurs. | {
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Dispense systems for semiconductor manufacturing applications are designed to dispense a precise amount of fluid on a wafer. In one-phase systems, fluid is dispensed to a wafer from a dispense pump through a filter. In two-phase systems, fluid is filtered in a filtering phase before entering a dispense pump. The fluid is then dispensed directly to the wafer in a dispense phase.
In either case, the dispense pump typically has a chamber storing a particular volume of fluid and a movable diaphragm to push fluid from the chamber. Prior to dispense, the diaphragm is typically positioned so that the maximum volume of the chamber is utilized regardless of the volume of fluid required for a dispense operation. Thus, for example, in a 10 mL dispense pump, the chamber will store 10.5 mL or 11 mL of fluid even if each dispense only requires 3 mL of fluid (a 10 mL dispense pump will have a slightly larger chamber to ensure there is enough fluid to complete the maximum anticipated dispense of 10 mL). For each dispense cycle, the chamber will be filled to its maximum capacity (e.g., 10.5 mL or 11 mL, depending on the pump). This means that for a 3 mL dispense there is at least 7.5 mL “hold-up” volume (e.g., in a pump having a 10.5 mL chamber) of fluid that is not used for a dispense.
In two-phase dispense systems the hold-up volume increases because the two-phase systems utilize a feed pump that has a hold-up volume. If the feed pump also has a 10.5 mL capacity, but only needs to provide 3 mL of fluid to the dispense pump for each dispense operation, the feed pump will also have a 7.5 mL unused hold-up volume, leading, in this example, to a 15 mL of unused hold-up volume for the dispense system as a whole.
The hold-up volume presents several issues. One issue is that extra chemical waste is generated. When the dispense system is initially primed, excess fluid than what is used for the dispense operations is required to fill the extra volume at the dispense pump and/or feed pump. The hold-up volume also generates waste when flushing out the dispense system. The problem of chemical waste is exacerbated as hold-up volume increases.
A second issue with a hold-up volume is that fluid stagnation takes place. Chemicals have the opportunity to gel, crystallize, degas, separate etc. Again, these problems are made worse with a larger hold-up volume especially in low dispense volume applications. Stagnation of fluid can have deleterious effects on a dispense operation.
Systems with large hold-up volumes present further shortcomings with respect to testing new chemicals in a semiconductor manufacturing process. Because many semiconductor manufacturing process chemicals are expensive (e.g., thousands of dollars a liter), new chemicals are tested on wafers in small batches. Because semiconductor manufacturers do not wish to waste the hold-up volume of fluid and associated cost by running test dispenses using a multi-stage pump, they have resorted to dispensing small amounts of test chemicals using a syringe, for example. This is an inaccurate, time consuming and potentially dangerous process that is not representative of the actual dispense process. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an electronic device and, more particularly, to a semiconductor memory device and a program method thereof.
A semiconductor memory device is a storage device that is realized using semiconductor such as silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), gallium arsenide (GaAs), or indium phosphide (InP). Semiconductor memory devices are classified into volatile memory devices and nonvolatile memory devices.
A volatile memory device is a memory device that loses its stored data when power supply is off. The volatile memory device may include a static random access memory (SRAM) device, a dynamic RAM (DRAM) device, a synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) device, or the like. A non-volatile memory device is a memory device that retains its stored data even when not powered. The non-volatile memory may include a read only memory (ROM) device, a programmable ROM (PROM) device, an electrically programmable ROM (EPROM) device, an electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM) device, a flash memory device, a phase-change RAM (PRAM) device, a magnetic RAM (MRAM) device, a resistive RAM (RRAM) device, a ferroelectric RAM (FRAM) device, or the like. The flash memory device is classified into a NOR type and a NAND type.
During program of a semiconductor memory device, a verify operation and a program operation may be repeated. When each of the verify operation and the program operation is performed, corresponding voltages are applied to word lines coupled to a memory cell array. In order to change voltage levels of the corresponding voltages to desired voltage levels in each of the verify operation and the program operation, precharge and discharge operations need to be performed during the program of the semiconductor memory device, and thus a predetermined amount of time is required to perform the precharge and discharge operations. As a result, as a time taken to perform the precharge and discharge operations increases, a program speed of the semiconductor memory device may increase. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Magnetic recording media are extensively used as sound-recording tapes, video tapes, floppy disks, etc. Such the magnetic recording media comprise a nonmagnetic support having thereon a magnetic layer comprising ferromagnetic particles dispersed in a binder.
Magnetic recording media are required to have a high level of properties such as electromagnetic characteristics, running durability, and running property. That is, audio tapes for music recording/reproduction are required to have a higher degree of the ability for reproducing original sounds. Video tapes are required to have excellent electromagnetic characteristics (e.g., excellent ability for reproducing original images).
Magnetic recording media are thus required to have satisfactory running durability as stated above, simultaneously with such the-excellent electromagnetic characteristics. In order to obtain satisfactory running durability, the magnetic layer generally contains an abrasive material and a lubricant.
However, in order to obtain excellent running durability with an abrasive material, the addition amount thereof should be increased to some degree, and this results in a reduced packing density of ferromagnetic particles in the magnetic layer. In the case of employing an abrasive material having a large particle diameter in order to obtain excellent running durability, the magnetic layer tends to have abrasive material particles excessively projected from the magnetic layer surface. There is hence a problem that an improvement of running durability due to an abrasive material frequently results in deteriorated electromagnetic characteristics.
In the case of using a lubricant for improving running property as well as running durability, the addition amount thereof should be increased. However, the magnetic layer is apt to be more plasticized by the increased lubricant amount and this tends to reduce the durability of the magnetic layer.
It is a matter of course that the binder as one of the main components of a magnetic layer also plays an important role in improving durability and electromagnetic characteristics. The conventionally employed binder resins such as vinyl chloride resins, cellulosic resins, urethane resins, and acrylic resins have a problem that the magnetic layers containing these resins have poor abrasion resistance to contaminate members for magnetic-tape running such as guide rolls or guide poles.
A technique which is employed for improving the above problem is to use a hard binder to form a magnetic layer having a heightened hardness.
For example, a magnetic recording medium employing a binder comprising a polyester polyurethane resin or a polycarbonate polyurethane resin is described in JP-A-6-96437. (The term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application".) Although urethanes having a urethane group content of 2 to 4 mmol/g are used in the examples of JP-A-6-96437, the content of a long-chain diol is not described therein and the content of OH groups is also unclear. In JP-B-6-19821 is described a magnetic recording medium employing a binder containing a urethane-urea having a total content of urethane and urea of 1.8 to 3.0 mmol/g. (The term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined Japanese patent publication".) The polyurethane resin obtained in a resin synthesis example of JP-B-6-19821 has a long-chain diol content of 61% by weight, has a high urethane bond concentration, and excellent durability. However, the polyurethane resin gives a coating solution which has an increased viscosity and thereby has a reduced dispersibility, resulting in reduced electromagnetic characteristics.
Magnetic recording media employing as a binder a polyurethane resin formed by using a short-chain diol having a cyclic structure have been proposed. In JP-A-61-148626 is disclosed use of a polyester polyol containing 20% of bisphenol A. Although the urethane shown in the example of JP-A-61-148626 has a bisphenol A content of 13% by weight and a polyol content of 69% by weight, the dispersibility is low because the cyclic structure therein reduces solubility in solvents. In JP-A-1-251416 is described a polyurethane produced by using bisphenol A, which is a short-chain diol having a cyclic structure, as a chain extender and as a starting material for a polycarbonate polyol. Although the polyurethane shown in the example of JP-A-1-251416 has a bisphenol A content of 16% by weight and a polyol content of 63% by weight, it also has a problem that the dispersibility is low because the cyclic structure reduces solubility in solvents. In JP-B-7-21851 is described the use of a lactone-modified polyol containing bisphenol S. Although the polyurethane shown in the example of JP-B-7-21851 has a polyol content of 52% by weight and a bisphenol S content of 13% by weight, it has the same problem because of the cyclic structure having therein.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,071 is described use of a polyurethane resin containing a polyether polyol having a cyclic structure and comprises as a diol an ethylene oxide or propylene oxide adduct of bisphenol A or hydrogenated bisphenol A (molecular weight: 250-3,000). However, the polyurethanes shown in the examples of U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,071 each has a polyol content of 70% by weight or higher and an ether content of 8 mmol/g or higher and hence gives a coating film which is too soft and has impaired durability to cause head stain, etc.
In JP-A-61-190717 is described use of a polyurethane resin produced by using a poly(tetramethylene glycol) and a polycaprolactone polyol. However, since the polyurethanes shown in the examples of JP-A-61-190717 each has a polyol content of 70% by weight or higher, these polyurethanes also give coating films which are too soft and have impaired durability to cause head stain, etc.
In JP-B-6-64726 is described a polyurethane resin obtained by reacting an isocyanate-terminated prepolymer with a branched polyester polyol. However, the polyurethane shown in the synthesis example of JP-B-6-64726 has an OH group content of 8.2.times.10.sup.-5 eq/g and gives a solution which has an increased viscosity and is thereby reduced in the dispersibility. Furthermore, due to use of a branched polyol, the resin has a reduced strength, resulting, for example, in impaired suitability for repetitions of running.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,404 is described a magnetic recording medium employing a binder produced from a compound having at least one OH group at both terminals and a polyisocyanate. However, there is in U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,404 only a description that a polyester polyol is used. The resin described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,404 has a reduced strength due to the branched polyester polyol, resulting, for example, in impaired suitability for repetitions of running.
In JP-A-62-82510 is described a binder comprising a polyurethane resin in which the number of molecular terminals in a main chain and branches, is 3 or more on the average and at least two terminals have a primary hydroxyl group. Although the polyurethane resins shown in the examples of JP-A-62-82510 are produced by using a polyester polyol, the resins are insufficient in strength, suitability for repetitions of running, etc.
As described above, according to the prior art references described above, the polyurethane resins and polyurethane-urea resins used as binders for magnetic recording media are generally produced by using a long-chain diol having a hydrophilic segment, such as a polyester, polyether, or polycarbonate. The polyurethane resins shown in the examples given in those references each has a long-chain diol content of 25% by mole or higher.
However, since the polyurethane resins and polyurethane-urea resins described above each has a hydrophilic segment, the affinity thereof for organic solvents is reduced and the hydrophilic polar groups are apt to cause aggregation. As a result, the extension of molecular chains in organic solvents tends to be reduced. Thus, the hydrophilic segments function to reduce the dispersibility of fine ferromagnetic particles.
When used for producing polyesters, the long-chain diols having a hydrophilic segment have a problem that the ester groups are susceptible to hydrolysis to impair storage stability. When used for producing polyethers, those long-chain diols give polyethers which have a low T.sub.g, are too soft, and have low strength, such as those produced from poly(tetramethylene ether glycol), poly(propylene glycol), or poly(ethylene glycol).
A magnetic recording medium is well-known which has a magnetic layer formed on a nonmagnetic layer to thereby have a reduced magnetic-layer thickness. For attaining higher-density recording, it has become necessary to form a magnetic layer having a smaller thickness and containing even finer ferromagnetic metal particles. In addition, the surface properties of the nonmagnetic layer itself on which a thin magnetic layer is formed are coming to exert greater influences on the surface properties of the magnetic layer. Although an attempt was made to improve the surface properties of a nonmagnetic layer by using nonmagnetic particles having a reduced particle size, this technique has a problem that such fine nonmagnetic particles have reduced dispersibility like ferromagnetic metal particles and this leads to impaired surface properties. In the case where a suitable kind of binder is selected for ensuring the dispersibility of nonmagnetic particles, there is a problem that the binder is insufficient in the strength necessary for holding the nonmagnetic particles and, as a result, the nonmagnetic layer peels off at the tape edges. In the case where soft magnetic particles are used with any of the conventional binders to form a lower layer for improving the electromagnetic characteristics of the magnetic layer to be formed thereon, the soft magnetic particles show insufficient dispersibility due to the magnetically attractive force among the particles to pose the same problem as the above.
As described above, a binder in which nonmagnetic particles and soft magnetic particles have excellent dispersibility and which has both of excellent hardness (i.e., a high T.sub.g and a high Young's modulus) and toughness (elongation) and has excellent durability is desired. However, any of the polyurethane resins described above is unable to sufficiently meet these requirements. Any person skilled in the art has failed to find out a binder capable of satisfying those requirements and optimum nonmagnetic-particle conditions suitable for the binder. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The search for new therapeutic agents has been greatly aided in recent years by a better understanding of the structure of enzymes and other biomolecules associated with diseases. One important class of enzymes that has been the subject of intensive study is protein kinases. Protein kinases constitute a large family of structurally related enzymes that are responsible for the control of a variety of signal transduction processes within the cell (see Hardie, G. et al., The Protein Kinase Facts Book, I and II, Academic Press, San Diego, Calif.: 1995). Protein kinases are thought to have evolved from a common ancestral gene due to the conservation of their structure and catalytic function. Almost all kinases contain a similar 250-300 amino acid catalytic domain. The kinases may be categorized into families by the substrates they phosphorylate (e.g., protein-tyrosine, protein-serine/threonine, lipids etc). Sequence motifs have been identified that generally correspond to each of these kinase families (see, e.g., Hanks, S. K., Hunter, T., FASEB J., 1995, 9, 576-596; Knighton et al., Science, 1991, 253, 407-414; Hiles et al, Cell, 1992, 70, 419-429; Kunz et al, Cell, 1993, 73, 585-596; Garcia-Bustos et. al., EMBO J., 1994, 13, 2352-2361).
In general, protein kinases mediate intracellular signaling by effecting a phosphoryl transfer from a nucleoside triphosphate to a protein acceptor that is involved in a signaling pathway. These phosphorylation events act as molecular on/off switches that can modulate or regulate the target protein biological function. These phosphorylation events are ultimately triggered in response to a variety of extracellular and other stimuli. Examples of such stimuli include environmental and chemical stress signals (e.g., shock, heat shock, ultraviolet radiation, bacterial endotoxin, and H2O2), cytokines (e.g., interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a), and growth factors (e.g., granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and fibroblast growth factor (FGF)). An extracellular stimulus may affect one or more cellular responses related to cell growth, migration, differentiation, secretion of hormones, activation of transcription factors, muscle contraction, glucose metabolism, control of protein synthesis, survival and regulation of the cell cycle.
Many diseases are associated with abnormal cellular responses triggered by protein kinase-mediated events as described above. These diseases include, but are not limited to, cancer, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases, bone diseases, metabolic diseases, neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, allergies and asthma, Alzheimer's disease and hormone related diseases. Accordingly, there has been a substantial effort in medicinal chemistry to find protein kinase inhibitors that are effective as therapeutic agents.
The Polo-like kinases (PLK) belong to a family of serine/threonine kinases that are highly conserved across the species, ranging from yeast to man (reviewed in Lowery, D. M. et al., Oncogene, 2005, 24; 248-259). The PLK kinases have multiple roles in cell cycle, including control of entry into and progression through mitosis.
PLK1 is the best characterized of the PLK family members. PLK1 is widely expressed and is most abundant in tissues with a high mitotic index. Protein levels of PLK1 rise and peak in mitosis (Hamanaka, R. et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1995, 270, 21086-21091). The reported substrates of PLK1 are all molecules that are known to regulate entry and progression through mitosis, and include CDC25C, cyclin B, p53, APC, BRCA2 and the proteasome. PLK1 is upregulated in multiple cancer types and the expression levels correlate with severity of disease (Macmillan, J C et al., Ann. Surg. Oncol., 2001, 8, 729-740). PLK1 is an oncogene and can transform NIH-3T3 cells (Smith, M. R. et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 1997, 234, 397-405). Depletion or inhibition of PLK1 by siRNA, antisense, microinjection of antibodies, or transfection of a dominant negative construct of PLK1 into cells, reduces proliferation and viability of tumour cells in vitro (Guan, R. et al., Cancer Res., 2005, 65, 2698-2704; Liu, X. et al., Proc. Nat'l. Acad. Sci. USA, 2003, 100, 5789-5794; Fan, Y. et al., World J. Gastroenterol., 2005, 11, 4596-4599; Lane, H. A. et al., J. Cell Biol 1996, 135, 1701-1713; Wada, M. et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 2007, 357(2): 353-359; Rizki, A. et al., Cancer Res., 2007, 67 (23): 11106-11100). Tumour cells that have been depleted of PLK1 have activated spindle checkpoints and defects in spindle formation, chromosome alignment and separation and cytokinesis. Loss in viability has been reported to be the result of an induction of apoptosis. In contrast, normal cells have been reported to maintain viability on depletion of PLK1. In vivo knock down of PLK1 by siRNA or the use of dominant negative constructs leads to growth inhibition or regression of tumours in xenograft models.
PLK2 is mainly expressed during the G1 phase of the cell cycle and is localized to the centrosome in interphase cells. PLK2 knockout mice develop normally, are fertile and have normal survival rates, but are around 20% smaller than wild type mice. Cells from knockout animals progress through the cell cycle more slowly than in normal mice (Ma, S. et al., Mol. Cell Biol., 2003, 23, 6936-6943). Depletion of PLK2 by siRNA or transfection of kinase inactive mutants into cells blocks centriole duplication. Downregulation of PLK2 also sensitizes tumour cells to taxol and promotes mitotic catastrophe, in part by suppression of the p53 response (Burns, T. F. et al., Mol. Cell Biol., 2003, 23, 5556-5571).
PLK3 is expressed throughout the cell cycle and increases from G1 to mitosis. Expression is upregulated in highly proliferating ovarian tumours and breast cancer and is associated with a worse prognosis (Weichert, W. et al., Br. J. Cancer, 2004, 90, 815-821; Weichert, W et al., Virchows. Arch., 2005, 446, 442-450). In addition to regulation of mitosis, PLK3 is believed to be involved in Golgi fragmentation during the cell cycle and in the DNA-damage response. Inhibition of PLK3 by dominant negative expression is reported to promote p53-independent apoptosis after DNA damage and suppresses colony formation by tumour cells (Li, Z. et. al., J. Biol. Chem., 2005, 280, 16843-16850).
PLK4 is structurally more diverse from the other PLK family members. Depletion of this kinase causes apoptosis in cancer cells (Li, J. et. al., Neoplasia, 2005, 7, 312-323). PLK4 knockout mice arrest at E7.5 with a high fraction of cells in mitosis and partly segregated chromosomes (Hudson, J. W. et. al., Current Biology, 2001, 11, 441-446).
Molecules of the protein kinase family have been implicated in tumour cell growth, proliferation and survival. Accordingly, there is a great need to develop compounds useful as inhibitors of protein kinases. The evidence implicating the PLK kinases as essential for cell division is strong. Blockade of the cell cycle is a clinically validated approach to inhibiting tumour cell proliferation and viability. It would therefore be desirable to develop compounds that are useful as inhibitors of the PLK family of protein kinases (e.g., PLK1, PLK2, PLK3 and PLK4), that would inhibit proliferation and reduce viability of tumour cells, particularly as there is a strong medical need to develop new treatments for cancer. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Machines for filling containers with liquid products are currently available which comprise a rotating carousel, which is provided with a plurality of filling stations, each whereof comprises a faucet for dispensing the product to a container supported in an underlying position, and is further provided with means which ensure the exact dosage of the product in the container, such as a load cell or a flowmeter.
Machines comprising a tank for containing the product, fitted on the rotating carousel and provided with dispensing faucets at the bottom, are very common, and there is also a different type of such machines in which the product is fed to the individual faucets by conveyance from a manifold which is located on board the carousel and in turn is fed by means of a line provided with a pump.
Certain products are fed hot into the filling machines and must not undergo temperature drops during flow through such machines, in order to avoid losing required organic and fluidity properties, as is the case for cheeses.
The background art currently does not have satisfactory solutions, and therefore the aim of the present invention is to provide a filling machine which ensures that the product that is introduced hot into such machine maintains its temperature. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Diamond is the hardest substance among the solid substances existing on the earth, electrically constitutes an insulating material whose heat conduction rate is highest at 30.degree. to 650.degree. C. (e.g., about five times that of copper), and is optically excellent in light transmission over a wide range extending from the ultraviolet region to the infrared region except a part of the infrared region.
Also, it is known that the doping of specific impurities causes the diamond to exhibit semi-conductor characteristics.
Due to such excellent properties useful in the many field of applications, the diamond is used as diamond paste, cutter, etc., by utilizing its hardness, for example. However, from the practical point of view the diamond has not been used in the technical field of electronic devices due to the fact that its synthetic method solely has recourse to the high-pressure process thus making it impossible to produce thin plate shaped diamond.
However, owing to the fact that the diamond has a wide band gap, if it is possible to produce a thin diamond film of the p-type or n-type semi-conductor by the doping of the proper impurities, they may be used as thermally stable materials, more particularly as materials suitable, for example, for the window member of solar cells and a high temperature operating semi-conductor in place of the existing semiconductor devices mainly composed of Si, GaAs and other materials which are limited in operating temperature. Moreover, the thin diamond film is expected as the most promising material for the passivation film of GaAs which is presently looked for earnestly.
In order to provide materials which meet these needs, various production methods of the artificial diamond-like thin film from the vapor phase have recently been studied and all of these method employing CVD methods (chemical vapor deposition method) have been said to be capable of producing the thin film by the plasma arc decomposition of a raw gas consisting of a mixed gas of a hydrocarbon such as methane or ethane and hydrogen or by the thermal decomposition of such raw gas on a tungsten filament heated to about 2000.degree. C. or over.
However, these methods involve extremely difficult factors from the standpoints of conditions, efficiency, etc., and also the industrialization of these methods, setting aside their use on a laboratory scale, is difficult in consideration of the cost and other factors. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to refrigeration systems and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for producing a soft, pliable CO.sub.2 snow and accurately delivering the same to a point of end use as an expendable refrigerant.
In order to economically transport refrigerated food products such as meat, it has been found necessary to cool such products to a temperature just above freezing upon completion of slaughtering and trimming operations. In-transport cooling requires bulky and expensive refrigeration equipment and consumes undue periods of time and power to adequately refrigerate food products. Such cooling delays have the deleterious effect of enabling the growth of bacteria which, of course, results in increased spoilage, and consequently complete reliance on intransport cooling of food products is clearly uneconomical. Accordingly, refrigerated transport systems are typically designed so as to maintain previously chilled food products at a desired temperature by merely compensating for heat leakage into the transport vehicle or container.
In the past, various techniques for chilling food products such as slaughtered and trimmed meat have been utilized. One such technique is commonly referred to as a "community bath" which is extensively utilized for chilling dressed fowl, such as chickens. Chilling is accomplished by immersing a dressed fowl in an ice water bath for a predetermined period of time. In recent years, however, it has become apparent that this chilling technique suffers from certain disadvantages. More specifically, the spread of bacteria from one contaminated fowl to other fowl being chilled in the bath has been found to occur through the medium of the chilled or ice water bath. Accordingly, the contamination of a plurality of fowl in a bath is deleterious and hence, a clear need for economical chilling of processed food products, while avoiding contamination of a multiplicity of such products, exists. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to a charge control microcomputer device for a vehicle, in which, in order to drive the charging generator of a vehicle or the like within an optimum, predetermined range of r.p.m., a clutch device is arranged between the generator and the engine driving the generator, the predetemined value of a voltage regulator for controlling the output voltage of the generator is externally set, system failures are detected according to data received from various points in the charge system, and the results of such fault detection are displayed.
In general, in a conventional device of this type, the output of a charging generator driven by an internal combustion engine of a vehicle or the like is controlled to a predetermined value by a voltage regulator installed together with the generator, so as to charge the battery on the vehicle. However, the conventional device suffers from a drawback in that, in the case where the predetermined value is controlled during acceleration or deceleration of the engine to thereby control the output of the generator, which is a mechanical load of the engine, it is difficult to externally control the output.
Furthermore, the conventional device is disadvantageous in that the occurrence of faults in the charge system, such as, for instance, when the charging generator generates no power or is not controlled at all, and when the first rectifier output terminal is disconnected, cannot be detected or displayed.
A conventional charging generator generally employs a driving system such that the generator is driven, with a certain speed change ratio, through a belt or the like by the internal combustion engine of the vehicle. However, such a system is disadvantageous in that the output current and efficiency of the charging generator vary with the speed of the engine, so that the output current may be insufficient in the low speed operating range of the engine, and saturated at high speed operation, thus increasing the power loss and inefficiency of the system. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In order to improve their game, golfers often customize their equipment to fit their particular swing. In the absence of a convenient way to make shafts and club heads interchangeable, a store or a business offering custom fitting must either have a large number of clubs with specific characteristics, or must change a particular club using a complicated disassembly and reassembly process. If, for example, a golfer wants to try a golf club shaft with different flex characteristics, or use a club head with a different mass, center of gravity, or moment of inertia, in the past it has not been practical to make such changes. Golf equipment manufacturers have been increasing the variety of clubs available to golfers. For example, a particular model of golf club may be offered in several different loft angles and lie angles to suit a particular golfer's needs. In addition, golfers can choose shafts, whether metal or graphite, and adjust the length of the shaft to suit their swing. Recently, golf clubs have emerged that allow shaft and club head components, such as adjustable weights, to be interchanged to facilitate this customization process.
One example is U.S. Pat. No. 3,524,646 to Wheeler for a Golf Club Assembly. The Wheeler patent discloses a putter having a grip and a putter head, both of which are detachable from a shaft. Fastening members, provided on the upper and lower ends of the shaft, have internal threads, which engage the external threads provided on both the lower end of the grip and the upper end of the putter head shank to secure these components to the shaft. The lower portion of the shaft further includes a flange, which contacts the upper end of the putter head shank, when the putter head is coupled to the shaft. This design produces an unaesthetic bulge at the top of the shaft and another unaesthetic bulge at the bottom of the shaft.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,782 to Wu et al. for Equipment for Playing Golf. The Wu patent discloses a set of equipment for playing golf that includes a length adjustable shaft and a plurality of club heads that are designed for easy assembly and disassembly. A connecting rod is inserted into an end of the shaft and a pin retains the connecting rod within the shaft. A locking portion of the connecting rod is configured to extend into the neck of a club head and through a slot in the neck. After the locking portion is extended through the slot, the connecting rod is rotated relative to the club head so that the components are locked together. The neck also includes sloping end surfaces that are configured to guide the ends of pin to adjacent stop surfaces during the relative rotation between the connecting rod and the club head.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,059 to Morell for a Golf Club Having Removable Head. The Morell patent discloses a putter golf club including a releasable golf club head and an elongated golf club shaft. The club head hosel has a plug containing a threaded axial bore. A threaded rod is retained on the connector portion of the shaft, and is threaded into the axial bore of the plug of the club head for operatively connecting the shaft to the head.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,442 to Walker for Golf Clubs with Quick Release Heads. The Walker patent discloses a golf club in which the club head is secured to the shaft by a coupling rod and a quick release pin. The upper end of the coupling rod has external threads that engage the internal threads formed in the lower portion of the shaft. The lower end of the coupling rod, which is inserted into the hosel of the club head, has diametric apertures that align with diametric apertures in the hosel to receive the quick release pin.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,901 to Barron et al. for a Releasable Fastening Structure for Trial Golf Club Shafts and Heads. The Barron patent discloses a bayonet-style releasable fastening structure for a golf club and shaft. The club head hosel has a fastening pin in its bore that extends diametrically. The head portion of the shaft has two opposing “U” or “J” shaped channels. The head end portion of shaft fastens on the hosel pin through axial and rotary motion. A spring in the hosel maintains this fastenable interconnection, but allows manually generated, axially inward hosel motion for quick assembly and disassembly.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,411 to Wood et al. for a Hosel Coupling Assembly and Method of Using Same. The Wood patent discloses a golf club including a club head, an interchangeable shaft, and a hosel with an anti-rotation device. The hosel contains an alignment member with an angular surface that is fixed, by a stud, within the hosel bore. A sleeve secured on the shaft end forms another alignment arrangement element and is adapted to engage the alignment element disposed in the hosel bore. A capture mechanism disposed on the shaft engages the hosel to fix releasably the shaft relative to the club head.
Still another example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,673 to Roark for an Interchangeable Golf Club Head and Adjustable Handle System. The Roark patent discloses a golf club with a quick release for detaching a club head from a shaft. The quick release is a two-piece connector including a lower connector, which is secured to the hosel of the club head, and an upper connector, which is secured to the lower portion of the shaft. The upper connector has a pin and a ball catch that both protrude radially outward from the lower end of the upper connector. The upper end of the lower connector has a corresponding slot formed therein for receiving the upper connector pin, and a separate hole for receiving the ball catch. When the shaft is coupled to the club head, the lower connector hole retains the ball catch to secure the shaft to the club head.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 7,083,529 to Cackett et al. for a Golf Club with Interchangeable Head-Shaft Connections. The Cackett publication discloses a golf club that uses a sleeve/tube arrangement instead of a traditional hosel to connect the interchangeable shaft to the club head in an effort to reduce material weight and provide for quick installation. A mechanical fastener (screw) entering the club head through the sole plate is used to secure the shaft to the club head.
Another example is U.S. Pat. App. Publ. No. 2001/0007835 A1 to Baron for a Modular Golf Club System and Method. The Baron publication discloses a modular golf club including club head, hosel, and shaft. A hosel is attached to a shaft and rotation is prevented rotation by complementary interacting surfaces, adhesive bonding or mechanical fit. The club head and shaft are removably joined together by a collet-type connection.
Other published patent documents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 7,300,359 and U.S. Pat. App. Publ. Nos. 2006/0281575, 2006/0287125 and 2006/0293115, disclose interchangeable shafts and club heads with anti-rotation devices located therebetween.
There remains a need in the art for golf clubs with an improved connection that provides a more secure fit and is easier to manufacture. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a devices used to service small aircraft.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
There is a need on occasion to service small aircraft. Small propeller planes often times have a tricycle landing gear, two larger wheels in the middle of the plane and a smaller one under the front nose of the aircraft. When it is required to service the nose landing gear, it is necessary to lift the nose of the aircraft to take weight off the front landing gear. Whereas the middle landing gear has a location to lift the plane using a conventional jack, it is difficult to place a jack under the nose of the aircraft. There is no specific location for jacking and the airframe and skin are easily damaged. Further because the nose of the plane is so light weight placing it on a jack would create an unstable situation where unbalanced forces created in servicing could cause the airplane to fall off the jack. So conventionally pilots, who often service their own small aircraft, will stack sand bags on the tail section of the plane. Enough sand bags will push the tail down and raise the nose and nose landing gear, a few hundred pounds is usually enough. Those familiar with aircraft know that it is generally unadvisable to touch the airframe of an aircraft in a way that it was not designed for. Stacking sand bags on the rear wing of an aircraft is therefore very undesirable and labor intensive, but is common practice.
As will be described, the preferred embodiments of the present invention overcome disadvantages of the prior art. | {
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The present invention relates to the field of communication systems and more specifically to a system for automatically recovering from service key changes.
Third party authentication is used for validating an entity's identity in a communication network. As an example, if a client wishes to access an application server, a third party authentication service can validate the client's identity to determine whether the client is authorized to access the application server. Validation is possible because both the client and the server initially pre-register with the third party authentication service. Upon registration, the third party authentication service issues a secret key to the client and another secret key to the application server. These keys are saved by the authentication service and later employed for identity validation.
An example of a conventional third party authentication protocol is Kerberos. In Kerberos, a ticket is issued to a client by the KDC (Key Distribution Center) and is used to provide a client with access to an application server. The ticket contains the client's name, network address, the application server's name, a timestamp, and a secret session key. Before the ticket is delivered to the client, the ticket is encrypted with the application server's service key (shared between the KDC and the application server). The client is also provided with a copy of the session key that is encrypted with the client's key (shared between Kerberos and the client). The client creates an authenticator and encrypts it with the session key. The client then presents the encrypted ticket along with the authenticator to the application server.
The authenticator is an additional credential for further validating the client's identity. The authenticator contains the client's name, a timestamp, and other information. Note that this authenticator is encrypted with a copy of the same session key provided in the ticket. The KDC provides this copy separately from the ticket because the client cannot decrypt the ticket.
After the ticket and the authenticator are received, the application server uses its service key to decrypt the ticket, and to retrieve the clear information including the session key. This session key is used to decrypt the authenticator, and to retrieve the clear information from the authenticator. Next, the application server compares the information in the authenticator with the information in the ticket, the client's network address with the address the request was sent from, and the timestamp with the current time. If the information matches, then access to the application server is provided to the client.
Problems, such as disruption of service, can occur when an application server service key that has been compromised is changed. If the client is unaware of the change in service key, the client will continue to use the stale ticket, thus resulting in loss of service.
The application server may respond in several ways to the client's continuing use of a stale ticket. One way is to remain silent and to refrain from acknowledging the access request. This technique results in a temporary disruption of service. The client, unaware of the service key change, continuously uses the stale ticket to request access to the application server. After a number of unsuccessful attempts, the client requests a new ticket from the Kerberos KDC (key distribution center). A new ticket encrypted with a new service key is issued to the client. The client employs the new ticket to request service from the application server and service is thus continued.
Another way the application server denies service is by sending an error message to the client. The error message indicates that the service key has been compromised. The client can respond in a number of ways. First, it may ignore the message, and continue to request access to the application server. This is a typical client reaction because, in existing systems, error messages are not authenticated and may have been sent by a third party interested in disrupting service. Thus, the client continues to request access until its ticket expires.
Another way for the client to respond is to request a new ticket from the KDC. The client can use this new ticket to request application server access. A problem with a client requesting a new ticket in response to an error message is that an inauthentic error message may be received by the client from a third party interested in disrupting service. The third party could duplicate a first error message and replay to send a second error message. If the client returns to the KDC for a new ticket, receives the ticket and presents the new ticket to the application server, again, an inauthentic error message can be sent. This cycle can be continued and the KDC may be kept too busy to respond to legitimate ticket requests from other clients.
The KDC may notice the multiple requests from the same client to access the same application server before a current ticket expires. Accordingly, the KDC may deny all further ticket requests. Since this action denies further service to the affected client, a third party has disabled a client without any cryptographic key knowledge. | {
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Conventional systems determine a disc type by reading the lead-in area in the disc (or by determining if a lead-in area is present or not), to select whether a DVD+R/RW, DVD-ROM or DVD-R/RW is being read. Such a process can be slow. Such a process finds the region containing the lead-in area, determines if data is present in the lead-in area and then reads and decodes data in the lead-in area to determine the disc type.
It would be desirable to provide a fast and reliable approach that would provide performance gains by making it easier to navigate through a disc towards the lead-in area. In particular, it would be desirable to implement an approach that would be location independent to work independently of where on the disc the head spins up. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel N-(2-substituted-4-pyridyl)ureas and thioureas, agricultural composition comprising such active ingredients and methods of treating plants therewith.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the agricultural and horticultural fields, attention has been directed to plant growth regulators which accelerate or suppress the growth of plants when used in trace amounts and which can regulate plants in desired conditions.
In particular, recently techniques for controlling plant growth utilizing the hormone activity of chemicals such as cytokinin or gibberellin have been heavily investigated. Plant growth regulators echibiting cytokinin-like hormonal activity (hereafter referred to as cytokinin hormone activity) can accelerate plant growth when used in very small amounts. On the other hand, plant growth can sometimes be suppressed when such chemicals are employed in excess amounts, i.e., in amounts over that effective to accelerate plant growth (sometimes referred to as overdose use).
Accordingly, while the terms "plant growth regulation" and "plant growth regulator" used herein refer primarily to acceleration, they sometimes refer to suppression of plant growth (in overdose use) in a broad sense. Such seemingly contrary activities by the plant growth regulator are characteristic of cytokinin activity. In this regard, herbicides for which cytokinin activity has clearly been established are not known, though some herbicides have been established to have auxin activity (The term "auxin" is a general or collective name for a kind of plant growth regulators).
Typical plant growth regulators known as having cytokinin hormone activity are 6-benzyladenine, kinetin and 4-pyridylphenylurea. Further, 2-chloro4-pyridylphenylurea and -thiourea have been proposed by the present inventors in Ser. No. 947,468 filed Oct. 2, 1978. However, development of plant growth regulators having more improved effect is still desired. | {
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Orally administered racemic dl-threo-methylphenidate (dl-MPH) is widely used in the treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adults and also in the treatment of depression in patients suffering from cancer or AIDS, compulsive shopping disorder, narcolepsy, and hypersomnia. It is known that the therapeutic effect of dl-MPH in the treatment of ADHD in children is attributable to d-MPH (Srinivas et al, Clin. Pharmacol. Therap. 52, 561 to 568, 1992). Until recently, however, little was known about the potential pharmacological and/or therapeutic roles of 1-MPH because concentrations of 1-MPH in plasma and brain are very low due to extensive enantioselective first pass metabolism of 1-MPH after oral administration of dl-MPH (Srinivas et al, Pharm. Res. 10, 14 to 21, 1993). After intravenous administration of dl-MPH, however, both enantiomers of threo-methylphenidate are taken up into the brain although their patterns of distribution are different (Ding et al, Psychopharmacology 131, 71 to 78, 1997).
The use of oral stimulants such as dextroamphetamine or dl-MPH in the treatment of severe depressive disorders in the elderly or terminally ill depressed patients has been the subject of many studies over the years. After reviewing 85 publications on the subject, Satel and Nelson (J. Clin. Psychiat. 50, 241 to 249, 1989) were critical of the fact that many of the studies reported were methodologically unsophisticated and/or uncontrolled. They concluded that while stimulants are no more effective than a placebo in the treatment of primary depression, stimulants may be of value in the treatment of refractory patients and medically ill patients. Similarly, Chiarello and Cole (Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 44, 276 to 285, 1997) reviewed 81 publications and concluded that many of the older studies are inadequate although there was some evidence to support the use of psychostimulants in selected clinical instances. Emptage and Smith (Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 30, 151 to 157, 1996) reviewed 43 studies published from 1986 to 1995 and concluded that oral -MPH appears to be a safe and effective treatment for depressed, medically ill, elderly patients to provoke a rapid onset of antidepressant activity. Recently Wallace and co-workers (Am. J. Psychiat. 152, 929 to 931, 1995) conducted what they termed the first placebo-controlled double blind trial to demonstrate the efficacy of oral dl-MPH in older, medically ill depressed patients. The benefit of oral dl-MPH was statistically and clinically significant despite the small number of patients in the study (n=16). Depressive symptoms decreased markedly in 7 subjects (Hamilton depression scale decreased by >55%), moderately in a further 3 subjects (Hamilton depression scale decreased by 30 to 55%), minimally in 3 subjects (Hamilton depression scale decreased by <30%) and three patients were dropped from the study. | {
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A set-top box (“STB”) is typically used by an end user to access media services and content provided over a media network such as a subscriber television network. Conventional STBs have limited resources, however. Typically, STB resources, such as memory and processing resources, are dedicated to operations of a main application resident on an STB. This significantly limits the ability of an STB to compile and/or run other applications, especially applications that require a virtual machine and/or an interpreter to be run on the STB. | {
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Reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) are partial reduction products of oxygen: 1 electron reduces O2 to form superoxide (O2−), and 2 electrons reduce O2 to form hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). ROI are generated as a byproduct of aerobic metabolism and by toxicological mechanisms. There is growing evidence for regulated enzymatic generation of O2− and its conversion to H2O2 in a variety of cells. The conversion of O2− to H2O2 occurs spontaneously, but is markedly accelerated by superoxide dismutase (SOD). High levels of ROI are associated with damage to biomolecules such as DNA, biomembranes and proteins. Recent evidence indicates generation of ROI under normal cellular conditions and points to signaling roles for O2− and H2O2.
Several biological systems generate reactive oxygen. Phagocytic cells such as neutrophils generate large quantities of ROI as part of their battery of bactericidal mechanisms. Exposure of neutrophils to bacteria or to various soluble mediators such as formyl-Met-Leu-Phe or phorbol esters activates a massive consumption of oxygen, termed the respiratory burst, to initially generate superoxide, with secondary generation of H2O2, HOCl and hydroxyl radical. The enzyme responsible for this oxygen consumption is the respiratory burst oxidase (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-reduced form (NADPH) oxidase).
There is growing evidence for the generation of ROI by non-phagocytic cells, particularly in situations related to cell proliferation. Significant generation of H2O2, O2−, or both have been noted in some cell types. Fibroblasts and human endothelial cells show increased release of superoxide in response to cytokines such as interleukin-1 or tumor necrosis factor (TNF) (Meier et al. (1989) Biochem J. 263, 539–545.; Matsubara et al. (1986) J. Immun. 137, 3295–3298). Ras-transformed fibroblasts show increased superoxide release compared with control fibroblasts (Irani, et al. (1997) Science 275, 1649–1652). Rat vascular smooth muscle cells show increased H2O2 release in response to PDGF (Sundaresan et al. (1995) Science 270, 296–299) and angiotensin II (Griendling et al. (1994) Circ. Res. 74, 1141–1148; Fukui et al. (1997) Circ. Res. 80, 45–51; Ushio-Fukai et al. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 23317–23321), and H2O2 in these cells is associated with increased proliferation rate. The occurrence of ROI in a variety of cell types is summarized in Table 1 (adapted from Burdon, R. (1995) Free Radical Biol. Med. 18, 775–794).
TABLE 1SuperoxideHydrogen Peroxidehuman fibroblastsBalb/3T3 cellshuman endothelial cellsrat pancreatic islet cellshuman/rat smooth muscle cellsmurine keratinocyteshuman fat cellsrabbit chondrocyteshuman osteocyteshuman tumor cellsBHK-21 cellsfat cells, 3T3 L1 cellshuman colonic epithelial cells
ROI generated by the neutrophil have a cytotoxic function. While ROI are normally directed at the invading microbe, ROI can also induce tissue damage (e.g., in inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, shock, lung disease, and inflammatory bowel disease) or may be involved in tumor initiation or promotion, due to damaging effects on DNA. Nathan (Szatrowski et al. (1991) Canc. Res. 51, 794–798) proposed that the generation of ROI in tumor cells may contribute to the hypermutability seen in tumors, and may therefore contribute to tumor heterogeneity, invasion and metastasis.
In addition to cytotoxic and mutagenic roles, ROI have ideal properties as signal molecules: 1) they are generated in a controlled manner in response to upstream signals; 2) the signal can be terminated by rapid metabolism of O2− and H2O2 by SOD and catalase/peroxidases; 3) they elicit downstream effects on target molecules, e.g., redox-sensitive regulatory proteins such as NF kappa B and AP-1 (Schreck et al. (1991) EMBO J. 10, 2247–2258; Schmidt et al. (1995) Chemistry & Biology 2, 13–22). Oxidants such as O2− and H2O2 have a relatively well defined signaling role in bacteria, operating via the SoxI/II regulon to regulate transcription.
ROI appear to have a direct role in regulating cell division, and may function as mitogenic signals in pathological conditions related to growth. These conditions include cancer and cardiovascular disease. O2− is generated in endothelial cells in response to cytokines, and might play a role in angiogenesis (Matsubara et al. (1986) J. Immun. 137, 3295–3298). O2− and H2O2 are also proposed to function as “life-signals”, preventing cells from undergoing apoptosis (Matsubara et al. (1986) J. Immun. 137, 3295–3298). As discussed above, many cells respond to growth factors (e.g., platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), epidermal derived growth factor (EGF), angiotensin II, and various cytokines) with both increased production of O2−/H2O2 and increased proliferation. Inhibition of ROI generation prevents the mitogenic response. Exposure to exogenously generated. O2− and H2O2 results in an increase in cell proliferation. A partial list of responsive cell types is shown below in Table 2 (adapted from Burdon, R. (1995) Free Radical Biol. Med. 18, 775–794).
TABLE 2SuperoxideHydrogen peroxidehuman, hamster fibroblastsmouse osteoblastic cellsBalb/3T3 cellsBalb/3T3 cellshuman histiocytic leukemiarat, hamster fibroblastsmouse epidermal cellshuman smooth muscle cellsrat colonic epithelial cellsrat vascular smooth musclecellsrat vascular smooth muscle cells
While non-transformed cells can respond to growth factors and cytokines with the production of ROI, tumor cells appear to produce ROI in an uncontrolled manner. A series of human tumor cells produced large amounts of hydrogen peroxide compared with non-tumor cells (Szatrowski et al. (1991) Canc. Res. 51, 794–798). Ras-transformed NIH 3T3 cells generated elevated amounts of superoxide, and inhibition of superoxide generation by several mechanisms resulted in a reversion to a “normal” growth phenotype.
O2− has been implicated in maintenance of the transformed phenotype in cancer cells including melanoma, breast carcinoma, fibrosarcoma, and virally transformed tumor cells. Decreased levels of the manganese form of SOD (MnSOD) have been measured in cancer cells and in vitro-transformed cell lines, predicting increased O2− levels (Burdon, R. (1995) Free Radical Biol. Med. 18, 775–794). MnSOD is encoded on chromosome 6q25 which is very often lost in melanoma. Overexpression of MnSOD in melanoma and other cancer cells (Church et al. (1993) Proc. of Natl. Acad. Sci. 90, 3113–3117; Fernandez-Pol et al. (1982) Canc. Res. 42, 609–617; Yan et al. (1996) Canc. Res. 56, 2864–2871) resulted in suppression of the transformed phenotype.
ROI are implicated in growth of vascular smooth muscle associated with hypertension, atherosclerosis, and restenosis after angioplasty. O2− generation is seen in rabbit aortic adventitia (Pagano et al. (1997) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 94, 14483–14488). Vascular endothelial cells release O2− in response to cytokines (Matsubara et al. (1986) J. Immun. 137, 3295–3298). O2− is generated by aortic smooth muscle cells in culture, and increased O2− generation is stimulated by angiotensin II which also induces cell hypertrophy. In a rat model system, infusion of angiotensin II leads to hypertension as well as increased O2− generation in subsequently isolated aortic tissue (Ushio-Fukai et al. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 23317–23321.; Yu et al. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 27288–27294). Intravenous infusion of a form of SOD that localizes to the vasculature or an infusion of an O2− scavenger prevented angiotensin II induced hypertension and inhibited ROI generation (Fukui et al. (1997) Circ. Res. 80, 45–51).
The neutrophil NADPH oxidase, also known as phagocyte respiratory burst oxidase, provides a paradigm for the study of the specialized enzymatic ROI-generating system. This extensively studied enzyme oxidizes NADPH and reduces oxygen to form O2−. NADPH oxidase consists of multiple proteins and is regulated by assembly of cytosolic and membrane components. The catalytic moiety consists of flavocytochrome b558, an integral plasma membrane enzyme comprised of two components: gp91phox (gp refers to glycoprotein; phox is an abbreviation of the words phagocyte and oxidase) and p22phox (p refers to protein). gp91phox contains 1 flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and 2 hemes as well as the NADPH binding site. p22phox has a C-terminal proline-rich sequence which serves as a binding site for cytosolic regulatory proteins. The two cytochrome subunits, gp91phox and p22phox appear to stabilize one another, since the genetic absence of either subunit, as in the inherited disorder chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), results in the absence of the partner subunit (Yu et al. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 27288–27294). Essential cytosolic proteins include p47phox, p67phox and the small GTPase Rac, of which there are two isoforms. p47phox and p67phox both contain SH3 regions and proline-rich regions which participate in protein interactions governing assembly of the oxidase components during activation. The neutrophil enzyme is regulated in response to bacterial phagocytosis or chemotactic signals by phosphorylation of p47phox, and perhaps other components, as well as by guanine nucleotide exchange to activate the GTP-binding protein Rac.
The origin of ROI in non-phagocytic tissues is unproven, but the occurrence of phagocyte oxidase components has been evaluated in several systems by immunochemical methods, Northern blots and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The message for p22phox is expressed widely, as is that for Rac1. Several cell types that are capable of O2− generation have been demonstrated to contain all of the phox components including gp91phox, as summarized below in Table 3. These cell types include endothelial cells, aortic adventitia and lymphocytes.
TABLE 3Tissuegp91phoxp22phoxp47phoxp67phoxneutrophil+1,2+1,2+1,2+1,2aortic adventitia+1+1+1+1lymphocytes+2+2+1,2+1,2endothelial cells+2+2+1,2+1.2glomerular mesangial—+1,2+1,2+1,2cellsfibroblasts—+2+1,2+2aortic sm. muscle—+1,2??1= protein expression shown.2= mRNA expression shown.
However, a distinctly different pattern is seen in several other cell types shown in Table 3 including glomerular mesangial cells, rat aortic smooth muscle and fibroblasts. In these cells, expression of gp91phox is absent while p22phox and in some cases cytosolic phox components have been demonstrated to be present. Since gp91phox and p22phox stabilize one another in the neutrophil, there has been much speculation that some molecule, possibly related to gp91phox, accounts for ROI generation in glomerular mesangial cells, rat aortic smooth muscle and fibroblasts (Ushio-Fukai et al. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 23317–23321). Investigation of fibroblasts from a patient with a genetic absence of gp91phox provides proof that the gp91phox subunit is not involved in ROI generation in these cells (Emmendorffer et al. (1993) Eur. J. Haematol. 51, 223–227). Depletion of p22phox from vascular smooth muscle using an antisense approach indicated that this subunit participates in ROI generation in these cells, despite the absence of detectable gp91phox (Ushio-Fukai et al. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 23317–23321). At this time the molecular candidates possibly related to gp91phox and involved in ROI generation in these cells are unknown.
Accordingly, what is needed is the identity of the proteins involved in ROI generation, especially in non-phagocytic tissues and cells. What is also needed are the nucleotide sequences encoding for these proteins, and the primary sequences of the proteins themselves. Also needed are vectors designed to include nucleotides encoding for these proteins. Probes and PCR primers derived from the nucleotide sequence are needed to detect, localize and measure nucleotide sequences, including mRNA, involved in the synthesis of these proteins. In addition, what is needed is a means to transfect cells with these vectors. What is also needed are expression systems for production of these molecules. Also needed are antibodies directed against these molecules for a variety of uses including localization, detection, measurement and passive immunization. | {
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This description relates to memory sharing in video transcoding and displaying.
A video transcoder is useful in decoding an encoded video (e.g., compressed video) and subsequently encoding the decoded video according to a different encoding scheme. A video includes a sequence of frames (also referred to as pictures), each frame including rows and columns of pixels. The transcoder may receive a first compressed video and generate a second compressed video, in which the second compressed video, for example, has a higher compression ratio and/or a lower resolution as compared to the first compressed video.
In some examples, the first and second compressed videos have the same resolution (i.e., each frame in the first compressed video has the same number of columns and rows as each frame in the second compressed video) but have different bit rates (e.g., the first compressed video may have a bit rate of 150 to 300 kbps, whereas the second compressed video may have a bit rate of 30 to 150 kbps). For video that is compressed according to an MPEG standard, changing a quantization level can change the bit rate of the video without changing the resolution. Increasing the quantization level will cause more bits to be truncated during the encoding process, resulting in a compressed video having a lower bit rate and a lower image quality.
In some examples, the first and second compressed videos having different resolutions. For example, the first compressed video can be a high definition television (HDTV) program having 1920×1080 resolution. If the user has a television with 1366×768 resolution, when he records the HDTV program for future viewing, it is useful to transcode the compressed 1920×1080 video to a compressed 1366×768 video to match the resolution of his television. By increasing the compression ratio and/or decreasing the resolution of a video, the user can reduce the bit rate of the compressed video so that more video programs can be stored in a given amount of storage.
For some compression algorithms, such as MPEG-2 or MPEG-4, the order in which frames are displayed is different from the order in which the frames are encoded/decoded. The MPEG standard defines intra (I), unidirectional (P), and bi-directional (B) frames, in which the I frames are compressed without reference to the other frames, the P frames are compressed/decompressed using information from a previous I frame or P frame, and the B frames are compressed/decompressed using information from a previous I or P frame and a subsequent I or P frame. For example, the frames may be displayed according to a “display order”: I0, B1, B2, P3, B4, B5, P6, B7, B8, P9, B10, B11, etc., in which the frame I0 is an I-frame that is displayed during time interval T0, the frame B1 is a B-frame that is displayed during time interval T1, and so forth. On the other hand, the frames may be encoded/decoded according to an “encode order”: I0, P3, B1, B2, P6, B4, B5, P9, B7, B8, P12, B10, B11, etc., indicating that the frame P3 is encoded/decoded before the frames B1 and B2, even though the frames B1 and B2 are displayed before the frame P3. Because the encoding/decoding sequence is different from the display sequence, when a compressed video is transcoded so that it can be viewed on a display and recorded in a storage medium, several memory buffers are used to temporarily store frames during the decoding, displaying, and encoding processes. | {
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The present invention relates generally to explosive compositions, and more particularly to the ethylenediamine salt of 5-nitrotetrazole and mixtures thereof.
Ammonium nitrate is an inexpensive and readily available oxidizer used extensively in commercial explosives. Unfortunately, one of the disadvantages of this material which limits its utility for military explosives is its nonideal behavior. Generally, detonation pressures and velocities are lower which results in lower power output for nonideal explosives when compared to ideal explosives. Over the past ten years, attempts have been made to obtain ideal explosive behaviour from composites of ammonium nitrate with various fuels. The most promising of these investigations has involved the formation of low-melting eutectic mixtures of the fuel under investigation and ammonium nitrate. The eutectics offer the advantage of being readily castable for military applications. Moreover, the intimate mixing of the component substances which results when eutectic mixtures are cooled below their melting temperatures offers the best opportunity for obtaining close to ideal performance. That is, the fuel and the ammonium nitrate oxidizer interact and detonate as a single component rather than as individual components.
The ammonium salt of 3,5-dinitro-1,2,4-triazole was found to form a low-melting eutectic with ammonium nitrate that was subsequently shown to perform as a near ideal explosive. Indeed, eutectic compositions involving ammonium nitrate and ammonium salts of several nitroheterocycles have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,962 "Ammonium Nitrate Explosive Systems," issued to Mary M. Stinecipher and Michael D. Coburn. However, the ammonium salt of 3,5-dinitro-1,2,4-triazole performed best as an explosive. This discovery was the basis for searching for a more efficient and less hazardous procedure for producing this compound which is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,014. "Production of the Ammonium Salt of 3,5-dinitro-1,2,4-triazole by Solvent Extraction," issued to Kien-yin Lee and Donald G. Ott on Nov. 25, 1980. Neither of the above-described patents teaches the use of the ethylenediamine salt of 5-nitrotetrazole as the fuel in an ammonium nitrate eutectic or the preparation of this material. The former patent does mention the ammonium salt of 5-nitrotetrazole and its preparation, however. The finding that ammonium based mixtures could be made which exhibited near-ideal explosive performance further encouraged the search for other, less expensive materials that would form similar eutectics or solid solutions with ammonium nitrate, which search led to the subject invention.
W. H. Gilligan and M. J. Kamlet describe the preparation of metallic salts of 5-nitrotetrazole in "Synthesis of Mercuric-5-nitrotetrazole," Naval Surface Weapons Center Report NSWC/WOL/TR 76-146, Dec. 1976. However, their procedure involves the step of isolating the extremely sensitive copper salt of 5-nitrotetrazole. The subject process eliminates this hazardous step and demonstrates a one-pot process for obtaining a solution of the insensitive sodium salt as precursor to the organic salts of interest. | {
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Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a moving-coil type pickup cartridge that extracts a signal from a 45-45 stereo record, and particularly to a moving-coil type stereo pickup cartridge capable of obtaining a high productivity and a uniform quality by utilizing a generating coil with a simple shape and, and further, reducing crosstalk between right and left output signals.
Description of the Related Art
An iron-core type and an air-core type, roughly divided, have been proposed as moving-coil type stereo pickup cartridges (hereinafter, also referred to simply as MC cartridges).
The iron-core type MC cartridge, which is the former, has a representative one that is called Ortofon type in which a ferromagnetic body is used as a winding core of a generating coil referred to as an armature. Accordingly, the iron-core type has a characteristic that generation efficiency of a signal is favorable, and thus, has been employed in the majority of the MC cartridge.
On the other hand, the air-core type MC cartridge, which is the latter, has a technical problem that the generation efficiency of the signal is low, but a reproduced signal thereof is hardly influenced by magnetostriction (hysteresis distortion) caused by a ferromagnetic body to be employed in the iron-core type described above.
Accordingly, the air-core type MC cartridge is said to be capable of obtaining a more straightforward reproduced sound without any quirk in tone of the reproduced sound, and thus, there is a deep-seated popularity among enthusiasts.
In a power generation mechanism of the moving-coil type pickup cartridge described above, a record signal is picked up by a stylus, a generating coil in a magnetic circuit is vibrated by a cantilever so that a signal voltage is output to both end portions of the generating coil as it is well-known.
However, there is a technical problem that deflection of the cantilever or distortion by moment is caused to impair a sound quality due to the power generation using the cantilever. Further, the generating coil is disposed in a root portion of the cantilever, and thus, an amplitude operation of the generating coil is smaller than amplitude of a sound track engraved on a record, and accordingly, the generation efficiency is extremely low.
Thus, an MC cartridge, which is the air-core type MC cartridge and in which a generating coil is disposed in the middle of a cantilever to improve generation efficiency without impairing a sound quality has been proposed, and such a proposal is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,433 (Patent Literature 1), JP 52-10105 A (Patent Literature 2), JP 51-14002 A (Patent Literature 3), JP 51-34406 U (Patent Literature 4), or the like.
Meanwhile, it is desirable that such a type of MC cartridge have an extremely low impedance of the generating coil serving as a source to generate a signal and be capable of obtaining high output. It is said that it is possible to provide each requirement such as a wide dynamic range, high transient value, low distortion or a high S/N ratio when the above-described conditions are prepared.
With respect to this, an MC cartridge disclosed in Patent Literature 1 described above employs a configuration in which printed coils each of which is formed in an octagonal shape are used as generating coils. According to such a configuration, an impedance of the generating coil serving as a signal source is large while an effective mass as the generating coil is small, and as a result thereof, it is difficult to prepare the requirements described above as the MC cartridge.
In addition, an MC cartridge disclosed in Patent Literature 2 described above employs a configuration in which right and left generating coils, each of which has a triangular shape with rounded angles (so-called Japanese rice ball type), are attached to both opposing end portions of an armature which is formed in a pantograph and connected to a cantilever.
According to such a configuration, it is difficult to produce a delicate mechanism of the pantograph-like armature and the generating coil of the so-called Japanese rice ball type, and thus, it is difficult to obtain the MC cartridge having a high productivity and a uniform quality.
Further, an MC cartridge disclosed in Patent Literatures 3 and 4 described above employs a configuration in which a generating coil of one channel and a generating coil of the other channel are wound while being superimposed on each other to cross each other in a grid pattern.
According to such a configuration, the generating coils are wound while being superimposed on each other in the grid pattern using a quadrilateral winding frame, and thus, a winding operation of the right and left generating coils is complicated and not easy. Accordingly, similarly, it is difficult to obtain the MC cartridge having a high productivity and a uniform quality. | {
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For transmitting a driving force e.g. in a gear box, it is known to use e.g. gear wheels or cone friction clutches, respectively curvic couplings. A gear wheel coupling is formed with two mating components, each comprising teeth that are engagable with each other for transmitting force. A cone friction clutch consists of two corresponding coupling parts, one coupling part forms a female part comprising an inner conical recess and one forms a male cone part with a truncated cone. The outer surface of the male cone part fits to the inner surface of the cone female part. I.e. the two conical surfaces (cone female part, cone male part) transmit torque by friction if they are pressed together. The cone friction clutch may transfer higher torque than dress clutches of the same size due to the wedging action and an increased surface and contact area due to the cone shaped of the inner conical surface of the female cone part and the outer cone surface of the cone male part.
In order to provide a large friction area between the female cone part and the male cone part, the inner surface of the female cone part and the outer surface of the male cone part have to correspond to each other with its profiles. In case of a gear wheel coupling the shape of the teeth on each gear wheel have to correspond precisely in order to prevent keying. Thus, a precise manufacturing method and precise manufacturing devices have to be provided. In other words, it is important that the produced mating components, i.e. its profiles, match to ensure a perfect bed between the two mating components, in particular the female cone part and the male cone part of the curvic coupling.
In order to manufacture the profile of the male cone part and the female cone part or to manufacture the teeth of a gear wheel, a grinding wheel may be provided, wherein the grinding wheel comprises a grinding surface with the desired profile that has to be formed on the surface of the mating components. Thus, it is important to manufacture the grinding wheels for producing the female cone profile and/or the male cone profile (mating components) of the cone friction clutches and the teeth of the gear wheel very precisely. Therefore, dressing methods may be provided that form a grinding wheel with the desired inner and/or outer profiles.
To produce the form respectively the desired profile on a grinding wheel a single/multi-point diamond dressing method as shown in FIG. 4 is known. Referring to FIG. 4, a grinding wheel 100 comprising a rotary axis 103 is shown. The grinding wheel 100 comprises an outer profile 101 and an inner profile 201. To a base device 105, a single point dresser 401 is fixed. By driving the grinding wheel 100 around its rotary axis 103, the single point dresser 401 forms the desired profile (inner profile or outer profile of the grinding wheel).
As shown in FIG. 5, instead of the single point dresser 401 a rotary disc dresser 501 may be used that is rotatable around a rotary axis 502.
As shown in FIG. 6, the rotary disc dresser 501 may comprise a rotary axis 502 that is nearly parallel to the rotary axis 103 of the grinding wheel 100. The outer profile 101 may be created by the rotary disc dresser 501 either by flanging the grinding wheel 100 into the rotary disc dresser 501 or vice versa.
FIG. 7 illustrates the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6 wherein the rotary disc dresser 501 is arranged below the grinding wheel 100.
GB 2164279 A1 describes an apparatus for dressing a grinding wheel with an outer profile with a radius R1. The apparatus comprises a dressing roller having a circular dressing profile with the radius R2. In order to be able to dress grinding wheels with different profile radii, the dressing roller and the grinding wheel can be moved in relation to each other, so that the relative motion has the shape of a circular arc with the radius R2-R1. The radius is adjustable in order to obtain the desired profile radius of the grinding wheel.
EP 0 858 865 A1 describes a method and a device for dressing a grinding wheel. The grinding wheel is trimmed and pressed together via a drive and pressure appliance with a dressing roll. The dressing roll may be hard metal disk, wherein one end side of which is smoothly coated with polycrystalline diamond material. The hard metal disk may be moved with respect to the grinding wheel so that a desired profile may be formed. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, and more particularly relates to a semiconductor device having a plurality of semiconductor chips stacked to each other and electrically connected to each other by using penetration electrode penetrating through the semiconductor chips.
2. Description of Related Art
A stacked semiconductor device including a plurality of stacked semiconductor chips has been recently proposed. In this type of semiconductor device, penetration electrodes or through silicon visa are formed in the semiconductor chips, and signals and power are supplied through the penetration electrodes. For example, a semiconductor device having a configuration in which three semiconductor chips are stacked on a substrate is shown in FIG. 20 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-136187. In this semiconductor device, supply of signals and power is performed from the side of the substrate, which means that the signals and power are supplied from a lowermost semiconductor chip to an uppermost semiconductor chip.
However, in the semiconductor device indicated in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-136187, the planar position of the penetration electrodes provided in each semiconductor chip is different for every semiconductor chip. Therefore, in order to connect corresponding penetration electrodes, wiring extending in planar direction is necessary. The wiring extending in planar direction has large electrical resistance compared with a penetration electrode. When power was supplied through such wiring, there was a problem that power supply voltage drops in the more upper semiconductor chip | {
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The conventional liquid crystal display (LCD) is configured into separate regions with each region containing a number of individually activated segments that can display various alpha-numeric characters. One region may conventionally have 7 segments configured in a figure eight pattern. Different combinations of the segments may be used to display a desired number, for example all 7 segments may be used to display an 8. To activate a segment of a conventional LCD panel, two control lines (a common line and a segment line) may be powered to select the desired segment. The control lines of an LCD may be configured into a matrix with the common lines crossing the segment lines—no common lines cross common lines and no segment lines cross segment lines in this control matrix. Thus, for an LCD display with 32 segments, there could be four common lines and 8 segment lines. By powering the correct combination of segment and common lines, a LCD panel may display desired information. To control a larger number of segments additional control lines and additional drivers may be required. However, the current push is for LCD panels with more segments being driven from fewer inputs. | {
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The following text should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art. Furthermore, citation or identification of any document in this application is not an admission that such document is available as prior art to the present invention, or that any reference forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art.
Loss of blood is a major cause of death in emergency situations in which the injured person is alone or medical assistance is not immediately available. The use of a tourniquet to stop blood loss from an injured arm or leg is a well-known technique for preventing death in these situations. In general, for emergency use where the victim is alone, the victim must be able to apply the tourniquet to his or her own arm or leg and occlude blood flow using only one hand.
Tourniquets of the prior art generate inward radial compression on the limb by being put into high levels of circumferential tension when wrapped around the limb. As the pressure on the limb increases, the friction between the strap and the limb also increases, causing the underlying soft tissue to move with the strap as it is drawn tight. This tends to draw soft tissues underlying the strap into the ratchet or buckle device, pinching the soft tissue and creating a region of very high localized pressure which will cause unnecessary injury. This effect may also create high shearing stresses in the underlying soft tissues, increasing the probability of nerve and tissue injury. Friction between the strap and the limb may also create regions of low pressure by preventing tension from being distributed evenly in the strap around the entire limb circumference, and as a result, arterial blood may still flow through these low pressure regions although overall strap tension is very high. In general, the application of uneven or non-uniform application of pressure around the limb leads to the need for unnecessarily high overall tourniquet pressures to reliably and predictably stop arterial blood flow, and this need for unnecessarily high pressure increases the probability of a range of unnecessary injuries to nerves, muscles and the limb.
The use of a tourniquet in many emergency situations, including many recreational activities, such as hiking, rock climbing and camping, imposes a weight restriction on the tourniquet. Simply stated, if a tourniquet is too bulky or has an excessive weight, the potential user, such as a hiker, will not pack and carry the tourniquet with them. Therefore, there is a need of a relatively small and light-weight tourniquet that can be easily packed and carried, and subsequently used at remote locations, if necessary.
Accordingly, there is a need for an emergency, light-weight tourniquet that provides improved radial pressure to the wounded limb, thereby restricting blood flow to the limb. Furthermore, there is a need for such a tourniquet that can be applied by the victim using one hand. | {
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This application claims the benefit of United Kingdom Application No. 0031771.9, filed Dec. 29, 2000.
The present invention relates to data processing generally and, more particularly, data processing to reduce of the number of bits in a data word.
In data processing operations, particularly those involving some form of arithmetic calculation, it is usually desirable to truncate the number in the calculation in order to reduce the number of bits used to represent the result. This is necessary since registers in a computer only hold numbers of a fixed length bits. Arithmetical operations on such numbers can result in a number which has more bits than allowable. The number must then be reduced for further processing. The Least Significant Bits (LSBs) of the data word or number are typically removed. When dealing with graphics or video data, the bit reduction process can lead to unsightly quantisation-type visual effects when the data is displayed on screen.
FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of the bit reduction process where three 9-bit data streams R1, R2, R3 are processed in a processing block 10 to produce a 12-bit output data stream R. The data stream R is then is reduced in a bit reduction circuit 12 to an 8-bit data stream.
One way to reduce the bits of the 12-bit data word R to 8-bits is to remove the four LSBs from the 12-bit number. This is known as truncation.
FIGS. 2(a), 2(b) and 2(c) are graphs of the brightness of an object across a screen display where the object dims from left to right on the screen. One example would be an object provided with a shadow. The effect of truncation on the object edge is illustrated in FIG. 2(a). The line 14 indicates the desired sharp edge and the line 16 represents the effect produced by truncation. This is, of course, greatly magnified in FIG. 2(a). However, the effect could still be discernable by the eye.
Various techniques have already been developed and are widely used in bit reduction to reduce the impact of these visual effects and these are discussed below. For example, when rounding, half of the maximum number which can be represented by the LSBs is added to the number to be rounded and then the LSBs are discarded.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example of rounding of two 12-bit numbers 18, 20 to which the number 1000 is added to give two new 12-bit numbers 22, 24. When the four LSBs of the new numbers 22, 24 are discarded, the result, in the case of number 18, is a number which is the same as the number which would have been generated by discarding the four LSBs of number 18. However, with the number 20 the result is a different 8-bit number. The effect of rounding is shown at 26 in FIG. 2(b) where the ideal object edge 14 is formed by the 12-bit number.
A dither process is similar to rounding but, instead of the offset being half the maximum possible value of the four LSBs, the offset for each data word representing each pixel is varied from pixel to pixel.
FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of an array 28 of pixels in a rectangular region of the screen display with the coordinates for the pixel in the top left hand corner of the region being X, Y. The pixels in the rectangular block covered by coordinates X, Y to X+3, Y+1 represent the dimming edge of an object being drawn. In this example, the offset for the pixel at coordinate x, y would be one quarter of the maximum value of the four LSBs. Since the maximum value for the four LSBs is 1111, one quarter of this is 0100 and this offset value is shown in the x, y pixel coordinate of FIG. 4. For the pixel for the coordinate x+1, y the offset would be one half (1000) of the maximum value for the LSBs. Moving along the horizontal row of pixels the offset would alternate between one quarter and one half, as can be seen from FIG. 4. Then, for the next row the offset for the pixel coordinate x, y+1 would be one half (1000) and that for x+1, y+1 would be three quarters (1011), again alternating pixel by pixel along the x axis. Thus, the offsets are indicated in binary form in the pixel squares of FIG. 4. The effect of dithering is to xe2x80x9cfuzzxe2x80x9d the changes in brightness (pixel) values to reduce the visible effects of quantisation, as shown at 30 in FIG. 2(c).
Error feedback can be used with any of the above processes (i.e., truncation, rounding or dither). Error feedback is diagrammatically represented in FIG. 1 by the feedback path 32. Using error feedback, some or all of the discarded LSBs from a 12-bit word are fed back and added to the next 12-bit word before the LSBs of the next 12-bit word are discarded. Error feedback has the effect of providing a smearing of brightness errors along the object edge.
One aspect of the present invention provides a circuit for reducing the number of bits in a K bit value from K to N bits. The circuit generally comprises a first summing circuit, a control circuit, an error feedback circuit, a second summing circuit, and a processor. The first summing circuit may add an error offset value and the N+m MSB""s of the K bit value to produce a result data value. The control circuit may generate a dither offset value. The error feedback circuit may receive m LSBs of the result data value and generate an error value in dependence on the m LSBs. The second summing circuit may add the dither offset value and the error value to provide the error offset value. The processor may selectively control generation of the dither offset value and the error value.
The present invention also provides a method of applying error concealment to the reduction of a data value, comprising the steps of (A) receiving a series of successive data values, (B) generating a respective error offset value for each of said data values and (C) adding each of said error offset values to a MSBs of the next following data value to produce a respective result value.
In one example, the K bit data value may be representative of a pixel data for display on a video display screen. The control circuit has a dither generating circuit for generating the dither offset value in dependence on n LSBs of each of the X and Y coordinates of the pixel data represented by the K bit data value.
The object, features and advantages of the present invention include a circuit which enables one or a combination of bit reduction techniques to be applied selectively to any video or graphics component | {
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In an image processing apparatus, such as a scanner or a copier, for example, a contact image sensor (CIS) module can be used. A CIS module is an image sensor module configured to optically read image information of an original document and to convert the optically read image information into an electrical signal.
The CIS module can include a light source having elements configured to emit light with wavelengths associated with three different colors: red (R), green (G), and blue (B). The R, G, and B colors are often referred to collectively as RGB. The CIS module can include a light guide configured to guide light from the light source to be incident an original document across its width direction and a sensor array configured to detect the light reflected from the document. The sensor array can include multiple sensor integrated circuits (ICs) to perform a photoelectric conversion of the reflected light. The sensor ICs in the sensor array can be linearly arranged to have a length that generally correspond to the width of the document being read, that is, the sensor array can correspond to a line of the image of the original document.
The light source can be arranged to face the light incident surface of the light guide so that the light radiated by the light source can be incident on the surface of the light guide. The light can be guided to form a line along the main scanning direction of the original document such that the original document, which can be placed on a support such as a glass support, can be substantially uniformly illuminated in a linear shape along the main scanning direction. Red, green and blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) can be used as the light emitting elements of the light source. The light emitting elements can be sequentially driven in a time division manner. The light radiated by the light source and reflected from the original document can be focused by a lens array to form an image on the sensor array. A color image signal, which includes R, G and B color information, can be produced by the sensor array, and can be externally output through an electrical connector, for example.
When the RGB LEDs are sequentially turned on during one period, the reading of the RGB color image associated with one line can be completed.
To obtain two-dimensional information of the original document, the document and the CIS module can be moved relative to each other in the sub scanning direction at a predetermined speed. Because the radiation locations of the RGB light on the document in the sub scanning direction can be different, the timing associated with the reading of the RGB information can be different. Accordingly, when the RGB outputs are synthesized to form color image information, a color shifts can occurs in the sub scanning direction. That is, when the original document is read using the CIS module that used a single channel line sensor having a time division multi-color light source, in order to implement the colors, each of the RGB LEDs may be sequentially turned on during ⅓ of an exposure time of one line to scan the colors. Thus, because a registration error of a ⅓ pixel can occur between R-G and G-B, a color shift can occur. For example, an upper portion of an image can appear reddish, a lower portion of the image can appear bluish, and/or fringes can result in the upper and/or lower portions of the image.
Conventional attempts heretofore to reduce the color shift of the image includes the use of a CIS module employing a three-channel line sensor, and/or the provision of color filters corresponding to the various colors. | {
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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electric power-feeding structure for feeding electric power to a moving body which is driven to be raised or lowered, such as a window glass of a motor vehicle.
2. Background Art
In the window glass of a motor vehicle, such as an automobile, electric power is fed to the window glass in which a heating wire is laid for such as the prevention of dew condensation. As an electric power-feeding structure for feeding electric power to the window glass in cases such as where the heating wire is laid in the window glass which is driven to be raised or lowered, an electric power-feeding structure shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B is conventionally known.
In the electric power-feeding structure shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, a moving body-side connector 105 provided on a window glass 102 which is disposed in an inner space of a door 101 and is driven to be raised or lowered, and a door-side connector 106 provided in the door 101 are connected via a feeding line to feed electric power to the window glass 102. Looseness is produced in the feeding line in conjunction with the raising or lowering of the window glass 102, and in a case where the amount of looseness is large and if such a feeding line is able to move without any restriction, there is a possibility of causing a malfunction such as the feeding line becoming bitten by a raising and lowering mechanism of the window glass 102. For this reason, the looseness produced in the feeding line is restricted by an excess-length absorbing device 103 disposed in the inner space of the door 101.
The excess-length absorbing device 103 is so configured that the feeding line is accommodated in a case 111 in such a manner as to be turned back in a U-shape along the raising or lowering direction of the window glass 102. On end portion side (indicated by reference numeral 104 in the drawings) of the feeding line is held by a sliding member 112 engaged with the case 111 movably in the raising or lowering direction of the window glass 102, is led out from the case 111, and is connected to the moving body-side connector 105. The sliding member 112 moves vertically while being accompanied by the deformation of the feeding line turned back in the U-shape inside the case 111, and the feeding line 104 follows the raising or lowering of the window glass 102. Although looseness is produced in the feeding line within the case 111 in conjunction with the vertical movement of the sliding member 112, its movement is restricted to within the case 111, and the biting by the raising and lowering mechanism of the window glass 102 is prevented (refer to patent document 1).
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-2005-57828
In the electric power-feeding structure disclosed in the patent document 1, the feeding line is accommodated in the case 111 in such a manner as to be turned back in the U-shape along the raising or lowering direction of the window glass 102 to cope with the raising or lowering of the window glass 102. In this case, an excess length by at least more than half the stroke of the window glass 102 is required for the feeding line, and the amount of looseness produced in the feeding line in conjunction with the raising or lowering of the window glass 102 is also relatively large. For this reason, the case 111 for accommodating the feeding line is necessary, and the case 111 becomes large in size. It is difficult to further secure an accommodation space for the case 111 in the inner space of the door 101 in which the window glass 102 and its raising and lowering mechanism are accommodated. | {
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The invention relates to an emergency core cooling system for either a pool or loop-type liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR).
The fuel core of a nuclear reactor continues to produce heat (called decay heat) for some time following shutdown. Removal of decay heat must be accomplished any time a nuclear reactor is shut down after operation in order to prevent overheating the fuel core. The amount of decay heat removal required depends on several factors. These include: the size, composition and quantity of fuel in the core, the length of time and power level during reactor operation and the particular design of the reactor. All commercial power reactors have primary and back-up systems for the purpose of removing the decay heat. In emergency situations such as a Loss of Cooling Accident (LOCA), loss of electrical power or control system malfunction, the decay heat removal system (DHRS) must continue to function.
There is a desire that the decay heat removal system must be passive (not requiring intelligent initiation) and highly reliable. Consequently, it is desired to provide an improved decay heat removal system. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to graphics processing and more specifically to processing of a geometry shader program developed in a level-high shading language.
2. Description of the Related Art
Over the past decade, the cost of adding on-chip logic to processors has substantially decreased. Consequently, certain types of processors, such as advanced graphics processing units (GPUs), now include functionality not previously available in earlier GPU designs. For example, the newest GPUs are now able to perform geometry processing operations; whereas, such operations traditionally had been left to the central processing unit (CPU). One benefit of this shift in responsibilities is that more graphics processing may now be performed on the GPU instead of the CPU, thereby reducing performance bottlenecks in the graphics pipeline.
To fully realize additional processing capabilities of advanced GPUs, as much GPU functionality as possible needs to be exposed to application developers. Among other things, doing so enables application developers to tailor their shader programs to optimize the way GPUs process graphics scenes and images. Exposing new GPU processing capabilities, like geometry processing, to application developers requires that the application programming interface (“API”) be configured with new calls and libraries that make new features and functionalities directly accessible by developers.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a prior art programming model, 100, availing the processing capabilities of a GPU, 106, to application 102. GPU 106 is typically configured to read and operate on a stream of input elements as those elements flow through graphics rendering pipeline 108. Graphics rendering pipeline 108 includes a series of processing units, each configured to carry out different functions of rendering pipeline 108, where the output of one processing unit is the input to the next processing unit in the chain. Some processing units shown in programming model 100 are programmable, such as vertex processing unit 130 and fragment processing unit 136, and are capable of executing one or more instances of compiled shading programs in parallel. Other processing units perform fixed functions, such as a fixed-function primitive assembler 132, a fixed-function geometry processor 133, and a rasterizer 134.
With GPU driver 104 supporting compiler 114, GPU microcode assembler 116, and GPU microcode assembler 118, specialized application 102, such as vertex shader program 110 or fragment shader program 112, can be written in a high-level shading language (e.g., the High Level Shader Language for Direct3D or the OpenGL™ Shading Language) tailored to one of these programmable processing units. Vertex shader program 110 is generally constructed using unified program instructions and with self-contained variables and functions. Likewise, fragment shader program 112 is constructed using unified program instructions and also with self-contained variables and functions. Compiler 114 optionally translates these high-level shading programs into distinct software objects of vertex shader assembly code 116 and fragment shader assembly code 118. Based on the translated assembly code, GPU microcode assemblers 120 and 122 then generate vertex shader microcode 124 and fragment shader microcode 126, respectively, for GPU 106. It should be noted that compiler 114 may reside outside of GPU driver 104 in other prior art programming models.
One drawback of the aforementioned programming model 100 is the lack of programmability for certain components in rendering pipeline 108. For instance, since rendering pipeline 108 lacks a programmable processing unit in between vertex processing unit 130 and fragment processing unit 136, application 102 is unable to manipulate or process the output data of vertex processor unit 130 until that data reaches fragment processing unit 136. Another drawback of programming model 100 is the potential inefficiencies relating to developing and deploying separate domain-specific shader programs, because application developers need to rationalize the various shader programs they develop.
As the foregoing illustrates, what is needed in the art is a programming model that exposes new programmability and processing capabilities of GPUs, such as the ability to program and perform geometry processing operations, and enables efficient development of the various shader programs that execute within the different domains of the rendering pipeline. | {
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A social network service or system, or “social network”, is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on facilitating the building of social networks or social relations among people who, for example, share interests, activities, backgrounds, or real-life connections. A social network service typically includes a representation of each user, typically referred to as a user “profile”, his/her social links, and a variety of additional services. Most social network services are web-based and provide means for users to interact over the Internet, such as e-mail and instant messaging. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events, and interests within their individual networks.
The use of social network services in an enterprise/business context is increasingly popular. Because social networks connect people at low cost, they can be beneficial for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to expand their contact bases. These networks often act as a customer relationship management tool for companies selling products and services. Companies can also use social networks for targeted advertising in the form of banners and text ads. Since businesses operate globally, social networks can make it easier to keep in touch with contacts around the world. | {
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Satellite positioning systems (SPS), such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), permit the determination of a geographic location of an entity, such as a person, that is equipped with an SPS receiver. SPS receivers, such as those which operate in GPS or other satellite positioning systems, normally determine their position by computing relative times of arrival of signals transmitted simultaneously from a multiplicity of satellites, such as GPS, NAVSTAR, or other satellites.
These satellites typically transmit, as part of their satellite data message, timing and satellite positioning data, which is sometimes referred to as “ephemeris” data. The term “ephemeris” or “satellite ephemeris” is generally used to mean a representation, such as an equation, which specifies the positions of satellites (or a satellite) over a period of time or time of day. In addition, the satellites can transmit data to indicate a reference time, such as time-of-week (TOW) information, that allows a receiver to determine unambiguously local time.
Typically, an SPS receiver computes one or more “pseudorange” measurements, each of which represents the range between the receiver and a satellite vehicle (SV). The term “pseudorange” is generally used to point out that the range measurement may include error due to one or more factors, including, for example, the error between time as indicated by the clock of the SPS receiver and a reference time, such as the reference time associated with the more accurate atomic clock of the satellites. Thus, the SPS receiver typically uses the pseudoranges, along with timing and ephemeris data provided in the satellite signal to determine a more accurate set of navigational data, such as position, time, and/or range.
Alternatively, the SPS receiver may not determine its location directly, but rather uploads information regarding its position, such as pseudoranges, to a server computer. The server computer computes the geographical location for the receiver from the pseudoranges. While an SPS receiver can determine its position or cause a server system to do so, it is also desirable to make the location known to other SPS receivers or other types of receivers under controlled circumstances. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to stereoscopic viewers and more particularly to a foldable viewer that can be placed in a magazine or similar publication for advertising or promotional purposes. In one form of the invention a protective backing integral with the foldable viewer is included to form a postcard which allows the viewer to be sent in direct mail without the need for an additional mailing envelope. The invention is also directed to the single blank used to form the foldable viewer and the postcard embodiment.
2. Prior Art
Collapsible viewers are well known devices in the art that have been constructed in various shapes and sizes, some of which are relatively expensive to manufacture. Most viewers are made from cardboard or paperboard and usually include a pair of optical lenses aligned with a pair of stereoscopic images appearing on slides, film strips, or other transparencies. The stereoscopic images take on a three-dimension effect when the user views them through the optical lenses.
Usually, the user holds the viewer up to a light source so that background light can illuminate the transparencies and produce the three-dimensional effect. Some prior art viewers have been constructed as box-like enclosures to create a darkened area between the optical lenses and the transparencies. This darkened ara helps enhance the three-dimensional effect and increases the clarity and illusion of reality of the image. There are problems, however, associated with prior art collapsible box-type viewers that have diminished their usefulness.
Generally, most box-type viewers are constructed from a single cardboard blank having numerous flaps and tabs that must be folded and placed within appropriate slots that are also formed on the blank. The design of most box-type viewers allows the viewer to be collapsed from the assembled or viewing position to a flattened position for storage. This collapsibility feature generally increases the complexity of the blank and usually requires the blank to be preassembled to create the foldable viewer. Once the blank has been preassembled, the finished viewer can be easily collapsed and reassembled by its user.
The intricacy of these blanks, however, usually requires the manufacturer to preassemble the viewers by hand, preventing the use of high speed machinery to assemble the finished product. As a result, a manufacturer usually has to hire additional labor to preassemble the blanks, thus reducing production speed and decreasing profits.
As an alternative, a manufacturer can sell unassembled blanks to its buyers, leaving the buyers to assemble the foldable viewers. However, the preassembly can be quite tedious and may require elaborate instructions to permit the user to properly construct the finished product. In many cases, the viewer may be so complicated to assemble that the usr loses interest in it and may even discard it, rather than take the time to assemble it properly.
The thickness and the number of walls or panels making up prior art viewers can also create a thick profile that prevents the viewers from being used in certain applications. For example, prior art viewers have not been placed in magazines or similar publications for advertising or promotional purposes since each viewer would cause an undesirable bulge in the magazine, a feature that is not acceptable by most national magazines. In fact, most national magazine publishers have strict thickness requirements for any insertion to prevent this unwanted bulge. While some prior art viewers can be folded somewhat flat for mailing purposes, the thickness of most prior art viewers is usually too large to permit a publisher to place them in publications. As a result, prior art foldable viewers have not been effectively used as an inexpensive advertising medium that can be easily inserted into magazines and distributed to consumers.
As an alternative, the blank that forms the viewer could possibly be placed in a magazine. However, the elaborate assembly needed to construct most viewers would be detrimental since many consumers may not bother to constuct the device to view the advertised products. For these reasons, advertisers have refrained from using prior art viewers to advertise their products. Advertisers appear to be more willing to use foldable viewers for advertising purposes provided that the viewers are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and are simple to construct. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Many companies, such as retailers and manufacturers, utilize RFID tags to uniquely identify products for purposes such as inventory control and optimizing product availability. RFID tags are typically attached to products to enable the companies to wirelessly detect the presence of the products. For example, mobile or fixed scanners can be utilized by employees to quickly and easily determine inventory in a retail store. By using this information, the companies can determine if the amount of inventory is sufficient and/or whether certain products need to be replenished.
A typical RFID tag is encoded with an SGTIN (Serialized Global Trade Item Number) that is a universal identifier for uniquely identifying a particular physical object, e.g., a product. The SGTIN can be associated not only with the particular object, but also with a distinct category or family of objects all having the same SKU (stock keeping unit). For example, an apparel product of a certain style, size, and color (e.g., mini, size 8, red, dress) may have a particular SKU. Each of the products may share the same SKU but have a unique SGTIN that is a combination of the SKU and a unique identifier. Accordingly, the precise number of products can be determined by scanning the RFID tags attached to the products and counting the unique SGTINs for a particular SKU. In addition to inventory control, SGTINs may be used for other purposes, such as to help detect counterfeit products or prevent diversion of authentic products. All of these applications require the successful reading of the RFID tag throughout a supply chain.
However, RFID tags can degrade or become defective. When RFID tags degrade or become defective, they may be unable to be read by scanners in a reliable and consistent fashion. In particular, RFID tags could degrade to different levels of degradation that may cause scanners to incorrectly read the RFID tags, not read the RFID tags, and/or make the RFID tags unreadable from a required distance, for example. The inability to read RFID tags can adversely impact the effectiveness of RFID-based applications. For example, when RFID tag failure occurs, the inventory count of products in a retail store can be inaccurate. This may result in the false appearance of insufficient inventory, the improper replenishing of products that do not need to be replenished, and/or the need to re-tag products after the products have been delivered to a retail store. RFID tags can degrade or become defective due to physical damage (e.g., folding, creasing, impacts, etc.), electrostatic discharge, temperature, humidity, and/or other causes. In particular, components of RFID tags, such as RFID chips, antennas, and/or inlays, can degrade or become defective. Some studies have shown that a significant number of RFID tags can degrade or become defective as the components and the completed RFID tags themselves move through a supply chain. The supply chain can be complex and involve many different entities that require conveying the components and the RFID tags between the entities. As such, there are many potential points in the supply chain where RFID degradation or tag failure could be caused.
RFID tags can also be considered defective if the data encoded within the RFID tags is incorrect. In one aspect, RFID tags encoded with duplicate SGTINs have incorrect data and can be considered defective. In particular, if the SGTIN encoded in a particular RFID tag is the same as the SGTIN encoded in one or more other RFID tags, all of the RFID tags with the same SGTIN can be considered defective. Products that have such RFID tags attached would not be counted correctly, resulting in incorrect inventory counts. For example, a scanner would only count one product when RFID tags with the same SGTIN are scanned because only one SGTIN would be detected.
In another aspect, RFID tags encoded with SGTINs that do not conform to a required encoding scheme have incorrect data and can be considered defective. The required encoding scheme may be established by a retailer, for example, and can include rules or protocols that specify how the SGTIN must be encoded. One goal of such encoding schemes may be to minimize the possibility of encoding duplicate SGTINs in multiple RFID tags. The encoding scheme can include, for example, Multi-vendor Chip Serialization (MCS) from GS1 and proprietary encoding schemes. However, if the encoding scheme is not followed correctly when the SGTIN is created, duplicate SGTINs and/or SGTINs that do not conform to the encoding scheme can result. Duplicate and incorrectly encoded SGTINs can also result in incorrect inventory counts of products.
Another problem associated with RFID tags relates to the use of wrong inlays within an RFID tag. An inlay in an RFID tag consists of an RFID chip attached to an antenna. A company may require that an RFID tag for a particular product (and SKU) includes a particular combination of a specific RFID chip and a specific antenna. This particular combination may be required to improve read rates of the RFID tags when attached to these particular products. For example, a particular inlay may be required so that it can be read from a farther distance, e.g., due to a larger antenna in the inlay. Existing RFID printers and scanners can only read the TID (Tag Identification Number) of the RFID chip in an inlay and cannot detect the type of antenna that is in the inlay. As such, it is possible that an RFID tag printer/converter, by accident or with intent (e.g., use of a lower cost underperforming inlay), could use the wrong type of inlay, e.g., with the correct RFID chip but the wrong antenna type, when producing an RFID tag for a particular product (with a particular SKU).
Additional issues associated with RFID tags relate to the licensing of inlays and/or RFID chips within the RFID tags. Entities that produce inlays and/or RFID chips may or may not be a party to a license agreement. Auditors, compliance entities, and other users may wish to determine if particular inlays and/or RFID chips are compliant with the license agreement for auditing and compliance purposes. However, merely scanning an RFID tag does not reveal enough information to determine whether the particular inlay and/or RFID chip in the RFID tag is compliant with the license agreement.
Therefore, there exists an opportunity for systems and methods for collecting data related to the performance characteristics of RFID tags across a supply chain and the quality of data encoded within the RFID tags, analyzing the data to identify and predict defective RFID tags within the supply chain, storing the data to ensure quality control metrics are met, validating inlay-SKU combinations of RFID tags within the supply chain, and performing auditing and compliance of inlays and/or RFID chips in RFID tags with respect to licensing agreements. | {
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In recent years, a requirement for a digital electronic equipment to have a higher performance is boundless, and a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC/LSI) which is mounted on a printed circuit board and is used as a semiconductor device tends to be more highly integrated and use higher frequency. For this reason, the number of simultaneous switching buffers in the IC/LSI tends to increase, a larger electric current tends to be required, and the switching cycle also tends to become higher frequency. In order to stably operate the IC/LSI mounted on this printed circuit board, a charge supplying function which follows a high-speed operation of the IC/LSI needs to be provided on the printed circuit board. This charge supplying function for the IC/LSI is achieved by a capacitative element connected to the IC/LSI through a wiring or a planate conductor formed on the printed circuit board.
However, in a high-frequency band, impedance cannot be neglected which originates in parasitic components of the wiring and the planate conductor, and accordingly, potential fluctuations of a power source and a ground are induced by an electric current for supplying an electric charge to the IC/LSI. Furthermore, a cable is connected to a connector mounted on the printed circuit board. The cable connected to this printed circuit board works as an antenna, and results in contributing to emanation of an electromagnetic noise. For this reason, in order to reduce the electromagnetic radiation noise, it becomes important to make the potential fluctuations of the power source and the ground occurring with the high-speed operation of the IC/LSI mounted on the printed circuit board not to propagate to the position of the connector arranged on the printed circuit board.
On the other hand, the electromagnetic radiation noise generated in these electronic equipments can become not only a cause of inducing a malfunction of a self-circuit, but also a cause of inducing a malfunction of other electronic equipment. For this reason, in order to market an electronic product, the electromagnetic radiation noise must be suppressed within a regulation value concerning an electromagnetic radiation noise such as VCCI, CISPR and FCC in each country.
Then, PTL 1 describes a technology of reducing the electromagnetic radiation noise by separating the electrodes into a planate power source electrode to which a power source is connected and a power source electrode for the LSI which is connected to the semiconductor device, and reducing the amount of a noise current flowing from the power source electrode for the LSI to the power source electrode.
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a conventional printed circuit board. In the conventional printed circuit board 101, one surface of a printed circuit board 102 is determined to be a first wiring layer 3, and the other surface is determined to be a fourth wiring layer 7. A second wiring layer 4 having a ground conductor plane 13 and a third wiring layer 6 having first and second power source conductor planes 11 and 12 are provided between these first wiring layer 3 and fourth wiring layer 7 through a not-shown dielectric layer.
A semiconductor device 8 is provided on the first wiring layer 3. In addition, a connector 16 to which a not-shown power source cable of a direct-current power source is connected is provided on the first wiring layer 3, and a terminal of the connector 16 is connected to the first power source conductor plane 11 and the ground conductor plane 13 through connecting conductors 17 and 18 of a via or the like. The first power source conductor plane 11 and the second power source conductor plane 12 are connected to each other by a connecting conductor 111 of the via or the like. The power source terminal 8a of the semiconductor device 8 and the second power source conductor plane 12 are connected to each other by a connecting conductor 21 of the via or the like, and the ground terminal 8b of the semiconductor device 8 and the ground conductor plane 13 are connected to each other by a connecting conductor 24 of the via or the like. By connecting the direct-current power source to the connector 16, the electric power is supplied to the semiconductor device 8 through the connecting conductor 17, the first power source conductor plane 11, the connecting conductor 111, the second power source conductor plane 12 and the connecting conductor 21.
In this conventional printed circuit board 101, the power source conductor plane is separated into the first power source conductor plane 11 and the second power source conductor plane 12, and the conductor planes are connected to each other by a connecting conductor 111 of the via or the like, thereby intending to reduce the amount of the noise current flowing into the first power source conductor plane 11, which has been generated in the semiconductor device 8 and has reached the second power source conductor plane 12. In addition, a planar capacitor 14 is formed by arranging the second power source conductor plane 12 and the ground conductor plane 13 so as to closely face each other. Thereby, the noise current which has been generated in the semiconductor device 8 and has reached the second power source conductor plane 12 returns to the semiconductor device 8 through a path formed by the planar capacitor 14 and the connecting conductor 24.
Furthermore, in the printed circuit board 101, a capacitor element 9 which is a bypass capacitor is mounted on the fourth wiring layer 7, and the capacitor element 9 is connected between the second power source conductor plane 12 and the ground conductor plane 13 through the connecting conductors 112 and 23 of the via or the like. Thereby, the remainder of the noise current except for a noise current which has not returned to the planar capacitor 14 returns to the semiconductor device 8 through a path formed by the connecting conductor 112, the capacitor element 9, the connecting conductor 23, the ground conductor plane 13 and the connecting conductor 24.
In other words, intention is made to reduce the electromagnetic radiation noise by increasing the total electrostatic capacitance by the planar capacitor 14 and the capacitor element 9, and returning the noise current which has been generated in the semiconductor device 8 to the semiconductor device 8 through the planar capacitor 14 and the capacitor element 9.
However, in recent years, the semiconductor device such as the IC/LSI progressively tends to use a higher frequency, a conventional configuration is insufficient to reduce the electromagnetic radiation noise originating in the noise current of high frequency generated in the semiconductor device, and has been required to be further improved.
In other words, in the conventional configuration illustrated in FIG. 8, the path of the noise current includes a path in which the noise current leaks to the first power source conductor plane 11 from a branch point of the second power source conductor plane 12 through the connecting conductor 111, in addition to a path in which the noise current reaches the semiconductor device 8 from the branch point through the planar capacitor 14 or the capacitor element 9. The noise current which has leaked to the first power source conductor plane 11 passes through a not-shown cable via the connector 16, and accordingly, becomes a cause of the electromagnetic radiation noise.
A method of enlarging the second power source conductor plane is considered in order to reduce the noise current which leaks to the first power source conductor plane and efficiently return the noise current to the semiconductor device by the planar capacitor, but there is a limit on the enlargement of the second power source conductor plane because the size of the printed circuit board is restricted.
In addition, there are an inductance component of the connecting conductor 112, an equivalent serial inductance (ESL) component of the capacitor element 9 and inductance components of the connecting conductors 23 and 24, in a path which reaches the semiconductor device 8 from the branch point through the capacitor element 9. For this reason, in order to reduce the amount of the noise current which flows out from the branch point to the first power source conductor plane 11, it is necessary to decrease the inductance components existing in the path which reaches the semiconductor device 8 from the branch point through the capacitor element 9. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor memory devices, particularly to a semiconductor memory device having a test mode.
2. Description of the Background Art
As the storage capacity of a semiconductor memory device (SRAM, DRAM, etc.) increases, an increasing number of address signal input terminals and data signal input/output terminals 34 are provided to the semiconductor memory device.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an entire structure of an SRAM provided with a number of such address signal input terminals and data signal input/output terminals. Referring to FIG. 8, the SRAM includes groups of address signal input terminals 31-33, a group of data signal input/output terminals 34, and control signal input terminals 35-38.
Address signals A0-An (n is an integer of 0 or more) are externally input to groups of address signal input terminals 31-33. Address signals (e.g. A4-A8, A12-An) for designating a row among address signals A0-An are input to group of address signal input terminals 31. Address signals (e.g. A0, A2, A3, A10) for designating a column among address signals A0-An are supplied to group of address signal input terminals 32. Address signals (e.g. A1, A9, A11) for designating a block among address signals A0-An are input to group of address signal input terminals 33. Group of data signal input/output terminals 34 is used for input/output of data signals D0-Dm (m is an integer of 0 or more). Write control signal /W, chip select signals /S1 and S2 and output enable signal /OE are supplied to control signal input terminals 35-38 respectively.
The SRAM further includes a row input buffer 41, a column input buffer 42, a block input buffer 43, a row decoder 44, a column decoder 45, a block decoder 46, a memory array 47, a clock generator 48, a sense amplifier 49, an output buffer 50, an input data control circuit 51, and gate circuits 52-54.
Row input buffer 41 generates amplification signals and inversion-amplification signals of address signals A4-A8 and A12-An supplied externally via address signal input terminal group 31, and supplies the generated signals to row decoder 44 and clock generator 48.
Column input buffer 42 generates amplification signals and inversion-amplification signals of address signals A0, A2, A3 and A10 input from address signal input terminal group 32, and supplies the generated signals to column decoder 45 and clock generator 48.
Block input buffer 43 generates amplification signals and inversion-amplification signals of address signals A1, A9 and A11 supplied externally via address signal input terminal group 33, and supplies the generated signals to block decoder 46 and clock generator 48.
Memory array 47 is divided into a plurality of memory blocks. Each memory block includes a plurality of memory cells each storing data of 1 bit. The memory cells are grouped in advance such that each group includes m+1 cells. The number of memory cells in each group m+1 is equal to the number of data signal input/output terminals. Each memory cell group is arranged at a prescribed address determined by a row address, a column address and a block address.
Row decoder 44 designates a row address in memory array 47 according to the amplification signals and inversion-amplification signals of address signals A4-A8 and A12-An supplied from row input buffer 41. Column decoder 45 designates a column address in memory array 47 according to the amplification signals and inversion-amplification signals of address signals A0, A2, A3 and A10 supplied from column input buffer 42. Block decoder 46 designates a block address in memory array 47 according to the amplification signals and inversion-amplification signals of address signals Al, All and A9 supplied from block input buffer 43.
Clock generator 48 and gate circuits 52-54 select a prescribed operation mode according to signals /W, /S1, S2, and /OE supplied externally via control signal input terminals 35-38 as well as the amplification signals and inversion-amplification signals of address signals A0-An supplied from input buffers 41-43, and controls the entire SRAM.
In a reading mode, sense amplifier 49 reads data signals D0-Dm from a memory cell group located at an address designated by decoders 44-46. Output buffer 50 outputs data signals D0-Dm read by sense amplifier 49 externally via data signal input/output terminal group 34 in the read mode. In a write mode, input data control circuit 51 writes data signals D0-Dm supplied externally via data signal input/output terminal group 34 into a memory cell group located at an address designated by decoders 44-46.
An operation of the SRAM shown in FIG. 8 is hereinafter described briefly. In a writing operation, signals /W and /S1 are at "L" level, signals S2 and /OE are at "H" level, address signals A0-An are supplied to groups of address signal input terminals 31-33, and write data signals D0-Dm are supplied to data signal input/output terminal group 34. Decoders 44-46 designate any memory cell group in memory array 47 according to address signals A0-An. Externally supplied data signals D0-Dm are written by input data control circuit 51 into the memory cell group designated by decoders 44-46.
In a reading operation, signals /OE and /S1 are at "L" level, signals S2 and /W are at "H" level, and address signals A0-An are supplied to groups of address signal input terminals 31-33. Decoders 44-46 designate any memory cell group in memory array 47 according to address signals A0-An. Sense amplifier 49 reads data D0-Dm in the memory cell group designated by decoders 44-46. Data D0-Dm read by sense amplifier 49 are output to data signal input/output terminal group 34 by output buffer 50.
A burn-in test for acceleratedly causing any initial failure is applied to such an SRAM prior to delivery, in order to eliminate early failures caused after delivery. The burn-in test is conducted by placing a number of SRAMs on a single test board, supplying address signals A0-An and data signals D0-Dm in parallel to the group of SRAMs, and driving the SRAMs under extreme conditions (high temperature, high supply voltage etc.) severer than normal conditions.
If a conventional package such as the SOP (Small Outline Package) or TSOP (Thin Small Outline Package) is used for an SRAM, external pins 62 are arranged around only the periphery of a package 61 as shown in FIG. 9. In this case, interconnection lines 63 on the test board can be constituted of a single-layer interconnection.
However, if a modern small package such as the CSP (Chip Scale Package) is used for an SRAM, external pins 72 are arranged in rows and columns at the bottom surface of a package 71 as shown in FIG. 10. If interconnection lines 73 on the test board is constituted of the single-layer interconnection, interconnection lines 73 cannot be connected to external pins 72 located at the central portion even if interconnection lines 73 can be connected to external pins 72 arranged around the periphery of the bottom surface of the package 71. Although interconnection lines 73 on the test board can be constituted of a multi-layer interconnection to allow all of the external pins 72 to be connected to interconnection lines 73, the higher cost of the test board leads to increase in the cost of testing. | {
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Lithium batteries (batteries containing metallic lithium as the negative electrode active material) are becoming increasingly popular as portable power sources for electronic devices that have high power operating requirements. Common consumer lithium batteries include lithium/manganese dioxide (Li/MnO2) and lithium/iron disulfide (Li/FeS2) batteries, which have nominal voltages of 3.0 and 1.5 volts per cell, respectively.
Battery manufacturers are continually striving to design batteries with more discharge capacity. This can be accomplished by minimizing the volume in the cell taken up by the housing, including the seal and the vent, thereby maximizing the internal volume available for active materials. However, there will always be practical limitations on the maximum internal volume.
Another approach is to modify the internal cell design and materials to increase the discharge capacity. How to best accomplish this can depend at least in part on the discharge requirements of the devices to be powered by the batteries. For devices with low power requirements, the quantity of active materials tends to be very important, while for devices with high power requirements, discharge efficiencies tend to be more important. Lithium batteries are often used in high power devices, since they are capable of excellent discharge efficiencies on high power discharge.
In general, battery discharge efficiency decreases rapidly with increasing discharge power. Therefore, for high power providing high discharge efficiency is a priority. This often means using designs containing less active materials, thus sacrificing capacity on low power and low rate discharge. For example, for good high power discharge efficiency, high interfacial surface area between the negative electrode (anode) and positive electrode (cathode) relative to the volume of the electrodes is desirable. This is often accomplished by using a spirally wound electrode assembly, in which relatively long, thin electrode strips are wound together in a coil. Unless the electrode compositions have a high electrical conductivity, such long, thin electrodes typically require a current collector extending along much of the length and width of the electrode strip. The high interfacial surface area of the electrodes also means that more separator material is needed to electrically insulate the positive and negative electrodes from each other. Because the maximum external dimensions are often set for the cells, either by industry standards or the size and shape of the battery compartments in equipment, increasing the electrode interfacial surface area also means having to reduce the amount of active electrode materials that can be used.
For batteries that are intended for both high and low power use, reducing cell active material inputs in order to maximize high power performance is less desirable than for batteries intended for only high power use. For example, AA size 1.5 volt Li/FeS2 (FR6 size) batteries are intended for use in high power applications such as photoflash and digital still camera as well as general replacements for AA size 1.5 volt alkaline Zn/MnO2 batteries, which are often used in lower power devices. In such situations it is important to maximize both high power discharge efficiency and cell input capacity. While it is generally desirable to maximize the electrode input capacity in any cell, the relative importance of doing so is greater in cells for lower power usage.
To maximize the active material inputs in the cell and mitigate the effects thereon of increasing the electrode interfacial surface area, it is desirable to use separator materials that take up as little internal volume in the cell as possible. There are practical limitations to doing so. The separator must be able to withstand the cell manufacturing processes without damage, provide adequate electrical insulation and ion transport between the anode and cathode and do so without developing defects resulting in internal short circuits between the anode and cathode when the cell is subjected to both normal and anticipated abnormal conditions of handling, transportation, storage and use.
Separator properties can be modified in a number of ways to improve the strength and resistance to damage. Examples are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,952,120; 6,368,742; 5,667,911 and 6,602,593. However, changes made to increase strength can also adversely affect separator performance, based in part on factors such as cell chemistry, electrode design and features, cell manufacturing process, intended cell use, anticipated storage and use conditions, etc.
For certain cell chemistries maximizing the amounts of active materials in the cell can be more difficult. In lithium batteries, when the active cathode material reacts with the lithium to produce reaction products having a total volume greater than that of the reactants, swelling of the electrode assembly creates additional forces in the cell. These forces can cause bulging of the cell housing and short circuits through the separator. Possible solutions to these problems include using strong (often thicker) materials for the cell housing and inert components within the cell, further limiting the internal volume available for active materials in cells with such active materials compared to cells with lower volume reaction products. For Li/FeS2 cells another possible solution, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,815, is to balance cathode expansion and anode contraction by mixing another active material with the FeS2. Such active cathode materials include CuO, Bi2O3, Pb2Bi2O5, P3O4, CoS2 and mixtures thereof. However, adding other active materials to the cathode mixture can affect the electrical and discharge characteristics of the cell.
Just as battery manufacturers are continually trying to improve discharge capacity, they are also continually working to improve other battery characteristics, such as safety and reliability; making cells more resistant to internal short circuits can contribute to both. As is clear from the above discussion, changes made to improve resistance to internal short circuits can be counterproductive in maximizing discharge capacity.
The pyrite or iron disulfide (FeS2) particles utilized in electrochemical cell cathodes are typically derived from natural ore which is crushed, heat treated, and dry milled to a particle size of 20 to 30 microns. The fineness of the grind is limited by the reactivity of the particles with air and moisture. As the particle size is reduced, the surface area thereof is increased and is weathered. Weathering is an oxidation process in which the iron disulfide reacts with moisture and air to form iron sulfates. The weathering process results in an increase in acidity and a reduction in electrochemical activity. Small pyrite particles can generate sufficient heat during oxidation to cause hazardous fires within the processing operation. Prior art iron disulfide particles utilized can have particles sizes which approach the final cathode coating thickness of about 80 microns due to the inconsistencies of the dry milling process.
The dry milling process of iron disulfide is typically performed by a mining company or an intermediate wherein large quantities of material are produced. The processed iron disulfide is shipped and generally stored for extended periods of time before it can be used by the battery industry. Thus, during the storage period, the above-noted oxidation and weathering occur and the material degrades. Moreover, the large iron disulfide particles sizes can impact processes such as calendering, causing substrate distortion, coating to substrate bond disruption, as well as failures from separator damage. | {
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The invention concerns a method of two-dimensional, heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy for the investigation of solid state samples, containing a first (.sup.1 H) and a second (.sup.13 C) nuclear species, in a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer by means of an NMR pulse sequence, which pulse sequence comprises a preparation interval, an evolution interval, a mixing interval and a detection interval, wherein during the preparation interval the first nuclear species is excited by at least one preparation RF pulse in a first frequency band and is exposed to evolution RF pulses inside the first frequency band during the evolution interval and wherein during the detection interval the first nuclear species is exposed to at least one decoupling RF pulse inside the first frequency band while the free induction decay in the second frequency band is detected and wherein the pulse sequence (1.ltoreq.p.ltoreq.n) is repeated n times in a row with identical preparation interval, mixing interval and detection interval but with changed evolution interval and wherein the sample rotates with a rotation frequency greater than 1 kHz about an axis which is tilted by about 54.degree. with respect to the axis of a homogeneous magnetic field and wherein the at least one preparation RF pulse is broad-banded with a center frequency in the center of the NMR spectrum of the first nuclear species of the sample effecting a rotation of the nuclear magnetization of the first nuclear species about an axis perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field (X) with an angle of preferably 90.degree. and wherein the evolution RF pulses form a so-called FSLG sequence with two successive broadband evolution RF pulses, phase shifted with respect to each other by 180.degree. (Y, -Y), whose center frequencies are shifted in opposite directions with respect to the preparation RF pulse and which each effect a rotation of the nuclear magnetization of the first nuclear species by about 294.degree..
Such a method is known from EP-A 0 481 256 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,186).
Nuclear resonance (NMR) is a phenomenon occurring in relation to a selected group of atomic nuclei and that is based on the existence of magnetic nuclear moments of these atomic nuclei. If an atomic nucleus with nuclear spin is placed in a strong homogeneous and static magnetic field (so-called "Zeeman field") and is excited by means of a weak radio frequency (RF) magnetic field, the nuclear spin precesses with a natural resonance frequency, the Larmor frequency, which is characteristic for each nuclear species with nuclear spin and which depends on the magnetic field strength effective at the location of the nucleus. Typical atomic nuclei with magnetic moments are e.g. protons .sup.1 H, .sup.13 C, .sup.19 F and .sup.31 P. The resonance frequencies of the nuclei can be observed by observing the transverse magnetization occurring after a strong RF pulse. Usually, the measured signal is transformed into a frequency spectrum by Fourier transformation.
Although identical nuclei show the same frequency dependence on the magnetic field, differences of the immediate chemical surroundings of each nucleus can modify the magnetic field, so that nuclei of the same sample do not see the same effective magnetic field. The differences of the local magnetic fields effect spectral shifts of the Larmor frequency between two such chemically not equivalent nuclei which are called "chemical shifts". These chemical shifts are of interest since they yield information about the number and position of the atoms inside a molecule and about the relative arrangement of neighboring molecules inside a compound.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to give an interpretation of the frequency spectra caused by chemical shift since there are additional and possibly dominant interactions present.
This is particularly the case in NMR spectroscopy of solids. In NMR spectroscopy of liquids, the fast molecular movements have the tendency to isolate the nuclei and to separate the nuclear interactions, so that it is much easier to recognize different nuclei in a spectrum. In solid state NMR there are many interactions between the molecules masking the result. E.g., magnetic moments of neighboring nuclei interfere with each other leading to interactions called "dipole-dipole couplings". These couplings broaden the characteristic resonance lines and mask the "fine" resonance structure caused by chemical shift. A further problem occurring in relation to solids and which is not present in liquids, is that the orientation of molecules in solids are relatively fixed with respect to the applied Zeeman field. Therefore the chemical shifts are anisotropic so that a contribution to the resonance frequency depends on the spatial orientation of the molecules with respect to the magnetic field. Therefore, it is important to suppress some of these interactions in order to obtain meaningful results for the others. Usually this is achieved by exciting the system at selected frequencies with the consequence that undesired interactions cancel or at least that they are averaged to a reduced amplitude. For example, in solids the above-mentioned anisotropy of the chemical shift is usually largely reduced by orienting the solid sample relative to the applied magnetic field at the so-called "magic angle" (54.degree. 44') and by rotating it at this angle with a comparatively fast frequency. This averages the anisotropic field components to zero.
In a similar fashion, it is possible to reduce with known techniques spin-spin interactions by irradiating the nuclei with RF pulses at or close to the Larmor frequencies. By carefully selecting various polarizations and phases of the RF pulses, the magnetization of interfering nuclear spin systems in neighboring groups can be changed. Thereby spin-spin interactions can effectively be averaged out so that their contribution to the final measuring result is strongly reduced. Since for each nuclear species the Larmor frequency is different, an applied RF field will have a much greater effect on those spins with a Larmor frequency close to the applied frequency than on those spins with a significantly different Larmor frequency. In this way, applied RF fields can be used to influence one nuclear species whereas others remain unaffected.
Because of the special problems of solid state NMR, one usually applies a two-dimensional spectroscopy technique in the time domain in order to improve resolution. With this technique it becomes possible to investigate the interaction or "correlation" between two different nuclear species inside a solid--the interaction between protons and .sup.13 C nuclei is usually of great interest in many organic solids. The basic technique of two-dimensional heteronuclear correlation in relation to solids is well-known and described in many articles, as e.g. in "Heteronuclear Correlation Spectroscopy" by P.
Caravatti, G. Bodenhausen and R. R. Ernst, Chemical Physics Letters Vol. 89, No. 5, pp. 363-367 (July 1982) and in "Heteronuclear Correlation Spectroscopy in Rotating Solids" by P. Caravatti, L. Braunschweiler and R. R. Ernst, Chemical Physics Letters Vol. 100, No. 4, pp. 305-3107 (September 1983). We explicitly refer to the contents of these articles.
As described in the above-mentioned articles, the two-dimensional heteronuclear correlation technique comprises an "experiment" in the time domain generally consisting of four different sequential time intervals. The first interval is called "preparation interval". During this time, one of the two nuclear species under investigation is transferred into an excited, coherent nonequilibrium state, which changes or "evolves" during the following time intervals. The preparation interval can consist of irradiating of a single RF pulse or alternatively of a sequence of RF pulses. Usually, the preparation interval has a fixed length of time.
A second time interval is called "evolution interval" during which the excited nuclear spins "evolve" under the influence of the applied magnetic field, of the neighbor spins, possibly of irradiated periodic RF pulse sequences and of the sample rotation. Evolution of the excited nuclei during this interval makes it possible to determine these frequencies. A series of "experiments" or "scans" is executed, whereby the evolution time of the evolution interval is incremented systematically.
The evolution interval is followed by a "mixing interval". During the mixing interval, one or more RF pulses may be irradiated effecting the coherence or polarization transfer from the excited nucleus to the other investigated nuclear species. The coherence or polarization transfer, triggered by the mixing process, is characteristic of the investigated nuclear system.
Finally, the mixing interval is followed by a "detection interval" where the resonance frequencies of the second nuclear species are measured. Generally, during this time further pulses or continuous RF energy is irradiated in order to suppress a further interaction between both nuclear species (decoupling).
After Fourier transformation, the result of the multiple experiment is a two-dimensional spectral profile, called heteronuclear correlation spectrum (also: 2D HETCOR). One axis of the plot depicts the detected frequencies of the second nuclear species. The other axis represents the frequencies of the first nuclear species, derived via the repeated scans with incremented evolution times. Since the measured frequencies of the second nuclear species depend on the energy transfer from the originally excited first nuclear species and since on the other hand the state of the first nuclear species depends on the evolution time, the second plot axis effectively represents the chemical shifts due to the different first nuclear species in a specific molecule and on their spatial arrangement with respect to the second nuclear species. The measured peaks of the plots correspond to correlations between selected nuclei of first and second nuclear species within a given molecule. An advantage of the heteronuclear correlation is that it spreads the proton resonances over the by far greater chemical shift range of .sup.13 C. For this reason, this technique can yield well resolved information about the proton chemical shift of a sample, although it is impossible to resolve these chemical proton shifts with other one-dimensional spectroscopy techniques.
Generally, in a typical two-dimensional heteronuclear correlation experiment, applied to an organic material, the correlation between hydrogen nuclei (protons) .sup.1 H and .sup.13 C nuclei are investigated inside the sample. In order to do this, an RF pulse is applied during the preparation interval, exciting the hydrogen protons. In theory, the proton spins would now perform a free precession motion during the evolution interval. During the mixing interval, the protons interact with the .sup.13 C nuclei via direct heteronuclear dipole-dipole coupling. Finally, during the detection interval the .sup.13 C frequencies are measured. One of the advantages of such an experiment is that the heteronuclear coupling between the protons and the .sup.13 C nuclei depends exclusively from the distance between the nuclei, independent of the chemical shift. Therefore, the correlation offers a possibility to investigate the stereochemistry of individual molecules as well as the relative arrangement of neighboring molecules.
The problem of this technique is that other couplings, as e.g. a "homonuclear" dipole-dipole coupling between protons and the "heteronuclear" dipole-dipole coupling between protons and carbon nuclei can mask the desired result if these interactions are allowed to be present during the evolution interval, since they have an influence on the measurement of chemical shifts in the proton spectrum. These last two interactions effect a peak broadening of the proton chemical shifts, leading to an overlap of different proton sites and, as a consequence, to a smearing out of the assignment to the individual sites. Therefore it is necessary to suppress these two very strong interactions during the evolution interval. For certain conditions, if an element more abundant than .sup.13 C is investigated, e.g. phosphorus or aluminum, it may be necessary to suppress the homonuclear interaction between these nuclei.
Generally, one has to apply carefully selected RF pulse sequences in order to ensure suppression of the homonuclear and heteronuclear interactions during the evolution interval, wherein the pulses are either irradiated to the protons, to the .sup.13 C nuclei or to both simultaneously. The object of these pulse sequences is to suppress the results of the unwanted interactions or to average them out. Many pulse sequences of this type are known in the corresponding prior art. For example, there are prior art pulse sequences suppressing relatively effectively the homonuclear interactions between protons. In addition, other pulse sequences are known to suppress heteronuclear interactions between protons and .sup.13 C nuclei. Experiments to simultaneously suppress both, homonuclear and heteronuclear interactions, simply combined the known RF pulse sequences. However, since the known pulse sequences were not designed in view of a combination, very long sequences of RF pulses resulted that were necessary to suppress both interaction types and the methods did not yield satisfying results. Therefore, the number of resolved, non-equivalent proton sites was considerably limited. This on its turn limited the number of compounds that could be successfully investigated.
The publication EP-A 0 481 256 cited at the beginning, describes an improved method suppressing heteronuclear interactions more effectively. The suggested pulse sequence is designed such that it can be used in combination with one of the previously known pulse sequences. In this way, homonuclear as well as heteronuclear interactions are suppressed. In addition, the suggested pulse sequence effectively suppresses homonuclear interactions. Therefore it can be used in relation to a multitude of nuclear species. In detail, during the preparation interval the first nuclear species is excited by a preparation pulse and is irradiated during the evolution interval for homonuclear decoupling between nuclei of the first species (generally protons) with a so-called BLEW-12 sequence (phases X Y -X -X -Y -X X Y X X -Y -X), whereas for decoupling between both nuclear species (generally .sup.13 H-.sup.13 C) and of the nuclei of the second species (generally .sup.13 C--.sup.13 C) the second nuclear species is irradiated with a pulse sequence of 12 90.degree. RF pulses with a predetermined phase sequence, the so-called BB-12 sequence (-X Y -X X Y -X -X Y X -X Y -X). Since in this way the homo- as well as the heteronuclear interactions are decoupled, the protons can freely evolve being only under the influence of their chemical shift, leading to an improved resolution. After the evolution interval, two separated pulses (.theta. and .phi. pulses) are irradiated onto the protons in order to--in view of the following detection--tilt the magnetization formed during the evolution interval into a plane perpendicular to the magnetic field. The .theta.-pulse is a 90.degree. pulse and the .phi. pulse has an angle of 63.degree. (with -Y phase). These two pulses are followed by the so-called WIM-24 ("Windowless Isotropic Mixing") sequence selectively transferring nuclear polarization from the protons to directly coupled carbon nuclei via direct heteronuclear dipole interaction. In addition, the WIM-24 sequence suppresses the proton and .sup.13 C chemical shifts as well as the proton-proton and .sup.13 C--.sup.13 C homonuclear couplings. However, it leaves unaffected the proton-.sup.3 C heteronuclear coupling. The WIM-24 sequence consists of a 24 pulse sequence irradiated onto the protons and a corresponding 24 pulse sequence simultaneously irradiated onto the .sup.13 C nuclei. The sequence is prior art and is described in detail in the article "Heteronuclear Correlation Spectroscopy in Rotating Solids" by P. Caravatti, L. Braunschweiler and R. R. Ernst in Chem. Phys. Letters 100, No. 4, pp 305-310 (1983).
Finally, during the detection interval, a continuous wave (CW) signal of relatively high intensity is irradiated at the proton frequency in order to decouple in a known way the protons from the .sup.13 C nuclei and the .sup.13 C FID is measured.
During the entire experiment, the solid state sample is routinely rotated about the "magic angle" in order to reduce broadenings caused by the anisotropy of the chemical shift.
In the EP-A 0 481 256 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,186) mentioned at the beginning, it is also pointed out that instead of the WIM-24 sequence other prior art pulse sequences can be used, too, in order to effect selective cross polarization during the mixing interval and still to simultaneously suppress the homonuclear dipole interaction. The WIM-24 sequence is mentioned to be preferred but a phase and frequency switched Lee-Goldburg sequence (FSLG) in combination with a phase switched .sup.13 C sequence might effect a similarly effective selective cross polarization during the mixing interval. This mixing method is described in detail in the article "Frequency-Switched Pulse Sequences: Homonuclear Decoupling and Dilute Spin NMR in Solids" by A. Bielecki, A. C. Kolbert and M. H. Levitt in Chem. Phys. Letters 155, Nos. 4,5, pp. 341 (1989).
However, the method known from EP-A 0 481 256 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,186) has the disadvantage that the BLWE-12 sequence applied during the evolution interval has to be relatively long. Generally, it is limited to more than 36 .mu.s because of the otherwise endangered safety of the probehead against high voltage breakdown. This on the other hand limits the possible spin rates of the sample rotation about the magic angle since the rotation time has to be large compared to the time period of the BLEW-12 sequence. In practice, spin rates are limited to below 5 kHz by this, whereas present conventional probeheads already allow spin rates around 15 kHz. The article J. Magn. Res. A 120, p. 274-277 (1996) describes a method where even without additional narrowing of the proton spectrum indications of a resolution of the chemical shift can be achieved by a pulse sequence at high fields.
The article J. Magn. Res. A 121, p. 114-120 (1996) describes a method of NMR imaging where the line narrowing effect of the FSLG sequence is used to effect slice selection.
In the German patent DE 196 48 391 C1 (GB 2 319 848 A), in a dipolar HETCOR experiment the nuclear spins are decoupled during the evolution interval with respect to dipole coupling by an FSLG RF pulse sequence irradiated in the proton frequency band. Since this sequence--compared to the ones used so far--can be very short and there is no need to simultaneously irradiate radio frequency in the range of the S nuclei, this method is particularly suited to high rotational speeds of the sample and high magnetic fields where it effects a decisive resolution improvement.
All carbon-proton correlation experiments reported so far, are based on a magnetization transfer by dipolar couplings. Various schemes of polarization transfers have been suggested and were investigated in view of their sensitivity and distance selectivity, e.g. experiments from Hartmann-Hahn cross polarization to WIM (windowless isotropic mixing) multipulse sequences. Since all these experiments make use of interactions through space, one of the main problems remains to ensure the sufficient selectivity of the magnetization transfer in order to usefully interpret the spectrum. In other words, only magnetization from protons to directly bonded carbons shall be transferred but not to carbon nuclei that are further removed. Whereas correlation signals between not-bonded pairs may yield valuable information about molecule conformation, they nevertheless severely complicate analysis of a two-dimensional spectrum.
There is therefore a need for a method mentioned at the beginning enabling an improved selective magnetization transfer. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to absorbent articles, and more particularly to disposable diapers.
During recent years diapers of the disposable type have come into widespread use. Although disposable diapers have attained popularity with parents due to convenience, unfavorable comments have been made about leakage from the diapers during use and their fit on the infant. In particular, the ends of the diaper are normally susceptible to leakage due, in part, to a loose fit of the diaper about the infant.
Many of the present disposable diapers have tape strips located adjacent one end of the diapers. The diapers are normally placed on the infant by laying the infant on the diaper with the strip bearing part of the diaper being located beneath the back waistline of the infant. After removal of release sheets from the tape strips, attachment portions of the strips are brought around the infant's legs, and anchored to the front portion of the diaper. However, in order to obtain a tight fit of the diaper and prevent leakage about the infant's legs, the attachment portions of the strips are frequently secured at a location on the front portion of the diaper which is spaced somewhat from the front end edge or waistline of the diaper.
Since the permanently anchored portions of the strips are usually located adjacent the back end edge of the diaper, after placement of the diaper the tape strips apply tension to the back waistline of the diaper and thus may maintain a relatively close fit of the diaper against the back waistline of the infant. In contrast, the attachment portions of the strips are often spaced from the front waistline of the diaper, and significant tension is not applied by the strips against the diaper front waistline. The front waistline of the diaper is thus permitted to gap away from the infant, increasing the possibility of urine leakage in this area of the diaper, in spite that the front waistline of the diaper is normally more susceptible to urine leakage than the back waistline, since it is closer to the site of urine deposition on the diaper. Also, infants are generally inclined to spend more time on their stomachs than their backs, causing gravity to drive urine in the diaper with greater frequency toward the front waistline. Thus, the diaper ends are normally susceptible to leakage where it should most be prevented. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
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