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This invention relates to a plate for connecting bone fragments, in particular base splinters with bone shafts.
Nowadays, in orthopedic surgery there is a tendency to ensue, apart from connection of bone spinters, a firm internal stabilization thereof and to eliminate, in this way, a stiff dressing. This is a therapeutic method called stable osteosynthesis. One of variants of this therapy is connection of bone splinters by means of plates with holes and bone screws.
Those skilled in this field of art are aware of means providing for a compressive connection of bones consisting of a thrust plate screwed onto the bone by means of or screws with a cortex thread, with a head in the form of a shoulder, or a shaped screw nut, which is associated with a necessary operative cut indispensable for a positioning of the fracture. In the case of some fracture of humerus, elbow osteosynthesis of humerus, fracture of upper tibia and some other lesions in the vicinity of the connection, special T shaped plates are used. A common feature of the known plates is a widened fixing part which has two, or more round hole, Hole axes are either parallel, or inclined at certain angle to one another. The fixing part is provided with several round holes, or a combination of round and oval holes.
During the first stage of the operation the fixing arms of the plate are fixed by means of screws to the bone splinters. Next, the shaft portion of the plate is fastened to the bone. If necessary, before fixing the shaft portion, the bone splinters are pressed axially to each other by means of a clamping device, or an automatic compression is used.
The design of the plate and screws so far used has not made possible stiffening of the fracture in the form of a stabilizer. In order to obtain a good stabilization of the spinters one must press the plate with a considerable force against the bone by means of screws. Such a pressure of the plate against the bone, together with isolation of a large bone area by the plate from the surrounding tissues either worsens, or completely precludes revascularization of the cortex layer lying under the plate. This has been confirmed by numerous histopathologic examinations of bone splinters taken from under the plate during removal of connecting material.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magneto-resistance effect element for writing and reading an information signal on magnetic storage media, a magneto-resistance effect head comprising the magneto-resistance effect element, a magneto-resistance transducer system comprising the magneto-resistance effect head, and a magnetic storage system comprising the magneto-resistance transducer system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a magneto-resistance effect element that reduces noise in a read signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally disclosed is a magnetic read transducer that is referred to as a magneto-resistance sensor (hereinafter densities. The MR sensor allows the read element to vary the electrical resistance as the function of the strength and the orientation of a magnetic flux applied from the outside in order to measure a variation in electrical resistance, thereby detecting a magnetic signal.
Such a conventional MR sensor operates based on the anisotropic magneto-resistance effect (hereinafter referred to as an AMR effect). By this effect, the component of a change in electrical resistance of the read element varies in proportion to the second power of the cosine of the angle between the orientation of magnetization and the direction of the sense current flowing through the read element. The AMR effect is described in more detail in an article entitled “Memory, Storage, and Related Applications”, D. A. Thompson, IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Vol. MAG-11, No. 4, pp. 1039 (1975).
In addition, disclosed lately is a more prominent magneto-resistance effect by which a change in electrical resistance of the layered magnetic sensor is caused by spin-dependent transportation of conduction electrons between magnetic layers via a non-magnetic layer and spin-dependent scattering associated therewith at layer boundaries. This magneto-resistance effect is identified by various names such as the “giant magneto-resistance effect” or the “spin valve effect”. Such a magneto-resistance sensor is formed of suitable materials to provide improved detection sensitivity and greater changes in electrical resistance in comparison with a sensor which makes use of the AMR effect. In a MR sensor of this type, in-plane resistance between a pair of ferromagnetic layers separated by a non-magnetic layer varies in proportion to the cosine of the angle between the orientations of magnetization of the aforementioned pair of ferromagnetic layers. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 2-61572 submitted in July 1988, for claiming priority, described is a layered magnetic structure for providing a significant change in MR caused by an anti-parallel alignment of the orientations of magnetization in the magnetic layers.
On the other hand, such a phenomenon has been recently discovered in which a relative change in orientation of magnetization of ferromagnetic bodies disposed above and below a very thin insulation layer (barrier layer) through which a tunneling current flows, causes a change in electrical resistance. And, the layered structure made up of the ferromagnetic layer, the barrier layer, and the ferromagnetic layer is termed a ferromagnetic tunnel junction. For example, ferromagnetic tunnel junctions are introduced in “Journal of Applied Physics”, Vol. 79 (8), No. 15, pp. 4724 (1996).
On the other hand, in a shield type element that makes use of a ferromagnetic tunnel junction, it is necessary to conduct a sense current for detecting a change in electrical resistance of the element in perpendicular relation to the tunnel junction. However, the structure similar to the shield type element employing the conventional spin valve presents a problem that the sense current flows through a vertical bias layer for controlling the magnetic domain of the free layer disposed near the tunnel junction to reduce the current flowing through the tunnel junction, thereby providing a reduced change in electrical resistance.
In order to overcome this problem, a read head was disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 10-162327 submitted on Nov. 27, 1996, for claiming priority. The read head, employing a ferromagnetic tunnel junction film, has a structure in which the vertical bias layer is not in contact with the free layer.
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the prior-art ferromagnetic tunnel head described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 10-162327. FIG. 1 illustrates the structure of a patterned ferromagnetic tunnel junction element, or a magneto-resistance effect element 30, having an insulation layer 11 disposed between a vertical bias layer 2b and a free layer 3b. This structure can prevent a sense current from flowing through the vertical bias layer 2b.
However, since the insulation layer 11 disposed between the vertical bias layer 2b and the free layer 3b acts also as a magnetic separation layer, it is difficult in the magneto-resistance effect element 30 to apply a vertical bias magnetic field of a sufficient magnitude to the free layer 3b. This presents such a problem that the magnetic domain of the free layer 3b is controlled insufficiently to cause the hysteresis of the R-H loop to increase for the shield type sensor, thereby providing a high-noise-level read signal upon reading magnetic information on a storage medium.
In order to overcome this problem, a read head was disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 10-255231 submitted on Mar. 7, 1997, 1996, for claiming priority. The read head, employing a ferromagnetic tunnel junction film, has a structure in which the vertical bias layer is in contact with the free layer.
FIGS. 2 and 3 are fragmentary sectional views of the ferromagnetic tunnel head described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 10-255231. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the structure of a layered body comprising the free layer 3b, the non-magnetic layer 4, and the fixed layer 5, in which the vertical bias layer 2b is in direct contact with the end portion of either the free layer 3b or the fixed layer 5.
However, the structure shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 presents the following problem. As will be described in the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the read head, which was actually fabricated to the structure shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, caused the sense current to flow into the vertical bias layer 2b and thus insufficiently flow through the non-magnetic layer 4. It is thereby made impossible to provide sufficient output of the sense current. The low output made it impossible to provide sufficient (S/N) ratios and bit error rates. As described above, this structure may make it possible in principle to prevent the sense current from flowing through the vertical bias layer 2b and thereby bypassing the non-magnetic layer 4. However, the vertical bias layer 2b is disposed in close proximity to the end portion of the non-magnetic layer 4 in the layered body made up of the free layer 3b, the non-magnetic layer 4, and the fixed layer 5. Thus, it is difficult to fabricate this structure precisely enough to prevent the sense current from flowing through the vertical bias layer 2b and thereby bypassing the non-magnetic layer 4.
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Carbon dioxide (CO2) is useful for food preservation, laboratory research, mosquito control and other applications. There are industrial methods of releasing CO2 by using dry ice or by burning organic fuels such as propane, butane and the like. These industrial methods, however, are limited in their portability and their predictability or control. Furthermore, these methods often require special equipment and/or special handling. These industrial methods are also limited by the fact they must be operated at either low temperatures (in the case of dry ice) or high temperatures (in the case of burning fuels). Dry ice must also be stored at low temperatures or else it will sublimate to produce carbon dioxide during storage.
There is a need in the art to provide a method for producing carbon dioxide that can be conducted at room temperature and that does not require special equipment, handling or storage. Furthermore, there is a need in the art to provide a method for producing carbon dioxide at a controlled rate even at temperatures below 100° F.
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The present invention relates to the field of medical lab equipment. In particular the present invention discloses a fully automated system for staining tissue specimens and cell preparations.
A normal function of medical laboratories is to examine cells and cell tissue under a microscope. The lack of contrast between individual cells and the background matrix or between individual parts of cells can make it difficult to examine cell and tissue preparations. To improve the contrast, researchers have applied stains to cell and tissue specimens to be examined. The stains are absorbed differently by the various structures in cells such that the contrast between the different cell structures is improved.
Staining tissue specimens is a nontrivial time consuming process. Often a number of different staining and rinsing stages are required. Each stage requires a specific amount of reagent or buffer and takes a specific amount of time. Thus, trained technicians are often employed to perform such operations. Furthermore, hospitals and laboratories must stain very large numbers of tissue specimens for patient diagnoses. Thus, automated tissue staining systems have been developed. By automating the process, expensive human labor is eliminated. Furthermore, automatically staining specimens significantly reduces the probability of an error occurring during the staining process.
To ensure that the proper staining procedures are followed, most automatic staining systems require that the user carefully enter the staining protocol and load the proper reagents. The complicated procedures require user training before such devices can be operated effectively. It would therefore be desirable to simplify the operation of an automatic tissue-staining device.
A method and apparatus for specimen slide preparation is disclosed. The method and apparatus of the present invention uses slide trays that have receptacles for at least one specimen slide and an associated reagent pack. The specimen slide and/or reagent pack includes an identifier that specifies a particular slide preparation protocol that should be followed. The method and apparatus reads the identifier to determine the particular slide preparation protocol and then prepares the specimen slide according to the particular slide preparation protocol. The apparatus may obtain some or all of the reagents needed for the particular slide preparation protocol from the reagent pack.
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{
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1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a method and system for reserving a processor in a multiprocessor system for availability of replacement in response to detection of an error in a non-reserved processor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent processor chips contain multiple processors, with each processor on the chip known as a logical processor. In a multiprocessor system, a problem that sometimes occurs is that one of the processors on the chip fails, or the chip fails in its entirety. Various computer manufacturers have an interest in high availability systems that support recovery from a failure. Typically, these systems implement a hardware error recovery mechanism to automatically and transparently recover from most transient errors.
When a central processor in a multiprocessor system encounters an error, it is very desirable to not lose the work being done on that processor and to move that work to another processor that is still operating in the system. Several methods are known for solving this problem. For example, one known solutions is to move the architected state of the failed processor to an on-line processor in the system with the help of the operating system. However, since the mechanism uses the operating system to perform the function, the customer is aware that the incident occurred. U.S. Pat. No. 5,627,962 to Goodrum et al. proposes a hot spare boot circuit to automatically reassign the power up responsibilities of a second processor in the event the primary processor should fail. However, this solution is limited to failure in a processor at the time the processor is powered on and does not address a solution to a processor that fails during operation subsequent to powering on. Accordingly, the state of the art is limited to non-transparent solutions in the event of a failed processor.
There is therefore a need to provide a method and system for transparently reassigning responsibilities of a failed processor to a reserved processor without a modification to the operating system. The reserved processor is essentially hidden to the customer and is activated in response to an error in an active processor.
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The present invention relates to a compound semiconductor light-emitting device of gallium nitride series such as purple blue semiconductor laser of gallium nitride series (hereinafter called LD) or blue/green light-emitting diode of gallium nitride series having high luminance (hereinafter called LED).
A conventional shortwave semiconductor laser is improved to an extent that reading/writing of a disk can be executed by a light source of 600 nm zone using InGaAlP and is already put to practical use.
In order to further improve recording density, shortwave blue semiconductor laser has been developed. A laser beam whose oscillation wave is short is useful to reduce a convergent size and to improve recording density.
For this reason, the compound semiconductor device of gallium nitrite series such as GaN, InGaN, GaAlN, InGaAlN has been recently considered as a material of the shortwave semiconductor laser to improve the application to a high density optical disk system.
For example, in the semiconductor laser using GaN series material, a room temperature pulse oscillation having wavelength of 380 to 417 nm is confirmed. However, in the semiconductor laser using GaN series material, a satisfying characteristic cannot be obtained, a threshold voltage for a room temperature pulse oscillation ranges from 10 to 40V, and the variation of the value is large.
This variation is caused by difficulty in a crystal growth of the compound semiconductor layer of gallium nitride series, and large device resistance. More specifically, there cannot be formed the compound semiconductor layer of p-type gallium nitride series having a smooth surface and high carrier concentration. Moreover, since contact resistance of a p-side electrode is high, a large voltage drop is generated, so that the semiconductor layer is deteriorated by a heat generation and a metal reaction even when the pulse oscillation is operated. In consideration of a cheating value, the room temperature continuous oscillation cannot be achieved unless the threshold voltage is reduced to less than 10V.
Moreover, when a current necessary to the laser generation is implanted, the high current flows locally and a carrier cannot be uniformly implanted to an active layer, and an instantaneous breakage of the device occurs. As a result, the continuous generation of the laser cannot be achieved.
Thus, to realize the purple blue semiconductor laser of gallium nitride series having high reliability, which is operated by the low threshold current to be used in the optical disk and the low threshold voltage, the following points are important:
Specifically, the efficient and uniform implantation of the carriers to the active layer and the reduction of the voltage drop by the electrode contact are important.
However, it is difficult to extremely execute such points in the present state.
As mentioned above, in the compound semiconductor laser of gallium nitride series, it is difficult to obtain the compound semiconductor laser having a good p-type gallium nitride series with no fine porous defects. Moreover, since the p-side electrode contact resistance is high, large voltage drop is generated by the electrode contact. Further, since the carriers cannot be uniformly implanted to the active layer, it is difficult to realize the device with the low threshold current and the low operating voltage.
In the light-emitting device of GaN series, since the p-side electrode contract resistance was high, the operating voltage was increased. Moreover, nickel, serving as a p-side electrode metal, and gallium forming the p-type semiconductor layer, were reacted with each other, melted, and deteriorated at an electrical conduction. As a result, it was difficult to continuously generate the laser.
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(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lawn mowers, and more particularly, to rotary lawn mowers for cutting grass by rotating cutting blades housed in housings which open downward toward the grass.
(2) Background Information
This kind of rotary lawn mower includes (1) lawn mowers of a type for use in a so-called bagging mode for receiving grass cut by cutting blades in grass receptacles such as bags and (2) lawn mowers of a type for use in a so-called mulching mode for cutting grass cut by cutting blades more finely within housings and discharging the cut grass downward of the housings. The lawn mowers of type (1) can remove all cut grass clippings, providing a good finish of the cut grass, and are thus commonly used in golf courses or the like. The lawn mowers of type (2) can eliminate the need for dumping grass clippings by returning the grass clippings to the lawns, and are thus commonly used in parks or the like.
It is, however, inconvenient to selectively use the two types of lawn mowers for their respective suitable uses. In recent years, an art of allowing a single lawn mower to serve as both types (1) and (2) has been developed (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. SHO-64-3441 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,449).
SHO-64-3441 discloses that a grass discharge chute can be mounted on a top plate of a housing to set it as a bagging-mode housing. With this structure, a bag is attached to an outlet of the grass discharge chute so that grass cut by a cutting blade can be received in the bag (bagging mode).
The lawn mower of SHO-64-3441 can also remove the grass discharge chute and mount a cover plate on the top plate of the housing to switch it into a mulching-mode housing. With this structure, grass cut by the cutting blade can be discharged downward of the housing (mulching mode).
A lawn mower of U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,449 has a bagging-mode housing with a grass discharge chute extended rearward and upward from its top plate. The bagging-mode housing has a scroll portion for allowing grass cut by a cutting blade to swirl within the housing while directing it to the grass discharge chute. A chute plug blocking the grass discharge chute can be removed to attach a bag to the grass discharge chute, thereby to receive grass cut by the cutting blade in the bag (bagging mode).
The lawn mower of U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,449 can also block the grass discharge chute with the chute plug to discharge grass cut by the cutting blade downward of the bagging-mode housing (mulching mode).
The lawn mower of SHO-64-3441 is switched between the bagging-mode housing and the mulching-mode housing by manually changing parts. The mode switching every time requires manual change of parts, inefficiently involving time-consuming and troublesome parts-changing work.
The lawn mower of U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,449 can switch the bagging-mode housing between the bagging mode and the mulching mode only by mounting or demounting the chute plug to or from the grass discharge chute. The mode switching operation is thus relatively easy.
However, the bagging-mode housing is also used in the mulching mode without change. The bagging-mode housing has, as described above, a scroll portion for allowing grass clippings cut by the cutting blade to swirl within the housing while directing the grass clippings to the grass discharge chute.
In the mulching mode, grass clippings are cut more finely by the cutting blade while being caused to swirl within the housing, and the swirling grass clippings are discharged downward of the housing. The cross-sectional area of the housing is larger at a portion where the scroll portion lies and smaller at a portion without the scroll portion. The flow velocity of an air flow swirling grass clippings within the housing, that is, a swirling flow, can thus be largely changed between the portion with the scroll portion and the portion without the scroll portion. The rapid change of the flow velocity of the swirling flow can be a factor in the retention of grass clippings within the housing.
If the flow velocity is rapidly reduced near the rear end of the scroll portion, for example, grass clippings accumulate on the inner surface of the housing at that portion, or grass clippings accumulate at the inlet of the grass discharge chute. A certain amount of accumulation within the housing reduces the flow of a swirling flow. Suspending the grass cutting operation each time it occurs and removing accumulated grass clippings prevents continuous mowing operations. The resulting operating inefficiency leaves room for improvement.
Furthermore, partial accumulation of grass clippings within the housing prevents grass clippings from being evenly discharged downward from the housing. The return amount of grass clippings returned from the housing to the lawn is thus nonuniform, resulting in a reduced finished quality of the grass cutting.
Thus, desired is a lawn mower which increases operating efficiency in a mulching mode while securing operating efficiency in a bagging mode, thereby improving the finished quality of grass cutting.
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In some environments, a request for a network resource must be accompanied by state information indicating the requester has access to the resource. For example, a server may require an authorization cookie to be present in a request for a given document. This state information is typically managed by a web browser.
However, there may be many cases where a user is navigating resources using a web page, and then selects a resource which requires an application other than the web browser to be viewed. In some cases, the web browser and the other application may be part of a virtualized computing environment. For example, a user may be navigating a web site and click on a link to a spreadsheet, causing the browser to launch a remotely hosted spreadsheet application for viewing the viewing. When the application hosted by a server is invoked for the purposes of loading the external HTTP-based resource, the application may be required to include state information for the request to be allowed. Some systems may lack a mechanism for injecting the necessary session state data into an upstream request. For example, in some systems, the link between the application and the external HTTP-based resource is provided directly by a file including connection information but lacking necessary session state data.
One result of lacking the necessary session state data may be presentation of a session failure message or error dialog box to a user of the system. Another result in cases where the application hosted on the application server supports rending of HTML (applications such as WORD, EXCEL, or POWERPOINT), may be the rendering of an error page within the application, such that the error page is presented as if it were the requested resource. This may cause confusion to the user.
Thus there exists a need for systems and methods which allow access of remote resources in launched applications while preserving state information necessary for the request.
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{
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Oxymorphone, generally administered in the form of its hydrochloride salt, is a potent semi-synthetic opiate analgesic. Oxymorphone hydrochloride is indicated for the relief of moderate to severe pain and has been approved for use in the United States since 1959. Oxymorphone hydrochloride is also indicated as a pre-operative medication to alleviate apprehension, maintain anesthesia and as an obstetric analgesic. Additionally, oxymorphone hydrochloride may be used to alleviate pain in patients with dyspnea associated with acute left ventricular failure and pulmonary edema. It can be administered as an injectable solution, suppository, tablet or extended release tablet.
Some crystalline forms of oxymorphone hydrochloride are known. U.S. Pat. No. 8,563,571 describes oxymorphone hydrochloride crystalline Form A as a commercially produced form of oxymorphone hydrochloride. U.S. Pat. No. 8,563,571 also describes oxymorphone hydrochloride crystalline Form B. Other crystalline forms, including mixtures of forms, of oxymorphone hydrochloride are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,851,482, U.S. Pat. No. 8,563,571 and WO 2012/163796.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus of removing unnecessary instructions, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus of removing unnecessary instructions utilized in a computer system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Under the reduced instruction set computer (RISC) structure, all instructions are designed to have the same length and a more simplified format. Therefore, the design rule of the processor and compiler under the reduced instruction set computer structure can be simplified accordingly.
However, in contrast to complicated instruction set computer (CISC) structure, the above-mentioned RISC structure has the disadvantages of more program codes and lower efficiency. Therefore, the program codes of the RISC structure are often compressed to reduce the requirement of the storage space of the memory.
But, the position of the instruction of the compressed program codes is not the same as that of the original program codes. Therefore, the most essential point of the compressing and decompressing technique is to find out the correct position of the instruction from the compressed program codes. To speak more specifically, the compressed program should be decompressed along with the execution flow of the program such that the program can be decompressed into correct program pieces to be executed in the correct time. If the entire program is decompressed before the program is executed, the benefit of decompressing the instruction codes is reduced. On the other hand, if the correct positions of instructions should be directly discovered from the decompressed program codes, the most-widely-used method is to build an index. The index stores the corresponding relationships between the original addresses in instructions in the uncompressed program codes and the addresses in instructions in the compressed program codes.
Therefore, through using the index, the decompressing unit can correctly find out the positions of the instructions and further perform an appropriate decompression operation to generate correct instruction codes. Unfortunately, in order to deal with the above-mentioned index, not only a complicated index circuit is required, but also the cost increases accordingly.
Please note, the above-mentioned program codes compressing technique can be referred to the following papers or patents: “Andrew Wolfe and Alex Chanin, “Executing Compressed Programs on An Embedded RISC Architecture,” in proc. Micro-25: The 25th Annual International Symposium on Microarchitecture, 1992.”, U.S Pat. No. 6,732,256 “Method and apparatus for object code compression and decompression for computer systems”, and U.S Pat. No. 6,892,292 “Apparatus for one-cycle decompression of compressed data and methods of operation thereof.”
Furthermore, there is another well-known instruction code compressing method, which extends the instruction set. This method utilizes an additional extension instruction having a shorter length to replace an original instruction. It can be referred to U.S Pat. No. 6,195,743 “Method and system for compressing reduced instruction set computer (RISC) executable code through instruction set expansion”.
In addition, other references includes U.S Pat. Nos. 6,199,126, 6,233,674, 5,852,741, 5,862,398, 5,878,267, 5,893,143, 6,131,152, 6,216,223, 6,442,680, and 6,859,870, and papers including M. Kozuch and A. Wolfe. “Compression of Embedded System Programs” IEEE International Conference on Computer Design: VLSI in Computers & Processors, 1994, Haris Lekatsas and Wayne Wolf. “Code Compression for Embedded Systems” 35th Design Automation Conference 1998, Charles Lefurgy, Eva Piccininni and Trevor Mudge. “Reducing Code Size with Run-Time Decompression, and NIHAR R. MAHAPATRA, JIANGJIANG LIU, KRISHNAN SUNDARESAN, SRINIVAS DANGETI and BALAKRISHNA V. VENKATRAO. “The Potential of Compression to Improve Memory System Performance, Power Consumption, and Cost”
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Panoramic imagery of a geographic area can be captured by mobile data acquisition units from a perspective at or near ground level. This imagery can be a valuable resource for refining representations of a geographic area provided, for instance, by a geographic information system, such as a mapping service or a virtual globe. For example, panoramic imagery can be used to refine or generate high resolution three-dimensional models of various landmarks, buildings, objects, terrain, etc. in a geographic information system. The panoramic imagery can also be used to provide interactive three-dimensional imagery of a geographic area from a street or ground level. The panoramic imagery can have associated camera parameters, such as an image pose, and geometry information regarding the geographic area depicted in the imagery.
Panoramic imagery can be stored in a geographic information system database. Geographic information system databases can also store aerial imagery of a geographic area. The aerial imagery can be captured, for instance, from an aircraft and can provide, for instance, an oblique perspective of the geographic area from one of various canonical viewpoints, such as north, south, east, and west canonical viewpoints. The database of aerial imagery can be associated with pose information. Additionally, the database of aerial imagery can have an associated three-dimensional geometry of the subject matter depicted in the imagery.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for developing a magnetic latent image. More particularly, it is concerned with a method and an apparatus for developing a magnetic latent image using magnetic toner which has been imparted an electric charge in a particular polarity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As the method for developing a magnetic latent image, there have so far been known a method, in which a toner containing a ferromagnetic material in a resin as a carrier (the so-called "magnetic toner") is spread in a thin layer on a toner bearing member, and caused to lightly contact to a magnetic latent image bearing member (as disclosed in Japanese patent publication No. 50-90342); a method, in which a toner brush is formed on a sleeve with a permanent magnet incorporated therewithin and the brush is caused to frictionally slide over the magnetic latent image bearing member (as disclosed in Japanese Patent publication No. 51-100732); and others. However, the so-called insulative toner having electric charge in a particular polarity, when it is contacted on the latent image bearing member, tends to adhere onto even a portion of the latent image bearing member where no magnetic signal is applied, due to the electrostatic adhesive force, and the adhered toner is liable to cause fogging on the white background. Further, since such insulative toner has high agglomerating property, when the toner is formed in a thick layer to facilitate light contact with the magnetic latent image, there tends to produce collected masses of toner, which makes it extermely difficult to obtain a stable thick layer of the toner. In order to prevent such electrostatic adhesion (hence fogging) and agglomeration, it may be contemplated that electric resistance of the toner is reduced to some extent. In this case, however, there arises such a problem that, when the electric resistance becomes low, it becomes difficult to perform transfer of the toner image which is once developed onto a plain paper by the corona discharge, on account of which these method are not practical.
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{
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A gas turbine generally includes, in serial flow order, an inlet system, a compressor, a combustion section and a turbine. Various exhaust gas related components may be disposed downstream from an outlet of the turbine including but not limited to an exhaust gas diffuser, an exhaust plenum, a bypass stack, a diverter damper, or a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), among others. The exhaust gas diffuser defines a flow path for routing relatively hot combustion gases away from the turbine. The hot combustion gases may then be routed through the various outer exhaust gas related components.
The exhaust gas diffuser is typically formed by an outer casing or shell and multiple liner panels that are coupled to an inner surface of the outer casing and that define an outer flow boundary of the flow path. In order to reduce the temperature of the outer casing, insulation, usually in the form of fiber batts, is packed between the inner surface of the outer casing and an outer surface of each liner panel.
The liner panels are typically coupled to supports that are welded to the inner surface of the casing. These connections are subject to stress from various sources, such as movement of the liner panels relative to the outer casing. Such relative movement may be caused by vibration of the panel and/or differing thermal growth rates of the liner panels and the outer casing, among others. Over time, this may potentially lead to liner panel buckling, other deformation, cracking, and/or disengagement of the panel(s) from the coupling.
When a liner panel as described above is in need of maintenance or replacement, the entire liner panel must be removed, which requires significant labor and expense.
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Currently used half-height pickups employ semiconductor laser devices with a 5.6-mm-diameter stem. For slim pickups, packages with a D-shaped stem, obtained by cutting off a portion of a 5.6-mm-diameter stem, an I-shaped stem, obtained by cutting off opposite portions of a 5.6-mm-diameter stem, or the like have been proposed. Also proposed are packages with a 3.5- or 3.3-mm-diameter stem (see an exterior view shown in FIG. 13). However, packages with these 3.5- and 3.3-mm-diameter stems are, as will be understood from the external view thereof shown in FIG. 13, simply down-scaled versions of a package with a 5.6-mm-diameter stem, and thus have, inconveniently, accordingly smaller heat sinks on which to place laser devices. Constructions with increased heat sink volumes are also known, for example in Patent Publication 1. However, even these constructions, with semicircular heat sinks, do not offer sufficient volumes.
High-output semiconductor laser devices for CD-Rs and DVD-Rs require larger currents and higher voltages, and thus generate accordingly larger amounts of heat. This makes it difficult to guarantee normal operation at high temperatures of 70° and above by the use of a stem with a small heat-dissipation volume such as a 3.3-mm-diameter stem. Thus, it is important to devise how to maximize the heat-dissipation volume.
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Rotorcraft, such as helicopters, tiltrotors, and autogyros, have at least one rotor for providing lift force. These rotors typically have an engine that rotates a mast coupled to a hub, and at least two airfoil rotor blades coupled to the hub. Rotor blades may be detachably coupled, allowing a rotor blade to be removed for service and storage.
A helicopter typically has a main rotor, rotating substantially horizontally, that provides lift and thrust. The torque created by the rotation of the main rotor causes the fuselage of the helicopter to turn in the opposite direction. The most common mechanism to control undesired fuselage rotation is a tail rotor that provides sideways thrust to counteract the torque of the main rotor.
Rotor assemblies come in multiple varieties including fully-articulated, semi-rigid, and rigid types. These types differ in which blade motions may be controlled by the pilot of the rotorcraft. Blade flap motion is deflection perpendicular to the plane of rotation. Blade lag motion (also called lead-lag motion, drag motion and hunting) is deflection within the plane of rotation. Blade feather motion is a change of blade pitch with respect to the plane of rotation (blades may rotate about their longitudinal axis). Fully-articulated rotor assemblies allow each blade to independently flap, lag, and feather. Semi-rigid rotor assemblies (also called semi-articulated rotors) lack independent flap and lag hinges, allowing only coordinated flap motion and independent feathering motion. In a semi-rigid rotor assembly, the blades are rigidly attached to each other. The assembly flaps as a unit; when one blade flaps up, another flaps down. A two-bladed semi-rigid rotor may be referred to as a teetering rotor or a see-saw rotor. If a semi-rigid rotor has three or more blades, it may be referred to as a gimbaled rotor. Rigid rotor assemblies lack any flap or lag hinges (and are sometimes called hingeless rotors). The blades, hub, and mast are rigidly attached to each other. Though other components are rigidly connected, rigid rotors may include feathering control of the rotor blades.
Feathering occurs by changing the pitch of the blades relative to the plane of rotation. A pitch bearing is typically incorporated into the rotor assembly to ease the blade feather motion. Feather may be collective (all blades set to the same pitch), allowing modulation of the magnitude of the rotor thrust, or may be cyclic (blade pitch depends on azimuth position), allowing modulation of the direction of the rotor thrust. A pilot can control the pitch and roll of a rotorcraft by appropriate cyclic feathering of the main rotor blades. When a tail rotor is employed, a pilot can control the yaw of a rotorcraft by appropriate collective feathering of the tail rotor blades.
Rotor blades experience substantial dynamic forces. Therefore, the blades and any hinges, bearings or couplings must be precisely engineered to provide acceptable stability, control, and performance.
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Rotary engines, such as for example Wankel engines, use the eccentric rotation of a piston to convert pressure into a rotating motion, instead of using reciprocating pistons. In these engines, the rotor includes a number of apex or seal portions which remain in contact with a peripheral wall of the rotor cavity of the engine throughout the rotational motion of the rotor to create a plurality of rotating chambers when the rotor rotates.
Wankel engines are typically used with gasoline or similar fuel, with a single fuel injector or with two spaced apart fuel injectors. The fuel injector(s) may be located in a recess adjacent the combustion chamber and defined integrally through the engine housing, to communicate with an ignition member such as for example a spark plug. However, known arrangements are not optimized for use in a compound cycle engine system and/or for use with so-called heavy fuels, such as kerosene, and thus room for improvement exists.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a screw, in particular to a screw having the feature of efficient screwing with less torque.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional screw 1 comprises a head 11, a shank 12 extending therefrom and a plurality of threads 13 spirally connected to the shank 12 along the shank axial line “α”; wherein the thread 13 is consisted of an upper flank 131 and an opposite bottom flank 132. A plurality of slots 133 are formed on the thread 13 which divided the thread 13 into thread segments 134 with the first end surface 135 and the second end surface 136. The first end surface 135 and second end surface 136 are parallel to the shank axial line “α”. While screwing the screw 1, the first end surface 135 cuts the object 10 to bring in the screw 1. The first end surface 135 is unable to cut the fibers of object 10 efficiently in rotation of the screw 1, which results in fibers entwined on the shank 12 and hence slows down the screwing speed.
Referring to FIG. 3, another conventional screw 2 comprises a head 21, a shank 22 extending therefrom, and a plurality of threads 23 spirally connected to the shank 22 along the shank axial line “α”; wherein a plurality of slots 231 are widely opened and formed on the threads 23 to define a first end surface 232, a second end surface 233 and a third end surface 234. As shown in FIG. 4, during the operation, the slots 231 have a large space to receive a great amount of fibers from the object 20 to increase the tightness of screw 2. Nevertheless, the first end surface 232 is not able to cut up the fiber of the object 20 directly, making wood fiber to quickly gather around said shank 12, which increases screwing friction, and the decreases screwing speed.
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A hallmark of modem graphical user interfaces is that they allow a large number of graphical objects or items to be displayed on a display screen at the same time. Leading personal computer operating systems, such as Apple MacOS X, provide user interfaces in which a number of windows can be displayed, overlapped, resized, moved, configured, and reformatted according to the needs of the user or application. Taskbars, menus, virtual buttons and other user interface elements provide mechanisms for accessing and activating windows even when they are hidden behind other windows.
Although users appreciate interfaces that can present information on a screen via multiple windows, the result can be overwhelming. For example, users may find it difficult to navigate to a particular user interface element or to locate a desired element among a large number of onscreen elements. The problem is further compounded when user interfaces allow users to position elements in a desired arrangement, including overlapping, minimizing, maximizing, and the like. Although such flexibility may be useful to the user, it can result in a cluttered display screen. Having too many elements displayed on the screen can lead to “information overload,” thus inhibiting the user to efficiently use the computer equipment.
Many of the deficiencies of conventional user interfaces can be reduced using “widgets.” Generally, widgets are user interface elements that include information and one or more tools (e.g., applications) that let the user perform common tasks and provide fast access to information. Widgets can perform a variety of tasks, including without limitation, communicating with a remote server to provide information to the user (e.g., weather report), providing commonly needed functionality (e.g., a calculator), or acting as an information repository (e.g., a notebook). Examples of widgets can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/877,968.
Due in part to their simplicity, hundreds of widgets have been developed and publicly distributed. Such ubiquitous use of widgets, however, has created a new challenge for system administrators, particularly in the realm of computer security. For example, since widgets behave like applications there is an opportunity for malicious activity. Malicious widgets can be configured by widget authors to access network resources, file systems and other vital system components to perform unauthorized activities. Such unauthorized activities can include accessing private information, logging user key strokes, redirecting the user to websites, installing a virus, deleting files, displaying inappropriate content and the like.
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The invention relates to firearms.
1. Background Art
This invention has particular, but not exclusive, application to a handguns including shotgun type firearms which utilise barrels such as the barrels described in my earlier International Patent Applications Nos. PCT/AU94/00124 and PCT/AU96/00459.
Such barrels each have a plurality of projectiles stacked axially within the barrel together with discrete selectively ignitable propellant charges for propelling the projectiles sequentially through the muzzle of the barrel and the sealing engagement between projectiles and barrel being such as to prevent rearward travel of the ignited propellant charge to trailing propellant charges. These barrels will be referred to hereinafter as of the type described.
This invention aims to alleviate perceived shortcomings in conventional weapons such as shotguns which fire a collection of round pellet like shot randomly oriented in the cartridge, which when fired exit from a relatively large bore barrel in a random orientation and at a relatively slow muzzle velocity.
The shot immediately disperses to cover a relatively large target zone. This effect is useful but the effective range of the shot is very short. Shotguns also require reloading between shots and this reduces their effectiveness.
Handguns such as pistols also have significant limitations for many reasons including the limited number of shots which may be contained in the weapon and the relatively slow rate of fire available. However they are very portable and concealable and this makes them very useful.
2. Disclosure of Invention
According to one aspect this invention resides broadly in a shotgun assembly having:
a cluster of small bore barrels of the type described each having a longitudinal arrangement of aerodynamically shaped, directional projectiles and interposed propellant charges whereby the barrel assembly has longitudinal arrays or layers of projectiles and interposed propellant charges arranged in longitudinally spaced relationship in their respective barrels, and ignition means for simultaneously igniting the propellant charges in a respective layer of propellant charges.
According to one aspect this invention resides broadly in a shotgun assembly having:
a barrel assembly including a cluster of barrels of the type described;
each barrel including a longitudinal arrangement of aerodynamically shaped, directional projectiles and interposed propellant charges whereby the barrel assembly has longitudinal arrays or layers of projectiles and interposed propellant charges, and
ignition means for simultaneously igniting the propellant charges in a respective layer of propellant charges.
The foregoing may form the entire barrel assembly of the handgun or the barrel assembly may constitute only a portion of the handgun""s barrel assembly, such as by being a replaceable cartridge communicating with fixed barrels in the handgun. The barrels may be parallel or may splay slightly to achieve a desired firing pattern.
Each barrel may have its own electronic ignition means. Preferably however the barrels are clustered about one or more ignition passages extending substantially parallel to the barrels and communicating therewith through longitudinally spaced arrays of transverse bleed passages so as to selectively initiate ignition of primers in the or each ignition passage spreads through the respective aligned one of the longitudinal array of transverse bleed passages and causes ignition of the respective propellant charges communicating therewith.
The barrels may also be clustered about one or more bypass passages extending substantially parallel to the barrels and communicating therewith through a valved port communicating with longitudinally spaced arrays of transverse bleed passages whereby in the event of an accidental ignition of a primer in a trailing round, the valved port will open to enable the ignited propellant charges to bleed to atmosphere through the bypass passage.
Alternatively, individual barrels may be provided with valved ports enabling each to discharge to a bypass passage in the event of a hang fire or similar accidental ignition of a trailing propellant charge. Suitably the valved port is in the form of a plugged port in which the plug will be dislodged at a preselected pressure above the normal operating pressures within the barrels.
The handgun may be in the form of a shotgun and have a large number of small bore barrels clustered about the or each ignition passage, but preferably a central ignition passage. The ignition passage may constitute a main barrel provided with primer initiation means for selective initiation of the propellant charges therein. The main barrel is suitably the center barrel and may have a larger bore than the others if desired.
For example, a cluster of approximately sixty-four 2 mm barrels could be provided. This provides a shotgun in which all the simultaneously fired projectiles are individually barrelled. The projectiles would be in the order of 2 mm diameter and 5 mm in length. If the leading primer in the main barrel is ignited, then all sixty-four projectiles in the leading layer will be fired.
The barrels may be rifled and the projectiles may be loaded therein in cartridges. Alternatively the barrel may be provided as a disposable barrel containing the projectiles and propellant charges stacked therein.
The cartridges could align with a single large open barrel of the shotgun but preferably the barrels of the cartridge align with correspondingly arranged small bore barrels in the shotgun. For this purpose the cartridge is provided with locating means for locating it in operative alignment with the shotgun barrels and most preferably the cartridge has a square section housing for operative location with any of its rectangular side faces entered through the loading ejection port. This port could be a side, top or underside port.
Any number of groups of sixty-four pellets/projectiles may be fired at any electronically available rate. This provides on the one hand, a low degree of lethality in the case where say a single group of pellets is fired, or an exceedingly high degree of lethality if a number of groups are fired in rapid succession. The weapon may be operated as a shotgun machine-gun.
The primer initiation is suitably electronically controlled and may be electrical, chemical, laser, mechanical or any other available means as is appropriate.
In yet a further aspect this invention resides in a method of igniting the propellant charges for rounds in a cluster of barrels, including:
providing an ignition passage containing a longitudinal array of primers and communicating with corresponding propellant charges in the barrels through respective longitudinally spaced arrays of bleed passages, and
selectively and sequentially igniting the primers in the ignition passage to causes ignition of the respective propellant charges communicating therewith.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing method and an image processing apparatus for reading original images and performing an image output by executing processing to the read images, and more particularly to an image processing method and an image processing apparatus capable of reading originals by plural reading systems.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, in a digital copying machine or a facsimile apparatus, a light beam is irradiated to an original by lighting a light source and reflection light reflected from the original is read to convert it into digital data, then various image processing are executed to the digital data, and an image output has been performed.
Image reading systems in case of reading original images are roughly classified into two systems. One is an image reading system of reading all parts on an original by fixing the original and moving the light source (hereinafter, to be referred as fixing original reading). The other is an image reading system of reading all parts on the original by fixing the light source and shifting the original (hereinafter, to be referred as shifting original reading).
According to a conventional art, in an image processing apparatus capable of using both of the fixing original reading and the shifting original reading, in spite of difference in the image reading system, images were output by always executing the same image processing.
In a case where minute dirt or dust is lain between the light source and the original, since the light source moves in case of the fixing original reading, the dirt is momently lighted by the light source and influence by the dirt for the read image is appeared in sight by only a minute dot. However, in case of the shifting original reading, since the relationship between the light source and the dirt is in a fixed state, the light source is always to light the dirt and the influence by the dirt for the read image is appeared in sight by a line or a plane.
If images are output by executing the same image processing to the images which were read by reading systems of the fixing original reading and the shifting original reading, the output image in case of using the shifting original reading is more influenced by the dirt as compared with the output image in case of using the fixing original reading. That is, in image processing, edge emphasis processing is generally executed by using a digital filter. However, dirt information is also emphasized by the edge emphasis processing. Particularly, in the shifting original reading, there occurred a drawback that the influence by the dirt for the output image is more increased.
The present invention is to eliminate the above drawback, and an object thereof is to provide an image processing method and an image processing apparatus which can reduce influence by the dirt in case of shifting original reading by varying edge emphasis degree in edge emphasis processing for image data which was read in accordance with a fact that an original reading system is fixing original reading or the shifting original reading.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image processing method comprising:
a reading step of reading original images;
a processing step of executing edge emphasis processing to image data from the reading step; and
a discrimination step of discriminating if an original reading system in the reading step is fixing original reading for reading an original image by fixing an original or shifting original reading for reading the original image by shifting the original,
wherein the processing step varies edge emphasis degree in the edge emphasis processing for image data read in accordance with a discrimination result obtained in the discrimination step.
Further, the present invention provides an image processing apparatus comprising:
a reading means for reading original images to output image data; and
a processing means for executing edge emphasis processing to image data from the reading means,
wherein the reading means reads originals by any one of original reading system of fixing original reading for reading an original image by fixing an original or shifting original reading for reading the original image by shifting the original, and
the processing means varies edge emphasis degree in the edge emphasis processing for the image data which was read in accordance with a fact that the original reading system is the fixing original reading for reading the original image by fixing the original or the shifting original reading for reading the original image by shifting the original.
Further, another object of the present invention is to provide an image processing method and an image processing apparatus which can reduce the influence by the dirt in case of the shifting original reading by executing the edge emphasis processing of which the edge emphasis degree is lower than that of the fixing original reading, in a case where the original reading system is the shifting original reading.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.
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The present invention relates to computing devices. More particularly, the present invention provides a method and device for securing a personal computer or set-top box using password protection techniques. Merely by way of example, the present invention is applied to a modular computing environment for desk top computers, but it will be recognized that the invention has a much wider range of applicability. It can be applied to a server as well as other portable or modular computing applications.
Many desktop or personal computers, which are commonly termed PCs, have been around and used for over ten years. The PCs often come with state-of-art microprocessors such as the Intel Pentium™ microprocessor chips. They also include a hard or fixed disk drive such as memory in the giga-bit range. Additionally, the PCs often include a random access memory integrated circuit device such as a dynamic random access memory device, which is commonly termed DRAM. The DRAM devices now provide up to millions of memory cells (i.e., mega-bit) on a single slice of silicon. PCs also include a high resolution display such as cathode ray tubes or CRTs. In most cases, the CRTs are at least 15 inches or 17 inches or 20 inches in diameter. High resolution flat panel displays are also used with PCs.
Many external or peripheral devices can be used with the PCs. Among others, these peripheral devices include mass storage devices such as a Zip™ Drive product sold by Iomega Corporation of Utah. Other storage devices include external hard drives, tape drives, and others. Additional devices include communication devices such as a modem, which can be used to link the PC to a wide area network of computers such as the Internet. Furthermore, the PC can include output devices such as a printer and other output means. Moreover, the PC can include special audio output devices such as speakers the like.
PCs also have easy to use keyboards, mouse input devices, and the like. The keyboard is generally configured similar to a typewriter format. The keyboard also has the length and width for easily inputting information by way of keys to the computer. The mouse also has a sufficient size and shape to easily move a curser on the display from one location to another location.
Other types of computing devices include portable computing devices such as “laptop” computers and the like. Although somewhat successful, laptop computers have many limitations. These computing devices have poor display technology. In fact, these devices often have a smaller flat panel display that has poor viewing characteristics. Additionally, these devices also have poor input devices such as smaller keyboards and the like. Furthermore, these devices have limited common platforms to transfer information to and from these devices and other devices such as PCs.
Up to now, there has been little common ground between these platforms including the PCs and laptops in terms of upgrading, ease-of-use, cost, performance, and the like. Many differences between these platforms, probably somewhat intentional, has benefited computer manufacturers at the cost of consumers. A drawback to having two separate computers is that the user must often purchase both the desktop and laptop to have “total” computing power, where the desktop serves as a “regular” computer and the laptop serves as a “portable” computer. Purchasing both computers is often costly and runs “thousands” of dollars. The user also wastes a significant amount of time transferring software and data between the two types of computers. For example, the user must often couple the portable computer to a local area network (i.e., LAN), to a serial port with a modem and then manually transfer over files and data between the desktop and the portable computer. Alternatively, the user often must use floppy disks to “zip” up files and programs that exceed the storage capacity of conventional floppy disks, and transfer the floppy disk data manually.
Another drawback with the current model of separate portable and desktop computer is that the user has to spend money to buy components and peripherals the are duplicated in at least one of these computers. For example, both the desktop and portable computers typically include hard disk drives, floppy drives, CD-ROMs, computer memory, host processors, graphics accelerators, and the like. Because program software and supporting programs generally must be installed upon both hard drives in order for the user to operate programs on the road and in the office, hard disk space is often wasted.
One approach to reduce some of these drawbacks has been the use of a docking station with a portable computer. Here, the user has the portable computer for “on the road” use and a docking station that houses the portable computer for office use. The docking station typically includes a separate monitor, keyboard, mouse, and the like and is generally incompatible with other desktop PCs. The docking station is also generally not compatible with portable computers of other vendors. Another drawback to this approach is that the portable computer typically has lower performance and functionality than a conventional desktop PC. For example, the processor of the portable is typically much slower than processors in dedicated desktop computers, because of power consumption and heat dissipation concerns. As an example, it is noted that at the time of drafting of the present application, some top-of-the-line desktops include 400 MHz processors, whereas top-of-the-line notebook computers include 266 MHz processors.
Another drawback to the docking station approach is that the typical cost of portable computers with docking stations can approach the cost of having a separate portable computer and a separate desktop computer. Further, as noted above, because different vendors of portable computers have proprietary docking stations, computer users are held captive by their investments and must rely upon the particular computer vendor for future upgrades, support, and the like.
Thus what is needed are computer systems that provide reduced user investment in redundant computer components and provide a variable level of performance based upon computer configuration.
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Although the demand for renewable resources is growing, the world continues to meet much of its energy needs using oil. Oil's byproducts fuel cars, ships, and planes, and in much of the world it is burned to produce electricity. Although oil is a very useful substance, the earth contains only a limited quantity, and the earth's inhabitants, both plants and animals, are harmed directly and indirectly when oil is extracted from the ground and when its byproducts are combusted for energy. In order to preserve the environment and meet the energy needs of a growing world population, people must substitute alternative substances in place of oil.
Despite humanity's need to transition away from using oil, few alternatives can be obtained, processed, stored, and used as cheaply and as easily as oil, and in quantities that match the demand for oil. Thus, oil remains an essential fuel in economies around the world. A key factor in oil's dominance throughout the world is the high energy density per volume of its byproducts, which enables hydrocarbons to be transported and stored at energy capacities that meet society's demands. Gasoline, for instance, contains about 44.4 megajoules per kilogram (“MJ/kg”), and diesel fuel contains about 45.4 MJ/kg. Hydrogen and methane, which are both readily available fuel alternatives to gasoline and diesel, contain about 143 MJ/kg and 55.6 MJ/kg, respectively. However, hydrogen and methane are gasses at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, and therefore far less dense than liquid hydrocarbons like gasoline and diesel. Consequently, hydrogen gas contains only about 0.01079 megajoules per liter (“MJ/l”) and methane gas contains only about 0.0378 MJ/l, while gasoline contains about 32 MJ/l and diesel contains about 38.6 MJ/l. If gasses like hydrogen and methane are to replace hydrocarbons on a world level, they must be able to be stored in a manner that compensates for their low energy densities by volume.
Numerous methods have been developed for storing hydrogen and other gasses at higher energy densities per volume. A first approach is to store the gas at a very high pressure. While this method is useful for many applications, including transporting gasses through pipelines, it is infeasible for most typical applications because substantial energy is wasted compressing the gas. Also, a tank capable of withstanding high pressure is too heavy for most vehicles, planes, or other machines that might be fueled by the compressed gas. Another approach is to store the gas as a liquid or slush. This approach suffers from a number of drawbacks, including extensive storage costs. For example, like hydrogen, one of the most viable alternatives to oil, many gasses boil at very low temperatures, meaning they must be cryogenically stored, and cooling the gas to a liquid or slush and keeping it cooled would waste a substantial amount of energy.
Hydrogen and other gasses may also be stored at higher energy densities per volume as an absorbed substance or as a metal hydride. Unfortunately, many metal hydrides include rare earth metals and have energy densities per weight that are lower than hydrocarbons because of the heavy metals used for storage. Additionally, materials that receive hydrogen, such as activated carbon granules, carbonized tissues, zeolites, and hydride particles, are poor thermal conductors, meaning that the rate at which these materials may be cooled to absorb a gas and the rate that these materials may be heated to release a gas are both limited. These materials may also degrade or produce dust and debris, which may contaminate released gas and clog delivery conduits, fittings, valves, and filters of a storage system.
Furthermore, substantial energy is wasted transporting oil and its byproducts to locations at which the oil is refined or its byproducts are consumed while large quantities of renewable resources that can be converted into fuels, such as farm waste, are wasted. Additionally, when hydrocarbons are burned, their byproducts are generally discarded. These byproducts are warming the earth's atmosphere. Historically, it has been difficult to store, process, or filter the byproducts of hydrocarbons for later productive use. For example, a vehicle manufacturer may find it impractical to store the exhaust from a combustion engine because the exhaust occupies such a large volume. Similarly, while filters exist that remove particulate matter from hydrocarbon byproducts, it is difficult to filter a first compound from a second compound or to react a byproduct with another compound to produce a useful compound in a limited amount of space. As a result, the byproducts of hydrocarbons are released into the air, wasting a potentially fruitful energy source and polluting the earth.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to polishing methods and apparatuses, and relates in particular to a polishing method and a polishing apparatus for processing substrates, such as semiconductor wafers, glass plates and liquid crystal display panels which require a high cleanliness.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been a remarkable progress in the density of integrated circuit devices which leads to a narrower interline spacing of the wiring, and, in the case of using optical lithography involving less than 0.5 mm line spacing particularly, the shallow depth of focus associated with its optics demands extreme flatness at the focusing plane of the stepper. This trend means also that if a particle of a size larger than the line spacing should remain on the fabricated device, it can cause short circuiting which may lead to device failure. Therefore, it is evident that workpiece processing must produce a flat and clean workpiece. These processing requirements apply equally to other workpiece materials in general, such as glass plates for photo-masking or liquid crystal display panels.
FIG. 4 shows a conventional polishing apparatus comprising: a polishing unit 10; a loading/unloading unit 21; a transfer robot 22, and two cleaning machines 23a, 23b. FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of the polishing unit 10 comprising a turntable 12 having a polishing cloth 11 attached thereto; and a top ring 13 for holding a workpiece 1 and pressing the workpiece (wafer) 1 onto the turntable 12.
Polishing is carried out by holding a workpiece 1 at the bottom surface of the top ring 13, and pressing the workpiece by means of a vertically movable cylinder onto the polishing cloth 11 mounted on the top surface of the rotating turntable 12. In the meantime, a polishing solution Q is supplied from a delivery nozzle 14 in such a way to retain the solution Q between the bottom surface of the workpiece 1 and the abrading surface of the polishing cloth 11.
The turntable 12 and the top ring 13 are rotated independently at their individual controlled speed. As shown in FIG. 6, the top ring 13 is positioned in relation to the turntable 12, so that the peripheral edge of the workpiece 1 is located at distances "a" and "b", respectively, from the center and the peripheral edge of the turntable 12 so that the entire surface of the workpiece 1 can be polished uniformly at some high rotational speeds. It indicates that the diameter "D" of the turntable 12 is chosen according to the following relation to be more than twice the diameter d of the workpiece 1:
D=2(d+a+b)
The polished workpiece 1 is processed in the cleaning machines 23a, 23b through several washing and drying steps, and is transferred onto the loading/unloading unit 21 to be stored in a portable workpiece cassette 24. A scrub washing is used which involves the use of brushes made of nylon or mohair, or a sponge made from polyvinylalcohol (PVA).
The conventional polishing apparatus of the type described above is satisfactory from the standpoint of achieving adequate flatness and efficiency owing to large relative displacements between the turntable 12 and the top ring 13 as well as their high relative speeds; however, surface roughness of the polished workpiece tends to be higher than desirable. To produce a polished workpiece of better surface quality, consideration may be given to using two turntables which are operated by varying the abrading qualities of the polishing cloths, rotational speeds and types of polishing solutions. However, as mentioned above, the diameter of the turntable is larger than twice that of the workpiece diameter, and each apparatus takes up a large floor space area which leads to higher facility costs. These problems becomes more ignorable as the industry seeks larger diameter substrates.
While it is possible to use one turntable to produce a superior surface quality by varying the type of polishing solution and lowering the rotational speed, for example, it is obvious that such an approach leads not only to a potential increase in the cost of polishing solution but to inevitable lowering in the production efficiency due to a prolonged operation.
The conventional method also has some problems in the cleaning process when scrubbing follows the use of abrasive particles, not only because of the inherent difficulties of removing small particles in submicron ranges but also because of the ineffective cleaning when there is a strong affinity between the workpiece and the particles.
Therefore, there has long been a need in the semiconductor device manufacturing industry for an efficient polishing method and facility which would enable to produce substrates of high surface qualities, such as flatness, smoothness and cleanliness, in a compact and low cost apparatus.
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Molecular therapy of disease often involves the administration of nucleic acid to the cells of interest in order to confer a therapeutic benefit. Most commonly, recombinant viruses are engineered which take advantage of the natural infectivity of viruses and their ability to transport heterologous nucleic acid (transgene) to a cell. Widespread use of such recombinant viral vectors depends on strategies for the design and production of such viruses.
Most attempts to use viral vectors for gene therapy have relied on retrovirus vectors, chiefly because of their ability to integrate into the cellular genome. However, the disadvantages of retroviral vectors are becoming increasingly clear, including their tropism for dividing cells only, the possibility of insertional mutagenesis upon integration into the cell genome, decreased expression of the transgene over time, rapid inactivation by serum complement, and the possibility of generation of replication-competent retroviruses (Jolly, D., Cancer Gene Therapy 1:51-64, 1994; Hodgson, C. P., Bio Technology 13:222-225, 1995).
Adenovirus is a nuclear DNA virus with a genome of about 36 kb, which has been well-characterized through studies in classical genetics and molecular biology (Horwitz, M. S., "Adenoviridae and Their Replication," in Virology, 2nd edition, Fields, B. N., et al., eds., Raven Press, New York, 1990). Adenovirus-based vectors offer several unique advantages for delivering a therapeutic transgene to a cell, including, inter alia, tropism for both dividing and non-dividing cells, minimal pathogenic potential, ability to replicate to high titer for preparation of vector stocks, and the potential to carry large inserts (Berkner, K. L., Curr. Top. Micro. Immunol. 158:39-66, 1992; Jolly, D., Cancer Gene Therapy 1:51-64, 1994).
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a single-stranded non-pathogenic DNA virus which is capable of integrating into the genome of an infected cell. This feature of the virus life cycle has focused attention on the use of AAV as a gene therapy vehicle (creating a recombinant adeno-associated vector, rAAV) to deliver a gene of interest for gene therapy. The ability of AAV to insert a therapeutic gene into the cell genome facilitates persistent expression of the gene of interest and reduces the need for repeated dosing of a gene therapy vector.
Current methods for the purification of adenovirus and adeno-associated virus (AAV) involve the use of density gradient centrifugation, which does not easily allow for large scale production of virus stocks for therapeutic use. A further limitation to widespread use of AAV vectors is the general lack of any adequate purification methods which yield high titers of AAV, while removing contaminating adenovirus required for the propagation of AAV vector stocks.
Ion-exchange, affinity chromatography and gel filtration are widely used column chromatography tools in protein purification. Until recently, however, these methods have been inapplicable to purification of adenoviruses. Such techniques have resulted in damage to the viruses, thereby reducing their ability to bind and infect a target cell. Provisional U.S. patent application Serial No. 60/002,967, filed Aug. 30, 1995, set forth parameters for purifying infectious adenovirus utilizing chromatographic fractionation techniques as described more fully herein. Recent studies have shown that column chromatography may be used in the purification of recombinant adenovirus (Huyghe et al., Human Gene Therapy 6:1403-1416, 1995).
Column chromatography, using other systems such as so-called "macroporous" resins, which comprise beads having pores therein, the average diameter of which is approximately the same as the diameter of adenovirus (diameter=about 80 nm, excluding the fibres and about 140 nm with the fibre molecules), have not resulted in the recovery of infectious adenovirus. The most likely reason for this is that the passage of adenovirus through such resins shears the fibres from the viral surface through intimate contact of the virus with the pores in the beads. The adenovirus fibre molecules, inter alia, are believed to be involved in the virus ability to bind to and infect target cells. Thus, damage or loss of the fibre molecules (as well as other surface molecules) by such prior art column methods results in the recovery of inactive (non-infectious) virus.
As is well known in the art, AAV propagation requires the use of helper virus, such as adenovirus. The requirement for helper virus complicates purification of AAV. Current approaches to AAV purification involve lysing of AAV infected cells using repeated cycles of freeze-thawing followed by the use of density gradient centrifugation to fractionate the cell lysate in order to obtain infectious AAV, free of cellular contaminants and substantially free of helper virus (such as adenovirus) required for AAV propagation. (Flotte et al., Gene Therapy 2:29-37, 1995; Chiorini et al., Human Gene Therapy 6:1531-1541, 1995; Fisher et al., J. Virol. 70: 520-532, 1996). Standard purification techniques generally result in very low yields (0.3-5%) of active (infectious) virus. Moreover, because of the helper-virus requirement, it has been difficult to obtain AAV that is totally free of the helper (e.g. adenovirus).
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In thermally stimulated continuous inkjet printing, see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,888 B2, issued to Jeanmaire et al., on Jul. 8, 2003; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,821, issued to Chwalek et al., on Jun. 27, 2000, periodic heat pulses are applied to individual heaters embedded in a nozzle array. The periodic heat pulses drive capillary break-up of jets formed at each nozzle to produce an array of drops. The period of the pulse waveform determines the ultimate size of drop formed after jet break-up. Because the jet responds most sensitively to disturbances at a characteristic frequency fR known as the Rayleigh frequency, drops are most effectively produced at a fundamental size corresponding to a volume of fluid given by πr2U/fR, where r is the jet radius and U is the jet velocity.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,851,796 B2, issued to Jeanmaire et al., on Feb. 8, 2005, describes a printing system that relies on the ability to generate distinct sizes of drop—a “print drop” of a given size, and a “catch drop” of distinctly different size. Differential deflection of the drops of different sizes is employed to cause print drops to impinge on the substrate and the catch drops to be collected and recirculated through the ink delivery system. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,851,796 B2, an ink drop forming mechanism selectively creates a stream of ink drops having a plurality of different volumes traveling along a first path. A gas flow directed across the stream of ink drops interacts with the stream of ink drops. This interaction deflects smaller drops more than larger drops and thereby separates ink drops having one volume from ink drops having other volumes.
As the drop selection mechanism described above depends on drop size, it is necessary for large-volume drops to be fully formed before being exposed to the deflection air flow. Consider, for example, a case where the large-volume drop is to have a volume equal to four small-volume drops. It is often seen during drop formation that the portion of the ink stream that is to form the large-volume drop will separate from the main stream as desired, but will then break apart before coalescing to form the large-volume drop. It is necessary for this coalescence to be complete prior to passing through the drop deflecting air flow. Otherwise the separate fragments that are to form the large-volume drop will be deflected by an amount greater than that of a single large-volume drop. Similarly, the small-volume drops must not merge in air before having past the deflection air flow. If separate small-volume drops merge, they will be deflected less than desired.
The distance over which the large volume drop forms upon coalescence of its fragments is known as the drop formation length (DFL), denoted herein as LD. The details of the large drop waveform and the physical properties of the jet determine the size of LD. For the purposes of printing, smaller drop formation lengths are advantageous, as the drops are then available for size separation at distances closer to the nozzle plate, and the distance over which the drops must travel prior to separation is reduced. Thus a smaller drop formation length helps reduce the size of the print head and reduces the risk of incomplete large drop formation and reduces the risk of unintended merging of small drops.
It has been found that the small-volume drops between coalesced large-volume drops can be very unevenly spaced. In extreme circumstances, the large-volume drop often remains only partially formed until the large-volume drop is well beyond the deflection air flow. The partially formed large-volume drop and the small-volume drop immediately in front of it must merge to produce the completed large-volume drop. Occasionally, an undesirable merging of a small-volume drop and a large-volume drop will occur at some distance from the orifices. It is desirable to have the merging drops coalesce as quickly as possible after break off without additional merging of the small-volume drops with large-volume drops or with adjacent small-volume drops.
Continuous drop emission systems that utilize stimulation per jet apparatus are effective in providing control of the break-up parameters of an individual jet within a large array of jets. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,777,395 B2, issued to Xu et al., on Aug. 17, 2010, however, even when the stimulation is highly localized to each jet, for example, via resistive heating at the nozzle exit of each jet, some stimulation crosstalk still propagates as acoustic energy through the liquid via the common supply chambers. The added acoustic stimulation crosstalk from adjacent jets may adversely affect jet break up in terms of break-off timing or satellite drop formation. When operating in a printing mode of generating different predetermined drop volumes, according to the liquid pattern data, acoustic stimulation crosstalk may alter the jet break-up producing drops that are not the desired predetermined volume. Especially in the case of systems using multiple predetermined drop volumes, the effects of acoustic stimulation crosstalk are data-dependent, leading to complex interactions that are difficult to predict.
Stimulation crosstalk can manifest itself in a pattern along an entire nozzle array, suggestive of acoustic modes in portions of the printhead behind the nozzle array. In addition to the long-range effects including, for example, over hundreds to thousands of nozzles and macroscopic distances, there are short-range effects in which stimulation of a given jet affects neighboring jets. Of particular importance is the effect of producing a large drop in one jet while making small drops in neighboring jets. The disturbance resulting from the large drop waveform can impart differential velocity to small drops in a neighboring jet, thereby causing unintended merging of small drops. The degree of disturbance in neighboring jets caused by a large-drop waveform is sensitive to the details of the large-drop waveform. Large-drop waveforms wherein the heat pulses minimally disturb the neighboring jets concurrently operating during printing are advantageous, as high-quality prints are more readily achieved with simple and robust data processing algorithms requiring less compensation for particular patterns of drop formation in neighboring jets.
Thus, there is a need for waveforms for making large drops that provides a short drop formation length with reduced disturbance of neighboring jets.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of electronically attenuating the torque command based on a polar grid modeled on the torque profile of a positive displacement pump in order to produce a constant pump pressure regardless of pump radial crankshaft/camshaft/crankarm location and the velocity of the fluid being pumped. In the method, an electronic processor compares the shaft displacement angle of the pump input shaft to a reference polar grid of the torque profile and varies the electrical power applied to the pump motor. The processor can also take into account the response time of the pump drive, the motor inductive reactance, system inertia, application characteristics of the pump, and regenerative energy during deceleration of the pump.
This invention also relates to a precision hydraulic energy delivery system. Direct coupling of the pump to a primary mover (motor) and related motor control allows for complete motion control of a hydraulically driven machine without the use of any downstream devices. By employing motion control algorithms in the motor control, the hydraulic output at the pump head is controlled in a feed forward method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, it is well known that in situations where higher pressures of fluid movement are desired, a positive displacement pump is commonly used. A positive displacement pump is usually a variation of a reciprocating piston and a cylinder, of which the flow is controlled by some sort of valving. Reciprocal machinery, however can be less attractive to use than rotary machinery because the output of a reciprocal machine is cyclic, where the cylinder alternatively pumps or fills, therefore there are breaks in the output. This disadvantage can be overcome to a certain extent by: using multiple cylinders; bypassing the pump output through flow accumulators, attenuators, dampers; or waste gating the excess pressure thereby removing the high pressure output of the flow.
In addition to uneven pressure and flow output, reciprocating pumps have the disadvantage of uneven power input proportional to their output. This causes excessive wear and tear on the apparatus, and is inefficient because the pump drive must be sized for the high torque required when the position of the pump connecting rod or cam, in the case of an axial (wobble plate) pump, is at an angular displacement versus the crankarm dimension during the compression stroke that would result in the highest required input shaft torque.
Moreover, if the demand of the application varies, complicated bypass, recirculation, or waste gate systems must be used to keep the system from xe2x80x9cdead-headingxe2x80x9d. That is, if flow output is blocked when the pump is in operation, the pump will either breakdown by the increased pressure or stall. If stalling occurs, a conventional induction electric motor will burn out as it assimilates a locked rotor condition with full rated voltage and amperage applied. Typically systems with fixed displacement pumps use a relief valve to control the maximum system pressure when under load. Therefore, the pump delivers full flow at full pressure regardless of the application thus wasting a large amount of power.
In this regard, certain prior art that attempts to correct the problems associated with torque output of a pump motor should be noted.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,721, an eccentric transmission transmits a torque demand from a reciprocating pump, which varies with time, to the drive motor such that the torque demand on the drive motor is substantially constant. The result is the leveling of torque variation required to drive a positive displacement pump at the transmission input shaft with the effect of constant pump output pressure. This is accomplished by means of eccentric pitch circle sprocket sets with gear belts or eccentric pitch circle matched gear sets.
The use of an eccentric gear or sprocket set, has a significant effect on the overall torque requirement and the magnitude of the discharge pulse of the pump. But, because most pumps are of a multi-cylinder or are vane or gear types, the pump input shaft torque requirement would not be perfectly counter-acted (leveled) by using the reduction pattern developed by eccentrically matched transmission components.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,693, a position sensor outputs a signal by sensing the position of a piston in a linear compressor. A controller receives the position signal and sends a control signal to control directional motion output from a linear motor.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,738, eighteen or nineteen torque leads are measured along the main shaft in order to maintain constant shaft velocity revolution and are translated to a required motor torque for particular angles of the main shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,522 uses a cyclic lead transducer input and tachometer signal input to a controller to signal varied cyclic motor input controls to provide the required motor torque output. A flywheel is coupled to the motor in order to maintain shaft velocity. However, the speed of the motor is widely varied and the torque is varied to a smaller extent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,402 discloses an electrical current and frequency applied to the motor which are varied according to fluid pressure and flow signals from the pump.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,737 discloses a motor output which is varied by a current regulator according to a predetermined cyclic pressure output requirement. The motor speed is set to be proportional to the volume consumed and inversely proportional to the pressure.
It is seen from the foregoing that there is a need for electronic attenuation of the torque profile in a pump. When the torque profile is compared with the input shaft displacement and other known factors such as system inertia and response time of the pump drive etc . . . , a pump can produce constant pressure and therefore constant flow without the typically associated ripple common to power pumps for the full range of the designed volumetric delivery, by driving them in a feed forward method.
It should be noted that the foregoing hydraulic pumping systems control output pressure and flow in the micro sense. These concepts examine modulating the input shaft torque and speed to provide a constant hydraulic output, whether it be pressure or flow limited. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,721 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/821,603, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
It should be further noted that attempts to provide a high dynamic range of hydraulic flow and pressure during operation of prior pumping systems, required placement of downstream devices in the liquid path to modulate the hydraulic output. With such systems, the pump provides the maximum hydraulic flow (as the prime mover) and the downstream devices adjust the output to match the application requirements.
The prime mover in such systems is typically a constant speed induction motor. In to order to control the hydraulic output, feedback devices, a processor (be it mechanically balanced or electronic) and hydraulic servo valves must be placed into the hydraulic stream for flow and pressure regulation. This treatment of hydraulic delivery places the xe2x80x9csmartsxe2x80x9d of the system in the hydraulic output portion of the system. Disadvantageously, these systems require many hydraulically driven devices, are mechanically (geometry) limited, are energy inefficient when total system performance is scrutinized and have a small range of dynamic response (typically 10-1).
Moving the xe2x80x9csmartsxe2x80x9d directly into the prime moverxe2x80x94by incorporating variable speed (VFC) controlled motorsxe2x80x94has been attempted. However, this provides limited torque delivery potential at low speeds, and many feedback devices are required for its operation. Further, the response of such a system is only generally higher than the 150 ms range and the energy savings potential is only in the 50% range.
These approaches addressxe2x80x94in the macro sensexe2x80x94the need for a prime mover coupled to a power pump that controls the energy, and therefore the flow (velocity) and pressure (torque) at the input shaft of the pump. Moreover, the desired system must replicate the motion control capabilities of existing systems without requiring the use of downstream flow control devices and feedback circuits.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for electronic attenuation of pump torque variation requirements in order to produce a matched motor torque output that will result in constant output pressure from a pump.
It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide control factors which vary the power and torque output of a pump motor based on calculated torque variation requirements.
It is therefore a still further object of the present invention to increase the energy efficiency of a pump system, by providing a force balanced relationship between the motor output and the application""s hydraulic requirement, thus allowing the use of energy saving torque drives without incurring the pressure variations associated with their use.
It is therefore a still further object of the present invention to decrease the wear and tear on the pump by providing a substantially constant force output from the motor of the pump and reduce the amount of cycles of the pump to the application""s requirement.
It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a method for electronic attenuation of pump torque variation by supplying information for design of an electronic transmission system that can achieve a modulated torque output from the motor to the pump.
To attain the objects described, there is provided a method for obtaining a polar map for process control within the electronic drive of a targeted pump. This polar map is calculated by a processor or is externally calculated then input into a processor. Once the torque profile of the pump is obtained and translated into a polar map, the processor can compare the shaft displacement angle of the pump input shaft to the reference polar map. The processor can also take into account selected factors such as the response time of the pump drive, the motor inductive reactance, system inertia, application characteristics of the pump, and regenerative energy during deceleration of the pump.
Using selected factors and the comparison results, the processor then signals the motor controller to vary the amperage, voltage, and frequency applied to the motor in order to regulate the torque output of the pump motor. With an accurately modulated motor torque output in concert with the established polar map (for the targeted pump), the pump output pressure will remain constant regardless of the pump""s crank arm location or the velocity of fluid flow.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a hydraulic energy delivery system that allows for complete motion control of a hydraulically driven machine with the use of minimal or no downstream feedback devices.
It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide control factors which vary the power and torque output of a pump motor by employing motion control algorithms.
To attain the objects described, there is provided direct coupling of a positive displacement pump to a pump drive motor and related controls. By employing motion control algorithms into the motor control, the hydraulic output at the pump head will simultaneously follow. Control features listed herein may be integrated into the system by developing algorithms and subroutines for the control system coupled to the pump.
The present invention will now be described in more complete detail with reference being made to the figures identified below.
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During operation, gas turbine engines, whether used for flight or stationary power generation, develop extremely high temperature and high velocity gases in a combustor portion of the engine. These gases are ducted on blades of a turbine rotor to cause rotation of the rotor and are redirected by the stator vanes onto additional rotor blades to produce more work. Because of the high heat of the gases, it is desirable to cool the blades and vanes to prevent damage and, to extend the useful life of, these engine components. It is known in the art that a turbine component such as that shown in FIG. 16 can be cooled by film cooling that is provided by a plurality of fabricated features, for example, cooling holes.
A commonly used method of cooling a turbine component 20 is to duct cooling air through internal cavities or passages and then vent the cooling air through a plurality of cooling holes 22. This air cools internal surfaces of the component by convection and cools the components outer surfaces by film cooling. The cooling holes 22 are typically formed along a line generally parallel to, and a selected distance from, a trailing edge 24 of the component to provide a film of cooling air over a surface of the component when the cooling holes discharge air during engine operation. Other rows or arrays of cooling holes or vents may be formed in the blade and vane components of a rotor or stator of a turbine depending upon design constraints.
To facilitate the distribution of the cooling air substantially completely over the convex and concave surfaces of the blade airfoil or platform, as shown in FIG. 17, the upstream end of each cooling hole 22 has a generally cylindrical, inlet portion 26 that extends from a location 28 inside of a wall of the component 20. At the location 28, the cooling hole 22 then flares or diverges to provide a discharge portion 30 that terminates on an exterior surface 32 of the component 20 to be cooled by the air flow. The shape of the discharge end functions as a diffuser to reduce the velocity of the cooling airstreams being discharged from the cooling holes 22. The lower velocity cooling airstreams are more inclined to cling to the surface 32 for improved cooling. High quality cooling holes 22 with diffusers 30 provide superior performance but are costly and difficult to manufacture.
After the cooling holes have been manufactured, it is necessary to inspect each of the holes to determine whether it exists and is properly formed as a complex hole. One method of inspection is a manual method in which an inspector is provided with a drawing of the desired hole pattern and a pin. The inspector first confirms that a hole exists at each location identified by the pattern; and then, the inspector inserts the pin through each of the holes to determine whether the hole is properly drilled as a through-hole. As can be appreciated, such an inspection process is highly repetitive, tedious and stressful for the inspector and, in addition, is expensive and inefficient for the manufacturer of the turbine component.
Other known hole inspection processes are automated and utilize a laser or a flow of fluid through the holes. The flowing fluid used most commonly is either air or water. In the case of air, the mass of air flowing through a feature can be measured. With water, a visual signal of a flow pattern is possible. These methods need a human visual check or physical measurement of a single feature to characterize its flow condition. All of these known methods are time-consuming and rely on human intervention to perform the characterization which leads to errors.
Thus, there is a need for an inspection apparatus and process that can automatically inspect and identify qualitative characteristics of complex cooling features in gas turbine components faster, more precisely and less expensively than known inspection apparatus and processes.
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At present, sensors are popularly utilized in the industrial application fields, and moreover, for burglary, catastrophe protections, and vehicle intrusion sensing. In order to upgrade its sensitivity, an important factor is sometime neglected during designing a vibration sensor that should be operated sensibly and accurately as well. A conventional sensor is often so sensitive in response to a great noise produced by thunders or firecrackers and has a nuisance operation that may cause a lot of troubles.
In order to rectify the above mentioned shortcoming and to improve the properties of the conventional vibration sensor in the present market, the inventor of the present invention has developed a new low frequency vibration sensor through long time efforts, that is disclosed hereinafter.
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The present invention relates to a restraint for an animal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a restraint that removably engages an anchor.
Dogs are one of the most popular household pets and are typically exercised by taking the dog on a walk. During the walk, the dog's movement is typically limited by a hand-held restraint such as a leash to prevent the dog from running freely, and into dangerous situations. In many cities, ordinances require a restraint be attached to the dog when the dog is not on the owner's property.
Many restraints are a fixed length and provide adequate control of the dog's movement. However, a fixed length restraint is easily tangled in an obstacle when the restraint is slack. Also, the fixed length restraint does not provide the dog much freedom of movement because the restraint is typically short to prevent the restraint from becoming entangled in obstacles.
Retractable restraints have become more popular in controlling a dog's movement on a walk. The restraint typically includes a lead that is biased onto a reel within a housing where the lead is retracted onto the reel such that the lead remains taut during the walk while not impeding the dog's movement.
While the retractable restraint provides advantages over the fixed length restraint, neither restraint is practical in tethering the dog to an area in the event that the walker decides to rest for an extended period of time and does not want to continuously grasp the restraint. Also, a restraint is not practical to provide a tether while at a picnic, on vacation or any other outdoor activity spent away from an enclosed area because the pet owner would have to continuously grasp the restraint.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic components and substrate modules and more specifically relates to electronic components and substrate modules including a built-in capacitor.
2. Description of the Related Art
A multilayer capacitor described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-140183 is a known example of an electronic component of the related art. FIG. 22 is a front view of a multilayer capacitor 500 described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-140183.
The multilayer capacitor 500 includes a multilayer body 502, internal conductors 504 and 506, led out electrodes 508 and 510 and external electrodes 512 and 514. The multilayer body 502 is formed by stacking a plurality of dielectric layers on top of one another. In FIG. 22, the surface of the multilayer body 502 on the lower side is a mounting surface. The internal conductors 504 and 506 are stacked together with the dielectric layers and face each other with a dielectric layer interposed therebetween, whereby an electrostatic capacitance is formed. The led out electrodes 508 and 510 are respectively connected to the internal conductors 504 and 506 and are led out to the mounting surface. The external electrodes 512 and 514 are respectively connected to the led out electrodes 508 and 510. In the above-described multilayer capacitor 500, by making the distance between the led out electrodes 508 and 510 and the distance from the internal conductors 504 and 506 to the mounting surface maintain a predetermined relationship with each other, a decrease in the equivalent serial inductance is achieved.
However, in the multilayer capacitor 500 described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-140183, since the external electrodes 512 and 514 are close to each other, there is a risk that the external electrode 512 and the external electrode 514 will become connected to each other with solder when the multilayer capacitor 500 is mounted on a circuit substrate. That is, with the multilayer capacitor 500, there is a risk of a short circuit occurring.
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Typically, an air bag is a safety device used in a car. The air bag fills with nitrogen gas obtained from burning innoxious solid chemicals following the operation of an impact sensor. The gas makes the air bag swell in a range of 0.02 to 0.05 seconds. The inflated air bag then prevents a secondary impact between the body of a passenger and the car structure. Air bags have increased the safety for passengers during automobile accidents.
During a side impact, the death rate of passengers is high. U.S. car accident statistics show that the number of deaths per year for side impacts amounts to roughly 30% of the total deaths from automobile accident. Recently, there has been a trend toward positioning a curtain air bag on a side roof line of automobiles. However, the typical curtain air bag has a structural drawback in that the pillar trim prevents the curtain air bag from completely covering the windows of the driver and passenger seats, thereby failing to protect the passengers of the car. Furthermore, the front pillar trim generally becomes detached from the front pillar causing injury to the occupants of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,188 B1, European Patent Publication No. EP 0 873 916 A1, and German Patent Publication No. DE 198 38 069 A1 have addressed some of the above drawbacks. As disclosed therein, the front pillar trim is configured with a notch to ensure a space through which the curtain air bag may deploy. Additional, a hook is inserted and supported to a front pillar panel for the purpose of preventing the front pillar trim from deviating from the front pillar panel. However, when the notch is formed on the front pillar trim, an additional skin material is required because the notch portion is substantially thinner, which renders the production cost undesirably raised. Further, the addition of the hook needs a strap or a specific clip for securing the front pillar trim, which renders the configuration rather complicated and also reduces assembly efficiency.
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The present invention generally pertains to monitoring measurement data and is particularly directed to monitoring measurement data that is processed at a control console at which an alarm is provided when such processing indicates an alarm condition.
A prior art system for processing monitored measurement data and for providing an alarm when an alarm condition is indicated comprises a control console that includes a processor that is adapted for processing measurement data related to a plurality of monitored parameters in relation to predetermined parameter thresholds and for indicating an alarm condition upon the processed measurement data reaching a said parameter threshold; and means for responding to the alarm-condition indication by sounding or otherwise providing an alarm. A person having responsibility for reacting to said alarm often does so by initially observing and analyzing the monitored measurement data in order to determine how the alarm condition might be alleviated. Such responsible person also reacts to the alarm by providing an alarm-acknowledgment signal at the control console; and the control-console processing means responds to receipt of the alarm-acknowledgment signal by discontinuing provision of the alarm.
In some situations, the responsible person is away from the control console when an alarm is indicated and significant time may pass before the responsible person is able to return to the control console and react to the alarm. For example, on board a ship, the control console typically is in the engine room, the control room or the bridge, and the ship""s engineer who is responsible for reacting to alarms frequently is away from the location of the control console to attend to other shipboard duties when an alarm is sounded throughout the ship.
The present invention enables a person to remotely observe the monitored measurement data without having to go to the control console each time he wishes to observe such data.
The present invention provides a remote monitoring system, comprising a control console and a portable monitoring unit; wherein the control console, includes processing means for processing measurement data related to a plurality of monitored parameters and for responding to a request for transmission of measurement data pertaining to a parameter selected from said plurality of monitored parameters by causing a radio coupled to the control-console processing means to transmit said selected-parameter measurement data; and wherein the portable monitoring unit includes a display device; a keypad for selecting a said parameter as to which measurement data is to be displayed by the display device and for enabling said measurement data that is to be displayed to be requested from the control-console processing means; a radio for transmitting a said request to the radio that is coupled to the control console and for receiving said measurement data transmitted by the radio that is coupled to the control console; and a processor coupled to the keypad, the portable-unit radio and the display device, and adapted for responding to an operation of the keypad to select a parameter as to which measurement data requested from the control-console processing means is to be displayed by causing the portable-unit radio to transmit to the radio coupled to the control console a request for transmission of said measurement data selected by operation of the keypad and for causing the display device to display said measurement data that is received by the portable-unit radio.
The present invention also provides a portable monitoring unit for remotely monitoring measurement data provided at a control console that includes processing means for processing measurement data related to a plurality of monitored parameters and for responding to a request for transmission of measurement data pertaining to a parameter selected from said plurality of monitored parameters by causing a radio coupled to the control-console processing means to transmit said selected-parameter measurement data, the portable unit comprising a display device; a keypad for selecting a said parameter as to which measurement data is to be displayed by the display device and for enabling said measurement data that is to be displayed to be requested from the control-console processing means; a radio for transmitting a said request to the radio that is coupled to the control console and for receiving said measurement data transmitted by the radio that i coupled to the control console; and a processor coupled to the keypad, the portable-unit radio and the display device, and adapted for responding to an operation of the keypad to select a parameter as to which measurement data requested from the control-console processing means is to be displayed by causing the portable-unit radio to transmit to the radio coupled to the control console a request for transmission of said measurement data selected by operation of the keypad and for causing the display device to display said measurement data that is received by the portable-unit radio.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a remote monitoring system, comprising a control console and a portable monitoring unit, wherein the control console, includes processing means for processing measurement data related to a monitored parameter in relation to a predetermined parameter threshold, for providing an alarm-condition signal upon said processed measurement data reaching said parameter threshold, and for causing a radio coupled to the control console to transmit said alarm-condition signal; and wherein the portable monitoring unit includes a radio for receiving said alarm-indication signal transmitted by the radio that is coupled to the control console; means for providing an alarm; a display device; a processor coupled to the portable-unit radio, the alarm providing means and the display device, and adapted for responding to receipt of a said alarm-condition signal by the portable-unit radio by causing the alarm providing means to provide an alarm and by causing the display device to display said alarm condition; a keypad for enabling said measurement data to be requested from the control-console processing means; wherein the portable-unit processor is adapted for responding to an operation of the keypad to request said measurement data from the control-console processing means by causing the portable-unit radio to transmit to the radio coupled to the control console a request for transmission of said measurement data; wherein the control-console processing means is adapted for responding to receipt by the radio coupled to the control console of said request for said measurement data by causing the radio coupled to the control-console processing means to transmit said requested measurement data to the portable-unit radio; and wherein the portable-unit processor is adapted for responding to receipt by the portable-unit radio of said requested measurement data by causing the display device to display said requested measurement data that is received by the portable-unit radio in response to said request.
In a preferred embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, the portable-unit keypad is adapted for enabling selection of an alarm-acknowledgment signal for transmission to the control console; the portable-unit processor is adapted for responding to operation of the keypad to select said alarm-acknowledgment signal for transmission by causing the portable-unit radio to transmit said alarm-acknowledgment signal to the radio coupled to the control console; and the control-console processing means is adapted for responding to receipt of said alarm-acknowledgment signal by the radio that is coupled to the control-console processing means by discontinuing provision of said alarm-condition signal.
Additional features of the present invention are described with reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
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CCD image sensors have hitherto been used in video cameras. The CCD image sensor generates pixel data for one screen, which is acquired as two-dimensional image data. A vertical register and a horizontal register read the pixel data, which is converted into one data stream. The data stream is output from one channel. FIG. 1 shows an CCD image sensor of one-channel output type that transfers data, and also a conventional image-signal processing apparatus of one-channel output type, for use in the CCD image sensor.
As depicted in FIG. 1, the conventional image-signal processing apparatus 101 is designed to process, for example, the image signals output from a CCD image sensor 110. The image sensor comprises a vertical register 111 and a horizontal register 112. The vertical register 111 transfers charges accumulated in an imager in the vertical direction, in units of lines. The horizontal register 112 transfers the charges transferred by the vertical register, in the horizontal direction in units of lines.
The image-signal processing apparatus 101 comprises an analog front-end circuit 121, a delay line 122, a Y/C separating circuit 123, a Y process circuit 124, and a C process circuit 125. The front-end circuit 121 receives a signal output from the horizontal register 112 of the CCD image sensor 110, performs gain control and A/D conversion on the signal and outputs a digital image signal. The delay line 122 delays the digital pixel data by a predetermined time so that the pixel data may be subjected to the Y/C separation that will be carried out later. The Y/C separating circuit 123 receives the pixel data input as a RGB signal or a complementary color signal and separates the pixel data into a luminance (Y) component and a chroma (C) component. The Y process circuit 124 effects a prescribed process on the luminance (Y) component of the pixel data and outputs luminance data. The C process circuit 125 carries out a specific process on the chroma (C) component of the pixel data and outputs chroma data.
In the image-signal processing apparatus 101 thus configured, the image signal output in one channel from the CCD image sensor 110 is converted to a digital signal and the digital signal is separated into a luminance (Y) component and a chroma (C) component. Therefore, the apparatus 101 can output digital image data that consists of these components. The CCD image sensor 110 may have about 1,000,000 pixels for one screen. In this case, the analog front-end circuit 121 can carry out analog processes, such as A/D conversion, at an operating frequency of about 33 MHz.
In recent years, CCD image sensors having high resolution of more than one million pixels for one screen have come into use. If the image-signal processing apparatus 101 designed to read an one-channel output is to read an image signal from a CCD image sensor of such a high resolution exceeding one million pixels, the process of the analog signal, such as A/D conversion, must be performed at an operating frequency exceeding 40 MHz. At such a high frequency, the analog-signal process such as A/D conversion is inevitably unstable. To make the process stable, it is necessary to use very expensive components such as an IC.
In order to solve this problem, CCD image sensors with a plurality of output channels have been proposed in recent years. Since image signals are supplied from many output channels, these analog signals can be processed (or converted to digital signals) at an operating frequency lower than is required when the CCD image sensor has only one channel. The analog process is performed on the signals of all channels, converting them to digital signals, and the digital signals are combined into one signal for one channel. Thus, the analog process is stable as is desired.
FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional image-signal processing apparatus 201 configured to process image signals output from two channels.
This image-signal processing apparatus 201 processes image signals output from a CCD image sensor 210. The CCD image sensor 210 comprises a vertical register 211 and two horizontal register 212 and 213. The vertical register 211 transfers charges, generated from light and accumulated in an imager in the vertical direction, in units of lines. The horizontal registers 212 and 213 transfer the charges transferred by the vertical register, in the horizontal direction in units of lines. In the CCD image sensor 210, the charges are transferred from the vertical register 211 to the first horizontal register 212 and the charges are transferred from the first horizontal register 212 to the second horizontal register 213. Hence, the sensor 210 outputs image data items for two lines, respectively, at the same time. For example, the first horizontal register 212 outputs the pixels forming an odd-numbered line, while the second horizontal register 213 outputs the pixels forming an even-numbered line.
The image-signal processing apparatus 201 comprises a first analog front-end circuit 221, a second analog front-end circuit 222, a delay line 223, a Y/C separating circuit 224, a Y process circuit 225, and a C process circuit 226. The first front-end circuit 221 receives a signal output from the first horizontal register 212, performs gain control and A/D conversion on the signal and outputs a digital image signal of the first channel. The second front-end circuit 222 receives a signal output from the second horizontal register 213, performs gain control and A/D conversion on the signal and outputs a digital image signal of the second channel. The delay line 223 combines the digital image signals of the first and second channels, into a one-channel image signal. The delay line 223 then delays the one-channel image signal by a predetermined time so that the image signal may be subjected to the Y/C separation to be performed later. The Y/C separating circuit 224 receives the image signal input as a RGB signal or a complementary color signal and separates the image signal into a luminance (Y) component and a chroma (C) component. The Y process circuit 225 carries out a prescribed process on the luminance (Y) component of the image signal and outputs luminance data. The C process circuit 226 effects a specific process on the chroma (C) component of the image signal and outputs chroma data.
In the image-signal processing apparatus 201 thus configured, the image signals output in two channels from the CCD image sensor 210 are converted to a digital signal. The digital signal is separated into a luminance (Y) component and a chroma (C) component. Thus, the apparatus 201 can output a digital image signal that contains a luminance (Y) component and a chroma (C) component. Since the CCD image sensor 210 outputs image signals in two channels, the analog front-end circuits 221 and 222 only need to have a low operating frequency. This renders the analog-signal process stable.
Here arises a problem in manufacturing the CCD images sensor that outputs image signals in two channels. It is very difficult to provide two horizontal registers that are identical in characteristics. Consequently, the signals output in two channels may differ in terms of gain. Further, they may differ in terms of the black-level offset. To adjust the gain difference and the black-level offset difference between channels, the horizontal registers hold a pilot signal each, and the pilot signal corrects the gain and black level of each channel. The pilot signals may have an error, however. Inevitably, it is difficult to adjust the gain difference or the black-level offset difference as is desired.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the recycle of mixed scrap plastics and more particularly relates to the production of useful articles from mixed scrap plastics.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The use of plastics has grown substantially in recent years and projected usage rates of plastics are expected to be even higher in the future as plastics find new uses and further replace conventional materials such as metals and glass. This increased plastic usage has resulted in a corresponding increased generation of plastic scrap from a variety of sources. Some of the plastic scrap has been reusable, for example, relatively pure polyester scrap from return deposit beverage containers has found some utility as a source for low grade, off-color, polyester, but most plastic scrap, for example, automotive scrap and household scrap, is mixed scrap plastic which has found little commercial utility and as a result has typically been disposed of as trash in landfills. Conventional wisdom has seen these mixed scrap plastics as essentially unusable as a raw material for the production of useful resinous articles because the mixed nature of the scrap plastics provides, upon melting of the scrap, immiscible blends which have little structural integrity, poor impact strengthes and poor flexural strengthes. These immiscible blends exhibit extensive phase separation and delamination during extrusion processing and would likely experience extensive decomposition if maintained at extrusion temperatures at typical extrusion conditions. Until the present invention, scrap plastics comprising mixed immiscible scrap plastics were seen by those in the art as having little utility in the production of useful resinous articles.
An object of the present invention is to produce useful articles from scrap plastics comprising mixed immiscible plastics.
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Metal framing systems, which are also referred to as space framing systems, have been known for over fifty years. Such systems basically comprise a channel nut with a spring on one side thereof and a pair of arms which extend outwardly, and the nuts are designed to move through an opening in a channel. Outwardly extending arms project into the channel slot on the side while the spring holds the nut in position.
In practice, a channel nut is inserted anywhere along a continuous slot of metal framing or channel structure. A 90.degree. turn positions the outstanding arms in the grooves of the metal framing, and the chamfered or rounded nut ends make insertion easy. The spring then forces the nut into position and holds it tightly either in the vertical or horizontal position.
A connection may then be made with a threaded fastener into the channel nut so that it remains in position in the metal framing.
Examples of the prior art of this invention are exemplified by the following U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,433,910--C. H. LaLonde et al. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,345,650--C. W. Attwood PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,696,139--C. W. Attwood PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,767,609--W. F. Cousino
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Charge-coupled devices (CCDs) have been the dominant form of conventional imaging circuits for detecting and converting a packet of light photons into an electrical signal that represents the intensity of the light in a particular pixel region of the image. Most commonly, CCDs use a photogate to detect and store the light energy as electrical charge, and a series of electrodes to transfer the collected charge serially to an output.
CCDs have many advantages for obtaining very high quality images. These include high sensitivity, high well capacity, near unity fill factors, low leakage currents and mature processes optimized for imaging. However, CCDs also suffer from some system shortcomings, such as limited readout rates, high power dissipation that increases linearly with read rates, limited linearity and difficulty in integrating signal processing electronics onto the imager focal plane.
To overcome these limitations, recent imaging arrays use active pixel sensor (APS) cells to convert the light photons into electrical charge. With APS, a conventional photodiode is typically combined with MOS Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs), which provide amplification, readout and timing control.
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At the present time, numerous herbicides are commercially available and they are widely used. There are, however, a wide variety of weeds to be controlled and their growth extends over a long time. For this reason, the requested are herbicides with higher herbicidal activity, a wide weed control spectrum, long term effect, and safety to crops.
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Endotoxin or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), released from the cell wall of bacteria, plays a central role in a broad spectrum of human disease. The pathogenic importance of LPS in gram-negative sepsis is well established. Intravenous LPS induces all of the clinical features of gram-negative sepsis, including fever, shock, leukopenia followed by leukocytosis, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (Favorite et al., 1942). Higher concentrations of circulating levels of endotoxin have been associated with manifestations of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (Wang et al., 1995) and the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome following sepsis (Brigham et al., 1986). Inhaled endotoxin can induce airflow obstruction in naive or previously unexposed subjects (Michel et al., 1992) and is the most important occupational exposure associated with the development Schwartz et al., 1995a), and progression (Schwartz et al., 1995b), of airway disease among exposed workers. The concentration of endotoxin in the domestic setting appears to be associated with the clinical severity of asthma (Michel et al., 1996). Moreover, recent studies have shown that endotoxin is a contaminant of particulate matter in air pollution and may play a role in the pathophysiologic consequences of air pollution (Bonner et al., 1998). Thus, endotoxin is an important cause of morbidity and mortality.
The ability of the host to respond to endotoxin may play an important role in determining the severity of the physiologic and biologic response to this frequently encountered toxin. In mice, genetic differences in susceptibility to LPS have been established. LPS hyporesponsiveness arose spontaneously and was first identified in the C3H/HeJ strain. This strain had an LD50 for LPS at least 20 times that observed in A/HeJ mice (Sultzer et al., 1968). In addition to C3H/HeJ, two other mouse strains, C57BL10/ScCR (Coutinho et al., 1978) and its progenitor strain, C57BL/10ScN, (Vogel et al., 1979), are hyporesponsive to LPS.
Moreover, several reports suggest that humans may also respond differently to LPS. A patient with recurrent bacterial infections has been reported to be refractory to the in vivo and in vitro effects of LPS (Kuhns et al., 1997). Following challenge with intravenous LPS, this patient had no systemic increase in IL6 or G-CSF and had a minimal rise in the concentration of leukocytes, TNF-xcex1, and IL-8. Inter-individual differences have also been reported in the release and synthesis of cytokines by monocytes stimulated with LPS in vitro (Santamaria et al., 1989).
LPS is thought to cause much of its morbidity and mortality by activating kinases (DeFranco et al., 1998) that control the function of transcription factors (nuclear factor-"ugr"B and AP-1) and ultimately lead to production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and co-stimulatory molecules (Wright, 1999). Several lines of evidence suggest that the toll receptor (TLR) family, and specifically TLR4 and TLR2 regulate the interaction between LPS and intracellular kinases and may serve as a proximal target to interrupt LPS signaling (Wright, 1998; Medzhitov et al., 1997). Both TLR4 and TLR2 activate signaling through NF-"ugr"B and AP-1 in transfected human cell lines (Medzhitov et al., 1997; Yang et al., 1998), and TLR4 mediates LPS induced signal transduction (Chow et al., 1999). CD14, a glycosylphosphatidyl inositol-linked receptor that binds LPS (Poltorak et al., 1998a) enhances LPS induced TLR2 (Yanget al., 1998) and TLR4 (Chow et al., 1998) signaling, suggesting that the toll receptors interact with CD14 to initiate the cellular response to LPS. Studies in mice indicate that 1) the TLR4 gene maps to the critical region in LPS hyporesponsive mice (Poltorak et al., 1998), 2) mutations in the TLR4 gene (Poltorak et al., 1998; Qureshi et al., 1999) are found in mouse strains (C3H/HeJ and C57BL10/ScCr) that are defective in their response to LPS, and 3) disruption of the TLR4 gene results in a LPS hyporesponsive phenotype (Hoshino et al., 1999).
Thus, there is need to determine whether the human TLR4 gene is polymorphic, and whether any particular polymorphism is associated with disease, e.g., LPS hyporesponsiveness.
The invention provides a method to identify a mammal, e.g., a human, at risk of, or having, an indication associated with altered innate immunity, e.g., to bacterial infection. The method comprises contacting an amount of DNA obtained from a human physiological sample with an amount of at least one TLR4-specific oligonucleotide under conditions effective to amplify the DNA so as to yield amplified DNA. Then it is determined whether the amplified DNA comprises a nucleotide substitution, e.g., one that results in an amino acid substitution, i.e., the TLR4 DNA of the human encodes a variant TLR4. Thus, the invention is useful to detect polymorphisms in the TLR4 gene.
Normal healthy, non-asthmatic subjects demonstrate a reproducible airway response to an incremental LPS inhalation challenge test, with some subjects developing airflow obstruction when challenged with low concentrations of LPS and others virtually unaffected by high concentrations of inhaled LPS. These findings suggest that the spectrum of LPS responsiveness in humans is quite variable from one individual to the next (but reproducible within an individual), and that a substantial portion of the population may be hyporesponsive to inhaled LPS. As described hereinbleow, an incremental LPS inhalation challenge test was employed to reliably phenotype individuals as either responsive (at least a 20% decline in the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV,) after inhaling up to 41.5 xcexcg LPS) or hyporesponsive (FEV1, greater than 80% of their baseline after inhaling 41.5 xcexcg of LPS) to inhaled LPS. Fifty-two (63%) of these individuals were responsive to inhaled LPS and 31 (37%) were hyporesponsive to inhaled LPS.
These results were employed to determine the relationship between polymorphisms in the TLR4 gene and the airway response to inhaled LPS in the 83 normal healthy, non-asthmatic subjects. Using single standed conformational variant (SSCV) analysis and direct sequencing, a missense mutation (A896G) was identified in the fourth exon of the TLR4 gene that results in replacement of a conserved aspartic acid residue with glycine at position 299 in the extracellular domain of the TLR4 receptor. The Asp299Gly sequence variant occurred in 3 LPS responsive (5.8%) and 7 LPS hyporesponsive (22.6%) study subjects (p=0.03). Among the subjects with the common TLR4 allele (N=73), the dose-response slope (percent decline FEV1/cumulative dose of inhaled LPS) averaged a 1.86% decline in FEV1/xcexcg inhaled LPS (range 0.01%-19.78%), while the dose-response slope for the subjects with the Asp299Gly allele (N=10) was significantly less (p=0.007), averaging 0.59% decline in FEV1/xcexcg inhaled LPS (range 0.00%-1.59%). Thus, a sequence; polymorphism in the TLR4 gene, i.e., a missense mutation (Asp299Gly) in the fourth exon of the TLR4 gene, occurs in a substantial portion of the population, add frequency in other population Iowa, French and is associated with an airway hyporesponsive in humans challenged with inhaled LPS. The allelic frequency of the A896G substitution was 6.6% in the study population, 7.9% in a normal control population from Iowa (Lidral et al., 1998), and 3.3% in the parental chromosomes in of the CEPH population (NIH-CEPH, 1992).
The invention also provides an isolated and purified nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid segment, e.g., genomic DNA or cDNA, encoding TLR4, such as a variant TLR4. Also provided are primers, oligonucleotides and probes comprising the isolated nucleic acid sequences of the invention. The nucleic acid molecules of the invention may be single stranded or double stranded.
Transfection of CHO cells with either the wild-type or the mutant (Asp299Gly) allele of the TLR4 gene demonstrated that this mutation interrupts TLR4-mediated LPS signaling. Moreover, the wild-type allele of TLR4 rescues the LPS hyporesponsive phenotype in either airway epithelial cells or alveolar macrophages obtained from individuals with the TLR4 mutation. Thus, these results provide the first genetic evidence that a common mutation causes differences in LPS responsiveness that may contribute to several disease states in humans.
Therefore, the invention further provides an expression cassette comprising a nucleic acid molecule of the invention, a host cell transformed with the expression cassette, and TLR4 polypeptides isolated therefrom. The transformed host cells, or isolated TLR4 polypeptides, may be useful in identifying agents that modulate, i.e., enhance or inhibit, TLR4 activity. Thus, the invention also provides a method to treat an individual at risk of, or having, an indication associated with altered innate immunity, in which an agent that alters TLR4 activity is administered to the individual.
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One or more woven wire screens have been used in shaker or vibrating screen apparatus to size material passing through the woven wire screens. Known woven wire screens typically consist of a plurality of interwoven weft and warp wires forming a plurality of openings for permitting suitably sized material to pass through the screen. The openings can be square or rectangular. Alternatively, the screen can be formed as a long slot screen where the warp wires are maintained in spaced parallel relation by weft wires arranged in groups of three at spaced intervals along the length of the warp wires.
Previously known woven wire screens suffer from significant drawbacks. For example, known woven wire screens have experienced rolling of one or more wires. The problem of rolling is depicted in FIG. 1. Specifically, weft wires 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 of woven wire cloth A have been undesirably rolled during the manufacturing process. This is problematic in that the size of the openings surrounded by one or more rolled wires is significantly different from the size of openings surrounded by non-rolled wires. This is readily evident from a comparison of opening 12 bound on opposite sides by two rolled weft wires 2 and 4 with opening 14 bound on all four sides by non-rolled wires. To properly size product or material, it is imperative to have openings in woven wire screens that conform precisely to predetermined sizes. Any variance in the size of the openings due to the manufacturing process can significantly degrade the performance of the woven wire screen. It should be noted that the amount of roll will vary further degrading the performance of the woven wire screen.
Rolling of a wire results from exceeding the yield point of the wire during assembly of the woven wire screen. Conventional thinking has been along the lines that forming woven wire screens with shallow crimps (i.e., higher knuckle forces and higher preloads) improves the longevity of the woven wire screen. However, rolling can occur especially if the configuration of the wire is modified to improve the through put of the woven wire screen. This is due at least in part to the fact that shallow crimps require less side forces to displace the corresponding wire.
Conventional woven wire screens have also been unable to achieve significant additional through put by providing additional open area. Specifically, increasing the open area of a screen has previously resulted in additional through put that is approximately equal to the increase in the open area. For example, if the open area is increased by 3% then the additional through put previously achieved would be approximately 3%. This is undesirable as the efficiency of conventional screens is limited in that the percentage of additional through put is limited to approximately the same percentage of the additional open area. Moreover, the configuration of conventional wires can cause the product to deflect upwardly even though the product is suitably sized to pass through the screen. This is particularly prevalent with screens having round wires. Further, previously known screens with wires having a cross-sectional height greater than the cross-sectional width have experienced some upward movement because the difference between the cross-sectional height and the cross-sectional width has not been great enough to eliminate or dramatically reduce upward movement of particles. This is undesirable as it can significantly reduce the efficiency of the woven wire screen.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the control of multiple disk drives within computer systems, and more particularly to command protocol and definition used to facilitate high speed data transfers for personal computer systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Microprocessors and the personal computers which utilize them have become more power over the recent years. Currently available personal computers have capabilities easily exceeding the mainframe computers of 20 to 30 years ago and approach the capabilities of many computers currently manufactured. Microprocessors having word sizes of 32 bits wide are now widely available, whereas in the past 8 bits was conventional and 16 bits was common.
Personal computer systems have developed over the years and new uses are being discovered daily. The uses are varied and, as a result, have different requirements for various subsystems forming a complete computer system. Because of production volume requirements and the reduced costs as volumes increase, it is desirable that as many common features as possible are combined into high volume units. This has happened in the personal computer area by developing a basic system unit which generally contains a power supply, provisions for physically mounting the various mass storage devices and a system board, which in turn incorporates a microprocessor, microprocessor related circuitry, connectors for receiving circuit boards containing other subsystems, circuitry related to interfacing the circuit boards to the microprocessor, and memory. The use of connectors and interchangeable circuit boards allows subsystems of the desired capability for each computer system to be easily incorporated into the computer system. The use of interchangeable circuit boards necessitated the development of an interface or bus standard so that the subsystems could be easily designed and problems would not result from incompatible decisions by the system unit designers and the interchangeable circuit board designers.
The use of interchangeable circuit boards and an interface standard, commonly called a bus specification because the various signals are provided to all the connectors over a bus, was incorporated into the original International Business Machines Corporations (IBM) personal computer, the IBM PC. The IBM PC utilized in Intel Corporation 8088 as the microprocessor. The 8088 has an 8 bit, or 1 byte, external data interface but operates on a 16 bit word internally. The 8088 has 20 address lines, which means that it can directly address a maximum of 1 Mbyte of memory. In addition, the memory components available for incorporation in the original IBM PC were relatively slow and expensive as compared to current components. The various subsystems such as video output units or mass storage units, were not complex and also had relatively low performance levels because of the relative simplicity of the devices available at a reasonable costs at that time.
With these various factors and the component choices made in mind, an interface standard was developed and used in the IBM PC. The standard utilized 20 address lines and 8 data lines, had individual lines to indicate input or output (I/O) space or memory space read/write operations, and had limited availability of interrupts and direct memory access (DMA) channels. The complexity of the available components did not require greater flexibility or capabilities of the interface standard to allow the necessary operations to occur. This interface standard was satisfactory for a number of years.
As is inevitable in the computer and electronics industry, capabilities of the various components available increased dramatically. Memory component prices dropped in capacities and speeds increased. Performance rate and capacities of the mass storage subsystems increased, generally by the incorporation of hard disk units for previous floppy disk units. The video processor technology improved so that high resolution color systems were reasonably affordable. These developments all pushed the capabilities of the existing IBM PC interface standard so that the numerous limitations in the interface standard became a problem. With the introduction by Intel Corporation of the 80286, IBM developed a new, more powerful personal computer called the AT. The 80286 has a 16 bit data path and 24 address lines so that it can directly address 16 Mbytes of memory. In addition, the 80286 has an increased speed of operation and can easily perform many operations which taxed 8088 performance limits.
It was desired that the existing subsystem circuit boards be capable of being used in the new AT, so the interface standard used in the PC was utilized and extended. A new interface standard was developed, which has become known as the industry standard architecture (ISA). A second connector for each location was added to contain additional lines for the signals used in the extension. These lines included additional address and data lines to allow the use of the 24 bit addressing capability and 16 bit data transfers, additional interrupt and direct memory access lines and lines to indicate whether the subsystems circuit board was capable of using the extended features. While the address values are presented by the 80286 microprocessor relatively early in the operation cycle, the PC interface standard could not utilize the initial portions of the address availability because of different timing standards for the 8088 around which the PC interface was designed. This limited the speed at which operations could occur because they were now limited to the interface standard memory timing specifications and could not operate at the rates available with the 80286. Therefore, the newly added address lines included address signals previous available, but the newly added signals were available at an early time in the cycle. This change in the address single timing allowed operations which utilized the extended portions of the architecture to operate faster.
With a higher performance components available, it became possible to have a master unit other than the system microprocessor or direct memory access controller operating the bus. However, because of the need to cooperate with circuit boards which operated under the new 16 bit standard or the old 8 bit standard, each master unit was required to understand and operate with all the possible combinations of circuit boards. This increased the complexity of the master unit and resulted in a duplication of components, because the master unit had to incorporate many of the functions and features already performed by the logic and circuitry on the system board and other master units. Additionally, the master unit was required to utilize the direct memory access controller to gain control of the bus, limiting prioritizing and the number of master units possible in a given computer system.
The capability of components continued to increase. Memory speeds and sizes increased, mass storage units and size increased, video unit resolutions increased and Intel introduced the 80386. The increased capabilities of the components created a desire for the use of bus master units, but the performance of a bus master unit was limited by the ISA specification and capabilities. The 80386 could not be fully utilized because it offered the capability to directly address 4 Gbytes of memory using 32 bits of address and could perform 32 bit wide data transfers, while the ISA standard allowed only 16 bits of data and 24 bits of address. The local area network (LAN) concept, where information and file stored on one computer called server and distributed to local work stations having limited or no mass storage capabilities, started becoming practical with the relatively low cost of high capability of components needed for adequate servers and the low costs of the components for work stations. An extension similar to that performed in developing the ISA could be implemented to utilize the 80386's capabilities. However, this type of extension would have certain disadvantages. With the advent of the LAN concept and the high performance requirements of the server and of video graphics work stations used in computer-added design and animation work, the need for a very high data transfer rates became critical. An extension similar to that performed in developing the ISA would not provide this capability, even if slightly shorter standards cycle was provided, because this would still leave the performance below desired levels.
With the increased performance of computer systems, it became apparent that mass storage subsystems, such as fixed disk drives, played an increasingly important role in the transfer data to and from the computer system. In the past few years, a new trend in this storage subsystems has emerged for improving data transfer performance, capacity and reliability. This is generally known as a disk array subsystem. One key reason for wanting to build a disk array subsystem is to create a logical device that has very high data transfer rate. This may be accomplished by "ganging" multiple standard disk drives together and transferring data to or from these drives to the system memory. If n drives are ganged together, then the effective data transferred rate is increased n times. This technique, called "striping" originated in the super computing environment where the transfer of large amounts of data to and from secondary storage is a frequent requirement. With this approach, the end physical drives would become a single logical device and may be implemented either through software or hardware.
A number of reference articles on the design and management of disk arrays have been published in recent years. These include "Some Design Issues of Disk Arrays" by Spencer Ng, April 1989 IEEE; "Disk Array Systems" by Wes E. Meador, April 1989 IEEE; and "A Case for Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks (RAID)" by D. Patterson, G. Gibson and R. Catts report No. UCB/CSD 87/391, December 1987, Computer Science Division, University of California, Burkley, Calif.
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The present disclosure relates to diagnostic systems and methods for providing diagnostic information during servicing of an image processing apparatus.
An image processing apparatus can include a photosensitive drum, on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. Toner can be applied to the photosensitive drum by a developing roller. A printing medium can then be supplied across the photosensitive drum to transfer the toner onto the printing medium and thereby form an image.
After a printing job is completed, residual toner and paper dust often remain on the photosensitive drum. A cleaning brush can be provided to clean the photosensitive drum and remove the residual toner and paper dust. However, toner may accumulate on the cleaning brush, and thereby reduce the effectiveness of the cleaning brush in removing residual toner from the photosensitive drum.
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German Patent Publication DE 28 34 519 A1 discloses a digital linear measuring device having two parts which are displaceable with respect to each other, one of which supports a scale and the other a detector for scanning the scale and for generating electrical signals which correspond to the scanned length of the scale. An electronic device processes the detector signals. The scale has a marking support with material which can be magnetized and is magnetized at predefined distances to form readable markings. The detector includes a reading head for reading the markings of the scale. A digital display device can be used for performing further processing. The marking support can be a magnetic layer with the markings formed by sinusoidal magnetization of two tracks and a reading head being respectively provided for each track. The detector can have at least one magnetic head sensitive to flux which is connected between the detector and the marking support in accordance with the principle of a magnetic modulator for reading at low relative speed. Detailed information regarding the embodiment of the detector is absent in the mentioned reference.
European Patent Publication EP 0 069 392 A2 discloses a digital position measuring device wherein a detector having a magneto-resistive sensor is provided. Magneto-resistive sensors with different characteristic curves are described therein and bridge circuits having such sensors are disclosed.
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Certain STBs allow end users to view placeshifted media content utilizing a mobile phone, a tablet device, a laptop computer, or a similar device operated by an end user and remotely located from the STB (herein, a “client media receiver”). To initiate a placeshifting session, an authenticated, bidirectional connection is established between the STB and the client media receiver over the Internet, a LAN, a WAN, or a similar communications network. Utilizing a software application executed on the client media receiver, such as a browser player, the end user may select the media content that is desirably placeshifted for viewing at the client media receiver. In accordance with such user commands, the STB captures, encodes, possibly encrypts, and transmits the user-selected content to the client media receiver as a live media stream. Correspondingly, the client media receiver receives, decrypts (if needed), and decodes the media content, while presenting the streamed content in real time as the content is received by the receiver. In many instances, the client media receiver may avoid storage of the placeshifted content in non-transitory memory to mitigate any issues relating to the creation of unlicensed copies of the content.
While increasing the ease and convenience with which end users consume content, placeshifting has evoked concerns regarding the illicit copying and sharing of streamed content. Various DRM platforms or schemes have been developed to help deter such activities; however, existing DRM platforms are often limited in the context of placeshifting environments in which a user-selected browser player is utilized to control playback of content stored on an STB (or similar placeshifting device) located in the residence of an end user. Existing DRM platforms may be propriety and are often not universally shared between consumer devices, browser players, plugins, and other such software and hardware products. A non-exhaustive list of widely available proprietary DRM platforms includes PLAYREADY by MICROSOFT, FAIRPLAY by APPLE, WIDEVINE by GOOGLE, and PRIMETIME by ADOBE, all of which are exclusive to particular brands of devices and browser players. While alternative DRM platforms have been developed by groups including the MARLIN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY and the OPEN MOBILE ALLIANCE, such alternative DRM platforms also tend to be exclusive to a limited subset of commercially-available hardware and software products.
The lack of universality across DRM platforms creates difficulties in effectively maintaining DRM integrity in placeshifting environments, particularly when end users are permitted to select amongst a wide range of browser players to view placeshifted content on a given client media receiver. There consequently exists an ongoing industry demand for the provision of systems, methods, and program products supporting the effective implementation of a wide range of DRM platforms in placeshifting environments. Ideally, such systems, methods, and program products could be implemented in a relatively seamless manner, while providing little to no detriment to the ease and convenience with which end users can access and view placeshifted content utilizing a user-chosen browser player executed on a client media receiver. Other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background section.
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The present application is related to a co-assigned and co-filed United States patent application entitled Microembosser for Faster Production of Holographic Labels. This related application is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention concerns microembossing, printing, laminating, and diecutting technologies, especially as used in the manufacture of holographic labels or stickers.
Microembossing is a process of imprinting or cutting microscopic grooves into a layer of material, sometimes called a substrate. One use of microembossing is to emboss a hologramxe2x80x94a three-dimensional image of an objectxe2x80x94on a paper-thin substrate of reflective plastic. The embossed substrate can then be used as part of a holographic label.
Holographic labels are used on a variety of articles of manufacture for security, authenticity, or aesthetic appeal. For example, holographic labels are used on compact discs, computer software, cosmetics, watches, and sporting goods. Other uses include clothing hang tags, automobile-registration certificates, fine-jewelry certificates, concert and sporting-event tickets, recreational passes, credit cards, passports, driver licenses, postage stamps, government bonds and certificates, and so forth.
Producing holographic labels or stickers generally entails a multi-pass process, which begins with forming a specific diffractive pattern, for example, a five-by-five array of 25 three-dimensional bald eagle images, on a thin rectangular sheet of metal known as a stamping shim. Using the stamping shim like a printing plate, a microembosser repeatedly imprints or embosses the array of bald eagles onto a long section of metalized polyester film, called a web. The embossed film is then typically rolled and loaded into a separate laminating machine, which laminates, or glues, a pressure-sensitive adhesive material to the back of the web, forming the peel-away part of each sticker.
The laminated web is then rolled and loaded onto a printer, which prints images at designated positions on the web. For example, one could print a ring of white stars around each of the 25 embossed eagle images, using a printing plate which includes a corresponding five-by-five array of 25 star rings. To ensure proper registration, or alignment, of the array of star rings with the array of eagle images, some printers include special controls that adjust relative position of the printing plate and the web during printing. However, these controls generally limit printing speed and waste some of the web, which is rolled up as it exits the printer.
The manufacturing process then continues by loading the rolled web of embossed and printed images onto a separate, stand-alone diecutter which cuts each star-encircled eagle image from the web to form a sticker of a certain shape. The diecutter typically includes a die cylinder (or steel-rule die) with a specific pattern of raised cutting edges on its surface. For example, the die cylinder could include a five-by-five array of 25 square-shaped cutting edges that corresponds to the array of star-encircled eagles on the web. In operation, the die cylinder rolls over the web of star-encircled eagle images, cutting out each image as a separate square-shaped sticker. To ensure registration of the array of square-shaped cutting edges with the array of star-encircled eagles, it is often necessary to stop diecutting to manually adjust position of the die cylinder or the web.
One problem with this process is its use of separate, stand-alone machines for embossing, laminating, printing, and diecutting. This means that the web must be unrolled, rerolled, and transferred from one machine to the next, ultimately slowing the manufacturing process. Moreover, the web stretches and contracts during and after each stage of manufacture, often requiring adjustments to correct registration of embossed, printed, and/or diecut patternsxe2x80x94a procedure which further slows the manufacturing process. Accordingly, there is a need for a better way of making holographic stickers and labels.
To address this and other needs, the inventors have developed an in-line rotary microembosser for use with a rotary laminator, printer, and/or diecutter. One embodiment, or implementation, of the invention includes a rotary microembosser operatively coupled in line with a rotary laminator, a rotary printer, a rotary diecutter, or another web processing device to concurrently process a continuous web. This exemplary arrangement not only eliminates one or more of the machine-transfer and machine-loading delays which occur when using a separate embosser, laminator, printer, and diecutter, but also reduces the need to correct registration errors at each separate machine. Accordingly, this and various other embodiments of the invention reduce the time required to manufacture products, such as holographic labels.
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In 1755 LeRoy passed the discharge of a Leyden jar through the orbit of a man who was blind from cataract and the patient saw “flames passing rapidly downwards.” Ever since, there has been a fascination with electrically elicited visual perception. The general concept of electrical stimulation of retinal cells to produce these flashes of light or phosphenes has been known for quite some time. Based on these general principles, some early attempts at devising prostheses for aiding the visually impaired have included attaching electrodes to the head or eyelids of patients. While some of these early attempts met with some limited success, these early prosthetic devices were large, bulky and could not produce adequate simulated vision to truly aid the visually impaired.
In the early 1930's, Foerster investigated the effect of electrically stimulating the exposed occipital pole of one cerebral hemisphere. He found that, when a point at the extreme occipital pole was stimulated, the patient perceived a small spot of light directly in front and motionless (a phosphene). Subsequently, Brindley and Lewin (1968) thoroughly studied electrical stimulation of the human occipital (visual) cortex. By varying the stimulation parameters, these investigators described in detail the location of the phosphenes produced relative to the specific region of the occipital cortex stimulated. These experiments demonstrated: (1) the consistent shape and position of phosphenes; (2) that increased stimulation pulse duration made phosphenes brighter; and (3) that there was no detectable interaction between neighboring electrodes which were as close as 2.4 mm apart.
As intraocular surgical techniques have advanced, it has become possible to apply stimulation on small groups and even on individual retinal cells to generate focused phosphenes through devices implanted within the eye itself. This has sparked renewed interest in developing methods and apparati to aid the visually impaired. Specifically, great effort has been expended in the area of intraocular retinal prosthesis devices in an effort to restore vision in cases where blindness is caused by photoreceptor degenerative retinal diseases; such as retinitis pigmentosa and age related macular degeneration which affect millions of people worldwide.
Neural tissue can be artificially stimulated and activated by prosthetic devices that pass pulses of electrical current through electrodes on such a device. The passage of current causes changes in electrical potentials across visual neuronal membranes, which can initiate visual neuron action potentials, which are the means of information transfer in the nervous system.
Based on this mechanism, it is possible to input information into the nervous system by coding the sensory information as a sequence of electrical pulses which are relayed to the nervous system via the prosthetic device. In this way, it is possible to provide artificial sensations including vision.
One typical application of neural tissue stimulation is in the rehabilitation of the blind. Some forms of blindness involve selective loss of the light sensitive transducers of the retina. Other retinal neurons remain viable, however, and may be activated in the manner described above by placement of a prosthetic electrode device on the inner (toward the vitreous) retinal surface (epiretinal). This placement must be mechanically stable, minimize the distance between the device electrodes and the visual neurons, control the electronic field distribution and avoid undue compression of the visual neurons.
In 1986, Bullara (U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,481) patented an electrode assembly for surgical implantation on a nerve. The matrix was silicone with embedded iridium electrodes. The assembly fit around a nerve to stimulate it.
Dawson and Radtke stimulated cat's retina by direct electrical stimulation of the retinal ganglion cell layer. These experimenters placed nine and then fourteen electrodes upon the inner retinal layer (i.e., primarily the ganglion cell layer) of two cats. Their experiments suggested that electrical stimulation of the retina with 30 to 100 μA current resulted in visual cortical responses. These experiments were carried out with needle-shaped electrodes that penetrated the surface of the retina (see also U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,933 to Michelson).
The Michelson '933 apparatus includes an array of photosensitive devices on its surface that are connected to a plurality of electrodes positioned on the opposite surface of the device to stimulate the retina. These electrodes are disposed to form an array similar to a “bed of nails” having conductors which impinge directly on the retina to stimulate the retinal cells. U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,049 to Byers describes spike electrodes for neural stimulation. Each spike electrode pierces neural tissue for better electrical contact. U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,088 to Norman describes an array of spike electrodes for cortical stimulation. Each spike pierces cortical tissue for better electrical contact.
The art of implanting an intraocular prosthetic device to electrically stimulate the retina was advanced with the introduction of retinal tacks in retinal surgery. De Juan, et al. at Duke University Eye Center inserted retinal tacks into retinas in an effort to reattach retinas that had detached from the underlying choroid, which is the source of blood supply for the outer retina and thus the photoreceptors. See, e.g., E. de Juan, et al., 99 Am. J. Ophthalmol. 272 (1985). These retinal tacks have proved to be biocompatible and remain embedded in the retina, and choroid/sclera, effectively pinning the retina against the choroid and the posterior aspects of the globe. Retinal tacks are one way to attach a retinal electrode array to the retina. U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,844 to de Juan describes a flat electrode array placed against the retina for visual stimulation. U.S. Pat. No. 5,935,155 to Humayun describes a retinal prosthesis for use with the flat retinal array described in de Juan.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,149,586 to Greenberg teaches an electrode array with variable pitch, smaller electrodes closer together in the center and larger electrodes further apart in the periphery.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,177,697 to Eckmiller discloses retinal electrode array with electrodes grouped to zones, each zone with different pitch.
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In the field of digital communications, transmission of voice, images, audio, and videos is needed in a wide range of applications such as a mobile phone call, an audio/video conference, broadcast television, and multimedia entertainment. Audio is digitized, and is transmitted from one terminal to another terminal by using an audio communications network. The terminal herein may be a mobile phone, a digital telephone terminal, or an audio terminal of any other type, where the digital telephone terminal is, for example, a VOIP telephone, an ISDN telephone, a computer, or a cable communications telephone. To reduce resources occupied by a speech/audio signal during storage or transmission, the speech/audio signal is compressed at a transmit end and then transmitted to a receive end, and at the receive end, the speech/audio signal is restored by means of decompression processing and is played.
In current multirate speech/audio coding, because of different network statuses, a network truncates bit streams at different bit rates, where the bit streams are transmitted from an encoder to the network, and at a decoder, the truncated bit streams are decoded into speech/audio signals of different bandwidths. As a result, the output speech/audio signals switch between different bandwidths.
Sudden switching between signals of different bandwidths causes obvious aural discomfort in human ears. Besides, because updating of states of filters during time-frequency transform or frequency-time transform generally requires the use of a parameter between consecutive frames, when some proper processing is not performed during bandwidth switching, an error may occur during the updating of these states, which causes some phenomena of abrupt energy changes and deterioration of aural quality.
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The invention relates generally to locking devices for vehicle tops and more particularly to a locking device for locking the top to the windshield frame of the vehicle wherein the locking device comprises a locking member arranged at a forward frame section of the top, a mounting provided at the windshield frame, as well as a centering means effective between the top and the windshield frame.
In a known locking mechanism of the general type described above disclosed in German Patent No. 1,915,227, a hook is provided on the underside of the windshield frame. This hook cooperates with a clamping bracket supported on the side of the top and the clamping bracket is attached to a lever that passes through dead center. Furthermore, a centering device is arranged between the windshield frame and the top which fixes the top in the transverse and vertical directions before the top is braced against the windshield frame by means of the clamping bracket and the lever, respectively.
This arrangement has the drawback that the components forming the locking mechanism are located, without a cover, in the region where a driver's and/or passenger's head can impact, thereby increasing the risk of injuries in the occurrence of a vehicle collision. Since the locking device can be operated only manually, and several manipulations are required for the locking and unlocking steps (i.e. suspending and detaching the clamping bracket and tensioning and releasing of the clamping bracket by means of the lever), the operating convenience of this locking mechanism is substantially impaired. Furthermore, considerable force must be expended for locking the top in place since the top is braced, by means of the lever and/or clamping bracket, downwardly and/or forwardly against the windshield frame. During the pivoting of the lever, there is always a danger of pinching the installer's fingers. Moreover, the structure of this locking device requires a large amount of installation space at the windshield frame and at the top, respectively, which makes it difficult to provide unrestricted design possibilities in this region.
It is one object of this invention to provide a locking device between a windshield frame and a forward frame section of the top which affords satisfactory operating convenience.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a locking device exhibiting favorable space-occupying conditions.
An even further object of the present invention is to satisfy the ever-increasing requirements for motor vehicle occupant safety in the passenger compartment.
These and other objects of the present invention are attained by the provision of a locking device for locking the top of the motor vehicle to the windshield frame of the vehicle wherein the locking device comprises a locking member arranged at a forward frame section at the top, a mounting provided at the windshield frame, and centering means effective between the top and windshield frame. The locking member comprises a crank, equipped with a locking pin and connected with an operating unit. The locking pin cooperates with a slotted guide means constituting the mounting in such a manner that the movement of the locking pin within the guide track of the slotted guide means results in a vertical reciprocating motion of the frame section of the top. The device may advantageously be employed for example, in vehicles exhibiting convertible tops.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor memory device, and more particularly to a semiconductor memory device wherein data stored therein can be read out in any selected one of page mode and nibble mode.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of conventional ways to read out data in dynamic semiconductor memory devices is a so-called page mode. In this mode, one of word lines in a memory array is selected and then a desired one of digit lines is sequentially selected, whereby data are sequentially read out from memory cells at intersections of the selected word lines and digit lines. Referring to FIG. 1 which is a timing chart for operation events in this page mode, the mode will be discussed in detail.
(i) An external row address strobe signal (Ext.RAS) applied to the semiconductor memory device from the external of the device becomes active "low" state, so that an internal row address strobe signal (Int. RAS, referred to as "RAS" hereinafter), or the output of an internal RAS buffer circuit changes from low to high. In response to this change, an internal row address is generated at address buffer circuit (A.sub.O -A.sub.i), and one of word lines corresponding to the row address is selected.
(ii) An external column address strobe signal (Ext. CAS) externally applied to the semiconductor memory device is placed into active "low" state, so that an internal column address strobe signal (Int. CAS, referred to as "CAS" hereinafter) or output of an internal CAS buffer circuit changes from low to high. In response to this change, an internal column address is generated at the address buffer circuits, and one of digit lines which corresponds to the column address is selected. At this stage of operation, the one of the word lines and the one of the digit lines are selected so that data are read out from a memory cell at the intersection of the two lines.
(iii) After that, Ext. CAS is brought into inactive "high" state while the row address is fixed low. Using the transition as a trigger, an internal CAS signal (Int. CAS) outputted from the internal CAS buffer circuit changes from low to high. A column decoder and a data output circuit are reset in response to the change.
(iv) When Ext. CAS becomes low again, a column address different from the previous one is generated to select one of the digit lines corresponding to the new column address. Since the row address is not changed during these operation, data are read out from a memory cell at the intersection of the previously selected word line and currently selected digit line.
In the page mode, data stored in the memory cells which are connected to the selected word line can be sequentially read out by sequentially selecting the digit lines by means of column addresses.
Meanwhile, a new method of reading out data, called "nibble mode", has recently been suggested and studied for practical use. For example, this nibble mode is disclosed in Digest of Technical Papers, IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, 1981, pp. 84 by S. S. Sheffield et al. In the nibble mode, when one of row addresses and one of column addresses are specified, a nibble or 4 bits of data are read out from a memory array. Referring to FIG. 2 showing a timing chart of the operation in the nibble mode and FIG. 3 showing an example of a circuit formed on a 64K bit dynamic RAM for the nibble mode, data reading operation in the nibble mode will be discussed in detail.
(i) Ext. RAS is brought into active "low" state so that the internal RAS buffer circuit RB becomes operable to change its output Int. RAS from low to high. In response to this transition, address buffer circuits (A.sub.0 -A.sub.7) become operable to generate a row address signal which in turn is applied to a row decoder RD which decodes the row address signal to select one of 256 word lines (WL.sub.0 -WL.sub.255).
(ii) Ext. CAS then changes to low. In response to this transition, the internal CAS buffer circuit CB becomes operable to change its output CAS from low to high. The address buffer circuits (A.sub.0 -A.sub.7) become operable in response to such transition to generate a column address signal. Out of the outputs of the address buffer circuits, the outputs of A.sub.0 -A.sub.5 are fed to a column decoder CD which decodes the signal to select four of 256 digit lines. Data are read out from four memory cells MC at the intersections of the one of the word lines selected in (i) above and these four digit lines. The 4 bit data are loaded into data registers (DR.sub.1 -DR.sub.4) by way of four pairs of I/O lines (I/O.sub.1 -I/O.sub.4), respectively. The remaining outputs of the address buffer circuits A.sub.6 and A.sub.7 are fed to data select shift registers (DS.sub.1 -DS.sub.4). These 2 bits select and activate one of the data select registers (DS.sub.1 -DS.sub.4), rendering conductive one of four switches (SW.sub.1 -SW.sub.4) connected to the activated one of the data select registers. The data stored in the data register connected to the switch in such conductive state are outputted through an output buffer circuit OB.
(iii) An indicated in FIG. 2, Ext. CAS changes to high and then to low while Ext. RAS is held low. In response to the output of the CAS buffer circuit the shift register becomes operable and the switch previously in conductive state becomes nonconductive. The next switch then becomes conductive so that data stored in the data register connected to that newly conductive switch are delivered through the output buffer circuit OB. For example, assuming that SW.sub.1 is initially selected and rendered conductive by the outputs of A.sub.6 and A.sub.7, the shift register advances one step through the this procedure and SW.sub.1 becomes nonconductive and SW.sub.2 conductive.
In this manner, the shift registers (DS.sub.1 -DS.sub.4) are operated by changing Ext. CAS in the order of high.fwdarw.low high.fwdarw.low while Ext. RAS is held low, whereby data in the data registers (DR.sub.1 -DR.sub.4) are sequentially read out. The column address need be given at the first step but not every step. In other words, since there is no need to give the column addresses from time to time in the nibble mode unlike the page mode, operation of the internal CAS buffer circuit CB and the address buffer circuits (A.sub.0 -A.sub.7) is not necessary from time to time. The nibble mode allows high speed data reading as compared with the page mode. The nibble mode is however disadvantageous in that only 4 bits of data as selected by the column address at the first step may be read out.
In other words, the page mode and the nibble mode have the inherent advantages and disadvantages, respectively, and it is very convenient if the semiconductor memory device is selectively operable in the page mode or the nibble mode. Although the page mode and the nibble mode are totally different in operational mode in the semiconductor memory device, it is noted from FIGS. 1 and 2 that the timing relationship between Ext. RAS and Ext. CAS in both the modes is completely identical. With the conventional semiconductor memory device, selective use of the two modes is impossible and only one of the two modes is available.
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Indoor air can include trace amounts of contaminants: e.g., dust, smoke, carbon monoxide, as well as volatile organic compounds generated or outgassed from the living space as a byproduct of our modern building methods. As indoor air flows through the return ducts of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the air first encounters a system air filter which blocks the passage of particulate contaminants, and allows the return air to enter the portion of the HVAC system where it is heated, cooled, humidified, or dehumidified.
While filters are essential in removing particulate contaminants from the air prior to conditioning, they only block the passage of some particulate contaminants but do not destroy them. As a result, some air filtration and purification systems utilize ultraviolet (UV) radiation in combination with air filters in HVAC systems to further kill airborne bacteria and viruses. Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) air purification systems employ a photocatalytic coating, such as titanium dioxide, inter alia, in combination with an activating photonic light source of a particular wavelength to destroy indoor airborne contaminants including volatile organic compounds such as formaldehyde, toluene, propanol, butene, and acetaldehyde. The system arrangement commonly includes one or more ultraviolet lamps, and a photocatalytic monolith, such as a honeycomb, coated with the photocatalytic coating. Titanium dioxide, e.g., is well known as a photocatalyst in a fluid purifier to destroy such contaminants.
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The present disclosure relates to electron beam physical vapor deposition, and more particularly, to nanoparticle or “fluff” mitigation.
Electron Beam Physical Vapor Deposition (EBPVD) is a form of physical vapor deposition in which a target material is bombarded with an electron beam given off by a charged tungsten filament under high vacuum. The electron beam causes atoms from the target to transform into the gaseous phase. These atoms then condense into solid form, coating a workpiece in the vacuum chamber, and within a line of sight, with a thin layer of the material.
Running the EB-PVD process under lower vacuum (higher pressure) conditions results in faster deposition rates and improved coating of surfaces with limited line-of-sight to the targets that generate the vapor flux. However, nanoparticle formation can occur under these conditions, likely due to condensation of vapor in the gas phase. These nanoparticles can have several undesirable effects, including clogging or damage of pumping systems, accumulation in and damage to the electron beam gun systems, and obscuring of viewports. Mitigations of these effects is necessary for an economic, operationally efficient coating process.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pressure-pulse-wave detecting apparatus which presses an artery of a living subject and detects a pressure pulse wave produced from the artery.
2. Related Art Statement
There is known a pressure-pulse-wave detecting apparatus which includes a pressure-pulse-wave sensor adapted to be pressed against an artery via skin and detects, through the sensor, a pressure pulse wave produced from the artery. Various sorts of information can be obtained from a shape or form of the thus detected pressure pulse wave. For example, a pulse-wave propagation velocity, i.e., a velocity at which a pulse wave propagates in a living subject may be determined in such a manner that a pressure-pulse-wave sensor is worn on a first portion of the subject to detect a pressure pulse wave from the first portion; a heartbeat-synchronous signal such as a pulse wave or a heart sound is detected from a second portion of the subject; and the pulse-wave propagation velocity is determined based on a time difference between a time of detection of a characteristic point of the pressure pulse wave, such as a rising point or a peak point, and a time of detection of a characteristic point of the heartbeat-synchronous signal. In addition, an augmentation index (hereinafter, referred to as AI) may be determined based on the form of pressure pulse wave. More specifically described, respective peak points of incident-wave and reflected-wave components of a pressure pulse wave are determined; a pressure difference (xcex94P) obtained by subtracting a magnitude of the pressure pulse wave at the time of occurrence of the peak point of the incident-wave component, from a magnitude of the pressure pulse wave at the time of occurrence of the peak point of the reflected-wave component, is divided by a pulse pressure, PP, of the pressure pulse wave; and an AI value is determined by multiplying the thus obtained value by 100, according to Expression 1:
AI=(xcex94P/PP)xc3x97100(%)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(Expression 1)
Measuring an accurate pulse-wave propagation velocity needs to determine an accurate characteristic point of a pressure pulse wave; such as a rising point or a peak point. In addition, determining an accurate Al value needs to determine respective accurate magnitudes of a pressure pulse wave at the respective times of occurrence of respective peak points of incident-wave and reflected-wave components of the pressure pulse wave, and an accurate pulse pressure PP of the pressure pulse wave. That is, obtaining accurate pulse-wave propagation velocity and AI value needs to obtain a pressure pulse wave having an accurate form. If the state in which the pressure-pulse-wave sensor is worn is not appropriate, the pressure pulse wave may be attenuated by the arterial wall and/or the skin or subcutaneous tissue. Therefore, obtaining a pressure pulse wave having an accurate form needs to wear the pressure-pulse-wave sensor in an appropriate manner.
However, the conventional pressure-pulse-wave detecting apparatus cannot judge whether a pressure pulse wave detected by itself has an accurate form, or whether a form of a pressure pulse wave accurately represents change of pressure directly measured in an artery. Thus, it has been difficult for a person such as a doctor or a nurse to judge whether physical information obtained based on the form of pressure pulse wave, such as pulse-wave propagation velocity or AI value, is reliable or not.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pressure-pulse-wave detecting apparatus which can judge whether a form of a pressure pulse wave detected by itself is accurate.
The above object has been achieved by the present invention. According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for detecting a pressure pulse wave from a living subject, comprising a pressure-pulse-wave sensor which is adapted to be pressed against a portion of the subject to detect the pressure pulse wave from the subject; a pressing device which presses the pressure-pulse-wave sensor against the portion of the subject; a blood-pressure measuring device which measures at least one blood pressure value of the subject; and a comparison-value determining means for determining a comparison value based on said at least one blood pressure value measured by the blood-pressure measuring device and at least one pressure value corresponding to the pressure pulse wave detected by the pressure-pulse-wave sensor.
The blood-pressure value or values measured by the blood-pressure measuring device can be deemed as accurate intraarterial pressure values. Therefore, if the comparison value determined by the comparison-value determining means indicates that the pressure value corresponding to the pressure pulse wave is near to the blood-pressure value, it can be judged that the pressure value corresponding to the pressure pulse wave accurately indicates an intraarterial pressure value. In this case, it can be judged that there is substantially no attenuation of the pressure pulse wave because of the arterial wall and/or the skin or subcutaneous tissue, and that the form of the pressure pulse wave is accurate.
According to a preferred feature of the present invention, the blood-pressure measuring device measures a systolic blood pressure value and a diastolic blood pressure value of the subject, and the comparison-value determining means determines the comparison value based on a difference between the systolic and diastolic blood pressure values measured by the blood-pressure measuring device and a pulse pressure corresponding to the pressure pulse wave detected by the pressure-pulse-wave sensor.
A pulse pressure is a difference between the highest pressure corresponding to the greatest magnitude of one heartbeat-synchronous pulse of the pressure pulse wave, and the lowest pressure corresponding to the smallest magnitude of the same pulse. The systolic and diastolic blood-pressure values are the highest and lowest intraarterial pressure values, respectively. Thus, the comparison value is determined based on the difference between the highest and lowest pressure values corresponding to the pressure pulse wave, and the difference between the highest and lowest intraarterial pressure values. Therefore, if the comparison value indicates that the pulse pressure is near to the blood-pressure difference, then it can be judged that there is substantially no attenuation of the pressure pulse wave because of the arterial wall and/or the skin or subcutaneous tissue, and that the form of the pressure pulse wave is accurate.
According to another feature of the present invention, the pressure-pulse-wave detecting apparatus further comprises a judging means for judging, based on the comparison value determined by the comparison-value determining means, whether a state in which the pressure-pulse-wave sensor is worn on the portion of the subject is appropriate.
According to this feature, the apparatus can easily judge whether the state in which the pressure-pulse-wave sensor is worn is appropriate.
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This invention relates to an air/fuel ratio correcting device for an internal combustion engine, which is adapted to correct the air/fuel ratio of an air/fuel mixture being supplied to the engine, depending upon the intake air temperature, so as to maintain the air/fuel ratio to a desired value.
A fuel supply control system adapted for use with an internal combustion engine, particularly a gasoline engine has been proposed e.g. by U.S. Ser. No. 348,648 assigned to the assignee of the present application, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,483, which is adapted to determine the valve opening period of a fuel injection device for control of the fuel injection quantity, i.e. the air/fuel ratio of an air/fuel mixture being supplied to the engine, by first determining a basic value of the above valve opening period as a function of engine rpm and intake pipe absolute pressure and then adding to and/or multiplying same by constants and/or coefficients being functions of engine rpm, intake pipe absolute pressure, engine temperature, throttle valve opening, exhaust gas ingredient concentration (oxygen concentration), etc., by electronic computing means.
In internal combustion engines, the density of the intake air varies with a change in the intake air temperature. This causes a change in the mass flow rate of the intake air even when there is no change in the volumetric flow rate of the intake air or in the absolute pressure in the intake pipe, leading to a change in the air/fuel ratio of the mixture being supplied to the engine. Further, the evaporation rate of fuel decreases with a decrease in the intake air temperature. Therefore, when the intake air temperature is low, the air/fuel ratio can be leaner than a desired value. In order to maintain the air/fuel ratio at values appropriate for operating conditions of the engine by means of the aforementioned fuel supply control system, it is necessary to correct the quantity of fuel being supplied to the engine in response to changes in the intake air temperature.
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In recent years, with the development of micro- and minicomputers, the expense of associated computer peripherals has often outweighed the expense of the CPU itself. This has been especially true with electronic drafting devices. As a result, there have been a number of efforts in this latter area to reduce costs, the particular philosphy being to reduce the number of electromechanical parts required and to rely on as many passive elements as possible. This philsophy has been particularly predominant in the development of pen-holding and pen-changing devices.
An example of these efforts is described in Offenlegungsschrift No. 29 13 690 published on Oct. 10, 1979, entitled PEN CHANGING DEVICE. This prior art device is shown in FIG. 1. It consists of a pen stable 1 where a pen 2 resides when not in use, and a pen holder 4 which holds pen 2 during plotting. Both pen stable 1 and pen holder 4 are equipped with two-sided flexible clamps 3 and 5, respectively, each having a barb-shaped widening at their free ends. When pen 2 is in its home position in pen stable 1, flexible clamp 3 partially surrounds the pen. However, by moving pen holder 4 close to pen stable 1, flexible clamp 5 moves flexible clamp 3 away from pen 2, permitting flexible clamp 5 to clasp pen 2 and snatch it from pen stable 1. Once the snatch has been completed, pen holder 4 is moved away from pen stable 3 and continues to hold pen 2 during plotting.
In the above design, a significant disadvantage is the use of two-sided flexible clamps. This permits side play of the pen 2 in pen holder 4 and reduces the accuracy of the lateral pen 2 in pen holder 4 and reduces the accuracy of the lateral position of the pen relative to the axis of pen motion, i.e., relative to the X-direction. Furthermore, with this design, the pen can only be snatched from one side of pen holder 4.
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{
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Proper lighting is an essential element for creating desirable photographs. While many photographs are made using only natural or other ambient lighting, many more are made using dedicated photographic lighting provided solely for the purpose of capturing photographic images having the “right” exposure desired by the photographer. Common photographic lighting devices are strobes and other flashes.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information presenting device, a tactile sense presenting method, and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-94389 in the related art, a device that provides a user with a tactile sense by a piezoelectric actuator in a display using a touch panel is known.
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The present invention relates generally to therapies involving the selective destruction of cells in vivo and to compositions of matter useful in the treatment of various cancers and vital infections. In particular, this invention relates to genetically engineered antibody fusion constructs capable of targeting an infected cell, and eliciting a localized inflammatory response such that the cell is killed or neutralized.
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF.varies.) and lymphotoxin (LT or TNF.beta.) were first identified on the basis of their ability to directly kill certain tumors. However, many other biological activities are now attributed to these closely related cytokines. These include effects on a variety of cell types, such as the induction of histocompatibility antigens and adhesion receptors, as well as those resulting in inflammation, vascular permeability changes and mononuclear cell infiltration (Goeddel, D. V. et al. (1986) Symp. Quant. Biol. 51:597, Cold Spring Harbor; Beutler, B. and Cerami, A. (1988) Ann. Rev. Biochem. 57:505; Paul N. L. and Ruddle, N. H. (1988) Ann. Rev. Immunol. 6:407). The very short half-life of both TNF.varies. and LT ensures that these inflammatory reactions do not occur systematically, but only at the sites of release from TNF-producing cells.
This ability to elicit a localized inflammatory response could be used in the treatment of solid tumors or other diseased tissue. For example, if it were possible to specifically deliver either TNF.varies. or LT to a tumor site, a local inflammatory response could lead to an influx of effector cells such as natural killer cells, large granular lymphocytes, and eosinophils, i.e., the cells that are needed for antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity.
A way to deliver the lymphokine to a specific site in vivo is to conjugate it to an immunoglobulin specific for the site. However, the fusion of protein domains to the carboxy-termini of immunoglobulin chains or fragments can have unexpected consequences for the activities of both the protein to be fused and the immunoglobulin, particularly as far as antigen binding, assembly and effector functions are concerned. For example, the desired biological functions of the individual proteins may not be maintained in the final product.
Another potential problem with expressing proteins, such as the lymphokine LT, as a fusion protein to an immunoglobulin chain is that the native molecule exists in solution as a trimer and binds more efficiently to its receptor in this form. Thus, it seems unlikely that trimerization could still occur when LT is attached to an immunoglobulin heavy (H) chain via amino terminus and is assembled into an intact Ig molecule containing two paired H chain fusion polypeptides. Secondly, the ability of the fused LT to bind its receptor may be severely compromised if a free amino terminus is required for receptor binding activity. In fact, it has been postulated that the amino and carboxy-termini of TNF.varies., and, by analogy, LT, together form a structure that is required for receptor interaction.
It is an object of the invention to provide compositions of matter capable of selectively destroying cells in vivo, and therapeutic methods for accomplishing this. It is also an object of the invention to provide compositions of matter and therapeutic methods for selectively delivering a cytokine to a target cell for the purpose of destroying the target cell either directly or by creating an environment lethal to the target cell.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an imaging apparatus, and particularly to an imaging apparatus having a picture memory function to simultaneously achieve a recursive noise reduction circuit (hereinafter, referred to simply as xe2x80x9crecursive NR circuitxe2x80x9d), and long time accumulation (accumulation sensitivity increase) of CCD.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, such a recursive NR circuit has been used in a video system in order to reduce noise using a memory. However, semiconductor memories have recently developed to have large capacity at low cost, so that a memory and a recursive NR circuit have been incorporated in an imaging apparatus. Thus, the imaging apparatus have had the combination with various functions using memories.
For example, JP-A-5-23612 describes various functions using a recursive NR circuit and a memory system. Particularly, in the second noise reduction mode, the noise reduction effect is achieved by the recursive NR circuit and the accumulation sensitivity increase over 2-field periods.
Such a conventional imaging apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. 38. FIG. 38 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional imaging apparatus.
The imaging apparatus shown in FIG. 38 includes: a CCD 101 for converting a light image into an electrical image signal; a CDS 102 for sampling the electrical image signal; an A/D circuit 103 for converting the sampled image signal into a digital signal; a recursive NR circuit 104 that performs the recursive filtering process to the digital image signal in the time-axis direction to reduce the noise component of the image signal; a digital process circuit 105 that performs the necessary signal process to the recursive-filtered image signal; a D/A circuit 106 that converts the processed image signal into an analog signal to be output; a field memory 107 for storing an output signal of the recursive NR circuit 104; a field memory control circuit 108 for controlling the field memory 107; and a microcomputer 109 for controlling the whole imaging apparatus.
The field memory control circuit 108 delays the output signal of the recursive NR circuit 104 by one vertical scanning period, and outputs this delayed signal to the recursive NR circuit 104 as a cyclic signal.
The microcomputer 109 controls the cyclic coefficient of the recursive NR circuit 104, and controls the field memory control circuit 108 to write to and read from the field memory 107.
The CCD 101 is controlled by a charge reading pulse from a timing control circuit 110. The accumulation sensitivity increase is achieved when the microcomputer 109 controls the accumulation time that is input to the timing control circuit 110.
FIG. 39 is a timing chart showing the operation timing of this imaging apparatus in the normal operation.
As illustrated in FIG. 39, in the normal operation, the timing control circuit 110 outputs the charge reading pulse to the CCD 101 every vertical scanning period, so that the image signal is output from the CCD 101.
When an image signal x is output from the CCD 101, the cyclic coefficient K which is input from the microcomputer 109 to the recursive NR circuit 104 is set to be k. The recursive NR circuit 104 performs the arithmetic operation using the image signal x and an output signal Xxe2x88x922 of the field memory 107 to output the result as an output signal X. The output signal X is written to the field memory 107.
When an image signal x+1 is output from the CCD 101, the cyclic coefficient K which is input from the microcomputer 109 to the recursive NR circuit 104 is set to be xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d. Consequently, the output signal X of the field memory 107 is output from the recursive NR circuit 104 as the output signal X as it is. At this time, the output signal X of the recursive NR circuit 104 is not written to the field memory 107.
FIG. 40 is a timing chart showing the operation timing of this imaging apparatus in a 2-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation.
As illustrated in FIG. 40, when the accumulation sensitivity is increased twice, the timing control circuit 110 outputs the charge reading pulse to the CCD 101 every two vertical scanning periods. Therefore, the CCD 101 accumulates charges for two vertical scanning periods, and outputs the accumulated charges as an image signal.
When an image signal x is output from the CCD 101, the cyclic coefficient K which is input from the microcomputer 109 to the recursive NR circuit 104 is set to be k. The recursive NR circuit 104 performs the arithmetic operation using the image signal x and an output signal Xxe2x88x922 of the field memory 107 to output the result as an output signal X. The output signal X is written to the field memory 107.
When an image signal x+1 is output from the CCD 101, the timing control circuit 110 outputs no charge reading pulse, and hence the CCD 101 outputs no image signal.
Therefore, the cyclic coefficient K which is input from the microcomputer 109 to the recursive NR circuit 104 is set to be xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d so that the output signal X of the field memory 107 is output from the recursive NR circuit 104 as the output signal X as it is. In addition, the output signal X of the recursive NR circuit 104 is not written to the field memory 107.
Thus, the accumulation sensitivity can be increased twice, and at the same time the recursive NR can be achieved. Both of the sensitivity increase and the noise reduction can be attained.
In the above conventional imaging apparatus, however, the recursive NR is performed using the field memory 107, and the noise reduction operation by the recursive NR in the normal operation is performed by circulation of only one-field signal of the interlaced signal with the other-field signal not used. As a result, the vertical resolution is deteriorated. In addition, when the normal operation is changed to the accumulation sensitivity increase operation or when the accumulation sensitivity increase operation is changed to the normal operation, uncomfortable feeling occurs in the recursive NR operation.
It is an object of the invention to provide an imaging apparatus that has functions to use the both-fields signals of the interlaced signal for the recursive noise reduction in the normal operation, and to prevent the uncomfortable feeling in the recursive NR when the accumulation time of CCD (the accumulation sensitivity increase operation) is changed.
In order to achieve the above object, an imaging apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention includes:
imaging means for accumulating an image signal by an n-times long time accumulation (n is an integer of xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d or more);
timing control means for controlling to read out the image signal stored in the imaging means according to the n-times long time accumulation;
memory means for storing the image signal read out by the timing control means for one frame period or more;
memory control means for controlling the memory means; and
recursive noise reduction means for performing a noise reduction process on the basis of the image signal read out from the imaging means and the one-frame-period-or-more delayed image signal read out from the memory means to generate a noise-reduction processed image signal, wherein
when the imaging means performs a 2n-times long time accumulation, in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is output from the imaging means, the memory control means writes to the memory means the image signal generated by the recursive noise reduction means, and the recursive noise reduction means outputs the generated image signal as an output signal as it is; and
in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is not output from the imaging means, the memory control means inhibits the writing of the image signal generated by the recursive noise reduction means to the memory means, and the recursive noise reduction means outputs the image signal read out from the memory means, as the output signal as it is.
This imaging apparatus may use the memory means such as a frame memory, and performs the recursive noise reduction process to the both-fields signal of the interlaced signal in the normal operation. Thereby, it is possible to reduce noise without deteriorating the vertical resolution. Further, even if the imaging means such as a CCD performs the 2n-times long time accumulation (or the accumulation sensitivity increase), it is possible to make the recursive noise reduction means operate properly.
In an imaging apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from one-time to 2n-times, after 2n vertical scanning periods from this change, the recursive noise reduction means outputs the image signal from the imaging means as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from one-time to 2n-times, after 2n vertical scanning periods from this change, the recursive noise reduction means outputs the image signal from the imaging means as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation. Further, it is possible to change the one-time accumulation sensitivity increase operation to the 2n-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation without any uncomfortable feeling.
In an imaging apparatus according to the third aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2m-times (m is an integer of xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d or more, mxe2x89xa0n) to 2n-times, after 2n vertical scanning periods from this change, the recursive noise reduction means outputs the image signal from the imaging means as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2m-times to 2n-times, after 2n vertical scanning periods from this change, the recursive noise reduction means outputs the image signal from the imaging means as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation. Further, it is possible to change from the 2m-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation to the 2n-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation without any uncomfortable feeling.
In an imaging apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in a vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the recursive noise reduction means outputs the image signal from the imaging means as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in a vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the recursive noise reduction means outputs the image signal from the imaging means as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation. Further, it is possible to change from the 2n-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation to the one-time accumulation sensitivity increase operation without any uncomfortable feeling.
In an imaging apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in two or more vertical scanning periods after one vertical scanning period from this change, the recursive noise reduction means outputs the image signal from the imaging means as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in two or more vertical scanning periods after one vertical scanning period from this change, the recursive noise reduction means outputs the image signal from the imaging means as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the uncomfortable feeling in operation. Further, it is possible to remove the uncomfortable feeling between the fields of the interlaced signal in the two vertical scanning periods.
In an imaging apparatus according to the sixth aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in a vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the memory control means reads out an image signal of an opposite field stored in the memory means, and makes the recursive noise reduction means perform the noise reduction process on the basis of the read-out image signal of the opposite field and the image signal from the imaging means.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in a vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the memory control means reads out an image signal of an opposite field stored in the memory means, and makes the recursive noise reduction means perform the noise reduction process on the basis of the read-out image signal of the opposite field and the image signal from the imaging means. Thereby, by outputting the opposite-field signal as the cyclic data after one vertical scanning period from the change, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation, and to change from the 2n-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation to the one-time accumulation sensitivity increase operation without any uncomfortable feeling.
In an imaging apparatus according to the seventh aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in a vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the memory control means reads out an image signal of an opposite field stored in the memory means, makes vertical-phase correction means perform a vertical-phase correction process to correct the read-out image signal of the opposite field for xc2xd line spatial phase shift, and makes the recursive noise reduction means perform the noise reduction process on the basis of the vertical-phase-correction processed image signal and the image signal from the imaging means.
In this imaging apparatus, even when even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in a vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the memory control means reads out an image signal of an opposite field stored in the memory means, makes vertical-phase correction means perform a vertical-phase correction process to correct the read-out image signal of the opposite field for xc2xd line spatial phase shift, and makes the recursive noise reduction means perform the noise reduction process on the basis of the vertical-phase-correction processed image signal and the image signal from the imaging means. Thereby, by outputting the opposite-field signal as the cyclic data after one vertical scanning period from the change to correct the xc2xd line vertical phase shift, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation, and to change from the 2n-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation to the one-time accumulation sensitivity increase operation without any uncomfortable feeling.
An imaging apparatus according to the eighth aspect of the invention further comprises two of the memory means, wherein when the imaging means performs the long time accumulation, in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is output from the imaging means, the memory control means writes the image signal generated by the recursive noise reduction means to each memory means.
In this imaging apparatus, when the imaging means performs the long time accumulation, in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is output from the imaging means, the memory control means writes the image signal generated by the recursive noise reduction means to each memory means. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation. Further, it is possible to provide the imaging apparatus without any uncomfortable feeling.
In an imaging apparatus according to the ninth aspect of the invention, when the imaging means performs a (2n+1)-times long time accumulation, in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is output from the imaging means, the memory control means writes the image signal generated from the recursive noise reduction means to the memory means, and the recursive noise reduction means outputs the generated image signal as the output signal as it is; and
in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is not output from the imaging means, the memory control means inhibits the writing of the image signal generated from the recursive noise reduction means to the memory means, and the recursive noise reduction means outputs the image signal read out from the memory means, as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the imaging means performs the (2n+1)-times long time accumulation, it is possible to prevent the vertical resolution of the output signal from being deteriorated. Further, it is possible to provide the imaging apparatus in which the recursive noise reduction process can be performed using the interlaced signals with the same vertical phase.
An imaging apparatus according to the tenth aspect of the invention includes:
imaging means for accumulating an image signal by an n-times long time accumulation (n is an integer of xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d or more);
timing control means for controlling to read out the image signal stored in the imaging means according to the n-times long time accumulation;
memory means for storing the image signal read out by the timing control means for one frame period or more;
memory control means for controlling the memory means; and
recursive noise reduction means for performing a noise reduction process on the basis of the image signal read out from the imaging means and the one-frame-period-or-more delayed image signal read out from the memory means to generate a noise-reduced image signal, and for outputting the generated image signal to the memory control means, wherein
when the imaging means performs a 2n-times long time accumulation, in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is output from the imaging means, the memory control means reads out the one-frame-period-or-more delayed image signal stored in the memory means, outputs the read-out image signal, and writes the image signal generated by the recursive noise reduction means to the memory means; and
in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is not output from the imaging means, the memory control means inhibits the writing of the image signal generated by the recursive noise reduction means to the memory means, reads out the one-frame-period-or-more delayed image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as an output signal as it is.
In this imaging apparatus, by using the memory means such as a frame memory, the recursive noise reduction process (the noise reduction process) is performed to the both-fields signals of the interlaced signal in the normal operation. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the noise component of the image signal without deteriorating the vertical resolution. Further, even when the imaging means such as a CCD performs the 2n-times long time accumulation (accumulation sensitivity increase) operation, it is possible to make the recursive noise reduction means operate properly, and to control the cyclic coefficient simply.
In an imaging apparatus according to the eleventh aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from one-time to 2n-times, after 2n vertical scanning periods from this change, the recursive noise reduction means reads out the image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process by the recursive noise reduction means.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from one-time to 2n-times, after 2n vertical scanning periods from this change, the recursive noise reduction means reads out the image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process by the recursive noise reduction means. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation. Further, it is possible to change from the one-time accumulation sensitivity increase operation to the 2n-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation without any uncomfortable feeling.
In an imaging apparatus according to the twelfth aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2m-times (m is an integer of xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d or more, mxe2x89xa0n) to 2n-times, after 2n vertical scanning periods from this change, the recursive noise reduction means reads out the image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process by the recursive noise reduction means.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2m-times to 2n-times, after 2n vertical scanning periods from this change, the recursive noise reduction means reads out the image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process by the recursive noise reduction means. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation. Further, it is possible to change from the 2m-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation to the 2n-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation without any uncomfortable feeling.
In an imaging apparatus according to the thirteenth aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in one vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the recursive noise reduction means reads out the image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process by the recursive noise reduction means.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in one vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the recursive noise reduction means reads out the image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process by the recursive noise reduction means. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation. Further, it is possible to change from the 2n-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation to the one-time accumulation sensitivity increase operation without any uncomfortable feeling.
In an imaging apparatus according to the fourteenth aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in two vertical scanning periods or more after one vertical scanning period from this change, the recursive noise reduction means reads out the image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process by the recursive noise reduction means.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in two vertical scanning periods or more after one vertical scanning period from this change, the recursive noise reduction means reads out the image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process by the recursive noise reduction means. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from having any uncomfortable feeling in the operation. Further, it is possible to remove the uncomfortable feeling between the fields of the interlaced signal in the two vertical scanning periods.
In an imaging apparatus according to the fifteenth aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in a vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the memory control means reads out an image signal of an opposite field stored to the memory means, and makes the recursive noise reduction means perform the noise reduction process on the basis of the read-out image signal of the opposite field and the image signal from the imaging means.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in a vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the memory control means reads out an image signal of an opposite field stored to the memory means, and makes the recursive noise reduction means perform the noise reduction process on the basis of the read-out image signal of the opposite field and the image signal from the imaging means. Thereby, by outputting the opposite-filed signal as the cyclic data after one vertical scanning period, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation, and to change from the 2n-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation to the one-time accumulation sensitivity increase operation without any uncomfortable feeling.
In an imaging apparatus according to the sixteenth aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in one vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the memory control means reads out an image signal of an opposite field stored in the memory means, makes vertical-phase correction means perform a vertical-phase correction process to correct the read-out image signal of the opposite field for xc2xd line spatial phase shift, and makes the recursive noise reduction means perform the noise reduction process on the basis of the vertical-phase-correction processed image signal and the image signal from the imaging means.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes 2n-times to one-time, in one vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the memory control means reads out an image signal of an opposite field stored in the memory means, makes vertical-phase correction means perform a vertical-phase correction process to correct the read-out image signal of the opposite field for xc2xd line spatial phase shift, and makes the recursive noise reduction means perform the noise reduction process on the basis of the vertical-phase-correction processed image signal and the image signal from the imaging means. Thereby, by producing the opposite-field signal as the cyclic data after one vertical scanning period from this change to correct for the xc2xd line vertical phase shift, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation, and to change from the 2n-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation to the one-time accumulation sensitivity increase operation without any uncomfortable feeling.
An imaging apparatus according to the seventeenth aspect of the invention further comprises two of the memory means, wherein when the imaging means performs the long time accumulation, in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is output from the imaging means, the memory control means writes the image signal generated by the recursive noise reduction means to each memory means.
In this imaging apparatus, when the imaging means performs the long time accumulation, in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is output from the imaging means, the memory control means writes the image signal generated by the recursive noise reduction means to each memory means. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation. Further, it is possible to provide the imaging apparatus in which the uncomfortable feeling removed.
In an imaging apparatus according to the eighteenth aspect of the invention, when the imaging means performs a (2n+1)-times long time accumulation, in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is output from the imaging means, the memory control means reads out the one-frame-or-more delayed image signal stored in the memory means, outputs the read-out image signal as an output signal as it is, and writes the image signal generated from the recursive noise reduction means to the memory means; and
in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is not output from the imaging means, the memory control means inhibits the writing of the image signal generated from the recursive noise reduction means to the memory means, and the recursive noise reduction means outputs the image signal read out from the memory means, as the output signal as it is.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the imaging means performs the (2n+1) times long time accumulation operation, it is possible to prevent the vertical resolution of the output signal from being deteriorated, and to provide the imaging apparatus in which the recursive noise reduction process is performed using the interlaced signals with the same vertical phase.
An imaging apparatus according to the nineteenth aspect of the invention, includes:
imaging means for accumulating an image signal by an n-times long time accumulation (n is an integer of xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d or more);
timing control means for controlling to read out the image signal stored in the imaging means according to the n-times long time accumulation;
memory means for storing the image signal read out by the timing control means for one frame period or more, and having first and second outputs;
memory control means for controlling the memory means; and
recursive noise reduction means for performing a noise reduction process on the basis of the image signal read out from the imaging means and the one-frame-period-or-more delayed image signal read out from the first outputs of the memory means to generate a noise-reduced image signal, and outputs the noise-reduced image signal to the memory control means, wherein
when the imaging means performs a 2n-times long time accumulation, in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is output from the imaging means, the memory control means writes to the memory means the image signal generated by the recursive noise reduction means, reads out the one-frame-period-or-more delayed image signal from the second output of the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as an output signal as it is; and
in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is not output from the imaging means, the memory control means inhibits the writing of the image signal generated by the recursive noise reduction means to the memory means, reads out the one-frame-period-or-more delayed image signal from the second output of the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as an output signal as it is.
In this imaging apparatus, by using the memory means such as a frame memory, in the normal operation, the recursive noise reduction process (the noise reduction process) is performed to the both-fields signals of the interlaced signal. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the noise component of the image signal without deteriorating the vertical resolution. Further, even when the imaging means such as a CCD performs the 2n-times long time accumulation (accumulation sensitivity increase) operation, it is possible to make the recursive noise reduction means operate properly, and to control the cyclic coefficient and the memory output simply.
In an imaging apparatus according to the twentieth aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from one-time to 2n-times, after 2n vertical scanning periods from this change, the memory control means reads out from the second outputs the image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process by the recursive noise reduction means.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from one-time to 2n-times, after 2n vertical scanning periods from this change, the memory control means reads out from the second outputs the image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process by the recursive noise reduction means. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation. Further, it is possible to change from the one-time accumulation sensitivity increase operation to the 2n-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation without any uncomfortable feeling.
In an imaging apparatus according to the twenty-first aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2m-times (m is an integer of xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d or more, mxe2x89xa0n) to 2n-times, after 2n vertical scanning periods from this change, the memory control means reads out from the second outputs the image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process by the recursive noise reduction means.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2m-times (m is an integer of xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d or more, mxe2x89xa0n) to 2n-times, after 2n vertical scanning periods from this change, the memory control means reads out from the second outputs the image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process by the recursive noise reduction means. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation. Further, it is possible to change from the 2m-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation to the 2n-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation without any uncomfortable feeling.
In an imaging apparatus according to the twenty-second aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in one vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the memory control means reads out from the second outputs the image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process by the recursive noise reduction means.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in one vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the memory control means reads out from the second outputs the image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process by the recursive noise reduction means. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation. Further, it is possible to change from the 2n-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation to the one-time accumulation sensitivity increase operation without any uncomfortable feeling.
In an imaging apparatus according to the twenty-third aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in two vertical scanning periods or more after one vertical scanning period from this change, the memory control means reads out from the second outputs the image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process by the recursive noise reduction means.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in two vertical scanning periods or more after one vertical scanning period from this change, the memory control means reads out from the second outputs the image signal stored in the memory means, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is, without performing the noise reduction process by the recursive noise reduction means. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from having uncomfortable feeling in the operation. Further, it is possible to remove the uncomfortable feeling between the fields of the interlaced signal in the two vertical scanning periods.
In an imaging apparatus according to the twenty-fourth aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in a vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the memory control means reads out an image signal of an opposite field stored to the memory means, and makes the recursive noise reduction means perform the noise reduction process on the basis of the read-out image signal of the opposite field and the image signal from the imaging means.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in a vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the memory control means reads out an image signal of an opposite field stored to the memory means, and makes the recursive noise reduction means perform the noise reduction process on the basis of the read-out image signal of the opposite field and the image signal from the imaging means. Thereby, by outputting the opposite-field signal as the cyclic data after one vertical scanning period after the change, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation, and to change from the 2n-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation to the one-time accumulation sensitivity increase operation without any uncomfortable feeling.
In an imaging apparatus according to the twenty-fifth aspect of the invention, when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in one vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the memory control means reads out an image signal of an opposite field stored in the memory means, makes vertical-phase correction means perform a vertical-phase correction process to correct the read-out image signal of the opposite field for xc2xd line spatial phase shift, and makes the recursive noise reduction means perform the noise reduction process on the basis of the vertical-phase-correction processed image signal and the image signal from the imaging means.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the long time accumulation in the imaging means changes from 2n-times to one-time, in one vertical scanning period after one vertical scanning period from this change, the memory control means reads out an image signal of an opposite field stored in the memory means, makes vertical-phase correction means perform a vertical-phase correction process to correct the read-out image signal of the opposite field for xc2xd line spatial phase shift, and makes the recursive noise reduction means perform the noise reduction process on the basis of the vertical-phase-correction processed image signal and the image signal from the imaging means. Thereby, by outputting the opposite-field signal as the cyclic data after one vertical scanning period from the change to correct the xc2xd line vertical phase shift, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation, and to change from the 2n-times accumulation sensitivity increase operation to the one-time accumulation sensitivity increase operation without any uncomfortable feeling.
In an imaging apparatus according to the twenty-sixth aspect of the invention further comprises two of the memory means, wherein
when the imaging means performs the long time accumulation, in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is output from the imaging means, the memory control means writes the image signal generated by the recursive noise reduction means to each memory means.
In this imaging apparatus, when the imaging means performs the long time accumulation, in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is output from the imaging means, the memory control means writes the image signal generated by the recursive noise reduction means to each memory means. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recursive noise reduction means from the erroneous operation. Further, it is possible to provide the imaging apparatus without any uncomfortable feeling.
In an imaging apparatus according to the twenty-seventh aspect of the invention, when the imaging means performs a (2n+1)-times long time accumulation, in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is output from the imaging means, the memory control means writes the image signal generated by the recursive noise reduction means to the memory means, reads out the one-frame-or-more delayed image signal stored in the memory means from the second output, and outputs the read-out image signal as an output signal as it is; and
in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is not output from the imaging means, the memory control means inhibits the writing of the image signal generated from the recursive noise reduction means to the memory means, reads out the one-frame-or-more delayed image signal stored in the memory means from the second output, and outputs the read-out image signal as the output signal as it is.
In this imaging apparatus, even when the imaging means performs the (2n+1)-times long time accumulation, it is possible to prevent the vertical resolution of the output signal from being deteriorated, and to perform the recursive noise reduction process using the interlaced signals with the same vertical phase.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a gimbal assembly for an optical imaging system.
2. Background Information
Optical imaging systems can be mounted externally to an aircraft for detection and targeting, and can include a structure, such as an optical bed, with associated gimbal drive assemblies. Laser systems with output of the desired wavelength can be used as the illumination or designation source.
Some current imaging systems locate most or all of the optical components within the optical bed, and mount the optical bed on a two axis gimbal, so the entire optical bed is movable. An example of an imaging system for a tracked vehicle which includes both a laser transmitter and a laser receiver mounted to a gimballed support is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,309 (Livingston). U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,125 B1 (Levy), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,771 (Cooper), are examples of imaging systems which are contained within a spherical housing which rotates on a gimbal base.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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There is an increasing interest in glucanases in the food and feed industries. These enzymes find application for instance in the fruit juice industry for liquefaction of plant cell wall material (pending application EP 94202442.3). They may also serve as processing aids to reduce fouling of membranes. In the feed industry the role of .beta.-glucanases in reducing the viscosity of various sorts of grains is well established. Many of the enzyme preparations used in the food and feed area are derived from Aspergillus species, usually Aspergillus niger. This is a safe host which produces a large variety of enzymes such as pectinases and hemicellulases with characteristics which make them suitable for applications at moderate temperatures and at neutral to acidic pH. In contrast to pectinases and hemicellulases, cellulases are usually derived from Trichoderma. Trichoderma species such as reesei, viride or longibrachiatum are good producers of cellulolytic enzymes. However, Trichoderma enzymes cannot be used everywhere due to regulatory constraints. Thus, it would be of considerable economic value to have a good source of Aspergillus enzyrries. However, up till now, it has not been possible to clone the genes encoding glucanases from A. niger using the traditional method involving enzyme purification, partial amino acid sequencing and isolation of the gene or cDNA for the enzyme of interest by the derived DNA sequence.
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{
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Graphic user interfaces (GUI) have remarkably contributed to improvement in easiness with which to use various information processing devices. In general GUIs, icons representative of various data items and a folder icon representative of a folder for holding one or more data items are shown on a monitor. By moving any data icon by means of a so-called drag and drop operation to the display position of a folder icon, it is possible to hold the data in the folder. With an operation to hold a plurality of data items in a common holder, the user can group the data items.
However, according to a conventional GUI, a troublesome operation is required in grouping a plurality of data items as a holder needs to be initially produced by executing a command for producing a new holder.
The present invention has been conceived in view of the above, and aims to provide an information processing device, a user interface method, and an information storage medium for grouping a plurality of data items through an easy operation.
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{
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Numerous electrically powered bicycles and hybrid bicycles currently exist within the marketplace. Hybrid, as used herein, refers to bicycles or vehicles that are powered using multiple power sources. A hybrid bicycle, as used herein, refers to bicycles that have an electrical power source plus at least one other power source.
Kits are currently available that can be used to retrofit conventional, manually powered bicycles into either electrically powered or hybrid powered bicycles. These kits typically provide electrically powered wheels or parts that convert conventional wheels into electrically powered wheels. Currently available kits have hardware distributed throughout various parts of the bike.
An example of one type of currently available kit for the retrofitting of conventional bicycles to create electrical or hybrid bicycles, requires users to assemble batteries somewhere on the bicycle frame and to install controllers of some type on the handle bar so the user can control the electrical power to the motor. The assembly of these kits takes time and some customers are discouraged with the time needed as well as the technical expertise and tools required to complete the assembly.
There remains a need for assemblies that can retrofit conventional bicycles to create hybrid, or electrical bicycles, that do not require significant user assembly or have numerous parts distributed on various areas of the bicycle.
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{
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This invention relates to a vehicle drive force control device using an infinite speed ratio transmission (IVT).
Tokkai Hei 11-78619 published by the Japanese Patent office in 1999 describes a combination of an engine controlled according to a target output shaft torque with a continuously variable transmission whereof a speed ratio can be continuously varied. In this construction, a target engine torque is computed from a target output shaft torque according to a vehicle running state and a speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission. Further, an electronically controlled engine throttle is driven so as to achieve an optimum fuel-cost performance.
Tokkai Hei 9-210175 published by the Japanese Patent office in 1999 describes an IVT which combines a continuously variable transmission with a reducing gear unit and a planetary gear set so as to control a speed ratio region of a continuously variable transmission up to infinity.
When the IVT of the aforesaid Tokkai Hei 9-210175 is combined with the drive controller of the aforesaid Tokkai Hei 11-78619, the following problem arises. The IVT selectively applies a power recirculation mode and a direct mode according to the speed ratio, but in the power recirculation mode wherein torque is recirculated from the continuously variable transmission to a reducing gear unit, the transmission efficiency of the IVT is less than in the direct mode.
Also, in the IVT, when the rotation speed of the IVT output shaft is zero, for example when the vehicle is in the stationary state, the IVT speed ratio becomes infinite. Herein, the IVT speed ratio is represented by 1/speed ratio factor, and the speed ratio factor is given by IVT output shaft rotation speed/IVT input shaft rotation speed. The case when the speed ratio=0, i.e. when the IVT speed ratio is infinite, is referred to as the geared neutral point (GNP). Therefore, it is possible to treat the infinite number when the target engine torque is computed using a microcomputer. For this reason, a special calculating routine is built into the microcomputer to handle the case when the IVT output shaft rotation speed is zero. As a result, in some cases, the computational load increases and the precision of the computation declines.
It is therefore an object of this invention to efficiently perform drive force control using an infinite speed ratio transmission. It is a further object of this invention to rapidly and precisely perform computational processing at the GNP.
In order to achieve above object, this invention provides a vehicle drive force control device. The vehicle drive force control device comprises: an infinite speed ratio transmission permitting continuous variation of a speed ratio up to infinity and is joined to a motor, running state detection sensors which detect a vehicle running state, an input shaft rotation speed sensor which detects a rotation speed of an input shaft of the infinite speed ratio transmission, an output shaft rotation speed sensor which detects a rotation speed of an output shaft of the infinite speed ratio transmission, and a microprocessor which controls the infinite speed ratio transmission and motor, wherein this microprocessor is programmed to: calculate a target output shaft torque based on a detection value of the running state detection sensors, compute a speed ratio factor of an input shaft rotation speed and an output shaft rotation speed as output shaft rotation speed/input shaft rotation speed, from the detection values of the input shaft rotation speed sensor and output shaft rotation speed sensor, compute a torque ratio of the infinite speed ratio transmission from this speed ratio factor, compute a target torque of the motor from the target output shaft torque of the infinite speed ratio transmission and the torque ratio, control the output of the motor according to this target torque, and compute a target input shaft rotation speed of the infinite speed ratio transmission based on a vehicle speed, and thereby control the speed ratio.
According to another aspect of this invention, a vehicle drive force control device comprises: an infinite speed ratio transmission permitting continuous variation of a speed ratio up to infinity and is joined to a motor, running state detection means for detecting a vehicle running state, means for detecting a rotation speed of an input shaft of the infinite speed ratio transmission, means for detecting a rotation speed of an output shaft of the infinite speed ratio transmission, means for calculating a target output shaft torque based on a detection value of the running state detection sensor, means for computing a speed ratio factor of an input shaft rotation speed and an output shaft rotation speed as an output shaft rotation speed/input shaft rotation speed, from the detection values of the input shaft rotation speed sensor and output shaft rotation speed sensor, means for computing a torque ratio of the infinite speed ratio transmission from this speed ratio factor, means for computing a target torque of the motor from the target output shaft torque of the infinite speed ratio transmission and the torque ratio, means for controlling the output of the motor according to this target torque, and means for computing a target input shaft rotation speed of the infinite speed ratio transmission based on a vehicle speed, and thereby control the speed ratio.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a differential oscillator circuit and a method of starting up such a circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Differential oscillator circuits, such as that illustrated in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, have been proposed for use in devices such as mobile telephones.
The circuit is symmetric about an oscillator 2 so as to provide a bias voltage to either side of the oscillator 2. A bias control line 4 is operable to turn the circuit on and off. In particular, the two halves of the bias circuitry are connected by a common line 6 which is operative to turn on the bias to both sides of the oscillator 2.
Once the bias has been applied to the oscillator 2, any noise in the circuit will start oscillation of the oscillator 2 and then oscillations will build up to the required steady-state.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,246 proposes a fast start-up oscillator. However, this does not have the advantages of a differential oscillator and, furthermore, relies upon pre-stressing a piezoelectric resonator with a DC bias voltage.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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With continuous development of the science and technologies, the electromagnetic wave technologies have penetrated into various aspects of people's life gradually. An important property of electromagnetic waves is that they can propagate in any media or even in a vacuum. During propagation of an electromagnetic wave from a transmitting terminal to a receiving terminal, the energy loss has a direct impact on the propagation distance of the electromagnetic wave and on the signal transmission quality.
The electromagnetic wave suffers substantially no energy loss when propagating through a same medium. However, when the electromagnetic wave propagates through an interface between different media, partial reflection of the electromagnetic wave will occur. Usually, the larger the difference in electromagnetic parameters (e.g., the dielectric permittivity or the magnetic permeability) between the different media at two sides of the interface is, the more the reflection will be. Due to partial reflection of the electromagnetic wave, the electromagnetic wave will suffer an electromagnetic energy loss in the propagation direction, which has a serious impact on the propagation distance of the electromagnetic wave and on the signal transmission quality.
Accordingly, researches have been made on impedance matching in order to reduce signal reflection when the electromagnetic wave propagates through an interface between different Media. However, currently the researches on impedance matching during the electromagnetic wave transmission are still limited to be within circuits, and there is still no sophisticated technology directed to impedance matching during propagation of the electromagnetic wave in space.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The forward voltage (Vf) of the nitride optoelectronic semiconductor device is normally increased after annealing with a high temperature (>150° C.). The main factor causes the above phenomenon is the characteristic of the contact between n-type GaN layer and n-type electrode.
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{
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Clearcoat compositions are known in the automotive industry. As is understood by those skilled in the art, clearcoat compositions are used in combination with basecoat compositions to provide a protective and decorative coating for vehicles and the like. The clearcoat composition and the basecoat composition are cured or set, either together or independently, to form a film on the vehicle.
An outermost portion of the film includes the clearcoat composition. As a result, the clearcoat composition is consistently exposed to environmental elements, especially as acid rain. Acid rain cause a visible etch defect on a surface of the film by attacking the clearcoat composition with an acid hydrolysis reaction. Typically, for the etch defect to occur, the acid rain must bead, i.e., form discrete droplets of rain, on the film such that the concentration of acid at any particular point on the film is intense enough to initiate and propagate the etch defect. On the other hand, if the acid rain does not bead on the film, then the acid in the acid rain is sufficiently dissipated across the film and the concentration of acid at any particular point on the film is not intense enough to initiate and propagate the etch defect.
Various chemistries for the clearcoat composition are particularly susceptible to etch from acid rain. For example, one chemistry, commonly referred to as a high solids clearcoat chemistry, is unable to adequately resist etch from acid rain because it is reliant on an acrylic resin with hydroxyl functional groups and a melamine cross-linking agent. In this chemistry, the cross-linked ether bond formed between the acrylic resin and the melamine cross-linking agent is susceptible to the degrading acid hydrolysis reaction. As described above, the acid hydrolysis reaction results from the concentrations of acid present in acid rain attacking the film. The acid hydrolysis reaction generally weakens the film and reveals itself in the form of the etch defect visible on the film.
Various attempts have been made to combat this acid hydrolysis reaction. As a result, many types of “etch-resistant” clearcoat compositions are known in the art. For instance, some alternative chemistries that are resistant to the acid hydrolysis reaction have been developed. Unfortunately, these chemistries are considerably expensive and other properties, including the workability or application window of the clearcoat composition and also the overall appearance, i.e., gloss and distinctness of image (DOI), of the film have been negatively impacted. One example of such an alternative chemistry is a clearcoat composition that is based on silane chemistry.
Other attempts at combating acid etch include increasing the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the resin or resins in the clearcoat composition such that the film is more resistant to etch from acid rain. Although increasing the Tg does improve the resistance to etch, there are drawbacks to this approach. Increasing the Tg of the resin can increase the cost of the resin and may reduce the performance of the film relative to other physical properties, such as cyclic cracking. Furthermore, it is known throughout the industry that the marginal improvements that have been with respect to acid etch resistance as a result of increasing the Tg of the resin are still not considered acceptable.
Finally, certain after-market products have been introduced that may improved resistance to acid rain by reducing the ability of the acid rain to bead on the surface of the film. These after-market products, such as waxes, polishes, and the like, are typically hand-applied to the film by an owner of the vehicle. These products are particularly deficient in that their solution to the acid etch problem is not permanent. That is, because these products wear off, they are unable to permanently and continuously prevent the acid rain from beading on the film. These products are not “built in” to the clearcoat compositions that are used to form the film.
Due to the deficiencies in the prior art clearcoat compositions, including those described above, it is desirable to provide a unique clearcoat composition and a unique method that adopt an inexpensive and direct approach to reduce the ability of rain to bead on a film of the clearcoat composition such that certain properties, such as resistance to etch from acid rain, are improved.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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To improve fuel economy, some types of vehicles such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) may provide regenerative (regen) braking, in which kinetic energy is converted by an electric machine into storable energy during braking and then made available for propulsion. In regenerative braking systems, a booster may use vacuum pressure which is generated by a vacuum pump to increase mechanical regenerative braking power. The vacuum pump used in a regenerative braking system, however, may consume unacceptable quantities of energy. Therefore, a vacuum accumulator system and method is needed in which the run time of a vacuum pump, and consequently, energy consumption of the pump, is reduced by the storage and use of excess engine vacuum pressure to augment the vacuum pressure which is distributed to the booster in a regenerative braking system.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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One of the benefits of the World Wide Web is that it generally allows people to connect globally without substantial barriers. However, this has also led to lack of proper security for users communicating via the web. The lack of proper security exposes users to cyber-criminals, hackers, and others, who want to steal information from people using the web.
One attempt to provide protection against unauthorized access to data is to authenticate users prior to giving them access to such data. For example, users may be required to provide a password that only the user should know before allowing the access. However, users often store passwords or other authentication information in devices such as the user's computer, cell phone, or the like. In this case, cyber-criminals may hack the user's device and obtain the user's authentication information to impersonate the user and unlawfully access data.
Accordingly, what is desired is a system and method for authenticating users while limiting exposure to data used for authentication purposes.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process of reducing friction, which is encountered in molds utilized in injection molded solder processing.
2. Background Art
In the fabrication of mold plates, which are utilized for purposes of injection molded solder processes, particularly those employed to produce semiconductor chip connection processes, for instance, such as for the controlled collapse chip connect new process (C4NP), the normally glass material mold plates are generally produced utilizing an etching process which causes the surface of the mold plates to be provided with mold pits or cavities. These etched mold pits in the mold plate surfaces are frequently encountered in possessing sharp edges, whereby the sharp edges have a tendency to abrade the mold fill head o-rings of the mold apparatus. This may cause debris from the o-rings to be located on or embedded in the mold plate, which is equipped with pits or cavities to be filled with solder in order to produce the solder connections. Consequently, this presence of the sharp pit edges may result in defects in the components and operation of the molding apparatus, and in a reduced service life for the o-rings due to excessive wear during the employment thereof.
Moreover, the abrasive phenomenon which is encountered through the presence of the sharp edges of the etched pits in the surface of the mold plates, may also lead to an increase in friction forces opposing the motion of the mold plates during operation of the molding apparatus, potentially producing a reduction in operating margins or efficiency caused by a twisting of the fill head while dispensing the solder into the cavities which are to be filled therewith. Moreover, the resultant increase in friction may also generate debris deposited on the mold plate surface, which emanates from the fill head seal of the apparatus, thereby rendering the mold filling process subject to considerable difficulties.
Generally, as indicated, the mold plates may be constituted of a material such as glass, the property of which may be considered as constituting a “solid liquid” in the technology, and which, at elevated temperatures, acts in many instances like any other liquid, with forces due to surface tension, viscosity and interaction with neighboring materials comprising a determining in its behavior and characteristic.
In this instance, surface tension forces may possess a tendency to soften any sharp edges in the pits, which have been formed in the surface of the glass mold plates, and whereby an increase in the temperature to levels at which these forces can overcome the viscosity over a period of time at elevated temperatures may tend to smooth or round off the sharp edges of the mold pits.
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{
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Efficient communication between components of an integrated circuit is always challenging, especially within integrated circuits that include a large number of communicating elements. A rich communication fabric is essential for modern data-centric digital circuits, but each physical wire that carries data consumes valuable area and power resources in the circuit. A communication fabric that is too rich for the activities that its attached components are performing is wasted by the communication fabric sitting idle for long periods of time, while a communication fabric that is too lean creates idle components waiting for data bottlenecks to clear in the communication fabric. Serializing data to reduce the number of transmission wires is one alternative to minimize power and area of a communication network, but that comes at an increased transmission latency. Further, such serial communication, to be most effective, should operate at a higher frequency than the elements that create the parallel data, otherwise the operation of the entire system slows. Integrated circuits that operate at frequency sufficiently high enough that serial communication can occur without performance penalty, i.e., integrated circuits that include communication portions that operate many multiples faster than data generation portions, can be difficult to provide. Not many modern integrated circuits have such high-frequency resources available to them.
FIG. 1 illustrates example communication systems within an integrated circuit 15 in the prior art. Of course, typical integrated circuits may contain thousands or hundreds of thousands of communication channels, and those illustrated in FIG. 1 are simple instructional examples.
Communication paths can be uni-directional or bi-directional. Bi-directional communication sends data either way between two communication nodes. Uni-directional communication paths send data from a sender to a receiver. An example of uni-directional communications is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,816,562. Even in “uni-directional” paths, some data, such as protocol data or information may travel backwards from the receiver to the sender—such as sending an “acknowledge” signal after the receiver has received the data. As used in this disclosure, the term “unidirectional” communication is generally used when desired data is sent only from a sender to a receiver, without regard to protocol information, which may travel in any direction. Variants of the invention are equally applicable to both uni-directional and bi-directional communication.
Referring back to FIG. 1, in the most simple case, a data sending node, sending node, or sender 20 sends data to a data receiving node, receiving node, or receiver 22 over a communication channel 24. In most instances within an integrated circuit the communication channel 24 is a metal trace that carries electrical signals, but other communication methods are known in the art. After the data is received, the receiver 22 may acknowledge that it has received the data. In a bi-directional scheme, data could be sent in either direction over the data channel 24.
In the next example, a sender 30 sends data to a receiver 32. In this example, there are four data channels 34 that operate in parallel. Thus, in one data communication cycle four pieces of data can be transferred between the sender 30 and the receiver 32. Also included in the data channels 34 is a set of data storage nodes 36, one for each channel 34. The storage nodes 36 may be designed and configured to store more than one piece of data. For example, each storage node 36 may be configured to store ten pieces of data. An example of such a storage node 36 is a FIFO (First In First Out) storage, also known as a queue. FIFOs are useful in data communication because they store data in the order received until the data is ready to be used. FIFOs are especially useful in systems where the sender 30 and receiver 32 are not synchronized—i.e., in those systems where the sender 30 does not know if the receiver 32 is in a state ready to accept data. By instead loading data from the sender 30 into a FIFO, the receiver 32 can access the data whenever it is ready.
In the next example, a sender 40 sends data to a receiver 42. In this example, the sender 40 outputs eight bits of parallel data that are ‘serialized’ into, for example, one or two communication channels 46 by a serializer 44. At the destination, a de-serializer 48 converts the serialized data back into eight bits of parallel data for use by the receiver 42. By using a serializing system, fewer communication channels are used than the number of parallel bits output by the sender 40, which can be a benefit in systems that may have long or many communication channels. Routing one or two wires between the sender 40 and the receiver 42 uses less resources than routing eight parallel wires. There is an extra cost, however, in that both a serializer 44 and a de-serializer 48 are added to the system cost, for each communication path that uses such a system. Additionally, unless the serializer runs at a higher clock speed than the sender 40 and receiver 42, the overall data transmission speed of the data between the sender 40 and receiver 42 is reduced, because it takes at least four or eight times as long, depending on whether there are one or two serial communication channels 46, to send the data to the receiver 42. There is further delay with converting the parallel data to serial data at the sender 40 side, then re-converting the data back to parallel at the receiver side 42, although some of these actions may be performed in parallel. Even more delay may be caused by communication protocol overhead, such as by sending a signal informing the receiver that there is data ready to be sent, and sending an acknowledgement after the data has been received. Such serial systems are common in the prior art, even given their deficiencies, due to the space savings of not having to run parallel communication paths throughout the integrated circuit.
A difficulty lies in striking a balance between a communication system that is too richly connected and one that uses minimal resources while simultaneously being easy to integrate into the communication system.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other limitations in the prior art.
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A conventional teeter-totter has been used on playgrounds for many years. Recently, there has been concern about the safety of the teeter-totter and thus, its use has decreased significantly. There has, therefore, been for some time, a need for a safe substitute for the conventional teeter-totter.
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It has been known for a long time that by exerting a pressure, by means of a gas, on the upper surface of a liquid contained in a closed receptacle, this liquid can be made to rise in a tube immersed in the receptacle. However, care must be taken to limit the pressure to a value lower than that which the receptacle can withstand. In addition, as the receptacle is frequently provided with an upper opening for filling purposes, this opening must be stopped, at least in that part of its section which is not occupied by the tube in which the liquid is made to rise and which is generally immersed in the recipient via this opening.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electronic systems and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for providing an off-chip driver circuit implemented in complementary metal oxide silicon (CMOS) technology which has a supply voltage less than the supply voltage of external circuits which may be connected to the output of the driver circuit.
2. History of the Prior Art
In modern day integrated circuits much attention is focused on the design of output driver circuits that must provide signals to various bus types having various loading conditions. An off-chip driver circuit should be designed not only to successfully drive logic levels relating to the supply voltage of the off-chip circuit but should also be protected against any high voltages which may occur when the off-chip driver circuit is disabled and its output terminal is coupled to an external circuit operating at a higher supply voltage. It is desirable to provide this protection while minimizing the number of transistors and therefore the chip area utilized by the off-chip driver.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a known off-chip driver circuit 10. This circuit is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,619 assigned to International Business Machines Corporation. The off-chip driver circuit 10 has first and second input terminals IN1 and IN2 which are connected to a pre-driver circuit (not shown). The off-chip driver circuit 10 is arranged to drive a signal received at the input terminals IN1 and IN2 to an output terminal OUT during an output mode. The off-chip driver circuit includes a first p-channel MOS transistor device 12 and a second n-channel MOS transistor device 14 which are serially arranged between a supply voltage Vdd and a point of reference potential Vss (which is typically at ground). The output terminal OUT is connected to a circuit node between the pull-up transistor 12 and the pull-down transistor 14. A pass gate 16 is formed by a n-channel transistor device 18 having its gate connected to the supply voltage Vdd and its drain/source path connected between the input terminal IN1 and the gate of the pull-up transistor 12. The n-channel transistor 18 acts in parallel with a p-channel transistor device 20 having its drain/source path connected to the same nodes and its gate connected to the output terminal OUT.
The pull-down transistor 14 has its gate connected to the second input terminal IN2. The off-chip driver circuit 10 includes a control transistor device 22 which has its gate connected to a control voltage Vref (typically equal to the source voltage Vdd) and its drain/source path connected in series between the pass gate p-channel transistor 20 and the output terminal OUT. The p-channel transistor 20 and the control transistor 22 are formed in a common n-well 26. An additional p-channel transistor device 24 has its gate connected to the terminal OUT to provide the supply voltage Vdd to bias the n-well 26 in certain conditions.
The off-chip driver circuit 10 has its output terminal OUT selectively connectable to an external circuit 28 which has a supply voltage Vcc and which is used in an input mode of the off-chip driver circuit 10 to supply signals to the chip via the output terminal OUT which is connected to an input signal line (not shown).
The voltage supply Vdd for the off-chip driver circuit 10 is typically about 3.3 volts+/-0.3 volts. However, the external circuit 28 may operate at a higher source voltage such as a conventional CMOS level of five volts. When used as an off-chip driver circuit, the circuit 10 should be capable of driving the output terminal OUT at zero volts to indicate a logical zero or 3.3 volts to indicate a logical one. However, when the circuit 10 is not driving out, it must be able to tolerate voltages as high as seven volts at the terminal OUT.
When the off-chip driver circuit is used in the output mode, the same signal level is applied at each of the first input terminal IN1 and the second input terminal IN2 to provide an output level at output terminal OUT. As is more fully discussed in the above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,619, with the input terminals IN1 and IN2 low (typically ground), the voltage at the output terminal OUT is at the source voltage Vdd. With the input terminals IN1 and IN2 high (typically 3.3 volts), the voltage at the output terminal OUT is a low voltage (approximately ground). To disable the output mode of the off-chip driver circuit 10, the pre-driver circuit which furnishes input signals to the first and second input terminals IN1 and IN2 is tristated by driving the first input terminal IN1 high and the second input terminal IN2 low. In this condition, both the pull-up p-channel transistor 12 and the pull-down n-channel transistor 14 are off.
The circuit 10 of FIG. 1 is designed to receive signals at the terminal OUT when in this disabled condition. With a voltage of zero volts at the output terminal OUT, the pass gate p-channel transistor 20 is turned on and passes the 3.3 volts present on the first input terminal IN1 to the gate of the pull-up transistor 12, turning the transistor 12 off. Thus, there is no leakage current through the pull-up transistor 12. When a high voltage, for example five volts, is applied to the output terminal OUT by the external circuit 28, the p-channel pass gate transistor 20 is turned off. However, the p-channel control transistor 22 is turned on because the voltage applied at its source exceeds the control voltage Vref (3.3 volts) at its gate. The path through the transistor 22 furnishes the voltage at the output terminal OUT to the gate of the pull-up p-channel transistor 12, turning it off. In this condition, the voltages at the gate and the source of the p-channel transistor 12 are approximately the same; and, consequently, the oxide of the p-channel transistor 12 is not subject to any significant stress. Therefore, in the disabled condition when the likely extreme values of voltages are imposed by the external circuit 28, the prior art circuit 10 of FIG. 1 works well.
However, problems arise both when voltages at the terminal OUT are at middle values between the extremes and during transition states. When the value of the voltage at the terminal OUT is in a range between the reference voltage (Vref) minus the p-channel threshold voltage (Vpt) and Vref plus Vpt, neither the pass gate transistor 20 nor the control transistor 22 is on. In this range, the voltage at the gate of the pull-up transistor 12 is not tracking either the supply voltage Vdd or the output voltage. This can cause leakage current to be referred to the input of the circuit 10 from the device 12. This leakage can cause specification violation in certain applications such as PCI drivers where the input leakage must be below seventy microamperes with the input in a range from zero to five volts.
For example, in order to turn the control transistor 22 on, the voltage at the output terminal OUT must be at least a threshold voltage Vpt above the control voltage Vref at the gate of the control transistor 22. If this condition is not satisfied, the control transistor 22 will remain off. If the voltage at the terminal OUT is slightly above or slightly below the reference voltage (normally 3.3 volts), the voltage is neither low enough to turn on the p-channel pass gate transistor 20 nor high enough to turn on the control transistor 22. Thus, both the transistors 20 and 22 are off. The n-channel transistor 18 of the pass gate will try and pull up the gate of the p-channel transistor 12, but it will be only able to pull it up to a threshold value Vnt below the voltage on the input IN1 (about 2.6/2.7 volts). This is inadequate to reliably turn off the pull-up p-channel transistor 12, and therefore there will be a leakage current through that transistor. Thus, with voltages at the terminal OUT closer than a threshold Vpt to the supply voltage Vdd, the prior art circuit 10 has a major disadvantage.
One solution to the problem is proposed in an article entitled "3.3 V-5 V Compatible I/O Circuit without Thick Gate Oxide" by Takahashi et al, IEEE 1992 Custom Integrated Circuits Conference 23.3.1-23.3.4. In that solution, different types of transistors are introduced to exclude undesirable leakage paths and to prevent oxide stress. This solution suffers from the disadvantage that it requires different fabrication techniques to produce the entire circuit, an expensive option.
Another problem displayed by the circuit 10 is that the p-channel device 12 does not provide any electrostatic discharge (ESD) clamping action for over-shoot conditions of any voltage present at the terminal OUT. Since the device 12 is held off under all over-shoot conditions of the voltage at the terminal OUT, the device 12 can not be used to clamp the output when electrostatic discharge occurs (in conventional output drivers the output devices and junction diodes are combined to reduce damage from electrostatic discharge). With this prior art circuit 10, additional devices (not shown) must be added to eliminate problems caused by electrostatic discharge; and this addition results in the circuit 10 occupying additional silicon area.
The circuit 10 also includes a method for isolating the n-well of the p-channel devices when the P+/N- diodes would otherwise be forwarded biased resulting in leakage current. P-channel transistor device 24 acts as a switch between the positive supply Vdd and the well bias source. The device 24 is directly controlled by the voltage at the terminal OUT and is disabled when the input voltage at the OUT terminal comes within a threshold voltage Vpt of the 3.3 volt source voltage therefore eliminating the leakage path to the well before the diodes can be forwarded biased. Since conduction by the device 24 is controlled directly by the voltage at the terminal OUT, care must be taken to protect the gate of the device 24 from electrostatic discharge damage. Such protection also adds extra circuitry to the silicon.
It is desirable to eliminate the range in which leakage current can occur in an off-chip driver circuit which receives input signals at its output terminal which input signals may have values greater than the internal source voltage of the driver circuit.
It is also desirable to provide protection against electrostatic discharge in an off-chip driver circuit without increasing the size of the circuit.
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1. Technical Field
An aspect of the present invention relates to a conveyer device capable of conveying a sheet along a conveyer path.
2. Related Art
A conveyer device for conveying a sheet along a conveyer path formed inside is known. The conveyer device may include, for example, an image recording apparatus such as a printer and a multifunction peripheral device (MFP) In such an image recording apparatus, in consideration of a case where the sheet is jammed in the conveyer path, the image recording apparatus may be enabled to expose a part of the conveyer path so that the jammed sheet may be removed from the conveyer path through the exposed part. In this regard, one of path components constituting the conveyer path may be rotatable so that the part of the conveyer path can be exposed by rotating the path component.
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The embodiment relates to a lighting control apparatus, a lighting control method, and a lighting control system.
According to a general lighting control scheme, since a power switch is linked with a lighting device through a cable one to one, when recognizing the switch of a desired lighting device, the lighting device can be controlled.
Meanwhile, as published in Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-2008-0067556, recently, the lighting device is controlled through a wireless scheme.
In general, a system to wirelessly control power of lighting devices transmits control signals to the lighting devices by inserting intrinsic identifiers of the lighting devices, which are used to distinguish the lighting devices from each other, into the control signal, so that the lighting devices can be individually controlled.
Meanwhile, a wireless transmitter, which serves as a wireless lighting control apparatus, is allocated with an intrinsic identifier at a time point where the wireless transmitter is released from the factory thereof, and the identifier of the wireless transmitter is registered in a lighting device installed at a home, so that the wireless transmitter can control at least one lighting device.
However, according to the related art, when a user or an operator (collectively, referred to as “user”) of the wireless lighting control apparatus sets the identifier by using a wireless signal at a remote place, a target lighting device and other lighting devices located around the target lighting device simultaneously receive the wireless signal remotely transmitted, so that a plurality of lighting devices may be set with the same identifier.
In particular, in the situation that several homes are adjacent to each other like apartments, the distance from a home desiring the setting of a lighting device to surrounding homes located at the top, down, left, and right of the home desiring the setting of the lighting device is very short. Accordingly, when the identifier is set in the target lighting device through the wireless transmitter at a predetermined home, other lighting devices existing within the transmission range of the wireless transmitter are changed into a registration setting mode together with the target lighting device. Accordingly, lighting devices installed at adjacent homes may be controlled together in addition to the target lighting device.
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Oxygen masks are well known in the art as a tool for fighting fires in an enclosed structure. A portable oxygen mask that can provide a steady and controlled stream of oxygen while maintaining a weight that allows for freedom of movement is a necessity when fighting fire. This need is never more prevalent than in the confined and pressurized environment of an aircraft. An aircraft fire presents many additional dangers due to its pressurized compartments and the presence of oxygen in large quantities. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a reliable and compact oxygen mask that is light weight and well suited for all closed environments, and particularly those of an aircraft.
One difficulty with present masks, or protective breathing equipment (“PBE”) as they are known, is that it is difficult or sometimes impossible to determine when the oxygen or carbon dioxide levers are approaching dangerous levels. Sometimes in the excitement of fighting a fire, the adrenaline will cause the user to extend the fire fighting activities until becoming light-headed or passing out, causing a significant danger to the user. Since it cannot be determined whether the unit is still operating correctly, the user in many cases must remove the mask and either replace it or recharge it before being able to return to fighting the fire. If there were a reliable way for the user to monitor the oxygen and carbon dioxide, this would also allow the PBE user to wear the unit longer.
In view of this difficulty, the new version of the FCC crewmember PBE regulation (TSO-C11a) requires “failure of the unit to operate or to cease operation must be more apparent to the user. This must be accomplished with aural and/or visual warning that also must activate at gas supply exhaustion.” The present invention seeks to address this issue, thereby meeting this portion of the requirements of TSO-C116a.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,488 to Schwichtenberg et al. discloses a chemical oxygen generator breathing device that seeks to achieve a level of availability of oxygen and aims to optimize the consumption of oxygen. However, the Schwichtenberg device is complex, expensive, and only deals with oxygen.
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Significant technological innovation in methods of testing current digital LSIs has been made, and the capability to automatically generate test circuits for testing the chips thereof or test patterns, which are sequences of signals for performing testing, has been achieved. That is, digital LSIs are configured to handle processing of binary signals of “0”s and “1”s, and automation has been carried out using techniques such as scan path testing since digital LSIs are easier to test than analog LSIs and it is possible to simplify fault models by limiting the testing to single stuck-at faults.
Here, the term scan path testing is a technique including providing a path (scan path) in which flip-flops are serially connected and causing the flip-flops to hold arbitrary values through this scan path or reading values held in the flip-flops through the scan path to examine the state of the circuit. In this scan path testing, all the flip-flops that are usually used are connected in series in a test mode so that arbitrary data can be set in all the flip-flops from outside (improvement in controllability). Then, next, the mode is switched to a normal mode, in which the data of the flip-flops, which has been set from outside, is added to internal combinational gates of the LSI, and thereafter one clock is added, thus allowing the outputs of these gates to be captured by the same flip-flop. Finally, the scan-out operation is performed in the test mode again (improvement in observability), and a signal of an internal gate is output to outside the LSI so that it is determined whether the gate output is normal or not. This operation is repeated until the desired fault coverage is achieved. In this manner, examples in which scan path testing is used for the testing of digital LSIs are widely known (see, for example, Japanese Patent No. 2550521 (FIG. 5)).
In contrast to this, since analog LSIs handle consecutive analog values, the complexity of processing increases. Even at the present time, sufficient failure detection algorithms are not available, and automation is delayed. In analog signal processing, in general, no flip-flops are used, and an alternating current or direct current analog signal is added to an LSI. For example, amplifiers, filters, and the like can be comparatively easily controlled by directly adding signals of various levels or frequencies to the LSI. That is, in many of circuits in analog LSIs, the potentials of nodes etc., are unambiguously determined and, in many cases, controllability is high. On the other hand, for example, if it is envisaged that a filter exists inside the LSI, since a desired signal is comparatively easily added to the input of the filter in the manner described above, the output thereof is input to the subsequent signal processing circuit. In this case, it is necessary to provide a special built-in test circuit to observe the output of the filter. That is, it is general that analog LSIs have low observability.
Accordingly, it is useful in terms of improving observability to understand internal signals or potentials in analog LSIs. In addition, it is useful for test efficiency to further increase controllability.
The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to increase observability and controllability in a test of an analog LSI and further to achieve overall synchronization.
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Due to increased customer throughput relative to traditional drive-thru configurations, fast food restaurants are adopting a side-by-side drive-thru configuration. While the side-by-side drive-thru has benefits regarding the maximum drive-thru customer per hour rate a restaurant can achieve, it presents new challenges to restaurants.
One example of a new problem the side-by-side drive-thru presents is maintaining the correct order sequence. In particular, many side-by-side configurations merge the cars into a single lane for payment and order pickup. As a result, vehicle sequences can become shuffled between the time the order is placed and the time the customer receives the order. Another example of a problem of the side-by-side drive-thru presents is potential for imbalance in the lanes as one lane may contain a larger number of vehicles than another lane for a variety of reasons.
Presently, to address these new challenges, managers may deploy an employee to go outside to manually manage the drive-thru lanes. However, this then lowers productivity from the restaurant as one fewer employee is available to take orders, prepare food, complete orders, and the like.
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There exists in the textile industry a number of devices which are used to form yarn take-up packages on winding tubes. Several of these winders are designed so that multiple yarn packages can be formed simultaneously while mounted on the same spindle. One such winder is a Leesona 959 winder with a two cop take-up. It is at times desirable to form the yarn packages so that one end of yarn wound on the package is free from the main body of the wound yarn. A free end of this type is commonly referred to as a yarn tail and it allows the user of the yarn package to operate continuously in that, the yarn tail of one package can be tied to the lead end of another package to provide for an uninterrupted supply of yarn.
To facilitate the formation of yarn tails which are separate from the main body of the yarn package, a number of different devices have been developed including the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,339. The apparatus disclosed in that patent while providing for the formation of yarn tails on dual wound packages, has several drawbacks associated with its design and operation. Primarily, the problems with this apparatus relate to the rather complex and slow operation which it employs in transferring the yarn strands from their positions in forming the transfer tails to their positions used in forming the main body of the yarn package. The difficulty lies in directing the yarn strands from a centrally located guide to the two reciprocating guides associated with the winding tubes and which form, by their reciprocating movement, the main bodies of the yarn packages.
The prior art apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,339 has a centrally located guide which has a holder positioned therein to retain the yarn strands while forming the yarn tails. The holder is maintained in place by an electromagnet. Upon reaching the required length for the yarn tails, the operator must deactivate an electromagnet which in turn releases the holder. The holder then under the influence of gravity falls away from the guide, spreading the two yarns and directing them to the reciprocating guides used to form the take-up packages.
Thus, this prior art device has several disadvantages, in that, the mechanism is complex and the time required to transfer the yarn strands from the central guide to the two reciprocating guides is relatively slow thus causing yarn waste.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.
2. Background Art
As an approach to increasing capacity and reducing cost of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, a simultaneously processed multilayer memory is drawing attention. A simultaneously processed multilayer memory is manufactured by alternately stacking interlayer insulating films and electrode films on a semiconductor substrate to form a multilayer body, forming through holes in the multilayer body by lithography, depositing a block film, a charge film, and a tunnel film in this order in the through hole, and burying a silicon pillar in the through hole. In such a multilayer memory, a memory transistor is formed at the intersection between the electrode film and the silicon pillar and serves as a memory cell. Furthermore, the memory array region with the multilayer body formed therein is surrounded by a peripheral circuit region, in which a driver circuit for driving memory cells is formed in the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate (see, e.g., JP-A-2009-146954(Kokai)).
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A common rifle for military and police are gas operated firearms. These include, but are not limited to, AR10, AK-47, AK-74, M14 M16, M16A2, M4, FN SCAR family, M110, MK 11, and others. These gas operated rifles have been produced by numerous manufacturers. These weapons, typically shoot, but are not limited to, 5.45 mm, 5.56 mm, 6.8 mm, and 7.62 mm bullets which provide very high bullet velocities.
These gas operated gas operated-style rifles utilize either a direct gas impingement system or a gas and push rod system for operating their ejection and loading mechanisms, in an automatic mode and a semi-automatic mode. The expanding gas from the cartridge propellant is tapped from a port in the barrel intermediate the chamber and the muzzle end of the barrel. In the direct gas impingement system, a conduit extends from the port to the upper receiver and into the region of the bolt carrier. In the gas and pushrod system, the gas impinges against the push rod which extends to the upper receiver and into the region of the bolt carrier. During the initial firing of the cartridge, the bolt is locked into the barrel extension, the gas forces the bolt carrier backward a short distance to unlock the bolt. As the bolt carrier moves toward the butt of the gun, a bolt cam pin, forces the bolt to rotate, by this time the bullet has left the barrel. The inertia of the bolt and bolt carrier continues the rearward motion causing the bolt to extract the fired empty cartridge. A spring absorbs the rearward motion of the bolt and bolt carrier forcing the bolt and bolt carrier forward to engage the next cartridge in the magazine and push same into the chamber ready for firing.
The gas pressures for operating the gas operated style weapons are significant and with the 5.56 mm cartridges the exit velocities, typically in excess of 2700 fps, way exceed the sound barrier (about 1,126 fps). Associated with these velocities are high bullet travel distances, in excess of 2 miles, and noise levels, including from the bullet breaking the sound barrier that cannot be effectively suppressed.
Modifications have been developed for these gas operated weapons to shoot low mass rounds at low velocities that utilize telescoping cartridges-practice ammunition. Typically the cartridges have very low mass, compared to lethal rounds, and may also have frangible projectiles with marking media. The modifications include a bolt and bolt carrier modification that allows the bolt to retract entirely by the propulsion of the expanding telescoping cartridge with no assist from the gas port, effectively changing the function of the weapon from a direct gas impingement system to a direct blowback system. The bolt does not lock into place rearward of the chamber. The energetics in these cartridges is minimal compared to a normal lethal round. For certain manufacturers, the primer contains the entire energetic load for launching the projectile and operating the ejection mechanism by the force from the telescoping cartridge. See Force on Force™ ammunition available from Federal Cartridge Company, the owner of the instant invention. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,931,978; 6,178,889; 6,564,719; 6,625,916; 6,439,123; 5,677,505; 5,492,063; 5,359,937; 6,625,916; 7,278,358; 8,146,505; 7,225,741; 7,621,208; 7,984,668; U.S. Publ. Nos. 2010/0269724.
In certain instances, it would be desirable to have lethal cartridges that may effectively operate the gas operated style ejection mechanism and that travel below the speed of sound. Such cartridges could effectively be mixed with normal high velocity lethal rounds without gun modification. The lower velocity rounds could then be effectively used with suppressors. Attempts to manufacture such ammunition have not yet been entirely successful. For example, simply lowering the amount of propellant to reduce the exit velocity of the bullets results in less gas pressure to reliably operate the weapon. Also, using lower amounts of propellant results in lower ignition pressures, which in turn results in very dirty propellant burn and/or incomplete combustion which causes gun malfunctions. Although weapon modifications are possible to utilize less powerful ammunition, then switching back to the regular full energy ammunition is problematic and certainly cannot reasonably done in a combat situation.
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This invention relates to fall protection systems, and in particular, to a truss-style trolley beam for fall a protection system.
The fall protection equipment industry in both the United States and abroad manufactures and installs several types of overhead fall protection systems. Fall protection systems are typically, though not exclusively, used to prevent workers from accidental falls from the tops of railroad cars, tanker trucks and similar rolling or stationary vehicles (used primarily during loading/unloading), and other stationary structures such as at the tops of tall silos and buildings and other structures that, while being traversed, provide fall hazards and may require supplemental protection for workers who traverse them.
Virtually all fall protection systems typically include a safety harness (which is worn by the user of the system) which is secured to a lanyard (often a spring loaded retractable webbed belt feeder) to restrain the worker from falling. The lanyard is also commonly referred to as a "lifeline". The lifeline portion of the lanyard is usually manufactured of nylon woven belt webbing or stainless steel cable. The safety harness is normally manufactured of nylon webbing material and is designed to distribute the loading stresses of a fall arrest toward the seat and thighs of a worker, thus preventing serious injury in the event of a fall.
Most applications for these systems also allow the worker to move with ease about the structure or vehicle being traversed, and the majority of these systems therefore include some sort of trolley, or traversing mechanism, which allows the worker to tether himself to the system and move about while maintaining constant protection in the event of a fall.
The most common fall protection system currently in use today is the "safety cable" system. In this system, a stainless steel cable (or a similar cable made of a synthetic material) is securely strung between two or more anchor points. A trolley mechanism is mounted on that cable to secure the lanyard and therefore support the worker in the event of a fall.
A second type of fall protection system, in limited commercial use today, is the trolley beam (or I-Beam) style system. The typical I-beam style fall protection system includes an I-beam supported above the structure to be traversed, a trolley which rides on the I-beam, and a safety harness which is worn by the worker. The trolley in the I-beam system is typically a four-wheeled device that is designed to ride on the lower leg or flange of the I-beam, and includes an attachment point (typically a carabiner) to secure the lifeline to the trolley.
Due to static loads and the loads placed on the I-beam when a worker falls, the I-beam is prone to flexing, sagging, drooping, warping or otherwise distorting. To overcome this, supporting members have to be installed every 6'-7' feet along the length of the I-beam to prevent the I-beam from flexing or otherwise distorting. Further, because of the flexing, the I-beam systems typically have a maximum weight allowance. These factors severely limit where I-beam style systems can currently be installed. Practical applications are limited to those in which the I-beam rail can be directly and securely attached to an existing structure. The only previously known and recognized means of mounting the I-beam was to hang the I-beam over the planned area by attaching it with bolts or welds directly onto existing steel roof beams, perlins, or other similar pre-existing structures already in place at the point of installation. Because of these limitations to the I-beam style fall protection system, the safety cable fall protection system has dominated the industry.
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This invention concerns a method and apparatus for sensing the passage of sheets through a nip between a pair of guide rollers by sensing the relative deflection of the guide rollers during the passage of a sheet through the nip.
One example of such a method and apparatus is shown in Published International (PCT) Patent Application WO-A-82/01698. In this example, a sheet passes under a roller which is connected to a linear variable differential transformer. A signal representing the change of signal from the sensor in response to the passage of an expected thickness of a sheet is preset and to this is added a signal representing the datum value obtained from the sensor when the roller rests on a guide surface. When a note passes through the nip, the output signal is fed to a comparator, which also receives the expected thickness signal and the datum value, the comparator determining whether or not a sheet is present. Between the passage of successive sheets through the nip, the datum value is rechecked and a suitable correction is made if necessary.
Such an arrangement works well if the rollers and the shafts on which they are mounted are made with high mechanical precision but it is expensive to achieve such precision. The problem which arises when the roller and shaft system is not of high mechanical precision is that the "noise" level of the sensor output is comparable to the signal level corresponding to the passage of a single note, particularly for the thinner currencies. The object of the present invention is to achieve good results in sheet sensing with a roller and shaft system which is built to a lower precision and is consequently less costly.
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The field of the disclosure relates generally to pesticide compositions and, more particularly, to ready-to-use foamable compositions. The filed of the disclosure also relates to applicators and methods for applying the compositions that allow for tracking where the composition has been applied during use. The compositions of some embodiments of the present disclosure are well-suited for general pesticide applications and are particularly well-suited for treating and controlling arthropods including insects and, particularly, for treating termites, ants, cockroaches and beetles.
Insects and other arthropod pests can have negative effects on the quality of human life. For instance, when found in the home, insects and other arthropods can be a source of annoyance due purely to their presence. They may also spread disease and allergens. Additionally, when found on plants and crops, insects and other arthropods can destroy foliage and fruit, and may adversely affect plant and crop growth, quality, and yield.
Among insects which are particularly undesirable are termites, ants, cockroaches and beetles. Termites, for example, are well known for their destructive effects on residences, businesses and various other structures. The damage from termite infestations can result in large economic losses, structural safety concerns, and destruction of architecturally valuable structures. Some species of ants are known to damage crops and others may bite humans or pets as an attack or defense mechanism. Cockroaches may carry a number of organisms that cause disease and beetles are known to damage food and residential and commercial structures.
It is domestically and commercially common and desirable to control termites, ants and other crawling arthropods, such as cockroaches, beetles, earwigs, silverfish, crickets, spiders, centipedes, millipedes, scorpions, pillbugs and sowbugs, as well as various flying insects including flies, mosquitoes, gnats, moths, wasps, hornets, bees and the like using a pesticide. A broad range of compounds have been found to be toxic to insects and other arthropods such that formulations containing the compounds may be used for their control. In many instances, proper treatment includes application of such compositions to the entire exterior perimeter of structures to act as a barrier for entry of pests or to ensure that pests entering and exiting the structure contact the pesticide.
In such exterior applications, a homeowner or pest control professional applies the composition to an exterior surface of the structure, such as near the base thereof, and/or on the ground surface near the structure and/or on other exterior surfaces such as landscape timber or open area ground surfaces. Compositions used for conventional exterior applications are typically applied in liquid form, which renders it difficult for the person applying the treatment to readily determine which areas have been treated and which have not. This can result in under- or over-application of the composition.
There is a need for compositions, application devices and associated application methods that enable toxic and/or repellant compounds to be applied over broad surfaces such around the exterior perimeter of a building structure, landscape materials, ground surfaces, and the like. There is also a need for such compositions, application devices and application methods that enable persons applying the compositions to track where the composition has been applied during a treatment process.
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This invention relates to computer networking equipment, and more particularly to stackable repeaters for dual-speed networks.
Local-Area Networks (LAN""s) using the Ethernet standard can be found in many offices today. The original 10 Mbps (10M) Ethernet standard has been extended to create the Fast Ethernet standard, operating at 100 Mbps (100M). While newly-installed network adapters usually can operate at 100M, much older equipment remains that still operates at the lower 10M speed. Thus mixed-speed networks are common as networks gradually replace older 10M equipment with 100M equipment.
To reduce the cost and ease the transition to higher-speed LAN""s, dual-speed network equipment is available. Low-speed equipment can be connected to dual-speed network equipment and still operate at the lower 10M speed, while high-speed equipment operates at the higher 100M speed.
FIG. 1 shows a dual-speed network with an external network switch. Repeaters 10, 12, 14 are stackable repeaters that are stacked together. Two separate network busses 15, 17 connect repeaters 10, 12, 14. One network bus 15 operates at 10 Mbps, while the other network bus 17 operates at 100 Mbps. The network busses 15, 17 are stackable busses such as chassis backplane buses or stacking cables.
Repeaters 10, 12, 14 are dual-speed repeaters. Each repeater 10, 12, 14 contains two independent repeater circuitsxe2x80x94one that operates at 10M, and the other operating at 100M. Ports operating at 10M connect only to the 10M-repeater circuitry and the 10M stacking network bus 15, while ports operating at 100M connect only to the 100M-repeater circuitry and the 100M stacking network bus 17.
Each repeater has four ports that connect to dual-speed 10/100M stations, 10M-only stations, or 100M-only stations. These are shown as stations S1-S10. Stations can be client machines, servers, gateways, and other network devices. Network-management software can set the speed of each repeater port to either 10M or 100M, or N-way auto-negotiation is used to sense the speed of the attached station and configure the port accordingly. N-way auto-negotiation is defined by the 100Base-T standard.
When any of the 10M stations connected to repeaters 10, 12, 14 send a packet, the data is repeated to all other ports on repeaters 10, 12, 14 that are also configured for 10M. Data is sent over the 10M stackable network bus 15 coupled to repeaters 10, 12, 14. Likewise, when any of the 100M stations connected to repeaters 10, 12, 14 send a packet, the data is repeated to all other ports on repeaters 10, 12, 14 that are also configured for 100M. However, data sent from a 10M port is not repeated to any of the 100M ports, and data sent from a 100M port is not repeated to any 10M port by the repeaters. Repeaters 10, 12, 14 essentially act as two independent, isolated networks, one at 10M, the other at 100M.
Data from the 10M network must be sent over a network bridge or switch to the 100M network since it is not directly transferred by repeaters 10, 12, 14. Network switch 16 connects to a port of repeater 10 that is configured for 10M operation. Network switch 16 also connects to a 100M-configured port of repeater 12. Network switch 16 stores incoming packets received from one side of the network and forwards (transmits) the stored packets to the other side of the network. Data cannot simply be repeated since the two sides of the network operate at different speeds. Entire packets are buffered.
Only one network switch or bridge can connect the 10M side of the network to the 100M side. If two bridges were connected between the same 10M and 100M sides, then a loop would occur. Data packets could be sent around endlessly in such as loop. A spanning-tree algorithm is sometimes used by network-management software to detect and break such loops.
FIG. 2 shows an internal bridge for connecting 10M and 100M networks. Rather than using the ports of repeater 10, bridge 18 connects directly to stackable network busses 15, 17, the backplane buses of a stack of repeaters. Bridge 18 is a 2-port network switch that stores entire packets received from either bus 15 or bus 17, and re-transmits the packets to the other stackable network bus 17 or 15. Bridge 18 is contained within stackable-repeater unit 20 that includes repeater 10.
FIG. 3 shows an internal bridge connected to bridging ports of repeaters. Stackable repeater unit 22 contains repeaters 10, 12, and bridge 18. Stackable repeater unit 22 can be connected to other repeater units in a stack through stackable network busses 15, 17. Each repeater 10, 12 connects with up to four stations that are each configured for either 10M or 100M operation as described for FIG. 1. However, each repeater 10, 12 also contains an additional bridge port that connects to internal bridge 18. The bridge port on repeater 10 is configured for 10M operation, and is connected to 10M bus 15 by repeater 10, while the bridge port on repeater 12 is connected to 100M bus 17 by repeater 12.
Bridge 18 can be directly connected to repeaters 10, 12 using a digital connection. No long cables need to be driven, so large analog line drivers and receivers are not necessary as with bridge 18 of FIG. 2. Bridge 18 can be connected to repeaters 10, 12 at the controller level rather than the physical layer. This reduces cost.
While such an internal bridge is useful and more cost-effective than an external bridge, repeater units are no longer identical. Only one repeater unit in the stack with the internal bridge can be used; otherwise loops can occur. Other repeater units in the stack must not contain bridges. Having the repeater units in a stack be non-identical is problematic and causes confusion for network administrators and technicians. Simply disabling the bridge for the other repeater units is wasteful.
What is desired is a stackable repeater unit that can operate at two network speeds. A 10M/100M dual-speed repeater is desired. It is desired to have identical repeater units in a stack while still providing only one bridge between the 10M and 100M networks. It is desired to operate disabled bridges in repeater units for other useful purposes rather than simply disabling them to avoid looping.
A dual-speed stackable repeater unit has a first connection to a first stacking bus that operates at a first network speed and a second connection to a second stacking bus that operates at a second network speed. A plurality of ports connect to network stations. The plurality of ports include first ports operating at the first network speed and second ports operating at the second network speed.
An internal repeater is coupled to the first and second stacking buses by the first and second connections. It repeats data received from one of the first ports to all other first ports and to the first stacking bus, and it repeats data received from one of the second ports to all other second ports and to the second stacking bus.
An internal bridge is coupled to the first stacking bus and is coupled to the second stacking bus. It stores data packets from the first stacking bus and forwards the stored data packets to the second stacking bus. A buffered cascading port is coupled to the internal bridge. It receives data packets from an external repeater. The internal bridge forwards the packets to the first and second stacking buses.
A switch is coupled between the internal bridge and the second stacking bus. It disconnects the internal bridge from the second stacking bus when the repeater unit is configured as a cascading unit, but the switch connects the internal bridge to the second stacking bus when the repeater unit is configured as a linking unit.
The internal bridge in the repeater unit links the first stacking bus to the second stacking bus when the repeater unit is configured as a linking unit, but the internal bridge in the repeater unit does not link the first stacking bus to the second stacking bus when the repeater unit is configured as a cascading unit. Thus the internal bridge buffers packets from the external repeater on the buffered cascading port.
In further aspects of the invention exactly one repeater unit connected to the first and second stacking busses is configured as a linking unit, while all other repeater units connected to the first and second stacking busses are configured as a cascading units.
In other aspects multiple buffered cascading ports are coupled to external repeaters. Each of the multiple buffered cascading ports is coupled to the internal bridge. Thus multiple external repeaters are coupled to the internal bridge.
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The present invention relates to an image processing method which processes a multi-level input gradation image data on the basis of a multi-level dither method so as to convert into gradation image data having the smaller number of gradations, and an image processing apparatus therefore.
Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus which employs a line head such as a line LED (light emitting diode), a line thermal head and a line ink jet head, such as a printer and the like, a two-value image is formed by printing dots having the same size on a recording sheet according to a resolving power of the head, that is, according to an interval in a raster direction of a plurality of LED light emitting elements serving as recording elements arranged in a line in the case of the line LED head, according to an interval in a raster direction of a plurality of heat generating resistances serving as recording elements arranged in a line in the case of the line thermal head and according to an interval in a raster direction of a plurality of ink discharge ports serving as recording elements arranged in a line in the case of the line ink jet head. Further, the head is scanned plural times with changing a position in the raster direction so as to print the dots in a resolution more than the intervals of the respective recording elements, whereby the two-value image is formed.
In these image forming apparatuses, images of characters and lines are simply reproduced as a two-value image corresponding to the resolution of the head, and a photo image is reproduced according to a halftone process such as an ordered dither method or an error diffusing method. In the halftone process in this case, it is very hard to achieve both of a maintenance of high resolution and a reproduction of high gradation, and particularly in the ordered dither process, the resolution and the gradation have opposite characteristics.
To the contrary, in the image forming apparatus provided with the line head mentioned above, in recent years, there is known a structure which can express one pixel at some steps of gradations by modulating a printing area within one pixel with using the multi-level image data generated by processing the input gradation image data according to the multi-level dither method. FIG. 14 shows a recording head 71 constituted by arranging a plurality of recording elements in a line, and a state of dots recorded by this recording head 71. In this drawing, there is shown for simplification an example of the case of recording one pixel by three values including white. In this case, by arranging, for example, four or three recording heads 71 mentioned above in parallel, it is possible to record a color image constituted by a combination of four colors comprising C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow) and K (black), or a combination of three colors comprising C, M and Y.
In the image forming apparatus which can record the multi-level image data, in order to reproduce the predetermined number of gradations peculiar to a printer engine actually performing an image recording operation after executing various image processes such as a color conversion process, an under color removal (UCR) process or a xcex3 correction, the structure is made such as to execute a multi-level halftone process such as a multi-level dither process employing a screen angle or a multi-level error diffusing process at each of colors so as to obtain the multi-level image data having some bits per one pixel. Then, it is intended to improve an image reproduction by concentrating more amount of information onto one pixel.
Further, the ordered dither process is generally light in processing, has a high speed and can reduce a cost, however, the error diffusing process is more excellent with respect to an image quality. However, in the case of the multi-level halftone process, a less difference in the image quality is generated in comparison with the case of two values. In particular, the more the number of gradation expressed by one pixel in a high resolution is, the smaller the difference of the image quality is.
In the multi-level dither process which is one of a multi-level halftone processes, there are two methods which are obtained by widely classifying according to a method of distributing a threshold value arrangement overriding each of planes. One is a method shown in FIG. 16A, that is, a method of filling up the threshold value in order of size from a smallest one at a unit of plane, and the other is a method shown in FIG. 16B, that is, a method of filling up the threshold value in order of size from a smallest one with respect to one optional pixel to be a subject to be processed.
For example, a multi-level dither process for converting image data of input 8 bits into an image having four values per one pixel (2 bits) according to the method shown in FIG. 16A by using a basic dither matrix of 2xc3x972 shown in FIG. 15 is a dither process used for a printer such as an ink jet printer, which is basically hard to be influenced by an appearance of a dot of an adjacent pixel and can stably reproduce an image formation at each pixel. A resolution thereof is substantially the same as a resolution performance of the printer engine section. That is, it is an ideal method in the case that the resolution is very high, the dot density is high and the image is reproduced in a density modulation. In this case, since the image is easily reproduced on a whole of a screen at an pixel of the same size or the similar size, it is easily affected by a printing accuracy.
Further, a multi-level dither process for converting image data of input 8 bits into an image having four values per one pixel (2 bits) according to the method shown in FIG. 16B by using a basic dither matrix of 2xc3x972 shown in FIG. 15 is a dither process frequently used for a printer such as a laser printer or a thermal printer, which is easily influenced by an appearance of a dot of an adjacent pixel and can be hard and unstable to form an image at each single pixel. A resolution thereof is low and a dot density is rough, and when setting a basic threshold value arrangement of the dither to a dot concentration type, an image called a dotted screen is formed. Since the resolution is low, a fine printing accuracy unevenness at a pixel unit is adsorbed.
To the contrary, with respect to a relationship between a recording head and a printing accuracy such as a printing position and a printing size, for example, in the case of the ink jet printer, a volume and a direction of an ink discharged from an ink discharge port corresponding to a recording element are in general frequently dispersed at each of ink discharge ports. It is possible to restrict the dispersion to a level equal to or less than a fixed value which generates no problem, however, a manufacturing cost becomes very expensive.
Further, in the case of forming an image at a high resolution equal to or more than an interval of the respective recording elements by scanning the head at plural times with changing a position in a raster direction, there is a possibility that a starting position for each of scanning is shifted, and a very high mechanical control is required for completely correcting this, so that it is a problem on cost.
When the volume and the direction of the ink are dispersed at each of the ink discharge ports, a density becomes higher at a portion having a large dot or a portion at which adjacent dots are closely arranged, in comparison with the other portion, whereby a density unevenness called as a black streak is generated, and further, a density becomes lower at a portion having a small dot and a portion at which adjacent dots are arranged apart from each other, in comparison with the other portions, whereby a density unevenness called as a white streak is generated. Accordingly, there is a problem that an image quality is deteriorated.
In order to prevent this, conventionally, the structure is made such that like a checkers-shaped thinned-out printing and the like, the same line in a direction perpendicular to the raster direction corresponding to a arranging direction of the respective recording elements of the ink jet head is not printed by the ink discharged from the same ink discharge port, but is printed by alternately using the inks discharged from a plurality of ink discharge ports, thereby preventing the density unevenness from generating. However, this method has a problem that a printing speed is low since a printing control is complicated.
Further, in the case of the image forming apparatus which employs the multi-level image data and can express one pixel at some stages of gradations by modulating the printing area within one pixel, there is a problem that a streak-shaped density unevenness is visually conspicuous particularly in the case of reproducing an image having a flat gradation on a whole surface at a dot of a medium size at which the adjacent dots are nearly brought into contact with each other. Particularly, in a human visual characteristic, there is a problem that a little positional shift is erroneously recognized as a streak-shaped density unevenness since a visual sensibility is very high in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.
Further, there are various images printed by the printer, for example, there are a character/line image, a graph/CG, a photo image and the like. Optimum output systems for the respective images are different from each other, the character/line image emphasizing a resolution preferably employs a printing at higher resolution, the photo image emphasizing gradation preferably employs a printing which can obtain a more stable gradation reproducibility, and the graph/CG preferably employs a printing which has both of the high resolution and the stable gradation reproducibility.
In order to optimally print in this manner, there is conventionally known a method of switching contents of the halftone process according to the sort of the image. For example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 9-233323 describes a structure which judges whether an image field of an input image is a character area or a pattern area and switches processes on the basis of the result between a two-value process according to a fixed threshold value having a priority to the resolution and a two-value process according to a dither process having a priority to the gradation.
Further, a structure described in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-191054 is made such as to judge after separating the input image into an area of an edge portion, an area adjacent to the edge and the other flat area, employ a dot dispersion type multi-level dither matrix for the area of the edge portion, employ a dot concentration type multi-level dither matrix for the flat area, and employ a multi-level dither matrix obtained by mixing the dot dispersion type and the dot concentration type for the area adjacent to the edge, thereby performing the multi-level dither process.
However, the structure described in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 9-233323 is made such as to switch the method of forming two values on the basis of the image field discrimination, and accordingly there is a problem that it can not process the multi-level output. Further, since the structure in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-191054 basically switch the sort of the basic dither matrix at the switching portion of the area, there is a problem that it is impossible to sufficiently delete a transient discontinuity of the image. Further, there is a problem that the process is made complex.
An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing method which can perform a multi-level dither process with keeping a sufficient resolution in the case that an input gradation image data is an image such as a character/line image setting a resolution as import and with keeping a sufficient gradation reproducibility in the case that it is an image such as a photo image emphasizing a gradation, and an image processing apparatus.
Further, according to the method and the apparatus, it is possible to sufficiently secure a continuity of an image on a boundary of the sorts of images.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an image processing method comprising the steps of: storing a plurality of multi-level dither threshold value arrangements employed for a multi-level dither process; discriminating a given first gradation image data expressing one pixel by a first bit number into an image field emphasizing a resolution and an image field emphasizing a gradation; selecting an optimum multi-level dither threshold value arrangement from a plurality of multi-level dither threshold value arrangements stored in the storing step on the basis of a discrimination result by the discriminating step; and converting the gradation image data into a second gradation image data expressing one pixel by a second bit number less than the first bit number according to a multi-level dither process on the basis of the optimum multi-level dither threshold value arrangement selected by the selecting step.
The present invention is structured, as mentioned above, such that a multiplicity of multi-level dither threshold values for the multi-level dither process are previously prepared, and the multi-level dither process is performed on the basis of the selected arrangement, for example, the multi-level dither threshold value arrangement emphasizing a resolution is selected for the character and line areas which require the resolution and the multi-level dither threshold value arrangement emphasizing a gradation is selected for the photo image field which requires the gradation. Accordingly, it is possible to perform the optimum multi-level dither process according to the field characteristics.
Further, since the same basic dither matrix is used even when the sort of the image field is replaced, a great strain which was generated in the conventional apparatus is not generated on the image even when the field discrimination is erroneously performed.
Further, the operation and effect of the present invention are also generated in an image processing apparatus employing the method according to the present invention for the same reason.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.
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The invention involves an apparatus for suppressing flame/pressure pulsations in a furnace having at least one burner for generating a flame and a combustion chamber into which the flame is directed, wherein the furnace has at least one gas outlet opening, from which flows gas that surrounds the flame in the form of a shroud or jacket and has a higher flow speed in the flame propagation direction than the outer regions of the flame. The invention is also related to a combustion chamber of a gas turbine that incorporates such an apparatus.
In industrial combustion systems such as gas turbines, combustion chambers, blast heaters, residue combustion systems or industrial ovens, but also for small furnaces such as gas boilers or heating furnaces in domestic use, unstable operating conditions occur under certain circumstances that are determined by the parameters of furnace operation, such as thermal output and air ratio, which are characterized by time-periodic changes of the flame that are accompanied by changes, in particular of the static pressure in the combustion chamber, as well as in pre-connected or post-connected system parts. These unstable conditions also occur in furnaces whose flames are sufficiently ignition-stabilized by known measures such as swirling flows, baffle structures, etc.
The occurrence of these combustion instabilities often causes a changed behavior compared to the steady-state operation of the system and also causes, besides an increased noise level, an increased mechanical and/or thermal stress of the combustion chamber and/or the combustion chamber lining. Such flame/pressure pulsations can, at unfavorable ratios, lead to damage of the system in which they occur, so that much expense is incurred in order to prevent such flame/pressure pulsations. Thus, for example, the combustion chamber geometry is changed by specially installed components, which, however, frequently leads only to a shift in the pulsation frequencies that occur, and thus does not contribute to a general solution of the problem. Otherwise, special measures are taken each time on an empirical basis for any occurring flame/pressure pulsations.
In European published patent application EP-A-0 754 908 (U.S. application Ser. No. 08/797,381), a device is proposed for this purpose, as mentioned above, in which the flame of a burner is surrounded as closely as possible by a flow of gas, such that the gas flow has a higher speed in the flame propagation direction than the outer and/or edge areas of the flame and/or of the fuel-containing burner main stream.
As used herein, insofar as mention is made of the "outer areas of the flame," this is understood to mean the reacting or reactable layers of a fuel and/or combustible gas/air flow. Upon these layers the gas shroud stream effects a transfer of the axial momentum.
As used herein, "flame propagation direction" shall mean the main propagation direction in the axial extension of a flame, and this is to be distinguished from the radial propagation direction of the flame.
The principle of the invention is thus based on the discovery that the pulsations are essentially caused or increased by ring vortices periodically forming in the edge area of the flame. These ring vortices, which arise from the rolling up of the edge areas of the fuel-containing burner stream, incorporate during their formation hot, already burned and no longer reactable flue gases that cause a quick heating up of the fuel/air mixture already contained in the ring vortex, and as a result cause a periodic pulse-type reaction of the fuel inside the ring vortex structures that excites pressure pulsations.
In order to now prevent this ring vortex formation, the flame, as described above, is surrounded by a gas shroud stream that exits at as small a radial distance as possible from the flame or from the burner main stream and that has a higher flow speed in the flame propagation direction than the outer or edge areas of the flame. Thus, an axial momentum exchange occurs between the shroud stream and the flame or the fuel gas/air stream which causes an acceleration of the free flame boundary layer or stream boundary layer of the fuel/air mixture, such that the periodic formation of reactable vortices in this area is effectively opposed.
To the extent that corresponding ring vortices then occur again at the boundary layer between the gas shroud stream and the surrounding medium (in the included case, generally flue gases), it is most favorable if the gas shroud stream does not contain any fuel, since then no fuel-containing vortex could then form from the (fuel-free) shroud stream, which could lead to a periodic pulse-type reaction of the fuel and thus to an excitation of flame/pressure pulsations as they occur for a non-shrouded flame or fuel/air stream.
In a more preferred manner, with the non-fuel containing gas of the shroud stream, this involves air, which is available everywhere in sufficient quantity. It is, however, also conceivable to use an inert gas here which, of course, would have a certain cost disadvantage as a result.
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The present invention relates to a pillow-headrest arrangement for use with a seat and particularly for use by a passenger seated in a mass transportation vehicle, such as a railroad car, a bus, an airplane or even a passenger car.
It is common practice to drape over the back of the seat of railroad coach cars, intercity buses, and more particularly airplanes, a sanitary head cloth or sheet removably attached to the top of each seat back and draped over the front of the seat back to act as a clean and sanitary surface engaged by the back of the head of a passenger sitting in the seat. The head sheets are sometimes made of linen or fabric which are removed and laundered after each use, hopefully, and reused after having been laundered and sanitized. More often, the head sheets are made of relatively inexpensive linen or fabric-like paper material, and are disposed of as trash after use.
Diverse arrangements are provided for attaching the head sheet to the seat back, such as pins and safety pins, snaps, clips and the like. More conveniently, and more particularly in airplanes, the top of the seat back is provided with a band of the hook-type of pile or interlocking fabric, generally sold under the trademark "Velcro," and the head sheet is provided at an edge with a band of loop-type low cost Velcro material for removable attachment to the seat back band of hook-type Velcro material.
On some mass transportation vehicles, more particularly on airplanes, cushions are also readily available to the passengers or are distributed to the passengers by the cabin attendant. Such cushions are contentional in shape, are of relatively small size and are provided with a removable disposable case.
Most passengers are inclined to relax or sleep, more particularly on airplanes where space is somewhat cramped, reclining adjustment of the seat back is rather limited, and walking through the aisles is generally discouraged. However, it is somewhat difficult for most passengers to be able to assume a relaxed and comfortable position, in the rather confined space of the relatively narrow seats, and unless he is able to assume a position permitting him to support a side of his head back against a cushion, when asleep or when dozing, his head tends to wobble from side to side, which leads to irritating rapid successions of periods of rest and periods of full-awakedness. It will be appreciated that a seat back with an appropriate recess for the back of the head or with a built-in headrest may remedy some of the inconveniences of conventional straight back seats, such as, for example, providing a relatively firm support for the head preventing the head from wobbling. However, seats with headrests are not generally provided and, even if provided, they will still present some inconveniences as the position of the headrest is fixed when the headrest is built-in in the seat back.
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one of the few technological fields where "bigger is better" is that of telescopic instruments used in the exploration of outer space. The resolution of a telescope for light capturing increases in direct proportion to the diameter of its primary mirror or lens. Prior to dedication of the first reflector-type telescope in 1917, astronomers had been limited to using refractive lens-based instruments. After the conversion to reflection, and even until only recently, the reflective mirrors were also produced from glass. The low thermal inertia of the larger glass lenses had a tendency to distort the incoming light because the air immediately adjacent the lens was almost always either hotter or cooler than the lens itself. In subsequent developments, the lens mass was reduced by sandwiching a glass core between thin outer glass plates, but this too had size as well as production limitations.
In the late 1970's, building of larger parabolic reflectors became more practical due to the advent of the computer. The mirror was made of segments like a jigsaw puzzle, which enabled the individual pieces to be made in the form of panels which are thin and light in weight. When assembled, the panels were individually tipped, tilted and pistoned up and down at balljoint-supported corners or sides under very accurate computer control. Under this technique, known as adaptive optics, each panel was kept within a 0.001 micron optical tolerance to the next adjacent panel. This was made possible by development of sensors which were able to detect even the minutest displacements. Constant adjustment, up to a thousand times per second, is made to compensate for the up and down tilt and rotation of the reflector and the attendant effect of gravity resulting from those movements. Wind, is yet another factor requiring frequent segment adjustment. One scientific article has described a computerized model of the effects of wind on such a segmented mirror as resembling "nothing so much as a manta ray thrashing in a turbulent sea".
Computerization has also led to effectively combining the readings from multiple smaller mirrors to achieve the resolution of a much large mirror. One proposed design is said to be able to combine six 3-foot mirrors with one 6-foot mirror to simulate the resolution of a single large 20-foot diameter mirror. While this technique has been known since the 1930's, it has become feasible only recently because of the capabilities of high speed computers.
A relatively recent and innovative panel design employs the use of pure aluminum, machined with a burnishing effect to provide the necessary highly-polished mirror surface. Pure aluminum does not oxidize, nor does it require repolishing (which would in itself destroy the accuracy of the surface). It must, however, be kept clean. The typical environment for such a mirror is in a mountain-top observatory, away from most elements capable of causing contamination of the reflective surface. Producing a concave, parabolic surface by machining may be possible with some difficulty and much expense on a 5-axis CNC (computerized, numerically controlled) milling machine. The tool for CNC machining, would necessarily be one with only minimum point contact because of the compound motions necessary to achieve the accuracy of finish required. Such a point would likely cause only burnishing of a concave aluminum surface without actual metal removal. Obviously, the complexity of the 5-axis machine, its programming and its operation would make a simpler and more easily operated machine desirable.
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{
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Field
The disclosed concept relates generally to fall protection systems, and in particular, to safety harnesses for use in fall protection systems.
Background Information
In fall protection systems, a worker typically wears a safety harness with an attached lifeline. The lifeline is then attached to an anchor, such as a roof anchor. If a worker begins to fall, the lifeline, harness, and anchor, working together, are operable to suspend the fall and bear the worker's weight. In some cases the worker may need to remain in the suspended position for an extended period of time. For example, a worker that falls from the roof of a building may be suspended on the side of the building until he is able to be retrieved.
Many type of safety harnesses are full body harnesses that include shoulder straps and leg straps. The shoulder straps and leg straps are typically formed from woven webbing material such as nylon or other similar materials. The lifeline is usually attached to the back of the harness around where the shoulder straps meet each other.
In the period immediately after a fall, the worker is generally suspended in a vertical orientation, similar to the position the worker would be when standing. When suspended in the vertical position, the force applied by the leg straps to support the worker's weight can be uncomfortable and unhealthy if maintained for an extended period of time. In the suspended position, it is difficult for the worker to reduce the force applied by the leg straps.
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{
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This invention relates to blind fasteners for securing panels and sheet material together, and more particularly, to an improved drive nut assembly.
Blind fasteners are commonly used to secure two sheets together when it is otherwise impossible to access the underside (blind side) surface of one of the sheets. Such fasteners have wide application in aircraft and space vehicle assembly. Due to the vibrations and sonic fatigue encountered in these environments, it is necessary to create a fastener of enduring strength and reliability.
The previously available blind fastener that this invention improves upon comprises: (1) a screw, (2) a sleeve, (3) a nut, and (4) a drive nut. Examples of the previously available blind fasteners are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,772,167 and 4,747,202. Generally, the screw has an externally threaded surface that allows the sleeve, the nut, and the drive nut, which are each internally threaded, to be placed onto the screw. The blind fastener is inserted into aligned apertures of the sheets that are being secured together, and after installation is complete the sleeve and the nut will clamp the sheets together.
The screw has the shape of a long threaded bolt with an enlarged head at one end of the screw, and at the end opposite of the head is two machined flats. The machined flats are wrenching surfaces that allow a tool to rotate the screw during assembly and installation of the blind fastener. The screw also has a frangible groove at a predescribed position on the threaded section that is machined to a diameter smaller than the minor diameter of the external thread. The purpose of this frangible groove is to prevent over torquing and/or excessive upsetting of the sleeve during installation by serving as a breakneck. When a certain installation load is achieved, the frangible groove prevents overloading by failing first in torsional shear and then breaking away from the assembly.
The sleeve has a cylindrical shape and is made of a malleable material. The purpose of the sleeve is to expand radially and abut against the blind side surface of the sheet during installation. The nut has a cylindrical shape and resembles a flush head or protruding head bolt, with the exceptions that it is internally threaded throughout, and on the top of the head has a driving recess. Further, the nut is dimpled around its diameter in such a manner as to provide friction on the screw to prevent unloosening of the screw once the fastener is installed.
The driving nut resembles a traditional hexagon nut and has the same internal threading as the nut. On one end of the drive nut is a chamfered angle that begins from the external hexagon shape and ends at a predetermined counterbore that is larger than the internal thread diameter. Further, the drive nut has an annular ridge that is made of a malleable material that allows deformation of the annular ridge into the head and the recess of the nut.
The assembly process of the previously available blind fastener consists of the sleeve being placed over the screw until it abuts the head of the screw, followed by the nut being threaded on to the screw until it is seated against the sleeve. The nut is then dimpled on the outer wall by a physical deformation process that places some of the nut material against the internal screw to prevent loosening. The drive nut is then threaded on to the screw until it is seated against the head of the nut. The installation process of the blind fastener is accomplished by use of a tool adapted to hold the drive nut stationary and simultaneously fit over the machined flats on the screw. The tool prevents the drive nut from rotating, while at the same time rotates the screw. As the screw rotates, the sleeve is pulled towards the blind side of the sheet material. The malleable sleeve then abuts the sheet material and begins to deform into an expanded diameter. Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the blind fastener assembly, the annular ridge of the drive nut begins to deform and flatten against the nut head. As the torsional and compressive load increases, the annular ridge of the deformable drive nut begins to rotate as much as 180xc2x0 degrees before it penetrates the recess of the head of the nut which is evidenced by head marking and material smearing.
The drive nut behaves as a xe2x80x9cjam nutxe2x80x9d by forcibly deforming against the nut head to prevent the nut from rotating. At a certain torsional and compressive load the screw stops rotating and the breakneck frangible groove fails, causing the drive nut and remaining screw to fall away.
The problems with the presently available blind fastener derive from the deformable drive nut. Optimum installation performance and reliability are not achieved from the blind fastener because the deformable drive nut allows undesired rotation and xe2x80x9cjam nut effectxe2x80x9d. The deformable drive nut rotates upon the head of the nut as the annular ridge of the drive nut deforms into the recess of the nut head. This deformation process causes rotation of the nut and smearing or scraping of the nut head. This result is not only visually apparent, but can also deteriorate the nut""s corrosion resisting properties and damage the plating under the head and grip area of the nut. Finally, the xe2x80x9cjam nut effectxe2x80x9d of the deformable drive nut causes large variations in the required installation loads. This can result in premature screw break off and inconsistencies in the amount of sleeve material that deforms into an expanded diameter, thus compromising the integrity of the blind fastener.
Consequently, a need exists for a blind fastener with a non-deformable drive nut that has positive engagement into the head of the nut thereby eliminating rotation of the nut and all of the problems associated with undesired rotation and xe2x80x9cjam nut effectxe2x80x9d.
The present invention is directed to a blind fastener with an improved drive nut and assembly process. The blind fastener of the present invention includes a screw, a sleeve, a nut, and a drive nut. The screw, the sleeve, and the nut of this blind fastener are similar to those of the previously available blind fastener discussed above. The improvements of the present invention relate to a new structure for the drive nut and a new assembly process for the blind fastener. The new drive nut and assembly process significantly improve the reliability of the blind fastener by eliminating the inconsistencies associated with forcibly deforming the drive nut into the head of the nut.
The new drive nut of this invention has protruding nibs that mate precisely with a recess located in the nut head. The protruding nibs of the new drive nut are not deformable and serve to replace the deformable annular ridge that was used in previous drive nut assemblies. The configuration of the protruding nibs and the recess in the nut head can be of many forms, so long as both parts are capable of being mated. The protruding nibs are fabricated at one end of the drive nut and are perfectly engaged to resist any installation torsional loading. Once the new assembly process for the blind fastener has been completed, the drive nut will have been mated with the nut head to prevent any rotation of the nut during installation of the blind fastener into the sheets being secured. The assembly process of the blind fastener comprising the new drive nut also differs from that previously utilized. The assembly process will now include placing the sleeve over the threads of the screw to a position adjacent the screw head. The nut is then partially threaded onto the screw until the internal threads within the region of the enlarged nut head have not been completely threaded onto the screw. The new drive nut""s protruding nibs are next aligned and physically engaged into the mating recess in the nut head. The mated drive nut and nut are next rotated which results in the drive nut and nut being physically locked together and being threaded onto the screw as a single unit. Once the nut is adjacent to the sleeve, the assembly is completed by positioning the screw, the sleeve, the nut, and the drive nut so the nut can be dimpled. The dimpling process places a small physical deformation on an outer surface of the nut which displaces a small portion of the nut material against the internal screw to cause sufficient friction to prevent loosening.
Once the new assembly process is complete, the blind fastener having the new drive nut is installed into the sheets to be secured by means similar to those used with the previously disclosed blind fastener. Namely, a tool with a means for holding the drive nut stationary, and at the same time rotating the screw, is used to cause the sleeve to deform against the blind side surface of the sheet and secure the sheets between the nut and the sleeve.
As the sleeve deforms against the blind side of a sheet during installation, the drive nut will not deform into the nut head. The mating connection between the drive nut and nut head prevents smearing and scraping of the nut head and preserves its corrosion resistant properties. Unlike the previously available drive nut having a deformable annular ridge, the drive nut of this invention has no xe2x80x9cjam nut effectxe2x80x9d. The protruding nibs on the drive nut eliminates the unpredictability of installation loads placed on the screw by not forcibly deforming against the nut head. This in turn greatly reduces the risk of premature screw break off and increases consistency in the amount of sleeve material that will be deformed against the sheet.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
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{
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This invention relates to determining when drilling has been stopped during a drilling operation. More specifically, the invention relates to measuring noise downhole to determine when the mud pumps have been turned off.
Drilling for oil and other deposits within the Earth involves the drilling of wellbores into the Earth. To create the wellbore, a downhole drilling tool is suspended from a drilling rig and advanced into the earth via a drill string. During the drilling operation, it is desirable know the position and orientation of the bottom hole assembly and the drill bit. Typically, these measurements are made during brief pauses of the drilling operations. Such a pause may be for the purpose of adding a section of drill pipe to the drill string or for making a measurement or taking a sample of the formation and the fluids it contains. In some cases, a pause in drilling operations serves more than one purpose.
During such a pause, the drill bit is not being rotated and the mud pumps are often shut down. This is often the best time to make measurements related to the direction and inclination of the drill bit, called “taking a stationary survey.”
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Gaming devices (e.g., reeled slot machines, video poker machines) generate more than $15 billion per year in revenue for casinos in the United States alone. This figure accounts for more than half of the gaming revenue for a typical United States casino. The situation is similar in other countries and regions in which gaming devices are popular, such as Australia and Europe. Accordingly, casino operators are interested in increasing the enjoyment of playing gaming devices in order to maintain or increase this level of revenue.
Since casino profits are directly proportional to the amount wagered by patrons, casinos are highly motivated to expand and retain share within their given market. Increased playing duration, average wager, and rates of play by players are all factors that contribute to the profitability of the slot floor of a casino.
One way in which casinos have sought to boost profitability associated with such factors is to make the machines as entertaining as possible. Many techniques are currently used to entertain players at a slot machine, such as attractive colors and graphics, sound effects associated with winning payouts, and jackpots or bonus rounds that offer players the chance to win a large amount of money for only a small wager. While such efforts have made modern slot machines more entertaining than the previous generation of machines, entertainment options open to consumers have been expanding as well. Casinos now compete not only with the casino across the street, but with alternative player entertainment options such as home theater systems, handheld video game devices, greatly expanded television and movie offerings, and the like.
Accordingly, a need exists for enhancing the entertainment value of gaming devices.
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This invention relates generally to printing equipment.
More particularly, the invention relates to equipment for adjusting the gap between the ductor roller and the associated doctor blade of the ink supply system in a printing machine.
The purpose of the doctor blade is to strip excess ink off the surface of the ductor or ink pickup roller. To control the rpint quality it is necessary to be able to control the thickness of the ink film which remains on the roller; usually, a uniform thickness of this film over the entire length of the roller is not sufficient. Therefore, the width of the gap between the roller and the doctor blade is made separately adjustable in a plurality of ink zones which are arranged adjacent one another, in direct lengthwise of the roller and blade. The adjustment is effected by exerting pressure upon sections of the doctor blade edge which extends along the gap--and the pressure is applied by socalled ink-control keys (screws) which act upon the doctor blade either directly or via appropriate levers.
It is important to be able to reproduce any particular gap width at any particular point of adjustment--which of course means that the setting of the particular ink-control screw must be similarly reproducible. This is possible only if a well-defined zero position can be achieved for each of the screws, i.e., a position in which the gap is so adjusted that the ink is stripped almost completely off the ductor roller, leaving behind only the thinnest of ink films.
Since there are a great many of these ink-control screws on each machine (where they are not always in readily accessible positions), and since an operator often has to service more than one machine, it is not practicable to have to adjust the screws manually and in film. Remotely controlable ink-control screws have therefore been developed.
One of these has been proposed in GDR patent DL-PS No. 139,114. It has an axial abutment which is clamped onto the shaft of the screw and which, when it engages a cooperating counter-abutment, limits the extent to which the screw can move in the sense of reducing the width of the gap between doctor blade and ductor roller. To be able to effect gap adjustments with the desired accuracy, ink-control screws have threads with only a small pitch. In the context of this prior-art arrangement this small pitch is a disadvantage, because the engagement of the two abutments with one another--and the small pitch of the thread--produce a high force in axial direction of the screw which results in seizing of the thread and prevents, or at least hinders, subsequent backing-off of the screw. A reproducability of the setting--and of the ink-film thickness--is thereby prevented, with resultant misprints and machine down-time.
There are other advantages associated with prior-art remote-controlled ink screws. For example, to effect zero-setting adjustments of such screws it is necessary to advance the screws (and close the gap) until no ink at all is allowed onto the surface of the ductor roller. Such an adjustment is not reproducible. Moreover, it may result in damage to the doctor blade and/or the ductor roller, and is in any case inaccurate because it may result in flexing of the ductor roller.
Also, the prior art permits the screws to be adjusted only in the sense causing the gap between the blade and the roller to become narrower. However, it is often necessary to increase the gap width, rather than reduce it, and in that event the prior-art teaching is not useable.
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The difficult and often time consuming task of rigging power transmission lines has been made easier in recent years by the use of helicopters which raise the transmission cables and pull them between the transmission towers. A number of U.S. patents have been granted for equipment which allow aerial stringing of cables to be done and, of these, the following patents disclose the type of equipment which presently is available; U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,884 issued on Feb. 8, 1977 to Donald A. Lederhos, U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,089 issued on Feb. 25, 1975 to Keith E. Lindsey; U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,287 issued on Dec. 12, 1978 to Keity E. Lindsey; U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,256 issued on June 22, 1971 to Bertie William Wellman.
Only the patent granted to Lederhos addresses itself to the problem of placing a transmission cable on a portion of a tower which cannot be entered from above or from the side of the tower. This particular patent discloses a cable-catching device which must be secured to the towers and a disengageable connector employing a rather complex interconnecting parts. The operation of such a device demands a high degree of skill and a great deal of patience on the part of a helicopter pilot and these as well as other disadvantages inherent in the device may explain why it has not found greater acceptance.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to novel intermediates for the preparation of taxol and its congeners, a process for their preparation, and a process for the preparation of taxol involving the use of such intermediates or their functionally equivalent molecules.
2. Description of Related Art
Taxol was first isolated in 1971 from the western yew, Taxus brevifolia by Wani et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1971, 93, 2325), who characterized its structure by chemical and X-ray crystallographic methods.
Taxol is a member of the taxane family of diterpenes having the following structure: ##STR2## Taxol and various taxane derivatives (collectively herein referred to as "taxols") are highly cytotoxic and possess strong in vivo activities in a number of leukemic and tumor systems. Especially, taxol (1) is considered an exceptionally promising cancer chemotherapeutic agent, and is currently in phase II clinical trials in the United States. Equally important is taxotere (2), a semisynthetic analog of taxol which is also undergoing clinical trials with impressive results.
Clinical results have demonstrated high efficacy against such cancer types as ovarian, lung, gastric, breast, colon and cervical carcinomas. However, the major problem with the ongoing clinical trial is the limited availability of the compound. Various techniques for securing a sufficient supply of taxol are the subject of active research. Strategies being studied include total synthesis, partial synthesis (from readily available taxol precursors), extraction from Taxus needles, cultivation of Taxus plants, identification of structurally simpler taxols, and cell culture production.
The only available natural source of taxol to date is several species of very slowgrowing yew (genus Taxus, family Taxaceae). The isolation procedures currently in use are very difficult, low-yielding, and obviously fatal to the source. For example, C.H.O. Huang et al. (J. Nat. Prod., 1986, 49, 665) reported a 0.01% yield from a large scale isolation starting with 806 lbs. or more of Taxus brevifolia bark. Other reported yields of taxol from various species of yew range from 50 mg/kg to 165 mg/kg (i.e., 0.005-0.017%).
Because of the structural complexity of taxol, partial synthesis is considered a viable approach to providing adequate supplies of taxol. The first successful partial synthesis of taxol was developed by J. N. Denis et al. in J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1988, 110, 5917; J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1988, 110, 5417; U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,011. The starting materials for the partial synthesis, 10-deacetylbaccatin III (3) or baccatin III (4), can be extracted in relatively high yield from the leaves of Taxus baccata. However, this approach still relies upon the supply of yew leaves, although they are renewable resources, unlike yew bark.
The total synthesis of taxols may provide practical solutions to the problems associated with the isolation method or the partial synthesis. Thus, the total synthesis of taxol has attracted much interest among synthetic organic chemists worldwide. So far, the results have not been entirely satisfactory. One successful example is the work of Holton et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1988, 110, 6558), wherein a synthesis of the taxol congener-taxusin- is reported. Despite the progress made in this and numerous other synthetic approaches, the final total synthesis of taxol is likely to be a multi-step, tedious and costly process.
The major difficulty involved in the synthesis of taxols resides in the construction of the tricyclic carbon frame, pentadecene, which is shown below: ##STR3## Another difficulty with the synthesis of taxols is the incorporation of abundant oxygen functionalities at positions 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10 and 13 of the ring system.
Based on a rational retrosynthetic analysis, the present investigators have identified two key ring units which are provided with oxygen substituents having proper (natural stereochemistry) and which could be easily coupled to form a basic skeleton of taxols. The use of such versatile intermediates allows the synthesis of not only taxol, but also other potential antitumor agents having the pentadecene ring with an array of oxygenated functionalities at various positions.
Consequently, the present invention addresses the much-sought need of availability of key intermediates for the synthesis of taxols, and leads to the ultimate total synthesis of taxol itself.
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As used herein, the terms “user equipment” and “UE” might in some cases refer to mobile devices such as mobile telephones, personal digital assistants, handheld or laptop computers, and similar devices that have telecommunications capabilities. Such a UE might consist of a UE and its associated removable memory module, such as but not limited to a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) that includes a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) application, a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) application, or a Removable User Identity Module (R-UIM) application. Alternatively, such a UE might consist of the device itself without such a module. In other cases, the term “UE” might refer to devices that have similar capabilities but that are not transportable, such as desktop computers, set-top boxes, or network appliances. The term “UE” can also refer to any hardware or software component that can terminate a communication session for a user. Also, the terms “user equipment,” “UE,” “user agent,” “UA,” “user device” and “user node” might be used synonymously herein.
As telecommunications technology has evolved, more advanced network access equipment has been introduced that can provide services that were not possible previously. This network access equipment might include systems and devices that are improvements of the equivalent equipment in a traditional wireless telecommunications system. Such advanced or next generation equipment may be included in evolving wireless communications standards, such as long-term evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced (LTE-A). For example, an LTE or LTE-A system might include an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) node B (or eNB), a wireless access point, or a similar component rather than a traditional base station. As used herein, the term “access node” refers to any component of the wireless network, such as a traditional base station, a wireless access point, or an LTE or LTE-A node B or eNB, that creates a geographical area of reception and transmission coverage allowing a UE or a relay node to access other components in a telecommunications system. In this document, the term “access node” and “access device” may be used interchangeably, but it is understood that an access node may comprise a plurality of hardware and software.
The signals that carry data between UEs and access nodes can have frequency, time, and coding parameters and other characteristics that might be specified by a network node. A connection between any of these elements that has a specific set of such characteristics can be referred to as a resource. A connection may be established by a single radio link, such as in the case of an E-UTRAN, or by one or more radio links, such as in the case of a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN). A network node typically establishes a different resource for each UE or other network nodes with which it is communicating at any particular time.
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{
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a broadcasting service, and in particular, to a broadcasting system and method for providing a broadcasting service in a weak electric field area.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, digital broadcasting is a type of broadcasting service for providing high image quality, high sound quality, and a better service to users by replacing conventional analog broadcasting. Recently, in light of the development of digital broadcasting technology and mobile communication technology, users have become increasingly interested in a digital broadcasting service by which the users can watch a digital broadcasting program while in motion.
In the field of broadcasting service, there exists a digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) service using a mobile communication terminal and a live streaming broadcasting service, which is a real-time multimedia service provided through a third generation (3G) network.
The DMB service is a broadcasting service that allows a user to watch various multi-channel DMB programs even while moving through the use of an omni-directional reception antenna equipped with a personal portable receiver or vehicle receiver. The DMB service is a service having active bi-directionality, personal portability, and mobility. This is achieved by subjugating a service of conventional broadcasting related to passive uni-directionality, a fixed area, and an individual media device, such as a radio or a TV; and providing a video/audio service and convergence of broadcasting and communication (e.g., Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB)/DMB & 3G, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) & portable Internet, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) & Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability (WiFi), WiFi & portable Internet, and DAB/DMB & portable Internet) through a single DMB terminal. In addition, the DMB service provides a high quality multimedia service through various mobile terminals, such as cellular phones, laptop computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and WiBro phones.
The DMB service is achieved by transmitting DMB data from the ground to a satellite and retransmitting the DMB data from the satellite back to the ground. DMB terminals receive the DMB data retransmitted by the satellite, i.e., directly from the satellite or receive the DMB data via a ground relay station. The ground relay station is a device for emitting DMB data received from a satellite by being installed at places where a satellite signal cannot reach, such as shadow areas due to tall buildings or underground areas.
When a DMB terminal receives DMB data via a ground relay station, the DMB terminal can receive the DMB data even if located in a place where a satellite signal cannot reach regardless of an orientation of a satellite or a signal transmitted directly from the satellite.
That is, in a case of Terrestrial DMB (T-DMB), a DMB terminal can receive DMB data while moving on the ground, but it may not receive the DMB data while located in underground areas. Relay stations (50˜70 Km) and gap fillers are required in order to solve a shadow area problem of T-DMB. In a case of Satellite DMB (S-DMB, the shadow area problem must also be solved, and in order to directly receive DMB data on the ground, power adjustment of S-band and installation of gap fillers for covering a radius 500 m are necessary. As such, until a solution has been provided to fully resolve the DMB shadow area problem, fringe areas and weak electric field areas will continue to exist, and therefore, cases where a DMB terminal temporarily cannot receive DMB data while moving will continue to occur, thereby limiting a seamless DMB service.
Thus, a case can occur where a user watching a DMB program using a DMB terminal temporarily cannot watch a portion of the DMB program due to a weak electric field area while moving outdoors. In this case, if the user wants to watch the missing portion of the DMB program, the user can watch a rebroadcasting program, or previously record the DMB program and watch the recorded DMB program at any time. In addition, the user can access a Video on Demand (VOD) server through the Internet or a mobile communication network, search for content corresponding to the DMB program, and watch the DMB program by downloading or streaming the found content. However, even if the user wants to watch the DMB program using the VOD server, the user can watch the DMB program only after the real-time DMB program is terminated.
As described above, a case where a user cannot watch a DMB program in a weak electric field area during a DMB service frequently occurs. According to the conventional art, there is no method of immediately watching the missing DMB program.
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The purpose of hydrocarbon liquid treating is for removal or chemical conversion of objectionable compounds or elemental sulfur in order that the liquid products meet corrosion, doctor, and total sulfur content specifications. Failure of a hydrocarbon product to meet corrosion specifications can be due to the presence of hydrogen sulfide and/or free sulfur. Failure to pass a doctor test is caused by the presence of mercaptans. Off-specification products are commonly referred to as "corrosive" if a positive corrosion test is obtained or "sour" if a positive doctor test results; sometimes the liquid product is both "corrosive" and "sour".
It is noted that the use of the term "sour" differs as applied to liquids and gases. "Sour" or "doctor sour" as applied to liquid hydrocarbon products indicates the presence of mercaptans, whereas "sour" used in connection with gaseous hydrocarbon products indicates the presence of hydrogen sulfide. If a liquid hydrocarbon product is negative to the doctor test, it is called "sweet" or "doctor sweet". If a negative corrosion test results, the liquid product is called "noncorrosive". It should be noted that a sweet or doctor sweet liquid hydrocarbon product can result from mere conversion of mercaptans to sulfides or disulfides even though the total sulfur content remains the same or is even higher in some methods.
Removal of hydrogen sulfide and/or free sulfur is desired to prevent corrosion or plugging of users equipment, such as carburetor parts, needle valves, etc. Removal or chemical conversion of mercaptans is desired to eliminate the offensive odor of mercaptans. However, processes that actually remove the mercaptans or their conversion products yield a superior product because of improved tetraethyl lead susceptibility and elimination of sulfur oxides from the products of combustion.
For many years liquid hydrocarbon streams of the type which can be treated in accordance with the present invention have been sweetened by subjecting them to oxidizing conditions in a sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide solution, generally in the presence of agitation and a metal phthalocyanine catalyst or equivalent. The mercaptans are converted to the corresponding disulfides at the interface of the aqueous caustic solution and the liquid hydrocarbons with the resulting disulfides dissolving in the liquid hydrocarbon.
The sweetening process has also been carried out in fixed bed systems in the presence of a catalyst and an oxidizing agent. The hydrocarbon stream to be treated can be passed in contact with an aqueous caustic solution over a solid, usually supported, catalyst in a suitable treating vessel. The caustic solution can be regenerated or supplemented as it becomes spent as the result of accumulation of acidic and other nonhydrocarbon impurities. The catalyst, when necessary, can be reactivated by means of well-known in-place regeneration procedures.
One widely known industrial method for treating mercaptan-containing hydrocarbon streams is the Merox Process. See, for example, the Oil and Gas Journal - 57 (44), 73-78 (1959) which has a discussion of the Merox Process and other prior art procedures. Like other known sweetening processes it uses a catalyst to oxidize the mercaptans to disulfides in the presence of oxygen and caustic.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to shotgun shell loading and reloading, and particularly to a method and apparatus for slitting cylindrical shotgun shell wads.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
In recent times, the interest in low volume devices for recharging and reloading shotgun shells has greatly increased. Numerous shell reloaders are available to hand loaders, such as the Versamec 700 Shotgun Shell Reloader manufactured by the Mayville Engineering Company, Inc. of Mayville, Wis. With such devices, a used shotgun shell casing can be refitted with a new shot charge and shot load for reuse.
Historically, the shot or "buckshot" found in shotgun shells has consisted essentially of lead pellets. However, because of environmental concerns related to lead poisoning of wildlife, the use of lead shot has become somewhat restricted, causing hunters and sportsmen to substitute steel shot in place of lead. Steel shot is much harder than lead and can cause scratching of the interior surfaces of a shotgun barrel when fired. To counteract this problem, cylindrically shaped "wards" have been designed for insertion within the casing of the shotgun shell for holding the shot prior to firing. Typically, a wad is formed of a lightweight plastic material which can contain the shot while in the barrel but does not scratch the barrel as it passes through. When a shell containing a wad is fired, the wad and shot travel together along the barrel of the shotgun thus keeping the shot from contacting the barrel. After the wad and shot exit the shotgun, the wad falls harmlessly to the ground while the shot continues on to the desired target.
Examples of such wads or wad columns for shotgun shells are shown and discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,224, granted to Merritt on Jan. 29, 1974, U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,621, granted to Fackler on Aug. 1, 1978, and brochures distributed by Ballistic Products, Inc. of Wayzata, Minn. entitled "10 Gauge Magnum Ballistic Pattern Drivers" and "100 10 Gauge Magnum Ballistic Pattern Drivers". Not only do such shotgun wads protect the interior of the shotgun barrel from scratching, but they also provide a means for sealing the charged powder gases behind the shot load in the shell and a means for producing a uniform and long-range pattern for the shot upon firing.
The pattern produced by a certain shot load depends, to a certain extent, on the form of the wad. The cylindrical walls of the wad must be slit to allow the wad to separate cleanly from the shot upon exiting the barrel of the shotgun. If not slit, the wad and shot can become a dangerous plastic encased "slug" emerging from the shotgun barrel which could seriously injure a fellow hunter or damage property. To prevent this, and to obtain a uniform pattern, the slits must be equally spaced radially about the wad so that the "petals" formed by the slits in the cylindrical wad are identical in size and shape. Thus, as the wad containing shot leaves the shotgun barrel, the air catches the edges of the petals causing them to fold out so that the wad drops away and the shot goes on to its target. Uniform spacing of the slits allows the shot to separate from the wad clearly and limits wad interference with the trajectory and pattern of the shot.
Wads incorporated into shotgun shells produced in high volume facilities are slit by expensive high volume cutting machines. The reloading or recharging of shotgun shells is usually a low volume process, usually done by hand. Wads are often supplied to handloaders in an unslit form so that they may be slit as desired. A sharp knife or scissors is used to slit the wads and the slitting is done by eye, so that uniformity and clean straight slits are not always attained. In addition, the use of a sharp knife in such a manner presents certain safety problems.
Although not specifically related to the slitting of wads for shotgun shells, devices for slitting or slotting the ends of cylindrical members are shown in several U.S. patents. U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,941, granted to Andrews et al on Feb. 2, 1973 shows an arrangement for making a plurality of slits through the whole length of a tube of insulating material. U.S. Pat. No. 3,153,360, granted to Coulon on Oct. 20, 1964 shows an arrangement which goes into a power press and is used to press a punch element with cutting edges in the end of the tube to form a slot. U.S. Pat. No. 3,069,951, granted to Bares on Dec. 25, 1962 discloses a cutting tool used to produce two slits in the end of a central tube for partitioning the walls of multiple tube hoses. U.S. Pat. No. 3,059,515, granted to Lindsey on Oct. 23, 1962 shows a device for cutting grooves which do not go all the way through the wall of a tube or workpiece for the purpose of providing a means to remove shavings generated during the machining of the workpiece. While the devices of these patents are directed to the slitting or grooving of various workpieces, none of them are directed in function to the unique constraints and problems involved in slitting shotgun shell wads.
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{
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