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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of semiconductor fabrication and, more particularly, to the field of fabricating p-channel and n-channel transistors with different characteristics on a common substrate.
2. Description of Related Art
In complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) fabrication, p-channel and n-channel transistors are fabricated on the same semiconductor substrate. To achieve transistors of both polarities (conductivity types), it is necessary that at least some process is steps differentiate between p-type and n-type transistors. Separate implant steps, for example, are needed to define n-well and p-well structures and to dope the source/drain regions of n-channel and p-channel transistors. Whenever possible, however, it is generally desirable to use a single process step to define transistor features regardless of the transistor type. Single process steps imply a single mask step, which is always desirable to reduce load on the photolithography processing. Moreover, a single step generally minimizes undesirable variations between the p-channel and n-channel transistors. Imagine, for example, that a particular design has been optimized under the assumption that the thickness of the gate oxide (or other dielectric) is the same on n-channel and p-channel transistors. The best way to ensure that the assumption is correct is to form the relevant feature for p-channel and n-channel transistors simultaneously.
In some cases, however, it may be desirable to process n-channel and p-channel transistors separately to account for differences in the characteristics of the respective transistor types. As an example, there is an asymmetry in the sub-micron behavior of p-channel and n-channel transistors. For sub-micron p-channel transistors, the high diffusivity of its boron carriers causes sub-threshold leakage current to be of paramount concern. For n-channel transistors, the drive current or saturated drain current (IDS), which is an important performance parameter, is strongly influenced by the effective length of the source/drain extension region due to the parasitic resistance that it creates. Whereas it would be desirable to have shorter extensions to increase the n-channel drive current, it would be desirable to have longer extensions to reduce the p-channel sub-threshold leakage current. It would therefore be desirable to implement a process that simultaneously addressed these concerns without substantially increasing the cost or complexity of the process.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved dispensing apparatus. More particularly, a dispenser that incorporates a timing means in conjunction with audio and visual output to assist the user in proper washing techniques for compliance with recommended guidelines and to monitor the number of usages.
2. Background Art
Each year, millions of reported illnesses and serious infections are attributable to improper hand washing. The unreported cases are estimated to be much higher. Food borne illness kills over 10,000 people each year, and 70% of the outbreaks originate in food service sector. The passage of viral and bacterial contaminants result from physical contact with an infected source and are carried from one site to another with each successive physical contact.
The problem is most evident in hospital and related medical establishments, as well as those businesses associated with preparing and distributing food and food products. A person that handles a single contaminated source will spread the contaminant to every person, article and surface touched by that person. The subsequent contaminated sources represent additional contamination sites that spread the contaminant. The liability of contamination or illness caused by inadequate washing techniques is very high. And, a single food borne illness can tarnish a long-standing reputation and wreak financial havoc.
Proper washing of hands has been demonstrated to kill the contaminants and prevent the spread of disease and contaminants. According to the Centers for Disease Control, proper hand washing is the single most important process in preventing the spread of the pathogens. Microbial contamination refers to microscopic organisms, especially any of the bacteria that cause disease, e.g.: germs. A germ is the rudimentary form in which a new organism is developed, and encompasses any microscopic organism and any one of the bacteria that can cause disease. A bacterium is typically a one-celled microorganism, wherein some cause diseases such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, or anthrax while other bacteria are necessary for fermentation and nitrogen fixation.
Some industries are much more sensitive to proper washing techniques. Restaurants are particularly prone to the dissemination of food-borne contaminants and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has specific guidelines articulated in the Food Code. The Food Code has several sections that address the washing of hands for food service and related personnel. According to the Food Code regulations, a person must wash after using the bathroom, sneezing, coughing, using a disposable tissue, using tobacco, eating or drinking, handling soiled utensils, and when switching from raw foods to ready-to-eat foods, and any other activity that potentially contaminates the hands.
In addition, the Food Code describes a proper hand washing technique as lasting at least 20 seconds, washing up to the forearms, and a special emphasis on between the fingers and underneath fingernails. In addition to timing the washing, it is important to consider the different steps in the washing procedure. A proper washing cycle commences with combining water and soap and scrubbing the hands vigorously. There are various soaps or cleansing liquids that can be used, preferably having anti-bacterial or anti-microbial properties. Nails should be cleaned and scrubbed. After scrubbing, the hands should be thoroughly rinsed with water. The areas between the finger and underneath the fingernails should be specifically cleaned and checked.
The regulations also require a supervisor ensure compliance with the regulations and promote the effective washing protocols. Employers may be fined or lose licenses if employees do not observe these regulations, and such employees are likely to lose their employment.
Although there may not be specific codes governing all industries and circumstance, it is common sense that adherence to the regulations will instill a safer environment for all. And, in a litigious environment, adhering to a strict standard is also a cost-effective and practical measure. There are varying international standards for the washing of hands, but in general, the U.S. standard provides a reasonable approach to follow.
Unfortunately, the proper washing guidelines are not regularly and rigorously followed. Many food service personnel do not appreciate the significance of proper washing. The restaurants rarely provide adequate training to the personnel, and seldom encompass sufficient supervision during the work shifts. In addition, the employees at restaurants and dining establishments tend to be lower paid and may not care or understand the posted written guidelines, especially if the guidelines are in an unfamiliar language. Presently there is no adequate means of providing proper guidance and instruction during washing, no system designed to walk a user through the washing steps, and no simple means of monitoring or tracking employee washing.
Contributing to the problem of inadequate washing is the lack of formal education by those in the food services segment, the low pay scale, and the periods of rushed food preparation. These factors all contribute to a potential for poor washing conditions. Due to the many illnesses caused by food preparation, the FDA continues to apply more formal regulations and guidelines for employers regarding proper washing skills. Employers are demanding a better system of aiding and monitoring employee washing habits.
The soap and liquid compounds for hand washing come from a number of different dispensers available in the marketplace. Liquid and semi-liquid dispensers are used in numerous applications and are used to dispense metered portions of cremes, lotions, gels, soaps, anti-bacterial cleansing liquids, anti-microbial cleansing liquids, and similar materials. A typical dispenser allows the user to obtain a specific amount of liquid matter with minimal ease. Manual and semi-automatic dispensing systems are common in the industry, and automated dispensers are beginning to enter the marketplace.
The manual dispensers utilize levers and other mechanical assemblies wherein the user must provide some physical contact with the unit in order to dispense the liquid. The physical contact in manipulating the lever does provide a contact with a surface that is typically wet and dirty, and may harbor contaminants. Automated dispensers are becoming more popular, and operate with a variety of electrical and electromechanical components to automatically dispense the liquid after triggering some sensory input. The automatic or xe2x80x98touchlessxe2x80x99 dispensers do not require any physical contact with the dispenser.
Unfortunately, the touchless dispensers are fairly expensive and require fairly complex electrical and electrical components in order to function. Besides electronic equipment, there are mechanical components such as plungers and gear trains that work in conjunction with the electronics. The mechanical gears draw substantial energy during the xe2x80x98pinch and squeezexe2x80x99 operation to deliver liquid cleanser, requiring frequent battery replacement. In addition, if the batteries are drained, the electrical elements are not functioning properly, or the mechanical functions are broken, the entire unit is disabled and will not dispense any liquid cleansers. The low reliability and the catastrophic failure mode are a major concern in the touchless dispenser market.
Within the field of liquid dispensers, there are many types of dispensers. The most common and cost effective is the bag-in-box system, where the liquid comes in a no-leak pouch with pump tip and is disposable. This system is a closed system, and all the air is removed from the pouch during manufacturing. The bag collapses upon itself once the liquid is evacuated, minimizing waste disposal. The closed system has many advantages, including being a more sanitary system. The standard size pouch is 800 ml, but other sizes are in use, including 500 ml to 900 ml. It is a necessary requirement that the cost to produce a disposable pouch be kept to a minimum, while still delivering consistent results. The dispensers are installed in many public facilities, and are subject to extreme wear and tear. Due to the excessive use, the devices must be robust and relatively maintenance free.
Other dispensers use cartridges or refillable containers. The cartridges must be pierced, are generally not refillable, and produce greater waste. Both cartridges and refillable containers introduce air into the system, aiding the production of bacteria and mold. The cost and administrative complexity in using these other forms of dispensing liquids, as well as the decreased sanitary conditions limit their market appeal. Also, these semi-automatic and automatic systems can be designed to complete the cycle, metering exactly the correct amount of liquid, independently of successive and rapid pushes of the actuating member that frequently occur.
The liquid soap industry has numerous brands and categories of cleansing liquids. The viscosity and particulate content are also subject to extreme variations. There is an array of particulate matter that can be added to cleansing liquids to form a grit soap compound that is more effective in cleaning. The most common grit material is plastic microspheres, although other materials such as clay, walnut shells and corn cobs have also been used. Besides the variations of compounds used to form grit soap, the size of the grit also varies.
There has also been a consumer demand for anti-microbial cleansing liquids and anti-bacterial cleansing liquids, and the industry has reacted by adding creating new compounds with these properties. These anti-microbial and anti-bacterial cleansing liquids are available with or without grit and have certain characteristics and viscosity differences as compared to standard liquid soap. Besides liquid soap, other compounds dispensed include body and hair shampoo, hand creme solutions, lotions, cleansing liquids, and shaving creme.
In a typical bag-in-box operation, a user depresses a lever or controller. This applies pressure to the dispenser tube that creates a vacuum in the collapsible pouch that exerts fluid pressure against the ball in the ball check valve. If the pressure is sufficient, the ball is displaced, and the liquid flows around the ball and into the ball check valve chamber. The liquid flows into the space between the spring and the interior wall of the ball check valve chamber. Once the chamber is sufficiently full, the liquid is forced through the compressed spring and out through the lower fitment hole and through the nozzle.
The transition from a user applying purely mechanical forces to meter out some liquid to a semi-automated or automated dispensing unit is
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to medical instruments and, more particularly, to an endoscope having flexible tubes within a passive deflection section.
2. Prior Art
Endoscopes with passive and active deflection sections are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,551 shows an endoscope with an elongated flexible plastic tube comprising a continuous sequence of connected vertebra-like elements. U.S. Pat. No. 3,162,214 discloses a thin walled tube of elastic material internally supported throughout its length by a series of tubular rigid rings. In one prior art embodiment, control wires from a deflection control to a distal tip of the active deflection are provided with a wire sheath along the passive deflection section. The wire sheath comprises a coiled wire to form a flexible tube around each control wire. A problem exists with these coil wire sheaths in that the coil shape can expand during compression. This can result in a loss of deflection at the active deflection section of the endoscope. In another prior art embodiment, stainless steel tubes are used as the sheaths for the control wires. However, these are only used in applications which have a large bend radius. These tubes can kink very easily, have no resilience, and can fatigue and permanently deform thereby shortening the working life of the endoscope.
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Bridge rectifiers for automotive-type alternators are well known in the art. An example of a bridge rectifier is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,000. Generally, a bridge rectifier comprises two metallic heat sinks that are electrically insulated from a each other. Each heat sink carries a plurality of semiconductor diodes such that the heat sinks form respective positive and negative direct voltage output terminals. The diodes are grouped in pairs and are connected to respective output phase windings of the alternator.
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Plates having compartments are used for holding food Often, a main compartment is designed to hold a main dish whereas the other compartment, or wells, are used to hold sides, condiments, or both. Prior art disposable plates have had various designs or patterns printed thereon, but do not integrate the various compartments into the printed design or pattern.
Additionally, prior art designs or patterns printed on disposable plates focused on a small number of designs. The number of designs per collection in the prior art has been less than the total number of plates packaged together for retail sale. Thus, each retail package of plates includes only a complete collection of designs. The prior art does not address the situation where the number of designs per collection exceeds the total number of plates in a retail package and how to widely disseminate all of the designs in the collection in the market place.
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This invention relates to a surgical closure that can be repeatedly opened and closed, especially for the abdominal wall. More particularly the invention relates to a surgical closure having fabric of plate-like securing elements that can be tightly but detachably connected to the body tissue and has a closure which can be repeatedly opened and closed.
Such a surgical closure is known, for example, from German Patent 34 44 782. This surgical closure is used especially as a temporary closure for the abdominal cavity, preferably for postoperative treatment of peritonitis.
Peritonitis, as a secondary form that develops as a result of a perforation of a hollow organ or as a postoperative complication, still has, even today, a high lethality. With increasing incidence, it represents a central surgical problem.
The abdominal cavity is subject to a physiological, regulated fluid stream that drains mainly by small openings in the peritoneal diaphragm underside. In this way, bacteria are fed by the lymph tracts to the systemic defense mechanism. The absorption capacity of the intraperitoneal fluid is increased by the mobility of the diaphragm and intraperitoneal pressure. During peritonitis, this drainage is blocked by the pathophysiological development of fibrin and bacteria and circulation is hindered by fibrin-induced adhesions. The defense system is disrupted and a rise in bacterial counts, or their toxins and fibrin, results. If the progression of peritonitis is not stopped promptly, a pathophysiological cascade gets started whose dynamics constantly grow and, after a certain point, can no longer be stopped.
To cleanse the abdominal cavity, washing with physiological saline solution is already done during the operation until the wash fluid stays clear. With this mechanical cleansing, bacterial counts, fibrin, dead tissue, toxins and also residual blood (even hemoglobin promotes the start of an infection) are to be removed as completely as possible, to provide, along with surgical removal of septic focus, an optimal condition for healing.
In the postoperative phase, in which the fate of the patient is mainly determined, it is decisive to recognize a worsening of the condition as early as possible, and optionally, to remove the cause (e.g., correction of an inadequate suture after oversewing a gastric ulcer) and, by effective lavage, if possible from the first postoperative day forward, to make sure conditions are clean (blood that reappears, fibrin and bacteria are to be rinsed away).
In postoperative lavage, the strategy of the open abdomen with periodic washing and the wash treatment with a closed abdomen are known.
This so-called open abdomen is made possible by the sliding splint closure and by the snap closure as a temporary closure for the abdominal cavity, with the advantages that repeated intra-abdominal accessibility is guaranteed and the technician, during each washing, can be convinced of the success of the removal of septic focus, and thus, can control the course of peritonitis. In doing so, postoperative, intra-abdominal adhesions can be detached and coatings of fibrin can be removed. The typical drainage complications are eliminated. (Plugging of drainage for the abdominal wall, blockage or obstruction of drainages, infection sources.) A relaparotomy is no longer necessary.
Here, the drawback is that right after the operation, washing cannot be performed and no continuous washing is possible. But then, periodic washing is relatively frequent and also a burden for the patient, when the patient is in critical condition. Periodic washing must be prepared carefully; it is performed in the operating room (the abdomen is open during washing) and under general anesthesia. The advantages of the principle of peritoneal dialysis must be done without, since previous temporary abdominal cavity closures do not close the abdomen tightly. The wash effect remains limited, since a desired intra-abdominal pressure is not maintained, and the wash fluid flows, preferably, only in preformed wash channels. Further, after the temporary closure of the abdominal wall, part of the wash fluid oozes into the bed which, in addition to being another source of infection, means ineffective washing, additional burden for the patient, and considerable additional expense for the nursing staff. Patients with an open abdomen belong, at that time, to the most care-intensive patients. If a so-called snap closure or sliding splint closure, as a temporary abdominal cavity closure, is infolded, another drawback comes to bear. Once cut and infolded, adaptation to the tension conditions of the abdominal wall is no longer possible. But, because of edematous swelling of inner organs during the course of peritonitis, the tension of the abdominal wall can increase considerably, with the danger that the sutures tear out. On the other hand, the edges of the incision must be brought together again gradually to the final suture of the abdominal wall later, during the healing phase in which the swelling of the inner organs decreases. Further, the typical complications of snap closures must be taken into account (constriction, tenaculum). There is no particular edge structure to infold into the fascia, so that only the individual sutures provide support. They are often not secure and tear out easily.
Continuous peritoneal lavage with a closed abdomen offers the advantage that an effective washing treatment can be started immediately after the operation, and thus, the purpose of the usual Redon suction drainage can be replaced considerably more effectively. The latter has a weak suction capacity, suctioning only right at the spot where it lays. Further, it easily becomes clogged and misleads to the assumption that the incision area has already been suctioned empty. With the sealed system, an intraperitoneal pressure can be built up and dosed. In doing so, the wash fluid (possibly with antibiotic added) also reaches the critical "atmospheric corners" of the abdomen. But not only are wash channels created, as when seepage through without pressure occurs. Fewer fibrin-induced adhesions are formed, since the abdomen contents "swim" and fibrin (among other things) is effectively washed out (thus, simultaneous ileus prophylaxis).
Peritoneal dialysis is possible. With it, an increase in the retention values (creatine, urea, potassium) with a threat of renal failure can conceivably be halted simply by using a commercially available dialysis fluid as the wash fluid. The patient can easily be dialyzed, without having to be put into the expensive program of hemodialysis. The associated drawbacks are also eliminated, as they can sometimes occur during the handling of blood volume. Washing can be taken over by a machine according to a desired program; thus, clear relief for the nursing personnel is possible. A chamber count of the leukocytes in the wash fluid makes it possible to monitor simply the response of the peritonitis. A judgment of the efflux can conceivably be performed simply by inspection (cloudiness, fibrin or blood admixtures). Wash fluid sensors to determine the resistance of bacteria can be removed by the catheter at any time, just as other substances can be administered (e.g., electrolytes, protein, heparin). The drawback here is that the abdomen is no longer accessible and thus no direct visual monitoring exists any more, which is important, when the efflux changes pathologically or the clinical condition of the patient worsens. Packing and infection source of the drainage passage points, as well as clogging or obstruction of the drainages represent typical complications. If the abdomen must be accessed again, a relaparotomy must be performed.
Despite promising starts, the strategy of the closed abdomen has not been able to be used in practice, since the drawbacks predominate.
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Handling huge volumes of data on a daily basis is a task that most organizations have to deal with. Such organizations have been storing huge volumes of data for decades, but now with the availability of new techniques for analyzing those huge data sets, organizations seek to improve their operational efficiency. Data sets today aren't merely larger than the older data sets, but also significantly more complex, for example, unstructured and semi-structured data generated by sensors, web logs, social media, mobile communication, and customer service records.
There are many software frameworks to store and analyze large volumes of data in a massively parallel scale. Apache Hadoop is an example and often cited in many journals, publications, blogs, and other technical articles for massively parallel processing system. It is now known to be the de-facto technology platform for supporting storage of massive amounts of heterogeneous data and processing them.
The Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) for data storage and its specialized distributed programming model ‘MapReduce’ for data processing, across relatively inexpensive commodity hardware, may be leveraged for mixing and matching data from many disparate sources and reveal meaningful insights.
However, Hadoop as a technology has several limitations. First, organizations are interested in ‘interactive analytics’, a solution requiring faster time-to-insight when compared to the time it takes for a MapReduce job to execute and provide the required results. Second, the ability to enable analysts and data scientists to directly interact with any data stored in Hadoop, using their existing business intelligence (BI) tools and skills through a well-accepted SQL interface. Apache Hive, however, facilitates querying the data using an SQL-like language called HiveQL, but it is much slower than what the industry demands in terms of interactive querying.
There are several massively parallel query processing (MPQP) tools available in the market that enable organizations to perform interactive SQL-like querying on massive data-sets on the Hadoop platform, called SQL-on-Hadoop tools. However, each of these tools is optimized to perform efficiently for a certain class of queries only, operating on a certain known data type and format on a well-defined hardware and software configuration. The data model and the storage model have to be optimized significantly in order to obtain faster query response times.
To add to the problem, the technological landscape of massively parallel query processing frameworks is large and it becomes increasingly difficult for organizations to evaluate each of these tools for the different kinds of queries they have for processing, operating on varying data-sets, (for example, queries from marketing, analysts, engineers, and senior management).
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Media streams, such as video and audio streams, may be sent over a network to multiple receiving clients. In a unicast-based system, individual copies of the stream are sent separately over the network to each client. By contrast, in a multicast-based system, a single copy of the stream may be sent to a multicast address, and the multicast-enabled network enables replication of the stream to clients within the multicast group. In some cases, a client may record or store the stream for later playback. In some scenarios, media streams may be sent using transmission control protocol (TCP) for reliability, at a cost of higher latency. In other scenarios, media streams may be sent using user datagram protocol (UDP) with lower latency, at a cost of potentially increased errors or dropouts.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a self-contained device for generating heat through combustion of a non-pressured, high flash point fuel (>100.degree. F.) utilized primarily for heating food and the like. More particularly, this invention pertains to a closed cartridge containing a reservoir of a novel high percentage glycol or glycol derivative fuel and a non-consumable wick immersed in the fuel reservoir to provide controllable means for combusting said glycol or glycol derivative. These devices are commonly found in applications utilizing chafing dishes where food is to be maintained at an elevated termperature for extended periods of time.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Restaurants and others involved in the food preparation industry typically have a requirement for maintaining various foodstuffs at an elevated temperature for extended periods of time to maintain said food's edibility as well as to preserve the food from infection by exogenous microorganisms.
Prior art means for maintaining foods at elevated temperatures include cartridges and canisters containing alcohol fuels such as methyl and ethyl alcohol;. Said alcohol fuels have relativley low flash points, typically in the range 54.degree. F. to 56.degree. F., which permit these fuels to be ignited directly by flame provided by a match or a candle. These types of prior art devices have several inherent drawbacks which create substantial problems for their users.
Most significant among the disadvantages to prior art devices are those encountered in the field of product safety. Utilization of methyl and ethyl alcohols creates a substantial hazard due to fire. This fact arises from the high volatility and low falsh point of these one and two carbon alcohols.
A second significant safety concern is that of noxious vapors. Those prior art devices utilizing methyl alcohol as their fuel present a substantial hazard with respect to methanol vapors. Said vapors are toxic and additionally can contaminate any food stored or located in the vicinity of these devices.
The third safety consideration is that of shipping. Prior art devices containing methanol and ethanol as their fuels have various restrictions placed upon them by those authorities regulating common carriers and other shippers. Thus, prior art devices are more expensive and inconvenient to transport due to the inherent hazards presented by their fuels.
Additionally, prior art devices present a disadvantage in that the range of heat developed by such devices is not easily adjustable. Most prior art devices is not easily adjustable. Most prior art devices utilize various mechanical means to adjust the oxygen flow available for combustion of the methanol and ethanol. This arrangement for control of heat is inadequate in many cases where a very low flame is required because the amount of oxygen required for low flame cannot be adequately regulated using prior art mechanical means thus causing the flame to be often spontaneously extinguished.
Therefore, it is desireable to provide a burner device for controllably heating and warming food and the like utilizing a new and unique, clean burning, high percentage glycol or glycol derivative fuel having a low vapor pressure and high flash point relative to commonly used fuels such as methanol and ethanol. Moreover, it is desirable that such a burner utilize a fuel which is nontoxic and produces a low level of nontoxic vapors. It is also desirable that such an improved heating device should have a continually adjustable flame by controlling the amount of fuel available for combustion.
While the prior art recognizes that glycol or glycol derivatives can be used as fuel additives; these additives are in minimal amounts (i.e. concentrations measured in parts per million) and are included to enhance the characteristics of the primary fuel component. In addition, glycol or glycol derivatives in substantial concentrations have never before been used, or suggested for use, as the primary fuel component.
Finally, it is desirable to provide a burner that is safe to ship and use and has minimal regulatory restrictions on shipment and storage relative to prior art devices.
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Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which saves a print job transmitted from an information processing apparatus for each user, and a controlling method for the image processing apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
An MFP (multi function peripheral) which is equipped with an image reading device, a printing device and a communicating device and has image processing applications of copying, printing, scanned-image transmitting and the like has been known. Moreover, since security consciousness has increased recently, a great number of MFPs have user authentication functions respectively. In the MFP like this, inputs of a user name and a password are accepted as authentication information via a touch panel, and/or authentication information is read and obtained from a card by using a card authentication function. However, to input the user name, the password and the like from the touch panel on the MFP or to install the card authentication function is troublesome for a user who wishes to use the MFP immediately and promptly in the aspects of costs and operability. Moreover, in the situation that the authentication function has not been installed because sever security is not so required, there are users who cannot use a personalization function of the MFP because there is no authentication function and thus cannot have usability.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-254618 discloses, as the means for saving user's trouble and enabling a user to easily use the personalization function, the MFP which displays the icon image associated with the user on the screen, and by which the user only has to select the displayed own icon image for using the personalization function.
In the MFP disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-254618, the user is automatically registered by using, as the user ID for identifying the user, the job owner name and the computer name added in the print data for which the printing has been instructed from a PC (personal computer). However, since the users work in various office environments, there is a case where, in a small-scale office environment, the domain is not used in the user authentication for the PC but the local authentication is used. On the contrary, it is supposed that, in a large-scale office environment, the domain is used in the user authentication for the PC. Further, there is an environment that one user owns a plurality of PCs in the same office and logs in to each PC via the user authentication using the domain.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus having a function for correcting an in-focus position detected by a phase difference AF (autofocus) method or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the related art, in a single lens reflex camera which is arranged to attain an in-focused state by the phase difference AF, there is a case where in association with long-time use of the camera, a position which is recognized as an in-focus position is changed due to long-time use of each of a lens and a camera body and an in-focus precision deteriorates to a level lower than an initial precision. In the case of the lens, a case where while the lens is driven to a correct in-focus position, a lens stop position may be shifted from the correct position due to a mechanical deterioration caused by long-time use of a camera is considered. In the case of the camera body, there is considered a case where a mirror which is used in a phase difference detection method is driven many times so that an angle of the mirror is gradually changed and this causes change of an angle at which incident object light is guided to an AF sensor so that a position shifted from the correct in-focus position is recognized as an in-focus position. In the foregoing case, a unit for shifting the in-focus position to an original state without allowing the user to bring the camera to a service center has been installed in a recent image pickup apparatus.
In the detection of the in-focus position by the phase difference AF, there is a case where the correct in-focus position cannot be detected by an influence by colors, types, and the like of a light source and a photographing object. If such a problem occurs, such a technique that the detected in-focus position is corrected by the phase difference AF in accordance with an environment where the camera is used is considered. At this time, in a construction in which there are a plurality of focus adjustment areas (AF frames) for the phase difference AF, there is a case where the correction is necessary every AF frame or the like. However, if the number of portions to be corrected increases, there raises an actual problem such that it is difficult for a user to spend time to make individual correction each time the correction is necessary. Therefore, the user wants to correct in accordance with the AF frame which the user wants to use by himself. The Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-292684 discloses a function (AF calibration) which can automatically correct the in-focus position of the phase difference AF by using a contrast detection method. A correction value can be held every focal length.
However, in the technique disclosed in the above patent literature, in the case where there are a plurality of AF frames for the phase difference AF, there is not a control technique about how to select the AF frame which is used for correction of the in-focus position by the phase difference AF when a limitation processing of a selection of the AF frames is executed at the time of photographing.
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Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) optical devices may include an active surface layer that includes waveguides, optical modulators, detectors, CMOS circuitry, metal leads for interfacing with external semiconductor chips, and the like. Although crystalline silicon is excellent at forming waveguides with submicron dimensions, silicon is a poor material for both generating and absorbing light at wavelengths used for digital communication. While III-V semiconductors are better suitable for forming optical sources, these materials have a lattice constant that is much different than crystalline silicon which means these semiconductors cannot be directly grown on silicon using typical CMOS fabrication techniques without defects.
To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in one embodiment may be beneficially utilized on other embodiments without specific recitation.
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Tube and shell heat exchangers have long been known as useful tools for heating fluids and using thermal energy. Such tube and shell heat exchangers have been developed to a significant degree of sophistication. These heat exchangers comprise a shell surrounding a tube bundle usually attached to a tube sheet. Fluid flowing through the shell is subjected to indirect heat exchange with another fluid flowing through the tubes.
Effective utilization of tube and shell heat exchangers as well as the avoiding of mechanical problems and the reduction of thermal stress in such apparatus is continuing goal in the industry.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to the field of electronic data storage, analysis, and recovery. Specifically, the invention relates to a system used for arranging and organizing data backup, computing system operation data, storing system data, monitoring and analyzing collected historical system data, predicting a future system occurrence, taking the appropriate steps to notify a specified party of a future occurrence, and taking the appropriate steps to correct or prevent a future occurrence.
2. Description of Related Art
Data backup is often recognized as a necessity for nearly all computer-based systems. Businesses and other enterprises that rely heavily on computer systems are often paralyzed in the event of a system failure or a data loss. These failures can lead to lost profits and high repair and recovery costs. Furthermore, many computer systems handle sensitive and valuable data, which holds significant value.
Because of the importance and value of continuous system operation and reliable data storage, a number of methods have been devised for data backup. Many of these methods employ large data storage media (such as tapes, high-capacity hard drives, etc.) that are used to periodically transcribe a system's body of data.
These backup systems, while effective in copying large amounts of data, have a number of shortcomings. Firstly, many systems do not employ a media management system, which tracks the appropriate media for a given backup. Secondly, present day backup systems do not continuously monitor a system's performance. And lastly, these systems are not able to predict when a system may become unstable, so that system failures can be predicted and prevented.
Additionally, the software industry is currently developing within a paradigm of scarcity. There is not enough storage capacity for current needs, so as little as possible is stored. According to Moore's Law: “. . . computing power per unit cost will continue to grow exponentially.” “In this form, “Moore's law” has a factual basis and has proven useful for planning purposes. The most rigorous interpretation of Moore's law is that the total number of transistors on the cheapest CPU will grow exponentially at a constant rate and that this constant rate produces a doubling every 12 (or 18, or 24) months. This variant oversimplifies a complex history.” (Quoted from Wikipedia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore's law
Assuming that doubling happens every 18 months, the industry, in all of its sub parts, will move from lack of capacity, to more than twice its current requirements. This shift to a “paradigm of plenty” needs to be recognized and understood in order to effectively capitalize on this increase in capacity. Excess capacity will exist in the form of both computing power and data storage. Two logical questions present themselves. What can be stored that we are not storing, and how can that data be used?
We can only store what we have, but increased storage capacity will allow us to include a certain subset of data that is currently being thrown away because it cannot be effectively or economically stored and retrieved. For some industries, this has changed, and for others it will change in the future. A file stored on any digital system (DVD, CD, Hard Drive, Tape Drive, SAN, WAN, etc.) contains a tremendous amount of associated data (termed ‘meta-data’). In the example of a Hard Drive, such examples include file size, file creation date, last access date, last modification date, file permissions, and much more. A web server captures the number of times data was accessed, pages viewed, number of errors, and what IP address accessed the site. In most current systems, each of these pieces of information are recorded for a short time and then deleted. If not deleted, they are normally retained for liability purposes. In such a system, retained data is not stored in an effective manner. Using the proposed platform as described herein, the data can now be reconfigured to perform predictive analysis.
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Bromine is used in a wide range of industries. For example, bromine is used in the manufacture of flameproofing agents, 1,2-dibromoethane (CH2BrCH2Br) (which is used as a petrol additive to prevent lead being deposited in cylinders), compounds used in photography (e.g. silver bromide, AgBr, which is the light sensitive material in film), dyestuffs and drugs; in the analytical laboratory in testing for unsaturation in organic compounds, where bromine adds across the multiple bonds of unsaturated compounds, as a disinfectant; and in making fumigants, water purification compounds, dyes, medicinals; and sanitizers. Bromine can be produced by oxidation of bromides using hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant. For example, the following reaction is suitable: H2O2+2HBrBr2+2H2O (Reaction (1)). Bromine can also be produced by oxidation of bromides using chlorine as the oxidant. For example, the following reaction is suitable: 2NaBr+Cl2Br2+2NaCl (Reaction (2)).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,295 describes use of a strong acid, such as sulfuric or phosphoric acid, to improve effectiveness when hydrogen bromide is oxidized to bromine using hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant. However, process economics are affected by the addition of an acid; and in some cases an add source is not readily available. Each of Reactions (1) and (2) could benefit from the addition of catalysts to increase the percent conversion of bromide to bromine. Ammonium molybdate ((NH4+)2MoO4−) is a known oxidation catalyst to allow iodometric titration of H2O2. However, NH4+ is not a cation of choice for use as an additive in a commercial bromine tower.
Thus in spite of currently available technologies, a need remains for commercially feasible methods that provide increased percent conversion when oxidizing bromides to produce bromine, and catalysts for use therein.
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This invention relates to an improved cassette magnetic tape recording/reproducing apparatus.
The prior art discloses magnetic tape cassette recorder/players of a type adapted for selecting a single recording from among many recorded on a single magnetic tape. In the conventional apparatus, a movable plate, which carries a magnetic head, is moved backward against the strong elastic force of a spring by an electromagnetically operated plunger. However, operation of the plunger requires a relatively large amount of electricity and creates mechanical noise. Further, the conventional plunger mechanism is complicated in construction and costly.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and a process of interaction with a user. It applies, in particular, to interactive terminals capable of processing several types of procedures based on one or more documents provided by the user. On the one hand, this terminal is intended to save time for the user, and on the other hand, to enable him or her to quickly and automatically check that he or she has all the information and documents required to carry out a procedure. This terminal is also intended to save time for the organization in charge of implementing the procedure, for example by pre-processing the information and documents required for the correct execution of these procedures, estimating the risks of falsification of the user's identity or the false information or documents he or she provides, and/or collecting other information available in a database to complement or verify the information and documents provided by the user.
The objective is thus to speed up and improve relations between organizations that interact with a large number of users—for example customers, service users, visitors or members of the public—and those users.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are already in existence terminals equipped with a video camera, scanner and printer for document exchange and remote communication. While they enable dialogue between the user and a remote interlocutor known as the “hotliner” and discussion of the content of documents, they do not perform any automatic processing, and therefore do not increase the productivity of the organization.
Other interactive terminals are effectively computers that provide help, in several languages, for preparing administrative formalities. They do not enable documents to be processed. The user must then meet an employee in person to give him or her the documents needed for the procedure concerned. The increase in productivity is therefore further decreased.
There are already in existence systems for processing checks equipped with a means of optical character recognition, biometric identification and a risk analysis machine that identifies the user and authorizes, in function of the level of confidence regarding this identification, the payment of a check.
There are also already in existence systems used by immigration services that check the fingerprints of a traveler from a passport before authorizing access to the territory concerned.
The two systems described above therefore only process low-level information, and only provide binary results; that is to say authorization or refusal and, possibly, the amount of a payment.
Aside from confirmations, no information is requested from the user who passively waits for the result of the processing operations. These systems can only process a single type of documents, and therefore do not make it possible to prepare for interaction with an administrative employee.
Yet fiscal, administrative, social, and/or insurance organizations work with a large number of procedures, each of which involves a large number of forms, and written proof on paper or in electronic format.
Therefore, the need exists for interactive, multi-procedure terminals, i.e. capable of processing multiple procedures based on different types of documents.
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Power consumption of mobile battery operated devices such as mobile communication terminals is expected to increase as the demand for enhanced functionality increases.
For example, there is a demand for communication terminals that are capable of communicating in a plurality of different communication systems, including second generation systems such as GSM/GPRS and third generation systems such as WCDMA/EGPRS/HSDPA as well as WLAN systems of the 802.11 family. Moreover, increased power consumption is due also to other hardware parts of a typical communication terminal, especially the applications processor and the main display. In addition, advanced features exploiting the hardware functionality contribute to this increase, e.g. 3D games, video players, etc.
Such terminals will consume much more energy in comparison with earlier terminals, these earlier terminals having only limited functionality and, e.g., being capable of communicating in only a single communication system.
With the current progress in battery capacity unable to keep pace with the increasing demands posed by such feature-rich mobile devices, new ways to control and sensibly reduce the power consumption of terminals are needed. Hardware solutions typically involve implementation of circuitry having inherently low power consumption. Such hardware solutions may involve the use of specific materials as well as reducing the number of components to a minimum. Needless to say, hardware solutions are not very flexible and they provide a very limited amount of functionality.
Software solutions, on the other hand, typically offer an advantage over purely hardware-based solutions in that software can keep track of the context of the monitored device and thus make it possible for a software developer to make more sensible decisions as to when and where to optimize power. However, it is only through complex setup of expensive external digital measuring equipment and configuration of dedicated and specialized software that this is feasible in the prior art. That is, visibility of the energy and power consumption of an application in the prior art is possible only through the use of external equipment. A developer need to perform more or less complex configuration procedures to set up the equipment in order to find out where to optimize the operation of a device.
A drawback related to prior art methods and devices is hence that an application developer, when developing a software application for execution in a mobile communication device, has a very limited capability of optimizing the software application in terms of its effect on the power consumption by the device. In fact, an application developer typically has no way of finding out how battery lifetime is effected by a software application being developed.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a biological information detection device that detects a biological signal by installing an electrode on the biological surface of the human body.
2. Background Art
Among these kinds of biological information detection devices, there is, for example, a heartbeat measurement device that detects an electro-cardiac signal generated in association with a heartbeat, and measures a heart rate from the biological surface. As such a heartbeat measurement device, there is, for example, a device which includes a main body portion having a detection circuit board and the like built-in, and a strap for mounting the main body portion to the human body, the strap being provided with a pair of electrodes. The main body portion and the strap are provided with an electrical connection portion for electrically connecting a detection circuit board of the main body portion to an electrode of the strap.
Based on such a configuration, an electro-cardiac signal generated in association with a heartbeat is detected by bringing a pair of electrodes into contact with the chest (biological surface) of the human body, and the main body portion derives a heart rate on the basis of the detected electro-cardiac signal.
Further, among the heartbeat measurement devices, there is, for example, a device in which the main body portion is detachably provided to the strap from the viewpoint of maintenance such as cleaning of the strap. When the main body portion is mounted to the strap, the electrical connection portion provided to the strap and the electrical connection portion provided to the main body portion are mechanically connected to each other, and the detection circuit board and the electrode are electrically connected to each other (see, for example, Specification of U.S. Pat. No. 7,526,840 and U.S. Design Registration No. 603,521).
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In order to grow plants in greenhouses, a proper combination of light and heat is required. At times, the requisite light and heat are provided naturally from the sun. However, in most northern climates, it is often too cold during the winter to grow plants without some source of heat. Typically, heat is provided using forced air heaters. This does not prove to be entirely satisfactory, however, because much of the hot air is lost through the roof and walls of the greenhouse. As a result, during the winter days, the temperature in the greenhouse can be as low as 50.degree. F. even with the hot air heaters at full blast.
One solution to this problem has been to use insulating materials on the roof and walls of the greenhouse. Systems of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,064,648 to Cary, 4,313,650 to Ward et al. and 4,375,232 to Heescher et al.
Cary discloses use of a flexible sheet of insulating material, wound in a roll, that can be installed near the roof of the greenhouse. The material can then be deployed at night to cover the roof and prevent heat loss. During the daytime, the insulation is retracted into the roll so that light may enter the greenhouse.
A similar system is disclosed in the Heescher patent. There, an insulative foil, made of two layers of plastic separated by air pockets, is selectively deployed over the roof and walls of the greenhouse to prevent heat loss. The foil is folded when stored and opens to form an insulative barrier. Both the Heescher and Cary references suggest that the foil might be coated with aluminum to increase the insulation effect.
In Ward et al., reflective and insulative slats are arranged venitian blind style below the greenhouse roof. This construction permits selective capture or reflection of heat or light.
Aluminized insulating materials, such as those disclosed in the Heescher et al. and Cary references, are also useful in summer months to prevent overheating from direct sunlight. By deploying the insulating material over the southern exposure of the greenhouse (in the Northern hemisphere), direct sunlight will be reflected out of the greenhouse. Diffuse light still enters the greenhouse through the northern exposure providing light for the plants.
While hot air systems, used in conjunction with insulating materials, can be effective to promoting plant growth during cold winter months, such systems are still relatively energy inefficient. One primary drawback to the use of forced air is that the hot air naturally rises to the roof. Thus, the plants do not receive the full benefit of the forced air output. Although the insulating layers prevent much of the heat from escaping, the air near the roof will be warmer than the air near the floor, an indication that the system is not energy efficient.
Greenhouses also require large amounts of water. The water is often taken straight from the outside and sprayed on the plants. This water is very cold, especially in winter and, when sprayed on the plants, it cools the plants, soil and surrounding air. Thus, the environment must be reheated to maintain proper growing conditions. In order to maintain a steady temperature in the greenhouse, the water is sometimes heated before spraying. This is typically accomplished using a large capacity water heater. Thus, separate air and water heating systems must be purchased and installed. The water heating systems in the prior art are not able to take advantage of the excess heat produced by the air heating systems and so efficiency is not maximized.
Further problems arise due to the build-up of snow and ice on the roof above the insulating material. The prior art has attempted to solve this problem using additional devices which either scrape off the snow or heat the roof. None of the additional devices make use of the excess heat in the heating system, however, so, again, maximum efficiency is not achieved.
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A Linux server clustering system (Linux Virtual Server, LVS for short) is a virtual server clustering system, and is a way for achieving load balancing, in the Linux kernel, based on the Internet Protocol (IP for short) layer and the content-based request distribution.
A Tencent Gateway (TGW for short) project is developed from an LVS project. By using an IP tunneling (IP TUN for short) manner, a TGW can access a service on a Linux server efficiently and transparently. However, since a windows system does not support the IP TUN technology, it is hard to make the TGW access a windows service by using the IP TUN manner.
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As well-known, along with the trend toward the increase in the number and the size of a data center including a plurality of devices such as servers, storages and the like, a power consumed by the data center increases abruptly. In order to solve the problem of large power consumption, technical approach has made such as development of a server having high power conversion efficiency and low power consumption For example, servers in an idle state consume about 60% of the electricity energy. In a data center, servers run at efficiency of about 5% to 20% to cut server response time. To do so, about 10% of the servers in average place in a standby mode.
A method for managing loads such as servers in a cluster system evenly allocates the loads to the servers considering performance. Although this leads to improve the performance, the power consumption increases. Thus, the load allocation method is not suitable for reducing power consumption.
There is a technique to switch on/off a server on a single threshold basis by the amount of a load. However, this technique is disadvantageous in that a long period of switching on time of the server deteriorates performance of the cluster system and in that frequent on/off operations of the server results in large power consumption. Hence, such conventional technique cannot be used as a desirable load allocation method in view of performance and power consumption.
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Heretofore, a linear actuator, for example, which is made up of a fluid pressure cylinder or the like, has been used as a means for transporting workpieces under the supply of a pressure fluid. As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3795968, the present applicants have proposed a linear actuator, which is capable of transporting a workpiece that is mounted on a slide table by causing the slide table to move reciprocally in a straight line along a cylinder main body. However, with the aforementioned linear actuator, in recent years, there has been a demand to reduce manufacturing costs and to enhance ease of assembly by simplifying the structure of the linear actuator.
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a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor, a liquid crystal display substrate, a MIS type field effect transistor (MISFET), and their manufacture methods, and more particularly to a transistor having a lightly doped drain structure, a liquid display substrate having such transistors, and their manufacture methods.
b) Description of the Related Art
Thin film transistors (TFT) are used as switching elements of pixels of an active matrix type liquid crystal display device. A small off-current of TFT is necessary for holding electric charges accumulated by a pixel electrode. The off-current can be reduced by adopting a lightly doped drain (LDD) structure.
If both the source and drain regions of TFT have the LDD structure, an on-current reduces. In order to reduce the off-current and retain a sufficient on-current, it can be considered preferable if the LDD structure is formed only on the drain side.
For example, in order to form the LDD structure in only the drain region, first impurity ions are implanted into the drain and source regions at a low concentration. Thereafter, the area in the drain region at the low concentration is covered with a resist mask and impurity ions are implanted at a relatively high concentration. The source region is not covered with the resist mask. If the gate length is short, a high precision of position alignment is required when a resist mask is formed to cover the low concentration region on the drain side and expose the source region.
A TFT using a polysilicon thin film has a carrier mobility higher than a TFT using amorphous silicon. Therefore, by using polysilicon TFT, an image display area and its driver circuit can be formed on the same substrate. A larger on-current is required for TFT in the peripheral circuit than a switching TFT of each pixel. In this context, it may occur that the LDD structure is adopted for TFT in the pixel area and not for TFT in the peripheral circuit.
If the LDD structure is adopted for the source and drain regions of TFT in the pixel area and not adopted for TFT in the peripheral circuit, the number of photolithography processes increases more than if the LDD structure is adopted for all TFTs. An increase in the number of photography processes results in a higher manufacture cost and a lower manufacture yield.
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As is known in the art, medical image analysis plays an increasingly prominent role in Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) and therapy planning. As a preliminary stage of the analysis, segmentation of structures from medical images and reconstruction of these structures are difficult due to the large volume of the data involved and the complexity of the anatomic shapes of interest.
Three-dimensional (3D) visualization and labeling of rib structures, for example, in a CAD system provide important information for radiologists since they need to report any pathology pertaining to bones in a chest CT scan. The ribs have valuable properties common to bone tissues, i.e., they are rigid and stable in shape, and map to prominent intensities in CT data. Further, rib structures are highly ordered and symmetrical. Because of these features, rib feature group can be used for reliable registration and reference. To make full use of the structural advantages of the ribs, they should be extracted and labeled individually. There are 12 pairs of rib structures in a human body with 8-11 pairs visible in a chest CT volume dataset. They are connected at one end with the spine, and the upper pairs are also connected to the sternum.
Since 1970s, there have been many methods to detect and label ribs automatically in 2D chest radiographs, see an article by M. Park, J. S. Jin, and L. S. Wilson, entitled “Detection and Labeling ribs on expiration chest radiographs”, Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 5030 (2003), pp. 1021-1031; an article by F. Vogelsang, F. Weiler, J. Dahmen, M. Kilbinger, B. Wein and R. Gunther, entitled “Detection and compensation of rib structures in chest radiographs for diagnose assistance”, Proceedings of SPIE, vol. 3338, p. 774-785, 1998; and an article by De. Souza P, entitled “Automatic rib detection in chest radiographs”, Computer Vision Graphics and Image Processing. Vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 129-61, August 1983.
D. Kim, H. Kim and H. S. Kang, in a paper entitled “An object-tracking segmentation method: Vertebra and Rib segmentation in CT images”, Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 4684 (2002), pp. 1662-1671 proposed an object-tracking segmentation method to segment vertebra and ribs from 3D, CT images. But their goal was to remove vertebra and ribs for better visualization of some interested organs. Therefore, the focus of their method is to detect and prevent a leakage from propagation. The vertebra and ribs are removed as a whole.
M. Park, J. S. Jin, and L. S. Wilson, in a paper entitled “Detection and Labeling ribs on expiration chest radiographs”, Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 5030 (2003), pp. 1021-1031. The paper describes an attempt to make rib edges clear by producing an expiration lung field using a hemi-elliptical cavity. Based on the expiration lung field, the paper describes extracting the rib edges using canny edge detector and a connectivity method, referred to as “4 way with 10-neighbors connectivity”, to detect clavicle and rib edge candidates. Once the edge candidates are formed, the process selects the “best candidates” using knowledge-based constraints such as a gradient, length and location. The edges are paired and labeled as superior rib edge and inferior rib edge. Then the system uses the clavicle, which is obtained in a same method for the rib edge detection, as a landmark to label all detected ribs. This method is, however, for a two-dimensional (2D) chest x-ray system as distinguished from a 3D CT scanning system.
Efforts have also been spent on eliminating the ribs and other connected bone structures from the data by region-based approaches, see for example, a paper by G. Bohm, C. J. Knoll, M. L. Alcaniz-Raya, and S. E. Albalat, entitled “Three-dimensional segmentation of bone structures in CT images”, Proceedings of Medical Imaging on Image Processing, pp 277-286, 1999. Although the intensity of rib bone is much higher than the surrounding tissues, the region growing method discussed therein may not provide satisfying results in many cases because: 1) It is very difficult to determine the intensity threshold for the region growing method due to the fact that rib bones in different CT data have different intensity ranges and an adaptive threshold method does not work because of the complexity of the local surrounding structures. 2) The lowest bone intensity and the highest tissue intensity levels are quite close. With noise and partial volume effect, there is no clear-cut intensity threshold between bone and other tissues. 3) The region growing method cannot control its growing path and therefore results in leakage. 4) The intensity range of trabecular bones (interior layer of a rib) is much lower than that of cortical bones (exterior layer) which results in hollowness inside each rib. Also, the intensity of this dark region is non-uniform. Aside from the fact that all ribs and vertebras are connected as one piece, the bones are over-segmented, with many holes in each rib. The surfaces are also far from smooth. These are due to the non-uniform internal intensities of the bone. In short, the above work is only remotely associated with this application. The goal of this application is to individually and precisely segment the rib structures, not roughly removing all the bones as one piece.
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Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) configuration containing at least two memory cell arrays. In each of the memory cell arrays, memory cells are provided at the crossovers between word lines and bit lines, at least one line type containing the word lines and bit lines is provided with line driver circuits.
As is known, the memory effect of MRAMs is based on a variable resistance of the individual memory cells of the memory. A MRAM memory cell is situated at the crossover point of two lines, namely in particular between a word line and a bit line. The memory cell itself contains two magnetic layers isolated from one another by a thin dielectric layer.
The value of the electrical resistance of such an MRAM memory cell depends, then, on the polarization of the magnetic layers. If both layers are polarized in the same direction, a low value resistance is present in the memory cell, whereas a high value resistance of the electrical resistance is obtained in the event of mutually opposite polarization of the two magnetic layers. In other words, depending on the polarization of the magnetic layers, a high (↑) or low (↓) resistance results for the memory cell containing the two magnetic layers and the intervening dielectric layer.
Of the magnetic layers, one layer is composed of a soft-magnetic material, whereas the other layer is produced from a hard-magnetic material. The soft-magnetic material is chosen such that its polarization can be reversed by a writing current on the word line and the bit line while such polarization reversal by the writing currents is not intended to be possible in the case of the hard-magnetic material.
In order, then, that the magnetic layer made of soft-magnetic material can be polarized in two opposite directions, it is necessary that at least one of two programming currents through the bit line or through the word line can flow in both directions through the respective line. For only then can it be ensured at the crossover point between the word line and the bit line that, given correspondingly directed programming currents at the crossover point, the magnetic field for polarization reversal in the magnetic layer made of the soft-magnetic material is strong enough for the polarization reversal.
The currents which flow through the memory cell are tunneling currents through the thin dielectric layer, so that a xe2x80x9cmagnetic tunnel junctionxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ctunnel junctionxe2x80x9d is present, which is why the MRAM memory cell is also referred to as a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory cell.
In the MRAM configuration, high parasitic currents occur on a selected word line or bit line, the currents ultimately being brought about by the numerous crossover points between a selected word line, for example, and the bit lines that cross it. On account of these high parasitic currents, therefore, a large MRAM configuration can only be constructed from a plurality of smaller memory cell arrays. Therefore, however, that, for each memory cell array containing, for example, m word lines and n bit lines, a total of 2m+n or 2n+m line driver circuits are required. For the MPAM configuration in its entirety, containing 1 memory cell arrays for example, 1(2m+n) or 1(2n+m) line driver circuits are then required. For the line driver circuits, however, a large area is required on a chip containing the MRAM configuration, which is extremely undesirable.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a MRAM configuration which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type, in which the area requirement for the line driver circuits is reduced by effective assignment of the latter, thereby obtaining a space-saving architecture.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) configuration. The MRAM configuration contains at least two memory cell arrays. Each of the memory cell arrays has word lines, bit lines crossing the word lines, and memory cells disposed at crossover points between the word lines and the bit lines. Connecting nodes are provided, and one of the connecting nodes is disposed between and connecting each of the memory cell arrays to each other. Line driver circuits are connected to at least one of the word lines and the bit lines. The line driver circuits are respectively connected to the connecting nodes between the memory cell arrays. Switching transistors are provided. One of the switching transistors is disposed between one of the memory cell arrays and one of the connecting nodes so that the line driver circuits are respectively assigned to different ones of the memory cell arrays.
In the case of the MRAM configuration of the type mentioned in the introduction, the object is achieved according to the invention by virtue of the fact that the line driver circuits are respectively connected to connecting nodes between two memory cell arrays and a respective switching transistor is present between the connecting node and the two memory cell arrays.
In principle, the configuration of the MRAM configuration effects a departure from an obvious solution to the above problems which is based on respectively placing a current source or current sink at each end of a memory cell array. Rather, in the MRAM configuration according to the invention, the line driver circuits are disposed in such a way that they can be assigned to different memory cell arrays, which results in that the line driver circuits required in total are approximately halved compared with the prior art. Equally, it is possible to reduce the outlay for the current sources in the line driver circuits since a current source is allocated to two memory cell arrays in the present invention.
A development of the invention provides for the connecting node between two memory cell arrays to be connected to ground potential via an element having an adjustable voltage drop. As a result, a writing current, having traversed a memory cell array, readily passes to the ground potential via the output side connecting node of the memory cell array and the element having an adjustable voltage drop. By way of example, the adjustable voltage drop can be produced by a variable resistor, a variable transistor diode or an adjustable voltage source. The resulting adjustable voltage ensures that parasitic currents through the memory cells connected to the selective word or bit line can be minimized.
A respective series circuit containing a current source and a writing driver transistor is advantageously used for the line driver circuits. In this manner, the current source is assigned to two of the memory arrays. By way of example, an n-channel MOS field-effect transistor may be chosen for the writing driver transistor, and, moreover, this also applies to the switching transistor and the transistor diode.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a MRAM configuration, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
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1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a catalyst composition for selective catalytic reduction of exhaust gases and a process for its preparation. More specifically, such a catalyst composition may be used in catalyst application for the removal of NOx, especially in exhaust gas after treatment of diesel- and lean burn engines of automotive. In addition the catalyst composition may also be used in stationary applications (e.g. removal of NO in power plant stations).
2. Related Technology
The most widely employed technology for removal of NOx out of exhaust gases is S(elective) C(atalytic) R(eduction), e.g. O. Kröcher, Chapter 9 in <<Past and Present in DeNOx Catalysis>>, edited by P. Granger et al., published by Elsevier 2007. Accordingly, NOx is removed by Ammonia into Nitrogen and water according to the reaction:4NO+4NH3+O2=4N2+6H2O
For the stationary application mainly V2O5 doped TiO2/WO3 compositions are used commercially since 1970 to remove nitrogen oxide emissions of fossil fuel power plants.
Already 15 years ago, the idea was discussed to apply SCR also on mobile diesel engines, which is now an emerging technology for the NOx reduction from heavy duty diesel vehicles, passenger cars and off road machines.
A typical SCR system consists of a reduction catalyst, urea injection and dosing components, pipes and a storage tank. A huge number of modern catalysts are extruded substrates or coated substrates with Vanadium Pentaoxide (V2O5) as the catalytically active component.
Catalytic coatings of zeolite based SCR are currently being developed because of the limited temperature stability of the vanadium catalysts and the fact that Vanadium Pentaoxide (V2O5) has been classified as a health risk in some countries. Increased temperature stability is especially important in SCR catalysts installed downstream a particulate filter since relatively high temperatures are generated during filter regeneration (M. Rice, R. Mueller at al., Development of an Integrated NOx and PM Reduction Aftertreatment System: SCRi for Advanced Diesel Engines, SAE technical paper 2008-01-132, SAE World Congress Detroit, Mich. Apr. 14-17, 2008)
There are further reports on the commercially applied well known V2O5/WO3—TiO2 material for exhaust gas aftertreatment of automotives by O. Kröcher in Chapter 9, p. 267f in <<Past and Present in DeNOx Catalysis>>, edited by P. Granger et al.
According to the presentation given by Dirk Vatareck (Catalysts Automotive Applications, Argillon) at the 3rd CTI Forum SCR Systems (Bonn 9 Apr. 2008) Titania-tungsten oxide based catalysts containing V2O5 as active component are applied for making automotive catalysts in a huge number (approx. 4 Mio. Catalysts/year).
The preparation of V2O5 containing materials based on TiO2/WO3 which additionally may contain oxides out of transition metals, Rare Earths and other elements and the application in SCR is widely disclosed in numerous publications, patent applications and patents. For example GB 1 495 396 describes a catalyst composition containing as active ingredients oxides from titanium, at least one of molybdenum, tungsten, iron, vanadium, nickel, cobalt, copper, chromium and uranium, and as optional component(s) tin and/or at least one of silver, beryllium, magnesium, zinc, boron, aluminium, yttrium, rare earth metal, silicon, niobium, antimony, bismuth, manganese, thorium and zirconium, which oxides are present as an intimate mixture.
EP 787 521 describes the preparation of several V-containing catalysts based on TiO2/WO3 containing additional dopants such as Y2O3, B2O3, PbO, SnO2 the vanadium being present as Vanadiumpentaoxide V2O5.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,768 reports on V2O5 containing materials based on TiO2 as a support material and additional oxides out of transition metals as dopants. Additional SCR-Materials which contains V2O5 supported on TiO2 are also described in GB 1 430 730.
V2O5 containing materials which contain TiO2, SiO2, S and Oxides of Ce, Sn, Mo and W are reported in UK Appl. GB 2 149 680.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,947 describes V-containing denitration catalysts in which the vanadium is present in form of an oxide or a sulfate.
EP 1 145 762 A1 describes a process for the preparation of a vanadia SCR-catalyst supported on titania.
The main disadvantage of the V-based catalyst type is the limited stability at temperatures above 600° C.
A report on the stability of a SCR system based on TiO2/WO3/V2O5 is given by Jan M T et al. in Chemical Engineering & Technology, Vol. 30, No 10, 1440-1444, 2007. Accordingly a deactivation of the catalyst occurs since V2O5 melts at approx. 650° C.
A TiO2/WO3/V2O5 suitable SCR catalyst for NOx removal of Diesel-powered vehicles is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,849 B1, column 2. Although such a catalyst has shown good performance it was found that sustained high temperature operation can cause catalyst deactivation. Heavy duty diesel engines, which are almost exclusively charged, can produce exhaust gases at greater than 500° C. Under conditions of high load and/or high speed, and such temperatures deactivation of the catalyst may occur.
In the presentation of Dirk Vatareck (Catalysts Automotive Applications, Argillon) at the 3rd CTI Forum SCR Systems (Bonn 9 Apr. 2008) there were reported maximum operation temperatures for a TiO2/WO3/V2O5 catalyst of 550° C. and 580° C. for short term basis.
In view of the application under EURO 6 an improvement in thermal stability of a V2O5 containing TiO2/WO3 based catalyst was reported in the presentation of Dirk Vatareck (Catalysts Automotive Applications, Argillon) at the 3rd CTI Forum SCR Systems (Bonn 9 Apr. 2008). Accordingly a catalyst containing V2O5 as active component and a support material consisting of TiO2/WO3 and additionally containing Si may be operated at max. temp. of 600° C. and 650° on a short term basis.
Vanadium based systems with improved thermal stability are also reported by James. W. Girard et al., “Technical Advantages of Vanadium SCR Systems for Diesel NOx Control in Emerging Markets”, SAE technical paper 2008-01-132, SAE World Congress Detroit, Mich. Apr. 14-17, 2008. After ageing at 600° C./50 hrs the catalyst is still active. However, because of high exhaust gas temperatures possible during active Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) regeneration, vanadium SCR catalysts are usually not considered for these applications.
With increasingly stringent automobile exhaust emission regulations for Diesel vehicles (US 2010 and EURO 6 regulations) aftertreatment systems containing a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) as well as a SCR catalyst will be required in future. Such systems will demand a higher temperature stability of the SCR catalyst and V2O5 based systems are not considered to be viable for such an application as additionally to the problem of heat stability V2O5 may be exhausted also to the environment (J. Munch et al “Extruded Zeolite based Honeycomb Catalyst for NOx Removal from Diesel Exhaust, SAE Paper 2008-01-1024). Since the activity of SCR catalysts in the temperature range of 180-350° C. is important in the diesel application there have been established systems to improve catalytic activity in the low temperature range.
For example with the aid of a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) attached in front of the SCR system (NO being present as a majority (=more than 90%) in the raw emission of the diesel engine) is oxidized to form NO2. The NO2 can be used to burn up particulates and to improve the low temperature activity (in the range 180-350° C.), see M. Rice, R. Mueller at al., Development of an Integrated NOx and PM Reduction Aftertreatment System: SCRi for Advanced Diesel Engines, SAE technical paper 2008-01-132, SAE World Congress Detroit, Mich. Apr. 14-17, 2008.
In the same publication there are summarized the design parameters of two engine/aftertreatment scenarios for US 2010/Euro 6. One concept will lead to high particulate matters/low NOx with active regeneration of the PM-filter. The SCR catalyst proposed for the described scenario is a zeolite. Zeolites must be used since higher heat resistance of the SCR system is required due to the active regeneration of the PM filter.
The second concept comprises an engine concept which will lead to low concentrations of PM and low NOx concentrations. The SCR catalyst may consist of a vanadium based material or a zeolite. Both concepts will use a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) prior to the SCR treatment. The problem of low temperature activity of SCR catalysts is also addressed in US 2008/0234126 A1. It is described a method for the preparation of a vanadium/titania based catalyst with enhanced
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an extruded film processing system, and in particular to control systems utilized in extruded film processing systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Blown film extrusion lines are used to manufacture plastic bags and plastic sheets. A molten tube of plastic is extruded from an annular die, and then stretched and expanded to a larger diameter and a reduced radial thickness by the action of overhead nip rollers and internal air pressure. Typically, ambient air is entrained by one or more blowers. The ambient air provides a cooling medium, which absorbs heat from the molten material. This speeds up the change in state from a molten material back to a solid material.
Additionally, the ambient air entrained by the blowers is used to provide air pressure, which is utilized to control the size and thickness of the film tube. One type of blown film extrusion line utilizes air flow on the exterior surface of the film tube in order to absorb heat. A different, and more modern, type of blown film extrusion line utilizes both an external flow of cooling air and an internal flow of cooling air in order to cool and size the film tube. Whether the blown film tube is cooled from the interior surface, the exterior surface, or some combination of the two, one common problem in blown film extrusion lines is that of obtaining precise control over the diameter of the extruded film tube. Tight control over the diameter ensures uniform product dimensions, which includes the size of the extruded product, as well as the thickness of the plastic material.
Acoustic sensors may be utilized to gauge the diameter of the product. When such acoustic sensors are utilized, a feedback loop is established to alter dynamically one or more controllable variable of the process, such as blower speed, and/or temperature control over the cooling air stream.
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A typical example of the flexible display includes a film which is made of a synthetic resin such as polyimide (hereinafter, referred to as “plastic film”), and elements supported by the plastic film, such as TFTs (Thin Film Transistors) and OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes). The plastic film functions as a flexible substrate. The flexible display is encapsulated with a gas barrier film (encapsulation film) because an organic semiconductor layer which is a constituent of the OLED is likely to deteriorate due to water vapor.
Production of the above-described flexible display is carried out using a glass base on which a plastic film is formed over the upper surface. The glass base functions as a support (carrier) for keeping the shape of the plastic film flat during the production process. Elements such as TFTs and OLEDs, a gas barrier film, and the other constituents are formed on the plastic film, whereby the structure of a flexible OLED device is realized while it is supported by the glass base. Thereafter, the flexible OLED device is delaminated from the glass base and gains flexibility. The entirety of a portion in which elements such as TFTs and OLEDs are arrayed can be referred to as “functional layer region”.
According to the prior art, a sheet-like structure including a plurality of flexible OLED devices is delaminated from a glass base, and thereafter, optical parts and other constituents are mounted to this sheet-like structure. Thereafter, the sheet-like structure is divided into a plurality of flexible devices. This dividing is realized by, for example, laser beam irradiation.
Patent Document No. 1 discloses the method of irradiating the interface between each flexible OLED device and the glass base with laser light (lift-off light) in order to delaminate each flexible OLED device from the glass base (supporting substrate). According to the method disclosed in Patent Document No. 1, after irradiation with the lift-off light, respective flexible OLED devices are divided from one another, and each of the flexible OLED devices is delaminated from the glass base.
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Computer numerical control or “CNC” milling machines often must be precisely “leveled” in a manner which causes the vertical orientations of support contact points upon the undersurface of the machine's base or chassis to coincide with a horizontal plane. Ideally, leveling procedures performed upon such machines eliminate any warping, deflection, or distortion of any of such support contact points away from the horizontal plane. Such machine leveling is known to be facilitated or accomplished by adapting a milling machine's floor contacting feet or pedestals to function as vertically extendable and retractable hydraulic cylinders. Operation of such cylinder pedestals through selective injections and ejections of hydraulic fluid to and from the cylinders' interior fluid filled volumes is known to align a machine's base with the horizontal plane. Where such cylinder pedestals are arranged beneath a heavy milling center machine in a support matrix, operation of the cylinder pedestals either individually or in groupings gives rise to significant difficulties, complexities, and challenges. In such leveling operations, various groupings of cylinder pedestals or individual cylinder pedestals are alternatively raised, lowered, locked against fluid flow, and opened for equipment “floating” interchange of fluid volumes. In any such equipment leveling task, a multitude of such alternative operations directed to the cylinder pedestals may be required to be performed. Known assemblies, machinery and equipment which facilitate such a operations are cumbersome in use and time consuming.
The instant inventive assembly for hydraulic fluid actuated machine leveling solves or ameliorates such difficulties and challenges by providing and associating with a machine supporting matrix of hydraulic cylinder configured pedestals a specialized network of hydraulic fluid carrying conduits wherein hydraulic fluid flow and pressure is controlled by incorporation of a specialized combination of shutoff valves and a variable relief valve.
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{
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Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus of video encoding/decoding, and more particularly, to a method that performs intra prediction by using interpolation filtering while encoding and decoding.
Discussion of the Related Art
In general, a residual signal is generated by using intra prediction and inter prediction while video coding. The reason for acquiring the residual signal is that when the residual signal is coded with the residual signal, the quantity of data is small and a data compression rate increases and as the prediction is better, a signal of the residual signal is small.
In an intra prediction method, data of a current block is predicted by using contiguous pixels of the current block. A difference between an actual value and a prediction value is referred to as a residual signal block. In the case of HEVC, in the intra prediction method, 9 prediction modes used in the existing H.264/AVC increases to 35 predictions modes as illustrated in FIG. 1 to be more subdivided, and as a result, the prediction is performed (however, a planar prediction mode and a DC prediction mode are not shown in FIG. 1).
In the case of the inter prediction method, the current block is compared with blocks in contiguous pictures to find a most similar block. In this case, positional information (Vx, Vy) of the found block is referred to as a motion vector. A difference of pixels in the block between the current block and the prediction block predicted by the motion vector is referred to as the residual signal block (motion-compensated residual block).
As described above, a video encoding and decoding method is required, in which the intra prediction and the inter prediction are subdivided to decrease the quantity of data of the residual signal and a calculation quantity is small without degradation of codec performance by using efficient transform.
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The present invention relates to an improved tarnish remover. More particularly this invention relates to a tarnish remover/metal polish containing as essential ingredients a metal iodide such as potassium iodide, an acid, and water. The tarnish removers/metal polishes of this invention are effective, safe, and low in cost.
In the prior art many formulations have been proposed for removing tarnish and oxides from silver, copper, brass, and other metals. "Tarnish," as the term is used herein, embraces a film discoloration of the metal surface which occurs as a result of a chemical change in the metal as opposed to a mere physical soiling. An example is the formation of a sulfide or oxide film which is from all indications integral with the metal surface and similar to metal corrosion. The prior art formulations which have been proposed have been designed to either only remove the tarnish, etc., or to remove the tarnish, etc., and additionally repress the tendency of metal surfaces to re-tarnish or stain upon exposure to ordinary atmospheric conditions, thereby eliminating at least partially a periodic, time-consuming cleaning problem and to prevent a deterioration of the metal surfaces.
The prior art tarnish removers or metal polishes designed primarily to remove tarnish and stain conventionally comprise an abrasive material and a carrier such as water, a hydrocarbon solvent, or glycerine, either with or without a soap or an emulsified agent. Tarnish removers and metal polishes designed to repress tarnish and stain have included a film-forming material in the compositions such as waxes and resins so as to leave behind a thin coating, and in addition the use of anti-tarnish components such as a mercaptan or thiourea for the prevention of retarnishing. Exemplary prior art tarnish removers or metal polishes include the compositions described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,628,199 which utilize thiourea in an acidic dip-type silver and copper cleaning composition; U.S. Pat. No. 2,691,593 which discloses silver cleaning compositions in paste or liquid form containing abrasives, an emulsifying agent, a hydrocarbon carrier and, if desired, a mercaptan or thiourea; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,841,501 which discloses a silver polish containing a mild abrasive and a long chain alkyl mercaptan as an anti-tarnishing agent. The mercaptan apparently forms a thin protective film upon the silver and prevents retarnishing.
The aforesaid silver and copper cleaners and polishes are useful and have met with substantial approval. However, each has disadvantages and limitations. It has been found that certain of the acidic dip type formulations have a deleterious effect upon silverware, possibly resulting in more rapid retarnishing after the silver is again exposed to normal use and possibly causing removal of the silver surface. The compositions apparently function primarily as a cleaner and provide little or no protective coating. On the other hand, polishing compositions of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,691,593, because of the hydrophobic carrier employed, are relatively difficult to wash off the silver after polishing. There is also an indication that the silver tarnishes more easily after initial cleaning. The rapid retarnishing may be a result of more exposed silver surface due to scratches on the silverware. Some polish-type formulations are believed to remove some of the metal surface when used. Additionally, a number of the prior art polishes or tarnish removers containing chemicals, such as thiourea, have toxic characteristics, some suspected to be carcinogenic, and for that reason are not well received.
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{
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This application claims the benefit of the People's Republic of China Application No. 201110212538.5, filed on Jul. 22, 2011.
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{
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The present invention relates generally to apparatuses and methods for controlling a length of a brewing cycle during which time a brewer brews a beverage. The present invention more specifically relates to an apparatus and method for controlling a length of a brewing cycle during which time a brewer brews a beverage, where an initial brew time which is stored in a controller can be adjusted relatively easily.
Some automatic brewers which brew hot beverages, such as coffee or tea, provide that the length of a brewing cycle can be programmed into the brewer so that each time the brewer performs a brewing cycle, generally the same volume of beverage is brewed.
For example, some automatic brewers provide a controller which generally controls the brewing operation and the length of the brewing cycle. Additionally, a warmer switch, a brew button and a run/program switch are provided on the brewer. To initially set the length of the brewing cycle of the brewer, a user switches on the warmer switch causing a warmer in the brewer to turn on, then switches the run/program switch from a "run" setting to a "program" setting. Then, the user presses the brew button to begin brewing, and after allowing the brewing to continue until the desired amount of beverage has been brewed by the brewer, the user turns off the warmer switch or presses the brew button a second time. The controller programs the brewing cycle to be the length of time between the beginning of the brewing and the switching off of the warmer switch or the pressing of the brew button a second time by the user.
Subsequently, should the user wish to initiate a brewing cycle of the same length of time, the user switches the warmer switch on, switches the run/program switch from the "program" setting to the "run" setting and presses the brew button.
Should the user wish to adjust the length of the brewing cycle which has been previously programmed into the brewer, the user may repeat the entire above-described process, i.e. switches the warmer switch on, switches the run/program switch to a "program" setting, presses the brew button, and then either switches the warmer switch off or presses the brew button a second time.
Alternatively, on some automatic brewers, the user may turn an analog knob on the brewer to set the length of the brewing cycle. Then, after the brewer completes the brewing cycle, the user may adjust the setting of the analog knob depending on whether or not the previous setting had resulted in the desired volume of beverage being brewed. Using the analog knob on the brewer to adjust the brewing cycle often results in much trial and error where the user first sets the knob, and then waits to see if the setting provides the desired volume of beverage. If not, the user adjusts the knob before starting another brewing cycle.
Therefore, while one method of adjusting the brewing cycle requires a user to repeat the entire process of programming the length of brewing cycle into the brewer, the other method may require a user to go through much trial and error. In brewers which have multiple batch settings, the user may have to repeat either process with regard to more than one brewing cycle setting of the brewer.
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{
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Since the introduction of sound with film in 1927, there has been a steady evolution of technology used to capture the artistic intent of the motion picture sound track and to replay it in a cinema environment. In the 1930s, synchronized sound on disc gave way to variable area sound on film, which was further improved in the 1940s with theatrical acoustic considerations and improved loudspeaker design, along with early introduction of multi-track recording and steerable replay (using control tones to move sounds). In the 1950s and 1960s, magnetic striping of film allowed multi-channel playback in theatre, introducing surround channels and up to five screen channels in premium theatres.
In the 1970s Dolby introduced noise reduction, both in post-production and on film, along with a cost-effective means of encoding and distributing mixes with 3 screen channels and a mono surround channel. The quality of cinema sound was further improved in the 1980s with Dolby Spectral Recording (SR) noise reduction and certification programs such as THX. Dolby brought digital sound to the cinema during the 1990s with a 5.1 channel format that provides discrete left, center and right screen channels, left and right surround arrays and a subwoofer channel for low-frequency effects. Dolby Surround 7.1, introduced in 2010, increased the number of surround channels by splitting the existing left and right surround channels into four “zones.”
As the number of channels increases and the loudspeaker layout transitions from a planar two-dimensional (2D) array to a three-dimensional (3D) array including elevation, the task of positioning and rendering sounds becomes increasingly difficult. Improved audio authoring and rendering methods would be desirable.
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Many of today's entertainment or communication-related electronic user devices rely on receiving, transmitting, and/or using streaming digital data or content. Adaptive bit rate streaming is a technique for streaming digital data (particularly, multimedia content) over digital networks. Adaptive bit rate streaming may include detecting a bandwidth capacity and CPU capacity of the user device in real time and adjusting the quality of a video stream accordingly to allow continuous streaming with a highest quality stream of the different bit rate streams corresponding to a current bandwidth capacity and CPU capacity of the user device.
In some implementations, a streaming client of a user device may access a manifest file (also referred to as a variant playlist file) that identifies different streams of an identical piece of content available for download at differing bit rates. The streaming client may also access index files that identify segments of the streams, and the order in which the segments are to be played. In some instances, when starting streaming of content, the streaming client requests segments from the lowest bit rate stream from a streaming server.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to gaming, and more particularly to a device and method for dispensing game tickets for playing games of chance for monetary prizes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Gaming is a widely popular form of entertainment and an economically important industry. State-run lotteries and other games of chance produce significant amounts of revenue for funding various socially beneficial activities such as education, economic development, etc.
In the private sector, games of chance are often used for both fundraising and entertainment purposes. For example, various charitable, social and fraternal organizations purchase sets of game materials consisting of game cards and tickets. Game cards typically have break-open windows or scratch-off areas for concealing winning and losing symbols prior to purchase. Game tickets are typically folded and sealed for concealing winning and losing symbols prior to purchase. Players unfold them to reveal the symbols as the games are played. Winning game symbols typically entitle the players to monetary prize amounts. The games can be designed with predetermined payout percentages. The game operators are thus assured of predetermined profit amounts after all of the cards or tickets are sold and all of the prizes are awarded.
The prior art includes various devices for packaging, promoting, displaying, and dispensing game cards and tickets. For example, folded-and-sealed tickets have for many years been placed in transparent glass and plastic jars, thus acquiring the designation "jar ticket". However, jars are not well suited for packaging with modern, high-speed packaging equipment. Moreover, jars can be impractical to ship due to their size, shape, weight, and susceptibility to breakage. Cardboard boxes are therefore preferred for packaging and shipping game cards and tickets. However, a disadvantage with many of the cardboard boxes currently used for packaging and shipping game cards and tickets is that they are not particularly convenient for dispensing tickets. Game operators must therefore transfer the cards and tickets to other containers, such as jars, for display and sale. Although this distribution system is in widespread use, the labor and inconvenience associated with handling and transferring large volumes of cards and tickets are significant disadvantages.
The present invention addresses the disadvantages of previous devices and methods of packaging, shipping, displaying, and distributing cards and tickets for playing games of chance. Heretofore there has not been available a game ticket dispenser and dispensing method with the advantages and features of the present invention.
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{
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The invention relates to cover sleeves for pots, including flower pots. The invention arose from continuing development efforts directed toward providing cover sleeves for flower pots which are not only aesthetically pleasing but also provide functional advantages, ease of manufacture, and accommodate varying pot sizes including variances in standard sizes. The invention also arose out of continuing development efforts relating to the subject matter of commonly owned copending U.S. application Ser. No. 29/089,316, filed Jun. 12, 1998, incorporated herein by reference.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices used to interconnect the structural members of a building for the purpose of transferring forces between the structural members of a building, such as the wall of a building and the floor and/or roof framing systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Buildings can be subjected to excessive natural or abnormal forces (seismic, wind, blast, etc.) with disastrous consequences. Investigations have found that "tilt-up" buildings, especially older buildings with timber framed roof framing systems, are vulnerable to damage and/or collapse during earthquakes. Tilt-up buildings typically consist of a structure that is constructed with concrete wall panels that are precast horizontally on the ground, and after curing, tilted up into place.
Numerous tilt-up buildings are constructed with timber roof framing systems. One common type of timber roof framing system is referred to as a "panelized" system, and typically consists of longspan glulam beams, timber purlins, timber joists, and roof sheathing. The roof sheathing typically consists of 4'.times.8" sheets of plywood, and spans between the joists. The joists typically consist of 2.times.4's or 2.times.6's and span between the purlins. The purlins typically consist of 4.times.12's or 4.times.14's and span between the glulam beams. The plywood sheathing is typically oriented with the long dimension parallel to the joists, or perpendicular to the purlins. The joists are typically spaced 2 feet apart. The purlins are typically spaced 8 feet apart to accommodate the length of the plywood sheathing. The glulam beams are typically spaced 20 to 24 feet apart. Sections of the panelized roof are typically fabricated on the ground and raised into place with a crane or forklift. For installation purposes the joists and purlins are typically cut short to allow for field variations in the dimension between purlins and glulam beams.
In areas subject to high seismicity the connections between the concrete wall panels of many tilt-up buildings and the timber roof framing systems are commonly deficient when gauged by the currently established seismic design standards and/or recommendations for such buildings, and may present for the potential of a partial or complete collapse of the building during an earthquake. More particularly, in many older tilt-up type buildings this connection typically consists of only the nailing between the roof sheathing and the timber ledger that is bolted to the wall panel. When the wall panels try to separate from the roof diaphragm and roof framing system during an earthquake, this type of connection will typically subject the ledgers to "cross grain bending", a mechanism which is highly vulnerable to failure, and may allow for the potential of a partial or complete collapse of the building. This type of connection has been specifically disallowed since adoption of the 1973 edition of the Uniform Building Code.
It is generally recommended that tilt-up buildings with such deficiencies be retrofitted with new connections per the currently established seismic design standards and/or recommendations for such buildings. For tilt-up buildings with panelized roof framing systems, a common method of installing retrofit structural elements for the purposes of connecting the wall panels of these buildings to the roof diaphragms, for those wall panels oriented perpendicular to the joists or parallel to the purlins, consists of installing a series of timber struts that extend from the wall panel into the roof diaphragm. These struts are attached to the wall panels and interconnected with each other (across interceding purlins) with a variety of steel connection devices (plates, bent plates, holdowns, bolts, etc.). These connection devices are generally attached to the struts in an eccentric manner, but may be connected to the struts in a concentric manner. In some installations these steel connection devices include rods acting in tension and extending the full length of the struts. This assemblage of timber struts and connection devices and/or rods is referred to as a "dragline".
There are a number of potential problems associated with the above described retrofit installation of draglines. The steel connection devices used to interconnect the struts of a dragline are subject to improper installation, especially when a dragline is installed in a difficult location. In such situations the connection devices are prone to being improperly located, or aligned, and the bolt holes for the connection devices are prone to being oversized.
Ideally, the timber struts of a dragline should each be sized on an individual basis to fit precisely and tightly between two adjacent purlins, or between a purlin and a ledger. In practice, however, these struts are generally cut short to facilitate and expedite installation, and unless adequate shimming is provided at the end bearings of the timber struts, such practices provide for a poor overall dragline installation. In general, the proper installation of timber struts is relatively labor intensive and costly, especially when the strut ends must be cut at skewed angles to match existing conditions, or installed in difficult locations.
Ideally, draglines should be installed with nailing between the timber struts and the roof diaphragm (plywood sheathing). Such installations provide for a direct transfer of the seismic loads generated by a wall panel to the roof diaphragm during an earthquake. Typically, due to the costs and potential leakage problems associated with the removal and replacement of roofing, the nailing between the roof diaphragm and the timber struts is often omitted.
When draglines are installed without any nailing between the roof diaphragm and the timber struts, the seismic loads generated by a wall panel during an earthquake are transferred to the roof diaphragm via mobilization of the nailing between the roof diaphragm and the purlins connected to the draglines. In order to properly transfer these loads through the dragline, the end bearings of the timber struts must be tight. If the timber struts have been cut short and the end bearings have not been shimmed tight, then the purlins may be subjected to rotation, and the nailing between the roof diaphragm and the purlins may be subjected to unintended forces. This condition may potentially degrade the capacity of the purlins, as well as degrade the capacity of the nailing between the roof diaphragm and the purlins.
In practice, the timber struts of a dragline are frequently cut short, the end bearings are not shimmed tight, and the timber struts are not nailed to the diaphragm, resulting in a dragline installation that may not provide for the adequate transfer of seismic forces between a wall panel and a roof diaphragm.
Even if the timber struts are initially installed with tight end bearings, it is frequently the case that the timber struts are installed "green" and later shrink, leaving a gap at the end bearings, as they dry out. This can be avoided by using timber struts that have been pre-dried (kiln dried), or are non-shrink (Parallams), however the cost of these materials is significantly greater than that of green timber.
Typically, draglines are only designed for tension loads, and the struts are interconnected eccentrically. Recent investigations and studies of earthquake damaged tilt-up type buildings have recommended that draglines be designed for both tension and compression forces, and interconnected concentrically. Such recommendations intend to provide for a positive means of transferring the compression loads generated by a wall panel during an earthquake to the roof diaphragm, and eliminate problems associated with eccentric interconnections. The installation of concentric interconnections, and interconnections that are capable of resisting compression loads, incurs additional costs due to added steel connection devices, added shimming of strut end bearings, and added installation time.
In summary, the above described dragline installation is difficult to install, labor intensive, costly, and the installed quality is subject to significant variation.
In practice, draglines are typically installed without any nailing between the roof diaphragm and the timber struts. For this condition the seismic tension loads generated by a wall panel during an earthquake are transferred to the roof diaphragm by mobilizing the nailing between the roof diaphragm and the purlins attached to the dragline, and the roof joists adjacent to the dragline. In order to properly transfer these loads through the dragline, the end bearings between the timber struts of the dragline and the purlins must be tight, or must be shimmed tight.
Generally, the end connections used to secure the timber struts to the purlins or ledgers are inadequate in resisting and transferring the seismic design forces associated with a dragline. Unless the end bearings between the timber struts of the dragline and the purlins, as well as the end bearings between the roof joists and the purlins, are tight, or have been shimmed tight, the purlins may be subjected to unintended rotation and the nailing between the roof diaphragm and purlins may be subjected to unintended forces, and thus potentially degrade the capacity of the purlins, as well as degrade the capacity of the nailing between the roof diaphragm and the purlins.
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{
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The safe disposal of sewer effluents and water treatment requires measurements of suspended solid concentration in treatment pipes, culverts and other conduits.
A sewer effluent containing a low value of suspended solids may be subject to a reduced treatment or no treatment at all. A plant treating sewer effluents from several municipalities may bill those municipalities in accordance with the volume flow and the total suspended solids concentration measured on the intake conduits from each municipality.
In the past, intrusive periodical samplings of solids-carrying water were taken and analyzed in laboratories to provide needed information about the solids content of the water.
Various methods have been proposed to electronically measure total solids concentration in a volume of liquid, but no instrumentation has been provided for concurrently measuring suspended solids concentration as well as flow on a continuous, real time base.
This invention results from an attempt to provide a more practical instrumentation for use in sewer and water collection systems, distribution systems and treatment plants.
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1. Technical Field
Exemplary embodiment(s) of the present disclosure relate to the sport of fishing and, more particularly, to a line reeling apparatus for providing users with an easy and convenient means of assisting the relining of a reel with a damaged line of a fishing pole.
2. Prior Art
One of the most beloved and well known sports enjoyed by Americans is fishing. In fact, the estimated number of U.S. recreational anglers is well over 50 million, with more participants than golfing and tennis combined. An enduring American tradition, fishing is enjoyed by people of all ages and from all walks of life. Recent data released by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reveals that the sports fishing brings $116 billion worth of benefits to the local, state and national economies. Because sport fishing is extremely enjoyable, many participants find it suitable to fish whenever the time permits and the opportunity presents itself. Every child, boy or girl, remembers the first time their father or grandfather took them fishing.
In addition to reveling in the quality time spent in the beautiful outdoors with a respected adult, kids are very excited to try to lure an unsuspecting fish with their pole and bait. Nothing quite equates the sense of accomplishment felt by a child when he successfully catches a fish. The sudden jerks that signify a nibble on a line, the tense downward pull that ensures a hook has found its mark, and the frenzied reel-in of the line to find the prize swaying from the other end, all combine to foster feelings of glee and wonder for children who fish. With all the positive benefits of exposing youngsters to this thrilling sport, the first few attempts at teaching children the art are fishing can be a bit challenging.
Particularly, properly lining a reel onto a pole can be a bit daunting to young anglers. Trying to manipulate the thin material of the line and carefully wind it over the reel can be a frustrating endeavor, especially if the line jumps or becomes twisted and thus one must start the entire process over from the beginning. In addition, adults who experience hand ailments such as arthritis may find it painful, or even impossible, to manually reline. Often requiring the fisherman to seek assistance from a friend, relining a fishing pole can be a challenging endeavor that takes away much of the fun associated with this exciting sport.
Accordingly, a need remains for a reeling apparatus in order to overcome prior art shortcomings. The exemplary embodiment(s) satisfy such a need by providing an apparatus that is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, versatile in its applications, and designed for assisting the relining of a reel with a damaged line of a fishing pole.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-color light apparatus, and more particularly to a multi-color light apparatus with only two power wires to transmit data and power.
2. Description of Related Art
In winter, most people living in North America will decorate their houses with multi-color light apparatus to celebrate Christmas. The multi-color light apparatus includes many different illumination functions, such as showing different colors (red, green or blue color), flashing and so on.
Normally, the multi-color light apparatus with many different illumination functions is driven by a driving control integrated circuit (IC). The driving control IC will output different control signals to the multi-color light apparatus, so a plurality of light bulbs in the multi-color light apparatus will be randomly or sequentially turned on according to the control signals.
With reference to FIG. 3, a conventional driving control IC 30 includes a plurality of pins. Those pins include a red light output pin (OUTR), a green light output pin (OUTG), a blue light output pin (OUTB), a ground pin (GND), a signal output pin (SDO), a signal input pin (SDI), a mode set pin (SET) and a power input pin (VDD). The data signal is outputted from the driving control IC 30 via an electric wire. The power signal is outputted from the driving control IC 30 via another electric wire. Therefore, the conventional driving control IC 30 requires at least three electric wires (a data wire, a positive power wire and a negative power wire) to drive the multi-color light apparatus to perform many different illumination effects.
Accordingly, a need arises to develop a multi-color light apparatus without using too many wires, so the cost is reduced and the usage of the electric wires is minimized.
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The present invention relates to high-performance radiation sensitive resist compositions and their use in multilayer lithography processes to fabricate semiconductor devices. Specifically, the present invention is concerned with negative-tone silicon-containing resist compositions based on an acid catalyzed crosslinking of aqueous base soluble silicon-containing polymers. The resist composition of the present invention can be used as the top imaging layer in a multilayer, including bilayer, technique to fabricate semiconductor devices using various irradiation sources, such as mid-ultraviolet (UV), deep-UV (for example 248 nm, 193 nm and 157 nm), extreme UV, X-ray, e-beam and ion-beam irradiation.
In the manufacture of patterned devices such as semiconductor chips and chip carriers the steps of etching different layers which constitute the finished product are among the most critical and crucial steps involved.
In semiconductor manufacturing, optical lithography has been the main stream approach to pattern semiconductor devices. In typical prior art lithography processes, UV light is projected onto a silicon wafer coated with a layer of photosensitive resist through a mask that defines a particular circuitry pattern. Exposure to UV light, followed by subsequent baking, induces a photochemical reaction which changes the solubility of the exposed regions of the photosensitive resist. Thereafter, an appropriate developer, typically an aqueous base solution, is used to selectively remove the resist either in the exposed regions (positive-tone resists) or, in the unexposed region (negative-tone resists). The pattern thus defined is then imprinted on the silicon wafer by etching away the regions that are not protected by the resist with a dry or wet etch process.
The current state-of-the-art optical lithography uses DUV irradiation at a wavelength of 248 nm to print features as small as 250 nm in volume semiconductor manufacturing. The continued drive for the miniaturization of semiconductor devices places increasingly stringent requirements for resist materials, including high resolution, wide process latitude, good profile control and excellent plasma etch resistance for image transfer to substrate. Several techniques for enhancing the resolution, such as reduced irradiation wavelength (from 248 nm to 193 nm), higher numerical aperture (NA) of the exposure systems, use of alternate masks or illumination conditions, and reduced resist film thickness are currently being pursued. However, each of these approaches to enhance resolution suffers from various tradeoffs in process latitude, subsequent substrate etching and cost. For example, increasing NA of the exposure tools also leads to a dramatic reduction in the depth of focus. The reduction in the resist film thickness results in the concomitant detrimental effect of decreased etch resistance of the resist film for substrate etching. This detrimental effect is exasperated by the phenomenon of etch induced micro-channel formation during substrate etch, effectively rendering the top 0.2-0.3 um resist film useless as an etch mask for substrate etching.
It would therefore be desirable to provide for enhanced resolution without experiencing drawbacks of the prior art.
Furthermore, bilayer imaging schemes have been suggested. In a bilayer imaging scheme, typically, images are first defined in a thin, usually 0.1-0.3 um thick, silicon containing resist with a wet process on a relatively thick high absorbing organic underlayer. The images thus defined are then transferred into the underlayer through a selective and highly anisotropic oxygen reactive ion etching (O2 RIE) where silicon in the top imaging layer is converted into nonvolatile silicon oxides, thus acting as an etch mask. To be effective as etch mask, the top imaging layer needs to contain sufficient silicon, usually greater than 10 wt %.
The advantages of bilayer imaging over the conventional single layer imaging include higher resolution capability, wider process latitude, patterning high aspect ration features, and minimization of substrate contamination and thin film interference effects. Moreover, the thick organic underlayer offers superior substrate etch resistance. The bilayer imaging is most suitable for high NA exposure tools, imaging over substrate topography and patterning high aspect ratio patterns.
Various silicon-containing polymers have been used as polymer resins in the top imaging layer resists (see R. D. Miller and G. M. Wallraff, Advanced Materials for Optics and Electronics, p. 95 (1994)). One of the most widely used silicon-containing polymers is polysilsesquioxane. Both positive-tone and negative-tone resists have been developed using an aqueous base soluble polysilsesquioxane: poly(p-hydroxybenzylsilsesquioxane). For positive-tone bilayer resists, poly(p-hydroxybenzylsilsesquioxane) was modified with a diazo photoactive compound or an acid sensitive t-butyloxycarbonyl (t-BOC) for I-line and chemically amplified DUV lithography, respectively [U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,385,804, 5,422,223]. Positive-tone resists have also been developed by using dissolution inhibitors [U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,169]. For negative-tone bilayer resists, an azide functional group was chemically attached to poly(p-hydroxybenzylsilsesquioxane). Exposure of the azide functionalized poly(p-hydroxybenzylsilsesquioxane) caused crosslinking in the exposed regions. Thus, negative-tone images resulted. However, these bilayer resists suffer from inadequate resolution, low sensitivity, and poor resist profile in some cases due to high optical density.
In view of the state of prior art resists, it is desirable to develop new bilayer resists with high resolution, high sensitivity, and good profile control for patterning semiconductor circuities. In particular, new negative-tone silicon-containing resists are desirable since negative-tone resists generally offer advantages of better isolated feature resolution, good thermal stability, small isolated and dense feature bias.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a highly sensitive, high resolution negative-tone resist compositions with relatively high silicon content.
Another object of the present invention is to provide chemically amplified negative-tone silicon-containing resist compositions that can be used as top imaging layer resists in multilayer lithography for semiconductor manufacturing, and, in particular, in the patterning of semiconductor circuities.
These and other objects are achieved according to the present invention by an acid catalyzed, high contrast crosslinking of silicon-containing polymers bearing a phenolic moiety by using crosslinking agents that react with the hydroxyl group of the phenolic moiety in the silicon polymers (O-alkylation). These objectives are achieved also by using a bulky photo-generated acid to reduce acid diffusion for high resolution. More specifically, highly sensitive, high resolution chemically amplified negative-tone resists are obtained by acid catalyzed crosslinking of aqueous base soluble hydroxybenzylsilsesquioxane polymer via O-alkylation. These crosslinking agents include, but are not limited to, uril and melamine derivatives. The O-alkylation not only increases the molecular weight of the parent polymer but also converts the hydrophilic hydroxyl group in the parent polymer into a less hydrophilic phenolic ether group. Both lead to high contrast for the negative-tone resists.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed toward a silicon-containing negative-tone chemically amplified resist composition which comprises (a) an aqueous base soluble phenolic silicon-containing polymer or copolymer; (b) a crosslinking agent; (c) an acid generator; (d) a solvent for said polymer resin and crosslinking agent; and, optionally, (e) a photosensitizer that is capable of absorbing irradiation in the mid-UV, deep-UV (e.g. 248 nm, 193 nm and 157 nm), extreme-UV, X-ray, e-beam or ion-beam range. The chemically amplified resist composition of the present invention may further comprise (f) a base and/or (g) a surfactant. The crosslinking agent, acid generator, photosensitizer, base and surfactant can be either a single compound or a combination of two or more compounds of the same function.
A further aspect of the present invention involves using the silicon containing resist in a bilayer imaging scheme where a thin layer of the silicon-containing resist is applied and imaged on a thick, highly absorbing organic underlayer. The images thus formed are then transferred into the underlayer through anisotropic O2 or CO2 reactive ion etching.
Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein it is shown and described only the preferred embodiments of the invention, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
The present invention relates to a high sensitivity, high resolution, aqueous base developable silicon-containing negative-tone resist composition. The resist compositions of the present invention are especially suitable for the top imaging layers for bilayer imaging. In one embodiment of the invention, the high sensitivity, high resolution chemically amplified negative-tone resists are obtained by acid catalyzed crosslinking aqueous base soluble hydroxybenzylsilsesquioxane polymer and copolymers with crosslinking agents that react with the hydroxyl group (O-alkylation) of the silicon-containing polymers. Examples of suitable crosslinking agents include, but not limited to, uril and malamine derivatives.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the chemically amplified silicon-containing negative-tone resist composition comprises (a) an aqueous base soluble phenolic silicon-containing polymer or copolymer; (b) a crosslinking agent; (c) an acid generator; (d) a solvent for said polymer resin and the crosslinking agent; and, optionally, (e) a photosensitizer that is capable of absorbing irradiation in the mid-UV, deep-UV (e.g. 248 nm, 193 nm and 157 nm), extreme-UV, X-ray or e-beam range. The
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(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to riding mowers, and in particular, to a hydrostatically controlled rear steer mower with a front steering mechanism.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Lawnmowers are well known in the art and have been used for decades to maintain a lawn's appearance. In the prior art, the lawnmower design has typically been of the form of a riding mower that is propelled by the use of a gasoline or diesel engine. A mowing deck is located beneath the mower, and in some circumstances in front or behind of mower. The mowing deck is usually powered by the same gasoline or diesel mower that propels the vehicle. The mowing deck may contain a series of pulleys connected with mowing blades that operate in a rotational pattern to cut a lawn.
Many problems have plagued the riding lawnmower. In the past, riding lawnmowers were incapable of cornering in an acceptable turn radius. In order to correct this problem, the prior art implemented a rear steer mowing system, commonly called a zero turn mower. This rear steer mechanism made each rear wheel independently controllable by the operator and turning was facilitated by slowing the inner turn radius wheel while accelerating the outer turn radius wheel. However, these zero turn mowers were deficient in the regards that they were susceptible to loss of tire grip while cornering and on steep terrain. When the rider was operating the vehicle on a steep terrain, the higher elevated tire would lose contact with the terrain surface and thereby cause the mower to sway out of control from the operator. This created a dangerous and inefficient method of mowing.
Thus, there remains a need for a new and improved hydrostatically controlled rear steer mower that is capable of maintaining tire grip while traversing rough, uneven or highly sloped terrain.
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Software programs are subject to complex and evolving attacks by malware seeking to gain control of computer systems. These attacks can take on a variety of different forms ranging from attempts to crash the software program to subversion of the program for alternate purposes. Additionally, it is particularly difficult to protect the run-time data of the program. The protection of this run-time data is especially important when it involves the program's secrets and configuration information or digital rights protection keying material needed by applications to protect content in main memory and while in transit.
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In a conventional radiographic system, an x-ray source is actuated to direct a divergent area beam of x-rays through a patient. A cassette containing an x-ray sensitive screen and light and x-ray sensitive film is positioned in the x-ray path on a side of the patient opposite the source. Radiation passing through the patient's body is attenuated to varying degrees in accordance with the various types of tissue through which the x-rays pass. The attenuated x-rays emerge from the patient in a pattern and strike the phosphor screen which in turn exposes the film. The x-ray film is processed to yield a visible image which can be interpreted by a radiologist as defining internal body structure and/or condition of the patient.
In conventional systems of the type described above the x-ray source is mounted to a support structure. Such structure is commonly a ceiling supported, telescoping carriage which permits selection of various source to film distances. The weight of the source and associated componentry are counterbalanced against gravity via a spring motor and a cable/pulley arrangement. A support cable take-up drum or cam is provided to compensate for the variance in the spring tension force over the operative range of spring extension. The take-up drum is provided with a helical groove which receives the support cable. By decreasing the support cable drum take-up radius as the counterbalance springs are extended, a substantially constant counterbalance force is applied to the support cable. Further details of the above described counterbalance system can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,070 to Amor Jr. et al. which is owned by the present assignee.
It is to be noted that the above described counterbalance system is useful where the center of gravity of the moving component moves in a substantially vertical, straight line.
More recently, digital radiography techniques have been developed. In digital radiography, the source directs radiation through a patient's body to a detector in the beam path beyond the patient. The detector, by use of appropriate sensor means, responds to the incident radiation image to produce analog signals representing the sensed radiation, which signals are converted to digital information and fed to a digital data processing unit. The data processing unit records, and/or processes and enhances the digital data. A display unit responds to the appropriate digital data representing the image to convert the digital information back into analog form and produce a visual display of the patient's internal body structure.
Digital radiography includes radiographic techniques in which a thin spread beam of x-rays is used. In this technique, often called "scan" (or slit) projection radiography (SPR), a spread beam of x-rays are scanned across the patient's body, or the patient is movably interposed between the source and an array of individual cellular detector segments. In such an embodiment, relative movement is effected between the source/detector arrangement and the patient's body, keeping the detector aligned with the beam, such that a large area of the patient's body is scanned by the beam of x-rays.
One such SPR system is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. 4,626,688 to Barnes entitled Split Energy Level Radiation Detection and in the following publication:
Tesic, M. M. et al.; "Digital Radiography of the Chest: Design Features and Considerations For a Prototype Unit", Radiology, Vol. 148 No. 1, pp 259-64, July 1983.
The above described SPR Systems are configured such that the scanning motion is about a substantially vertical axis, i.e., the detector moves along a path defining an arc lying substantially in a horizontal plane.
It has also been proposed to provide an SPR system wherein the scanning motion is about a substantially horizontal axis thereby causing the detector to move along a path defining an arc lying substantially in a vertical plane.
In both configurations the scanning motion is provided by means of electromechanical servo-systems driven by controllable electric motors. An encoder is utilized to provide a closed loop feedback system wherein motor performance is adjusted in accordance with the sensed location of the detector.
In the second system wherein the scanning motion is about a horizontal axis, a difficulty is encountered in that the center of gravity of the rotating body rotates about the pivot point. The torque required to effect scanning motion about the pivot axis varies sinusoidally. A electromechanical servo system designed to compensate for the torque variations would be unduly complex. Further, a motor able to provide sufficient torque to overcome the system torque at the extremes of the scan motion would be large and prohibitively expensive.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a lightweight, reliable, simple and inexpensive counterbalance system which compensates for gravitation torques experienced in a system which rotates about a substantially horizontal axis thereby permitting the use of less costly and complex drive components.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to manufactured homes and more particularly to an improved frame for transporting a manufactured home that lowers the overall height of the manufactured home during the transportation thereof.
2. Background of the Invention
In recent years, the manufactured home industry has substantially increased the quality of materials and construction of manufactured homes. This increase in quality and construction has been the result of superior materials, superior construction techniques, and new innovations which have resulted in a substantial increase in performance with a reduction in cost.
In general, a manufactured home is erected in an automated manufacturing factory using modern patterns, assembly line, and modern assembly equipment. The use of these automation techniques substantially reduces the cost and the time of construction of the manufactured home. After the manufactured home is completed, the manufactured home is stored on supports to await transportation to a permanent site for the manufactured home.
The manufactured home is loaded on a transportation carrier for transportation to the permanent site for the manufactured home. The manufactured home is positioned onto the transportation carrier by crane or other lifting means. The transportation carrier comprises a steel frame assembly supported by plural axles and transport wheels. The transportation carrier includes a hitch for attaching the transportation carrier to a towing vehicle such as a truck for transporting the manufactured home to the permanent site.
After the manufactured home is towed to the permanent site, the manufactured home is removed from the transportation carrier by a crane or other lifting means and the manufactured home is positioned on a foundation at the permanent home site. After removal of the manufactured home, the carrier transport is towed back to the manufacturing factory by a towing vehicle such as a truck for use in delivering another manufactured home. Unfortunately, the carrier transport is returned to the manufacturing factory without a load thereby substantially increasing the overall cost of delivery of the manufactured home. It is estimated that the cost of returning the carrier transport to the manufacturing factory is approximately one dollar per mile. Furthermore, the task of moving the manufactured home from the carrier transport to the foundation at the permanent home site requires the use of a crane or other lifting means. Accordingly, the transportation and installation of manufactured homes requiring the use of a carrier transport substantially adds to the overall cost of the manufactured home.
Among the most significant construction innovations developed in the manufactured home industry is the use of a dual purpose flooring system for a manufactured home. The dual purpose flooring system for a manufactured home comprises plural longitudinally extending beams and a multiplicity of transverse cross beams. The plural longitudinally extending beams are preferably steel I-beams with the multiplicity of transverse cross beams comprising wooden trusses.
The dual purpose flooring system provides a first function for the manufactured home by providing a removable transport wheel assembly and a removable hitch assembly for transporting the manufactured home to the permanent home site. Preferably, a removable transport wheel assembly and a removable hitch assembly are secured to the plural longitudinally extending beams for transporting the manufactured home and eliminating the need for an independent transportation carrier. When the manufactured home reaches the permanent home site, the removable transport wheel assembly and a removable hitch assembly are removed from the manufactured home and are shipped to the manufacturing factory. Only the removable transport wheel assembly and a removable hitch assembly which comprise the most expensive portions of a transport carrier need to be returned to the manufacturing factory. In addition, the removable transport wheel assembly and a removable hitch may be returned to the manufacturing factory by a conventional freight carrier thus eliminating the need for using the towing vehicle as was the problem in the prior art manufactured home carrier transports.
The dual purpose flooring system provides a second function for the manufacturated home by providing a right floor for supporting the manufactured home at the permanent home site. The plural longitudinally extending beams remain with the manufactured home after removal of the removable transport wheel assembly and the removable hitch assembly to provide a rigid support to the permanently mounted manufactured home. The plural longitudinally extending beams remains with the manufactured home to add to the structural integrity and strength of the flooring system. Several examples of the aforementioned dual purpose flooring system are disclosed in the following U.S. Letters Patent of the presented inventor.
The dual purpose flooring system provides a third function for the manufactured home by reducing the overall height of the manufactured home when the manufactured home is being transported to the permanent home site. Since the removable transport wheel assembly and the removable hitch assembly are directly secured to the plural longitudinally extending beams of the manufactured home, the dual purpose flooring system reduces the overall height of the manufactured home, the dual purpose flooring system reduces the overall height of the manufactured home during transportation by the thickness of the frame of the carrier transport of the prior art.
Typically, the carrier comprises a steel structure fashioned from I-beams that are from ten to twelve inches in height. Typically, an axle is mounted on leaf springs which are secured to the bottom portion of each of the I-beams of the carrier. Accordingly, the frame of structure reduces the overall height of the building structure during transportation by the thickness of the carrier. Typically, the thickness of the carrier is ten to twelve inches.
The overall height of the building structure during transportation is extremely important since overall height of the building structure must be below the maximum permitted transportation height established by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The building structure must be below the maximum permitted transportation height in order to easily pass under typical roadway bridges, underpasses, tunnels and the like. Presently, the maximum permitted transportation height established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is thirteen feet six inches.
In the event the transportation height of a building structure exceeds fourteen feet, than the building structure must be preceded by a flag truck having a fourteen foot sensor to detect any roadway bridges, underpasses, tunnels and the like that would prevent the passing of the building structure thereunder. In the event the flag truck detects any roadway bridges, underpasses, tunnels and the like that would prevent the passing of the building structure thereunder this maximum permitted transportation height, the building structure must be routed to avoid this obstacle. Accordingly, the transportation of a building structure in excess of the maximum permitted transportation height adds significantly to the cost of the transportation.
The pitch or slope of the roof of a building structure is limited by the maximum permitted transportation height established by the U.S. Department of Transportation. A greater pitch or slope of a roof has a distinct advantage for building structures located in regions with inclement weather such as rain, snow or ice. Secondly, a greater pitch or slope of a roof approximates the pitch or slope of a roof of a site built home.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,299 to Lindsay discloses an improved floor assembly being incorporated into a mobile building. A pair of identical frame assemblies form the floor of the building each including a plurality of middle beams mounted to and atop lower beams and further including a pair of adjacent interior sidewalls attached to the middle beams and extending therebeneath being adjacent the lower beams. The exterior sidewalls are mounted to the frame assemblies. Wheeled carriages are removably mountable to the assemblies facilitating transportation of the assemblies to a building site. A skirt is permanently mounted externally to the sidewalls and extends adjacent the floor assembly. A bracket is connected to the middle beam and the bottom beam of each frame assembly and in addition is connected to a pole which supports the adjacent middle portions of the frame assemblies. The interior sidewalls are slidably received in the bracket. In an alternate embodiment, the floor frame assembly is incorporated into a floor joist.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,189 to Lindsay discloses a floor frame assembly, formed principally of wood material, having two load-bearing outer beams and front and rear end members defining a periphery and a plurality of transverse load-supporting trusses connected normal to the outer beam between the end members. In a preferred embodiment, each truss has an upper elongate member, a shorter central elongate member attached parallel thereto by vertical cross-braced elements, and on either side of the central member a braced vertical member spaced therefrom to provide gaps of predetermined height and width. Each truss also has an end portion of the upper elongate member in cantilever form for contact thereat with a load-supporting surface at the permanent location of the floor assembly, so that additional external beams or continuous wall surfaces to support the completed floor frame assembly and any superstructure thereon is rendered unnecessary. The floor frame assembly may be further supported by conventional piers or jackposts at points under two elongate, load-supporting, inner beams closely received and connected to the trusses within the gaps. These inner beams may optionally be made of wood material, wood material supported along the edges at selected portions by metal reinforcement, or entirely formed of I-section beam lengths. In one aspect of the invention, at least one of the load-supporting outer beams has a larger vertical dimension than the other outer beam and two floor frame assemblies thus formed may be united at their respective wider outer beams and provided additional support thereunder to generate a commensurately larger floor frame assembly structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,072 to Lindsay discloses a unified floor frame assembly having two elongate outer load supporting beams formed of elongate beam sections that are butt-spliced to be cambered in parallel vertical planes to counter forces that may tend to cause sagging of the floor frame assembly during transportation. At inner vertical perimeter surfaces of the elongate beams are provided attachment plates for attachment, first, of a wheel carrier assembly detachably mountable thereto with a plurality of wheels partially recessed within the floor frame assembly and, second, a towing hitch assembly attachable to a forward end of the floor frame assembly for applying a towing force thereat. A moisture, dirt, insect and pest excluding thin covering is provided underneath the floor frame assembly and sections of heating and ventilating ducting, piping, wiring and the like are includable during
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The present invention relates to power staple guns, and relates more particularly to such a power staple gun which has pairs of staple grooves for loading staples of different lengths, and marks for indexing the loading of staples of different lengths.
Various power staple guns are well known, and intensively used for driving staples into workpieces. FIG. 1 shows a power staple gun according to the prior art, which comprises a gun body 16 having a staple nozzle 15 at one end, a coupling frame 17 at an opposite end, a magazine 10 connected between the staple nozzle 15 and the coupling frame 17 and defining two parallel staple grooves 14 for loading staples 12, and a follower member 11 for pushing staples 12 toward the nail nozzle 15. The magazine 10 further has a rectangular staple loading port 13 at one side for loading staples 12 in the staple grooves 14. When the follower member 11 is pulled backwards toward the coupling frame 17, staples 12 can then be inserted through the staple loading port 13 into the staple grooves 14. When staples 12 are loaded, the follower member 11 is released from hand to move the staples 12 forwards. If long staples are used, they can be loaded in the magazine 10 from the top side. This structure of power staple gun is still not satisfactory in function. One drawback of this structure of power staple gun is its limited application. Because the power staple gun has only one pair of staple grooves, only limited sizes of staples can be used. Another drawback of this structure power staple gun is that there is no indexing means to show staples of different specifications. When staples of different sizes are alternatively used, wrong staples may be loaded and driven into workpieces. Furthermore, when buying staples, the user shall have to check if the staples fit the power staple gun.
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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a screen on which an image is projected.
2. Related Art
There has been known a screen having a plurality of lens elements formed on a light-incident surface on which light is incident, each of which reflects the incident light (see JP-A-2006-215162, for example).
The screen described in JP-A-2006-215162 is so configured that a plurality of unit shape portions having the same shape are regularly disposed two-dimensionally on a surface of a substrate sheet and each of the unit shape portions is formed of a semispherical or convex-lens-shaped protruding portion. A reflection surface is formed on the surface of each of the unit shape portions in a section where light is incident from a projector disposed in advance in an intended position. Projection light obliquely projected from a position in front of the screen is diffused and reflected off the reflection surface of each of the unit shape portions, whereby viewers in a wide viewing range can view a projected image.
However, since the unit shape portions on the screen described in JP-A-2006-215162 are regularly arranged two-dimensionally, light fluxes that exit from adjacent unit shape portions travel along substantially the same optical paths and reach a predetermined viewing position, likely causing a moire pattern (interference fringes) and scintillation in a projected image. Such a moire pattern and scintillation tend to degrade the displayed image.
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{
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air-fuel mixture intake apparatus having a two-barrel or duplex carburetor for internal combustion engines.
2. Prior Art
There has been a strong need for internal combustion engines which will emit a reduced amount of pollutants such as carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons and improve fuel economy without impairing engine performance and lowering the thermal efficiency of engines.
Various systems such as lean air-fuel mixture combustion systems or EGR systems have been practiced to reduce harmful components in the exhaust gas and achieve better mileage. These known systems have proven unsatisfactory in that in low-load operating conditions or especially in low-speed, low-load operating conditions, the volumetric efficiency of an air-fuel mixture introduced into a combustion chamber is low and an increased amount of exhaust gas tends to remain in the combustion chamber, and the air-fuel mixture in the chamber cannot easily be ignited. Furthermore, the speed of combustion and hence the speed of travel of flames are low, resulting in unstable fuel combustion in the combustion chamber. The foregoing systems thus have the disadvantages of low thermal efficiency and sluggish engine operation.
Improved engine performance, efficiency and fuel economy accompanied by better emission control can be best achieved by speeding up fuel combustion in combustion chambers. To increase the rate of combustion, there have been proposed many arrangements which are designed to burn an air-fuel mixture at a higher speed by developing disturbances in the air-fuel mixture, to promote fuel carburetion, and to uniformize fuel distribution among engine cylinders.
One of the proposed arrangements comprises an auxiliary intake passage for generating swirls in a combustion chamber during the intake stroke. Another proposal is composed of a combustion of primary and secondary intake passages, with primary and secondary throttle valves located closely to a combustion chamber in some applications. According to still another construction, a projection or a valve is disposed adjacent to an intake valve to produce a biased flow of airflow mixture.
The auxiliary intake passage is designed to introduce an air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber at a high speed. With the cross section of a main intake passage being selected to suit high-speed, high-load engine operation, the speed of flow of the air-fuel mixture becomes reduced in lowload operating ranges in which the volumetric efficiency is small, with the results that sufficient swirls will not be generated in a combined flow of air-fuel mixtures from the main and auxiliary intake passages. The auxiliary intake passage is less effective to produce swirls than desired under medium and high load conditions in which the throttle valve is wide open and the boost pressure is relatively small. With the auxiliary intake passage, fuel tends to be less atomized during idling operation due to a bypassing flow of air-fuel mixture.
The speed of flow of air through the venturi of a carburetor is low and hence fuel is not fully atomized in low-load engine operation. Such insufficient fuel atomization causes fuel in a liquid form to flow down an intake passage into a combustion chamber, with the result that air and fuel will not be mixed uniformly and fuel will not be distributed uniformly among engine cylinders, resulting in poor fuel combustion in the engine cylinders.
To improve fuel combustion in low-load operating conditions, there has been devised a carburetor having a variable venturi which is variable in cross section in order to keep substantially constant the speed of flow of air through the venturi where a fuel discharge nozzle is located, irrespective of varying amounts of air flowing through the venturi. Although the variable venturi enables an engine to operate relatively stably and flexibly in a wide operating range from low load to full load conditions, it fails to effect stable air flow control when the throttle valve opens slightly because the venturi cross section does not change appreciably even if the opening of the throttle valve varies. Therefore, exhaust gas purification cannot be achieved by the variable venturi while the engine operates under small loads.
There have been known internal combustion engines equipped with a duplex or two-barrel carburetor or with primary and secondary intake passages for each engine cylinder, the secondary intake passage being put into service under certain load conditions. Such an intake system is more advantageous than single-carburetor intake systems in that it can effect better fuel atomization particularly in low to medium load ranges, cause more disturbances in the air-fuel mixture in a combustion chamber, and improve the rate of fuel combustion. An internal corbustion engine having a secondary throttle valve provided for each engine cylinder and actuatable when the engine is subjected to a higher load can prevent interference between the cylinders such as leakage of the air-fuel mixture therebetween on the secondary side, resulting in better fuel distribution among the engine cylinders. When secondary throttle valves are inadequate in their opening and closing motions or cannot be closed completely, the engine operation becomes as unstable as there are such defective secondary throttle valves since each engine cylinder is equipped with a secondary throttle valve. During deceleration, the secondary throttle valves subjected to bouncing or re-opening motion under a large negative pressure developed in the combustion chambers, with the consequences that stability and recovery of idling operation are poor, and the rpm of the engine during idling operation is relatively high, resulting in worse fuel economy. Furthermore, the secondary throttle valves open rapidly during acceleration, and hence the engine performance becomes impaired in the acceleration mode due to retarded fuel introduction into the engine cylinders.
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Cast copper alloy ingot CAC406, which has heretofore been used for parts of water supply systems and devices, contain 4.0 to 6.0% by weight of lead. Thus, lead in this material tends to dissolve into tap water. In order to reduce the amount of toxic lead that dissolves into tap water, consideration is now being given to developing lead-reduced or lead-free copper alloys.
But such lead-reduced or lead-free copper alloys are difficult to cast and cut, and also tend to be low in pressure resistance. Valves made of such alloys therefore tend to cause water leakage. Alloys are thus being considered that are not only low in lead content, but sufficiently high in pressure resistance and other necessary properties compared to alloys that are higher in lead content.
Among such alloys is one disclosed in Patent document 1, to which bismuth and selenium are added to improve machinability. Patent document 2 discloses an alloy to which silicon and magnesium are added to improve strength and leaching properties.
[Patent document 1] JP Patent publication 2004-68096A
[Patent document 2] JP patent publication 2004-52106A
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which transmits an ultrasonic beam from an ultrasonic probe to a subject, such as a biological body, receives the echoes from the subject, and obtains ultrasonic image data on the subject, and more particularly to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic diagnostic method which adjust a transmission voltage sent to an ultrasonic probe to the optimum value.
2. Description of the Related Art
With an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasonic probe is brought into contact with a subject, such as a biological body. In this state, the ultrasonic probe transmits an ultrasonic beam to the inside of the subject and receives the echoes from the inside of the subject, thereby acquiring ultrasonic image data on the subject. The ultrasonic probe transmits an ultrasonic beam of acoustic power corresponding to a transmission voltage specified by a system control unit of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. As for the transmission voltage to the ultrasonic probe, a transmission voltage preset within an acoustic power limit range by the system control unit is set as the maximum transmission voltage.
The ultrasonic beam is adjusted according to the type of subject, such as an unborn baby or an internal organ, so as not to transmit high acoustic power to the subject. The acoustic power of the ultrasonic beam is adjusted by the user manually operating an acoustic power adjustment switch provided on the panel of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. The acoustic power adjustment of the ultrasonic beam is made in the acoustic power limit range by the manual operation, with the transmission voltage calculated by the system control unit being used as the maximum transmission voltage.
In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, too, the safety of acoustic power of an ultrasonic beam is required. The transmission voltage for the ultrasonic beam is set to a transmission voltage calculated in advance by the system control unit. Accordingly, when an actual subject is diagnosed, the acoustic power of the ultrasonic beam has to be limited for the region which needs no diagnosis in the subject. To limit the acoustic power of the ultrasonic beam, the user operates the acoustic power adjustment switch manually, thereby adjusting the acoustic power of the ultrasonic beam to the optimum value. Such an adjustment of the acoustic power of the ultrasonic beam is made for, for example, each of a plurality of diagnostic regions of the subject.
However, when the user operates the acoustic power adjustment switch manually for each of the plurality of diagnostic regions to optimize the acoustic power of the ultrasonic beam, this decreases the diagnostic throughput of the diagnostic regions. Moreover, since a plurality of diagnostic regions of the subject are diagnosed, the total time required for the diagnostic regions becomes longer. Consequently, the irradiation time of the ultrasonic beam to the subject becomes longer.
The technique for not only controlling a method of driving a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators included in an ultrasonic probe in an ultrasonic Doppler spectrum method so as to follow the heat generation limit or acoustic output limit but also observing the Doppler spectrum with high sensitivity has been disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-305129. Specifically, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-305129 has disclosed a method of switching between a power mode in which the amplitudes of the driving signals corresponding to a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators are relatively high and a power mode in which the amplitudes of the driving signals are relatively low in synchronization with the biological signal of the subject.
It is an object of the invention to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic diagnostic method which are capable of adjusting a transmission voltage sent to an ultrasonic probe according to a subject to an optimum value automatically.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to three-piece solid golf balls comprising a center core, an intermediate layer, and a cover and more particularly, to three-piece solid golf balls which are improved in feeling on impact, controllability, and durability.
2. Prior Art
Among a variety of golf balls, thread-wound golf balls and solid golf balls are now popular. The solid golf balls are currently increasing to be a mainstream product. Among them, two-piece solid golf balls consisting of a core and a cover are most widespread.
Most amateur golfers are fond of two-piece solid golf balls which have excellent flying performance and durability although these balls have the disadvantages of a very hard feel on hitting and low control due to rapid ball separation on hitting. For this reason, many of professional golfers and skilled amateur golfers who impose weight on feeling and control prefer wound golf balls, especially wound golf balls using a soft balata cover, to two-piece solid golf balls. The wound golf balls are superior in feeling and control, but inferior in flying distance and durability to the two-piece solid golf balls.
Under the present situation that two-piece solid golf balls and wound golf balls have contradictory characteristics as mentioned above, players make a choice of golf balls depending on their own skill and taste.
In order to develop solid golf balls having a hitting feel approximate to the wound golf balls, two-piece solid golf balls of the soft type have been considered. For such two-piece solid golf balls of the soft type, soft cores must be used. If the cores are soft, however, repulsion becomes low with a concomitant loss of flying performance and durability is considerably deteriorated. That is, the superior flying performance and durability which are a characteristic of two-piece solid golf balls are lost, and in an extreme case, the balls become unacceptable for practical use.
Controllability, which is required even on full shots with drivers, is most important on control shots like approach shots. In an exemplary situation that the next shot should fly beyond the bunker and a short distance from the green edge to the cup, the player who is either professional or amateur will naturally wish to hit a ball with a minimal run. Such controllability of a golf ball largely depends on spin properties.
On a full shot with a club having a relatively large loft, the club loft is dominant to that the ball itself so that almost all balls are given an appropriate amount of spin and few balls overrun. However, on a approach shot over a short distance of 30 or 50 yards, balls will significantly vary in run or controllability. The major factor causing such a difference is not a basic structure, but the identity of cover material. In two-piece solid golf balls, however, covers made of soft material are effective for improving controllability, but detrimental for gaining flying distance.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus that picks up an image by using a solid state image pickup device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, image pickup apparatuses using solid state image pickup devices have been widely used in various apparatuses including the case of medical endoscopes.
In the case of a medical endoscope that is inserted into a body cavity, it is necessary to achieve diameter reduction to reduce a pain given to a patient by reducing an outside diameter of an insertion portion that is inserted into the body cavity, and it becomes necessary to reduce a size of a solid state image pickup device that is disposed in a distal end portion of the insertion portion.
In order to reduce the size of the solid state image pickup device which is disposed in the distal end portion of the insertion portion, it is conceivable to configure some pixels at a peripheral side of pixels forming a light receiving portion to have a configuration of effective pixels having no optical black pixels (OB pixels) that generate signals of black levels on an picked-up image by mechanically blocking light from reaching some pixels at the peripheral side of the pixels forming the light receiving section.
Although it becomes possible to reduce the size of the solid state image pickup device which is disposed in the distal end portion of the insertion portion by adopting the solid state image pickup device having no OB pixels in this way, the black levels on the picked-up image is in an indefinite state by adopting the configuration having no OB pixels, and the entire image becomes white (black floating) or becomes unnatural black (black sinking) on monitor display, so that a circuit configuration that generates signals of black levels is needed.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-019577 as a first prior example discloses an image pickup apparatus including a mechanical shutter configured to capture an object optical image, an image pickup device configured to output an image signal based on the object optical image incident through the mechanical shutter, storage means configured to hold the output from the image pickup device in a light shielding state time by the shutter as a dark output, and correction means configured to estimate noise components in an actual photographing time based on an exposure time period at the actual photographing time at which the object optical image is captured through the mechanical shutter, and the dark output stored in the storage means, and remove the estimated noise components from the output of the image pickup device at the actual photographing time to output the output of the image pickup device.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2014-82698 as a second prior example discloses an image pickup apparatus including an image pickup device capable of acquiring a first photographed image and a second photographed image in one image output period, image judging means configured to judge whether or not to acquire an image for dark shading correction in accordance with photographing conditions, image acquisition means configured to acquire the image for dark shading correction instead of the second photographed image when the image judging means judges to acquire the image for dark shading correction, and image correction means configured to correct the first photographed image and the second photographed image by using the image for dark shading correction.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a protective structure and to a protective system for protecting buildings, streets, and other areas from explosions caused by an explosive device such as a bomb. More particularly, the protective structure and protective system employ a membrane-like mesh structure made up of, for example, steel wire. The mesh structure surrounds a composite fill material such as reinforced concrete. The protective structure deflects in response to and absorbs the energy associated with the blast load of an explosion, and the mesh structure prevents composite fragments from injuring people or property in the vicinity of the explosion. The protective structure may be sacrificial in nature, i.e., its sole purpose is to absorb the energy from the explosive shock wave and contain composite debris caused by the explosion, or the protective structure may be employed as a load-bearing structural component. Accordingly, this results in reduction in personal injury and property damage due to the explosion.
2. Background Information
Protection of people, buildings, bridges etc. from attacks by car or truck bombs, remote controlled explosives, etc. is of increasing importance and necessity. The explosive force or pressure wave generated by an explosive device such as a car bomb may be sufficient (depending on the size of the explosive device used) to disintegrate a composite wall, thereby causing shrapnel-like pieces of composite to be launched in all directions, and causing additional personal injury and property damage.
Conventional reinforced composite structures such as reinforced concrete walls are well known to those skilled in the art. Such conventional structures typically employ steel reinforcement bars embedded within the composite structure or wall. However, in the case of an explosion or blast load which may generate a pressure wave in excess of tens of thousands of psi, a conventional reinforced composite structure will be ineffective in providing sufficient protection, and the blast load will cause disintegration of the composite, thereby causing shrapnel-like pieces of composite to be launched in all directions, and causing additional personal injury and property damage.
One example of a proposed solution for this problem is the Adler Blast Wall™ which, is made up of front and back face plates which contain a reinforced concrete fill material. According to the developers of the Adler Blast Wall™, if an explosion occurs proximate to the front face plate, the back face plate will catch any concrete debris which results from the explosion. However, if the back face plate of the Adler Blast Wall™ is sufficiently displaced in the horizontal or vertical direction due to the explosion, small pieces of concrete debris traveling at high velocities may escape, thereby causing personal injury or property damage. Accordingly, there is a need for a protective structure which further minimizes the possibility that such small pieces of concrete debris traveling at high velocities will escape the protective structure employed.
It is a first object of this invention to provide a blast resistant protective structure which minimizes the possibility that small pieces of concrete debris traveling at high velocities will escape the protective structure in the event of an explosion or blast load proximate to the structure.
It is one feature of the protective structure of this invention that it employs a membrane-like mesh structure made up of, for example, steel wire, and structural steel cables in contact with the mesh structure, for example welded to the mesh structure forming a cage around it, or interwoven into the mesh structure. The mesh structure is compressible in all three dimensions, and surrounds a composite fill material such as reinforced concrete, fiber reinforced plastics, molded plastics, or other composite plastics. In the event of an explosion proximate to the protective structure of this invention, the mesh structure advantageously prevents composite fragments produced due to disintegration of the composite fill material of the protective structure from injuring people or property in the vicinity of the explosion.
It is another feature of the protective structure of this invention that, in the event of an explosion proximate to the protective structure of this invention, the protective structure deflects in response to and absorbs the energy associated with the blast load of the explosion.
It is a second object of this invention to provide a protective system which employs a number of the above described protective structures which are joined together via a number of support members, thereby providing a protective wall of sufficient length to provide more complete protection of a given area as well as additional ease of construction and use. The protective system may be used, but is not limited to use in constructing buildings, tunnels, portals etc.
It is a feature of the protective system of the invention that the support members be capable of receiving the respective ends of the protective structures to provide an integrated wall structure.
It is another feature of the protective system of the invention that the support members may also employ a mesh structure made up of, for example, steel wire. The mesh structure may surround a composite fill material such as reinforced concrete, fiber reinforced plastics, molded plastics, or other composite plastics. Thus, in the event of an explosion proximate to the protective system of this invention, the mesh structure prevents concrete fragments produced due to disintegration of the concrete fill material of the support members from injuring people or property in the vicinity of the explosion.
Other objects, features and advantages of the protective structure and protective system of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the detailed description of the invention set forth herein.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device modeling method of modeling the electrical characteristic of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device to simulate a circuit that includes the ESD protection device and an ESD simulation method of simulating the ESD protection device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the ESD destruction of a device becomes a serious problem in the large scale integration or miniaturization of semiconductor integrated circuits and the self-aligned silicide (Salicide) process for reducing the resistance between devices, making it necessary to use an ESD protection device. The conventional ESD protection device and ESD protection circuit simulation, however, are very complicated and difficult to set each parameter for modeling the device.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. 2001-339052 discloses a method of simulating a protective circuit against the ESD destruction. That is, to model an ESD protection device, first, a model for the equivalent circuit of an ESD protection device is made, and measurement is taken for the device made by the final process or the physical parameter is extracted from the electrical characteristic obtained by the device simulation to form an equivalent circuit. Then, 100 or more model parameters of the equivalent circuit must be further fitted or adjusted.
This method is applicable to a relatively large IC by way of the equivalent circuit of the ESD protection device. However, the formation of the equivalent circuit needs the adjustment of many parameters. In addition, if the production process is changed by circuit correction, for example, no simple operation, such as parameter change, can solve the problem. That is, if the production process is changed, the model parameters for the previous modeling are no longer useable, and the model parameters for forming the equivalent circuit must be adjusted again. Moreover, the above method is only a circuit simulation and fails to specify the destruction location by ESD.
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Computer systems generally have several levels of memory; each level of memory can provide differing levels of speed, memory capacity, physical size, power requirements, voltage levels and/or volatility. These aspects are often at odds with each other. For example, increases in speed often lead to corresponding increases in power requirements. For this reason, many systems use a variety of different memories within the same system. From the view of the processor these memories are often hidden in the sense that common data is temporarily cached in smaller and faster memory circuits. This common data is mapped to larger and slower memory circuits, which are accessed when the faster memory does not contain the desired data. The common data, if changed in the cached memory, can eventually be written to the larger and slower memory circuits. This allows for the slow memory access time to be hidden so long as the faster memory contains the appropriately mapped data.
Computer systems generally contain some type of mass-storage memory that is able to store data when the computer system is powered down or when the memory otherwise loses power. This type of memory is referred to as nonvolatile memory because it is able to maintain data integrity when the computer system is not powered. Nonvolatile memory, however, can be slower by orders of magnitude relative to various volatile memories. Yet, nonvolatile can also be less expensive (per unit of memory capacity) and/or less power hungry. A common type of nonvolatile mass-storage memory device is a hard disc drive (HDD) that uses a rotating magnetic media. HDDs are used for home-computers, servers, enterprise applications and various other devices. Under normal operation a computer system transfers sensitive data from temporary memory to a HDD before the computer system is powered down. This allows for the sensitive data to be saved in memory that persists after the power is removed from the computer system. When the computer system is subsequently powered up, this data can be accessed and used by the computer system.
HDDs with rotating magnetic media have been in use for many years and have undergone various improvements including efficiency, reliability and memory capacity. Various data storage applications, however, are beginning to use other types of memory with more frequency. Solid State Devices (SSDs) are one such type of memory, and are attractive for many applications. Speed, cost and power requirements also factor into the selection of data storage devices such as SSDs or HDDs.
In addition to the above, power consumption is an important factor in most data storage systems, and effectively managing power consumption at startup can be particularly difficult. Generally, capacitive circuits draw a significant amount of power upon turn-on, as do motors used to drive HDD spindles. This can present challenges such as those relating to one or more of cost, power supply lifetime, etc.
While SSDs are useful in various applications, aspects of their operation and implementation remain challenging. For example, the above-discussed power consumption issues can be challenging to the implementation of capacitive-type SSD circuits, HDD drives, and to combinations of such drives. Power consumption issues are further exasperated when many of these drives draw power from a common power source. Providing power in an efficient, reliable and inexpensive manner has been challenging.
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The present invention is directed to an ergonomically improved duty gear belt worn by police officers or military personnel which is conically contoured and can be worn around the hips to distribute the load of duty gear components over wider areas of the hips.
Law enforcement, military personnel and the like require an extensive array of accessories to perform their assigned duties. For example, police officers carry a wide range of accessories such as a night stick, a flashlight, a chemical agent dispenser, handcuffs, communications radio, firearms, and extra ammunition magazines for their firearm. The total weight of these accessories can often reach up to 25 pounds. Typically, these accessories are attached to a belt worn around their waist and commonly referred to as a duty gear belt. Typical prior art duty gear belts are formed of a semi-rigid material, such as leather having a constant width of about two to two and one-half inches. Each of the various accessories are attached to the duty gear belt through the use of loops or other fasteners which connect them to the duty gear belt.
Although these duty gear belts were effective in connecting the accessories to the waist of the wearer, they were not designed for ergonomic comfort or to provide desirable weight distribution of the accessories around the waist of the user. Due to the heavy weight of the accessories and the non-ergonomic design of prior duty gear belts, many wearers developed discomfort during use and even as severe as back injuries and nerve damage.
Consequently, there is a need for an ergonomic duty belt that is comfortable, reduces injury and evenly distributes the weight of the duty gear accessories upon the wearer.
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The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) are a group of closely related hereditary neurodegenerative disorders which affect infants, children and adults, and which occur at a frequency of between 2 and 4 in 100,000 live births (1, 2). Most forms of NCL afflict children and their early symptoms and disease progression tend to be similar. Initial diagnosis is frequently based upon visual problems, behavioral changes and seizures. Progression is reflected by a decline in mental abilities, increasingly severe and untreatable seizures, blindness and loss of motor skills while further progression can result in dementia or a vegetative state. There is no effective treatment for NCL and all childhood forms are eventually fatal. Several forms of NCL are differentiated according to age of onset, clinical pathology and genetic linkage. These include infantile NCL (INCL, CLN1), classical late infantile NCL (LINCL, CLN2), juvenile NCL (JNCL, CLN3) adult NCL (CLN4), two variant forms of LINCL (CLN5 and CLN6) and possibly other atypical forms (1.3). The molecular bases for two of these forms of NCL have recently been identified by positional cloning. Mutations in palmitoyl protein thioesterase (PPT), which removes the lipid moiety from acylated proteins, results in INCL (4). JNCL results from mutations in the CLN3 gene product, a 48 kDa protein of currently unknown function (5). The identity of the molecular lesion in LINCL has remained elusive although the disease gene has recently been mapped to chromosome 11p15 by genetic linkage analysis (3). There are reasons, however, to suspect that the CLN2 gene product could have a lysosomal function. First, LINCL, like other forms of NCL, is characterized by an accumulation of autofluorescent lysosome-like storage bodies in the neurons and other cells of patients. Second, a number of other related neurological disorders are caused by lysosomal deficiencies, e.g. PPT in INCL, neuraminidase in sialidosis and β-hexosaminidase A in Tay-Sachs disease. Third, continuous infusion of leupeptin and other lysosomal protease inhibitors into the brains of young rats induces a massive accumulation of ceroid-lipofuscin in neurons that resembles NCL (6,7).
Thus, there is a need in the art to identify and characterize the CLN2 gene and its gene product (CLN2).
There is a further need to develop diagnostic and therapeutic applications, based on CLN2, for prenatal testing and treatment of LINCL.
The present invention addresses these and similar needs in the art.
The citation of any reference herein should not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art to the invention.
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{
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1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the use of radiation measurements for determining the elemental content of bulk material in an on-line process, and to the fusion of sensor technologies, specifically Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) and Dual-Energy Gamma Attenuation (DGA), to make this measurement possible.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several technologies exist to determine the composition of bulk materials. Two that are specifically important to the present invention are Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) and Dual-Energy Gamma Attenuation (DGA) analysis.
The PGNAA technique involves bombarding a bulk material sample with neutrons from a neutron emitter (typically Cf-252). The neutrons collide with atoms/elements in the sample, emitter housing, and/or an external moderator and are captured by the nuclei of atoms/elements present in the sample. The capture process often involves the release of gamma rays at energies specific to the captured atom/element. These gamma rays are detected typically by a scintillation crystal (typically NaI). The sum of the detected gamma energy at these specific energies is referred to as an energy spectrum. Analysis of the energy spectrum provides analytical information on the proportion of the various elements present in the bulk material.
Various PGNAA based sensor systems are known. One such analyzer is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,992, titled “Self-Contained, On-Line, Real-time Bulk Material Analyzer,” issued to Atwell, et al., on Apr. 15, 1986, which uses PGNAA technology in an attempt to determine the elemental content of the bulk material. The described analyzer uses an arrangement of neutron sources and gamma ray detectors in an enclosed assembly to perform its analysis. Additionally, a similar device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,362,477, titled “Bulk Material Analyser for On-Conveyor Belt Analysis,” issued to Sowerby, et al., on Mar. 26, 2002, uses PGNAA technology in a bulk material on-conveyor belt arrangement to analyze bulk material. Again, this analyzer uses a neutron source and gamma ray detectors in an enclosed assembly to perform its analysis.
The DGA analysis technique involves bombarding a bulk material with gamma rays from two gamma ray emitters of sufficiently different energies. The gamma rays interact with the bulk material resulting in the attenuation of the number of gamma rays transmitted through the bulk material. The gamma rays are typically detected by a scintillation crystal (typically NaI). The sum of these released gamma rays at these specific energies is referred to as an energy spectrum. The technology relies on the fact that elements with different atomic numbers attenuate gamma rays at specific energies in different ways. Thus, for low-energy gamma rays (i.e., those generated by a low energy gamma emitter such as Am-241), the attenuation of gamma rays is largely dependent on the atomic number of the atoms/elements present in the bulk material. For high-energy gamma rays (i.e., those generated by a high-energy gamma emitter such as Cs-137), attenuation is independent of the atoms/elements in the bulk material. Analysis of the energy spectrum leads to a determination of the bulk elemental composition of the bulk material.
DGA based sensors are known in the art. DGA devices are based on the premise that analyzed material will attenuate different energy gamma rays in fixed repeatable ways. A DGA device consists of a gamma energy source arrangement consisting of dual energy gamma emitters. The gamma emitters are chosen in such a way that the material to be analyzed will attenuate the different energy gamma rays in ways that are conducive to measuring one or more specific properties of the material being measured. One such application of DGA technology uses gamma ray sources to interrogate coal, with the assumption that the material that coal is composed of will attenuate the differing energy gamma rays to produce a measurement that is conducive to determining coal ash content and density.
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{
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