A computing device for use with a demand response system is provided. The computing device includes an interface for receiving customer data that includes at least a location for each customer and/or a preference selection made by each customer associated with at least one demand response program. A processor coupled to the interface and programmed to select a plurality of participants from the customer data to receive a plurality of signals representative of at least one demand response event. The processor selects the participants based at least in part on the customer location and/or the preference selection associated with each customer.

The field of the invention relates generally to demand response systems and, more particularly, to a computing device for use with a demand response system that enables utilities to selectively provide signals related to demand response events to its customers.
As the human population increases around the world and with an increase in the use of electric vehicles by customers, energy demand will also likely increase. More specifically, energy demand will likely increase in the form of electrical energy used to power buildings, homes, and/or to charge batteries or other energy sources used in electric vehicles. Moreover, the demand on the power grid is likely to increase while the demand for fuel decreases. Such demands will likely cause an increase in the price of energy from the power grid. In particular, the price of energy is likely to increase during peak times, such as a time of day and/or a day of the week, when demand for energy is high.
Currently, at least some known utilities use demand response systems that enable customers to enroll in at least one demand response program to manage the consumption of energy by their customers in response to supply conditions. Examples of demand response programs include a direct control program, a critical peak pricing program, and a time of use program. The initiation and/or implementation of a demand response program by a utility is known as a demand response event. A demand response event is initiated by a utility transmitting a plurality of signals to its customers. For example, a demand response event representative of a direct load control program, is initiated when the utility transmits a signal to a device within a building, such as an in-home smart device and/or smart thermostat, such that the utility is enabled to directly control the usage of energy consuming machines within the building. A demand response event representative of a critical peak pricing program occurs when the utility transmits pricing signals to its customers during peak demand times. The pricing signals enable the utility to apprise customers of heightened energy prices during peak demand time periods such that customers may limit their energy consumption during such peak demand time periods. A demand response event representative of a time of use program occurs when the utility transmits a signal to a customer that is representative of energy prices that correspond to a time range such that the customer may identify an optimal time of day and/or day of the week to consume energy to ensure a low energy price rate.
Such demand response systems enable the utility to manage peak load conditions and to reduce energy demand among its customers. However, current demand response systems are unable to target specific customers and/or locations on their grid to reduce the chances of a failure of the grid. Moreover, current demand response systems are unable to prevent an overuse of a certain demand response program by customers. Current demand response systems also transmit signals to all the customers and the signals are transmitted at the same time to all the customers, resulting in various problems, such as an increase in load leveling.

Systems and methods to implement demand response events


A brightness enhancement film having a light-guiding structure includes a substrate, which has a light-guiding layer and a plurality of light-refracting microstructures. The substrate has a light incident surface and a light emission surface opposite thereto. The light-refracting microstructures are arranged on the light incident surface of the substrate and are provided for varying surface curvatures to refract incident light. The light-guiding layer is arranged on the light emission surface of the substrate and is provided for guiding refracted light to generate homogeneous light to emit therefrom.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brightness enhancement film having a light-guiding structure for use in a liquid crystal display. Particularly, the present invention relates to the brightness enhancement film including a light-guiding layer and a light-refracting microstructure layer at either side thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to the brightness enhancement film using the light-refracting microstructure to generate refracted light, and the light-guiding layer to guide the refracted light for providing homogeneous light.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring initially to FIG. 1, U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,800, entitled "Prevention of Groove Tip Deformation in Brightness Enhancement Film," discloses a brightness enhancement film including a substrate (i.e. base) and a plurality of prism units provided thereon. The prism units are arranged and juxtaposed on a top surface (i.e. light emission surface) of the substrate in order. Each of the prism units located on the light emission surface consists of a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface connected thereto, and serves to refract light, which had penetrated through the substrate, in use for enhancing brightness of light.
The substrate of the brightness enhancement film has a bottom surface (i.e. light incident surface) which is an ordinary flat surface and opposite to the top surface. In use, light projected from a light source enters the flat surface of the bottom surface and then passes through the substrate. Subsequently, the light can further pass through the top surface of the substrate, and the prism units of the substrate eventually refract the light such that the refracted light can be generated from the light emission surface of the substrate.
However, the substrate of the brightness enhancement film permits directly emitting the refracted light from the light emission surface of the substrate without passing it through any guiding means. The light emission surface of the substrate cannot generate homogeneous refracted light due to the lack of any guiding means disposed on the light emission surface. In other words, the refracted light can appear a degree of homogeneous characteristic if the light emission surface of the substrate is provided with an additional light-guiding layer to solve the above problem. Another problem with the manufacture of such an additional light-guiding layer raises difficulty in reducing the entire thickness of the substrate of the brightness enhancement film. Hence, there is a need for improving the conventional brightness enhancement film in both enhancing homogeneous light and reducing a thickness of the substrate.
Another problem with the manufacture of the substrate of the conventional brightness enhancement film generally forms a bottom surface which is an ordinary flat surface without forming any structure and opposite to the top surface on which to provide the microstructure of the prism units. However, the top surface and the bottom surface disposed on the substrate of the brightness enhancement film are unmatched in structure which may cause a specific degree of warpage of the brightness enhancement film in nature. Furthermore, the brightness enhancement films are piled upon each other on a conveyer if the products are finally made. This practice unavoidably causes warpage and abrasion between the surfaces of the separate brightness enhancement films, and disadvantageously affects quality and quantity of output of the brightness enhancement films.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,063, entitled "Brightness Enhancement Article," also discloses another brightness enhancement film including a substrate, a prism unit layer and a light-diffusing surface. The prism unit layer and the light-diffusing surface serve as a top surface (i.e. light emission surface) and a bottom surface (i.e. light incident surface) of the substrate. This permits light to penetrate through the substrate from the light-diffusing surface to the prism unit layer where light is emitted. Typically, the light-diffusing surface contains several light-diffusing particles which naturally diffuse light. Correspondingly, the prism unit layer is used to refract light penetrating the brightness enhancement film.
Similarly, the substrate of the brightness enhancement film permits directly emitting the refracted light from the light emission surface of the substrate without passing it through any guiding means. Also, the light emission surface of the substrate cannot generate homogeneous refracted light if the light emission surface of the substrate is provided with no light-guiding layer to solve this problem. Inevitably, another problem with the manufacture of such an additional light-guiding layer raises difficulty in reducing the entire thickness of the substrate of the brightness enhancement film. There is an unavoidable need for improving such a brightness enhancement film in both enhancing homogeneous light and reducing a thickness of the substrate.
Even though the brightness enhancement film has the light-diffusing surface at its bottom side, the light-diffusing surface is still inadequate to prevent warpage of the brightness enhancement film in nature. Furthermore, the light-diffusing particles of the brightness enhancement film protrude like raised particles on the light-diffusing surface and, thus, scrape the surface of another brightness enhancement film while piling upon each other. Also, this practice unavoidably causes warpage and abrasion of the surfaces of the brightness enhancement films and disadvantageously affects quality and quantity of output of the brightness enhancement films.
There are numerous other patent publications, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,709, U.S. Pat. No. 6,707,611, U.S. Pat. No. 6,669,350, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,458, etc., that describe a brightness enhancement film but fail to provide light-guiding means on the light emission surface for enhancing brightness.
The present invention intends to provide a brightness enhancement film having a plurality of light-refracting microstructures and a light-guiding layer, wherein the light-refracting microstructures are arranged on a light incident surface while the light-guiding layer is arranged on a light emission surface. The light-refracting microstructure can refract light, and subsequently, the light-guiding layer can guide the refracted light for providing homogeneous light in such a way as to mitigate and overcome the above problem.
In addition, the present invention also intends to provide the brightness enhancement film having a reinforcing layer at one side thereof. The reinforcing layer provides a specific degree of hardness, thereby preventing the brightness enhancement film from occurrence of warpage and abrasion by another in such a way as to mitigate and overcome the above problem.

Brightness enhancement film having a light-guiding structure


A laser source is described. The laser source is configured for providing collimated laser beams arranged in a ring-shape for exiting a phosphor. The laser source has laser diodes arranged in a ring-shaped manner around a symmetry axis. Parallel parts of the laser beams form a hollow tube. Further, a light source is described. The light source has a phosphor, an optical element and a light source configured for providing collimated laser beams arranged in a ring-shape for exiting the phosphor. The light source is arranged such that the collimated laser beams are directed opposite to the collimated luminance.

Exited phosphor can be used as a laser source, for instance for laser phosphor displays (LPD). An LPD is a large-format display technology that uses lasers to activate the phosphor that can be used to create the images.
Laser light sources can be used for exiting a phosphor. Some laser light sources comprise arrays of laser diodes emitting collimated laser beams. An optical element focuses the laser beams onto the phosphor. Luminance of the exited phosphor is collected and collimated by a further optical element.
For instance, JP 2004327361 A describes a lighting device which comprises semiconductor light-emitting elements arranged so that emitted light converges into the optical converging point, and a fluorescent body arranged at the optical converging point emitting visible light by converting a wave length of the excited light emitted from the semiconductor light-emitting element. JP 2004341105 A addresses a light emitting diode emitting ultraviolet light which is used for the light source, and a visible light reflection film having characteristic that the ultraviolet light is transmitted and visible light is reflected is formed on the surface of a color wheel on the light source side, and phosphor layers respectively emitting the visible light corresponding to the color light beams.
US 2013/0314672 A1 discloses a light source unit comprising a light source for shining light and a light emitting member for emitting light using light shone from the light source as excitation light, wherein the light emitting member has a diffusion layer in at least a light shining area where light from the light source is shone for diffusion of the light so shone. US 2014/0022512 A1 addresses phosphor-based lamps for a projection display. Output of a plurality of excitation lasers is directed through small apertures of a recycling collar towards phosphor materials.
The laser diodes need cooling and adjustment and the components require some installation space for arrangement.

Laser source for exiting a phosphor and light source comprising a phosphor


A housing for optoelectronic devices provides EMI shielding and axial strain suppression for optical fibers coupled to optoelectronic devices retained within the housing. The housing includes an internal septum for EMI shielding and a grounding scheme including relief features of the conductive housing coupled to internal grounding strips. The housing provides a first exemplary engaging/locking feature including an orthogonal tongue and a groove that receives the tongue, and a second exemplary engaging/locking feature that includes a groove having an intermittently varying cross-sectional area and that retains a gasket of constant cross-sectional area. Arms extend from tho housing and retain an optical fiber that is secured to the arm by an adhesive such that axial strain is not exerted at the point of optical coupling and a high optical coupling efficiency is maintained. In an exemplary embodiment, the housing includes an opening through a bottom surface, the opening bounded by beveled edges to aid in blind alignment of the housing over components formed on a mounting surface. The bottom of the housing includes a recessed portion that retains a gasket. The recessed portion receives a gasket of constant thickness and includes a gap of varying thickness that provides for sufficient compression throughout the gasket and a tight, EMI-shielding seal formed between the housing and the mounting surface.

The present invention relates, most generally, to optoelectronic telecommunications systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to an enclosure for housing optical subassemblies and associated components.
Optoelectronic devices such as vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) and other lasers, photodiodes and other photodetectors, have become widely used in the telecommunications and other industries. In optoelectronic devices, an electrical signal is converted to an optical signal that travels along a transmission medium such as an optical fiber and is then typically converted back to an electrical signal. A high optical coupling efficiency ensures good optoelectronic connections. The electrical-to-optical optoelectronic connections are typically made in optical subassemblies (OSAs) such as TOSAs (transmission OSAs) and ROSAs (receiving OSAs). The optoelectronic devices and the connection of the optical transmission media to the optoelectronic devices are typically delicate, and therefore an OSA having stable mechanical support as well as a high quality optical connection, helps ensure a high optical coupling efficiency.
The optoelectronic devices commonly used in today""s telecommunication industry typically operate at high frequencies such as 2.5-10 GBPS (gigabits per second) and higher. Therefore, when an OSA and the associated high frequency components are joined to a customer board or other mother board which contains low frequency components, it is desirable to suppress EMI (electromagnetic interference) noise from adversely affecting other portions of the module circuitry such as circuitry operating at other frequencies. Optoelectronic devices, and the various OSAs which contain them, are typically included in an enclosure or housing that contains various other electronic components and is joined to the customer board or other mother board. The housing may be configured to be mounted over further electronic components mounted on the customer board.
The present invention provides a housing for housing optoelectronic components such as TOSAs and ROSAs, printed circuit boards, and the like. The housing is suitable for various optoelectronic devices. In one exemplary embodiment, the housing is a multiple-piece housing which, according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, includes an internal septum that suppresses high frequency noise such as EMI and RFI from traveling between the chambers of the housing.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the housing includes a peripheral engaging feature including a groove, a gasket, and a tongue that is received within the groove and compresses the gasket. The peripheral engaging feature may be used to suppress high frequency noise such as EMI and RFI. According to another exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a channel having a cross-sectional area that varies intermittently along the longitudinal direction. The corrugated channel retains a gasket and allows for an improved and continuously tight seal to be formed between the components which combine to form the multiple-piece housing.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the housing of the present invention includes an opening through its bottom surface. The housing is mounted on a mounting surface such that components formed on the mounting surface are nested within the housing. The bottom of the housing includes a recessed portion having a bowed surface and a gasket received within the recessed portion. The gasket combines with the bowed recessed portion to form a tight seal between the housing and the mounting surface. The tight seal is capable of suppressing EMI and RFI noise.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the housing of the present invention includes internal grounding leads which contact relief features of the conductive housing and direct internal errant signals to the internal grounding strips and eventually the intended ground path.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the present invention includes an opaque housing having an internal portion and an external portion and a bottom surface having an opening therethrough. The opening through the bottom is bounded by beveled edges that aid in the blind alignment of the housing over components formed on the mounting surface.
According to yet another exemplary embodiment, the housing further includes means for alleviating axial strain on optical fibers extending from the housing and optically coupled to optoelectronic devices within the housing. The present invention provides arms that extend from the housing and retain optical fibers. The optical fiber is joined to the arm by means of an adhesive. Axial strain at the optical connection is alleviated because the optical fiber is affixed to the housing at a point external to the optical connection, and therefore no strain is exerted at the optical coupling point and the optical coupling efficiency is not compromised. A pocket formed in the arm of the enclosure contains the adhesive which bonds the optical fiber to the enclosure arm.


A rubber composition of the present technology comprises: from 0.5 parts by mass to 1.5 parts by mass of sulfur, from 0.2 parts by mass to 0.6 parts by mass of a thiuram vulcanization accelerator, from 0.2 parts by mass to 0.6 parts by mass of a guanidine vulcanization accelerator, from 0.15 parts by mass to 0.8 parts by mass of a sulfenamide vulcanization accelerator, and from 0.1 parts by mass to 1.5 parts by mass of a thiourea vulcanization accelerator per 100 parts by mass of a diene polymer containing a chloroprene rubber.

Conventionally, chloroprene rubber compositions for manufacturing hydraulic hose and high pressure hose in which a reinforcing layer having a surface plated with a metal such as brass is sandwiched by a pair of rubber layers have been proposed (e.g. see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-279022A). Since this rubber composition contains a vulcanization accelerator such as sulfurs and guanidines, crosslinking characteristics of a rubber layer formed from the rubber composition is enhanced, and adhesion between a metal surface of the reinforcing layer and the rubber layer is enhanced.
Methods of manufacturing hose described above include a steam vulcanization method in which the rubber composition is heated and vulcanized by steam, and an oven vulcanization method in which the rubber composition is heated and vulcanized by an oven. Since the oven vulcanization method allows continuous vulcanization, productivity of hose can be enhanced.
However, when vulcanization of a rubber composition is performed by the oven vulcanization method, sufficient adhesion between the rubber layer and the reinforcing layer may not be always obtained due to vaporization of remarkable amount of water during the vulcanization. Therefore, there has been a demand for a rubber composition that has excellent heat resistance and that can provide a rubber layer having excellent adhesion toward a reinforcing layer even when vulcanized by a hot-air vulcanization method such as the oven vulcanization method.

Rubber composition, laminated body of rubber composition and metal, and vulcanized rubber product


An anti-roll device comprises a bar coupled to two links, a hydraulic control circuit (CC) and actuating means (MAC) comprising a casing (CR) defining the chamber (CH) subdivided into a first (P1) and a second (P2) part by a piston (PI), and comprising first (ES1) and second (ES2) inlets-outlets communicating with the first (P1) and second (P2) parts and an intermediate inlet-outlet (ES1) communicating with the first part (P1) or with the second part (P2) depending on the position of the piston (PI). These actuating means (MAC) adopt a disengaged state or block state in whatever position of the piston (PI), according to the accessibility status of the first (ES1) and second (ES2) inlets-outlets and of the intermediate inlet-outlet (ES1). The control circuit (CC) controls the accessibility statuses according to the commands received.

The invention relates to the anti-roll (or stabilization) devices with which some motor vehicles are equipped.
As is known to a person skilled in the art, an anti-roll (or stabilization) device is a piece of equipment comprising a bar the opposing ends of which are respectively coupled to right and left wheels of a (motor) vehicle wheelset via two links.
A device of this type is mainly acted on when the vehicle is rolling on a turn or on a traffic lane that is eroded asymmetrically about the longitudinal axis thereof. During a turn, the bar is placed under torsion and bending so as to maintain the attitude of the vehicle insofar as possible, and so the more rigid it is the more useful it is. In the presence of erosion, the bar partially transmits the irregularity of the traffic lane experienced by one of the wheels of a wheelset to the other wheel of this same wheelset, by a mechanism known as roll transfer, and thus the more rigid it is the greater a decrease in comfort it causes.
As is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,167,319, the decrease in comfort caused by the anti-roll device can be varied as a function of the scenarios encountered, by joining to each link a hydraulic actuator, which is coupled to a fluid circuit comprising a solenoid valve, check valves and a fluid reservoir for compensating the variations in volume caused by the movements of the piston of the hydraulic actuator. In this context, each fluid circuit is of relatively low-complexity, but the presence of two fluid circuits increases the total space requirement and the price. Thus, when the vehicle comprises two wheelsets, there end up being four solenoid valves. However, the higher the number of solenoid valves, the greater the risk of breakdown or malfunction and the higher the electrical power consumption. Moreover, the higher the number of solenoid valves, the greater the number of electrical harnesses have to be provided for supplying power and commands to these solenoid valves, and so the more the production and installation costs and the complexity of installation in the vehicle and of the algorithms for generating the commands for the solenoid valves are increased.
Moreover, the hydraulic circuit does not make it possible to ensure that the hydraulic actuator is in the neutral position (where it does not exert any force) when it is placed in a blocked state (preventing a variation in length).

Motor vehicle wheelset anti-roll device with actuating means operated by a hydraulic control circuit


The present invention provides class I MHC-restricted T-T hybridomas, a novel T-T fusion partner therefor and an assay system that allows for the generation and detection of functional, class I MHC restricted T-T hybridomas. The fusion partner comprises a murine BW5147 cell line that has been transfected with a CD8 gene and stably expresses the CD8 gene product. The BW5147 transfectants are used to generate functional, class I MHC restricted T-T hybridomas which are permissive for lymphokine production. Functional class I MHC-restricted T-T hybridomas exhibiting the capability of producing lymphokines are prepared by fusing BW5147 cells expressing CD8 with T lymphocytes activated in a mixed leukocyte reaction (alloreactive T cells) or stimulated with antigen (antigen-stimulated T lymphocytes) and screening the resulting hybrids for the ability to produce lymphokines in response to appropriate antigenic stimulation. Responsiveness of these clones to alloantigen or to antigen-MHC I complexes can be tested by measuring their production of lymphokines, which provides a sensitive and quantitative assay system.

T lymphocytes have long been known to play a principal role in the regulation of the immune response. The T lymphocytes can be roughly divided into three compartments; the T inducer (helper) cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and suppressor T cells. The activation of T lymphocytes occurs upon interaction with cells bearing appropriate antigen in the context of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins. Specificity of the T cell response is conferred by the polymorphic, antigen-specific T cell receptor (TCR). In addition to the antigen specific TCR, a number of other cell surface proteins regulate T cell activation and impart sensitivity and plasticity to the immune response. These include the surface antigens CD2, CD4 CD8 and lymphocyte function associated antigen. Such surface antigens are non-polymorphic molecules that not only increase the avidity with which a T cell interacts with its antigen presenting cell (APC) or target cell but also may play a role in signal transduction. The CD4 and CD8 molecules are expressed on mutually exclusive populations of mature T cells that bear TCRs specific for antigen in association with MHC class II and MHC class I proteins, respectively. These molecules appear to enhance the avidity with which a T cell binds with its antigen bearing or target cell and may also promote the interaction of the TCR with its appropriate antigen. Bierer et al, "The Biologic Roles of CD2, CD4 and CD8 in T-cell Activation," Ann. Rev. Immunol., 7:579-99 (1989).
The phenomenology of MHC-restricted T lymphocyte interactions has previously been well documented. Cells of the T helper/inducer subset will generally recognize antigen only in association with class II major histocompatibility (MHC) gene products. Recognition occurs on the surface of antigen presenting cells and accounts for the MHC genetic restriction of antigen recognition. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), which are well known effector cells in transplantation immunity, viral infection and certain anti-tumor responses, generally recognize antigen in association with class I MHC gene products. While the rules governing the activation of MHC-restricted T cells, and particularly of class II MHC-restricted T cells have been well described, the underlying mechanisms are still being defined.
Most of the understanding in the art of T lymphocyte biology has come from in vivo studies and in vitro experiments using heterogeneous T cell populations. Such methodologies have certain inherent limitations, including low frequency of specific T lymphocytes and the potential for multicellular complex interactions. More recently, a better understanding of T cell activation and of the factors involved has allowed for the isolation and propagation of T cell lines and clones of defined specificity. Two basic strategies have been devised. One approach is to clonally expand and propagate normal immune T lymphocytes through the repetitive stimulation with the appropriate antigen, with or without the presence of growth factors. The second approach parallels the approach that has been utilized to produce monoclonal antibodies from B cell hybridomas prepared by cell hybridization of antibody-producing B cells and myeloma cells, and involves the immortalization of T lymphocytes through somatic cell hybridization with T cell lymphomas.
The latter methodology has been used extensively for the production of antigen-specific, class II MHC-restricted, T-T hybridomas, which have several advantageous properties. See, e.g. Kappler, et al, "Antigen inducible, H-2 restricted, interleukin-2 producing T cell hybridomas. Lack of independent antigen and H-2 recognition", J. Exp. Mede, 153:1198; (1981), Rock, K. L., "Functional T-cell Hybridomas, in Hybridoma Technology in the Biosciences and Medicine.," Ed. T. A. Springer, Plenum Press, N. Y. (1985). These hybridomas have essentially limitless growth potential and grow readily under standard culture conditions. Furthermore, the immunological activity of these hybridomas is not subject to cyclic fluctuations, as is seen with restimulated normal clones. The T-inducer hybridomas produce lymphokines in response to T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation, which provides a sensitive and quantitative assay to measure cellular activation. Consequently, the class II MHC-restricted T-T hybridomas have proven to be particularly useful in the analysis of the structure and function of surface receptors, cell-cell interactions and T cell activation involving T helper cells. See, for example, Rock, K. L., "Functional T-cell Hybridoma", in Hybridoma Technology in the Biosciences and Medicine, Ed. T. A. Springer, Plenum Press, N. Y. (1985); Marrack, P. and J. Kappler. "The antigen-specific, major histocompatibility complex-restricted receptor on T cells." Adv. Immunol. 38:1 (1986), Bierer, B. E., et al, "The biologic roles of CD2, CD4, and CD8 in T cell activation." Ann. Rev. Immunol. 7: 579 (1989). Moreover, since the T-inducer hybrids do not generally require costimulatory signals, it has been possible to stimulate them with fixed or disrupted antigen presenting cells as well as model membrane systems. Shimonkevitz, R. J. et al, "Antigert recognition by H-2 restricted T cells. Cell-free antigen processing," J. Exp. Med. 158:303, (1983), Watts, T. H. et al, "Antigen presentation by supported planar membranes containing affinity purified IA.sup.d.) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81:1883 (1984). Therefore, antigen-specific class II MHC restricted T-T hybridomas have provided a powerful and useful tool in analyzing the events in antigen presentation by providing an assay to follow the appearance of antigen-MHC class II molecule complexes.
In contrast to the above results, there has been only limited success in generating antigen-specific class I MHC restricted T cell hybridomas, particularly with the most commonly used murine fusion partner, the BW5147 thymic lymphoma. Heretofore, such fusions with BW5147 have generally been unproductive. The reason why such hybrids have not been easily obtained from fusions with BW5147 is not known.
Despite the foregoing, there have been isolated reports of successful generation of class I MHC-restricted hybridomas with BW5147. Whitaker et al, for example, have described the preparation of H-2 restricted, reovirus-specific cytotoxic T cell hybrids using BW5147 as a fusion partner. "CT hybridomas: Tumor Cells Capable of Lysing Virally Infected Target Cells," Journal of Immunology, vol. 129, no. 2 pp. 900-903. These hybrids, however, require a mitogenic lectin for stimulation and do not respond well to antigen and appropriate antigen presenting cells alone. Other examples of class I MHC-restricted hybridomas generated with BW5147 cells have previously been reported by Kaufmann, Y. G. et al, "Cytotoxic T. Lymphocyte T cell hybridomas that mediate specific tumor-cell lysis in vitro.", Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 78:2502, (1981), and by Endres, R. P. et al, "An IL-2 secreting T cell hybridoma that responds to a self class I histocompatibility antigen in the H-2D region.", J. Immunol. 131:1656 (1983). However, such hybrids are identified at low frequency and may represent "high affinity" T cells that are not CD8 dependent. See, MacDonald et al, "Clonal Heterogeneity in the functional requirement for Lyt-2/3 molecules on cytolytic T Lymphocytes (CTL): Possible implications for the affinity of CTL antigen receptors." , Immunol. Rev. 68:89 (1982). Furthermore, the successful isolation of such hybridomas has been limited to those that are MHC reactive (e.g. allo- or auto-reactive) and has not been described for antigen-specific, MHC-restricted cells.
Other fusion partners have been employed to generate class I MHC-restricted T-T hybrids, but such cells have not achieved widespread usage. Accordingly, there exists a need for an immortalized fusion partner which will allow for the successful generation and detection of class I, MHC-restricted T-T hybridomas, including those that are CD8 dependent.
In those instances where somatic hybridization technology has been used to establish functional class I MHC-restricted T cell hybrids, screening of the clones for responsiveness to class I MHC alloantigens or to antigen plus class I MHC proteins has typically been conducted using a conventional chromium release assay. This assay is routinely employed in the study of cytotoxic T cells and involves incubation of serial dilutions of cytolytic effector cell populations in the presence of a constant number of .sup.51 Cr labeled target cells at low effector to target ratios. At these low ratios, each effector cell is saturated with targets and kills at maximum efficiency. After a prescribed period of time, the radioactivity released into the supernatants is measured and the percent specific cytotoxicity can be calculated.
Since what is being measured in the chromium release assay is the cytolytic capability of the effector cells, this assay necessarily requires the use of intact target cells. This requirement constrains the experimental manipulation of target cells, for example with drugs or chemical reagents. Moreover, intact cells have a tendency to retain the isotope and hence, measurement of the isotope release does not completely reflect the strength of the CTL response. Another disadvantage of the chromium release assay is that it is labor intensive and presents the potential of health and safety risks. In view of all of the foregoing, an alternative assay for screening for the cytotoxic fusion product and for studying antigen presentation in association with class I MHC-restricted molecules is indicated.
Although it has been observed that many cytotoxic T lymphocytes have the capacity to produce lymphokines in response to antigen, they generally produce lower levels of lymphokines such as IL-2. Accordingly, this capability has not been employed in the study of the events of class I MHC-restricted antigen presentation and cell-cell interaction.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel BW5147 fusion partner for the generation and detection of stable, functional, class I MHC-restricted T-T hybridomas.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a BW5147 fusion partner which is permissive for lymphokine production in class I MHC-restricted T-T hybridomas.
A still further object of the present invention is to generate lymphokine producing, class I MHC-restricted T-T hybridomas using BW5147 as a fusion partner.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a quantitative and sensitive assay for the generation and detection of lymphokine-producing, class I MHC-restricted hybrids.
These as well as other objects and advantages are accomplished by the present invention, the nature and scope of which will become apparent from the following specification.

Class I MHC-restricted T-T hybridomas, and a CD8-transfected BW5147, fusion partner therefor


Attenuation is provided at the output of a power amplifier that provides transmitted signals or packets. The attenuation particularly provides separation of linear and non linear behavior of the signals. A reference packet is transmitted during attenuation. A normal packet is delivered without attenuation. Feedback from the reference packet can be extracted using the normal packet to calculate a loop-back response that is extracted and sent to a power amplifier pre-distortion correction algorithm.

For a wireless communication device, such as a broadband wireless communication device, calibration can be performed to assure that accurate radio frequency (RF) power is transmitted at an antenna and antenna connector of the wireless communication device. The calibration can be sensitive to the effects of impedance of the antenna connector. Such impedance can be referred to, or attributable to, voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) effects.
As bandwidth frequencies increase for wireless communication devices, problems can arise as to providing accurate power and dealing with power amplifier non-linearity. In certain wireless communication device, power amplifier pre-distortion or PAPD algorithms can be performed to calibrate power amplifier (PA) non-linear response. This can be performed by extracting the AM and PM response of the PA. This response can be achieved from a loop-back that exists in the system after the PA output as measured by a detector. Sampled data after the PA may be multiplied by a detector frequency response, which occurs due to VSWR effects at an antenna port or connector. In certain cases the problem can be solved by using an equalizer to extract the original data; however, averaged data (i.e., sampled data) is of interest, and not on the original data itself.
In the case of PAPD for mask correction and limited VSWR, the PA can exhibit some "virtual" filter response before the PA that is translated into memory effects which current PAPD algorithms may not able to deal with. The memory effects are non linear in nature, and can be attributed to impedance change due to the antenna and interfaces (e.g., coupler/connector). From the non linearity and frequency change due to impedance, you get the memory effects. With greater or wider bandwidths, memory effects can become more pronounce in the PA. Therefore, it becomes more difficult to separate out the memory effects from an actual signal, as memory effects increase. Non linear scrambling and linear behavior of a channel formed by the PA are not easily separated.

Close-loop power amplifier pre-distortion correction


A method of predicting energy usage having the steps of providing a computer, providing a temperature database, providing a building asset rating database, receiving inputs from a user having a floor area measure of a building, an energy usage measurement, an energy usage start date, an energy usage end date, and a geographic location identifier, determining an estimated energy rating as a function of the inputs, the temperature database, and the building asset rating database, and providing the estimated energy rating to the user.

Several types of energy performance rating systems are known. Such systems are typically asset based, that is based upon physical characteristics and inspections of a given building. Two such systems are provided by the US Department of Energy, and RESNET. Both are nationally recognized as using certified rating methods. The Department of Energy's rating system is the newly released Home Energy Score, which rates houses on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most efficient and 1 being a home in need of extreme weatherization measures. The Department of Energy's rating is accomplished via a 3 page questionnaire which assesses building "characteristics" and is essentially designed to be a very high level (not detailed) asset assessment of a home's energy efficiency.
RESNET created and utilizes the Home Energy Rating Score Index (the "HERS Index"). The HERS Index number is on a scale from 0 to 150. 0 is a zero net energy home, and 100 is the "standard" new home built in strict accordance with 2004 residential energy code and Energy Star Standards. Homes scoring above 100 are less energy efficient than the "standard" model. The lower the number on the HERS scale, the more energy efficient the home. The HERS Index rating is the nationally accepted method of rating the energy efficiency of new homes. The HERS rating method is used for rating the energy performance of newly constructed homes, and requires two inspections during the construction process and a final testing of the completed structure.

Method and system for rating building energy performance


An apparatus and method is provided for attenuating aerospace engine noise and unsteady pressure fluctuations associated with high velocity exhaust flows. The apparatus and method reduce acoustic fatigue damage to aerospace vehicles that may be caused by the reflection of exhaust energy from landing and/or launch platforms. The apparatus includes a passive treatment area associated with the platform operable for reducing the magnitude of the reflected sound waves and unsteady pressure fluctuations from the high velocity exhaust mass flow exiting from the engine. The passive treatment area may include a layer of sound absorptive material, at least one set of roughness elements for disrupting high velocity flow structures. A protective cover may be positioned over the passive treatment area for permitting exhaust flow to pass therethrough while still providing adequate structure to support the weight of the aerospace vehicle.

Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft and Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft are known to generate intense noise and unsteady pressure fluctuations during landing and takeoff operations. The most severe environment is when such an aircraft is within about 10 feet of an aircraft carrier deck, the ground, or a launch/landing pad. The noise and pressure fluctuations at these operating conditions are usually about 10 dB higher than that of free flight. Pressure fluctuations can also be resonant with the aircraft structure, inducing acoustic fatigue.
To prevent structural failure due to acoustic fatigue, a STOVL aircraft must carry extra weight to reinforce its structure. Some analysts suggest that as much as 100 pounds of extra structural weight can be eliminated if the noise levels at landing and takeoff can be reduced by about 3 to 5 dB.
Clearly, the reduction of the noise/pressure fluctuations for STOVL operations is an important environmental issue, in addition to the impact on aircraft design and cost. Many techniques have been utilized in the past to reduce the impact of high velocity exhaust flow, but these techniques almost exclusively focus on the aircraft itself. This inevitably adds implementation cost and extra weight to the aircraft. There is a need to minimize the magnitude of the noise and unsteady pressure fluctuations of the exhaust flow rather than merely minimizing the destructive results thereof. The present invention is directed to solving one or more problems associated with the prior art.

Apparatus and method for reducing aircraft noise and acoustic fatigue


The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a high quality oxide superconductor film capable of controlling the film-forming rate and the film composition easily and forming the superconductor film safely and economically, over a wide region and homogeneously, wherein each of elements of R in which R represents one or more of elements selected from the group consisting of Y and lanthanide series rare earth elements, Ba and Cu is vapor deposited in the state of metal on a substrate under a high vacuum of lower than 10.sup.-8 Torr by a vacuum vapor deposition process to form a precursor comprising an amorphous metal and the precursor is oxidized and crystallized by applying a heat treatment without taking out the same into the atmospheric air.

As a typical oxide superconductor having a superconducting transition temperature Tc higher than the boiling point of liquid nitrogen, a perovskite RBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7 of three-layered structure, in which R is one or more of elements selected from the group consisting of Y and lanthanide series rare earth element has been known. Further, a RBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.4 O.sub.8 type oxide in which a Cu-O single bond in the RBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7 type oxide is changed into a double bond structure has also been known as a superconductor having Tc higher than of the boiling point of liquid nitrogen.
By the way, for the method of manufacturing the oxide superconductor described above into a thin film, the following two methods are generally adopted.
(1) A method of vapor depositing a starting metallic material by applying a deposition process such as laser deposition, active reaction deposition, sputtering or like other method, while locally blowing a gas such as oxygen in a film-forming chamber undergoing vapor deposition, forming an amorphous oxide of an appropriate composition into a thin film or crystallizing the oxide superconductor.
(2) A method of evacuating the inside of the film-forming chamber to a vacuum degree of about 1.times.10.sup.-7 Torr, then evaporating metals such as Y and Cu, and BaF.sub.2 on a substrate from an electron impinging type vapor deposition source and then oxidizing and crystallizing the superconducting material by applying a subsequent heat treatment in an oxygen atmosphere (disclosed, for example, by R. Feenstra, et al., in J. Appl. Phys. (Submitted)).
However, each of the prior arts as described above have the following respective drawbacks.
At first, in the method (1), it is difficult to form a thin superconductor film at high quality over a region of a large area of greater than 100 cm.sup.2 in view of the constitution of the film-forming device, the difficulty in uniform supply of activating oxygen or the like. In addition, since the gas such as oxygen is introduced at the same time with film formation, the surface of the starting metallic material is oxidized, making evaporation instable and making it difficult for the accurate control of the film-forming rate and the film composition. On the other hand, in the method (2) above, film formation to a region of a large area can be conducted relatively easily since there is less restriction in view of the constitution of the device. However, this method inevitably suffers from intrusion of impurities upon vapor deposition due to residual gases such as H.sub.2 O, N.sub.2, H.sub.2 and CO.sub.2. Further, since BaF.sub.2 is used as an evaporation source, it is necessary to remove a F-content in the film upon oxidation and crystallization by reaction with steams at a high temperature in addition to reaction with oxygen. As a result, this not only makes the operation complicate but also generates a toxic HF gas of highly corrosive nature during reaction to bring about a problem in view of safety and sanitation. Further, since the evaporation state of BaF.sub.2 is instable, it is difficult for the accurate control of the film composition.
The present invention has been achieved in order to overcome the technical problems involved in the prior art and it is an object thereof to provide a method of manufacturing an oxide superconductor film capable of easily controlling a film-forming rate and a film composition, producing the film safely and economically over a wide region, homogeneously and at a high quality.

Method of manufacturing an oxide superconductor film

International Superconductivity Technology Center


A test probe assembly includes a barrel having a hollow interior and a plunger which slides axially in the barrel. The plunger has an outer portion extending through an open end of the barrel, terminating in a contact tip outside the barrel for contact with a test point. In one embodiment, the plunger also has a hollow, elongated receptacle extending through the barrel. The receptacle has a geometric-shaped pilot hole, preferably square, spaced from the open end of the barrel. An elongated fixed guide member in the barrel extends through the pilot hole. The guide member extends through the interior of the barrel away from the pilot hole. The guide member has an outer surface of preferably square-shaped configuration engaging the pilot hole. A spring inside the barrel extends along the guide member and is biased against the internal end of the receptacle inside the barrel. Axial travel of the plunger into the barrel is against the bias of the spring. The square-shaped outer surface of the guide member, engaging the square pilot hole, controls rotational motion of the plunger as it travels along the guide member against the bias of the spring. In one embodiment, a helical configuration in the outer surface of the guide member engages the pilot hole so that axial travel of the receptacle causes the plunger to rotate about its axis, in order to provide good frictional contact between the plunger tip and the test point on a unit under test. In another embodiment, the cooperating square-shaped engaging portions of the guide member and the pilot hole provide controlled linear and non-rotational travel of the plunger relative to the barrel.

In the automatic testing of electrical circuits, test probes of various configurations are used, depending upon such factors as the type of electrical device under test, the spacing between test points, and the like. The present invention is applicable to many different types of contact test probes. In order to appreciate the improvements provided by this invention, one type of prior art test probe will first be described. This test probe assembly comprises a conventional spring-loaded contact probe generally including an outer receptacle, a movable plunger or probe member, and a barrel in the receptacle. In such devices the plunger or probe member is mounted in the barrel and extends outwardly from it. The barrel includes a spring so that the plunger or probe member is supported in the barrel by spring pressure. The probe member can be biased outwardly a selected distance by the spring and may be biased or depressed inwardly into the barrel a selected distance under force directed against the spring. The probe member generally has a probing end or tip which makes contact with selected test points on the electrical device under test. A printed circuit board would be an example of a unit under test.
There are many applications in which the probing end of the test probe must grip onto a particular circuit element or test point during probing. Therefore, the test probe must be designed so that it stays in good contact with the circuit test point being probed. In order to ensure good contact during probing, prior art test probes have included a large number of different probe tip configurations designed to grip onto the test point to make good contact when spring pressure is applied to the probe during testing.
Examples of instances in which good contact is required between the test probe and the circuit test point include where the board under test has been in a dirty environment, or where no de-fluxing was conducted after soldering; and therefore, the test probe must grip or bite into the conductive surface of the test point to ensure circuit continuity.
A conventional way of ensuring good probe contact is by use of a "helical" test probe assembly which includes a cylindrical barrel having an axial passage and a movable test probe which slides axially in the passage. The barrel has a coil spring inside it which applies a spring bias to a plunger during use. The plunger has a small lateral post extending outwardly and engaged in a spiral groove extending lengthwise along the barrel. The post engaged in the groove provides a means for controlling movement of the probe relative to the barrel during use. When the plunger portion of the probe assembly is depressed against the spring pressure, the post rides upwardly in the spiral groove and causes the probe shaft to rotate about its axis during probing. By twisting about its axis, the bottom contact tip portion of the probe can bite into the test point on the unit under test to provide better contact during testing.
In another approach, the post can be engaged in a linear groove to prevent the probe shaft from rotating about its axis during its linear travel. This can ensure better control over undesired lateral movement of the test probe during use and orient the plunger tip relative to the unit under test.
There are certain drawbacks to using a small lateral post and groove combination to control rotation of the probe. These disadvantages include greater cost of production and poor reliability during use, especially prolonged use involving many test cycles. The overall dimension of the test probe also is affected and limits application to close on-center spacing among test probes.
The present invention provides a test probe which, in one configuration referred to as a "helix probe", provides a means for controlling test probe motion during use, so that the contact tip portion of the probe rotates during testing for making good surface contact with the test point on the unit under test. Another embodiment, referred to as a "linear probe", provides a means for preventing rotation of the probe shaft relative to the barrel during linear travel of the probe shaft. Either embodiment of the invention avoids the disadvantages of the prior art use of a test probe with a post engaged in a groove in the barrel of the probe assembly for providing rotational control of the probe.

Electrical test probe having rotational control of the probe shaft


Methods of temporary erase, search, restoration and permanent erase of a stream object and a recording medium for storing additional information for restoration of divided stream objects. To solve the problem that full restoration cannot be guaranteed in managing and editing (temporary deleting) a content which includes a film, music, or other data, when a plurality of units are used, search information in dividing a stream object by temporary deletion is generated. Using the information structure and restoration method, stream objects divided by temporary deletion can be fully restored to their original state, and the temporarily-deleted part can be permanently deleted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to editing and/or reproducing of packet-structured data, and more particularly, to a method of temporary deletion, search, restoration, and permanent deletion of a stream object and a recording medium for storing additional information for restoration of the stream object divided by temporary deletion.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, content is formed by a stream object (SOB), and an SOB is formed by a plurality of predetermined stream object units (SOBUs) and managed in each SOBU unit. At this time, the stream object can be, for example, data which are recorded while a user records something from the beginning to the end. More particularly, an episode of a miniseries or a film can be recorded in one stream object. Since a program can be used instead of content, the word "program" will be used for explanation, hereinafter.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the relationship between data and search information used in reading wanted data in an already-recorded stream object. When a user records a program, just one program can be recognized to the user's eyes, but a cell, which provides a meaningful search tool to the user, and stream object information (SOBI), which links information in a cell to actual data, exist internally.
Particularly as for a stream object, in order to improve the physical properties of recording media and the performance and/or management-easiness and efficiency of reproducing/editing devices, data are grouped in a predetermined unit (stream object unit, SOBU) for management, and information used in accessing an SOBU is stored in a mapping list (MAPL) of SOBI. The SOBU number begins from "1" and the MAPL can have a plurality of items. These items have information of increment application packet arrival time (IAPAT), which represents the time difference between each arrival time of first packets of two SOBUs.
In order to randomly access a program recorded in a storage device, search information on a program to be accessed is separately prepared and used, in general. As search information, information on data location in a program, program reproducing time, and program recording time are usually used. When a recorded program is a film, characteristic scenes can be used as search information. Here, a program recording time will be used as an example of search information.
Search information can have diverse formats and, generally data are grouped in a big bulk as a unit of a searching object in order to reduce the volume of search information and enable fast search. Such bulk-grouping is usually done in a layered structure. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a three-layered structure.
When search information is made in the form of a layered structure, information on an upper layer includes information on a normal immediately-lower layer. A cell exist as an upper layer in search information which is included in a program, a stream object exists below the cell, and stream object units exist below the stream object. Each layer of search information can have diverse relationships and, here, the following is assumed.
A program has one or more cells. A cell has one stream object. A stream object has one or more stream object units. A stream object unit has one or more items of data.
FIG. 1 shows a case where Program_org is formed with Cell_org; Cell_org is formed with an SOB; the SOB is formed with SOBU1, SOBU2, and SOBU3, and each SOBU is formed with data. That is, Program_org has an information structure storing a cell, the cell has an information structure storing SOBs, and each SOB has an MAPL, the information structure storing SOBUs.
In addition, in order to show the range of a stream object which search information manages, the first data arrival time of a cell (SC_S_APAT) and the last data arrival time of the cell (SC_E_APAT) are included in cell information, and the first data arrival time of a stream object (SOB_S_APAT) and the last data arrival time of the stream object (SOB_E_APAT) are included in stream object information.
A temporary erase (TE) flag represents that the stream object is temporarily deleted. Here, temporary deletion means that after a user deletes all or some parts of a program, a chance to cancel the deletion is given to the user. Unlike this temporary erase, permanent deletion means a deletion which does not provide an opportunity for canceling the deletion.
Each item of MAPL are presented by an incremental AP arrival time which means the incremental packet arrival time of each corresponding SOBU. Here, AP is an abbreviated form of application packet, and means packet-structured data. IAPAT, the incremental packet arrival time of an SOBU is defined as follows.
Search information expressed in time units has respective precision degrees depending on application fields. As for a moving picture experts group-2 (MPEG-2) system, time is counted and used in units of 27 MHz. In FIG. 1, data is expressed in units of 0.1. In order to reduce the length of the search information MAPL, an SOB is assumed to express time in units of 1.0. When this is applied to a 48-bit register for expressing time, equal to or greater than point b18, shown in FIG. 2, means an integer part and less than point b18 indicates a decimal fraction. The location of b18, immediately upper decimal fractions, will be expressed as MTU_SHIFT.
In addition, each item of MAPL in FIG. 1 has values of 3, 1, and 1, respectively, which are based on the following definition of MAPL. As a method for determining IAPAT of each SOBU, different methods are used according to the location of an SOBU in an SOB, that is, whether or not an SOBU is the last SOBU in an SOB.
For example, when M SOBUs exist in one SOB, the accumulated value of IAPATs from the first to the i-th SOBU for i-th SOBU(i) except the last SOBU must not be greater than the first AP arrival time of SOBU(i+1) by more than 1. IAPAT is assumed to be an integer expressed in units of 1.0, and the initial value of accumulation is assumed to be "0". This is expressed in the following equation 1.SOBU—S—APAT(i+1) SUM—IAPAT(i)<SOBU—S—APAT(i +1)+1  (1)
Here, SUM_IAPAT(i) represents the accumulated value of all preceding SOBU's IAPAT values, including the corresponding SOBU, that is, SOBU#i, and SOBU_S_APAT(i+1) represents the arrival time of the first AP of SOBU(i+1).
When M SOBUs exist, the accumulated value of IAPATs from the first to the M-th for SOBU(M), the last SOBU, must be greater than the arrival time of the last AP of SOBU(M) and must not be greater than that by 1. IAPAT is assumed to be an integer expressed in units of 1.0, and the initial value of accumulation starts from "0".SOBU—E—APAT(M)<SUM—IAPAT(M)<SOBU—E—APAT(M) +1  (1)
Here, SUM_IAPAT(M) represents the accumulated value of all preceding IAPATs, including the corresponding SOBU, that is, SOBU#M, and SOBU_E_APAT(M) represents the arrival time of the last AP of SOBU(M).
Referring to FIG. 3, the concepts of the equations 1 and 2 will now be explained in detail.
In FIG. 3, as for SOBU1, the result of accumulation of SOBU1's IAPAT, that is, the value of SOBU1, must be equal to or greater than the arrival time of the first AP of SOBU2, and must not be greater than that by 1. That is, the result of accumulation must be equal to or greater than 1.9, and must be an integer less than 2.9, and therefore, the result must be 2. Accordingly, the IAPAT of SOBU1 is 2.
As for SOBU2, the result of accumulation of IAPATs of SOBU1 and SOBU2 must be the arrival time of the first AP of SOBU3, and must not be greater than that by 1. That is, the result of accumulation must be equal to or greater than 5.5, and must be an integer less than 6.5, and therefore, the result must be 6. Since the IAPAT of SOBU1 is 2, The IAPAT of SOBU 2 is 4.
In this way, IAPATs of the first SOBU and an SOBU located in the middle can be obtained, and because a case in FIG. 4A shows a boundary condition, it needs to be more carefully handled. When the IAPAT of SOBU2 of FIG. 4A is calculated and when the arrival time of the first AP of SOBU3 is the integer 5.0, the result of accumulation to the IAPAT of SOBU2 is not 6 but 5.
In the meantime, as for SOBU6 in FIG. 3, the result of accumulation of the integer part of the arrival time of the first AP of the SOBU6 and the IAPAT to SOBU6 must be greater than the arrival time of the last AP of SOBU6, and must not be greater than that by 1. That is, the result of accumulation must be greater than 10.8, and must be an integer less than or equal to 11.8, and therefore, it must be 11. Since the result of the accumulation of IAPAT to SOBU5 is 10, the IAPAT of SOBU6 is 1.
In this way, the IAPAT of the last SOBU in an SOB can be obtained, and because a case in FIG. 4B shows a boundary condition, it needs to be more carefully handled. When the IAPAT of SOBU(6) of FIG. 4B is calculated and when the arrival time of the last AP of SOBU(6) is an integer value of 11.0, the result of accumulation to the IAPAT of SOBU(6) is not 11 but 12.
In the meantime, when a program is temporarily deleted, this deletion is indicated by a temporary erase (TE) flag, which is promised and admitted in general. Therefore, when a part of a program is temporarily deleted, a stream object is divided into a temporarily deleted stream object and an undeleted stream object, and the TE flag is set in the temporarily deleted stream object. This is for restoring the deleted part later by changing only search information which links a user and data, without actually deleting any data.
However, a method of generating search information in dividing a stream object has not been disclosed. Also, the TE flag only indicates that the temporarily deleted part has been temporarily deleted, which inevitably makes the TE flag reset in later restoration. Reading between those cells may be performed discontinuously because of the reset process.
If a restoration method having a process for resetting the TE flag is used, the restored program will have two or more cells. This means that the original program of FIG. 1 is not restored fully because the operation between cells is not defined, though the temporarily deleted part is restored after the temporary deletion. Since from the standpoint of a user, a restoration after temporary deletion means restoration to the original state, a method of fully restoring a stream object divided due to temporary deletion becomes required.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for temporary deletion, search, restoration, and permanent deletion of stream object and a recording medium for storing additional information for restoration of stream object divided by temporary deletion


A head suspension supporting a head at the tip end is allowed to swing at the tip end of a carriage in a recording disk drive. A microactuator is interposed between the head suspension and the carriage. A resistor is connected to the microactuator in serial. The microactuator is allowed to function as a capacitance. A combination of the microactuator and the resistor enables establishment of a so-called low pass filter. A high frequency noise involuntarily introduced in the driving voltage for the microactuator can be eliminated or removed from the driving voltage. Elimination of the high frequency noise enables a reliable prevention of the mechanical or physical resonance or vibration in the head suspension. A tracking action of the head related to a target recording track can reliably be stabilized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a head assembly employed in a recording medium drive such as a hard disk drive (HDD), and in particular, to a head assembly utilizing a so-called microactuator capable of moving or shifting a head in a recording medium drive.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Japanese Patent No. 2528261 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 11-31368 disclose a well-known type of hard disk drives (HDDs), representing a magnetic recording disk drive, including a head suspension supported at the tip end of a carriage horizontally extending. The head suspension is movable relative to the carriage which is allowed for swinging movement around the vertical axis. The mentioned HDD allows the carriage to swing so as to achieve a seeking action of a read/write head related to a target recording track. The carriage is also supposed to cooperate with the head suspension for forcing a read/write head to follow the target recording track in a tracking operation. A microactuator, such as a piezoelectric element, is interposed between the carriage and the head suspension so as to cause a relative swinging movement between the carriage and the head suspension.
In general, a so-called servo control is utilized to achieve a tracking operation. The servo control usually achieves a feedback control of the microactuator based on a signal supplied from a read/write head. The signal serves to represent a deviation amount of the read/write head from a target recording track. If a high frequency component is introduced in the driving voltage supplied to the microactuator in the feedback control, the head suspension suffers from a mechanical or physical resonance or vibration, so that the tracking action of the read/write head may be hindered. A reliable or stable tracking operation cannot be achieved. The high frequency component may inevitably be generated based on the feedback signal following a frequent variation in the deviation amount of the read/write head, for example. Otherwise, the high frequency component may be found as a noise in the output of an amplifier designed to amplify the driving voltage.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a head assembly and/or a recording medium drive capable of stabilizing, with a simple structure, the tracking action of a head during a servo control of an microactuator.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording medium drive comprising: a recording medium; a head related to the recording medium; a driven member supporting the head; a support member designed to support the driven member for a relative movement; a microactuator interposed between the driven member and the support member so as to cause the relative movement between the driven member and the support member based on a driving voltage; a voltage source generating the driving voltage following variation in a feedback signal generated based on a position of the head relative to the recording medium; and a resistor interposed in serial between the voltage source and the microactuator.
The microactuator is allowed to operate in response to supply of the driving voltage so as to position the head with respect to a target recording track on the recording medium in the recording medium drive. The driving voltage is designed to follow variation in the feedback signal, so that a tracking action of the head related to the target recording track, namely, a servo control of the driven member can be achieved. When a piezoelectric element or a so-called capacitance actuator is utilized in the microactuator, for example, the microactuator is inevitably forced to function as a capacitance. A combination of the microactuator and the resistor enables establishment of a so-called low pass filter. As a result, a high frequency noise involuntarily introduced in the driving voltage can be eliminated or removed from the driving voltage. In general, the driven member has a natural frequency of a relatively higher frequency in the recording medium drive because of its weight or mass. Elimination of the high frequency noise enables a reliable prevention of the mechanical or physical resonance or vibration resulting from the weight or mass of the driven member and the like. It should be noted that the microactuator may comprise any structure equivalent to a capacitance in addition to the aforementioned piezoelectric element and capacitance actuator.
It is preferable that the resistor is inserted in a driving signal line attached to the support member for carrying the driving voltage to the microactuator. In general, the driving signal line is often disposed adjacent a data signal line for carrying data signals of the head. If the resistor can be located closer to the microactuator in the driving signal line, the resistor is allowed to eliminate an electromagnetic noise leaking out of the data signal line and/or a motor for driving the recording medium. As a result, the servo control can further be stabilized.
In addition, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a head assembly comprising: a plurality of heads; a plurality of driven members respectively supporting the head; a common support member designed to support the driven members for a relative movement; data signal lines attached to the support member for carrying a data signal of the head; a microactuator interposed between the individual driven member and the support member so as to cause the relative movement between the individual driven member and the support member based on a driving voltage; a driving signal line attached to the support member for carrying the driving voltage to the microactuator; and a resistor inserted in the driving signal line between the microactuator and a voltage source of the driving voltage.
In the same manner as the first aspect, the microactuator is allowed to operate in response to supply of the driving voltage so as to achieve a tracking action of the individual head related to the target recording track, namely, a servo control of the driven member. When a piezoelectric element or a so-called capacitance actuator is utilized in the microactuator, for example, the microactuator is inevitably forced to function as a capacitance. A combination of the microactuator and the resistor enables establishment of a so-called low pass filter. As a result, a high frequency noise involuntarily introduced in the driving voltage can be eliminated or removed from the driving voltage in the aforementioned manner.
In particular, the driving signal line may comprise: a common driving signal line extending from the voltage source to a branch point so as to accept interposition of the resistor; and a plurality of branch driving signal lines respectively extending from the branch point to the individual microactuator. If the single resistor is assigned to a group of the branch driving signal lines, less resistors are required, as compared with the case where the resistors are inserted in every driving signal line. Cost reduction can be achieved.
Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a head assembly comprising: a piezoelectric element deforming in response to supply of a driving voltage; first and second electrodes holding the piezoelectric element therebetween and leading the driving voltage to the piezoelectric element; a conductive adhesive layer interposed between the piezoelectric element and at least one of the first and second electrodes; a driven member fixed to the first electrode so as to support a head; a support member fixed to the second electrode; and a driving signal line connected to the first and second electrodes so as to lead the driving voltage to the first and second electrodes.
In the head assembly, the resistor of a predetermined resistive value can easily be obtained by properly selecting the material of conductive powders contained in the conductive adhesive layer and/or adjusting the amount of the conductive powder. Employment of such a resistor comprising the conductive adhesive layer serves to locate the resistor closest to the piezoelectric element, so that the resistor made of the conductive adhesive is allowed to reliably eliminate or remove a high frequency noise involuntarily introduced in the driving signal line. A conductive adhesive containing a predetermined amount of conductive powder may be injected between the first electrode and the piezoelectric element as well as between the second electrode and the piezoelectric element so as to form the conductive adhesive layer interposed between the piezoelectric element and at least one of the first and second electrodes. When the injected conductive adhesive is cured or hardened, the conductive adhesive layer can be obtained.
Furthermore, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording medium drive comprising: an enclosure defining an inner space; a recording medium disposed within the inner space; a head disposed within the inner space with respect to the recording medium, a driven member supporting the head; a support member designed to support the driven member for a relative movement; a microactuator interposed between the driven member and the support member so as to cause the relative movement between the driven member and the support member based on a driving voltage; an amplifier amplifying a voltage from a voltage source so as to generate the driving voltage; and a DC/DC converter disposed outside the inner space and designed to supply a source voltage to the amplifier.
In general, the DC/DC converter is well known to generate or radiate a high frequency noise. The high frequency noise tends to be introduced in the driving voltage carried along the driving signal line. Also, the high frequency noise may directly act on the driven member so as to induce a mechanical resonance of the driven member. When the DC/DC converter isolated by the enclosure from the inner space in this manner, a high frequency noise leaking out of the DC/DC converter cannot reach the driven member and the driving signal line within the inner space. As a result, a stable servo control for the driven member can further be improved.
The recording medium drive of the invention may include a magnetic disk drive such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a diskette drive (FDD), and the like, an optical disk drive employing an optical medium such as a compact disk (CD), a digital video disk (DVD), and the like, a magneto-optical disk (MO) drive, and any other types. In particular, the head assembly of the invention can be applied to any of the aforementioned recording medium drives. Moreover, the microactuator of the invention may be interposed not only between a carriage and a head suspension, but also between a head suspension and a head slider as well as between a head slider and a head element, in any of the aforementioned recording medium drives.

Head assembly employing microactuator in recording medium drive


A continuous flow method for processing soap involving providing soap heated to a pliable consistency, mixing the soap to homogeneity, cooling the soap, and extruding the soap is provided. Also provided is a processing system. One embodiment includes a device for heating the soap, a continuous mixer and a continuous heat exchanger connected via conduits. The conduits continuous mixer and heat exchanger may be adapted to be further inputted with additional ingredients, such as a gas. Using this method and system, low cost, high volume processing of soap is possible.

The subject application provides a method and system for processing soap and soap-like materials.
As anyone who has ever fallen on a bar of soap will attest, soap which sinks to the bottom of the bathtub presents an unseen safety hazard. Moreover, for underdeveloped countries and people who revel in the outdoors, floating soap offers the only satisfactory medium for bathing in a stream, lake or river. Accordingly, it is an object of subject invention to provide a means for producing floating soap and soap-like materials.
Although there has long been a need for water buoyant soaps, methods for their production have typically been limited to batch processes, progressive compacting or chemical induction of gas. The subject invention overcomes these limitations by providing a continuous flow system which affords advantages not contemplated in the past.
In the manufacture of water-buoyant soap, air is entrapped within the soap to lower its specific gravity to a value less than 1.0. To aid in understanding the objects, features and advantages of the subject invention, a brief history of floating soap will be chronicled.
An early method of producing water buoyant milled soap is described by Hood, U.S. Pat. No. 2,210,824, issued Aug. 13, 1940, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. In this method, air introduced into a batch of soap is expanded under vacuum (by the withdrawing a piston in a hermetically sealed container), thus creating a soap that is lighter than water.
Westerberg, U.S. Pat. No. 2,360,920, issued Oct. 24, 1944, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference, teaches a batch method of making soap which is light, airy and suitable for single use. To obtain such an article, a soap and water solution is formed and then heated to a temperature of approximately 65.degree. C. The mixture is then beaten until it reaches a frothy consistency which will hold its body, thereby producing a low weight soap.
Bodman, U.S. Pat. No. 2,398,776, issued Apr. 23, 1946, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference, teaches a batch method of producing an aerated soap. In this method, molten soap is introduced under pressure into a Banbury mixer having rotating spiral blades. The action of the blades upon the pressurized soap causes air to be evenly dispersed throughout. After the soap is thoroughly aerated, it is released into a form-imparting means, from which the solidified mass can be removed and cut into cakes or bars.
Marshall, U.S. Pat. No. 2,494,891, issued Jan. 17, 1950, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference, teaches a method and apparatus for making floating soap. In this method, a milled soap mass is plodded and extruded into very fine diameter threads while regulating air pressure. The shredded soap mass is then compacted progressively so as to become hard without allowing the escape of occluded air.
Dupuis, U.S. Pat. No. 3,413,230, issued Nov. 26, 1958, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference, describes a method in which a hollow body containing entrapped air is placed within the soap bar so as to cause the entire bar to float.
Susuki, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,649,545, issued Mar. 14, 1972, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference, teach a synthetic detergent mass and method of manufacture. The detergent can be made to float by using hollow areas within the detergent mass or by using a foaming agent generated within the slurry, i.e., a chemically induced gas.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method of processing a soap or soap-like material without the milling required in the production of high quality hard soaps. In brief, milling involves extruding or comminuting "kettle soap" which has previously been cooled. The diminutive pieces of cool kettle soap are then compressed to form a hard soap. By mixing and cooling the soap, in sequence or concurrently, the subject invention eliminates milling.
Of general interest is a series of patents to Clarke, et al. (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,479,884, 4,517,107, 4,680,132, issued Oct. 30, 1984, May 14, 1985 and Jul. 14, 1987, respectively), the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference, which teach detergent bars and methods for making the same. In the Clarke, et al. methodology, material is forced through a mixer which moves the material through cavities alternately on opposing faces of the stator and rotor. Although floating soap is not produced by this process, these patents illustrate mixer technology in the extended field of soap production.
Objects of this application include providing a method and system for processing soap and soap-like materials. Further objects include producing a floating soap, and in particular a soap having a white color, and minimizing loss of expensive fragrance. It is therefore a feature of the subject invention to provide a continuous flow system and a further feature to use injected gas to facilitate gas incorporation to form a floating soap. Yet another feature is the use of a closed system.
Through these objects and features, the subject invention offers the advantages of eliminating the need for milling, providing a floating soap having uniform gas distribution, creating a floating soap having a white color without the use of dyes or oxidants, minimizing the loss of volatiles (such as fragrances) and affording a rapid and continuous method for manufacturing high quality soap.

Method and system for processing soap and soap-like materials


A fluid dynamic method and apparatus effects the isolation of a predetermined deposition area in a hot-walled chemical vapor deposition chamber and limits the deposition to that area. The disclosed technique reduces stress and cracking in materials produced by chemical vapor deposition, prevents backside growth, and has particular utility in the fabrication by the chemical vapor deposition process of large, lightweight mirrors.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the selective deposition of material in a specific area of a vapor deposition system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In chemical vapor deposition of ceramic materials, gases are introduced into a hot furnace where they react at the walls of the furnace or at the surface of a substrate or mandrel positioned in the furnace to form a solid deposit or coating thereon. In the formation of a coating of a ceramic material such as silicon carbide (SiC), methyltrichlorosilane (CH.sub.3 SiCl.sub.3), hydrogen (H.sub.2) and argon (Ar) gases are introduced into the reaction chamber through stainless steel injectors. Since methyltrichlorosilane (for convenience termed "MTS" hereinafter) is a liquid at room temperature, Ar is bubbled through the MTS and carries MTS vapor above the liquid to the injectors. Unreacted gases are evacuated from the furnace and cleaned in a gas scrubber. Thick deposits of SiC can be made. Typical conditions for the deposition of SiC are:
______________________________________ Substrate Temperature 1300.degree. C. Furnace or reaction chamber pressure 200 torr Partial pressure of gases Ar 68 torr H.sub.2 102 torr MTS 30 torr ______________________________________
A process is disclosed in application Ser. No. 389,248 filed Aug. 3, 1989 by J. S. Goela, M. A. Pickering and R. L. Taylor and assigned to the assignee of the present invention for fabricating, by vapor deposition, lightweight structures out of refractory materials. The methods and lightweight structures disclosed in that application, which application by reference is incorporated herein, involve a core to define the shape and size of each structure. The core is coated with an appropriate deposit, such as silicon carbide (SiC) or silicon (Si), to give the structure strength and stiffness and for bonding thereof to another surface, for example, the surface of a substrate comprising the faceplate of a mirror being fabricated.
In the fabrication of mirrors, graphite may be used to form a mandrel for replicating on a SiC faceplate. One side of the mandrel is optically fabricated, either as flat or as a convex spherical shape. The other side of the mandrel is lapped flat. The lapped side of the mandrel is bonded by means of pillars and graphite cement to a baffle plate in a vapor deposition reactor. The mandrel is then coated with multiple coats of a suspension of carbon in solvent, following which the surface of the mandrel is buffed or polished to make it as shiny as possible without significantly altering its figure. Deposition of SiC on the mandrel is then effected. Without separating the faceplate from the mandrel, the exposed SiC surface may be etched with hot potassium hydroxide (KOH) to improve bonding of graphite to SiC. A lightweight structure core is then fabricated from flat or curved graphite ribs, as disclosed in the aforementioned Goela et al. application for patent. After being bonded together with graphite cement, the lightweight structure core is bonded with graphite cement to the etched SiC surface of the mandrel. SiC is then deposited to enclose the lightweight structure core following which the baffle plate is separated from the baffle pillars. Controlled edging may be performed to remove excess SiC deposit. Using a blade, the interface between the graphite mandrel and the SiC faceplate may then be opened to recover the SiC coated mirror faceplate. The latter is then ready for Si coating.
Selective deposit to confine Si growth to only the front face of the SiC coated faceplate in the fabrication of the mirror surface is very important. This is for the reason that cracks tending to propagate from the wall of the furnace to the mirror faceplate or other substrate and growth on the backside thereof are disadvantageous. In each case, if not prevented, cracking of the deposit on the front side often results, making replication in a chemical vapor deposition system difficult to achieve, and additionally, requiring post deposition machining to separate the substrate-deposit from the deposition fixture.
Efforts in the prior art to overcome the problem of cracks propagating from the wall of the furnace to the mirror faceplate or other substrate have been unsatisfactory, involving reducing the amount of material deposited around a predetermined selected area in order to isolate the area.
A masking method involving a hollow body made of flexible graphite is disclosed in application Ser. No. 403,957 filed Sept. 7, 1989 by J. S. Goela, R. D. Jaworski and R. L. Taylor, now Pat. No. 4,963,393 for preventing backside growth on faceplates in the fabrication of mirrors in a vapor deposition system.

Selective area chemical vapor deposition


A window structure for use as a new or a replacement window in a wall opening is provided. This window structure includes, a tubular interior frame unit, a tubular exterior frame unit, insulating glass units, and seal means between the frame units. The tubular exterior frame unit overlaps and has substantially the same projected member width as the tubular interior frame unit for providing a slim appearance to the metal parts and for providing a large appearance to the glass parts. The tubular interior frame unit has a first tubular frame portion, and has a second flange frame portion, and has a third heat-barrier frame portion therebetween, for minimizing heat loss. Each insulating glass unit has two spaced glass sheets with a sealed air space therebetween. The seal means has a continuous primary seal member mounted on the first tubular frame portion for engaging a tubular exterior operable outswing casement frame of the tubular exterior frame unit. A horizontal bar and a vertical mullion with an upper vertical post are provided, and dual casement windows with dual fixed transom windows are provided, in the tubular exterior frame unit.

Now that Art Deco buildings are 50 years old and Federal, State, and Municipal agencies have designated these buildings as landmarks, there is a need for appropriate replacement windows for the non-insulated, leaky (and even disintegrating) windows used in those buildings. The original windows were slim steel casements that represented modernity and high technology to architects working in the Bauhaus, Art Deco, and Streamlined styles. Preservation regulatory agencies require that the original appearance be maintained in these "significant" buildings. The agencies' mandate covers the less numerous but equally "significant" Tudor and Gothic revival buildings as well.
The replacement window must be compatible aesthetically with the architecture of that era. Also, desirably, the design should be responsive to current industry and government standards.
Aesthetically, the steel window appearance to be replicated comprises:
1. a two inch masonry-to-glass perimeter sightline; PA0 2. a three inch glass-to-glass sightline at primary operable-to-operable and operable to fixed framing members; PA0 3. a putty slope, mitred corner appearance around each operable and fixed light with exterior face of glass set back one inch from face of exterior of window frame; PA0 4. an uninterrupted narrow reveal around casement leaves; and, PA0 5. endless elevation layouts combining fixed and operable lights, where operable lights are virtually indistinguishable from fixed lights.
Current industry and government standards require replacement windows: to minimize energy losses (therefore thermal breaks and insulating glass are desired); to permit interior glazing and reglazing; to have maintenance free finishes; to enable the utilization of standard hardware, including cleaning hinges, locks, etc.
Prior to the present invention there have existed several approaches to manufacturing a window which replicates the architecturally desirable appearance of the outside putty glazed, outswinging steel windows used in buildings of earlier eras; or which incorporates current industry and government mandated performance criteria. However, no one design accomplishes everything.
For example, techniques for replicating these steel windows prior to the present invention have comprised:
1. manufacturing them from similar new, steel shapes, which are outside, putty glazed. This approach creates cost and safety problems attendant upon exterior glazing and reglazing and exterior painting, especially so on high-rise buildings. Further, the use of insulating glass is prohibited.
2. Manufacturing them from extruded aluminum shapes. This has been accomplished easily for wholly fixed windows by incorporating the mitered corner, putty-bevel recessed glass look into the aluminum extrusion. This fixed window incorporates thermal separation, permanent exterior finishes, interior glazing and reglazing capability of insulating glass. The same low (2") sight-line and performance features can be incorporated into a single casement or projected ventilator in its own frame, but cannot be integrated with another ventilator or fixed light in a single frame.
3. Manufacturing them from aluminum by a process generally termed "architectural metals". By this means, windows with an outside putty glazed, steel window appearance can be custom fabricated, virtually hand-made, in any combination of fixed and operable lights as of old. They can even incorporate thermal separation, insulating glass, interior glazing and reglazing and permanent finishes. And, in spite of the fact that aluminum is only 1/3 as strong as steel, they can also be made strong enough to withstand windloads and water and air penetration. However, this customized approach cannot incorporate user friendly hardware while simultaneously maintaining high performance standards, since there is just not enough room for the right hardware if the necessary amount of metal for strength is used; and vice versa. More importantly, because this is a customized approach, the issue is academic because windows made in this fashion are far too costly for general acceptance except for use in a few monumental buildings, atriums, etc.
4. Combining in separate frames or integrating into a single frame, commonly manufactured 2" to 21/2" deep, aluminum filed, projected and casement windows, forming a grid identical in function to the old windows. They can be manufactured with universally available mechanical components of proven reliability. Likewise, thermal separation, insulating glass, interior glazing and reglazing and maintenance-free finishes are available and cost-efficient. Aesthetically, however, their appearance is far from that of the steel windows. These conventional operable aluminum windows have 3" to 31/2" perimeter sight lines and 41/2" to 6" internal framing sight lines. The exterior frame is flat with only 3/16" to 5/16" set-back of glass. Separate frames mullioned together create a 6" to 8" glass-to-glass sight line as compared to 4" glass-to-glass for old steel windows. For whatever style building architects intend their use, this flat, wide appearance can intentionally be made part of the overall design. However, where a slim, non-flat appearance is needed for either post-modern or revivalist architecture, or for replacement of old steel windows in architecturally significant existing buildings, conventional aluminum windows are not satisfactory.
Therefore, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a window system which aesthetically replicates the steel window of old; while responding to the performance demands of government and industry.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a window system which is mass produceable and cost effective for both the retrofit and new construction markets.
It is still yet another object of this invention to provide a window system which permits the combination of fixed and operable lights in a myriad of configurations, limited, virtually, by the architects creativity.