A data communication control is realized in a system in which a priority terminal is shorter than a non-priority terminal in a standby time required until the terminal starts data communication after detecting that a communication medium is idle. An apparatus operating as the priority terminal determines an amount of data to be transmitted from the apparatus, and performs control for causing another apparatus operating as the non-priority terminal according to the determined amount of data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communication control in a communication system in which a priority terminal is shorter than a non-priority terminal in a standby time.
2. Description of the Related Art
The previous allocation of wireless resources such as time and frequency used for transmission and reception in performing wireless communication between two apparatuses can be wasteful. For this reason, the IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN (hereinafter, referred to as "wireless LAN"), for example, uses a method of the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) in which transmission rights are acquired on a first-come-first-served basis if a carrier is not detected.
In a wireless LAN, inter frame space (IFS), which is a standby time until which own data can be transmitted after it is detected that the transmission of previous data is finished, is changed according to the kinds of data to avoid the collision of data, thereby preferentially transmitting ACK. Randomly setting a back-off time required before the start of data transmission (random back off) avoids the collision of data similar in priority.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-247051 discusses a technique in which the IFS is controlled to preferentially transmit a packet small in data size. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-301075 discusses a technique in which a random back-off control is further improved to reduce the probability that a collision occurs.
In recent years, non-contact communication (proximity wireless communication) such as near field communication (NFC) and TransferJet (registered trademark) has appeared. The non-contact communication is very short in communication distance, and is controlled so that communicating apparatus are made close to each other in several centimeters (for example, 10 cm or less for NFC, or 3 cm or less for TransferJet) to establish a radio link, and the communicating apparatuses are kept away from each other to cut off the radio link.
In the TransferJet, it is assumed that the apparatuses perform data communication on a one-to-one basis with each other, and a white paper describing use cases is currently published ("TransferJet™ Overview Whitepaper" TransferJet Consortium, 2009). The white paper discloses that users make their apparatuses close to each other to enable sharing data.
For example, a method may be conceived in which a user performs an operation such as the selection of transmission data by its own apparatus and then brings it close to another apparatus to perform data communication for the purpose of sharing data using TransferJet. This is because it is difficult for the non-contact communication like the TransferJet to perform an operation such as the selection of transmission data with the connection of the radio link maintained because only a slight displacement of the apparatuses in the distance therebetween toward the outside of a communication range breaks the radio link therebetween.
The white paper does not deal with how the control of data transmission/reception is performed if both apparatuses are brought close to each other while selections of transmission data are completed in both apparatuses.
As a method for controlling data communication in that case, a method is conceived in which the CSMA/CA method is applied, as is the case with the wireless LAN, for example, to start data transmission on a first-come-first-served basis. However, in this case, until one apparatus previously acquiring transmission right finishes transmitting data, the other apparatus cannot transmit data.
If the other apparatus does not quickly start transmitting data, the user misjudges it as a failure in communication, and can perform unnecessary operations such as operating the apparatus or performing transmission operation again. If the transmission of data is not started even after a predetermined time period passes, it may be detected as a time-out error depending on the application of the other apparatus. If the amount of data in the apparatus previously acquiring transmission right is large in particular, such a problem probably occurs.

Apparatus and method of controlling the same in a system for communications between a priority terminal and a non-priority terminal


Systems and Methods of the current disclosure may provide customized webpages. A client device of the system may retrieve a profile corresponding to a user. The client device may further receive a deck including a set of packs, with each pack including a set of cards. As defined herein, a deck corresponds to a workflow (i.e., a series of webpages), while each pack includes context specific user-interface elements which make up a webpage. Further, a card may correspond to one or more elements of the webpage. The client device renders and displays webpages locally by selecting elements to be displayed on the webpage based on a details corresponding to a user of the client device. In other words, the client device creates webpages by selecting one or more cards for each pack of the deck based on details indicated in the profile.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Typically, webpages are static, meaning that each user visiting the webpage will be presented with the same display. Even webpages that provide followed/subscribed content, such as social media sites, are static and provide posts in the same way to each user. In other words, although users of a social media site may be provided with different content than other users, the provided content is not tailored in any way to the specific user.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Declarative interface for interaction design


A recombinant expression system for the expression of a poly amino acid, peptide or protein is provided. The poly amino acid of interest is expressed as a fusion protein that includes an amino acid sequence recognized and cleaved by a Ulp1 protease. The amino acid sequence joined to the poly amino acid of interest is preferably from a SUMO (small ubiquitin-like molecule) protein. This sequence imparts favorable solubility and refolding properties to the fusion protein. A purification tag may also be incorporated into the fusion protein for ease of isolation. The Ulp1 protease used to cleave the fusion protein may be the Ulp1 protease or the active Ulp1 protease fragment, Ulp1(403-621). The Ulp1 protease rapidly and specifically cleaves the fusion proteins of the invention at the Ulp1 cleavage site. The amino acid sequence recognized by a Ulp1 protease is cleaved asymetrically to leave only an N-terminal serine joined to the poly amino acid of interest. This recombinant expression system is particularly advantageous for expression and rapid and highly specific cleavage and purification of poly amino acids that have low solubilities or are difficult to express in other systems.

Numerous recombinant expression systems are available for production of foreign proteins, See for example Ausubel et al. (Eds.), Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Wiley, N.Y. (1999); Wu, R. (Ed.), Recombinant DNA methodology.II, Academic Press, NY (1995). One problem common to the available expression systems is that it is difficult to efficiently express many foreign proteins in active form at high levels. Another difficulty arises when the expression of the protein of interest leads to precipitation of the protein as an insoluble amorphous mass in the host cell bearing the expression vector. There remains a need for an efficient expression system, especially for proteins that are difficult to express. Optimally, the expression system should provide high levels of soluble, correctly folded, or active recombinant peptides or proteins that may be easily purified from the expression system.

Rapidly cleavable SUMO fusion protein expression system for difficult to express proteins


In the production of a reaction mixture which forms plastic material, in particular foamed plastic material, from at least two flowable reaction components, the inlet members or other switch-over members which must be switched over in a precise fashion, and controlled by a sliding valve comprising a slide which is assigned a restoring spring which operates in opposition to a moving electromagnet, and a holding electromagnet. First, the holding electromagnet is fully activated whereupon the moving electromagnet is activated. Following the build-up of force of the moving electromagnet, the holding electromagnet is switched off so that the inlet member or other switch-over member opens abruptly.

The present invention relates to a device and a process for the production of a reaction mixture which forms plastic material (and, in particular, foamed plastic material) from two flowable reaction components, comprising storage containers and supply lines which lead via at least one servo-controlled inlet member (which generally consists of a control piston, an inlet valve, and/or a nozzle) into a mixing chamber, wherein the inlet member is assigned a sliding valve, the slide of which is assigned a moving electromagnet and a restoring spring, as known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,337.
Devices of this type are used in particular in polyurethane processing technology, wherein the required mixture quantity is produced in continuous fashion. The time required to form the mixture quantity is referred to as "shot time". For small mixture quantities the shot time is correspondingly short since the dispensing pumps operate with approximate delivered quantities of 50 to 100 liters/minute.
The inlet members are generally hydraulically operated, for which purpose sliding valves, which can be switched electromagnetically, are actuated. The end of the slide has the form of a magnetic core and is guided in an exciting winding, or an iron core cooperating with the slide is fixed in the exciting winding. The build-up of the magnetic field requires a certain length of time and the magnetic force must first overcome the opposing prestressing force of the restoring spring before the sliding valve commences the opening procedure. It is only then that the actual opening procedure commences, which, due to the continued build-up of the magnetic field in association with the opposing force corresponding to the spring characteristic, requires a relatively long period of time and proceeds in an unstable fashion. With a shot time of, for example, 0.4 sec, the shot time tolerance, which is governed by the build-up of the magnetic field, amounts to approximately 0.02 sec, resulting in a fluctuation in the component quantities of .+-.5%. If, for example, an object is produced by in situ foaming from polyurethane foamed material, too large a mixture quantity leads to a higher density than desired. Too small a mixture quantity leads to too low a density, or in extreme circumstances the mold cavity is not entirely filled. If, in the case of separately controlled inlet members for the reaction components, the opening procedures of these inlet members differ from one another, the mixture ratio is also adulterated during the initial phase of the opening procedure. An adulterated mixture ratio of the reaction components can undesirably change the physical properties of the end product.
The aim of the present invention was to discover a device and a process with which the opening procedure of the inlet members can be monitored more easily and can be reduced in length in order to ensure a precise mixture quantity and a precise mixture ratio.

Device and process for the production of a reaction mixture from at least two flowable reaction components


A stator includes a ring-shaped stator core and a stator winding. The stator core has a plurality of slots arranged in a circumferential direction. The stator winding has a plurality of phase windings. Each phase winding is composed of a plurality of segment conductors 41 disposed such as to be inserted into the slots and connected in series. The segment conductor is divided into two. The phase winding is configured by two divided phase windings connected to each other in parallel. The divided phase windings are respectively configured by a plurality of segment conductors respectively connected in series such that the two divided segment conductors are in parallel with each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stator for a rotary electrical machine that is, for example, mounted in a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a stator for a rotary electrical machine, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,317, a stator is known that includes a ring-shaped stator core and a stator winding. The stator core has a plurality of slots arranged in a circumferential direction. The stator winding has a plurality of phase windings composed of a plurality of segment conductors that are disposed such as to be inserted into the slots and connected in series.
As shown in a connection diagram in FIG. 23B, each phase winding 143 configuring the stator winding is composed of a plurality of segment conductors 141 that are connected in series. As shown in FIG. 23A, the plurality of segment conductors 141 configuring a phase winding 143 of a single phase are disposed such as to be inserted into each slot 131 of the stator core 130. The plurality of segment conductors 141 are aligned in a radial direction. In this instance, the number of turns per slot is four.
JP-A-2002-27693 discloses a winding conductor for a rotary electrical machine. The winding conductor is inserted into the slots of a rotary electrical machine core. The winding conductor is composed of a plurality of wires that are compression-bonded to one another and press-molded to form a bundle that has a substantially rectangular cross-section.
In the rotary electrical machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,317, as shown in FIG. 24, eddy current is generated within the segment conductors 141 as a result of leakage flux within the slot 131 interlinking with the segment conductors 141 configuring each phase winding 143 during energization of the stator. In particular, when the rotary electrical machine is being operated in a high-speed, high-torque load state, a large loss (alternating-current (AC) copper loss) occurs as a result of the eddy current. When the AC copper loss occurs in this way, problems occur in that the segment conductors 141 generate heat, a motor (rotary electrical machine) cannot be made smaller, and the like.
It is considered possible that the eddy current can be suppressed by the winding conductor disclosed in JP-A-2002-27693 being applied to the stator winding disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,317. However, when the winding conductor disclosed in JP-A-2002-27693 is applied, problems occur in that the stator winding becomes significantly difficult to manufacture, cost significantly increases, and the like.


A bandpass sense amplifier circuit (FIG. 2A) is disclosed. The circuit includes a capacitor (C0) having a first terminal coupled to receive an input signal (Vin) and a second terminal. A current conveyor circuit (200-206,212) has a third terminal (X) coupled to the second terminal of the capacitor and a fourth terminal (Z) arranged to mirror a current into the third terminal. A voltage follower circuit (214) has an input terminal coupled to the fourth terminal of the current conveyor circuit and an output terminal.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a low noise, current mode capacitive sensor having an integrated bandpass filter.
Touch screen input panels are widely used in cell phones, computer tablets, laptop and desktop computers, video games, and other electronic devices. These panels may be resistive type, light sensing type, or capacitive sensing type. Referring to FIG. 1, there is a capacitive sensing touch screen input system of the prior art as disclosed by Tang et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 8,477,120). The touch screen system includes an array of touch screen cells formed over a liquid crystal display (LCD). The touch screen cells are typically formed where rows of drive electrodes are insulatively disposed proximate columns of sense electrodes. Each drive electrode includes a parasitic capacitance CDX 102. Here, X is a row number from 0 to N−1 where the array includes N rows. Likewise, each sense electrode includes a parasitic capacitance CSY 106. Here, Y is a column number from 0 to M−1 where the array includes M columns. A mutual capacitance is formed at each intersection of a row and column. For example, mutual capacitance CMXY 104 is formed at the intersection of row X and column Y. A drive signal generator 100 generates drive voltage VD on row X, which is applied through mutual capacitance CMXY 104 to sense amplifier 108. When the touch screen cell is touched by a finger or high permittivity stylus, mutual capacitance CMXY 104 increases and produces a high level input signal Vin at sense amplifier 108. Sense amplifier 108 subsequently amplifies this input signal and applies it to processor 110 where it is processed by application software.
There are several problems, however, with this touch screen system. First, row and column selection in the touch screen array produces significant array noise that is coupled to sense amplifier 108. Second, row and column electrodes of the touch screen array act as small antennas and transmit electromagnetic interference (EMI) from various sources such as microwave ovens and electrical appliances to sense amplifier 108. Finally, sense amplifier 108 produces it's own noise. Thus, it is desirable to include a bandpass filter in sense amplifier 108 to attenuate EMI. Turning to FIG. 1B, there is a sense amplifier with integrated bandpass filter of the prior art. The circuit includes a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) coupled in series with a Sallen-Key amplifier configured as a bandpass filter. Laplace transforms of transfer functions of the TIA and the Sallen-Key bandpass amplifier are given by equations [1] and [2], respectively, where K is 1+Rf2/Rf3. The transfer function for the circuit of FIG. 1B, therefore, is a product of equations [1] and [2].
                                          H                                      (              s              )                                TIA                =                              sC                                                                          0                        Rf                                                                          1                                              sCf                                                                                1                            Rf                                                                                1                        +            1                                              [        1        ]                                                      H                                      (              s              )                                            S            -            K                          =                              Ks                          R                                                                                1                            C                                                                                1                                                                                s                    2                                    +                                      s                                                              (                                                                        1                                                      R                                                                                1                                                        C                                                                                1                                                                          +                                                  1                                                      R                                                                                2                                                        C                                                                                1                                                                          +                                                  1                                                      R                                                                                2                                                        C                                                                                2                                                                          -                                                                              Rf                                                                                2                                                                                Rf                                                                                3                                                        RfC                                                                                1                                                                                )                                                        +                                                                                R                                                                                1                                        +                    Rf                                                        R                                                                                1                                        RfR                                                                                2                                        C                                                                                1                                        C                                                                                2                                                                                [        2        ]
The center frequency and bandwidth of the circuit of FIG. 1B are given below in equations [3] and [4], respectively. The gain and Q factor are given by equations [5] and [6], respectively.
                              ω          0                =                                                            R                                                                                1                            +              Rf                                      R                                                                                1                            RfR                                                                                2                            R                                                                                1                            C                                                                                2                                                          [        3        ]                                BW        =                              1                          R                                                                                1                            C                                                                                1                                +                      1                          R                                                                                2                            C                                                                                1                                +                                    1              Rf                                                  (                              1                -                K                            )                                +                      1                          R                                                                                2                            C                                                                                2                                                          [        4        ]                                GAIN        =                              KC                                                                          0                                R                                                                          1                        C                                                                          1                        Cf                                                                          1                        BW                                              [        5        ]                                Q        =                                                            (                                                      R                                                                                1                                    +                                      R                                                                                3                                                  )                                          R                                                                                1                            R                                                                                3                            C                                                                                1                            C                                                                                2                                                          R                                                                                1                            R                                                                                3                                            (                                                      C                                                                                1                                    +                                      C                                                                                2                                                  )                                      +                          R                                                                                2                            C                                                                                2                                            (                                                      R                                                                                3                                    -                                                                                Rf                                                                                2                                                                    Rf                                                                                3                                                                                R                                                                                1                                                  )                                                                        [        6        ]
There are several significant limitations of the circuit of FIG. 1B. Both bandwidth (BW) and center frequency (ω0) depend on passive components R1, R2, Rf, C1, and C2. By way of comparison, GAIN depends on K, C0 and inversely on R1, C1, Cf, and BW. Thus, minor process variations may significantly alter circuit performance. Although amplifier GAIN increases with K, it can not be very high or the circuit becomes unstable. Moreover, when K is greater than 1, the circuit does not operate with unity feedback, and total harmonic distortion (THD) increases.
While preceding approaches have provided improvements in touch screen sensing and noise reduction, the present inventors recognize that still further improvements are possible. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments described below are directed toward improving upon the prior art.

Capacitor, first and second current conveyors mirror current into input


A system is suggested comprising an optical sensing means and a processing unit. The optical sensing means may include an optical guide with a distal end, wherein the optical guide may be configured to be arranged in a device to be inserted into tissue in a region of interest. The processing unit may be configured to receive information of a region of interest including different tissue types as well as of a path through the tissues, to determine a sequence of tissue types along the path, to determine a tissue type at the distal end of the optical guide based on information received from the optical sensing means, to compare the determined tissue type with the tissue types on the path, to determine possible positions of the distal end of the optical guide on the path based on the comparison of tissue types, and to generate a signal indicative for the possible positions.

For example, pedicle screw fixations are a mainstay in treatment of spinal degenerative disease, intervertebral disc disease, spinal traumas or spinal deformities. Pedicle screw fixation provides short, rigid segmental stabilization that allows preservation of motion segments and stabilization of the spine. Fusion rates and clinical outcome in the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures appear to be superior to that achieved using other forms of treatment. According to a report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), approximately 488,000 spinal fusions were performed during U.S. hospital stays in 2011 (a rate of 15.7 stays per 10,000 population), which accounted for 3.1% of all operating room procedures.
The safety and the effectiveness of pedicle-screw instrumentation in the spine have been questioned despite its use worldwide to enhance stabilization of the spine. A major concern related to the pedicle screw placement is the accurate positioning of the pedicle screws. In fact, pedicle screws are inserted either more or less blindly or under often-poor fluoroscopic guidance resulting in rather poor clinical outcomes so far.
It will be understood that comparable problems may occur also in other fields of bone treatment. US 2012/232 407 describes methods and devices for navigating through bone. In one embodiment, a bone navigation device is provided and includes a bone penetrating member configured to be implanted in bone and having at least one optical waveguide extending therethrough. The optical waveguide is adapted to illuminate tissue surrounding the device and to receive reflected/transmitted light from the tissue to determine the optical characteristics of the tissue.

Position detection based on tissue discrimination


7a-Nitromethyl-2,3,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-pyrrolizine of the formula ##STR1## and salts thereof, as well as processes for the preparation of the compound and 7a-aminomethyl-2,3,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-pyrrolizine and salts thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel pyrrolizine derivative and a process for the preparation thereof, and more particularly to 7a-nitromethyl-2,3,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-pyrrolizine, process for the preparation thereof as well as process for the preparation of 7a-aminomethyl-2,3,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-pyrrolizine.
2. Related Arts
7a-aminomethyl-2,3,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-pyrrolizine of the following formula has been known as one of useful compounds for preparing various pharmaceutical and agricultural medicines, since it has an alkaroid skeletone therein. ##STR2##
Further, the compound can also be employed as the raw material for synthesizing organo-platinum complexes [Jap. Pat. No. Sho 61-229893 (A)], 2-oxopyrrolidine compounds and salts thereof [Jap. Pat. No. Sho 61-254587 (A)] as well as cephalosporin derivatives [Jap. Pat. No. Sho 62-16487 (A)].
As far as the synthesis of 7a-aminomethyl-2,3,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-pyrrolizine is concerned, only one method has been known, wherein 7a-cyano-2,3,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-pyrrolizine is reduced with use of lithium aluminum hydride [Miyano et al. "Abstract on the 97th Annual Lecture of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan", page 223 (1978)]. In this case, the raw material of 7a-cyano-2,3,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-pyrrolizine has been prepared by reacting .gamma.-butyrolactone with KOCN, thermally treating the resulting .gamma.-(N-2-pyrrolidinonyl)butyric acid in the presence of soda lime, reacting the resulting 2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolizine with perchloric acid, and reacting the resulting 1,2,3,5,6,7-hexahydropyrrolizinium perchlorate with potassium cyanide [Miyano et al. "Synthesis", page 701 (1978)]. Such a process has also been proposed for preparing said .gamma.-(N-2-pyrrolidinonyl)butyric acid that .gamma.-butyrolactone is added to a reaction mixture of 2-pyrrolidone and sodium [Miyano et al. "J. Heterocyclic Chem.", Vol. 19, page 1465 (1982)].
Further, it has been known as the process for the preparation of 7a-substituted-2,3,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-pyrrolizine derivatives that said 1,2,3,5,6,7-hexahydropyrrolizinium perchlorate is reacted with one of various nucleophilic reagents, or that the cyano group in said 7a-cyano-2,3,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-pyrrolizine is chemically modified or changed.
The following is summary of said related arts, shown by chemical formulae. ##STR3##
The conventional process for preparing 7a-aminomethyl-2,3,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-pyrrolizine as referred to, however, has disadvantages as stated below.
The first step of that .gamma.-butyrolactone is reacted with KOCN to synthesize .gamma.-(N-2-pyrrolidinonyl)butyric acid has problems in that a relatively high temperature (about 200.degree. C.) is required for the reaction, and that yield of the product is somewhat low (about 40%). Such a process developed as another or separate method that after the reaction between 2-pyrrolidone and sodium, .gamma.-butyrolactone is added to synthesize .gamma.-(N-2-pyrrolidinonyl)butyric acid has a problem in that there is possibility of causing an explosion or the like abnormal reaction.
The second step of that .gamma.-(N-2-pyrrolidinonyl)butyric acid is thermally treated in the presence of soda lime to synthesize 2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolizine has problems in that a relatively high temperature (about 250.degree.-300.degree. C.) is required for the reaction, and that the resulting compound has a relatively low stability.
Further, the final step of that 7a-cyano-2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolizine is reduced to synthesize 7a-aminomethyl-2,3,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-pyrrolizine has also problems of that an expensive lithium alminum hydride is required as the reduction reagent, and that the reaction should be carried out in an anhydrous solvent.
Each of the processes, wherein 1,2,3,5,6,7-hexahydropyrrolizinium perchlorate is reacted with the nucleophilic reagent, or cyano group in 7a-cyano-2,3,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-pyrrolizine is chemically modified has the disadvantage of that a production of its starting material is difficult, as referred to.

Pyrrolizine derivative and its manufacture


A lift gate assembly including a pair of spaced-apart columns, a pair of support members telescopingly received within the pair of spaced apart columns, a platform having a first section operably coupled to the pair of support members and a second section operably coupled to the first section, and a support element having a first end operably coupled with one of the pair of support members, and a second end operably coupled with the platform. The lift gate assembly also includes a support arm having a first end operably coupled to the platform and a second end operably coupled to the support element between the first and second ends of the support element, a first bracket fixed to the first section of the platform and positioned to restrict rotation of the platform with respect to at least one of the columns, a second bracket fixed to the second section of the platform and positioned to restrict the rotation of the arm with respect to the second section of the platform, a third bracket fixed to one of the columns, and a fourth bracket operably coupled to the arm and adapted to engage the third bracket to restrict rotation of the platform with respect to the columns and to support the platform from the columns in a vertical direction when the platform is in a storage position.

The present invention involves a lift gate assembly utilized for loading and unloading of materials to be shipped, and in particular to a lift gate assembly that vertically supports a platform of the lift gate assembly from the associated vehicle while simultaneously preventing opening of the platform and retaining support members from free motion during operation of the vehicle.
Hydraulic lift gates are used in a wide variety of applications associated with trucks and trailers to facilitate the loading and unloading of cargo when the cargo is required to be vertically lifted from a loading surface, such as the ground or a dock surface, to the height of the vehicle cargo compartment floor, or lowered to the ground or dock surface from the height of the vehicle cargo compartment floor. Previous lift gate designs have performed this function by vertically extending and retracting telescoping columns to which a cargo platform is attached. When used for the loading or unloading of cargo in this manner, the platform is unfolded to a horizontal position, thereby protruding behind the rear of the associated vehicle to provide a surface onto which the cargo can be placed. When in storage, the platform is folded into a vertical position, thereby reducing the distance the platform extends from the rear of the associated vehicle. Several lift gates as known permit the platform to be positioned so as to allow ingress and egress of materials through a door opening of the vehicle, thereby allowing loading and unloading of the vehicle when the platform is in a storage position.
Other known lift gates include platforms that are comprised of at least two sections that are folded one against the other and stored in a vertical position adjacent the rear of the associated vehicle when the vehicle is in transit, or when being docked, and that are in a horizontal position forming one continuous section when the platform is folded and being used to raise or lower cargo.
Heretofore, the platform, whether formed of a single or multiple sections, is rotatably moved between the storage and load/unload positions by a motor operably coupled thereto. The associated motor prevents the platform from being rotated from a storage position to the load/unload position by applying a rotational force thereto. Moreover, it is common practice to provide the lift gate with one or more latch mechanisms to prevent the lift gate from unfolding and/or lowering inadvertently from the storage position. Previous designs of latches required the operator to manually operate the mechanism as attached to the columns or the platform, thereby requiring the operator to position themselves very close to the lift gate chancing injury. Other known designs include utilizing a plurality of mating wedges, wherein a wedge associated with the telescoping columns is coupled with a wedge associated with the platform. In this particular design, a constant upward force is required to be exerted by the telescoping columns, thereby keeping the wedges engaged and preventing the platform from falling from the storage position to the load/unload position.
Other known lift gates utilize chains or other flexible elements having one end connected to one of the column assemblies and another end connected to the platform, such that the chain supports the platform from the column assemblies when in the load/unload position. While the chains provide adequate support for the platform from the column assemblies, these chains are allowed to move freely with respect to the other components of the lift gate and the associated vehicle when the platform is in the storage position, thereby allowing the chains to possibly damage components of the lift gate and the associated vehicle, as well as the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle.
A lift gate assembly is needed that provides adequate retention and support of an associated platform in a raised storage position, allows for storage of the platform at various heights with respect to an associated vehicle door, and that prevents support elements used to support the platform in a lowered in-use position from damaging other components of the lift gate assembly or the aesthetic appearance of the associated vehicle when in a raised storage position.


An LED module is formed using a method of mounting secondary lens arrays over light-emitting diode arrays on a printed circuit board. In the LED module, a lens array assembly is mounted to a printed circuit board. The lens array assembly comprises a silicone free form lens array which is mounted in a lens holder by aligning markings on the lens holder with markings on the free form lens array. The lens array assembly is correctly positioned, in an x-y plane, on the printed circuit board by the engagement of positioning pins formed on a surface of the free form lens array with corresponding recesses formed in the printed circuit board and is retained in the correct position by clips integrally formed with the lens holder. The positioning pins are shaped to allow for thermal changes due to the operating temperature range of the LED module.

Light emitting diode (LED) based luminaires often comprise modules including printed circuit boards (PCBs) on which the LEDs are mounted. The LEDs are typically arranged in an array or pattern and mounted on the PCB, often termed PCB assembly (PCBA), which is appropriate for the luminaire in which they are to be used. Whilst each LED comprises a light source with a primary optical element or lens, secondary optical elements are often required to direct the light produced by these light sources in directions appropriate to the particular implementation in a luminaire. Lenses are typically used as the secondary optical elements for directing the light.
In current applications, most secondary lenses are made out of rather rigid materials, such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) or polycarbonate, and are mounted on the PCBA by the use of screws or rivets which provide precise positioning of the secondary lenses with respect to the associated LEDs.
Unfortunately, the use of PMMA or polycarbonate lenses as secondary lenses tends to limit the operating temperature of the PCBA. Conventional plastic materials such as PMMA and polycarbonate cannot be exposed to temperatures exceeding 85° C. without long term deterioration, for example, due to thermo-oxidation. The LEDs and PCBAs, particularly when they comprise metal core PCBs (MCPCBs), are more resistant to higher temperatures, and, the material from which the secondary lenses are most often made limits the maximum operable temperature of the assembly. This limitation in temperature necessitates the provision of good dissipation techniques on the luminaire to keep the temperatures under this limit. This requires costly heat dissipating structures, for example, heat sinks which increase the amount of metal, for example, aluminium, required in the manufacture of the luminaire housing or body in which the LEDs are mounted.
Silicone is now being implemented in more and more applications as secondary lenses for use with PBCAs as it can operate at higher temperatures than PMMA and polycarbonate without significant degradation of the material, whilst providing optical properties that remain consistent over extended periods of time. Silicone is a proven material for use in encapsulated LED primary lenses due to its ability to operate at higher temperatures.
However, when implementing silicone as a single moulded lens array, it becomes difficult to mount the array precisely on the PCBA and to maintain precise alignment between the secondary lenses and the LEDs. This is due to silicone itself being a soft material and the moulded lens array is flexible. More particularly, due to the relative softness and flexibility of the material, it is no longer possible to use conventional mounting techniques, for example, using screws, rivets, etc.
Furthermore, the goal of achieving higher operating temperatures generates even more severe constraints due to different thermal characteristics of the materials from which the secondary lenses and PCBA are made. These characteristics need to be taken into account to provide a reliable mounting of the lenses whilst also maintaining correct lens alignment with respect to the LEDs during temperature changes.


An apparatus that can secure an electronic device into a vehicle recess is described. The apparatus provides a vehicle-specific integrated docking station for a digital media player, e.g. Apple's iPod. The docking station contains a connecting assembly to interface the digital media player to a digital media interface than in turn is connected to a vehicle audio system. The vehicle recess may be an ashtray recess, a change-tray recess, a cup-holder recess or other appropriate recess. The vehicles may be automobiles, trucks, boats or aircraft.

In recent years there has been a virtual explosion in the use of digital media players, both for music, and more recently, video, e.g. the iPod family of devices. The attractiveness of these players is in their capability of storing and playing large amounts of entertainment media without skipping. These attributes make digital media players ideal for use in different environments, including the environments of vehicles, e.g. automobiles, trucks, boats and aircraft. However using a digital media player in a moving vehicle presents several problems, e.g. where to place the digital media player so that it can be easily operated, cable clutter, and access to power. These and other problems exist.
For use in a vehicle environment it is desirable to utilize an existing recess, e.g. an ashtray recess, a console cup-holder recess, or to create a new recess, e.g. within an existing portion of a vehicle or outside of an existing portion of the vehicle interior, for installing a device both to secure the digital media player and to invisibly connect the digital media player to the components needed for the digital media player to function properly, e.g. connectors, cabling, an interface box and a radio.
Previous attempts to address the problem of using a digital media player in a moving vehicle include Belkin's Tunedock, which fits into a cup-holder, has a gooseneck-style arm extending out of the cup area with a plastic cradle mounted to the Tunedock in which an iPod rests. The iPod is secured with a suction cup. The Tunedock has no wiring provisions, meaning that any interface cable will be exposed. The Tunedock does not feature an integrated connector.
Dension also has a plastic cradle for an iPod which does have an integrated connector. Dension's device is a universal piece that mounts wherever an installer can make it fit. Dension's cradle wraps around an iPod and is specific to the size iPod used. Dension's cradle is restricted to work only with the Dension ICELink product line.
Published patent application 2005/0147951, inventor Matthew Rohrbach, published on Jul. 7, 2005, discloses an apparatus that can secure an electronic device and be inserted into a conventional cup holder. One use of the cup holder is for inside of an automobile. The electronic device being held can be a variety of devices that include a digital music player. One embodiment of the invention includes a spool about which connecting cable can be wound. Adapting sleeves that fit around the base of the apparatus can be used to adapt the electronic device holder to cup holders of different sizes and shapes.
Other related art includes the following patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,788,528, issued to Ryan S. Enners, and Lee Macklin on Sep. 7, 2004, discloses a docking station and holder for use with a portable computer, and in particular, an HP Jornada portable computer. The docking station has a contour that is designed to receive the HP Jornada portable computer. The docking station connects to a center console of a vehicle. The docking station has a cradle that holds the portable computer in place while driving. The docking station has a cigarette lighter adapter for power and a cable that connects it to a stereo system of the vehicle to provide for audio (MP3) playback of music.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,473,302, issued to George M. Korycan and William F. Zancho on Oct. 29, 2002, discloses a communications device holder that includes a tongue that is adapted to mate with and be latched within a seat belt buckle of an unoccupied vehicle passenger position. The communications device holder includes a docking assembly that is adapted to receive and securely hold a communications device. The docking assembly includes interfaces for power, speakers, microphones and the like. A flexible member is alternatively attached to the tongue to flexibly configure the position of the device holder. A seat belt buckle is optionally attached to the communications device holder for securing the device holder both with the seat belt buckle for a passenger position and with the seat belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,483,698, issued to Phillip Kwok Nan Loh on Nov. 19, 2002, discloses a cradle for supporting a PDA and similar electronic devices having a movable back supporting element. The back supporting element extends in one position to support the back of a portable device when the device is received by the cradle. The cradle also includes a supporting region which supports the end of the portable device. When the portable device is not in the cradle, the supporting element can be moved to a position in which it covers the end supporting region.
U.S. Pat. No. D468,305, issued to Judy Jeonghye Ma, David Townsend and Burton S. Lowry on Jan. 7, 2003, illustrates a base for receiving a portable communication device or for receiving similar articles.
U.S. Pat. No. D470,267, issued to Richard L. Groendyke on Feb. 11, 2003, illustrates an ashtray pocket insert.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,340, issued to Orren L. Colton on Jul. 8, 1997, discloses a flashlight assembly for use in a vehicle to replace an ashtray. The flashlight includes a front handle portion conformable to the opening of an ashtray and when inserted into the ashtray opening, in place of the ashtray, blends in with the vehicle console or dashboard. The flashlight is slidably or pivotably mounted in the ashtray opening, and is easily removable from the ashtray opening, for use by an operator or others, as needed. A charging contact may be added to the ashtray opening for recharging a rechargeable flashlight, or batteries held within the flashlight, when the flashlight is inserted fully into the ashtray opening contacting the charging contact.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,577, issued to John W. Spearman on Sep. 3, 1991, discloses a holder device for a beverage container and accessories which includes an anchor and a holder body. The anchor includes a wedge-like element adjustably connected to the holder body. An insertion element is adapted for insertion into an ashtray socket for anchoring the holder body so that a beverage container is horizontally held by the holder device within container receptacles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,716, issued to Minoru Shibata and Katsuhiro Katagiri on Oct. 7, 2003, discloses a structure for holding switches in a passenger compartment of a vehicle. The structure includes a switchboard arranged on a panel in the passenger compartment. The switches are mounted on the switchboard. An accommodating case is arranged adjacent to the switchboard. A common shaft, which is shared by the switchboard and the accommodating case, pivotally supports the switchboard and the accommodating case. The switchboard and the accommodating case are each pivoted about the common shaft between a retracted position and an operational position. The switchboard and the accommodating case are each accommodated in the panel when located at the retracted position and exposed from the panel when located at the operational position. The switchboard remains at the retracted position when the accommodating case is located at the operational position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,690, issued to Falk Schaal on Oct. 21, 2003, discloses a built-in combination for use in a motor vehicle that includes an ashtray that is displaceable forwards into an inaccessible position and rearwards into an accessible position. A receiving element having an insertion opening for a beverage container is arranged at the rear side of the ashtray. The receiving element is pivotally connected to the ashtray, thus taking up a position of use when the ashtray is displaced forwards. In the position of use, a beverage container can be inserted into the insertion opening.
While these patents and other previous methods have attempted to solve the problems that they addressed, none have utilized or disclosed utilizing existing vehicle recesses to extend existing vehicle audio systems to a secured digital media player, as does embodiments of the present invention.
Therefore, a need exists for a vehicle recess integrated docking station with these attributes and functionalities. The vehicle recess integrated docking station according to embodiments of the invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art. It can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved vehicle recess integrated docking station which can be used commercially for securing a digital media player securely in a vehicle while eliminating visible cable clutter. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills these objectives.
The foregoing patent and other information reflect the state of the art of which the inventors are aware and are tendered with a view toward discharging the inventors' acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information that may be pertinent to the patentability of the present invention. It is respectfully stipulated, however, that the foregoing patent and other information do not teach or render obvious, singly or when considered in combination, the inventor's claimed invention.

Vehicle recess integrated docking station


A method for preparing a crystalline semiconductor layer in order for the layer to be provided with a specific lattice parameter involves a relaxation procedure that is applied for a first time to a first start donor substrate in order to obtain a second donor substrate. Using the second donor substrate as the start donor substrate, the relaxation procedure is repeated for a number of times that is sufficient for the lattice parameter of the relaxed layer to be provided with the specific lattice parameter. A set of substrates may be obtained by the method.

Document US20100072489 discloses semiconductor structures made of III-N material each comprising, on a growth substrate, electroluminescent layers placed between an n-type region and a p-type region. These semiconductor structures may be light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The growth substrate comprises a plurality of InGaN islands joined to a host by a bonding layer. The growth substrate is formed in such a way that each InGaN island is at least partially relaxed. This document proposes to form the electroluminescent layers emitting blue light from InGaN comprising a proportion of indium comprised between 0.16 and 0.18; to form the electroluminescent layers emitting cyan light from InGaN comprising a proportion of indium comprised between 0.19 and 0.22; and to form the electroluminescent layers emitting green light from InGaN comprising a proportion of indium comprised between 0.23 and 0.25. Electroluminescent layers emitting red light could require a proportion of indium of about 0.35.
It is known that the proportion of indium that it is possible to incorporate into an InGaN layer during its epitaxial growth is limited by its strain state. When the state is a highly strained state, the indium atoms are excluded from the InGaN lattice in order to form an alloy of different composition and decrease the strain energy of the system. Ideally, to avoid this phase-separation effect, it would therefore be desirable to provide a growth substrate comprising InGaN islands having a lattice parameter suitable for receiving relaxed electroluminescent layers. This lattice parameter must be matched to the defined proportion of InGaN so that the electroluminescent layer emits the chosen color of light. Thus, to form effective LEDs, it would be desirable to provide a growth substrate comprising InGaN islands having a lattice parameter of about 3.22 Å to form electroluminescent layers emitting a color in the blue, or having a lattice parameter of about 3.27 Å to form electroluminescent layers emitting a color in the green, or even having a lattice parameter of about 3.31 Å to form electroluminescent layers emitting a color in the red.
The aforementioned document and documents US2010087049 and EP2151852 propose processes allowing relaxed or partially relaxed InGaN islands to be formed. According to the approach presented in these documents, a strained InGaN layer intended to form the islands of the growth substrate is firstly formed on a donor substrate comprising a GaN surface layer. Since this InGaN layer is strained, it is generally not possible to exceed a proportion of indium of about 8 to 10% without decreasing the quality of this layer.
This strained InGaN layer is transferred to a relaxation carrier comprising a surface flow layer by bonding and by thinning and/or fracture of the donor substrate. Next, the strained islands are defined in the transferred InGaN layer. The relaxation carrier and the islands are heat-treated at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the flow layer, this leading to at least partial relaxation of the islands. To assist this relaxation and to avoid potential buckling of the islands during the plastic deformation, provision is made to form a stiffening layer on the islands, before the application of the relaxation heat treatment. As is detailed in the document "Buckling suppression of SiGe islands on compliant substrates," Yin et al (2003), Journal of Applied Physics, 94(10), 6875-6882, the degree of relaxation of an island obtained after this heat treatment step is the degree that results in equilibrium between the stresses present in the stiffening layer and in the island. The relaxation of the InGaN layer is therefore generally not complete, unless islands of very small sizes that are less sensitive to the effect of buckling, are formed. The relaxation of an InGaN island having a dimension of about one mm, using the techniques of the prior art, allows a degree of relaxation comprised between 60% and 80% to be achieved.
The combination of a limited proportion of indium in an InGaN island and of a partial relaxation of this island leads the lattice parameter of the islands that it is possible to obtain on a growth substrate to be limited, unless the dimension of these islands is very greatly limited. Therefore, it is not always possible to form electroluminescent layers emitting directly at a wavelength requiring a relatively large lattice parameter, such as in the domain of the green or of the red.
The present disclosure aims to overcome all or some of the aforementioned drawbacks.
It, in particular, aims to provide a substrate having a growth layer having a lattice parameter that may be freely chosen.

Method for manufacturing a donor substrate for making optoelectronic devices


A nasal-nasopharyngeal-cleaning (NNC) system is disclosed for removing harmful substances from a human""s nasal and nasopharyngeal cavities. Harmful substances herein include infectious agents, chemicals, dust, small particles and dirt deposits in nasal cavities and in the nasopharynx. The NNC system includes a NNC solution, a solution container, a liquid transfer tube, a valve means and a flat-head nostril fitting. The two-step cleaning process comprises cleaning the nasal cavity first with the NNC system and then cleaning the nasopharyngeal cavity with the NNC system. The NNC system is also used to prevent snore.

The present invention relates generally to a nasal-nasopharyngeal-cleaning (NNC) system to be used in removing harmful substances from a human""s nasal and nasopharyngeal cavities. Harmful substances include infectious agents, chemicals, dust, solidified mucous and dirt which adhere to the nasal cavities and the nasopharynx. The NNC system of the present invention comprises the NNC solution and its container, a liquid transferring system, and a flat-head nostril fitting which optionally comprises a means for holding the nostril fitting against the nostrils. A two-step method of using the NNC system is also provided.
Influenza viruses A, B and C; respiratory syncytial viruses A and B; parainfluenza viruses and the like are common causes for respiratory tract infections in humans. Presently, there are no effective drugs or vaccines to treat or prevent these viral infections. Human adults and school children are constantly exposed to these infectious agents at work and/or at school and may also be carriers of these infectious agents to and from the home. A practice of nasal and nasopharyngeal cleaning may reduce the microbial load of those tissues and reduce the chance of spreading these disease-causing microorganisms at home, school and at work.
Many disease-causing agents exist in the nasal and nasopharyngeal cavities. The shedding of communicable infectious microorganisms in the nasal and nasopharyngeal cavities causes spreading of the disease from the upper respiratory tract to the lower respiratory tract of the carrier. Shedding also causes the spreading these infectious agents to other people through sneezing and/or coughing (Hall, C. B., Douglas, R. J., in an article entitled: xe2x80x9cQuantitative shedding patterns of respiratory syncytial virus in infantsxe2x80x9d, Journal of Infectious Diseases, 132: 151-156, 1975; and Hall, C. B., Geiman, J. M., Breese, B. B., and Douglas, R. J., in an article entitled xe2x80x9cParainfluenza virus infections in children: Correlation of shedding with clinical manifestationsxe2x80x9d, Journal of Pediatrics, 91: 194-198, 1977). For most viral infections, antibiotic prevention and/or treatment is generally ineffective. It would thus be beneficial to have a practical system and/or method to remove these disease-causing agents from the human body. In a manner similar to brushing one""s teeth, nasal and nasopharyngeal cleaning in the general population will have a number of healthy benefits.
Nasal washes, nasopharyngeal swabbing and nasopharyngeal aspiration have previously been used to obtain specimens from patients for the determination of microbial pathogens (Hall, C. B., Douglas, R. J., in an article entitled: xe2x80x9cClinically useful method for the isolation of respiratory syncytial virusxe2x80x9d, Journal of Infectious Diseases, 131: 1-5, 1975). However, these procedures and devices were used only to obtain samples and are not effective in removing the infectious agents from the nasal and nasopharyngeal cavities of a human.
Ephedrine nasal washes have been used in the treatment of sinusitis and other nasal and paranasal symptoms and allergic rhinitis (Shaikh, W. A., in the Journal of Allergy Clinical Immunology, Vol. 96, No. 5, part 1: 597-600, 1995). The Shaikh procedure uses a 1% ephedrine hydrochloride solution in a normal saline solution and a Higginson""s rubber syringe. After the rubber syringe was filled with the wash solution, the nozzle of the syringe was introduced into nostril and the bulb of the syringe was passed to push the fluid into the nasal cavity. As described by the author, most of the fluid exited from the same nostril, but some fluid exited through the other side of the nose after passing through the nasopharynx. This procedure was performed once every forty-eight (48) hours for a four (4) week period and caused a significant improvement in symptom scores and peak nasal inspiratory flow rates in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis as compared to those treated with a placebo wash (normal saline only). This procedure, however, has the following disadvantages:
(1) ephedrine was the key factor for the effectiveness of this procedure, but this chemical is not suitable for use by the general public on a daily basis;
(2) this procedure was performed only on patients with perennial allergic rhinitis;
(3) this procedure was mainly washing of the nasal cavity, the nasopharyngeal cavity was largely uncleaned;
(4) the apparatus used was clumsy and uncomfortable to use; and
(5) this procedure was performed once every forty-eight (48) hours which is not frequent enough to remove harmful materials from the nasal and nasopharyngeal cavities on a daily basis.
The Shaikh procedure would permit the infectious microorganisms to be brought into and spread around at home, office, school, or day care center. Therefore, there is a need to develop a generally acceptable and more effective nasal and nasopharyngeal cleaning system.
Nasal and nasopharyngeal cavities are common places for holding environmental allergens, such as pollen, fungal spores, animal body-originated dustings and volatile chemicals. These harmful agents cause allergic reactions and other ill consequences. Nasal and nasopharyngeal secretions combine with environmental particles to form big matters (solidified mucous) in the nasal cavity. These big matters narrow the airway and make the individual feel uncomfortable. Prior to the present invention, an aparatus and method to easily and effectively remove harmful agents from the nasal cavity and to prevent the formation of and remove the big matters in the nasal cavity has not been available to medical professionals and to the general public.
The human body is the only natural host for many kinds of pathogenic microorganisms. Nasopharyngeal mucous is one of the prominent places of viral shedding. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, influenza viruses, respiratory syncytial viruses and the like. The nasopharyngeal shedding of these pathogens is the major cause of person-to-person transmission. One skilled in the art will appreciate that those communicable pathogenic microorganisms present in the nasal and nasopharyngeal cavities will be decreased in quantity after the cavities have been cleaned. After nasal and nasopharyngeal cleaning, these infectious agents will be less likely to spread horizontally to non-carriers and/or vertically to the lower respiratory tract of the carrier.
Environmental pathogens may be encountered by inhalation. Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaire""s disease presents in aerosols. It is generated from air conditioning cooling towers, cold water taps, showers and other water systems. Depending upon wind speed, Legionella pneumophila, in these aerosols, may be carried up to 500 meters and infect a large number of individuals. Promptly removing these aerosols from the nasal and nasopharyngeal cavities will greatly reduce the incidence of infection.
Several methods have been reported to be useful in cleaning nasal and nasopharyngeal cavities. Grossan invented a nasal irrigation system (NASAL IRRIGATION SYSTEM, U.S. Pat. No. 3,047,145, issued Nov. 12, 1974) which provided for an isotonic saline solution under pressure flowing into one nostril, passing through the nasolacrimal duct, where the solution passes, sequentially, into the ostia of the frontal sinus, the ethnoids, the maxillary and the sphenoid. The solution then moves past the outlet of the eustachian tube and then through the nasopharynx to the upper posterior portion of the other nostril and outwardly therethrough, passing the same ducts and ostia, in reverse sequence, before being discharged from the second nostril. This system has numerous and serious shortcomings. First, the cleaning solution cannot be completely drained from the deep regions of certain sinuses due to their cavity structure. Second, certain infectious agents might be moved from one place to another and stay there to cause a new infection. Third, some dried or hard matters in the nasal cavity might be carried inward to the sinuses. Fourth, hard matters might cause a blockage when they are forced to flow into narrow spaces, such as the eustachian tube. Therefore, the reported nasal irrigation system of Grossan cannot be widely used by the general public for cleaning nasal and nasopharyngeal cavities.
A method of administrating a pharmacological solution into the nasal cavity of a patient was described by Lxc3x6fstedt (METHOD FOR DRUG ADMINISTRATION, U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,311, issued May 26, 1992). Although the author mentioned that there was a possibility to use the reported method to irrigate the nasal cavity, the method and device of this patent were designed to administer pharmacological solutions into the nasal cavity, not to provide a flow of fresh cleaning solution continually into the nasal cavity, since the compressible container of Lxc3x6fstedt not only forced the solution into the nasal cavity, but also aspirated the solution with nasal secretions and other contaminants back into the container. The effectiveness of the drug administration method was also heavily dependent on the patient""s head bending angle. This method and device was designed to administer drugs into the nasal cavity for treating diseases over a short period of time. The Lxc3x6fstedt device was not designed for and would not be useful to clean nasal and nasopharyngeal cavities by the general public on a daily basis.
Pena invented a device for treating infections of the nasal fossae (DEVICE FOR CIRCULATING TREATING FLUID THROUGH THE NASAL FOSSAE, U.S Pat. No. 4,029,095 issued Jun. 14, 1977). The Pena device was designed to be used by patients to treat diseases, not for the general public to clean nasal and nasopharyngeal cavities.
Babbitt et al. invented a portable device used to aspirate and remove fluids from nasal and sinus cavities (SINUS EVACUATOR APPARATUS, U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,611 issued Sep. 13, 1983). Since this device only aspirates the sinus fluids from the nasal and sinus cavities, the dirts and pathogenic microorganisms adhering to the surface of the nasal and nasopharyngeal cavities cannot be removed if they are not dissolved in a washing fluid.
The above systems and methods described in Grossan, Lxc3x6fstedt and Babbitt et al. all utilize a conical nostril fitting. The conical nostril fitting creates a certain amount of xe2x80x9cdead spacexe2x80x9d between the inserted part of the nostril fitting and the wall of the nasal cavity, which a cleaning solution cannot reach (if used in the Grossan et al. devices). To improve the efficiency of nasal cleaning, a new type of nostril fitting is needed. The prior art has failed to suggest a NNC system that is simple in construction and easy to use and that allows for the cleaning of the nasal and nasopharyngeal cavities in the separated steps. Since the nasal cavity: (1) is naturally in the lowest position as compared to the nasopharyngeal cavity and the other sinus cavities; (2) collects secretions from other sinus cavities; and (3) is the first place to meet and store the foreign matters, it is obvious that the first step of the nasal and nasopharyngeal cleaning method should be to initially clean the nasal cavity. Therefore, a new step-by-step cleaning method is disclosed in this invention.
Snoring is a major problem for many people. In fact, in the U.S. alone, about 90 million people suffer with snoring. This figure doesn""t take into consideration the needless suffering of the loved ones living with them. Sleep deprived nights lead to irritation, tiredness, and a possible growing division or alienation between partners. Seeking a simple and effective solution honoring has been a major concern for a large number in our society. Snoring has become an everyday occurrence. It is much more common than many care to admit. Each nostril functions independently and synergistically in filtering, warming, moisturizing, dehumidifying, and smelling the air. The nostrils meet at the nasopharynx where mucous is accumulated. Although many factors cause snoring, the major reason may be that the nasal cavity is narrowed due to accumulated mixtures of mucous and environmental dusts. Habitual nasal cleaning will remove those accumulated dirty materials and help people to reduce snoring.


The resist according to the present invention includes any one of tetrachloromethyl tetramethoxycalix [4] arene and trichloromethyl tetramethoxycalix [4] arene. The resist including such kind of components is soluble in the solvent having less effect to worsen a working environment, namely, ethyl lactate (EL), propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PGME), propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PGMEA), ethyl propionate, n-butyl acetate and 2-heptanone. It can be developed by tetra-methyl ammonium hydroxide in addition to the above mentioned solvent. By exposing this resist by electronic ray, high resolution of 8 nm is attained, and by using this resist as a mask, various materials can be formed into a hyperfine shape. According to such kind of resist, a photosensitive resist material which has high resolution and solvable to solvents having less effect to worsen the working environment and can be developed by the solvents, a exposure method using it, and a hyperfine processing method using it are provided.

A hyperfine pattern forming technique has been rapidly developed as a forming technique for a semiconductor device or semiconductor integrated circuit. With the hyperfine structure of the pattern, the higher performance of the individual semiconductor device, namely, the higher speed and the smaller electric power consumption have been attained. Moreover, the improvement of the integration degree of the device leads to the attainment of the semiconductor integrated circuit having a higher function. Presently, the semiconductor integrated circuits whose circuit dimension (width) is about 130 nm are mass-produced.
In the device used in the semiconductor integrated circuit, silicon is used for the substrate. The hyperfine structure limit of the dimension under which the foregoing device is operated is said to be about 5 nm. Conventionally, optical exposure has been used to form the semiconductor device or integrated circuit. Presently, the optical exposure that uses a krypton fluoride laser having a wavelength of 256 nm is used. In order to cope with the hyperfine structure of the pattern, the usage of the light having a shorter wavelength is required. As the light expected to be used for the optical exposure of a next generation, argon fluoride laser having a wavelength of 195 nm is exemplified. Moreover, as the light expected to be used for the optical exposure of a further next generation, a fluorine laser having a wavelength of 154 nm is exemplified. In further future, there is a possibility that an extreme ultraviolet exposure having a wavelength of 11 to 13.5 nm, an X-ray exposure having a wavelength of about 1 nm and the like are used.
On the other hand, since the development of the device itself needs to be started prior to the mass production, an electronic beam exposure technique having versatility is used, although its throughput is low. As the electronic beam exposure technique, a method that has a relatively high throughput and uses a mask is put to practical use and its resolution is about 50 nm. On the other hand, the electronic beam exposure that uses a thinly-throttled electronic beam is the exposure technique that jointly attains the practicability and super high resolution that enable the formation of any pattern, and the resolution of 50 nm or less is easily obtained, and this is used for the research of a quantum size effect and the trial production of a super hyperfine transistor. A diameter of the electronic beam is about 1 nm in a case of a thin type. However, the minimum pattern is determined by the resolution of the resist. In the resist that uses an organic molecule having a high practicability, it is about 10 nm in a positive type of poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA).
Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A 2001-281864) and Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A 2002-49153) disclose a method that uses a poly-ethylene group as a basic skeleton as negative type and positive type resist compositions.
Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei, 6-53819), Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei, 7-23340) and Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A 2000-330281) propose a calixarene resist as the negative type resist having the resolution of about 10 nm.
Japanese Patent No. 2792508 indicates that the foregoing calixarene resist can be solved in solvent by acetylation. Also, this indicates that in this calixarene resist, the sensibility to radioactive ray becomes high by chlorination. Through this calixarene resist, the negative type resist is used to easily carry out the pattern formation at a 10 nm level.
([Tetra-Hedron] written by Nagasaki et al., Vol. 48, Page 797-804, 1992) indicates a synthesizing method of CMC4AOMe or CMC3AOMe that is resist material.

Resist and method of forming resist pattern


A force-shunting device including a tube defining a main axis and an inner wall, a first member sliding within the tube, a primary leg arranged obliquely, attached to the first member and including a primary pad in frictional contact with the inner wall, such that, when an external force is applied in a first direction on the first member, the primary leg rubs, or grips by mechanical camming, against the inner wall, the tube thus reacting all or part of the external force, the device including a second member mounted within the tube, sliding along the main axis and securely provided with a driving element of the primary pad so as to reduce the friction on the inner wall, to unprime the rubbing or mechanical camming.

The known locking means for axial mechanical actuators must be controlled or steered by an electrical or electromechanical control circuit, in order to block the axial actuator mechanically, on demand, when it is stopped or in a particular position. The implementation of such a steered device requires the installation, configuration and upkeep of steering means, which represents a certain cost and is a source of potential failures.
Theoretically, it would alternatively be possible to provide an axial mechanical actuator able to withstand high forces, and in particular to withstand all outside forces that may be applied on the mechanical actuator, when the latter is in motion or stopped. However, in this case it would be necessary to provide an "oversized" actuator, which, to withstand such outside forces, has a high cost, mass and energy consumption, which is not desirable for aircraft equipment.

Force-shunting device and mechanical actuator comprising such a device


A novel microelectromechanical system artificial neural network (MEMS ANN) device performs the function of a conventional artificial neural network node element. Micro-machined polysilicon or high aspect ratio composite beam micro-resonators replace as computational elements the silicon transistors and software simulations of prior-art ANNs. The basic MEMSANN device forms a non-linear (e.g., sigmoid) function of a sum of products. Products of the magnitudes of sine waves, applied to the input drive comb and shuttle magnitudes, are formed in the frequency domain and summed by coupling a plurality of resonators with a mechanical coupling frame, or by integrating them into one resonator. A sigmoid function is applied to the sum of products by shaping the overlap capacitance of the output comb fingers of the resonator. Methods of building and using various single MEMS ANN devices and multi-layered arrays of MEMS ANN circuits are also described. These novel MEMS ANNs exhibit an attractive combination of performance characteristics, compared to conventional hardware ANNs that use silicon transistors or simulations of ANNs running in software on digital computers, including lower cost, simpler design, wider temperature range, greater radiation tolerance, and lower operating and standby power. These advantages favorably impact system weight and size because of reduced shielding, cooling, and power requirements.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.
This invention relates to an artificial neural network device (ANN) and, in particular, to an ANN embodied in a microelectromechanical system (MEMS). In general, ANNs may be thought of as data processing devices that extract advanced knowledge from complex data. In particular, ANNs can be designed with training methods that use a number of known test cases to effectively teach the ANN to perform a task, for example, to extract features from images, recognize printed text (optical character recognition or OCR) and phonemes/morphemes (speech recognition). They are also used to solve optimization problems and to perform complex, non-linear control functions.
The prior-art ANNs, whether hardware or software, have limitations. Hardware ANNs can be either digital or analog circuits. The basic ANN xe2x80x98nodexe2x80x99 element or device produces a non-linear function of a sum of weighted inputs, for example, a sigmoid function of the sum of several products, where each product is an xe2x80x98inputxe2x80x99 multiplied by a xe2x80x98weightxe2x80x99. ANN node elements that perform the base function are often used in configurations consisting of highly interconnected layers of elements.
In a digital hardware ANN network, the inputs and weights are binary numbers stored in registers. Ways of using the network can be micro-coded as operations, such as transfer, multiplication, summing, and other computations, on the binary numbers that represent the inputs and weights. Their output is a binary number stored in a register.
In an analog hardware ANN, the inputs and weights take the form of voltages, currents, or charge packets that vary in magnitude. Special-purpose analog or digital circuits that produce an output voltage perform the multiplications and other computations. The prior art also includes software ANNs implemented as a simulation on a general-purpose digital computer.
One disadvantage of all the prior-art ANNs described above is that they require silicon transistors, either in the digital or analog circuits of hardware ANNs or in the general-purpose digital computer of software ANNs. Embodiments using transistors have restricted operating temperature, typically within a range of 0-70 or xe2x88x9255-+125 degrees Celsius. As the power dissipation of silicon circuitry increases with complexity, supplying power to and removing the heat from very large chips containing millions of transistors is troublesome. Thus routing power supply conductors to such a system and packaging and cooling it are difficult and costly, thereby limiting the system""s complexity.
Another disadvantage of prior-art ANNs is that their silicon transistors incorporate insulating dielectric layers, such as silicon dioxide, that are subject to degradation. For example, bulk- and surface-charge generation and trapping may occur in the dielectric layers, especially in devices placed in outer space, where they are subject to continuous ionizing radiation. This degradation can lead to shifts in transistor threshold voltages, and in turn to problems in timing. Eventually, the circuits fail. Likewise, charges generated in these layers can become trapped, causing surface inversion and stray leakage that in turn increase power dissipation and cause catastrophic latch-up, particularly in analog circuits.
Still another limitation has been reported for analog hardware ANNs that represent weights with charge packets of variable size stored internally on a small oxide capacitor. At high temperature the amount of charge may decay slightly with dwell time, necessitating a complex xe2x80x9cchip in the loop, bake re-trainingxe2x80x9d procedure that may have to be repeated several times to ensure the ANN""s stability. Such a device would be difficult to use in a system that requires built-in training modes to enable it to learn from experience.
An object of the present invention is to provide ANNs at lower cost with simpler design and fabrication, greater temperature range and radiation tolerance, and lower operating and standby power requirements.
A further object of the present invention is to provide ANNs based on MEMS.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide MEMS ANNs made from micro-machined polysilicon as the operative computational element in the MEMS.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide MEMS ANNs whose micro-machined polysilicon or composite beam structure is the operative computational element.
Briefly stated, a novel microelectromechanical system artificial neural network (MEMS ANN) device performs the function of a conventional artificial neural network node element. Micro-machined polysilicon or high aspect ratio composite beam micro-resonators replace as computational elements the silicon transistors and software simulations of prior-art ANNs. The basic MEMSANN device forms a non-linear (e.g., sigmoid) function of a sum of products. Products of the magnitudes of sine waves, applied to the input drive comb and shuttle magnitudes, are formed in the frequency domain and summed by coupling a plurality of resonators with a mechanical coupling frame, or by integrating them into one resonator. A sigmoid function is applied to the sum of products by shaping the overlap capacitance of the output comb fingers of the resonator. Methods of building and using various single MEMS ANN devices and multi-layered arrays of MEMS ANN circuits are also described. These novel MEMS ANNs exhibit an attractive combination of performance characteristics, compared to conventional hardware ANNs that use silicon transistors or simulations of ANNs running in software on digital computers, including lower cost, simpler design, wider temperature range, greater radiation tolerance, and lower operating and standby power. These advantages favorably impact system weight and size because of reduced shielding, cooling, and power requirements.
According to an embodiment of the invention, [1ST INDEPENDENT CLAIM]
According to a feature of the invention, [2ND INDEPENDENT CLAIM]

Microelectromechanical system artificial neural network device

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


Provided is a thin film production apparatus that enables cost reduction and improvement of deposition efficiency by employing a common component. In a thin film production apparatus according to the present invention, a volume of a reaction space is optimized by determining the volume of the reaction space with an inner block disposed inside a vacuum tank, that is, by merely altering a size of an inner diameter of the inner block without altering a size of the vacuum tank. Accordingly, film formation on plural kinds of substrates having different sizes becomes possible using the common vacuum tank. Further, increase of the number of apparatus structural components to be prepared for each size of the substrate to be processed can be minimized, whereby the cost of the components can be reduced, and, while simplifying assembling operation, product inspection operation, and adjusting operation, excellent deposition efficiency and stable film formation can be realized.

In recent years, in the field of semiconductors, manufacturers of semiconductor production apparatuses tend to provide apparatuses diversified in order to meet various process demands, but are, at the same time, required to meet demands for improvement of deposition efficiency, earlier delivery, and cost reduction.
Meanwhile, in the past, thin film production apparatuses for producing a thin film by employing an MOCVD (Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition) method have been known (refer to Patent Document 1 below). With regard to the semiconductor production apparatuses employing this kind of chemical reaction process, there is a strong demand in the market to improve deposition efficiency, i.e., gas use efficiency. Specifically, a long-term apparatus operation cost is more emphasized recently than a price of a semiconductor production apparatus itself because most liquid materials are expensive, so the deposition efficiency can be a decisive factor in selection of an apparatus.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-35971

Thin film production apparatus and inner block for thin film production apparatus


A pipe conveyor comprising a conveyor pipe 1, a plurality of blades 2 each having a similar sectional configuration to that of the pipe 1, and an endless link chain 3 for linking the blades 2 at suitable intervals and capable of circulating, substances delivered into the pipe 1 being conveyed by the blades 2 which are moved within the pipe 1 in accordance with the circulation of the endless link chain 3, wherein each of the blades 2 comprises an elastic blade 21 having an outer diameter generally equal to or smaller than an inner diameter of the pipe 1, and a curved disc 22 secured to a rear surface of the elastic blade 21 and adapted to support the same.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pipe conveyor capable of conveying substances to be discharged without being scattered, and more particularly to a pipe conveyor capable of so smoothly conveying substances as not to damage to the inner surface of a pipe and not to allow the substances to partly remain in the pipe.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As a conventional conveyor of this type, there is one as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 61-57249. This conveyor comprises a conveyor pipe, a plurality of blades each having a similar sectional configuration to that of the pipe, and an endless link chain for linking the blades at suitable intervals. This conventional conveyor is generally used for conveying chips discharged in metal machining factories, etc. The design of this conveyor (conveyor line) can be freely changed so as to match the layout of the factories by using straight pipes, curved pipes and bent pipes.
However, this conventional conveyor has the following problems. Since each of the circular blades made of metal has a generally similar sectional configuration to that of a conveyor trough, chips (substances), while being conveyed, are jammed in or leaked from spaces formed between the circular blades and an inner surface of the pipe, which eventually makes it impossible to convey the chips smoothly.


A gas sensor is disclosed. The gas sensor includes a gas sensing electrode and a counter electrode disposed within a housing, and respective conductors that connects the gas sensing electrode and the counter electrode to a sensing circuit. The housing includes walls defining a cavity containing electrolyte in fluid communication with the gas sensing electrode and counter electrode and wherein the walls further comprise one or more coatings or second layers superimposed on the walls. The one or more coatings or second layers have a lower water vapor transport rate than that of the walls, such that, in use, water vapor transport between the electrolyte and atmosphere through the walls of the housing is reduced.

Electrochemical oxygen sensors traditionally comprise a gas diffusion working electrode, often based on a graphite/platinum catalyst dispersed on PTFE tape. Oxygen is reduced at this cathode while a balancing oxidation reaction takes place at a consumable anode (e.g., made of lead (Pb). The electrodes are held within an outer housing which contains a liquid electrolyte capable of supporting the relevant reactions, such as aqueous potassium acetate. The gas under test typically enters the housing through a controlled diffusion access port which regulates the ingress of oxygen into the cell. As the oxygen is reacted at the cathode, the electrical output of the sensor may be directly related to the ambient oxygen concentration. Such principles are well known and have been described.
Electrochemical gas sensors have a finite lifetime which depends on a number of factors. For oxygen sensors, the primary factor is the consumption of electrode material (e.g. a consumable lead counter electrode). Most types of sensors can also suffer from a gradual loss of activity of one or both electrodes, caused by the water drying out of the electrolyte. Clearly it is desirable for the sensor's working lifetime to be as long as possible but moreover it is important that any particular sensor type will consistently continue to work for at least the indicated lifetime. Early failures lead to the need for more frequent sensor replacement, as well as increased checking and monitoring of sensor performance and, ultimately, a loss in confidence in the sensor. Accordingly, there is a need to produce sensors that are more stable under many different operating environments.

Low water vapour transfer coating of thermoplastic moulded oxygen gas sensors


An electrophotographic photoreceptor including a cylindrical substrate including a photosensitive layer on an outer circumferential surface thereof and a flange adhesively fixed to at least one end of the cylindrical substrate. The flange has a joint to which a separation jig is applied to apply a tensility in a direction of separating the flange from the cylindrical substrate. A method of recycling the electrophotographic photoreceptor fills an elastic body with a fluid to inflate and contact the elastic body at the outer circumferential surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor upon application of pressure to grasp the electrophotographic photoreceptor in the jig, and the jig is applied to the joint to pull the flange in a direction of separating the flange from the cylindrical substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photoreceptor and a method of recycling an electrophotographic photoreceptor.
2. Discussion of the Background
An electrophotographic photoreceptor is formed of an electroconductive cylindrical substrate, an organic or inorganic photosensitive layer formed thereon, and flanges fixed on both ends thereof. The flanges have a shaft, and an electrophotographic photoreceptor in an image forming apparatus is rotated centering around the shaft. The flanges are not only a rotation center of the electrophotographic photoreceptor but also have a function of providing an electrical ground. Since an allowance between the flanges and cylindrical substrate causes abnormal images, the flanges are firmly fixed to the cylindrical substrate with an adhesive or the like.
Recently, to save resources, it has become required or desired that the cylindrical substrate and flanges of an electrophotographic be recycled.
To recycle the cylindrical substrate and flanges, the flanges fixed to the cylindrical substrate have to be removed therefrom.
When the flanges can be removed from the cylindrical substrate without damaging the flanges or cylindrical substrate, they can be used as they are after being removed. The phrase "recyclable as they are" used herein means the cylindrical substrate and flanges separated from each other are reused, i.e. the cylindrical substrate and flanges separated from each other are not melted down to merely recycle their materials.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-115938 discloses a method of quenching an adhesive to be peeled with a cooling medium such as liquid nitrogen as a way of recycling a cylindrical substrate and a flange without damaging them. However, the process disclosed therein requires a cooling medium such as liquid nitrogen, and the cooling medium is difficult to store and handle.

Electrophotographic photoreceptor and method of recycling the electrophotographic photoreceptor