A method of operating an AC mercury lamp and DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) in a projection system, comprising receiving a periodic video frame pulse signal, switching the DMD between successive on and off states during each period of the frame pulse signal, wherein each off state results in a dark interval, and driving the lamp with a signal that is synchronized to the video frame pulse signal so as to alternate between a maintenance pulse level during at least a portion of the dark interval and a plateau level during the on state of the DMD.

The present invention is directed to Digital Light Processing (DLP) projection systems, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for synchronizing operation of an AC mercury lamp and DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) in a DLP projection System for 3D simulation.
Digital Light Processing (DLP) projection is based on the use of a source lamp, an illumination system, and a color splitting-recombining light engine. The optical function of the light engine is to split uniform illumination white light into Red/Green/Blue (RGB) channels, merging the three channels onto an imaging device or optical panel such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or DMD (Digital Micromirror Device), and then re-combining all three channels into a single illumination light beam that is projected onto a screen via a projection lens.
The DMD is an electromechanical device consisting of millions of microscopic mirrors that modulate light by independently flipping each mirror through a +−12 degree angle, between an "on" state for reflecting the source light to be viewed on screen and an "off" state for diverting the light to a light dump. Intermediate light intensities on screen are generated by toggling the DMDs according to a pulse width modulation (PWM) method, at frequencies above human perception in order to achieve time-averaged values. In this respect, the exact grey level produced depends on the dwell time of each "on" or "off" state.
PWM toggling of the DMDs must account for any time dependent changes in the source lamp brightness as the image is being rendered. Alternating Current (AC) mercury (Hg) lamps are one example of a light-source with very favourable properties, such as long life and high efficiency, but whose light output is not constant. These lamps typically have a step-like waveform consisting of a long, constant "plateau" level followed by a higher output-maintenance "pulse" that is used to improve lamp lifetime. The DMD "on" time must be inversely related to the "plateau" and "pulse" source lamp levels in order to provide a proper grey scale image on screen. This can represent a practical implementation challenge to the use of AC Hg lamps in DLP projection systems since each lamp model requires customized toggling patterns ("DMD bit sequences"), and a given lamp's AC waveform may even change over its lifetime, with a drifting ratio of pulse and plateau levels. Further, DMD speed limitations are such that it is not currently possible to correct AC lamp waveforms at the 90-120 Hz frame rates useful for 30 applications.
When used for 3D simulation, DLP projectors must be able to produce fixed intervals of darkness within each frame of video data, in addition to rendering an image. As indicated above, the DMD renders an image over a portion of the video frame period, and then spends the remaining time in the "off" state, which results in dark intervals between each rendered image. In 3D applications, this dark interval is used as a timing mask to hide the state transitions of the viewer's LCD eye shutters. If the dark interval is not present, any image on screen during the shutter transitions would be seen by both eyes, causing image artifacts. Inserting dark time requires that the image content be projected over a compressed time period, which can require unique bit sequences depending on how the lamp waveform scales relative to the image rendering period.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to address the complications and performance limitations set forth above of using pulsed lamp sources in DLP projectors used for 3D simulation.

Method and system for digital light processing projection using pulsed lamps


Methods and systems for providing beamforming feedback in a communication channel are disclosed. A data packet is received at a beamformee circuitry of the first communication device configured to generate beam steering data for use by a transmitter of a second communication device. Each of a plurality of tones of the received data packet is processed to generate a compressed steering matrix corresponding to the communication channel. In parallel to the processing of the received plurality of tones, an immediate feedback packet comprising a plurality of data symbols is constructed, where the data symbols include the generated compressed steering matrix. At least a first data symbol of the immediate feedback packet is transmitted prior to completing the processing of all the plurality of tones of the received data packet.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the inventors hereof, to the extent the work 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 to be prior art against the subject matter of the present disclosure.
Wireless local area networks (WLANs) have evolved rapidly over the past decade, and development of WLAN standards such as the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 Standard family has improved single-user peak data throughput. For example, the IEEE 802.11b Standard specifies a single-user peak throughput of 11 megabits per second (Mbps), the IEEE 802.11a and 802.11g Standards specify a single-user peak throughput of 600 Mbps, and IEEE 802.11ac Standard specifies a single-user peak throughput in the gigabits per second (Gbps) range. The IEEE 802.11ax Standard, now under development, promises to provide even great throughput, such as throughputs in the tens of Gbps range.
Increased throughput necessitates advanced transmission techniques, such as beamforming, which rely on estimating channel conditions between the transmitter and the receiver. Moreover, given that channel conditions can frequently change, it is important to calculate the beamforming matrices and send the channel information in a very short time period so that subsequent data packets can be steered to meet the high throughput requirements. However, meeting such challenging time constraints require significantly increased computational power demands.

Method for efficient beamformee implementation for Wi-Fi


A vehicle switch includes a case having a through-hole through the top face thereof, an operating body, a switch contact, an elastic cover, and a sliding part. The top end of the operating body projects from the through-hole. The operating body is housed in the case vertically movable. The switch contact is brought into and out of electrical contact by the vertical movement of the operating body. The elastic cover covers the through-hole of the case and the top end of the operating body. The sliding part that has a smaller friction coefficient than that of the elastic cover is provided in the top portion of the elastic cover, and covers at least the rim of the top portion of the elastic cover, or protrudes from the top face of the top portion and has an arc-shaped curved surface in the outer periphery of the upper rim thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to switches for a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as vehicle switches) that are incorporated mainly in a vehicle and used to detect whether a door thereof is opened or closed.
2. Background Art
It is widely applied to control turning on and off the lighting apparatuses in a vehicle cabin, by using a vehicle switch incorporated in the door part thereof according to opening and closing operation of the door. In many cases, such a vehicle switch is incorporated in a place exposed to water drops, such as rain, when the door is open; therefore, the vehicle switch is protected from water by a rubber cover or other parts. A description is provided of such a conventional vehicle switch in reference to FIGS. 6 to 8B.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a conventional vehicle switch. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view thereof. Into outer case 31 that is made of an insulating resin and has through-hole 31A through the top face thereof, inner case 32 is fitted and fixed. Fixed contacts (hereinafter referred to as contacts) 33 and 34 made of metal are embedded in the right and left portions of the inner wall of inner case 32 so that the contacts are opposed to each other.
Operating body 35 made of an insulating resin is housed in inner case 32 so as to be vertically movable. Operating portion 35A at the top end of operating body 35 projects upwardly from through-hole 31A. Both ends of substantially U-shaped movable contact (hereinafter referred to as a contact) 36 that is made of metal and fitted into operating body 35 makes resilient contact with corresponding one of contacts 33 and 34. Contacts 33 and 34 are electrically coupled via contact 36. In this manner, a switch contact is formed.
Coil-like spring 37 is installed between the outer bottom face of operating body 35 and the inner bottom face of inner case 32 so as to slightly be contracted. Spring 37 urges operating body 35 upwardly. Elastic cover (hereinafter referred to as a cover) 38 is substantially shaped like a dome and made of a thin rubber. Cover 38 is attached onto the outer top face of outer case 31 by mounting plate 39 made of a metal plate. Covering through-hole 31A and operating body 35A, cover 38 prevents water or dust from entering into the switch from the gap between outer case 31 and operating body 35. In this manner, the vehicle switch is structured.
This vehicle switch is mounted on the chassis, for example, of a door part of a vehicle. Terminals 33A and 34A of contacts 33 and 34 projecting downwardly from the outer bottom face of inner case 32 are coupled to room lamps, for example, by leads (not shown) via electronic circuits (not shown) of the vehicle.
Next, a description is provided of the operation of this vehicle switch. Closing a door of the vehicle as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 8A brings pressing portion 40 of the door into contact with cover 38, thus pressing the top end of operating portion 35A of operating body 35 while deforming cover 38. Then, while contracting spring 37, operating body 35 moves downwardly, and both ends of contact 36 fitted into operating body 35 leave contacts 33 and 34 as shown in FIG. 8B. This operation turns off the switch contact, thus turning off the room lamp, for example.
In contrast, opening the door brings pressing portion 40 out of contact with cover 38, thus removing depression to operating body 35. For this reason, cover 38 is restored to the state of FIG. 8A by the elastic restoring force thereof. Additionally, the urging force of spring 37 moves contact 36 upwardly along with operating body 35. This operation brings both ends of contact 36 in resilient contact with contacts 33 and 34, thus turning on the switch contact and turning on the room lamp, for example. As described above, the vehicle switch detects whether the door is opend or closed: opening the door turns on the room lamp; and closing the door turns off the room lamp. Such a vehicle switch is disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2003-146077.
However, used for water-proof and dust-proof cover 38 in the conventional vehicle switch is a rubber or other materials that has a large friction coefficient and thus does not slide easily. For this reason, when pressing portion 40 of a door is brought into not perpendicular but oblique contact with cover 38 as shown in FIG. 8B, cover 38 is deformed into a distorted shape as it is pressed. Repeating such operations may break cover 38 and make the inside of the switch water-proof and dust-proof insufficiently.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Systems and methods for dual-screen electronic devices are provided in which, at a dual-screen electronic device having a first housing and a second housing attached by a hinge, a first processor, a first display mounted to the first housing, where the first display includes a first touch-sensitive surface, a second display mounted to the second housing, and a first memory contained within the first housing, a first user interface is displayed on the first display and a second user interface, different from the first user interface, is displayed on the second display. While displaying the first and second user interfaces, a user input is detected on the first display and, in response, a display of the second user interface, displayed on the second display, is changed. Separately is presented a user-adjustable-keyboard software-application.

Portable electronic devices like smartphones, tablets, and other devices are often used to make photo or video and/or to input text. However, it is not possible to view a digital image being captured by these portable electronic devices from angles opposite the display mounted on the device. Further, composition on electronic devices with touch screens is hindered by the amount of available space to display the document being composed and an electronic keyboard. Moreover, conventional electronic keyboards are not customizable, other than display in one of a limited number of preset views (e.g., portrait mode, landscape mode, and split keyboard mode.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A resilient marine fender for protecting a boat from damage resulting from inpact against a boat dock, piling or other marine structure includes a fender body having an elongate bumper portion on one side of sufficient resiliency to cushion normal impact of the boat and mounting surface on the opposite side thereof of sufficiently frictional character with respect to the piling for generally non-slipping engagement therewith. Selectively engagable and disengagable strap means at the lateral sides of the fender body encircle the pilling for selectively securing the fender body to the piling such that the mounting surface is held in frictional facing contact against the piling. A number of elongate bumper portions can be disposed in side-by-side relation to one another on the fender body and a plurality of strap assemblies can be provided.

The present invention relates to a resilient marine fender for protecting a boat or other marine vessel or craft from damage resulting from impact against a marine structure such as a boat dock, pier or like marine structure.
To cushion small marine craft, such as motorized pleasure and fishing boats, from the impact forces resulting from contact with fixed marine structures such as the pilings of piers and docks to which such vessels are commonly secured when docked, the owners and operators of such vessels commonly follow the practice of securing an impact absorbing material to the side of their crafts which would be compressed between the craft and the other structure and thus cushion the craft from the impact forces. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,403 to Russell discloses a marine bumper having an interconnected pair of hollow deformable bodies which can be tied to a marine craft.
The need for cushioning the marine craft and the structures to which they dock from detrimental impact forces has also given rise to protective structures adapted to be mounted on the docks or marine structures themselves. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,257 to Brown, Jr., discloses a more structurally substantial marine fender adapted for absorbing relatively large amounts of energy upon repeated compression for use, for example, on oceanic marine structures, such as on an off shore oil platform for use in cushioning large ocean going vessels even under relatively severe conditions.
The Russell patent also discloses the possible use of the bumper disclosed therein for mounting around a marine piling. However, unless such cushioning structures are permanently or rigidly secured in place on the marine structure, such as by chaining as shown in the Brown, Jr., patent, the cushioning structure will be subject to displacement from its desired disposition on the marine structure as a result of the very contact with a marine vessel for which the cushioning structure is intended.

Marine fender for pilings of marine structures


A cable management module having of a first module capable of connecting to a hard disk drive drawer; a second module releasably connected to the first module. A plurality of pairs of connecting arms connect the first module to the second module with each of the pairs of connecting arms being pivotally joined to each other at an intermediate point. A catch member is located on at least one side of the first module and a locking release mechanism is attached to the second module and to a locking member capable of engaging the catch member. A method for accessing a hard disk drive without disconnecting input/output cables and a method of replacing the input/output cables is also disclosed.

Hard disk drive drawers are used to allow easy access to repair and replace hard disk drives in computers. The hard disk drive drawer has a fixed outer casing which surrounds an inner casing that allows for the storage and removal of a plurality of hard disk drives.
Traditionally, input/output ("I/O") cables were connected to the hard disk drives in such a way that the disk drives could not be accessed without powering down the system and disconnecting the cables, thereby resulting in costly computer downtime. This is also problematic in that it does not allow for easy management of highly dense signal paths as it is not always easy to track which I/O cables were associated with a particular hard disk drive.
A cable management module that allows for easy access to a hard disk drive as well as precise management of highly dense signal paths in a small area would be an important improvement in the art.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A new hop plant named ‘HBC 695’ is disclosed. ‘HBC 695’ is used for its exceptional and unique aromatic qualities, and is suitable for beer flavoring.

HBC '695' is a product of a controlled breeding program carried out by the inventors in the Yakima Valley of Washington State. 'HBC 695' was one of several seedlings resulting from a controlled cross made in 2009 with female parent 'HBC 466', an unpatented variety, and male parent '06-019 (25-12-03)', which is also unpatented. Seedling plants from this cross were planted in 2010 and screened for disease resistance and sex in a greenhouse and field nursery near Toppenish, Wash. A single plant of 'HBC 695' was selected in 2013. In 2014 'HBC 695' was asexually reproduced via softwood cuttings, and expanded to thirty (30) plants in an evaluation block near Toppenish, Wash. In 2019 'HBC 695' was further expanded to a one (1) acre test block near Toppenish, Wash. with plants asexually reproduced via softwood cuttings. The 'HBC 695' plants have now been observed and evaluated for several years. Throughout several generations of asexual propagation, 'HBC 695' has been observed to retain its distinctive characteristics and remain true to type.
The colors of these illustrations may vary with lighting conditions and, therefore, color characteristics of this new variety should be determined with reference to the observations described herein, rather than from these illustrations alone.


A method includes determining the presence or concentration of an analyte in a sample. Determining the presence or concentration of an analyte in a sample includes receiving a first image containing an image of the sample, the first image obtained using an image sensor having two or more colour channels. Determining the presence or concentration of an analyte in a sample includes extracting first and second mono-colour arrays from the first image, the first and second mono-colour arrays corresponding to different colour channels of the image sensor, wherein each mono-colour array comprises one or more entries and each entry is determined by aggregating one or more pixels of the first image. Determining the presence or concentration of an analyte in a sample includes determining a filtered array based on the first and second mono-colour arrays, each entry of the filtered array calculated as a ratio of the corresponding entries of the first and second mono-colour arrays, or calculated as a difference of the corresponding entries of the first and second mono-colour images. Determining the presence or concentration of an analyte in a sample includes determining the presence or concentration of the analyte based on the filtered array.

Biological testing for the presence and/or concentration of an analyte may be conducted for a variety of reasons including, amongst other applications, preliminary diagnosis, screening samples for presence of controlled substances and management of long term health conditions.
Lateral flow devices (also known as "lateral flow immunoassays") are one variety of biological testing. Lateral flow devices may be used to test a liquid sample such as saliva, blood or urine, for the presence of an analyte. Examples of lateral flow devices include home pregnancy tests, home ovulation tests, tests for other hormones, tests for specific pathogens and tests for specific drugs. For example, EP 0 291 194 A1 describes a lateral flow device for performing a pregnancy test.
In a typical lateral flow testing strip, a liquid sample is introduced at one end of a porous strip which is then drawn along the strip by capillary action (or "wicking"). A portion of the lateral flow strip is pre-treated with labelling particles that have been activated with a reagent which binds to the analyte to form a complex (if the analyte is present in the sample). The bound complexes and any unreacted labelling particles continue to propagate along the strip before reaching a testing region which is pre-treated with an immobilised binding reagent that binds bound complexes of analyte and labelling particles and does not bind unreacted labelling particles. The labelling particles have a distinctive colour, or other detectable optical property such as fluorescence. The development of a concentration of labelling particles in the test regions provides an observable indication that the analyte has been detected. Lateral flow test strips may be based on, for example, colorimetric labelling using gold or latex nanoparticles. Fluorescent colorimetry employs marker molecules which fluoresce a specific colour.
Another variety of biological testing involves assays conducted in liquids held in a container such as a vial, a PCR well or plate, a cuvette or a microfluidic cell. Liquid assays may be measured based on colorimetric measurements in reflection, transmission or fluorescence arrangements. An advantage of some liquid based assays is that they may allow tests to be conducted using very small (e.g. picolitre) volumes. However, in such small volumes, the desired colour change or fluorescence may be difficult to detect.
Sometimes, merely determining the presence or absence of an analyte is desired, i.e. a qualitative colorimetric test. In other applications, an accurate concentration of the analyte may be desired, i.e. a quantitative colorimetric test. Mobile devices including cameras, for example smart phones, have been widely adopted. It has been suggested to employ such mobile devices to perform quantitative analysis of the results of colorimetric lateral flow tests.


The invention is an optical labeling/identification system that comprises an optical interrogator, optical label and a programmer. The optical label stores and returns to the interrogator different parts of a wavelength code word. The programmer programs the optical labels with a programming light beam to change the wavelength response of the labels. Interrogation and programming of the labels can be accomplished from a stand off distance without physical contact between the label and the interrogator/programmer. The label may be applied to uneven, wrinkled or discontinuous surfaces.

This invention relates to the field of labeling and identifying objects with an optical label and a corresponding optical identification system.
Photochromic material was used in optical modulator wherein the spatial modulation pattern can be controlled by the intensity pattern of a control light illuminating the modulator. See, U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,511 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,654. The photochromic material is incorporated in an etalon type optical cavity. Illumination of the photochromic material by the control light results in a change in the refractive index of the photochromic material. This change in refractive index presumably changes the optical properties of the etalon. The state of the etalon can remain fixed when the programming light is not present. These patents describe transmissive light modulating structures since the etalon produces a peak in the transmission spectrum. Further, the optical etalon can be tuned to a particular wavelength of programming light.
Furthermore, these prior inventions do not provide for a means to selectively and separately encode the modulation response to multiple wavelengths of incident light or a means to select among multiple wavelengths of programming light.
Photochromic layer was incorporated in an optical spatial light modulator. The spatial light modulator makes use of the change in absorption of the photochromic material at the wavelength of a signal light. See, U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,388, herein incorporated by reference. The modulator also contains an optical reflecting filter that selectively reflects the programming light so that the programming light makes two passes through a layer of photochromic material. This reflecting filter for the programming light is located on the side of the photochromic film that is facing away from the direction of the incident programming and signal light.
It is known that optical fiber having a cylindrical shape can be designed to reflect a specific wavelength of light that is incident upon the sides of the fiber. See, S. D. Hart, G. R. Maskaly, B. Temelkuran, P. H. Prideaux, J. D. Joannopoulos and Y. Fink, "External Reflection from Omnidirectional Dielectric Mirror Fibers," Science, v. 296 (19 Apr. 2002), pp. 510-513; and G. Benoit, K. Kuriki, J. F. Viens, J. D. Joannopoulos and Y. Fink, "Dynamic All-optical Tuning of Transverse Resonant Cavity Modes in Photonic Bandgap Fibers," Optics Letters, v. 30, n. 13 (2005), pp. 1620-1622, herein incorporated by reference.
The first paper, by Hart, et al., also describes the incorporation of such fiber into a woven fabric. The second paper, Benoit et al., also describes tuning the reflection wavelength by simultaneously applying a light of a visible wavelength to the fiber. This visible wavelength light temporarily changes the wavelength of the optical absorption edge of the chalcogenide material in the fiber in a process known as transient photodarkening. The material that undergoes the transient photodarkening is incorporated in a wavelength selective optical reflecting structure. The accompanying change in the reflection that is due to transient photodarkening persists only while the visible wavelength light is applied on the fiber. To obtain a reversible response, this prior art operates in the transient photodarkening regime which is not associated with a memory effect. Thus, this wavelength selective fiber requires continuous application of a programming light to retain a particular programmed state.
Although it is known that the chalcogenide materials also have a metastable photodarkened state (which might possibly provide a memory effect, although not discussed in the prior art) the approach of Benoit, et al. avoids operation in that regime since the metastable photodarkened condition is not reversible at room temperature. This prior art also does not describe selective and changeable reflection of multiple wavelengths. It also does not provide for a way to select among multiple programming wavelengths.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a programmable wavelength coded optical labeling or identification system wherein the optical label comprises a photochromic material in a multi-layer reflective stack whereby the stack functions as a filter having a reflection peak, not a transmission peak. There is also a need for an optical labeling system wherein the optical label can select among multiple wavelengths of programming and interrogation light. Furthermore, there is a need for an optical labeling system wherein the optical label has a memory function reprogrammable at room temperature at a substantially large standoff distance without making physical contact, wherein the memory does not require sustaining power to maintain the programmed state. There is yet another need for an optical labeling system wherein the coded region may be wrinkled, discontinuous, or folded.

Optical identification system and method


A cooling apparatus for an electronic or computing device includes a base for thermal coupling to a surface of the electronic or computing device and a cover spaced from the base. A nozzle plate is disposed between the base and the cover to partially define an inlet volume and an outlet volume. Cooling fluid enters the inlet volume and passes through the nozzle plate to the outlet volume and out of the apparatus. The nozzle plate includes a plurality of flow paths through which the cooling fluid passes from the inlet volume to the outlet volume. The flow paths cause the fluid to exit the nozzle plate as transversely expanding fluid jets.

Advances in semiconductors and related fields have resulted in smaller electronic and computing devices having increased power and performance. One result of tasking integrated circuits, servers, processors, and the like, with higher functionality is increased heat generation. However, this increased heat, often coupled with a decreased device size, can result in destructively high heat densities in some devices. Failure to reduce or remove this heat can result in device underperformance and/or premature device failure.
Many conventional cooling methods have been used to reduce heat in electronic and computing devices. For instance, heat sinks have been used in some instances to draw heat away from the heat-generating components. Conventional heat sinks may include thermally conductive materials in proximity of the heat generating components that dissipate heat through an exposed surface. In some instances, air can be passed over the exposed surface of the heat sink to aid in heat dissipation. More recently, pumped liquid cooling systems have been introduced that provide improved thermal performance. In these systems, a liquid coolant is passed through an enclosed volume attached to the heat generating component or component to be cooled. A heat sink may be included in the volume and often includes a plurality of channels that increase the surface area of the heat sink. Advances in these liquid cooling systems have generally focused on further increasing the surface area of the heat sink, e.g., by reducing fin thickness and/or increasing fin density, and/or on generating two-phase fluid, e.g., by atomizing the liquid through increased pressure or other measures. However, fins have a finite thinness, and systems that space fins too closely have failed when particulates and/or other debris carried by the cooling liquid get trapped between the fins. Moreover, attempts to atomize cooling fluid have proven difficult and expensive. Accordingly, there is the need in the art for improved cooling apparatuses that effectively remove heat from electronic and computing devices.

Cooling apparatus with expanding fluid jets


A device for redirecting light may comprise a plurality of liquid prisms configured to transmit incident light from an image display element. The liquid prisms may be configured to selectively modulate a direction of the transmitted light relative to the incident light so as to selectively alter an angle at which an image generated by the image display element is projected to an observer. A method for redirecting light may comprise transmitting incident light from an image display element through a plurality of liquid prisms and selectively modulating a direction of the transmitted light relative to the incident light so as to selectively alter an angle at which an image generated by the image display element is projected to an observer.

Light redirection devices may be used in conjunction with image display elements, including, but not limited to liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, to redirect light from the image display element in a predetermined direction so as to project an image in a predetermined direction, for example, toward a viewer of the display element. For example, such light redirection devices may be used in aeronautical settings to redirect light, and thus an image generated by a LCD panel, from the LCD panel toward a pilot in the airplane's cockpit.
One conventional light redirection device includes a film comprising a transparent optical composite forming a series of micro-replicated prismatic structures. The film is configured to receive an input image (e.g., light from an LCD panel) and redirect the input image at a predetermined viewing angle. The predetermined viewing angle at which the light redirection film redirects the light is a fixed angle depending on the configuration of the prismatic structures of the film. Such conventional light redirection films therefore do not permit an observer of the image projected by the LCD panel to selectively modulate the angle at which the light (image) is redirected. Rather, the film configuration dictates the fixed angle at which light will be redirected, as opposed to a user being able to adjust that redirection angle, and thus the angle at which an image is projected, as desired.
It may therefore be desirable to provide light redirection devices and methods that permit the angle at which the image is projected to be adjusted by a user, such as an observer desiring to view the image projected. In other words, it may be desirable to provide tunable (e.g., selectively modulatable) light redirection devices and methods. In this way, a viewer, such as a pilot in a cockpit or individual in an automobile, for example, may adjust the angle at which the light from an image display element, such as, a LCD panel, for example, is transmitted so as to obtain an image that is optimally projected toward the location of the viewer. Further, it may be desirable to provide light redirection devices and methods that redirect light in two dimensions.
It also may be desirable to provide light redirection devices and methods that are programmable and/or automated.
It may further be desirable to provide a light redirection device that does not require moving, mechanical parts to achieve redirection of the light. Also, it may be desirable to provide such a light redirection device that substantially resists wear.
Moreover, it may be desirable to provide light redirection methods and devices that are capable of projecting a three-dimensional image.

Devices and methods for redirecting light


Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a method of producing an encapsulated hydroprocessing catalyst comprising: preparing a hydroprocessing catalyst comprising a porous support and at least one metal supported on the porous support, the porous support comprising alumina, silica, titania, or combinations thereof, and the at least one metal selected from IUPAC Groups 6, 9 and 10 metals; applying a catalyst activation precursor comprising a sulfur containing compound, a catalyst deactivation precursor comprising a nitrogen containing compound, or both onto pores of the hydroprocessing catalyst to form a loaded hydroprocessing catalyst; and coating the loaded hydroprocessing catalyst with a coating material to produce the encapsulated hydroprocessing catalyst, wherein the coating material comprises a polymer or a paraffinic oil.

Hydroprocessing catalysts are used in the removal of impurities from hydrocarbon feedstocks that are typically derived from the distillation of crude petroleum. Common impurities are sulfur compounds and nitrogen compounds. These impurities are catalytically converted into hydrogen sulfide and ammonia to then are subsequently removed from the hydrocarbon feedstocks.
Generally, hydroprocessing catalysts are composed of a support with a metal, such as molybdenum, tungsten, nickel, and cobalt, deposited thereon. The conventional methods for preparing these hydroprocessing catalysts are characterized in that a support composited with the metal components, for example by impregnation. These metal components are only active when they are in a sulfide form. Thus, the hydroprocessing catalysts generally are subjected to a sulfidation treatment.
Conventional sulfidation treatments are ex-situ and in-situ sulfidations. Ex-situ sulfidation processes take place outside a reactor in which the catalyst is to be used in hydroprocessing hydrocarbon feedstocks. In such a process, the catalyst is contacted with a sulfur compound (catalyst activation precursor) outside the reactor and the metal is converted into the metal sulfide. In-situ sulfidation processes take place in the reactor in which the catalyst is to be used in hydroprocessing hydrocarbon feeds. Here, the catalyst is contacted in the reactor at elevated temperature with a hydrogen gas stream mixed with a sulfiding agent (catalyst activation precursor), and the metal is converted into the metal sulfide. In these ex-situ and in-situ sulfidations, the catalyst activation precursor is required to activate the metal components in the catalyst.

Method of producing an encapsulated hydroprocessing catalyst


The present invention generally relates to compositions and methods for forming droplets and/or emulsions. In some embodiments, the compositions and methods comprise two or more components miscible at a first temperature and immiscible at a second temperature, dispersed in an outer phase.

Emulsification is a powerful age-old technique for mixing and dispersing immiscible components within a continuous liquid phase. Consequently, emulsions are central components of medicine, food, and performance materials. Complex emulsions, including multiple emulsions and Janus droplets, are of increasing importance in pharmaceuticals and medical diagnostics, in the fabrication of microdroplets and capsules for food, in chemical separations, for cosmetics, and for dynamic optics. As complex emulsion properties and functions are related to the droplet geometry and composition, the development of rapid and facile fabrication approaches allowing precise control over the droplets' physical and chemical characteristics is critical. Significant advances in the fabrication of complex emulsions have been accomplished by a number of procedures, ranging from large-scale less precise techniques that give compositional heterogeneity using high-shear mixers and membranes to small-volume microfluidic methods. However, improved materials and methods are needed.

Compositions and methods for forming emulsions


The present invention provides a method for preparing a gene expression profile with a high precision, by carrying out the annealing of primers to templates in the temperature range of TmMAX+6° C. to TmMAX+14° C. of the primer in a PCR step of a HiCEP method.

In the year 2002, the human genome sequence has been decoded almost completely. From the obtained data of bases, the developments of tailor-made therapies and so on have been expected. For this purpose, it is very important to identify genes and determine the degree of their expression in vivo, or to elucidate the network of gene expression. In addition, for elucidating the gene-expression network, there is a need for making a gene expression profile, which identifies genes being expressed and determines the degree of their expression in vivo at a specified time.
At present, methods for preparing a gene expression profile include a differential display method, a serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE), a method using a micro-array or a DNA chip, a method of high-coverage expression profiling (HiCEP) disclosed in the International Publication WO 02/48352 A1, etc.
Among these methods for preparing a gene expression profile, the HICEP method is an excellent one in that the gene expression profile can be easily prepared for covering a wide variety of genes including unknown genes.
In a PCR reaction used as one of the steps in the HiCEP method, the temperature used for annealing a primer to a template is conventionally around the melting temperature (Tm) of the primer, for example, 55° C. when each primer used was composed of a 20 mer with a 50% GC content ("Protocol 15: Quantitative PCR 8.86" in Sambrook and Russell, "Molecular Cloning", 3rd Ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (U.S.A.), 2001).
The expression level of a gene varies depending on the kinds of genes and the expression timing thereof. Therefore, for elucidating the gene expression network, a method for preparing a gene expression profile, as a prerequisite thereof, is desired to have high detection sensitivity to expressed genes.
Accordingly, for a HiCEP method capable of preparing a gene expression profile covering a wide variety of genes in a simple manner, the present inventor has intensively studied for a further improvement in the sensitivity of detecting expressed genes.

Method for preparing gene expression profile

National Institute of Radiological Sciences


Virtual machine images in a cloud computing environment may be certified using a validator machine image. The validator machine image is configured to boot a validator virtual machine, which boots a virtual machine off a virtual machine image from among virtual machine images available in the catalog of the cloud computing environment. The validator virtual machine may scan the virtual machine for malware, including computer viruses. A virtual machine image from among the virtual machine images may be packaged to include a certifier agent that verifies the virtual machine image upon execution. Reputation of virtual machine images may be stored in a virtual machine image reputation database and made available by way of a portal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer security, and more particularly but not exclusively to security of cloud computing environments.
2. Description of the Background Art
Virtual machines, in general, are well known in the art of computer science. Generally speaking, a virtual machine is a software implementation of a machine (i.e., a computer) that executes programs like a physical machine. Multiple virtual machines may run on a single computer hardware platform, which is also referred to as "host machine." Although the virtual machines run in the same host machine, each virtual machine has its own operating system and application programs, and functions as a computing environment separate from the host machine and the other virtual machines.
Cloud computing refers to services, storage, processing, and other computing tasks performed over a computer network using distant server computers. Cloud computing provides computational resources to an end-user without the end-user setting up his own computing infrastructure. Examples of public cloud service providers include Amazon Web Services™ Rackspace™ and GoGrid™. OpenStack™ is an example open software initiative for building public and private cloud computing environments.
Public cloud computing allows for utility-model pricing. That is, the user typically pays only for what he uses. To facilitate setup and use of a cloud computing service, cloud service providers either offer pre-built virtual machine images themselves or offer a marketplace where a third party can sell or give pre-built virtual machine images to users. A virtual machine image comprises a data file that stores all information, including operating system, application programs, etc., required to startup one or more simultaneous and active virtual machines. The licensing aspects of using virtual machine images (e.g., those with Microsoft Windows™ software) may be built into the pricing of the virtual machine images, and some cloud service providers have worked out agreements with some software vendors.
A virtual machine image, which also referred to simply as "machine image", may include an operating system and other software for providing services in the cloud computing environment. A problem for customers when taking advantage of pre-built virtual machine images has to do with trust. That is, the customer does not know whether or not the virtual machine images are free of malware, such as computer viruses, Trojans, spyware, and other malicious codes. To make matters worse, malware writers may perform actions to artificially increase the reputation of a virus-infected virtual machine image to make the machine image more attractive to end-users.

Certification of virtual machine images in cloud computing environments


A cleaning method is provided for on-site cleaning of equipment such as filling equipment that fills beverages, etc. into bottles, cans, and other containers, liquid treatment equipment for filling solutions, and pipe equipment for connecting said equipment, the method being able to increase significantly the cleanliness of portions in contact with the filling solution while shortening cleaning time and reducing the amount used of utilities such as cleaning solution, etc. In the cleaning method for on-site cleaning of the liquid pathways of equipment such as filling equipment (4) for filling beverages into bottles, cans and other containers, liquid-treatment equipment (3) for filling solutions, or pipe equipment (4p) that connects said equipment, liquid comprising nanobubbles is pumped into said equipment and is left undisturbed to soak for a prescribed period.

When on-site cleaning of liquid pathways of equipment such as filling equipment that fills beverages, etc. into containers, such as bottles and cans, liquid-treatment equipment for filling solutions, or pipe equipment that connects these pieces of equipment is performed after the end of production or before the start of production, cleaning is performed through the circulation of hot water or single rinsing, and the circulation of chemicals such as acids or caustic solutions.
In recent years, it has become apparent that cleaning effects and the like can be improved when small bubbles (nanobubbles) having a diameter of 1 micrometer (μm) or less are contained in cleaning liquid, and research on the generation of nanobubbles has been performed (Patent Document 1).

Instrument-cleaning method that uses soaking with nanobubble water

MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES MACHINERY SYSTEMS, LTD.


Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and computer system for traffic control. A computer determines an uncommitted demand and receives a supply pattern from an adjacent downstream node. The computer aggregates the supply pattern with its own supply pattern before propagating the supply pattern to an adjacent upstream node. Moreover, the computer receives a committed demand and demand weight pattern from an upstream node and aggregates the committed demand and demand weight patterns with its own before propagating the aggregated committed demand and demand weight patterns to an adjacent downstream node. The computer further allocates a remaining downstream supply to the uncommitted demand based on weight and detects pending slot position conflicts. Based on detecting a pending slot position conflict, the computer configures a pattern shift and commits the available downstream supply as upstream committed demand. Lastly, the computer weights the unmet uncommitted demand.

The present invention relates generally to autonomous vehicles, and more particularly to autonomous vehicle traffic control.
The state of the art in traffic operations is driven largely by innovations that use statistical techniques to estimate future flow and to predict traffic, such as multi-agent simulation. These techniques, however, are all designed for a traffic operation model that is largely unaware of the arrival time, intended destination, speed, and path of vehicles arriving on the entry ramps and departing off exit ramps of a traffic control network. Moreover, the current state of the art does not yet leverage communication between vehicles and other entities, such as infrastructure, in the network for traffic management. As a result, today's techniques only help in reducing the negative impact of traffic congestion which is regarded as inevitable rather than avoiding congestion in the first place.

International Business Machines Corporation


A gas discharge device having the characteristic of low discharge voltage, the construction being such that the cathode is surrounding the discharge space of the anode. A barrier and the cathode are each alternately formed with different height portions; also, said cathode forms a half-circle groove surrounding the discharge space of said anode; said barrier forms a similar groove sidewardly adjoining the cathode groove; and wholly, said discharge space is oriented transversely relative to the anode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a gas discharge display device, and more specifically a gas discharge display device operable with a low discharge voltage and having the construction that the cathode surrounding relationship with the discharge space of the anode.
2. Description of the prior Arts
In a known gas discharge device as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of barriers 3 are spaced apart between the upper plate glass 1 and the lower plate glass 2, the discharge space 6 is defined between the anode 4 and the cathode 5 respectively arranged in a pattern to extend orthogonally of each other on the internal surfaces of said upper and lower plate glasses 1, 2. The discharge space 6 has a construction for sealing an inert gas, and if voltage is applied to said anode 4 and said cathode 5, an electron emits from the cathode 5 and collides with the inert gas in the discharge space 6 to thereby light the character to be displayed.
When discharging such as above, due to the phenomenon of sputtering in the cathode 5, damage to and loss of the cathode occurs. As a conventional cathode 5 has a strip shape, the electron emission of the cathode is not done well during the sputtering phenomenon, and consequently it is a problem that the life of the cathode is shortened.
To solve problems as above, it is well known that mercury is used but does harm to a person. Since the dangerousness of process and usage is latent, the method as above is undesirous.
Alternatively, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,688 the first electrode and the second electrode are arranged at different vertical heights, and the second electrode has triangular ribs thereon.
Particularly, the conventional cathode construction is such that the light is generated in discharging when atoms of a metastable state are moved by diffusion, and because the probability to move them in the cathode is very small and the expectation of electron emission is very small, it is a defect that the high discharge voltage is required.
Alternatively, when the conventional barrier construction is formed in the print method, the alignment and the print process are very difficult because the cathode is processed independently.


An image adjustment apparatus for processing images output by two image capturing devices arranged with respect to one another so as to capture images representing different respective views of a scene comprises a noise combiner for combining a noise signal with one or both of a pair of corresponding images captured by the two image capturing devices; a difference detector for detecting differences in color properties between the pair of corresponding images output by the noise combiner; and a color property adjuster for adjusting color properties of images from at least one of the image capturing devices on the basis of the differences detected by the difference detector, so as to reduce the differences in color properties between corresponding images captured by the two image capturing devices.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to image adjustment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Three dimensional (3D) television has recently been made available to the consumer, and it is expected that the amount of 3D equipment and programming will increase rapidly in the next few years.
3D television relies on a stereoscopic technique whereby pairs of images are captured by respective cameras which are displaced laterally (that is to say, substantially in a horizontal image direction) by a certain distance, for example a typical spacing of a user's eyes. The pairs of images therefore represent slightly different views of the same scene; in general they will encompass the same items within the scene (except perhaps at the image extremities) but the relative positions of the items between the two images will depend on the distance of the items from the camera arrangement.
When the images are displayed, it is important that each of the user's eyes sees (at least mainly) a respective one of the image pair. In practice this is achieved in various ways, such as by the user wearing polarising, time multiplexing or color-filtering spectacles, or by the television screen itself being provided with a special lens arrangement which diverts each of the two images to a respective eye position of the viewer. Of these, the color-filtering technique, common in early attempts at 3D cinema, is not generally used in 3D television technology.
Returning to the 3D camera system, each of the pair of images is captured by an independent camera, with its own lens and image capture arrangement (for example a CCD arrangement). But in order to maintain the 3D illusion for the viewer, it is important that the two images of each image pair are closely matched in terms of their color and related properties. Various color parameters are available to the operator of a professional video camera or an external color correction unit, such as the gamma, knee, white level and black level parameters, but the task of setting up a 3D camera arrangement is significantly more difficult than that of setting up a conventional (single) video camera because of the need not only to set the parameters correctly for the current scene, but also to set the parameters so that the two cameras forming the 3D camera arrangement generate images with identical (or very nearly identical) image properties. In the case of a domestic video camera, the range of adjustments available to the user is much more limited, making it even more difficult to set the two cameras to provide identical color properties.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved capture and/or processing of 3D images.


Systems, apparatuses, and methods that can facilitate securing an electronic device and associated information are presented. A security component facilitates display and operation of a lock track comprising a locked portion having a positive slope and an unlocked portion, including a chasm, that is adjacent to a high point of the positive-sloped unlocked portion of the lock track. A lock facilitator component (LFC) can be moved along the track between a low point of the locked portion and the unlocked portion. The LFC can be moved in response to received input, and if the input is not sufficient to move the LFC from the locked region to the unlocked region, the LFC can be moved back down the positive-sloped lock track to the low point. The security component can control information to be displayed in an overlay display region in accordance with security level(s) of the device or application.

Communication devices, such as mobile phones and computers, are ubiquitous in today's society. Communication devices are typically used to communicate information between communication device users and use a variety of different applications (e.g., word processing application, email application, social network application, electronic calendar application, alarm clock application, etc.). Certain of these communication devices (e.g., mobile phones, laptop computers) can be powered by battery, which can have limited power supply per charge. To facilitate conserving power, a communication device typically employ a sleep mode wherein the communication device enters a low power consumption mode, typically including partially or completely dimming the display of the device, when no interaction with the communication device is detected for a predetermined period of time.
Also, certain communication devices can have user interfaces (e.g., keyboard, number pad, touch screen, etc.) that can accidentally and undesirably receive input (e.g., keystroke, selection of an application, dialing of a phone number, etc.), for example, when an object (e.g., object in a purse or pocket) or a user's finger accidentally comes into contact with the user interface. To minimize this undesirable interaction with the user interface, many communication devices can be locked so that the user interface is only able to receive certain minimal input, such as input to illuminate the display to the locked screen and/or input to unlock the communication device. One conventional locking/unlocking technique is to have a user slide a lock icon in a horizontal direction from one side of the display to the other side of the display to unlock the communication device. Once unlocked, desired applications can be accessed on the communication device by the user. However, conventional communication-device locking systems still can be accidentally unlocked by accidentally received input (e.g., input that slides (e.g., moves, pushes) the lock icon from the locked to the unlocked position), and/or other undesired input can be accidentally received. It is therefore desirable to provide a security system to minimize the risk of accidentally unlocking the communication device and receiving undesired input via the user interface of the communication device.

Locking and unlocking of an electronic device using a sloped lock track


A central conductor assembly for use in a non-reciprocal circuit comprising a first inductance element between a first input/output port and a second input/output port, and a second inductance element between the second input/output port and a ground port, a magnetic substrate being integrally provided with a first central conductor constituting the first inductance element and a second central conductor constituting the second inductance element; and the second central conductor being crossing the first central conductor on a main surface side of the substrate via a magnetic layer or a dielectric layer, with at least one end portion thereof bent such that high-frequency current flows therethrough in the same direction as or in an opposite direction to that of high-frequency current flowing through the first central conductor.

The isolator functioning to permit signals to pass in a forward direction while preventing signals from passing in a reverse direction is used to remove reverse-direction signals from a communications apparatus. In a cell phone, for example, radiation efficiency is improved by utilizing radiation from a metal portion of a casing to increase an apparent antenna volume, but impedance varies under strong influence of adjacent human bodies, resulting in the likelihood that part of output signals are reflected by an antenna to generate reverse-direction signals. When such reverse-direction signals are input to a power amplifier directly, power efficiency is lowered, and noise is generated. Accordingly, an isolator is disposed between the antenna and the power amplifier. Such isolator comprises a magnetic body (microwave ferrite such as garnet), pluralities of central conductors crossing the magnetic body, and a permanent magnet applying a DC magnetic field to the magnetic body to generate a rotating resonance magnetic field therein.
FIG. 2 shows the equivalent circuit of a non-reciprocal circuit device called two-port isolator, which is disclosed in JP 2004-15430 A, and FIG. 28 shows the structure of the non-reciprocal circuit device. This two-port isolator comprises a first input/output port P1, a second input/output port P2, a first inductance element Lin and a first capacitance element Ci connected between both input/output ports P1, P2 for constituting a first parallel resonance circuit, a resistance element R connected in parallel to the first parallel resonance circuit, and a second inductance element Lout and a second capacitance element Cf connected between the second input/output port P2 and a ground for constituting a second parallel resonance circuit. In the two-port isolator, the first parallel resonance circuit sets a frequency for providing the maximum isolation (attenuation in a reverse direction), and the second parallel resonance circuit sets a frequency providing the minimum insertion loss.
The first inductance element Lin and the second inductance element Lout are constituted by a first central conductor Lin and a second central conductor Lout formed by strip-shaped conductors and crossing on a main surface side of a ferrite plate to which a DC magnetic field is applied from the permanent magnet 30. A part comprising the magnetic body and the first and second central conductors is called a central conductor assembly 4.
In this example, the first capacitance element Ci and the second capacitance element Cf are constituted by electrode patterns in a multi-layer ceramic substrate 10. The multi-layer ceramic substrate 10 is provided on a main surface with an electrode pad 15 and connecting pads 17, 18. The electrode pad 15 is connected to a terminal electrode P2 of the second central conductor Lout formed on a side surface of the multi-layer ceramic substrate 10 through a via-hole electrode and a side surface electrode. The connecting pad 17 is connected to a terminal electrode P1 of the first central conductor Lin formed on a side surface of the multi-layer ceramic substrate 10 through a via-hole electrode and a side surface electrode. The connecting pad 18 is connected to ground electrodes GND through via-hole electrodes and side surface electrodes. As the first capacitance element Ci and the second capacitance element Cf, multi-layer chip capacitors, and single-layer capacitors formed on upper and lower surfaces of a dielectric substrate may be used. The permanent magnet 30, the central conductor assembly 4 and the multi-layer ceramic substrate 10 are received in upper and lower cases 22, 25 made of a magnetic metal.
According to the miniaturization of cell phones and increase in the number of their parts due to multi-functionalization, there is strong demand to make isolators smaller. Although isolators having external sizes of 3.2 mm×3.2 mm×1.2 mm or 3.2 mm×2.5 mm×1.2 mm are widely used at present, there is further demand for smaller isolators of 2.0 mm×2.0 mm×1.1 mm, for example. According to such miniaturization, central conductor assemblies constituting two-port isolators should be miniaturized.
Conventionally proposed are central conductor assemblies having various structures, for example, a central conductor assembly comprising a copper foil wound around a ferrite plate; a laminate-type central conductor assembly (disclosed in JP 9-232818 A) obtained by laminating pluralities of dielectric sheets printed with electrode patterns for the central conductors and integrally sintering them as shown in FIG. 29, etc.
To obtain a small isolator of 2.0 mm×2.0 mm, a central conductor assembly should have an external size reduced to about 1.5 mm×1.2 mm. The miniaturization of the central conductor assembly results in the decreased volume of a magnetic body and shorter central conductors, providing the central conductors with smaller inductance. Accordingly, capacitance elements should have large capacitance to achieve resonance at a desired frequency, which is difficult because of the miniaturization of the non-reciprocal circuit device. As a result, the input/output impedance deviates from the impedance of an external circuit to cause mismatching, likely resulting in deteriorated insertion loss, a shrunken passband width, etc.
To cope with impedance deviation, an impedance-matching circuit is connected to an input/output port of the non-reciprocal circuit. FIG. 27 shows an example in which a matching circuit 90 is arranged on the side of a first input/output port P1. Capacitance element Cz is connected when the input impedance is inductive, and an inductance element is connected when the impedance is capacitive. However, the addition of a matching circuit increases the number of parts, hindering the miniaturization of the non-reciprocal circuit device.

Non-reciprocal circuit and non-reciprocal circuit device, and central conductor assembly used therein


Disclosed is a radiation monitoring system that has a radiation detector for making radiation measurements within a monitored area. An occupancy sensor may be provided for detecting a presence of an entity in the monitored area, and a motion sensor may be provided for detecting a motion of the entity in the monitored area. In a typical embodiment, a radiation measurement collection system is provided which has a first program logic element for collecting the radiation measurements as collected radiation measurements when the presence of the entity is detected and the motion of the entity is detected. Also provided is a method for monitoring an area for intermittent sources of radiation.

Radiation detection portals and stations are used, for example, to monitor vehicles at international border crossings, to monitor shipments at seaports, and to monitor people, luggage, and cargo at airports in order to detect and prevent the movement of potentially dangerous radiation emitting devices and materials. These radiation detection portals typically use various combinations of radiation detectors to detect and identify gamma and neutron radiation. A specific problem with these measurements results often occurs when the vehicle or other object being measured for radiation does not pass through the portal in a continuous manner, but rather stops within the portal because of traffic or other reasons. Such intermittent motion may adversely affect the accurate interpretation of radiation measurements. What are needed therefore are improved systems and methods for interpreting radiation measurements from radiation monitoring portals through which vehicles, cargo, or persons pass, or for monitoring radiation where vehicles, cargo, or persons may intermittently stop while passing through the portal or station.

Radiation portal with occupancy and motion sensing system


After forming a trench extending through a (100) silicon layer and a buried insulator layer and into a (111) silicon layer of a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, and prior to epitaxial growth of a Group III nitride material from a sub-surface of the (111) silicon layer that is exposed by the trench, a first sidewall spacer including a first dielectric material that can effectively prevent Group III elements from diffusing into silicon of the SOI substrate during the high temperature epitaxial growth of the Group III nitride materials is formed on sidewalls of the trench, following by forming a second sidewall spacer on the first sidewall spacer. The second sidewall spacer includes a second dielectric material that provides better growth selectivity towards the Group III nitride material than the first dielectric material, thus facilitating the growth of the Group III nitride material from the sub-surface of the (111) silicon layer.

The present application relates to semiconductor device fabrication, and more particularly to the integration of Group III nitride materials with a silicon substrate.
Group III nitride compounds, such as gallium nitride (GaN) and its related alloys, are a unique group of semiconductor materials that can be used in a wide variety of applications such as optoelectronics, photovoltaics and lighting. The large bandgap and high electron saturation velocity of the Group III nitride compounds also make them excellent candidates for applications in high temperature and high-speed power electronics.
Many electronics applications incorporate both silicon and Group III nitride circuits due to their unique performance characteristics. The silicon circuits are typically CMOS circuits used for digital signals, and the Group III nitride circuits are used for microwave, millimeter wave or optical signals. This integration can be realized by forming silicon CMOS devices and Group III nitride devices on a common silicon-on-insulator substrate, in which the CMOS devices are formed on an upper silicon layer having a (100) crystallographic orientation, while the Group III nitride devices are formed on a bottom silicon layer having a (111) crystallographic orientation. However, since epitaxial growth of Group III nitride compounds on a (111) silicon layer is typically performed at a relatively high temperature (e.g., 700° C.-1200° C.), the high deposition temperatures cause diffusion of Group III elements into the silicon substrate, which may lead to the deterioration of CMOS device performance. Although diffusion barriers can be employed to prevent the Group III elements from diffusing into the silicon substrate, such diffusion barriers typically do not possess good growth selectivity towards Group III nitride compounds. Methods for integrating Group III nitride materials with a silicon substrate are thus needed to solve the above discussed problems.

Sidewall spacer for integration of group III nitride with patterned silicon substrate

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A method for producing insoluble sulfur, including: heating a sulfur to 200-700° C., quenching it with water, aqueous solution and other solvents, drying and solidifying the resulting substance at 40-80° C. for 3-15 h, to obtain an insoluble sulfur crude product; crushing the crude product in water into particles with a particle size of 50-400 meshes, wherein the water temperature is not higher than 80° C.; pumping the slurry of water and crude product into the upper part of an extraction column, pumping solvent into the lower part thereof; making the water and solvent from the top of the column flow into a separation tank to separate water phase and solvent phase, heating and evaporating the solvent phase to recover solvent and obtain soluble sulfur; heating and evaporating the insoluble sulfur and solvent from the bottom of the column to recover solvent and obtain purified insoluble sulfur.

Insoluble sulfur (IS for short), also known as μ-type sulfur, is a long-chain polymerized sulfur formed by ring-opening polymerization of common sulfur, and is named because it is insoluble in carbon disulfide. Insoluble sulfur is mainly used as a vulcanizator of a rubber, and widely used in the production of radial tires. Insoluble sulfur has a high dispersibility and a high temperature stability, and thus can effectively avoid rubber blooming when being used in rubber mixing and has a good vulcanization effect. With the increasing demand for radial tires in China, the demand for insoluble sulfur is also increasing. The production of insoluble sulfur with common sulfur has high economic and social benefits.
So far, the main methods for producing insoluble sulfur comprise contacting method, high temperature evaporating method, melting method and so on. Among them, in the contacting method, hydrogen sulfide is mainly used as a raw material, and a catalytic oxidation reaction is performed on hydrogen sulfide in a reactor filled with an acid medium, to prepare insoluble sulfur, while in both of the high temperature evaporating method and melting method, a common sulfur is used as a raw material, and by using the ring-opening polymerization mechanism of sulfur induced by heating, an insoluble sulfur is prepared.
(1) Contacting Method
The contacting method is a method for producing insoluble sulfur by using H2S as a raw material, and depending on the catalytic oxidation of NOx+Fe3+. The detailed steps of the contacting method are as follows: introducing a high content of H2S gas (concentration>70%) and O2 into an aqueous solution of strong oxidants HNO3 and FeCl3, so as to obtain insoluble sulfur under the action of redox. The reaction mechanism of preparing insoluble sulfur by the contacting method is as follows: under the action of strong oxidants HNO3 and Fe3+, H2S is partly oxidized to SO32− and reduction product NO; SO32− reacts with H2S to form insoluble sulfur, while the reduction product NO is oxidized to NO2 by an introduced O2, and the NO2 subsequently reacts with H2S to form insoluble sulfur; Fe3+ also reacts with H2S to form insoluble sulfur and Fe2+, wherein Fe2+ is then oxidized to Fe3+ by NO2, thereby realizing the recycling of FeCl3 aqueous solution.
Compared with the conventional method for producing insoluble sulfur, the contacting method has an advantage of avoiding high temperature corrosion of a production equipment, and provides a new method for treating H2S waste gas for petrochemical and coal chemical enterprises. However, H2S is highly toxic, and has high requirements for the sealing of a production equipment; moreover, it is difficult to achieve large-scale production due to the restriction of the gas source; in addition, there are certain technical defects. In view of all this, the contacting method requires further exploration and research.
(2) High Temperature Evaporating Method
High temperature evaporating method comprises: mixing a common sulfur with an appropriate amount of stabilizer, then adding the resulting mixture into a reactor, then heating the mixture to 500-700° C., and spraying the obtained sulfur vapor into a cooling medium containing a stabilizer by using the pressure of the reactor itself at a very high speed for quenching, thereby obtaining a plastic sulfur. Since the polymerization reaction is a reversible reaction, after quenching, a part of polymeric sulfur would be transformed into soluble sulfur, so that the plastic sulfur product obtained is a mixture. The plastic sulfur is subsequently dried and solidified at a certain temperature, and then dry crushed. In order to obtain a high content of insoluble sulfur, the crushed product is usually extracted by a CS2 solution, then filtered or centrifuged to remove the extractant carbon disulfide, and the remaining particles are dried to obtain the product.
(3) Melting Method
The melting method is most significantly different from the high temperature evaporating method in the difference in the state of sulfur at quenching. When being quenched, the sulfur is a steam in the high temperature evaporating method, while a liquid in the melting method. Thus, the quenching temperature of the melting method is not as high as that required by the high temperature evaporating method. The operating process for preparing insoluble sulfur by the melting method is as follows: heating a sulfur to 160-300° C., and then cooling the sulfur to ambient temperature quickly with water; separating the water, and drying and solidifying the resulting substance in air; subjecting the resulting solid to a series of operations, such as dry crushing, grinding and filtering, to obtain an insoluble sulfur crude products.
There are two types of insoluble sulfur so far. One is low-grade insoluble sulfur, i.e. an insoluble sulfur without leaching and purification, wherein the content of insoluble sulfur is only 50-60%. The other is high-grade insoluble sulfur, wherein the content of insoluble sulfur reaches above 90%. An extraction, also known as leaching, is generally used to purify insoluble sulfur in industry; that is, carbon disulfide is used to extract soluble sulfur from insoluble sulfur to obtain a high-grade insoluble sulfur.
In the process of using the insoluble sulfur, the sulfur powder would fly due to stirring and high temperature, which not only affects the production environment, but also has a risk of explosion. Therefore, in order to prevent the flying of the insoluble sulfur powder, an oil-filled insoluble sulfur is used in industry; that is, a mineral oil with a high flash point is filled into the insoluble sulfur powder to reduce the flying of dust.
Among the above methods for producing insoluble sulfur, the high temperature evaporating method is the most widely used, and there are two processes in the high temperature evaporating method. One is to use an aqueous solution as a quenching liquid, and the insoluble sulfur produced by this process has a high ash content due to the metal ion contained in the aqueous solution, which has adverse effects on the vulcanization and other properties of a rubber, and thus having a low price, but a high yield. The other is to use carbon disulfide as a quenching liquid, and the insoluble sulfur produced by this process has a low ash content and a good stability at high temperature, and thus having a high price, but a low yield. Since the sulfur obtained after quenching is a viscoelastic solid, which needs a long time to solidify before it can be crushed, leached and purified. Therefore, the production of insoluble sulfur in industry at present mostly adopts batch production methods, namely the steps of quenching, solidifying, crushing, leaching and purification, oil filling, etc. are carried out in different batch equipments. During sulfur crushing, dry crushing is adopted at present; that is, the dried sulfur is crushed in a crusher, and a large amount of dust is produced in the crushing process. Because sulfur is flammable and dust is explosive, the dry crushing method adopted at present is easy to cause fire and explosion, and almost all insoluble sulfur production enterprises at home and abroad have experienced fire and explosion caused by crushing, resulting in a loss of a large number of people and property, and posing a great risk to social security. Therefore, improving the method for crushing the insoluble sulfur to reduce the risks of explosion and fire are difficult problems faced by insoluble sulfur production enterprises. In addition, how to make the production process continuous is also a difficult problem for insoluble sulfur production enterprises at present. This disclosure will solve the two problems together.

Continuous process for producing insoluble sulfur

China University of Petroleum (East China)


In a device or a method for determining the direction of vision of an eye, a starting point or a final point of a light beam reflected by a part of the eye and detected by a detector system, or of a light beam projected by a projection system onto or into the eye two-dimensionally, describes a pattern of a scanning movement in the eye. The inventive method uses a displacement device that guides the center of the pattern of movement into the pupil or macula center of the eye, and a determination device that uses the pattern of movement of the scanning movement to determine the pupil center or macula center.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a system and a method for determining the position and/or orientation, particularly the direction of vision, of an eye by the serial intercepting of a beam reflected by a part of the eye.
2. State of the Art
The knowledge of the momentary orientation of an eye is a necessary prerequisite for a plurality of the most different applications:
In medicine, the treatment of defective vision, retinal detachments, macula degeneration, etc. requires the detection of voluntary and mainly involuntary orientation changes of the eye in order to, for example, be able to appropriately cause a laser beam to follow in such a manner that, in each case, it impinges on the same point on the retina or moves along a certain trajectory on the retina.
In psychology, the orientation of the eye permits diverse conclusions. Thus, for example, a sudden strong rotation indicates the beginning of a grand mal or a black-out. Furthermore, significantly more extensive information can be obtained from the direction of vision of the eye, which can be determined, for example, by the mean perpendicular of the pupil. As an example, the recognition pattern of test persons when viewing certain pictures can be analyzed in this manner.
In addition, the knowledge of the direction of vision offers the possibility of using the information that indicates where the viewer is momentarily looking in order to identify the fixed object; whether it is a certain menu item on a (virtual) video screen, a device to be activated (light switch, etc.), a selected target of a rocket launcher, or the like.
Furthermore, the knowledge of the orientation and particularly of the direction of vision of the eye makes it possible to, for example, project visual information into the eye, which information is correlated with the viewer's perceived picture of the environment or his virtual orientation (for example, when using virtual-reality spectacles or the like), so that the pictures projected into the eye, for example, are seemingly resting in space or relative to an object, or the merged picture changes corresponding to the direction of the vision of the user of the virtual-reality spectacles.
Diverse devices and methods have therefore been developed for detecting the orientation of the eye:
German Patent Document DE 196 31 414 A1 mentions sensors which are fixed directly to the eyeball. These naturally, on the one hand, represent a considerable danger to and impairment of the test person, and, on the other hand, can also not detect the direction of vision of the eye (for example, in the case of strabismic persons) and, in addition, are quite inaccurate relative to the often minimal involuntary movements of the eye.
Furthermore, the integral taking of the retina reflex picture by CCD cameras is mentioned, which, on the one hand, because of the high exposure, is suitable for the low-light reflex picture but, on the other hand, comprises a very large quantity of data resulting in low processing speeds as well as distortion problems.
The above-mentioned document therefore suggests a device where an image of the environment reflected by the retina is serially scanned by means of a scanning device, is electronically modified and subsequently is projected back into the eye.
However, in this case, the orientation of the eye, particularly the direction of vision, is not determined but only a reflected and subsequently processed image of the environment is projected back into an eye on the same beam path in order to ensure a superimposing with the actually perceived image.
In the still unpublished Application PCT/EP01/05886, many different methods and devices are also described for the adaptation of an optical system to the direction of vision of the human eye.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device and a method by means of which the position and/or the orientation, particularly the direction of vision, of an eye can be determined rapidly and precisely.

Device and method for determining the orientation of an eye


A method, system, and/or computer program product evaluates a real-time condition of a construct of a roadway. A processor receives a set of roadway acoustic sound patterns from a mobile microphone that is mounted on a terrestrial vehicle as it travels along a roadway. This set of roadway acoustic sound patterns is created by a physical contact between a roadway surface of the roadway and a tire on the terrestrial vehicle. The processor also receives a set of transient data from a probe on the terrestrial vehicle. This transient data describes a real-time transient environmental condition at the roadway. The set of roadway acoustic sound patterns and the set of transient data are input into an analysis algorithm to determine a real-time physical condition of a construct of the roadway. Data describing the real-time physical condition of the construct of the roadway is then transmitted to a remote computer.

The present disclosure relates to the field of electronics, and specifically to electronic devices used to measure vibration. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to electronic sensors used to evaluate the physical condition of a roadway.
Vibration detection devices are used to detect and transpose mechanical vibration energy into analogous electrical signals that represent the detected mechanical vibration energy. A vibration detection device uses a motion sensitive component, such as an accelerometer, a piezoelectric device (e.g., a tuned crystal), etc. to make these mechanical-to-electrical transformations.

Evaluating road conditions using a mobile vehicle


A port protector is provided for locking insert into a communication port of electronic equipment. The port protector comprises a base member defining a support surface extending longitudinally between outer and inner ends. The locking member is deflectively coupled to the base member by a spine member extending transversely therebetween. The locking member includes an anchored portion attached to the spine member and a plank portion projecting longitudinally inward therefrom to terminate at a free end, such that the plank portion extends over the support surface of the base member. An engagement member extends from the plank portion of the locking member and is configured for retentively engaging the communication port when disposed at a locking position therein. The engagement member is releasable from the locking position responsive to the spine member being severed to decouple the locking and base members from one another.

Communication ports are known in the art. They include data ports of numerous types and configurations provided on various electronic equipment for interconnection of communications media thereto. For example, one or more USB, HDMI, SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable), or other such data port types are typically provided on computers, communication devices, or on-vehicle consoles for communications interface coupling thereto. The intercoupling components of these data ports remain openly exposed in many applications when not actually coupled to external communications media for use, rendering the given equipment vulnerable to unauthorized access to its contents and controls during periods of non-use.
Port protection measures are known in the art. But the level of tamper evident protection they offer against efforts to defeat the protection, and the ease of use they offer vary widely. Port protection measures heretofore known, however, lack the full combination of secure self-locking to a communication port, tamper evident safeguards against attempts to forcibly unlock it from the communication port, and a simplicity of structure and function to facilitate convenient yet reliable use.
There is therefore a need for a port protector to address vulnerabilities like this in conventional communication ports provided on various electronic equipment. There is a need for such port protector which substantially and securely blocks unrestricted access to a communication port when the port is not in use, and which yields conspicuous residual indication of any tampering to gain unauthorized access to or through the communication port. There is a need, moreover, for a port protector that is sufficiently simple in structure and function to facilitate ease of handling and use.


The present disclosure provides methods for synthesizing cantharidin and cantharidin derivatives.

Cantharidin (1,2-Dimethyl-3,6-epoxyperhydrophthalic anhydride) is a lipophilic compound traditionally obtained from the body fluids of blister beetles, primarily of the family Meloidae. Cantharidin is an odorless, colorless, and crystalline solid at room temperature. Cantharidin is an inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A and has vesicant activity when applied to the skin. Due to its bioactivity, cantharidin has been historically used in the treatment of various skin conditions, including the treatment of common warts and molluscum.
Chemical names: (3αR,4S,7R,7αS)-3α,7α-dimethylhexahydro-4,7-epoxyisobenzofuran-1,3-dione; 1,2-Dimethyl-3,6-epoxyperhydrophthalic anhydride. Common names: Cantharidin; cantharone; cantharidine; kantaridin. Structure:

Commercially viable synthesis of cantharidin and bioactive cantharidin derivatives


A radio frequency IC device that prevents variations in the value of capacitive coupling between a radio frequency IC element and a radiation electrode and has good signal transmission efficiency includes a radio frequency IC element including input/output electrodes and, a first base including intermediate electrodes that are capacitively coupled to the input/output electrodes and have capacitance values C1a and C1b, respectively, and a second base including radiation electrodes and that are capacitively coupled to the intermediate electrodes and have capacitance values C2a and C2b, respectively. A capacitance C1 obtained by combining C1a and C1b is smaller than a capacitance C2 obtained by combining C2a and C2b.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to radio frequency IC devices and methods of manufacturing the same, and, more particularly, to a radio frequency IC device preferably for use in an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system and a method of manufacturing the radio frequency IC device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, as a product management system, an RFID system has been developed in which a reader/writer for generating an induction field communicates with an IC tag (hereinafter referred to as a radio frequency IC device) attached to a product in a non-contact manner so as to obtain predetermined information stored in the IC tag. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-160874 discloses a radio frequency IC device used in an RFID system.
In a radio frequency IC device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-160874 (for example, see FIG. 5 in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-160874), a flexible sheet including a feeding circuit provided thereon and a radio frequency IC chip mounted on the feeding circuit and another flexible sheet on which a radiation plate is disposed are bonded so that the feeding circuit and the radiation plate are capacitively coupled.
However, in this radio frequency IC device, high accuracy is required when bonding these flexible sheets. The accuracy is low, variations in the value of capacitive coupling between the radio frequency IC chip and the radiation plate occur and an impedance deviates from a set value. As a result, signal emission/reception performed by the radiation plate becomes unstable and signal transmission efficiency is reduced.

Radio frequency IC device and method of manufacturing the same


A wavelength-selective polarization conversion element is disclosed, which is capable of reducing the number of optical elements in an optical system and simplifying the configuration thereof. The polarization conversion element comprises a beam splitting film which splits light by transmission and reflection and has a characteristic in which at least its transmittance for light with a first polarization direction changes between a transmittance higher than 50% and a transmittance lower than 50% depending on wavelength regions, and a phase plate which converts the polarization direction of light from the beam splitting film between the first polarization direction and a second polarization direction. The polarization conversion element converts light of two of first, second and third wavelength regions into light with one of the first and second polarization directions and converts light of the remaining wavelength region into light with the other polarization direction.

The present invention relates to wavelength-selective polarization conversion elements which convert non-polarized light into light with a polarization direction according to a wavelength region (or color) and image projection apparatuses equipped with the element, such as liquid crystal projectors.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application Nos. 2001-154152 and 2000-19455 have disclosed image projection apparatuses which perform color-separation and color-combination by a polarization beam splitter. In the apparatuses, non-polarized light emitted from a light source is divided into plural luminous fluxes by a lens array, secondary light source images are formed by the divided luminous fluxes, and luminous fluxes from the secondary images of the light source are overlapped with each other on an image-forming element such as a liquid crystal panel, thereby illuminating the image-forming element with light with substantially even luminance.
Each divided luminous flux from the lens array enters a polarization conversion cell corresponding to each lens cell of the lens array, plural polarization conversion cells being provided in a polarization conversion element. Each polarization conversion cell has a polarization beam splitting film, a half-wave plate and a reflecting surface. The non-polarized light that entered the polarization conversion cell is separated into P-polarized light and S-polarized light by the polarization beam splitting film. The P-polarized light is transmitted through the polarization beam splitting film. The polarization direction of the P-polarized light is rotated by 90 degrees by the half-wave plate, and the resulting S-polarized light emerges from the polarization conversion element.
On the other hand, the S-polarized light is reflected by the polarization beam splitting film, and then reflected by the reflecting surface to emerge from the polarization conversion element. The S-polarized light with a uniformed polarization direction, which emerged from the polarization conversion element, enters a condenser lens.
The S-polarized light that emerged from the condenser lens is separated into light of first and second wavelength regions and light of a third wavelength region by a dichroic element. In this stage, the light of the first wavelength region and the light of the second wavelength region travel in the same optical path and have the same polarization direction. Then, the light of the first and second wavelength regions is passed through a wavelength (color)-selective phase plate. This is for introducing light of the first wavelength region and light of the second wavelength region to first and second image-forming elements, respectively, by a polarization beam splitter.
Thereby, it is possible to separate the light of the first and second wavelength regions into light components with different polarization directions.
The wavelength-selective phase plate is made by laminating a plurality of stretched films. It has a characteristic which converts only one of the light of the first wavelength region and the light of the second wavelength region into light with a polarization direction orthogonal to its original polarization direction and transmits the other one without changing its polarization direction.
As described above, image projection apparatuses which perform color-separation by using a polarization beam splitter generally include a polarization conversion element located near a lens array and a wavelength-selective phase plate located near the polarization beam splitter.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application Nos. 2000-19455 and H11(1999)-153774 have disclosed image projection apparatuses which use a particular optical element. The apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 2000-19455 uses an optical element constituted by a first dichroic layer transmitting light of a predetermined wavelength region and reflecting light of another wavelength region, a phase layer rotating the polarization plane of light transmitted through the first dichroic layer by 90 degrees and a total reflection layer totally reflecting light from the phase layer. The apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. H11(1999)-153774 uses a polarization beam splitter having wavelength selectivity and performing polarizing, analyzing, color-separation and color-combination.
However, using the wavelength-selective phase plate separate from the polarization conversion element as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 2001-154152 increases the number of optical elements constituting the image projection apparatus. In addition, the configuration becomes complex since holding and positioning of the wavelength-selective phase plate and a cooling structure for cooling the wavelength-selective phase plate made of a multilayer film are necessary.

Wavelength-selective polarization conversion element, projection displaying optical system and image projection apparatus