A joint driving apparatus for a robot comprises an oscillating internally meshing reduction mechanism, a center shaft member, a ring portion, and an oil seal disposed between the ring portion and the center shaft member. The oscillating internally meshing reduction mechanism is fixed to a first member and rotates the second member relatively with respect to the first member. An output member is arranged at the side of an external gear in an axial direction so as to output a relative rotation of an internal gear with the external gear. The center shaft member is fixed to the output member, and has a shaft portion extending up to the side opposite to the external gear in the axial direction of the output member. The ring portion is integrally formed with the first member and faces to the shaft portion of the center shaft member. The oil seal is disposed between the ring portion and the shaft portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a joint driving apparatus for a robot.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, International Publication No. WO2007/032400A1 has proposed an apparatus for driving joint portions of a robot. As shown in FIG. 6, the joint driving apparatus 10 is fixed to a base 12 constituting a part of a robot (not illustrated) and supports and drives a movable member 14 constituting another part of the robot so as to rotate freely.
The joint driving apparatus 10 is equipped with a reduction mechanism 18 for reducing the rotation of a motor 16. A driving power of the motor 16 is transmitted in order of an input gear (not illustrated) mounted on a motor shaft 20, an external gear 22, one eccentric body shaft 24 (illustrated), and an eccentric body shaft gear 25 provided on the eccentric body shaft 24, and reaches a center gear 23. The center gear 23 is meshed with eccentric body shaft gears 25 (not illustrated) provided respectively on other two eccentric body shafts 24 (not illustrated), thereby rotating three eccentric body shafts 24 (only above one shaft is illustrated).
Eccentric bodies 26A, 26B are integrally formed on the eccentric body shaft 24. The eccentric bodies 26A, 26B rotate in an eccentric manner, then external gears 28A, 28B eccentrically rotate while being internally meshed with an internal gear 30.
The joint driving apparatus 10 is constituted in such a manner that a rotational component of an eccentric rotation of these external gears 28A, 28B is output through first and second carriers 32A, 32B (output members) and transmitted to the movable member 14 via a bolt 34.
A through hole 36 is formed axially at a center of the joint driving apparatus 10. A control cable (wire harness) 40 for controlling the posture of the robot penetrates the through hole 36. A seal mechanism made with a hollow cylinder 41 and O-rings 43, 45 is provided for sealing inside and outside the reduction mechanism 18. An oil seal 44A is arranged between the first carrier 32A and a casing 31 for sealing inside and outside of the reduction mechanism 18, and an oil seal 44B for the same purpose is arranged between the second carrier 32B and the casing 31.
In the joint driving apparatus 10 of the robot, the oil seals 44A, 44B for sealing inside and outside of the reduction mechanism 18 are arranged between the first carrier 32A and the casing 31, and between the second carrier 32B and the casing 31 respectively. This is because that in a case where the first carrier 32A and the second carrier 32B, which are output members, are arranged at the axial side of the external gear, and where the oil seals 44A, 44B are arranged between the first or second carrier 32A or 32B and the first member of the robot respectively, it is the most natural and easiest way to arrange the oil seals 44A, 44B at the outermost peripheral portion of the first and second carriers 32A, 32B.
However, in the above constitution, the oil seals 44A, 44B are extremely large in diameter to result in a larger seal area, thus easily lowering the sealing stability against leakage. Further, although the output members (the first and second carriers 32A, 32B) are basically low in peripheral speed, a fast speed is found at the outer peripheral portion where the diameter is large, thereby easily causing wear due to sliding motions. Thus, a problem is posed that the service life of the oil seals 44A, 44B is shortened, thereby, making it difficult to maintain stable sealing characteristics for a long time.


A lighting device includes a board mounting a light source, a first hole provided in the board, a projecting part protruded inside the first hole from a periphery of the first hole, a light guide which receives a light emitted from the light source through a light receiving plane, and transmits the light from a light transmitting plane, and the first protrusion which is integrally formed in the light guide and is inserted into the first hole, wherein the projecting part presses a side of the first protrusion so that the board can move toward the light receiving plane.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a lighting device transmitting a light emitted from a light source to a lighting section by using a light guide. In addition, it relates to an electro-optical device constituted by means of using the lighting device. Besides, it relates to an electronic apparatus constructed by using the electro-optical device.
2. Related Art
Recently, an electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal display device is widely used for electronic apparatuses such as cellular phone, PDA, IC recorder and the like. For example, in order to display a variety of information about an electronic apparatus with an image, the electro-optical device is used. Since this electro-optical device performs the display by controlling a light through the electric control, a lighting device is required as a source of light.
A lighting device used as an electro-optical device generally comprises a light guide formed by a translucent resin and a light source generating the light. LED (Light Emitting Diode), for example, is chiefly utilized for the light source. After the light emitted from LED is introduced into and passes through an internal part of the light guide, it is provided for the display in the electro-optical device as a plane light emitted from a light transmitting plane of the light guide.
LED, a light source, is generally mounted on a board with flexibility, called FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) board. In addition, LED is provided so that an emitting plane faces with a light receiving plane of a light guide by connecting the FPC board to a frame having the light guide or itself.
As the above-mentioned lighting device, generally, there is provided the lighting device formed by the structure executing the positioning of LED for a light guide by engaging a notch provided in the edge part of the FPC board and a rib provided in a frame of the FPC board. (For example, see JP-A-2004-258236 FIG. 4, Page 5) Furthermore, there is also provided the lighting device with the structure implementing the positioning of LED for the light guide by connecting a pin for the positioning provided in a emitting plane of LED and a gullet for the positioning provided in a light receiving plane of the light guide. (For example, see JP-A-2001-330830 FIG. 2, Page 9)
However, the lighting device disclosed in JP-A-2004-258236 FIG. 4, Page 5, comprising: There is the possibility that LED is dislocated from a predetermined position for a light guide in case the size difference is shown between a notch of a notch provided in the FPC board and a position of a rib provided in a frame. In this case, there is a possibility that the brightness of the lighting device is dispersed. In addition, since the size difference is shown between the position of the notch and the position of the rib provided in the frame, it is the possibility that a gap appears between the light guide and LED. It is the possibility that due to the gap, the brightness of the light introduced into the light guide is lowered. Besides, in the lighting device disclosed in JP-A-2001-330830 FIG. 2, Page 9, there is a possibility that the brightness of the lighting device is dispersed since a special shape is formed on an emitting plane of LED.

Lighting device, electro-optical device and electronic apparatus


A multilayer capacitor includes: a capacitor body including first and second internal electrodes alternately stacked with a dielectric layer interposed therebetween, and having first to six surfaces, the first internal electrode being exposed through the third, fifth, and sixth surfaces, the second internal electrode being exposed through the fourth, fifth, and sixth surfaces; first and second side portions disposed on the fifth and sixth surfaces of the capacitor body; and first and second external electrodes. The capacitor body includes upper and lower cover portions disposed on an upper surface of an uppermost internal electrode and a lower surfaces of a lowermost internal electrode, respectively, in a stacking direction of the first and second internal electrodes. The first and second side portions and the upper and lower cover portions include zirconium (Zr).

Electronic components using ceramic materials include capacitors, inductors, piezoelectric elements, varistors, or thermistors.
Among them, multilayer capacitors could be used in various electronic devices due to their small size and high capacity.
Recently, the application range of multilayer capacitors has been expanded from IT products to electronic products. In particular, multilayer capacitors used in electronic products require high reliability due to harsh driving environments.
Such a multilayer capacitor includes a capacitor body formed of a ceramic material, an internal electrode disposed inside the capacitor body, and an external electrode installed on a surface of the capacitor body to be connected to the internal electrode.
Recently, due to miniaturization and multifunctionality of electronic devices, multilayer capacitors have also been required to be provided as a product with a small size and large capacity. To this end, an internal electrode is allowed to be exposed in a width direction of a capacitor body, so a multilayer capacitor having a structure in which an area in a width direction of an internal electrode is significantly increased has been manufactured.
In a multilayer capacitor having such a structure, a capacitor body is manufactured, and then side portions are separately attached to both sides in a width direction of the capacitor body in an operation before sintering. Thus, the side portions cover exposed portions of the internal electrode.
Further, multilayer capacitors having a structure in which an internal electrode is exposed in a width direction of a capacitor body also require a research to secure high reliability in order to meet standards for electronic devices and electric apparatuses.

Multilayered capacitor and board having the same mounted thereon


This invention provides automatic testing systems and methods for testing for figural responses to a test inquiry. The testing system includes a test sheet of predetermined dimensions having a grid with a plurality of marking areas arranged in predetermined position and a figural arrangement having a first optical reflectivity arranged within the grid corresponding to one or more of the marking areas. The system includes indicia of a second optical reflectivity overmarking a selected number of the marking areas associated with the figural arrangement and optical scanning means having different optical sensitivities to the first and second optical reflectivities for scanning the sheet to determine the positions of the overmarked areas. The method of testing of this invention includes storing the position of at least one of the marking areas corresponding to a specified figural response to the test inquiry and instructing the test taker to make a figural response to the test inquiry by marking within the grid with indicia of a second optical reflectivity. This method of testing further includes optically scanning the test sheet to determine the positions of the marks made by the test taker and generating data representative of the marked positions, and then comparing the determined positions with stored positions in generating a numerical indication of the comparison of the test takers response to the specified stored response.

Large-scale standardized tests are generally limited to certain cognitive processes and behaviors that they require of examinees. Multiple-choice questions are favored because they can be scored objectively, quickly and at low cost. Scores derived from multiple-choice questions typically have good predictive and concurrent validity. However, such questions generally only test for recognition of correct answers and do not require constructed responses which more appropriately conform to the kinds of behavior that teachers want their students to express.
More recently, computers have been isolated as a potential medium for new forms of assessment. However, the economic and logistical problems of using computers for large scale assessment probably prohibits this option, at least in the foreseeable feature. It may be years before a feasible system of computer-based standardized testing can be provided to thousands of students, nationally.
Recently, an automatic testing system, referred to as "CLOZE-ELIDE" testing was developed at Educational Testing Service, Princeton, N.J. U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,161, Oct. 15, 1985, which is hereby incorporated by reference. This method provides a text of words having distractive words inserted therein to be elided by an examinee, the distractive words being positioned at predetermined positions in a text. Automatic scoring apparatuses are employed for determining the positions of the word "selected", comparing them to known locations, and automatically computing an indication of a test score. The scanner employed in the scoring of Cloze-Elide tests offers approximately 8 "dots" or "pixels" to the horizontal inch and 6 to the vertical inch. This type of testing is limited to textual responses within a very limited range of physical boundaries.
Accordingly, there is a need for a more general model for testing that is open-ended and not limited to the mere recognition of correct answers.

Machine-interpretable figural response testing


Technologies are provided for identifying a source of errors within a computer network that uses cut-through forwarding of network packets. For example, inbound network packets can be received by network devices configured to perform cut-through forwarding. Once the network packets are received, they are processed using cut-through forwarding. If any packet errors are detected, error data associated with the detected errors are stored by the network devices. The error data is transmitted to a monitoring service that uses the error data to create a model of a flow of the errors through the network and to identify a source of the errors. In at least some embodiments, a topology of the network is used by the monitoring service to create the model of the packet error flow.

In order to communicate network traffic between a source device and a destination device, packet forwarding networks forward packets between network devices, such as routers and switches, along the path between the source and the destination. In some computer networks, network devices implement various forwarding strategies, which can include store-and-forward and cut-through forwarding. With store-and-forward, the entire network packet is received before it is forwarded on. With cut-through forwarding, the network device does not have to wait for the entire packet to be received before beginning to forward it on to the next network device.
While cut-through forwarding can reduce the latency of network packets being transmitted through the computer network, cut-through forwarding has some drawbacks. For example, with cut-through forwarding corrupted network packets can be transmitted across a number of network devices before the problem is discovered. In addition, it may be difficult to identify the source of the network packet corruption because the network packets have already been forwarded when the network packet corruption is detected.

Error source identification in cut-through networks


The present invention relates to a backlight module for 3D displaying and an LED light bar thereof. The backlight module for 3D displaying includes a light guide plate and at least one LED light bar. The LED light bar is arranged at one edge of the light guide plate. The LED light bar includes a plurality of LEDs and a substrate. The LEDs are arranged in a line and are mounted to the substrate in a mutually spaced manner. The LEDs and the substrate of the LED light bar are arranged in a plurality of sections to correspond to a predetermined backlight scanning arrangement. LED spacing set in each of the sections is less than LED spacing set between the section and an adjacent section. The present invention also provides an LED light bar of backlight module for 3D displaying.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to liquid crystal displaying techniques, and in particular to a backlight module for 3D displaying and an LED (Light-Emitting Diode) light bar.
2. The Related Arts
With the progress of 3D technology, television having 3D displaying function is now becoming the main stream. The commonly known 3D displaying modes include shutter glass and film-type patterned retarder (FPR).
The shutter glass 3D displaying is effected with scanning backlight in combination with panel pixel scanning. Backlighting is often sectionalized so that a side-edge LED light bar is divided into multiple sections. When a first frame signal of a panel is applied to scan the first section, the LEDs of the first section are lit, while the remaining is set off. When the panel signal scans the second section, only the LEDs of the second section are lit. This is also applied to the other sections. Such an operation is carried out for each frame. The performance of the shutter glass 3D displaying is assessed according to cross-talking among sections. The lower the cross-talking is, the better the displaying result will be. Cross-talking is generally determined according to cross talk among the backlight sections and design of timing sequence.
Cross-talking among backlight sections generally comes from the influence of brightness among different sections and the best situation is that when one section is lit, the backlighting of all the remaining sections shows darkness. As shown in FIG. 1, a side elevational view of a conventional light guide plate with upper microstructures is illustrated. Forming serrated microstructures on the upper or lower surface of a light guide plate is a commonly known design. FIG. 1 is made for observation of light guide plate 10 from the side where light gets incident. The upper surface of the light guide plate 10 forms upper microstructures 11 distributed on the upper surface of the light guide plate 10 in a successive raising-recessing-alternating arrangement in a direction perpendicular to the propagation direction of light in the light guide plate 10, whereby the geometric variation on the upper surface of the light guide plate is useful to eliminate the conditions for occurrence of total reflection. As shown in FIG. 2, a schematic view illustrating difference of light shape between a conventional flat light guide plate and a light guide plate with upper microstructures is given. Although FIG. 2 illustrates that the light shape of the light guide plate 20 with upper microstructures shows a more confined light shape than a flat light guide plate 21, yet actually, even though light in the light guide plate 20 with upper microstructures is partially confined, it gets diverging to some extents.
With the increase of the propagation distance, the divergence of the light shape gets greater and imposes severer influence on other sections. As shown in FIG. 3, a schematic view showing the distribution of light field of a well known upper-microstructured light guide plate 30 for the condition of one section being lit is given. When one section of the upper-microstructured light guide plate 30 is lit, the light shape is getting divergent with distance. Referring to FIG. 4, which is a schematic view showing the distribution of brightness in a vertical direction for the light shape shown in FIG. 3, the brightness distribution in the vertical direction can be indicated by full width at half maximum (FWHM), left hand side being the light incidence side. Referring to FIG. 5, which is a schematic view showing the variation of the width for half brightness at different locations with respect to the distance, in single short edge light incidence, FWHM shows a trend of getting wider with the increase of distance. In other words, for single short edge light incidence, the remote side shows severer cross-talking than the light incidence side.
Referring to FIG. 6, a schematic view showing the structure of a conventional side-edge LED light bar is given. The LED light bar 60 shown in FIG. 6 is divided into two sections 63, 64. The distribution of LEDs 61 on the conventional side-edge LED light bar 60 is not arranged in any specific design according to the sections. It is often that the LEDs 61 are set at a fixed pitch 62.
An LED light bar with such an arrangement shows severe cross-talking between different sections when applied to backlight modules of singe short edge incidence or dual short edge incidence. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, which are schematic views showing overlapping of backlighting light fields in backlight modules of singe short edge incidence and dual short edge incidence, in which overlapping of the backlighting light fields of four sections is shown. FIG. 7 is associated with the backlight module of singe short edge incidence, in which an LED light bar 71 is set at a short edge of a light guide plate 70. FIG. 8 is associated with the backlight module of dual short edge incidence, in which LED light bars 81, 82 are respectively set at two opposite short edges of a light guide plate 80. In FIGS. 7 and 8, the light field distributions of different sections of the light bar are respectively indicated by dot-dash line, dash line, and solid line for distinction. The crossing portion between light fields of different sections is shown great, which means cross-talking is severe. The light bars in FIGS. 7 and 8 are both divided into four light bar sections, in which sections 1-4 represent four sections and are respectively indicated by a dot-dash line, a dash line, a solid line, and a dot-dash line. These different types of line (namely the dot-dash line, the dash line, the solid line, and the dot-dash line) in the drawings respectively indicate the border of half maximum brightness for the section. The overlapping portion between two sections is a cross range shown in the drawings. The greater the cross range is, the severer the cross-talking between the sections will be and the poor the 3D displaying performance will be.

Backlight module for 3D displaying and LED light bar thereof

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


Method and apparatus for monitoring amounts of submerged solid consumable. A GWR (Guided Wave Radar) component can provide a measurement of a reflection at a fixed position in a particle bed. The reflection represents aggregate dielectric properties in a vessel. The measurement includes hydrocarbon and solid consumable properties of a mixture in the vessel, wherein a measurement value is indicative of a greater amount of the solid consumable in the mixture in the vessel. If data is measured by the GWR component indicating that the measurement value is approaching the measurement value of the hydrocarbon, this data is indicative that the material (e.g., solid consumable such as salt) in the vessel should be replenished.

Significant amounts of water can become mixed with hydrocarbon streams during production and processing. Petroleum refinery streams, for example, may be treated with water, steam, or various aqueous solutions during processing in order to carry out the processing and to meet various quality specifications. Steam stripping, caustic treating, and amine treating are frequently used in conventional refinery processing and although much of the water introduced in this way can be removed by simple settling procedures, a certain amount of water remains dissolved in the fuel or entrained in the fuel as small droplets after removal of the bulk of the water.
Excess amounts of water frequently adversely affect the properties and quality of hydrocarbon fuels, for example, by creating haze in fuels which would otherwise be clear, accelerating rust and other forms of corrosion on containers and equipment, and by the formation of ice crystals at low temperatures which may lead to plugging of filters and other equipment, for example, fuel lines and injectors. Water may also contain contaminants such as acids which may lead to accelerated corrosion. It is therefore usually necessary to reduce the amount of any remaining water from petroleum fuels and other products in order to meet various product specifications; the separation may be carried out at the refinery, at the distribution terminal, or at the location of use, for example, an airport. Note that salt does not remove all of the dissolved water, but only approximately 30% of (along with all of the entrained water).
One method for separation involves the use of a salt dryer, which is a drying unit that contains a dehydrating solid compound which combines with the water in the liquid to from an aqueous solution which can be separated from the gas flowing through the unit. Salt dryers are capable of removing both free water, i.e., water which is suspended in the form of droplets in the hydrocarbon, as well as dissolved water and for this reason, are capable of bringing the residual water content of hydrocarbon streams down to the levels set by product specifications or by processing requirements. Salt dryers typically use dehydrating salts such as sodium chloride, calcium chloride, sodium sulfate, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, lithium bromide, or lithium chloride for this purpose. Of these, the lithium salts are the most effective, being capable of reducing the water content of most hydrocarbon streams to about 10-20% relative saturation level, but the lithium salts are expensive and normally the purchase and disposal cost is not warranted in large scale commercial units.
For some hydrocarbon processes, such as in kerosene or diesel production, it is necessary to remove water from the product. This is done by absorption by salt in the salt dryers. The absorbed water can be removed as brine from the bottom of the vessel. It is difficult to determine the level of salt in the vessel while it is in operation. Commonly, the vessels are bypassed and the hydrocarbon is removed before being opened for inspection which is costly. A measurement of the amount of salt in the vessel could save a lot of money by reducing the frequency of process shutdowns.
As the salt is dissolved, its packed density may be reduced, reducing its effective dielectric constant. Additionally, salt settling in the vessel may create an uneven surface. These two effects can combine to make the salt surface undetectable. In some situations, caustic washes are employed in alkylation plants. The use is similar to the above described implementations except that caustics (e.g., KOH or NaOH, caustic soda, and caustic potash) are used instead of salt. These materials will react with residual acids to produce spent caustic (instead of brine) while dissolving the caustic. This method will be applied when using a solid caustic (e.g., most often KOH), as a liquid caustic wash does not need this same detection method.

Guided wave radar for consumable particle monitoring


A character display apparatus with an attribute management unit for storing an attribute of a used font, a raster image storage unit for storing a raster image of the used font, and an image position management unit for storing a storage position of each raster image in the raster image storage unit in correspondence with each attribute of the attribute management unit. The character display apparatus also includes a judgment unit for judging whether a raster image of a character to be displayed is stored in the raster image storage unit or not, by referring to the attribute management unit and the image position management unit. The character display apparatus is further provided with a display unit for displaying an image of the character by use of the raster image in the raster image storage unit, in case that the raster image is stored therein.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a character display apparatus, which can display multi-font characters.
2. Description of the Related Arts
In an apparatus for displaying characters or editing documents, which has a high function to handle various kinds of fonts (multi-font) and various sizes of characters, all raster images of the characters are not stored in an internal memory device such as an IC (Integrated Circuit) memory device. In many cases, these raster images are all or partially stored in an external memory device, or stored in the form of vector-font such as outline-font.
In this kind of character display apparatus, in order to handle these various kinds of fonts and various sizes of the characters, it is necessary to read the character to be displayed from the external memory device in each pertinent occasion, enlarge or reduce the scale of the raster image existing in the character display apparatus, or form the required raster image from the vector font. Accordingly, the load applied to the character displaying portion becomes so large that it takes long time to read from the external memory device, enlarge or reduce the scale of the raster image, or unfold the vector font and so on.

Character display apparatus for displaying multiple-font characters with high speed


A method, device and non-transitory computer readable medium for randomized multi-factor authentication with biometrics includes randomly selecting one of a plurality of biometrics in response to a request from a client device. At least the randomly selected biometric is requested from the requesting client device. A match of the requested randomly selected biometric received from the requesting client device against stored biometric information above a set threshold is verified. Access for the request is granted when the verification indicates the match.

Two-factor authentication or verification is a security process where a user is required to provide two authentication factors for authentication or verification. Typically, the first factor is a password provided by the user and the second factor is a random code provided to the user through another communication channel, such as via email or text.
Unfortunately, users often use the same password for their email as their secure accounts so that when one is comprised the same password works for the other account. Accordingly, in this scenario an attacker can request the code on the registered email and therefore successfully bypass the two-factor authentication. Additionally, even when not comprised, users often do not like the fact that they need to fetch a code the second factor from SMS or email for to be able to login.
Additionally, single factor authentication or a first factor of multifactor authentication requires a user to enter a username and password to verify identity. In this scenario, during initial registration a user may be assigned or generate a unique username and password for authentication which the user must remember.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods for randomized multi-factor authentication with biometrics and devices thereof


A system and method for alleviating phantom limb discomfort using a smart phone equipped with a camera and having a digital imaging program or application for acquiring, processing, and displaying digital images. The digital imaging program is first used to acquire a comprehensive, composite moving image of the subject's body. Next, using the program, the moving image of subject's half-torso adjacent the limb of the amputation site, and any remaining amputation-site limb, is deleted and replaced with the moving mirror-image of the complementary portion of the subject's torso and its adjacent healthy limb. The composite image is then melded and subsequently displayed for the subject's viewing. Alleviation of the subject's phantom limb discomfort results from viewing the composite imagery on subject's smart phone. This alleviation occurs by means referred to as Acquire, Flop, Meld and View.

Phantom limb discomfort refers to a type of discomfort that seems to arise in a limb or other body part, which limb or body part in fact, is not present. One type of phantom limb discomfort, called phantom limb pain (PLP), refers to pain that seems to arise in a limb or other body part, which limb or body part in fact, is not present. These pains often occur when a limb or other body part has been removed by amputation. Phantom limb pain duplicates nearly all of those forms of pain associated with other, more conventional trauma. Another type of phantom limb discomfort, called phantom limb sensation (PLS), also seems to arise in an absent limb or other body part. These sensations result in a subject's experiencing one or more perceptions such as those of a limb or body part that is being twisted, crushed, or experiencing inappropriate distortion. Mild electrical shock, cramping, clenching, itchiness, tingling, numbness, dampness, heat, cold, swelling, shrinking, or inappropriate motions such as swinging, are also noted. Perceptions of PLS are less noxious than those of PLP, not only in their various types, but in their intensity as well.
Clinicians report that PLP or PLS is present as an after-effect in the majority of all amputations. Doctors caring for returning veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center have suggested the percentage of PLP-involvement to be above 90%. PLP and PLS are often described by those suffering from them as ranging from mild to excruciating. Professionals working in the areas of neuroscience, academia, and medicine have little doubt that PLP can be a devastating burden for its sufferers. Finally, PLP and PLS are thought to play a role, not infrequently, in incidents of suicide. Also, PLP and PLS are no small matter in the world health-care picture; worldwide, over 400,000 amputations occur yearly, due to snakebite alone.
Mirror therapy, currently utilized by caregivers and their patients around the world, is widely found to be helpful in dealing with a broad array of diseases and disorders that present with pain. Information regarding mirror therapy is given in the publication "The Brain" from the Dana Foundation, which publication may be viewed at < http://www.dana.org/brain.aspx>. The entire disclosure of "Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain" from the publication "The Brain" is incorporated herein by reference.
In one use of mirror therapy, a widely used non-invasive treatment for PLP and PLS, a patient with PLP or PLS places the unaffected limb in front of a mirror. The other limb, in this instance an arm with a missing hand in which phantom-hand PLP or PLS is perceived as originating, is kept out of view behind the mirror. The unaffected limb's hand is then moved in a manner the patient would wish to see duplicated in the phantom hand, were that hand still present. It has been found that through proper concealment of the arm with the missing (phantom) hand, and through adjustment of their head and eyes relative to the minor, a majority of patients experience remediation of PLP or PLS in the hidden limb's phantom hand at very nearly the exact instant in which they successfully perceive and believe the image in the mirror to be that of their amputated hand, now restored to healthy activity.
Phantom limb discomfort, PLP or PLS, is real pain and real sensation. It is experienced where all pain and sensation are experienced, that is, in the brain. But unlike conventional pain or conventional sensations, PLP and PLS are real events that seem to emanate from an unreal place. Resolution of this neurological paradox, from which phantom limb discomfort arises, is achieved when the brain believes it sees its phantom limb restored to its former healthy status.
A treatment for some forms of pain involves the use of virtual reality (VR) technologies entailing the use of computers, multimedia peripherals, and digital imaging software to produce a virtual environment that provides proposed relief of pain. Examples of VR technologies for treatment of pain are given in U.S. Pat. No. 7,771,343. The entire disclosure of '343 patent is incorporated herein by reference.
At the present time, there are several disadvantages to the use of VR technology in the treatment of phantom limb discomfort. These include high cost, the need to have professional practitioners present, and the need for specific environments such as a hospital or laboratory. Also, exertive physical and mental demands may be placed on the patient during some VR pain treatments. There is a need to provide systems and methods for treatment of phantom limb discomfort that are easily realized, affordable, and do not need the presence of specialists for the operation and use of such systems and methods. As well, a therapeutic treatment is needed that is handy, nearby, and always available. Also desirable is the obtaining of therapeutic outcomes without continuous and concerted physical and mental exertion by the patient, which exertion is called for in interface-effectuated therapies. The present invention provides alleviation of phantom limb discomfort through novel systems and methods that overcome many disadvantages in the prior art.

System and method utilizing a smart phone for alleviating phantom limb discomfort


Beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage filling material, and a method for the operation thereof. The beverage bottling plant has a treatment system to treat the beverage before the beverage is filled into the bottles, and then treat the beverage again after the filled bottles are closed. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

1. Technical Field
The present application relates to a beverage bottling plant for filling beverage bottles with a liquid beverage filling material, and a method for the operation thereof as described herein below, as well as a device that is suitable for the performance of the method.
2. Background Information
A beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage filling material can possibly comprise a beverage filling machine with a plurality of beverage filling positions, each beverage filling position having a beverage filling device for filling bottles with liquid beverage filling material. The filling devices may have an apparatus designed to introduce a predetermined volume of liquid beverage filling material into the interior of bottles to a substantially predetermined level of liquid beverage filling material. The apparatus designed to introduce a predetermined flow of liquid beverage filling material further comprises an apparatus that is designed to terminate the filling of the beverage bottles upon the liquid beverage filling material reaching the predetermined level in bottles. There may also be provided a conveyer arrangement that is designed to move bottles, for example, from an inspecting machine to the filling machine. Upon filling, a closing station closes the filled bottles. There may further be provided a conveyer arrangement configured to transfer filled bottles from the filling machine to the closing station. Bottles may be labeled in a labeling station, the labeling station having a conveyer arrangement to receive bottles and to output bottles. The closing station and the labeling station may be connected by a corresponding conveyer arrangement.
In the beverage industry, especially when bottling highly perishable products, it is customary to treat them. In treatment plants of the prior art, the containers with the products are conveyed in a practically uniform and continuous movement from the entry area to the exit area. During this movement, they are heated until they have absorbed the desired number of treatment units, then cooled, whereupon the treatment process is ended. A treatment tunnel provided for the purpose consequently has a heating section, a superheating and treatment section, and a subsequent cooling section. The individual sections can have additional sub-zones. The gradual heating and cooling thereby achieved is preferred in particular for the glass beverage bottles used in the beverage industry, to avoid the destruction of the glass beverage bottles by abrupt temperature changes. The transfer of heat to the product contained in the beverage bottles is normally achieved by spraying said containers with water as they are moved along on a conveyor belt which allows the sprayed liquid to pass through from below. Underneath the conveyor belt are catch basins for the sprayed fluid, from which the pumps used for the spraying are fed. Between the heating and cooling sections, heat can be exchanged with the sprayed liquid in the individual zones.
To achieve an optimum graduation of the temperatures in the individual sections, the sections are divided appropriately. Generally, the "heating" section has three to four individual zones, the treatment section has two or three zones, and an additional superheating zone can also be provided upstream of the treatment zone. The subsequent "cooling" section in turn has three to four individual zones in which the containers are cooled to the desired exit temperature by decreasing the temperature of the sprayed liquid in steps.
The spray temperatures that are set at any given time are adjusted so that they are appropriate to the product, the length of the zones and the speed of the conveyor belt to ensure that the product in the beverage bottles achieves the specified degree of treatment.
Consequently, during production operation, the minimum amount of heat that must be supplied to the treatment tunnel is the amount that is necessary to heat the beverage and the containers from their temperature on entry to the temperature on exit, with an intermediate heating to the treatment temperature followed by a cooling.


A light fixture is configured to provide indirect lighting from a light source through use of a light shield. The light shield blocks a percentage of the light emitted from the light source at a center of the light shield. The light shield decreasing blocks light emitted from the light source along a path between the center and an outer edge of the light shield.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lighting, specifically to an indirect lighting fixture.
2. Description of Related Art
While different types of electrical light sources exist, one major type of electrical light source is a linear source, such as a tubular fluorescent lamp. Typically, such a lamp is mounted overhead and provides direct light to illuminate an area. As direct light can produce a glare and be relatively harsh, the emitted light can be modified through diffusion or refraction to lessen the glare and harshness. An alternative method of illuminating an area with a linear source is to direct some of the light upward from a position below the ceiling so as to provide illumination from the reflection of the light off the ceiling. Such indirect lighting fixtures tend to provide a more even and natural looking illumination without the harsh glare of direct lighting.
A problem with indirect lighting fixtures is that such fixtures often produce localized areas of brightness and observable shadows on the ceiling and thus do not provide a relatively uniform light distribution pattern. One solution to minimizing the areas of brightness and the casting of shadows is to suspend the indirect light fixture farther from the ceiling. The increase in distance softens the change in light intensity, thus making patterns of brightness and shadows on the ceiling less noticeable. However, such fixtures may not be preferred for installation in low ceiling applications where the distance of suspension from the ceiling can create clearance problems for adults and may otherwise create an undesirable appearance.
In an attempt to provide a fixture suitable for a low ceiling application, some light fixtures use reflectors, often with complex geometry, to shape the light distribution. While sometimes providing acceptable results, often such light fixtures require a substantial thickness in the light fixture to shape the light into an acceptable light distribution. The increase in size of the light fixture tends to increase both the weight and expense of the fixture while also making it less suitable for low ceiling applications.

System of, and method for, indirect lighting


The present invention is a miscarriage kit. More specifically, the present invention is a kit for use with a miscarriage by a human. The kit comprises at least one item for use in helping the human with the miscarriage. For example, the miscarriage kit may contain at least one under pad/bed liner, at least one sanitary napkin, at least one towel, at least one pair of gloves, at least one specimen pan, and at last one container for holding pregnancy remains.

The present invention relates to medical supplies and means and methods of treating and preparing a medical patient. More specifically, the present invention relates to obstetric supplies and obstetric means and methods of treating and preparing an obstetric patient.
A miscarriage is the cessation of a pregnancy before the fetus can survive and is defined as occurring before the twentieth week of gestation. The etiology is typically due to multiple factors and quite complex. Statistically speaking, one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage. In large part this high number is the result of the efficiency of the human reproductive system in screening out chromosomal abnormalities. Other reasons for miscarriages include: uterine or cervical defects; systemic maternal disorders; infectious diseases; hormonal deficiencies; blood group incompatibility; maternal age; injury; and environmental or industrial toxins.
A miscarriage that occurs in the early weeks of pregnancy may physically feel like heavy menstruation. It may include cramp-like sensations in the lower abdomen and be preceded by several days of blood spotting. Miscarriages that occur later will be of more intensity and include several days of vaginal bleeding, low back pain, abdominal cramping, and uterine contractions.
When a miscarriage is imminent (termed an inevitable abortion), vaginal bleeding and pain increase in intensity and the cervix begins to dilate. The fetus, amniotic sac and placenta, along with additional blood, are expelled from the uterus. This process typically lasts several hours or can occur over several days.
In an incomplete miscarriage, placental tissue remains in the uterus and removal is accomplished by a dilation and curettage (D&C). In this medical procedure, the cervix is dilated and the uterus scraped for any remaining tissue. Persistent vaginal bleeding evidences an incomplete miscarriage.
The woman may be asked by her physician to collect the fetus and tissue. These must be preserved and brought to a hospital or clinic for diagnostic examination by a pathologist. Once examined, the fetal remains can be transferred to a funeral home in preparation for a funeral or memorial service.
A woman and her partner may choose to collect fetal or pregnancy remains for later burial and/or ceremony. For many, this will help bring closure and assist in the grieving process.
A miscarriage is a traumatic event. The sight of blood, the intensity of physical pain, and the knowledge that one's baby has died can result in clinical shock. Not only is a miscarriage frightening, it is also emotionally overwhelming. Grief and mourning are a normal response to pregnancy loss. The incidence of clinical depression in women who have experienced a miscarriage is reported to be 85%.
Traditionally, the medical community has done a poor job of preparing a woman for a miscarriage. This has had the effect of needlessly magnifying a woman's suffering in an already physically and emotionally painful event.
There is a need in the art for a means of preparing a woman, her partner, and/or caregiver for a miscarriage and for caring for the woman. Also, there is a need in the art for a method of preparing a woman, her partner, and/or caregiver for a miscarriage and for caring for the woman. The miscarriage kit or package will assist medical personnel in providing instruction and care to their patients.


This invention provides apparatus and methods for causing a fluorescent lamp drive circuit to provide a continuous drive signal over a first (high) range of lamp intensity, and a pulse width modulated (PWM) drive signal over a second (low) range of lamp intensity, with a smooth transition between continuous and PWM drive that is unnoticeable to the user. This invention also provides fluorescent lamp circuits that include lamp intensity control circuitry, fluorescent lamp drive circuitry and a fluorescent lamp, the lamp intensity control circuitry providing control signals that cause the fluorescent lamp drive circuit to provide a continuous drive signal over a first (high) range of lamp intensity, and a PWM drive signal over a second (low) range of lamp intensity, with a smooth transition between continuous and PWM drive that is unnoticeable to the user.

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for controlling the intensity of a fluorescent lamp. More particularly, this invention relates to methods and apparatus for providing control signals for a fluorescent lamp drive circuit to control the intensity of a fluorescent lamp. This invention also relates to fluorescent lamp circuits that include lamp intensity control circuitry, fluorescent lamp drive circuitry and a fluorescent lamp.
Fluorescent lamps increasingly are being used to provide efficient and broad-area visible light. For example, fluorescent lamps are used to back-light or side-light liquid crystal displays used in portable computer displays and flat panel liquid crystal displays. Fluorescent lamps also have been used to illuminate automobile dashboards and may be used with battery-driven, emergency-exit lighting systems.
Fluorescent lamps are useful in these and other low-voltage applications because they are more efficient, and emit light over a broader area, than incandescent lamps. Particularly in applications requiring long battery life, such as portable computers, the increased efficiency of fluorescent lamps translates into extended battery life, reduced battery weight, or both.
Liquid crystal computer displays typically are illuminated using a fluorescent lamp, such as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) that requires a high voltage, low current power source, and requires a much higher voltage to start than it does to maintain illumination. To insure a long lifetime, the lamp must not be operated above a maximum or below a minimum current. If a CCFL is operated at high current, the lamp becomes stressed and the lamp lifetime reduces. If a CCFL is operated at low current, the gaseous components inside the lamp will not fully ionize, and the lamp will slowly poison itself. In addition, at low currents, the lamp illumination tends to become uneven. Indeed, at low currents, the lamp may experience a so-called "thermometer effect," in which one end of the lamp is dark.
Previously known fluorescent lamp drive circuits typically provide a continuous drive signal to illuminate a CCFL. To vary the intensity of a CCFL, the magnitude of the continuous drive current may be varied. Thus, to adjust the brightness of a liquid crystal computer display that includes a CCFL, the magnitude of the continuous drive current may be reduced to dim the display, or increased to brighten the display. Because of the lamp's narrow operating current range, however, a display that uses a CCFL has a narrow dimming range.
One previously known alternative to this continuous technique uses pulse width modulation (PWM) to extend the dimming range of a fluorescent lamp. That is, rather than varying the magnitude of a continuous drive signal to the lamp, the drive circuitry provides a drive signal that switches the lamp ON and OFF from maximum current to zero current at a fixed frequency. To control the lamp intensity, the drive circuit varies the duty cycle of the drive signal. Thus, a 100% duty cycle provides maximum bulb brightness, whereas a lower duty cycle effectively dims the lamp. PWM techniques extend the dimming range of the lamp without problems associated with uneven illumination at the low end of the dimming range.
To prevent noticeable flicker or interaction with ambient lighting, the PWM frequency must be approximately 100 to 200 Hz. A problem with this PWM technique is that except when the drive circuit operates the lamp at maximum brightness, the drive circuit always switches the lamp ON at maximum current and OFF at zero current at a 100 to 200 Hz rate. Constantly switching the lamp from OFF to ON requires that the drive circuitry repeatedly supply the high voltage necessary to start the lamp, which stresses the lamp and drive circuitry, and limits lamp lifetime.
In view of the foregoing, it would therefore be desirable to provide methods and apparatus for controlling the intensity of a fluorescent lamp without reducing the lamp's lifetime.
It further would be desirable to provide methods and apparatus that combine the advantages of the continuous and PWM techniques for controlling lamp intensity.

Methods and apparatus for controlling the intensity of a fluorescent lamp


A device and method for controlling load on a server is provided. A server comprises: memory storing information associated with user identifiers; a communication interface; and a controller. The controller is configured to: receive, using the communication interface, a user identifier; assign an available mobile device, of a plurality of shared mobile devices, to the user identifier, the available mobile device storing respective information associated with the user identifier; and control, via the communication interface, an output device to provide an indication of an assignment of the available mobile device.

Provisioning resources to large numbers of shared mobile devices is challenging. Such shared mobile devices are often stored in common areas and, at shift changes, a mobile device is retrieved and used to log into a system via user credentials and the like. Backend servers provision the mobile device based on the user credentials, for example by searching for data associated with the user credentials, and transmitting the data to the mobile device (e.g. contacts, groups, roles, messages, applications, application data, etc.). In addition, in very large organizations, such provisioning may occur for tens of thousands of mobile devices over short time periods, such as during shift changes. For example, 50,000 mobile devices may be provisioned during a shift change; assuming each mobile device receives 20 MB of data, the backend servers are transmitting 1 TB of data during the shift change. Hence, such provisioning can place an enormous load on backend servers
The problem may be particularly acute when the mobile devices are public safety devices (e.g. provisioned in public safety organizations, such as policing organizations and the like), where shift changes are to occur quickly due, for example, to emergency situations where the mobile devices and/or the public safety officers, and the like, must be quickly dispatched. This can lead to additional servers being purchased and deployed to handle such large loads of data over short periods of time, and which may otherwise be idle. Furthermore, the mobile devices being provisioned may not be ready for use for several minutes after log-in until all the data is received, which can be problematic both with regards to human resource management (e.g. employees logged into the mobile devices may be idle during the download of the data), and in emergencies.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

Device and method for controlling load on a server


The present application discloses a light-emitting device including a first support structure having a first surface, a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged on the first surface, and a first adhesive layer arranged on the first support structure. Each light-emitting element has a side wall, a bottom surface, a first electrode pad, and a second electrode pad arranged on the bottom surface. The first adhesive layer surrounds the side wall and does not directly contact the bottom surface. The first support structure includes a plurality of through holes located on positions corresponding to the first electrode pad and the second electrode pad.

Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a light-emitting device and in particular to a light-emitting device having a supporting structure with through holes.
Description of the Related Art
Light-emitting device using light-emitting diode (LED) is gradually taking the place of traditional incandescent light because the LED is energy saving, environmental friendly, long life time, compact, and so on. Various light emitting devices, such as a device using a single or multiple chips as a light source, are developed in this trend.
Among the related technologies of using multiple LED chips as a light source, there is one called white light-emitting diode (WLED), which utilizes blue chip(s) and red chip(s) as light sources in accompany with phosphor for producing a mixed white light. In such structure, because of the limited space, the light emitted from each chip or excited from the phosphor pass through the phosphor again so the light wavelength irradiated by the light-emitting device is biased from the predetermined range, regardless phosphor is mounted on the chip (local) or far from the chip (remote). Because of such narrow space, the neighboring light-emitting sources are interfered with each other, and the original light field design is affected. To solve those problems, the manufacturer can increase the inner space of the light-emitting device, change the position of the chip, or add a light guide in the light-emitting device. Nevertheless, the fabrication cost and the size of the light-emitting device are definitely affected.
Besides, a multi-chip light-emitting device commonly has a problem of complex fabrication process. As mentioned above, to place multiple chips in such a narrow space, one has to consider several issues such as heat dissipation, the influence on the light field, or circuit design. Therefore, it is important to consider the light field and fabrication cost resulted from the narrow space and complex fabrication of multi-chip light-emitting device.

Light-emitting device and the method of manufacturing the same


Methods, systems, and computer program products for aircraft conflict detection and resolution are proposed. Embodiments of the present invention detect potential conflicts without a predetermined look-ahead time threshold and determine the time for issuing resolution alerts dynamically based on the relative movements of the aircraft. A method embodiment for detecting a potential airborne conflict between an ownship and at least one intruder includes, determining a relative motion trajectory of the ownship and the intruder, generating a plurality of resolution advisories based upon the determined relative motion trajectory and corresponding to respective motion dimensions of the ownship, determining an alert time for each of the plurality of RAs responsive to the corresponding motion dimension and the determined relative motion trajectory, and transmitting at least one of the plurality of RAs to at least one of the ownship or an aircraft control entity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to aircraft conflict detection and resolution.
2. Background
Aircraft traffic has been steadily increasing over the years. In particular, the air space in and around major population areas or other popular locations can be significantly congested. Added to this general increase in air traffic, are aspects such as the variety of aircraft with different sets of capabilities and preferences, restricted airspaces, and like factors that further aggravate the issues related to airspace congestion.
Conflict detection approaches for aircraft are designed to predict potential collisions between two or more aircraft. Conventional aircraft conflict detection approaches typically predict the path of a first aircraft for a predetermined look-ahead time interval, and determine whether a second aircraft is likely to come within a predetermined distance of the first aircraft during that time interval.
Conflict resolution methods address the issue of how a predicted aircraft conflict is avoided. Conventional aircraft conflict resolution typically involves one or both aircraft taking action to avoid the detected potential conflict by, for example, changing direction or changing speed.
Algorithms for Conflict Detection and Resolution (CD&R) systems have been widely studied. The methods used for CD&R can be broadly grouped into three categories: Probabilistic, Force Field, and Geometric. Probabilistic methods use uncertainties in the model to develop a set of possible future trajectories, each weighted by its probability of occurring. Force field methods model each aircraft as a charged particle and use modified electrostatic equations to determine resolution maneuvers. The "repulsive forces" between aircraft are used to define the maneuver each performs to avoid a collision. Even though this method provides a global (i.e., not restricted to pair-wise) solution to CD&R, several characteristics of this method make it difficult to incorporate in practical systems. Geometric CD&R methods use linear projections to predict aircraft trajectories as opposed to probabilistic or performance-based trajectories. They utilize positions and velocity vectors of aircraft involved in the encounter for collision detection by comparing velocity vectors of vehicles, and collision resolution/avoidance by providing encounter geometry to the resolution guidance algorithm.
Bilimoria, in "A Geometric Optimization Approach to Aircraft Conflict Resolution," AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference and Exhibit, Denver, Colo., 2000, presents a geometric optimization approach where the resolutions are optimal in the sense that they minimize the velocity vector changes required for conflict resolution. In Bilimoria's proposed approach, the resolutions are optimal for pair-wise encounter maneuvers, but not for multiple threat conflict encounter maneuvers. Dowek and Muñoz, in "Tactical Conflict Detection and Resolution in 3-D Airspace," 4th USA/Europe Air Traffic Management R&D Seminar (ATM-2001), Santa Fe, N. Mex., 2001, presents KB3D, which is a tactical CD&R algorithm in a 3-D space for two aircraft that produces a set of solutions. KB3D is a state-based geometric CD&R algorithm. In CD&R-related literature, tactical algorithms use only state information to project aircraft trajectories and are intended to be used with short look-ahead times (a few minutes, typically 5-10) during which aircraft are likely to follow straight flight paths. KB3D computes independent maneuvers for the ownship (i.e., aircraft whose maneuvers are to be controlled by the CD&R system) each of which solves the conflict assuming that the ownship maneuvers.
As the airspace becomes more congested, the variety and capabilities of aircraft increase, and safer and/or better optimized air travel to reduce travel times and flight paths are sought, the problems of CD&R increase in relevance. As the demands of more crowded airspace intensify, it is desired that accurate potential conflict information is conveyed to the aircraft, while simultaneously reducing false alarms (e.g. unnecessary resolution advisories sent to aircraft). More accurate prediction of conflicts can be used advantageously in environments in which the aircraft that can potentially collide are both controllable, as well as in environments where only one of the aircraft (e.g. ownship) can be controlled in a manner to avoid the predicted collision.
What are needed therefore, are improved CD&R methods and systems that are more responsive and that can reduce false alarms.

Method and system for aircraft conflict detection and resolution


A system for blood treatment can include a dialysis machine and an ultrasonic authentication device connected to the blood treatment machine, the ultrasonic authentication device configured to scan a label and send signals containing label information to the dialysis machine.

Dialysis is a treatment used to support a patient with insufficient renal function. The two principal dialysis methods are hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
During hemodialysis ("HD"), the patient's blood is passed through a dialyzer of a dialysis machine while also passing a dialysis solution or dialysate through the dialyzer. A semi-permeable membrane in the dialyzer separates the blood from the dialysate within the dialyzer and allows diffusion and osmosis exchanges to take place between the dialysate and the blood stream. These exchanges across the membrane result in the removal of waste products, including solutes like urea and creatinine, from the blood. These exchanges also regulate the levels of other substances, such as sodium and water, in the blood. In this way, the dialysis machine acts as an artificial kidney for cleansing the blood. Generally, HD treatments require disposable items (e.g., tubing sets, fluids, dialyzers, etc) to be connected to the HD machine.


Test device capable of checking the quality of the sterilizing steam in a pre-vacuum apparatus intended for sterilization, including a receptacle forming an elongate chamber closed at its distal end and open at its proximal end, in which the chamber contains a filling load, and at least one undesirable gas presence indicator arranged toward the distal closed end of the chamber. According to the invention; the undesirable gas presence indicator is an electronic temperature sensor, and the filling load comprises at least, in the operating position, one path enabling a flow by gravity of the water condensed in the chamber from the steam primarily forming the atmosphere of same, to the opening of the proximal end.

This invention relates to a test device for checking a pre-vacuum steam sterilization apparatus.
The technical field of the invention is that of the production of test devices capable of checking the quality of the sterilizing gas such as steam in a pre-vacuum apparatus intended for sterilization with said steam, and in which it is therefore desirable to determine the efficacy of the vacuum produced before introducing said steam, and then the quality of the latter once introduced into the chamber.
This invention is intended in particular for tests of pre-vacuum and steam sterilization apparatuses such as, but not exclusively, autoclaves used to sterilize medical and hospital equipment.
The so-called BOWIE-DICK test method has been known since 1961 and has been the subject of various publications, and it is therefore unnecessary to explain it in this application: reference can be made to various prior patent applications that refer to this method, such as application U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,715 published on Apr. 1, 1986 by the WARNER LAMBERT Company or U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,387 published on Dec. 4, 1984 by the PROPPER MANUFACTURING Company or even that of the MXM Company filed on Oct. 20, 2005 and published under number FR 2 892 309, on which this introduction is largely based.
It will simply be noted that the objective of this test is to verify that there is no longer any undesirable gas, in this case non-condensable, in the chamber of the sterilizing apparatus: for this, an ink sensitive to the sterilization gas is generally used, such as a chemical composition sensitive to moisture, but not to the undesirable gases, and placed according to various patterns on a measurement sheet slid inside a pack of porous material or in a hollow receptacle closed at one end and open at the other; said receptacle or pack is placed in the sterilization apparatus during a test cycle that is performed, up to 134° C., at a predetermined frequency, before said apparatus is used to sterilize equipment. Such a test, of which the result is therefore verified after being removed from the apparatus, thus makes it possible to ascertain that there were no more undesirable gases such as air in the chamber, because these gases could become stratified, create pockets of which the temperature could not be controlled, or become mixed with the sterilizing gas, thereby adversely affecting the quality of the sterilization: if the test is positive, i.e. the sensitive ink changed color over the entire surface of the pattern, it can be deduced that there were no undesirable gases during the test cycle and that the same will be true during subsequent equipment sterilization phases.
Various patent applications have been filed to protect various aspects of test devices, including those cited above and, also, among those with a receptacle in the family to which the present invention belongs:                U.S. Pat. No. 6,630,352, published on Jul. 1, 1999 by the 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY, which describes and claims a complex device with a vertical receptacle of which the opening faces downward and is surrounded by an external radiator for removing the heat contained in the chamber of the receptacle, which is free of any load and which includes two temperature sensors located against and outside it so as to measure the temperature at two points on the wall;        U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,464, published on Nov. 19, 1991 by the PROPPER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC, which describes and claims a device also including a receptacle but arranged horizontally, in which the cross-section of the opening is larger than that of the closed end, in which the chamber of said receptacle includes a heat dissipater formed by a large non-woven "field" sheet "stuffed" by hand into said chamber in order to condense the vapor, and a chemical indicator that is sensitive to moisture such as by changing color, and arranged toward the closed end of the chamber of the receptacle.
These two examples of embodiments describe the same principle of air/steam separation by progression and condensation along a receptacle with heat dissipation devices in order to condense the steam and thus concentrate undesirable gases such as air, which are in the form of radiators placed outside the chamber or in the form of filling loads placed inside, and with a measuring device that is either electronic and placed outside or that is chemical and placed inside.
The problem stated and not completely solved by any of the documents known from the prior art is that of obtaining results that are reliable and as satisfactory as possible, that of not having to use a test pack that must be opened after use, as in the solution of the patent of the MXM Company, FR 2 892 309 cited above, and, finally, that of simplifying the test devices with a receptacle such as that of U.S. Pat. No. 6,630,352 of the 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY, cited above, even if the electronic sensor solution is easier to use than the chemical devices such as that of the U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,464 of the PROPPER MANUFACTURING COMPANY INC, of which the chemical indicator must be removed in order to verify the state afterward, and of which the results are associated with the operator's interpretation of the colorimetric change.

Test device for checking a pre-vacuum steam sterilization apparatus


The present invention provides a method for the fabrication of a martensitic steel sheet with a yield stress greater than 1300 MPa. The method includes the steps of obtaining a semi-finished steel product, the composition of which includes, whereby the contents are expressed in percent by weight: 0.15%≤C≤0.40%, 1.5%≤Mn≤3%, 0.005%≤Si≤2%, 0.005%≤Al≤0.1%, S≤0.05%, P≤0.1%, 0.025%≤Nb≤0.1%, and optionally: 0.01%≤Ti≤0.1%, 0%≤Cr≤4%, 0%≤Mo≤2%, 0.0005%≤B≤0.005%, 0.0005%≤Ca≤0.005%. The remainder of the composition is iron and the inevitable impurities resulting from processing. The semi-finished product is reheated to a temperature T1 in the range between 1050° C. and 1250° C., then the reheated semi-finished product is subjected to a roughing rolling at a temperature T2 in the range between 1050 and 1150° C., with a cumulative rate of reduction ϵa greater than 100%, to obtain a sheet with a not totally recrystallized austenitic structure with an average grain size less than 40 micrometers and preferably less than 5 micrometers. The sheet is then cooled to prevent a transformation of the austenite at a rate VR1 greater than 2° C./s to a temperature T3 in the range between 970° C. and Ar3+30° C., is then subjected to a finishing hot rolling at the temperature T3 of the cooled sheet, with a cumulative rate off reduction ϵb greater than 50% to obtain a sheet, then the sheet is cooled at a rate VR2 which is greater than the critical martensitic quenching rate. Steel sheets are also provided.

In certain applications, pieces are manufactured from steel sheet which has very high mechanical strength. This type of combination is particularly desirable in the automobile industry, where attempts are being made to significantly reduce the weight of the vehicles. This weight reduction can be achieved with the use of steel parts with very high mechanical characteristics and a martensitic microstructure. Anti-intrusion and structural parts, as well as other parts that contribute to the safety of automotive vehicles such as: bumpers, door or center pillar reinforcements and wheel arms, for example, require such characteristics. The thickness of these parts is preferably less than 3 millimeters.
Sheets that have even greater mechanical strength are desired. The ability to increase the mechanical strength of a steel with a martensitic structure by means of an addition of carbon is well known. However, this higher carbon content reduces the weldability of the sheets or of the parts fabricated from these sheets and increases the risk of cracking linked to the presence of hydrogen.

Method for production of martensitic steel having a very high yield point and sheet or part thus obtained

ARCELORMITTAL INVESTIGACIÓN Y DESARROLLO, S.L.


Disclosed are methods, systems, and articles of manufactures for implementing multiple-patterning-aware design rule check for an electronic design. Various embodiments identify one or more sets of multiple-exposure grids and identify or generate a data structure by using the one or more sets of grids to store design data of shape ends of various ends. Various embodiments perform constant time design rule checking by performing a constant time search process on the data structure to look up from the data structure one or more violations of one or more design rules which include at least one directional design rule. Some aspects are directed at fixing a design rule violation by using at least some grids of the one or more sets of grids.

Gridded physical implementation of electronic design has been widely used. Nonetheless, the traditional gridded physical implementation is not correct-by-construction and fails to accommodate the trim mask rules. In addition, conventional physical design approaches are usually dependent upon the total number of shapes in a physical design. In other words, the larger the electronic design is, the longer it takes these conventional physical design tools to perform their respective functions. Regarding multiple-patterning to achieve half-pitch sizes in modern electronics (e.g., designs with 14 nm or 10 nm technology nodes), some previous solutions utilize multiple core masks; and some other previous solutions utilize self-aligned double patterning techniques. Both approaches have their own respective disadvantages and do not accommodate the trim mask rules. For design rule checking, conventional DRC (design rule checking) examines the shapes or geometries of a physical design, and the search time for each search of the conventional DRC is to be of an order(log(n)) or even an order(n) depending on the design database used for the DRC process, where n denotes the total number of shapes in the entire design.

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for implementing multiple-patterning-aware design rule check for electronic designs


A melt spinnable fiber is provided that comprises a first component comprising a thermoplastic polymer, and a second component comprising thermoplastic starch where the second component is not encompassed by another component or components or if encompassed by another component or components then the second component encompasses a hollow core. A particular use of such a fiber is for removal of the second component in the presence of a solvent in order to produce fibers with desired properties. An agent may be present in the second component for controlling the rate of removal of the second component thereby allowing for physical manipulation of the fiber prior to complete removal of the component. The invention is also directed to nonwoven webs and disposable articles comprising the fibers.

Current woven and nonwoven materials are commonly produced from multicomponent fibers where one component is removed in order to produce fibers with desired diameter or denier, such as in a splittable or islands-in-a-sea configuration for use in synthetic leather, for example. Many of materials removed are derived from petroleum, most notably polyesters or nylons, through treatment processes that are not environmentally friendly. These polymeric materials are not biodegradable and potentially pose a long term problem in waste disposal systems. There is a need for a removable component in these multicomponent fibers that is more environmentally friendly, affordable and that can be made in conjunction with conventional thermoplastic polymers that can deliver softness at affordable costs.
Multicomponent fibers that include starch as a component are desirable since starch is a renewable raw material, of low cost, and is independent of petroleum products. It is important that fibers having starch as a component be processible on standard equipment and use existing technology.
The present invention addresses this need for a removable fiber component that is environmentally friendly as well as providing good processing characteristics during manufacture.

Process of producing a melt-spinnable fiber using thermoplastic polymer and destructured starch


Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for providing recommendations based on non-streaming content on a media device. In a non-limiting embodiment, an apparatus, such as a media device, may provide recommendations of related streaming content based on non-streaming content retrieved from non-streaming sources and retrieving the streaming content from distributed streaming sources. The media device may monitor a transmission and display of non-streaming content and create a fingerprint of the non-streaming content based on the monitoring. And based on the fingerprint, the media device may generate recommendations of related or similar streaming content that can be retrieved and displayed by the media device.

With a rise in technology surrounding the control of delivering content, new types of interactions may be used to control the delivery of content including also delivering secondary content. For example, the secondary content can be stitched within the delivery of primary content at a content server. The content server side insertion of secondary content allows content providers to provide the primary content and secondary content together on the content management server (CMS) level rather than on the level of the receiver. But current secondary content technologies, such as measurement, viewability and interactivity, cannot be supported with server side stitching. This is largely due to the fact that interactive components in the secondary content, e.g., overlays and/or microsites, are developed using client side code that renders these components based on the processing capability of the receiver. Alternatively, secondary content may be provided separately from the primary content to the client device. This, however, often causes problems such as pauses or buffering when loading the secondary content with the primary content.

Weave streaming content into a linear viewing experience


A numerical control machine estimates a future rotational speed ahead by a delay time that is a phase difference between a rotational speed fluctuation of a main spindle and a feed rate fluctuation of a feed axis, and fluctuates the feed rate such that a constant ratio is maintained with the estimated rotational speed.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a numerical control machine including a vibration suppressing unit that fluctuates, in a predetermined fluctuation cycle, a commanded rotational speed of a main spindle based on pre-stored main spindle fluctuation data including the fluctuation cycle, and also fluctuates a feed rate of a feed axis while maintaining a constant ratio between the feed rate of the feed axis and the rotational speed of the main spindle.
2. Related Art
As a method for suppressing chattering vibrations in cutting processing, a method disclosed in JP 49-105277 A is known. This method suppresses chattering vibrations by fluctuating the rotational speed of a main spindle during cutting processing with a preset fluctuation amplitude and fluctuation cycle.
Another method for suppressing chattering vibrations is disclosed in JP 11-129144 A in which when chattering vibrations occur, the rotational speed of a main spindle and feed rate of a feed axis are fluctuated while maintaining a constant ratio between the rotational speed of the main spindle and the feed rate of the feed axis. Furthermore, JP 2005-144580A discloses a method in which acceleration/deceleration pattern of rotational speed of the main spindle is preset and it is possible to fluctuate the rotational speed of the main spindle based on the preset acceleration/deceleration pattern while also fluctuating the feed rate of feed axis.
In cutting processing, non-uniform cutting surfaces are caused unless the cutting feeding amount per one rotation of a main spindle is kept constant. In the methods disclosed in JP 11-129144 A and JP 2005-144580 A, because it is possible to keep the cutting feeding amount per one rotation of the main spindle constant, it is possible to suppress chattering vibrations while achieving uniform cutting surfaces.
On the other hand, in the method disclosed in JP 49-105277 A, the rotational speed of a main spindle alone is fluctuated. However, a method for obtaining an actual speed of a main spindle from a sensor mounted with the main spindle and determining a feed rate of a feed axis based on the actual speed so as to maintain a constant cutting feed amount is well-known. Therefore, by combining this method, it becomes possible to suppress chattering vibrations while achieving uniform cutting surfaces in the same manner as JP 11-129144 A and JP 2005-144580 A, JP 49-105277 A.


A climate control system incorporated in a motor vehicle having a hydraulic pump directly driven by a vehicle engine to deliver a working oil under pressure to be supplied to either a hydraulic motor for driving a refrigerant compressor of an air-conditioning system or a heat conversion unit of the heating system via a hydraulic flow control valve for controlling the flow direction of the working oil. The air-conditioning system has an evaporator for cooling the air supplied to the vehicle compartment. In the heat conversion unit of the heating system, pressure energy of the working oil is converted to thermal energy thereof by which the engine cooling water is heated to thereby heat the air supplied to the vehicle compartment via a radiator unit made of a heater core.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a climate control system for heating and air-conditioning the cabin or compartment of a motor car. More particularly, it relates to a climate control system suitable for being accommodated in a motor vehicle used in cold regions.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 3 illustrates a climate control system for a motor vehicle used in cold regions in the world, according to a prior art.
The climate control system of FIG. 3 is provided with a rotary heat generator 92, for an air-heating purpose, and a refrigerant compressor 93, for an air-conditioning purpose, driven by a vehicle engine, respectively. The refrigerant compressor 93 together with an evaporator 94, a condenser 95, and an expansion valve (not shown in FIG. 3) constitute the air-conditioning system of the climate control system. Namely, the compressor 93 compresses and delivers a compressed refrigerant gas toward the evaporator 94 disposed in a climate control duct 96, via the condenser 95.
The rotary heat generator 92 is provided with a rotatable element (not shown in FIG. 3) immersed in an oil and driven by the vehicle engine 91. The rotating energy of the rotatable element of the rotary heat generator 92 is converted into thermal energy which in turn heats the cooling water W of the engine, and the heated water is used for heating air in a heater core 97 disposed in the climate control duct. A valve 98 is a bypass valve or enabling a part of the cooling water W of the engine 91 to flow from the engine 91 toward the rotary heat generator 92.
In the above-mentioned conventional climate control system for a motor vehicle, it is understood that a drive energy provided by a vehicle engine is converted into thermal energy for heating the air in the cabin of the motor vehicle. Although it takes a rather long time for the temperature of the cooling water W of the engine to be warmed up by the engine 92 after starting of the engine, the climate control system can work as a quick air heater for a motor vehicle to be used for running in the cold regions.
Nevertheless, the conventional climate control system is provided with such an arrangement that the rotary heat generator 92 in addition to the refrigerant compressor 93 must be driven by the vehicle engine 91, via a motion transmitting belt. Therefore, many equipments such as the radiator 99, the refrigerant compressor 93, an electric alternator (not shown in FIG. 3), an engine starter, and the rotary heat generator 92 must be disposed in a front part of an engine compartment, and accordingly, it is often difficult to acquire a space sufficient for collectively installing much equipment in front of the vehicle engine, when the engine compartment is made narrower as is the recent tendency.

Climate control system for motor vehicle

Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho


A sponson for a watercraft has a sponson body having a front end, a rear end, a top edge and a bottom edge, and a vane connected to a side of the sponson body and extending away therefrom. The vane has a front end and a rear end. The front end of the vane is disposed closer to the bottom edge of the sponson than the rear end of the vane. A watercraft having sponsons of this type is also disclosed.

Current watercraft are stable and handle well. However, under certain driving conditions, although the watercraft handles adequately, it may be desirable to nonetheless reduce a turning radius of the watercraft.
One known solution consists in providing sponsons on either side of the watercraft near a transom thereof. The sponsons cause the transom to lift while the watercraft is in motion and assist in turning. However, when the watercraft leans into a turn in an attempt to reduce the turning radius, the sponson on the inside of the turn tries to lift the transom, thus working against the leaning of the watercraft.
Therefore, there is a need for a sponson for a watercraft that reduces a turning radius of the watercraft.
There is also a need for a watercraft having sponsons of this type.


In a document processing method for performing print setting in cooperation with a job management server, if it is determined that a starting mode of a setting program is a cooperation mode for processing a print job in cooperation with a server apparatus, a setting screen is displayed based on the identification information of the print job to be processed and the initial setting information of the print job, and if it is determined that the starting mode is not the cooperation mode, the setting screen is displayed based on setting information for starting a setting program.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for operating with a job management server and setting print setting information.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional document processing method, the display/non-display of a GUI (Graphical User Interface) and setting which can be set are limited based on read print setting information. Specifically, an available process (function) as well as an item to be displayed on a user interface are determined with reference to the limited information. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-301613 discusses a technique in which a printer driver corresponding to a color printer for example is displayed as a driver that is under color limitations, thereby displaying a setting screen whereby a user is not caused to select color. However, in a case where a program for setting the print setting information is started alone or in collaboration with the job management server, it is required to switch control depending on a starting method. In a case where the program is started in collaboration with the job management server, the program needs to read initial values required for collaboration (such as a job ID (identifier), print setting, and an output printer) and to be started reflecting the read initial values. In a case where the program is started alone, however, there is no need for performing the process required for the collaboration.

Information processing apparatus and control method thereof, and storage medium


A system and method for genotyping tandem repeats in sequencing data. The invention uses Bayesian model selection guided by an empirically-derived error model that incorporates properties of sequence reads and reference sequences to which they map.

Tandem repeats are dispersed throughout the genome, in and around gene regions. They were first identified as agents of disease ˜20 years ago (Mirkin et al.), and since then, several microsatellite repeats (not all of which are triplets) have been identified as the underlying basis for a wide range of neurological and morphological disorders in humans and other mammals (Lopez et al., Orr et al., Albrecht et al. 2005). In addition to causing disease, microsatellites can exert subtle effects on gene function and quantitative traits (reviewed in Gemayel et al.). Repeats are also mutational hotspots in that their instability can be triggered by nearly any aspect of DNA metabolism, and even transcription or stress (reviewed in Fonville et al.). This sensitivity to defects in repair and cellular insults makes repeats useful markers for genome instability and cancer (Glen et al., Loeb et al.). Further, analyzing repeats in personal genomes promises benefit not just to medical genetics and the diagnosis of repeat-related disorders but also to forensics and genealogy, where shorter and more stable tandem repeats can serve as DNA fingerprints to uniquely identify individuals (Ge et al., Gymrek et al.). The use of accurately and globally measuring tandem repeats spans medicine, genetics and biotechnology; repeats influence clinical and subclinical phenotypes, are signatures for genomic instability and cancer, and are important markers for forensics and genealogy.
Despite their use and biological importance, some repetitive sequences (particularly microsatellites) are challenging to study with short-read sequencing technology, such as next-generation sequencing technology. Genotyping microsatellite repeats from reference-mapped reads is fundamentally distinct from calling SNPs or indels in non-repetitive sequence because there is no sound basis for inferring homology between pairs of aligned repeat units.
Current approaches for identifying repeat mutations include indel genotyping methods implemented in popular software suites, such as GATK (DePristo et al.) and ATLAS2 (Challis et al.), that can reveal indels within repeat regions or the recently reported lobSTR method (Gymrek et al.). Indel callers are ill-suited for identifying repeat mutation. As they do not report repeat genotypes, they can base indel identification on reads that do not fully span the repeat. They also fail to account for the error rates of different repeat types. The mutation rate of microsatellite repeats is influenced largely not only by the length of repeat tract but also by other intrinsic properties, such as the size of the repeated unit and the purity (lack of interruptions) of the repeated sequence (Legendre et al.). A genotyping method that incorporates the mutational properties of repeat sequences will be better able to distinguish false alleles from true heterozygosity. However, the success of a genotyping approach relies on more than just the accurate identification of true alleles—the method must be applicable to the greatest number of loci genome-wide. The lobSTR method, for example, makes microsatellite calls genome-wide (Gymrek et al.); however, it is blind to homopolymers runs (i.e. mononucleotide repeats, which are a common and important source of genetic variation).
Systems and methods that accurately genotype microsatellite repeats are needed.

System and method for genotyping using informed error profiles

VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC.


Technologies for providing signal quality based route management for unmanned aerial vehicles include a device that includes circuitry to produce a data set indicative of a wireless communication signal quality at each of multiple locations in a geographic area. The circuitry is also to produce, as a function of the data set and a target wireless communication signal quality, a planned route for a vehicle through the geographic area.

Recently, there has been increasing market interest in applications that involve unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones (e.g., for delivering packages, for surveying areas, etc.). However, one significant challenge to widespread commercial use of UAVs is ensuring that the operations of the UAVs are safe and reliable. In that regard, there are multiple ongoing efforts to establish traffic management frameworks for UAV operations to avoid collisions between the UAVs and other objects. Typically, it is important to maintain constant communication with UAVs to enable the UAVs to communicate with traffic management systems and to respond to emerging situations as they occur (e.g., along a route through a geographic area). However, in some instances, a UAV may travel through an area where the wireless connectivity available to a UAV is unreliable, thereby diminishing the ability of the UAV and the traffic management system to communicate.