A tennis racket having a graphite fiber containing frame with an opening at the head end constituting a bow and with a handle pallet at the handle end. The handle pallet is formed of a soft, dense, indexable urethane. The bow is formed with a common cross-sectional configuration enlarged in the direction of the axis of the opening and located around the majority of the opening. The racket also includes a grommet strip formed of a soft, durable, wear resistant polyurethane-polycarbonate blend secured to the radially exterior edge of the bow around the majority of the opening.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tennis rackets with improved handle pallets, bows and grommet strips and, more particularly, to an improved tennis racket incorporating a pallet handle which is dense, soft and indexable, which has a durable, soft, wear resistant grommet strip and which has a bow cross-section enlarged in the axial direction.
2. Description of the Background Art
Tennis is considered a sport by some and a game by others. It involves players on opposite sides of a net who employ rackets to strike a resilient ball back and forth over the net. The racket has one end with tensioned strings which contact the ball and another end with a handle grasped by the user.
All players recognize that modern, improved rackets add to their efficiency and enjoyment of tennis. They also believe that further improvements to equipment are still possible for purposes such as abatement of shocks and vibrations when striking the ball, enlargement of that area of the racket face from which superior shots may be hit, better balance of the racket, softer handles which are still indexable, etc.
By way of illustration the background art discloses many types of handles and handle pallets for tennis rackets as well as for other types of hand held devices. To illustrate the wide variety of handle and handle pallets designed for us as tennis rackets, consider the teachings of spiral wound layers as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,015,851 to Pennell and 4,159,115 to Ticktin. Separate sleeves for covering handles are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,098,506 to Gaiser and 3,614,100 to Spitz. Separate sleeves are usually for the purpose of absorbing perspiration. Spector, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,091, discloses an adhesive tape usable on handles. In addition, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,489,031 to Myer; 4,284,275 to Fletcher and 4,660,832 to Shomo, show tennis racket handles designed for particular purposes such as aeration, grip enhancement and for shock and vibration abatement.
In addition to handles and handle pallets specifically designed for utility in tennis rackets, the background art discloses handles designed specifically for use in golf clubs. Note U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,606,325; 4,133,529 and 4,338,270 to Lamkin, Gambino, Uffindell.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,567 to Uffindell discloses a grip positionable over the rigid handle end of a golf club or tennis racket. The grip is of a Shore A hardness of 55 to 65. The grip, however, is not a pallet between an octagonal core and grip.
Also within the prior art are those commercial rackets manufactured and sold by the Spalding & Evenflo Companies, Inc. of Tampa, Fl. which are essentially the same in structure as those disclosed and claimed herein except for the pallet material which is hard, with a significantly higher hardness than that disclosed and claimed herein.
Further, the background art discloses many other types of handles for use in a wide variety of applications. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,915,782 to Davis; 4,053,676 to Kaminstein; 4,174,109 to Gaiser; 4,347,280 to Lauand; and 4,373,718 to Schmidt.
Lastly, the background art discloses an even larger number of patents directed to improving grommet strips, bumper strips and bows to which they are to be secured. Consider, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,552,020 to Tribelhorn; 3,548,484 to Carlton; 3,567,225 to Hollis; 3,582,072 to Stueck; 3,625,512 to Latham; 3,664,668 to Held; 3,664,669 to Latham; 3,702,701 to Vaughn; 2,884,467 to Sommer; 3,889,172 to Vaughn; 3,912,267 to Lyon; 3,930,648 to Brown; 4,005,862 to Portz; 3,066,260 to Rodgers; 4,185,822 to Li; 4,204,481 to Hall; 4,220,335 to Nobbs; 4,314,699 to Bayer; 4,331,331 to Rodgers; 4,429,874 to Rodgers; 4,436,305 to Fernandez and 4,570,933 to Michiels; and in particular 4,496,152 to Mott.
The background art discloses a wide variety of tennis racket features designed to perform a wide variety of functions. They are fabricated of a wide variety of materials, natural and synthetic, and formed by a wide variety of processes. No background art, however, discloses, teaches or suggests a tennis racket with the improved handle pallet, bow and grommet strip as described herein to provide in one unit all of these desirable features, along with greater convenience of manufacture and at a reduced cost. All previous tennis rackets are simply lacking in one regard or another.
As illustrated by the background art, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to improve tennis rackets. No prior effort, however, suggests the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed herein. Prior rackets do not provide the benefits attendant with the present invention. The present invention achieves its purposes, objects and advantages over the prior art through a new, useful and unobvious combination of component elements, through the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, through the utilization of readily available materials and conventional components and at a reduction in cost to manufacture.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a tennis racket which may have a graphite fiber containing frame with an opening at one end and with a handle pallet at the other end, the handle pallet formed of a soft, dense, indexable urethane; the frame formed with a common cross-sectional configuration enlarged in the direction of the axis of the opening and located around the majority of the opening; and a grommet strip formed of a soft, durable, wear resistant polyurethane-polycarbonate blend and secured to the radially exterior edge of the frame around the majority of the opening.
It is a further object of the present invneiton to enlarge the spot of a tennis racket from which superior shots may be hit.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to increase the comfort of handles of tennis rackets while still maintaining indexability.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide and maintain better racket balance.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the present invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a further understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A screen for use with a fluid/specimen collector and a combination screen and fluid/specimen collector for collecting and trapping patient specimen(s) during a medical procedure comprising a collecting trap for receiving fluid/specimen(s) therein, a lid, an intake member for transferring fluid/specimen(s) from a patient into the collecting trap, and a waste exit member. The screen of the invention comprises an insert member capable of being placed within the lid of the fluid/specimen collector. The insert member includes an intake aperture, enabling the intake member to extend through to transfer fluid/specimen(s) from a patient into the collecting trap. The insert also includes a plurality of straining apertures capable of allowing excess fluid to pass through and exit the collector through the waste exit member while preventing specimens from passing through the straining apertures, thus trapping these specimens within the collector for easy retrieval for subsequent medical testing.

Fluid/specimen collecting devices for collecting patient specimens, such as polyps, for medical testing are well known. One example of a known type of fluid/specimen collecting device is shown in FIG. 2 of the present invention. This device, generally indicated as 10, comprises a collecting trap 12 for receiving fluid/specimen(s) from a patient. A lid 14 is provided which cooperates with the collecting trap. An intake member or tube 16 is provided for transferring fluid/specimen(s) from the patient into the collecting trap. Excess fluid is then removed from the collecting trap by a well-known means, such as by the application of a vacuum thereto. The excess fluid exits through a waste exit member or tube 18 into a waste container. The patient specimen(s) is then, hopefully, trapped within the collecting trap 12, and can be removed after the procedure has been completed.
These currently used fluid/specimen collectors do not have any screening over the exit point of the waste exit member. Consequently, the specimen(s) may be inadvertently suctioned out of the collector and deposited within the waste container. When this occurs, the specimen(s) have to be searched for within the waste container and are possibly lost.
There is a need in the art for a device to prevent this unwanted removal of the patient specimen(s) from the fluid/specimen collector.


The film-covered electrical device of the present invention includes covered portion (S1) where a portion of covering film (6) is folded to cover end surface (5d) of covering film (5) through which metal layer (5b) is exposed, non-covered portion (S2) where end surface (5d) of covering film (5) is not covered with folded covering film (6), sealing portion (8) (a first sealing portion) produced by thermally fusing thermally-fusible resin layer (6c) of covering film (6) and thermally-fusible resin layer (5c) of covering film (5), and portion B (a second sealing portion) produced by thermally fusing protective layer (5a) of covering film (5) and thermally-fusible resin layer (6c) of covering film (6), wherein sealing portion (8) (the first sealing portion and non-covered portion (S2)) is provided with a safety valve for releasing internal gas when a rise in internal pressure occurs.

In recent years, batteries as power sources of mobile devices and the like have been strongly required to have light weight designs and thin designs. Therefore, also for covering materials for batteries, those using metal thin films or laminated films obtained by laminating a metal thin film and a thermally-fusible resin film have come to be used in place of conventional metal cans having limits in terms of light weight and thin designs. Laminated films are capable of adopting lighter weight designs, thinner designs and more free shapes than metal cans.
As an example of a laminated film used in a covering material for a battery, there is a type in which a thermally-fusible resin film which is a heat sealed layer is laminated on one surface of an aluminum thin film, which is a metal thin film, and a protective film is laminated on the other surface. The laminated film encloses a battery element composed of a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an electrolyte and the like so that the thermally-fusible resin film is disposed on the inner side and thermally fuses the circumference of the battery element, thereby hermetically sealing (hereinafter simply called sealing) the battery element. For example, a polyethylene film and a polypropylene film are used as the thermally-fusible resin film, and for example, a nylon film and a polyethylene terephthalete film are used as the protective film. A lead terminal is connected to each of the positive electrode and negative electrode of the battery element, and these lead terminals are caused to extend to the outside of the covering material.
If a voltage outside a standard range is applied to a battery during the use of the battery, there may sometimes occur the case where gas is generated by the electrolysis of an electrolyte solvent and the inner pressure of the battery rises. Furthermore, if a battery is used at high temperatures outside a standard range, substances which become a source of gas due to decomposition and the like of the electrolyte may be produced.
The generation of gas within a battery brings about a rise in the internal pressure of the battery. To suppress a rise in internal pressure, many batteries using a metal can as the covering material have a pressure safety valve which lets the gas escape to the outside when the inner pressure of the battery has risen. Also in a film-covered battery using a film as covering material, the provision of a pressure safety valve has been studied. For example, JP2000-100399A discloses a film-covered battery in which a portion at high thermal fusion temperature and a portion at low thermal fusion temperature are provided in a sealing region of the film and the portion at low thermal fusion temperature is caused to function as a safety valve. JP11-97070A discloses a film-covered battery which is such that a non-thermally-fusible resin film is interposed in part of a thermally-fused portion. In both cases, a portion where the thermal fusion strength is weakened is formed in the covering material and this portion is given the function of a safety valve.
JP2002-56835A discloses a configuration in which part of the outer shape of a thermally-fused portion is cut off from the outside. JP10-55792A discloses a configuration in which an unbonded portion is provided in part of a sealed side and the dimension of this unbonded portion is increased on the inner side of a battery and decreased on the outer side thereof. In these configurations, a portion having a shape which is such that the width of the thermally-fused portion in the direction from the inner side of the battery to the outer side thereof becomes narrow, is set in part of the thermally-fused portion, and this portion is caused to function as a safety valve.
On the other hand, it is also very important to take insulation measures for a film-covered battery.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of an example of a film-covered battery based on the technique related to the present invention in which a laminated film is used. FIGS. 2A and 2B show partial sectional views in Line e-e of FIG. 1. FIG. 2A shows the condition before the adhering of a peripheral protective tape and FIG. 2B shows the condition after the adhering of a peripheral protective tape.
Laminated film 100 is a three-layer laminated film which is such that a thermally-fusible resin film, which is thermally-fusible resin layer 104, is laminated on one surface of an aluminum thin film, which is metal layer 103, and protective film 102 is laminated on the other surface.
Film-covered battery 110 shown in FIG. 1 uses two laminated films 100, which are upper laminate 100a and lower laminate 100b. Two laminated films 100 are such that thermally-fusible resin layers 104 are caused to face each other and in sealing position 108 on the circumference of battery element 120, upper laminate 100a and lower laminate 100b are thermally fused, whereby battery element 120 is sealed.
However, if this state is kept as is, as shown in FIG. 2A, metal layer 103 becomes exposed from each section of upper laminate 100a and lower laminate 100b (in the figure, exposed portion 103a of the metal layer). If an assembled battery is fabricated in this state, the risk that exposed portion 103a of the metal layer will come into contact with an adjacent film-covered battery or will come into contact with a surrounding conductive member, increases. Therefore, insulation measures have been taken by covering this exposed portion 103a of the metal layer with peripheral protective tape 101, as shown in FIG. 2B.

Film-covered electrical device and assembled battery


A point structure for RF calibration and testing of a PCB is provided. The point structure includes a test pad, an antenna connection pad, and a device mounting pad. The test pad is connected to a circuit unit of the PCB, and a ground pad is connected with a ground of the PCB. A contact probe apparatus for performing RF calibration and testing is connected to the test pad and the ground pad. The antenna connection pad is connected to an antenna unit. The device mounting pad is connected with the test pad and the antenna connection pad. An antenna device is mounted on the device mounting pad. The test pad, the ground pad, the antenna connection pad, and the device mounting pad are separated from one another. Since the point structure can replace an RF switch, a circuit area on the PCB may be reduced, a mounting space may be secured, and a manufacturing cost may be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a point structure for Radio Frequency (RF) calibration and testing of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and a method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a test point structure for RF calibration and testing of a PCB and a method thereof, to reduce manufacturing costs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a mobile communication terminal includes a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). The PCB includes a circuit unit, comprising a plurality of integrated circuits and various chips, for converting data into a signal that is suitable for transmission/reception, and for transmitting the signal via an antenna unit. The performance of the mobile communication terminal is verified through a predetermined appraisal method after the mobile communication terminal is manufactured and assembled, and then brought to the market after successfully passing the appraisal. One appraisal method is an appraisal of various circuit characteristics. For this purpose, a measurement apparatus measures various characteristics right before a signal propagates into space via an antenna. At this point, since it is difficult to properly detect a signal from the antenna unit, a connector is added right before a signal is transferred to the antenna unit in order to detect the signal. The connector interrupts the connection between the circuit unit and the antenna unit of the mobile communication terminal, and connects the circuit unit with the measurement apparatus. Here, the connector is called an RF switch.
However, in an aspect of manufacturing costs, the price of the RF switch is high, which results in a manufacturing cost increase.

Test point structure for RF calibration and test of printed circuit board and method thereof


An inter-base-station synchronization method and a device are provided. The method includes: sending, by a source base station, a request for time synchronization to a target base station, request for time synchronization; receiving, by the source base station, an acknowledgment message from the target base station; sending, by the source base station, a particular sequence to a target user terminal located in a particular area, so that the target user terminal sends the particular sequence; and detecting, by the source base station, the particular sequence, and performing time synchronization between the source base station and the target base station. According to the present disclosure, the user terminal located in the particular area forwards the particular sequence, so that to-be-synchronized base stations detect the particular sequence to implement inter-base-station time synchronization.

In a mobile communications system based on a base station, inter-base-station synchronization is closely related to synchronization quality for a wireless communications service. There are two types of existing inter-base-station synchronization technologies: One is to implement synchronization by using a built-in Global Positioning System (GPS), BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, or IEEE 1588v2, and the other is to implement synchronization based on assistance of a user terminal. Although the former type of synchronization technology can implement high-precision time synchronization, synchronization precision is dependent on accuracy of a counter frequency, and imposes relatively high requirements on performance of a target base station and a network. Therefore, it is difficult in implementation. The latter type of synchronization technology is implemented based on a user terminal that needs to be handed over between base stations. A manner is: When a user terminal initiates a request for a handover from a source base station to a target base station, the source base station and the target base station determine moments at which same random access information sent by the user terminal is received by the source base station and the target base station, so that a time difference between the source base station and the target base station is obtained, and further synchronization between the source base station and the target base station is implemented. However, there is not always a user terminal that meets such a requirement. If a synchronization period is short, there may be no user terminal that needs a handover in this period, and synchronization precision is affected. Another manner is: A user terminal sends data to both a source base station and a target base station, where sending time is added to the sent data, so that the source base station and the target base station obtain a time difference between the base stations based on the sending time and receiving time. However, in this manner, time information needs to be reported by a user, and more messages need to be reported by the user terminal. As a result, a UE-related protocol needs to be modified, and implementation difficulty is increased.

Inter-base-station synchronization method and device


A die having large numbers of grooves for molding a material to a honeycomb structure, wherein a surface having the grooves has an outer periphery in a polygonal shape having 6 or more corners, and wherein the grooves are crossing the outer periphery at an angle of 30° or more.

A ceramic honeycomb structure (simply called "honeycomb structure" below) used as a filter for cleaning an exhaust gas, etc. is produced by extruding a moldable ceramic material through a honeycomb-structure-molding die (simply called "molding die" or "die") to form a honeycomb molding, and drying and sintering it. As shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), a honeycomb structure 10 comprises porous cell walls 2 defining large numbers of flow paths 3 and an outer peripheral wall 1, and usually has a substantially circular or elliptic cross section perpendicular to the flow paths.
As shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), a die 20 for extruding a moldable ceramic material to form a honeycomb molding is formed from a die-forming work 21 having such a shape that a groove-having surface 31 projects, that moldable-material-supplying apertures 40 are formed in the die-forming work 21 such that they extend from an aperture-having surface 41, and that lattice-patterned grooves 30 are formed on the groove-having surface 31. As shown in FIG. 4, the apertures 40 are overlapping the intersections 33 of the grooves 30 in the molding die 20. A moldable ceramic material introduced into the molding die 20 through the apertures 40 are formed into a honeycomb shape by the grooves 30. The apertures 40 are communicating with the grooves 30 at every intersections 33 of the grooves 30 arranged in a lattice pattern, or at every other intersections 33 (see FIG. 4).
The molding die 10 is produced by forming apertures 40 by drilling, etc. in the die-forming work 21 having a projecting groove-having surface 31 as shown in FIG. 5(a) from its aperture-having surface 41 (on the opposite side of the groove-having surface 31), and then forming the grooves 30 on the groove-having surface 31. The lattice-patterned grooves 30 are produced by forming pluralities of first parallel grooves 30a by grinding or cutting by a rotating tool 50 as shown in FIG. 5(b), rotating the die-forming work 21 by 90°, and then forming pluralities of second parallel grooves 30b crossing the previously formed first grooves 30a as shown in FIG. 5(c).
In a conventional extrusion-molding die, a groove-having surface 31 having an outer periphery 32, which is square as it is formed when viewed from above as shown in FIG. 3(a), or made circular by machining as shown in FIG. 6 as described, for instance, in JP 11-70510 A. In any case, a moldable ceramic material extruded from the die 20 is caused to pass through a guide ring 62 as shown in FIG. 7, to obtain a honeycomb molding 11 having a substantially circular or elliptic cross section perpendicular to the flow paths.
However, when the outer periphery 32 of the groove-having surface 31 has a square shape as shown in FIG. 3(a), some of the grooves 30 which are not used for the extrusion of a honeycomb molding having a substantially circular or elliptic cross section perpendicular to the flow paths are also formed by machining, failing to reduce the number of machining steps. This is true, even when a die having a groove-having surface 31 having a square outer periphery 32 as shown in FIG. 3(a) is formed by machining, and the outer periphery 32 of the groove-having surface 31 is then machined circularly as shown in FIG. 6, as described in JP 11-70510 A.
Using a die-forming work 21 having a groove-having surface 31 having a circularly formed outer periphery 32 to form grooves 30 by machining, the above inefficiency of machining some grooves 30 that are not used for extrusion can be avoided. However, in the machining of the groove-having surface 31 having a circular outer periphery 32 to form grooves 30, some grooves 30 are at extremely small angles 70 to the outer periphery 32 of the groove-having surface 31 as shown in FIG. 8. When machining starts to form a groove 30 as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 8, which has an extremely small angle 70, a cutting edge of a rotating tool 50 is likely to slide along the outer periphery 32 of the groove-having surface 31 as the rotating tool 50 progresses, so that a force P is applied to the tool 50 in its thickness direction (rotation axis direction), deforming or breaking the tool 50.

Die for molding honeycomb structure, and its production method


A radiation detector comprises a large number of detector elements each having its detecting surface directed toward a source of radiation and collimator plates each standing in the direction of emission of radiation from the source and placed over a gap between adjacent detector elements. The gap is made greater than the thickness of the collimator plates, reducing the area of the shade of a collimator plate on the radiation detecting surface of the corresponding detector element. Thus, the variations in sensitivity of channels due to variations in the area of the shade of the collimator plates are reduced. The gap permits an adverse effect of the misalignment of the collimator plate on the channel sensitivity to be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiation detector for use with radiation apparatus such as X-ray computerized tomography apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A radiation detector is often used with X-ray computerized tomography apparatus (hereinafter referred to as X-ray CT apparatus).
The X-ray CT apparatus is a clinically useful apparatus which performs image reconstruction processing, such as successive approximation or Fourier transformation, on projection data obtained from various directions for a predetermined plane of a subject under examination, computes a CT value at each of points representing the plane, and imparts a proper gradation to the CT value, thereby obtaining a tomography image of the plane of the subject. The third-generation X-ray CT apparatus, in which an X-ray tube and a radiation detector turn around a subject to be examined, is constructed as follows.
An X-ray tube emitting X-rays from its focus and a multichannel radiation detector are supported so that they can turn while facing each other with an aperture therebetween. Data acquisition is performed by repeating emission of X-rays and detection of transmitted X-rays each time the X-ray tube and the radiation detector turn around a subject to be examined placed within the aperture through a very small angle.
In the multichannel radiation detector for use with such X-ray CT apparatus, blocks each having an array of many detector elements thereon are arranged in the form of a circular arc with center at the focus of the X-ray tube. On the X-ray tube side of the blocks is disposed a collimator whose collimator plates stand along the direction of emission of X-rays from the focus of the X-ray tube. Each of the collimator plates is placed over the gap between adjacent detector elements.
On the block substrate photodiodes are first, placed and scintillators are next placed on the photodiodes. Also, a housing for supporting the collimator plates is mounted on the block substrate.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a radiation detector. In order to shut out scintillations from other detector elements (channels), a reflector 14 (indicated by oblique lines) is interposed between scintillators 12.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by dotted circle in FIG. 1. The thickness T1 of the reflector 14 is determined according to only the pitch of photodiodes 11. Thus, the thickness T1 of the reflector 14 is generally less than the thickness T2 of a collimator plate 8.
The focus of the X-ray tube moves because of thermal expansion of its parts which occurs during operation. In particular, the component of movement along the direction in which the detector elements are arranged (hereinafter referred to as the channel direction) is mainly due to the thermal expansion of cathode parts. The movement of the focus varies the sensitivity of the detector elements. In the following the "movement" refers to the "movement along the channel direction", unless otherwise specified. The reason will be described below with reference to FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, focus 1 is assumed to be the focus maintained at low temperatures, while focus 1' is assumed to be the focus when the quantity of heat stored in the anode plate and parts of the X-ray tube has reached the heat capacity, that is, when focus 1 has traveled the maximum distance. Note that the collimator plates 8 structuring the collimator are aligned with respect to the focus 1 located at low temperatures (at the time of design).
When the focus 1 moves toward the focus 1' as the anode plate expands, the collimator plate 8 makes shade (indicated by oblique lines) on the detecting surface of the scintillator 12. The shade reaches its maximum when the focus of the X-ray tube is located to the point 1', resulting in a decrease in the original width W1 of the detecting surface of the scintillator 12 by W2. That is, the channel sensitivity decreases gradually as shown in FIG. 4 as the focus moves. The variations in channel sensitivity can be compensated for easily.
However, the variations in channel sensitivity differ from channel to channel. This is due to the fact that the focus 1 does not move on a circular arc to fit the arrangement of the collimator plates and thus the degree of growth of the shade varies from channel to channel. The difference in sensitivity between channels causes a problem that a ring-like artifact may appear in a tomography image.
The compensation for lack of uniformity of sensitivity among channels has been made so far. However, this compensation is limited to compensation for differences in the fluorescent characteristic of scintillators and in the photoelectric transfer characteristic of photodiodes, and no attention is paid to the differences in the degree of growth of the shade of the collimator plates among channels. The compensation for the difference in sensitivity between channels due to the difference in the degree of growth of the shade of the collimator plates between channels requires a lot of work of measuring the variation in sensitivity caused by the movement of the focus of the X-ray tube and obtaining a compensation curve for each channel. This is virtually impossible.
The conventional radiation detector also has the following problem. This arises from collimator alignment errors. That is, each of the collimator plates is not always located accurately between detector elements nor formed accurately along the direction of emission of X-rays from the X-ray tube. Depending of the severity of the alignment errors, the size of the shadow of the collimator plate on the detecting surface of the scintillator may differ from channel to channel. Thus, the alignment errors further increase the difference in sensitivity between channels.

Radiation detector for limiting effects of shading


Methods, devices, and systems for calibrating an analyte sensor are provided. Embodiments include determining a sensitivity value associated with an analyte sensor, retrieving a prior sensitivity value associated with the analyte sensor, determining whether a variance between the determined sensitivity value and the retrieved prior sensitivity value is within a predetermined sensitivity range, determining a composite sensitivity value based on the determined sensitivity value and the retrieved prior sensitivity value, and assigning a successful calibration sensitivity value based on the retrieved prior sensitivity value when the variance is within the predetermined sensitivity range.

The detection of the level of glucose or other analytes, such as lactate, oxygen or the like, in certain individuals is vitally important to their health. For example, the monitoring of glucose is particularly important to individuals with diabetes. Diabetics may need to monitor glucose levels to determine when insulin is needed to reduce glucose levels in their bodies or when additional glucose is needed to raise the level of glucose in their bodies.
Devices have been developed for continuous or automatic monitoring of analytes, such as glucose, in bodily fluid such as in the blood stream or in interstitial fluid. Some of these analyte measuring devices are configured so that at least a portion of the devices are positioned below a skin surface of a user, e.g., in a blood vessel or in the subcutaneous tissue of a user.
Following the sensor insertion, the resulting potential trauma to the skin and/or underlying tissue, for example, by the sensor introducer and/or the sensor itself, may, at times, result in instability of signals monitored by the sensor. This may occur in a number of analyte sensors, but not in all cases. This instability is characterized by a decrease in the sensor signal, and when this occurs, generally, the analyte levels monitored may not be reported, recorded or output to the user.
Proper calibration of an analyte sensor with a reference glucose measurement or reading is important for accurate sensor performance. Calibration is a process by which a conversion factor (or sensitivity) is determined and represented, in its simplest form, as a ratio of the electrical current generated by the analyte sensor to the reference blood glucose value (for example, obtained from an in vitro blood glucose meter) associated in time (for example, relatively time corresponding) with the current signal from the analyte sensor. Ideally, the sensitivity is constant throughout the life of the analyte sensor when positioned in fluid contact with an analyte of a user (such as interstitial fluid). In practice, however, the sensitivity may vary over time. It has been observed that a depression or attenuation in the sensitivity, usually following a predetermined time period measured from the insertion or positioning of the analyte sensor occurs sometimes up to 24 hours for some analyte sensors. This signal characteristic is referred to as Early Sensitivity Attenuation (ESA) or referred to as ESA condition. The ESA condition may be a result of a physiological response to the introduction of the analyte sensor to the subcutaneous tissue, and may be present for any subcutaneously inserted analyte sensor.
Generally, the use of a standard calibration calculation does not address the signal attenuation. A typical standard calibration does not detect or manage the attenuated signal characteristics, and also may potentially update or modify the sensitivity using the erroneous and attenuated sensor signal. When sensor calibration is performed while the sensor is undergoing a signal attenuation event, the reported or resulting sensor signal may be erroneously high when the sensor sensitivity has recovered after the termination of the signal attenuation event. Such high biased results may be clinically unsafe, as they may lead to missed hypoglycemic events, or overdoses of medication such as insulin. On the other hand, when sensor calibration is performed prior to an early signal attenuation event, erroneously low biased sensor signal will likely result during the period of the sensor sensitivity depression. Such low glucose results may, depending on the magnitude of the early signal attenuation event, result in false hypoglycemia alarms or missed hyperglycemic events.
Another approach has been to delay the sensor calibration until after the early signal attenuation period measured, for example, from the initial sensor insertion in the patient. However, this approach prevents the reporting of the potentially erroneous analyte level monitored from the sensor during this period, but results in low data yield due to the undesirable delay for the display or reporting of the monitored analyte levels from the sensors regardless of whether or not early signal attenuation is present.


One embodiment of this invention provides an apparatus for disconnecting and reconnecting an external device to or from a computer (system) having a key of keyboard, key-like button in anv location in the computer system and internal software process recognizing specific patterns of key strokes resulting from distinctive software capability.

1. Field of the Invention
One aspect of the invention relates to disconnection or reconnection of an external device to or from a computer. In addition, one aspect of the invention provides means to interpret various key-pressing activities of computer system keyboard into novel capabilities.
2. History of the Related Art
When removing a portable, removable external device connected to a computer or computer system, it is highly recommended that a user should go through a set of steps for disconnection of the external device. Depending on the internal condition of the removable device, it is unsafe, resulting in loss of information and possibly unrecoverable internal damage to the external device, if the device is simply removed (unplugged) from the connected computer system without a certain procedure for disconnection. Manufacturers of the removable external device and/or Operating System of Personal Computer system provide software to perform a set of steps for disconnection, to prepare for safe removal of the external device. In Microsoft Windows, this software is called as Safely Remove Hardware. In this invention, a term "safe disconnection" will be utilized for a software for disconnection of external device.
As common practice, a user clicks a miniature icon in the system tray located at the bottom right corner of the Windows (Registered Trademark) graphical user interface (GUI) screen. The related icon is one of many icons in the system tray. In the prior art, this operation is cumbersome as the icon is small in size and the location is far at the bottom right corner. A prior art has put together a means with related software application. The art can be implemented in conjunction with global hotkey, which is to press a predetermined set of multiple keys at the same time for duration. This duration is prolonged as multiple keys need to be pressed concurrently. A different method of accessing the prior art is to execute the prepared application software through normal instantiation means, meaning launching a program from a prepared icon on the Desktop of computer system.
In addition, prior arts do not provide means to interpret various key-pressing activities of computer system keyboard. When a key of computer system keyboard is pressed, the specific key-code is generated and the specific capability linked to the specific key-code is performed. For one example, key "a" is pressed, the key-code for "a" is generated and the specific capability assigned to the key-code "a" is performed. If the assigned capability in this example is to take the alphabet "a", then the alphabet "a" is taken. Thus, when the alphabet "a" is pressed twice in a short time interval or any time interval, the alphabet "a" is taken twice. Prior arts do not differentiate whether a specific key is pressed multiple times in a short interval or not. The Prior arts in the computer system keyboard lack means to interpret various key-pressing activities, such as but not limited to double-press and triple-press of key, into entirely different capability. While there is differentiated capability of single-click and double-click of the mouse input, prior arts do not provide means to conclude double-press and triple-press of key on the computer keyboard.

Disconnection or reconnection of external device to or from a computer


A method and apparatus for providing welding-type power includes a source of welding-type power and a controller. The controller is a state-based controller, and/or a deterministic control module, connected to the controller output. The state-based control module includes, in an embodiment, software instructions and a digital processor, and/or a state transition table stored in a spreadsheet data base. The controller is responsive to a feedback circuit. One or more welding peripherals, such as a wire feeder or robot, are connected to the controller. The current state may be represented by data in a first line of a spreadsheet and a state-ending event by a second, perpendicular, line of a spreadsheet. The subsequent state is determined by the intersection of the first and second lines in another embodiment.

The present invention relates generally to the art of welding-type power supplies. More specifically, it relates to the control of welding-type power supplies.
Welding power supplies or systems are available for a wide variety of processes, and with a wide variety of sophistication. Welding-type power supply or system, as used herein, includes power supplies or systems that provide welding, cutting or heating power, and may include a controller, switches, etc. Traditionally, a good weld required an experienced welder, not only to properly execute the weld, but to properly select operating parameters (such as output voltage, current, power, pulse width, wire feed speed, etc.)
Now, robots are available that execute the weld. Also, operating parameters may be pre-determined and automatically implemented by a controller in the welding-type power supply. The automation is typically a software program that describes the output waveform, and is executed by a digital processor (microprocessors, DSPs, etc.). The program attempts to implement and improve upon the decisions that had been made by the experienced welder.
The programs and waveforms are xe2x80x9chard-codedxe2x80x9d, where a computer program includes typical control loops and procedures, such as xe2x80x9cif-then, xe2x80x9cgo-toxe2x80x9d, etc. For example, a decision would be on the order of: xe2x80x9cif the pulse phase has timed out and we are not in a short circuit and the trigger is still pulled then go to the background phasexe2x80x9d (written, of course, in a computer language such as xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d).
While how to write such a program is well known, it can be very difficult to modify such a program. Modification requires a review of each line of code, which is then carefully modified to give the desired result. Modification can, of course, cause unexpected consequences or require re-writing of entire sections. Such changes may be extremely time consuming, requires the person doing the modification to understand the software language and understand the particular interaction of all the hard coded lines in the system. Also, with each change, software bugs may be introduced and the program can require extensive trouble-shooting.
Welding automation is becoming increasingly sophisticated. This requires increasingly sophisticated control software, which only exacerbates the difficulty in updating or modifying a welding program. For example, a weld process might include peak amps, background amps, and a first ramp for the transition from background to peak. As the process control becomes more sophisticated, a second ramp from peak to background might be added, or the first ramp might be broken into two section with different slopes. It requires a substantial re-writing of the hard code to include these waveform segments. Then, if additional changes are made later, the code must be written again. Each addition to the code can lengthen the code, and make subsequent changes even more difficult.
Accordingly, a method and apparatus for controlling a welding-type power supply that allows for changing the waveform without requiring a lengthy and difficult re-writing of a program is desirable.
According to a first aspect of the invention a welding-type system includes a source of welding-type power and a controller. The controller has an output operatively connected to the source. The controller also includes a state-based control module, and/or a deterministic control module, connected to the controller output.
According to a second aspect of the invention a method of providing a welding-type output includes providing a source of welding-type power and controlling the source using a state-based control scheme.
The state-based control module includes software instructions and a digital processors and/or includes a state transition table stored in a spreadsheet data base, where a subsequent state and a current state are represented by data from the spreadsheet in various embodiments.
A feedback circuit is connected to the source and the controller and the state-based control module is responsive to the feedback circuit in another embodiment.
One or more welding peripherals, such as a wire feeder or robot, are operatively connected to the controller output in other embodiments.
The current state is represented by data in a first line of a spreadsheet and a state-ending event is indicated by a second, perpendicular, line of a spreadsheet, and the subsequent state is determined by the intersection of the first and second lines in another embodiment.
The data includes addressing data and/or parameter data in other embodiments.
According to a third aspect of the invention a method of controlling a welding-type system that operates in a plurality of states includes determining the present state of the system and determining at least one condition in which it is desired to end the state. The system is monitored for the existence of the at least one condition and a subsequent state to enter is selected from the plurality of states if the at least one condition exists. The selection is responsive to the at least one condition.
The at least one condition is a plurality of conditions, and the selecting is responsive to which of the plurality is met, and in order of first occurrence followed by priority, in an alternative.
The present state of the system includes correlating to a first set of data in a database, and/or determining at least one condition in which it is desired to end the state includes retrieving data from the first set of data, and/or selecting includes accessing a subset of the set of data in various alternatives.
The existence of the at least one condition includes monitoring at least one of timeouts and feedback in another embodiment.
Other principal features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following drawings, the detailed description and the appended claims.

Welding-type power supply with a state-based controller


An information processing apparatus includes a mode setting acceptance unit that accepts a setting of a time to control a plurality of devices, on the basis of a mode in which operation contents of the devices are set, and an execution unit that outputs the operation contents of the plurality of devices at the set time.

Patent Document 1 discloses that a consumer selects operation patterns in which the degrees of saving are different from each other depending on the operation contents of a device, and that a device is controlled based on the operation contents of a selected operation pattern during a time slot of a request for a reduction in power consumption from an electric power company. In addition, an operation to control a consumer's load may be learned, and thus the contents of a pattern operation may be automatically corrected. For example, the degree of saving may be corrected from 50% to 60%.
In addition, Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose controlling a consumer's device in response to a demand response.
For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for calculating the order of consumers to reduce the amount of power consumption in response to a demand response signal for each consumer within a community, and eliminating biasing among the consumers with regard to reduction in power consumption.
Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for generating power demand data according to an excess power consumption amount with respect to a target amount of a predicted power consumption amount and performing screen display of a priority order for stopping power generation, a cutoff level of a device to be stopped, and a scheduled cutoff time in accordance with the demand data in an easily graspable manner.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program


Employing a low coherence Michelson interferometer, two dimensional images of optical birefringence in turbid samples as a function of depth are measured. Polarization sensitive detection of the signal formed by interference of backscattered light from the sample and a mirror or reference plane in the reference arm which defines a reference optical path length, give the optical phase delay between light propagating along the fast and slow axes of the birefringence sample. Images showing the change in birefringence in response to irradiation of the sample are produced as an example of the detection apparatus and methodology. The technique allow rapid, noncontact investigation of tissue or sample diagnostic imaging for various medical or materials procedures.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of optical imaging and in particular to the use of optical polarizations to create tomographic images.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The demand for noninvasive optical images of biological tissue has led to the development of several techniques to circumvent the common problem of scattering in turbid media. Such techniques include diffusing wave spectroscopy A. Yodh, et al., "Spectroscopy and Imaging with Diffuse Light," Physics Today 48, 34 (1995); F. Liu, et al., "Transmitted Photon Intensity through Biological Tissues within Various Time Windows," Opt. Lett. 19, 740 (1994); W. Denk, et al., Handbook of Biological Confocal Microscopy, edited by J. B. Pawley (Plenum New York 1995) at p445; L. Wang, et al. "Continuous-Wave Ultrasonic Modulation of Scattered Laser Lidght to Image Objects in Turbid Media," Opt. Lett. 20, 629 (1995); M. Kempe, et al., "Acousto-optic tomography with Multiple Scattered Light," J. Opt. Soc. Am. A14 (1997); and D. Huang, et al. "Optical Coherence Tomography", Science 254, 1178 (1991); and A. F. Fercher, "Optical Coherence Tomography", J. Biomed. Opt. 1, 157 (1996).
Optical coherence tomography employs the partial coherence properties of a light source to image structures with high resolution, namely, in the range of one to fifteen microns, in turbid media such as biological tissue. The sample under study is positioned in one arm or sample arm of a two beam interferometer. The interference fringes are formed when the optical path length of the signal back scattered from the sample matches that from the reference arm to within the coherence length of the source light. The optical path length in the reference arm acts as a detection gate to thereby select only light back scattered from the sample that has traveled the same optical path length. By laterally and longitudinally scanning the sample, two dimensional optical coherence tomographic images are constructed that map the amplitude of light back scattered from the sample. Lateral resolution is determined by the spot size of the beam focus of incoming light and the collection aperture. Longitudinal resolution is determined by the coherence length of the source light.
Optical coherence-domain reflectometry is further described by Sorin, et al. "Polarization Independent Optical Coherence-Domain Reflectometry," U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,745 (1993). Sorin describes the use of an incoherent light source in an interferometer in which the reference mirror is moved at a controlled velocity to produce a Doppler shift in the reference signal in the interferometer. The phase of the reference signal is also modulated by piezo-electric transducer to cause a further shift in the referenced signal frequency. The interference signals are detected and measured by a polarization diversity receiver. A linear polarizer and reference signal arm is adjusted to produce equal reference signal powers in each arm of the polarization diversity receiver in the absence of reflection signal from the test arm. The measured reflectometry signal is substantially independent of the state of polarization and the reflected signal from the device under test. The system is generally used to test the optical properties of optical fiber systems. Polarization stability can be a problem in such testing situations. Sorin is directed to a methodology to overcome the problem of polarization variations and distortions in optical fibers and system components. Sorin thus describes the system in which the polarization information returned from the sample or test object is treated as noise and is effectively disregarded.
Prior art examples of the use of optical coherence domain reflectometry is described in Swanson, et al. "Method and Apparatus for Performing Optical Measurements," U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,570 (1995). The use of the method for performing optical imaging and sample using longitudinal scanning and positioning of a sample by varying the relative optical path lengths leading to the sample into a reference reflector or by varying the optical characteristic of the output from the optical source is shown and described in Swanson, et al., "Method and Apparatus for Optical Imaging with Means for Controlling the Longitudinal Range of the Sample," U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,501 (1994).
Swanson '570 and '601 describes inter alia a system in which birefringence information may be obtained by polarizing the optical radiation used, by suitably modifying the polarization in the sample and reference paths, and by dividing the output into an orthogonal polarization outputs which are separately demodulated before processing. In particular, in FIG. 6 in Swanson '570 orthogonal polarized back scattered interference fringes are provided to two separate detectors 42C and 42D into a beam splitter in the return arm of an interferometer using a coherent light source 12 as the interferometer source signal. The interferometric signals detected by detectors 42C and D are separately processed in demodulators 46 and A-to-D converters 50 to produce two interferrometric signals, a horizontal amplitude component 11 and a vertical amplitude component 12. These signals are applied to computer 52 and used to determine the round trip birefringence retardation in the sample like path. Swanson does not in fact measure the phases from two detector outputs. The relative phase information is computed from measured amplitudes of the two orthogonal components under a set of special assumptions. In order to obtain computed phase information from the signals in Swanson, the optical birefringence axes in the sample must be constant.
Demodulator 46 for each of the signals is detailed further in FIG. 2. Demodulator 46 is comprised of a band pass filter 78 centered around the modulation frequency of the combined output signal and an envelope detector. The filter assures that only the signal of interest is looked at and removes noise from the output. The filter signal is applied to the envelope detector. The envelope detector is comprised of a rectifier 82 and a subsequent low pass filter 84. The rectifier output is proportional to the square of the sample reflectivity. The low pass filter removes any high frequency components from what is basically a base band signal. Demodulator 46 also includes a logarithmic amplifier 86 for dynamic range compression.
The effect of rectification of the signal is graphically illustrated by a comparison of FIGS. 5A and 5B. FIG. 5A illustrates the output waveform modulation frequency on which the envelope is superimposed. FIG. 5B is the wave form of FIG. 5A after demodulation by demodulator 46. Thus, it is clear from Swanson that the information contained within the fringes or oscillations of FIG. 5A are lost in the demodulation. As will be described below, it is this information in the undemodulated signal of Swanson that provides a basis when used according to the invention to develop a two dimensional birefringence imaging signal, and more generally create a polarization sensitive optical coherence tomograph using spatially resolved Stokes parameters of the backscattered light from highly scattering biological samples.
Many surgical procedures use laser radiation to selectively photocoagulate subsurface chromophores in biological tissue in order to obtain a desired therapeutic effect. What is needed is the diagnostic imaging system to provide real-time feedback control for optical laser dosimetry. Application of surgical techniques using radiative energy to selectively destroy chromophores in tissue is limited by the availability of feedback techniques for real-time control of the laser dosimetry. A generic radiative treatment apparatus consists of a generic radiative treatment apparatus and is comprised of five major subsystems, namely (1) a radiative source such as a laser; (2) a diagnostic imaging subsystem; (3) image processing and analysis subsystem; (4) a feedback control subsystem; and (5) a delivering device which delivers the radiative energy to the sample.
Two non-contact methods have been proposed and tested as diagnostic imaging techniques for use in a generic radiative treatment apparatus. These methods include infrared imaging radiometry and polarization sensitive detection of the remitted backscattered light intensity. Both techniques are limited by poor spatial resolution of the inferred structural changes in the tissue which is induced by the incident radiation.
Infrared imaging radiometry uses a detector to measure temperature rises in a tissue induced by pulsed laser radiation. The temperature rise due to selective optical absorption of pulse laser light, creates an increase in infrared blackbody emission which is measured by the detector. Because biological materials are composed primarily of water, blackbody emission from tissue originates from a thin 5 to 50 .mu.m superficial layer on the tissue surface. Therefore, infrared imaging radiometry provides little useful information in the temperature distribution and result in structural changes at deep positions in the irradiated tissue. Furthermore, because the transport of thermal energy from deep portions to the tissue surface is a diffusive process, determination of underlying tissue changes is an ill-posed inverse problem that requires application of a computational algorithm to analyze the time sequence of infrared emission images. The ill-posed nature of the problem places severe limitations on the spatial resolution that can be realized from measurements through infrared imaging radiometry.
Polarization sensitive detection of remitted backscattered light intensity has recently been proposed as a non-contact imaging technique to monitor changes and tissue birefringence during laser irradiation. This technique relies on changes and the birefringence of native collagen in tissue upon exposure to laser irradiation. As collagen is subjected to higher temperatures over prolonged times, the molecular helix begins to unwind and birefringence is lost. If incident diagnostic light is linearly polarized, detected intensity changes of the remitted backscattered light from the tissue in the orthogonal polarization mode may indicate partial loss of collagen birefringence. Although this technique has been demonstrated to provide an average measure of bulk tissue birefringence changes, spatially resolved measurements have not been possible. Because this technique does not discriminate between the multitude of optical paths contained in remitted backscattered light from the tissue, spatial resolution in the lateral and longitudinal directions is limited by, respectively, the scattering anisotropy coefficient and the optical penetration depth. In the visible near infrared spectral regions, lateral and longitudinal spatial resolution is approximately 500 .mu.m.

Birefringence imaging in biological tissue using polarization sensitive optical coherent tomography

The Regents of the University of California


A method is provided for predicting NOx loading at a DeNOx catalyst by which a NOx amount actually stored in the DeNOx catalyst can be precisely predicted and to an exhaust system which controls a regeneration timing of the DeNOx catalyst and amount of a reducing agent which is injected by using the method. The method may include calculating mass flow of NOx stored at the DeNOx catalyst, calculating mass flow of NOx thermally released from the DeNOx catalyst, calculating mass flow of NOx chemically released from the DeNOx catalyst, and calculating NOx amount actually stored at the DeNOx catalyst by using the mass flow of NOx stored at the DeNOx catalyst, the mass flow of NOx thermally released from the DeNOx catalyst, and the mass flow of NOx chemically released from the DeNOx catalyst.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method for predicting NOx loading at a DeNOx catalyst and an exhaust system using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for predicting NOx loading at a DeNOx catalyst by which a NOx amount actually stored in the DeNOx catalyst can be precisely predicted and to an exhaust system which controls a regeneration timing of the DeNOx catalyst and amount of a reducing agent which is injected by using the method.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, exhaust gas flowing out through an exhaust manifold from an engine is driven into a catalytic converter mounted at an exhaust pipe and is purified therein. After that, the noise of the exhaust gas is decreased while passing through a muffler and then the exhaust gas is emitted into the air through a tail pipe. The catalytic converter purifies pollutants contained in the exhaust gas. In addition, a particulate filter for trapping particulate matters (PM) contained in the exhaust gas is mounted in the exhaust pipe.
A denitrification catalyst (DeNOx catalyst) is one type of such a catalytic converter and purifies nitrogen oxide (NOx) contained in the exhaust gas. If reducing agents such as urea, ammonia, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbon (HC) are supplied to the exhaust gas, the NOx contained in the exhaust gas is reduced in the DeNOx catalyst through oxidation-reduction reaction with the reducing agents.
Recently, a lean NOx trap (LNT) catalyst is used as such a DeNOx catalyst. The LNT catalyst absorbs the NOx contained in the exhaust gas when the engine operates in a lean atmosphere, and releases the absorbed NOx when the engine operates in a rich atmosphere. The release of the absorbed NOx from the LNT catalyst is called regeneration.
According to a conventional method for regenerating the LNT catalyst, the NOx amount contained in the exhaust gas is predicted based on a driving condition of the engine, the NOx amount stored in the LNT catalyst is predicted from the NOx amount contained in the exhaust gas, and the reducing agents is injected or combustion atmosphere is controlled when the NOx amount stored in the LNT catalyst is larger than or equal to a predetermined amount. In order to perform the conventional method for regenerating the LNT catalyst successfully, the NOx amount stored in the LNT catalyst should be predicted precisely. In addition, in order to predict the NOx amount stored in the LNT catalyst precisely, the NOx amount contained in the exhaust gas should be predicted precisely. A method for precisely predicting the NOx amount contained in the exhaust gas is disclosed in Korean patent application Nos. 10-2010-0115239 and 10-2010-0115238, and a method for precisely predicting NOx amount and NO2 amount remaining at the DeNOx catalyst after previous regeneration is disclosed in Korean patent application No. 10-2010-0121836. Therefore, a method for precisely predicting the NOx amount stored in the DeNOx catalyst will hereinafter be disclosed in this specification.
The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

Method for predicting NOx loading at DeNOx catalyst and exhaust system using the same


A polymerizable composition comprising: a polyurethane resin synthesized by using a compound represented by the following formula (I) as one of starting materials; a photopolymerization or thermal polymerization initiator; and an addition-polymerizable compound having an ethylenically unsaturated bond:

As photosensitive lithographic printing plates, there have been widely employed PS plates comprising a hydrophilic support and a lipophilic photosensitive resin layer formed thereon. As a plate-making method therefor, it has been a common practice to perform mask-exposure (face exposure) via a lith film followed by the dissolution and removal of non-image parts, thereby giving a desired printing plate.
As photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursors, there have been widely employed PS plates comprising a hydrophilic support and a lipophilic photosensitive resin layer formed thereon. As a plate-making method therefor, it has been a common practice to perform mask-exposure (face exposure) via a lith film followed by the dissolution and removal of non-image parts, thereby giving a desired printing plate. In recent years, digitization techniques whereby image data are electronically processed, stored and output with the use of a computer have been widely diffused. Thus, various image-outputting systems for these digitization techniques have been put into practical use. As a result, it has been urgently required to establish computer-to-plate (CTP) technology whereby an image is scanned with highly directional light such as laser beams in accordance with digitized data and thus a printing plate is directly made without resort to a lith film. Accordingly, it is an important technical problem to provide a lithographic printing plate precursor appropriate for the technology.
As such lithographic printing plate precursors usable in scanning exposure, there has been proposed a construction comprising a hydrophilic support and a lipophilic photosensitive resin layer (hereinafter also called a photosensitive layer) containing a photosensitive compound, which can generate an active species such as a radical or bronsted acid upon laser-exposure, formed on the support and such a product has been already put on the market. When a lithographic printing plate precursor of this type is laser-scanned in accordance with digital data, an active species thus generated induces a physical or chemical change in the photosensitive layer and insolubilizes the same. Next, the lithographic printing plate precursor is subjected to development, thereby giving a lithographic printing plate of the negative type. Among all, a lithographic printing plate precursor having a hydrophilic support and a photosensitive layer of the photopolymerization type, which is formed on the support and contains a photopolymerization initiator showing a favorable photosensitization speed, an ethylenically unsaturated compound capable of undergoing addition polymerization and a binder polymer soluble in alkali developing solution, together with, if needed, an oxygen-blocking protective layer has advantages such as a high productivity, convenience in development, high resolution and favorable ink impression and, therefore, available as a printing plate having desirable printing performance.
To improve press life of printing plates, use has been made of urethane resin binders (see, for example, JP-B-7-120040, JP-B-7-120041, JP-B-7-120042, JP-B-8-12424, JP-A-63-287944, JP-A-63-287947 and JP-A-1-271741). In these documents, however, no description is made on image drawing by laser-scanning exposure. Although there are lithographic printing plates which contain a urethane binder and are suitable for laser-scanning exposure, these plates are still insufficient in press life energy per unit area is lowered and thus the discrimination of exposed part/unexposed part is lessened. As a result, there arises a problem that the image part is frequently damaged by an alkali component in the developing solution and thus a favorable press life cannot be obtained.

Polymerizable composition and lithographic printing plate precursor

Abstract: wherein X represents a tri- or higher valent atom; R1 and R2 each independently represent a single bond or an alkylene group optionally having a substituent, provided that R1 and R2 do not represent a single bond at a same time; A represents a straight chain linking group; and n is an integer of from 1 to 5.


A liquid dispensing device using a piezoelectric member in connection with an atomizing head and a passive metering method to supply liquid to the atomizing head. Preferably, the device is used to but not limited to dispensing of fragrances, insecticides or other aromatic solutions. The piezoelectric member does not vibrate the nozzle plate through which the liquid is dispensed. The passive metering method relies only on surface tension forces within the supply passageway. The device can work with a wider range of liquid properties than existing piezoelectric devices of this type. The passive metering method is robust and consistent, enabling larger and more varied liquid reservoirs because the reservoir height is not a factor in determining the performance of the device. The atomizing head functions with a wider range of liquids than atomizers whose nozzle plates are directly excited.

Devices exist to atomize and dispense liquids. These include liquid dispensers, medical devices, printing devices and many more. Pressurized aerosol canisters and hand-operated sprayers are the most common devices in use. Pressurized devices have environmental concerns related to volatile emissions and are also limited by precision metering of liquids, cost and power consumption.
Piezoelectric ultrasonic vaporization devices have been developed to increase precision, especially for printing and medical device applications. Some devices, such as used in a humidifier, are less precise and work only with certain types of liquids.
Other piezoelectric ultrasonic devices for liquid dispensing use a vibrating membrane and a wick to deliver liquid to the vibrating membrane. The wick limits the range of liquids to be used in these devices because of clogging of the wick and limitations of the viscosity of the liquid. The vertical orientation of a wick further restricts the design because it requires that the orientation of the vibrating membrane be horizontal. Further, the vibrating membrane in such devices is sensitive to residual accumulation of liquid on the plate. This reduces the range of liquids that can be used in such a device. Finally, the reservoir size that can be used in such a device is relatively small, because its height is limited by the height that a wick can draw liquid to the vibrating membrane.
Devices used to dispense ink for printing employ a chamber pressurized from the back to eject droplets through a perforated membrane. These designs are appropriate for Inkjet printing but are relatively expensive because they require precise semiconductor fabrication processes. In such designs, the delivery of liquid to the perforated membrane is a challenge and only small volume reservoirs can be used.

Liquid dispensing apparatus using a passive liquid metering method


An apparatus is disclosed for supporting a heart valve at an annulus of an implantation site. The apparatus includes a base portion operative to maintain a circumferential dimension thereof. A plurality of fingers extend axially and radially outwardly from the first end of the support element. A heart valve can be located within the apparatus to provide a prosthesis that can be suturelessly implanted at an annulus of a patient.

It is well known to utilize mechanical heart valves, such as a ball check valve, and natural tissue cardiac valves to replace defective aortic and mitral valves in human patients. One type of natural tissue heart valve typically employs a porcine valve for implantation in a human, as they are very similar to human valves of appropriate size and generally are easy to procure. Typically, the porcine valve is fixed by chemically treating it, such as with an appropriate glutaraldehyde solution. The treated porcine valve further may be mounted into a stent to support the valve at a fixed position.
In order to surgically implant a heart valve into a patient, the patient typically is placed on cardiopulmonary bypass during a complicated, but common, open chest procedure. In certain situations, an individual requiring a heart valve replacement may be substantially ill, such that placing the individual on cardiopulmonary bypass for an extended period of time may pose too great of risk. In particular, many older patients having a deficient aortic or pulmonic valve may be too ill to survive conventional open-heart surgery. Patients exhibiting these and other conditions would benefit from an improved heart valve prosthesis that may be implanted by a more efficient implantation procedure.

Support apparatus and heart valve prosthesis for sutureless implantation


The present invention is directed to an RF termination device that includes a substrate having a first meandered transmission line disposed on a first surface thereof. The meandered first transmission line has a predetermined first transmission line length and a characteristic impedance substantially equal to twice the predetermined system impedance. One end of the first meandered transmission line is configured as an open circuit. A second meandered transmission line is disposed on the first major surface adjacent the first meandered transmission line. The meandered second transmission line has a predetermined second transmission line length and a characteristic impedance substantially equal to twice the predetermined system impedance. One end of the second meandered transmission line is coupled to the other end of the first transmission line and the other end is coupled to ground.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to RF transmission lines, and particularly to REF terminations for said RF transmission lines.
2. Technical Background
In reference to FIG. 1, a block diagram of an RF device 1 connected to termination impedance 3 is shown. The termination impedance 3 is employed to prevent an RF signal from being reflected (from the end of the transmission line) back into device 1. As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, signal reflection occurs when a signal propagates down a transmission line and encounters an impedance mismatch. (The amount of reflected energy depends on the impedance mismatch). When signals are reflected back into the device 1, the 1device performance can be degraded, and worse yet, the device itself can be damaged.
By way of another example, FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic depiction of an RF directional coupler 1′ that is often employed in RF applications. The directional coupler 1′ includes a first transmission line 5-1 disposed in parallel with a second transmission line 5-2. The coupler 1′ may be configured as, e.g., a quarter wavelength (λ/4) coupler. The first transmission line 5-1 includes port 2-1 and 2-3, whereas the second transmission line 5-2 includes port 2-2 and 24. The port 2-3 is connected to a termination resistor 3, which in turn, is coupled to ground potential. As before, if the device 1′ is not terminated properly, signal energy can be reflected back into the directional coupler 1′ and degrade its performance (such as return loss).
Now that some context has been provided, it should be noted that some of the issues impacting the design and manufacture of termination devices are related to device size, ease and simplicity of manufacture, power handling capability, bandwidth and impedance matching considerations.
In one approach that has been considered, high power RF terminations 3 can be produced using a thick film process that deposits substantially rectangular resistive patches onto a dielectric layer. When the subsequent termination device 3 is in use, it is typically mounted on a heat sink. The resistive patches are configured to convert the RF energy to thermal energy (i.e., I2R losses) so that the dielectric layer conducts the heat to the underlying heat sink. The power handling of the RF termination is proportional to the area of the resistive patch. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that higher power handling can be achieved by increasing the size of the termination 3.
This approach, however, has drawbacks. For example, relatively large resistive patches are typically commensurate with relatively large parasitic capacitances that limit the high frequency performance to about 1 GHz. In order to improve the high frequency performance, designers typically employ additional tuning components (i.e., inductance) to substantially eliminate the parasitic capacitance at the resonant frequency. While additional tuning components may be employed to substantially eliminate the parasitic capacitance, the designer must also take into account the fundamental tradeoff between bandwidth and power handling.
In another approach that has been considered, an RF termination element may be implemented using a relatively long lossy transmission line that is disposed on a dielectric layer. Referring to FIG. 3, therefore, a detail schematic diagram of a termination element realized by a lossy transmission line is shown. The characteristic impedance of the transmission line is Zo, which is equal to the system impedance (Zs), which is typically about 50 Ohms. The lossy transmission line 3-1 is configured to have a length (L) so that the wave travels a distance that is substantially equal to two times of the physical line length (2*L). The end of the lossy transmission line can be either connected to ground or left as an open circuit.
In operation, an incident signal wave propagates to the end of the transmission line and then is reflected back toward the signal source. However, as the reflected RF signal propagates toward the signal source, the lossy T-line termination causes the RF energy to be converted into thermal energy (I2R losses); and thus, the reflected signal decays due to the thermal losses. By properly selecting the length of the lossy transmission line, the reflection is attenuated to a negligible level when it returns to the RF device port (i.e., the signal source or input) because the reflected RF power has been converted to heat. This approach has very good high frequency response and there is no confliction between the bandwidth and power capability.
This approach also has drawbacks: because of practical limitations, the termination depicted in FIG. 3 is best realized using stripline technology. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, a stripline device requires a relatively complicated multilayer structure that includes interlayer vias and the like. Accordingly, the manufacture of a termination device of this type requires a more complicated and expensive process than what is typically employed in a standard thick film process.
To be specific, the lossy device 3 shown in FIG. 3 is typically manufactured using a co-fired ceramic build process that includes four green ceramic dielectric layers. The lossy transmission line 3-1 is typically implemented in two parts; i.e., a circuit trace metallization process prints the transmission line on two respective dielectric layers. The dielectric layers with the trace layers must be stacked-up in the correct order. In other words, each metal trace layer is unique within the stack up and has a unique beginning and a unique end. Moreover, each trace may have a different trace width and or distance to ground because of the electrical RF design requirements. Because two traces are employed to implement lossy line 3-1, vias are required to connect to the layer above to the layer below. As a result, the required via holes must be "punched" into the respective layers and filled with a conductive material. (The lossy device 3 can also be made with a bare minimum of two dielectric layers instead four. In this case, the circuit trace is sandwiched between the two layers, with the outer surfaces of the top and bottom layer including ground metallization. Even so, vias are still required because the center trace must be connected to the exterior of the device, and the top and bottom ground layers must be interconnected). After these steps are completed, the "stack-up" is fired to cure (harden) the green ceramic and conductive material in the vias and trace layers. The exterior surfaces are then metalized with nickel plating. (The plating could also employ silver, gold, tungsten, or conductive non-metallic materials such as graphite).
What is needed therefore is a termination device that offers performance similar to a lossy transmission line while overcoming its drawbacks. For example, a lossy termination device is needed that can be produced using standard thick film processes. As such, a lossy termination device is needed that requires a transmission line that has higher impedance and a smaller line length. What is further needed is a termination device that can be implemented using a microstrip structure rather than a more complicated and expensive stripline structure.


Disclosed is an integrated interfacing system for intelligent defect yield solutions. The integrated interfacing system is configured to have a web server, which initiates a web interface for containing a plurality of functional items provided for clicking to activate a corresponding function. Through the graphical user interface, users may select one or more functions for viewing the multiple solutions regarding wafer yield. The system uses a memory to store the computer-executable instructions for selectively performing corresponding functionalities. When the wafer images are inputted through the interface, the system performs a defect coordinate conversion, dashboard summary, defect screening, defect sampling, defect yield diagnosis, design for yield, yield prediction, pattern diagnosis, data management, and system administration. By the interfacing system, an additional viewing method is also introduced to provision of full-chip viewing over the data retrieved during the wafer manufacturing procedure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated interfacing system and a method thereof for intelligent yield solutions, more particularly, to provide a web site having pages which present the tools of browsing and analyzing the wafer defect detections.
2. Description of Related Art
In the process of manufacturing the integrated circuit (the "IC"), thin film deposition, mask exposure, lithography, and etching are the necessary steps. However, it is still hard to avoid the random particle defects and systematic defects resulting in debasing the yield during the manufacturing process. The lower yield may raise the cost of the chip.
Since the defects are major causes of yield loss for all integrated circuit products, many conventional solutions have been developed. The main subjective of yield improvement efforts is to identify and eliminate major yield limitations. In general, the defects can be caught by scanning a sample of IC wafers with in-line defect scan tools. The most common defect types are identified, after which an effort is made to find the source of these common defects and fix the problem.
With the development of the modern layout design, the size of IC layout is getting smaller, and the concerning defect that may affect the yield of product will be smaller. A fabrication plant for the wafer production is required to increase the defect scan tool's and test equipment's sensitivities for acknowledging most of the killer defects on the wafer. Therefore, a large number of the defects may be acquired due to the high-sensitivity detection. In fact, the non-killer defects may also be found out. Thus, identification and classification of the various defects become necessary for improving efficiency of checking all of the killer defects. The further solutions may be accordingly implemented. However, the current technology lacks of proper tools of viewing the defects since the larger number of defect reports are constantly produced.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for providing the web-activated tools that addresses one or more of the above-identified considerations for users to function the browsing and analyzing the matters of wafers. Thus the detailed description directed to the invention is disclosed to provide a solution to the problem.

Integrated interfacing system and method for intelligent defect yield solutions


A ground fault detection apparatus includes a detection capacitor, termination resistors on positive- and negative-electrode sides, bypass resistors on positive- and negative-electrode sides, a bypass twin relay, twin relays on positive- and negative-electrode sides, and a control unit configured to compare a first full-charge voltage obtained with the positive-electrode-side twin relay in a first state, the negative-electrode-side twin relay in a second state and the bypass twin relay in a first state, with a second full-charge voltage obtained with the positive-electrode-side twin relay in a second state, the negative-electrode-side twin relay in a first state and the bypass twin relay in the first state, and determines that negative-electrode-side insulation resistance is lowered when the second full-charge voltage is smaller and when degree of the smallness is great.

In a vehicle such as a hybrid car, which includes an engine and an electric motor as driving sources, and an electric vehicle, a battery mounted on a vehicle body is charged, and driving power is generated with use of electric energy supplied from the battery. In general, a power supply circuit related to the battery is configured as a high-voltage circuit using as high voltage as 200V or higher, and for ensuring safety, the high-voltage circuit including the battery is in an ungrounded configuration in which the high-voltage circuit is electrically insulated from a vehicle body serving as a reference potential point of a ground.
In the vehicle mounted with the ungrounded high-voltage battery, a ground fault detection apparatus is provided to monitor an insulating (ground fault) state between the vehicle body and a system provided with the high-voltage battery, specifically, a main power supply system ranging from the high-voltage battery to a motor. As the ground fault detection apparatus, one of a type using a capacitor called a flying capacitor is widely used.
FIG. 11 illustrates a circuit example of a conventional ground fault detection apparatus of the flying capacitor type. As illustrated in FIG. 7, a ground fault detection apparatus 400 is connected to an ungrounded high-voltage battery 300 to detect a ground fault of a system provided with the high-voltage battery 300. In this apparatus, insulation resistance between a positive-electrode side of the high-voltage battery 300 and a ground is referred to as RLp, and insulation resistance between a negative-electrode side and the ground is referred to as RLn.
As illustrated in FIG. 7, the ground fault detection apparatus 400 includes a detection capacitor C1 operated as the flying capacitor. The ground fault detection apparatus 400 also includes four switches S1 to S4 around the detection capacitor C1 to switch a measurement path and control charge/discharge of the detection capacitor C1. The ground fault detection apparatus 400 further includes a switch Ss configured to sample voltage for measurement corresponding to charge voltage of the detection capacitor C1.
To figure out the insulation resistance RLp and RLn, the ground fault detection apparatus 400 repeats a measurement operation with one cycle including V0 measurement period→Vc1n measurement period→V0 measurement period→Vc1p measurement period. In any of the measurement periods, the detection capacitor C1 is charged with voltage to be measured, and charge voltage of the detection capacitor C1 is then measured. The detection capacitor C1 is then discharged for the subsequent measurement.
In the V0 measurement period, voltage corresponding to voltage of the high-voltage battery 300 is measured. Thus, the switches S1 and S2 are turned on, the switches S3 and S4 are turned off, and the detection capacitor C1 is charged. That is, the high-voltage battery 300, a resistor R1, the detection capacitor C1, and a resistor R2 constitute the measurement path.
At the time of measurement of charge voltage of the detection capacitor C1, the switches S1 and S2 are turned off, the switches S3 and S4 are turned on, the switch Ss is turned on, and sampling is performed in a control unit 420. Thereafter, the detection capacitor C1 is discharged for the subsequent measurement. Operations at the time of measurement of charge voltage of the detection capacitor C1 and at the time of discharge of the detection capacitor C1 are similar in the other measurement periods.
In the Vc1n measurement period, voltage on which an influence of the insulation resistance RLn is reflected is measured. Thus, the switches S1 and S4 are turned on, the switches S2 and S3 are turned off, and the detection capacitor C1 is charged. That is, the high-voltage battery 300, the resistor R1, the detection capacitor C1, a resistor R4, a ground, and the insulation resistor RLn constitute the measurement path.
In the Vc1p measurement period, voltage on which an influence of the insulation resistance RLp is reflected is measured. Thus, the switches S2 and S3 are turned on, the switches S1 and S4 are turned off, and the detection capacitor C1 is charged. That is, the high-voltage battery 300, the insulation resistor RLp, the ground, a resistor R5, the detection capacitor C1, and the resistor R2 constitute the measurement path.
It is known that, (RLp×RLn)/(RLp+RLn) can be derived based on (Vc1p+Vc1n)/V0 calculated from V0, Vc1n, and Vc1p obtained in these measurement periods. Thus, the control unit 420 of the ground fault detection apparatus 400 can figure out the combined resistance of the insulation resistances RLp and RLn by measuring V0, Vc1n, and Vc1p. If the combined resistance of the insulation resistances RLp and RLn is equal to or less than a predetermined determination reference level, then the control unit 420 determines that a ground fault is occurring and outputs a warning.
Meanwhile, in each of the measurement periods, when the detection capacitor C1 is fully charged, a voltage value of the high-voltage battery 300 is obtained in the V0 measurement period, and values obtained by dividing the high-voltage battery 300 by the insulation resistance RLp, RLn are just derived in the Vc1n measurement period and the Vc1p measurement period. The insulation resistance cannot be calculated by the above equation. For this reason, charge time in each of the measurement periods is set to be the time by which the detection capacitor C1 is charged for about 50%, for example.


Provided is a shoe with a cushion and ventilation device. The cushion and ventilation device includes an air pump having an air discharge tube provided at its one side, and an air tube having a connection pipe connecting to the air discharge tube of the air pump, and an air chamber, wherein the air pump is provided by placing an upper sheet having a cavity on a lower sheet having an intake hole, and thermally bonding circumference surfaces of the upper and lower sheets using microwave, and wherein the upper and lower sheets further comprise a sponge having contraction and restoring forces therein.

As well known in the art, shoes for protecting walker's feet are manufactured using leather or synthetic resin that makes ventilation poor. Therefore, the shoes are not well air-circulated and thus, sweat or moisture causes bad smell and causes disease, such as athlete's foot or eczema, due to propagation of bacteria.
In order to solve the above problems, in recent years, a shoe with a ventilation device has been much suggested. In a schematic structure, the ventilation shoe includes a pump installed under a shoe sole and sucking air; a check valve for allowing one-way passage of the air sucked in the pump; and an air discharge tube connecting with the check valve and discharging the air passing through the check valve, into the shoe.
The conventional ventilation shoe having the above construction is clearly useful in that, in a walking motion, the air pump is repeatedly compressed and restored and performs a pumping operation, thereby continuously supplying external air into the shoe and effectively eliminating sweat or bad smell from the shoe. However, the conventional ventilation shoe has the following drawbacks.
First, in the conventional ventilation shoe, the air pump is compressed by pressure of foot and sucks air in the walking motion and then, when the pressure is not applied, is restored to an original state and discharges the sucked air into the discharge tube. The air pump is formed of elastic material to have cavity therein so that contraction and restoring operations can be performed. However, the above constructed air pump has a drawback in that, due to the long contraction and restoring operations, its elasticity is deteriorated and the restoring operation is not done well, thereby not providing a smooth pumping operation.
The conventional ventilation shoe has just only a ventilation function of circulating air in the shoe, and does not have a means for cushioning impact applied to the foot in the walking motion. Therefore, there is a drawback in that a walker easily feels tired due to the impact continuously applied to the foot in the walking motion.

Shoe with cushion and ventilation device


Various system embodiments of the present invention are directed to an automated concierge system through which users of the automated concierge system can request and obtain many types of information and services. Unlike traditional search engines and electronic query-processing interfaces, the automated concierge systems provide much greater flexibility with respect to means of access, including types of electronic devices and communications media that can be used to access the concierge services, greater flexibility in the timing of responses to information and service requests, more efficient information and service provision, and access to a much broader range of information sources and service providers. The automated concierge systems that represent embodiments of the present invention provide state-associated searches, in contrast to the stateless searches generally provided by search engines and many electronic query-processing interfaces, and employ a generally asynchronous message-based interface, rather than the rigid request/response interfaces provided by traditional search engines and other electronic query-processing systems.

With the advent of inexpensive and commonly available computer-networking technologies and inexpensive personal computers, those who own and/or use personal computers have grown accustomed to, and, in many cases, dependent on, electronic information searching and retrieval through various search-engine websites provided through the Internet. Consumers may currently carry out a large percentage of their retail transactions through the Internet, often facilitated by electronic Internet searches for retailers and products, and additionally employ the Internet for access to news, information about the weather, information about commercial, private, and governmental services, and for access to a host of additional services and information sources. Indeed, personal computers, electronic databases, and query-processing interfaces have replaced many older information retrieval systems, including card catalogs in public libraries, many of the traditional printed reference materials in public libraries, manual systems for access to public records and documents, and many other older information sources and searching systems.
Although search engines and the many query-processing interfaces used to access various electronic databases are increasingly successfully applied for providing information provision to consumers, personal-computer users, and the public at large, search engines and query-processing interfaces have certain drawbacks, constraints, and limitations. These drawbacks, constraints, and limitations may include a narrow range of devices from, and communications media through, which information can be accessed, a lack of effective targeting of searches in order to efficiently retrieve information, inflexibility with respect to timing of responses, and a narrow range of types of information sources that can be accessed. Thus, although search engines and various query-processing interfaces provide enormous benefit and useful access to information, those seeking information have recognized the need for more efficient, more flexible, and more powerful information-searching and information-retrieval systems.