Light fixtures having a plurality of light-emitting diodes that maximize the amount of direct light into an intended area. The light fixture may include a carriage with a first (top) end and a second (bottom) end. A hood may be mounted to the first end of the carriage. At least one light engine comprising a plurality of light sources is mounted to the hood. The light sources emit light downwardly directly onto an intended area. In certain embodiments the second end of the carriage is shaped and sized so that it does not interfere with emission of the light to the intended area. The light fixture thus provides light in a thermally efficient manner, maximizes the amount of direct light, and limits the amount of light pollution.

Energy efficiency and environmental impact have become areas of great concern for society. Thus, many cities have adopted "Dark Skies" initiatives that aim to reduce light pollution by encouraging reduced amounts of light in the nocturnal environment. These initiatives encourage using less light in general, using controls (such as on-off capabilities and time-of-night sensors), and using reflectors and shields to reduce nocturnal light. Such measures may result in energy savings resulting in economic benefits, better nighttime ambience and quality of life, conservation of nocturnal wildlife and ecosystems, and increased visibility at night by reducing glare. One organization that supports such initiatives is the International Dark Sky Association.
In keeping with these initiatives, commercial entities and concerned individuals continue to look for ways to reduce their energy consumption and the amount of light that is emitted upward into the sky. Many individuals are looking to replace old light fixtures with newer fixtures or at least to modify existing light fixtures to be more efficient. The concern is generally found in light fixtures that are employed in outdoor settings, such as street or post top fixtures, but is equally applicable to indoor light fixtures.
An existing post top fixture 10 is shown in FIG. 1. This post top fixture 10 uses a mixture of indirect and direct lighting, and is not necessarily compliant with Dark Skies initiatives. Nor is it very thermally or energy efficient. The post top fixture 10 has a carriage 20 defined by side arms 24 and clear, diffuse or prismatic glass or plastic panes 26 positioned between the side arms 24. There is a hood 16 affixed to the top of the carriage 20. The hood 16 has a cavity 14 that is dimensioned to receive a light source 12. The light sources 12 in such traditional post top fixtures 10 are typically compact fluorescent, high intensity discharge or incandescent light bulbs. In use, it is generally intended for the light to be emitted downwardly from the hood 16, in the area around the pole of the fixture 10. This area is called the "intended area" for the emitted light.
Some of the light is emitted towards the intended areas, resulting in direct lighting of the intended area. The direct light must pass through the panes 26 that define the carriage 20. When light passes through the panes 26, it can result in a loss of optical efficiency of around 8%. The tilted panes 26 may also refract light upwards into the sky. If the panes 26 are dirty then optical efficiency and upward refraction and reflection are even more problematic. Additionally, the panes 26 if constructed of glass or brittle plastic are subject to vandalism by people breaking the panes 26. The panes 26 thus result in inefficiency and might create dangerous conditions.
Additionally, some of the light in traditional post top fixtures 10 is emitted upwardly, which wastes energy and violates Dark Skies initiatives. Thus, a reflector 18 may be placed around the cavity 14 and on the underside of the hood 16 to redirect some of the upwardly emitted light back downward into the intended area, thus resulting in indirect lighting of the intended area. While the reflector 18 does tend to minimize the amount of emitted light that is directed upward, it does not eliminate it entirely as a portion of the refracted light traveling through the panes 26 will be redirected upwards.
Commercial entities and concerned individuals may desire to replace these existing post top fixtures 10 with new light fixtures that are more efficient and are in keeping with Dark Skies initiatives. But the cost of completely replacing existing post top fixtures 10 might be prohibitive, and results in landfill waste. Thus, it may be desirable to modify existing post top fixtures 10 to be more efficient and Dark Skies friendly.
Therefore, there is a need for an efficient light fixture that maximizes the amount of direct lighting supplied to an intended area.
There is also a need for a light fixture that minimizes the amount of upwardly directed light, thus minimizing energy loss and light pollution.
There is also a need to modify existing light fixtures to be more efficient and Dark Skies friendly, rather than replacing the existing light fixtures with new light fixtures.


A fixture for holding electrical components on an external support structure protects the components from weather, dust, condensation, and mechanical impact. An example fixture includes a shell having an open bottom side; a base configured for sliding engagement with the bottom side of the shell, a first electrical connector held in a selected rotational orientation in the base; and a support frame configured for sliding engagement with the shell. The support frame includes a first component holder; a second component holder rotatably connected to the first component holder; and a third component holder rotatably connected to the second component holder and removably connected to the first component holder. An optional connector on the shell allows the fixture to be installed between a host connector and any previously-installed legacy equipment.

Applications using electrical or electronic components may benefit from being sited on powered or power-capable structures. Example applications include sound monitoring, electronic communication, signal amplification and relay, optical sensing, traffic monitoring, radio communication with vehicles, and monitoring of physical phenomena such as particulate levels, vibration, power fluctuation, humidity and temperature.
Fixtures may be provided for holding electrical and/or electronic components, protecting the components, providing mechanical support, and providing interfaces for electrical power and electrical signals. Fixtures may further provide for vibration dampening, condensation control, voltage isolation, and capability for being positioned in a selected cardinal direction or a selected direction with respect to the ground or a structure. As an example, a solar control may be most effective when oriented toward an optimal cardinal direction, possibly toward the south for an installation in the northern hemisphere.
A fixture for electrical and electronic components may be attached to any of a number of different structures. Some structures may include an energized electrical receptacle available for connection to the fixture. Other structures may not have an electrical receptacle but may be capable of having an electrical receptacle installed. An electrical receptacle capable of electrically and mechanically connecting to a fixture may be referred to as a host receptacle. Examples of structures to which a fixture may be attached include pump sheds, windmills, masts, railroad signal gantries, HVAC systems, solar arrays, parking structures, light poles, structures associated with an electric power distribution system, stadium lighting, feedlot enclosures, mobile irrigation equipment, guard shacks, cellular telephone towers, aircraft hangers, police stations and drilling rigs. Natural structures like trees may be used to support a host receptacle, for example for lighting or loudspeakers.
Structures may be located in various settings including industrial parks, roadways, airports, harbors, farms, test facilities, military installations, recreational facilities, sporting venues, power stations, bodies of water, underground facilities, private homes and public parks. A fixture located in one of these locations may be exposed to rainfall, high humidity, heat, cold, dust, dirt, chemical agents capable of degrading materials in the fixture, contaminants, bright sunlight, salt spray, and other conditions and substances that may affect the operation of electrical or electronic components included in or attachable to the fixture. As used herein, a contaminant refers to a substance that, if admitted to the chamber, may interfere with the function of the electrical components in the fixture. Examples of contaminants include, but are not limited to, solvents such as water, turpentine, or alcohol, soap solutions or other cleaning compounds; debris, dust, dirt, guano, insects or insect-related substances and plant material such as seeds and leaves.
A fixture capable of secure mechanical and electrical connections to many different kinds of structures, providing long-duration protection to a variety of environmental conditions, and having mechanical and electrical interfaces readily configurable to many different applications has not been previously available.

Fixture for electrical components on powered or power-capable structures


Electrochromic devices having reduced switching times and their methods of manufacturing are presented. In one instance, the electrochromic device includes a transparent substrate having a surface. A first transparent conductive layer is disposed on a portion of the surface. The electrochromic device also includes an optically active layer disposed on the first transparent conductive layer. The optically active layer is configured to alter optical properties in response to an applied electric field. A second transparent conductive layer is disposed on the optically active layer. The electrochromic device additionally includes a patterned conductive layer disposed on the second transparent conductive layer and defining an array on the second transparent conductive layer. The array partitions the electrochromic device into a plurality of electrochromic cells. Other electrochromic devices and methods are presented.

Electrochromic devices include an optically active layer disposed between two conductive layers. The two conductive layers are transparent, and during operation, apply voltages to the optically active layer. Such voltages correspond to electric fields passing through the optically active layer. The optically active layer is formed of materials whose light transmittance changes in response to applied electric fields. Thus, each applied voltage induces a transmissive state in the optically active layer. By selectively manipulating the applied voltage, electrochromic devices can switch into a desired transmissive state and regulate light passing therethrough. In general, increased voltages correspond to transmissive states that have a lower transmittance of light.
Electrochromic devices have been integrated into glass panes to produce so-called "smart windows" that selectively regulate light transmission. Within a "smart window," an electrochromic device spans a functional area of a glass pane, which can be the entirety of the pane. In this configuration, electrical coupling to conductive layers occurs from a perimeter of the glass pane, thereby requiring an electrical charge to move inward when voltages are applied. For this reason, conventional "smart windows" are observed to first darken (or lighten) from their edges to achieve a uniform transmissive state. This darkening (or lightening) then travels inward. Such an effect creates delays when switching between transmissive states.
The delayed switching times can be influenced by sheet resistances associated with the two conductive layers. In operation, electrical charges traveling inward from the perimeter must overcome a cumulative resistance that increases with distance. Thus, during operation, a voltage distribution across the two conductive layers is initially non-uniform, i.e., voltages experienced by the optically active layer can decrease when traveling inward and away from the perimeter. Thus, there is a need for electrochromic devices that reduce sheet resistance effects associated with the conductive layers.

Electrochromic devices having reduced switching times and their methods of manufacture


A card coupling apparatus includes a circuit board, a plurality of card connectors mounted on the circuit board, a system connector mounted to the circuit board, and a switch chip mounted to the circuit board and electrically coupled to the plurality of card connectors and the system connector. The card coupling apparatus may be coupled to an information handling system and a plurality of video cards may be coupled to the information handling system by coupling the plurality of video cards to the card coupling apparatus.

The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to coupling a plurality of cards to an information handling system.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems typically include a video controller which generally includes at least one video card coupled to the information handling system. Video card manufacturers have begun to develop methods of scaling video performance by enabling multiple video cards to work in parallel in order to split the computational work of rendering the display. These methods of using multiple video cards raise issues with respect to the coupling of the video cards to the information handling system.
For example, many of the video cards manufactured couple to the information handling system through a PCI-Express connector. There are currently no Intel chipsets on the market which enable the wiring of multiple video card connectors in a manner which complies with PCI-Express specifications. Furthermore, adding an additional graphics bus to the Intel memory controller hub would substantially increase the pincount and the number of layers necessary on the board, substantially increasing the cost of the system.
Present solutions to this problem include wiring a second video card connector to the ×8 PCI-Express bus, which violates the PCI-Express specfications because the second video card connector only has eight of the sixteen lanes connected.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide for coupling a plurality of cards to an information handling system absent the disadvantages found in the prior methods discussed above.

Method and apparatus for coupling a plurality of cards to an information handling system


The invention relates to a sugar-free confectionery, characterized in that it comprises a sweetening mass comprising branched maltodextrins having between 15 and 35% of 1xe2x86x926 glucoside linkages, a reducing sugar content of less than 20%, a polymolecularity index of less than 5 and a number-average molecular mass Mn at most equal to 4500 g/mol and at least one polyol chosen from the group consisting of erythritol, mannitol and maltitol, the said branched maltodextrins constituting from 0.5 to 75% of the sweetening mass, and the said polyol constituting at most 13.5% and preferably at most 10% of the sweetening mass which it comprises.

The present invention relates to a novel confectionery obtained using an appropriate quantity of branched maltodextrins in combination with at least one polyol.
Nowadays, as regards confectionery products and sweetmeats, it appears that new strong consumer trends are appearing. Notions of nutritional balance and healthy lifestyle are, consciously or otherwise, taken into account in current diets. Although the enjoyment of what is sweet is still very strong, a good number of consumers wish to avoid the problems linked to the consumption of sugars. It is for this reason that confectionery manufacturers have been led to develop sugar-free combinations in which polyols, sometimes called sugar alcohols, are rightly used because of their harmlessness towards the teeth and of their reduced calorific value compared with sucrose.
One of the great difficulties from which formulators of sugar-free confectionery products cannot escape is that of successfully manufacturing products which are in every respect similar to traditional products to the extent that it is difficult to tell them apart, this being without having to substantially alter or complicate the plants and the procedures in place in industries. This is also true of the confectionery products which are the subject of the present invention.
Various documents reporting active research studies in this field are known. There may be mentioned in particular:
the documents U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,597,981 and 4,323,359 both relating to sugar-free soft confectionery products containing gelatin.
the document FR-A-2,338,651 in which there is claimed a novel process for manufacturing soft sweets having a crystalline structure. This process is equally suitable for the production of conventional products and sugar-free products. Mannitol is cited among the numerous possible sugar substitutes, but xylitol, which is preferred because of the sensation of freshness which it produces in the mouth, is used as sole and only substitute for mixtures of sugar and glucose syrup. The applicants have observed that this is not possible with mannitol.
the document EP-A-377,278 relating to a dietetic sweetening composition, in which grained chewy pastes are described, also containing xylitol. The latter still represents at least 38% of the sweetening mass, which, given its price on the market, tends to dissuade industrialists from its use in such an application. Moreover, the products obtained which are the most advantageous from the point of view of their texture and their stability require very high cooking temperatures, in the region of 165xc2x0 C., but also the maturation of the massecuite overnight before being worked again. It can be understood why an industrial implementation of such a process can be very delicate.
the document EP-A-0,630,573 describing sugar-free aerated and grained confectionery products, free of cellulosic compounds derived from cellulose, comprising a polyol chosen from mannitol and erythritol, the said polyol constituting from 13.5 to 28% of the sweetening mass of the said confectionery.
There are therefore currently no technically or economically viable solutions allowing the manufacture of sugar-free confectionery products having the qualitative characteristics set out above.
On the strength of this acknowledged fact, the applicants set out to remedy this deficiency while setting themselves the essential objective of reducing as much as possible the quantities of polyols to be used in the preparation of such confectionery products. This is justified for reasons of a technical nature linked to ease of manufacture but also of an economic and metabolic nature, that is to say in particular of digestive tolerance. Furthermore, it is particularly advantageous to limit as much as possible the incorporation of polyols which indeed contain fewer calories than sugar, but contain more calories than other bulking agents which may also enter into the formulation of such confectionery products, such that, if desired, a substantially higher calorie reduction can thus be obtained.
Finally, it is also possible to envisage, by virtue of the use of the small quantity of polyols, the introduction of substances with advantageous nutritional or pharmacodynamic properties such as, in the case of the present invention, branched maltodextrins, in a nonnegligible quantity.
It is after many trials that the applicants have had the merit to observe, surprisingly and unexpectedly, that the combination of branched maltodextrins and certain polyols made it possible to prepare sugar-free confectionery products which are very well tolerated, optionally having a low calorific value, an excellent stability and an adaptable texture, at a rate of use, expressed relative to the sweetening mass present in confectionery products, which is particularly low and in particular lower than that described in the document EP-A-0,630,573.


A device and method that employs prints produced by video color system thermal printers as transfers for creating personalized ceramic mugs, tiles or the like articles. The method comprises creating a mirror image print by means of a color video system with printer, applying that print to the surface of the mug or the like which has been treated with a sublimable dye absorbing compound, and applying heat (200 to 400.degree. F.) and pressure exerted by a force of 200 to 400 pounds for period of time of about three to six minutes, to sublimate the limited dye in the print whereby it is absorbed by the coated surface of the mug or the like. The device for applying the heat and pressure is a heated press that has removable heated slidable platens which conform to the shape of the article to which the print is being transferred.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates in general to print transfers using sublimation dyes, and in particular to a pressing apparatus and method of making sublimation dye transfers from color video system prints and effectively applying such prints to coated ceramic mugs, tiles or coated metal articles, or like articles.
2. State of the Art
Methods and various types of Apparatus for producing photographic-like images on hard surfaces such as ceramic mugs and tiles are commercially available to fulfill an existing need evident from the large number of decorated mugs and tiles sold and on sale in a wide variety of consumer retail outlets. These products are currently manufactured by utilizing pre-print transfers, such as decals, in most, if not all, cases which are produced by employing one of the following methods: silk screen printing, offset printing, gravure printing or mimeograph, the inks being used in these processes containing sublimable dyes. These methods require color separation and, in view of economic considerations, relatively long production runs. Another known process uses transfers produced on a xerographic type copy machine, but these transfers are limited to monotones, that is, a single color or black on white. These known transfer systems are not used, as a practical matter, for producing single, one-of-a-kind full color transfers or at least are not economically so used, and currently, other than the instant invention, the only commercially viable method for producing such one-of-a-kind colored ceramic mugs is by hand painting individual pieces.
Today's color video print systems employ primary thermal printing of sublimable dyes that have previously been applied on webs by known techniques. These webs contain successive blocks of yellow, magenta and cyan dyes which are thermally transferred onto print papers specially treated to accept and absorb the sublimable dyes. Information on such printing techniques is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,494, issued Mar. 17, 1987, to Kutsukake et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,091, issued Mar. 15, 1988, to Majima. For the sublimable dyes to be absorbed and provide an image on the reception medium, which is resistent both to wear and fading or color distortion on exposure to daylight or artificial lighting, that medium is provided with a coating of, or is a composition of, or has mixed within its body materials of the types disclosed by Davis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,263 of Jul. 26, 1983; Hi et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,851 of Oct. 19, 1982, and Krajec, U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,672 of May 12, 1987.
The art is redundant with patents disclosing methods and apparatus for primary transfer printing wherein sublimation dyes are affixed by known printing techniques, such as off-set, gavure and silkscreen, to carrier webs or sheets, which, in turn, are applied at various temperatures and onto surfaces of varying compositions. For the most part, this primary printing, using carriers or transfers with the prints thereon, is accomplished by heating the elements of the process to the sublimation temperatures of the dyes at near normal atmospheric pressures. The printed side of the carrier or transfer is placed in contact with the object onto which the image is to be printed while heat is applied to either the transfer, or the material to be printed, or both for relatively short durations, normally from one to ten seconds. With exceptions such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,263 of Davis which relates to printing on various laminates, U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,667 of Meredith et al of Oct. 25, 1983, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,852 of Custor, issued Jul. 31, 1984, addressed to printing on materials passing between rollers, the application of significant pressure has not been considered a crucial factor in the transfer process. However, these latter patents are for primary print transfers. As described in the Meredith et al and Custor patents, pressure is provided to compensate for the extremely short contact period between the carrier web and the surface to receive the image. Davis teaches that a small amount of pressure may be used to control the transfer.

Press for transferring video prints to ceramic mugs and other surfaces


Examples of a substrate processing method include subjecting a substrate placed on a susceptor to plasma processing, applying power to an RF electrode facing the susceptor for only a predetermined static electricity removal time to generate plasma, thereby reducing an amount of charge of the substrate, measuring a self-bias voltage of the RF electrode while susceptor pins are made to protrude from a top surface of the susceptor and lift up the substrate, and by a controller, shortening the static electricity removal time when the self-bias voltage has a positive value, and lengthening the static electricity removal time when the self-bias voltage has a negative value.

After a film formation process, particularly in a high-power and low-temperature process, a Si substrate may stick to a susceptor serving as a cathode. It has been considered that when plasma is generated with radio frequency (RF) power and film formation is performed, a Si substrate is charged with electrical charges, so that the susceptor and the Si substrate electrostatically attract each other and stick to each other.
When susceptor pins are brought into contact with the back surface of the substrate to lift up the substrate under the state that the substrate sticks to the susceptor, the substrate is forcedly exfoliated from the susceptor, so that great force acts on the substrate. The great force acting on the substrate causes a transfer error of the substrate due to a displacement of the substrate, or damages the susceptor pins or the substrate.
In order to suppress sticking of the substrate to the susceptor, it is necessary that proper plasma post-processing is performed according to the amount of charge of the substrate to reduce the amount of charge of the substrate. That is, it is necessary to perform removal of static electricity according to the amount of charge of the substrate. The amount of charge of the substrate varies depending on the content of the plasma processing. For example, the amount of charge of the substrate varies depending on plasma irradiation time or power under film formation.


A fuser member having a substrate; an outer layer containing a silicone or fluoropolymer; and a release agent material coating on the outer layer, wherein the release agent material coating includes a perfluorinated polyether having a skeleton of Formulas I or II or mixtures thereof:CF3—(CF2CF2)m—O—(R1R2O)—(R3R3O)n—(R3O)p—(CF2)q—CF3  Formula Iwherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of CF2, CF—CF3 and —NR4R5; R2 is selected from the group consisting of CF2, CF—CF3, and —NR4R5; R3 is selected from the group consisting of CF2 and CF3; R4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl group having from about 1 to about 18 carbon atoms, arylalkyl group having from about 7 to about 18 carbon atoms, mercapto, hydride and carbinol functional group; R5 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl having from about 1 to about 20 carbons, and a fluoroalkyl having from about 2 to about 10 carbons; m is a number of 0 or 1; n is a number of from about 0 to about 500; p is a number of from about 0 to about 100; q is a number of 0 or 1; and p+n is a number of from about 180 to about 500; andR1—(CF2CF2)m—O—(R2R2O)n—(R2O)p—(CF2)q—CF3—R1  Formula IIwherein R1 is CF3; R2 is CF2, or CF—CF3; m is a number of 0 or 1; n is a number of from about 0 to about 500; p is a number of from about 0 to about 100; q is a number of 0 or 1; and p+n is a number of from about 180 to about 500.

Disclosed herein are fuser members and imaging members useful in electrostatographic reproducing apparatuses, including digital, image on image, and contact electrostatic printing and copying apparatuses; and in ink jet (such as phase change, solid ink, and the like) apparatuses. The fuser members can be used as fuser members, pressure members, transfuse or transfix members, and the like. The imaging members can be imaging, transfix, transfuse, or the like, members useful in ink jet machines. In an embodiment, the release agent is a perfluorinated polyether release agent. In embodiments, the release agent has pendant functional groups. In embodiments, the release agent comprises a functional perfluorinated polyether material and a functional silicone material.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,904 teaches use of a perfluoroalkyl polyether as a release agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,406 teaches use of perfluoroalkyl polyethers as release agents.
Maintaining release surfaces in various marking engine subsystems is approached in a variety of manners, most often by use of release agents. Release agents wet surfaces in marking engines by physical or chemical means, providing a continuous barrier to toner, ink, and additives. The release agent is replenished by release agent management (RAM), drum maintenance (DM) or translating web oiling systems.
The following are shortfalls in performance, and are barriers to increased release life, expansion of high-speed color marking, and reduction of total cost of ownership to customers (TCO). To begin with, chemical and physical interactions between silicone release agents and toner and/or ink constituents leads to insufficient releasability. In addition, higher amounts of fuser release agent on fuser and other surfaces results in contamination to parts of the apparatus.
In some commercial high-speed black and white products, fluorine-substituted silicones have been used as release agents at very low levels (<1 mg/pg) for enhanced performance. For many known marking engines, silicone-based release fluids are used because of their thermal stability and by virtue of the facility for functional side chain addition to silicone fluids used for chemical anchoring to substrates. These fluorine-substituted silicones provide fluids with enhanced resistance to interaction with toner and toner components, but are limited to specific applications and subsystem materials sets.
Fluorinated fluids, due to their non-interactivity with other materials, will allow an overall reduction in oil usage. The non-interactive nature increases their effectiveness as release fluids. In addition, these fluids can be effectively filtered and reused, which is an improvement over silicone fluids. Silicones interact so extensively with toner and wax ingredients, that gelation rates and viscosity increase while residing in the sump. This also contributes to gelation on fuser and other surfaces, contributing to secondary failure modes.
The performance of several end use applications in high-speed color printing is compromised by the residual silicone oil that remains on the surface of the print after fusing. Experience has demonstrated that fluorine-substituted silicone fluids avoid this issue because they diffuse into the paper faster than amine-functional silicone fluids, as they do not bond with paper fibers and fillers. Therefore, non-interactive fluorinated fluids should improve end use performance in printing applications where bookbinding adhesives, overcoat varnishes, and other end use processing is a consideration.
Several marking technologies use functional silicone release fluids in order to aid the wetting of the release surface by chemical means. This functionality is multi-faceted in nature, in that it can fortify the release layer through the chemical attachment of functional groups to the surface, it enables more uniform coverage of the release layer, and it can improve wetting of the release fluids that may not wet/spread as effectively or as quickly as they would without the benefit of functionality. The foremost example of functional release fluids is amine functional silicone, commonly used in conjunction with anodized aluminum, fluoropolymer and fluoroelastomer surfaces. As an example, nonfunctional silicone does not inherently spread or wet a fluoroelastomer surface well at the nominal viscosity and temperature ranges suited to the application. The silicone is easily removed from the surface and its wetting behavior does not allow it to wet as uniformly or tenaciously as is necessary for sustained release performance. When the release fluid fails, ink or toner can then contact the drum or fuser surface, resulting in numerous shortfalls in performance, such as transfer offset failures.
Amine functional silicone consists of a blend of non-functional and functional components. The amine functional component is renewable and replenishable, and can both create and bond with unsaturation in polymer backbones. This enables the spread and release performance of the non-functional component, which spreads and remains by virtue of chain entanglement and affinity between the functional and non-functional parts.
Analogous to the previously described situation is the use of functional perfluorinated polyether (PFPE) or other fully fluorinated fluids as release agents. Two main issues in direct and xerographic marking are fuser offset and system reliability. The defects and maintenance requirements associated with these failure modes when used with silicone oil necessitate increased user intervention, increased cost of operation, and more complex system designs. The root cause of many failures in marking systems requiring release agents is the interaction and solubility between toner and ink constituents and the silicone release agent. This interaction and its effects on system performance have been extensively studied and mapped. The use of non-interactive PFPE fluids as release agents in these marking technologies can eliminate these interactions and provide a renewable, through effective filtration, release agent to improve subsystem life and reliability, thereby reducing maintenance and run costs.
There exists a need for a release agent to be used in color marking applications where higher speed, improved release life, and/or cost reduction is desirable. While these fluorinated fluids may be used in their currently commercially available configuration, without additional functionality, more demanding applications may warrant the use of functionalized versions of fluorinated fluids. Such functional molecules are known and can be prepared in a manner described in the following article: Tonelli Claudio, Gavezotti Piero and Strepparola Ezio. Linear perfluoropolyether difunctional oligomers: chemistry, properties and applications Journal of Fluorine Chemistry, Volume 95, Issues 1-2, 4 Jun. 1999, Pages 51-70.
In addition, a need still exists for a release agent, which provides sufficient wetting of the fuser member, but still has little or no interaction with copy substrates such as paper, so that the release agent does not interfere with adhesives and POST-IT® notes (by 3M) adhering to the copy substrate such as paper. It is further desired that the oil not prevent ink or toner adhesion to the final copy substrate. In addition, it is desired that the release agent not react with components of the toner or ink, nor promote fuser fluid gelation. Also, it is desired to provide a release agent that enables increase in life of the fuser member by improved spreading of the release agent.

Perfluorinated polyether release agent for fuser members


A game system is provided in which a plurality of pairs, each consisting of: a first input device provided with a first operation section; and a second input device provided with a second operation section, are wirelessly connected to a game apparatus, and in which a game process is executed based on operation data obtained from the first input device and the second input device. As an example, each of the first input device and the second input device includes a display section, wireless communication means for performing communication for the operation data and information regarding each pair, and a display control section for controlling a display form of the display section. The display control section controls the display form of the display section so as to be a display form corresponding to each pair. The game apparatus executes the game process based on the operation data for each pair.

1. Technical Field
The technology presented herein relates to a game system and a controller, and more particularly, to a game system and a controller which move, based on a direction input, an object displayed on a display device.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, for example, a controller including control units that are held by both hands of a player to perform a game operation is disclosed at the "Wii controller", the extension controller, and the nunchuk in the web page of URL: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/controllers/index.html, Nintendo Co., Ltd., searched on Jun. 22, 2009 (hereinafter, referred to as Non-Patent Document 1).
The controller disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 is composed of a first control unit and a second control unit that is connected to an external extension connector of the first control unit via a connection cable. Then, a player holds the first control unit with one hand (e.g. the right hand) and the second control unit with the other hand (e.g. the left hand), and performs a game operation. Here, each of the first control unit and the second control unit is provided with operation buttons, a stick, and the like on a top surface and a side surface of a housing thereof.
However, in the controller disclosed in the above Non-Patent Document 1, because the first control unit and the second control unit are connected to each other via the connection cable, a range in which the player holding the controller to perform a game operation can freely move the first control unit and the second control unit is limited. Further, when a plurality of players perform game operations by using the above controllers in a state where there are no connection cables, each pair of a first control unit and a second control unit is difficult to be identified, and thus there is the possibility that the players use wrong pairs of first control units and second control units. Further, when a player performs an operation by using a first control unit and a second control unit that belong to different pairs, it becomes impossible for the player to perform an intended operation.


A reconfigurable hardware architecture, in the form of a System-on-Chip 1, includes an ASIC (19) and an embedded FPGA (18) which define static and reconfigurable parts of an IC architecture (15) respectively. Incoming Ethernet, or other format, packets are applied to a packet filter (14), which detects those packets containing reconfiguration data. The reconfiguration data is used to update the FPGA (18).

Different types of IC architectures are available with various characteristics, giving a designer a choice in selecting the most appropriate for a particular purpose, such as, for example, signal processing in communication systems.
ASICs have a number of advantages. ASICs typically operate at a relatively low power and, if a large production run is involved, can be inexpensive to manufacture. In addition, they can be more densely provided in a system because of their relatively lower power consumption, reducing cooling requirements. This is important as systems become increasingly complex and sophisticated, requiring increased processing capability. However, it is not possible to correct or update an existing ASIC. In case of errors, or if protocol standards are changed, an expensive and time-consuming respin is required, with field exchange of circuit packs. For equipment operating under well-established standards and protocols, a manufacturer may decide to use ASICs in a system, if an assessment demonstrates a low risk that subsequent changes may be needed to the design as originally configured. For the established SDH/SONET features in communications systems, this risk is manageable and ASICs are widely used.
One alternative to an ASIC is an FPGA. FPGAs offer enhanced versatility, as they may be re-configured after manufacture. However, they also have significant disadvantages compared to ASICs, being more expensive to manufacture and consuming significantly higher power. High power consumption may lead to potential full volume capacity being unattainable because sufficient cooling cannot be provided. As an example, a typical ASIC may cost $200 and consume 4 W whereas an equivalent FPGA may cost about $400 and consume 12 W of power. Network Processors (NPs) may be used as an alternative to FPGAs, but their costs and power consumption are typically greater than those of FPGAs.
In emerging technologies, or fields where standardization is not complete or subject to change, such as certain communication fields, a manufacturer may be exposed to a high risk of having to recall and re-install ASICs to accommodate changes subsequent to its equipment deployment. Thus, a manufacturer may be compelled to use the less satisfactory FPGA to achieve the required flexibility.
One proposal for harnessing the advantages of ASICs with the flexibility of FPGAs is to combine the two types in an IC architecture. The most stable part of an architecture is implemented by an ASIC and an embedded FPGA is included to allow adjustments to be made to less well-defined parts of the architecture as requirements change, or for those parts which might be subject to bugs and require later fixes. The FPGA may be re-configured following installation by downloading instructions when software is updated.
Another proposal for signal processing products used in an optical network involves providing a dedicated channel via which reconfiguration instructions are transmitted to an FPGA when reconfiguration is required. It is suggested that an overhead channel of the optical transport protocol "OTN" (Optical Transport Network) be used (see ITU-T G.709. Interfaces for the Optical Transport Network (OTN) and ITU-T G.789. Characteristics of the Optical Transport Network hierarchy equipment functional blocks). This approach can only be used for OTN systems and requires an OTN network and dedicated OTN connections to each system for the transport of the reconfiguration data. Other kinds of systems cannot be upgraded this way. Even if an OTN interface were be added to the systems, which would probably be impracticably expensive, an existing OTN network would be required to transport the reconfiguration data.
Similar concepts for transporting reconfiguration data using dedicated transport channels in an OTN system have been discussed in a master thesis by Mateusz Majer, "Evaluation of Reconfigurable Architectures for Overhead Processing in Optical Transport Networks", Technical University of Darmstadt, 2003, and in a master thesis by Ashok-Kumar Chandra-Sekaran, "Reconfigurable RISC core based architecture for overhead processing in Optical Transport Network", University of Karlsruhe, 2004.

Method and apparatus for reconfiguring IC architectures


A system and method for accessing content on an electronic device in an encrypted mode, a decrypted mode or a default mode. A request is transmitted to an application program interface to permit a requesting program to access at least one file. The request specifically identifies whether the requesting program wishes to access the file in an encrypted mode, a decrypted mode or a default mode. It is determined whether the specific form is supported by the application program interface being used by the system, whether the at least one file is protected; and whether the requesting program is permitted to access the at least one file. If the specific form is supported by the application program interface, if the at least one file is protected, and if the requesting program is permitted to access the at least one file, the at least one file is opened in the specific form for use by the requesting program.

Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a technology that allows control over the consumption of various media objects, such as ring tones, images, and other objects, by mobile terminals. DRM is a term used to describe a range of techniques that use information about rights and rights holders to manage copyright material and the terms and conditions on which the material is made available to users. More specifically, DRM involves the description, layering, analysis, valuation, trading, and monitoring of an owner's property rights to an asset. DRM covers the management of the digital rights to the physical manifestation of a work (e.g., a textbook) or the digital manifestation of a work (e.g., an Internet web page). DRM also covers the management of an asset whether the asset has a tangible or an intangible value. Current DRM technologies include languages for describing the terms and conditions for an asset, tracking asset usage by enforcing controlled environments or encoded asset manifestations, and closed architectures for the overall management of the digital rights. In OMA DRM technology, control is exercised by supplementing each media object with a rights object. The rights object defines rules according to which the media object is consumed.
OMA DRM technology is by used many mobile terminals for the protection of content images, sound files, videos, and other items. Unprotected files are stored in the file system in a plain text format, while protected files are encrypted. Then, it is assumed that whenever an application requests the content of a protected file, the DRM agent (a special system component) decrypts the file on the fly and provides the data to the requesting application. At the same time, an application can usually use a special API to read the same protected file in the encrypted form, bypassing the DRM agent.
Unfortunately, the access method described above is not always possible. This is because some APIs, such as Java APIs, were initially created without taking OMA DRM protection of content into account. This has resulted in a dilemma. When a Java application requests the content of an OMA DRM protected file, it is unclear whether the file's data should be passed to an application as is (i.e., encrypted), or whether the DRM agent should perform decryption beforehand. Currently, some Java applications, such as image viewers and music players, require protected files in plain text form. Other Java applications, however, such as file managers and electronic mail clients require protected files in encrypted form. Moreover, certain applications may require both types of access. For example, some image viewers may be able both to display OMA DRM protected images and to superdistribute them.
The situation discussed above is further complicated by the fact that the same Java application can use different Java APIs to open the same protected file. For example, Multimedia API (JSR 135) may play a music file, while File API (JSR 75) is used to copy it. In addition and, with regard to the OMA DRM protection of files, all Java APIs fall (with certain reservations) into one of two categories: "safe" APIs that do not allow an application to get hold of a protected file's content; and "unsafe" APIs that allow an application to do so.
There is therefore a need for a system that will allow an application to specify the form in which the protected file's content is to be read. This mechanism should be universal enough to be usable in virtually any Java APIs that can potentially access protected files as well as other APIs.

System and method for providing access to OMA DRM protected files from java application


Disclosed are facial cleansing compositions in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion which contain specific surfactants with an HLB above about 10 in combination with specific polyalphaolefins and specific carboxylic copolymers which provide improved cleansing efficacy as well as improved rinsability and improved skin feel (such as a nongreasy feeling).

Cosmetic cleansing compositions for removing make-up and the like are in wide use today and are marketed in a variety of forms such as creams, lotions, astringents, etc. Such cleansing compositions are useful in facial and body cleansing, especially to remove make-up, oil, dirt, soil and other undesirable materials on a person's face or body.
There are two "traditional" cleansing creams. The first, cold creams, are based on the beeswax/borax formulation. The second are semi-translucent liquefying formulations using a mixture of hydrocarbon oils and waxes.
Cold cream formulations are centuries old. The earliest preparations were primarily animal and vegetable fats and oils; typically beeswax and olive oil. Water was later added to the molten beeswax and olive oil. This resulted in a "cooling" effect during use through the evaporation of the water on the skin. These first products were unstable and subject to rancidity. In time, sweet almond oil replaced the heavier olive oil, borax was introduced as a stabilizer, and then spermaceti (whale oil) was added to soften the product. Later modifications included changing from almond oil to mineral oil, with rose water and rose oil added for fragrance purposes.
More modern cleansing creams incorporate other fatty acid esters for emulsification rather than borax and substitute fatty acids and fatty alcohols for beeswax. Current cleansers contain, for example, synthetic emulsifiers instead of borax, as well as the traditional beeswax/borax systems.
After use of many skin cleansing compositions, such as cold creams, the user will typically follow such application with a bar soap in order to remove any remaining residue left behind as well as to obtain a "clean feel".
It has been found that the facial cleansing compositions of the present invention in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion which contain specific surfactants with an HLB above about 10 in combination with specific polyalphaolefins and specific carboxylic copolymers provides improved cleansing efficacy as well as improved rinsability and improved skin feel (such as nongreasy feeling). It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved facial cleansing composition which thoroughly cleanses the skin by removing, for example, dirt and oil as well as difficult to remove make-up, waterproof mascara and the like.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved facial cleansing composition which has superior rinsing.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an improved facial cleansing composition with improved skin feel after rinsing.
These and other objects will become readily apparent from the detailed description that follows.


A maintenance-free bearing system having self-lubricating features, seals, grooves and slots for use in a cushion hitch assembly for a hitch pull scraper vehicle. An interconnected bearing linkage system having two or more horizontal two-axis combined journal and thrust bearings with self-lubricating liners therein, two or more vertical single-axis sleeve bearings with self-lubricating liners therein and one or more vertical thrust bearing with self-lubricating liners therein, that cooperate with one another to accommodate vertical and horizontal angular movement relative to one another.

As shown in FIG. 1 a hitch pull type scraper 100 includes a pulling portion 101 such as a diesel engine powered cab or cabin. A scraper bowl 102 is coupled to the pulling portion (e.g., a cab or cabin) 101 by a hitch assembly 103. The hitch assembly 103 includes two H-links each having two journal bearings therein having a common shaft and another two journal bearings having another common shaft. The H-links moveably couple a linkage structure to a portion of the pulling portion 101. The hitch assembly 103 includes two vertical journal bearings disposed in a housing. Above one of the journal bearings is a thrust bearing. The two vertical journal bearings each employ a bronze sleeve disposed between a shaft and an interior surface defined by a bore in housing to facilitate rotational movement between the shaft and the housing. The thrust bearing employs a bronze bearing plate disposed therein to accommodate rotational movement of an upper thrust plate relative to a lower thrust plate.
A grease supply system (e.g., a configuration of tubes, valves and pressurizing devices) injects grease between the upper thrust plate and the lower thrust plate and the bronze bearing plate to maintain lubrication therebetween. The grease supply system also supplies grease to the sleeve in the journal bearings. The grease supply system can be damaged by projectiles such as rocks and stones that are propelled by the movement of the scraper 100. Use of a grease supply system leads to several undesired effects such as: 1) increased power requirements for the vehicle; 2) increased capital cost and maintenance related costs; and 3) environmental impact when old grease is purged from bearings, for example grease can seep out of the bearings during re-lubrication or due to leakage and can fall onto the ground. In addition, damage of the grease supply system can cause the flow of grease to the thrust bearing and journal bearings to cease and create undesirable grease discharge to the environment.
Thus, there is a need for an improved bearing system for the hitch assembly in a scraper vehicle.

Bearing system with self-lubrication features, seals, grooves and slots for maintenance-free operation


Implementations of the present disclosure provide a service processing method, device, and system associated with unified resource locator (URL)-based two-dimensional (code). In an implementation, a URL is received from a first service institution. The URL is obtained by a mobile device from scanning a 2D code provided by a service provider and sent to the first service institution. The URL is then parsed to identify one or more data elements including a service network identifier, a service institution identifier, and a payload including a service object identifier. The one or more data elements is sent to the second service institution based on the service institution identifier. Service information associated with the service object is received from the second service institution based on the service object identifier, and the service information is sent to the first service institution for presenting on the mobile device.

Machine-readable codes (hereinafter "codes") are used to encode information in a particular visual format that may be read by an electronic device to extract the encoded information. Such codes may be physically printed on a surface (such as product packaging) or displayed on a screen of an electronic device (such as a mobile phone). Example codes include barcodes and Quick Response (QR) codes.
Early codes were one-dimensional (1D) in that information was encoded in only one spatial dimension. For example, a standard barcode is a 1D code because the encoding symbols (the bars) modulate only on the horizontal axis of the code. The code is meant to be read on this horizontal axis to retrieve the encoded information, and no information is encoded by modulating the symbols on the vertical axis.
Two-dimensional (2D) codes, in which symbols are modulated on both the vertical and horizontal axes, were first used in the fields of manufacturing and transportation. QR codes are an example of a 2D code.

Managing services associated with URL-based two-dimensional codes


A carburetor comprising a combined float bowl and venturi section including an air passage with a venturi, a rotatably supported throttle valve plate located in the air passage, and a float chamber adapted to contain fuel, and a separate metering section mounted on the float bowl and venturi section, the metering section being molded of plastic and including a fuel passage communicating between the float chamber and the air passage, a needle valve seat within the fuel passage, an internally threaded bore having therein threads molded integrally with the metering section, and an externally threaded needle valve threadedly received in the bore and being movable into and out of engagement with the valve seat for controlling fuel flow through the fuel passage.

The invention relates to carburetors, and, more particularly, to modular side-draft carburetors for small displacement internal combustion engines.
Conventional carburetors include an internally threaded bore threadedly receiving an externally threaded needle valve. The threads in the bore are typically formed by tapping. This requires an extra manufacturing step and also necessitates cleaning of the bore to remove cuttings.
Conventional carburetors also include a nozzle well formed by an integral portion of the venturi section or of the float bowl section. The volume of the nczzle well cannot be changed without replacing the entire section which includes the nozzle well.
It is known to provide carburetors with circuitous fuel passages. Such passages are typically formed by a series of angled passages drilled or cored in the carburetor body.


A method for directly forming and finishing a web product is provided. The method includes forming a web on a forming apparatus, continuously transferring the formed web to a conveyor, performing a converting step on the web as the web is continuously supported and advanced on the conveyor, and finishing the web into a product substantially ready for packaging. A system for performing the method is also provided.

Large parent rolls are presently rolled up on a reel after a web manufacturing process such as during the production of tissue and other paper products. The parent rolls are prepared, stored and eventually transported to be converted and finished. To begin a converting process, the parent roll is unwound, subjected to a variety of conversions and re-wound into, for example, consumer-diameter size rolls called logs. A consumer-diameter size log is then transported to a packaging process where the log is cut into consumer-width size rolls and wrapped as finished product for shipment and subsequent purchase.
At least one drawback in the present state of the art is that parent rolls formed from uncreped through-air dried (UCTAD) tissue webs are prone to cause waste or lost production. The parent roll winding process can be wasteful due to the relative bulkiness of UCTAD tissue webs and the relatively large size of the parent rolls and loose winding tension vary throughout the parent roll. Additionally, thickness and width of the sheets of the parent roll undesirably varies due to different compressive stresses to the sheets in the parent roll at the top of the roll and approaching the core of the roll. The stretch in the sheet also varies in the parent roll due to the compressive forces (as mentioned above) and the wind-up process.
At least one other current disadvantage is that the web may not be completely supported throughout the manufacturing and winding processes. Intermittent support generally requires sheets to have increased tensile strength to pass over lengthy open draws. Also increased sheet tensile strength is necessary to overcome degradation due to winding and unwinding the parent roll before the converting process. However, due to higher web stresses on the sheets, the sheets tend to experience higher incidents of web breaks, which decreases machine efficiency. Such sheets also tend to cost more to manufacture. Higher costs, in turn, can be a competitive disadvantage since costs are likely passed on to the consumers in the form of higher retail prices, which may adversely impact consumer purchasing.
An additional disadvantage in the art is that tissue machine (TM) speeds presently tend to be faster than relatively slower converting process speeds. Accordingly, webs are not continuously moved from TM to the converting process. An intervening parent roll is usually required, which must be subsequently unwound and converted further reducing manufacturing and conversion efficiencies.
The present invention eliminates the parent roll and its associated reeling and unwinding steps by directly coupling a web-forming tissue machine to converting stations and a winder to make finished roll products. With the elimination of the parent roll and the inherent steps of winding and unwinding prior to converting, unwanted product waste and sheet thickness variability is reduced or eliminated. Additionally, elimination of the parent roll and extraneous winding and unwinding steps permits the web to be continuously moved from the forming step to the converting step, which increases overall manufacturing and finishing efficiencies.
According to an aspect of the invention, a method to transfer any type of sheet from, for example, a web drying system such as tissue, air-laid, non-woven (through-air dried, flat dryer or Yankee dryer) to the beginning of the winder is provided. The method utilizes a controlled sheet transfer from the drying system to the converting winder where a pulper or waste receptacle receives the sheet when the winder is not winding a consumer roll.
The method continuously supports the sheet from the drying or web-forming section to the winding section and allows for several sheet modifications, conversions or finishing steps such as calendering, embossing, s-wrapping (e.g., shear inducing reels to create shear forces that act upon the web to increase the softness of the web), coating, printing, web-separating, ply-bonding, and/or adhesive application prior to a winding or folding process. The sheet may be controlled via a belt, foil, fabric (permeable or non-permeable), air support, or vacuum support in various sections to allow the sheet to be processed through to wind-up without losing control of the sheet. Where small open draws may be required or desired, the method allows for broken web handling (xe2x80x9cbroke handlingxe2x80x9d) at each finishing or sheet modification station or at the end of the winding process.
According to another aspect of the invention, a web manufacturing system for directly forming and finishing the web product using the disclosed method is provided. The system includes a web-forming apparatus for forming and drying the web product and a conveyance system positioned downstream from a transfer point. The conveyance system continuously receives the web at the transfer point at a standard web processing speed while at least one converting station subsequently finishes the web. Although the system may include small open draws, for instance, to remove broken web, the invention contemplates substantially continuously controlling and supporting the web throughout the system.
Some benefits of the foregoing method and system are:
improved sheet properties (stretch and bulk or caliper are preserved with the elimination of the parent roll, reel and unwinding steps);
reduced capital costs due to fewer equipment pieces and no storage requirements for parent rolls;
reduced finished product variability (e.g., caliper variability in the parent roll sheet properties near the core and at the outside of the roll are eliminated or reduced);
reduced waste (e.g., no parent roll core, roll dressing thread-up on reel, or threading of the winder);
improved safety due to less equipment and handling of parent rolls;
improved climate/environment (e.g., no climate control required for parent rolls and a less dusty environment); and
increased web manufacturing and finishing efficiencies (e.g., no delay due to parent roll changes and no reel turn-up/thread-up delays).
The exemplary methods and the system described herein are simple, reliable, and economical to manufacture, assemble and use. Other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the attached drawings or can be learned through practice of the invention.

Methods and system for manufacturing and finishing web products at high speed without reeling and unwinding


A mollusc farming machine deploys a tillage assembly connected by a support frame to a vehicle platform. The vehicle platform enables the user to mechanically traverse the tillage assembly across an aquaculture harvesting area, digging into the earth of the harvesting area in order to harvest clams and other molluscs. An agitating mechanism causes reciprocal motion of the tillage assembly in order to break up the aquaculture earth as a tilling section of the tillage assembly is displaced at an angle through the earth, forcing the earth and any buried molluscs onto the tillage section. The agitating motion further serves to sift the earth by causing dirt, plant matter and other debris to fall through spaces between a plurality of sifting rods of the tilling section, leaving behind any molluscs previously buried within the earth to be collected by workers.

In present times, individuals are always looking for ways to efficiently harvest clams. In conventional systems, farmers would often employ workers that would manually dig out the buried clams in an aquaculture site. Manually harvesting and processing clams is not only a time consuming and laborious process but can also lead to incorrect harvesting of unsuitable clams, and/or debris, leading to a loss in profits.
The present invention aims to solve these problems. The present invention utilizes is a mobile clam harvester that eliminates the need for workers to dig up and process clams in aqua-culture sites manually. The present invention is adjustable such that the user can properly adjust and calibrate the optimal amount of ground to grade in the aqua-culture site. The present invention processes and exposes harvestable clams to the workers, where said harvestable clams can be easily picked up by the workers. The present invention is integrated on to a vehicle, allowing for faster harvesting rates, as well as easy storage of the present invention when not in use.
Additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Additional advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the detailed description of the invention section. Further benefits and advantages of the embodiments of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description given with reference to the accompanying drawings, which specify and show preferred embodiments of the present invention.


The present disclosure involves systems, software, and computer implemented methods for predicting wildfires on the basis of biophysical indicators and spatiotemporal properties. A method includes receiving a request for a wildfire prediction for at least one geographical area. At least one biophysical indicator is identified. Each biophysical indicator provides biophysical data for the at least one geographical area. The at least one biophysical indicator is provided to a long short term memory (LSTM) network. The LSTM network includes a convolutional neural network (CNN) for each of multiple LSTM units. Each LSTM unit and each CNN are associated with a historical time period in a time series. The LSTM is used to generate at least one prediction for wildfire risk for the at least one geographical area for an upcoming time period. The at least one prediction is provided responsive to the request.

An artificial neural network is a computational model based on a collection of artificial neurons which can be referred to as neural units. The artificial neural network can perform in a manner that is similar to the observed behavior of a biological brain's axons. Each neural unit can be connected to other neural units. In a recurrent neural network, connections between neural units form a directed cycle. In a feed-forward neural network, connections between neural units do not form a cycle.
A convolutional neural network (CNN) is a type of feed-forward neural network in which a connectivity pattern between neurons is based on the organization of the animal visual cortex. A CNN can be arranged into convolutional layers alternating with subsampling layers. A LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory) network is a type of recurrent neural network that includes LSTM units instead of, or in addition to, other network units. A LSTM unit is a recurrent network unit that is capable of remembering values for either long or short durations of time.

Predicting wildfires on the basis of biophysical indicators and spatiotemporal properties using a long short term memory network


Disclosed herein are compounds of formulas (I) and (II), Wherein R1, R2, R3 and (1) are as described herein. Methods of making compounds of formulas (I) and (II), curable compositions containing them and cured compositions containing them are also described. The compounds of formulas (I) and II are curing agents, fire retardants or both.

Epoxy resins are used in both industrial and consumer electronics because of, among other things, their chemical resistance, mechanical strength and electrical properties. For example, epoxy resins can be used in electronics as laminates, adhesive materials and/or insulating materials, such as interlayer insulating films. To be useful for these applications, the epoxy resins need to provide certain necessary physical, thermal, electrical insulation and moisture resistance properties. For example, it is advantageous for epoxy resins used for electric applications to have a high glass transition temperature (Tg).
Epoxy resins, however, can be flammable. As such, different approaches have been made to impart flame resistance to epoxy resins. Two main approaches have been taken to provide flame resistance. The first approach makes use of halogen compounds. Halogen-containing compounds have been commonly used in the electronic industry to impart flame resistance to electrical and electronic assemblies. For example, tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBA) is a typical halogen-containing compound that has been widely used as a flame retardant for epoxy resins. Although halogen-containing compounds can be effective, they are considered by some to be undesirable from an environmental standpoint due to the possibility of formation hazardous substances during the incineration of electronic components at their end of life. The second approach, in a response to the environmental concerns of the first approach, is an "environmentally friendly" approach in which halogen-free compounds are used to impart flame retardancy.

Phosphorated anhydride containing epoxy resin


Improved calibration of a resist model used in critical dimension (CD) calculation is disclosed. A dose function is obtained based on optical tool to be used form the resist on a wafer. The dose function indicates the amount of energy in a resist. The dose function is convolved with a convolution kernel to obtain a modified dose function. The convolution kernel has variable diffusion lengths in different directions. The convolution kernel may include multiple Gaussian kernels each having variable diffusion lengths in different directions. The modified dose function is converted into a CD value which is compared with a target value. If necessary, the diffusion lengths of the Gaussian kernels are adjusted based on the comparison result.

Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In such a case, the mask may contain a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g., comprising one or more dies) on a substrate (silicon wafer) that has been coated with a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single wafer will contain a whole network of adjacent target portions that are successively irradiated via the projection system, one at a time. In one type of lithographic projection apparatus, each target portion is irradiated by exposing the entire mask pattern onto the target portion in one go; such an apparatus is commonly referred to as a wafer stepper. In an alternative apparatus, commonly referred to as a step-and-scan apparatus, each target portion is irradiated by progressively scanning the mask pattern under the projection beam in a given reference direction (the "scanning" direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate table parallel or anti-parallel to this direction. Since, in general, the projection system will have a magnification factor M (generally >1), the speed V at which the substrate table is scanned will be a factor M times that at which the mask table is scanned. More information with regard to lithographic devices as described herein can be gleaned, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,046,792, incorporated herein by reference.
In a manufacturing process using a lithographic projection apparatus, a mask pattern is imaged onto a substrate that is at least partially covered by a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). Prior to this imaging step, the substrate may undergo various procedures, such as priming, resist coating and a soft bake. After exposure, the substrate may be subjected to other procedures, such as a post-exposure bake (PEB), development, a hard bake and measurement/inspection of the imaged features. This array of procedures is used as a basis to pattern an individual layer of a device, e.g., an IC. Such a patterned layer may then undergo various processes such as etching, ion-implantation (doping), metallization, oxidation, chemo-mechanical polishing, etc., all intended to finish off an individual layer. If several layers are required, then the whole procedure, or a variant thereof, will have to be repeated for each new layer. Eventually, an array of devices will be present on the substrate (wafer). These devices are then separated from one another by a technique such as dicing or sawing, whence the individual devices can be mounted on a carrier, connected to pins, etc.
For the sake of simplicity, the projection system may hereinafter be referred to as the "optics;" however, this term should be broadly interpreted as encompassing various types of projection systems, including refractive optics, reflective optics, and catadioptric systems, for example. The radiation system may also include components operating according to any of these design types for directing, shaping or controlling the projection beam of radiation, and such components may also be referred to below, collectively or singularly, as a "lens." Further, the lithographic apparatus may be of a type having two or more substrate tables (and/or two or more mask tables). In such "multiple stage" devices the additional tables may be used in parallel, or preparatory steps may be carried out on one or more tables while one or more other tables are being used for exposures. Twin stage lithographic apparatus are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,441, incorporated herein by reference.
The photolithographic masks referred to above comprise geometric patterns corresponding to the circuit components to be integrated onto a silicon wafer. The patterns used to create such masks are generated utilizing CAD (computer-aided design) programs, this process often being referred to as EDA (electronic design automation). Most CAD programs follow a set of predetermined design rules in order to create functional masks. These rules are set by processing and design limitations. For example, design rules define the space tolerance between circuit devices (such as gates, capacitors, etc.) or interconnect lines, so as to ensure that the circuit devices or lines do not interact with one another in an undesirable way. A critical dimension of a circuit can be defined as the smallest width of a line or hole or the smallest space between two lines or two holes. Thus, the CD determines the overall size and density of the designed circuit.
When under very low k1 lithography imaging, where k1<0.35, and k1 is defined as follows: k1=0.5*(Feature pitch)*(Numerical Aperture)/(Exposure Wavelength), this is equivalent to pattern IC design at below one-half to one-third of the exposure wavelength (λ). For ArF exposure source, at λ=193 nm, the lithography process requires to pattern 90 nm to 65 nm IC features.
Nowadays, to develop a practical lithographic resist process, it is normally first done with using a lithography simulation tool for process optimization. Subsequently, actual wafer printing verification is performed. This helps expedite the develop cycle, reduce the cost, and allow more robust and well-controlled optimization to be performed via simulation. The challenge is how to ensure a resist CD to be predicted with sufficient accuracy when using the simulation tool. Resist model calibration is one of the critical key factors in the simulation process, and the robustness of the simulation model is another important factor.
In a typical lithography simulation, there are three basic steps. The first step is to calculate an aerial image for the feature in question. The aerial image calculation is based on the optical settings of an exposure tool, which include, for example, numerical aperture, exposure wavelength, etc. The aerial image calculation can be performed using known simulation tools, such as MaskTools' LithoCruiser™.
The second step is to perform a post exposure bake (PEB) step. In actual wafer printing where chemically amplified photoresist is used, this step is very important. The step provides two functions: (1) allowing chemical amplification for photo speed to take place due to the heat, and (2) minimize resist CD swing as caused by standing wave effects, this is done by diffusing photo acid generated during the exposure. A diffusion length or range can be in the range from 0 to 50 nm or more.
The third step is to develop a resist pattern based on the diffused aerial image.
For the second and third steps, basically two approaches have been established for lithography simulation. One is to use a first principle PEB model which is followed by another first principle resist develop model. The first principle model had first been proposed by Dill et al. in 1975. In mid 1980's, Lin and Mack separately proposed another form of resist development model, or lumped parameter models (LPM). The approach is to model pattern formation of the photoresist as a lumped parameter system. In a LPM, the resist CD is calculated based on photoresist characteristics such as contrast (gamma), thickness, image threshold, and development rate, etc. For simulation prediction, a LPM resist development model typically convolves with a simplistic diffusion function or kernel. This is essentially to emulate the PEB effect.
The photo resist simulation models based on the first principle is typically much more computationally demanding in terms of calculation. However, notwithstanding the use of such models, it is still difficult to fully account for exactly what occurs during PEB and resist development step. For modern resist systems, it is extremely difficult to use a generic model to represent exactly the chemical reaction behavior for different photoresist formulation. The first principle model suffers from the following drawbacks when it comes to very low k1 imaging: less than satisfactory resist critical dimension (CD) prediction, and prolonged calculation time due to more complicated equations.
The LPM for resist CD prediction can be very fast with respect to processing time because fewer numbers of lumped parameters are required for the calculation. Traditionally, the industry's impression has been that the resist CD prediction is less accurate due to lumped and often much simplified parameters being utilized. In recent years, however, due to the difficulty to timely develop resist formulation specific physical models; more attention has been given to the LPM for improved accuracy. One key is to convolve the LPM with a sophisticated linear diffusion function or kernel. In the past, the linear diffusion kernel is single Gaussian function with a given width.
Brunner et al. has proposed sub-nm precision CD prediction that is comparable or better than the physical resist models in an article T. Brunner et al., Impact of resist blur on MEF, OPC and CD control, 2004 SPIE conference, 2004, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. In Brunner's work, the use of multiple Gaussian diffusion kernels with the same diffusion lengths in different directions ("circular form," or "spherical form" when considered in 3-dimension, see FIG. 4A) has been considered as image "blur" functions, or the modulation transfer functions (MTF). As explained by Brunner, tuning the lengths for each of Gaussian kernels, or the respective MTF's, as a means of calibration, accurate resist CD can be predicted together with a subsequent LPM.
However, in Brunner et al., the Gaussian diffusion kernels utilized in the simulation process all have the same diffusion lengths in the different directions ("circular form," or "spherical form"). As explained further below, this leads to limitations in resist CD calibration. It is one object of the present invention to provide a simulation process which overcomes these limitations.

Method, program product and apparatus for improving calibration of resist models used in critical dimension calculation


A cyclone dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner includes a first chamber; an entering passage disposed above the first chamber, the entering passage guiding outer air to form a downwardly whirling air current in the first chamber; a second chamber formed at a position higher than that of an outlet of the entering passage above the first chamber, the second chamber in which the outer air entering from the first chamber whirls; a contaminants-blocking member disposed to be spaced apart from a bottom surface of the first chamber at a center of the first chamber, the contaminants-blocking member preventing contaminants and water separated in the first chamber from moving into the second chamber; and a grill disposed inside the second chamber to be in fluid communication with an air discharging port through which clean air is discharged.

1. Field
An embodiment or embodiments relate to a cyclone dust collecting apparatus. More particularly, the embodiment or embodiments relate to a cyclone dust collecting apparatus that can efficiently separate moisture from sucked air and a vacuum cleaner having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a cyclone dust collecting apparatus usable for a vacuum cleaner has a high efficiency for separating contaminants such as dust from sucked air using a centrifugal force. However, when moisture (or water) is sucked with air, a moisture separating efficiency of the cyclone dust collecting apparatus is low, for example, less than 80%. It seems that the moisture separating efficiency is low because sucked moisture has properties to flow along a wall of the cyclone dust collecting apparatus and to be divided into minute particles.
Therefore, there are few commercial dust-collecting apparatuses having a concept of separating water using a cyclone structure that separates contaminants such as dust using a centrifugal force operating upon a rotating air current.
Further, even though a cyclone dust collecting apparatus capable of separating water has been commercialized, it has a problem that maintenance is difficult since water and contaminants are overflowed to a second cyclone or a filter so that the second cyclone or the filter is clogged or/and rotted.
For solving the problem, a wet/dry vacuum cleaner that can be used for wet cleaning and dry cleaning is provided. The vacuum cleaner uses a dust collecting apparatus or some parts for a dust collecting apparatus separately formed for each of wet cleaning and dry cleaning. Therefore, when performing wet cleaning, a user mounts the dust collecting container or some part specialized for wet cleaning to the wet/dry vacuum cleaner. Also, when performing dry cleaning, the user mounts the dust collecting apparatus or some parts specialized for dry cleaning to the wet/dry vacuum cleaner. However, since the wet/dry vacuum cleaner is required to replace the dust collecting apparatus according to a cleaning type, users feel that it is inconvenient to use the wet/dry vacuum cleaner.
Therefore, it is necessary to develop a cyclone dust collecting apparatus that uses a cyclone structure and has high water separation efficiency as well as high efficiency for separating general contaminants such as dust.

Cyclone dust collecting apparatus and vacuum cleaner having the same


It is an object of the invention to provide rational structure for vibration proofing in hammering operation. A driving motor 110 and a striking mechanism 140 are provided in a first body element 101a, and a handle 109 and a battery mounting part 160 are provided in a second body element 101b. The first and second body elements 101a, 101b are moved with respect to each other via a biasing member 181 when vibration is caused by driving of the striking mechanism 140. Further, a first region 100a close to the striking mechanism 140 forms a long-distance moving region 200 in which the first and second body elements 101a, 101b move a longer distance in a longitudinal direction than in the second region 100b less close to the striking mechanism 140.

Japanese non-examined laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-175588 discloses an impact tool having a striking mechanism that moves a tool accessory in the direction of a striking axis, a transmission housing that holds the striking mechanism, and a housing that is provided with a handle designed to be held by a user. In this impact tool, the transmission housing and the housing are connected by two elastic members and thus moved with respect to each other in the direction of the striking axis, so that vibration which is caused by driving of the striking mechanism is reduced.


A patch panel includes a plurality of signal input terminals, an output module having a plurality of signal output terminals and at least one standby signal output terminal, and an adapter module having a slide board and a plurality of sliding blocks slidably mounted on the slide board. Each of the sliding blocks includes an electrical contact mounted thereon and connected to a corresponding signal input terminal. The slide board includes a plurality of electrical terminals mounted thereon and respectively connected to the signal output terminals of the at least one standby signal output terminal. The electrical contacts of the sliding blocks selectively electrically contact the electrical terminals of the slide board by sliding of the sliding blocks from an initial position to another position.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to patch panels.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally speaking, after a printed circuit board (PCB), such as a motherboard, is assembled, it needs to be tested via a patch panel and a tester.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional patch panel is shown. The patch panel includes a connector 100 having nine signal input terminals 120, and an output module 200 having nine signal output terminals 220 and two standby signal output terminals 240. The nine signal input terminals 120 are respectively connected to the nine signal output terminals 220. When a motherboard needs to be tested, a tester is connected to the connector 100 via the connector of the tester, and a plurality of test pins of the motherboard are respectively connected to a plurality of the signal output terminals 220, and then the tester will test the motherboard via the patch panel.
When a connecting line of the patch panel is broken, an extra connecting line is used to connect the unconnected input terminal 120 to a standby output terminal 240. However, with this method, the extra connecting line must be welded to the unconnected input terminal 120 and the standby output terminal 240, which is very inconvenient and may damage the patch panel.
What is needed is to provide a patch panel which overcomes the above problems.


A Zener diode and at least one transistor are connected in series in a reverse direction between a drain of a field effect transistor and a gate thereof. The field effect transistor is turned on when an input of an overvoltage is transmitted to the Zener diode and the transistors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a protection circuit for a field effect transistor. More particularly, the present invention relates to an inexpensive protection circuit for a field effect transistor capable of protecting the field effect transistor at a low electric power.
2. Description of Background Information
The field effect transistor (hereinafter referred to as FET) which has a high impedance and consumes a very small amount of electric power, is widely used as a switching element for a computer and an electric power control element. A maximum voltage (VSD) which can be applied between a drain and a source is set to the FET, depending on the kind and specification thereof.
If an applied voltage between the drain and the source exceeds a set value, even instantaneously, the FET will be destroyed. Therefore an overvoltage protection circuit is used for the FET, to which a voltage higher than the set voltage may be applied. Examples of conventional overvoltage protection circuits of this kind having a Zener diode are described below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.
With reference to FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a battery, and reference numeral 2 denotes a load, such as, for example, a lamp mounted on a vehicle. Reference numeral 3 denotes a Zener diode, and reference numeral 4 denotes an FET. Reference numeral 5 denotes a protection resistance of a gate G of the FET 4. Reference numeral 6 denotes a level-fixing resistance for fixing the gate voltage of the FET to a certain voltage when an output of a microcomputer is off. The Zener diode 3 is provided in a reverse direction between a drain D of the FET 4 and a ground.
In this circuit, when a voltage is applied to the gate G of the FET 4 from the microcomputer M, the FET is turned on and electric current flows from the drain D to a source S. Thus the lamp 2 is turned on by the voltage of the battery 1.
When an overvoltage higher than a Zener voltage of the Zener diode 3 is applied to the drain D of the FET 4, a voltage between the drain D of the FET 4 and the source S thereof is kept at the Zener voltage by the Zener effect. Thereby the FET 4 is protected.
With reference to FIG. 3, a Zener diode 7 is provided in a reverse direction between a drain D of an FET 4 and a gate G thereof. When an overvoltage higher than a Zener voltage of the Zener diode 7 is applied to the drain D of the FET 4, a voltage is applied to the gate G of the FET 4 through the Zener diode 7 due to the Zener effect. As a result, the FET 4 is turned on. Thus the FET 4 is protected by dropping the voltage between the drain D and the source S to a voltage lower than the maximum voltage (VSD).
However, in the protection circuit of FIG. 2, because the energy of the overvoltage of the Zener diode 3 is consumed, a high energy is applied to the Zener diode 3. Thus the Zener diode 3 is required to have a high wattage. Therefore it is necessary to use a large Zener diode, which requires a large space for mounting. In this case, the cost of the protection circuit is high because the large Zener diode is expensive.
In the protection circuit of FIG. 3, because the Zener diode 7 is provided in a reverse direction between the drain D of the FET 4 and the gate G thereof, leak current of the Zener diode 7 is high. Thus even when the overvoltage is not applied (normal state) to the drain D of the FET 4, the FET 4 may be turned on. Thus there is a possibility that the lamp 2 may be turned on erroneously.
According to one aspect of the present invention, it is an object of the present invention to provide a protection circuit of a field effect transistor which can be constructed at a low cost, protect an FET securely, and is prevented from being affected by leak current or the like in its normal operation.
To achieve the objects, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a protection circuit of a field effect transistor connected to a load and driving the load by a voltage applied to a gate thereof and protected from an overvoltage inputted from the load. A Zener diode and at least one transistor are connected in series with each other in a reverse direction between a drain of the field effect transistor and the gate thereof; and the field effect transistor is turned on when an input of the overvoltage is transmitted in the order of the Zener diode and the transistors.
According to the present invention, if an overvoltage applied to the drain of the FET from the load is higher than the Zener voltage of the Zener diode, Zener current flows through the Zener due to the Zener effect. As a result, the transistor is turned on, and the FET is turned on. Thus the overvoltage applied between the drain and the source is restrained to a low voltage.
Therefore, it is unnecessary to consider leak current of the Zener diode and it is possible to prevent the leak current from adversely affecting a normal operation of the FET.
Further, because it is possible to select a Zener diode having a Zener voltage lower than the maximum allowable voltage of the FET, the space necessary to mount the Zener diode can be reduced by using a small Zener diode. Thus the protection circuit can be manufactured at a low cost.
To achieve the objects, according to a further aspect of the present invention, a current-limiting resistance for limiting electric current flowing through the Zener diode is connected in series with the Zener diode.
In this case, it is possible to reduce the wattage of the Zener diode by limiting electric current flowing therethrough. Thus it is possible to use an inexpensive, small Zener diode having a low wattage.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a protection circuit for a field effect transistor connected to a load and driving the load by a voltage applied to a gate thereof and protected from an overvoltage from the load is provided including a Zener diode and at least one transistor connected in series in a reverse direction between a drain of the field effect transistor and the gate thereof, and wherein the field effect transistor is turned on when an input of the overvoltage is transmitted to the Zener diode and the at least one transistor. Furthermore, the field effect transistor may be turned on when an input of the overvoltage is transmitted to the Zener diode and the at least one transistor in the order of the Zener diode and then to the at least one transistor. The Zener diode and the at least one transistor connected in series in a reverse direction between the drain and the gate of the field effect transistor prevents leak current of the Zener diode from adversely affecting operation of the field effect transistor.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the at least one transistor connected in series in a reverse direction with the Zener diode between the drain and the gate of the field effect transistor includes one transistor. Furthermore, the at least one transistor connected in series in a reverse direction with the Zener diode between the drain and the gate of the field effect transistor may include two transistors or three transistors.
In a further aspect of the present invention, a protection circuit for a field effect transistor is provided with a low wattage transistor. The protection circuit for a field effect transistor may include a small transistor. Furthermore, the present invention may include a Zener diode which requires a small amount of mounting space.

Protection circuit for field effect transistor