In super-resolution processing in which a plurality of low resolution images are synthesized to generate a high resolution image, a high-quality high-resolution image is to be generated with suppression of the noise ascribable to motion estimation error. Motion estimating means 11 estimates motion of pixels between a basis image selected out of plural low resolution images and remaining reference images, and outputs a result of motion estimation. Motion estimation reliability evaluating means 12 evaluates reliability of the result of motion estimation output from the motion estimating means 11, based on such as analogy in luminance of pixels, correlated by the results of the motion estimation, and outputs a motion estimation reliability value indicating the degree of reliability. High resolution image estimating means 16 synthesizes the respective pixels of the input low resolution images with weighting conforming to the motion estimation reliability value output from the motion estimation reliability evaluating means 12 to generate a high resolution image.

There has so far been proposed a method for image resolution enhancement in which a plurality of low resolution images, obtained by capturing the same scene, and presenting positional shifts, are synthesized to generate a high resolution image.
FIG. 21 shows an example of the formulation of a conventional apparatus for image resolution enhancement in which a plurality of low resolution images are synthesized to generate a high resolution image. The conventional apparatus for image resolution enhancement includes a motion estimating means 71 and a high resolution image estimating means 72. The motion estimating means 71 receives a plurality of low resolution images as input, and estimates the motion (i.e. positional shift) of each pixel of a basis image with respect to the reference images to output the results estimated. The basis image is one of the input low resolution images, and is an image the resolution of which is to be enhanced. In the apparatus for image resolution enhancement, positional shifts (displacements) between the low resolution images need to be detected with accuracy higher than pixel-based accuracy, that is, with a sub-pixel accuracy.
The techniques for motion estimation may be classified into an area based technique and a feature based technique. As a commonplace area based technique there is a block matching method. The block matching method initially enlarges a low resolution image to a resolution with which the degree of the accuracy needed may be achieved. A movement vector is then found by block matching processing. With the processing of the block matching, a movement vector (ux, uy) of pixel accuracy, which will minimize a value ε of a difference evaluation function of a pixel value of a template block of a given size for a pixel of interest (i,j) in an image I1 and a pixel value of a given block in a reference image I2 is found. An example of the method to find ε is shown in the equations (1) and (2), in which I1(i,j) denotes a pixel value at a coordinate (i,j) of the image I1, and I2(i,j) denotes a pixel value at a coordinate (i,j) of the image I2, provided that BL denotes a block size.
                              ɛ                                (                          ux              ,              uy                        )                          =                              ∑                          m              =                                                -                  BL                                /                2                                                    BL              /              2                                                                    ∑                              n                =                                                      -                    BL                                    /                  2                                                            BL                /                2                                                                                                                                    I                    1                                                                          (                                                                  i                        +                        m                                            ,                                              j                        +                        n                                                              )                                                  -                                                      I                    2                                                                          (                                                                                i                              +                              m                              +                              ux                                                        ,                                                                                j                            +                            n                            +                            uy                                                                                )                                                                                                                        (        1        )                                          ɛ                                (                          ux              ,              uy                        )                          =                              ∑                          m              =                                                -                  BL                                /                2                                                    BL              /              2                                                                    ∑                              n                =                                                      -                    BL                                    /                  2                                                            BL                /                2                                                                                (                                                                                I                            1                                                                                (                                                                                i                                +                                m                                                            ,                                                              j                                +                                n                                                                                )                                                                          -                                                                                I                          2                                                                                (                                                                                i                              +                              m                              +                              ux                                                        ,                                                          j                              +                              n                              +                              uy                                                                                )                                                                                )                            2                                                          (        2        )
The high resolution image estimating means 72 receives the low resolution images and the results of motion estimation, as inputs, and estimates a high resolution image from the so received information to output a so estimated high resolution image. The high resolution image estimating means 72 may be exemplified by a technique that outputs x, which will minimize an evaluation function of the maximum probability (likelihood) estimation represented by equation (3) or the maximum a-posteriori probability (MAP) estimation represented by equation (4), as being a result of estimation (see Non-Patent Document 1, for example). It should be noted that, in these equations, x denotes a high resolution image and y denotes a low resolution image. Also, A denotes an image transformation matrix, including the motions between the images, down-sampling and so forth, C a high-pass filter and λ a constant. The motions between the images, included in the image transformation matrix A, reflect the movement vector calculated using the aforementioned equations (1) and (2).
                                          g            1                                          (            x            )                          =                              ∑                          ∀              n                                                                                                                    y                  n                                -                                                      A                    n                                                      x                                                                    2                                              (        3        )                                                      g            2                                          (            x            )                          =                                            ∑                              ∀                n                                                                                                                                      y                    n                                    -                                                            A                      n                                                            x                                                                              2                                +                      λ                                                                                        C                                                        (                    x                    )                                                                              2                                                          (        4        )
The technique for image resolution enhancement, consisting in synthesizing the multiple low resolution images to yield a high resolution image, is generally termed super-resolution processing. In the super-resolution processing, including motion estimation processing, it is necessary to carry out motion estimation with sub-pixel accuracy, as described above. It is however difficult to estimate the motion with the sub-pixel accuracy based on the pixel-based low resolution images, and hence the result of estimation errors is unavoidably corrupted with errors. In most cases, these errors account for noisse (or artifacts) in the generated high resolution image.
However, these errors in the motion estimation are not taken into account in the conventional technique that generates a high resolution image using the aforementioned equations (3) and (4) as described in Non-Patent Document 1. The conventional technique, disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, thus suffers a problem that noises are produced in the high resolution image generated because the technique is based on the premise that the results of motion estimation are free of errors.
On the other hand, the technique as now described has so far been proposed as a technique that may improve the image quality of the high resolution image generated by super-resolution processing (see Patent Document 1).
In Patent Document 1, weighting for each pixel of each low resolution image is determined based on a motion estimation vector between a basis image and each reference image, the temporal distance between the basis image and each reference image, such as difference in the frame numbers, and on the distance between a pixel in a high resolution image being generated (a pixel being generated) and a pixel in each low resolution image nearest to the pixel being generated (pixel-to-pixel distance). The respective pixels of the respective low resolution images are synthesized as the weighting is taken into account to generate a high resolution image.
FIG. 22 depicts a block diagram showing an example of the formulation of the apparatus for image resolution enhancement described in Patent Document 1. This apparatus for image resolution enhancement includes a motion estimating means 91, a motion distance evaluating means 92, a motion estimation evaluating means 93, a weight generating means 94 and a high resolution image estimating means 95.
The motion estimating means 91 receives a plurality of low resolution images as input to output the results of estimation of the motion between the low resolution images (motion estimation vectors). The motion distance evaluating means 92 receives the motion estimation vectors as inputs to evaluate the magnitudes of the motion estimation vectors, the temporal distance between images and the pixel-to-pixel distances. More specifically, the estimation by the motion distance evaluating means 92 is such that, the larger the values of the motion estimation vectors, the temporal distance between images and the pixel-to-pixel distances, the more likely it is that the image is deteriorated in quality.
The motion estimation evaluating means 93 integrates the above three evaluations from the motion distance evaluating means 92. The weight generating means 94 decides on the weights on the respective pixels of the respective low resolution images, and synthesizes respective low resolution images, by using the weighting, as determined by the weight generating means 94, to output a high resolution image.    Patent Document 1: JP Patent Kokai JP-A-2006-033062    Non-Patent Document 1: S. C. Park, M. K. Park and M. G. Kang, "Super-Resolution Image Reconstruction: A Technical Overview", IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 21-36, May 2003

Method, apparatus and program for enhancement of image resolution


The present disclosure provides a roof assembly for covering a region adjacent a structure. The roof assembly comprises a plurality of roof assembly portions, each roof assembly portion comprising a layer portion and a support portion for supporting the layer portion. The roof assembly portions comprise first and second side roof assembly portions, and a corner roof assembly portion that is positioned between the first and second side roof assembly portions. The roof assembly portions are moveable between a retracted and an expanded configuration wherein the side roof assembly portions and the corner roof assembly portion move together between the configurations.

Providing shelter in a location where, for example, a first aid centre is needed has previously required that the equipment used to form the shelter be transported to the location in a container such as a shipping container. This may involve transporting the container on a truck or by airlifting the container to the location. The shelter would then be set up manually which requires a substantial amount of effort, time and manpower.
If the shelter needs to be moved again, for example if the shelter is regularly moved from location to location during a safari, emergency response or similar, the shelter will need to be dismantled, re-packed, and then transported to the next location where the shelter is set up again in the same effort and time consuming manner.
Such shelters, and in particular the containers they are transported in, are not compact and/or convenient to transport. The containers take up valuable room when in storage or in the process of transportation. Further, if the material for providing the shelter has been airlifted to a location, for example in a region where the terrain makes it difficult for a truck to transport the container, then subsequently moving the shelter to a new location will require a further airlift which is expensive and presents logistical difficulties.
In other situations, such as disaster scenarios, areas that can be used for setting up shelter and basic amenities, such as sporting ovals, may be relatively accessible. However, such shelter is often relatively basic. For example, a number of tents may be set up on an oval for providing shelter for disaster victims and/or emergency service personnel. Such tents leave a lot to be desired in the way of living conditions. Further, these tents present disadvantages regarding the effort, time and manpower required to set them up.
Accordingly, the present invention seeks to overcome at least some of the aforementioned disadvantages.


A film that is both biodegradable and flushable, and yet can still act as a barrier to water or other fluids during use, is provided. More particularly, the film contains a water-dispersible core layer that helps the film to lose its integrity after being flushed, as well as a water-barrier skin layer that helps maintain the integrity of the film during use. The nature and relative concentration of the components in the water-barrier layer are selectively controlled to achieve a combination of different functions. That is, the majority of the polymers employed in the water-barrier layer are biodegradable polymers that can be degraded by microorganisms while in an aqueous environment (e.g., septic tank, water treatment facility, etc.). To even further enhance the overall renewability of the layer, a relatively high amount of the biodegradable polymers are starch polymers, which are also renewable. The starch polymers can also minimize the degree of stickiness in the film, which can sometimes result from certain types of synthetic polymers. Even at a high starch content, the present inventors have discovered that films may still be readily formed by using synthetic biodegradable polyesters in combination with the starch to facilitate melt processing.

Disposable absorbent articles are currently used in many different applications, including diapers and training pants for infants and children, feminine care products such as sanitary napkins or tampons, adult incontinence products, and health care products such as surgical drapes or wound dressings. The disposable absorbent article usually comprises a topsheet, a backsheet and an absorbent core positioned between the backsheet and the topsheet. Depending on the type of use involved, disposable absorbent articles can be subjected to one or more insults from aqueous liquids such as water, urine, menses or blood. As a result, the backsheet materials of these disposable products are typically made of liquid impermeable materials, such as polypropylene or polyethylene films, which exhibit sufficient strength and handling capability so that the disposable absorbent article retains its integrity during use by the wearer and does not allow leakage of the liquid from the product.
Many disposable absorbent articles can be difficult to dispose of into an aqueous environment. For example, attempts to flush many disposable absorbent articles down the toilet can cause blockage of the toilet or pipes connecting the toilet to the sewage system. In particular, the backsheet materials used in these disposable absorbent articles generally do not dissolve, disintegrate or disperse readily when flushed down a toilet so that the disposable absorbent article cannot be disposed of in this manner. If the backsheet materials are made very thin to reduce the overall bulk of the disposable absorbent article and reduce the likelihood of blockage of the toilet or sewage pipe, it may not exhibit sufficient strength to prevent tearing or ripping as the material is subjected to the stresses of normal use by the wearer. In a number of instances, it would be desirable to be able to flush these disposable absorbent articles down the toilet. These include certain catamenial products, known as labial or interlabial sanitary napkins or pads. Interlabial pads have the potential to provide greater freedom from inconvenience because of their small size and reduced risk of leakage. Indeed, these interlabial pads are small enough to be easily flushed down the toilet, typically without clogging it or the sewage pipes. Even though flushable, such products could put a significant environmental demand on sewage treatment or septic tank systems if they are not readily susceptible to degradation and disintegration after being flushed.
Various attempts have therefore been made to solve this problem. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,602 to Zhao, et al. describes a water-flushable film that contains a water-impervious biodegradable layer and a water-dispersible layer. The biodegradable layer includes from 65% to 100% of a water-insoluble biodegradable thermoplastic polymer and from 0% to 30% of a water-soluble thermoplastic polymer, and the water-dispersible layer contains from 60% to 100% of a water-soluble thermoplastic polymer and from 0 to 40% of a water-insoluble thermoplastic polymer. In one example, the film contains a 1st layer of 25% Bionolle (polybutylene succinate adiapte copolymer) and 75% PEO; a 2nd layer of 25% Bionolle and 75% PEO; and a 3rd layer of 100% Bionolle. Despite imparting some barrier properties to the film, various problems nevertheless remain with such films. For instance, several of the synthetic biodegradable polymers employed in Zhao, et al. can lead to an undesirable stickiness when dry or wet, as well as relatively poor mechanical properties. The polymers are also expensive. Furthermore, while the synthetic biodegradable polymers employed therein can be melt processed, they are not generally renewable, which limits the overall renewability of the film. Unfortunately, polymers that are both biodegradable and renewable are often difficult to melt process into a film.
As such, a need currently exists for a flushable and biodegradable film that has good mechanical properties, and yet is able to employ at least some renewable components.

Biodegradable and flushable multi-layered film


An improved process for preparing anion exchange resins based on the use of a non-agitated plug-flow quench procedure followed by recycle of a portion of the recovered chloromethylation reaction fluids into subsequent chloromethylation reactions is disclosed. The combination of plug-flow hydration, providing highly concentrated recovered sulfuric acid, together with the recycle or reuse of the recovered concentrated sulfuric acid, allows for reduced raw material requirements during anion exchange resin manufacture and reduces the environmental impact of waste sulfuric acid processing.

This invention relates to an improved process for the preparation of anion exchange resins involving enhanced sulfuric acid recovery and recycle during the chloromethylation step of crosslinked poly(vinylaromatic) copolymer. In particular the present invention concerns the use of a non-agitated plug-flow quench procedure followed by recycle of recovered reaction fluids in subsequent chloromethylation reactions.
Chloromethylation of crosslinked poly(vinylaromatic) copolymer has for many years been carried out using a process where chloromethyl methyl ether (CH3OCH2Cl or CME) is prepared and reacted in situ from a reaction mixture containing formaldehyde, methanol, and chlorosulfonic acid (see Equation I). The chloromethylation of crosslinked poly(vinylaromatic) copolymer is depicted in Equation II where xe2x80x9cArxe2x80x9d represents an aromatic ring.
CH3OH+HCHO+HSO3Clxe2x86x92CH3OCH2Cl+H2SO4xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I)
poly(Ar)+CH3OCH2Clxe2x86x92poly(ArCH2Cl)+CH3OHxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(II)
In view of toxicity and handling problems, the in situ generation and reaction of CME (such as described in EP 277,795 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,677) is preferable to processes that generate CME separately, for example, all-CME chloromethylations or chloromethylations where CME itself is recovered or regenerated from chloromethylation reaction mixtures and stored or added as a raw material for subsequent chloromethylation reactions (such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,554, German Patent Application DD 250,128 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,022).
Upon completion of the chloromethylation reaction, the reaction medium is deactivated or quenched by the addition of water or a suitable organic solvent, with mixing or agitation to dissipate heat and ensure complete deactivation. The reaction product is isolated and generally washed in an agitated fashion with water or an organic solvent as well as aqueous sodium hydroxide to remove excess sulfuric acid and degrade any unreacted CME remaining in the beads. Anion exchange resin products are then provided by means of conventional amination reactions. A major disadvantage of the use of CSA as a source of HCl or as a H2SO4 reaction medium in chloromethylation reactions is the generation of large volumes of waste acid that require treatment and disposal for environmental reasons.
The problem addressed by the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of prior methods used to prepare anion exchange resins based on sulfuric acid chloromethylations by minimizing usage and subsequent waste disposal requirements of sulfuric acid, while still relying on the conventional sulfuric acid chloromethylation reactions to provide the desired anion exchange resins without any reduction in physical stability characteristics.
The present invention provides an improved method for preparing anion exchange resins in a multi-batch process wherein a crosslinked poly(vinylaromatic) copolymer is chloromethylated in the presence of sulfuric acid to provide a mixture of a chloromethylated intermediate and sulfuric acid, followed by quenching the chloromethylated intermediate with quenching solution and finally functionalizing the chloromethylated intermediate with an aminating agent, the improvement comprising (a) quenching the chloromethylated intermediate by a non-agitated plug-flow downward addition of a quench solution to the mixture of chloromethylated intermediate and sulfuric acid to obtain a mother liquor effluent comprising 30 to 90% sulfuric acid; (b) isolating the mother liquor effluent for reuse in subsequent chloromethylation reactions; and (c) chloromethylating additional crosslinked poly(vinylaromatic) copolymer in the presence of sulfuric acid and a portion of mother liquor effluent comprising 30 to 90% sulfuric acid obtained from a prior chloromethylation-quench reaction sequence.
In a further specific embodiment, the present invention provides a method for preparing anion exchange resins in a multi-batch process, comprising (i) in a first chloromethylation reaction, the steps of (a) chloromethylating a first crosslinked poly(vinylaromatic) copolymer in the presence of sulfuric acid to provide a mixture of a first chloromethylated intermediate and sulfuric acid; (b) quenching the first chloromethylated intermediate to provide a quenched first chloromethylated intermediate by a non-agitated plug-flow downward addition of a quench solution to the mixture of first chloromethylated intermediate and sulfuric acid to obtain a first mother liquor effluent comprising 30 to 90% sulfuric acid; and (c) isolating the first mother liquor effluent for reuse in one or more subsequent chloromethylation reactions; and (ii) in a second chloromethylation reaction, the steps of (axe2x80x2) chloromethylating a second crosslinked poly(vinylaromatic) copolymer in the presence of sulfuric acid and a portion of mother liquor effluent obtained from a prior chloromethylation-quench reaction sequence to provide a mixture of a second chloromethylated intermediate and sulfuric acid; (bxe2x80x2) quenching the second chloromethylated intermediate to provide a quenched second chloromethylated intermediate by a non-agitated plug-flow downward addition of a quench solution to the mixture of second chloromethylated intermediate and sulfuric acid to obtain a second mother liquor effluent comprising 30 to 90% sulfuric acid; and (cxe2x80x2) isolating the second mother liquor effluent for reuse in one or more subsequent chloromethylation reactions. In another aspect, the present invention provides the latter method wherein a portion of the first or second mother liquor effluent is used in one or more subsequent chloromethylation reactions that are repeated as described in part (ii), steps (axe2x80x2) through (cxe2x80x2).

Method for preparation of anion exchange resins


A tortilla warmer control system is disclosed for controlling preparation and dispensing of tortillas. The control system includes a control unit capable of receiving inputs from a user, and providing outputs. The control unit receives user inputs including: a frequency of heating sessions, a number of tortillas to be heated and dispensed during each heating session; and tortilla texture. The control unit provides outputs including: a speed at which tortillas are to be conveyed through a heating sub-system of the tortilla warmer, and/or a temperature to be provided during each heating session; and a heating session initiation signal. The user inputs received by the control unit can also include a selected rate at which the tortillas are to be dispensed during the heating session. The outputs provided by the control unit can also include a rate at which tortillas are introduced into the heating sub-system.

Tortillas are a popular food item, usually enjoyed best when they have just been cooked. Uncooked tortillas typically do not provide the same taste appeal as warmed tortillas. Often, tortillas are eaten in combination with other hand-held food. Preparing such meals would require an added step beforehand, in order to warm the tortilla so as to optimize the tortilla's flavor and texture.
Warming devices, including devices designed specifically for warming tortillas, are known in the art. Tortilla warmers are popular for their ability to warm tortillas to an appropriate temperature so as to be properly enjoyed with a meal.
However, the desired texture of tortillas can vary, from meal to meal. Furthermore, depending upon the number of people desiring tortillas, as well as how quickly they eat on average, it can be difficult to warm the appropriate number of tortillas at the appropriate rate, and within the appropriate time interval.

Tortilla warmer control system for controlling the preparation and dispensing of tortillas


In a method of processing a substrate, a first plasma may be generated from a first reaction gas. A second plasma may be generated from a second reaction gas. The first plasma and the second plasma may be individually applied to the substrate. Thus, each of the at least two remote plasma sources may generate at least two plasmas under different process recipes, which may be optimized for processing the substrate. As a result, the substrate processed using the optimal plasmas may have a desired shape.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to methods of processing a substrate and/or apparatuses for performing the same. More particularly, example embodiments relate to methods of processing a substrate using plasma, and/or apparatuses for performing the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an etching apparatus may include an etching chamber configured to receive a semiconductor substrate, a remote plasma source configured to generate a plasma from reaction gases, and a showerhead configured to inject the plasma to the semiconductor substrate.
According to related arts, the plasma may be generated by using a single process recipe. For example, a single pressure, a single temperature, a single power, etc., may be applied to reaction gases to generate the plasma.
However, process recipes, which may generate more than one desired plasma used for accurately etching the semiconductor substrate, may be different from each other. A pattern on the semiconductor substrate that is formed by etching a layer on the semiconductor substrate using the plasma generated by using the single recipe, may not have a desired shape.
Further, ions in the plasma generated by using the single process recipe may be provided to the semiconductor substrate and damage the layer on the semiconductor substrate.

Method of processing a substrate and apparatus for performing the same


An example system for exciting a selected set of motor neurons of a patient comprises one or more signal generators configured for generating a first electrical signal and a second electrical signal; a first set of wires configured to provide the first electrical signal to a first set of electrodes, wherein the first set of electrodes are configured for being secured to a first set of positions on the patient; a second set of wires configured to provide the second electrical signal to a second set of electrodes, wherein the second set of electrodes are configured for being secured to a second set of positions on the patient; and a controller configured to control operation of the one or more signal generators. The first electrical signal is a periodic signal of a first frequency. The second electrical signal is a periodic signal of a second frequency. The first frequency and the second frequency differ by a non-zero frequency difference. The first signal is provided to the first electrodes and the second signal is provided to the second electrodes for exciting the set of motor neurons of the patient.

Following spinal cord injury, voluntary activation of spinal cord motor neurons is often impossible. This causes paralysis of the spinal cord injury patient. When this paralysis affects muscles such as the diaphragm, the patient may require medical intervention, such as a ventilator to stay alive. However, keeping a patient connected to a ventilator may diminish a patient's mobility and ability to participate in various activities. For example, if a patient requires a ventilator, it may be difficult for that patient's wheelchair to be rolled outside to enjoy an outdoor event and/or the like.
Thus, there are further needs in the art for methods, apparatuses, systems, and/or the like for providing treatment to paralyzed muscles.

Stimulating spinal cord motor neurons using electrical signals

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INCORPORATED


A process for the conversion of a heavy hydrocarbon oil in the presence of hydrogen and iron-petroleum coke catalyst is described in which the iron-petroleum coke catalyst is prepared by grinding petroleum coke particles and particles of an iron compound in oil to form an additive slurry or paste and mixing the petroleum coke-iron oil slurry or paste with the heavy hydrocarbon oil to form a feedstock to hydroconverter.

This invention relates to the treatment of hydrocarbon oils and, more particularly, to the hydrocracking of heavy hydrocarbon oils in the presence of iron and petroleum coke additives.
Hydrocracking processes for the conversion of heavy hydrocarbon oils to light and intermediate naphthas of good quality for reforming feedstocks, fuel oil and gas oil are well known. These heavy hydrocarbon oils can be such materials as petroleum crude oil, atmospheric tar bottoms products, vacuum tar bottoms products, heavy cycle oils, shale oils, coal derived liquids, crude oil residuum, topped crude oils and the heavy bituminous oils extracted from oil sands. Of particular interest are the oils extracted from oil sands and which contain wide boiling range materials from naphthas through kerosene, gas oil, pitch, etc. and which contain a large portion of material boiling above 524.degree. C., equivalent atmospheric boiling point.
As the reserves of conventional crude oils decline, these heavy oils must be upgraded to meet the demands. In this upgrading, the heavier material is converted to lighter fractions and most of the sulphur, nitrogen and metals must be removed.
This can be done either by a coking process, such as delayed or fluidized coking, or by a hydrogen addition process such as thermal or catalytic hydrocracking. The distillate yield from the coking process is about 70 wt. % and this process also yields about 23 wt. % coke as byproduct which cannot be used as fuel because of low hydrogen:carbon ratio, and high mineral and sulphur content. This coke derived from heavy oil coking operations is referred to hereinafter as "petroleum coke".
Work has also been done on an alternate processing route involving hydrogen addition at high pressures and temperatures and this has been found to be quite promising. In this process, hydrogen and heavy oil are pumped upwardly through an empty tubular reactor in the absence of any catalyst. It has been found that the high molecular weight compounds hydrogenate and/or hydrocrack into lower boiling ranges. Simultaneous desulphurization, demetallization and denitrogenation reaction take place. Reaction pressures up to 24 MPa and temperatures up to 490.degree. C. have been employed.
In thermal hydrocracking, the major problem is coke or solid deposition in the reactor especially when operating at relatively low pressures, and this can result in costly shut-downs. Higher pressures reduce reactor fouling. At 24 MPa and 470.degree. C., the coke deposition can be substantially eliminated. However, plant operations at high pressures involve higher capital and operating costs.
It has been well established that mineral matter present in the feedstock plays an important role in coke deposition. Chervenak et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,296 shows that feedstock containing high mineral content (3.8 wt.%) has less tendency to form coke in the reactor than feed containing low mineral matter (<1 wt. %). Other studies have shown that a high mineral content had no apparent effect on pitch conversion and desulphurization, but suppress coke deposition in the reactor and general reactor fouling.
The addition of coke carriers was proposed in Schuman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,057, who suggested the use of "getters" such as sand, quartz, alumina, magnesia, zircon, beryl or bauxite. These "getters" could be regenerated after use by heating the fouled carrier with oxygen and steam at about 1090.degree. C. to yield regeneration-product-gases containing a substantial amount of hydrogen. It has been shown in Ternan et al, Canadian Patent 1,073,389 issued Mar. 10, 1980 and Ranganathan et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,977 issued July 29, 1980, that the addition of coal or coal-based catalyst results in a reduction of coke deposition during hydrocracking. The coal additives act as sites for the deposition of coke precursors and thus provide a mechanism for their removal from the system.
The use of these coal based catalysts allows operation at lower pressures and at higher conversions. The use of coal and Co, Mo and Al on coal catalyst is described in Canadian Patent 1,073,389, the use of iron-coal catalysts in U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,977, and the use of fly ash in Canadian Patent 1,124,194.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,286, a process is described for hydrogenating coal in which the coal was either impregnated with hydrated iron oxide or dry hydrated iron oxide powder was physically mixed with powdered coal. Canadian Patent 1,2020,588 describes a process for hydrocracking heavy oils in the presence of an additive in the form of a dry mixture of coal and an iron salt, such as iron sulphate.
It is the object of the present invention to utilize the petroleum coke, which is formed in coking processes such as delaying coking or fluidized coking, to formulate an iron based additive to be used in hydroconversion of heavy oils to lighter products.

Hydrocracking of heavy oils in presence of petroleum coke derived from heavy oil coking operations


In some embodiments, powered devices, circuits, and methods are disclosed that may include biasing a hot swap switch to couple a capacitor of a DC-DC converter to negative supply node when an input voltage exceeds a threshold and biasing a telephony switch to couple a positive supply node to a negative supply node when the input voltage exceeds the threshold. Further, the method may further include deactivating the hot swap switch after a period of time, and continuing to bias the telephony switch.

Power over Ethernet (POE) powered devices (PDs) receive power and data from a power sourcing equipment (PSE) device through Ethernet cables. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) defined a collection of standards defining the physical layer and data link layer's media access control of wired Ethernet, which standards may be referred to as IEEE 802.3. The POE standards were defined as a subsection within the IEEE 802.3 standard. IEEE 802.3af standard defines a POE standard wherein the PSE device provides a maximum continuous power per cable of approximately 15.4 Watts. The IEEE 802.3at standard specifies that the PSE may provide a maximum continuous power output of approximately 25.5 Watts.
In some embodiments, the PD may include surge protection circuitry configured to divert surge energy away from associated circuitry. Such surge energy may be associated with an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event, a power fault, or another event, which may be transient or which may continue to supply power to the PD.

Overvoltage and surge protection in a power over ethernet device


A method and apparatus for deburring nonmetallic machined workpieces. A deburring material of sufficient hardness to debur nonmetallic workpieces without causing scarring thereto is rubbed against a workpiece to effect deburring. The deburring material has a durometer hardness and consequently a coefficient of friction whereby frictional engagement of a burr with the deburring material is stronger than the attachment of the burr to the workpiece and therefore the burr is removed as the deburring material is actuated and brought into contact with the burr. The deburring material can be, e.g., polyisoprene and may be mechanically actuated or actuated by hand.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to deburring machined workpieces, and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for deburring nonmetallic machined components of medical devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Medical devices such as, e.g., a prosthetic knee or hip include components formed by and/or engraved by machining. Additional medical products formed by machining include, e.g., nonmetallic screws. These products can be formed from a plastic such as polyethylene, or, more specifically, ultra heavy molecular weight polyethylene. Machines, such as, e.g., a mill or a lathe are utilized to efficiently produce these products.
Machining generally produces a workpiece having burrs which must be removed. Machined screws generally have burrs, e.g., in the screw slot. FIG. 2 illustrates screw 20 including burrs 32. Burrs 32 may be formed at various locations in machined workpieces and are shown in slot 26 of screw 20 for illustrative purposes only. Additionally, as mentioned above, information is sometimes engraved on components of medical devices. Engraving can leave minor imperfections and debris which must be removed. For example, the under surface of a polyethylene tibial bearing component often has machined features as well as engraving.
Machined metal parts may be deburred, e.g., with a wire brush, or a grinding stone. Machined metal parts may also be deburred in a vibratory tumbler. The machined metal parts are loaded into the tumbler together with abrasive stones in a liquid (e.g., soap solution) medium. The tumbler is actuated and the parts are deburred through interaction with the abrasive stones. The deburring techniques utilized with metal parts cannot be used with machined plastic parts since these operations would cause significant scarring to a plastic part. A tumbling process cannot be used with plastic parts both because it will scar the parts and because it will impinge foreign materials on the parts.
Prior to use, debris and imperfections such as burrs must be removed from a machined workpiece. Machined nonmetallic workpieces are typically collected at the forming location and transported to an alternative location for cleaning and deburring. With the limitations of the above-mentioned metal deburring techniques in mind, cleaning and deburring of machined nonmetallic workpieces is typically done by hand with a cutting tool such as, e.g., an EXACTO knife or a scalpel together with tweezers. Deburring procedures of this type are time consuming, tedious to perform, and do not produce uniformly shaped workpieces. Additionally, this deburring technique is ineffective in removing fine imperfections in the workpiece such as hairlike burrs (a.k.a. xe2x80x9cwhiskersxe2x80x9d) and is hard on the operators who frequently receive nicks and cuts on their hands and fingers.
While mechanical deburring of a nonmetallic workpiece with a stiff bristled brush comprises an available alternative, this procedure suffers significant drawbacks. Application of a stiff bristled brush to a nonmetallic workpiece causes significant scarring of the workpiece and, therefore, cannot effectively be employed.
What is needed in the art is a method and apparatus for deburring a nonmetallic workpiece which yields uniformly shaped parts, decreases the time required for the deburring process, and is not harmful to the operator.
The foregoing shortcomings of the prior art are addressed by the present invention. The present invention utilizes a deburring material of sufficient hardness to debur a nonmetallic workpiece without scarring thereof. The deburring material is actuated and applied to a workpiece to effect deburring thereof. When the deburring material is applied to the workpiece, burrs thereon frictionally engage the deburring material. The deburring material has a durometer hardness and consequently a coefficient of friction whereby the frictional engagement of the burr with the deburring material is stronger than the attachment of the burr to the workpiece and therefore the burr is removed as the deburring material is actuated. An acceptable deburring material will have sufficient frictional characteristics to effect deburring as described above, and will have a durometer hardness such that application of the deburring material to the workpiece will not cause scarring of the workpiece. In one exemplary embodiment, the deburring material has a durometer hardness of 40.
In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention utilizes a deburring tool adapted for use with a mechanical actuating device and which includes deburring material affixed thereto. The deburring tool can be positioned as a tool in a CNC lathe which forms the part to be deburred. In this configuration, deburring occurs at the forming station. In one form of the current invention, the deburring material comprises polyisoprene. Polyisoprene is commercially available from, e.g., WARCO (West American Rubber Co., Inc.). One acceptable polyisoprene is 40-R-526 available from WARCO.
The invention, in one form thereof, comprises a deburring tool including an arbor and a disk affixed to the arbor. The disk is formed of a material of sufficient hardness to debur a nonmetallic workpiece without scarring the workpiece.
The invention, in another form thereof, comprises a deburring tool including a support structure with a deburring material affixed thereto. The deburring material is of sufficient hardness to debur a nonmetallic workpiece without scarring the workpiece.
The invention, in another form thereof, comprises a deburring tool having a deburring surface formed from a material of sufficient hardness to debur a nonmetallic workpiece without scarring the workpiece and an actuating means for actuating the deburring surface.
The invention, in another form thereof, comprises a method of deburring a machined workpiece. The method of this form of the current invention comprises the steps of: providing a deburring surface formed from a material of sufficient hardness to debur a nonmetallic workpiece without scarring the workpiece, and rubbing the machined workpiece with the deburring surface.
An advantage of the present invention is the ability to debur a nonmetallic workpiece in a quick and efficient manner.
Another advantage of the present invention is the ability to form substantially uniform nonmetallic workpieces utilizing a machining process.
A further advantage of the present invention is the ability to remove fine imperfections in machined workpieces.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is the ability to debur a workpiece without risking injury to the individual performing this task.
Yet a further advantage is the ability to mechanically debur a nonmetallic workpiece at the forming station and thereby decrease the required floor space to form and debur a product.

Method and apparatus for deburring machined workpieces


A device for use in a water cabinet possessing a valve which stays open until the reservoir is empty. An auxiliary reservoir (20) without bottom is placed within the main reservoir. At the base (27) is a slit opening permitting liquid communication from the base of the main reservoir. At the top of the auxiliary little reservoir is located a check valve (24) controled by a lever arm (18) which at the same time acts as the flushing arm of the toilet cabinet; the check valve (24) closes as soon as is released the lever arm (18). When the little reservoir is full and its valve is closed, even when the main reservoir is being emptied the little reservoir remains full while the main reservoir evacuates, thereby economizing a quantity of water equivalent to its volume. The lower end of the auxiliary reservoir (20) may be cut for fitting in a given water cabinet reservoir.

1. Field of Invention
This invention belongs to the field of water economizer systems and more specifically for residential water-closets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A review of the prior art has revealed the following patents:
CA 1,045,307, Raz, Feb. 2, 1979, an aspect of this invention was to transform a standard water closet into a water-closet permitting the utilization of a predetermined water quantity during the flushing operation. This system permits a relatively stable outflow of water during the flushing operation. PA1 CA 2,099,199, Sweeny, Dec. 26, 1994, shows a second tank inside the principal tank of a water-closet. This second tank permits water economy according to the displacement of a partition wall. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,600, Mayes, Dec. 19, 1977, illustrates a new partition wall that is placed in a water-closet tank to limit the water quantity used during a water flush. The quantity of water used may be selected as a minimal quantity or as a maximal quantity by means of a selector that opens or closes a check-valve located on the new partition wall. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,895, Thompson, Nov. 30, 1978, shows a system wherein a partition wall is installed inside a water-closet tank to allow the use of a reduced quantity of water when flushing. A complex mechanism controls this system to permit the utilization of a greater water quantity for the greater needs. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,985, Joshi et al., Feb. 2, 1979, reveals a system which divides the principal water-closet tank into two distinct compartments by means of a partition wall of a closed container. A magnetic control permits a communicating opening between the two compartments. U.S. Pat. No. 4,388,737, Weenzel, Oct. 16, 1981, shows a system dividing a water-closet tank into three distinct compartments by partition walls. Direct or non-direct communication joins each compartment to control the quantity of liquid used during flushes. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,180, Figeroid, Nov. 26, 1991, illustrates a system comprising a tank within a principal water-closet tank. This tank is open on top and has an opening at its base permitting the liquid communication with the main tank of the water closet. A complex mechanism tied to the lever arm of the handle of the flush allows to open or obstruct the access to the opening located at the base of the tank. It is possible with this system to use a little or a big quantity of water, by depressing the handle of the flush more or less.


A method of forming high strength glass fibers in a refractory lined glass melter is disclosed. The refractory lined melter is suited to the batch compositions disclosed for the formation high modulus, and high-strength glass fibers. The glass composition for use in the method of the present invention is up to about 70.5 Weight % SiO2, 24.5 weight % Al2O3, 22 weight % alkaline earth oxides and may include small amounts of alkali metal oxides and ZrO2. Oxide based refractories included alumina, chromic oxide, silica, alumina-silica, zircon, zirconia-alumina-silica and combinations thereof. By using oxide based refractory lined furnaces the cost of production of glass fibers is substantially reduced in comparison with the cost of fibers using a platinum lined melting furnace. Fibers formed by the present invention are also disclosed.

The most common glass composition for making continuous glass fiber strands is "E-Glass." The liquidus temperature of E-Glass is approximately 2100° F. (1149° C.) or lower. One advantage of E-Glass is that its liquidus temperature allows operating temperatures for producing glass fibers to be approximately 1900° F. to 2400° F. (1038° C. to 1316° C.). The ASTM classification for E-glass fiber yarns used in printed circuit boards and aerospace applications defines the composition to be 52 to 56 weight % SiO2, 16 to 25 weight % CaO, 12 to 16 weight % Al2O3, 5 to 10 weight % B2O3, 0 to 5 weight % MgO, 0 to 2 weight % Na2O and K2O, 0 to 0.8 weight % TiO2, 0.05 to 0.4 weight % Fe2O3 and 0 to 1.0 weight % Fluorine.
Boron-free fibers are sold under the trademark ADVANTEX (Owens Corning, Toledo, Ohio, USA). Boron-Free fibers, such as are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,329, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, offer a significant improvement in operating temperatures over boron-containing E-glass. Boron-Free glass fibers fall under the ASTM definition for E-glass fibers for use in general-use applications.
S-Glass is a family of glasses composed primarily of the oxides of magnesium, aluminum, and silicon with a chemical composition that produces glass fibers having a higher mechanical strength than E-Glass fibers. The composition for forming S-Glass includes approximately 65 weight % SiO2, 25 weight % Al2O3, and 10 weight % MgO. S-glass has a composition that was originally designed to be used in high-strength applications such as ballistic armor.
R-Glass is a family of glasses that are composed primarily of the oxides of silicon, aluminum, magnesium, and calcium with a chemical composition that produces glass fibers with a higher mechanical strength than E-Glass fibers. R-Glass has a composition that contains approximately 58-60 weight % SiO2, 23.5-25.5 weight % Al2O3, 14-17 weight % CaO plus MgO, 0% B2O3, 0% F2 and less than 2 weight % miscellaneous components. R-Glass contains more alumina and silica than E-Glass and requires higher melting and processing temperatures during fiber forming. Typically, the melting and processing temperatures for R-Glass are at least 160° C. higher than those for E-Glass. This increase in processing temperature requires the use of a high-cost platinum-lined melter. In addition, the close proximity of the liquidus temperature to the forming temperature in R-Glass requires that the glass be fiberized at a viscosity lower than E-Glass, which is customarily fiberized at or near 1000 poise. Fiberizing R-Glass at the customary 1000 poise viscosity would likely result in glass devitrification, which causes process interruptions and reduced productivity.
Tables IA-IE set forth the compositions for a number of conventional high-strength glass compositions.
TABLE I-ARUSSIAN CONTINUOUSChineseROVING NITTOBONITTOBOHighMAGNESIUM "T""T"StrengthALUMINO-Glass FabricGlass FabricConstituentglassSILICATE"B"(Yarn) "C"SiO255.0855.8164.5864.64CaO0.330.380.440.40Al2O325.2223.7824.4424.57B2O31.850.030.03MgO15.9615.089.959.92Na2O0.120.0630.080.09Fluorine0.030.0340.037TiO20.0232.330.0190.018Fe2O31.10.3880.1870.180K2O0.0390.560.0070.010ZrO20.0070.15Cr2O30.0110.0030.003Li2O1.63CeO2
TABLE I-BNittoNittoNitto Vetrotex SaintPolotskBosekiBosekiBoseki TEGobain SR GlassSTEKLOVOLOKNOA&PNT6030Glass RST-Stratifils SR CGHigh Strength ConstituentYarnYarn220PA-535CS250 P109GlassSiO265.51  64.60 64.20 63.90 58.64 CaO 0.44   0.58  0.63  0.26  0.61 Al2O324.06  24.60 25.10 24.40 25.41 B2O3 0.04 MgO 9.73   9.90  9.90 10.00 14.18 Na2O 0.04   0.06  0.020 0.039 0.05 Fluorine 0.07   0.02 TiO2 0.016  0.000 0.000 0.210 0.624Fe2O3 0.067  0.079 0.083 0.520 0.253K2O 0.020  0.020 0.020 0.540 0.35 ZrO2 0.079 Cr2O3 0.0010 0.001 0.023Li2OCeO2
TABLE I-CChinese HighChinese HighZentronAdvancedStrength StrengthS-2SOLAISGlassYarnGlassGlassGlassYarnsConstituent(8 micron)RovingRovingSampleR GlassSiO255.22  55.49 64.74 64.81 58.46 CaO 0.73   0.29  0.14  0.55  9.39 Al2O324.42  24.88 24.70 24.51 24.55 B2O3 3.46   3.52  0.02  0.04 MgO12.46  12.28 10.24  9.35  5.91 Na2O 0.104  0.06  0.17  0.16  0.079Fluorine 0.07   0.02  0.054TiO2 0.32   0.36 0.015 0.04  0.196Fe2O3 0.980  0.9300.045 0.238 0.400K2O 0.240  0.1500.005 0.03  0.67 ZrO2Cr2O3 0.00500.0070.005Li2O 0.59   0.63 CeO2 1.23   1.25
TABLE I-DAdvancedIVG IVG IVG VertexGlassVertexVertexOutside #1YarnsCulimetaB96Glass GlassConstituentS GlassRoving675 YamRovingRovingSiO264.61  59.37  58.34  58.58  58.12  CaO 0.17   0.27   0.31   0.30   0.31  Al2O324.84  25.49  23.81  24.26  24.09  B2O3 0.04   0.05  MgO10.11  13.47  14.99  15.02  15.36  Na2O 0.118  0.024  0.05   0.02   0.03  Fluorine 0.03   0.04   0.04   0.04  TiO2 0.011  0.530  1.380  0.67   0.91  Fe2O3 0.042  0.374  0.333  0.336  0.303 K2O 0.48   0.42   0.28   0.29  ZrO2 0.152  0.129  0.165  0.157 Cr2O3 0.0050 0.0120 0.0100 0.0120 0.0120Li2OCeO2
TABLE I-EIVG VertexRH CG250Outside #2P109 GlassConstituentGlass RovingFiber StrandSiO258.6958.54CaO0.299.35Al2O324.325.39B2O3MgO15.066.15Na2O0.030.10Fluorine0.040.16TiO20.640.008Fe2O30.3310.069K2O0.360.14ZrO20.1870.006Cr2O30.0130Li2OCeO2
R-Glass and S-Glass are produced by melting the constituents of the compositions in a platinum-lined melting container. The costs of forming R-Glass and S-Glass fibers are dramatically higher than E-Glass fibers due to the cost of producing the fibers in such melters. Thus, there is a need in the art for methods of forming glass compositions useful in the formation of high performance glass fibers from a direct-melt process in a refractory-lined furnace and fibers formed by the method.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method of manufacturing high performance glass fibers in a refractory lined melter and fiber formed thereby


Embodiments of the invention provide a semiconductor component and a method of manufacture thereof. A semiconductor component comprises: a gate electrode layer adjacent a substrate, and a gate dielectric layer adjacent the gate electrode layer. The gate dielectric layer comprises a monolayer of at least one compound, wherein the compound has an aromatic or a condensed aromatic molecular group. The molecular group is capable of π-π interactions, which stabilize the monolayer. In an embodiment, the semiconductor component is an organic field effect transistor (OFET). In an embodiment of the invention, a method includes forming the monolayer using a liquid phase immersion process.

Field effect transistors based on organic semiconductors (OFET) are of interest for a large number of electronic applications. In particular, low manufacturing costs, flexible or unbreakable substrates or the production of transistors and integrated circuits over large active areas are possible therewith. For example, organic field effect transistors are suitable as pixel control elements in active matrix screens or for the production of extremely economical integrated circuits, as used, for example, for the active marking and identification of products and goods.
Since complex circuits can be built up using organic field effect transistors, there are numerous potential applications. Thus, for example, the introduction of RF-ID (RF-ID: radio frequency identification) systems based on this technology is considered a potential replacement for the bar code, which is susceptible to faults and can be used only in direct optical contact with the scanner. Passive RF-ID systems obtain their energy from the incident alternating field. The possible distance between reader and transponder depends on the radiant power and the energy requirement of the transponder. Silicon-based transponders therefore operate at supply voltages of about 3 V. Products which contain a silicon-based chip are too expensive for many applications. For example, a silicon-based identification tag is not suitable for the marking of foods (price, expiry date, etc.).
Organic field effect transistors usually consist of at least four different layers applied one on top of the other: a gate electrode, a dielectric, a source-drain contact layer and an organic semiconductor. The sequence of the layers may vary. To ensure the functionality, the individual layers must be structured, which is relatively complicated.
Polymers or organic semiconductors offer the potential of being able to use cheap printing techniques for their structuring and application. The gate potential for controlling the organic field effect transistors can be chosen to be all the lower but thinner in the form in which the gate dielectric (i.e. a dielectric layer) can be produced.
In polymer electronics, the thickness of the gate dielectric is generally optimized so that the solution of a polymer is spun out or printed on increasingly thinly (top-down). However, this procedure encounters its limits when it is intended to achieve layer thicknesses of less than 50 nm.
It is known that layers for organic field effect transistors can be built up by means of self-assembled layers comprising molecular monolayers (SEM: self-assembled monolayers).
In the articles by J. Collet, D. Vuillaume; "Nano-field effect transistor with an organic self-assembled monolayer as gate insulator", Applied Physics Letters 73 (1998) 2681; J. Collet, S. Lenfant, D. Vuillaume, O. Bouloussa, F. Rondelez, J. M. Gay, K. Kham, C. Chevrot; "High anisotropic conductivity in organic insulator/semiconductor monolayer heterostructure", Applied Physic Letters 76 (2000) 1339, and J. Collet, O. Tharaud, A. Chapoton, D. Vuillaume; "Low-voltage, 30 nm channel length, organic transistors with a self-assembled monolayer as gate insulating films", Applied Physics Letters 76 (2000) 1941, which describes such layers.
These layers are also discussed in the articles by Pradyt Ghosh, Richard M. Crooks; "Covalent Grafting of a Pattered", Hyperbranched Polymer onto Plastic Substrate Using Microcontact Printing", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 121 (1999) 8395-8306, and William M. Lackowski, Pradyut Ghosh, Richard M. Crooks; "Micron-Scale Patterning of Hyperbranched Polymer Films by Micro-Contact Printing;", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 121 (1999) 1419-1420 and Jacob Sagiv; "Process for the production of built-up films by the stepwise adsorption of individual monolayers", and U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,061 (1985).
The articles by Collet et al. describe materials that make it possible to use transistors having SAM layers. Vinyl-terminated silanes have anchor groups on hydroxyl-containing substrate surfaces to form an SAM. This is subsequently chemically aftertreated in order to bind further molecules chemically to the SAM (cf. article by Sagiv et al.), or surfaces which permit further processing are produced (cf. article by Collet, Tharaud et al.).
It is disadvantageous that these layers do not form a dense dielectric layer without aftertreatment. The chemical aftertreatments used converts only 70 to 90% of the terminal groups in a reaction time of 48 to 120 hours. This chemical aftertreatment takes too long for the production of large quantities.
In principle, it is also possible to bind polymers via a plurality of coordination sites to a surface (Self-Assembled Polymers). This is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,431, U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,648 (1998) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,686,549.

Compound used to form a self-assembled monolayer, layer structure, semiconductor component having a layer structure, and method for producing a layer structure


An offshore erosion protection structure comprising a barrier assembly having an elongated configuration and running substantially parallel in corresponding relation to the configuration of the shoreline and defined by a plurality of spaced apart and successively arranged modules specifically structured, configured and disposed to reverse the erosion of sand by waves of various strength on the shoreline by decelerating the travel of the incoming waves. The sand, held in suspension by the wave caused turbulence, will settle out in the nearshore zone thereby creating a tendency of reversing erosion by adding sand to the shoreline or beaches.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a barrier assembly mounted in an offshore disposition within a body of water by anchoring the barrier to the floor or bottom and structuring the barrier assembly to intercept inflowing waves of a variety of strength thereby dissipating the force of such waves before the waves can derogatorily affect the sand on or about the shoreline which normally causes erosion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous prior art structures and devices have been devised to reduce or eliminate the tendency for beach or shoreline erosion caused by waves varying in strength from generally normal continuous wave action to storm or hurricane level. Certain existing publications in the United States have emphasized the importance of conservation of the nation's shoreline as indicated hereinafter.
Science Digest, August 1986 Volume, "America Washing Away" indicates that the sea level throughout the world is rising from a negligible six inches over the past century to a possible one foot or more within the next fifty years. Each foot of sea level rise can destroy from approximately one hundred to many thousand feet of coastline. The forces responsible for such erosion are beyond anyone's control as well as general scientific understanding. Within the next ten years, homes in every coastal town and on every barrier island will be at risk of being destroyed if hurricanes or storms of sufficient strength occur.
It is also well known that the abnormal rising of sea level could very well be attributed to "global warming" which according to many prestigious and nationally sponsored societies may well be the most pressing international issue of the next century.
Storm surges and high tides could flood hundreds of abandoned toxic waste sites located near the coasts thereby directly threatening human health by contaminating ground water.
Cities such as Miami Beach, Fla.; Ocean City, N.J.; East Hampton, N.Y. and Malibu, Calif. have attempted to stop such derogatory effects on the adjacent shorelines by building walls in front of the beach area to hold back the sea. Additional efforts include the creation of jetties to stabilize inlets and the establishment of stone groins that extend perpendicular outward from the beaches into the water for the purpose of trapping sand. In many cases, these structures have accomplished the opposite of that intended and have in fact hastened erosion.
The only way to widened or re-establish a beach uniformly and protect all of the contiguous property is to replenish such beach or coastline with new sand. Importing and is prohibitably expensive to all but the wealthiest resorts and individuals.
In the July 1987 issue of Scientific American and article entitled "Beach and Barrier Islands" indicated that one of the world's most spectacular sand beaches runs from the New England area of the North American continent down the Atlantic coast of the United States and travels continuously around the State of Florida to extend along the northern edge of the Gulf of Mexico. Much of the 2,700 mile beach lies on the 295 "barrier islands" that stand between the sea and the mainland along the two coasts. Both the mainland beaches and the islands are under constant attack from the sea. Today, such resorts, of the type mentioned above, occupy barrier islands and summer homes crowd many of such beaches. Naturally, pressure for pubic works to protect the islands and beaches is strong. It is impossible for a large storm of hurricane strength to move along either coast without either crossing or at least affecting a beach or barrier island. Hurricanes are more powerful than storms known as Winter Northeasters, but they come less often, particularly along the Atlantic coast. There are roughly thirty occurrences wherein Northeasters generate waves with sufficient force to erode the barrier island beaches and frontal dunes.
The overall shoreline erosion along the mid-Atlantic coast is from 1.5 to 4.5 feet per year. This does not apply to the barrier islands off the Virginia coast and the beaches along the Delta coast of Louisiana. There the erosion rate can be as much as 25 feet per year.
The aforementioned article additionally sets forth that in 1946, Congress first authorized the expenditure of federal funds to build structures to prevent erosion. Under that authority, the Army Corps of engineers built more than a hundred projects. These projects encompass both "hard" structures and "soft" engineering works. The hard structures include breakwaters, groins, sea walls and revetments. The latter structure, a revetment is built on the beach to prevent waves from removing sand. Experience has learned that manmade structures of the type set forth above have not only failed to protect the beaches and shorelines but in many cases, have actually worked to destroy them. The trend in coastal engineering today is to take the soft approach. This technique entails adding sand to a beach to replace material lost by natural erosion.
The continuing rise in sea level and encroachment on the shoreline will challenge engineers seeking to maintain the resort communities built on beaches and barrier islands. If the predicted increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels brings about a global warming and increased melting of polar ice, th e sea level will rise even faster and shoreline recession will accelerate.
The articles described the deteriorating condition of the American beaches and the resulting hazardous situation involving coastal residential constructions. The Conservation Foundation for the Counsel on Environmental Quality, the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Interior, Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have prepared guidelines for conservation of resources and protection against storm hazards, titled "Coastal Environmental Management". The six objectives recommended in this manual for communities to consider in developing "management policies" are:
1. Manage coastal watersheds for least alteration of natural patterns of storm water runoff. PA1 2. Preserve ecologically vital areas, such as dunes, coral reefs, wetlands, and edgezones (borders of distinctive vegetation between different areas-e.g. between wetlands and floodlands). PA1 3. Preserve the integrity of coastal geologic protective structures. PA1 4. Protect the configuration of coastal water basins against adverse alteration. PA1 5. Protect coastal waters from pollution. PA1 6. Restore damaged environments.
Heeding these recommendations recommend three separate designs of marine structures to be proposed herewith to preserve indirectly the integrity of geological and architectural coastal structures by safeguarding the nearshore zone (the submerged beach extending seaward as far as the force of waves reaches to the bottom) by making it nourish itself with sand utilizing a natural technique. To accomplish this, the theorem cited by Mr. Willard Bascom in his book, "Waves and Beaches" is put into practice. This practice is set forth by the statement that sand set in motion by wave caused turbulence will settle out wherever a protective structure reduces wave action. This assumption has been actually proven in nature on the island of Curacao, Netherlands-Antilles, in the Caribbean.
The proposed structures will not only add sand to the nearshore zone, but will also help reduce the severity of storm surges and flooding. This is accomplished in the same manner mangrove swamps and coral reefs are credited with saving the shoreline but in a more organized way without hiatuses.
Accordingly, there is a need for protective structures and assemblies mounted offshore which are designed, disposed and configured to reduce the wave energy by refraction (in marine terms meaning bending). Waves moving into a preferred structure or barrier assembly will also slow down by the friction caused by the obstacles course they are put through and that between the water particles reciprocally. Though part of the slowing down process will be caused by reflection, the utmost care is taken in the design of a preferred structure in order to offer the least resistance to the incoming waves. The powerful breakers, holding sand in suspension, get stripped of most of their energy after passing such a preferred barrier assembly and will release and add the suspended sand into the nearshore zone. With this action, the much feared erosion will be reversed and it will be a matter of time for the nearshore zone to silt up, sweep up enough sand to build dunes which will integrate coastal geologic protective structures.
The aforementioned prior art structures which are manmade are generally representative in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,290 to Grooms. Grooms recognizes that many and various techniques have heretofore been employed in conjunction with tidal waters, particularly along the coastline to attempt to cause sand carried by the water to settle therefrom during wave movement and thus achieve accretion. To date, such efforts have not met with any significant success. The Grooms' invention is not easily adaptable for large scale operations. It includes moving parts which make it vulnerable and costly from an operation and maintenance standpoint. The land accretion apparatus proposed by Grooms comprises a base support having a flexible barrier secured thereto. Apart from its operation, the following can be said of the flexible vertical barrier, which represents the most important part of the invention. The existence of a manmade material that can survive for a long constant back and forth bending motion brought about by the continuous wave action is questionable.


A routing device includes means for executing a function of translation between at least one address of a first network and at least one address of a second network; means for receiving an association request from a terminal of said first network; means for generating a second request by substituting a source address in the association request by an address of the routing device in the second network; means for sending the second request to an address translation server of the second network; and means for sending said terminal, in response to said association request, a response received from said address translation server in response to sending said second request.

The field of the present invention is that of routing and more particularly that of address translation mechanisms used in telecommunications networks.
Network address translation (NAT) mechanisms or functions are conventionally used by home gateways to translate private addresses of the home network into public addresses of the Internet and vice-versa.
At present, the protocol on which the Internet is based is the Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) described in the document RFC 791.
This protocol uses an IP address on 32 bits, which is limiting expansion of the Internet.
This limitation is driving the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6), the addresses of which are on 128 bits.
The deployment of IPv6 being relatively slow in practice, the present invention aims at an alternative solution to IPv6 to respond to the problem of the lack of IPv4 addresses.
Of course, the present invention is not limited to IPv4 and could be used in the context of IPv6.
Moreover, it is known that many services (peer to peer file sharing, voice over IP, etc.) require the setting up of incoming connections, i.e. connections from the Internet to the home network.
A constraint set for the present invention is that it should be able to accept such services.

Routing device and method of translating addresses in cascade in a network


A method for controlling freezing capacity of a variable-frequency freezing AC ice-water system separates the freezing capacity of each individual requirement end so as to reduce sudden or peak concentrating freezing demand and relieve variable-frequency load demand, and defines operating procedures corresponding to different requirement ends, respectively, wherein each of the operating procedures has a corresponding high-low temperature range that can be used as a temperature buffer zone so as to redistribute supply of the freezing capacity to each requirement end, thereby allowing the compressors thereof to operate smoothly and thus achieve energy saving as a result. The drawbacks of damaged pipelines are overcome that cause deficiency in freezing capacity as encountered in prior techniques.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods for controlling the freezing capacity of freezing AC ice-water systems, and more particularly, to a method for controlling freezing capacity of a variable-frequency freezing AC ice-water system.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, requirement end equipment (e.g. air conditioners, central air conditioning systems, freezers, refrigerators etc.) in business places or office buildings for temperature control require large power output to achieve a sufficient cooling effect. Split-type chillers may have the problems of insufficiency and high cost. Multiple requirement end equipment in a business place are usually connected to a rear end chiller and exchange heat with the chiller for achieving desired cooling effects. For example, freezers and refrigerators in a supermarket or a warehouse are connected to a rear end chiller so as to allow heat exchange to occur therebetween through a cooling fluid provided by the chiller, thereby achieving freezing and refrigerating effects.
In practice, the freezing capacity supply of the chiller is very high, which accordingly results in high electric power consumption. For example, a chiller in a supermarket supplies several tons to several hundreds of tons of freezing capacity, thus resulting in high electric power consumption and high cost. If the freezing capacity during startup of the chiller can be efficiently utilized and the number of startup and shutdown events can be reduced, the cost can be greatly reduced.
In order to save electric power consumption, a variable-frequency chiller is developed, wherein the operating frequency thereof varies with the freezing capacity supply so as to reduce electric power consumption and save cost. The reason is that the freezing capacity supply of the variable-frequency chiller is positively proportional to the operating frequency of the variable-frequency chiller, and the electric power consumption is positively proportional to the cube of the operating frequency. That is, the electric power consumption is positively proportional to the cube of the freezing capacity supply. FIG. 1 is a plot showing the relationship between the electric power consumption and the supply of the variable-frequency chiller. Referring to FIG. 1, when the supply of the variable-frequency chiller is half of the maximum supply, the electric power consumption is 12.5% of the maximum electric power consumption (as shown in curve A). However, along with continuing global warming, only using the above-described variable-frequency method cannot meet the high demand for carbon emission reduction.
Therefore, it is imperative to provide a method for controlling the freezing efficiency of a variable-frequency freezing AC ice-water system so as to overcome the above-described drawbacks.

Method for controlling freezing capacity of a variable-frequency freezing AC ice-water system


An endoscope includes: a distal end portion provided at a distal end of an insertion portion; a front-view observation window for observing an insertion direction of the distal end portion, which is provided facing toward the insertion direction; a lateral-view observation window for observing a circumferential direction of the distal end portion, which is formed along the outer circumferential lateral surface and has a lateral observation field of view; a light-emitting member having an emission end surface for emitting light in a distal end direction of the distal end portion; a groove portion formed on the outer circumferential lateral surface of the distal end portion so as to be longer than the emission end surface of the light-emitting member along the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential lateral surface of the distal end portion and opposed to the emission end surface, on a proximal end side with respect to the lateral-view observation window; a plurality of particles for scattering light arranged in the groove portion; and a transparent infill filled between the plurality of particles.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope capable of performing front-view observation and lateral-view observation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, endoscopes provided with illumination means and observation means on a distal end side of an insertion portion have been widely used in a medical field and the like.
An endoscope is sometimes used for an examination of an internal wall of a tubular organ by inserting an insertion portion of the endoscope into the tubular organ. In order to facilitate such an examination, endoscopes have been developed, which have a lateral field of view in which the lateral-surface direction (lateral side) of the insertion portion is an observation field of view, in addition to a front field of view in which the forward side of the insertion portion along the insertion direction or the axial direction of the insertion portion is an observation field of view.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-329700, as a first prior art example, discloses an endoscope having both a front observation field of view and a lateral observation field of view.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-309860, as a second prior art example, discloses an optical system of an endoscope including an optical system which is rotationally symmetrical with respect to a central axis and includes a front-view optical path for picking up an image of an object in the central axis direction, and a wide-angle lateral-view optical path (lateral-view observation portion) for forming an omnidirectional (lateral-side entire circumferential) annular image outside of a circular image through the front-view optical path on the same one image pickup device by performing reflection at least twice in the annular optical element and using a part of the front-view optical path.


A dry-type analytical element suitable for measuring enzyme activity of in a liquid sample, characterized by incorporating a polyacrylamide, polymethacrylamide or their derivatives into at least one water-permeable layer. The background concentration of the dry-type analytical element exhibits minimal increase even under a fluorescent light, and allows an accurate measured value to be easily obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a dry-type analytical element suitable for measuring the enzyme activity of a liquid sample, particularly a biological body fluid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A known dry-type analytical element for measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) contains lactic acid or its salt and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide coenzyme (NAD.sup.+) of the oxidized form in its water-permeable layer and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide coenzyme of reduced form (NADH) is detected by a coloring reagent or the like. Such an analytical element for LDH activity assey is disclosed in Japanese patent KOKAI 59-88097, etc., and it is suitable for measuring the LDH activity of a liquid sample. In such analytical elements, the density of the background sometimes increases during the handling required for measurement, and as a result, the calibration curve previously prepared cannot be utilized. This phenomenon was remarkable, when polyvinylpyrrolidone known as the stabiliser and NAD.sup.+ (Japanese Patent KOKOKU 49-27717) was added to the water-permeable layer containing NAD.sup.+ as the binder.

Analytical element having a polyacrylamide or derivative to minimize background for assaying enzyme activity


A splined sleeve assembly is provided for use on a component support apparatus such as a clutch jack or the like. The support apparatus includes a base, a lift arm supported on the base for movement between a lowered position and a raised position, and a piston and cylinder assembly connected between the base and the lift arm for moving the lift arm between the lowered and raised positions. The support apparatus also includes a hinge plate supported on the lift arm for pivotal movement between raised and lowered positions, and the splined sleeve assembly includes a cylindrical support shaft adapted to be mounted on the hinge plate. A tubular sleeve presents a longitudinal axis and includes a cylindrical inner surface sized for axial and rotational sliding receipt on the support shaft, and an outer surface that includes a plurality of longitudinally extending splines adapted to engage a clutch or other component. When the hinge plate is pivoted to the raised position, the longitudinal axis of the support shaft is disposed in a substantially horizontal plane, and when the hinge plate is pivoted to the lowered position, the longitudinal axis of the support shaft is disposed in a substantially vertical plane.

The present invention relates generally to support devices for clutches and other automotive components, and more specifically to a support apparatus having a splined sleeve assembly adapted to support and align the components of an automotive clutch during repair and placement.
A lifting device for vehicle parts is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,875, to Craychee, and includes a boom that is supported on a wheeled base for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis between raised and lowered positions, a receiver mounted on a distal end of the boom for receiving a clutch attachment or the like, and a hydraulic jack supported on the device between the base and the boom for permitting movement of the boom between the raised and lowered positions. The clutch attachment includes a splined shaft that is rotatingly coupled to a yoke by providing a slip fit between a receiving bore of the yoke and the mating portion of the shaft. This rotational feature of the clutch attachment allows the splined shaft to cooperatively engage the splined portion of a vehicle clutch while the clutch is attached to the vehicle. The shaft is removable from the yoke to permit many different clutch designs to be accommodated by the device by affixing the appropriately designed shaft to the yoke.
A technical problem experienced in the use of the conventional construction resides in the expense of manufacturing a splined shaft out of metal, and of mounting the shaft on the support device in such a way as to permit rotation of the shaft during use. Another technical problem encountered in the use of the conventional construction resides in the necessity of manufacturing a separate splined shaft for each type of clutch or component to be supported on the device, further increasing the cost of making and owning such a device.

Splined shaft assembly for clutch support apparatus


A system for providing augmented reality detects foreground occluders in an image of a video stream. One or more virtual objects are then rendered appropriately with respect to the occluders. Location information associated with the image is used to retrieve a three dimensional representation of the location where the image was taken. Features that are expected to appear in the image based on the three dimensional location but that cannot be located are used to determine regions of the image that are likely to include foreground occluders. Pixels in these regions are used to train a color model that classifies pixels as either part of the background of the image or part of one or more foreground occluders. The pixels in the image are classified using the model, and one or more virtual objects are rendered so that they appear behind any foreground occluders.

Augmented reality is when virtual objects are rendered into an image or video of a real scene, "augmenting" it with additional information such as travel directions, game characters, advertising, etc. Typically, a user views the scene, either through a head-mounted display, or through a rendered video stream captured by a camera (e.g., on a phone), and the virtual objects are placed into the scene. Techniques such as computer vision are used to estimate the position and orientation of the viewer with respect to the scene, so that virtual objects are rendered appropriately.
For example, a user may use a camera on their phone to view a video stream of a street scene that is in front of the user. The street scene may be augmented to identify one or more landmarks in the scene or to include reviews or comments on restaurants or other items of interest in the video stream. These comments or reviews may be rendered in the video stream as virtual objects using one or more icons and may appear to be part of the street scene.
One problem with such an approach is how to deal with occlusions caused by the user "interacting" with one or more of the virtual objects. For example, if the user puts their hand or other occluder in front of the camera, one or more virtual objects that are behind the user's hand should no longer be visible. While real objects in the street scene will be naturally obscured from view by the occluder, the same is not true for the virtual objects. Consequently, the illusion that the virtual objects are a part of the scene will be broken, leading to an unsatisfactory user experience.

Determining foreground regions and background regions in an image


The addition of certain classes of organic salts to infrared sensitive silver halide photographic emulsions can provide supersensitization, improved liquid hold time stability, and photographic emulsion stability.

In most uses of silver halide in photographic materials, it is desirable to increase the speed or sensitivity of the emulsion. There are a number of different techniques for increasing the speed of an emulsion which are usually classified as chemical sensitization or spectral sensitization. Chemical sensitization usually involves modification of the silver halide grains to make the most efficient use of the radiation that they absorb. The three general types of chemical sensitization are sulfur sensitization, reduction sensitization, and precious (noble) metal sensitization. These methods of chemical sensitization are well known and firmly established in the art (e.g., James, T. H. and Vanselow, W. "Chemical Sensitization", J Photo. Sci., 1, 133 (1953), Freiser, H. and Ranz, E., Ber. der Bunsengesellschaft, 68, 389 (1964), and Pouradier, J. "Chemical Sensitization", Photographic Theory: Liege Summer School, A. Hautot, p. 111, Focal Press (London 1963).
Spectral sensitization enables grains to benefit from radiation in regions of the electromagnetic spectrum where the silver halide would ordinarily not absorb. Dyes which absorb radiation and can transfer energy to the grains to help in the photoreduction of silver ions to clusters of silver metal are conventionally used to effect spectral sensitization.
Another phenomenon associated with the use of spectral sensitizing dyes is known in the art as supersensitization. The addition of other substances, frequently in quantities ranging from less than an equivalent molar rate to a 100 fold molar excess of supersensitizer to dye, can increase the spectrally sensitized speed of the emulsion by more than an order of magnitude. Some supersensitizers are dyes themselves, but many others do not absorb radiation in significant amounts in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Therefore, the effect of supersensitizers on spectral sensitization is not clearly dependent on the ability of compounds to absorb radiation in the visible portion of the spectrum. Certain cyanines, merocyanines compounds analogous to cyanines, certain acylmethylene derivatives of heterocyclic bases, and ketone derivatives such as p-dimethylaminobenzalacetone are known supersensitizers. An expanded selection of supersensitizers is therefore desired.
Silver halide emulsions can be protected against the production of fog and stabilized against the loss of sensitivity during keeping. Suitable antifoggants and stabilizers which can be used alone or in combination, include triphenylphoshines, amines, arsines, bismuthines, and stibildynes taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,347; the thiazolium salts described in Staud, U.S. Pat. No. 2,131,038 and Allen, U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,716; the azaindenes described in Piper, U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,437 and Heimbach, U.S. Pat. No. 2,444,605; the mercaptotetrazoles described in Kendall et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,403,927, Kennard et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,897 and Luckey et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,987; and the oximes described in Carroll et al., British Pat. No. 623,448. With respect to infrared sensitive emulsions, G.B. Pat. No. 2,140,928 describes the use of heterocyclic indolinium dyes to maintain stability.
However, it is well known in the prior art that infrared sensitive photographic materials exhibit poor keeping properties (Neblette's Handbook of Photography and Reprography, 7th. Edition, Ed. Sturge, Pub. Van Nostrand). Even with the above mentioned additives, it has not been possible to maintain adequate stability of an infrared sensitive emulsion. As a consequence, many infrared sensitive photographic materials stipulate refrigeration, and put limitations on storage humidity in order to extend the shelf-life as much as possible.
By incorporating quaternary aryl- or alkyl- Group V compounds, in particular the tetraphenylphosphonium salts, into an infrared sensitive emulsion, we have found that photographic speed may be increased, the liquid emulsion may be held for extended times prior to coating, and the keeping properties of the material improved.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


A seat assembly including a head restraint for a vehicle seat that can be raised and lowered depending on the presence or absence of a seat occupant is disclosed. The seat assembly includes a seat having a seat base and seat back and a head restraint selectively movable between a stowed position and an upright position. The seat assembly further includes a head restraint motion assembly connecting the seat back and the head restraint and a sensor operatively associated with either or both of the seat base and the seat back for sensing an occupant. The head restraint includes at least one head restraint post connecting the head restraint to the head restraint motion assembly. The head restraint motion assembly includes a drive motor attached to a motor shaft attached to the head restraint post(s). A locking arrangement is provided to maintain the head restraint in its upright position.

Seat head restraints have been used for many years in automotive vehicles. These head restraints generally extend vertically from the seat back. They are provided for neck and head protection during rear impacts and thus may prevent neck hyperextension.
At first head restraints were only required for the front seats of vehicles. However, as seat technology advanced and additional concerns arose over the need for head restraints for all passengers of the vehicle, today rear seat head restraints have become mandatory. As is frequently the case with new mandated technology, the rear head restraints on newer vehicles appear to be after-thoughts and frequently do not appear to have been a planned part of the seat design.
Current rear seat head restraints add additional height to the rear seats even when the head restraint is adjusted to the lowest height position. While providing a valuable addition to vehicle seating, this additional height partially blocks the view from the rearview mirror, especially for 5th% female drivers. This situation exists even when there are no passengers on the rear seats. Upright head restraints on foldable rear seats may also interfere with the proper movement of the seat back from its upright position to its lowered position.
Accordingly, what is desired is a system that provides for movement of a head restraint between its upright position when a passenger is present and its lowered position when no passenger is present. A further improvement would be such a system in which movement of the head restraint between its upright position and its lowered position is undertaken automatically based on the presence or absence of a seat occupant.
As in so many areas of vehicle technology, particularly with respect to vehicle safety systems, there is always room for improvement.

Hidden rear seat head restraints for improved visibility