A chat system implementing AI-based support chat profiles may receive and process one or more user chat inputs from a user terminal. The chat system may select a support chat profile based on the processed user chat input. The chat system may generate one or more AI chat responses based on the processed user chat input and the support chat profile. The chat system may determine a confidence level of each AI chat response. The chat system may generate a support response. In response to the confidence level of the AI chat response being greater than a predetermined level, the support response may be generated to comprise the AI chat response.

Users may interact with help desks, support desks, customer care centers, and the like to submit inquiries, seek help and support, and/or otherwise conduct textual and/or auditory conversations with support personnel. Typical chat systems may connect a single user to a single support personnel to resolve the user's inquiry. The support personnel may receive the inquiry, research the inquiry, investigate the inquiry and/or resolve the inquiry with the user. In response to the support personnel being unable to resolve the inquiry, the support personnel may further investigate the inquiry or escalate the inquiry to a support supervisor or higher level support personnel. The support process may be time consuming leading to unresolved inquiries, poor user satisfaction, and inefficient use of support personnel. Moreover, inexperienced support personnel may further delay the support process, leading to additional inefficiencies and a further decrease in user satisfaction.

American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.


The present invention relates to an illuminated switch assembly that includes a case; a circuit board disposed inside the case; a light-emitting diode mounted on the circuit board to emit light downward; a light-guiding member configured to transmit the light emitted downward by the light-emitting diode to a position above the circuit board; and an operation member disposed in an upper part of the case to be operable as a switch, the operation member being configured to be illuminated with light received from the light-guiding member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an illuminated switch assembly. In particular, the present invention relates to a low-profile illuminated switch assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a vehicle has various control switches in front of the driver's seat to control additional functions of the vehicle. Types of such control switches that have been mainly used include a lever type, a push-button type, and a rotary type. As an air-conditioner control switch, a control switch of combined type having both push and rotary functions has been often used particularly in recent years.
When a vehicle having such a combined-type switch drives at night, an illumination structure is used in which when the vehicle's interior lighting is turned on, light is emitted by an internal LED for illumination and passes through a lens for illumination to reach a push button, so that a symbol printed on the push button is illuminated with the light.
Korean Patent No. 0721236 discloses a technique related to a two-point illuminated rotary switch.
The related art described above provides a combined-type rotary switch mounted to a connector terminal of an audiovisual (AV) electric device and configured to emit an operation signal by being pressed or rotated. The combined-type rotary switch includes a rotary switch housing connected to the connector terminal; a switch knob made of transparent material, and inserted in the rotary switch housing to support components sequentially fitted therein; a serration lens fitted in the switch knob, and having serrations formed at a light incident portion and a rim to allow light from many LEDs serving as light sources to travel in straight lines and bend; a transparent lens made of transparent material and configured to surround the rotary switch housing; a handle made of translucent material, and having the transparent lens inserted therein to be illuminated through the transparent lens; and a push button fitted in the handle and configured to move the switch knob, when pressed, to operate a switch on a printed circuit board (PCB) having the LEDs mounted thereon.
In the related art described above, it is inevitable to use a double-sided mounting structure in which components are mounted on the lower side of the PCB and LEDs are mounted on the upper side of the PCB. The double-sided mounting structure is inconvenient in that it makes the design process complicated, inevitably requires development of a program for driving the PCB, and involves an enormous cost.
Also in the related art, it is necessary to secure a large separation space between components to avoid interference with the LEDs mounted on the upper side of the PCB. The space usability is thus degraded, and the related art cannot be applied if the separation space between the PCB and components disposed above the PCB is narrow.


There is provided an image processing device including a depth acquisition unit and a smoothing processing unit. The depth acquisition unit acquires a depth to a subject in correlation with a pixel in a captured image of the subject, and the smoothing processing unit designates a pixel in a region excluding a predetermined region in the image as a target pixel, and performs a smoothing process of the degree according to the depth corresponding to the target pixel for a pixel value of the target pixel in a predetermined direction. This causes a pixel in a region excluding the predetermined region in the image to be blurred, thereby generating a panning image.

The present disclosure relates to an image processing device, a method of controlling the image processing device, and a program for causing a computer to execute the method. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an image processing device for performing a smoothing process, a method of controlling the image processing device, and a program for causing a computer to execute the method.
In recent years, an imaging method called panning has been widely used for capturing a moving subject. The panning is a method for photographing an image where a moving subject is clearly captured and a stationary subject such as a background is blurred along a moving direction. This image is hereinafter referred to as a "panning image". The panning gives a vivid representation to a moving subject.
The panning is performed by an operation in which a photographer moves an imaging apparatus to follow the movement of a subject in a state where a shutter speed is set to be slower than a normal speed. In order to appropriately perform the setting of the shutter speed or the movement of the imaging apparatus, it is necessary for a photographer to have a relatively high skill, and thus a completed state of the panning image greatly depends on a skill of the individual photographer.
Therefore, there has been proposed an imaging apparatus which measures a movement speed of a subject when detecting a motion of the imaging apparatus by a photographer and controls a shutter speed in response to the movement speed (for example, see Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2009-229732). The imaging apparatus enables a shutter speed to be set appropriately and thus the capturing of a panning image is easily performed.

Image processing device, method of controlling image processing device, and program for causing computer to execute the same method


A base station of a radio access network (RAN) and a multiband mobile station are configured for wireless communication in a plurality of frequency bands. The RAN selects a configuration of uplink and downlink frequencies for a radio connection between the base station and multiband mobile station. The uplink and downlink frequencies in the selected configuration are in different frequency bands. The RAN may select a frequency band for the uplink frequency based, at least in part, on a distance between the multiband mobile station and the base station. That RAN may select a frequency band for the downlink frequency based, at least in part, on respective downlink loads at the base station for the first, second, and third frequency bands.

A radio connection between a mobile station and a base station may use, for example, frequency division duplexing (FDD) or time division duplexing (TDD). When FDD is used, the uplink (communications from the mobile station to the network) and the downlink (communications from the network to the mobile station) may use different frequencies. When TDD is used, the uplink and downlink may use the same frequency, but the uplink and downlink communications may occur at different times.
The frequencies used for uplink and downlink communications in FDD and TDD radio connections may conform to various standards. For example, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has published technical specifications on "Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA); User Equipment (UE) radio transmission and reception" (E-UTRA standards), which define various frequency bands for FDD and TDD communication using Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocols. A recent version of the E-UTRA standards, ETSI TS 136 101 V11.5.0 (2013 July), is incorporated herein by reference. That version defines E-UTRA Bands 1-44, with each band including a specified range of frequencies.
In some instances, a mobile station may be configured for wireless communication in a plurality of frequency bands. In that case, the frequency band that the mobile station uses may depend on the frequency band or frequency bands supported by the base station that is currently serving the mobile station. Thus, when both the mobile station and base station are configured for wireless communication in a plurality of frequency bands, a radio connection between the mobile station and base station may be established using one of the frequency bands for both the uplink and the downlink.

Methods and systems for selecting frequency bands for a radio connection


An example process for recognizing handwritten input includes obtaining input data representing handwritten input, where the handwritten input is associated with a first dimension and a second dimension relative to the handwritten input; sampling the input data to obtain a plurality of coordinates representing the handwritten input; determining, based on the plurality of coordinates, a sequence of vectors representing a respective plurality of portions of the handwritten input, where: each portion of the respective plurality of portions is associated with a respective height and width corresponding respectively to the first and second dimensions, the respective height being greater than the respective width; and consecutive vectors of the sequence of vectors represent respective consecutive portions of the handwritten input; generating, using a handwriting recognition model, based on the sequence of vectors, one or more characters for the handwritten input; and causing the one or more characters to be displayed.

Users may enter text on electronic devices using handwritten input. For example, a user may move a finger (or another apparatus) on a device display to generate handwritten input. A handwriting recognition model may then convert the handwritten input into one or more characters. Because the accuracy and efficiency of handwriting recognition can depend on the model used, improved techniques and models for recognizing handwriting are desirable.

Spatial and temporal sequence-to-sequence modeling for handwriting recognition


A thrust washer (14) in the form of a semi-circular flanged ring includes at least two radially inward-directed outer connection pieces (22) on the inner edge of the thrust washer (14) for the connection with a radial bearing part (12), which are located in the circumferential direction on both sides of a contrived centerline (M) of the thrust washer (14) and in each case have an inner edge (23) facing the center line (M) and an outer edge (23a) turned away from the centerline (M). The invention also relates to a radio axial bearing with a radial bearing part and a thrust washer of such a type connected with the radial bearing part. The inner edges (23) in each case include an angle (α), which is 45° and 85°, with a tangent on the inner side connected in the center of the connection piece (22) at the semi-circle described by the thrust washer (14), in which the outer edge (23a) runs parallel to the respective inner edge (23). Such a thrust washer (14) can be connected with a radial-axial bearing (10) with a radial bearing part (12).

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a thrust washer in the form of a semi-circular flanged ring with at least two radially inward-directed outer connection pieces on the inner edge of the thrust washer for the connection with a radial bearing part, which are located in the circumferential direction on both sides of a contrived centerline of the thrust washer and in each case have an inner edge facing the centerline and an outer edge turned away from the centerline. The invention also relates to a radial-axial bearing with a radial bearing part and a thrust washer of such a type connected with the radial bearing part.
2. Related Art
Radial-axial bearings are used, for example, in the manufacture of engines such as crankshaft bearings or the like. The radial bearing part can be designed as semi-cylindrical bearing shells or bushings. The radial-axial bearing can be connected to one or both frontal (axial) ends in each case with a thrust washer. The designation "semi-circular flange ring" also includes in terms of the invention such forms of the thrust washer, whose ends actually go beyond the bisecting partial plane or chord. Such forms are known, for example, from EP 1 320 690 A and serve to augment the surface of the thrust washer or as an assembling aid.
Basically two types of construction are known for the connection of the thrust washer(s) with the radial bearing part. In the case of so-called built-up bearings the radial bearing part and the thrust washer are latched with each other in a positive-locking and undetachable manner by means of correspondingly configured plates at the thrust washer and corresponding retaining openings at the radial bearing part. Embodiments of such built-up bearings are known, for example, from DE 43 03 855 C1, DE 33 45 652 A1, DE 41 40 277 A1 or EP 0 307 984 A2. The assembly of the bearing (subsequently the assembly of the axial and the radial bearing part to form a radial-axial bearing is designated by the term "assembly") requires a special tool or a specially equipped assembly machine due to the complex supply and latching movement or due to the additional working steps, in which the latches are fixed in place after the components are brought together. Therefore, the assembly is not infrequently carried out through manual intervention. Furthermore, the connection pieces and/or retaining openings have complicated and for this reason expensive geometries from a manufacturing standpoint, which ensure a secure connection between both of the components in the latched state.
In the second type of construction the radial-axial bearings are welded with each other. The radial bearing part in this type of construction has frontal recesses, in which the connection pieces of the thrust washer are inserted in the axial supply direction.
As a rule, a bearing half-shell has a spread angle, i.e., its basic shape, in contrast to the thrust washer is not precisely semi-circular, but rather is slightly bent open (as a rule a few tenths of a millimeter). The spread angle is removed during the mounting of the half-bearing in the bearing seat of a bearing housing or cover provided therefore (subsequently only precisely this is designated by the term "mounting"), so that the bearing shell is elastically compressed. Through the elastic reset force traction is achieved between the bearing shell and the bearing seat, which fixes the bearing shell in the mounted state and thus facilitates the mounting.
Generally, the spread angle must be removed beforehand depending on the geometry of the connection piece also during the assembly of the bearing shell and the thrust washer, until the connection pieces and the recesses align. Also here the elastic reset force after the assembly arranges for a force-fit cohesion of bearing shell and thrust washer. However, if the spread angle is already removed by the assembly of the bearing, the traction described above no longer or not sufficiently adjusts itself to the bearing seat during the mounting.
Since the thrust washer and the bearing half-shell in this type of construction are indeed connected with each other after the assembly as a rule in a force-locking, but not undetachable manner, they are connected with each other after being brought together at one or several locations of the outer circumference of the bearing half-shell on the face by welding. As an example, reference is made to DE-OS 25 28 576 A1 or DE-OS 24 12 870 A1 (the latter without explicit indication of a welded connection). It is disadvantageous, that also here a special assembly device is needed, which provides for a despreading of the bearing half-shell, and a special assembly machine is required equipped for the axial supply of the thrust washer.
A radial-axial slide bearing is known from DE 40 15 256 A1, in which the thrust washer has at least one radial dovetail-shaped connection piece, projecting inwards, which engages in a complementary recess of the radial bearing part, which tapers in the radial direction. The recess is therefore adjusted in the radial direction to the inclination of the arm and outer edges of the dovetail-shaped fastening piece, so that the axial bearing part is fixed both in the circumferential direction as well as in the radial direction with regard to the radial bearing part.
DE 198 25 117 A1 discloses a radial-axial bearing, with which the connection pieces of the thrust washer are formed free of undercuts in the radial direction through the summit of the flanged bearing shell or viewed in parallel thereto and are importable in this direction into retaining openings enclosed on all sides in the radial bearing part.
A flanged bearing shell is known from GB 2 225 392, in which the thrust washer has a connection piece conically tapered away in the axial direction from the radial bearing part. The assembly of both parts occurs, as the thrust washer with the retaining plate is inserted into a rectangular frontal recess in the radial bearing part and the corners of the recess are subsequently recast so that they form an undercut and fix the wedge-shaped connection piece in the axial direction.

Thrust washer and radial/axial bearing having such a thrust washer


According to various embodiments, a stream of image frames depicting a structure in a scene are obtained. The stream of image frames may comprise first image frames from a first imaging device and second image frames from a second imaging device. Using the first image frames and the second image frames, a wireframe of at least a portion of the structure is generated. From the wireframe, as-built dimensions may be identified, materials estimates may be determined, and/or data for a fabrication device may be generated, for example.

Obtaining as-built dimensions of structures, such as roofs or other components of a building, may be required for various purposes. Conventional methods of obtaining as-built dimensions of a structure include manual measuring or surveying techniques. Manual measuring requires a worker to physically measure dimensions of the structure. The resulting measurements may be inaccurate, and workers may be placed in dangerous environments while measuring the structure. Surveying techniques may result in accurate measurements. However, surveying requires a trained technician and a stable platform from which to shoot.

Using images to create measurements of structures through the videogrammetric process


An illumination device includes a body. The inner space of the body is divided into two parts as a first part and a second part. A heat dissipating module is disposed in the first part. The second part is fully sealed so that dusts, water and insects may be kept off. A plurality of light emitting units are disposed in the second part so as to provide light. The light emitting units are connected with the heat dissipating module in the first part. Hence, heat generated by the light emitting units may be dissipated out of the body and so that the illumination device of the present invention may have a longer service life.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to an illumination device. More particularly, the invention relates to an illumination device of which a body is divided into a first part and a second part, and the second part, where light emitting units are disposed, is fully sealed so that dusts and water may be kept off; a heat dissipating module is disposed in the first part so that heat generated by the light emitting units can be dissipated out of the body so that the illumination device of the present invention will have a longer service life.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Illumination devices, including street lamps, yard lamps and other outdoor illumination devices have been indispensable to ensure the safety of people's homes and to keep thieves away and so that people can see in the night times. However, the conventional illumination devices have the following disadvantages:
1. Most of them use incandescent bulbs, mercury lights, sodium lights, etc., and hence they have a relatively lower efficiency in terms of the energy conversion from power to light and consume relatively more power. In addition, most of them use only AC and do not use DC or solar cell.
2. A cover is usually used to cover a light. To allow heat to dissipate, such cover is not fully sealed; hence, dusts, sands, water and insects may enter the cover quite easily. These dusts, water and insects soil the inner space of the cover and hence lessen the brightness.
3. No heat dissipating device is disposed in the illumination device. Hence, heat can not be swiftly dissipated and its service life is shortened.
Therefore, we can see that the illumination devices of the prior art have many disadvantages and need to be improved.
To eliminate the disadvantages of the prior art, the inventor has put in a lot of effort in the subject and has successfully come up with the illumination device of the present invention.

Heat dissipating pole illumination device

Thermalking Technology International Co.


A thrust absorber is interposed between a thruster and an anchor that cooperate to axially displace another member. The thrust absorber includes an enclosure fixed to the anchor and a retainer connected to the thruster. A biasing member is operably associated with the retainer. During an overthrust condition, the thruster imparts a thrust force to the member, but the member is not substantially axially displaced. In such a condition, the biasing member absorbs the thrust that the thruster would otherwise impart to the member. A dampener is also included to dampen the movement of the thruster and anchor when the anchor is no longer anchoring the thruster.

Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to downhole tools that control thrust generating members. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus that absorbs the thrust generated by a downhole tool having a mud motor and/or a propulsion system.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that the recovery of subterranean deposits of hydrocarbons requires the construction of wells having boreholes hundreds, perhaps thousands, of feet in depth. One known system configured for well construction activities includes a bottom hole assembly (BHA) that is tethered to surface support equipment by a flexible umbilical. This BHA may be a self-propelled system that forms a borehole using a bit adapted to disintegrate the earth and rock of a subterranean formation. One such system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,066, entitled xe2x80x9cWell System,xe2x80x9d issued Oct. 2, 2001, hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. This system preferably includes a bit, a downhole means to rotate the bit, and a downhole means to thrust the bit against the bottom of the borehole. An exemplary arrangement utilizes a positive displacement motor (e.g., a xe2x80x9cmud motorxe2x80x9d) to rotate the bit and a tractor to generate thrust or weight on bit (WOB). In these systems, high pressure drilling mud is conveyed to the BHA through the umbilical. After passing through the BHA, the drilling mud exits through nozzles located in the bit and the drilling mud with returns flows back to the surface via an annulus formed between the umbilical and the borehole wall. The mud motor and tractor use the drilling fluid flowing through the umbilical as their power source.
A system wherein two or more components share a common hydraulic fluid supply have certain drawbacks. Referring now to FIG. 1, there is schematically shown an exemplary hydraulic circuit that is susceptible to these drawbacks. The hydraulic circuit includes a fluid line 10, a tractor 11 having a pressure chamber 12 and piston head 13, a mud motor 14 having a power section 18 that includes a rotor 15, a stator 19, and a bit 16. Drilling fluid flows through fluid line 10 and mud motor 14 to bit 16. A portion of the drilling fluid is diverted via line 17 to tractor 11. When drilling fluid enters pressure chamber 12, piston head 13 drives bit 16 into the formation. The drilling fluid flowing through mud motor 14 induces rotation of power-section rotor 15 and connected bit 16. Thus, mud motor 14 uses the pressure differential across power-section rotor 15 to induce bit 16 to rotate whereas tractor 11 uses the pressure in chamber 12 to drive piston head 13 and bit 16 into the formation.
Because tractor 11 and mud motor 14 draw from a common hydraulic fluid line 10, an unstable operating condition in mud motor 14 may cause a corresponding instability in tractor 11, and vice versa. For example, during drilling operations, the BHA may encounter a formation having earth and rock that is particularly difficult to disintegrate. A bit 16 forced against this hard to drill formation tends to increase the torque required to turn the drill bit against the formation. The bit torque increase causes a resultant increase in the differential pressure across power section 18 of mud motor 14. As the pressure differential across mud motor 14 increases, the pressure of the drilling fluid in fluid line 10 upstream of mud motor 14 also increases. Tractor 11 receives this higher pressure drilling fluid from line 17 which is connected to fluid line 10. Because drilling fluid pressure and tractor thrust are directly related, this increased pressure causes tractor 11 to drive the bit 16 even harder against the formation and at a faster rate. This increase in tractor rate of advancement further contributes to the increase in the torque required to turn the bit 16, thereby creating a feed-back effect which may ultimately cause the bit to stall or shorten the operating life of BHA components such as mud motor 14.
Some systems incorporate shock absorbers or dampeners in BHAs just above the mud motors. These shock absorbers or dampeners are sometimes Belleville springs that reduce the spring rate of the BHA between the motor and the tools above. However, having the springs just above the mud motors increases the length of the drillstring and also requires extra connections. An additional spline for transmitting torque load is also required. Additionally, the tractor still pushes the bit by weight on bit and can have the same problems discussed above. The tractor, having dampeners on each anchor allows for each dampener to be reset whenever its anchor disengages the hole wall so that additional length of dampening movement can allow tractor rate of advancement to slow down to drilling rate. Also directional control ability of drill bit below is reduced due to lower bending rigidity, and also circumferential looseness of spline connections.
The present invention addresses these and related deficiencies in prior art systems discussed above.
The present invention features a thrust absorber interposed between a thrusting means and an anchoring means. Normally, the thrusting means and the anchoring means cooperate to axially displace a tube. In a preferred embodiment, the thrust absorber includes an enclosure that is fixed to the anchoring means and a retainer connecting to the thrusting means. Disposed within the enclosure is a biasing member that is configured to absorb thrust energy when a predetermined condition occurs. Particularly, the thrusting means can encounter an overthrust condition when the thrusting means imparts a thrust force to the tube, but the tube is not substantially axially displaced. When an overthrust condition occurs, the biasing member is compressed by the tube, and thereby absorbs the thrust that otherwise would have been imparted to the tube. Also, by absorbing the thrust, the pressure increase is substantially reduced. The reduction in pressure increase reduces the tractor advancement rate increase so that the tractor rate is modulated and makes the system more stable. Furthermore, for a bottom hole assembly having more than one thrusting means, a thrust absorber may be provided for each such thrusting means.
In a first and second alternative embodiment, the thrust absorbers additionally comprise two different configurations that restrict the speed of movement of the thrust absorbers. The thrust absorbers are especially restricted once the external load across the absorber is relaxed.
In a third alternative embodiment, the thrust absorber additionally comprises a second biasing member disposed within the enclosure. Particularly, the second biasing member restricts movement of the thrust absorber when the tube is displaced in a direction opposite that of the intended forward direction of the tractor. The second biasing member allows most of the length of the thruster stroke to be realized by preventing loss of stroke length due to movement of the thrust absorber.
The present invention comprises a combination of features and advantages which enable it to overcome various problems of prior devices. The various characteristics described above, as well as other features, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and by referring to the accompanying drawings.


A submersible robot for operating a tool relative to a surface of an underwater structure has a tool holder movably mounted on a support assembly provided with a driving arrangement for movably holding the tool in operative position relative to the surface. Position and orientation of the support assembly relative to the surface is locked and adjusted by locking and leveling arrangements. A programmable control unit operates the driving, locking and leveling arrangements and the tool and receives measurements from a sensor unit. The control unit has an operation mode wherein a positioning of the robot is determined and controlled as function of an initial position for defining a first work area, and shifted positions of the robot for defining additional work areas, the work areas having overlapping portions with one another for tracking displacements of the robot relative to the surface of the structure using the sensor unit.

The runways, the seal seats, the sill or the lintel of a sluice, in a hydroelectric work, are used to receive a gate or stop logs in order to block and seal the opening in a dam. Its structures are prone to wear as time passes and thus requiring restoration works in order to preserve their functionalities. The traditional underwater structure restoration methods are based on minor repair tasks that may be completed under water by experimented divers and also on major works that require the preliminary installation of a cofferdam in order to dry the work area.
The automated underwater restoration exhibits economical advantages, but raises serious technical problems due to the design of the submersible systems comprising various electromechanical parts. Other problems arise to both ensure automated and remotely operated tasks in an underwater environment, where the human presence is considered dangerous, where the visibility is reduced and the availability of the required sensors is limited. The underwater enviromnent is also a source of important perturbations that may affect the operation of the sensors, the manipulators and other actuators. The control of the machining process is also affected by the underwater environment and poses precision and repetitiveness problems. Furthermore, it is necessary for certain works to perform the restoration in different time windows having variable durations. To optimize the restoration time and allow respecting these time windows, the installation and uninstallation time in the work area must be as short as possible, which implies that it is important to reduce the amount and volume of the equipment to be installed to its minimum, as well as to simplify the complexity of the installation and the number of steps to be followed.
Some apparatuses allowing performing works under water have already been proposed.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,147 (Matsumoto et al.) shows a remotely operated tool for drilling a plate in a nuclear reactor vessel. The tool has a drill bit moving along its rotation axis inside a stationary sleeve. The tool is mounted over the plate to be drilled, and a system is provided for collecting the chips resulting from the drilling. The drilling requires that the tool be still and properly fixed with respect to the plate to be drilled, and thus has no lateral or transverse mobility for its displacement, nor vertical other than that relative to the drill bit as required for the drilling. Furthermore, the tool is only provided with a basic controller limited to the operation of the motors of the tool and not designed to have automation capabilities for the drilling task, and even less for other tasks.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,555,779 (Obana et al.) proposes an apparatus that prevents water from entering in a bell covering and sliding on a workpiece, for example for welding or cutting. The apparatus has a pressurized water or gas injection system intended to form a water or gas curtain around the periphery of the bell to prevent water from entering. The apparatus is especially designed for performing a welding task along a line and can be mounted on a track by means of an assembly subjected to no important stresses and having a consequent construction. The control of the welding task is achieved by remote control operations from a worker, or by an automated mechanism reacting to image data captured with a camera during the welding.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,238 (Gebelin et al.) proposes a device for cutting or grinding a support of a nuclear reactor fuel assembly. The configuration of the device is specifically adapted to the prismatic geometry of the fuel assembly, and thus has a platform horizontally fastening to a support of the fuel assembly, a mobile carriage mounted on the platform, a hoist for hoisting the assembly, clamping elements for immobilizing the assembly, a table mounted on the carriage with a return element, a tool support mounted on the table, and a tool secured to the tool support.
JP application 2005297090 (Sato et al.) proposes a device for underwater polishing of a workpiece and collecting chips without however requiring a suction pump. The device comprises impellers disposed on the rotation shaft of the tool located in a bell so as to produce a negative pressure in the bell for draining the chips and water towards a filter that collects the chips. The construction of the device only allows light polishing or grinding works
In general, the prior art apparatuses and devices have automation, mobility, portability, installation, robustness, stiffness, precision and/or adaptation capabilities limited to such an extent that they are not adapted to the automation and achievement of intensive machining or measurement works under water, as for the milling of embedded parts of hydro-electric structures. This case of milling involves important stresses and vibrations at the level of the manipulator of the milling tool and requires a good global stiffness.

Submersible robot for operating a tool relative to a surface of an underwater structure


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a silicon substrate, forming a buffer layer on the silicon substrate, and forming a nitride semiconductor layer on the buffer layer. The buffer layer includes a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer. The first layer includes AlxInyGa1-x-yN (0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1, 0≦x+y≦1) and has a lattice constant LP1 that is smaller than a lattice constant LP0 of the silicon substrate. The second layer is formed on the first layer, includes AlxInyGa1-x-yN (0≦x<1, 0≦y<1, 0≦x+y<1), and has a lattice constant LP2 that is greater than LP1 and smaller than LP0. The third layer is formed on the second layer, includes AlxInyGa1-x-yN (0≦x<1, 0≦y<1, 0≦x+y<1), and has a lattice constant LP3 that is smaller than LP2.

Many nitride-based semiconductor devices use a sapphire substrate. However, a sapphire substrate is expensive, is too hard to manufacture chips, and has low electric conductivity. Furthermore, a sapphire substrate may not be easily manufactured at a large size due to its warpage at high temperatures, such as during epitaxial growth, and due to its low thermal conductivity. In order to prevent the above problems, nitride-based semiconductor devices using a silicon (Si) substrate instead of a sapphire substrate have been developed. Since a Si substrate has higher thermal conductivity than a sapphire substrate, the Si substrate is not warped greatly at a high temperature for growing a nitride thin film, thereby making it possible to grow a large thin film on the Si substrate.
However, when a nitride thin film is grown on a Si substrate, a dislocation density may be increased due to a mismatch in lattice constants between the Si substrate and the nitride thin film and cracks may occur due to tensile stress which is generated by mismatch in thermal expansion coefficients between the Si substrate and the nitride thin film. Accordingly, many types of buffer structures are studied to grow a nitride thin film, which has high crystallinity and has no crack, on the Si substrate.

Semiconductor buffer structure, semiconductor device including the same, and method of manufacturing semiconductor device using semiconductor buffer structure


A telematic terminal generally used for a group 4 facsimile apparatus which produces a mixed mode document and transmits to another communication apparatus. The mixed mode document is divided into a plurality of blocks and each block of mixed mode document is judged to be constructed with a normal format or abnormal format. Since the block constructed with the abnormal format is indicated on a screen of a display unit of the telematic terminal and what kind of abnormal format the other communication apparatus can manage is transmitted, the operator can easily learn whether or not the mixed mode document can be properly transmitted to the other communication apparatus. If necessary, the operator can edit the block so that the other communication apparatus can receive the mixed mode document.

The present invention relates generally to a telematic terminal which produces and edits a mixed mode document transmitted by the telematic terminal.
Comite Consultatif International Telegraphique et Telephonique (abbreviated CCITT hereinafter) gives standards for telematic services, used for a group 4 (G4) facsimile apparatus (abbreviated FAX hereinafter), teletex, and videotex, and provides various definitions about them. A mixed mode document is one of the telematic services, on the same page of which characters (and also letters) and figures are mixedly arranged but individually transmitted to a receiver terminal. Generally, the characters are converted into and transmitted as code data, and the figures are converted into and transmitted as raster data. Each page of a mixed mode document is divided into a plurality of blocks, in which the characters and figures are separately allotted, a block used for characters being called a text block, and a block used for figures being called a raster block. It is necessary to define the text block and/or the raster block before arranging the characters or the figures with a predetermined format, on a desired block.
The CCITT outlines a protocol of the mixed mode in T.501 in which values defining format are predetermined for characters and figures. That is, each of the characters and figures can be arranged in either a normal format or an abnormal format. The normal format is a mandatory format for each telematic terminal, so that the receiver terminal can always accept a mixed mode document, arranged in the normal format, received from a transmitter terminal. However, the abnormal format is optional for each telematic terminal, so that the receiver terminal can accept a character arranged in the abnormal format only when the receiver terminal is equipped with the value of the abnormal format. In this case, the characters arranged in the abnormal format can be converted into the raster data, and then transmitted to the receiver, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2-56172. Incidentally, raster data of abnormal format can be converted into the normal format by the receiver terminal.
The letter interval of characters has a value in normal format of 10 letters/inch and values in abnormal format of 6, 12, and 15 letters/inch. The line interval of the characters has values in normal format of 3, 4, 6 and 12 lines/inch and a value in abnormal format of 8 lines/inch. The resolution of the raster data has values in normal format of 240 and 300 picture elements (pixels)/inch, and values in abnormal format of 200, 400, 600 and 1200 pixels/inch.
However, the conventional telematic terminal has the following disadvantages:
1. The receiver terminal cannot freely edit characters transmitted as raster data, whereas the receiver terminal can freely edit characters transmitted as code data; and
2. The communication time is long since the amount of raster data is more than that of code data;
3. When raster data is converted from abnormal format into normal format, it often exhibits deterioration; for example, the resolution with the abnormal value 400 ppi (pel per inch) is converted that with the normal value 300 ppi.
4. It is difficult for an operator of the transmitter terminal to judge which part of the mixed mode document is not receivable by the receiver terminal.

Telematic terminal which produces and edits mixed mode document


An intelligent local client agent can passively keep track of the state of network intermediaries, and can allocate network traffic according to different policies. In addition, an optional management platform running on a policy server provides an active network monitor of intermediaries and implements administrative policies. Under the present invention, an intermediary-aware application (e.g., a browser) will be configured to use the local client agent instead of an intermediary. The policy server can remotely load configuration information into a running client agent to provide administrative constraints or state changes. At each client agent, the intermediary servers (e.g. SOCKS servers) are ranked into tiers, so that several servers in the top-rated tier can be used concurrently to provide better performance. When the performance of a server degrades, its tier rating is lowered, and thus it may be avoided. Administratively defined tiers can be used to reserve resources for mission critical applications. Each client agent may passively collect local statistics on observed performance. The policy server may aggregate and evaluate the collected data, and use it as metrics to improve the tier groupings to the client agents, in order to provide better utilization of shared resources.

This invention relates generally to improving the availability and performance of network-mediated applications. More particularly, it relates to a client-based dynamic server switching method for use in a distributed system including multiple intermediary servers.
The demand for remote networked services is steadily increasing. Many networked applications must access intermediaries in order to reach remote services. Network intermediaries include security firewalls, file caches, and directory services. For example, many corporations establish security firewalls to protect their internal networks from unauthorized access, e.g. from the Internet. At the same time, internal users need to cross these firewalls to access remote services, for instance, to access public search engines (e.g. for price comparisons in procurement). One common way to enable crossing the firewall boundaries, is for client applications (e.g. Web browsers) to access SOCKS servers. These servers are trusted network intermediaries that are enabled to communicate, across the firewalls boundaries, with remote Internet services. Typically, client applications that access remote services across the firewalls are statically configured to use only one such intermediary, e.g., a given SOCKS server. Hence, such applications become dependent on the performance and availability of the given intermediary in order to perform many of their functions. Therefore, if the SOCKS server fails, all of the Web browsers using that socks server will be unable to communicate with any remote server outside the firewalls. From the end-user perspective, connectivity to the Internet has been lost, while in fact, that is not necessarily the case, since an alternative SOCKS server may be able to provide the equivalent service at the same time.
A second problem faced by these client applications is that many of their communications are often unnecessarily being routed via intermediaries. For example, a Web browser may be statically configured to access a given SOCKS server for all remote services, even if some of these services are xe2x80x9cinside the firewallxe2x80x9d, that is, are local to the network domain, and hence do not require access via a SOCKS server intermediary. Such requests create unnecessary load on the intermediaries, which results in additional delays for all interactions.
A third problem with prior art approaches is the lack of configurable policies to allocate constrained network resources. For example, on a bandwidth-constrained network, the download of a large news file may significantly slow all other interactions via the network. In particular, real-time applications, such as live broadcasts of multimedia streams may be unnecessarily delayed, since the current Internet infrastructure is lacking in effective priority mechanisms. It is desirable to provide a means and method for controlling the priority and pace of requests and acknowledgments of IP packets at the clients.
In order to improve the performance and availability of networked applications, multiple functionally-equivalent intermediary servers are needed to provide service to a large number of clients. It is also desirable in such a system to direct clients transparently to one of a multiplicity of intermediary servers to obtain the requested service; and, if an intermediary is not functioning as desired, the client request would ideally automatically be routed to another intermediary.
One method known in the art that seeks to increase the performance and availability of networked applications, is to create a cluster of computing nodes (also called a xe2x80x9cmulti-node clusterxe2x80x9d) to share the load. This multi-node cluster approach is particularly useful for increasing the processing capacity at xe2x80x9chotxe2x80x9d sites on the Internet. For the sake of consistency herein, the term xe2x80x9cthe Internetxe2x80x9d refers to the collection of networks and gateways that use the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite of protocols, TCP/IP being a well known protocol for communications between computers (see e.g., D. E. Comer, Inter-networking with TCP/IP, Principals, Protocols and Architecture, Prentice Hall). The multi-node cluster is encapsulated, such that it is made to appear as one entity to clients, in order to make the added capacity provided by the multi-node cluster be transparent to clients. Client requests are distributed among nodes in the multi-node cluster. Many load balancing techniques are known in the art; see for example, Dias et al., xe2x80x9cA Scalable and Highly Available Web Serverxe2x80x9d, Proc. 41st IEEE Computer Society Intl. Conf. (COMPCON) 1996, Technologies for the Information Superhighway, pp. 85-92, Feb. 1996; see also U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,852, issued Dec. 6, 1994 to Attanasio et al., entitled xe2x80x9cMethod and Apparatus for Making a Cluster of Computers Appear as a Single Host.xe2x80x9d
A key problem with the static allocation of intermediaries is that it often results in a poorly balanced workload, thereby wasting network resources. For example, one SOCKS server can have a large number of clients simultaneously connecting to it while others are serving only a few clients. The workload across the intermediaries can become skewed and highly imbalanced, potentially causing significant performance degradation due to server overloads. In the event that an intermediary server fails or is overloaded, there is no automatic mechanism for redirecting a client to another server. A need exists, therefore, for a client-based means to automatically switch to an alternate intermediate server in order to receive remote services without interruption, in the event of service degradation or failure of a network intermediary.
Similar problems have been addressed by (1) server-side solutions, like Network Dispatcher, and (2) application-specific solutions. A server-side solution does not address the same problem, since it does not have any control over the clients. An application-specific solution can address a similar problem for a given intermediated application, at the cost of increased complexity in the application, and the intermediate servers.
What is desirable, and is an objective of the present invention, is to provide a solution to the foregoing problems, which solution is client-based and can support an arbitrary set of networked applications.
An objective of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a local client-resident intermediary broker, that can intelligently route the traffic among intermediaries so as to: (1) provide better availability of the intermediary services, (2) share the load of requests across several intermediaries (e.g. load balancing), and (3) bypass intermediaries whenever possible.
In addition, it is an objective of the present invention to provide remote administrative control of the local intermediary brokers, enabling them to utilize their shared, limited networking resources, according to specific policies. For example, important interactive data, such as e-commerce traffic can be given higher priority than non-critical information. Remote administrative control will, thereby, prevent the xe2x80x9ctragedy of the commonsxe2x80x9d syndrome, where each client tries to locally maximize its private utilization.
Accordingly, it is yet another objective of this invention to provide an improved client-based system for accessing network intermediaries.
These and other objectives are realized by the present invention wherein a method and an apparatus are implemented as an intelligent local broker, the client agent, that can passively keep track of the state of network intermediaries, and can allocate network traffic according to different policies. In addition, an optional management platform running at a policy server provides an active network monitor of intermediaries and implements administrative policies. Under the present invention, an intermediary-aware application (e.g., a browser) will be configured to use the local client agent instead of a specific intermediary. The policy server can remotely load configuration information into a running client agent to provide administrative constraints or state changes. At each client agent, the intermediary servers (e.g., SOCKS servers, HTTP proxy caches, etc.) are ranked into tiers, so that several servers in the top-rated tier can be used concurrently to provide better performance. When the performance of a server degrades, its tier rating is lowered, and thus it may be avoided. Administratively defined tiers can be used to reserve resources for mission-critical applications. Each client agent may passively collect local statistics on observed performance. The policy server may aggregate and evaluate the collected data, and use it as metrics to improve the tier groupings to the client agents, in order to provide better utilization of shared resources.
According to the present invention, the intermediary broker automatically detects performance imbalances and/or failures (complete or partial) and dynamically switches to an alternate intermediate server in order to continue receiving the remote service with minimal disruption.
The present invention includes features for automatically and gracefully switching clients among multiple intermediate servers in the event that such an intermediate server becomes overloaded or fails. A preferred embodiment addresses the case where clients are accessing Internet services via intermediaries. The switching among intermediaries must be transparent to the client. When an intermediary server fails, the respective client agents detect the failure and automatically switch to alternate intermediary servers that continue to provide the clients Internet access.
The present invention also includes features for gracefully switching clients to alternate intermediary servers in the case of server failure or overload while maintaining a balanced workload across multiple intermediary servers in a distributed network environment.

Client-side method and apparatus for improving the availability and performance of network mediated services

International Business Machines Corporation


A zener diode having a semiconductor body (1) with a surface zone (1') doped with more than 10.sup.18 atoms/cc, in which at least two regions (2, 3) are provided through diffusion, which regions have substantially the same concentration of doping atoms and adjoin a surface (4) of the surface zone (1') and form p-n junctions (5,6) with the surface zone (1'), a first region (2) having a smaller lateral cross-section and a smaller depth than a second region (3). Both regions (2, 3) are connected to a first connection electrode (7, 8) provided on the surface (4), and a second connection electrode (9), which is spaced apart from the regions (2, 3), is provided on the semiconductor body (1). The first region has a side edge (10) which is formed through lateral diffusion and which is at least partly spaced apart from the second region (3). A higher electric field is created locally in the junction (5) during operation of the zener diode owing to the side edge (10). The current voltage characteristic of the zener diode is steeper as a result of this.

The invention relates to a zener diode having a semiconductor body with a surface zone doped with more than 10.sup.18 atoms/cc in which at least two regions are provided through diffusion with substantially the same concentration of doping atoms, which regions adjoin a surface of the surface zone and form p-n junctions with the surface zone, a first region having a smaller lateral cross-section and a smaller depth than a second region and both regions being connected to a first connection electrode provided on the surface, while a second connection electrode, which is spaced apart from regions, is provided on the semiconductor body.
A zener diode as described above has a comparatively low zener voltage of below approximately 10 V because of the comparatively high concentration of doping atoms of the surface zone. The smaller diode formed by the first region, which is also called the reference diode, has a lower zener voltage than the larger diode formed by the second region and called the protective diode. In a practical embodiment, the first region has a cross-section of, for example, 1000 .mu.m.sup.2 and a depth of 1 .mu.m, whereas the second region has a cross-section of 10000 .mu.m.sup.2 and a depth of 1.5 .mu.m. At a comparatively small current of, for example, 250 .mu.A through the zener diode, the reference diode alone will conduct. At higher currents of, for example, 100 mA the current flows substantially entirely through the protective diode. Since the reference diode has a comparatively small cross-section, the current density through this diode is comparatively great at a current of 250 .mu.A. As a result, the zener diode has a comparatively steep current-voltage characteristic at this low current of 250 .mu.A.
French Patent Application no. 81 05 132 discloses a zener diode of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph in which an annular second region surrounds a disc-shaped first region, while the regions overlap partly. The second region is formed from a highly doped polycrystalline silicon layer in the shape of a ring by means of a comparatively deep diffusion. The first region is formed in that a second highly doped epitaxial silicon layer is provided, overlapping the polycrystalline layer, upon which the first region is formed through shallow diffusion.
Although the known zener diode described has a current-voltage characteristic which is much steeper than that of a standard zener diode, the steepness of the current-voltage characteristic is not sufficient for some applications.

Zener diode having a reference diode and a protective diode


A gyratory crusher topshell having an annular shell wall that is strengthened to minimize stress concentrations and increase the topshell operational lifetime. The topshell includes spider arms that are structurally reinforced at their radially inner regions and also has an annular wall that is reinforced at regions immediately below the spider arms to further increase strength and facilitate casting.

Gyratory crushers are used for crushing ore, mineral and rock material to smaller sizes. Typically, the crusher comprises a crushing head mounted upon an elongate main shaft. A first crushing shell (referred to as a mantle) is mounted on the crushing head and a second crushing shell (referred to as a concave) is mounted on a frame such that the first and second shells define together a crushing chamber through which the material to be crushed is passed. A driving device positioned at a lower region of the main shaft is configured to rotate an eccentric assembly positioned about the shaft to cause the crushing head to perform a gyratory pendulum movement and crush the material introduced in the crushing chamber.
The main shaft is supported at its uppermost end by a top bearing housed within a central hub that forms a part of a spider assembly positioned axially at an upper region of the topshell frame part. The spider arms project radially outward from the central hub to contact an axial upper flange or rim at the topshell. The material to be crushed typically falls through the region between the spider arms. Example gyratory crushers with topshell and spider assemblies are described in WO 2004/110626; US 2010/0155512; U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,922.
As will be appreciated, during use the topshell experiences considerable loading forces including torsion, compression and stress concentrations. Regions of high stress include the annular topshell wall below the spider arms and the radially inner region of the arms mounted at the central hub. As will be appreciated, large magnitude stress concentrations can lead to fatigue and cracking of the topshell and limit its operational lifetime. Additionally, conventional topshells typically require relatively complex pour feeder arrangements when casting the spider and topshell as a unitary component. Existing manufacturing methods are accordingly time consuming to prepare and undertake.


An apparatus for verifying the calibration of a flow meter contains a flow sensor assembly which has a flow tube defining an axial fluid path through the flow sensor assembly; an upstream resistance thermometer in thermal contact with the flow tube; a downstream resistance thermometer in thermal contact with the flow tube, where the two thermometers are operationally connected to a means for producing an output in response to a difference between the heat flows from the first and second resistance thermometers; and means for asymmetrically transferring heat to the first and second resistance thermometers, independently of fluid flow through the flow tube. The calibration of the flow meter's thermal and electronic systems is verified by measuring the flow meter's output in response to a first asymmetric heat transfer, to the upstream and downstream resistance thermometers, when the flow meter is calibrated. The output of the flow meter in response to a second asymmetric transfer, to the upstream and downstream thermometers, is subsequently measured and comparison of the two readings verifies whether the flow meter's thermal and electronic systems remains calibrated.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the mechanical arts, in particular, it relates to instruments for measuring and controlling the flow of fluids, such as gases.
2. Discussion of Relevant Art
There have been developed in the art a variety of instruments for measuring and controlling the mass flow of gases ranging from below 5 standard cubic centimeters per minute (SCCM) to more than 500,000 SCCM. The prevalent design of such instruments requires that the flow of the gas be divided into two or more paths.
In a typical flow meter, a small amount of gas is routed through a flow sensor assembly, where the mass flow is measured, while most of the flow is routed through a splitter section located in parallel with the flow sensor assembly. When a flow meter is operationally connected with a valve, the flow meter can be used to control, as well as measure, the flow of gases.
The flow sensor assembly contains a flow tube that carries two resistance thermometers on its outside surface. The resistance thermometers are connected to an electronic circuit which passes current through them causing the resistance thermometers to self-heat. With no gas flow through the capillary tube the sensor assembly containing the resistance thermometers comes to a thermal and electrical equilibrium. The resistance thermometers reach constant temperatures and the power supplied to each remains constant. When gas flows through the capillary tube the equilibrium is disturbed, the upstream resistance thermometer is cooled by heat transfer to the flowing gas and downstream resistance thermometer is either heated or cooled to a lesser extent. If the flow rate of gas remains constant the sensor assembly will come to a new thermal and electrical equilibrium. At the new equilibrium the resistance thermometers settle to new temperatures (resistances), the power supplied to them stabilizes at new levels or some combination of both a shift in temperature and power occurs. The amount of the shift in temperature and power is dependent on the capacity of the gas flowing through the capillary tube to absorb heat. This capacity to absorb heat is the product of the mass flow rate and the specific heat of the gas. Since specific heat of the gas is relatively constant, mass flow rate of the gas can be determined by monitoring the magnitude of the shifts in power to the resistance thermometers and the shifts in temperature of the resistance thermometers from the equilibrium condition with no gas flowing through the sensor.
During manufacture, mass flow meters are calibrated to produce a specific output for a given flow of a specific gas. However, over a period of time, a mass flow meter becomes uncalibrated and its output changes. This phenomenon, called calibration drift, results in inaccurate measurement and control of the gas flow.
Calibration drift can occur if the properties of the flow meter's thermal or electrical systems change from the time of calibration. Common sources of calibration drift include changing thermal conductivity of foams, plastics, wire insulations and epoxies used in fabricating the mass flow meter as they outgas and age; changing resistance of the resistance thermometers as residual stresses are relieved due to repeated heating and cooling of the flow sensor assembly; random minor changes in the geometry of the flow sensor assembly changing the heat transfer to and from the flow sensor assembly; drift in the electronics that amplify and deliver the sensor signal; physical damage to the calibration section; and a buildup of contaminants inside the flow tube impeding heat transfer to the gas and adding additional mass to be heated or cooled during transient flow conditions.
The measurement and control of the flow of gases is important in many industries. During the manufacture of semiconductors, for example, many processes require a precise reaction of two or more gases under carefully controlled conditions. The extreme precision required to make solid state memories, where millions of transistors are deposited on an area the size of a fingernail, could not be possible without the accurate control of the process gases.
As the size of individual devices in integrated circuits has shrunk from several microns to less than one, and as the number of devices per circuit has increased from a few thousand to several million, the accuracy of control of the equipment used to manufacture the devices has become increasingly important. If a flow meter is uncalibrated, the process gases are not supplied in the proper amounts and the resulting integrated circuits exhibit degraded performance,
It is not always obvious which step in the complex manufacture of semiconductors is responsible for this degraded performance. Consequently, there is a need for a reliable and cost effective apparatus and method for in-line calibration verification of mass flow meters.
Presently, semiconductor manufacturers use four techniques to ensure the accuracy of mass flow meters;
1. inspecting and testing the silicon wafers after their manufacture has been completed; PA1 2. attaching a reference meter to the end of a gas-line containing an in-line flow meter, flowing gas through the in-line and reference flow meters and then comparing the output of the reference meter to the output of the in-line flow meter; PA1 3. removing the flow meter from the gas-line and replacing it with a freshly calibrated flow meter; or PA1 4. if the manufacturing process is conducted in a vacuum chamber, sealing the chamber discharge and measuring the rise in the pressure and temperature of the known volume of the chamber, after a specific time, during which the flow rate of a gas into the chamber remains constant. The flow rate calculated for the known conditions can then be compared to the flow rate indicated by the flow meter.
The first technique, of course, is associated with a long delay between fabrication and flow observation. Also, an observed flow may or may not be due to a flow rate measuring error.
The second technique involves establishing a known flow of gas through the flow meter, as a reference flow, and observing the flow meter's output. This technique suffers from several drawbacks. Access to the fluid flow system is often limited. In addition, the process of attaching and subsequently removing the reference meter can cause problems with the purity of the reactant gases.
The extreme accuracy required in the fabrication of solid state devices has led some manufacturers to adopt the third technique to ensure that there has been no change in the calibration of their flow meters. Based on the possibility that the flow meter may have become uncalibrated, this technique requires the scheduling of mass flow meters for periodic removal and shipment back to the manufacturer for recalibration.
Typically, the removal of a mass flow meter from a high purity gas line will require hours or days of purging the gas line and the associated equipment to return the system to an acceptable level of purity before the flow meter and associated equipment can be put back into service. The cost of shutting down the equipment can dwarf the more obvious cost and effort associated with the shipment and recalibration of the mass flow meter itself.
The fourth technique takes the chamber and the flow meter out of service for a substantial period.

Apparatus and method for in-line calibration verification of mass flow meters


For surface acoustic wave devices temperature-compensated piezoelectric crystal elements with one or more planar faces are used. An improvement in temperature stability may be expected if the crystal element is made from GaPO.sub.4 and the planar face is defined by Euler angles .lambda. in the range of 0.degree., .mu. in the range of 40.degree. to 75.degree., i.e. preferably 50.degree. to 60.degree., and .theta. in the range of 0.degree..

The invention relates to a piezoelectric crystal element with at least one substantially planar surface, to be used in surface acoustic wave devices.
Surface acoustic waves (SAW) on piezoelectric materials are employed for signal processing in numerous components. Uses in the VHF and UHF ranges include filters, oscillators, delay lines, convolvers, and different types of sensors. The major quality criteria for SAW components, which depend on the particular type of substrate used, are temperature stability of delay time or center frequency, low insertion loss (attenuation of a signal by inserting a component into the signal path), and high bandwidth. The latter two criteria are met simultaneously only by strong piezoelectric coupling. The temperature coefficient of the delay time is determined by the difference between the temperature coefficients of phase velocity and path length. If the two effects cancel each other out a temperature-compensated cut will result. Such cuts are obtainable only with a few materials, however.
The principal substrate materials used in this context are ST quartz and lithium niobate. The former is characterized by high temperature stability and weak piezoelectric coupling. Lithium niobate, on the other hand, is characterized by very strong coupling, whereas its delay time strongly increases with temperature. As a compromise between the two requirements lithium tantalate has been used, but its temperature stability has again proved insufficient in a number of applications.
The search for materials combining strong piezoelectric coupling and satisfactory temperature stability has led to such interesting materials as berlinite (ALPO.sub.4) and lithium tetraborate (Li.sub.2 B.sub.4 O.sub.7). Both materials have coupling coefficients higher than that of quartz, in addition to cuts with a negligible first temperature coefficient of delay time. With either material, however, the second (quadratic) temperature coefficient is higher by more than an order of magnitude than that of ST quartz. For this reason neither of the two substrates has become widely accepted.

AVL Gesellschaft Fur Verbrennungskraftmaschinen und Messtechnik m.b.H Prof.Dr.Dr.h.c. Hans List


The method includes the following steps: monitoring an actual value of a relevant parameter of a display bandwidth of data to be output by the memory; comparing the actual value of the relevant parameter with a threshold to determine whether the actual display bandwidth meets predetermined requirements; and selecting an access arbitration mode for the memory according to whether the predetermined requirements are met. The access controller includes: a monitoring and comparing unit, adapted to monitor an actual value of a relevant parameter of a display bandwidth of data to be output by the memory and compare the actual value of the relevant parameter with a threshold to determine whether the actual display bandwidth meets predetermined requirements; and an arbitration adjusting unit, adapted to select an access arbitration mode for the memory according to whether the predetermined requirements are met.

Currently, in consideration of the cost, the liquid crystal display module of high resolution (VGA or higher resolution) is not configured with a built-in frame buffer. Thus, the liquid crystal display module is required to continuously receive a sequence of display frames through a display interface at a certain rate. In the prior art, the rate is generally a fixed rate, that is, the display controller sends pixels to the display interface of the liquid crystal display at the configured fixed pixel rate. An access controller for a memory will authorize read/write rights to a display channel and other main channels accessing the memory based on a read/write efficiency first principle or a display highest priority principle. When the access controller for the memory uses an efficiency first arbitration policy to allocate a display bandwidth to the display channel, if there are heavy memory access loads in a period of time, it is not guaranteed that the display channel obtains enough memory bandwidth, possibly leading to the display image misalignment. When the access controller for the memory uses a priority arbitration policy and grants the display channel the highest priority, although the display image misalignment caused by the fact that the display channel cannot obtain enough bandwidth is avoided, serious bandwidth waste is brought to the memory access (low access efficiency), thus increasing the memory access power consumption.

Memory access method and access controller for a memory


The invention is directed to a toy projectile launcher for discharging a toy projectile attached thereto that may include a housing, a hollow outer cylinder, and a compression member that may be disposed on the housing, and slidably received within the hollow outer cylinder. The compression member may include a fluid passage therethrough in fluid communication with the interior of the outer cylinder. The interior of the outer cylinder may be moveable between an uncocked position and a cocked position such that movement of the outer cylinder from the cocked position toward the uncocked position compresses air in the interior of the outer cylinder, with the compressed air being delivered to through the fluid passage to a toy projectile attached to the toy projectile launcher. The toy projectile launcher may also include a spring that may bias the outer cylinder from the cocked position toward the uncocked position.

The present invention relates generally to a toy projectile launcher and, more particularly, to a projectile launcher having a slidable outer cylinder and a stationary inner compression member.
Toy projectile launchers that eject toy projectiles with a burst of pressurized air are generally known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,954 to Smith discloses a projectile launcher having a housing, a projectile launch tube slidably joined to the housing for movement between a first position and a second position, a launch tube spring biasing the launch tube towards the first position and a piston slidably disposed in the housing for movement from an un-cocked position to a cocked position in response to the launch tube moving from the first position to the second position. The launch tube includes a first portion for releasably mounting a projectile and a hollow second portion in fluid communication with the first portion, with the piston moving from the cocked position to the un-cocked position to compress fluid in the second portion of the launch tube. The projectile launcher further includes a piston spring biasing the piston toward the un-cocked position, a sear slidably joined to the housing for releasably retaining the piston in the cocked position, and a release means for sliding the sear to release the piston from the cocked position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,326 to Brown et al., discloses a toy projectile launcher having a housing, a cylinder fixed to the housing and defining an inner bore, a projectile launch tube slidably disposed in the cylinder for movement from a cocked position to an un-cocked position to compress gas in the cylinder, and a projectile holder in fluid communication with the cylinder to releasably mount a projectile to be launched. The toy projectile launcher further includes a seal fixed to the projectile launch tube and in sealing engagement with the cylinder inner bore, a sear for releasably engaging the projectile launch tube in the cocked position, biasing means for returning the projectile launch tube to the un-cocked position, and a trigger for engaging the sear to release the projectile launch tube from the cocked position and emit compressed gas to the projectile holder.

Toy projectile launcher with slidable outer cylinder and stationary inner compression member


A low profile ram-tube intake manifold is disclosed for use on an internal combustion engine having a plurality of intake ports. The manifold includes an elongated plenum having an inlet and a series of outlets spaced along the length thereof. A plurality of substantially symmetrical tubular spiral runners are connected at one end to the plenum outlet and have the other end adapted to be attached to one of the intake ports. The spiral runners are substantially symmetrical and have a uniform flow resistance length and cross-sectional area to achieve optimum engine performance while utilizing a very compact intake manifold.

Intake manifold technology has evolved constantly throughout the history of the automobile industry. Even though the intake phenomenon, which is a rather complex and dynamic event, is relatively well understood as a result of computer modeling efforts of the last twenty-five years, designing an intake manifold for a specific engine and vehicle application remains an exceedingly difficult task. It is simple to design a manifold for a engine which runs at one speed where there is no engine compartment space limitations. However, in the real world where engines must fit within relatively small engine compartments and the engine needs to operate throughout a wide speed range, manifold design becomes a series of difficult compromises.
The concept of manifold tuning is well known. It is possible to select plenum volume, an intake manifold runner length, and a cross-sectional area so that the frequency of the pressure wave within the runner optimizes the pressure at the intake port when the intake valve is open. Tuned manifolds are designed to optimize performance within a selected engine speed band. Frequently, tuned intake manifolds will actually hinder engine performance when operated substantially outside of the selected band such as in extremely low engine speeds or very high engine speeds. As a result of efforts to improve fuel economy, smaller and smaller engines are being utilized today and there is a renewed interest in improving engine wide-open throttle performance.
The interest in ram-tube manifolds appeared to peak in the 1960's when they were used extensively on high performance race cars. Examples of early ram-tube induction systems are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,845,911; 2,927,564; and 3,303,832. As illustrated in the Platner U.S. Pat. No. 3,303,832, a ridiculously large manifold by modern standards was used in order to achieve sufficient runner length and to maintain uniform runner-to-runner flow characteristics to optimize performance at a selected engine operating speed range.
The problem facing designers today is to optimize engine performance within the confines of a very small engine compartment. It is also necessary to design a manifold which is as simple as possible so that it can be manufactured cost effectively while maintaining manifold weight to a minimum.
Examples of more recent ram-tube intake manifolds are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,440,120 to Butler; 4,643,138 to Ruf et al; 4,643,137 to Choushi et al; and 4,669,428 to Ichida et al. In order to achieve a long runner length and a compact manifold, the Butler and Ruf et al patents disclose a manifold which utilized runners which extend generally helically about a longitudinal axis above and parallel to the crankshaft axis in a V-type engine. The Ichida patent utilizes a variable length intake runner manifold design in which the intake manifold extends a very significant distance in front of the engine to obtain suitable runner length without becoming excessively high.
The Choushi et al patent utilizes a central plenum between and raised above the engine in which a plurality of generally J-shaped runners extend out each side of the elongated plenum and cross over to connect to the intake port on the opposite side of the engine in a criss-cross manner.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a ram-tube intake manifold which has a minimal height and length in order to compactly fit on top of the engine so as to fit within small engine compartments.
Another feature of the present invention to provide equal length and cross-sectional area runners having the minimal uniform flow resistance which achieves the optimal tuning effect in the selected engine operating speed range.
These and other advantages and features of the present invention are described in the accompanying specification and drawings.


A secured receptacle holder having two-securing posts each with a clamping member and rib configuration. The posts are connected by a clamping screw that rotates clockwise to attach and counter clockwise to detach by a compression knob. Continued rotation clockwise causes the lower post to telescope into the main post while driving the clamping members toward one another. On other types of surfaces support is achieved by a pedestal base. The main post top has a rotator ring attached at its top end. One of the holders may include a support member, base support and support walls. The support walls and the base support are connected for holding the receptacles. Advantageously, one or more of the holders may be configured to hold one or more items or receptacles and the holders may have various sizes and configurations depending upon the number and type of items to be held or supported.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to a receptacle holder, and more particularly to a removable holder that can be securely mounted and adjusted on a multitude of surface types or members.
2. Description of Prior Art
In the prior art, several holders have been made available for supporting a beverage container when a person drinking from the container puts the container down to perform another activity. Originally, holders were made to be hung over the edge of a car window. This meant that the holder was dependent on the window being opened. This problem has been partially solved by other inventions where mounting is on the interior side of a vehicle door, but these had and still have significant problems. The mug holder in U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,046 to Rowles, Apr. 21, 1992, can still be disturbed by the movement of a car window and lacks a secure mounting feature making it easy for it to be knocked off a vehicle door if bumped against. Limitations also include only being able to mount to the interior of a car door and the inability to support different sizes and weights of containers due to weak materials; nor does it have a feature that would prevent dripping or xe2x80x9csweatingxe2x80x9d from a container to the surface below. Where the cup holder in U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,537 to Meeker, Oct. 3, 1995, does add a feature which prevents dripping onto another surface, it is still limited to mounting onto a particular type of surface. It also uses a large amount of space and material and, similar to the Rowles patent, the cup or mug position cannot be adjusted once mounted onto a surface. The container in U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,257 to Gradei, Mar. 2, 1993, helps to solve the problem of mounting to a moving object that the previous referenced patents had addressed. But its mounting feature is still limited to mounting to a certain type of surface, while also adding the possibility of damaging the mounted surface.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are: the ability to mount to a multitude of different surface types for use in several environments; the ability to have a holder securely mounted which avoids being easily knocked over; the ability to protect surfaces from being damaged from mounting; the improved ability to protect underlying surfaces from moisture due to dripping or xe2x80x9csweatingxe2x80x9d; a compact design whereby the amount of space used is minimal; improved methods and results for adjusting a holder on moving or sloped objects or surfaces; and improved materials allowing support of containers of different weight, size and shape such as cups, cans, bottles, spray cans, etc. The secured receptacle holder may also be used to hold or support other items such as, but without limitation, writing and drawing instruments such as pens, pencils, erasers; art supplies such as paints and brushes; office supplies such as paper clips, Post-it Notes(copyright), etc.; and other business, office or personal items.
Other objects and advantages are:
a. to provide a method of securing a holder on surfaces of varying widths;
b. to provide a method of securing a holder in an inverted position while maintaining a receptacle in a level position;
c. to provide a holder that can be clamped to a surface of any inclination;
d. to provide a holder that rotates 360 degrees so as to align or face the holder in a multitude of directions or positions;
e. to provide a holder that is easy to assemble and disassemble; and
f. to provide a holder that is durable and attractive for use in a multitude of environments including home and office.
One aspect of the present invention a support for holding one or more receptacles. The support includes a support post having a first end and a second end, and the support post extends generally along a longitudinal axis. A base is attached to said first end of the support post and the base is configured to support the support post. A holder is connected to the second end of the support post and the holder includes a support member, a base support and support walls. The support walls and the base support are connected for holding the receptacles. The holder is advantageously configured to be placed in a desired position relative to said support post. Desirably, the holder is pivotably or rotatably attached to said support post and the support post preferably has a length greater than a length of said support member.
The support may also include a second base support and second support walls, the second support walls and the second base support for holding receptacles. The support may also include a plurality of base supports and a plurality of support walls which are connected for holding a plurality of receptacles. Additionally, the support may include a second holder with a second base support and second support walls, the second support walls and the second base support are connected for holding the receptacles. Further, the support may include one or more outwardly extending trays connected to the holder.
In another aspect of the invention, the holder supports at least two receptacles clear of a surface. The holder includes a support means for holding at least two receptacles; a post means for carrying the support means, the post means having a length greater than a length of the support means; a positioning means attached to the post means, the positioning means for positioning the support means on the surface; and means for connecting the support means to the positioning means. The support means may include a holder with a support member, a base support and support walls, the support walls and the base support connected for supporting the receptacles. The support means may also include a plurality of base supports and a plurality of support walls, the support walls are connected to the base supports for holding a plurality of receptacles. The holder may also include second support means for holding receptacles. The second support means preferably includes a second base support and second support walls, the second base support and the second support walls are connected for holding the receptacles. Additionally, the support means may be rotatably or pivotably attached to the post means.
Yet another aspect of the invention is a holder for supporting at least two receptacles clear of a surface. The holder includes a support means for holding the receptacles; a post means having a length greater than the support means, the post means for carrying the support means, the post means generally extending along an axis; a positioning means attached to the post means, the positioning means for positioning the support means on the surface; and a means for connecting the support means to the positioning means and for allowing the support means to rotate about the axis.
Still another aspect of the invention is a method for supporting a plurality of receptacles clear of a surface. The method includes providing a main post having a top, a bottom and a longitudinal axis; providing a rotator ring; attaching the rotator ring proximate the top of the main post; providing a holder connected to the rotator ring, the holder including a support member, a base support and a plurality of support walls, the support walls and the base support connected for holding the receptacles; providing means for positioning the main post on the surface; and attaching the means for positioning to the bottom of the main post.
Additional objects and advantages are to provide a receptacle holder that can be manufactured with a variety of interchangeable colored parts using injection molding or other means to obtain a strong and durable structure, to make replacement of damaged parts easy, can embody multiple holders, and which can use a variety of clamping configurations.
Further aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments that follows.


A device is described for transmitting mechanical power that allows variable output-speed to input-speed ratios. Gear sets such as epicyclic gear sets have components that rotate about a common axis selectively at the same rotational speed and at different relative rotational speeds as determined by at least one of fluid flow and fluid pressure. One or more inlet ports and fluid passageways introduce a working fluid into one or more volume spaces between the components. The internal pressure and flow of the working fluid through the device is controlled to provide substantially infinite variability of the output-speed to input-speed ratios for applications where, for example, an engine provides the mechanical power for propelling a vehicle.

The present invention relates to systems, such as a powertrain or a continuously variable transmission, that provide greatly improved speed control, torque transfer, fluid control, and lubrication by using an epicyclic gear set, a hypocycloid gear set and the like as a fluid pump and achieving infinitely variable control of the output shaft to input shaft rotational speeds (speed ratio) of the gear set by controlling fluid flow through, or pressure within, the fluid pump.
The use of a gear set like an epicyclic gear set to change output to input torque and speed ratios is common in many powertrains whose output and input shafts are on the same centerline because of compactness and a high torque capacity. Torque is transferred through the mechanical engagement of gear teeth. If a speed ratio change is desired, the gear set is engaged or disengaged, thereby generating a step change. Multiple gear sets have to be stacked to generate many small step changes between the minimum and maximum desired speed ratios at the expense of compactness.
I have recognized that an infinite speed ratio control between fully engaged and fully disengaged modes of gear sets like epicyclic and hypocycloid gear sets can be achieved by using the gear set as a fluid pump so that the speed ratio is controlled only by the internal pressure.
The present invention employs the novel principle that, if the relative rotational speed between any two of the three main rotating components (ring gear, planet carrier, and sun gear) of an epicyclic gear set is controlled, the overall speed ratio of the gear set can be controlled. The use of a fluid pump run by the gear set's rotating components is thus a simple and novel way to infinitely control the output shaft speed to input shaft speed ratio.
If, on one hand, the fluid is incompressible in a fluid pump and the pump's fluid flow outlet is closed, the pump is hydraulically locked. The pump drive gears then are prevented from having relative motion, and the entire gear set rotates as one unit, generating a 1:1 speed ratio. On the other hand, if the pump outlet is completely opened so that there is no fluid pressure, all gear set components are uncoupled so that no torque is transferred between the input and output, generating a speed ratio of 0. Fluid pressures between fully open and fully closed then control the gear set speed ratio. This has been shown using bulky external fluid pumps as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,851.
More advantageously, the present invention uses the mechanical power transfer gear set as the fluid pump to regulate its own speed ratio, thereby creating a very compact and self-contained infinitely variable power transfer device requiring very few components. The present invention provides the ability to engage a single gear set with infinite variability between its minimum speed ratio (no fluid pressure) and maximum speed ratio (hydraulically locked).

Power transfer system and method using a variable speed ratio regulating device


An immersion type microscope objective is configured by, in order from the object side to an image side, a positive lens group Ga including a cemented lens obtained by cementing a plano-convex lens whose plane surface faces the object side to a meniscus lens whose concave surface faces the object side, and a positive single lens, a positive lens group Gb including a cemented lens, a lens group Gc including at least one cemented lens, a lens group Gd having a meniscus lens having a strongly concave surface that faces the image side, and a lens group Ge having a negative lens having a strongly concave surface that faces the object side.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the technology of a microscope objective and a fluorescent observation apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, fluorescent observation apparatuses are used in observing the behavior of molecules inside biological specimen with utilizing fluorescent tags. By connecting fluorescence with specific biological molecules, fluorescent tags can be used in observing the behavior, the coupling status, the moving status, etc. of molecules in a biological specimen. A fluorescent tag can be a fluorescent dye, a fluorescent protein, a quantum dot, etc.
One of the recent trends is observation with multicolored fluorescent tags. With the multicolored fluorescent tags, plural types of molecules can be discriminated in an observation, and complicated events such as an interaction of molecules in a living specimen.
Using the multicolored fluorescent tags, a wider range of wavelength is required in the fluorescent observation than in conventional observations.
In addition, wavelengths of 440 nm and 405 nm are used for photoactivation fluorescent protein such as Kaede, PA-GFP, etc. Such short wavelength light has not been frequently used in the conventional applications.
As a result, there is an increasing request for an objective aberration-corrected in a wider wavelength range than the conventional objective.
The target of the observation in a living specimen was the structure of the cells, but the target recently is tending toward the behavior of molecules. As a result, the resolution in the focal plane and the optical axis of microscopes is getting higher request. In addition, since confocal microscopes are popular, an observation can be performed with higher resolution. That is, there has also been request for an objective of high numerical aperture to attain higher resolution.
The Japanese Published Patent Application No. H7-35983 and the Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2003-21786 disclose microscope objectives with high numerical aperture appropriate for fluorescent observations.


Disclosed is a system for analyzing and optimizing conference experiences. The system may identify parameters associated with a conference between a set of User Equipment (“UEs”) used by different conference participants to access the conference. The system may compare the identified parameters to sets of parameters associated with a classification model. The system may identify, based on the comparing and the model output, a particular classification for the conference, and may calculate an impact of each conference parameter on the particular classification based on a particular parameter combination included in the model for the particular classification. The system may determine that a subset of the conference parameters has a larger impact on the particular classification than other conference parameters, may select one or more actions that are associated with the particular classification and the subset of parameters, and may perform the one or more actions.

Audio and video conference tools may facilitate collaborations between remotely located employees of a business, employees of different businesses, social conversations, and/or other remote interactions. The experience for different users, at different times, from different locations, and/or for different conferences may differ for a variety of reasons. For instance, software incompatibility and network reliability issues may result in different conference participants experiencing some of the same issues (e.g., repeated disconnects, delayed video, etc.) albeit for different reasons.

Systems and methods for analyzing and optimizing conference experiences