Methods and systems with which a language translation may be obtained. An originator may request a translation by sending the passage to be translated to a server. The server may then broadcast the passage to prospective translators. In an embodiment, the translators may be connected to the originator and/or each other through a social network. Some or all of the prospective translators then return translations of the passage to the originator, via the server. The originator may then select the most desirable translation and inform the server. In an embodiment, the provision of the translation service may be part of an exchange or barter transaction. The server may apply a credit to the translator of the chosen translation. The translator may then use the credit in a subsequent trade or other transaction.

Understanding spoken or written words in a foreign language is an ancient problem. Whether in a professional, academic, or social setting, the inability to understand a language impedes progress and forecloses relationships.
Current solutions to this problem can be slow, expensive, and ineffective. Mastering a language may take years of study, represents a huge investment, and therefore may not be a practical solution. Another possibility is to manually look up the translations of individual words or phrases. This can be clumsy at best and inaccurate at worst. Resources are required, perhaps a phrasebook or access to an online dictionary. Such an approach is slow and tedious, as well as being mistake prone. Moreover, this approach may require some background knowledge on the part of the user. A word-for-word translation of a passage may not be meaningful without some knowledge of the foreign grammar. In addition, a lookup process may not be possible if the alphabet is foreign, as in the case of the Cyrillic alphabet, or if the language is character based, as in the case of Japanese. Machine-based solutions have been proposed but they tend to be crude and inaccurate, in part because of the well known difficulties of automating natural language processing.
In short, translating a foreign language may be costly while being potentially inaccurate. The required expenditure in time and effort may be significant, and the results returned may not be reliable. This disparity is even greater when the passage to be translated is a brief passage. Significant work may be required to translate even a single paragraph or sentence.
In the drawings, the leftmost digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears.

Methods and systems for real time language translation using social networking


A computing device receives a request for a service level agreement (SLA) that indicates a specific combination of services and service levels selected from a group of available services and available service levels. The computing device generates an SLA identifier for the specific combination of services and service levels, and determines if the SLA identifier matches one of a group of stored SLA identifiers. The computing device generates a new SLA based on the specific combination of services and service levels when the SLA identifier does not match one of the group of stored SLA identifiers, and assigns an existing SLA, corresponding to one of the group of stored SLA identifiers, when the SLA identifier matches one of the group of stored SLA identifiers.

Network resource management addresses the need for ensuring that a particular network has appropriate resources to provide a customer with an intended quality of service. Current networks support different types of applications with different service requirements. Some applications require very strict commitment regarding resource availability for some or all of the corresponding traffic components. For example, services supporting applications that use audio and video components, along with mission critical tasks, particularly need a reliable system that ensures compliance with a service level agreement (SLA). When an application is first provisioned, the subscriber and service provider may agree on the average rate (and burstiness) of data transmission over the link. As long as the customer fulfills their part of the contract and transmits packets according to the SLA, the service provider attempts to deliver them in a timely manner.

Dynamic policy generation and assignment


A medical imaging system with a scanning subsystem configured to acquire imaging data is provided. Also provided is a controller configured to selectively control power to at least one component of the system based on a mode of operation of the scanning subsystem.

The invention relates generally to diagnostic imaging systems, and more particularly, to power management of diagnostic imaging systems.
At least some known ultrasound diagnostic imaging systems maintain power to the image data acquisition circuitry even when the circuitry is not actively performing a scan of a patient. Thus, image data acquisition circuitry consumes power even when imaging data is not being acquired.
A front end of the ultrasound system, also known as a scanning portion or scanning sub-system, generally includes a scanning probe, transmit circuitry for transmitting an ultrasound pulse into a patient, and image acquisition circuitry for collecting echo information from the back scattered echoes of the transmitted ultrasound pulse. The front end is typically includes customized circuits, such as, for example, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) that perform transmit and receive functions related to image data acquisition. A back end of the ultrasound system typically includes a back end processor (BEP) or controller, for example, a personal computer (PC) or other processor. Although some final image processing may be performed by the BEP, the BEP may be used to perform functions not involving active scanning of the patient. The functions not involved in active scanning include, for example, setup of the ultrasound system for various types of scans, generating patient reports, reviewing the scanned data and/or generated images, etc. Typically, power is supplied to and consumed by the front end of an ultrasound system even when the front end is not actively scanning the patient.
Power is typically consumed by the front end and back end circuitry of an ultrasound system regardless of a mode of operation of the system. For example, a user or sonographer may not be actively performing scanning of the patient when generating patient reports or analyzing acquired images. This unnecessary power consumption by the front end circuitry during non-scanning periods may lead to unnecessary generation of heat, which may decrease reliability of the system. Fans may operate to dissipate the heat produced by consumption of power by the front end circuitry, which also leads to added cost.
A trend in medical ultrasound systems is to process a larger number of channels (e.g. transducer elements) and multiple lines of acquisition (MLA) of data, which tends to increase the power consumption within the transmit and receiver sections of the front end. Increased power consumption leads to increased heat generation and decreased reliability due to the heat.
Thus, in these known ultrasound systems, power is supplied to and consumed by various portions of the ultrasound system when scanning is not active. This power consumption results in unnecessary heat generation and decrease in system reliability.

Method and apparatus for controlling power of an ultrasound system


This invention relates to an air extraction device (12) for a work station (14), especially one where food is subjected to heat, for example a grill. One air inlet (36, 38) each is provided on each side of the work station (14), said inlets being connected to a fan (26) and a filter system (28) and communicating with them and with an area (42) disposed above the work station (14) in a closed air cycle (48) that produces an air blast (44) in said area. About 75% of the air are continuously discharged from the air cycle via an air discharge (50) so that only 25% of the air form the air blast (44). The discharged portion of the air is continuously replaced by taking in ambient air via the down-stream air inlet (38) and/or via a separate, additional air inlet (63). The filter system (28) is provided with a grease trap filter (30) upstream of the fan and an odor filter (32) downstream of the fan. The inventive air extraction device prevents odors and grease from reaching the surroundings of the work station and allows for a simple and unproblematic maintenance of the filters.

This invention relates to an air extraction apparatus of the kind defined in the preamble of claim 1.
These days, there often exists, in food service, and especially in food service systems and communal catering in cafeterias and the like, i.e. in situations in which the guests serve themselves, the requirement that cooking, grilling or baking be done right before the guest""s eyes. In this so-called up-front cooking there exists the problem that the fumes which are created thereby have to be removed. Because stationary fume extraction hoods are often not available or suitable and transportable fume extraction hoods are often not available or applicable, there has already been developed a mobile cooking station (cf. the SMOKE-STOPP catalog of the Bohner Company for the year 2000) and a stationary kitchen module (cf. the article xe2x80x9cOdorless Before The Eyes Of The Guestsxe2x80x9d in the magazine Cooking Practice and Community Food Supply, October 1999, page 52), which are provided with an air extraction apparatus of the kind defined in the preamble of claim 1. In the known air extraction apparatus which sometimes involve a grill, the two air openings on both sides of the work station serve for rim extraction. Because extraction is performed at both lateral rims of the work station, the extraction effect above the middle of the work station is naturally relatively slight. Therefore, a large area above the work surface is not efficiently encompassed by the air current drawn in at the rims. A particular disadvantage of rim extraction is that uncleansed room air is drawn partly across the work station. In addition, for integrated odor elimination, the known air extraction apparatus has, in a substructure below the work station, several pre-filters, several fabric filters and several activated carbon filters, between which there is located an exhausting device which provides bidirectional suction. The whole lower surface of the substructure is occupied by a grease-collecting pan. This filter arrangement requires work and is expensive, because the activated carbon filters have to be changed frequently and constitute an environmental burden.
Indeed, an odor extraction apparatus known from DE 2 402 615 A1 can make do with a simpler filter arrangement for grease separation and odor removal, but a suction funnel with a grease retention filter is positioned above the work station, and that requires an upwardly directed air flow in order to produce an air curtain for screening the work station.
From U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,189 there is known a ventilating system in which there is provided, above the work station, an extraction apparatus inclined diagonally with respect to the work station and provided with several grease filters. Air which exits on one side of the work station from a blower slot is thus guided over the work station diagonally upwardly to the extraction device. Furthermore, in this known ventilating system, no special precautions for odor elimination are taken.
The object of the invention is to so improve the extraction in an air extraction apparatus of the kind initially described that the extraction process effectively encompasses the whole work area and that food on the work station does not come into contact with uncleansed ambient air.
This object is achieved according to the invention by an air extraction apparatus having the characteristics stated in claim 1.
In the air extraction apparatus according to the invention, there is formed an air circulation loop which extends across the whole work station, above which it creates an air curtain. The air curtain is formed by air which flows out of an air opening on one side of the work station and flows into an air opening on the opposite side of the work station. Thus, the air curtain produced by the air extraction apparatus according to the invention covers the whole area above the work station. The air which forms the air curtain is ambient air, i.e. air which flows over the work station only after it has been drawn through the filter arrangement by means of the suction blower, and is therefore cleansed air. The compact housing of the blower and the filter arrangement in a separate space, located in the air circulation loop and connected to the air openings on both sides of the work station, makes it possible for the air extraction apparatus according to the invention to separate, within limited space inside the air loop, grease from the air and simultaneously free it from odors. In the air extraction apparatus according to the invention, the air to be cleansed is drawn in through the grease separating filter and pushed out through the odor filter. Since a grease separating filter and an odor filter have different pressure drops, the inventive arrangement of the two filters, respectively upstream and downstream of the blower, makes it possible to adjust the air velocity optimally for the respective filters.
Since, in the air extraction apparatus according to the invention, the air circulation loop provides an air outlet for a portion of the air from this air circulation loop, a portion of the air in the air circulation loop can be continuously replaced by ambient air which is then also led first through the filter arrangement before it contributes to the formation of the air curtain above the work station.
Because, in an air extraction apparatus according to the invention, the opening of the air outlet can also be adjusted in size, the fraction of fresh ambient air in the air circulation loop can be adjusted as needed. Further, because in the air extraction apparatus according to the invention, the air outlet is located downstream from the blower, the air has passed through the filter arrangement and is therefore already cleansed before it escapes into the ambient. Further, because in the air extraction apparatus according to the invention, the blower is located between at least two filters of the filter arrangement, the blower is protected from becoming dirty. Further, because the filter upstream from the blower is a grease separating filter and the filter downstream from the blower is an odor filter, the blower is especially little adversely affected by air loaded with grease and the ambient air which is led back to the work station is not only grease- but also odor-free.
Indeed, from DE 473883C it is in fact already known to provide, in a system for protecting work spaces from the vapors coming from open vessels and other air uncleanliness, by means of an air curtain, a blower which simultaneously serves to create the air flow and to remove the vapors, whose intake duct segment opens into a funnel located above the edge of a container, whereas its pressure duct segment has a nozzle at the opposite container edge directed toward the funnel from which an outlet duct branches off, but in this known apparatus there are no means at all for grease separation or odor elimination. The air outlet leads simply into open space.
Preferred embodiments of the air extraction apparatus according to the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.
If, in an embodiment of the air extraction apparatus according to the invention, the blower is a centrifugal blower, both structural and flow-technology advantages are achieved in the construction of the air extraction apparatus.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus according to the invention, the grease separating filter is a cyclone filter, as manufactured, for example by the Renchler and Reven Company, 99.5% of the grease entrained in the exhausted air can be separated. Further, such a filter is very maintenance friendly, because it can be simply washed out in a dishwasher and then reinstalled.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus according to the invention, a grease collecting pan is installed below the grease separating filter, the grease separated by the grease separating filter can be collected in simple manner.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus, the odor filter is a zeolite filter, then this odor filter can be easily re-generated and is therefore especially maintenance and environment friendly.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus according to the invention, the air circulation loop has two vertical air channels in the region below the work station, above which the space that houses the blower and the filter arrangement is connected with the air openings on both sides of the work station, then the equipment required for supplying heat to food such as a cook top or a grill plate can be conveniently housed in the space between the vertical air channels, together with the electric current supply and its accompanying controls.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the space in which the blower and the filter apparatus are housed is located beside the work station, then the path which the air loaded with grease and odors has to follow is minimized, starting from the downstream air opening of the work station to the filter apparatus, so that the possibility that the air extraction apparatus can be dirtied by grease is also minimized.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the grease separating filter and the odor filter are inclined from the vertical, then technological benefits of construction and flow arise, because the space between the two filters which houses the blower can be well used, or because the filtering effect is especially good in such a configuration.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the grease separating filter is inclined from the vertical by an angle of 40-50xc2x0, preferably 45xc2x0, and if, in a still further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the odor filter is inclined from the vertical by an angle of 30-40xc2x0, preferably 35xc2x0, especially great technological benefits accrue in construction and in air flow, as has been demonstrated by means of a prototype.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the space in which the blower and the filter apparatus are housed, is divided by the two filters into a pre- and post- (blower) chamber, then the space available below the work station or alongside the work station is especially well used.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the air outlet is located in a wall of the post- (blower) chamber, odor and grease-free air can be ejected into the ambient, because this air has already flowed through the entire filter apparatus.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the work station is a grill, which is located above the space in which the blower and filter apparatus are housed, or which extends alongside that space, the technological flow advantages achieved by the invention manifest themselves because the air curtain covers the whole region above the grill, so that, also during grilling, neither odors nor grease reach the surrounding space.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the air outlet is so formed or adjusted that 75% of the air is extracted from the air circulation loop and the remaining 25% reach the work station as ambient air and form its air curtain, then the space surrounding the work station is especially effectively protected from odors and grease, since tests have shown that such an air curtain, which contains only 25% of the air originally drawn into the air circulation loop, can be completely drawn into the air opening on the downstream side of the work station, without causing an air blockage to form in front of this air opening.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, there is provided at least one air intake for drawing in ambient air into the air circulation loop for replacing the air which escapes from the air circulation loop into the surroundings via the air outlet, the supplementation by room air to replace the air escaped via the air outlet can be controlled as required by the location of this air intake. Through this air intake, the air volume flowing into the grease filter is increased. This reduces the fume density and simultaneously lowers the air temperature, both of which are important for the optimum efficiency of the odor filter. The reduction in fume density prevents quick saturation of the odor filter. Thus, the air intake effects a reduction in fume density, and an associated temperature reduction of the unfiltered air, which is again important for the operation of the odor filter, especially when this involves a zeolite filter.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the air intake is the air opening on the downstream side of the work station, then it follows that the cleansed air curtain covers the entire work station, so that no uncleansed ambient air reaches the food on the work station, and yet the extracted air can be replaced by fresh ambient air.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the air intake is an additional air opening positioned downstream from the air opening on the downstream side of the work station and upstream from the blower, then the exhausted air in the air circulation loop can be controllably replaced as needed, without detriment to the air curtain and its functioning above the work station. The secondary air drawn in by the additional air opening has the effect of significantly increasing the air volume to be treated by the filters, which is loaded with fumes and odors. That is because the volume of air flowing to the grease filter is increased by the air opening. The fume density is thereby reduced. At the same time, the air temperature is lowered. Both components are quantities which determine the optimum effectiveness of the zeolite filter. The reduction in fume density prevents rapid saturation of the zeolite filter. Thus, for heavy fume/odor incidence, the filter operation of the zeolite filter is optimized. Simultaneously, the resulting air quantity increase leads to a temperature reduction of the air extracted from the work station, which is also advantageous for the optimal operation of the zeolite filter. These advantages prevail overall in the previously mentioned further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, in which there is provided at least one air intake for drawing ambient air into the air circulation loop to replace the air which escapes via the air outlet from the air circulation loop into the surroundings.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, it is integrated into a kitchen work station to form a kitchen module, that module can be inserted into a modular kitchen equipment suite such as the varithek(copyright)-System, known from German patent DE 197 57 004 A1.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the two air openings are so located relative to each other that an air flow axis which symbolizes the air curtain is inclined slightly downward from the horizontal with respect to the downstream air opening, then the slightly downward directed air flow better counteracts a heat flow which forms above the work surface than would, for example, a horizontal air flow. With the latter, there is the risk that the heat flow carries grill and cooking vapors beyond the effectiveness range of the downstream air opening, so that these vapors cannot be, or can only be partially encompassed.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the upstream air opening takes the form of a narrow outlet slot and the oppositely located downstream air opening takes the form of a substantially wider suction slot, then the encompassing effect, i.e. the effect that the downstream air opening encompasses the supplied air as completely as possible, can be optimized. In so doing, the outlet slot is preferably made narrower for a wide spacing between upstream and downstream air openings, than for a small spacing between the two air openings. The width of the suction slot is preferably made larger for a wide spacing between the air openings than for a small spacing.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the outlet slot and the suction slot are formed by air duct elements in the vertical air channels, then the air duct elements in the vertical air channel of the upstream air opening make it possible to concentrate and deflect the upwardly flowing air, the upward narrowing of the channel and the deflection being so configured that turbulence is prevented as much as possible and that the least possible pressure loss takes place. In the downstream air opening forming the suction slot and a vertical air channel connected thereto, the air is deflected by sheet metal guidance elements and the encompassing effect of the suction slot is substantially improved by this flow optimizing configuration.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the outlet slot is inclined slightly downward from the horizontal, and the suction slot is provided with radii on its facing internal walls, then the encompassing effect of the downstream air opening forming the intake slot can be optimized, preferably by radii at the upper and lower edge of the intake slot.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, a section of the vertical air channel which extends from the downstream air opening is covered upwardly by an air guiding element, then the encompassing effect of the downstream air opening can be optimized from the current flow technology standpoint. Preferably, the air guiding element is formed with a small working surface, or at a short distance between the upstream and downstream air opening, as a radius on the upper edge of the downstream air opening. For a large working surface, or a wide spacing between the air openings, the air guiding element is preferably S-shaped at the transition from the downstream air opening to the vertical channel.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the covering upper air guiding element is increasingly foreshortened with increasing size of the working space, and therefore increasing distance between the upstream and downstream air openings, then part of the encompassing effect of the downstream air opening is thereby deflected upwardly and optimized. This is due to the creation of an increasing quantity of vapors due to an increasing distance between the upstream and the downstream air opening, as well as the upward heat flow of the upwardly deflected air stream of the upstream air opening.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the air guiding element has an S-shaped cross-section, then this has the advantage that, for a greater distance between the upstream and downstream air openings, the transition from the downstream air opening to the vertical channel is optimized from the flow technology standpoint. Especially improved is the encompassing effect of the downstream air opening.
If, in a further embodiment of the air extraction apparatus of the invention, the work station above the air openings is surrounded on three sides, not including its operator side, by an air guiding wall, especially a splash guard, which increases in height from the operator side in the direction transverse to the air curtain and toward the opposite side of the work station, there is produced an air flow (outlet stream) which moves in a stable whirling pattern from the air opening on one side to the air opening on the other side of the work station. This is associated with a lengthening of the air path. This again increases the take-up capacity for the fumes to be transported away. In this regard, the air guiding wall plays an important role. In a further embodiment of the invention this consists of a U-shaped rim-encircling metal sheet which serves as a splash guard for grilling but, in this embodiment of the invention, has the additional effect that the above-mentioned whirling flow is reliably stable. Only the geometric configuration of the air guiding wall or the splash guard according to the above-described embodiment of the invention, leads to the optimum whirling flow. In so doing, the increasing height of the guiding wall in the rear of the work station away from the operator side plays a special role. This means that its shape decisively affects the aerodynamics.


A tone generation control unit has four waveform read/write channels for selectively the reading or writing data in a waveform memory. A plurality of waveform signals stored in the waveform memory are converted into analog signals to be subjected to timbre and tone volume control through voltage-controlled filters and voltage-controlled amplifiers before being fed to a mixing adder. An output signal of the mixing adder is converted into a digital signal which is stored in the waveform memory again through processing of the tone generation control unit. The stored converted output from the mixing adder is later used again as a new sound source waveform which is operated on to produce tones.

This invention relates to an electronic musical instrument, in which external acoustic signals are recorded in a digital form and sounded at desired pitches, and more particularly, to an overdubbing apparatus for such an electronic musical instrument, which is capable of superimposing and recording a plurality of previously stored acoustic signals as another tone signal.
Heretofore, it has been in practice to store externally applied acoustic signals of musical sounds of musical instruments such as piano, violin, etc. or voices of birds in a memory in a digital form through a proper modulation system, e.g., PCM (pulse coded modulation) and read out the stored signals from the memory as tone signals of a keyboard musical instrument.
Copending U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 760,290 and 760,291 both filed July 29, 1985 and assigned to the same assignee as this application disclose a musical instrument of such a type as described above. The '290 application issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,008 on July 21, 1987 and the '291 application issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,556 on May 26, 1987.
This type of keyboard musical instrument or apparatus, which is called sampling machine, because of a sampling function, may be designed to have an overdubbing function, i.e., a function of superimposing a plurality of previously recorded acoustic signals to produce a separate tone signal None of such apparatuses with overdubbing function, however, has yet been put into practice.

Electronic musical instrument with signal modifying apparatus


Systems and methods for predicting an accurate in-situ stress field in a wellbore in a formation are disclosed. The in-situ stress field is calculated using an optimizing process that takes into account parameters relating to induced tensile fracture that are derived from wellbore image logs and other input data relating to the wellbore. Once values for the in-situ stress field are predicted, those values can be used to generate synthetic image logs and fracturing data which can then be compared to the original image logs and fracturing data to determine the accuracy of the results and if needed repeat the operation to obtain more accurate results.

When a wellbore is drilled, in-situ stress field creates a stress concentration or perturbation around the wellbore. When this stress concentration exceeds the strength of the rock, failure can occur in either compression or tension. Stress-induced wellbore failures are commonly referred to as induced tensile fractures and breakouts. Induced tensile fractures are small-scale fractures that generally occur only in the wall of the borehole and follow the stress concentration around the wellbore. Due to their small size, these fractures are sometimes only detected through detailed wellbore imaging. Because these fractures generally result from the stress concentration existing around the wellbore, their location around the wellbore (referred to in this document as induced tensile fracture orientation) and their angle with respect to the borehole axis (referred to in this document as induced tensile fracture trace angle) may be directly related to the magnitude and orientation of the stress concentration around the wellbore as well as the in-situ (far-field) stress.
Knowledge of formation parameters such as in-situ stress field can be helpful in wellbore stability design, fracture modeling, and production optimization among others. Taking into account the in-situ stress field and the resulting near-wellbore stress concentration may be particularly important in the design of a wellbore, as the amount of stress may be directly related to wellbore wall failures. As a result, accurately and efficiently estimating the in-situ stress field is an important part of increasing overall efficiency of the operation. The following disclosure addresses these and other issues.

System and method for stress inversion via image logs and fracturing data


A blank for forming a carton includes a top flap, top panel, front panel, bottom panel, and rear panel which are connectively hinged together in the named order such that when folded, the top flap is fastened to the rear panel. Right and left side flaps are also connectively hinged to the aforementioned panels. A first tear strip is placed within the front panel and the right and left side flaps attached thereto and a second tear strip is placed at the juncture of the top flap and top panel. After tearing and removing the tear strips, a display carton is formed to hold and display a plurality of articles.

The present invention relates generally to cartons for use in shipping a plurality of articles and more particularly to cartons for use in shipping a plurality of articles which can be converted to display the plurality of articles contained therewithin.
It is a well known practice to employ cartons to package, store and transport sales articles from the manufacturer to the place of sale, such as a retail store. Conventionally, cartons, also referred to as containers, are formed from a one-piece blank made of corrugated paperboard which is suitably cut, scored and folded to produce a generally rectangularity shaped box. Once the carton reaches the place of sale, the articles held therewithin are unpacked from the carton and are typically placed on display shelves. Cartons can also be used as end aisle or mid-aisle displays where opened cartons can be placed on top of other unopened and/or opened cartons, permitting a customer to see and select the articles which are placed within the cartons.
One drawback of such cartons is that a significant amount of labor is required to remove the articles from the carton and, in turn, place them on the display shelves.
To reduce packaging costs, combined shipping and display packages have been utilized. The cartons used to form the packages have to be strong enough to support and protect the articles during shipment and in addition be capable of presenting the articles on display. This has resulted in the use of relatively complicated carton designs which require somewhat involved set-up procedures, often entailing the reassembly of the shipping carton into a display package having a different appearance. Such combination shipping and display packages are often limited to handling only small numbers of articles.
Accordingly, it is well known in the art for cartons which can be utilized to ship the plurality of sales articles to be convertible into a display device at the place of sale, thereby eliminating the labor required in transferring the articles from the carton to the shelves of the place of sale. Such cartons normally comprise a separable upper section which is torn away from the lower section by a tear strip or perforated tear line formed through panels of the carton to expose the packaged articles for display.
Certain of such cartons are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,837; U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,881; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,884. However, these cartons can have intricate tabs and flaps which make the blank for the carton difficult to make. In addition, certain flaps will have been adhered together (for example, by adhesive tape) and the adhesive tape may have to be separated before the carton can be separated into separate sections.
Thus, the need exists for a carton which can be separated to form a display for articles which does not require intricate tabs and flaps nor requires the separation of adhesive tape.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful carton which can be used for shipping a plurality of articles.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a carton which can be easily converted to enable it to be used for displaying the plurality of articles held therewithin.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a carton which is formed from a single-piece blank.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a carton which is durable and strong.
It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a carton which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a carton for use in the shipping and display of a plurality of articles is provided. The carton is formed from a single-piece corrugated paperboard blank and comprises a top flap, a top panel foldably connected to the top flap, a front panel foldably connected to the top panel, a bottom panel foldably connected to the front panel, and a rear panel foldably connected to the bottom panel to form a box-shaped shipping carton having an open right side and an open left side. The carton further comprises a right flap that is foldably connected to each of the top, front, bottom and rear panels, with each of the right flaps having an edge not foldably connected to its associated panel and being sized and shaped so as to at least partially close the open right side when folded, and a left flap foldably connected to each of the top, front, bottom and rear panels, with each of the left flaps having an edge not foldably connected to its associated panel and being sized and shaped so as to at least partially close the open left side when folded. A first continuous tear line is formed in a first panel of the top, front, bottom and rear panels and in a first of the right and left flaps connected to the first panel. The first tear line starts at the edge of the first left flap and terminates at the edge of the first right flap. A second continuous tear line is formed in a second panel of the top, front, bottom and rear panels and in a second of the right and left flaps connected to the second panel. The first and second panels are preferably different panels. The second continuous tear line starts at the edge of the second left flap and terminates at the edge of the second right flap. The carton is severable along the first and second tear lines to enable a portion of the carton to be removed to convert the carton into a display carton for a plurality of articles.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a carton for use in the shipping and display of a plurality of articles is provided. The carton is formed from a single-piece corrugated paperboard blank and comprises a top flap, a top panel foldably connected to the top flap, a front panel foldably connected to the top panel, a bottom panel foldably connected to the front panel, and a rear panel foldably connected to the bottom panel to form a box-shaped shipping carton having an open right side and an open left side. The carton further comprises a right flap that is foldably connected to each of the top, front, bottom and rear panels, with each of the right flaps having an edge not foldably connected to its associated panel and being sized and shaped so as to at least partially close the open right side when folded, and a left flap foldably connected to each of the top, front, bottom and rear panels, with each of the left flaps having an edge not foldably connected to its associated panel and being sized and shaped so as to at least partially close the open left side when folded. A first continuous tear line is formed in the front panel and in the right and left flaps connected to the front panel. The first tear line starts at the edge of the left flap and terminates at the edge of the right flap. A second continuous tear line is formed at a connection between the top flap and the top panel. The carton is severable along the first and second tear lines to enable a portion of the carton to be removed to convert the carton into a display carton for a plurality of articles.
In accordance with an even further aspect of the invention, a blank for forming a carton is provided. The blank is formed from a single-piece of corrugated paperboard. The blank is cut and scored to comprise a top flap, a top panel foldably connected to the top flap, a front panel foldably connected to the top panel, a bottom panel foldably connected to the front panel, and a rear panel foldably connected to the bottom panel. The blank further comprises a right flap foldably connected to each of the top, front, bottom and rear panels, with each of the right flaps having an edge not foldably connected to its associated panel, and a left flap foldably connected to each of the top, front, bottom and rear panels, with each of the left flaps having an edge not foldably connected to its associated panel. A first continuous tear line is formed in a first panel of the top, front, bottom and rear panels and in a first of the right and left flaps connected to the first panel. The first tear line starts at the edge of the first left flap and terminates at the edge of the first right flap. A second continuous tear line is formed in a second panel of the top, front, bottom and rear panels and in a second of the right and left flaps connected to the second panel. The first and second panels are preferably different panels. The second continuous tear line starts at the edge of the second left flap and terminates at the edge of the second right flap.
In accordance with yet an even further aspect of the invention, a blank for forming a carton is provided. The blank is formed from a single-piece of corrugated paperboard. The blank is cut and scored to comprise a top flap, a top panel foldably connected to the top flap, a front panel foldably connected to the top panel, a bottom panel foldably connected to the front panel, and a rear panel foldably connected to the bottom panel. The blank further comprises a right flap foldably connected to each of the top, front, bottom and rear panels, with each of the right flaps having an edge not foldably connected to its associated panel, and a left flap foldably connected to each of the top, front, bottom and rear panels, with each of the left flaps having an edge not foldably connected to its associated panel. A first continuous tear line is formed in the front panel and in the right and left flaps connected to the front panel. The first tear line starts at the edge of the left front flap and terminates at the edge of the right front flap. A second continuous tear line is formed at a connection between the top flap and the top panel.
Additional objects and features of the present invention, as well as its advantages, will be set forth in part in the detailed description which follows. The embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
The accompanying drawings, which are hereby incorporated into and constitutes a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings, like reference numerals represent like parts.


A process for the preparation of 2,2-difluoroethylamine of the formula (I)CHF2CH2NH2  (I)comprising the stages (i) and (ii):stage (i): reaction of 2,2-difluoro-1-haloethane of the formula (II)CHF2—CH2Hal  (II)in which Hal is chlorine, bromine or iodine,with prop-2-en-1-amine of the formula (III)

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of 2,2-difluoroethylamine by reaction of prop-2-en-1-amine with 2,2-difluoro-1-haloethane.
2. Description of Related Art
2,2-Difluoroethylamine is an important intermediate in the preparation of active substances. Various methods for the preparation of 2,2-difluoroethylamine are known.
Donetti et al. (J. Med. Chem., 1989, 32, 957-961) describe the synthesis of 2,2-difluoroethylamine hydrochloride starting from 2,2-difluoroacetamide. In this connection, the desired amine is prepared with a diborane solution in tetrahydrofuran (THF). The yield is 48%.
Kluger et al. (JACS, 1982, 104, 10, 2891-2897) describe the synthesis of 2,2-difluoroethylamine starting from the amide with sodium borohydride and boron trifluoride etherate. The yield is 60%. Vyazkov, V. A. et al. (Vyazkov, V. A., Gontar, A. F., Grinevskaya, V. K., Igoumnova, E. V. and Igoumnov, S. M., A. N.) Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia Fluorine Notes (2009), 65) likewise describe the reduction with sodium borohydride in a yield of 50-65%.
In addition, Kollonitsch (U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,994) describes a synthesis of 2,2-difluoroethylamine, namely the reaction of ethylamine with fluoroxytrifluoromethane in hydrogen fluoride under UV radiation.
In a paper with a title "Über einige fluorhaltige Alkylamine" [On some fluorine-comprising alkylamines] (Chem. Zentralblatt, Volume 75, 1904, pages 944-945), Swarts describes the preparation of 2,2-difluoroethylamine and of tetrafluoroethylamine, with subsequent separation of the two products by fractional distillation or as hydrochloride or oxalate salts, after prior conversion of the products obtained. Swarts uses 1-bromo-2,2-difluoroethane as starting compound and heats this over a relatively long period of time, namely 3 days, in the reactor tube with 2 mol of alcoholic ammonia at relatively high temperatures, namely 125-145° C. The starting compound is completely converted into the compounds difluoroethylamine and tetrafluoroethylamine.
The preparation of 2,2-difluoroethylamine is also described by Dickey et al. (Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 1956, No. 2, 209-213). 2,2-Difluoro-1-chloroethane is there reacted with 28% ammonium hydroxide, i.e. 28% aqueous ammonia solution, in an autoclave (rocking autoclave). The reaction mixture is heated at temperatures of 135° C. to 140° C. for 31 hours. After the reaction has ended, the reaction mixture is filtered and the amine is distilled off from the reaction mixture. However, since a lot of ammonia and some water are still found in the distillate, the amine is dried over sodium hydroxide and again distilled. The amine was thus obtained in a yield of 65%.
This process is disadvantageous as it requires, just as the process according to Swarts, a very long reaction time of 31 hours and the yield of 65% is rather low. At the same time, the reaction mixture is highly corrosive since the aqueous ammonia, in combination with the chloride and fluoride ions present in the reaction mixture, attacks metallic materials at the high temperatures used in the process.
All these known processes are disadvantageous, in particular because they cannot be carried out on an economically useful commercial (industrial) scale. The low yield and the use of expensive and dangerous chemicals, such as, e.g., sodium borohydride/BF3 or diborane, prevent the processes according to Donetti et al. and Kluger et al. from being suitable for the commercial-scale preparation of 2,2-difluoroethylamine. The process according to Kollonitsch et al. uses dangerous chemicals and pure 2,2-difluoroethylamine is not obtained. The process according to Dickey et al. and the process according to Swarts are likewise unsuitable or uneconomic for commercial-scale use as they require very long reaction times and are at the same time non-selective, so that the yields of the processes are unsatisfactory.
Furthermore, the use of ammonia at high temperatures is problematic, since special pressure-resistant equipment is required, which is demanding and expensive from a safety viewpoint.
Starting from the known processes for the preparation of 2,2-difluoroethylamine, the question now arises of how 2,2-difluoroethylamine can be prepared in a simple and inexpensive way. The term "inexpensive processes" is understood to mean those processes which can be carried out without large financial expenditure because the starting materials, for example, are not dangerous, no other technical problems emerge, for example because the reaction mixture acts corrosively, and/or the desired 2,2-difluoroethylamine is obtained in a satisfactorily high yield and purity, because, for instance, the reaction takes place largely selectively.

Process for the preparation of 2,2-difluoroethylamine starting from prop-2-en-1-amine

Abstract: to give N-(2,2-difluoroethyl)prop-2-en-1-amine of the formula (IV)

Abstract: preferably in the presence of an acid scavenger,andstage (ii): removal of the allyl group from the N-(2,2-difluoroethyl)prop-2-en-1-amine of the formula (IV) obtained in stage (i) to give 2,2-difluoroethylamine of the formula (I) or a salt thereof.


A nose piece for use with an airfeed drill includes a cylindrical portion which has on one end a truncated cone for mounting a drill support bearing and on the other end a flange. Formed within the flange are a plurality of slots. These slots correspond to an array of rotatable fasteners and locking pieces mounted on the front of the housing. Attachment of the nose piece to the housing is accomplished by placing the slots over the fasteners and locking pieces and tightening the fasteners.

The present invention relates to airfeed peck drills more particularly the present invention relates to nose pieces which are used to mount drill bushing tips on the end of airfeed peck drills.
Airfeed peck drills are typically used in the aircraft industry where it is necessary to drill accurate holes with a smooth internal finish. Such results are obtainable with controlled drill feed. Controlled drill feed is accomplished by attaching an air cylinder to the back of an airfeed drill so that air pressure may be used to push against a piston in the air cylinder thus causing the rotating drill to move into the workpiece.
A more sophisticated airfeed drill is an airfeed peck drill. Herein air pressure is used to first push the rotating tool into the workpiece and then fully extract it from the workpiece then repush it into the workpiece then reextract it again. This pecking occurs numerous times over the period of time required to drill a hole. Such pecking operation allows for drilling holes and obtaining accurately sized holes and better internal hole finishes.
One method of mounting airfeed drills to workpieces for drilling holes involves the use of drill bushing tips attached to nose pieces extending from air feed drill housings. The rotating drill passes through the drill bushing tip. In one type of drill bushing tips a cam collar on the outside of the drill bushing tip allows the drill bushing itself to be passed under two cam follower posts attached to a fixture which is attached to the workpiece. This enables the airfeed drill to be properly positioned with respect to the workpiece. Drill bushing tips are commonly marketed by such companies as United Drill Bushing Corp.
Before a hole is drilled, a fixture with cam follower posts is placed over the hole entry point. The air feed drill is then positioned by placing the drill bushing tip between the cam follower posts. The drill is then twisted when the drill bushing tip is located between the cam posts. The cam collar surfaces formed on the outside of the drill bushing tip enable locking of the drill bushing tip to the fixture and thus the drill is positioned with respect to the workpiece.
Housings which mount drill bushings tips have always been a semi-permanent part of the overall tool housing. For rigidity housings have been threadably connected to the drill housing. Changing housings meant partial disassembly of the tool. This operation is time consuming and often requires that the tool be pulled out of production to change housings.
There is therefore a need in the art to provide an airfeed peck drill with nose piece housings which may be removed and replaced in a minimum amount of time.

Quick change nose piece for an air-feed peck drill


Network delay is determined in order to synchronize a clock in a mobile station with a reference clock. Tones are generated that represent a sequence of bits in a synchronization flag. The tones are sampled beginning at a selected sample start time. The sampled tones are demodulated to identify the bit values in the synchronization flag. The demodulator is synchronized with the sampled tones in the synchronization flag by shifting the sample start time until the samples generate an optimum synchronization value. A reference time is then identified according to the optimum sample start time.

Portable devices often need to be synchronized with a reference system. For example, portable Global Positioning Systems (GPS), derive position data from signals transmitted from satellites. The portable GPS device uses a clock to obtain a position fix with a GPS satellite. When the GPS signals are not available, for example, because the satellites are out of view, or when the mobile device has not acquired the satellite signal, the mobile device must be resynchronized with a reference clock due to drift in the mobile unit clock over time.
Network delay is defined as the time required to send synchronization information over a network between a reference station and a remote station. In order to accurately resynchronize a remote clock with a reference clock, it is necessary to account for this network delay.
This patent application describes a system for resynchronizing a clock in a portable device by sending a pulse from a reference station to the portable device. The portable device relays a pulse back to the reference station. The reference station measures the time difference between the transmitted pulse and the received pulse. This time difference is then used to resynchronize the clock in the portable device.
The present invention provides another technique for identifying network delay.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Network delay identification method and apparatus


This invention relates to methods for the production of various metal salts of 5-sulfoisophthalic acid including those where the metal cation is selected from the group consisting of silver (I), sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, manganese (II), iron (II), cobalt (II), nickel (II), copper (I), copper (II), zinc, yttrium, and cadmium. The methods utilize a solvent system that comprises acetic acid or water or a mixture of both. The invention also encompasses the various metal salts of 5-sulfoisophthalic acid.

This disclosure is intended to teach by way of example and not by way of limitation.
This disclosure relates to the field of specialty chemicals. In particular, this disclosure relates to the preparation of salts of 5-sulfoisophthalic acid. More particularly, this disclosure relates to the preparation of various metal (Mt) salts of 5-sulfoisophthalic acid (MtSIPA) from 5-sulfoisophthalic acid (SIPA or HSIPA) via an acetic acid or water or acetic acid/water solvent system using a metal cation producing compound.
Salts of HSIPA, particularly lithium (Li+) and sodium (Na+), are primarily used as additives in the production of polymers. Other salts of HSIPA, or derivatives thereof, are used in a variety of other applications. For example, the silver salt of dimethyl 5-sulfoisophthalate (AgDMSIPA), is used as an antimicrobial additive in polymers. Given that silver is a known antimicrobial agent, it is anticipated that a silver (I) salt of HSIPA will exhibit antimicrobial properties and may also function as a desired additive for certain polymer processes.
Furthermore, it is known in the industry that metal salts of HSIPA (e.g., sodium and lithium) often can be used as substitutes for the same salts of the dimethyl ester of 5-sulfoisophthalate (DMSIPA). The advantages of using 5-sulfoisophthalic acid salts rather than the dimethyl ester salts of 5-sulfoisophthalate include (1) lower cost due to the elimination of a process step (esterification of HSIPA), (2) elimination of the need to vigorously dry the process intermediate (HSIPA) as required during the esterification step of the DMHSIPA process, and (3) elimination of a flammable by-product (methanol) during the preparation of the MtDMSIPA. Thus there is interest in and a need for developing new salts of 5-sulfoisophthalic acid and for exploring their chemical behaviors and potential uses.
Developing a commercially viable method of manufacture for MtSIPA presents several challenges, one of which is the variability in HSIPA chemistry. HSIPA chemistry is such that one cannot necessarily take a known process for making one salt (e.g., LiSIPA), switch out the metal (e.g., switch to Na), and expect that the process will result in a similar salt product. For example, one can wash a crude NaSIPA product with water but doing the same with LiSIPA results in lost product. Likewise, washing crude LiSIPA with acetic acid results in a hydrate or anhydrous product whereas washing crude NaSIPA with acetic acid results in a solvate. Also, one metal cation may require a different solvent system than another metal cation.
In addition, many of the known processes for producing HSIPA salts results in product having high sulfate levels. A high sulfate HSIPA salt can cause problems in polymer processes. For example, LiSIPA salts with accompanying high levels of sulfate are associated with high levels of nylon filament breakage due to sulfate precipitation. Accordingly, HSIPA salts with a low-sulfate composition are of value because they are expected to cause fewer problems in polymer production processes.
For these and other reasons, there is a need for new HSIPA salts and for a manufacturing process that is commercially feasible, economically efficient and avoids or eliminates some of the major problems that hinder other HSIPA salt production methods (e.g., high sulfate levels).

Salts of 5-sulfoisophthalic acid and method of making same


A curved sensor device, such as an ultrasonic transducer array, is fabricated from a flat micromachined sensor (such as cMUT or pMUT) array constructed using micromachined electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) techniques. The device comprises: a support structure comprising a spine having a profile that is generally curved and a multiplicity of teeth extending from one side of the curved spine; and a multiplicity of sensors built on the support structure. The spine can be bent forward or backward and attached to a curved front face of a support member, thereby causing the sensors to adopt a curved array.

This invention generally relates to arrays of micromachined sensors, including but not limited to micromachined ultrasonic transducers (MUTs). One specific application for MUTs is in medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging systems. Another specific example is for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of materials, such as castings, forgings, or pipelines. However, the curved sensor arrays disclosed herein are not limited to ultrasound transducers, but rather may also comprise, e.g., temperature, pressure, or optical sensors.
Conventional ultrasound imaging systems comprise an array of ultrasonic transducers that are used to transmit an ultrasound beam and then receive the reflected beam from the object being studied. Such scanning comprises a series of measurements in which the focused ultrasonic wave is transmitted, the system switches to receive mode after a short time interval, and the reflected ultrasonic wave is received, beamformed and processed for display. Typically, transmission and reception are focused in the same direction during each measurement to acquire data from a series of points along an acoustic beam or scan line. The receiver is dynamically focused at a succession of ranges along the scan line as the reflected ultrasonic waves are received.
For ultrasound imaging, the array typically has a multiplicity of transducers arranged in one or more rows and driven with separate voltages. By selecting the time delay (or phase) and amplitude of the applied voltages, the individual transducers in a given row can be controlled to produce ultrasonic waves that combine to form a net ultrasonic wave that travels along a preferred vector direction and is focused in a selected zone along the beam.
The same principles apply when the transducer probe is employed to receive the reflected sound in a receive mode. The voltages produced at the receiving transducers are summed so that the net signal is indicative of the ultrasound reflected from a single focal zone in the object. As with the transmission mode, this focused reception of the ultrasonic energy is achieved by imparting separate time delay (and/or phase shifts) and gains to the signal from each receiving transducer. The time delays are adjusted with increasing depth of the returned signal to provide dynamic focusing on receive.
The quality or resolution of the image formed is partly a function of the number of transducers that respectively constitute the transmit and receive apertures of the transducer array. Accordingly, to achieve high image quality, a large number of transducers, referred to herein as elements, is desirable for both two- and three-dimensional imaging applications. The ultrasound elements are typically located in a hand-held transducer probe that is connected by a flexible cable to an electronics unit that processes the transducer signals and generates ultrasound images. The transducer probe may contain both ultrasound transmit circuitry and ultrasound receive circuitry.
Convex curved ultrasound probes are the dominant choice for abdominal imaging. They provide a large field of view with excellent resolution achieved with a relatively simple system beamformer. Most ultrasound probes are made from piezoelectric ceramics or single crystals. Each piezoelectric element vibrates in the thickness mode as a half-wave resonator. Engineers have managed to widen the bandwidth of these vibrators through an extensive collection of additional impedance matching layers, backings, and electrical tuning techniques.
Curved probes are generally fabricated by laminating piezoelectric ceramic, matching layers, and a backing together as a flat acoustic stack. The stack is subsequently diced (often from the back surface through the backing, ceramic, and part of the matching layers) at a very fine pitch to allow them to easily bend to conform to a curved shape. The resulting structure is then affixed to an appropriately shaped preformed backing block. A typical example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,800.
It is well known in the art that any surface can be described at a point by two orthogonal radii of curvature, r1 and r2. The requirement that the surface remain continuous is equivalent to requiring the product of the inverses of the two radii of curvature to be a constant:
                              1                                    r              1                                                  r              2                                      =        constant                            (        1        )            Two radii of curvature of a flat plate are both infinite, and the constant is 0. Hence it is easy to curve the array in either the azimuthal or elevational direction, where one inverse radius remains 0. However, curvature in both directions is severely limited.
Recently semiconductor processes have been used to manufacture ultrasonic transducers of a type known as micromachined ultrasonic transducers (MUTs), which may be of the capacitive (cMUT) or piezoelectric (pMUT) variety. cMUTs are tiny diaphragm-like devices with electrodes that convert the sound vibration of a received ultrasound signal into a modulated capacitance. For transmission the capacitive charge is modulated to vibrate the diaphragm of the device and thereby transmit a sound wave. pMUTs are similar except that the diaphragm is bimorphic, consisting of a piezoelectric and an inert material like silicon nitride or silicon. The bimorphic diaphragm typically has greater sensitivity but lower bandwidth properties.
One advantage of MUTs is that they can be made using semiconductor fabrication processes, such as microfabrication processes grouped under the heading "micromachining". As explained in U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,367:                Micromachining is the formation of microscopic structures using a combination or subset of (A) Patterning tools (generally lithography such as projection-aligners or wafer-steppers), and (B) Deposition tools such as PVD (physical vapor deposition), CVD (chemical vapor deposition), LPCVD (low-pressure chemical vapor deposition), PECVD (plasma chemical vapor deposition), and (C) Etching tools such as wet-chemical etching, plasma-etching, ion-milling, sputter-etching or laser-etching. Micromachining is typically performed on substrates or wafers made of silicon, glass, sapphire or ceramic. Such substrates or wafers are generally very flat and smooth and have lateral dimensions in inches. They are usually processed as groups in cassettes as they travel from process tool to process tool. Each substrate can advantageously (but not necessarily) incorporate numerous copies of the product. There are two generic types of micromachining . . . 1) Bulk micromachining wherein the wafer or substrate has large portions of its thickness sculptured, and 2) Surface micromachining wherein the sculpturing is generally limited to the surface, and particularly to thin deposited films on the surface. The micromachining definition used herein includes the use of conventional or known micromachinable materials including silicon, sapphire, glass materials of all types, polymers (such as polyimide), polysilicon, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, thin film metals such as aluminum alloys, copper alloys and tungsten, spin-on-glasses (SOGs), implantable or diffused dopants and grown films such as silicon oxides and nitrides.            The same definition of micromachining is adopted herein. The systems resulting from such micromachining processes are typically referred to as "micromachined electromechanical systems (MEMS).
Conventional cMUTs resemble tiny drums (made of silicon nitride or other similar materials, such as silicon) that are "beat" electrostatically. The drumhead vibrates to both emit and receive ultrasonic waves. A cMUT probe consists of an array of many elements, each element comprising a respective plurality of individual cMUT cells that have been hard-wired together.
A typical cMUT cell comprises a thin silicon or silicon nitride membrane with an electrode, suspended over a cavity formed on a silicon substrate. A bottom electrode is formed in or on the silicon substrate or by doping the substrate so that it is conductive. All cMUT cells in an element are electrically connected using top and bottom electrodes. The membrane vibrates to both emit and receive ultrasonic waves. The driving force for the deflection of the membrane during transmit is the electrostatic attraction between the top and bottom electrodes when a voltage is impressed across them. If an alternating voltage drives the membrane, significant ultrasound generation results. Conversely, if the membrane is biased appropriately and subjected to incoming ultrasonic waves, significant detection currents are generated. Typical thicknesses of the membrane lie in the range of 1 to 3 microns and the cavity gap is on the order of 0.1 to 0.3 micron. The lateral dimensions of the cMUT cell range from 10 to 100 microns for cMUT array operating frequencies of 2 to 15 MHz.
Capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers are fabricated on flat crystalline silicon substrates, and represent a novel approach to ultrasound transduction. Since the micromachined membrane typically oscillates far above the operating frequency of the probe and is damped by the material (such as an acoustic lens) that is applied to the top surface, these devices are inherently broadband. Operating over a wider frequency range than the comparable piezoelectric transducers, these cMUTS should improve B-mode, color flow, and harmonic imaging. However, cMUT ultrasonic probes are usually built on very stiff, hard to bend substrates.
There is a need for methods of making curved cMUT (or PMUT) substrates without diminishing their acoustic performance advantages. In particular, there is a need for a method of making a convex curved cMUT substrate, thereby achieving the wide field of view so many clinicians find appealing in convex curved piezoelectric arrays used in abdominal imaging.

Curved micromachined ultrasonic transducer arrays and related methods of manufacture


A digital watermark embedding apparatus for embedding digital watermark information by superimposing macroblock patterns on an image is disclosed. The digital watermark embedding apparatus: spreads input digital watermark information to obtain an embedding series having a length corresponding to a number of pixel blocks of a macroblock pattern; selects at least a frequency from among predetermined plural frequencies according to a term value of the embedding series corresponding to a position of a pixel block in the macroblock pattern, and sets a waveform pattern corresponding to the selected frequency as a pixel of the pixel block; and amplifies, with an embedding strength value, the macroblock pattern on which a waveform pattern is superimposed on each pixel block by the waveform pattern setting unit, and superimposes the macroblock pattern on an input image like a tile.

In order to achieve objectives for identifying and managing content and providing related information when distributing content such as the image, video and voice, there is a method using the digital watermark technology for imperceptibly embedding another information into the content. Generally, a digital watermark detection object image is subjected to geometric transformation so that it includes geometric distortion. Therefore, a digital watermark technology that has tolerance to such geometric transformation is needed.
As a conventional technology for detecting and correcting the geometric transformation, there is a technology described in the patent document 1. In the technology described in the patent document 1, a pattern for correcting geometric transformation is embedded separately from an embedding image so that the geometric transformation is detected by using the pattern.
[patent document 1] Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. 11-355547

Electronic watermark embedding device, electronic watermark detection device, method thereof, and program

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation


A wireless mobile device/station (MS) sends measurement reports of neighbor cells to a serving base transmitter station (BTS). The MS receives information messages transmitted by the BTS at a signaling period, while the MS is in a first cell. The MS is configured to receive a first information message and a subsequent second information message following a handoff. When both information messages are received, the MS transmits a measurement report to the base station, based on contents of the current, received information messages. Responsive to the MS failing to receive/detect the second information message, the MS transmits a measurement report to the BTS based on (a) a current/first information message(s) and (b) a previous information message of the same type as the undetected second information message. The BTS initiates another handoff based on the information in the second type of measurement report.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to wireless communication systems and in particular to measurement and reporting of neighbor cell signal strength in wireless communication systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
In dedicated mode and group transmit mode, a slow associated control channel (SACCH) signal is used in the signalling layer at least for measurement results for transmission from the mobile station. The SACCH is uniquely configured such that continuous transmission occurs in both directions, at least on the channel carrying the main signalling link. For that purpose, in uplink transmissions, a mobile station (i.e., a wireless device) sends measurement result messages towards the base transceiver station (BTS) (i.e., the network direction) at each possible occasion, when no other (higher priority data) has to be sent. Similarly, System Information messages are sent from the BTS to the mobile station (MS) via unnumbered information (UI) frames when no other (higher priority data) has to be sent.
Problems occurring in the reception of SACCH frames are interpreted as a loss of communication means and appropriate procedures are then triggered as specified in 3GPP TS 45.008 (i.e., according to established SACCH procedures). Some of these communication problems occur during the handoff process. Occasionally, a mobile station on a first base station is handed off to a second base station from which the mobile station detects a weak signal. As a result, the MS must wait for a broadcast message before sending out a report on the neighbor list, which is used to spawn another handoff. If the waiting period is too long, the MS (phone) call "dies" before the overhead broadcast message is received. Conventional approaches to these problems do not effectively resolve the issue of dropped calls caused by delays associated with the receipt of broadcast information messages.

Expedited reporting of neighbor cell signal strength


In a projection television apparatus, a color selecting device is located on an optical light path passing through a cathode ray tube and a series of projection lenses disposed in front of the cathode ray tube. This color selecting device has a high reflection factor or a high absorption factor to light having a wavelength of at most 520 nm. With this color selecting device, the range of color reproduction can be much more improved, thus causing an increased degree of color purity of green at the central and peripheral areas of the cathode ray tube.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a projection television apparatus using a green cathode ray tube having an improved color reproduction characteristic.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 7 of the accompanying drawings shows a typical conventional projection television apparatus in which a cathode ray tube equipped with a multilayered interference filter is used. As shown in FIG. 7, the projection television apparatus comprises a cathode ray tube 1, and a series of projecting lenses 2 disposed in front of the cathode ray tube 1. Element 3 designates an incident pupil position of the series of projection lenses 2; 4, a display face plate pane; 5, a multilayered interference filter; 6, a fluorescent material; 7, a vacuum evaporation aluminum film.
The operation of this conventional projection television apparatus will now be described. FIG. 4 shows a characteristic curve 9 of a luminous spectrum of a multilayered interference coating with respect to transmittivity as an electron beam is incident on the fluorescent material 6 coated on the cathode ray tube 1. In view of its life and brightness, any existing fluorescent material to be used in a projection television apparatus has inevitably such luminous spectrum. As shown in FIG. 4, the spectrum includes, in addition to an essential green spectral wavelength of 545 nm, blue-side and red-side spectra. Therefore, as shown in a chromaticity diagram of FIG. 5, only the chromaticity value at a point G.sub.0 16 remote from the standard green chromaticity point G13 can be obtained; therefore, color reproduction is possible only within a triangular range 19 indicated by broken lines.
To this end, it is a known practice to place, between the face plate pane 4 and the fluorescent material 6, a multilayered interference filter 5 composed of a plurality of alternately superimposed layers of high and low refractive index materials, and then to determine the transmittivity characteristic of this multilayered interference filter as indicated by the broken lines 11, so that unnecessary light spec
having peaks around 600 nm of the light spectrum 9 emitted from the green fluorescent material 6 are reflected. Therefore it is possible to improve the color reproduction up to the chromaticity point G.sub.1 17 of FIG. 5. However, as the transmittivity characteristic of the interference filter 5 is determined as indicated by the broken lines 11, it is impossible to reflect the unnecessary light spectrum having a peak at a wavelength of slightly less than 500 nm. As a result, color reproduction can be possible yet in the triangular range 20 indicated by the dash-and-one-dot lines in FIG. 5.
Since the image on the cathode ray tube 1 is disposed at an angle of .THETA..sub.1 with respect to the incident pupil 3 which is at the center of the projection lens series 2, the difference l in optical light path between the layers of the multilayered interference filter 5 can be expressed by the following equation: EQU l=2d cos .THETA..sub.1 (d: layer thickness).
Consequently, the transmittivity characteristic, in the direction of angle .THETA., of the multilayered interference filter 5 will, as indicated by dash-and-one-dot lines 12 in FIG. 4, cause even the necessary green light spectrum to be reflected, thus impairing the color reproduction range.
With this conventional arrangement, partly because the range of color reproduction is inadequate for light from the central areas of the cathode ray tube, and partly because light from the peripheral areas is reflected up to the essential light spectrum, the display color would become blue-emphasized green.


In a frequency-tripled fiber-MOPA, a pre-amplified plane-polarized seed-pulse having a fundamental frequency is divided into two pulse-components, plane-polarized in polarization-orientations at 90-degrees to each other. The fundamental-wavelength pulse-components are amplified in a common amplifier-fiber. The amplified components are separately propagated on different optical paths. One of the amplified components is frequency-doubled. The frequency-doubled component on one path and fundamental-frequency component on the other path are then combined on a common-path and sum-frequency mixed to provide a frequency-tripled pulse.

Pulsed fiber-MOPAs are increasingly being used in applications that require compact and robust monolithic design, good stability and excellent beam quality. Fiber-amplifiers exhibit much higher gain, typically between about 20 decibels (dB) and 40 dB, than solid-state amplifiers (typically between about 10 dB and 20 dB). This makes fiber-MOPAs attractive for amplification of a small signal (seed-pulse) from a master oscillator to high average and peak powers.
A master oscillator (for example, semiconductor diode-laser) can be easily modulated at a high pulse-repetition rate (PRF), for example, up to about 1 Gigahertz (GHz) while generating pulses with an arbitrary length, for example between about 0.1 nanoseconds (ns) and 10 microseconds (μs). This is one reason why fiber-MOPA systems offer better flexibility and choice in pulse-lengths (pulse-durations) and PRFs than solid-state lasers.
Most fiber-lasers operate at a wavelength in an infrared (IR) wavelength range. There is also, however, a growing demand for reliable, compact, pulsed laser-sources in visible and ultraviolet (UV) spectral ranges. This could be satisfied by frequency-converting the output of infrared-laser sources.
In general, pulses having a narrow bandwidth (less than about 0.6 nm), linear polarization, and high peak-power, for example greater than about 1 kilowatt (kW) are required for efficient conversion of IR radiation into visible and UV range. However, conventional high-power fiber-laser oscillators usually operate with broader bandwidths for example greater than about 1 nm. Further, high peak-power required for efficient harmonic generation is limited by nonlinear effects in fibers such as stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS), stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), and Four-Wave Mixing (FWM). These effects further broaden pulse bandwidth.
A limited peak-power results in a limited average power at a fixed PRF and pulse-duration. One method for overcoming this peak-power limitation is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,920,606. In this method seed-pulses, or pre-amplified seed-pulses, having a fundamental wavelength are split into first and second portions with the portions amplified separately in respectively first and second fiber-amplifiers. Amplified pulses from one of the fiber-amplifiers are frequency-doubled by second-harmonic generation (2HG) in one optically nonlinear crystal. These 2H-pulses are then sum-frequency mixed in another optically nonlinear crystal with amplified fundamental wavelength pulses from the other fiber-amplifier to generate frequency-tripled (third-harmonic) pulses. This method provides double the total power of a single amplifier for the third-harmonic generation (3HG).
A drawback of this method of course is that two fiber-amplifiers (power amplifiers) must be provided, each requiring pump-diodes and associated pump-light coupling optics. This adds significantly to the cost of the system. There is a need for fiber-MOPA system that overcomes the peak-power limitation of fiber-amplifiers with only one power fiber-amplifier or fiber-amplifier chain.


According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve improved durability by improving the connection structure of operation links and a control ring to reduce friction and wear between the operation links and the control ring, facilitate manufacturing by simple configuration and structure, and achieve silent and stable operation by making it possible to set the gaps between the parts relatively small.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanism for operating a nozzle assembly of variable geometry turbocharger, and more particularly, to a mechanism adjusting rotational angle of vanes to control flow of an exhaust gas flowing through nozzles.
2. Description of Related Art
Variable geometry turbochargers of the related art have an exhaust pipe on the center axis of a turbine in a turbine housing such that the exhaust gas discharged from an internal combustion engine flows from the outside to the inside of the turbine and is exhausted from the turbochargers through the exhaust pipe, and the flow of the exhaust gas flowing into the turbine from the outside of the turbine is controlled by a nozzle assembly disposed outside the turbine.
The nozzle assembly of the related art includes a nozzle ring where a plurality of vanes are rotatably mounted in a circle; a nozzle plate disposed apart from the nozzle ring, with the vanes therebetween, to form a nozzle through which an exhaust gas passes; a control ring arranged coaxially with the nozzle ring to be able to rotate with respect to the nozzle ring and receive operation force for adjusting rotational angle of the vanes from the outside; and a plurality of operation links connecting the control ring with the rotational shafts of the vanes such that the vanes rotate, when the control ring rotates with respect to the nozzle ring.
The control ring has a plurality of connection portions where the ends of the operation links are fitted to transmit the relative rotation of the control ring to the nozzle ring as rotation force for the vanes. The connecting portion is a simple groove or hole, such that it causes significant friction and wear against the operational links, thereby decreasing durability.
Further, the connection structure between the connecting portions and the operation link is relatively complicated, such that machineability is bad. Further, the gaps between the parts are set relatively large in consideration of high-temperature thermal expansion, such that silence and stability are decreased and vibration may be generated in the operation.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

Nozzle assembly of variable geometry turbocharger


In some scenarios it may be useful for a client terminal to know the location of one or more base stations in a wireless communication network. While a network may know its location accurately, it may not provide that information to a client terminal. Furthermore, the location information for a base station may be required before a client terminal can communicate with a particular base station. Location determination is a commonly available and used capability in many client terminals in a wireless communication network for finding the client terminal's own location. A method and apparatus are disclosed that enable a client terminal that is capable of determining its own location to be able to determine the location of any base station in a wireless communication network. A client terminal may use the base station location information for improved performance, improved user experience, and reduced power consumption.

As shown in FIG. 1, a wireless communication system 10 comprises elements such as client terminal or mobile station 12 and base stations 14. Other network devices which may be employed, such as a mobile switching center, are not shown. In some wireless communication systems there may be only one base station and many client terminals while in some other communication systems such as cellular wireless communication systems there are multiple base stations and a large number of client terminals communicating with each base station.
As illustrated, the communication path from the base station (BS) to the client terminal direction is referred to herein as the downlink (DL) and the communication path from the client terminal to the base station direction is referred to herein as the uplink (UL). In some wireless communication systems the client terminal or mobile station (MS) communicates with the BS in both DL and UL directions. For instance, this is the case in cellular telephone systems. In other wireless communication systems the client terminal communicates with the base stations in only one direction, usually the DL. This may occur in applications such as paging.
The base station with which the client terminal is communicating is referred to as the serving base station. In some wireless communication systems the serving base station is normally referred to as the serving cell. The terms base station and a cell may be used interchangeably herein. A cell from which a client terminal has already received service may be referred to as having visited that cell. In general, the cells that are in the vicinity of the serving cell are called neighbor cells. Similarly, in some wireless communication systems a neighbor base station is normally referred to as a neighbor cell. Each base station may be identified by a unique identifier referred to herein as Cell Identity (CID). The CID of a base station may be known to a client terminal when it decodes broadcast information from the base station. The CID may be of different types such as Cell Global Identity (CGI) in case of 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless communication system. A base station may have additional identities such as Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) identity. Furthermore, there may be an identity for the entire network to uniquely identify a particular network operator. For example, in case of 3GPP LTE wireless communication system, a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) identity may be used. The various identities used by a cell and the network may be broadcast by the cell as system information.
Location determination is a commonly available and used capability in many client terminals in a wireless communication system. The terms location determination and positioning are used interchangeably herein. Client terminals may obtain their own location through different technologies. A satellite navigation system with global coverage commonly known as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and the Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) are two example technologies. Although there may be many different technologies for location determination, often the core methods used for location determination are triangulation and trilateration. Triangulation is a method of determining the location of a point by measuring angles to it from known points. The point can then be fixed as the third point of a triangle with one known side and two known angles. Trilateration is the process of determining absolute or relative locations of points by measurement of distances. In two-dimensional geometry, it is known that if a point lies on two circles corresponding to the known distances from known points, then the circle centers and the two radii (distances) provide sufficient information to narrow the possible locations down to two as shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, there are two known locations La and Lb. The distance Dab between these two locations is also known based on the known locations La and Lb. The two locations L1 and L2 are equidistance from each of the two known points La and Lb. If the distances Da and Db are known, it is still not possible to uniquely determine whether the true location is L1 or L2. Additional information, such as third known point with known distance to it, may narrow the possibilities down to one unique location as shown in FIG. 3. The third location Lc and its distance Dac between the locations La and Lc and its distance Dbc between the locations Lb and Lc may be known based on known location of Lc. Furthermore, the distance Dc from the location Lc to location L1 may be known. Using these three sets of information, the coordinates of the location L1 can be uniquely determined using conventional trilateration calculations, for example, as described in "Revisiting Trilateration for Robot Localization", by Federico Thomas and Lluís Ros, IEEE Transactions in Robotics, February 2005, pgs 93-101, incorporated by reference herein.
Location information may be obtained using other information about a cell in a wireless communication network. For example, the Round Trip Delay (RTD) or Timing Advance (TA) between a base station and a client terminal, the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), etc., combined with the known location of a cell may be used to determine the location of a client terminal. For example, the TA may be used to estimate the distance of a client terminal from the serving cell. This can narrow the location of a client terminal to a circular band of radius corresponding the distance based on TA as illustrated in FIG. 4. The timing advance typically corresponds to twice the propagation delay for a Radio Frequency (RF) signal to travel from a base station BSA to a client terminal. The TA is typically estimated by a base station when a client terminal performs initial uplink transmissions. The approximate distance between a client terminal and the BSA may be obtained by dividing half of TA by the speed of light. As illustrated in FIG. 4, there may be some uncertainty Δt in the measured value of the TA. This uncertainty may lead to uncertainty in the estimated distance using the TA. Multiple TA measurements may be used to reduce uncertainty by filtering, such as averaging. In subsequent figures, the location of a client terminal as determined based on a TA from a single base station may be illustrated as a circle instead of a circular band with uncertainty. It is to be understood that multiple TA measurements may be taken to reduce the uncertainty.
In some scenarios, it may be useful for a client terminal to know the location of one or more base stations in a wireless communication network. For example, a client terminal may make decisions about whether to make cell reselection and/or handover related measurements and system information decoding as well as how frequently to look for neighboring base stations based on the location information of the base stations.
While a network may know its location accurately, it may not provide that information to a client terminal. Furthermore, the location information for a base station may be required before a client terminal can communicate with a particular base station.

Method and apparatus for location determination of a base station at a client device


Existing policies enforced at or above an operating system (OS) layer of a device are obtained. Translation rules are stored that include data structure descriptions of conditions, corresponding actions performed when the conditions are satisfied, and attributes specified in the existing policies, and attributes of one or more layers below the OS layer that are relevant to policy enforcement in the one or more layers below the OS layer. The existing policies are parsed using the data structure descriptions to identify the conditions, corresponding actions, and attributes specified in the existing policies. New policies are generated that are consistent with the existing policies. The new policies include the identified attributes specified in the existing policies and the attributes relevant to policy enforcement in the one or more layers below the OS layer. The new policies are enforced in the one or more layers below the OS layer.

Security policies are typically designed and enforced at upper levels of a protocol stack. For example, a device may include an agent running within an operating system (OS) layer of the device to block security breaches such as running applications that an organization has banned, accessing confidential data that the end-user is not authorized to access, and so forth.
The development of virtualization technologies such as virtual machine environments and container environments has made it relatively easy to bypass agent-level enforcement. The ease with which these virtual environments can be created in order to thwart agent-level policy enforcement exposes the organization to both internal and external threats. For example, an employee end-user may create a virtual machine, and withhold installing the agent-level policy enforcer in the newly created virtual machine so that a banned application may be installed.
An organization may have invested a great amount of time and resources to develop many dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of agent-level security policies. Nonetheless, such security policies may be rendered ineffective from the threat posed by virtualization and container technology.
There is a need for improved systems and techniques for policy enforcement techniques that are not so easily bypassed, are cost-effective, and allow an organization to recoup its investment spent developing agent-level security policies.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.

Translating existing security policies enforced in upper layers into new security policies enforced in lower layers


A self-propelled working device is provided with a housing and a pivot bearing arranged on the housing. At least one operating element is arranged on the housing. At least one lid is pivotably supported on the housing and is provided with a bearing section interacting with the pivot bearing. The at least one lid has a closed position and covers in the closed position the operating element. The lid has a first part and a second part connected to the first part. The bearing section is formed on the first part of the lid. The second part of the lid covers the operating element. When a constructively predetermined pulling force is applied to the second part, the second part detaches from the first part.

The invention relates to a self-propelled working device comprising at least one propelling drive and further comprising a housing, wherein on the housing at least one lid is pivotably supported, wherein the lid comprises a bearing section on which at least one pivot bearing for the lid is arranged.
EP 2 417 894 A1 discloses a self-propelled working device, i.e., a vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner comprises a lid that closes off a receiving space for a dirt collecting container. In completely open position, the lid actuates a switch so that it can be detected that the lid is completely open. The lid is fixedly supported on the housing so that the operator can lift the vacuum cleaner by gripping the lid. When the lid is held at a slant angle, the working device can neither detect that the lid is open nor that the operator is lifting the working device.