The invention refers to a centrifugal separator and a method of separating a product to a heavy phase and light phase. A centrifuge rotor encloses a closed separation space, which has a radially outer part for the heavy phase, a radially inner part for the light phase and a central gas-filled space. The radially outer part is separated from the radially inner part by a interface layer level. An inlet extends into the separation space for feeding the product. A first outlet extend from the radially outer part for discharge of the heavy phase. A second outlet extends from the radially inner part for discharge of the light phase. A control equipment permits control of the interface layer level to a desired radial position. A sensor senses a parameter related to the gas pressure in the central space. The control equipment controls the counter pressure in the first outlet in response to the sensed parameter for controlling the interface layer level to the desired radial position.

SE-B-514 774 discloses a centrifugal separator of the kind initially defined. As appears from this document, it could be difficult to maintain the interface layer level at the desired radial position during operation of the centrifugal separator. This can be due to the fact that a non-controllable quantity of separated heavy phase, including separated solid particles, are discharged per time unit. If the discharged quantity of heavy phase, for instance would exceed a quantity of fed heavy phase, the interface layer level will be radially displaced outwardly. This problem is solved in SE-B-514 774 by means of a control equipment comprising separate members for supply and discharge of a control fluid which has a higher density than the light phase.
A common separation case is that the heavy phase is controlled in the manner mentioned above in such a way that the counter pressure in the outlet of the heavy phase is maintained at a determined level and that the light phase flows over an overflow outlet. In such a separation case, it may occur that the interface layer level is displaced to an undesired radial position due to the gas pressure prevailing at the free liquid surface adjacent to the overflow outlet. Such a displacement of the interface layer level may lead to a poor separation and/or breaking of the water seal.
In a centrifugal separator, including a paring disc with venting holes and atmospheric pressure outside the bowl, this problem will not arise. The actual gas pressure is then the atmospheric pressure, which can be regarded as constant. This problem does not occur also when there is the conventional configuration with a flow over an overflow outlet for the heavy phase and over an overflow outlet for the light phase, wherein the radial levels of both the overflow outlets control the radial position of the interface layer level. If this configuration comprises a paring disc with venting holes for the light phase, the same gas pressure prevails at the free liquid surface adjacent to the overflow outlets both for the heavy phase and the light phase, which means that the interface layer level will not be influenced by variations in the gas pressure.
However, if one of the phases is controlled with respect to the counter pressure, a variation in the gas pressure will influence directly the radial position of the interface layer level if corresponding compensation of the counter pressure is not made on the phase controlled with respect to the counter pressure. Variations in the gas pressure adjacent to the overflow outlet arise when the gas adjacent to the overflow outlet lacks a free flow path for pressure equalization. The variations of the gas pressure become large especially when the product to be separated and to be supplied to the centrifugal separator has a high steam pressure, i.e. an oil-water mixture, which is saturated with natural gas and which has a temperature close to the boiling point of the water phase.

Apparatus and method for controlling the radial level of an interface in a centrifugal separator


A golf bag cart foldable device includes a bottom cart stand having a rear wheel frame at each side to link a rear wheel. The bottom cart stand has a bag base to link a front wheel. An upper cart stand is in pinned connection with the bottom cart stand. A linkage set, including plural linkages, forms links between the upper cart stand and the bottom cart stand and between the upper cart stand and the rear wheel frame. A folding joint enables release of the folding joint first. By the link between the linkage set and the rear wheel frame, simultaneous unfolding or folding of the upper cart stand, the bottom cart stand and the rear wheels can thus be accomplished. The folding joint is secured to have the upper cart stand and the bottom cart stand locked to each other, to achieve handiness in use.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a golf bag cart foldable device and, more particularly, to one that features a simultaneous unfolding or folding for its upper cart stand, bottom cart stand and rear wheels, to facilitate the handiness in use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A prior golf bag cart foldable device, for instance, shown in U.S. Pat. Publication No. 2010-0090443, enables a simultaneous unfolding or folding for its upper cart stand, bottom cart stand and rear wheels. The cart structure includes a slider set up on the bottom cart stand, and the setup of the slider is limited to the stand with a straight tube for its attachment. That constraint deteriorates considerably in the shaping of the appearance of the cart, which apparently calls for necessary improvement.


A noble glass composition which is based on a known potassium-zinc crystal glass composition suitable for chemical strengthening, in which most of contained ZnO component is replaced with a combination of less expensive oxides. The noble glass composition is easily melted in a tank and formed by machine into table wares, and provides a chemical strengthened crystal glass article which has high practical strength as tableware and can be subjected to washing with an alkali.

Crystal glass has been used for high quality tablewares and craftwork because of its characteristic properties, such as high transparence and brightness, weight density, beautiful acoustics, and ease of forming and working.
For labeling an article as crystal glass, it must satisfy the requirements that its oxide composition contains, singly or in combination, 10% by weight of ZnO, BaO, PbO, or K2O, and that it has refractive index nd≧1.520 and density ≧2.45 g/cm3 (EC specifications).
Traditional lead (contained as PbO) crystal glass articles and barium (contained as BaO) crystal glass articles have problems in environmental issues and in alkali resistance, because their materials have toxicity or the product glass articles are susceptible to surface erosion upon washing with an alkali.
Common crystal glass articles including known potassium (contained as K2O) crystal glass articles are each not sufficiently suitable for chemical strengthening. Among them, those having small thicknesses are insufficient in strength, because it is difficult to physical strengthen such glass articles having small thicknesses.
To solve these problems, the present inventors have recently developed and prepared for the market a lead-free, barium-free crystal glass having a potassium-zinc (contained as K2O and ZnO) crystal glass composition, which is superior in chemical strengthening suitability in which sodium ions in a surface layer of the formed article are replaced with potassium ions. The crystal glass composition and the chemical strengthened article are disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3961560.
However, the disclosed composition becomes difficult to be employed particularly in crystal glass tablewares that are formed by machine and produced in mass production, because the disclosed composition contains 6 percent by weight or more of ZnO, and zinc occupies more than 50% of the material cost of the glass due to the recent price rise of zinc.
In addition, the disclosed crystal glass is designed to have a temperature corresponding to the molten glass viscosity (high-temperature viscosity) Log η=2 of 1430° C. or lower so as to enable hand forming via melting in a crucible, whereas it is designed to have a cooling time of 110 to 115 seconds so as to enable gradual or slow forming, in which the cooling time is defined based on the temperature dependency of viscosity. However, for use in tablewares that will be formed by machine after melting in a tank, a demand has been made on glass to have a temperature corresponding to the molten glass viscosity (high-temperature viscosity) Log η=2 of 1450° C. to 1470° C. and a cooling time of about 110 seconds as properties preferred for such high-speed forming.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3961560
When BaO and PbO are excluded from the viewpoint of environment and the content of ZnO is controlled to less than 2 percent by weight from the viewpoint of cost in a crystal glass composition, the crystal glass composition becomes a potassium-zinc crystal glass composition, but this composition can also be classified as a kind of potassium crystal glass composition.
However, no chemical strengthened potassium crystal glass composition has been known, because known potassium crystal glass compositions are not effectively chemical strengthened by a general chemical strengthening process in which, after applying an aqueous potassium solution to a surface of the crystal glass, the crystal glass is subjected to a heat treatment in a tunnel furnace for about 90 minutes so as to replace sodium ions with potassium ions.
While many high quality crystal glass tablewares have small thicknesses (rim thickness: less than 1.2 mm), it is technologically difficult to physical strengthen such thin-wall crystal glass tablewares effectively by quenching portions having small thicknesses to capture tensile stress inside and to impart a compressive stress layer only to a surface thereof.
Specifically, known high quality potassium crystal glass tablewares have underwent neither chemical strengthening nor physical strengthening, and thereby have insufficient mechanical strength and should be always handled with care.
The present inventors revealed in Japanese Patent No. 3961560 that the potassium crystal glass is not suitable for chemical strengthening because: the content of Na2O, which acts as a sodium ion source in ion replacement, is as small as less than 10 percent by weight; and the content of CaO, which impedes the ion replacement, is as large as more than 5 percent by weight. In the invention disclosed therein, not the potassium crystal glass but a potassium-zinc crystal glass is controlled to be suitable for chemical strengthening. This potassium-zinc crystal glass has a composition containing 10 percent by weight or more of Na2O, 4.2 percent by weight or less of CaO, and 6 percent by weight or more of ZnO.
On the other hand, it is apparent that, if such a potassium crystal glass composition containing zinc, which contributes to improvement in chemical durability, in a content of 2 percent by weight or less is rendered to contain Na2O in a content of 10 percent by weight or more, the resulting crystal glass loses its chemical durability, because the glass contains 8 percent by weight or more of K2O belonging to the same category, i.e., alkali oxides, thereby undergoes alkali excess, and this causes a network structure formed by SiO2 to be opened.
All known potassium crystal glass compositions contain more than 5 percent by weight of CaO, but it has not yet been revealed how the chemical strengthening suitability varies when CaO is partially replaced not with ZnO but with another alkaline earth metal oxide (MgO, SrO).
Accordingly, demands have been made to develop a glass composition that is suitable for chemical strengthening and is inexpensive, among potassium crystal glass compositions containing less than 2 percent by weight of ZnO from the viewpoint of cost and containing less than 10 percent by weight of Na2O from the viewpoint of chemical durability.
As used herein a "glass composition suitable for chemical strengthening" refers to such a glass composition that has a sufficiently high ion-replacement rate at a temperature in a heat treatment for a relatively short time, can thereby have a deeper ion-replaced layer, i.e., a compressive stress layer, and can have a higher compressive stress due to its lower stress relaxation.
To verify that chemical strengthening is conducted effectively, the resulting surface compressive stress layer should have a stress and a thickness greater than certain levels set according to the use.
The potassium-zinc crystal glass composition disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3961560 is imparted with a chemical strengthened compressive stress layer having a stress of more than 1000 kg/cm2 and a thickness of more than 20 μm so as to increase its practical strength, as a result of heat treatment for 90 minutes according to a chemical strengthening process using an aqueous solution.


The use of biodegradable and biocompatible lactide-based nonionic amphiphiles to stabilize a model drug (salbutamol base) dispersion in hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) propellant is disclosed. The results have industrial applicability to the development of HFA-based dispersion pressurized metered-dose inhaler formulations.

Pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) are the most common vehicles for the delivery of drugs to the lungs, accounting for approximately 80% of total prescribed aerosols. However, the development of pMDI-based formulations has been confronted with several challenges since the replacement of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) with the more environmentally friendly hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) propellants. In spite of the fact that the operation of pMDIs with HFAs is similar to those containing CFCs, previous formulations are generally not compatible due to differences in physicochemical properties between these two classes of fluids.
Surface active agents (surfactants) are generally required excipients in both solution and dispersion formulations for valve lubrication and to provide stability to dispersed drug crystals. One of the issues in reformulating pMDIs with HFAs is related to the fact that hydrocarbon-based surfactants used in FDA-approved CFC formulations (oleic acid, sorbitan trioleate, and lecithin) have extremely low solubility in the more polar semi-fluorinated propellants. Accordingly, cosolvents have been generally employed in HFA-based formulations in order to enhance surfactant solubility. However, the presence of cosolvents in pMDIs can affect the vapor pressure of the propellant—thus affecting the size of the aerosol. Cosolvents can also negatively impact the chemical and physical stability of the formulations.
CFC-based dispersions of salbutamol (base) have been extensively employed in the treatment of asthma. Oleic acid was typically used as a dispersing agent and as a valve lubricant in CFC-based pMDIs. However, oleic acid is not compatible with HFAs. While the solubility of oleic acid can be enhanced in the semifluorinated propellants upon the addition of ethanol, such an approach is not always suitable. This restriction is related to the fact that salbutamol has an appreciable solubility in ethanol, and the presence of the cosolvent decreases the chemical stability of the formulation. Therefore, the salt of salbutamol, salbutamol sulfate, which has low solubility in ethanol, is currently being used in HFA-based pMDI formulations.
The discussion above illustrates the challenges in reformulating pMDIs with HFA-based propellants. In light of such difficulties, the development of novel amphiphiles (chemical compounds having both hydrophilic and lipophilic properties) for HFA-based suspensions has been fairly limited. This can be attributed, at least in part, to challenges in obtaining United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval for new excipients. On the other hand, difficulties associated with studying the colloidal/interfacial properties of such systems in situ, and a lack of a fundamental understanding of solvation forces in semifluorinated solvents, have also hindered the development of new amphiphiles for HFA suspensions.
Colloidal probe microscopy (CPM) is a powerful technique for the screening of surface-active agents for colloidal suspensions. CPM is an atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based technique where the force of interaction between a colloidal particle attached to an AFM tip and another particle/substrate of interest is measured with high resolution. CPM has been widely used to investigate the effect of surfactants and other polymers on the interaction forces between colloidal particles in aqueous phase as well as in nonaqueous media. CPM has also been used to characterize the cohesive/adhesive force between particles of relevance in the pharmaceutical industry. In the context of inhalation therapy, the CPM literature has focused primarily on dry powder formulations. CPM has also been applied to a few systems of relevance to pMDIs, including the study of the ability of poly-(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to screen the cohesive forces of drug particles in 2H,3H perfluoropentane (HPFP), a mimicking solvent to propellant HFA, and the adhesive forces between drug particles and the walls of pMDI canisters.

Co-polymer stabilizers for hydrofluoroalkane dispersions


A method and apparatus is provided for protecting voltage regulation circuits and battery cells (xe2x80x9ccellxe2x80x9d) when a cell is reverse-coupled to a charger. When a charger is reverse-coupled to the cell, parasitic devices in voltage regulation circuits become forward-biased. When the parasitic devices become forward-biased, the parasitic devices may carry a current that is sufficiently large to damage the voltage regulation circuits. A shunt regulator is used to detect the presence of a reverse-coupled charger (xe2x80x9creverse chargerxe2x80x9d) and to shunt current to a ground potential such that potentially damaging currents are prevented from flowing through the parasitic devices.

The present invention relates generally to protection circuits for rechargeable batteries, and more particularly to a protection circuit for preventing potentially destructive reverse currents that may result when a battery is xe2x80x9cplugged backwardsxe2x80x9d (i.e., inserted with a reverse polarity) into a battery charger.
Many portable electronic devices use a rechargeable battery to provide power. These devices include computers, cellular telephones, pagers, radios, and the like. While there are many types of rechargeable batteries used today, including nickel cadmium and nickel metal hydride, lithium ion batteries have become a popular choice. Lithium ion batteries are typically smaller and lighter than other rechargeable battery types while charge capacity is increased.
The charging of lithium ion batteries is conducted in a different manner than the charging of nickel type rechargeable batteries. Generally, nickel-type rechargeable batteries are charged by applying a constant current from a battery charger until the cell reaches a predetermined voltage or temperature. A lithium ion cell, however, uses a different charging process. First, the lithium ion cell is supplied with a current from a battery charger until the cell""s voltage rises above a threshold. Next, the battery charger is held at the threshold until the current of the cell decreases to a predetermined level.
Therefore, the battery charger should be selected (and operated) according to the type of battery that is to be charged, and care taken to ensure proper polarity of connections of the battery to the charger. Failure to do so may result in damage to at least the battery or battery charger.
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method that prevents potentially destructive reverse currents in latent parasitic semiconductor devices found in a voltage regulator. More specifically, a protection circuit detects that a battery cell has been inserted into the battery charger with a reversed polarity, and prevents unsafe levels of current from flowing through parasitic semiconductor devices that are forward-biased as a result of the reversed polarity.
According to one aspect of the invention, a charge input circuit is arranged to provide a charging signal. An over-voltage protection circuit is coupled to the charging signal. A reverse-voltage protection circuit is arranged to determine when a cell has been inserted into the battery charger with a reversed polarity. The reverse-voltage protection circuit is arranged to prevent the charging signal from causing a parasitic body diode in the over-voltage detection circuit to conduct a potentially destructive reverse current when the reverse-coupled cell is detected.
According to another aspect of the invention, a protection circuit is arranged to compare a voltage of the charging signal to a maximum-allowable reverse-voltage reference. A fault condition is detected when a reverse-voltage is present and the reverse-voltage exceeds the maximum-allowable reverse-voltage. The reverse-voltage is reduced to prevent conduction by parasitic devices that are present in the charge input circuit when the fault condition is detected.
According to another aspect of the invention, the over-voltage protection circuit and the reverse-voltage protection circuit are arranged to control one or more shunt transistors. The shunt transistors are arranged to shunt current from the charging signal to ground whenever the charging signal voltage falls outside of the range defined by the maximum-allowable forward-voltage and the maximum-allowable reverse-voltage.


The device will make it easy to recognize an individual object located at a specific location using radio frequency ID tags. The device includes an object having an object main body, a tag provided with the object main body, and a display section provided with the object main body to display the information corresponding to the ID information stored on the tag.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. More specifically, the invention pertains to a device and method for effectively processing and utilizing radio frequency identification tags.
2. Description of the Related Art
An RFID tag that has paired an integrated circuit (IC) chip and an antenna has already been developed. RFID tags can transmit data using radio waves as a medium to RF readers and has been recognized as an electronic tag. When a RF reader is in close proximity to a RFID tag, an electromotive force is generated in the RFID tag by the radio waves from the RF reader. A circuit is operated by the electromotive force and a circuit operates with the electromotive force. The RF reader can exchange, read, write, and delete data to and from the RFID tag.
A reference patent document 1: Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-116127.

Object tagged with RFID tag and device and method for processing it


There is provided a liquid ejecting apparatus that is used for ejecting a liquid. The liquid ejecting apparatus includes a head unit that ejects the liquid, a liquid supplying path that is used for leading the liquid to the head unit, a defoaming chamber that is disposed in the liquid supplying path and is used for eliminating air bubbles inside the liquid, a broaden chamber that is disposed in the liquid supplying path and can collect the liquid due to having a cross-section area larger than that of the liquid supplying path, and a decompression unit that is used for decompressing the defoaming chamber and the broaden chamber.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to technology for eliminating air bubbles from a liquid located in a liquid supplying path inside a liquid ejecting apparatus or for suppressing generation of the air bubbles.
2. Related Art
In ink jet printers, there are cases where defective printing such as missing dots occurs when air bubbles are generated in ink located in an ink supplying path that is from an ink supply unit such as an ink cartridge to a record head. Thus, printers capable of eliminating the air bubbles (defoaming) from ink have been proposed (see JP-A-2006-75683).
In addition, in the ink jet printers, there are cases where defective printing such as missing dots occurs when the air bubbles are generated in the ink located in an ink supplying path that is from the ink supply unit such as an ink cartridge to a record head. Accordingly, to eliminate the air bubbles (defoaming) from the ink is needed. As a mechanism for performing such defoaming, a mechanism has been proposed in which a chamber (defoaming chamber) for capturing air bubbles by temporarily collecting the ink and a decompression chamber are located to be adjacent to each other through a partition wall having gas permeability and the air bubbles captured in the defoaming chamber are eliminated by adjusting the pressure of the decompression chamber to be lower than that of the defoaming chamber (see, JP-A-2006-95878).
In the ink jet printers, there are cases where a separate chamber for collecting ink is disposed in the ink supplying path in addition to the defoaming chamber used for a defoaming operation. As such a chamber, for example, there is a damper chamber that adjusts the internal pressure of the record head. There are cases where a flexible member is used in the damper chamber, and accordingly, there is a problem that air bubbles can be easily generated and grow. In addition, even in a configuration in which a sub tank is arranged in addition to a main tank used for storing ink, there are cases where air bubbles are generated in the sub tank.
However, sufficient consideration for a defoaming operation that is performed in a space (a broaden chamber) which has a cross-section area larger than that of the ink supplying path, such as the damper chamber or the sub tank has not been made. In addition, such problems may occur not only in the ink jet printers but also in a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects any type of liquid such as lubricant or a resin liquid.

Liquid ejecting apparatus having a decompression unit


A thin-film transistor includes a substrate and a gate including a double-layered structure having first metal layer formed of a material exhibiting tensile stress and second metal layer formed of a metal exhibiting compressive stress, the first metal layer being wider than the second metal layer by about 1 to 4 .mu.m. A method of making such a thin film transistor includes the steps of: depositing a first metal layer comprising a material exhibiting tensile stress on a substrate, depositing a second metal layer exhibiting compressive stress on the first metal layer; patterning the second metal layer and the first metal layer such that the first metal layer is wider than the second metal layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin-film transistor of a liquid crystal display and, more particularly, to a thin-film transistor having a gate including a double-layered metal structure and a method of making such a double-layered metal gate.
2. Discussion of Related Art
An LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) includes a switching device as a driving element, and a pixel-arranged matrix structure having transparent or light-reflecting pixel electrodes as its basic units. The switching device is a thin-film transistor having gate, source and drain regions.
The gate of the thin-film transistor is sometimes made of aluminum to reduce its wiring resistance, but an aluminum gate may cause defects such as hillock.
One alternative to using pure aluminum to form a gate, is to use an aluminum alloy to prevent the hillock problem. However, the use of an aluminum alloy such as AlTa in which diffusion of Aluminum atoms is prevented by adding a small amount of a refractory metal such as Ta, causes the gate to be electrically and chemically unstable.
Another alternative is to form a double-layered metal gate, i.e., molybdenum-coated aluminum gate, to overcome the problem of the hillock.
One such prior art double-layered metal gate is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A-2F. FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a prior art thin-film transistor and FIGS. 2A-2F are cross-sectional views of FIG. 1 along line X--X.
To fabricate a double-layered gate, metals such as aluminum and molybdenum are sequentially deposited, followed by a patterning process carried out via photolithography to form resulting metal films which have the same width. Although the double-layered gate is desirable to overcome the problem of hillock, the resulting deposited metal films forming the double-layered gate are so thick that a severe single step is created by a thickness difference between the metal films and a substrate, thereby causing a single step difference between the substrate and the double-layered gate which deteriorates the step coverage of a later formed gate oxide layer. The source and drain regions formed on the gate oxide layer may have disconnections between areas of the source and drain regions which are overlapped and non-overlapped with the gate, or electrically exhibit short circuits as a result of contact with the gate.
In such a method of forming the gate, each of the metal layers of Al and Mo form a clad structure as seen in FIGS. 2A-2F.
FIGS. 2A through 2F are diagrams illustrating the process for fabricating a thin-film transistor of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 2A, aluminum is deposited on a substrate 11 to form a first metal layer 13. Then a second metal layer 15 is formed so as to completely cover the first metal layer 13 to define a clad structure seen in FIG. 2B. The second metal layer 15 is formed by depositing Mo so as to completely cover the first metal layer 13.
Thus, the first and second metal layers 13 and 15 form a gate having a double-layered metal structure in a clad arrangement. The clad structure defines a single step difference between the gate structure and the substrate 11.
A gate insulating film 17 is then formed over the gate electrode clad structure formed by the first and second metal layers 13, 15. A semiconductor layer 19 is then formed by deposition and etching on the gate electrode insulating film 17. Then a contact layer 21 is formed by deposition and etching to cover the semiconductor layer as seen in FIG. 2C.
Then an electrode layer 23 is formed on the contact layer 21 by deposition and etching. The electrode layer 23 and the contact layer 21 are further etched to form a channel region so as to separate the contact layer 21 and electrode layer 23 into two separate electrodes as seen in FIG. 2D.
An electrode insulating film 25 is then deposited on the electrode layer 23 and in the channel region located between the two separate electrodes formed by the electrode layer 23. The electrode insulating film 25 is etched to form a contact hole 27 therein as seen in FIG. 2E.
Finally, a transparent electrode such as a pixel electrode 29 is formed by deposition and etching on the electrode insulating film 25 and to fill the hole 27 in the electrode insulating film 25 such that the pixel electrode 29 is electrically connected to one of the two electrodes (source and drain) formed by the electrode layer 23.
The clad structure of the gate electrode formed by the first metal layer 13 and the second metal layer 15 experiences many problems. With the clad structure shown in FIGS. 2A-2F, hillock may be formed on either side of the single step difference between the gate electrode and substrate. In addition, the step coverage of later formed layers is decreased and the source and drain regions formed on the gate oxide layer may have disconnections between areas of the source and drain regions which are overlapped and non-overlapped with the gate or electrically exhibit short circuits as a result of contact with the gate.
In another conventional thin-film transistor shown in FIG. 3, a substrate 31 has an inner gate electrode 34 includes a first metal layer 34a consisting of Al and a second metal layer 34b consisting of a Mo layer. The first and second metal layers 34a, 34b are formed such that there is only a single step difference between the gate electrode 34 and the substrate 31 as a result of the first and second metal layers 34a, 34b having substantially the same width.
An outer gate electrode 35 is formed on the inner gate electrode 34 so as to completely cover the first and second metal layers 34a, 34b. The outer gate electrode 35 and the inner gate electrode 34 form a gate electrode 32.
The gate electrode 32 is covered by a first gate insulating film 36 to protect the gate electrode 32. Then a second gate insulating film 37 is formed to cover the first gate insulating film 36. The second gate insulating film 37 has a semiconductor layer 38 formed thereon. An insulating layer 39 is formed and etched so as to be located in a channel region between later formed source and drain electrodes consisting of a contact layer 40 and an electrode layer 41. The contact layer 40 and the electrode layer 41 are etched to form a source electrode 42 and a drain electrode 43. A pixel electrode 44 is formed on the same surface as the source and drain electrodes 42, 43 and is electrically connected to the drain electrode 43.
Similar to the conventional device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A-2F, the conventional thin-film transistor shown in FIG. 3 has a single step difference between the gate electrode 34 and the substrate 31 and experiences many of the same problems including hillock on both sides of the first metal layer 34a. To avoid the problem of hillock at both sides of the first metal layer 34a also experienced by the device shown in FIGS. 1-2F, the device of FIG. 3 must use a double-layered inner gate electrode 34, an outer gate electrode 35 and an oxidation film 36. Without the outer gate electrode 35 and the oxidation film 36, this structure would be similar to the structure shown in FIGS. 1-2F and experience all of the same problems experienced by the device of FIGS. 1-2F as described above.
Although such a structure shown in FIG. 3 may avoid the problem of hillock, it requires far more process steps and layers and increases the time and cost of manufacturing a thin-film transistor.
According to another method of forming the gate, each of the metal layers of Al and Mo form a double step difference with the substrate so as to improve the step coverage of the gate oxide layer.
An example of this method of forming a double metal layer gate structure is described in "Low Cost, High Quality TFT-LCD Process", SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION DISPLAY EURO DISPLAY 96, Proceedings of the 16th International Display Research Conference, Birmingham, England, Oct. 1, 1996, pages 591-594. On page 592 of this publication, a method of forming a double metal gate structure includes the process of depositing two metal layers first and then patterning the two metal layers to thereby eliminate an additional photoresist step. The first metal layer consists of an Al alloy and the second layer consists of Cr.
However, with this method, process difficulties during the one step photoresist process for forming the double metal layer gate resulted in the top layer being wider than the bottom layer causing an overhang condition in which the top layer overhangs the bottom layer. This difficulty may result in poor step coverage and disconnection. This problem was solved by using a three-step etching process in which the photoresist had to be baked before each of the three etching steps to avoid lift-off or removal of the photoresist during etching. This three-step etching process and required baking of the photoresist significantly increases the complexity and steps of the gate forming method.
These and other elements, features, and advantages of the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Thin-film transistor and method of making same


A camshaft has a deactivatable cam which is selectively couplable to or releasable from the camshaft by a coupling pin which is transversely displaceable in a recess in the camshaft. To move the coupling pin between its connecting position, in which it engages a coupling recess in the cam, and its release position, in which it is retracted within the confines of the camshaft, the face of the coupling pin opposite the coupling recess forms a pressure chamber in which variable pressure is controlled by a displaceable control piston. A high pressure is applied to move the coupling pin into its connecting position and a lower pressure is applied to maintain the coupling pin in the connecting position, while a further reduced pressure is applied to retract the coupling pin into its release position.

This invention relates to camshaft arrangements having a cam which can be hydraulically coupled to a camshaft.
Camshaft arrangements with deactivatable cams provide a number of advantages since they permit inlet or outlet valves to be rendered active or inactive according to the prevailing operating conditions of an engine by activation or deactivation of the associated cams. Thus, in engines having two intake valves for each cylinder with cams providing different valve opening times, it may be expedient to have both intake valves activated only at higher engine speeds, whereas, at lower engine speeds, one of the two valves is kept closed while the other valve is actuated in the usual manner by an associated cam which has a configuration optimized for low engine speed. Such a camshaft arrangement may also be used in internal combustion engines with a cylinder cut-out arrangement. In such engines, all inlet valves for one or more combustion chambers are kept closed in an economy mode selectable by the operator, for example, in which their associated cams are deactivated. In this condition, the engine will operate at partial load on only some of its cylinders.
Camshaft arrangements having at least one deactivatable cam are disclosed, for example, in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 39 20 938. These conventional designs operate with sleeves which are components of jaw couplings individual to certain cams and are axially slidable on the camshaft in response to pressure applied by a hydraulic medium. When the jaw couplings for a cam are moved into engagement by axial motion of the corresponding sleeve, there is a rotationally fixed connection between the cam, which is otherwise deactivated, and the camshaft. Such a camshaft arrangement may be provided if there is room enough in the axial direction of the camshaft to accommodate the displaceable coupling components for each of the deactivatable cams.
The copending Voigt U.S. application Ser. No. 07/896,625, filed Jun. 10, 1992, of which this application is a continuation-in-part, discloses a camshaft arrangement having at least one deactivatable cam mounted on a camshaft with a coupling which includes a coupling pin displaceable in a transverse, approximately radial recess in the camshaft between an engaged position, in which it engages an inner coupling recess in the cam to establish a rotationally fixed connection between the cam and the camshaft, and a release position, in which it is withdrawn from the coupling recess to disconnect the cam from the camshaft. The end of the coupling pin opposite from the coupling recess, i.e., the rear face, together with the recess in the camshaft, forms a pressure chamber which communicates with a supply of hydraulic fluid within the camshaft, and the coupling recess in the cam has an associated pressure relief such as an opening to atmospheric pressure. Such a camshaft having coupling pins which are displaceable at least approximately radially has the advantage of a short structural length while providing for deactivatability of at least one cam.
Because of the high rotational speeds of camshafts in internal combustion engines, such as those for motor vehicles, and the corresponding centrifugal forces, however, difficulties may be encountered in assuring precisely timed motion of the coupling pin between its two positions in such deactivatable cam arrangements.

Camshaft arrangement having a deactivatable cam


A termination system that transmits on a cyclic basis, from a control station to an unmanned vehicle, pairs of mutually dependent code and counter values whose dependency is determined by a termination algorithm. The vehicle has knowledge of the algorithm and can hence validate a received code/counter pair using the same algorithm. If the received code/counter pair is invalid, the vehicle can decide to self-terminate. The control station includes a termination actuator that allows the vehicle to be remotely terminated by invalidating, when actuated by an operator, the code/counter pairs that are transmitted to the vehicle.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are often restricted to operate in empty airspace where there is no risk of mid-air collisions with manned aircrafts, and in geographical areas where a potential crash-landing would not cause any human casualties and cause minimal infrastructural and environmental damage. Operational area restrictions are normally set out by governmental and/or international border requirements, regulations and laws.
When a UAV escapes or is about to escape from its permitted operational area due to system malfunction, or upon detection of unsafe conditions within its permitted operational area, it is of great importance that the UAV can be remotely terminated, for example by shutting down the UAV engine. Although operating more or less autonomously, a UAV is typically connected to a UAV control station (UCS) from which an operator can terminate the UAV remotely by overriding its autonomous control system.
The requirements on the termination system allowing an operator to remotely terminate a UAV are rigorous. The termination system should be designed to avoid that the UAV is terminated without due cause but, most important, it must be extremely reliable such that termination of the UAV always is possible when the need arises.
In addition, it is important to minimize the weight and size of the components constituting the termination system. This is particularly important as regards the part of the termination system that is located in the UAV since an increase in UAV size and/or weight typically increases fuel consumption and/or deteriorates the UAV flying capacity. It is also of great importance that the termination system is equipped to withstand hostile takeovers to prevent intervening parties from transmitting UAV termination commands with malicious intent. Another aspect that should be taken into consideration


A method for separating ash and sulfur (including pyritic sulfur) contaminants from coal in a flotation process. The method comprises the steps of grinding the coal to small particlate size, forming a slurry of the ground coal and mixing the slurry with at least one compound selected from the group consisting of peroxy compounds, peroxides and superoxides the preferred compound being oxone which is a mixture of potassium monopersulfate, potassium hydrogen sulfate and potassium sulfate. This slurry is allowed to react to condition the particulate coal and develop increased hydrophobicity for the coal while depressing the sulfur contaminants and ash during froth flotation.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to methods for cleaning fine coal by means of froth flotation. More specifically, the present invention relates to chemical conditioning steps for enhancing the floatability of fine coal while at the same time depressing pyrite and other contaminants by flotation.
2. Prior Art
The future effective utilization of coal as an energy source will depend largely on the development of effective techniques for separation of ash and sulfur in an economical process. Otherwise, restrictions against SO.sub.2 emissions will result in high cost for energy production, and will dictate in favor of other fuels rather than coal. The United States Department of Energy projects that by 1990 at least 54% of the electricity produced in the United States will be generated from coal. It is generally acknowledged, however, that this can only occur if processes are developed which enable the effective cleaning and production of compliance coal while at the same time providing for rejection of ash and sulfur.
With increased emphasis on maximum coal production, industry is now looking for total utilization of the coal, including coal fines and small particulate coal which has previously been discarded Further, the production of a high quality, clean coal product may require grinding to fine particle size to achieve complete liberation. Coal flotation is one process which has been applied to cleaning coal fines for commercial use. Whereas in 1950, only a few flotation plants existed in the United States, 66 plants had developed flotation production by 1970. Currently, virtually all new preparation plants incorporate flotation into their plant design. In terms of production, coal flotation plant capacity in the United States has grown from 64,000 tons per day in 1975 to 145,000 tons per day in 1985. Despite the increased commercial interest, however, the separation of ash and sulfur from coals still remains a major challenge to developing cost effectiveness in the froth flotation method.
Froth flotation is a physicochemical separation process that depends on the attachment of hydrophobic particles to air bubbles Other hydrophilic particles are wetted by the aqueous phase and will not attach to air bubbles. Thus, the separation of coal particles from gangue minerals occurs as air bubbles are dispersed through a suspension of coal particles (typically minus 28 mesh). The bubble/particle aggregates float to the surface and are collected as clean coal concentrate.
An unfortunate physical property of sulfur, and in particular pyrite, is its tendency to respond in the flotation process in the same manner as does the coal. In other words, those techniques which lead to enhanced flotability of coal also lead to enhanced flotability of pyrite Conversely, those processes applied to depress the flotation of pyrite frequently lead to coal depression.
For example, the flotation process usually involves the use of suitable reagents, such as neutral molecular oils, to enhance the hydrophobic character of coal particles, while the gangue mineral particles remain hydrophilic. These neutral oils such as kerosene or fuel oil are called promoters and are used to enhance the attachment of air bubbles at the coal surface. This is done by forming a thin coating of promoter over the air bubble and/or particle to be floated. In addition, frothing agents such as methylisobutyl carbinol, terpinol, creosols, polyglycols, and some specially blended reagents are used. The choice of these reagents and level of addition depends on the coal to be floated and the desired level of selectivity with respect to ash and sulfur. Because pyrite from coal has some tendency to float, use of these agents tends to cause their flotation along with coal, destroying the clean coal product quality.
Where fine coal is subjected to the flotation process, greater amounts of promoter and frother agent are adsorbed due to high surface area. In fact, the liberated fine mineral matter itself attaches to the hydrophobic coal particles, resulting in a slime coating with an attendant pseudo-depression phenomenon. As a result of these complications, the production of super clean or even compliance coal by conventional froth flotation has been a most difficult task. Although some success has been achieved utilizing sodium hypochlorite for removal of sulphatic and organic sulfur, such oxidation practice has been generally unsuccessful in the removal of pyritic sulfur. These problems are most significant for coals such as medium volatile bituminous, high volatile bituminous and sub-bituminous coals.
It has been well known for many years that natural occurring coal tends to be hydrophobic. In fact, higher grade coals are extremely hydrophobic and need very little treatment to improve their amenability to flotation. With respect to the medium and lower grade coals, the natural hydrophobic character is decreased, particularly for the high volatile bituminous and sub-bituminous categories. Furthermore, the greater the ash content in the coal, the less hydrophobic is the material.
It is also generally known from the literature that surface oxidation of coal in most cases further decreases its hydrophobic character and leads to a poorer flotation response (S. C. Sun, Trans AIME, vol. 6, No. 4, p. 396, 1954; S. K. Chakrabartty and N Berkowitz, Fuel, vol. 53, p. 240, 1974; F. F. Aplan, Flotation, M. C. Fuerstenau editor, AIME, New York, p. 1235, 1976; R. R. Yarzab, Z. Abdel-Baset, and P. H. Given, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, vol. 43, p. 281, 1979; D W. Fuerstenau, J. M. Rosenbaum, and J. S. Laskowski, Collids and Surfaces, vol. 8, p. 153, 1983; D. W. Fuerstenau, G C. C. Yang, and J. S. Laskowski, Coal preparation, vol 2, p. 1, 1986). This generally acknowledged fact is further evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,714 by McCarthy In fact, the McCarthy patent teaches the use of reducing agents to eliminate oxidized surfaces of the carbon for improvement of flotation. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,599 by Greenwald, Sr. teaches that "the oxidized surfaces of the coal particles are so altered that separation of tailings from the coal particles cannot be carried out by conventional means such as froth-flotation," column 2, lines 43-47. The oxidizing agent used in the Greenwald discussion was ozone. The Greenwald patent further discloses the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,002 which discusses a process for treating coal to remove sulfur and ash which involves the steps of preconditioning coal particles in the presence of an oxidizing agent The Greenwald patent indicates that such oxidants as H.sub.2 O.sub.2, HNO.sub.3, HCLO.sub.4, HF, O.sub.2, air and mild NH.sub.3 or CO.sub.2 are substantially ineffective to provide useful results in flotation processes. The reference further points out the problem that froth flotation cannot be used to separate ultra fine impurities that are freed by the action of the oxidants with respect to the carbon particles. It concludes that the known process of using an oxidant in coal flotation does not provide for separation of these impurities from coal particles less than 105 microns in size.
Accordingly, what is needed is an effective process for enabling the separation of pyritic sulfur and other contaminants from fine coal as part of an economical froth flotation process.

Chemical conditioning of fine coal for improved flotation and pyrite rejection


A thermal insulation of pipes of a drill pipe riser, the novelty consisting basically in the fact that the thermal insulation comprises several layers around the pipe and between the first layer and the pipe, and between two adjacent layers, there are spaces where sea water penetrates. A thermal insulation system of joint couplings of pipes for a drill pipe riser comprising a tubular segment that circumferentially surrounds the region of the joint coupling and, so that between the tubular segment and the pipes is formed a space where sea water penetrates.

1. Technical Field
This invention consists of thermal insulation for pipes of steel of a drill pipe riser, also denominated as DPR, for the exploitation of petroleum in subsea wells.
2. History of Related Art
As it is generally known, a drill pipe riser is made up of several lengths of pipes threaded together at their respective ends, to be used to drill an oil well, as well as for long-term production test of wells (lasting five to nine months) in order to measure the flowrate of that well or if the well is economically viable. The long-term production test also allows the pre-production of the well.
After the conclusion of the tests, the drill pipe riser is removed and the final flexible pipe risers are installed.
The pipes of the drill pipe riser are made of steel and, considering the low temperatures at great depths, said pipes must be thermally insulated, in order to prevent heat transfer from the petroleum to the seawater during its passage from the sea bottom to the surface. If there is no thermal insulation, the petroleum becomes very viscous substantially reducing its flow rate.

Thermal insulation for pipes in a drill pipe riser, tubular segment and thermal insulation system for joint couplings


A reader for reading computer-generated lithograms which are written into a storage medium, having a light source for generating a light beam, having recording means for acquiring the image data generated by the light beam by illuminating the lithogram, and having display means for displaying the display data generated from the image data, wherein all the components are combined in a portable handheld unit. This reader solves the object of specifying a manageable reader which has great variability in reading the information contained in the dot distribution of a computer-generated lithogram.

The present invention relates to a reader for reading computer-generated lithograms.
Computer-generated lithograms are two-dimensional matrices, preferably having very small dimensions, which consist of individual dots with different optical properties. The lithograms are preferably formed as holograms, but microtexts or micropictures that can be read directly, that is to say without diffraction of the incident light, can also be generated with the lithograms.
By means of illuminating a computer-generated hologram, for example with a coherent electromagnetic wave, in particular a light wave, images and/or data are reproduced by diffraction in transmission or reflection. The different optical properties of the individual dots can be reflective properties, for example arising from surface topography, varying optical path lengths in the material of the storage medium (refractive indices) or color values of the material.
The optical properties of the individual dots are calculated by the computer, and these are thus what are known as computer-generated holograms (CGH) or, generally, computer-generated lithograms. With the aid of the focused write beam, the individual dots of the lithograms are written into the material during writing, the focus lying in the region of the surface or in the material of the storage medium. In the region of the focus, focusing has the effect of a small area of action on the material of the storage medium, so that a large number of dots of the lithogram can be written in a small region.
By means of scanning an intensity-modulated write beam, an area with an irregular dot distribution, the computer-generated lithogram, is thus produced. This can be employed for marking, identifying and individualizing any desired objects.
During the production of lithograms, a resolution of about 25 000 dpi is preferred. In addition, in computer-generated lithography, only comparatively small areas are inscribed. These are, for example, 1 to 5 mm2 in size, other sizes also being possible. The accuracy of the writing pattern in the case of a lithograph for producing digital holograms of, for example, 1000×1000 dots on an area of 1×1 mm2 must be about ±0.1 μm in both orthogonal directions. Furthermore, the writing speed should be approximately 1 Mpixel/s, in order that in each case a lithogram can be written in the time of about 1 s or less.
The computer-generated lithograms explained previously can carry different information. Firstly, the computer-generated lithogram can carry an item of holographic information which, when read, that is to say during reproduction, reproduces a directly legible item of information (text, image, graphic). Likewise, the information read out can be encrypted, in particular digitized. The reproduced hologram then contains, for example, a digital matrix similar to a one-dimensional or two-dimensional bar code. Finally, the dot distribution of the computer-generated lithogram can intrinsically have an item of directly legible information with very small dimensions, for example a microtext or a micropicture. For the purpose of detection, magnification of the directly legible microtext is necessary, that is to say a procedure different from reading the digital hologram. The microtext and/or the micropicture itself can in turn be encrypted. For example, a micropicture can itself represent an item of digital information like a one-dimensional or two-dimensional bar code. Of course, a lithogram can contain both holographic information and directly legible information, that is to say a combination of all the possibilities illustrated.
In order to read computer-generated holograms, simple handheld readers are known from the prior art. As a rule, these make use of a light beam to generate the reproduced hologram on a screen.
Furthermore, nonportable, permanently installed readers are known, which display the information read on a computer monitor.
The technique of using computer-generated lithograms has recently led to various applications in which individual products are provided with small labels, on which a hologram is written in each case. The lithograms used can be individualized and/or coded in a number of stages; any desired combination of microtexts and micropictures, directly legible holographic information and information stored in coded form in the hologram, for example digitized information, can be combined with one another. A [lacuna] for checking the various items of information with a reader has previously not been possible, in particular not with a handheld reader.

Reader for reading computer-generated lithograms


A multi-port queue group system an Network Processing Unit coupled to ingress port(s) and an egress port group having a first egress port and a second egress port. The NPU includes an egress queue group having a first egress queue associated with the first egress port and a second egress queue associated with the second egress port. The NPU receives data packets that are each directed to the egress port group via the ingress port(s), and buffers a first subset of the data packets in the first egress queue included in the egress queue group, and a second subset of the data packets in the second egress queue included in the egress queue group. The NPU then transmits at least one of the data packets via at least one of the first egress port and the second egress port included in the egress port group.

The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to grouping queues associated with multiple ports on an information handling system.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems such as, for example, networking devices, may utilize queues to buffer packets transmitted by those networking devices. For example, switch devices may receive data packets via ingress ports on the switch device, buffer those data packets in egress queues associated with egress ports on the switch device, and then transmit those buffered data packets via those egress ports. The buffering of data packets using queues associated with an egress port can raise a number of issues. For example, buffer-related configurations such as queue minimum buffer size configurations, queue shared buffer size configurations, and/or other buffer-related configurations known in the art, are conventionally applied on a per-queue, per-port basis (e.g., the buffer-related configurations apply to a particular queue associated with a particular port). However, ports on a switch device can be configured in Link Aggregation Groups (LAGs) or provided in a variety of multi-path scenarios (e.g., via the Equal Cost Multi-path Protocol (ECMP)) where the restriction of buffer-related configurations to per-queue, per-port is inefficient, and can overload the queue associated with a single port included in the LAG (or provided in the multi-path scenario) while queue resources are available in other ports included in the LAG (or provided in the multi-path scenario).
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved port queue system.


A printer includes an optical sensor configured to image a surface of a medium, and a contact member configured to provide a unique concavo-convex shape by contacting the surface of the conveyed medium on an upstream side thereof. A calculation unit calculates the movement amount of the medium by pattern matching calculation using a correlation window between a plurality of image data acquired at different timings by an optical sensor with the conveyance of the medium. The calculation unit searches in image data first acquired for a unique pattern reflecting the unique concavo-convex shape, and set a region including the unique pattern as a correlation window.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for detecting the movement of an object by image processing, and a printer using the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In printing while conveying media such as print sheets, if conveyance accuracy is low, density non-uniformity of a halftone image occurs, or a magnification error occurs. Therefore, the quality of an obtained print image is degraded.
Therefore, a printer includes a precise conveying mechanism using high-accuracy components. However, demands for higher printing quality are increased, so that further improvements in accuracy are desired. On the other hand, demands for cost are also increased. Thus, both the increase in accuracy and the reduction in cost are required.
In order to cope with this, attempts to image a surface of the medium and detect the movement of the conveyed medium by image processing have been made to detect the movement of the medium with high accuracy and realize stable conveyance by feedback control.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-217176 discusses a technique for imaging a surface of a moving medium more than once in time series at different timings by an image sensor, comparing obtained images by pattern matching processing, and detecting the movement amount of the medium.
In order to image the surface of the medium and detect the movement of the medium by image processing, it is required that a fine concavo-convex shape on the surface of the medium is sufficiently optically identifiable and a unique image pattern is clear.
When the surface of the medium to be used is significantly smooth, however, an image obtained by the imaging has a low contrast. Therefore, a unique pattern in the image may be difficult to identify. Thus, the accuracy of the pattern identification processing is degraded or the processing cannot be performed. This phenomenon will be described below.
FIG. 8 illustrates an example of images obtained by imaging a partial region of a surface of a moving medium at different timings. An image 101 is first captured, and an image 102 is captured after the medium moves by a predetermined distance. In both images, a fine concavo-convex shape on the surface of the medium (unevenness of paper fibers, etc.) appears as unique patterns having a high contrast.
It is determined where the same pattern as a partial region 101a indicated by a broken line in the image 101 exists in the image 102 based on the degree of similarity between the images by known pattern matching processing. The result of the determination shows that the pattern exists in a region 102a indicated by a broken line in the image 102. The movement amount 103 of the medium can be determined by detecting how many pixels are there between the regions 101a and 102a in a conveyance direction.
FIG. 9 illustrates an example of images 201 and 202 in a case where a medium whose surface has a concavo-convex shape smoother than that in FIG. 8. In the images, there are a fewer unique patterns formed by the concavo-convex shape on the surface of the medium than those in FIG. 8.
In the example of the image 201, a region 201a used for pattern matching processing includes no unique pattern. When an image pattern similar to the region 201a is searched for in the image 202, it is determined that a plurality of regions 203 are similar to the region 201a. Therefore, the movement amount of the medium cannot be accurately detected.
FIG. 10 illustrates examples of images 301 and 302 in a case where a medium whose surface has a concavo-convex shape smoother than that in FIG. 8. In the images, unique patterns are seen but have a significantly lower contrast than those in FIG. 8. If the contrast of the image is significantly low, information relating to the unique patterns greatly changes by only a slight change in the quantity of illumination light, for example.
A region 301a and a region 302a after movement may be actually recognized as different patterns by a variation in the quantity of illumination light before and after the movement, although they are originally the same unique pattern. Then, a matching cannot be detected by pattern matching processing. Therefore, the movement amount of the medium cannot be accurately detected.

Printer and method for detecting movement of object


In order to prevent abnormally high or low line pressures during low throttle operation of the engine, a line pressure control schedule is revised when an idle switch indicates that the throttle valve has in fact assumed a fully closed position, in a manner wherein the fully closed value in the schedule is compared with that produced by throttle position sensor, and is changed incrementally at predetermined time intervals in the event that a difference exits.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to line pressure control for an automatic transmission and more specifically to a line pressure arrangement which includes a memory the values of which can be updated in order to compensate for unit to unit variation between sensors used in the system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,521 discloses a line pressure control arrangement which is equipped with a memory in which the appropriate line pressure level is recorded in terms of throttle valve opening angle.
However, this arrangement has suffered from the drawback that the line pressure/throttle opening data is fixed and cannot be adjusted to take into account the inevitable unit to unit variation in output in the various sensors used in the system, particularly the throttle valve position sensing devices. Accordingly, at low throttle openings, as the throttle pressure gain is high, the deviations between throttle position sensors is apt to induce the situation wherein the level of the line pressure is excessively increased.
This sudden increase in line pressure level under low load operation causes overly powerful engagement of the friction elements of the transmission for the amount of torque which needs to be transmitted under the circumstances and renders the suppression of shift and selection shock.

Line pressure control device for automatic transmission


According to one embodiment, an electronic device is provided with: an electronic substrate on which electronic components are provided; a screw including a screw head portion and a threaded portion, and configured to be engaged to the electronic substrate; a conducting member provided between the screw head portion and the electronic substrate and configured to electrically connect the screw head portion and the electronic substrate; and an electrical wiring line provided between the screw head portion and the electronic substrate and configured so as not to be electrically connected to the screw head portion.

In an electronic device, an electronic substrate disposed with electronic components is housed inside a case.
The density with which electronic components and the like are mounted on electronic substrates for electronic devices has recently been getting higher and higher.
Electronic substrates are engaged (fixed) to cases with screws, for example, and generally copper foil portions are exposed at screw fastening portions of the electronic substrate in order to connect to ground.
However, proportion of copper foil surface area occupied in the screw fastening portions is relatively higher for substrates mounted at high density, and an issue arises as to how to increase the density of mounting for an electronic substrate of an electronic device by efficiently utilizing the copper foil in a state not impeding the GND (ground) function.


Some embodiments are directed to a method for quantitative visualization of uterine strain. The method includes receiving a number of 2D or 3D image frames acquired via an imaging technique and selecting a number of confidential points, determining the orientation of the uterus using the confidential points, selecting a region of interest, generating a grid of tracking points inside the region of interest and tracking and estimating the displacement of tracking points between frames. From a varying distance between each couple or set of tracking points, a strain is calculated. The orientation of the grid of tracking points and of the calculated strain is dependent on the determined orientation of the uterus.

Some embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter relate to a system and method for quantitative visualization of uterine strain, and to a computer readable medium for performing such a method on a computer.
Nowadays, up to 20% of couples have difficulties in giving birth by themselves [1]. The hope of all or most of these ill-fated couples relies on assisted reproductive technology. The In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is the most advanced technique, but the effectiveness per treatment cycle remains below 30% [2]. Uterine contractions are considered as a major involvement causing IVF failure [3], [4], [5].
They have been so far investigated by many invasive techniques, such as, intrauterine pressure catheter, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and hysterosalpingoscintigraphy [1]. Transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) is treated as an effective, invasive and safe approach for the measurement of uterine peristalsis (UP). At the present, just qualitative evaluation of UP has been performed. However, the interpretation of UP based on ultrasound (US) video loops is also difficult and subjective even for experienced sonographers [2].
Nevertheless, the development and improvement of motion tracking has already built a good platform in the field of medical imaging, such as cardiovascular [6] and muscular analysis [7]. The backscattered ultrasound waves form a deterministic intensity patterns due to their constructive/destructive interference which is referred to as speckle pattern. The speckle pattern moves along with tissue across consecutive frames, allowing for visualization of tissue motion.

Two-dimensional and three-dimensional strain mapping for uterine contractions


Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for web-scale visual search capable of using a combination of visual input modalities are provided. An edgel index is created that includes shape-descriptors, including edgel-based representations, that correspond to each of a plurality of images. Each edgel-based representation includes pixels that depicts edges or boundary contours of an image and is created, at least in part, by segmenting the image into a plurality of image segments and performing a multi-phase contour detection on each segment. Upon receiving a search query having a visual query input, the visual query input is converted into shape-descriptors, including an edgel-based representation, and the shape-descriptors, including the edgel-based representation, of each of the plurality of images is compared with the shape-descriptors, including the edgel-based representation, of the visual query input to identify at least one image of the plurality of images that matches the visual query input.

The Internet, through its billions of Web pages, provides a vast and quickly growing library of information and resources. In order to find desired content, computer users often make use of search utilities. Exemplary Internet search engines are well known in the art, for instance, a commonly known commercial engine is the Bing® search engine provided by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. Many current commercial image search technologies use textual queries to fetch results from a large database of crawled images that are primarily indexed by textual data. This limits the scope of what images can be searched, which in turn affects the quality and relevance of search results. In addition, usability is affected by lack of interactive refinement.

Visual search using multiple visual input modalities


The disclosure relates to a method for determining the positions of a number of fans (Vn,m) for generating an air flow in a preferably enclosed space, which have a speed sensor for determining their position, wherein the fans (Vn,m) are arranged in rows (R1, R2, . . . , Rn) and columns (S1, S2, . . . , Sm), wherein at least the position (i, j) of one fan (Vi,j) is known.

It is necessary to determine the position of fans installed within a network in a clean room, for example to represent them in a layout plan of the room.
Modules called filter fan units (FFUs) are used in buildings. Such a module, typically consisting of a fan and a filter, takes in air from above and blows it through the filter into the room. Its purpose is permanent filtering of the ambient air. On the outlet side, the air flow is optionally guided turbulent and laminar. In the laminar variant, air flows are paralleled by means of air baffles. This creates a laminar air flow from the FFU to the floor of the room.
Filter fan units are primarily found in ceiling systems of clean and ultra clean rooms, as found in semiconductor production, the microsystems industry, the pharmaceutical and food industries. A larger number of filter fan units (FFU) is typically installed in rows and columns in a clean room ceiling. Each FFU is responsible for a specific portion of the clean room. Each FFU can be individually controlled using a central computer. This principle makes it possible to specify individual setpoint values for temperature and air flow (fan speed) for each portion of a clean room covered by a FFU. A FFU which is located above a heat generating machine will deliver somewhat cooler air, for example. In this manner, a uniform temperature gradient and a uniform air flow are generated throughout the clean room. At the same time, energy demand is reduced. But the exact positions of the fans in the network are needed in order to trigger them by means of the controller in a fan plan or room layout plan, to easily determine their position in the event of a fault and to reduce the monitoring and maintenance effort in this manner.
Various approaches are known from prior art to perform such positioning and to represent the determined positions of the fans or FFUs in a room layout plan, particularly a spatial network map or to transfer these positions thereto. Conventionally, a spatial network map is created with a wiring diagram and the fans are drawn into the digital room layout plan and must be installed and connected in the sequence specified, which is a comparatively major effort because it must always be ensured during installation that a fan with a specified network address is installed at the correct position.
Alternatively, prior art includes the option to determine the position of each fan using GPS technology and to transfer the GPS position to a write register in the fan. For this purpose, however, the controller must be configured such that it can read out these network addresses and the position from the register to transfer the position to a room layout plan. Furthermore, a GPS signal is often not available in a clean room.
We have found that it is also conceivable to provide the address for reading out in the form of an address label or barcode in alphanumeric representation on the device. After installing a respective fan (or FFU, respectively), the associated label with the specified, predetermined position is adhered to the fans or FFU and then scanned. This entails the risk that incorrect assignments are made, particularly for a larger number of fans, and a major correction effort is needed to detect these incorrect assignments.

Positioning system and method for determining the position of fans


A modem for network system which is mounted in an electric home appliance to communicate with an external service device, to which an additional modem may be connected, and to which one or more electric home appliances may be connected and an operating method thereof. The modem has a plurality of input/output ports, functions of which are changed using a switch so that an additional modem or an electric home appliance is connected to the modem. When two modems using the same interface are connected to an electric home appliance, connection of the modems to the electric home appliance is easily achieved via the existing ports without adding a new input/output interface to the electric home appliance. Also, when one or more electric home appliances jointly use a modem, additional connection of the electric home appliances is achieved using a switch without using an additional distributor.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a modem for a network system which is mounted in an electric home appliance to communicate with an external service device and an operating method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the digital age advances, high-speed digital electric home appliances for high speed and capacity transmission have been mounted in houses or buildings. As a result, a network has been constructed among the electric home appliances and systems to integrally manage such a network have been developed.
In a recent network system, a plurality of electric home appliances are connected to an external service device, which integrally manages the electric home appliances, via a network constructed in a building to perform data transmission and reception there between.
Such a network system includes a modem configured so that data is wirelessly transmitted and received between an electric home appliance and an external service device via the network.
Generally, a modem is connected to an electric home appliance via a physical input/output interface and the electric home appliance communicates with an external service device via the physical input/output interface.
When an additional modem is to be connected to the electric home appliance communicating with the external service device via the modem, it may be necessary to add a new input/output interface. When the electric home appliance is not provided with an additional input/output interface, however, it may not be possible to connect an additional modem.
Also, when one or more electric home appliances are to be connected to a modem, the electric home appliances may not jointly use the modem with the result that it may be necessary to use an additional distributor.

Modem for network system and operating method thereof


Disclosed is a heat-insulating protective layer for a component located within the hot gas zone of a gas turbine. Said protective layer is composed of an adhesive layer, a diffusion layer, and a ceramic layer which is applied to the high temperature-resistant basic metal of the component. The adhesive layer comprises a metal alloy [MCrAlY (M=Ni, Co)] containing Ni, Co, Cr, Al, Y, the diffusion layer is produced by calorizing the adhesive layer, and the ceramic layer is composed of ZrO2 which is partially stabilized by means of yttrium oxide. One or several chemical metal elements that have a large atomic diameter and are selected among the group comprising Re, W, Si, Hf, and/or Ta are alloyed to the material of the adhesive layer. The adhesive layer has the following chemical composition after being applied: Co 15 to 30 percent, Cr 15 to 25 percent, Al 6 to 13 percent, Y 0.2 to 0.7 percent, Re up to 5 percent, W up to 5 percent, Si up to 3 percent, Hf up to 3 percent, Ta up to 5 percent, the remainder being composed of Ni.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a heat-insulating protective layer and, more particularly, to a heat-insulating protective layer for a component within the hot-gas section of a gas turbine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In modern gas turbines, almost all of the surfaces in the hot-gas section of the turbine are provided with coatings. Exceptions to this may still be found in the turbine blades in the rear of a turbine blade array. The heat-insulating layers serve to lower the material temperature of the cooled components. As a result, the service life of the components can be extended, cooling air can be reduced, or the gas turbine can be operated at higher inlet temperatures. Heat-insulating layer systems in gas turbines always consist of a metallic bonding layer which is diffusion bonded to the base material, on top of which a ceramic layer with poor thermal conductivity is applied, which provides the actual barrier against the heat flow and protects the base metal of the component against high-temperature corrosion and high-temperature erosion.
Zirconium oxide (ZrO2, zirconia) has become widely accepted as the ceramic material for the heat-insulating layer, which is almost always partially stabilized with approximately 7 wt.% of yttrium oxide (international abbreviation: "YPSZ" for "Yttria Partially Stabilized Zirconia"). Here, the heat-insulating layers are divided into two basic classes, depending on how they are applied. The first class comprises thermally sprayed layers (usually applied by the atmospheric plasma spray (APS) process), in which, depending on the desired layer thickness and stress distribution, a porosity of approximately 10-25 vol.% in the ceramic layer is produced. Binding to the (raw sprayed) bonding layer is accomplished by mechanical interlocking. The second class comprises layers which are deposited by the EB-PVD (Electron Beam Plasma Vapor Diffusion) process, which, when certain deposition conditions are observed, have a columnar or a columnar elongation-tolerant structure. Here, the layer is bound chemically by the formation of an Al/Zr-mixed oxide on a layer of pure aluminum oxide, which is formed by the bonding layer during the application process and then during actual operation (Thermally Grown Oxide, TGO). This imposes very strict requirements on the growth of the oxide on the bonding layer.
In principle, either diffusion layers or cladding layers can be used as bonding layers.
The list of requirements on the bonding layers is complex and includes the following conditions which must be taken into account: i) low static and cyclic oxidation rates; ii) formation of the purest possible aluminum oxide layer as TGO (in the case of EB-PVD); iii) sufficient resistance to high-temperature corrosion; iv) low ductile-brittle transition temperature; v) high creep resistance; vi) physical properties similar to those of the base material, good chemical compatibility; vii) good adhesion; viii) minimal long-term interdiffusion with the base material; and ix) low cost of deposition in reproducible quality.
For the special requirements in stationary gas turbines, bonding or cladding layers based on MCrAlY (M=Ni, Co) offer the best possibilities for fulfilling the chemical and mechanical conditions. MCrAlY layers contain the intermetallic β-phase NiCoAl as an aluminum reserve in a NiCoCr ("γ") matrix. The β-phase NiCoAl, however, also has an embrittling effect, so that the Al content which can be realized in practice is ≦12 wt. %. To achieve a further increase in the oxidation resistance, it is possible to coat the MCrAlY layers with an Al diffusion layer. Because of the danger of embrittlement, this is limited in most cases to starting layers with a relatively low aluminum content (Al≦8%).
The structure of an alitized MCrAlY layer consists of the inner, extensively intact γ, β-mixed phase, a diffusion zone, in which the Al content rises to ˜20%, and an outer layer with a β-NiAl phase, with an Al content of about 30%. This outer layer with a NiAl phase represents the weak point of the layer system with respect to brittleness and crack sensitivity.
In addition to the oxidation properties and the mechanical properties, the (inter)diffusion phenomena between the base material and the MCrAlY layer— in specific cases also between the MCrAlY layer and the alitized Layer— become increasingly more important with respect to service life as the service temperature increases. In extreme cases, the diffusion-based loss of aluminum in the MCrAlY layer can exceed the loss caused by oxide formation. Through asymmetric diffusion, in which the local losses are greater than the supply of fresh material, defects and pores can form and, in the extreme case, the layer can delaminate.

Heat-insulating protective layer for a component located within the hot gas zone of a gas turbine


The present invention describes stem cells and progenitor cells derived from hemangiomas, including testing of angiogenic inhibitors using these cells. The invention as described is useful in providing a process to culture and propagate hemangioma stem cells and generate xenograft models to develop treatments for infantile hemangiomas and other types of vascular lesions.

Infantile hemangiomas, the most common tumors of infancy, are vascular tumors characterized by rapid proliferation of endothelial cells during the first few months of postnatal life followed by slow spontaneous involution. Most disappear spontaneously (immature hemangiomas), while others persist and create cosmetic problems. Complications may follow overtreatment, posttraumatic ulceration, or localized tissue hypertrophy from a persistent angioma of the CNS, the face or an extremity.
While many hemangiomas eventually "involute," the result is not always cosmetically acceptable. Early intervention has been shown to reduce the need for corrective surgery after "involution" has occurred, or to, at least, minimize extensive corrective surgeries in the future. Psycho-social scarring which occurs when a child has been forced to live with a facial deformity until "involution" has been completed can be avoided by early, aggressive intervention, according to presently known treatment options.
Conventional treatment options for hemangiomas range from surgical excision (followed, in cases of facial or neck hemangiomas, with cosmetic surgery) to systemic corticosteroid treatments, laser, and use of alpha-interferon. Recently, cryosurgery and sclerotherapy, have been proposed additions to the available treatment regimens for hemangiomas.
Each conventional treatment option carries potential side effects. Clearly, surgery always presents risks, whether for infection, unexpected patient reaction to anesthesia, and/or unexpected aesthetic results.
While systemic corticosteroid treatment is suspected of certain side effects, regardless of age, steroid treatment carries decided risks if carried on beyond a child's first birthday. Furthermore, hemangiomas do not warrant nor benefit from steroids beyond the first birthday, in part, because proliferation of hemangiomas tends to end by that point anyway. In any event, if steroids are lowered too quickly or given intermittently, "rebound growth" is possible, if not likely. Some investigators have reported other side effects from steroid treatments. In one investigation, children (29 percent) became more irritable, depressed and/or napped less during treatment, although this resolved as treatment was tapered and discontinued. Other short-term side effects included gastric irritation, oral or perineal yeast infection, recurrent otitis media, hypertension, and myopathy.
As stated above, another treatment is sclerotherapy (i.e., injection of a chemical irritant into a vein to "harden" it). The disadvantages of sclerotheraphy include the pain of injection, swelling, and psychological strain associated therewith, as well as the danger of necrosis if the sclerosis technique is flawed.
While certain treatments for hemangiomas are considered typically effective, the psychological effects of hemangiomas alone warrant continued pursuit of more effective treatment regimens for hemangiomas, whether for use alone, or in concert with existing treatment options. Also, because most patients receiving treatments are infants or small children, patient tolerance for the treatment options becomes of more paramount importance.

Isolation and growth of stem cells from hemangiomas


The invention relates to a process for preparing normally liquid hydrocarbon products such as middle distillates and methyl-t-butylether from a hydrocarbon feed containing linear and branched olefins (e.g. propane and butenes in light ends) comprising at least the following steps:. i) selectively converting branched olefins in the feed in the presence of a catalyst into a normally liquid hydrocarbonaceous product (e.g. MTBE); PA0 ii) separating linear olefins from product obtained in step (i), and PA0 iii) catalytically oligomerizing linear olefins obtained from step (ii) into liquid hydrocarbons such as middle distillates.

The invention relates to a process for preparing normally liquid hydrocarbonaceous products from a hydrocarbon feed containing linear- and branched olefins.
A variety of one--and multistep--processes is known for the preparation of hydrocarbonaceous products such as oxygenates, middle distillates, alkylates and gasoline from an olefinic feed containing e.g. propene and/or butenes. These known processes have a number of draw-backs, however. One-step processes don't provide the flexibility to prepare a number of different products starting from a multi-component feed, whereas multi-step processes in many cases require splitting-up of such a feed in order to convert each component under optimal conditions.
In particular with the oligomerization of olefinic feed mixtures in the presence of solid catalysts it has been observed that the quality of the liquid hydrocarbon products (e.g. the cetane number of the gas oil fraction) is lower than when an olefinic feed substantially comprising linear olefins is processed.
Surprisingly, it has now been found that by first selectively converting branched olefins present in a feed mixture, followed by product separation and oligomerization of the linear olefins, excellent liquid hydrocarbon oligomerization products can be obtained in addition to valuable conversion products from the branched olefins.

Process for preparing normally liquid oxygenate and hydrocarbonaceous products from a hydrocarbon feed containing linear- and branched olefins