An LED lighting system powered by an AC power source comprising a rectifier module configured to provide a rectified output to a first group of LED devices and a second group of LED devices electrically coupled to the first group of LED devices. A current monitor module electrically coupled to the first group and to the second group of LED devices is configured to determine a first current level using a drawn current level signal associated with the first group of LED devices and a second current level using a reference current level signal associated with the second group of LED devices. The current monitor module is electrically coupled to a temperature sensing module that is configured to generate at least one compensation factor based at least in part on a temperature. The compensation factor is used to control (directly or indirectly) current through the LED devices.

The present disclosure relates generally to lighting techniques. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure are directed to circuits to drive LEDs with AC power. In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a feedback system for automatic current compensation that stabilizes the amount of energy delivered to multiple arrays of LED devices. LED systems powered from AC power, especially those using multiple arrays of LED devices, can generate heat, and cause high operating temperatures, and thus can seize advantage from designs that include high-emissivity surfaces for heat transfer. In various embodiments, an LED lamp includes a high-emissivity surface area that emits heat through, among other ways, blackbody radiation. In various embodiments, an LED lamp includes a heat sink that is attached to the LED package, and the heat sink is characterized by a thermal emissivity of at least 0.6. The need for improved lighting techniques dates back to the 1800s.
In the late 1800's, Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. The conventional light bulb, commonly called the "Edison bulb," has been used for over one hundred years. The conventional light bulb uses a tungsten filament enclosed in a glass bulb sealed in a base, which is screwed into a socket. The socket is coupled to an AC power source or DC power source. The conventional light bulb can be commonly found in houses, buildings, outdoor lighting, and other areas requiring light. Unfortunately, more than 90% of the energy used by the conventional light bulb is dissipated as thermal energy. Additionally, the conventional light bulb eventually fails due to evaporation of the tungsten filament.
Fluorescent lighting uses an optically clear tube structure filled with a noble gas and typically also contains mercury. A pair of electrodes is coupled between the gas and an alternating power source through a ballast. Once the mercury has been excited, it discharges to emit UV light. Typically, the optically clear tube is coated with phosphors, which are excited by the UV light to provide white light. Many building structures use fluorescent lighting and, more recently, fluorescent lighting has been fitted onto a base structure, which couples into a standard socket.
Solid-state lighting techniques have also been used. Solid state lighting relies upon semiconductor materials to produce light emitting diodes, commonly called LEDs. At first, red LEDs were demonstrated and introduced into commerce. Modern red LEDs use Aluminum Indium Gallium Phosphide or AlInGaP semiconductor materials. Most recently, Shuji Nakamura pioneered the use of InGaN materials to produce LEDs emitting light in the blue color range. The blue colored LEDs led to innovations such as solid state white lighting and the blue laser diode, which in turn enabled the Blu-Ray™ (trademark of the Blu-Ray Disc Association) DVD player, and other developments. Blue, violet, or ultraviolet-emitting devices based on InGaN are used in conjunction with phosphors to provide white LEDs. Other colored LEDs have also been proposed.
One of the challenges for LED systems, especially those using arrays of LED devices, has been managing the heat generated by LED packages during operation. Various techniques such as using fans (with a down-conversion transformer) have been proposed for solving these overheating problems. Unfortunately, many techniques have been inadequate in various ways. Therefore, improved systems and methods for LED thermal management are desirable.

High temperature LED system using an AC power source


The preparation of high-quality oxo process alcohols from inconstant raw material sources is the technically demanding problem which is addressed by a process for continuously preparing an alcohol mixture, in which an input mixture which contains an olefin and has a composition that changes over time is subjected to an oligomerization to obtain an oligomerizate and at least a portion of the olefin oligomers present in the oligomerizate are hydroformylated with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in a hydroformylation in the presence of a homogeneous catalyst system to give aldehydes, at least some of which are converted to the alcohol mixture by subsequent hydrogenation. The process provides a constant plasticizer quality to be produced over a long production period and, optionally, a higher throughput with the same product quality. This is achieved a) by control of the temperature and/or the conversion of the oligomerization as a function of the current composition of the oligomerizate; and b) by control of the composition of the catalyst system and/or of the pressure of the hydroformylation as a function of the current composition of the aldehydes.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for continuously preparing an alcohol mixture, in which an input mixture which comprises an olefin and has a composition that changes over time is subjected to an oligomerization to obtain an oligomerizate and at least a portion of the olefin oligomers present in the oligomerizate are hydroformylated with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in a hydroformylation in the presence of a homogeneous catalyst system to give an aldehyde, at least some of which is converted to the alcohol mixture by subsequent hydrogenation.
Discussion of the Background
Hydroformylation—also called the oxo process—enables reaction of olefins (alkenes) with synthesis gas (mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen) to give aldehydes. The aldehydes obtained then correspondingly have one carbon atom more than the olefins used. Subsequent hydrogenation of the aldehydes gives rise to alcohols, which are also called "oxo alcohols" because of their genesis.
In principle, all olefins are amenable to hydroformylation, but in practice the substrates used in the hydroformylation are usually those olefins having two to 20 carbon atoms. Since oxo process alcohols can be used in a variety of ways—for instance for the production of plasticizers for PVC, as detergents in washing compositions and as odorants—hydroformylation is practiced on the industrial scale.
A good overview of the general state of hydroformylation of olefins can be found in    B. CORNILS, W. A. HERRMANN, "Applied Homogeneous Catalysis with Organometallic Compounds", vol. 1 & 2, VCH, Weinheim, N.Y., 1996and in    R. Franke, D. Selent, A. Börner, "Applied Hydroformylation", Chem. Rev., 2012 (112), p. 5675-5732, DOI:10.1021/cr3001803.
One example of an oxo process alcohol for which there is a high global demand is isononanol, INA for short. Isononanol is a mixture of isomeric nonyl alcohols, for example n-nonanol, and singly and/or multiply branched nonanols, such as methyloctanol in particular. INA has the CAS No. 27458-94-2 and is used essentially in plasticizer production. The C9 oxo process alcohol INA is obtained by hydroformylation of C8 olefins, for example 1-octene, to the corresponding C9 aldehydes and the subsequent hydrogenation thereof.
The patent literature contains detailed process descriptions for preparation of INA: For instance, DE102008007080A1 and EP2220017B1 disclose Co-based processes for preparing INA. EP1674441B1 discloses a two-stage INA process in which a Co-catalyzed hydroformylation is followed by an Rh-catalyzed oxo reaction.
Important criteria for distinction of industrial hydroformylation processes, as well as the substrate used, are the catalyst system, the phase division in the reactor and the technique for discharge of the reaction products from the reactor. A further aspect of industrial relevance is the number of reaction stages conducted.
In industry, either cobalt- or rhodium-based catalyst systems are used, the latter being complexed with organophosphorus ligands such as phosphine, phosphite, phosphoramidite or phosphonite ligands, in each case with trivalent phosphorus. These catalyst systems are present in the reaction mixture in homogeneously dissolved form.
The type of catalyst system and the optimal reaction conditions for the hydroformylation are dependent on the reactivity of the olefin used. The different reactivity of isomeric C8 olefins is described in:    B. L. Haymore, A. van Hasselt, R. Beck, Annals of the New York Acad. Sci., 415, 1983, p. 159-175
The products of the hydroformylation are determined by the structure of the input olefins, the catalyst system and the reaction conditions. If the aim is to obtain alcohols as conversion products of the oxo process for the production of detergents and plasticizers, the oxo reaction should produce very substantially linear aldehydes. The products synthesized therefrom have particularly advantageous properties, for example low viscosities of the resulting plasticizers.
The structure of the input olefins is highly dependent on their origin. Thus, different C8 olefins are useful for preparation of C9 aldehydes: In the simplest case, 1-octene is used, which can be prepared, for example, by oligomerization of ethylene (see below) or alongside other olefins by a Fischer-Tropsch process. 1-Octene obtained in another way is always accompanied by a large number of structurally isomeric C8 olefins. From this point of view, it is not the case that a single olefin is hydroformylated; instead, an input mixture comprising a multitude of isomeric olefins is used.
A mixture of C8 olefins having a defined number of isomers can be obtained by the oligomerization of C2 or C4 olefins:
Oligomerization is understood to mean the reaction of hydrocarbons with themselves, forming correspondingly longer-chain hydrocarbons. For example, the oligomerization of two olefins having three carbon atoms (dimerization) can form an olefin having six carbon atoms. If, in contrast, three olefins having three carbon atoms are joined to one another (trimerization), the result is an olefin having nine carbon atoms.
If butenes—i.e. what are called C4 olefins having four carbon atoms—are subjected to an oligomerization, the result is essentially olefins having eight carbon atoms (often called "dibutenes"), olefins having twelve carbon atoms (C12 olefins, "tributenes") and, to a smaller extent, olefins having more than twelve carbon atoms (C12+ olefins). For industrial purposes, a distinction is made between what are called di-n-butenes, i.e. isomeric C8 olefins which are prepared from mixtures of 1-butene and/or 2-butenes, and what are called diisobutenes, which are obtained by dimerization of isobutene and have a higher level of branching.
Di-n-butenes, i.e. mixtures of C8 olefins which result from oligomerization of linear butenes, are of much better suitability for the preparation of highly linear oxo process alcohols than diisobutenes, since they have a much lower level of branching.
An even lower level of branching is possessed by C8 olefin mixtures which are obtained by oligomerization of the C2 olefin ethene. Ethene forms in the cracking of naphtha, but is required in large volumes for production of polyethylene and is consequently a comparatively costly raw material. Consequently, the preparation of C8 olefins from ethene is not always economically viable, even though high-value oxo process alcohols can be produced therefrom.
Much less expensive than ethene are the C4 olefin mixtures which likewise form in the cracking of naphtha (called crack-C4). The preparation of C9 alcohols from these raw materials by the route of the oligomerization and subsequent hydroformylation and hydrogenation is of economic interest if it is possible to prepare sufficiently linear isononanol from an inexpensive C4 mixture of inferior quality.
Another process practiced in industry for oligomerization of C4 olefins is called the "OCTOL process". Detailed description thereof can be found in the non-patent literature, for example in:    B. Scholz: The HÜLS OCTOL Process: Heterogeneously catalyzed dimerization of n-butenes and other olefins. DGMK-Tagung [Meeting of the German Society for Petroleum and Coal Science and Technology] in Karlsruhe, published in Erdol, Erdgas, Kohle, April 1989, pages 21 and 22.    R. H. Friedlander, D. J. Ward, F. Obenaus, F. Nierlich, J. Neumeister: Make plasticizer olefins via n-butene dimerization. Hydrocarbon Processing, February 1986, pages 31 to 33.    F. Nierlich: Oligomerize for better gasoline. Hydrocarbon Processing, February 1992, pages 45 to 46.
Within the patent literature, DE102008007081A1, for example, describes an oligomerization based on the OCTOL process. EP1029839A1 is concerned with the fractionation of the C8 olefins formed in the OCTOL process.
The OCTOL process is generally conducted in a plurality of stages with the aid of a reactor cascade comprising a number of series-connected reaction zones or reactors corresponding to the number of stages. Between each of the individual reaction zones is provided a distillation column which removes the oligomers previously formed from the unconverted butenes in the oligomerizate and discharges them. The unconverted butenes are partly recycled into the upstream oligomerization, and the rest are fed to the downstream oligomerization.
A further multistage process for oligomerization of C4 olefins is known from WO99/25668 or from DE10015002A1. Here, dilution of the olefin streams provided by recycled butanes is practiced, in order to simplify the removal of heat from the exothermic reaction via the reactor output.
According to the manner in which the individual n-butene molecules are joined in the course of the oligomerization, an oligomerizate with a different level of branching is obtained. The level of branching is described by the iso index, which states the mean number of methyl groups per C8 molecule in the isomer mixture.
The iso index for dibutene is defined in formula (1):Iso index=(proportion by weight of methylheptenes+2*proportion by weight of dimethylhexenes)/100  (1)Thus, n-octenes contribute 0, methylheptenes contribute 1 and dimethylhexenes contribute 2 to the iso index of a product mixture of C8 olefins. The lower the iso index, the less branched the structure of the molecules within the mixture.
For the properties of the plasticizer, the level of branching of the olefinic starting mixture which is used for the preparation of the plasticizer alcohol plays a crucial role: the higher the linearity of the C8 olefin mixture, the better the properties of the C9 plasticizer alcohol prepared therefrom. The aim in the preparation of dibutene as starting material for plasticizer alcohols is thus to run the oligomerization so as to obtain a C8 product mixture having a minimum iso index.
For example, in EP1029839A1, the fractionation of the oligomers is set up such that the C8 product mixture removed has a minimum iso index.
WO99/25668A1 achieves a low iso index in another way, by recycling such amounts of the butane removed from the oligomer and of unconverted butene into the oligomerization that the maximum content of oligomers in the converted reaction mixture does not exceed 25% by weight anywhere in the reactor cascade.
Each process utilized a "raffinate II" having a high proportion of 1-butene as starting mixture for the oligomerization. "Raffinate II" is commonly understood to mean a butane/butene mixture which is obtained from C4 cuts which originate from steamcrackers and from which butadiene and isobutene have already been removed. For instance, typical raffinate II contains around 50% by weight of 1-butene.
It can be shown that a high proportion of 1-butene in the hydrocarbon mixture provided has a favorable effect on the linearity of the oligomerizate. It is therefore unsurprising that WO99/25668A1, proceeding from the raffinate II raw material, produces C8 product mixtures having an iso index less than 1.
Nierlich too, in his above-cited article "Oligomerize for better gasoline", emphasizes that raffinate II is of better suitability as starting material for an oligomerization than raffinate III. "Raffinate III" is obtained by removing 1-butene from raffinate II, and for that reason has a much lower 1-butene content than raffinate II. Since 1-butene is likewise an important target product in C4 chemistry, which finds use, inter alia, in the preparation of particular polyethylene-based plastics having a low density (linear low-density polyethylene, LLDPE), there is a great industrial interest in the isolation of 1-butene from raffinate II streams. The effect of this is increasingly that increasingly only raffinate III streams are available for other chemical uses, for example oligomerization.
Because of the current shortage of raw materials as well, petrochemically produced raffinate II is no longer available everywhere in large volumes and under favorable conditions. For instance, some of the C4 olefin mixtures obtained from alternative raw material sources contain hardly any 1-butene, but contain predominantly 2-butene.
One particular example here is FCC-C4, which originates from fluid-catalytic crackers. Other low-1-butene C4 sources are chemical processes such as the dehydrogenation of butenes, and the fermentation or pyrolytic conversion of renewable raw materials.
In contrast to conventional crack-C4, these alternative C4 mixtures do not just have a low proportion of 1-butene but are also subject to variations with time in terms of their composition:
Thus, the C4 stream from an inconstant source can generally be regarded as a sum total of individual mass flows of pure substances, with variation in the respective substance mass flow rates within particular ranges of substance mass flow rates with a particular rate of variation. Table 1 shows the dynamic specification of a C4 stream having a composition which varies with time.
TABLE 1Dynamic specification of an inconstant C4 streamSubstanceSubstance mass flow rateRate of variationIsobutene:0 kg/s to 1 kg/s−0.05 g/s2 to 0.05 g/s21-butene:0 kg/s to 6 kg/s−0.30 g/s2 to 0.30 g/s22-Butene (cis + trans):1 kg/s to 13 kg/s−0.30 g/s2 to 0.30 g/s2Isobutane:0 kg/s to 3 kg/s−0.15 g/s2 to 0.15 g/s2n-Butane:1 kg/s to 7 kg/s−0.30 g/s2 to 0.30 g/s2Other materials:0 kg/s to 1 kg/s−0.05 g/s2 to 0.05 g/s2
Thus, a stream according to the specification could deliver 1 kg of 1-butene per second, and this value could vary at a rate of 0.25 g/s2. This means that, within 100 000 seconds (=28 hours), the component mass flow rate of 1-butene rises up to 3.5 kg/s. Conversely, a decrease in the 1-butene with a rate of variation of −0.1 g/s2 is also in accordance with the specification, and so a 1 kg/s 1-butene stream dries up completely within less than 3 hours (namely within 10 000 seconds), and so the C4 stream is suddenly free of 1-butene. Since all the components are subject to variations with time, there may also be variations in the total mass flow rate. These variations are limited by the limits of the operating range of the particular plant.
The preparation of high-quality oxo process alcohols from such inconstant raw material sources is the technically demanding background to this invention. In spite of the technical difficulties, there is great economic interest in such a process, since the increasing scarcity of C4-containing raw material streams means that smaller streams from many different sources will have to be used in combination in the future, in order to be able to adequately supply world-scale plants for C4 processing. These streams therefore have very different compositions, which may even vary according to the time of year in some cases. This leads to a much more inconstant raw material supply than supply with crack-C4 from one or few naphtha crackers which has been customary to date.
Both in the field of oligomerization and in that of hydroformylation, the first attempts have been made to deal with varying reactant quality:
WO 99/25668 A1 states that the skeletal isomerization of the C8 product can be affected by recycling of a portion of the reactor output into the reaction.
German patent application DE 102013212481.3, which was still unpublished at the filing date, shows that it is still possible to produce a product with comparatively good isomer distribution even from inferior low-1-butene C4 streams. Both the literature sources are in agreement that, for the production of a plasticizer that meets user expectations, it is possible to use only dibutene streams having a low level of branching as starting material for the hydroformylation. The level of branching is assessed using the iso index according to formula (1). The lower the iso index, the less branched the structure of the molecules within the mixture. DE 102013212481.3 states that preferably only C8 olefin mixtures having an iso index of less than 1.10 are usable for further processing to give plasticizer alcohols. Particular preference is even given to using only mixtures having an iso index of less than 1.05.
When rhodium complexes are used as catalyst for hydroformylation, the ligand is another crucial factor for the product composition of the aldehydes. Unmodified rhodium-carbonyl complexes catalyze the hydroformylation of olefins having terminal and internal double bonds, where the olefins may also be branched, to give aldehydes having a high level of branching. The proportion of terminally hydroformylated olefin is usually lower compared to the cobalt-catalyzed product.
A ligand-modified catalyst system consisting of rhodium and triorganophosphine, e.g. triphenylphosphine, hydroformylates only olefins having a terminal double bond with high selectivity. There is barely any occurrence of isomerization of the double bond and hydroformylation of the internal double bonds.
The hydroformylation of olefins having internal double bonds over catalyst systems containing sterically demanding bisphosphite ligands, in the case of long-chain olefins, proceeds with good selectivity but not with satisfactory activity. In this regard, see:    P. W. N. M. van Leeuwen, in Rhodium Catalyzed Hydroformylation, P. W. N. M. van Leeuwen, C. Claver (eds.), Kluwer, Dordrecht, 2000.
Rhodium-monophosphite complexes in catalytically active compositions, in contrast, are suitable for the hydroformylation of branched long-chain olefins having internal double bonds.
Since the 1970s, there have been descriptions of the use of "bulky phosphites" in hydroformylation:    H. Tricas, O. Diebolt, P. W. N. M. van Leeuwen, Journal of Catalysis, 2013 (298), p. 198-205
These feature good activity, but the n/i selectivity for terminally hydroformylated compounds is in need of improvement.
As well as the use of pure ligands, the use of ligand mixtures has also been described in the literature.
US 20120253080 describes the use of monophosphites with bisphosphites. They are used as a "monitoring ligand". Bisphosphites have much higher complex formation constant than monophosphites and thus form more stable but less active catalyst complexes. However, this combination has the disadvantage that, although the bisphosphites have excellent selectivity, their activity in the case of long-chain olefins is in need of improvement, since not only the selectivity for the desired product but also the space-time yield and the activity of the catalyst system play a crucial role in an industrial scale process. Moreover, the bisphosphites are usually much more costly to prepare than, for example, monophosphites.
EP1099678B1 describes the combined use of phosphonites with bisphosphites. However, it is disadvantageous here is that both ligand types are very costly to produce, and an industrial scale process can therefore hardly be economically viable. Moreover, the addition of the bisphosphite ligand noticeably affects the yield of the reaction, since these ligands are less active when dibutene, for example, is used as substrate. A further problem is that phosphonites are also very much less stable than other organophosphorus ligands.
According to the process chosen, the discharge from the dibutene hydroformylation contains a mixture of the isomeric C9 aldehydes (called isononyl aldehydes, INAL for short) and the isomeric C9 alcohols (called isononyl alcohols, INA for short). The mixture arises from the fact that hydroformylation catalysts are also hydrogenation-active to a certain degree, meaning that they catalyze the reaction of the aldehydes with the hydrogen present in the synthesis gas to give alcohols. Since only the isononyl alcohols are used for the envisaged application, the discharge from the hydroformylation is subjected to a hydrogenation in order to convert the aldehydes present to alcohols. The catalytic hydrogenation of aldehydes to alcohols has been broadly described in the literature; it may proceed either with heterogeneous catalysis or with homogeneous catalysis. An overview is given by    J. Falbe, H. Bahrmann, W. Lipps, D. Mayer, G. D. Frey, Alcohols Aliphatic in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 2013and    D. Sanfilippo, P. N. Rylander, Hydrogenation and Dehydrogenation in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 2009.
The hydrogenation process does not have any measurable influence on the isomer distribution, meaning that the skeletal isomers of the aldehyde are found in the same ratio in the alcohol.
EP1430014B1 discloses that the isomer distribution of the isononyl alcohol directly affects the properties of the plasticizer produced therefrom by esterification. Esterification with carboxylic acids, especially with phthalic acid, is likewise well-known. In industry, the alcohol mixture is esterified with phthalic acid or phthalic anhydride. The product used as plasticizer is then the diisononyl phthalate (DINP). This can in principle also be prepared by transesterification of a dialkyl phthalate with isononyl alcohol; in this context, dimethyl phthalate in particular is used. EP1430014B1 shows that the process step of esterification has no influence on the quality of the plasticizer; this is determined exclusively by the properties of the C9 alcohol.
There are qualitative rules for the dependence of the performance properties on the structure. Wilson, for example, discusses the properties of phthalates as a function of the total carbon number, meaning the molar mass, and the level of branching, i.e. the isomer composition among other factors:    Alan S. Wilson, Plasticizers, The Institute of Materials, 1995, ISBN 0 901716 76 6, pages 135-136.
Given the same molar mass, for example, the effects of increasing branching include the adverse effects of increasing viscosity, rising vapor pressure, which is associated with a higher volatility, lower plasticizing action and lower thermal and light stability.
Conversely, high branching also brings about positive effects, namely better PVC compatibility, lower migration, greater hydrolysis resistance, lower biodegradation (during the use phase) and higher electrical resistance.
It is immediately apparent that there is no best plasticizer; a compromise has to be made according to the use. Thus, if the plasticizing effect is the most important, a plasticizer having minimum branching will be preferable. If, in contrast, the aim is to produce cable sheathing with PVC, products having somewhat higher branching if anything will be chosen because the electrical insulating action is better.
Using some synthetically prepared individual isomers of DINP, Wadey et al. show very clearly how important properties depend on the structure of the esters:    Brian L. Wadey, Lucien Thil, Mo A. Khuddus, Hans Reich; The Nonyl Phthalate Ester and Its Use in flexible PVC, Journal of Vinyl Technology, 1990, 12, p. 208-211
In summary, it can be stated that the performance properties depend on the structure of the phthalate, the latter depends fundamentally on the structure of the alcohol, and the latter in turn depends considerably on the structure of the parent olefin. An additional complicating factor is that these compounds are produced as isomer mixtures.
Once a formulation has been developed, it then has to be ensured in production that a product having uniform properties is produced. For example, in the case of lubricants, viscosity can vary only within tight limits, in order to comply with the desired viscosity class. In the case of plasticizers, for example, the plasticizing action must remain constant, in order not to force the processors of the plasticizer into constant formulation adjustment, or the electrical resistance must not be below a limit. Constant production monitoring through performance tests is, however, completely impossible for reasons of time, quite apart from the costs that this would cause.
Keeping the isomer composition of the input mixture constant could theoretically solve the problem, but this cannot be sustained in practice. A cracker is operated not in order to give a C4 stream of constant composition, but in order to produce ethylene, propylene, gasoline or other mass products. In practice, the composition of the C4 stream available from the cracker will always vary according to the composition of its raw material and according to the mode of operation. The problem becomes more serious when C4 streams are bought in from different crackers, as is nowadays common practice in large-scale production and will ever more frequently be the case in the future.
Merely by virtue of the raw material at the start, there will therefore inevitably be changes in the composition of the product, and hence changes in the isomer distribution and therefore changes in the performance properties. As already discussed above, further changes in the product composition come to rise in the downstream steps of oligomerization and hydroformylation, for example through alteration of the operating conditions or ageing of the oligomerization catalyst.
According to all of the above, it can be stated that the problem of constant product quality has to date not been highlighted in a holistic manner. The individual process steps have always been considered as independent units. The quality of the plasticizer produced by conventional processes varies within defined limits, this variation being random and dependent on numerous outside influences.

Preparation of high-quality oxo process alcohols from inconstant raw material sources


To include a cooling passage leading from a latter stage of a compressor, via an external cooler, to a hollow part provided in a load coupling that couples a rotor of the compressor and a rotor of a turbine to each other, and also leading from the hollow part to the latter stage of the compressor, and a centrifugal compressor that raises air pressure in the hollow part with rotation of the load coupling, in the hollow part. Therefore, pressure of the air in the hollow part is raised by the centrifugal compressor by using a centrifugal force resulting from the rotation of the load coupling at the time of operating the gas turbine. Cooled air flows from the hollow part to between compressor rotor blades and compressor vanes at the latter stage, and then flows into the hollow part, thereby enabling to efficiently reduce temperature in the hollow part.

A gas turbine is constituted by a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine. The compressor compresses air taken in from an air inlet, thereby generating high-temperature and high-pressure compressed air. The combustor supplies fuel to the compressed air to burn the fuel, thereby generating high-temperature and high-pressure combustion gas. In the turbine, a plurality of turbine vane and a plurality of turbine rotor blades are alternatively arranged in a casing. The turbine rotor blades are driven by combustion gas supplied to an exhaust passage, thereby rotating the rotor coupled to a power generator. The combustion gas that has driven the turbine is released into the atmosphere after being converted to a static pressure by a diffuser.
In such a gas turbine, in recent years, compressors use higher pressure, and air temperature at a discharge portion at a latter stage of the compressor becomes 500° C. or more. Therefore, as a conventional gas turbine, there has been known a gas turbine in which cooled air obtained by extracting a part of compressor discharge air and cooling the air via a cooler is fed into a hollow part (a cavity) provided in a load coupling that couples rotors of a compressor and a turbine to each other at a latter stage of the compressor to cool the temperature of the hollow part (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H11-125199

Gas turbine, load coupling of gas turbine, and cooling method of gas turbine compressor


A method of manufacturing a bearing ring of a rolling bearing includes a process of forming a bearing ring material in which a raceway groove is formed, a process of performing form rolling so as to form surface textures in axially opposite end portions of the raceway groove, a heat treatment process, a grinding process, and a super-finishing process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a bearing ring of a rolling bearing.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, a raceway groove in a bearing ring of a rolling bearing is finished to be smooth by super-finishing. On the other hand, it has been considered to improve a function of oil discharge, a function of oil supply, and a function of retaining lubrication oil by forming shallow grooves (referred to as "surface texture") or the like on a surface of the raceway groove.
Published Japanese Translation of PCT Application No. 2001-511713 discloses a method of manufacturing a bearing ring of a rolling bearing, in which the surface texture (or a pattern) is formed by electro-chemical machining.
However, in the conventional method of manufacturing a bearing ring of a rolling bearing, the electro-chemical machining is laborious, which leads to high cost.

Method of manufacturing bearing ring of rolling bearing


An information processing device controls, in response to an object moving instruction, a transmitting unit so that pointer position information indicating a post-movement position of a pointer and object position information indicating a post-movement position of an object are transmitted to a display device, and then, after the pointer position information and the object position information have been transmitted, image data representing an image generated by a generating unit is transmitted to the display device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing device, a display device, a display system, a method for controlling an information processing device, and a method for controlling a display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, display systems in which a display device such as a display or a projector is connected to an information processing device such as a personal computer (PC) are known. In such a display system, a graphical user interface (GUI) screen generated by an operating system (OS) operating on the PC is shown in the display device. Moreover, display systems in which an information processing device and a display device are connected through a network (wireless LAN, for example) are also known.
In general, since the data volume of a GUI screen is significantly large, when an information processing device and a display device are connected through a network, it takes a certain amount of time for the data of the GUI screen generated in the information processing device to arrive at the display device. As a result, there is a possibility that there is a delay in displaying the GUI screen in the display device.
In order to reduce data volume to be transmitted, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-257948 discloses a technology in which a layer that should be displayed and a layer that should not be displayed are distinguished with each other, and only the layer that should be displayed is transmitted. Moreover, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-257948 also discloses a technology for improving the response speed of a pointer in which only the coordinates of the pointer are transmitted when a pointer movement is detected.
Today's GUI screen, in general, contains various objects such as windows and icons. Users can change the position or the size of an object with a so-called drag operation using a mouse.
When the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-257948 is used to change the position or the size of an object with a drag operation, the position of a pointer that is displayed can be updated promptly in the display device. However, since the data volume of image data representing an object is generally much larger than that of the data indicating coordinates of a pointer, it takes a relatively long time to display an object whose position or size has changed in the display device. As a result, in the display device, the display change of an object cannot keep up with the movement of the pointer, which gives the user a sense of incongruity.

Information processing device, display device, display system, method for controlling information processing device, and method for controlling display device


Example systems and methods represent audio using a sequence of two-dimensional (2D) Fourier transforms (2DFTs), and such a sequence may be used by a specially configured machine to perform audio identification, such as for cover song identification. Such systems and methods are robust to timbral changes, time skews, and pitch skews. In particular, a special data structure provides a time-series representation of audio, and this time-series representation is robust to key changes, timbral changes, and small local tempo deviations. Accordingly, the systems and methods described herein analyze cross-similarity between these time-series representations. In some example embodiments, such systems and methods extract features from an audio fingerprint and calculate a distance measure that is robust and invariant to changes in musical structure.

A machine may be configured to interact with one or more users by identifying audio (e.g., audio content, such as a song, which may be a cover rendition of an original song or other reference song), for example, in response to a request for identification of the audio. One approach is to configure the machine to perform audio fingerprinting, with an aim towards identifying an audio recording given a sample of it, by comparing a query fingerprint of the sample against a reference fingerprint stored in a database and attempting to find a match. Audio fingerprinting typically involves identifying exact renditions of reference audio (e.g., reference songs), often in complex audio scenes. Audio fingerprinting systems are usually designed to be robust to audio degradations (e.g., encoding artifacts, equalization variations, or noise). However, audio fingerprinting systems typically consider cover versions (e.g., a live performance by a different artist) to be different songs.
Cover identification systems aim to identify a song when given an alternate rendition of it (e.g., live, remaster, or remix). A cover version generally retains the same melody as an original rendition of the song, but differs from the original rendition in other musical aspects (e.g., instrumentation, key, or tempo).
Cover song identification systems may attempt to identify when two different musical recordings are derived from the same music composition (e.g., Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower" is a cover of the original by Bob Dylan). The cover of a song can be drastically different from the original recording, for at least the reason that it can change key, tempo, instrumentation, or musical structure. Automatic identification of cover songs typically involves representing the audio in a manner that is robust to such transformations.
Cover song identification may share some similarities with live song identification, since a live song may be a cover song. In live song identification, a typical task is to recognize a live song (e.g., at a concert) performed by a performer who may or may not be the original artist. In addition, there may be key variation, slight tempo variation, musical structure changes (e.g., for an artist that is known to improvise), or any suitable combination thereof. The audio signal may also be degraded (e.g., due to crowd noise or a bad microphone).
One or more audio pieces (e.g., musical pieces or spoken word pieces) may be performed during a live performance. For example, one or more songs may be performed, and a song may be performed with or without visual accompaniment (e.g., a video, a laser show, or a dance routine). In some situations, the performer of an audio piece is an artist that recorded the audio piece (e.g., as a studio recording or as a live recording). For example, a performer may perform a song that she wrote and recorded herself. In other situations, the performer of an audio piece is different from the artist that recorded the audio piece (e.g., as a studio recording or as a live recording). For example, a performer may perform a cover rendition of a song that was written and recorded by someone else.

Audio identification based on data structure


A communication terminal, system and method utilize a communication device that activates a speech to text application so that subsequent audio that is received from a caller is converted into text. A caller may then provide audio in response to a question. A caller may send input by pressing a button on a communication device for example, to activate the speech to text application, speak an answer, and then press a button to indicate that an answer to a question is complete. The spoken answer may be converted into text and may then be stored, parsed, and then assigned to an object representing the question posed to a caller. The stored text assigned to the object representing the question may then be used to populate different forms or databases for subsequent use or for displaying to a user via a display device of that person's computer device.

Call centers often receive calls from customers or prospective customers and use automated questioning that asks a caller for information specific to a particular caller. Such personal information is then often used to route the call or verify the caller is the person that the caller represents himself or herself to be. Calls may be routed to multiple different devices that subsequently ask similar or exactly the same questions as a caller may have previously been asked. Such repeated questioning often frustrates a caller attempting to discuss a particular issue with a call agent to address an issue or purchase a product or service. Such frustration may result in the caller terminating the call prior to speaking to someone or feeling that he or she experienced poor customer service.
We have determined that there is a need for a communication system that is configured to permit a caller to only have to answer questions one time for providing certain content regarding a caller. We have determined that it would be preferable for such content to be stored for use in subsequent processing of the caller's call as well as for maintaining records associated with such a call. It may also be preferable in some situations for the caller to be able to store his answers for use in subsequent calls involving other parties.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Apparatus and method for audio data processing


A method for purifying a boron nitride nanotube feedstock is disclosed, including an initial step of mixing a boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) feedstock with a solvent to form an initial mixture. This BNNT feedstock is made up of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) particles and less than about 50 weight percent BNNTs on a dry basis. This initial mixture is then sonicated within a treatment vessel using an ultrasonic probe. At least a portion of the initial mixture is filtered out of the treatment vessel and across a nanoporous membrane at the same as the sonication. In this manner, the method provides a filtrate which is enriched in h-BN particles relative to the initial mixture and a retentate which is enriched in BNNTs relative to the initial mixture.

Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are a relatively new category of nanomaterials which are of both commercial and research interest. To date, methods for the preparation of BNNTs have generally fallen into two broad categories: (1) methods which produce small quantities of relatively high purity BNNTs and (2) methods which produce larger quantities of BNNTs, but with a lower BNNT purity (i.e. more impurities are included with the BNNTs in the final product mixture). Such high quantity, low purity methods typically provide a BNNT feedstock which is made up of 50 weight percent BNNTs or less. The remainder of the BNNT feedstock is made up of undesirable side products. In many instances, the feedstock may include 20 weight percent or more of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), with amorphous boron and boron nitride derivatives making up the balance of the mixture. Neither method has thus far proven to satisfactorily provide large quantities of relatively high purity BNNTs at a commercially reasonable price point.
Thus, there is a continuing need for novel methods and systems for providing large quantities of relatively high purity BNNTs, and preferably at a lower price point.

Purification and enrichment of boron nitride nanotube feedstocks

United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


A rotary wheel cap includes a fixed base fixed to a center of a wheel, a rotary cover axially mounted onto the fixed base, and an elastic member installed between the fixed base and rotary cover. When the wheel rotates, the rotary cover compresses the elastic member to a first position to form a positioning relationship with the fixed base, such that the rotary cover is rotated with the wheel and fixed base at the first position. When the wheel is still, the rotary cover is supported by the elastic member at a second position to release the positioning relationship with the fixed base. The rotary cover is rotated axially with respect to the fixed base by gravitation of a weight balancing portion at the second position. A design pattern on the rotary cover is aligned correctly by the axial rotation of the rotary cover when the wheel is still.

In motor vehicles, a wheel cap is generally installed on an outer side of a wheel axle. The wheel cap not only covers the rigid mechanical structure of the wheel and serves as a decoration, but also protects a wheel bearing. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,457,560 and 6,585,330, a wheel cap is secured onto a wheel by screws and nuts, such that when the wheel is rotated, the wheel cap will be rotated synchronously, and will not be separated from the wheel during the rotation.
In general, most wheel caps of wheels come with a brand logo of a motor vehicle or the wheel, and such arrangement not only serves as a decoration, but also achieves effect of advertising and promoting the brand of the motor vehicle or the wheel. However, the wheel caps disclosed in the aforementioned two prior arts are rotated with the wheels synchronously, so that when the wheel is still, the brand logo on the wheel cap will be rotated to an uncertain angle or position, such as an overturn angle of 90 degrees or 180 degrees from the relative correct position. As a result, the brand logo is deflective or upside down, and people cannot recognize the meaning of the brand logo on the wheel cap easily.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,342 discloses a wheel cap comprising a fixed cover mounted onto a wheel, and a movable cover mounted onto the fixed cover, wherein the movable cover includes an axle strut for coupling with a bearing on the fixed cover, so that the movable cover and the fixed cover can be rotated axially with respect to each other, and the movable cover includes a balance weight, such that the movable cover can be maintained at a predetermined angle and position by means of the gravitation of the balance weight and the axial rotation of the bearing whether the wheel drives the fixed cover to rotate or not.


A medium for a dental structure includes a first portion having a first physical property arranged to connect with a first dental component of the dental structure; and a second portion having a second physical property arranged to connect with a second dental component of the dental structure, wherein the combination of the first portion and the second portion is arranged to minimize stress established between the first dental component and/or the second dental component when the first dental component combines with the second dental component.

A dental structure such as a tooth usually comprises different dental components. These dental components include different physical and mechanical properties. For example, the outermost enamel layer is harder than the inner dentin layer. In a restorative dental structure or a repaired tooth, ceramic structure may be used to replace or repair a damaged enamel layer.
A dental medium which is biological compatible may be used to serve as a substrate to support the ceramic dental components (as a hard dental component for replacing the outermost enamel layer) to the dentin layer or polymeric composites in a restorative dental structure. Typically a dental medium assists with dental cement on both sides sufficient for attaching dental components such that the ceramic dental components may be firmly attached to the underneath dentin layer (polymeric composites substrate) or enamel layer.


A multi-port-type semiconductor memory including an address comparator comprises a memory cell array which includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in rows and which includes two pairs of word lines for selecting the memory cells. The two word line pairs are driven each by one of two row decoders to which independent address signals are supplied. The address signals supplied to the two row decoders are input to the address comparator so as to detect coincidence between these signals. Further, a control circuit is provided in the semiconductor memory in order to inhibit the operation of one of the two row decoders when coincidence between the address signals is detected by the address comparator.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor memory device of the random access type, which performs independent read and write operations through a plurality of ports.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor memory device of the random access type in which the read and write operations are independently performed through two ports, has been known as a 2-port RAM. A portion including a single memory cell in the 2-port RAM is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1. A pair of inverters connected in a back-to-back fashion make up flip-flop (F/F) 11 retaining one-bit complementary data. Transfer gates 12 and 13 are coupled at node N1 retaining one of the complementary data. Transfer gates 14 and 15 interconnect at node N2 retaining the other of the complementary data. Two pairs of bit lines BL0 and BL0, and BL1 and BL1 are provided. Transfer gate 12 is connected between bit line BL0 and node N1. Similarly, transfer gate 13 is connected between bit line BL1 and node N1. Transfer gate 14 is connected between bit line BL0 and node N2. Transfer gate 15 is connected between bit line BL1 and node N2. The gates of transfer gates 12 and 14 are connected together to word line WL0; the gates of transfer gates 13 and 15 are connected together to word line WL1.
In the above memory cell, when word line WL0 is driven, transfer gates 12 and 14 are conductive, and nodes N1 and N2 of F/F 11 are coupled with bit lines BL0 and BL0, respectively. At this time, the data retained in F/F 11 is read out onto bit line pair BL0 and BL0, or data supplied onto this bit line pair is written into F/F 11. When word line WL1 is driven, transfer gates 13 and 14 are conductive, and nodes N1 and N2 of F/F 11 are coupled with bit lines BL1 and BL1, respectively. At this time, the data retained in F/F 11 is read out onto bit line pair BL1 and BL1, or data supplied on this bit line pair is written into F/F 11.
Combinations of read and write operations possibly performed for the 2-port RAM including a number of such memory cells arrayed in a matrix fashion are as shown in FIG. 2. The operation modes of the RAM may be categorized into three types: mode 1 in which neither port 0 or port 1 is selected; modes 2, 3, 7, 8 in which either port 0 or port 1 is selected; modes 4, 5 and 6 in which both port 0 and port 1 are selected. Port 0 indicates a terminal connecting to bit line pair BL0 and BL0 through which data is written to and read out of the memory cell. Port 1 indicates a terminal connected to bit line pair BL1 and BL1 through which data is written to and read out of the memory cell. In each operation mode, when one port is selected, one of the bit line pairs BL0, BL0 and BL1, BL1 serves as a load, and no problem arises. When word lines WL0 and WL1 connected to memory cells in a row are both driven, and two ports are simultaneously selected, both the bit line pairs BL0, BL0 and BL1, BL1 serve as a load of F/F 11, and a problem arises. The problem follows. Before the read or write operation, bit line pairs BL0, BL0 and BL1, BL1 are precharged to "H" level by a precharge means (not shown). Subsequently, either of word lines WL0 and WL1 is driven, so that a pair of transfer gates connected to nodes N1 and N2, for example, transfer gates 12 and 14, are conductive, so that nodes N1 and N2 are connected to bit lines BL0 and BL0, respectively. Let us consider a read operation of the memory device. It is assumed that when F/F 11 stores such data that "H" level is at node N1 and "L" level at node N2, transfer gates 12 and 14 are conductive, and the nodes are connected to bit lines BL0 and BL0. After the nodes are connected to bit lines BL0 and BL0, potential on bit line BL0 changes from "H" to "L". In a circuit design, the drive ability of the inverters of F/F 11, for example, is selected on the assumption that such a potential change in bit lines is performed at a predetermined rate, with the bit lines respectively connecting to nodes N1 and N2. In a situation when two ports are selected and two bit lines are connected to nodes N1 and N2, two bit lines in "H" level must be discharged at the node set in "L" level in F/F 11. A rate of potential change in both the bit lines from "H" to "L" is lower than that in a single line. In such a situation, when a load varies, the read characteristic of the memory device, and the write characteristic as well varies.

Multiport semiconductor memory including an address comparator


A plasma display is disclosed. The display includes driver circuitry which drives the display so that a low level luminance can be generated in a subfield despite high luminance efficient pixels.

1. Field
The field relates generally to a plasma display device and a driving method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Technology
A plasma display device is a display device with a plasma display panel (PDP) for displaying characters or images with plasma generated according to gas discharge.
The plasma display device drives by dividing a frame into a plurality of subfields each having a luminance weight value, and displays a grayscale by a combination of the weight values during display operations for the plurality of subfields. During a reset period of each subfield, a discharge cell is initialized by a reset discharge.
During an address period of each subfield, a scan pulse is sequentially applied to a plurality of scan electrodes, and an address pulse is selectively applied to a plurality of address electrodes when the scan pulse is applied to each scan electrode so that a light emitting cell or a non-light emitting cell is selected. An address discharge occurs in cells driven with the scan pulse and the address pulse.
During a sustain period of each subfield, the light emitting cell is sustain discharged so that images are displayed.
The plasma display device expresses a low unit light in the subfield which represents a minimum grayscale (for example, a grayscale of 1) in order to favor expression of low grayscales.
Generally, the unit light is expressed by applying one sustain pulse to the light emitting cell. However, when light efficiency of the plasma display panel (PDP) is increased, the luminance of the unit light is increased, and expression performance of low grayscales is decreased.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Plasma display and method of reseting the display


A post metal chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) cleaning process for advanced interconnect technology is provided. The process, which follows CMP, combines an acidic clean and a basic clean in sequence. The process can achieve a more than 60% reduction in CMP defects, such as polish residues, foreign materials, slurry abrasives, scratches, and hollow metal, relative to an all-basic clean process. The process also eliminates the circular ring defects that occur intermittently during roller brush cleans within a roller brush clean module.

The present disclosure relates to semiconductor processing, and more particularly, to a post metal chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) cleaning process which can be used in advanced interconnect technology.
Defect reduction is perhaps the most critical task in yield and reliability improvement for semiconductor manufacturing. For back-end of the line (BEOL) processes with copper (Cu) interconnects, the defects associated with the chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) process are quite often the major yield detractor to such an extent that their reduction becomes the most pivotal step in the successful qualification and implementation of the technology.
Since CMP is the final and enabling process before one level of Cu interconnect is fully defined, not only can it generate defects during the process per se (e.g., scratches and polish residues), but it will also reveal defects generated from prior processing steps, such as post-RIE cleaning, liner deposition, and Cu plating. Therefore, not only must the post Cu CMP cleaning process clean up the defects generated by CMP, it must also be sufficiently compatible with prior processes to prevent exacerbating pre-existing defects incoming to CMP.
In principle, a robust post Cu CMP cleaning process removes the polish residues (PR), foreign materials (FM), abrasive particles, or any debris left on the wafer surface as a result of the polish. In addition, a post Cu CMP cleaning process passivates the Cu surface long and effectively enough to inhibit time-dependent Cu corrosion in form of hollow metal (HM) and Cu nodules or dendrites (DE). With the ever shrinking ground rule, new challenges emerge and new types of CMP-related defects are observed in advanced technology nodes such as 32 nm and beyond. Among these, circular ring defects (sometimes referred to as brush scrubbing scratches) are unique in that such defects are generated during the brush cleaning step with distinct concentric circle signatures that follow the path of particles in motion on roller brushes, as shown in FIG. 1.
Small alumina or silica residual abrasive particles in CMP slurries are about 50 nm to 100 nm in diameter and are even more difficult to remove than larger particles due to their higher surface charge to volume ratio. Furthermore, in fine pitch Cu interconnects, the electric potential becomes greater while the diffusion path becomes shorter, creating an environment that will expedite the formation of corrosion-related defects such as HM and DE.
Previous work on post Cu CMP cleaning process includes the optimization of contact kinetics during brush clean to enhance cleaning efficiency and to reduce brush scrubbing scratches. Regarding the clean chemical, the addition of inhibitors, surfactants, or chelating agents is common practice in the industry. Currently, most of the post Cu CMP cleaning chemicals for advanced technology nodes operate in the neutral to high pH regimes in order to achieve acceptable passivation of Cu and prevent corrosion-related defects.
In view of the above, a new post metal CMP cleaning process is needed that overcomes the challenges associated with CMP.

Post metal chemical-mechanical planarization cleaning process

International Business Machines Corporation


A winding apparatus with a guidance device comprises a winding drum, a guidance device, and a case. The winding drum can provide spring back force by installing a spiral spring so as to recoil a wire to lap over the winding drum. The guidance device which comprises a driving guide axle, a driven guide axle, and a transmission installation and the winding drum are disposed in the case. The driving and driven guide axles each provides a helical groove spiralling in opposite direction for the guidance of the wire passing through to spirally lap over the winding drum during recoiling. In which, the spring back force of the winding drum during reverse rotation will be transmitted to drive the driving and driven guide axles to rotate in opposite direction by the transmission installation.

During measuring, gardening, outdoor or indoor decorating and repairing, measuring rule or water tube or electric wire with long length with be required respectively. For measuring rule, if its length is not longer than two to three meters, it can be collected and kept by a winder, as shown in FIG. 1, which the measuring rule 1 is winding about a reel 2 in single ring and lapping over form. Thus, a pull-back spiral spring (not shown in Drawing) can be installed between the reel 2 and one end of the measuring rule 1 to form a conventional flexible rule for automatically recoiling the measuring rule 1 when it is not used.
For wire and the like, such as a water tube, cable, or very long flexible rule,they are always required a very long length for operation. Sometimes, over ten meters long is required. It is difficult for them to be collected in single ring lapping over form because of their huge body size. Conventionally, referring to FIG. 2, long wire or the like 3 is spirally lapping over a winding drum 4 for reducing body size.
The prior method of automatically recoiling a wire or the like, such as the flexible rule, is functioned by the installation of a spiral spring which can make the reel 2 or winding drum 4 to rotate when springing back, but the wire or the like will recoil only in single ring form along with the rotation of the reel 2 or the winding drum 4. That is, the wire will not be automatically lapping over the winding drum 4 spirally which may cause the lapped wire entangled. Hence, the conventional winding drum 4 for long wire or water tube is designed to recoil manually by means of the winding handle 5 provided to the winding drum 4. Therefore, when rewinding manually, the use has to return to the winding drum 4 which may be far way from the operation end of the wire 3 to rotate the handle 5 of the winding drum with one hand and spirally lap and disentangle the wire with the other hand simultaneously and patiently. It is obvious that it requires great effort and consumes a lot of time.
Accordingly, the main object of the present invention is to provide a wire or the like winding apparatus which having a wire winding guidance device to ensure the wire or the like being spirally recoiled orderly.

Winding apparatus with a guidance device for wire or the like

Suite 11F, 95-8 Chang Pind Road, Sec. 1,


A method for enabling, without first opening the envelope, prioritized processing of envelopes according to indications of clearing organization(s) of potentially enclosed checks. The method is rapidly executed by high speed automatic sorters operating on appropriate encoded indicia supplied to drawers of checks in such a way that the indicia is detectable from unopened envelopes delivering the checks.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for enabling prioritized processing of envelopes potentially containing checks according to indicia of the individual check's clearing organization. More particularly, this invention relates to using intelligence or materials supplied to a drawer of checks to encode indicia of the drawer's checks, the intelligence or materials being designed to accompany the drawer's check and envelope when delivered to the payee, or payee's designated agent, in such a manner that the encoded indicia is readable from the unopened delivered envelope.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are several potential uses for applicant's invention. Bank Lock Box operations form one particular user group. A Lock Box is a specialized function within a large bank. The bank's Lock Box customers furnish their remittors with addresses that send remittances directly to the Lock Box. The Lock Box becomes the Lock Box customer's designated agent for receiving remittances due the Lock Box customer. The address furnished to the remittor contains a code, such as a box number, identifying the Lock Box customer as the payee. A Lock Box operation typically receives 10,000 to 200,000 payment checks per day. These checks are usually in amounts of $2,000 to $1,000,000.
Sending remittances directly to the Lock Box speeds the collection process on the check and thus moves earlier the time at which the Lock Box customer and/or the depositary bank can begin to draw interest on the remittance amount. "Float", defined as the time between the receipt of the check and the crediting of the amount of the check to the account of the Lock Box customer and/or the bank, is thereby minimized. Minimizing float enhances earnings for the bank and the Lock Box customer.
Credit for the amount of a check is accorded a depositary or collecting bank in the following manner. The depositary or collecting bank periodically forwards "cash letters" to appropriate check clearing organizations. Cash letters present checks (collected at the depositary or collecting bank, payable to customers of the depositary or collecting bank) whose payor banks "clear" through that clearing organization. A clearing organization may be the payor bank itself, a clearing house bank or agent or a member of the Federal Reserve Bank System. Cash letters are typically wired in, followed by a physical presentation of the letter and the checks.
Each clearing organization has one or more daily cash letter "deadlines". Cash letters that reach a clearing organization by one of the daily cash letter deadlines are credited then to the depositary or collecting bank's account. The amount of the cash letter begins to draw interest for that depositary or collecting bank based on the "availability schedule" of each clearing house member bank or payor bank for the specific cash letter deadline.
A depositary or collecting bank may utilize, depending on its level of business, various transportation (and/or possibly communication) means to meet cash letter deadlines. It is not uncommon for messengers daily to hand-carry cash letters with checks via helicopters and commercial airlines to accelerate funds collection to reduce float. The transportation/communications means selected by a bank for meeting various clearing organization daily cash letter deadlines establishes, in turn, its own in-house outgoing deadlines for cash letters destined for those clearing organizations.
It is clearly in the bank's best interest to discover, from the multitude of checks entered into the collection process in the bank, as many as possible of the checks destined to clear at a specific clearing organization by the outgoing deadline established in-house for such organization's cash letter. Such an operational methodology minimizes float.
A Lock Box operation, according to current art, typically handles incoming items in the following manner. Mail is delivered to the Lock Box throughout the day and night, perhaps hourly or half-hourly. Incoming envelopes are sorted according to Lock Box customer based on information encoded in the address (i.e., usually a box number) supplied to the remittor. All of the envelopes sorted by Lock Box customers are then opened, processed and only as the last step, are the enclosed checks sorted according to check clearing organizations.
This final sorting of checks based on clearing organizations is normally performed in a centralized bank service area, frequently called the Transit or clearing operation (Transit). Transit performs this sorting function for those departments at the bank engaged in check funds receipt and forwarding, including the Lock Box. If Transit is utilized for the sort according to check clearing organization, an earlier cut-off deadline for checks out of Lock Box into Transit must be set prior to each outgoing cash letter deadline. According to the number of checks usually presented by the Lock Box to Transit before an outgoing deadline, a Transit processing time is determined. The earlier cut-off deadline for checks out of Lock Box into Transit will be the outgoing deadline from Transit minus the determined Transit processing time. (The determined Transit processing time will also include the time required by Transit to set up, change over software programs and schedule for Lock Box check processing.) The Lock Box operation is constrained to this earlier cut-off deadline as "its" cash letter deadline. Said otherwise, there is insufficient time to process checks from Lock Box to Transit that do not reach Transit by this earlier cut-off deadline. As a result, late arriving checks from Lock Box to Transit can not be processed in time by Transit to be included in the outgoing cash letter.
This earlier cut-off deadline for checks from Lock Box to Transit has an insidious effect. The greater the average number of checks presented by Lock Box to Transit before an outgoing cash letter deadline, the longer the Transit processing time. The longer the Transit processing time, the earlier becomes the cut-off deadline for checks from Lock Box to Transit. The earlier the cut-off deadline for checks from Lock Box to Transit, the greater the number of late arriving checks in Lock Box that become excluded from a particular cash letter.
Bank scheduling factors additionally serve to inhibit the timing of Lock Box check processing in Transit. Bankwise operations place high demands on the services of Transit. Frequently the Transit operation is a bottleneck in bank operations. Each Transit set up to process Lock Box checks involves set up, software program change over and scheduling time. As a result, the Transit operation limits the frequency at which it sets up to process Lock Box checks. Hence, a Lock Box may not present checks to Transit in an almost continuous stream. Therefore, Transit processing time for Lock Box checks prior to an outgoing cash letter cannot be practically reduced by multiplying the number of trips from Lock Box to Transit.
At the time of an outgoing deadline for a cash letter, there will be a backlog of checks that have arrived in Lock Box. The processing of that backlog of checks either has not begun or has not been completed or was completed too late to meet the cut-off deadline from Lock Box to Transit. If 20% of the checks passing through Lock Box clear through the clearing organization whose cash letter deadline has arrived, this backlog of checks should be comprised of checks 20% of which have arrived at Lock Box but have missed the cash letter. Twenty percent of the backlog misses drawing interest for the next interest period. It is also clear in the above hypothetical that 80% of the Lock Box processing time and 80% of the Transit processing time shortly prior to the in-house deadline was wasted on checks not destined to be included in the immediate cash letter.
The waste in the above situation is magnified by the fact that mail does not arrive in Lock Box at a steady rate. Each day has peak mail arrival periods and slow mail arrival periods. Wasted Lock Box processing time and wasted Transit processing time during peak mail arrival periods makes 20% of the backlog a greater absolute number.
One current practice to minimize float in Lock Box operations is to accelerate Lock Box processing in the period just before a critical in-house deadline. The acceleration is achieved by increasing manpower in the Lock Box operation. An intensive manpower solution accelerates processing and minimizes the total backlog of checks in the Lock Box, but the labor is spent indiscriminately. According to the prior hypothetical, 80% of the labor is wasted on checks whose accelerated processing is unnecessary at this time. In the normal case where there is a cut-off deadline for checks from Lock Box to Transit, that deadline must be moved even earlier in time with this intensive manpower solution since the Lock Box is now presenting a greater total number of checks to Transit just prior to a crucial deadline. A greater number of checks requires greater Transit processing time. Again, by the prior hypothetical, 80% of the processing time is not required at this moment.
To summarize, according to the present art, those checks in a Lock Box operation that are to be included in a cash letter are discovered by the last step in creating the cash letter. This last step is a sort of the checks according to check clearing organization. The sort may be performed, and normally is, in a Transit operation. The gross volume of envelopes arriving in Lock Box receives the same indiscriminate detailed processing. As a result, important late arriving checks miss cash letter deadlines. Float is not minimized. Sheer labor intensive accelerated envelope content processing before cash letter deadlines creates labor scheduling problems, and labor is wasted in the detailed processing of envelope contents whose check is not destined for the upcoming cash letter. Time is also wasted in Transit prior to the outgoing cash letter deadline by processing checks that are not destined for the immediate cash letter. Processing a greater volume of checks prior to a cash letter deadline increases Transit processing time which in turn moves the cut-off time for checks from Lock Box into Transit earlier. The result is an increase in float for late arriving checks in Lock Box.
Large retail organizations, or those who process remittances for large retail organizations, form another user group for applicant's invention. Retail organizations typically route all remittances through their own remittance processing operations. Nationwide, checks are generally directed to a few addresses. The retail remittance processing operations open the envelopes and record relevant data before forwarding the checks to one or several major depositary bank(s) for collection. The depositary bank receiving the checks that are not for large amounts individually, although they may be for a large amount in sum, can not accelerate their processing with present means at a competitive per item cost. The checks are sorted by the bank in a non-accelerated manner according to check clearing organizations and make the next available cash letter. Days of float may result within this system. Days of float reduce earnings for the retail organization.
Given the float resulting from present remittance processing operations, in a bank Lock Box or in a large scale remittance processing operation, it is the goal of the present invention to enable check processing operations to reduce float by providing the capacity up front to discover and prioritize incoming mail (i.e. unopened envelopes) according to indications of clearing organizations of likely enclosed checks. The check processing operation can subsequently prioritize the processing of envelope contents in accordance with fluctuations in the rate of mail delivery and in accordance with crucial outgoing communications/transportation deadlines related to the check collection system. The invention permits optimization of the processing of envelope contents so that the time before crucial in-house deadlines is not wasted by processing checks unnecessary for the immediate cash letter. Thereby, the float is reduced, and manpower is economically utilized. Such a process utilized in a Lock Box operation would enable important cut-off deadlines for checks from the Lock Box operation to a Transit operation to be moved closer to the Transit outgoing cash letter deadline, which increases the number of late arriving checks submitted for collection. Only checks destined for the immediate cash letter would be presented to Transit shortly before the crucial outgoing deadline. During periods when the in coming mail volume is high, such a procedure permits Lock Box processing to concentrate only on those envelopes potentially containing checks destined to clear through Transit for the immediate outgoing cash letter. During periods when relatively infrequent and low volumes of mail are received, the processing of all checks in Lock Box can be brought to a current state. Increased Transit processing time during reduced mail volume periods involves minimal waste because there are relatively few checks arriving late in Lock Box. The operation can closely approach the goal of having detected and processed, out of the backlog of all arrived mail, all envelopes potentially containing checks destined for clearing organizations at the time of a clearing organizations outgoing cash letter deadline.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to enable prioritized processing of envelopes potentially containing checks by enabling an up front sorting of unopened envelopes according to encoded indicia of the clearing organizations utilized by the payor banks of the potentially enclosed checks. The encoded indicia might be of the payor bank's check clearing organization(s) themselves or of the drawer's geographic location or zip code.
It is a further object of the present invention to enable sorting of unopened envelopes according to encoded indicia of clearing organizations utilized by the payor banks of potentially enclosed checks in the envelopes, by supplying to potential drawers an address, an envelope, intelligence, information or other material which is to be returned, in some fashion, by the drawer with remittances. The address, envelope, intelligence, information or other material encodes the indicia and is readable without opening the envelope.
It is a further object of the present invention to permit sorting of unopened envelopes according to encoded indicia of the clearing organization of payor banks of potentially enclosed checks in an improved manner whereby the information encoded in the address, envelope, intelligence or other material, supplied to the drawer and returned by some fashion with an envelope delivering the check, is updated when processing of the check reveals that the check will clear through a different clearing organization than that used in the past.

Method for enabling prioritized processing of envelopes according to encoded indicia of potentially enclosed checks


A method for measuring a downhole formation pressure is disclosed which includes lowering a formation testing tool to a desired measuring position in a well borehole. Then a nozzle in the tool is extended so that the nozzle extends through the mud cake layer on a surface of a formation, forming a seal between the mud cake layer and a sealing surface of the nozzle. In an embodiment of the invention, the nozzle has a porous tip that extends into the invaded zone beyond the mudcake layer and is exposed to the formation pressure. In an alternate embodiment, the nozzle has a retractable tip that retracts into the nozzle. The nozzle and retractable tip are positioned in the mudcake and the retractable tip is retracted into the nozzle. The formation pressure is then communicated through the nozzle to a pressure sensor operatively connected to the nozzle.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the drilling of wells, such as those used for the production of oil and gas. More specifically, the invention relates to measuring downhole subsurface formation pressure.
2. Background Art
While drilling a borehole, the rock removed from the hole by the drill must be replaced with an equivalent weight to ensure stability of the formation. Drilling fluid, more commonly called drilling xe2x80x9cmud,xe2x80x9d is used to compensate for the weight loss of the removed rock by providing a stabilizing pressure in the well hole and hold back formation fluid pressure. Because there is a generally linear relationship between the hydrostatic pressure and the vertical depth of a column of fluid, the stabilizing pressure of the mud can be easily controlled by varying the density of the mud.
It is desirable to maintain the mud pressure at a level slightly higher than the the formation pressure to avoid problems in well development. If the mud weight is much greater than the formation pressure, a condition called mud over-balance occurs, and the mud will deeply invade into the formation. Such deep invasion can reduce the production capabilities of a well and could completely block any passage of fluid into the well from the formation. If the overbalance is great enough, you can fracture the well, causing xe2x80x98lost circulation.xe2x80x99 Conversely, if the mud weight is under-balanced, where the formation pressure is greater than the mud pressure, the well is susceptible to a blowout, resulting in an uncontrollable and unrecoverable loss of material from the well. If the formation pressure is known during an early stage of development, the well can be developed in such a way as to optimize well production.
Further, when the mud is over-balanced, the mud in the borehole will form a highly concentrated layer of solids at the borehole wall interface of the formation. This layer is called the xe2x80x9cmud cake.xe2x80x9d The thickness of the mud cake depends on, among other factors, the differential pressure between the formation and the borehole. By balancing the mud pressure with the formation pressure, the mud cake layer thickness is optimized, thereby reducing the chance that any well servicing or drilling tools will become stuck within the well.
FIG. 1A shows a top view of a borehole 11. When borehole 11 is filled with mud, the mud will form a mud cake layer 13. In a mud over-balanced situation, mud pressure is so high that mud will invade the formation 12, causing a skin-damage zone 14. In the skin-damage zone 14, the formation properties, including pressure, permeability, and porosity, are affected by the invading mud. FIG. 1B shows the same situation from a side view.
Methods for measuring formation pressure known in the art include removing the drill-pipe (xe2x80x9ctripping the wellxe2x80x9d) so that measuring instruments can be lowered into the open borehole. After these measurements are made, the drill-pipe is reinserted into the borehole so that drilling operations can continue. Because tripping the well in this manner is usually not done solely to allow for downhole measurements, formation pressure is not typically measured unless the drill-pipe is removed for another reason.
One technique for measuring formation pressure is called the draw-down or pre-test method. In this method, a formation tester tool is sent downhole to measure the formation pressure. The formation tester tool includes a donut-shaped rubber packer that is pushed against the borehole wall in order to isolate a small area of the formation face from the borehole pressure. Once in place, a hydraulically powered piston is moved within a test chamber in the tool, until the pressure in the small isolated area is significantly below the formation pressure. This pressure differential causes fluid to flow from the formation into the chamber. Over time, the pressure in the tool will stabilize to the formation pressure.
The pre-test method has several limitations. First, in low permeability formations, it can take several days for the pressure in the tool to converge to the formation pressure. Having the tool downhole for such an extended period of time can lead to tool sticking, making it difficult to remove the tool from the borehole. Also, large pressure imbalances can lead to packer failure and can tend to plug the tool with formation solids. Another problem is that the pre-test method uses large, heavy tools that require supplying hydraulic power to the tool while it is downhole. Finally, because of high stresses across the packer, the pre-test method does not work well in unconsolidated formations.
Another method for measuring formation pressure is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,126, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. A probe is extended from a downhole tool into the formation. The probe extends through the mud cake and penetrates into the formation. Because the probe has a tapered shape, it creates a seal between the probe and the mud cake, and a packer is not required. The probe must penetrate the formation to a sufficient depth from the borehole so that it senses the formation pressure without substantial interference from the borehole fluids, that is, past the skin-damage zone. Unlike the pre-test, there is typically no pressure draw-down.
While the probe method overcomes some of the limitations of the pre-test method, it still has some limitations of its own. First, the probe must generally penetrate the formation past the skin-damage zone. By doing so, the probe itself may affect the pressure of the formation. When the probe is inserted, the displacement may cause the formation pressure to increase in the area of the probe. It is difficult to predict the amount of pressure increase because it will vary with the formation porosity and permeability. This increase typically diffuses or dissipates over time. Finally, when the probe is removed, it can leave a hole in the mud cake and the formation. This can allow the mud to invade the formation by flowing into the hole.
Recent advances in drilling fluid performance have made it possible to develop a well with substantially zero skin zone. A formation with no skin zone allows for the possibility of measuring the formation pressure with minimal penetration of a probe or sensor into the formation.
Another problem faced by previous devices is clogging. Typically, an opening in a probe may be blocked by rock particles from the formation, or completely covered by rock particles thereby sealing the opening and preventing a valid pressure measurement.
There remains a need to further develop techniques for evaluating formation properties. To this end, the present invention seeks to develop improvements in the testing process.
One aspect of the invention is a formation testing tool with a nozzle included therein. The nozzle is adapted to be moved between a retracted position and an extended position. In the extended position, the nozzle penetrates the mud cake and comes into pressure communication with the formation. In the extended position, the nozzle extends through the mud cake layer, creating a seal between the mud cake layer and a sealing surface on the exterior of the nozzle. A pressure sensor is operatively connected to the nozzle. Another aspect of the invention is a formation testing tool positionable in a wellbore having a sidewall. The tool comprises a nozzle and a tip. The nozzle is extendable from the tool into a mudcake layer lining the sidewall of the wellbore. The nozzle has a duct therethrough in pressure communication with a pressure sensor in the tool, and defines an outer surface adapted to sealingly engage the mudcake. The tip is at an end of the nozzle. The tip is adapted to restrict access to the duct whereby mudcake particles are prevented from entering the duct during formation testing.
Another aspect of the invention is a method for measuring formation pressure. The method according to the invention includes lowering the formation testing tool to a desired measuring position. The nozzle is then extended from the retracted position to the extended position, so that it penetrates the mud cake to the formation wall (rock face) in the borehole and the nozzle forms a seal with the mud cake. The formation pressure is communicated via an orifice in the tip of the nozzle, through the nozzle, and to a pressure sensor operatively connected to the nozzle.
Another aspect of the invention is a formation testing tool including a tool body adapted for movement through a wellbore. An actuator is disposed in the tool body and adapted to move a nozzle from a retracted position to an extended position. A nozzle in the extended position penetrates through a mud cake layer by an amount necessary to expose a tip of the nozzle to formation pressure. A tip is provided in an axial end of the nozzle. The tip has pores with a diameter smaller than a particle size in the mud cake layer. The nozzle having a passage therethrough in pressure communication with a pressure sensor in the tool. The passage is opened upon positioning of the nozzle tip. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of testing a formation by lowering a formation testing tool to a first selected measuring position in a borehole, extending a nozzle through a mud cake layer on the sidewall of the borehole to form a seal between the mud cake layer and a sealing surface of the nozzle, positioning the tip of the nozzle to expose a passage in the nozzle to the formation pressure, and communicating the formation pressure through the nozzle to a pressure sensor. The nozzle has a tip at an end thereof and a passage therethrough. The tip may be porous or retractable to restrict access to the passage.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

Apparatus and method for measuring formation pressure using a nozzle


This invention relates to an improvement to a process for synthesizing cellulose aminomethanate wherein cellulose is steeped in an aqueous urea containing solution, dried to form an intimate mixture of cellulose and urea of known composition, and heated to form the cellulose aminomethanate; the improvement comprising, heating the mixture to a temperature above about 125 degrees centigrade, measuring the weight loss of the mixture during heating, comparing the measured weight loss of the mixture during heating to the weight of an equivalent amount of ammonia released in accord with the reaction path: EQU Cell-OH+CO(NH.sub.2).sub.2 .fwdarw.Cell-OCONH.sub.2 +NH.sub.3. continuing heating until the total measured weight loss corresponds to the total weight of an amount of ammonia released in the reaction when from about 30 to about 100% of the total weight of urea present in the mixture reacts with cellulose. Cellulose aminomethanate manufactured in accord with this process, can be made having a uniform distributioon of substituent throughout the cellulose at the molecular level and comprises a consistently reproducable product for manufacturing sausage casing.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for monitoring the synthesis of cellulose aminomethanate which has utility in the manufacture of cellulose film, such as sausage casing and cellulose films.
2. History of the Prior Art
The replacement of viscose dissolved, modified cellulose film with the use of ammonia derivatives, such as urea, reacted with cellulose to form a soluble product is a technology which has been gaining acceptance in the sausage casing industry. The use of such materials, in replacement of the traditional viscose regenerated cellulose process, is preferable as by-products are easily managed and do not appear to represent significant environmental impact. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,771,461; 2,134,825; and 2,129,708 comprise some of the early work in this technology and demonstrate that film products are obtainable. Though the final products formed showed potential for use as a film, it wasn't until U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,006 that film products were produced using urea and cellulose for use as sausage casings.
Various different terminology has been used to describe the products of cellulose and urea, such as cellulose aminoformates, cellulose carbamates, cellulose aminomethanoate and cellulose aminomethanates as adopted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,006. To deter further confusion, the products formed with cellulose and urea as presented in the above patents and hereinafter will be referred to as cellulose aminomethanates.
With recent improvements in cellulose aminomethanate technology, such as those described in U.S. patent applications Nos. 365,272 and 365,267 filed on even date herewith, entitled Cellulose Aminomethanate By Acid Neutralization (M. Rahman), Preparation of Cellulose Aminomethanate (M. Rahman and D. Bridgeford) and Cellulose Aminomethanate by Ion Exchange Extraction (D. Bridgeford), each herewith incorporated by reference, the manufacture of cellulose aminomethanate product has become more convenient and suitable for use in the large volumes required for the sausage casing industry. Problems still exist however, in the manufacturing process, occasioned by the difficulty of controlling the extent of reaction that takes place between the urea and the cellulose structure in forming the cellulose aminomethanate. Thus there is a need for a method of monitoring the urea/cellulose reaction which will allow increased control over the reaction to improve consistency and product quality in the manufacturing process.
It is an object of this invention to improve the process for the formation of cellulose aminomethanate by providing means for monitoring the urea/cellulose reaction.
It is another object of this invention to provide a cellulose aminomethanate material having improved processibility.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a convenient means for processing urea intermingled cellulose which is being treated by heating.

Cellulose aminomethanate by weight loss monitoring