Provided are treatment fluids that comprise an aqueous base fluid, and a methyl ester sulfonate surfactant, and associated diverting methods of use. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of treating a subterranean formation comprising: providing a treatment fluid comprising an aqueous base fluid, and a methyl ester sulfonate surfactant; introducing the treatment fluid into a portion of a subterranean formation; and allowing the treatment fluid to divert at least a portion of a second fluid to a different portion of the subterranean formation. Also provided are methods of diverting a fluid from a portion of a subterranean formation. In some instances, the treatment fluids exhibit viscoelastic behavior which may be due, at least in part, to the association of at least a portion of the methyl ester sulfonate surfactant into a plurality of micellar structures.

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for treating subterranean formations. More particularly, the present invention relates to treatment fluids that comprise a methyl ester sulfonate ("MES") surfactant, and associated diverting methods.
Viscosified treatment fluids may be used in a variety of subterranean treatments. Such treatments include, but are not limited to, drilling operations, stimulation treatments, and sand control treatments. As used herein, the term "treatment," or "treating," refers to any subterranean operation that uses a fluid in conjunction with a desired function and/or for a desired purpose. The term "treatment," or "treating," does not imply any particular action by the fluid.
The diversion of treatment fluids in subterranean operations is well known and may be desirable in a variety of subterranean operations, such as in acid stimulation operations, injection operations, scale inhibition operations, and clay stabilization operations. In many instances, diversion is desirable because the treatment fluid may preferentially enter portions of a subterranean formation with high permeability at the expense of portions of the subterranean formation with lesser permeability. For example, in acid stimulation operations, it may be desired to contact less permeable portions of the subterranean formation with the treatment fluid containing an acid so as to achieve the desired stimulation. In other instances, it might be desired to divert a treatment fluid away from certain portions (e.g., water-producing portions) of a subterranean formation entirely so as to treat other portions (e.g., hydrocarbon-producing portions) of the subterranean formation. In scale inhibition operations and clay stabilization operations, it may be desirable to divert the treatment fluid so as to obtain a uniform distribution of the treatment fluid throughout the subterranean formation regardless of the permeability of the particular portion thereof.
A variety of techniques have been used to divert treatment fluids to less permeable portions of a subterranean formation. Such techniques have involved, among other things, the injection of particulates, foams, or blocking polymers (e.g., crosslinked aqueous gels) into the subterranean formation so as to plug off the high-permeability portions of the subterranean formation, thereby diverting subsequently injected fluids to less permeable portions of the subterranean formation. In certain techniques, a treatment fluid is placed adjacent to a high-permeability portion of a subterranean formation, and the treatment fluid is viscosified so as to form a gel that, inter alia, temporarily plugs the perforations or natural fractures in that portion of the formation. When another treatment fluid encounters the gel, it is diverted to other portions of the formation. While these diversion techniques have been used successfully, each technique also has disadvantages. First, in some instances, plugging off the high-permeability sections may not be suitable for a producing formation, for example, because the injected solution (or material) may reduce or stop the flow of hydrocarbons in addition to the achieving a desired diversion of the treatment fluid. Expensive and/or time-consuming remedial treatments may be required to remove the injected solution (or material) and/or to return the formation to production. Furthermore, techniques geared toward injecting solutions (or materials) designed to plug off high-permeability portions of the subterranean formation may require expensive zonal isolation, which may be inaccurate or lead to inadvertent plugging of and/or damage to the hydrocarbon-bearing sections. Moreover, polymeric gelling agents may leave an undesirable residue in the subterranean formation after use. As a result, potentially costly remedial operations may be required to cleanup the fracture face and proppant pack.
To combat these problems, some surfactants have been used as gelling agents in diverting treatments. Certain surfactants, when mixed with an aqueous fluid having a certain ionic strength, are capable of forming a viscous fluid that has certain elastic properties, one of which may be shear thinning. Surfactant molecules (or ions) at specific conditions may form micelles (e.g., worm-shaped micelles, rod-shaped micelles, etc.) in an aqueous fluid. Depending on, among other things, the surfactant concentration, and the ionic strength of the fluid, etc., these micelles may impart increased viscosity to the aqueous fluid, such that the fluid exhibits viscoelastic behavior due, at least in part, to the association of the surfactant molecules contained therein. The viscoelastic fluid then may plug off a high-permeability section of the subterranean formation and divert treatment fluids subsequently introduced into the subterranean formation to less permeable sections of the formation. Further, because the micelles may be sensitive to the pH and hydrocarbons, the viscosity of the viscoelastic fluid may be reduced after introduction into the subterranean formation without the need for conventional gel breakers (e.g., oxidizers). This may allow a substantial portion of that fluid to be produced back from the formation without the need for expensive remedial treatments. However, surfactants used heretofore as gelling agents tend to have undesirable environmental characteristics (e.g., toxicity) and/or may be limited by strict environmental regulations in certain areas of the world.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Viscoelastic surfactant fluids and associated diverting methods


When an update disable signal is at an inactivation level, a latch signal is activated in accordance with an active signal and a mode register set signal. When the update disable signal is at an activation level, the latch signal is activated in accordance with the active signal while being not activated in accordance with the mode register set signal. Based on the latch signal, the address signal is latched. Based on the latched address signal, an internal test signal is generated. With this structure, a target chip can be selectively controlled simply by activating the update disable signal in the target chip.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of controlling the semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a semiconductor device having a test mode and a method of controlling the semiconductor device having the test mode.
2. Description of Related Art
A plurality of semiconductor memory devices such as DRAMs (Dynamic Random Access Memories) are often used in the state of being mounted on a module substrate. Therefore, in the stages of the development of semiconductor memories, there is the need to perform an operation test on semiconductor memory devices in the state of being mounted on a module substrate, and perform timing adjustment and the like in accordance with the test results. However, in the stages of semiconductor memory development, the number of semiconductor chips that can be subjected to the evaluation tests do not exist in large, and therefore, it is difficult to mount only semiconductor memory devices under development on a module substrate. In view of this, there has been a conventionally utilized method by which only one semiconductor memory device under development is mounted on a module substrate on which semiconductor memory devices already mass-produced are mounted, and this one semiconductor memory device is accessed.
On the module substrate, however, address terminals and command terminals are commonly connected among the respective semiconductor memory devices. Therefore, it is not possible to enter only a specific chip into a test mode. As a result, when the target chip enters the test mode, all the other chips also enter the test mode, and the chips cannot be adjusted independently of one another. Also, in a case where different test codes are used between mass-produced chips and chips under development, a chip that is not a target chip may enter an unintended test mode.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-323723 discloses a method of accessing semiconductor memory devices on a module substrate independently of one another.
A semiconductor device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-323723 is capable of accessing respective chips independently of one another by using defective addresses replaced with redundant cells as the IDs of the respective chips. The excellent feature of this method is that not only a specific chip on a module substrate can be accessed independently of the other chips, but also the other chips can be accessed independently of one another. By the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-323723, on the other hand, after a defective address is read by using a roll-call circuit, the read defective address needs to be analyzed. Therefore, the procedures are somewhat complicated. In view of this, the method is not necessarily an optimum method to be used in a case where only one semiconductor memory device under development is mounted on a module substrate on which mass-produced semiconductor memory devices are mounted, and only the semiconductor memory device under development is put into the test mode, as described above.

Semiconductor device having test mode and method of controlling the same


A polymer scale preventive agent used for polymerizing a monomer having an ethylenically unsaturated double bond, comprising an alkaline solution containing (A) an anthraquinone dye and (B) a reducing agent. Where the monomer is polymerized in a polymerization vessel having, on the inner wall surface, a coating film formed by applying and drying said preventive agent, polymer scale can effectively be prevented from being deposited not only on the liquid phase part in the polymerization vessel but also near the interface between the gas phase part and the liquid phase part, so that the thus obtained polymer can provide a molded item having few fish eyes, when the polymer is molded into a sheet or the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polymer scale preventive agent for use in polymerization of a monomer having an ethylenically unsaturated double bond, a polymerization vessel wherein polymer scale is effectively prevented from being deposited, and a process of producing a polymer using the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hitherto, as processes of polymerizing a monomer having an ethylenically unsaturated double bond, for example, the suspension polymerization, the emulsion polymerization, the solution polymerization, the gas phase polymerization, and the bulk polymerization are known. In any of these processes, polymer scale is apt to be deposited at parts where the monomer comes in contact, for example, on the inner wall surface of a polymerization vessel and an agitator.
If polymer scale is deposited, for example, the yield of the polymer drops, the capacity of cooling the polymerization vessel decreases, and further the poller scale is peeled off and is mixed with the polymer, thereby disadvantageously degrading the item that is obtained by molding the polymer. In addition, to remove the deposited polymer scale, not only too much labor and time are required but also since the polymer scale contains unreacted monomer, there is a danger that the human body will be injured by that monomer, which has become quite a serious problem in recent years.
Concerning prevention of deposition of polymer scale on the polymerization vessel inner wall surface and the like as mentioned above, conventionally, a method wherein a polymer scale preventive agent comprising a polar organic compound such as an amine compound, a quinone compound, and an aldehyde compound is applied and a method wherein such a polar organic compound is added to an aqueous medium are known (Japanese Patent Publication (kokoku) No. 45-30343 (1970)), which are used, for example, in some cases of suspension polymerization of vinyl chloride.
However, although these methods exhibit an effect of preventing polymer scale from being deposited until the polymerization is repeated to the extent of about 5 to 6 batches, when the polymerization is repeated further, the preventive effect declines (i.e., the preventive effect is poor in durability), which is a disadvantage. In this regard, the influence is particularly serious where an water-soluble catalyst is used, and these methods are not satisfactory from an industrial point of view.
In order to overcome this disadvantage, Japanese Pre-examination Patent Publication (kokai) No.53-13689 (1978) suggests the use of a condensation product of an aromatic amine compound as a polymer scale preventive agent. If a coating film containing this condensation product of an aromatic amine compound is formed on the part where a monomer comes in contact such as the polymerization vessel inner wall surface or the like, polymer scale is not deposited on the liquid phase part in the polymerization vessel even if the polymerization is repeated to the extent of 100 to 200 batches. Further, even in the case where a water-soluble catalyst is used, similarly polymer scale is prevented from being deposited on the liquid phase part,
However, there is a defect that polymer scale is deposited near the interface between the gas phase part and the liquid phase part positioned at the upper part of the polymerization vessel.
Once polymer scale is deposited near the interface between the gas phase part and the liquid phase part, along with the repetition of the polymerization the deposited polymer scale gradually grows, ultimately leading to peeling-off of the polymer scale, which mixes into the polymer in some cases. If the polymer scale thus mixes into the polymer, where the polymer is worked into a molded item such as a sheet, many fish eyes occur in the obtained molded item, thereby degrading the molded item conspicuously.
In forming a coating film of the condensation product of an aromatic amine compound mentioned above, since the condensation product is used in the form of a coating liquid wherein the condensation product is dissolved in an organic solvent or a mixed solvent made up of an organic solvent as a major component and water (generally the content of the organic solvent is 60 wt. % or more), there is such a risk that the organic solvent will catch fire and explode, and further there is a safety problem including toxicity and the like in handling.

Polymer scale preventive agent, polymerization vessel wherein polymer scale is prevented from depositing, and process of producing polymer using the same


In a bulb centering clamp apparatus, a plurality of first parallel swing links are angularly movable vertically and are mounted above a rotary table rotatable about a vertical axis. A plurality of second parallel swing links are angularly movable vertically and are mounted below the rotary table in facing relation to the first swing links. An upper gripper is movable angularly in facing relation to one ends of the respective first swing links. The upper gripper has a gripping surface maintained horizontal. A lower gripper is movable angularly in facing relation to one ends of the respective second swing links. The lower gripper has a gripping surface maintained horizontal. A first cam mechanism inlcudes a pair of cam followers and a pair of stationary cams, for moving the upper and lower grippers toward and away from each other. The cam followers are provided respectively at the other ends of the respective first and second swing links and are abutted respectively against the stationary cams. A pair of side clamps are arranged between the upper and lower grippers. A second cam mechanism is provided for moving the pair of side clamps toward and away from each other. The second cam mechanism includes a stationary cam and a cam follower abutted against the stationary cam of the second cam mechanism and connected to the pair of side clamps.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bulb centering clamp apparatus for centering a bulb such as an onion, a garlic, a scallion or shallot or the like and for clamping the latter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a bulb such as an onion, a garlic or the like has widely been used habitually as a cooking material. Prior to finely cutting the bulb, however, a stalk or stem and a root of the bulb must be cut to peel off an outer cover of the bulb at an outer periphery thereof, which is yellowish brown. If an attempt is made to process a large quantity of bulbs, the processing must rely upon a mechanical technique.
However, the bulbs are irregular or non-uniform in their dimension and configuration, unlike industrial products. Accordingly, if a cutting apparatus is constructed such that the stem and the root of the bulb are cut off with the positions of cutting edges for cutting the stem and root set fixedly, the following problem arises. That is, in the case where the upper and lower portions of the bulb are simultaneously cut off to remove the stem and the root of the bulb at both ends thereof by a single pass into the cutting apparatus, the margins of the respective calyxes of the bulb are taken excessively, depending upon the dimension and configuration of the bulb, so that the effective portion of the bulb suffers a loss or becomes insufficient. Thus, it will be required to again cut off the bulb manually or by a machine.
Particularly, if ones of the bulbs, which are insufficient in cutting-off, are sorted or selected from the bulbs after cutting, there is a fear that effects or advantages due to mechanization of the cutting operation are reduced by half.
Further, the following bulb centering apparatus has been proposed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 188049/1985. That is, in the bulb centering apparatus, a lower gripper is provided for vertical movement, and an upper gripper is provided for vertical movement in facing relation to the lower gripper.
However, the bulb centering apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 188049/1985 requires a first cylinder device for moving the lower gripper upwardly and a second cylinder device for moving the upper gripper downwardly, in which the bulb is clamped between the lower and upper grippers, and is centered by the latter. Thus, an additional clamp device is required for clamping both sides of the bulb.

Kabushikigaisha Nagaokaseikiseisakusho c/o No. 13-12, Minowacho 2-chome, Kohoku-ku


An image processing method and system in which the artifacts occurring in an interimage-difference image obtained based on two or more diagnostic images taken of the same subject are reduced. An image processing procedure is performed by which the artifacts occurring in an energy subtraction image are controlled relative to the substantial difference between the two images based upon which the energy subtraction image has been obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing method and system in which representation of the difference between two or more images taken of the same subject is improved.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is a common practice in a wide variety of fields to read and compare a plurality of two or more images taken of the same subject in order to discern the difference between images, and carry out an inspection of the subject based on the thus discerned difference, etc.
In the industrial products manufacturing industry, for example, images taken of a product when it is new and images taken of the same product after it has been subjected to an endurance test are compared, and attention is focused on the area showing the biggest difference so that an examination as to whether or not there are areas requiring improvement in product endurance can be carried out. In the medical field, doctors read and compare a plurality of radiation images of the diseased part of a patient taken in a time series manner in order to ascertain the course of the disease and determine the proper treatment.
In this fashion, reading and comparison of a plurality of images is carried out daily in a wide variety of fields, with the images to be read and compared being output to a display means such as a monitor, to film, or another recording medium. In other words, the image is converted to luminescence and density signals and displayed on a monitor, etc., or output to film or another hard-copy recording medium by a printer or the like.
Generally, although the area of the most interest to the viewer of such images is the area wherein the greatest difference is shown, when the images to be read and compared are output, they are simply lined up and output. However, under such conditions, the smaller the difference between the images is, the more difficult it becomes to discern.
Therefore, image processing methods that facilitate discernment of the difference between images with a higher degree of accuracy and reliability are desired. These generally start with a subtraction process that calculates the difference between corresponding structural positions (anatomically characteristic positions) of the two images, followed by extraction and enhancement of the aforementioned difference (Japanese Patent Application No. 11(1999)-342900). In this way, only the difference between images is extracted and enhanced, thereby enabling the viewer to ascertain the difference with certainty, and this is considered to contribute greatly to the prevention of misdiagnosis due to oversight of a diseased part requiring treatment or the course of progression of a disease.
In addition, when computation of the interimage-difference is to be performed, it is necessary to first align the corresponding positions of structural bodies appearing in each image (structural positions). Such alignment might entail as a first alignment, for instance, a global transformation (affine transformation, etc.) of parallel displacement, rotating and enlarging or reducing the images, and the image obtained thereby is then subjected to a second alignment entailing the division of the aligned image into a plurality of local-regions, and then matching each corresponding local-region, based upon which a non-linear distortion translation (warping) dependent on curve-fitting (two-dimensional, 10th order polynomial function) is performed. The utilization and combination of such techniques, etc. are known as shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7(1995)-37074, etc.
However, after aforementioned alignment has been performed, small misregistrations occur between the outlines of structural positions that have not been perfectly aligned (position-misregistration), and artifacts appear in an interimage-difference image where position-misregistrations occur at such outlines. Up until now, if no artifacts appeared in an interimage-difference image, because only the substantial difference between two images, representing the change due to the progress of the course of a disease, etc. of a diseased part, showed up, the size of a diseased part, the course of a disease, etc. could be effectively judged. If artifacts appeared in the image however, they obscured and thereby prevented the substantial difference from being discerned with accuracy, creating the possibility that the difference might be overlooked.
Particularly for cases in which the images are radiation images, because the three-dimensional (3-D) misalignments, occurring due to the slight changes in the direction from which the radiation is emitted, the axis of the body and its angle, the angle at which the radiation enters the subject, etc., represented in a two-dimensional (2-D) image are exceedingly difficult to correct by use of alignment techniques, the appearance of artifacts is to some extent unavoidable.
However, it is necessary to eliminate the potential that the substantial difference be overlooked due to the appearance of artifacts.

Image processing method and system, and storage medium


Provided is a power supply voltage monitoring circuit (50) including: a signal output circuit (1) for outputting a signal voltage (Vsignal) which exhibits a saturation characteristic with respect to an increase in a power supply voltage (VDD); and a signal voltage monitoring circuit (4) for comparing the power supply voltage (VDD) with the signal voltage (Vsignal), and outputting a signal (Vout) indicating that the signal voltage (Vsignal) is normal when there is a predetermined voltage difference. With this configuration, a minimum operating power supply voltage may be reduced in an electronic circuit, and the power supply voltage may be used with efficiency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power supply voltage monitoring circuit capable of reducing a minimum operating power supply voltage in an electronic circuit so as to allow the electronic circuit to operate at a reduced power supply voltage, and an electronic circuit including the power supply voltage monitoring circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
For an electronic circuit, an operation-enabled power supply voltage range best suited to the circuit is defined. In the operation-enabled power supply voltage range, proper operation of the circuit is ensured, and therefore the reliability of a signal to be output from the circuit is secured.
When the electronic circuit is turned on, the power supply voltage transiently increases to the operation-enabled power supply voltage, and hence a state transition is effected in which the power supply voltage increases to the operation-enabled power supply voltage. In order to ensure the reliability of a signal to be output during the state transition, the electronic circuit employs a method of controlling and fixing a signal to be output (see, for example, JP 08-279739 A; hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1).
An example of the method includes a method of providing a power supply voltage monitoring circuit so as to monitor a power supply voltage to be input, to thereby detect a low power supply voltage state. For example, in the power supply voltage monitoring circuit illustrated in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1, a power supply voltage to be supplied to the electronic circuit 20 is monitored, and when the power supply voltage becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined set value, an operation-enabled signal is supplied to the electronic circuit 20. With this configuration, the electronic circuit 20 may be prevented from causing malfunction.
The power supply voltage monitoring circuit disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes the power supply voltage detecting circuit as described above, which employs a breeder resistor to detect a power supply voltage. In other words, the power supply voltage monitoring circuit employs an additional circuit for detecting that the power supply voltage becomes equal to or larger than the minimum operating power supply voltage, the additional circuit being different from the circuit to be originally ensured the minimum operating power supply voltage. This configuration is inefficient in a sense that the power supply voltage may not be efficiently used in the electronic circuit.
In other words, the electronic circuit may desirably be configured such that, when a power supply voltage has exceeded the minimum operating power supply voltage in the circuit which needs to be originally ensured the minimum operating power supply voltage, the circuit immediately transmits the information thereon to an external circuit. With this configuration, the minimum operating power supply voltage may be reduced, to thereby reduce the minimum operating power supply voltage requirements in an electronic circuit, such as an integrated circuit (IC).

Power supply voltage monitoring circuit and electronic circuit including the power supply voltage monitoring circuit


A Kabuki device to positionally maintain and release a stage setting responsive to electric current from a power source. A box-like body, defining a medial chamber with a slot communicating therewith, carries a solenoid in the chamber. A movable solenoid arm communicates with a spring biased lever arm that pivots on an offset axle to provide mechanical advantage to one end of the solenoid arm. One metal ring interconnected to the stage setting is inserted through the slot and is positionally maintained by a ring support pin carried by the pivoting lever arm. A finger hole defined in one end of the body allows manual manipulation of the lever arm for resetting. Jumper cables having plural electrical leads allow a plurality of devices to be interconnected in series in multiple predetermined groupings.

IIA. Related Applications
There are no applications related hereto heretofore filed in this or in any foreign country.
IIB. Field of Invention
This invention relates to partition control devices, and more particularly to a device for positionally maintaining a stage setting and releasing the stage setting in response to a remotely generated electric signal.
IIC. Background and Description of Prior Art
Stage setting release devices, commonly known as Kabuki devices, are used in the entertainment and media industries to positionally maintain depending stage settings, such as curtains, back drops, banners and scenery changes and to release the stage settings on cue and to open performances, change backgrounds and reveal new products. Although vertical drops are most common, stage settings may also be tensioned between biasing means at one edge portion and Kabuki devices at the opposing edge portion, so that upon release by the Kabuki devices the stage setting moves toward the biasing means horizontally across a stage.
Known Kabuki devices provide a push/pull solenoid and an associated elongately movable pin that are carried within the chamber of a peripherally defined body. The body defines a slot in the surface facing the direction of release of the stage setting in which a sector of a metal ring interconnected to an edge portion of the stage setting is carried. The elongately movable pin is interconnected to the solenoid at a first end portion. The second end and medial portions of the elongately movable pin extend transversely across the slot and through the medial void portion of the metal ring carried therein, so that the metal ring is supported directly upon the elongately movable pin. Actuation of the solenoid moves the solenoid arm which responsively moves the elongately movable pin toward the first end to a position whereat the pin no longer extends through the metal ring to release the metal ring from the slot to responsively release the stage setting.
Known Kabuki devices have various drawbacks and are prone to intermittent failures. Carrying the metal ring directly upon the elongately movable pin is a frequent cause of such failures because the weight of the stage setting, and the forces applied thereby, are transverse to movement of the elongately movable pin. These transverse forces increase friction that tend to cause the pin to bind, occasionally preventing pin movement and release of the metal ring and the stage setting. The binding may be exacerbated by use, as well as by misalignment of the solenoid arm and the pin. Increased friction also requires more electrical power for the solenoid to move the pin. Precision manufacturing is therefore essential, and rough handling of known Kabuki devices, during transport or otherwise, may decrease efficiency and reliability by altering the axial alignment of the solenoid arm and elongately movable pin.
Known Kabuki devices are also difficult to load because the elongately movable pin is not easily accessible. Generally a screwdriver or other thin elongate item must be used to move the pin rearwardly so that the metal ring may be placed in the slot and about the pin. Additionally there is no ready means to test whether the electrical circuit, created when plural Kabuki devices are interconnected in series, is complete, other than activating the device which releases the metal ring and the stage setting. Such testing is impractical once the devices and stage settings have been installed and raised for operation.
The present invention seeks to overcome these drawbacks to known Kabuki devices by providing an improved Kabuki device that is more reliable and durable, is easy to load and has an electrical circuit that may be tested without releasing the stage settings.
My improved Kabuki device releasably carries one metal ring of a stage setting, in a triangular ring chamber that communicates with a slot defined in the body on a ring support pin carried at one end portion of a spring biased pivoting lever arm. The pivoting lever arm provides mechanical advantage to the solenoid arm to ensure reliably consistent pin motion, eliminates friction caused by the transverse forces of the stage setting on the pin and reduces the electrical current necessary for the solenoid to release the stage setting.
A finger hole defined in an end cap of the body, adjacent the lever arm, allows manipulation of the lever arm to simplify loading my Kabuki release device. Interconnecting interlocking wiring connectors allow plural Kabuki devices to be interconnected with one another in series. A power indicator test light is releasably attachable to each series connected group of Kabuki devices to test the connectivity of each series circuit without activating the solenoids.
My invention does not reside in any one of these identified features individually, but rather in the synergistic combination of all of its structures, which give rise to the functions necessarily flowing therefrom as hereinafter specified and claimed.


An optical connector connecting structure capable of achieving quick and easy connection of optical connectors of different types. The optical connector connecting structure includes a holder fixed to a communication device and having a pair of optical connector holding members and an adapter insertion opening, and a first optical connector held by the optical connector holding members. The optical connector connecting structure further includes an adapter inserted through the opening of the holder and detachably mounted to the first optical connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical connector connecting structure for connecting an internal optical connector in a communication device to an external optical connector outside of the communication device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of optical communication or the like, an optical connector is used to detachably connect optical fibers used as a transmission line. This kind of optical connector has such a configuration as to coaxially butt the polished end faces of optical fibers. If the optical fibers connected by the optical connector are misaligned, a connection loss increases, and it is therefore required for the optical connector to prevent such misalignment in butting the end faces of the optical fibers.
Various types of optical connectors specified by JIS, IEC, etc. are present as the optical connector for use in optical fiber communication. Therefore, an adapter capable of converting to a different type is used to connect different types of optical connectors. Such an adapter is required to connect an internal optical connector in a communication device and an external optical connector outside of the communication device. Conventionally, such an adapter is fixed by screws to a mounting bracket in the communication device.
An adapter for connecting optical connectors of the same type and an adapter for connecting optical connectors of different types are different in structure. Accordingly, in the case that the adapter for connecting the optical connectors of the same type is fixed by screws to the communication device and if the external optical connector is different in type from the internal optical connector, it is necessary to fix an adapter suitable for supporting the external optical connector. In this case, the following troublesome work for exchange of the adapters is conventionally carried out. That is, the adapter previously fixed to the communication device is first removed by loosening the screws, and the adapter supporting the external optical connector is next fixed to the communication device by the screws.

Holder for connecting optical connectors, and optical connector connecting structure


A method for face recognition by using a multiple patch combination based on a deep neural network is provided. The method includes steps of: a face-recognizing device, (a) if a face image with a 1-st size is acquired, inputting the face image into a feature extraction network, to allow the feature extraction network to generate a feature map by applying convolution operation to the face image with the 1-st size, and to generate multiple features by applying sliding-pooling operation to the feature map, wherein the feature extraction network has been learned to extract a feature using a face image for training having a 2-nd size and wherein the 2-nd size is smaller than the 1-st size; and (b) inputting the multiple features into a learned neural aggregation network, to allow the neural aggregation network to aggregate the multiple features and to output an optimal feature for the face recognition.

Deep learning (DL) is a branch of machine learning and artificial neural network based on a set of algorithms that attempt to model high level abstractions in data by using a deep graph with multiple processing layers. A typical DL architecture can include many layers of neurons and millions of parameters. These parameters can be trained from large amount of data on fast
GPU-equipped computers, guided by novel training techniques that can work with many layers, such as rectified linear units (ReLU), dropout, data augmentation, and stochastic gradient descent (SGD).
Among the existing DL architectures, convolutional neural network (CNN) is one of the most popular DL architectures. Although the idea behind CNN has been known for more than 20 years, the true power of CNN has only been recognized after the recent development of the deep learning theory. To date, CNN has achieved numerous successes in many artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, such as face recognition, image classification, image caption generation, visual question answering, and automatic driving cars.
Face detection is an important process in many face recognition applications. A large number of face detection techniques can easily detect near frontal faces.
In the face recognition as such, the face is recognized by a feature extraction network, which extracts features from an inputted face image, by using the extracted features.
In particular, conventional face recognition devices use input augmentation to improve facial recognition performance.
That is, by referring to FIG. 1, when the face image is inputted, a patch generation 11 may process the face image by using a method such as translation or flip to generate a plurality of patches corresponding to the face image, and a feature extraction network 12 extracts the features from each of the generated patches, and outputs the features corresponding to the face image by averaging the extracted features to perform the face recognition of the face image.
However, these conventional face-recognizing devices take a long time and consume huge computing resources since forward computing must be performed by the feature extraction network as many times as the number of the generated patches.
In addition, with the conventional face recognition devices, it is difficult to ensure a reliability of face recognition results because there is no guarantee that the averaged features are the most optimal features corresponding to the face image.

Method for recognizing face using multiple patch combination based on deep neural network with fault tolerance and fluctuation robustness in extreme situation


The invention relates to a device for providing a flux layer on a printed board in view of a subsequent soldering step. The device comprises a reservoir containing flux and a cylinder (3) accommodated in the said reservoir, which cylinder can be rotated about the horizontal center line (X--X) during operation. A spray tube (10) is accommodated in the cylinder so as to extend parallel to its center line (X--X) and comprises spray apertures (11) in a row which extends in the longitudinal direction of the spray tube and at a given regular pitch. The spray apertures (11) are partly conical with an apex angle .alpha. of 60.degree.. The wire-gauze cylinder (3) is seamless.

The invention relates to a device for providing a flux layer on a printed board, which device comprises a reservoir and a wire-gauze cylinder which is rotatable in the reservoir, while in the cylinder a spray tube extending parallel to its center line is accommodated, into which spray tube the outflow aperture of an air supply line opens and in which spray tube spray apertures have been provided which are arranged in a row extending in the longitudinal direction of the spray tube.
For soldering parts to a printed board it is customary to wet such a panel with a flux with a view to the removal of contaminations and the furthering of the soldering activities. When a device is used as described in the opening paragraph the board is for that purpose moved transversely to the longitudinal direction of the spray tube over the wire-gauze cylinder which rotates during operation and the flux which is dragged along by the cylinder out of the liquid bath in the reservoir is blown against the printed board to be wetted by means of the air flowing out of the spray apertures in the spray tube.
In a known device, which is now commercially available, the spray tube has a small diameter as compared with the diameter of the cylinder and a second duct which extends parallel to the spray tube and is connected to a sources of compressed air is accommodated in the cylinder, which duct communicates with the interior of the spray tube by means of a number of radially extending connecting studs connected to the spray tube. The spray apertures provided in the spray tube for the exhaust of the compressed air have a cylindrical shape.
It has been found in practice that with this known device a regular spray pattern cannot be obtained so that a flux layer of a non-uniform thickness is formed on the board to be wetted, which impedes an efficacious cleaning of the printed board and an effective provision of reliable soldered joints. The non-uniform layer thickness is caused by air whirls and by a non-uniform pressure distribution of the air flowing out of the spray apertures over the length of the tube. The thicker the flux layer, the more residues remain on the wiring panel. Because residues cause contact problems, for example, in the in-circuit-testing of printed boards by means of pin beds, thin flux layers are desired. Because thin flux layers are necessary and desired, the spreading on the layer thickness is of great influence.

Device for providing a flux layer on a printed board


A cooler of a power converting device for a railroad vehicle has heat exchanger tubes or heat radiator fins disposed to enhance the cooling performance of semiconductor devices arranged on an upper level of the multiple semiconductor devices arranged in multiple rows. Temperature detecting elements are arranged to detect temperature of the semiconductor devices arranged on a lower level on a windward side and a leeward side with respect to a traveling wind performing heat exchange with the heat radiator fins, and are arranged to detect temperature of the semiconductor devices arranged on the upper level at a center area thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power converting device mounted on a railroad vehicle, and especially relates to a cooler for semiconductor devices disposed on the power converting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A railroad vehicle is designed to travel by converting commercial-frequency AC power or a DC power to a three-phase AC having variable frequency and driving a motor thereby. As a power converter for converting power, a variable voltage variable frequency (VVVF) inverter or the like that uses multiple semiconductor devices such as IGBTs as power semiconductor switching elements and converting DC into three-phase AC having variable frequency is widely used.
IGBT and other semiconductor devices create a large loss during power conversion, so that a dedicated cooler is required. Such cooler has a large number of heat radiator fins for radiating heat, and cooling is performed by sending cooling wind to the heat radiator fins using fans, or by having heat radiator fins exposed on the side surface of the vehicle body and cooling the heat radiator fins via traveling wind flowing on the side surface of the car body during travel.
As described, the cooler adopting a cooling method using air flowing on the side surface of the car body during traveling of the vehicle is called a traveling wind cooler.
In the traveling wind cooler, there is no need to dispose fans and the required cost is low, but since the traveling wind speed varies by vehicle speed, the cooling wind speed is increased when the vehicle speed is increased and the cooling performance is improved, but when the vehicle is at a stop or when the vehicle is travelling at low speed, the cooling wind speed via traveling wind is reduced and the cooling performance is also reduced, and especially when the vehicle is at a stop, the cooling performance is minimized. Therefore, the cooler using traveling wind for cooling must be designed to cool all the semiconductor devices sufficiently even when the vehicle is at a stop.
The cooling wind flown into the cooler when the vehicle is at a stop is generated by the updraft caused by the heat dissipation from the heat radiator fins, wherein the updraft taken in from the lower area of the power converter first cools the semiconductor devices disposed on the lower area, and thereafter cools the semiconductor devices disposed on the upper area before exiting from the upper area of the power converter.
The semiconductor devices disposed on the lower area of the power converter are cooled by the outer air having low temperature taken in from the lower area of the cooler, but the semiconductor devices disposed on the upper area of the power converter is cooled using the updraft heated by the lower semiconductor devices, so that sufficient radiation cannot be performed and the cooling performance is deteriorated as a result. Thus, in general, countermeasures are taken to enhance the radiation performance of the cooler for cooling the semiconductor devices disposed on the upper area of the power converter, such as increasing the number of heat radiator fins or increasing the number of heat exchanger tubes such as heat pipes for transferring heat.
Now, the prior art technique will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 through 10.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a traveling wind cooler according to the prior art, FIG. 7 is a side view of FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is an upper view thereof. FIG. 9 shows a performance curve of the traveling wind cooler according to the prior art.
In FIG. 6, 600 illustrates a heat absorption panel disposed substantially parallel with and perpendicular to a traveling direction of the railroad vehicle, 601 illustrates heat radiator fins arranged substantially in parallel with the heat absorption panel 600, 602 illustrates temperature detecting elements such as thermistors attached to the heat absorption panel 600, 603 illustrates semiconductor devices constituting power converters such as IGBTs disposed to contact one side of the heat absorption panel 600 to enable heat exchange, and 604 illustrates heat exchanger tubes arranged to extend in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the heat absorption panel 600 from the other side of the heat absorption panel 600 opposing to the side on which the semiconductor devices 603 are attached. In the illustrated example, semiconductor devices 603 are arranged in three rows along the direction of travel of the railroad vehicle and two levels on each row, an upper level and a lower level, wherein the temperature detecting elements 602 are attached to the heat absorption panel 600 so as to detect the temperature of the semiconductor devices 603 disposed on the upper area of each row.
The heat generated in the semiconductor devices 603 is absorbed by the heat absorption panel 600, and the heat is transferred to the heat exchanger tubes 604, a portion of which is either embedded to or in contact with the heat absorption panel 600. The heat exchanger tubes 604 adopt, for example, a so-called heat pipe system in which a determined amount of liquid coolant such as water is filled in the interior of a pipe and heat is transferred by the change of phase of the coolant.
The heat of the heat exchanger tube 604 is transferred to the heat radiator fins 601 and emitted to the atmosphere, and in general, it is common to dispose multiple heat radiator fins 601 so as to efficiently transfer the heat from the heat exchanger tube 604 to the atmosphere.
Recently, also in the field of railroad vehicles, reduction of weight and size of the various equipment and cutting down of costs are strongly demanded from the viewpoint of saving energy, and therefore, an important problem to be solved in designing the above-described type of traveling wind coolers is to reduce heat radiator fins 601 and heat exchanger tubes 604 to a minimum. As described earlier, there is a problem in the traveling wind cooler that the cooling performance of the cooler for cooling the semiconductor devices disposed on the upper area of the power converter is deteriorated when the vehicle is travelling at a slow speed or is at a stop, so that a configuration is adopted to enhance the cooling of the upper area of the power converter, so that as shown in FIGS. 6 through 8, the number of heat radiator fins 601 or the number of heat exchanger tubes 604 are increased in the upper are of the power converter compared to the numbers thereof in the lower area of the power converter, so as to enhance the cooling performance in that area.
FIG. 9 is a performance diagram illustrating the effect when the cooling of the upper area of the power converter is enhanced, as shown in FIGS. 6 through 8. FIG. 9 illustrates the relationship between the vehicle speed and the cooling performance, and in the drawing, the cooling performance becomes higher as the graph approximates the upper end. The solid line in the drawing shows the cooling performance via the cooler disposed on the lower area of the power converter, the dashed-dotted line shows the cooling performance at the upper area of the power converter when the cooling performance at the upper area of the power converter and the cooling performance at the lower area of the power converter are set to be equivalent, that is, when the number of heat radiator fins 601 and the number of heat exchanger tubes are set uniformly in the upper and lower areas, and the dotted line shows the cooling performance when the cooling performance by the cooler on the upper area of the power converter has been improved by increasing the number of heat radiator fins 601 or the number of heat exchanger tubes 604 disposed on the upper area of the power converter.
In the case where the cooling performance has been set uniformly in the upper and lower areas (dashed-dotted line of FIG. 9), sufficient traveling wind cannot be acquired when the vehicle is traveling at a slow speed or is at a stop, and in addition, the upper level cooler is influenced by the updraft heated by the cooler on the lower level and the cooling performance thereof is deteriorated significantly, but when the vehicle speed is increased, the cooling performance is improved, which tends to saturate near the design maximum speed.
On the other hand, in the case where the number of heat radiator fins disposed on the upper area of the power converter is increased (dotted line of FIG. 9), the overall performance is improved and especially the cooling performance when the vehicle is at a stop or traveling at a low speed is improved significantly approximating the performance of the lower level cooler, wherein as the vehicle speed increases, the cooling performance is also increased, and at the design maximum speed, the cooling performance at the lower level is designed to be saturated so that the cooling performance of the upper level becomes equivalent to the cooling performance of the lower level. Based on such design, it is known that the number of heat radiator fins, the number of heat exchanger tubes and the volume of the cooler can be minimized, and costs can be cut down.
Regarding such cooler, in order to prevent damage caused by abnormal overheat of semiconductor devices 603, as shown in FIG. 6, temperature detecting elements 602 are attached to a windward side, a center area and a leeward side of the upper level cooler that has a constantly lower cooling performance than the lower level cooler and thus having a high possibility of reaching the maximum temperature.
For example, patent document 1 shown below discloses such structure.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-200866
However, the above-described cooler has the following problems.
As described earlier, in a traveling wind cooler, the cooling performed to the upper area of the power converter when the vehicle is at a stop or is traveling at low speed is enhanced, and at the design maximum speed, the cooling performance is designed to be equal at the upper and lower areas of the power converter.
This technique has no drawback in a power converter designed so that the predetermined speed equals the design maximum speed of the vehicle, but especially in recent years, there are demands to increase the maximum speed without increasing vehicle costs, that is, without having to perform a significant design change, so that vehicles must be designed to travel at higher speed without changing the basic specifications of the traveling wind cooler, such as the arrangement of semiconductor devices, the heat radiator fins and the heat exchanger tubes.
Further, even if the railroad vehicle is traveling at a speed below the design maximum speed, if the railroad vehicle receives headwind, the speed of the cooling wind received by the traveling wind cooler is relatively equivalent to the traveling wind speed when the vehicle travels at a speed higher than the design maximum speed.
In such case, it has been discovered that as the vehicle exceeds the design maximum speed, the cooling performance at the lower area of the power converter becomes lower than the cooling performance at the upper area thereof.
For example, as shown in FIG. 10, if a certain additional speed is added by increasing the design maximum speed or via headwind, the wind speed of the cooling wind relatively becomes higher than the design maximum speed, so that the cooling performance of the cooler on the upper level of the power converter having an increased number of heat radiator fins is increased even through the cooling performance of the cooler on the lower level of the power converter is saturated, so that the lines of performance of the cooler at the upper level of the power converter and the cooler at the lower level thereof cross near the design maximum speed, and as the added speed increases, the cooling performance of the cooler on the lower level falls below the cooling performance of the cooler on the upper level.
It is presumed that such phenomenon is caused by the cooling of the lower level being originally designed to have a low cooling performance compared to the cooler on the upper level, and the speed of the cooling wind relatively exceeding the design vehicle maximum speed, so that the updraft heated by the semiconductor devices disposed on the lower level flows along the cooling wind without reaching the cooler disposed on the upper area by the high-speed cooling wind.
This phenomenon is especially noticeable in the cooler disposed on the leeward side on the lower level being influenced by the heat radiation from the semiconductor devices disposed on the upstream side of the cooling wind.
If the vehicle continues to travel in such circumstances, the semiconductor devices disposed on the leeward side on the lower level is most likely to cause overheat compared to other semiconductor devices, but if the thermistors are disposed only on the upper level of the power converter as in the prior art, it will not be possible to detect abnormality of semiconductor devices disposed on the leeward side on the lower level of the power converter. Further, if thermistors are disposed on all the semiconductor devices on the upper level and the lower level of the power converter to prevent the above problem, another problem is caused in that the device becomes complex by the increased number of wires for connecting thermistors, and the costs thereof are increased.
The present invention solves this problem by providing a cooler capable of detecting abnormalities stably in vehicles regardless of whether the vehicle is at a stop or traveling at maximum speed, without having to change the basic design even if the design maximum speed is increased or if influences from the outer environment such as headwind are received.

Cooler of power converting device for railroad vehicle


Embodiments of the present invention enable generation of a simulated reference bitmap image that corresponds to a dot-pattern image. Certain applications of the present invention are its use in various embodiments of a system for inspection of a printed circuit board (“PCB”) substrate. In embodiments, a dot-pattern image and user-input configuration parameters are used to create an initialized simulated reference bitmap, and the dot pattern is mapped onto the reference bitmap using a scaling factor. In embodiments, reference bitmaps of individual sections of a dot-pattern image may be generated separately.

A. Technical Field
The present invention pertains generally to image processing, and relates more particularly to systems and methods for simulation of a printed dot-pattern bitmap image.
B. Background of the Invention
Printing technology is an important component of applications such as printed circuit board (hereafter, "PCB") manufacturing. In PCB manufacturing, a PCB pattern image may be printed directly onto a PCB substrate. It is important that the PCB image is accurate, because errors or aberrations in the image may result in errors in the manufactured PCB substrate.
Typically, a PCB pattern is printed as a dot-pattern image by an industrial inkjet printer. It is important to be able to calibrate such printers as well as perform quality control in order to insure that their printing performance is consistent and meets specifications. An inkjet printer head contains a set of nozzles, and the output of a particular nozzle may be correlated to regions of the dot-pattern image being printed. After periods of printer continuous use, a nozzle may become clogged or otherwise malfunction and this could lead to errors or aberrations in the image being printed.
Ceramic PCB substrates with a pattern printed by industrial inkjet printers typically are cured between successive printing cycles by a baking process. The presence of surface contaminants and the act of curing may result in the distortion of printed features. In addition to uniform shrinkage, the printed pattern is also subject to non-uniform shrinkage based on the local geometry of printed material. Distortions in the printed pattern and misfiring ink jet nozzles may also create circuit errors such as open and short circuits (topological distortions), and misalignment of circuit features (geometric distortions) between multiple printing passes.
If a nozzle's "signature" can be characterized in terms of the quality of its rendering of a region of a dot pattern, a malfunctioning printer and the cause of the malfunction could be identified through inspection of the images it produces. It would be useful to be able to identify and correct printing errors resulting from a malfunctioning printer before more costly manufacturing errors are incurred.

Simulation of a printed dot-pattern bitmap


A request is received to install control rules before having received a corresponding QoS Authorization, especially where the QoS Authorization requires a prior reservation of resources. The request for a bearer resource is pre-authorized before having received a QoS authorization for said request, by receiving a request for a bearer resource; determining that a QoS authorization has not been received yet; pre-authorizing said request for the bearer resource by installing initial control rules; and updating the previously installed initial control rules with final control rules upon receipt of the QoS authorization. This pre-authorization and the submission of initial control rules are carried out from a PCRF server towards a PCEF device, before having received the QoS authorization. In particular, the pre-authorization may be triggered from a P-CSCF at the originating or destination side, or at both.

An IP Multimedia Subsystem (hereinafter IMS) enables an operator of a Public Land Mobile Network (hereinafter PLMN) to offer their subscribers multimedia services based on and built upon Internet applications, services and protocols. These multimedia services may be particularly accessible via IMS applications.
A complete solution for the support of IMS applications, in accordance with 3GPP IMS-related technical specifications, includes terminals for the subscribers or users of the IMS, one or more IP-Connectivity Access Network (hereinafter IP-CAN), and specific functional elements of the IMS as described in 3GPP TS 23.228: "IP Multimedia Subsystem; Stage 2". An exemplary IP-CAN may be a GPRS core network with a GERAN and/or UTRAN radio access networks. Ongoing 3GPP Release 8 also covers a so-called SAE network as a new type of IP-CAN, in accordance with 3GPP TS 23.401.
Different services and applications can be offered on top of IMS. The IMS allows deployment of peer-to-peer applications such as Multimedia Telephony, Push-to-Talk over Cellular, real-time video sharing, etc, for which the transport connections are dynamically negotiated by a protocol exchange between two end-points. Such protocol exchange is conventionally carried out by coupled protocols such as the Session Initiation Protocol (hereinafter SIP) and the Session Description Protocol (hereinafter SDP) may be, namely a SIP/SDP exchange.
In order to provide a satisfactory and reliable service experience, operators need to take special care of the quality, effective charging and potential fraud on the use of services and IMS applications. To this end, a Policy and Charging Control (hereinafter PCC) architecture is provided, as disclosed in 3GPP TS 23.203, to help operators on the control of the above issues. Thus, the PCC architecture cooperates with the IMS in order to provide a selective control of IP flows, such as QoS, firewall, multiplexing, etc, as well as a selective handling of the negotiated IP flows.
This PCC architecture generally includes an Application Function (hereinafter AF) offering applications that require policy and charging control of resources in the bearer plane and wherein service characteristics are negotiated through in the signalling plane; a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (hereinafter PCEF) providing service data flow detection, charging and policing enforcement over the traffic in the bearer plane and wherein the service is actually provided through; and a Policy and Charging Rules Function (hereinafter PCRF) providing control functions and installing rules at the PCEF to ensure that only authorized media flows are allowed and are applied the right QoS through the right bearer.
At present, the establishment of bearers can be initiated and managed by the network (hereinafter NW) or by the user equipment (hereinafter UE) via so-called NW-initiated or UE-initiated Bearer Control Procedures. In this respect, the present invention is originally aimed for UE-initiated Bearer Control Procedures, though its teaching may solve similar issues turning up in NW-initiated Bearer Control Procedures.
A conventional scenario may be where a user with a UE accesses the IMS through a Proxy Call Session Control Function (hereinafter P-CSCF) and gets IP connectivity via an IP-CAN such as GPRS. Where this scenario includes a PCC architecture, the AF is included in, or in close cooperation with, the P-CSCF; the PCEF may be included in, or in close cooperation with, a Gateway GPRS Support Node (hereinafter GGSN), a Packet Data Network Gateway (hereinafter PDN-GW), or any other network node depending on the selected IP-CAN; and the PCRF may be provided as a separate server logically located between the signalling plane and the bearer plane, or be integrated with the P-CSCF or the GGSN, or with any other network node.
In a traditional scenario, where the PCC architecture is used, a sequence for establishing an IMS session starts when the UE of an originating user submits a SIP Invite message including an SDP offer towards an originating P-CSCF acting as the entry to the IMS. This SDP offer is transmitted through IMS Core nodes, that is, those IMS entities of the originating and/or destination IMS network that, for the purpose of the present invention, are not essential for the understanding of the proposed solution. Upon receipt of a corresponding SDP answer to the originating offer after having negotiated the media, the P-CSCF, or rather the AF included therein, submits a corresponding QoS authorization towards the PCRF, whilst the P-CSCF forwards the received SDP answer towards the UE of the originating user, that is, the originating UE for the sake of simplicity. Afterwards, in a UE-init Bearer Control mode, the originating UE initiates the reservation of QoS resources, namely a so-called bearer request throughout the present specification, towards the PCC architecture, namely towards the PCEF which asks the PCRF for applicable control rules. In the current situation, the QoS authorization always reaches the PCRF before having been asked for applicable control rules for the bearer.
However, the 3GPP TS 23.228 states for Multimedia Telephony that, if provided with the appropriate rules, the reservation of bearer resources may be initiated by the UE during the initial SIP Invite request. In this situation, the PCRF receives a request to install control rules before having received any QoS Authorization from the P-CSCF, so that such request is rejected in a conventional PCC architecture.


A photonic crystal device according to the present invention includes: a first dielectric substrate 104 having a first lattice structure, of which the dielectric constant changes periodically within a first plane; a second dielectric substrate 105 having a second lattice structure, of which the dielectric constant changes periodically within a second plane; and an adjustment device (pivot 303) for changing a photonic band structure, defined by the first and second lattice structures, by varying relative arrangement of the first and second lattice structures. The first and second dielectric substrates 104 and 105 are stacked one upon the other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photonic crystal device with a variable photonic crystal structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of photonic crystals, having a one-, two- or three-dimensional lattice, have been reported. A photonic crystal having the simplest structure is formed by alternately stacking two types of dielectric thin films with mutually different dielectric constants one upon the other.
The structure of the one-dimensional photonic crystal disclosed in John D. Joannopoulos, Robert D. Meade and Joshua N. Winn, "Photonic Crystals: Molding the Flow of Light", translated by Hisataka Fujii and Mitsuteru Inoue, 1st printing of 1st edition, published by Corona Publishing Co., Ltd. on Oct. 23, 2000 (ISBN 4-339-00727-7), p. 42, FIG. 4-1 will be described with reference to FIG. 28. The one-dimensional photonic crystal 1201 shown in FIG. 28 includes low-dielectric-constant layers 1202 and high-dielectric-constant layers 1203 that are stacked alternately. The low-dielectric-constant layers 1202 and high-dielectric-constant layers 1203 are made of dielectric materials that transmit an electromagnetic wave 1204.
In the example illustrated in FIG. 28, the unit cell (with a lattice constant a) of the photonic crystal is formed by a pair of low- and high-dielectric-constant layers 1202 and 1203. A number of such unit cells are arranged in the z-axis direction, thereby defining a one-dimensional periodic structure.
Hereinafter, it will be described how the one-dimensional photonic crystal 1201 works.
If the electromagnetic wave 1204 that has propagated in the z-axis direction is incident perpendicularly onto the lower surface of the one-dimensional photonic crystal 1201, the electromagnetic wave 1204 may be unable to transmit through the one-dimensional photonic crystal 1201 depending on its frequency. Such a frequency range in which the electromagnetic wave 1204 is forbidden to transmit (i.e., a forbidden frequency band) is called a "photonic band gap (PBG)". The PBG has a similar property to that of the electron's band gap of a normal crystal, and depends on the lattice structure of the photonic crystal. In the one-dimensional photonic crystal 1201, the PBG frequency band changes with the dielectric constants of the low- and high-dielectric constant layers 1202 and 1203 and the magnitude of the lattice constant a.
The PBG is present for the following reason.
In the one-dimensional photonic crystal 1201, the incoming electromagnetic wave 1204 is partially reflected from every interface between the low- and high-dielectric-constant layers 1202 and 1203, thereby producing a reflected wave. There are a lot of interfaces in the one-dimensional photonic crystal 1201, thus producing a number of reflected waves. If the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave 1204 matches the lattice constant a and if the reflected waves are in phase with each other and superposed one upon the other, then those reflected waves will interfere with each other and intensify each other without attenuating. In that case, if there are a good number of unit cells in the propagation direction of the electromagnetic wave 1204, then the incoming electromagnetic wave 1204 will be reflected substantially totally. More specifically, when a phase difference between a wave reflected from an interface and a wave reflected from another interface that is adjacent to the former interface is an integral multiple of ±2π, all of those electromagnetic waves 1204 reflected from the respective interfaces will intensify each other. As a result, an intense reflected wave will be produced by the photonic crystal 1201 as a whole.
If a sufficiently large number of unit cells are arranged, then the photonic crystal 1201 will produce zero transmitted waves because it is a passive circuit and due to the energy conservation law. Consequently, the PBG is produced.
This feature of the photonic crystal is used in not just the field of optics but also various other fields of application. In the field of radio frequency communications, for example, this feature is taken advantage of to improve the radiation characteristic of an antenna and to reduce crosstalk between transmission lines.
It was proposed that the characteristic of a microstrip antenna, including a conductor pattern on a dielectric substrate, be improved by using the photonic crystal. A conventional microstrip antenna has considerable directivity for electric fields that are parallel to its dielectric substrate and for E-plane (which is defined for a linearly polarized antenna as a plane containing the electric field vector and direction of maximum radiation). Accordingly, electromagnetic waves radiated from the microstrip antenna with such directivity are easily coupled to surface wave modes having the capability of propagating on the dielectric substrate. Thus, unwanted leakage of electrical power, not contributing to radiation, is likely to occur to produce diffracted waves at the edges of the dielectric substrate. As a result, the directivity of the antenna is disturbed, which is a problem.
To overcome such a problem, it is effective to arrange the photonic crystals around the antenna. If the PBG is matched with the operating frequency of the antenna, then no electromagnetic waves could propagate parallel to the surface of the dielectric substrate. As a result, such leakage of electrical power, not contributing to radiation, can be reduced significantly.
However, the conventional photonic crystal cannot change its lattice constant a dynamically, i.e., cannot change the frequency of appearance of the PBG as required.
In order to overcome the problems described above, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a photonic crystal device that can easily change the frequency range in which the PBG appears.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A drive device for a deployment element of a motor vehicle, in particular for a pivotable hinged window, which can be moved between an open position and a closed position in a motorized manner is provided. A spur gear transmission driven by an electric motor comprises an output gear having a coupling lever for coupling a deployment lever in a rotationally movable manner, a spur gear that meshes with the output gear, and an intermediate gear that is coaxial with the spur gear. The output gear has outer teeth having two teeth sections of different axial tooth width. The deployment lever that is coupled to the coupling lever extends in a plane of symmetry perpendicular to the rotational axes of the spur gear transmission.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a drive device for a motor-driven tilt element that can be moved between an open position and a closed position, having an electric-motor driven spur gear drive. A tilt element can be understood to mean an outwardly opening closure part that is pivotable, which is to say hinged on one side, for example a vent window, a pop-up roof, or the like, in a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Background Art
A drive mechanism is known from DE 197 57 346 C2, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,348, and in which the driving force of an electric motor can be transmitted to a pivoting window via a worm-and-spur drive to a first link that is integral with an output shaft and a second link that is coupled with the first link. During an opening and closing motion of the window, the connection point between the two links moves along a curved path of approximately 180°, while the connection point between the second link and the window pane moves back and forth along a straight path. The curved path of the connection point extends on the side of the drive shaft opposite a pivot hinge for articulating the window pane that represents the circle center of a path forming a semicircle. The second link between the connection point and the window pane is curved in design in one embodiment, and thus surrounds the output shaft even when the vent window is closed.
In a power window actuator known from DE 42 18 507 C2, with an electric motor drive and multi-stage geared spindle drive, and with a similar pivoted lever mechanism with two levers connected together in an articulated manner whose articulation point for opening and closing the outwardly opening side window again is pivoted along an arcuate path about an axis of shaft rotation, the articulation point is located on the side opposite the window pane below the axis of rotation when the window is in the closed position. In this way, the window is secured against unwanted (manual) opening.
If such drive devices are also to be operable in so-called automatic travel, then they are subject in principle to the same legal requirements as window regulators for windows that can be raised and lowered, for which a maximum pinching force of typically 100N is permissible for a so-called 4 mm rod (upper pinch gap limit) in automatic travel in the direction of closure.

Drive device for a tilt element of a motor vehicle

Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Hallstadt


Systems and methods are provided for managing a data store, invalidation requests, and/or resource requests. The system and methods may use one or more data structures, such as hash data structures and/or probabilistic data structures, to achieve various levels of granularity and/or computer resource efficiencies. Further, the invalidation request data may be stored at a front-end layer separate from a data store layer, such that the invalidation requests are processed based on resource requests. In the example, the hash data structure can be used for recent invalidation requests and older request data can be stored in memory-efficient probabilistic data structures. For example, probabilistic filters, such as a bloom filter, can store resource identifiers along with an associated version for space-efficient invalidation comparisons.

In a computer network context, a cache or temporary storage may be used to store network content. The cache may be located near the requesting device, which may enable faster access to content. The use of caches may also reduce bandwidth and server load. After a period of time, the content in the cache may be deleted.

Memory-efficient management of computer network resources


An injection site marking method and apparatus includes a base member having a continuous side wall defining an open top, an open bottom, and an interior area. The open bottom is configured to attach selectively to a serum vial. A liquid retention member is positioned in the interior area and configured to hold a colorized viscous liquid. A cap having a continuous side wall defining an open bottom and interior area is connected to the base member such that the liquid retention member is unexposed. The cap includes a top wall defining an aperture. In use, a syringe may be inserted through the aperture, through the liquid retention member, and into a serum vial so as to withdraw serum and such that the syringe reservoir nose contacts the viscous liquid. The needle is injected into a user's skin until the syringe reservoir nose contacts the skin with the colorant.

This invention relates generally to injection site marking devices and, more particularly, to an injection site marking method and apparatus.
Persons having certain illnesses, medical conditions, or diseases must inject themselves or be injected by another person using a syringe filled with a liquid medicament. For example, a person having diabetes may be required to inject himself with insulin every day. In fact, some diabetics must inject themselves with multiple types of insulin every day. It is not recommended to inject into the same skin location on consecutive days as this may result in the breakdown of skin tissue. In addition, it is difficult for a diabetic to keep track of which type of insulin has or has not been injected—resulting in the risk that the same type of insulin may be injected twice while another type of insulin may not be injected at all.
Various devices have been proposed for identifying the site of a syringe injection so as to aid a user in not injecting in the same site on consecutive days. Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,270 discloses that a protective needle cover includes a dimple having a small amount of pigment therein such that the cover may be pressed against a user's skin before or after injection to identify an injection site. Although assembly effective, the existing patents do not provide for an injection site marking to be made simultaneous with the process of making an injection. Further, the past patents and proposals do not solve the problem of indicating from which of multiple vials have been injected at one sitting.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus for marking an injection site that makes a marking on a user's skin simultaneous with making an injection. Further, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus for marking an injection site that makes it easy for a user to determine which medicine from multiple vials has been injected and which has not been injected.


Process for producing transformable, competent cells including the steps of growing the cells in a growth conducive medium at a temperature of less than 37.degree. C. and freezing the cells, and cells produced by the process.

This invention relates to a process for producing cells of improved competency that are transformable ("competency" referring to the ability of cells to take up and establish exogenous DNA), and to such competent cells. This aspect of the invention relates particularly to cells of Escherichia coli having competency for plasmid DNA. The invention further relates to such a process and to cells produced by the process, which can be repeatedly frozen and thawed without significant loss in transformability.
The methods used for the insertion of exogenous DNA sequences and genes from a variety of organisms into Escherichia coli been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,224 (Cohen and Boyer, 1980). That patent describes the preparation of hybrid plasmid molecules, the insertion of these hybrid plasmid molecules into cells of E. coli, and the replication and amplification of these recombinant plasmids in the transformed cells. The extensive use of and interest in recombinant DNA technology has resulted in a great need for E. coli cells which are capable of taking up and establishing recombinant plasmid molecules, since competent E. coli have become important to the process of introducing and amplifying exogenous genes or sequences.
A number of procedures exist for the preparation of competent E. coli cells and the introduction of DNA into these cells. For example Mandel and Higa (1970, Journal of Molecular Biology 53:159) describe a procedure whereby bacteriophage DNA is combined with E. coli cells in the presence of 50 mM Ca.sup.++ at 0.degree. C. followed by a brief heat pulse at 37.degree.-42.degree. C. This method has been extended to the uptake of chromosomal DNA (Cosloy and Oishi 1973, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 70:84) and plasmid DNA (Cohen et al 1972, PNAS 69:2110). A summary of the factors influencing the efficiency of transformation is given in Hanahan (1983, JMB 166:557). These factors include the addition of other cations such as Mg, Mn, or Rb to the Ca-treated cells as well as the prolonged incubation of the cells in CaCl.sub.2. The efficiency of transformation of E. coli cells is substantially enhanced by the method described by Hanahan (1983, JMB, hereinafter referred to as "Hanahan (1983)"). The E. coli cells are grown at 37.degree. C. in the presence of 20 mM Mg. Plasmid DNA is combined with the cells at 0.degree. C. in the presence of Mn, Ca, Rb or K, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), dithiothreitol (DTT) and hexamine cobalt chloride.
Several E. coli strains prepared by the latter method have transformation efficiencies of from 1 to 5.times.10.sup.8 transformants/ug plasmid DNA. Generally frozen competent cells have transformation efficiencies of about 1.times.10.sup.8 transformants/ug plasmid DNA. These competent cells can be stored frozen at -70.degree. C. for several months without significant loss of transformation efficiency. However, the foregoing frozen cells cannot be thawed and refrozen without significant loss of transformation efficiency.

Process of producing highly transformable cells and cells produced thereby


A dispenser for items of merchandise is formed as a wire rack having an entrance opening for placing the items into the dispenser and a discharge opening for removal of the items from the dispenser by a customer. A pivotally moveable gate located adjacent the discharge opening permits removal of the items one at a time, with a time delay being required between the removal of each of the items to retard shoplifting. The gate also produces an audible sound when moving toward the open position to further reduce possible shoplifting.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to dispensing systems and in particular to a dispenser for dispensing items of merchandise one item at a time with a time delay between the individual dispensing of the items to prevent rapid removal of a plurality of the items from the dispenser by a potential shoplifter.
2. Background Information
It is desirable in retail establishments such as supermarkets and large volume discount stores, to display a plurality of items in racks in order to provide a sufficient supply of the item for the customers and to avoid constant restocking of the item throughout a business day. However, this presents a problem for certain items of merchandise which are subject to shoplifting wherein an individual will rapidly remove a number of the items from the display rack and place the same in a concealed location or run from the store without paying for the selected items.
Various devices have been devised to prevent the loss of merchandise such as the placement of EAS tags on the items, securing the items in a locked cabinet or dispenser, all of which increases the cost of doing business and delay in checking the customer out at a checkout location. Also, this inconveniences the customer, possibly resulting in loss of goodwill and even the customer to a competitor store.
For certain items which may be susceptible to shoplifting, especially relatively expensive food products, such as baby formula, it is believed that theft may be reduced by placing the items in a dispenser which enables the customer to remove the item from the dispenser or display rack, but prevent rapid removal of the product. However it is desirable that a prospective customer be able to view the containers of the item when in a stored position in the dispenser and to read the information printed on the containers prior to removing the same from their stored position.
Thus, the need exists for an improved dispenser for items of merchandise, such as cylindrical containers for various food products, which prevents a customer from removing a plurality of the items from a display rack in rapid succession, while permitting the items to be dispensed one at a time with a time delay between the dispensing of the individual items.


A method for manufacturing a photovoltaic module, comprising at least two electrically connected photovoltaic cells, the module comprising an insulating substrate covered with a layer of a first conductive material. The method comprises: a) forming a groove defining a first and second lower electrode; and b) forming, on each lower electrode, a stack comprising an upper electrode and a photo-active layer. The method further comprises, between steps a) and b), forming: a first insulating step on the groove; then a conductive strip partially covering the first insulating strip; then a second insulating strip partially covering the conductive strip.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a photovoltaic module, of the type comprising at least two electrically connected photovoltaic cells, said module comprising an insulating substrate covered with a layer of a first conducting material; the method comprising the following steps: a) forming, on the layer of first material, a groove defining first and second lower electrodes, isolated from one another; and b) forming, on each of said lower electrodes, a stack comprising at least: an upper electrode formed by a layer of a second conducting material; and at least one photo-active layer positioned between the lower and upper electrodes; each of the first and second lower electrodes respectively forming a first and second photovoltaic cell with the corresponding stack.
A photovoltaic module is an electronic component which, exposed to light, produces electricity. Such a photovoltaic module typically comprises several electrically connected photovoltaic cells. Each cell includes at least one photo-active material, i.e., able to produce electricity from light. Such a material is for example an organic semiconductor.
Photovoltaic modules of the aforementioned type are described in documents U.S. Pat. No. 7,932,124 an EP 2,478,559. Each cell of such a photovoltaic module is formed by a stack of strips, including a photo-active layer between two electrodes, said stack of strips being positioned on a substrate.
Such a stack, called active area, is separated into adjacent active areas by a so-called inactive area. Said inactive area allows electric isolation of the lower electrodes of two adjacent cells while connecting the upper electrode of each cell to the lower electrode of an adjacent cell. A photovoltaic module is obtained by forming several cells thus connected in series.
Generally, in large-scale production methods, the stack layers are made using a wet method, i.e., by depositing a liquid formulation followed by a passage to the solid state.
The performance of the photovoltaic module particularly involves producing the narrowest possible inactive areas, to maximize the size of the active areas. The geometric fill factor (GFF) of the photovoltaic module is defined as a ratio between the sum of the areas of the active areas of the photovoltaic cells and a total area of the substrate. The higher the GFF is, the better the electrical performance of the photovoltaic module is. In particular, obtaining a high GFF requires mastering the geometry of the electrical connections.
However, the rheological and wettability properties of the formulations, as well as the physical properties of the substrates, induce edge effects on the strips deposited by the wet method. In document U.S. Pat. No. 7,932,124, the layers of the stack forming each cell are in particular made with decreasing widths, so as to arrange a stair-stepped lateral offset. Such a production method makes it more complex to implement through large-scale production methods and contributes to decreasing the size of the active areas.
In document EP 2,478,559, the stack is first made uniformly on the entire module, then different grooves are formed in the layers in order to form the inactive zones. This method requires selective ablation means, the different grooves having different depths depending on their role in the inactive zone.
The present invention aims to propose a method for manufacturing a photovoltaic module in particular making it possible to minimize the size of the inactive areas and to maximize that of the active areas.

Method for manufacturing a photovoltaic module and photovoltaic module thus obtained


A variable guide system for shingling in-store adhesive signage cards that works with the offset moment/trajectory resulting from some shingling systems by employing multiple adjustable hold downs guides. Adjustments to the hold downs guides are made on the fly by an operator using easily accessible and controllable thumb screws. The thumb screws facilitate side to side movement and angle adjustment of each guide individually in order to prevent jamming of the cards while being shingled at the guides.

The present disclosure relates to handling adhesive signage card exiting a cutter onto a conveyor at high speeds and in separate shingled sets consisting of 4 rows of 24 cards, and more particularly, to an improved method and apparatus for shingling the separate sets of cards onto the conveyor jam free.
In general, marketing signs for in-store shelving can be either an adhesive type or non-adhesive type. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,975,416 B2, a non-adhesive type marketing sign is shown that includes a free portion, a base portion and a connected portion that couples the base portion to the free portion. The base portion includes an engaging piece and a support piece. The engaging piece is coupled to the support piece of a base bend line and configured to engage with a portion of a product display structure having a price holder. Another marketing sign is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,302,338 constructed of sheet material. The sheet material includes a free portion, a base portion and a connecting portion that couples the base portion to the free portion. The base portion includes an engaging piece and a support piece. The engaging piece is coupled to the support piece at a base bend line and configured to engage with a portion of a product display structure having a price holder. The connecting is defined between a first connecting bend line spaced apart from a second connecting bend line by a first distance. The first connecting bend line is adjacent the support piece of the base portion and the second connecting bend line is adjacent the free portion. The first distance substantially corresponds with a top edge thickness of the price holder.
Currently, the present process used to create adhesive signage for store shelving involves applying a PSA (pressure sensitive adhesive) tape to the paper or other substrate and then printing signs on the modified substrate. The media is ˜8 mils thick and the adhesive tape is ˜10 mils thick leading to a total thickness of roughly 18 mils on one side of the media and 8 mils on the other. This creates an uneven distribution of force as the cards are delivered at a high speed to a downstream conveyor/shingling system. This conveyor/shingling system works by taking cut cards (32 up) from 3 sheets or 96 cards every 3.6 seconds. Systems on the market when supplied are fitted with "shingling" rollers located downstream of a slitter that do not work with the adhesive in-store signage. While rollers may work with flat media, the weight differential caused by the tape creates a moment that spins the cards and affects the flight trajectory of each card causing the cards to pile up in front of the rollers and not shingle consistently. When the cards start to pile up at the rollers, the following cards crash into the leading cards and cause large jams due to the speed of the system. The machine must be shut down for the jam to be removed which is a labored task because cards become tightly wedged in under the rollers before the system can be stopped.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved method and apparatus for shingling the separate sets of cards at a high speed onto a conveyor without jams occurring.

Variable guide system for shingling in-store adhesive signage


The example embodiments are directed to a system and method for deploying a machine learning model using a parse-free memory allocation. In one example, the method may include one or more of receiving a request to deploy a machine learning model, in response to receiving the request, creating a memory map comprising a mapping of a data structure for storing an unpacked flat representation of the machine learning model, allocating a contiguous block of memory of the data structure that is mapped by the memory map, loading data blocks of the unpacked flat representation of the machine learning model into the allocated contiguous blocks of memory of the data structure, and storing an offset associated with the contiguous block of memory in storage.

Machine and equipment assets are engineered to perform particular tasks as part of a process. For example, assets can include, among other things and without limitation, industrial manufacturing equipment on a production line, drilling equipment for use in mining operations, wind turbines that generate electricity on a wind farm, transportation vehicles, gas and oil refining equipment, and the like. As another example, assets may include devices that aid in diagnosing patients such as imaging devices (e.g., X-ray or MM systems), monitoring equipment, and the like. The design and implementation of these assets often takes into account both the physics of the task at hand, as well as the environment in which such assets are configured to operate.
Low-level software and hardware-based controllers have long been used to drive machine and equipment assets. However, the rise of inexpensive cloud computing, increasing sensor capabilities, and decreasing sensor costs, as well as the proliferation of mobile technologies, have created opportunities for creating novel industrial and healthcare based assets with improved sensing technology and which are capable of transmitting data that can then be distributed throughout a network. As a consequence, there are new opportunities to enhance the business value of some assets through the use of novel industrial-focused hardware and software. For example, analytic applications are being used to visualize and enhance operations of machine and equipment assets using data captured from an asset. Analytics can provide some form of understanding of the data to a user.
A primary component of an analytic software application is a machine learning model which can used to make predictions based on historical trends and patterns within input data. Machine learning models can consume significant computing resources and therefore are typically stored in an offline state (e.g., cold storage, etc.) until they are needed. In order to conserve memory space, a machine learning model is packed tightly before it is stored.
As a result, serialization and deserialization is often a major bottleneck in loading and deploying a packed machine learning model. For example, when a machine learning model is loaded by a compute node to be used by an application, the machine learning model must be parsed and loaded into memory. The parsing is usually done serially and requires an unpacking operation to convert the data back to its original form. Unfortunately, the parsing and unpacking of the machine learning model puts significant strain on the central processing unit (CPU), which can not only waste input/output (I/O) bandwidth but also cause the machine learning model to take significant time to load.

Flat representation of machine learning model