In an industrial robot, the electronic drive devices for the electrical supply and control of electric motors of the robot are distributed on the robot structure, each being adjacent to the respective electric motor. The electronic drive devices are connected in series to each other and to a central processing unit. In this series connection an Ethernet line is included for communication of the electronic drive devices with the central processing unit. Thanks to this series connection, the robot harness is dramatically simplified and the operations for its replacement are consequently easier and faster. The structure of the connectors between the robot and the control unit is also greatly simplified.

In a robot control system of conventional type a control cabinet is located at a remote position from the robot structure and includes both a central control unit, which is designed to receive instructions from the user programme and to generate the movement trajectories that must be implemented by the robot motors, and the electronic drive devices of the various robot motors that receive movement instructions from the central unit, and transform them into electric current signals to be sent to the robot motors to guarantee execution of the user programme. Industrial robots of this type are, for example, illustrated in the documents EP 0 728 559 B1 and U.S Pat No. 6,731,091 B2.
In the above-identified documents, it has been already proposed to distribute the aforesaid electronic drive devices on the robot structure, each immediately adjacent to the respective electric motor. However, the solutions of this type which have been provided so far show that there occurred no understanding nor even a vague idea of all the possibilities that are offered by a control architecture with electronic drive devices distributed on the robot structure.
Furthermore, the relative complexity of existing robot wiring harness implies a considerable loss of time both at the time of the initial installation of the robot, as well as each time that the robot harness needs to be replaced. The bending and torsion deformations to which the cables are subject during the movement of the robot elements in fact imposes a relatively short life to the harness itself, with the consequent need for replacement.
A simplification of the harness of the robot would simultaneously solve both the problem of poor durability (since a simplified harness can be more easily positioned within the robot in a way that minimizes deformations), as well as the problem of complexity and length of the harness replacing operations.

Industrial robot having electronic drive devices distributed on the robot structure


A design panel is provided having a plate-like panel main body made of a synthetic resin, the panel main body including a light-transmitting portion having a light-transmitting property, the light-transmitting portion being adapted to be illuminated by a light for illumination from a backside of the light-transmitting portion, and a light-shielding portion adapted to prevent diffusion of a light that passes through the light-transmitting portion or a light-suppressing portion adapted to prevent incident light from entering the synthetic resin at the light-suppressing portion. A method for producing the design panel is also provided, the method including the steps of: forming the panel main body from the synthetic resin having a light-transmitting property; and forming the light-shielding portion or light-suppressing portion by radiating a laser beam onto a given part of the synthetic resin.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a design panel that has a plate-like panel main body made of a synthetic resin and also relates to a method for producing the design panel. The panel main body can partially include a light-transmitting portion that has a light-transmitting property and that is adapted to be radiated by a light for illumination from a backside.
A design panel can be used as an audio panel for a motor vehicle or the like and displays information such as characters or figures. Such a design panel includes a panel main body made of a synthetic resin and provided with patterns such as characters or figures. The panel main body is provided on its rear side with a light source for illumination. When a light emitted from the light source passes through a part of the panel main body toward a front side of the panel main body, the patterns are displayed on the design panel.
An example of a method for producing a design panel has been disclosed in JP HEI 11 (1999)-95696 A. The method includes a step of forming a molded production made of a transparent synthetic resin and having a given shape, a step of applying a white-printing process to a front side of the molded production, a step of painting a black paint onto the front side applied with the white printing process, and a step of forming the patterns by partially cutting out a painted layer of the black paint.
However, if a transparent synthetic resin is used as a material of the panel main body, a problem wherein light is able to leak from a side region as well as a region on which the patterns are provided.
Although it may be possible to form a compound structure that combines a transparent synthetic resin portion with an opaque synthetic resin portion, a method for making the compound structure is complicated.
One method for preventing a light from leaking from a side part is disclosed in JP HEI 9 (1997)-132058 A. The method includes a step of forming a panel main body made of an opaque synthetic resin, and a step of providing a film having a plurality of layers depicted with patterns such as characters or figures on a surface of the panel main body. The panel main body has an opening that permits a light to pass therethrough. The film includes a white printed layer, a black printed layer, and a transparent layer in order on a surface of the panel main body. The film is disposed to cover the opening. However, this method requires a special foaming process that requires a precise positioning of the film, and also requires an insert of the film. In embodiments where the film is stuck onto the panel main body after forming the panel main body, this sticking step is likely to be difficult.


There is disclosed a load/relief apparatus for use in a calender of a papermaking machine having a force transfer member positioned between on upper fluid actuator and two lower spaced apart fluid actuators. A linking arm is releasably connected to the lower part of the transfer arm spaced between the two lower fluid actuators. The linking arm is adapted to be connected to a lifting arm for a calender roll. In operation, the upper fluid actuator exerts a generally linear downward force that is transferred by the transfer member moving downwardly against the linking arm and thereby pushing the lifting arm down. The lower fluid actuators are adapted to exert a generally upward linear force that is transferred by the transfer member moving upwardly raising the linking arm and the lifting arm. The linking arm is releasable from the transfer member to permit the linking arm to be lowered beyond the travel associated with the deflation of the lower fluid actuators during normal relief operation.

A calender for a papermaking machine typically comprises one or more stacks of calender rolls. Each of the calender rolls in the stack is driven by friction from the calender roll immediately below it and the lowermost roll, known as the king roll, is usually the only driven roll. During roll lifting at the termination of the calendering operation lift arms lift the calender rolls into a separating position which allows for roll removal from any position without removal of other rolls or allows the rolls to cool. The weight of the calender rolls is carried by the bearings to the frame of the calender during roll lifting. During the calendering operation the rolls are lowered into engagement with each other by the lift arm and the nip pressures between the rolls and the bearing pressures associated with the weight of a roll are controlled either by lifting the roll slightly, referred to hereafter as the relief mode, or by lowering the roll slightly, referred to hereafter as the load mode.
The use of fluid pressurized actuators, such as air bags, for applying pressure to individual rolls of a stack of calender rolls is well known in the art. It is known to place a single air bag between a stationary arm and a moveable lift arm for the purpose of relieving pressures in a calender stack. The use of a single air bag is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,270,664 issued June 22, 1964 to Veneman et al and U.S. Pat. No. 3,598,041 issued Aug. 10, 1971 to De Noyer.
Canadian Patent No. 1,032,000 issued May 30, 1978 to Bryce et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,159 issued Feb. 10, 1987 to Smith et al, disclose the use of an air bag between two pivotally movable arms for the purpose of loading and relieving pressures in a calender stack. In these devices the arms are moved between loading and relief positions by a hydraulic piston cylinder arrangement and linkage connected to the arms. Once the arms are moved into one of their positions, the air bag is inflated to lock the arms in position and control the nip pressure. While such devices operate effectively, these devices are complicated in construction and operation. Due to the linkage and pivoting of the arms these devices have inherent frictional force losses which may adversely effect accurate transfer of the forces from the device to the roll nip. Also, switching the device from a pressure relief mode to a load mode and vice versa is complicated by the arms having to be pivoted by the piston/cylinder via the linkage Further, the vertical height requirement of this type of device is greater than the height of one roll due to pivoting linkage requiring more space.
An apparatus incorporating the use of two air bags operating in opposition to one another is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,088 issued Nov. 24, 1964 to Seidel. This Patent discloses a pivoting C-shaped lever for controlling loading and lifting of a calender lift arm. The lever has two arms to which air bags are secured. A stationary abutment is mounted to the calender frame and is sandwiched between the air bags. The air bags are selectively pressurized to effect pivotal movement of the lever thereby transferring the forces to the calender roll via the roll lift arm. This device is subject to similar problems as those noted above in respect of pivoting arms.
Another apparatus using two air bags to control calender pressures is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,301 issued Aug. 25, 1970 to Justus et al. This patent teaches the use of two pressurized air bags located one above the other with an end of the lifting arm located between the air bags for the purpose of loading and relieving the bearing and nip pressures of the calender stack. In practice the lower air bag must be considerably higher than the upper air bag to allow sufficient downward travel of the roll lift arm during roll separation when calendering has been terminated. This together with the fact that the height requirement of the apparatus is dictated by the cumulative heights of the two air bags, interposed lifting arm end, and mounting brackets it appears that only alternating lift arms can be operated in the load and relief modes of operation.

Apparatus for controlling the load/relief pressures in a calender


A method and apparatus are disclosed for removing one item of media at a time from an item of media container. The apparatus includes a movable element locatable in an abutting relationship with an elected item of media in a media container and disposed to a vibrating against the elected item of media to permit the elected item of media to be subsequently be removed alone from the container by a pick arm lever.

It is known that various types of container can be used to contain items of media. For example, a cassette or depository can be utilized to store flexible items of media such as, but not limited to, currency notes, checks, tickets, giros and the like.
Such media containers are often used in self-service terminals such as automatic teller machines (ATMs), vending machines, change machines and the like.
In such machines, it is important that when an item of media is to be removed from the container in which it is held, the item of media is removed without error. A particular problem with such removal is that it is often difficult to remove one item of media from a pick up region of a container without upsetting the next item of media within the container or without risking the removal of multiple items together.
Certain solutions to this problem have been suggested, however, often these require separate parts to be provided in or close to the container and these must be moved from time to time and often utilize excessive force during a pick up sequence. The provision of such extra parts is costly, prone to error and can itself lead to further aggravating problems which can cause failure of the removal process.


The methods and systems described herein can be used for generating a graphical representation, such as a heatmap, for displaying and visualizing a given metric associated with one or more distributed resources in a distributed environment. A heatmap generally refers to a graphical display of data in which values are located in a matrix and indicated by the intensity of a color, hue, shading or some other gradient, or by geometric shape or other format. Heatmaps provide a way of visualizing metrics of a large number of resources easily for capacity management, among other uses. Generally, and as set forth in greater detail, the disclosed subject matter provided herein includes methods and systems for collecting, processing, and visualizing operational data of distributed resources via a heatmap by a monitoring system in a distributed environment.

Advances in technology and analytics have prompted a shift towards decentralized, distributed computing environments. The growth of data volume has created a need for economies of scale in computing. Thus, distributed environments and resource sharing have recently become increasingly popular. In a distributed environment, such as the cloud, consumer applications, such as email, document hosting, backup services, and banking and financial services, are deployed over a network to geographically distributed physical resources, such as a plurality of servers. Benefits to consumers include scalability, sustainability, and reliability. However, in addition to ensuring that consumer applications are allocated and reallocated optimally to the distributed resources to meet demands, distributed environment operators must often also consider how the interplay between the network layer and the geographically distributed physical layer can affect performance of particular consumer applications. For example, algorithmic or high-speed trading applications rely not only on computational speed, but also network latency, and consumers in this field often prefer that the servers on which their algorithms execute are geographically close to markets.
Distributed resources are now increasingly equipped with hardware and software that enable the resources to record and report operational information. With such operational information, distributed environment operators can analyze resource conditions and performance across a distributed environment through visualization techniques. In managing a distributed environment, it can be beneficial to collect resource information at certain intervals of time and display a graphical representation of one or more metrics across a given time period. Often, however, such time-series data are represented in the form of a line graph or plot, and are not easily manipulated by the user seeking to extract certain information quickly. Thus, line graphs and plots can often be ineffective in displaying certain metrics associated with the distributed resources.
There remains a need for techniques to collect, analyze, and visualize operational information in a distributed environment, and to allow for the configuring and provisioning of distributed resources based on monitored and measured operational data associated with the distributed resources in the distributed environment.
The disclosed subject matter is directed to methods and systems for collecting, processing, and visualizing operational data of distributed resources by a monitoring system in a distributed environment. The monitoring system herein described can be configured to generate a time-series graphical display of the operational data collected from the distributed resources in a distributed environment in the form of a heatmap.


A playmate toy or similar children's toy is provided having associated wireless, batteryless ID tag that can be read from and/or written to using a radio-frequency communication protocol. The tag is mounted internally within a cavity of the toy and thereby provides wireless communication of stored information without requiring removal and reinsertion of the tag. In this manner, a stuffed animal or other toy can be quickly and easily identified non-invasively, without damaging the toy. Additional information (e.g., unique personality traits, special powers, skill levels, etc.) can also be stored on the ID tag, thus providing further personality enhancement, input/output programming, simulated intelligence and/or interactive gaming possibilities.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to children's toys primarily of the stuffed-animal, doll or action figure variety, and, in particular, to a children's toy having an RFID tag or other wireless, batteryless communication/identification device associated therewith.
Description of the Related Art
Children's toys in the form of traditional dolls, puppets, stuffed animals and the like have been around for centuries and are an enduring favorite among children—particularly among toddler-age children. A favorite doll, stuffed animal or other similar toy can provide a much-needed imaginary friend, pet or playmate for a child who occasionally gets lonely or bored. Such "playmate" toys can also help a child to express himself or herself and to learn basic social skills that foster personality development and overall social adjustment.
Most traditional playmate toys are simple stuffed animals, puppets or molded plastic dolls and the like. Most are mass produced and distributed nationally and/or internationally via a vast network of stores, wholesalers, retailers and other distributors. Many of these toys embody, represent or are otherwise associated with a particular licensed television character or personality, such as the Sesame Street™ puppets, Barney and Friends™, or the various Disney™ characters. Thus, the familiarity and likeability of the licensed character creates demand for the licensed toy. Others are simple generic forms representing people, animals, cars, robots, friendly monsters, and/or other imaginative creations.
Some playmate toys are personalized via individual names, birth certificates, etc. For example, the once-popular Cabbage Patch Kids™ came complete with individualized facial and hair features, name and official birth certificate. Another popular toy vendor, Build 'a Bear™, takes the concept of personalization even further by allowing and encouraging children to actually pick out, stuff, dress and name their favorite stuffed-animal playmate toy. In many cases, the vendor/retailer continues to provide periodic birthday reminder cards, custom wardrobe selections, notices of special events and the like even after the toy is purchased. All of these individualized "personality" touches can make an otherwise-inanimate playmate toy seem more real and fun for a child and helps foster that certain special relationship and bond that often develops between a child and his or her favorite playmate toy.
Another recent improvement involves uniquely identifying a stuffed animal toy with a bar-code tag that is inserted into the stuffing of the toy and which can be "surgically" extracted and read using conventional bar-code technology. The internal bar code tag is useful in helping identify lost or stolen stuffed animals and to return them to their rightful owners. However, use of an internal bar code tag in this manner is inconvenient and can potentially damage the stuffed animal during surgical extraction and replacement. On the other hand, placing the bar code tag on an accessible exterior portion of the stuffed animal could impair the aesthetics and functionality of the toy, possibly posing choking hazards and/or increasing the risk that the tag becomes separated from the stuffed animal.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Waste plastics are heated so as to be thermally decomposed and produce a vapor product containing oil and gas components. The vapor product is brought into contact with a solid acid catalyst containing a hydrochloric acid as a decomposing activator to be cracked so as to recover a low boiling point hydrocarbon oil.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for producing a low boiling point hydrocarbon oil from thermally decomposed or decomposed waste plastic or waste rubber.
2. Description of Related Art
Synthetic resins or plastics and synthetic rubbers have quite likely been accepted in every area for a very extensive range of applications, and are taken for granted in our modern daily lives. As a result, a considerably large amount of plastic and rubber is produced, consumed and wasted every day. Because synthetic materials do not exist as natural resources and are artificially produced, they do not decompose or disappear if only left in nature, but remain as material or physical waste in the environment. This is a problem which is being given particular attention by developed countries.
However troublesome the waste plastic products might be, in their original state, they were simply oil. Hence, it is thought that with an appropriate treatment, they might be returned to a hydrocarbon oil similar to petroleum. In this regard, rather than handling used plastic materials as wastes, they might be regarded as a resource.
In such a circumstance, with regard to recycling of a polyolefin type of plastics which are abandoned as wastes in overwhelmingly great quantities, a notable method has been proposed in, for instance, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 63-178195 to produce low boiling point hydrocarbon oil from the polyolefin plastics. With this method, the plastics in liquid phase are thermally decomposed and transformed into gaseous products. The resultant gaseous products are subjected to a catalytic transformation in a cell filled with zeolite which possesses specified characteristics. This method produces only a considerably reduced amount of useless wax during the process oil thermal decomposition or decomposing and provides a high yield of useful low boiling point hydrocarbon oil which is liquid at room temperatures.
However, although the wasted amount of polyolefin plastics is considerable, this is not the only type of plastics which are abandoned. Since plastic wastes generally include various types of plastics in a mixed state, it would be extremely difficult to remove only the polyolefin plastic from the others. Accordingly, the polyolefin plastic waste is treated as a mixture with other types of plastics. Such a plastic waste often includes a chlorine type of plastics, such as polyvinyl chloride and polyvinylidene chloride. When thermally decomposing or decomposing chlorine type plastics and chlorine type rubbers, a large amount of chloride compounds, such as hydrochloric acids, and chlorine gases are produced. Since these chlorine gases and chloride compounds are highly reactive, and consequently, are abundantly toxic and corrosive, not only do they corrode the equipments used for treatment, but they also have the disadvantage of corroding the zeolite catalytic material and, thereby, reducing its performance For this reason, the prior method described in the publication is unavailable to be used with plastic wastes including the chlorine type of plastics and rubbers.

Method of and apparatus of producing low boiling point hydrocarbon oil from waste plastics or waste rubbers


A coin-separating and feeding device receives coins of different dimensions, sorts them in a sorting recess positioned on a rotating disk. A moving member is positioned within a sorting recess groove and reciprocates linearly between a sorting position for receiving a coin and a pushing-out position to feed for subsequent processing. The bulk coins are stored in a container that houses the rotating disk and an arc-shaped restrictor can surround an outer periphery of at least a portion of the rotating disk to maintain the separated coin within the sorting recess. A driving device comprising a ring shaped cam is fixedly arranged relative to the rotating disk and a pair of can followers mounted on the moving member can control the speed of the mover member including accelerating and decelerating the speed from a push-out position to a coin receiving position within the sorting recess.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coin-separating and feeding device for sorting a plurality of denominations of coins different in diameter individually to feed them to a subsequent process step.
Incidentally, the term "coin" used in this specification includes a coin which is currency, a token, a medal and the like, and the shape thereof also includes a circular shape and polygonal shape.
2. Description of Related Art
As a first prior art, in a coin processing device which is configured such that, after coins are individually sorted by holding them in sorting recesses arranged on an upper face of a rotating disk, they are delivered to a coin transporting device. A coin feeding device of the coin processing device is configured such that the sorting recesses of the rotating disk are formed in a fan shape opened on an upper face side of the rotating disk and opened on a peripheral face side of the rotating disk, each sorting recess has a coin pushing part at its portion. A mover member forming a portion of the sorting recess and movable in a diametrical direction of the rotating disk is provided in the sorting recess, and the mover member is positioned lateral to the coin pushing part at a coin receiving time, while the mover member is moved to the opened side of the peripheral face when a coin is delivered to the coin transporting device as known (for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,255,639).
As a second prior art, a device configured such that a selecting plate having a peripheral edge formed with a semi-circular notch is disposed on an upper side of a partition wall arranged in an inclination fashion, a dispending body reciprocating elastically and linearly from the bottom portion of the notch toward an opening at a peripheral edge of the selecting plate is disposed. A a coin is sorted into its corresponding denomination by flipping the coin held at the notch at a predetermined position corresponding to a diameter of the coin in a peripheral direction by linear movement of the dispenser as known (for example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,813,296.


For taking X-ray photographs there is provided a moveable tower structure for ceiling-mounted frame which carries a beam source arranged for movement in X-Y-Z directions and which is rotatable about a horizontal axis. A receptor unit is mounted beneath a patient support table for movement in the X direction and Y direction. Activation of a holder associated with the receptor unit and intended to receive a vertically extending secondary receptor for horizontal beam path causes the beam source to move automatically to a basic setting.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,345 (Craig et al) describes apparatus of this kind, in which, however, the beam source is located beneath the table in the actual patient investigation part of the apparatus, and the image receptor is located on a tower structure arranged above said patient investigation part. When the beam source is moved in the X- and Y-directions these movements are transferred to the receptor over a servo system. In this case, the actual patient investigation part is expansive and space consuming and is found difficult to work with by the X-ray personnel. Another significant drawback with this known apparatus is that there is no possibility of taking side photographs with a horizontally directed beam path.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,403 (Bernstein et al) teaches a conventional tower structure with manual adjustment of the patient support table, an overlying beam source and a receptor located beneath the table. The apparatus includes an electrical auxiliary device for adjusting the beam source angle and synchronized movement of the receptor corresponding to said angular adjustment, such that the central beam will always impinge on the patient at the correct angle.
The work required from the X-ray personnel with this type of X-ray equipment is both laborious and complicated, placing great strain on the shoulders and back muscles of the personnel as a result of the manual adjustment movements which must be carried out, not least the displacement of the heavy beam source. This equipment also lacks a facility for taking side photographs with horizontal beam path.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,344 (Dornheim) provides an example of apparatus incorporating mechanical synchronization between the setting movements of the receptor and beam source. This arrangement utilizes a complicated lever system, which makes the work carried out by the X-ray personnel both heavy and complicated, primarily because of the large masses which need to be activated, and also because of the stretching and bending required of said personnel. Furthermore, the receptor part of the apparatus must be lifted up each time a side photograph is taken. The possibility of taking angled photographs is limited.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,492,482 (Forsyth) describes and illustrates a beam source which is mounted on a vertical tower structure and which is movable in the Z-direction, and a receptor part which is moved synchronously with the beam source on a corresponding vertical tower structure. The apparatus is intended exclusively for taking side photographs with horizontal beam path, and the apparatus consequently has a limited field of use.
GB-B-1,323,769 (Picket Corp) describes apparatus comprising a receptor part in a patient support table and an overlying ceiling-carried beam source. This apparatus affords the possibility of taking side photographs with horizontal beam path, by swinging-up the patient support table about a horizontal axis and pivoting the beam source. The apparatus also enables the image size and shutter setting to be varied in relation to the beam-source/receptor distance ("SID", i.e. "source-image-distance"). Movement of the beam source and swinging of the patient support table, however, must be effected manually, circumstances which are also experienced as troublesome by the X-ray personnel.
SE-B-7906060-5 (Philips) describes a similar arrangement of apparatus, although in this case the beam source is located in the pivotal patient support table and the image receptor is located on a ceiling-carried frame structure, even though it is stated in the descriptive part of the specification that the arrangement may be reversed. Movements of the receptor and beam source in the X-direction are synchronized. When swinging up the table incorporating the beam source, the receptor is rotated around the horizontal axis synchronously therewith. It is also stated that the receptor and beam source can also moved synchronously in the Y-direction, although this is not illustrated in the specification.
This arrangement of apparatus also has the drawbacks associated with a pivotal patient support table, inter alia because of the large masses which need to be set in motion when taking side photographs, and because of the limited use possibilities of the apparatus in general. For example, there is no facility for taking side photographs of a seated patient. In summary it can be said that all apparatus or equipment of this kind lack the requisite flexibility.
Other examples of known X-ray tower structures are described and illustrated in DE-A1-3,406,717 (Philips), DE-A1-2,831,058 (Philips) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,011 (Hauck et al).

Method and arrangement for X-ray photography or the like


The invention provides capsaicinoid prodrug compounds (e.g., prodrugs of resiniferatoxin, tinyatoxin, iodoresiniferatoxin, and related compounds), pharmaceutical compositions, and their use in the treatment of medical conditions, such as pain, and in agonizing TRPV1 activity.

Pain can function as a protective mechanism that allows healthy human beings and animals to avoid tissue damage and/or prevent further damage to injured tissue. However, there are many instances in which pain persists beyond its usefulness. Such unnecessary suffering from pain can impair a subject's physical mobility, mental performance, and even contribute to depression.
Substantial resources have been devoted over the years to researching the causes of various types of pain and to the development of medicine to attenuate pain experienced by a patient. Exemplary classes of common pain-relief medications include opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, corticosteroids, and centrally acting agents such as anti-depressants, anti-epileptics, pregabalin, and gabapentin. Resiniferatoxin and related compounds have been described for use in treating pain. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,290,816; 8,420,600; 8,367,733; and 8,158,682; and international patent application publications WO 2002/076444 and WO 2008/011532. Prodrug compounds that undergo degradation to release resiniferatoxin or a related compound have been described. Exemplary prodrugs of resiniferatoxin and related compounds include those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,632,519, 9,359,316, and international patent application WO 2016/086063.
Due to the unmet need for additional treatment options to achieve relief from pain, particularly treatment options that do not suffer from the addiction problems associated with many opioid-based pain therapies, the need exists for compounds useful in treating pain, pharmaceutical compositions containing the same, and methods for treating pain. The present invention addresses this need and provides other related advantages.

Capsaicinoid prodrug compounds and their use in treating medical conditions


Apparatus and methods for distributing electronic access client modules for use with electronic devices. In one embodiment, the access client modules are virtual subscriber identity modules (VSIMs) that can be downloaded from online services for use with cellular-equipped devices such as smartphones. The online services may include a point of sale (POS) system that sells electronic devices to users. A broker may be used to facilitate the selection of a virtual subscriber identity module. A provisioning service may also be used to provision the selected VSIM.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of communications systems, and more particularly in one exemplary aspect, to wireless systems that allow user devices to authenticate to wireless networks (e.g., cellular networks, WLANs, WMANs, etc.) using access control clients.
2. Description of Related Technology
This relates generally to wireless systems such as systems in which devices communicate using cellular networks.
Wireless systems are used to provide voice and data services to user devices such as cellular telephones and computers.
Wireless devices are typically provided with Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards. When a SIM card is manufactured, the SIM card is not tied to any particular user's account. During a typical SIM card activation process, a user's account at a carrier is tied to the SIM card. A device that contains a SIM card that has been activated in this way can be used to obtain network services from the carrier.
It may not always be desirable to require the use of SIM cards. For example, a user might want to purchase wireless services even when the user is not able to easily obtain a SIM card.
Additionally, expensive wireless (e.g., cellular) devices are commonly subsidized for the customer; i.e., sold to a customer at a loss such that the carrier can recoup the cost of the subsidy with a service contract. Carrier subsidy practice enables carriers to embed the true cost of expensive devices within a reasonable service fee, paid over a contract period, thus enabling a broader market for consumption. The term "subsidy lock" as used herein refers generally and without limitation to the mechanism by which the device is locked to operate only with the appropriate carrier. In existing solutions, subsidy lock is difficult to enforce, as the SIM card is locked to the carrier, not the device itself.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved methods and apparatus via which to provide users with the ability to obtain and use wireless network services. Moreover, it would be desirable to improve the ability to enforce subsidy locking within a wireless network.

Virtual access module distribution apparatus and methods


A piece of coordinate data indicating coordinates, which are inputted via a touch panel, is sequentially stored into a RAM. A piece of coordinate data in a coordinate data array stored in the RAM is sequentially invalidated when a predetermined time has passed after the piece of coordinate data has been stored into the RAM, and game processing is performed by using a valid coordinate data array. Further, an image of an operation track which comprises points respectively corresponding to a plurality of pieces of valid coordinate data stored in the RAM is generated, the image having a width which changes according to a remaining time until each of the plurality of pieces of valid coordinate data is invalidated. A game image including the image of the operation track is displayed.

Conventionally, there has been a technique that allows a game device to recognize, for example, figures inputted by using coordinate input means (i.e., a pointing device such as a touch panel or a mouse) into the game device.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-245960, i.e., a patent document 1 discloses a technique that uses, for game processing, recognition results of, for example, figures inputted into a game device via a touch panel. In addition, the patent document 1 discloses that the game device outputs sound in order to prompt a player to perform an input operation after the player has not performed the input operation with the touch panel for a particular period of time, sets a time limit for accepting the input operation, and displays, on a screen, a remaining time which is until the device finishes accepting the input operation.
However, in some cases, the above described manner disclosed in the patent document 1 for prompting a player to perform the input operation with the pointing device may not be appropriate. For example, when a player plays a certain type of game, the player might get annoyed if, every time the player performs the input operation with the touch panel, a game device outputs the sound, sets the time limit and displays the remaining time as described above. Also, the above described sound and display interfere with smooth sound output and image display of the game.
Therefore, a feature of certain exemplary embodiments is to provide a game program and a game device which are capable of appropriately informing, when required, a player that an input operation using coordinate input means is required to be performed quickly.
Certain exemplary embodiments have the following aspects to attain the feature mentioned above. Note that reference numerals and the like indicated between parentheses are merely provided to facilitate the understanding of the certain exemplary embodiments described herein in relation to the drawings, rather than limiting the scope of the certain exemplary embodiments in any way.
A first aspect of certain exemplary embodiments is a computer-readable storage medium storing a game program for causing a computer (21), which is connected to display means (12) for displaying a game image, coordinate input means (15) for inputting coordinates corresponding to a point on a screen of the display means and a memory (24) for temporarily storing data, to function as storing means, invalidating means, game processing means, track image generating means and display control means. The storing means is for, from a start of coordinates inputting until an end of coordinates inputting by the coordinate input means, sequentially storing into the memory, as a piece of valid coordinate data, a piece of coordinate data indicating the coordinates inputted by the coordinate input means (S46); the invalidating means is for sequentially invalidating a piece of valid coordinate data in a valid coordinate data array stored in the memory, when a predetermined period of time has passed after the piece of valid coordinate data has been stored into the memory (S40); the game processing means is for performing game processing by using the valid coordinate data array stored in the memory (S18 to S28); track image generating means is for generating an image of an operation track which comprises points respectively corresponding to a plurality of pieces of valid coordinate data stored in the memory, the image having a display mode which partially changes according to a remaining time until each of the plurality of pieces of valid coordinate data stored in the memory is invalidated by the invalidating means (S16); and display control means is for causing the display means to display, according to a result of the game processing by the game processing means, a game image including the image of the operation track generated by the track image generating means (S32).
"Invalidate a piece of coordinate data" of the above first aspect means, for example, setting a value which indicates the remaining valid time of the piece of coordinate data to "0", deleting the piece of coordinate data from the memory, or setting a flag which indicates whether or not the piece of coordinate data is valid to "invalid". On the other hand, "a piece of valid coordinate data" means, for example, a piece of coordinate data whose remaining valid time is indicated by the above value as "1" or greater, or a piece of coordinate data stored in the memory (i.e., a piece of coordinate data which has not been deleted from the memory), or a piece of coordinate data stored in the memory regarding which the flag, which indicates whether or not the piece of coordinate data is valid, is set to "valid".
In a second aspect of certain exemplary embodiments based on the above first aspect, the track image generating means partially changes a width of the image of the operation track.
In a third aspect of certain exemplary embodiments based on the above first aspect, the track image generating means partially changes a color of the image of the operation track.
In a fourth aspect of certain exemplary embodiments based on the above first aspect, the image of the operation track, which is generated by the track image generating means, comprises a plurality of operation track element images (FIG. 23) respectively corresponding to line segments which respectively connect points respectively corresponding to a plurality of pieces of valid coordinate data, the points being connected in an order in which the plurality of pieces of valid coordinate data has been inputted; and the track image generating means changes the display mode of each of the plurality of operation track element images, according to a remaining time until a piece of coordinate data of at least one end of a corresponding line segment is invalidated by the invalidating means.
In a fifth aspect of certain exemplary embodiments based on the above fourth aspect, the track image generating means gradually narrows a width of each of the plurality of operation track element images as the remaining time decreases, the remaining time being a time period until a piece of coordinate data of at least one end of a corresponding line segment is invalidated by the invalidating means.
In a sixth aspect of certain exemplary embodiments based on the above fourth aspect, the track image generating means gradually lightens a color of each of the plurality of operation track element images as the remaining time decreases, the remaining time being a time period until a piece of coordinate data of at least one end of a corresponding line segment is invalidated by the invalidating means.
In a seventh aspect of certain exemplary embodiments based on the above first aspect, the game processing means performs predetermined game processing (S20, S24, S28) corresponding to a predetermined condition (S18, S22, S26) when a shape of the operation track, which comprises points respectively corresponding to the valid coordinate data array stored in the memory, satisfies the predetermined condition.
An eighth aspect of certain exemplary embodiments is a computer-readable storage medium storing a game program for causing a computer (21), which is connected to display means (12) for displaying a game image, coordinate input means (15) for inputting coordinates corresponding to a point on a screen of the display means and a memory (24) for temporarily storing data, to function as storing means, invalidating means, game processing means and display control means. The storing means is for, from a start of coordinates inputting until an end of coordinates inputting by the coordinate input means, sequentially storing into the memory, as a piece of valid coordinate data, a piece of coordinate data indicating the coordinates inputted by the coordinate input means (S46); the invalidating means is for sequentially invalidating a piece of valid coordinate data in a valid coordinate data array stored in the memory, when a predetermined period of time has passed after the piece of valid coordinate data has been stored into the memory (S40); the game processing means is for performing predetermined game processing (S20, S24, S28) corresponding to a predetermined condition (S18, S22, S26) when a shape of an operation track, which comprises points respectively corresponding to the valid coordinate data array stored in the memory, satisfies the predetermined condition; and the display control means for causing the display means to display a game image according to a result of the game processing by the game processing means (S32).
In a ninth aspect of certain exemplary embodiments based on the above eighth aspect, the predetermined condition is that a discretionarily-selected area on the screen is circled by the operation track.
In a tenth aspect of certain exemplary embodiments based on the above eighth aspect, the predetermined condition is that the operation track crosses a predetermined area on the screen.
An eleventh aspect of certain exemplary embodiments is a game device, comprising: display means (12) for displaying a game image; coordinate input means (15) for inputting coordinates corresponding to a point on a screen of the display means; a memory (24) for temporarily storing data; storing means (21) for, from a start of coordinates inputting until an end of coordinates inputting by the coordinate input means, sequentially storing into the memory, as a piece of valid coordinate data, a piece of coordinate data indicating the coordinates inputted by the coordinate input means; invalidating means (21) for sequentially invalidating a piece of valid coordinate data in a valid coordinate data array stored in the memory, when a predetermined period of time has passed after the piece of valid coordinate data has been stored into the memory; game processing means (21) for performing game processing by using the valid coordinate data array stored in the memory; track image generating means (21) for generating an image of an operation track which comprises points respectively corresponding to a plurality of pieces of valid coordinate data stored in the memory, the image having a display mode which partially changes according to a remaining time until each of the plurality of pieces of valid coordinate data stored in the memory is invalidated by the invalidating means; and display control means (21) for causing the display means to display, according to a result of the game processing by the game processing means, a game image including the image of the operation track generated by the track image generating means.
According to the above first aspect of certain exemplary embodiments, the display mode of the image of the operation track partially changes according to the remaining time until each of a plurality of pieces of coordinate data respectively corresponding to points constituting the operation track becomes invalidated. Therefore, a player can visually recognize the remaining valid time of each portion of the operation track, which has been drawn on the screen of the display means by using the coordinate input means. Thus, the player can easily recognize whether a speed of a coordinate input operation performed by the player was appropriate. This makes it possible to prompt, without generating warning sound from the game device or indicating a time limit, the player to quickly perform the coordinate input operation. Especially according to the above second and third aspects, the player can intuitively recognize the remaining valid time of each portion of the operation track. Especially according to the above fourth aspect, the image of the operation track is easily generated in any shape.
According to the above eighth aspect of certain exemplary embodiments, each piece of valid coordinate data inputted via the coordinate input means is sequentially invalidated according to a remaining valid time, and the predetermined game processing is performed when the shape of the operation track, which comprises points corresponding to the valid coordinate data array, satisfies the predetermined condition. Therefore, in order for the predetermined game processing to be performed, the player is required to quickly perform the input operation. This makes it possible to prompt, without generating warning sound from the game device or indicating a time limit, the player to quickly perform the coordinate input operation.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the certain exemplary embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the certain exemplary embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A packaged bait system for the control of insects, especially cockroaches and other orthopterous insects, comprising an insecticidal food bait composition housed in a bait block holder that allows for easy placement in locations where the probability of encounter by the target insect is high and that makes the bait readily accessible to the target insect. The toxic bait comprises corn distiller's grain, a humectant, an insecticide and a gel former to yield a deformable hydrophilic gel matrix subsequent to hydration.

1. Field of the Invention
Cockroaches are primarily tropical insects but some species have become widely disseminated through commercial activities and are now cosmopolitan. The domestic species are omnivorous but are especially attracted to starchy or sweetened matter of various kinds; they also attack food, paper, clothing, books, shoes, bones, and dead insects. They are the only orthopterous insects that are involved in the contamination of food. Of the many species of cockroaches, house inhabitors include American (Periplaneta americana), oriental (Blatta orientalis), Austrailian (P. australasiae), German (Blattella germanica), brownbanded [Supella longipalpa (F.)], smokybrown [P. fuliginosa (Serville)], and Florida woods [Eurycotis floridana (Walker)] cockroaches. They prefer secluded, warm, damp places and, at night or on dark days, they sample filth and foods and impart to infested areas an unpleasant odor.
This invention relates to a system designed for use in insect control programs, especially those designed to control cockroaches.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The dried mash from a distillery was reported by Adler [J. Environ. Sci. Hlth. A20:839-844 (1985) to be specifically attractive for the brownbanded cockroch, Supella longipalp (F.), but is failed to attract American cockroaches, Periplaneta americana (L.). In contrast, Brenner et al. [Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 81:581-592 (1988); J. Med. Entomol. 25:489-592 (1988); J. Econ. Entomol. 82:159-162 (1989)] reported that distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS, Agricultural Energy Corp., Franklin, KY) was attractive to 15 species of cockroaches including American cockroaches. Furthermore, the DDGS is advantageously unattractive to nontarget mammals, in contrast to other baits such as pieces of fruit, bread, and beer [Jackson et al., Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 4:141-146 (1955), Ohio J. Scl. 61:220-226 (1961); Reierson et al., Pest Control 45: 40, 42-44 (1977); Fleet et al., Environ. Entomol. 7:807-814 (1978)] or dry cat food [Appel et al., Environ. Entomol. 14:669-673 (1985)] which are attractive to mammals as well as cockroaches.
A number of food attractants have been formulated with toxicants and aqueous gel binders to provide toxic paste baits for cockroaches. For example, Doi et al. [Chem. Abst. 107:129156n (1987)] controlled cockroaches with a paste containing boric acid, potato starch, corn starch, rice bran, molasses, water, and dye; Barson [Chem. Abst. 97:87017k (1982)] used a mixture of boric acid plus porridge oats and iodofenphos gel; and Peeters [Chem. Abst. 84: 131508d (1976) ] combined bakery wastes, boric acid, and water. Similarly, the proprietary roach bait station sold under the trademark, "It Works" (Bridgeport, CT) is advertised as containing boric acid, an attractant, and a humectant.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture


A magnetic disc apparatus comprises a single write/read magnetic head for carrying out write/read with respect to either one of a low-density magnetic disc and a high-density magnetic disc, and a cosine equalizer supplied with a read signal from the write/read magnetic head. The write/read magnetic head has a core gap length which is between 0.60 and 1.20 times a minimum field conversion length for high-density write by a write/read signal.

The present invention generally relates to magnetic disc apparatuses, and more particularly to a magnetic disc apparatus that uses both high-density and low-density magnetic discs as the storage media and that can provide favorable write and read processing for the write and read modes, respectively.
In conventional magnetic disc apparatuses that perform low-density read/write using floppy discs as the storage media, the magnetic layer is magnetized to such a deep portion that an adequate overwrite characteristic and read margin are obtainable. To achieve this, the core gap length of the write/read head is set at a maximum of 0.60 times the minimum field conversion length for the write/read signal current, and the resolution at the innermost peripheral track of the magnetic disc is set to have an absolute value of 70% or more.
In magnetic disc apparatuses that perform high-density write/read and that have been proposed to date, the core gap length for the write/read head is made smaller so that the minimum field conversion length can be made smaller. The depth of magnetization is therefore not as deep and the thickness of the magnetic layer of the magnetic disc can therefore be reduced.
Moreover, magnetic disc apparatuses having mode switching to perform both low-density write/read and high-density write/read have also been proposed to be compatible with both low-density and high-density magnetic discs. Magnetic disc apparatuses of this type have a single write/read head to perform write and read for both the low-density mode and the high-density mode.
However, there are the following problems with this type of low-density/high-density compatible magnetic disc apparatus. The example used to explain these problems is a magnetic disc apparatus which uses a magnetic disc with a diameter of 90 mm (3.5 inches) and has a high-density write/read mode in which the recording density is 2MB and a low-density write/read mode in which the recording density is 1MB.
In the 2MB mode (high-density write/read mode), there is the restriction that the core gap length of the head is 0.9 .mu.m or less (1.46 .mu.m.times.0.60=0.876=0.9 .mu.m, where 1.46 .mu.m indicates the minimum field conversion length for the 2MB mode) so that the absolute value of the resolution at the innermost peripheral track of the magnetic disc has an absolute value of 70% or more.
The average thickness of the magnetic layer in the write portion of a magnetic disc for the 2MB write/read is 1.0 .mu.m but the average thickness of the magnetic layer in the write portion of a magnetic disc for the 1MB write/read is 2.0 .mu.m which is approximately twice that of the magnetic disc for the 1MB write/read. In addition, the minimum field conversion length (min. FCL) is 1.46 .mu.m for the 2MB write and 2.91 .mu.m for the 1MB write.
Magnetic discs exclusively for the 2MB write/read have a thin (approximately 1 .mu.m) magnetic layer and so a head with the abovementioned gap length (0.9 .mu.m) can magnetize the magnetic layer to a sufficient depth during the write. However, magnetic discs exclusively for the 1MB write/read have a thick (approximately 2 .mu.m) magnetic layer and so when one of these discs is used in a low-density/high-density compatible magnetic disc apparatus having a head with the abovementioned gap length (0.9 .mu.m), it is impossible to magnetize deep into the magnetic layer which is approximately twice as thick.
FIG. 1 is a sectional diagram illustrating this status, where 1 and 2 indicate the head cores, g indicates the core gap length, 3 indicates the magnetic layer, and 4 indicates the base part of the disc. When the narrow head gap of this 2MB write/read head is used to write signals at the minimum field conversion length, the magnetic flux distribution curves of this write/read head can only magnetize down to the depth indicated by d in FIG. 1. Therefore, sufficient overwrite is possible for old data written with a conventional type of head (having a narrow gap) as shown in FIG. 1, but there is a poor overwrite characteristic for old data written with a magnetic disc apparatus exclusively for the 1MB mode (having a write/read head with a wide gap length of about 1.3 to 1.5 .mu.m).
With conventional low-density/high-density compatible magnetic disc apparatus, this write/read head has a narrow core gap length set to 0.6 to 0.9 .mu.m for use in either the low-density or high-density mode. This causes no problem for write to 2MB magnetic discs, but there is an insufficient depth of magnetization with respect to the thick magnetic layer for write with respect to 1MB magnetic discs and this creates the problem of a poor overwrite characteristic.
If the core gap length of the magnetic head is widened so that a sufficient depth of magnetization is obtained with respect to the 1MB magnetic discs, the resolution for high-density (2MB) write will drop. If this resolution drops to 60% or less, then there will be much interference between the waveforms of adjacent bits so that the peak shift indicated in FIG. 2 occurs to hinder favorable write and read processing.
FIG. 2 shows the read waveform with respect to input data that is written at a high density. In FIG. 2, (A) represents the data pattern, (B) represents the write data and (C) represents the write current. For (C), the period for which the write current is applied (indicated by "X" in the figure) corresponds to the minimum field conversion length. In FIG. 2, (D) indicates an isolated read waveform with respect to each magnetic conversion when the resolution is 100%, and (E) indicates an isolated read waveform with respect to each magnetic conversion when the resolution is 60%. FIG. 2 shows that the peak shift indicated by .DELTA.I occurs due to interference between the waveforms of adjacent bits when the resolution becomes about 60%.
Simply setting the core gap length to enable low-density write therefore means that it is impossible to avoid lowering the read margin for data written at high-density. Accomplishing these mutually incompatible objectives has therefore involved compromising the range for which suitable characteristics could be obtained.

Magnetic disc apparatus with a cosine equalizer and specific gap length head


A card conveying structure for card accessing devices, comprising: a casing defining a card inlet and a card guideway; a drive pulley and a driven pulley supported on one side of the card guideway by a first pivot axis and a second pivot axis, respectively, defining a zero or small angle relative to a vertical line perpendicular to a major surface of a card guided by the guideway; and an endless belt passed around the two pulleys, effective diameters of the first and second pulleys being selected in relation with spacings of the pivot axes relative to the card guideway so that a linear span ofthe belt may extend along the guideway and abut the major surface of the card. By urging the linear span of the belt against the card, the card may be conveyed by the movement of the belt. Alternatively, by slanting at least one of the pulleys towards the guideway until its periphery or the belt passed around it comes into contact with the card, the movement of the belt or the pulley can be transmitted to the card. In either case, elimination of the need for pulleys having piovt axes perpendicular to the card conveying direction and in parallel with the card conveying plane leads to a substantial reduction in the vertical dimension of the card accessing device.

Conventionally, various devices for conveying cards have been known in the forms of card reader/writers for reading and writing various forms of information from and into media such as IC storage cards incorporating IC storage devices and other media which can store information by optical, magnetic, electronic and other means.
According to a known device, a card inserted into a casing is interposed between a drive roller and a driven roller opposing each other, and is conveyed thereby. An upper frame of a casing carries a pair of drive rollers, and a lower frame of the casing carries a pair of driven rollers so as to define a pair of nips along a card guideway. One of the drive rollers is coupled coaxially with a drive pulley which is belt driven by a motor. Further, the two drive rollers are coupled with each other by way of coaxially arranged transmission pulleys around which a belt is passed.
According to such a structure, since the pulleys are rotatably supported around axial lines extending in parallel with the card conveying plane, the outer diameters of the pulleys are required to be reduced in order to reduce the vertical dimension of the device. However, when pulleys having smaller diameters than appropriate for the belt are used, the durability of the belt is substantially impaired. On the other hand, if pulleys having sufficiently large diameters are used, it becomes difficult to reduce the vertical dimension of the device. Furthermore, when access to the magnetic strip in the card is to be made while the card is being conveyed, it is desired to achieve a constant conveying speed, and pulleys having smaller diameters are not desirable because they produce a small flywheel effect, i.e. a small moment of inertia of the related rotating member.

Card conveying structure for card accessing devices


A method and apparatus for removing organic contaminants from an aqueous phase in which the contaminant is solubilized. In the method the aqueous phase is passed through a fluid-pervious filtration media which has been infused with an absorbtion composition comprising a homogeneous thermal reaction product of an oil component selected from the group consisting of glycerides, fatty acids, alkenes, and alkynes, and a methacrylate or acrylate polymer component. The absorbtion composition is cured in situ at the filter. The contaminant is immobilized at the media, and the purified filtrate having passed through the filtration media is collected as the product. The media comprises a central core which is surrounded and wrapped by a plurality of overlying sheets of further fluid pervious media, the overlying sheets creating void spaces between sheets for trapping of at least some of the separated contaminants.

In recent years many previously clean water sources have been found to be contaminated with dispersed oils which are often present as oil-in-water emulsions. A further source of contamination arises from presence in the water of pernicious slightly soluble organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, xylene, halogenated hydrocarbons, ethoxylated glycols, etc. These noxious contaminants are among the more difficult compounds to remove from water, and indeed most are carcinogenic. In the present inventor's U.S. Pat. No. 6,180,010 it is disclosed that the compositions described in the inventor's U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,437,793; 5,698,139; and 5,837,146, and 5,961,823 (all of which disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference) have extremely strong affinities for the aforementioned contaminants in water; and that when aqueous streams containing these noxious contaminants are passed through filtration media incorporating these compositions, the contaminants are immobilized at the media, as a result of which concentration levels of the contaminants in the filtrate may be reduced to very low values.
Filter configurations incorporating the said compositions may be based on various water permeable substrates, such as shredded, spun or otherwise configured polypropylene or shredded or spun cellulose, which substrates are infused or otherwise treated with the absorbent compositions, which are then cured. These substrates may be packed or otherwise disposed in a cartridge or canister filter; or can be formed into cured and infused bag filters which can be emplaced in canisters through which the contaminated water is flowed. Similarly the said compositions can be incorporated into or upon other filtering substrates and media, such as paper, including compressed pulp materials, particulate porous foamed plastics, mineral particulates such as perlite and vermiculite, and particulate, fibrous or porous ceramic or porous (e.g. sintered) metal substrates and media.
In a first copending provisional patent application of the present inventor, a further filtration medium and method for its preparation is disclosed which while incorporating certain components of the absorbent compositions of my prior patents, has unexpectedly been found to have markedly superior properties when used as such an absorbent composition in the filtration of organic contaminants from aqueous systems, as for example in removing oils from an oil-in-water emulsion. These further compositions are prepared in part from the absorbent compositions of my prior art patents, which as disclosed in the patents are the reaction product of an oil component and a methacrylate or acrylate polymer component. The absorbent compositions disclosed in the aforementioned copending provisional application are prepared by further combining such prior art reaction product (herein called "reaction product A") with a photoinitiator system before infusing the combination into the fluid-pervious filtration media. Subsequent exposure of the infused filtration media to actinic UV radiation, effects a very rapid in situ curing of the infused composition, and results in a filter having markedly improved filtration characteristics. Although applicant is not bound by any specific theory, it is hypothesized that the UV in situ curing may result in extensive additional cross-linking of the infused absorbent, with consequent hardening of the infused composition, and pore sizes in the filtration media may in consequence be much smaller than in the filters of my prior methodology. Regardless of the precise mechanism involved, filters so prepared exhibit higher back pressure in use, with consequent increased dwell time for the aqueous streams being passed through the filter. The filters are among other things found to be much more efficient in breaking oil-in-water emulsions than filters prepared by the inventor's prior methodology and compositions. For this reason, and for convenience, such filters shall be referred to herein as "EB" filters, and the corresponding infusion compositions shall at times be referred to as "EB" absorbent compositions. In contrast the filters prepared by the inventor's prior patented methodology and compositions shall, again for purposes of convenience, be referred to as "PA" filters and "PA" absorbent compositions.
In the general method for preparing an EB filter in accordance with the disclosure of said first copending provisional application, a homogeneous thermal "reaction product A" is initially prepared from an oil component and a polymer component, as in my earlier cited patents. The thermal reaction product A here is preferably prepared in a temperature range of 350° to 550° F., and more preferably at a range of from about 400 to 500 deg. F. A photoinitiator system is separately prepared from a monomer cross-linking agent, a catalyst, and a wetting agent, i.e. an oligomer/adhesion promoter/cross-linking agent. An infusing solution is then prepared by combining the reaction product A and the photoinitiator system together with a solvent such as acetone. This solution is infused into the filtration media, e.g. a conventional filtration cartridge containing a filtration substrate such as fibrous polypropylene. The infused cartridge or other infused substrate is then exposed to UV radiation for a short period, usually of the order of several minutes to effect the desired curing. The EB filter is then ready for use.
In a second copending provisional patent application of the present inventor, it is additionally disclosed that in many applications the absorbent compositions of my aforementioned patents are improved by a drastic increase in the ratio of oil component to polymer component. Typically for example the oil component may be increased to above 95% and preferably to around 98% by weight of the two components. These higher oil blends appear to have higher affinity for the more soluble organic compounds such as benzene and low molecular weight chlorinated solvents. Also here the thermal reaction product of oil and polymer component is preferably prepared at a temperature range of 350 to 550 F., and more preferably at a range of from about 400 to 500 deg. F. The filtration media that result after infusion, as well as the infusing compositions, shall be referred to herein by the designation "HO", which is suggestive of the high content of the oil component
The term "absorbent composition" will be used herein as one of convenience for identifying the said compositions of my aforementioned patents, and will be used as well in referring to the additional compositions disclosed in my cited first and second copending provisional patent applications. The specific mechanism by which the noxious contaminants are removed from aqueous streams by conjunctive use of such "absorbent compositions" is not completely understood, and could include attachment and/or fixation of such contaminants by mechanisms which technically involve various physical and/or chemical interactions. The term "absorbent" as used herein is intended to encompass all of these possible mechanisms.


Damping device for a vibration damping system in chain saws having an adjustment spring characteristic for various applications. The element (10) according to the invention is an elongated elastomer element attached in the middle of a handle part and fastened at one end to the driving side of the crankcase. The second end enters into a cylindrical cavity (20) formed in the crankcase wall supporting the start apparatus, said cavity having a larger diameter than the element. In that way the characteristic of the element is primarily determined by the end fastened to the driving side but gradually, when the load on the element increases, also by the end entered into the cavity.

The present invention relates to vibration damping devices of elastic material, and more particularly to the use of such devices in chain saws thereby reducing the vibrations from the engine and the guide bar during operation.
In general, a chain saw comprises two primary components; a body and a handle. The body includes a motor having a crankcase, a guide bar attachment, an endless cutter chain, and means for rotating the endless cutter chain about the guide bar attachment. The handle includes a manual gripping portion, a frame portion, and often times a fuel tank and an oil tank. The body and the handle are interconnected so they can move independent from one another.
It is know in the art to arrange vibration dampers of rubber or steel springs in the body or the handle of the chain saw by either fastening them with screws of pressing them into seats formed in the saw. When designing such damping devices there is a problem with balancing between stiff and soft elements so that the damping of the vibrations becomes efficient while at the same time obtaining sufficient stiffness between the handle and the body for guiding the saw during operation. Under extreme conditions, such as sawing very dense wood or using an abnormally long guide bar, it is desired to otain a very progressive spring characteristic when large deflections occur in the damping arrangement. In order to obtain such a progressive characteristic special fastening arrangements and a reinforcement of the element with a stiffening means are required whose influence on the elasticity of the element does not take place until a certain deflection has occurred.


An optical receiver preamplifier includes an inverting amplifier 1 and a current-voltage conversion element 2 connected between input and output terminals of the inverting amplifier 1. The inverting amplifier 1 includes a first transistor 3 having a gate connected to the input terminal In of the inverting amplifier 1, a second transistor 4 having a source connected to a drain of the first transistor 3 and a gate to which a predetermined voltage Vb is applied, and a load 5 connected to a drain of the second transistor 4. A third transistor 6 is connected between the input terminal In of the inverting amplifier 1 and a source of the second transistor 4.

In an optical receiver circuit used in an optical communication system or the like, an optical signal from an optical fiber is converted to a current by a photo diode, and then the current is converted to a voltage signal by the optical receiver preamplifier. If a signal transmission distance through an optical fiber is long, a transmission loss in the fiber becomes large, and a current signal having a very small amplitude is input from the photo diode to the optical receiver preamplifier. In contrast, if a signal transmission distance through an optical fiber is short, a transmission loss in the fiber becomes small. A current signal having a large amplitude is input from the photo diode to the optical receiver preamplifier. Thus, current signals having various different amplitudes ranging from a small amplitude to a large amplitude are input to the optical receiver preamplifier.
Therefore, when a current-voltage conversion gain (transimpedance gain) of the optical receiver preamplifier is increased to detect a small signal, at a time of inputting a large signal, an output voltage is saturated and a waveform is distorted and the signal can not be precisely detected. On the other hand, when the current-voltage conversion gain is reduced to lower saturation of the output voltage, at a time of inputting a small signal, the small signal can not be sufficiently amplified and detection of a small signal is difficult.
To solve the above-described problems, in an optical receiver signal preamplifier disclosed in Patent Reference 1, a diode is connected in parallel to a feedback resistor (RF) connected between input and output terminals of an inverting amplifier. Thus, a voltage drop in the feedback resistor can be cramped, so that saturation of an output voltage can be suppressed. Moreover, an optical receiver preamplifier disclosed in Patent Reference 2, a transistor is connected to the feedback resistor in parallel and an impedance of the transistor is modulated. Thus, a resistance value of a feedback resistor, i.e., a current-voltage conversion gain is varied to prevent saturation of an output voltage.
(Patent Reference 1) Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. H03-060208
(Patent Reference 2) Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. H09-232877


An embodiment is a semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure comprises a p-type region in a substrate; a first n-type well in the p-type region; a first p-type well in the p-type region; and a second p-type well in the first p-type well. A concentration of a p-type impurity in the first p-type well is less than a concentration of a p-type impurity in the second p-type well. Additional embodiments further comprise further n-type and p-type wells in the substrate. A method for forming a semiconductor structure is also disclosed.

Applying a metal layer to a surface of a doped semiconductor material, e.g., a layer enriched or depleted of carrier charges, creates a contact region having properties comparable to a p-n junction in a semiconductor material. The common name for this metal-semiconductor contact region is a Schottky diode. The ability of Schottky diodes to substantially restrict current flow to one direction is a property heavily relied upon in the manufacture and design of integrated circuits. When forward biased, a Schottky diode is in an "on" state and current flows through the diode. When the diode is reverse biased, a Schottky diode is in an "off" state and ideally will not allow current to flow. However, Schottky diodes are generally not ideal and thus typically experience a small amount of reverse leakage current, which flows back through the diode when the diode should not be conducting current.
Reverse leakage can be detrimental to the performance of a circuit and may result in a loss of power in the circuit. A portion of the reverse leakage current can arise from the physical junction interaction between the Schottky metal, or Schottky barrier, and an adjacent semiconductor material. Regardless of its source, reverse leakage current usually induces undesirable characteristics in the operation of an electronic device, such as reducing efficiency.
The breakdown voltage of a Schottky diode is generally the maximum amount of reverse voltage that may be applied to the diode before the diode begins to breakdown and experiences an exponential increase in reverse leakage current. The ability to apply a greater reverse voltage to a Schottky diode without the diode breaking down (greater breakdown voltage) enables the diode to be integrated into circuits for higher voltage applications, e.g., applications having voltage levels that exceed a few volts.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A data processing system for end-to-end configuration assistance for cloud services implements receiving a request from a client device for a solution assistant configured to provide step-by-step guidance for configuring a plurality of cloud services to interoperate to produce a specified result; causing to be presented a solution assistant user interface; providing the step-by-step guidance comprising a plurality of steps by: launching a configuration interface of a respective cloud service of the plurality of cloud services associated with a respective step of the plurality of steps; presenting step-by-step configuration information providing guidance for configuring the respective cloud service; and receiving a confirmation indication from the client device that the respective cloud service has been configured according to the step-by-step configuration information; generating a summary report that includes a summary of the cloud services configured using the solution assistant; and causing to be presented the confirmation summary report.

Cloud services provide on-demand availability of applications and services to users via the Internet. Cloud services may provide standalone solutions for various needs of the user. These services may also be integrated and combined in specific ways to solve larger business and information technology (IT) problems. However, combining these applications or services to achieve a specific result may present unique configuration problems. Each application or service may need to be configured in a specific way to ensure that the applications or services interoperate in a desired manner to achieve the specific result. Each application or service may need to be configured separately using an administrative interface associated with that application or service. The procedures for configuring each application or service may be explained in documentation associated with each respective application or service, but the process for configuring each of these applications or services to work together to achieve a specific result is typically not covered in a comprehensive manner in the documentation of each of the applications or services. Even if they are, errors in configuration across applications or services can lead to frustration, the need for troubleshooting, and decreased customer satisfaction. Hence, there is a need for improved systems and methods that provide a technical solution for providing assistance for end-to-end configuration for cloud services.

End-to-end configuration assistance for cloud services


An n-type embedded layer is formed in an N-LV region of a SRAM cell region after an element isolation insulating film is formed on a p-type Si substrate. Thereafter, a p-well and an n-well are formed. In formation of a channel-doped layer, ion implantation is also performed into the N-LV region of the SRAM cell region in parallel with ion implantation into an N-LV of a logic circuit region. Ion-implantation is further performed into the N-LV region of the SRAM cell region in parallel with ion implantation into an N-MV of an I/O region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device suitable for a SRAM and a manufacturing method of the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, miniaturization of a transistor is pursued for the purpose of high-density design and high performance of a semiconductor device. However, in a SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), the threshold voltage is reduced due to an inverse narrow channel effect when the channel width of the transistor which constitutes each memory cell (SRAM cell) is narrowed. As a result, the operation margin of the SRAM cell becomes small.
Patent document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-58675) discloses a method in which in order to enhance the threshold voltage of the transistor constituting an SPAM cell, a step of introducing an impurity into only the transistor is added besides the introduction of the impurity which is performed in parallel with formation of a logic circuit and an input and output circuit (I/O circuit).
Further, as described in Non-patent document 1 "The Impact of Technology Scaling on Soft Error Rate Performance and Limits Efficacy of Error Correction", IEDM 2002, as the high-density design of a transistor advances, the soft error rate of the SRAM cell increases, and therefore higher soft error resistance is required.
A related art is described in Patent document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 11-74378).


An intrusion detector comprises a housing including a cover and baseplate mounting a circuit board. The cover and baseplate are removably mountable to a base. A motion sensor and bracket are mounted to the circuit board. The cover has a lower lookdown window. A lookdown enable/disable actuator extends from a rear side of the circuit board and is accessible through the baseplate. The actuator is operable to move a door pivotally mounted to the bracket between an on position to enable a lookdown function and an off position to disable the lookdown function. The detector is normally mounted on a wall by securing the base to the wall. The cover and baseplate can be removed from the base. A screwdriver can be used to turn the actuator. The cover and baseplate can then be remounted to the base.

Home security and monitoring systems have become commonplace as people seek to protect themselves and their property. Home security systems typically employ sensors at entry points, such as windows and doors, along with interior sensors such as motion detectors. The motion detectors may use infrared and/or microwave signals to detect motion proximate the detector. Typically, the detector includes a lens in the cover for detecting motion in an area in front of the detector. Intrusion detectors may include a lookdown function with a lens positioned in the bottom of the cover for detecting motion beneath the detector.
In some applications it may be necessary or desired to disable the lookdown function. Traditionally, there are two methods to disable the lookdown function. The first method uses a black thin label to mask the lookdown window. In order to enable the lookdown function it is necessary to disassemble the detector, remove the label, then reassemble the detector. The second method uses a rubber band to mask the lookdown mirror. To enable the lookdown function, it is necessary to disassemble the detector, remove the band from the mirror, then reassemble the detector. Both the label and rubber band are removed from the detectors and stored outside of the detectors.
There are two shortcomings with these methods. One, it is necessary to fully disassemble the detector, remove the label or rubber band, then reassemble the detector. This operation can be complicated and also exposes the internal circuitry. Secondly, there is a need to store the label or rubber band outside of the detector in the event it is necessary to later disable the lookdown function. However, once outside the detectors, the label or rubber band may be easy to lose.


By waiting until an amplitude signal from a recorded track undergoes a predetermined change from an observed maximum signal level, the maximum level is "validated" as a signal peak representative of track center. The amplitude signal is generated as a transducer moves radially across a rotating disk and crosses one or more concentric information-bearing tracks. The amplitude signal is sampled at regular intervals and processed by a software low pass filter. Succeeding filtered samples are compared to find a signal maximum. The maximum level is then retained and each new sample is subtracted from the retained level. When the signal difference exceeds an excursion threshold, the signal maximum is "validated" and the head is moved to track center.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to information recording and reproduction apparatus and, more especially, to apparatus for finding the center of an information-bearing track without the use of auxiliary tracking heads or servo tracks.
2. Description Relative to the Prior Art
In order to recover information recorded on a circular track on a rotary storage medium, it is important to center a playback head on the part of the track producing the greatest signal strength. This is ordinarily the center of the track, where the signal envelope corresponds to maximum signal amplitude. Finding the center based on amplitude measurement is difficult for a number of reasons: interference between tracks produces anomalous amplitude readings, different signal levels from medium to medium and player to player necessitate dealing with a variety of signal levels, and the signal drop from outer to inner tracks on the same medium complicates the interpretation of signal levels.
U.S. Pat. 4,204,234 describes a track-following servo in which a playback head follows a path defined by the maximum amplitude data signals. The crest or maximum amplitude signal is found by the analysis of a regular sequence of digitized amplitude samples. The track center is found by observing that the present sample (third sample, in time) is less than the previous sample (second sample), which in turn was greater than the one prior to it (first sample). A position error signal is calculated from these amplitude samples and input to the servo to direct the head backwards toward the track center. In a further aspect of this technique, a fourth amplitude sample strengthens the criteria for crest detection if it is less than the third sample. This track-following technique is intended for following an existing, known track where a signal crest is assured. Its reliance on the amplitude value of adjacent samples, however, is susceptible to anomalous signal levels characteristic of unknown tracks and unknown media, a situation such as encountered when a medium is first put into a player.
It is known to base a tracking decision upon a threshold related to the expected signal level. U.S. Pat. 4,689,700 describes a thresholding technique in which track center is found by determining the positions where the envelope signal strength passes a fixed threshold on both its upward and downward slopes. Track center is then calculated to be midway between the two points. Since average signal strength drops from outer to inner tracks and a fixed threshold could miss a track, the '700 patent allows for varying the threshold level depending on the position of the track. This technique, however, is based on implicit foreknowledge of the expected signal. Noisy signal levels or unusual signal levels, which are dependent on the vagaries of the recording environment, will still lead to erroneous estimation of track centers.

Method and apparatus for centering a transducer over a recorded track on a rotary storage medium


A decentralized voltage control method for a microgrid based on nonlinear state observers, comprising the steps of step 10), establishing a large-signal model of distributed generations, a connection network and impedance-type loads in the microgrid; step 20), establishing a Luenberger-like nonlinear state observer for each distributed generation; step 30), estimating the dynamic characteristics of other distributed generations in real time based on the local measured values of each distributed generation; and step 40), implementing the decentralized voltage control based on the control requirements of reactive power sharing and voltage restoration. The control method realizes the voltage control of microgrid based on the decentralized state observers, which does not rely on communication transmission or remote measurement and avoids the adverse effects of communication latency and data drop-out on the control performance.

With the gradual exhaustion of earth resources and the increase of people's attention to environmental issues, the application of renewable energy resources is increasingly valued by countries around the world. The microgrid is an emerging energy organization mode that increases the permeability of renewable energy resources to provide uninterrupted power supply. The microgrid includes different types of distributed energy resources (DERs, including micro gas turbines, wind driven generators, photovoltaics, fuel cells, energy storages, etc.), user terminals of various electrical loads and/or thermal loads and related monitoring and protection devices.
The internal power supply of the microgrid mainly lies in the energy conversion by power electronic devices, where proper control is indispensable. With respect to the main grid, the microgrid can be considered as a controlled power unit, and meets the requirement of power quality and power supply security. The microgrid is connected to the main grid through the point of common coupling for energy exchange, and the both parties are mutually standby, which improves the reliability of power supplies. Since the microgrid is a small-scale power system and close to the load, it can greatly increase the reliability of power supplies, reduce the network loss and greatly enhance the energy efficiency, which meets the requirements of future development in smart grid.
Droop control algorithm is widely concerned because of the realization of communication-free power sharing, but the output voltage of each distributed generation may suffer from the steady-state deviation. At the same time, voltage droop control typically yields towards a poor performance in the reactive power sharing due to the difference in the output impedance of each distributed generation. Therefore, secondary voltage control is needed to improve the accuracy of reactive power sharing and the voltage performance in the microgrid system. The cooperative voltage control schemes have already undertaken, regarding centralized control and distributed control, both of which rely on communication technologies, However, the communication process is usually affected by information latency and data drop-out, and in the worst case the system stability is affected. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate a decentralized control system that does not rely on remote measurements or real-time communications to carry out reactive power sharing and voltage restoration of distributed generations, thereby improving the stability and dynamic performance of the microgrid and improving the power quality.

Decentralized voltage control method for microgrid based on nonlinear state observers


Novel beet, such as beet designated AMARENA is disclosed. In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to the seeds of beet AMARENA, to the plants and plant parts of beet AMARENA, and to methods for producing a beet plant by crossing the beet AMARENA with itself or another beet plant. Provided herewith are methods for producing a beet plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic plants produced by that method and to methods for producing other beet plants derived from the beet AMARENA.

The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed disclosures, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Beet (Beta vulgaris) is a root vegetable also known as beetroot, red beet, table beet, garden beet, or more commonly as just beet. Beet is an important, valuable and popular vegetable crop used in many cuisines around the world. Beets are packed with essential vitamins, minerals and other plant compounds, some of which have medicinal properties. Thus, a continuing goal of plant breeders is to develop more stable, higher yielding beet cultivars that are agronomically sound and/or have unique properties. The reasons for this goal are to maximize the amount of yield produced on the land used to grow them as well as to improve the plant agronomic and horticultural qualities. To accomplish this goal, the beet breeder must select and develop beet plants that have the traits that result in superior cultivars.