A printing device includes a head, a radiation unit and a control unit. The head is configured to eject metallic ink including a plurality of longitudinal metal fragments onto a medium. The radiation unit is configured to irradiate the metallic ink with light to cure the metallic ink. The control unit is configured to control irradiation of the light by the radiation unit so that a film thickness formed by the metallic ink is equal to or less than a length of a long side of the longitudinal metal fragment when the metallic ink is cured on the medium.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a printing device and a printing method.
2. Related Art
Inkjet printers have been developed which perform printing by ejecting metallic ink containing metal fragments onto a medium. A glossy printed product can be formed because the metal fragments reflect incident light. Since color ink is also sometimes ejected over the metallic ink, ultraviolet curable inks are used for these inks and the inks are cured by exposure to ultraviolet rays in order to prevent color mixing (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-239951).


A method is provided for feeding small items, for example pills, that does not require tooling changes or position adjustment regardless of the size or shape of the pills. A first hopper supplies small items to a second hopper that separates the small items. The method incorporates sensors to detect the presence, size and travel time of the pills in the separating bowl hopper. The method uses the sensed values for setting vibration amplitude and the duration of an air flow to discharge pills from the apparatus.

Pills are made in a broad variety of sizes and shapes for purpose of identification. The term "pills" is used herein to incorporate tablets, capsules, caplets and gel caps. The size variety of pills also accommodates different drug dosage requirements. While this system is clearly functional for its intended purpose, the variety in size and shape necessitates conventional equipment for packaging pills to be modified in some way to accurately handle, count and package different pills. The modification typically involves either replacing certain parts in a packing machine or adjusting the spacing of parts to be able to linearly feed, separate, count and package the required pills.
When a pharmaceutical manufacturer makes pills for commercial distribution, the batch production quantity is normally fairly large and the machine adjustments described are considered to be absorbed by a long production cycle. However, when a secondary packager, also known as a contract packager, or a pharmacy or hospital, needs to package pills, the requirements are often different. One such scenario may be packaging pills in a unit pack for individual doses. In these small quantity packaging situations and where the size or shape pill being packaged changes relatively frequently, changing machine parts or adjusting machine part spacing is relatively onerous and time consuming. Thus a need exists for pill packing equipment, particularly equipment for feeding pills to a packaging machine that can handle many different sizes and shapes of pill without a need for machine part changing or adjusting.


A method and apparatus capable of detecting the occurrence of misfiring in an internal combustion engine with high reliability over a wide engine operation range with a simplified structure. Starting from a fact that an engine acceleration changes in dependence upon combustion states in the engine cylinders, a ratio between two periods before and after a predetermined crank angle reference position is successively determined. An angular acceleration of the crankshaft is then determined on the basis of a difference between a current ratio and a preceding ratio for each cylinder. Subsequently, a change in the crankshaft acceleration is determined for comparison with a predetermined value at every ignition timing for each cylinder. If the change exceeds the predetermined value, it is determined the occurrence of misfiring. The method can be carried out by making use of only an output signal of a crank angle sensor which is usually utilized for ignition timing control of the engine.

The present invention generally relates to a misfiring detecting method and apparatus for detecting the occurrence of misfiring in an internal combustion engine. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a method and apparatus for detecting the occurrence of misfiring on the basis of a change in angular acceleration of the crankshaft of an engine in a predetermined angular range across a predetermined crank position.
Misfiring is a phenomenon which occurs in an internal combustion engine when at least one of the cylinders of the engine fails to ignite. Misfiring can be due to a number of causes, such as the failure of an ignition system to produce an adequate spark in a cylinder or the failure of a fuel supply system to supply a proper amount of air/fuel mixture to a cylinder. When misfiring is due to a failure of the ignition system, uncombusted fuel will be discharged from the misfiring cylinder. The discharge of uncombusted fuel is of course undesirable, because it can cause environmental pollution or a catalytic converter of the engine may be damaged. Therefore, it is desirable to detect misfiring in an engine and then cut off the supply of fuel to a misfiring cylinder.
For this reason, various misfiring sensing or detecting methods have been proposed, a typical one of which is disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 62-26345 (JP-A-62-26345). According to this known method, pressure within each cylinder of an engine is constantly monitored by a pressure sensor, and the crankshaft angle at which a maximum pressure prevails in each cylinder is determined. When the maximum pressure for each cylinder falls within a prescribed period defined by two crank angles, the engine is considered to be operating normally.
The known method and apparatus, however, suffer a number of shortcomings. For example, it is necessary to continuously monitor the cylinder pressure, so the system structure tends to be complicated. Furthermore, when the engine is operating under a light load, the pressure in each cylinder has two peaks, one occurring at top dead center during the compression stroke and the other occurring during the combustion stroke, and it is difficult to discriminatively identify the two peaks. Besides, when a pressure peaks occurs prior to top dead center during the compression stroke of a cylinder, it is not possible to detect misfiring.

Misfiring detecting method and apparatus


A high voltage thin film transistor comprising an amorphous semiconductor charge transport layer, laterally disposed source and drain electrodes, a first control electrode with one edge laterally overlapping the source electrode and an other edge laterally spaced from the drain electrode. A source of high potential is applied to the drain electrode and a source of low potential is applied to the first control electrode in a time varying manner so as to form an accumulation channel in the charge transport layer, opposite to the first control electrode. Device performance is improved by including a second control electrode disposed in the same plane as the first control electrode and biased for preventing the formation of defects within the charge transport layer adjacent the other edge.

Electronic technology today relies almost exclusively on crystalline silicon with compound semiconductors, such as GaAs, occupying small, but important, niches in optoelectronic and high speed applications. Amorphous silicon device configurations have rapidly progressed in both their performance and stability since the first report in 1979 by LeComber et al (Electronic Letters 15, 179 [1979]) of an amorphous silicon field effect transistor. Amorphous silicon technology has emerged as a prime candidate for large area thin film applications, first in photovoltaic applications and later in large area integrated circuits used in flat liquid crystal displays, solid state imagers, electronic copiers, printers and scanners. This semiconductor material is ideally suited for large area arrays (in excess of 12 inches by 12 inches) because the low deposition temperatures involved in its glow discharge fabrication process, make possible the use of inexpensive substrate materials, such as glass.
By comparison to crystalline silicon devices, the main difference with amorphous silicon devices is the relatively low electron band mobility (.ltoreq.20 cm.sup.2 /Vs) of the latter coupled with a relatively large density of localized states. This results in amorphous silicon devices having a slower switching time than single crystalline devices. However, in many large area applications, such as printing, since numerous operations can be performed in parallel, the overall system speed is quite fast. Furthermore, since amorphous silicon has a wide effective energy gap, an extremely large photoconductivity and good light sensitivity, it is uniquely suited for optoelectronic applications, particularly in the visible range.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,814 (Tuan) entitled "High Voltage Thin Film Transistor", assigned to the same assignee as the present application, there is taught a unique a-Si:H transistor device which may be operated at 500 volts, or more. In operation, several hundreds of volts can be switched by a low voltage gate signal. Fabrication of this high voltage transistor is compatible with low voltage amorphous silicon TFTs. This known transistor structure is shown in FIG. 1 and a typical example of its initial I.sub.DS vs. V.sub.DS characteristics are shown in curve A of FIG. 3. However, this amorphous silicon transistor will not be stable under certain operating conditions because after being stressed its characteristics can shift, as indicated by curve B of FIG. 3. Electrostatic stressing will occur on the order of minutes, in response to a history of applied voltages. The illustrated shift to higher V.sub.DS values is undesirable because it could degrade the performance of the HVTFT in circuit applications. In order to describe this shift, the parameter V.sub.x has been defined. It is shown in FIG. 3 as the x-axis crossing of a tangent to the inflection point of the I.sub.DS vs. V.sub.DS curve.
Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to greatly reduce the V.sub.x shift, in order to enable the amorphous silicon HVTFT to have more uniform operating characteristics regardless of its electrostatic stress history.

High voltage thin film transistor with second control electrode


An embossed carrier tape includes a plurality of device pockets (device holes) in which electronic devices are held one by one; and support portions each of which is formed at a surrounding area of each of the device pockets. The support portions are of step-shaped on which the electronic devices are put and supported.

This application claims the priority of Application No. 2000-209195, filed Jul. 11, 2000 in Japan, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to an embossed carrier tape for holding and packaging small-sized electronic devices such as a semiconductor device, a capacitor, a resistor, etc.
An embossed carrier tape is generally used to hold and package small-sized electronic devices such as a semiconductor device, a capacitor, a resistor, etc. A conventional embossed carrier tape includes a plurality of device pockets (device holes) in which electronic devices are put one by one. Each of the device pockets (device holes) is shaped to be a reverse quadrangular pyramid having an inner side surface and a bottom surface. The inner side surfaces are sloped so that an electronic device is easily set in the device pocket.
According to the conventional embossed carrier tape, if an electronic device is inclined in the device pocket, terminals provided on the bottom of the electronic device are in contact with the inside surfaces of the device pocket. And therefore, the terminals may be deformed. Further, in order to treat different types of electronic devices, different shape of embossed carrier tapes are required.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an embossed carrier tape in which electronic devices are held in appropriate attitude or posture.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, an embossed carrier tape used for holding and carrying electronic devices, includes a plurality of device pockets (device holes) in which electronic devices are held one by one; and support portions each of which is formed at a surrounding area of each of the device pockets. The support portions are of step-shaped on which the electronic devices are put and supported.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, an embossed carrier tape includes first type of device pockets (device holes) in which electronic devices are held one by one; and second type of device pockets (device holes) in which electronic devices are held one by one. The first and second types of device pockets are formed on front surface and rear surface of the embossed carrier tape, respectively.

Embossed carrier tape for electronic devices


An image forming apparatus includes a guide unit for guiding sheets fed by a sheet feed unit to an image forming unit, a discharge guide unit for discharging the sheets onto which images are formed, by the image forming unit, a re-transportation guide unit for branching the sheets from the discharge guide unit and guiding them through the image forming apparatus again, and a plurality of sheet sensors disposed in the re-transportation guide unit at intervals in a sheet transportation direction for determining positions at which the sheets are placed in a standby state, wherein the number of sheets, which are placed in the standby state is selected based on sheet size information so that more sheets are placed in the standby state when a sheet size is short than when it is long. Accordingly, the throughput of short sheets can be increased when images are recorded on both sides thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for recording images on both sides of a sheet by reversing and re-feeding the sheet, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus for improving throughput of a sheet re-feed device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, many image forming apparatuses having an image forming unit for recording an image on one side of a sheet have been proposed. These image forming apparatuses are arranged so as to record images on both sides of the sheet by re-feeding it to the image forming unit after the front and back sides thereof are reversed.
A sheet re-feed device for reversing and re-feeding sheets is typically arranged such that (1) sheets are placed on an intermediate tray while being bent and reversed in a sheet feed direction and then fed again or (2) the leading end and the trailing end of the sheets are changed by being switched back by a reverse unit and then sequentially fed again from a re-feed unit.
In the latter system, the maximum number of sheets exiting on a transportation path (a reverse unit and the re-feed unit) of the sheet re-feed device is set in accordance with a sheet having a maximum length capable of being handled by the sheet re-feed device. When, for example, the maximum number of sheets is two sheets, an image forming apparatus feeds a first sheet to the re-feed unit of the sheet re-feed device and places it in a standby state there and then feeds a second sheet with an interval between it and the first preceding sheet to prevent the first sheet from colliding against the second sheet and places the second sheet in a standby state on the reverse unit of the sheet re-feed device. Subsequently, the first sheet, which was placed in the standby state on the sheet re-feed device, is fed again to an image forming unit where an image is recorded on the back side of the first sheet, and then the first sheet is discharged to an outside of the image forming apparatus. Then, the second sheet, which was placed in the standby state on the reverse unit, is fed to the re-feed unit while a third sheet is transported to and placed in a standby state on the reverse unit. Repetition of the above operations permits images to be continuously recorded on both sides of the first, second, and third sheets.
Recently, when an image is recorded on sheets having a short length by an image forming apparatus, those sheets are fed at short intervals so as to increase the number of sheets processed in a unit time (hereinafter, referred to as xe2x80x9cthroughputxe2x80x9d). However, the number of sheets that can be placed in a standby state on the re-feed unit is set in accordance with a sheet having a maximum length as described above. As such, a problem arises in that the throughput cannot be increased.
To solve this problem, it has been contemplated to make a sheet transportation speed higher in the sheet re-feed device than in the main body of the image forming apparatus. However, the sheet transportation speed in the main body of the image forming apparatus is sufficiently increased by an increase in the throughput of the main body. Thus, it is necessary to increase the size of a transportation motor to transport sheets at a higher speed in the sheet re-feed device, which thereby increases the manufacturing cost of the image forming apparatus.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet re-feed device capable of increasing the throughput of sheets having a short length without increasing a transportation speed in the sheet re-feed device, and to provide an image forming apparatus on which the sheet re-feed device is mounted.
Further, to solve the above problem, a sheet re-feed device and an image forming apparatus according to the present invention are typically arranged such that the sheet re-feed device, which includes a sheet reverse unit, a re-feed path for guiding sheets, and a re-feed unit disposed downstream of the re-feed path, comprises a plurality of sheet sensing devices and a sheet transportation stop unit for transporting and stopping the sheets, which are disposed in the re-feed path, so that more sheets are placed in a standby state when they are short than when they are long.
As described above, in the sheet re-feed device and the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, more sheets can be placed in the standby state on the transportation path of the sheet re-feed device, which can increase the throughput of short sheets when images are recorded on both the sides thereof.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

Sheet re-feed device and image forming apparatus


A vehicle door system includes a closer operable to move a door to a closed position. A presenter is operable to move the door to an initial open position. An actuator is mounted within the door and includes a linear moving member movable between a retracted and extended position along a linear axis. The linear moving member operates the presenter when moved toward the extended position and the closer when moved toward the retracted position. The actuator may also be utilized to drive a door edge protector.

Vehicle doors include a powered latch to secure the door in a closed position. The powered latch includes an electric actuator that is operable by switches within the passenger compartment. Vehicle doors may also include other powered mechanisms that ease door operation and effort required by a passenger. Doors may include a presenter mechanism that opens the door a predetermined amount when actuated. The door may also include a closing or cinch mechanism that draws the door to the complete closed position for the operator. Moreover, some doors may include protection devices that protect edges of the door. Each feature and door mechanism requires an actuator. Multiple mechanisms and actuators installed within the limited space available within the vehicle door complicate assembly and control functions.

Door presenter, cinch and edge guard actuator


A telecommunications box includes a back panel, outer sidewalls that adjoin the back panel and form an enclosed loop around an interior volume, and a bulkhead that divides the interior volume into first and second cable storage regions. The bulkhead includes a generally planar lower panel that is fixedly attached to the back panel, a generally planar upper panel having an opening that is dimensioned to receive one or more standardized fiber optic connectors, and a connection mechanism that is configured to permit the upper panel to be positioned in a first position and a second position. The first and second positions are different angular orientations of the upper panel relative to the back panel. The connection mechanism mechanically couples an upper edge side of the lower panel with a lower edge side of the upper panel in both of the first and second positions.

Today's communication networks provide transport of voice, video and data to both residential and commercial customers, with more and more of those customers being connected by fiber optic cables. In these communication networks, information is transmitted from one location to another by sending pulses of light through the fiber optic cables. Fiber optic transmission provides several advantages over electrical transmission techniques, such as increased bandwidth and lower losses.
So-called fiber to the premises (FTTP) fiber optic network configurations are becoming more prevalent. FTTP network configurations provide a complete fiber optic connection from the service provider's network to the customer's service location. These configurations are desirable because the high bandwidth capability of fiber optic transmission is brought directly to the service point.
So-called fiber to the antenna (FTTA) configurations are a kind of FTTP fiber optic network configuration that is employed in wireless telecommunications networks. Wireless telecommunications networks include communications towers with antennas (e.g., panel shaped antennas) mounted at elevation on the tower. These antennas receive and transmit voice and data to user devices in the coverage area. In an FTTA configuration, fiber optic cables are brought directly to the antenna. The antenna includes integrated hardware that is interfaces with the fiber optic connection to transmit and receive data across the fiber optic cable.
As is the case in any FTTP configuration, an FTTA network configuration requires a network node that provide a connection point between the service provider side fiber optic cabling (i.e., the fiber optic cable that is part of the global telecommunications network) and the customer side fiber optic cabling (i.e., the dedicated fiber optic cable that is routed to the service point). A demarcation box may be used to provide this network node. Important design criterion for demarcation boxes for FTTA applications include space-efficiency, ease of access to the stored fiber optic cabling, and ease of connection/disconnection of the stored fiber optic cabling.

Fiber distribution box with adjustable bulkhead


A medium purity gaseous oxygen cycle in which reboil for the LP column is provided partly by nitrogen from the HP column and partly by a stream of air.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for separating air. The most important method commercially of separating air is by rectification. The most frequently used air separation cycles include the steps of compressing a stream of air, purifying the resulting stream of compressed air by removing water vapour and carbon dioxide, and cooling the stream of compressed air by heat exchange with returning product streams to a temperature suitable for its rectification. The rectification is performed in a so-called "double rectification column" comprising a higher pressure and a lower pressure rectification column, i. e. one of the two columns operates at higher pressure than the other. Most if not all of the air is introduced into the higher pressure column and is separated into oxygen-enriched liquid air and nitrogen vapour. The nitrogen vapour is condensed. A part of the condensate is used as liquid reflux in the higher pressure column. Oxygen-enriched liquid is withdrawn from the bottom of the higher pressure column, is sub-cooled and is introduced into an intermediate region of the lower pressure column through a throttling or pressure reduction valve. The oxygen-enriched liquid is separated into substantially pure oxygen and nitrogen products in the lower pressure column. These products are withdrawn in the vapour state from the lower pressure column and form the returning streams against which the incoming air stream is heat exchanged. Liquid reflux for the lower pressure column is provided by taking the remainder of the condensate from the higher pressure column, sub-cooling it, and passing it into the top of the lower pressure column through a throttling or pressure reduction valve.
Conventionally, the lower pressure column is operated at pressures in the range of 1 to 1.5 atmospheres absolute. At such pressures, it is desirable to link the higher and lower pressure columns by using liquid oxygen at the bottom of the lower pressure column to meet the condensation duty at the top of the higher pressure column. Accordingly, nitrogen vapour from the top of the higher pressure column is heat exchanged with liquid oxygen in the bottom of the lower pressure column. Sufficient liquid oxygen is able to be evaporated thereby to meet the requirements of the lower pressure column for reboil and to enable a good yield of gaseous oxygen product to be achieved. The pressure at the top of the higher pressure column and hence the pressure to which the incoming air is compressed is arranged to be such that the temperature of the condensing nitrogen is a degree or two Kelvin higher than that of the boiling oxygen in the lower pressure column.
Many commercial processes use oxygen containing less than one percent by volume of impurities. There are however some processes, for example, coal gasification, which desirably use oxygen of lower purity, typically containing from 3 to 20% by volume of impurities. U.S. Pat. No. 4 410 343 (Ziemer) discloses that when such lower purity oxygen is required, rather have the above described link between the lower and higher pressure columns, air is employed to boil oxygen in the bottom of the lower pressure column in order both to provide reboil for that column and to evaporate the oxygen product. The resulting condensed air is then fed into both the higher pressure and the lower pressure columns. A stream of oxygen-enriched liquid is withdrawn from the higher pressure column, is passed through a throttling valve and a part of it is used to perform the nitrogen condensing duty at the top of the higher pressure column. U.S. Pat. No. 3 210 951 also discloses a process for producing impure oxygen in which air is employed to boil oxygen in the bottom of the lower pressure column in order both to provide reboil for that column and to evaporate the oxygen product. In this instance, however, oxygen-enriched liquid from an intermediate region of the lower pressure column is used to fulfil the duty of condensing nitrogen vapour produced in the higher pressure column.
It is known to take the stream of air for separation from an air compressor forming part of a gas turbine. This practice typically entails operating the higher pressure column at substantially the same pressure as the outlet pressure of the compressor. Typically, such air compressors operate at a pressure of from 10 to 20 atmospheres. If the higher pressure column is operated at such a pressure, there is a concomitant increase in the pressure at which the lower pressure column is operated.
In theory, operating the lower pressure column at a higher pressure than one in the range of 1 to 1.5 atmospheres absolute is advantageous since it reduces the effect of pressure drop in the heat exchanger in which the compressed air stream is cooled by heat exchange with the product streams. One consequence, however, of operating the lower pressure rectification column at a higher pressure is, according to our analysis, that the demand for liquid nitrogen reflux in the higher pressure column thereby tending to starve the lower pressure column of liquid nitrogen reflux while at the same time the demand for liquid nitrogen in the lower pressure rectification column also increases. As a result, a further consequence is that the liquid air stream fed to the higher pressure rectification column then has a greater adverse impact on the performance of the air separation process.


An electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a loop antenna, a printed circuit board including a power wire and a ground wire, a first switch electrically connected between a first terminal of the loop antenna and the power wire, a second switch electrically connected between the first terminal and the ground wire, a third switch electrically connected between a second terminal of the loop antenna and the power wire, a fourth switch electrically connected between the second terminal and the ground wire, and a controller.

As mobile communication technologies develop, an electronic device, which is equipped with a radiator, such as a smartphone, a wearable device, or the like is being widely supplied. The electronic device may feed a radiator (e.g., a magnetic secure transmission (MST) coil) and may be paired with an external device (e.g., a payment terminal). The electronic device paired with the external device may make a payment or may transmit/receive various kinds of data to/from the external device.

Electronic device comprising at least one switch for supplying electricity to loop antenna


A game 5 or 5A with multiple incentives and multiple levels. The game 5 or 5A has a first level 10 of game play with win opportunities that provides incentive to a player to play the game 5 or 5A and at least a second level 20 of game play with win opportunities that provides further incentive to the player to play the game. Contingencies of the first level 10 of game play need to be satisfied in order to enter and play the at least second level 20 of game play. The player 9 plays the first level 10 and the at least second level 20 of game play and wins accordingly only if the contingencies in the first level 10 of game play have been met by the player in order to play the at least second level 20 of game play. Otherwise, the player 9 only plays the first level 10 of game play and wins accordingly. Various game components are used to implement and play the game 5 or 5A. A game table 170 or 170A with lottery wager areas 6, 7, and 8, jackpot wager areas 16, 17, and 18, and jackpot retaining areas 22, 24, and 26 is provided. A light and sensor component 240 is located at each of the lottery wager areas and the jackpot wager areas. A wager activation switch 185 is coupled to each light and sensor component 240 wherein the switch 185 is activated to light up the respective areas when a chip is sensed thereon. A ticket vault and dispenser 177, a bar code reader 178, a computer 176, a dealer monitor 179, and a player monitor 190 or 190A are used with the game table 170 or 170A. The games of skill or chance or both are used with the game 5 or 5A may be a lottery ticket game, a jackpot game, etc. A combined lottery game 108 with time of purchase win progressive jackpot 222, 224, or 226 is disclosed. The lottery ticket game 108 has at least one instant win game, at least one progressive win game, and corresponding play and winning indices printed thereon. The second level jackpot game may be a high lottery ticket game, a playing card game, a dice game, etc.

A number of games and gaming apparatuses and methods exist in the prior art. Various games of skill or chance are used in casinos and gambling halls. Some of these games of skill or chance involve playing card games, dice games, roulette wheels, etc. Other games of skill or chance involve lottery tickets in which a person purchases a lottery ticket in hoping that he/she will win an instant amount or a jackpot amount.
Lottery tickets contain either instant win/jackpot games or progressive jackpot games. In the instant win/jackpot games, the player purchases an instant lottery ticket and plays the game on the instant lottery ticket. The player at that time knows whether he/she is a winner and knows how much he/she has won. For progressive jackpot lottery games, the player purchases the progressive lottery ticket for a particular draw time and date and then waits until that time and date of the draw when the numbers are picked. After the draw for the progressive lottery jackpot game, the player knows whether he/she is a winner and knows how much he/she has won. Instant lottery games are played separately from the jackpot play type jackpots, that is, instant tickets lottery are sold entirely separately from progressive lottery tickets. Therefore, the player either is playing for the typically fixed, smaller amount wins if he/she is playing the instant lottery games, and the player is playing for the larger, progressive amount wins if he/she is playing the progressive lottery games.
Lottery ticket games that combine both instant win/jackpot games and progressive jackpot games on single tickets have been developed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,293 to Mullins ("Mullins") discloses an example of such a combination lottery ticket and game. This prior art patent is incorporated by reference herein. Mullins discloses the combination of an instant play type lottery game with a jackpot type lottery game. The instant type lottery game may be any of one instant type lottery game. The progressive lottery jackpot game is one that the player has a ticket that has a series of numbers from a field of numbers from which the winning numbers will be drawn. The winning numbers are selected at random on a specified drawing date for that ticket. On the specified date, the winning numbers are drawn from the field of numbers. Any ticket with the winning numbers is a winning ticket, and the holder of a winning ticket is entitled to at least a share or all of the jackpot.
One drawback for the players of the progressive lottery jackpot games is that the players have to wait until the specified drawing date before they find out whether they have a winning ticket. Therefore, players are not able to win the progressive jackpot at the time and date which they purchase a ticket, and they can only win after the drawing on the specified date and time. Furthermore, another drawback with this type of progressive lottery jackpot game is that it generally requires lottery officials to monitor and determine (i.e. draw the winning numbers and monitor/verify the winning tickets) the winning players having winning tickets. Since the specified drawing date only occurs on a per time period/frequency basis, then the jackpot is limited to only rolling over when there is no winning ticket on this time period/frequency basis as well. In other words, a continuous progressive jackpot that can be won at any time that a ticket is purchased and that is monitored and tracked and initially reset again by a computer(s) does not exist. Therefore, the needs and desires exist to provide a ticket with a combination instant lottery game and progressive lottery game wherein the progressive lottery game provides a continuous progressive jackpot that can be won at any time a ticket is purchased. The needs and desires also exist to provide the capabilities of monitoring and tracking the winning ticket(s) and accordingly resetting the jackpot.
Therefore, most games of skill or chance provide players with a smaller jackpot (i.e. such as a table jackpot) as being the incentive to play those games while other games of skill or chance provide players with a larger jackpot (i.e. such as a progressive jackpot) as being the incentive to play these games. The games that presently exist provide for either one of these types of jackpot (i.e. either the game is for a smaller jackpot or for a larger jackpot). Each of these respective games provide various levels of incentive to play these games. Depending on player choice and risk decisions, a player will play one type of game over another type of game. In other words, a player faces the choice of playing for smaller jackpots if the player wants a higher chance of winning at least some jackpot amount(s). On the other hand, a player faces the choice of playing for larger jackpots if the player wants the opportunity to win a larger amount but is willing to take the high possibility risk of losing almost every time he/she plays. Therefore, the incentive levels of each of these two types of games have been separated, and when each of these games have been played, then no further play and no further incentive exists for the player. Therefore, some players opt not to play some games at all since these games are all or nothing win opportunity games and since they do not provide the additional incentives, drive, and fun for the players in order to keep their interests for continuing to play these games.
Therefore, the needs and desires exists for providing a game that provides the player with additional play and additional incentive and for providing a game that provides the player with additional opportunities to win. Therefore, the demand for a game with multiple incentives and multiple levels of game play exists. Furthermore, the demand for a game that combines the incentives for playing smaller jackpot games with the incentives for playing larger jackpot games exists. Thus, the need and desire exist for providing a game that combines the incentives for playing smaller jackpot games with the incentives for playing larger jackpot games. Furthermore, the demand exists for providing a game wherein the smaller jackpot win amounts drive the play of the larger win amount game and the larger jackpot win amounts, in turn, drive the play of the smaller win amount game. Also, the needs and desires for providing a lottery game that combines instant win games with an instant win progressive jackpot game also exists.

Game with multiple incentives and multiple levels of game play and combined lottery game with time of purchase win progressive jackpot


Disclosed is a scanning electron microscope capable of performing speedy focusing by automatically measuring an electrostatic voltage of a surface of a wafer inside a specimen chamber in an accurate, and easy speedy manner, the wafer assuming different electrostatic voltages inside and outside the specimen chamber. The scanning electron microscope that controls optical systems measures an electrostatic voltage of the specimen according to an electrostatic capacitance between the both parts of the divided electrode plate, by dividing an electrode plate into two parts and switching potentials of electrodes obtained by the division with each other, an electrostatic voltage of the specimen based on an electrostatic capacitance between the both parts of the divided electrode plate. The electrode plate is used for applying a retarding voltage and arranged over a specimen.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scanning electron microscope which scans an electron beam on a surface of a specimen, detects secondary electrons generated from the specimen, and thereby obtains a scanning image of the specimen surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, as semiconductor devices have been becoming more highly integrated and finer, scanning electron microscopes have started to be used, in place of optical microscopes, in dimension measurement of and shape evaluation of semiconductor devices in manufacturing processes of the semiconductor devices. In order to automatically and speedily process measurement of mass-manufactured semiconductors, it is necessary to speedily detect each measurement point on a wafer, and, for that purpose, it is necessary to focus an electron beam on a pattern speedily after the electron beam has moved to the each measurement point.
In an electron optical system, a condition for focusing on a wafer is uniquely determined by: an accelerating voltage of electrons irradiated to the wafer; and a height of the wafer. Additionally, the accelerating voltage of the electrons is determined by: an extracting voltage of the electrons; a retarding voltage applied to the wafer so as to decelerate the electrons; and an electrostatic voltage of a surface of the wafer. In order to obtain a desired accelerating voltage, in normal cases, the retarding voltage is controlled in accordance with the electrostatic voltage of the wafer on condition that the extracting voltage has been maintained at a constant level. For example, by measuring a potential of the wafer by use of an electrostatic potential meter grounded outside a specimen chamber, and canceling an influence from the electrostatic voltage of the wafer by feeding back a result of the measurement to the control over the retarding voltage, the accelerating voltage can be maintained at a constant level and thereby can be prevented from affecting the condition for the focusing. On the other hand, in order to measure the wafer height, there has been adopted a method as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei11-126573, the method including the steps of: irradiating laser light to the wafer; detecting the wafer height by utilizing reflected light thereof; feeding back, to an objective lens which is one of the electron optical systems, height information obtained thereby; and, at the same time as movement of the electron beam to a measurement point is completed, applying excitation that is necessary for the focusing to the objective lens. By performing the above control over the accelerating voltage and the wafer height at one time, it becomes possible to focus an electron beam at the same time as movement of the electron beam to any measurement point is completed.
However, in recent years, there have been occasionally found wafers each showing a change in electrostatic voltage of a surface thereof when being moved between the outside and the inside of a specimen chamber. For example, there is a wafer that assumes hardly any voltage outside a specimen chamber, but assumes a voltage of several ten to several hundred volts inside the specimen chamber. Such a difference in amount of electrostatic charge between the outside and the inside of the specimen chamber depends on a manufacturing environment intrinsic to the each wafer, and also on a thickness of layer electrically charged. Therefore, such differences are not necessarily constant among those wafers that have undergone the same manufacturing processes. As to each of such wafers, even if a focusing condition is determined on the basis of an electrostatic voltage of the wafer measured by use of an electrostatic potential meter grounded outside a specimen chamber, the focusing condition changes when the electrostatic voltage becomes different inside the specimen chamber. Consequently, because an electron beam cannot be focused in a measurement point, detection of the measurement point ends in failure. Eventually, a supportive operation by an operator comes to be required as the measurement cannot be automatically performed.
As means for solving such a problem, there is, for example, a retarding focus system. As has been mentioned above, a condition for focusing on a wafer is determined by an accelerating voltage of electrons irradiated to the wafer, and a height of the wafer, and this means that, on condition that the wafer height is accurately measured, an accelerating voltage at the time when the wafer is focused is uniquely determined. Accordingly, by changing the focusing condition by changing a retarding voltage thereto with an extracting voltage of electrons being maintained at a constant level, a potential on a surface of the wafer at a measurement point can be back calculated from values of the accelerating voltage, the extracting voltage and the retarding voltage at the time when the wafer is focused. Additionally, there has been a method as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-52642 including the steps of: installing plural electrostatic potential meters in a place approximate to a specimen inside a specimen chamber; and feeding back values obtained based on results of measurement thereby to the retarding voltage.


A self-propelled irrigation machine including an elongated main boom pivoted at one end to a center pivot and supported on a plurality of self-propelled, non-steerable drive units. An extension boom is pivotally secured to the other end of the main boom for irrigating corner areas of the field. A steerable drive tower supports the extension boom and includes a pair of steerable drive wheels. The guidance and control for the extension boom includes a UWB receiver and a computer positioned on the steerable drive tower for receiving and processing UWB information as to the location of the steerable drive tower and for determining the optimal steer angle for the steerable drive wheels relative to the movement of the main boom. At least one UWB transmitters are located within receiving range of the UWB receiver. Signals transmitted by the UWB transmitters are received by the UWB receiver on the steerable drive unit and are used to determine current location and optimal steer angles relative to the main boom.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a center pivot irrigation system having the ability to irrigate the corners of the field being irrigated. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved means for guiding the movement of the corner span with respect to the center pivot portion of the system which includes an ultra wide band (UWB) guidance system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional center pivot irrigation systems comprise an elongated main boom pivotally connected at its inner end to a center pivot structure and extending outwardly therefrom. The main boom of the conventional center pivot irrigation system is comprised of a plurality of pipes connected together in an end-to-end fashion which are supported upon a plurality of drive towers. In most conventional center pivot irrigation systems, the outermost drive tower is the master tower with the other drive towers being selectively driven in response to angular displacement of the boom section adjacent thereto.
In the early 1970s, corner systems for center pivot irrigation systems were developed to enable the corners of a square field to be irrigated. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,797,517 and 3,902,668.
Although the prior art systems do perform generally satisfactorily to drive and steer the extension booms, it is believed that the instant invention, utilizing an ultra wide band (UWB) guidance system, is more reliable and is more accurate than the prior art systems.
A self-propelled irrigation system is disclosed which includes an elongated main boom pivoted at one end to a center pivot apparatus which is supported on a plurality of self-propelled, non-steerable drive towers, with an extension boom (corner span) pivotally secured to the other end of the main boom for irrigating corner areas of the field. A steerable drive tower supports the extension boom and includes a pair of steerable wheels. A steering means is provided for steering the steerable drive wheels for guiding the steerable drive tower along a preselected path, thereby causing the pivotal extension of the extension boom into the corner areas of the field as the main boom approaches the same and pivotal retraction of the extension boom out of the corner areas of the field as the main boom departs the same. A control means is provided for controlling the steering of the drive wheels of the steerable drive tower. The control means includes an ultra wide band (UWB) receiver and a computer means for receiving and processing UWB information as to the location of the steerable drive tower and for determining the optimal steer angle for the steerable drive wheels relative to the movement of the main boom for positioning the steerable drive wheels in the optimal steer angle. The UWB receiver and computer are positioned on the steerable drive tower. One or more UWB transmitters are located within receiving range of the UWB receiver. Signals transmitted by the UWB transmitters are received by the UWB receiver on the steerable drive tower and are used to determine current position and optimal steer angle relative to the main boom.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a corner irrigation system including an UWB guidance system.
A further object of the invention is to provide a corner irrigation system including an UWB receiver means and a computer means for receiving and processing UWB information as to the location of the main boom and for determining the optimum steer angle for the steerable drive wheels of the extension boom for the current position of the main boom and for positioning the steerable drive wheels in the optimal steer angle.
A further object of the invention is to provide a system of the type described which utilizes an UWB guidance means to accurately position the extension boom with respect to the main boom.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Corner irrigation system including an ultra wide band (UWB) guidance system


A system for component inspection comprising at least one sensor configured to capture sensor data of the component; and a processor coupled to the at least one sensor, the processor comprising at least one model configured to separate the sensor data into a normal category and an abnormal category.

The present disclosure is directed to an automated optical inspection system. Particularly, the disclosure is directed to an automated optical inspection system for machinery components with particular application to turbine fan blades, turbine blades, turbine disks, turbine vane assemblies, and turbine gears, using image, video, or 3D sensing and damage detection analytics. Even more particularly, the turbine may be a gas turbine for power generation, air craft auxiliary power, aircraft propulsion, and the like.
Gas turbine engine components, such as blades and vanes, may suffer irregularities from manufacturing or wear and damage during operation, for example, due to erosion, hot corrosion (sulfidation), cracks, dents, nicks, gouges, and other damage, such as from foreign object damage. Other gas turbine engine components, such as rotor disks and gears, may suffer irregularities from manufacturing or damage from use, for example, such as wear, fretting and fatigue cracking. Detecting this damage may be achieved by images, videos, or 3D sensing for aircraft engine blade inspection, power turbine blade inspection, aircraft engine disk inspection, aircraft engine vane assembly inspection, gear inspection, internal inspection of mechanical devices, and the like. A variety of techniques for inspecting by use of images, videos, or 3D sensing may include capturing and displaying images, videos, or 3D data to human inspectors for manual defect detection and interpretation. Human inspectors may then decide whether any defect exists within those images, videos, or 3D data. When human inspectors look at many similar images, videos, or 3D data of very similar blades, vanes, slots, gear teeth, and the like of an engine stage, or any like subcomponents of a device, they may not detect defects, for example, because of fatigue or distraction experienced by the inspector. Missing a defect may lead to customer dissatisfaction, transportation of an expensive engine back to service centers, lost revenue, or even engine failure. Additionally, manual inspection of components may be time consuming and expensive.

System and method for fan blade rotor disk and gear inspection


A flip-top replacement gas cap for replacing conventional screw-on caps provided as original equipment with present day motor vehicles. Two embodiments of the invention are disclosed. The first is a manually actuated device. The second is a key actuated device. In both embodiments pressure relief valves are included to vent over-pressure within the gas tank and to bleed off pressure prior to opening of the flip-top cap. The key actuated emboidment includes a rachet cam assembly which permits the cap to be screw fastened to a motor vehicle gas filler vent but precludes the unscrewing of the cap thereafter. "Gas cap" is used herein as a generic descriptor for any closure cap used to seal a filler tube of a fuel tank or any other storage vessel.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a replacement gas cap to replace the conventional screw-on gas cap found in most motor vehicles. The replacement cap flips open and may be manually or key actuated.
2. Prior Art
Motor vehicle gas tanks must be kept tightly capped to avoid the dangers of an explosive ignition of the gasoline within the tank and to prevent environmental harm due to the escape of gasoline vapors into the atmosphere. Each time a gas tank is replenished, the gas cap must be unscrewed at the start of the fueling operation and then screwed back into position at the end of the fueling operation. While the necessity to twist open and to twist on the cap is a minor inconvenience, which is overcome by the invention, a significant problem exists with the gas caps associated with newer motor vehicles. When these gas caps are tightened onto the filler vent tube of the gas tank, they reach a certain point at which an interior rachet is actuated and the cap may be twisted without further tightening it in position. This racheting arrangement prohibits the gas cap from being tightened so tight as to be difficult to remove.
Experience has shown that over a course of two or three years the racheting arrangement may wear out and it becomes difficult to emplace and remove the gas tank on the gas filler nozzle since the cap tends to turn freely about the threaded base of the cap.
It is the intent of the invention to not only overcome the inconvenience of having to twist loose and twist tight a gasoline cap but also to obviate the necessity of having to replace gas caps at relatively frequent intervals due to the wear and tear on the cap's interior racheting arrangement.


An intermittent urinary catheter assembly (20) comprises a catheter tube (22) having a proximal insertion end (24) and a distal end (26) remote from the proximal insertion end and a lumen (28) which extends from at or near the proximal insertion end to the distal end for draining urine from a human bladder. The intermittent urinary catheter assembly includes a urine discharge sleeve (34) associated with the discharge opening (30) of the catheter tube, and the urine discharge sleeve has a compact stowed configuration and is extendable into a deployed configuration for directing urine flow. Alternatively, an adapter assembly (50″) comprises a fitting or nipple (52″) having a urine passageway for insertion into a funnel (40″) associated with a urine discharge end of an intermittent urinary catheter, and a discharge funnel (42″) associated with the fitting or nipple, and an extendable urine discharge sleeve (34″) within the discharge funnel.

Intermittent catheterization is a good option for many users who suffer from various abnormalities of the urinary system. A common situation is where a single use, individually packaged, sterile catheter is used. An important criterion for any single use product is that it be user friendly since there will often not be trained medical personnel performing catheterization.
Due to the advancements that have been made in intermittent urinary catheter products, it is now quite common for users who require catheterization on a recurring basis to perform this procedure themselves. The intermittent urinary catheter products which are currently available render the catheterization procedure straightforward for many catheter users. However, this is not the case for some users such as those who are wheelchair bound who may encounter difficulty in being able to discharge urine from an intermittent urinary catheter directly into a toilet.
For wheelchair bound users who would otherwise be able to administer self-intermittent catheterization for voiding their bladder of urine multiple times per day, existing intermittent urinary catheter products have not provided a suitable solution for discharging urine from the catheter into a toilet, especially for allowing the users to remain in their wheelchair in close proximity to the toilet during the catheterization procedure without concern for urine spillage.

Intermittent urinary catheter assembly and an adapter assembly for intermittent urinary catheter


A cable connector assembly (100) includes at least a cable (4); an insulating housing (2); a series of contacts (27) which are fixed in the insulating housing (2) to contact with the cable (4) electrically; a metal shield (1) engages with said insulating housing to shield the contacts (27) and cable (4); a bended grounding bar (32) is set between the insulating housing and cables, said bended grounding bar (32) formed an insert face (321) and a cover face (322), the insert face (321) electrically contact with the braid layer (42) of said cables and the cover face (322) covers on the insulating housing to screen it.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a cable connector assembly, and more particularly to a cable connector assembly with grounding bar.
2. Description of Related Art
In the previous invention, the electric connector with grounding bar is popular to provide. Grounding bar is a metallic plate to connect with metal braid layer or grounding cable or shield so as to realize the grounding of the metal braid layer. However, the shield is used to accept the grounding bar, so a volume of shield is big, and a figure of the shield is complex, and this will increase the cost of manufacture and the difficulty of the design.
Hence, an improved cable connector assembly is provided in the invention to address the problems mentioned above and meet the current trend.

Micro coaxial cable connector assembly with grounding mechanism


Embodiments of the invention provide a system and method for providing a three-dimensional moving image display. In one embodiment, a display having a plurality of pixels is provided. In addition, a refractive index controller is provided for controlling a modifiable and reversible index of refraction of at least one of the pixels. The refractive index controller is used for modifying the index of refraction of the at least one of the pixels to a first extent to manipulate the phase of a first photon and to a second different extent to manipulate the phase of a second photon.

Presently, electronic displays are used for watching television, as monitors for computers, as graphical user interfaces (GUIs), as well as on telephones, digital cameras, video recorders, picture frame displays, watches, etc. The utilization of electronic displays is still growing, and almost daily, new and better displays are being provided for utilization in the ever-growing consumer display market.
It is not uncommon for a person to spend several hours in a day viewing an electronic display. In some cases, the viewing is for entertainment purposes such as watching a television show, playing a video game, video taping a family event and the like. In other cases, the viewing is work related, such as viewing a computer monitor, a surveillance monitor, a heads up display, radar screen, cockpit information, and the like.
Because of the large electronic display market, electronic display providers are constantly making display advancements as well as upgrading present electronic displays. For example, cathode ray tube (CRT) displays have grown in size and significantly increased in quality. Moreover, due to the demand for increases in size while decreasing the weight, liquid crystal (LCD) and plasma displays have established themselves in the marketplace. Such LCD and plasma displays provide a very clear image with a reduced weight in comparison to similar size CRT displays.
Basically, for the right price, an electronic display can be manufactured to fit almost any user's size specifications. However, one of the downfalls of present CRT, LCD and plasma displays is that even with the advances of High Definition and digital signals, the display still only provides a two-dimensional (2-D) image. That is, the displayed image contains only wavelength (color) and position information. The limitations are even more noticeable on the smaller electronic displays such as the telephone, video recorder, personal digital assistant (PDA), watch, picture frame (e.g., a frame having an electronic display therein for presenting stills of digital photography), and the like, which are not high clarity displays.
Presently, holographic or three-dimensional (3-D) displays, which could provide the visual image of the electronic display in a 3-D format, are only capable of providing a 3-D effect if a user wears appropriate eyewear (e.g., colored lenses), or if the image is a static (non-changing) image such as the hologram on a bank card.

Method and apparatus for providing a three-dimensional moving image display

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Apparatus and method for stacking product such as flexible paper towels including a slotted wheel in combination with at least two endless chain conveyors equipped with finger assemblies which are orbitally offset so that while one finger assembly of one chain conveyor is accumulating a plurality of substacks, a first finger assembly of the other chain conveyor is being readied to take over the development of a successive stack, and programmable servo motor associated with the chain conveyors for varying the finger assembly advance during different portions of the orbital movement of the finger assemblies.

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for stacking and, more particularly, to relatively flexible products such as paper towels and the like.
In the production of converted paper products (and other products as well), it is frequently desirable to package the product in stacks. For example, C-folded paper towels are frequently sold in packs of 200 towels (stacked). This is a somewhat higher count than that utilized 25 years ago (see co-owned U.S. Pat. 3,254,889) but the problems are the same. It is always a matter of developing square stacks of exact count at high speed.
The towels, for example, are formed continuously by slitting a wide web into five or six narrow strips of web and then longitudinally folding each strip by passing them over folding boards folded strips are t routed to travel combined into a ribbon of stacked strips. The ribbon is cut into towel lengths and these substacks of towels are called clips which are turned 90.degree. before going into the stacker. Apparatus showing this general arrangement can be seen in co-owned British Patent 2,028,774.
Final, salable stacks are formed then by stacking a fixed number of clips to yield the package quantity of towels. The final stacking operation is frequently the speed limiting part of the process and requires complicated mechanical assemblies to run at production speeds. The object of this invention is to simplify the final tacking operation while maintaining or increasing the potential speed of the production line. A further object is to provide ease of stack count changes and flexibility for culling off-specification products.
In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, slotted wheel means is employed in conjunction with endless chain conveyors in the general arrangement seen in our earlier, co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,936. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the endless conveyors are equipped with diving fingers--with the fingers on one conveyor being spaced orbitally from the fingers of the other conveyor so as to develop alternate stacks.
Other pertinent prior art patents are Yamada et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,136 which shows a slotted wheel and Merworth U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,455 which shows stacking apparatus employing pairs of conveyors.
The invention is described in conjunction with the illustrative embodiment in the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of apparatus for practicing the invention;
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a graph relating the finger position to time, i.e., product count; and
FIGS. 4 and 5 are graphs relating finger assembly velocity to product count .


A metering device for powdery substances, particularly for preparing dental and dental laboratory powder compounds. The powder compounds can be filled into a storage container (1) and fed from the storage container (1) to a vessel (9) using a discharge device. The lower region (3) of the storage container (1) is tapered, and in the storage container (1) an insert (4) is arranged, which has at least one upwardly tapering section (5), wherein the insert (4) is arranged in the tapered lower region (3) of the storage container (1). A through-passage (7) remains clear between the lower edge (6) of the tapering section (5) of the insert (4) and the tapered lower region (3) of the storage container (1). The insert (4) and/or the storage container (1) is associated with a vibration unit (8). The vessel (9) receiving the metered powder can be placed on a weighing unit (10), wherein the weighing unit (10) and the vibration unit (8) are operatively connected to each other.

The invention relates to a metering device for powdery substances, in particular, for the preparation of dental and dentistry-related powder compounds, wherein the powder compounds can be filled into a storage container and a discharge device is allocated to this storage container. The invention further relates to a method for the operation of a metering device.
For a known metering device for mixing one or more powdery and/or fluid substances for dentistry-related applications, the powdery substances and also the fluid substances are provided in container-like arrangements, with separate metering devices being provided for each powdery substance. For supplying and metering the powdery substances, feed screws are installed. So that the powdery substances are always fed properly to the feed screws, steep slope angles are required in the storage containers and a special sliding coating is also provided.
Devices for the dosed discharge of bulk material from a container have also already become known (e.g., DE 25 048 32A or EP 0 459 475 B1) in which, for large discharge quantities and correspondingly large storage containers, inserts that are height adjustable or that change the through-flow cross section are provided on the bottom side of a storage container, wherein vibrating units are also used. Such large installations are mechanically complicated and therefore not suitable for small metering devices, as is the case for the metering of dental powder compounds.


Disclosed is a piston positioning system for positioning a piston within a cylinder of a pneumatic circuit. The system comprises a piston position indicator for sensing an actual piston position, a controller for generating an output signal in response to the piston position signal, a pneumatic valving device for regulating the flow of pneumatic fluid and a solenoid valve configured to energize the pneumatic valving device. The pneumatic valving device comprises a four-way valve, a servo valve coupled to a stepper motor, and a two-way valve. The reversible stepper motor is incrementally rotatable over a desired angle of rotation in proportion to the magnitude of the output signal for linearly translating the servo valve such that the flow of pneumatic fluid maybe manipulated into and out of first and second ends of the cylinder to control the piston position therewithin.

(Not Applicable)
(Not Applicable)
The present invention pertains generally to fluid flow control and, more particularly, to a piston positioning system and method for use thereof for positioning a piston within a cylinder of a pneumatic circuit. The piston positioning system includes a pneumatic valving device for manipulating a flow of pressurized pneumatic fluid within the pneumatic circuit.
Pneumatic systems typically involve a source of compressed air to provide a working pneumatic fluid. The compressed air is typically obtained from a compressor which is usually driven by an electric motor or an internal combustion engine. The compressed air is routed through pipes to control valves which selectively direct the routing of the compressed air. The control valves may be operated by electrically initiated solenoids or by pneumatic pilots. Pneumatic systems are typically employed to move an actuator which is conventionally comprised of a piston sealed within a cylinder. The piston may have a shaft extending out of the cylinder and connected to the component to be moved. The pneumatic system moves the piston by forcing air into a first end of the cylinder while simultaneously withdrawing or exhausting air out of a second end of the cylinder in order to advance the piston along the length of the cylinder. Conversely, the pneumatic system may force air into the second end of the cylinder while simultaneously exhausting air out of the first end of the cylinder in order to retract the piston in the opposite direction. By driving the air into alternate ends of the cylinder, the piston is moved such that the shaft can be displaced in any position for doing useful work.
Pneumatic and hydraulic systems are commonly used in large scale applications such as in power plants and refineries for controlling system components such as a working valve. In such applications, it may be desirable to quickly and repeatedly position the working valve to within thousandths of an inch. Such large scale applications involve extreme pressures on the working valve, necessitating very high volume flow rates of the pneumatic fluid into and out of the cylinder in order to re-position and maintain the piston location and ultimately the working valve position. Furthermore, the high volumetric flow rates occur at extreme working pressures in the working valve that must be reacted by the piston. The prior art discloses several actuators or piston positioning systems adaptable for use in large scale applications.
One such prior art device includes an actuator system which modulates a linear output shaft associated with a working control valve in response to a control signal input. The system includes a feedback control link, a pneumatically controlled hydraulic valving system and a hydraulic cylinder and piston controlled by the hydraulic valving system. The hydraulic valving system includes a three-position, four-way valve actuated by pneumatic binary output signals from a signal conditioner which is in turn controlled by the positioner. Hydraulic flow to the three-position, four-way valve may also be controlled from the signal conditioner in response to positioner output for effective actuation of the hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly. Although the system exhibits rapid response time and high accuracy in positioning the piston within the cylinder, the system is necessarily complex and costly in that it combines hydraulic circuit components with pneumatic circuit components. Furthermore, the reference device suffers from various other limitations such as safety risks associated with the flammability of hydraulic fluid and the dangers of high pressure hydraulic fluid lines. Finally, such a device suffers from a high risk of leakage due to the large number of joints connecting the many components to the piping.
Another prior art device employs a rotary servo valve coupled to a torque motor in a pressurized fluid system for positioning a piston within a cylinder. The torque motor controls the flow of fluid within the system by rotating the servo valve, the servo valve comprising a spool element within a sleeve assembly and having fluid passageways. The flow of fluid is adjusted in order to position a piston within a cylinder. In the event of a power failure, an arrangement of torque rods, springs and other mechanical elements are required to center the servo valve and halt the flow of fluid within the system. Furthermore, the torque motor is inherently inaccurate in its ability to position the servo valve and therefore precisely position the piston within the cylinder because torque motors have no detent or zero position. Torque motors instead require a mechanical brake mechanism to stop their rotation at the desired location. This mechanical brake mechanism must also be constantly applied in order to firmly maintain the piston position when the motor is not turning. Consequently, the torque motor must always be energized or actuated throughout operation of the servo valve system. The servo system therefore requires large amounts of power while the force acting against the motor remains present.
As can be seen, there exists a need in the art for a piston positioning system which utilizes an inherently safe working fluid. Also, there exists a need in the art for a piston positioning system that is of simple construction, of low cost and requires low maintenance. In addition, there exists a need in the art for a piston positioning system that is compact such that travel time and compressibility of the working fluid within the system is minimized in order to reduce the xe2x80x9cdead time on seatxe2x80x9d of a working valve. Furthermore, there exists a need in the art for a piston positioning system that can precisely and quickly position a working valve under extreme operating pressures. Finally, there exists a need in the art for a piston positioning system that can be autonomously and quickly neutralized in the event of a power failure or loss of working fluid pressure.
The present invention specifically addresses and alleviates the above referenced deficiencies associated with pneumatic actuator circuits. More particularly, the present invention is an improved piston positioning system for positioning a piston within a cylinder of a pneumatic circuit. The piston positioning system includes a pneumatic valving device for manipulating a flow of pressurized pneumatic fluid within the pneumatic circuit. As will be demonstrated below, the piston positioning system of the present invention differs from piston positioning systems of the prior art in that it utilizes a pneumatic valving device for manipulating a flow of pressurized pneumatic fluid within the pneumatic circuit.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a piston positioning system for positioning a piston within a cylinder of a pneumatic circuit. The piston positioning system is comprised of a controller, a pneumatic valving device, and a solenoid valve for collectively manipulating a flow of pressurized pneumatic fluid (e.g., air) within the pneumatic circuit. The pneumatic valving device is comprised of a reversible stepper motor, a servo valve, a four-way valve and a two-way valve, all of which are advantageously integrated into a single unit. In this regard, the pneumatic valving device replaces the assorted components that are typically networked together with a maze of pneumatic lines in conventional pneumatic actuation systems. In the present invention, a piston is sealed within a cylinder having first and second ends. The pneumatic valving device is actuated by energization of the four-way valve and the two-way valve through pilot lines. Feed lines then carry the flow of pneumatic fluid through the servo valve and into either the first or second ends of the cylinder. The stepper motor incrementally rotates and shifts the servo valve axially to locate the servo valve at a prescribed position. The pneumatic valving device therefore moves the piston by regulating the stepper motor and servo valve. The regulation of the servo valve alternately forces pneumatic fluid into the first and second ends of the cylinder while simultaneously exhausting pneumatic fluid out of the respective second and first ends in order to extend and retract the piston along the length of the cylinder.
Importantly, the piston positioning system of the present invention includes a fail safe mode. In the fail safe mode of operation, the solenoid valve may be autonomously closed in the event of a loss of electrical power or a loss of pneumatic fluid pressure within the pneumatic circuit. The closing of the solenoid valve acts to de-energize the four-way valve and the two-way valve. The four-way valve is de-energized due to the mechanical biasing force of the spring overcoming the reduced pneumatic pressure at the pilot passage. The two-way valve is de-energized due to the pneumatic fluid pressure within the servo valve overcoming the reduced pneumatic pressure acting at the pilot port. The de-energized four-way valve then effectively isolates the servo valve such that the flow of pneumatic fluid through the servo valve is blocked. The flow of pneumatic fluid is directed back through the four-way valve and into the second end of the cylinder. The de-energized two-way valve simultaneously opens and allows remaining pneumatic fluid to escape the first end of the cylinder through the servo valve such that the piston retracts towards the second end.


A bolt is adapted to clamp a pin to an external fixator system. The bolt includes a shaft having a threaded section, a head section and a pin opening that is arranged opposite the threaded section and accommodates and clamps a pin or a wire to a plate or ring of an external fixator. The plate comprises at least one opening which accommodates the shaft and a surface against which the pin or the wire is clamped by the bolt. The pin opening comprises at least two edges extending essentially along the same direction as the pin opening such that the pin or wire to be clamped is contact with said edges.

The present invention relates to a bolt or pin clamp for use with an external fixator.
Currently, there are many bone deformities or fractures that external fixators can correct. Such devices such as those designed by Illzarov for example. Usually such an external fixator comprises rings or plates also designated as fixation plates connected by threaded rods or struts to manipulate angulations, translation and length discrepancies of bones. Furthermore the fixation plates are connected to bony structure by means of pins which usually extend through the rings. The pins are connected to the plates by means of bolts and nuts. Usually pins having different diameters will be used depending on the special situation near the fracture. For that reason several bolts with openings having respective diameters have to be used.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,630,814 and 5,681,309 provide one solution to adapt a bolt in order to be used to clamp different pin or wire sizes. For that reason the bolt comprises an opening which is provided with cross section that is tear drop-shaped. Thereby the pin is in connection with the bolt and the fixation plate via three contact zones all of which are provided with respective surfaces.
The shape of the drop shaped opening as well as the fact that the pin is clamped via plane surfaces has several drawbacks. Due to the shape it may be possible that it comes to gaping such that the sidewalls of the opening will be moved with respect to each other. Furthermore it is possible that the area above the opening fractures in case extraordinary tightening forces are necessary.


Methods and systems are provided for allowing software applications capable of reading and saving Extensible Markup Language (XML) representations of documents to quickly and efficiently detect the presence of executable code contained in a given document being read or saved by the software applications. Examples of executable code include, but are not limited to macros, VBA macros, OLE code, OCX or ActiveX controls, embedded executable objects, and the like.

Computer software applications allow users to create a variety of documents to assist them in work, education, and leisure. For example, popular word processing applications allow users to create letters, articles, books, memoranda, and the like. Spreadsheet applications allow users to store, manipulate, print, and display a variety of alphanumeric data. Such applications have a number of well-known strengths including rich editing, formatting, printing, calculation, and on-line and off-line editing.
Unfortunately for users, documents received by users may contain unnecessary or unwanted executable code embedded in the document. For example, a possible problem for computer and computer software users is receiving a document containing a "virus" in the form of an embedded executable code that executes when the user opens the document or performs some action in the document and which may cause harm to the user's document or to the user's computer software applications or computer hardware, or result in otherwise undesirable behavior. In word processor documents represented using an Extensible Markup Language (XML)-based file format, executable code can be located in various places, and finding such executable code in a fast and efficient manner becomes challenging. Due to its flexibility, XML has the ability to represent the same data in a virtually infinite number of ways. Accordingly, XML data representing executable code embedded in a document may be defined or represented in a number of different ways which makes locating the executable code difficult and time consuming. For example, XML supports the ability to encode text so that characters do not appear in their literal form, but which must be converted according to certain rules or according to an entity definition possibly existing elsewhere in the file. The definition for converting the coded text itself possibly refers to other components or entities with individual definitions existing in yet other places within the file or even existing in locations remote from the document or file.
Additionally, executable code may be placed almost anywhere in the XML file provided that it follows the rules associated with the XML structure of the file. This means that in order to find the executable code, a parsing or consuming application must first parse all the elements of the file prior to the embedded executable code. Ultimately, such a process may find the executable code within the XML formatted file, but the performance of the process is very slow, if not unacceptable, in environments where speed is critical, particularly in the case of virus checking prior to application or document startup, for example when the file is processed by an email server or an Internet gateway.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made.

Anti-virus security information in an extensible markup language document


A vertically oriented nanometer-wires structure is disclosed. The vertically oriented nanometer-wires structure includes a non-crystalline base and many straight nanometer-wires. The straight nanometer-wires are uniformly distributed on the non-crystalline base, and the angle between each of the straight nanometer-wire and the non-crystalline base is 80-90 degrees. The straight nanometer-wires structure can be widely applied in semiconductor, optoelectronic, biological and energy field. What is worth to be noticed is that the non-crystalline base can be glass, ceramics, synthetic, resin, rubber or even metal foil, and the straight nanometer-wires and the non-crystalline base are still orthogonal to each other.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor fabricating method, and more particularly to a semiconductor nanometer-wires structure fabricating method.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, silicon nanostructures have received great deal of attention for their unique physical and chemical effects. The use of silicon nanostructures have been applied to a wide variety of fields including semiconductor, optoelectronic, biological and energy field. Therefore, developing silicon nanostructure fabrication technique becomes an intriguing topic for researchers.
When growing the nanostructure on a crystalline base, the angle between the nanometer-wires and the crystalline base could be controlled within 80-90 degrees. However, the crystalline base is much more expensive than the non-crystalline base. The non-crystalline base is widely applied in many technologies, such as the thin film solar cell or liquid crystal display (LCD), for its cheaper price and large area production capability. What is worth to be noticed is that when growing the nanostructure on a non-crystalline base, the directions of the nanometer-wires are random. In other words, the nanostructure made by using the non-crystalline base is cheap but performs poor.

Vertically oriented nanostructure and fabricating method thereof


A system and method for reducing unwanted telemarketing calls may include storing a contact list for users of a telephone assigned to an associated telephone number. An incoming telephone call from a caller may be intercepted and a determination may be made as to whether the caller is in the contact list. In response to determining that the caller is in the contact list, the incoming call may be connected to the telephone assigned to the called telephone number. Otherwise, in response to determining that the caller is not in the contact list, the caller may be prompted with an audible message, and, in response to the caller responding to the audible message by entering a first response, the incoming call may be blocked from connecting to the called telephone. Otherwise, in response to a second response, the incoming call may be connected.

A National "Do Not Call" registry has been established in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide consumers with a choice to not receive calls from telemarketers. To register a telephone number on the Do Not Call Registry, consumers simply need to go to a website, www.donotcall.gov, and enter up to three telephone numbers. While entering a telephone number on the Do Not Call Registry can be helpful in preventing telemarketers from calling a telephone, most telemarketer call centers are moving overseas. Foreign call centers tend not to know the rules of the Do Not Call Registry or do not care about the rules since enforcement of the law against the foreign companies is difficult.

Do Not Call list enforcement system and method


A method by which stacks of printed sheets can be formed and, at the same time, the risk of soiling of the stacked sheets can be reduced to the maximum extent. To this end a printing machine is proposed, in particular a sheet-fed printing machine, into which unprinted and intermediate sheets are alternatively feed, wherein the printing is registered such that the printing occurs only on the unprinted sheets and not on the intermediate sheets. In this way, the intermediate sheets prevent damage to the print on the printed sheets.

The present invention relates to a method of producing stacks of sheets printed with individual prints, in particular stacks of securities sheets, such as banknotes, from stacks of unprinted sheets, the unprinted sheets running into a printing machine one after another in order to be provided with the individual prints.
The present invention likewise relates to a printing machine for the implementation of the method according to the invention.
Methods of producing stacks of securities sheets and machines for the implementation of these methods are known from the current prior art. For example, the patent EP 0 563 007, the content of which is incorporated by reference, discloses a copper printing machine of modular construction which, in particular, contains an impression cylinder on which the sheets to be printed are firmly held, and a plate cylinder which in turn carries copper printing plates into which the printing motifs transferred to the sheets of the impression cylinder are engraved. In the known machine, the inking of the printing plates is carried out both on an indirect route by means of an ink collecting cylinder, which collects the ink from a plurality of ink ductors and subsequently transfers it to the plates of the plate cylinder, and on a direct route via an ink applicator cylinder, which is laid directly on the printing plates.
The method of producing the stack of printed sheets comprises, in particular, the transfer of the unprinted sheets from the feed stack to the impression cylinder, then the actual printing of the sheets with the motifs, the motifs being formed by means of the inked plates of the plate cylinder, and finally the onward transport of the printed sheets to a delivery stack.
One difficulty which occurs in certain printing machines, in particular in machines in which the copper printing process is applied, is the problem of ink drying. In such a printing process, the amount of ink actually applied to each sheet is rather large, and it is absolutely necessary for the ink to be dried before the sheets are stacked in the delivery of the machine. This is because, if the ink has had no time to dry completely before being stacked, the sheets then soil one another and can have faults in some prints or then even become completely unusable. Faults of this type have to be reduced to the maximum extent possible, in particular on account of the costs of the sheets used for printing securities and also because of the problems which subsequently occur in the phase of numbering the individual securities, which is carried out consecutively. Each security which has a fault has to be replaced by an individual fault-free security.
Thus, in the current prior art, the proposal has been made to equip the printing machines with an ink drying device. A device of this type is described, for example, by EP 0 039 526, the content of which is incorporated by reference. It primarily comprises a chain gripper system, which transports the freshly printed sheets at constant intervals to a heat source. One of the objects of this system was to save the insertion operation, as it is known, which consisted in a white sheet being inserted between each printed sheet, in order to prevent the printed sheets sticking to one another.
In the case of other machines of the known prior art, the two systems mentioned above (namely, a drying system and a system inserting intermediate sheets) have also been combined. In a machine known from the current prior art, as illustrated in FIG. 1 of this application, drying devices such as lamps or other equivalent means are provided, which permit the printed sheets to be dried before being stacked. After the sheets have been printed, they are conveyed through an output device which, for example, contains a chain gripper system, and during the passage through this, output device, heat sources act on the sheets and the ink is dried.
In order to improve this machine, it was provided with a special feed device for intermediate sheets beside the delivery stack of the printed sheets. With the aid of this feed means, between each printed sheet an intermediate sheet of paper is placed, with which the printed sheets are better protected from one another. The paper used for the intermediate sheets is also cheaper than the paper used for the securities sheets, so that this principle is very advantageous.
The use of intermediate sheets also constitutes a practical solution, in particular for small machines or when there is little space and it is therefore not possible to install an appropriate drying device, as described above. Nevertheless, in the case of small machines it is also complicated to insert intermediate sheets between each printed sheet, since the production speed is high and the paths traced by each printed sheet are short.
The object of the invention is to improve the known methods and machines.
In particular, the invention has the object of proposing a method with which stacks of printed sheets can be formed and, at the same time, the risk of soiling of the stacked sheets can be reduced to the maximum extent.
The object of the invention is also to propose a printing machine, in particular a sheet-fed printing machine, which permits the use of the method.
This object is achieved by the method and the machine which are defined in the independent claims.
Particular types of embodiment of the method and of the machine according to the invention are defined by the independent claims.


A computer-implemented method of implementing information security. The method can include receiving a user input comprising a first user identifier and at least a second user identifier, determining whether the first user identifier corresponds to at least one of a plurality of existing user profiles, and determining whether the second user identifier corresponds to at least one of the plurality of existing user profiles. When it is determined that the first user identifier does not correspond to at least one of the plurality of existing user profiles, but that the second user identifier does correspond to at least one of the plurality of existing user profiles, the method can include selecting the user profile to which the second user identifier corresponds, automatically generating a unique user identifier, and associating the unique user identifier with the selected user profile.

With the continued proliferation of computing and networking technologies, information security now is a concern for most organizations, regardless of their size. Indeed, several levels of security are oftentimes implemented within an organization's data network to control access to network resources. In such a data network, a user wishing to access a particular network resource (e.g. data, application, hardware, or the like) must first be authenticated before access can be granted. In that regard, such information security tends to be user centric.
Social networks now are commonly used by organizations as cost effective solutions for managing information for such users. Social networks often rely on a collaboration of a variety of disparate data sources, which can be quite complex. To facilitate such collaboration, internal identifiers typically are used to provide links between different data groups. The internal identifiers can be based on user names, employee identifiers, departments, geographic locations, or any other type of identifiers that may be associated with the data groups.
Management of the internal identifiers has shown to be vital to the success of social networks. Oftentimes the internal identifiers are tightly bound to directory infrastructure that was first deployed using the internal identifiers. Thus, any changes to such infrastructure will typically have a significant impact on the accessibility of user information. For instance, if an internal identifier associated with a user changes, and such change is not implemented within each of the data sources containing the user's information, the links between the data sources may be severed.

Directory infrastructure for social networking web application services

International Business Machines Corporation