App content, such as an app notification, is displayed on a lock screen or home screen of a mobile device even when the app is closed. In contrast to present app content, the content may be full-screen, engaging, interactive, and media-rich. An app content SDK is inserted into an app and works directly with native app software. The content SDK determines whether the app has permission to display content on, for example, a lock screen. It may also determine whether the app has priority in displaying the content. The content itself is retrieved either from a content server or from the app itself. In either case, the retrieval and display of the content is coordinated and managed by the SDK which may use other constraints, such as date/time, geographic location, and device motion patterns to determine which content should be displayed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to software and mobile devices. More specifically, it relates to software for displaying content from an app on a lock screen of a mobile device.
2. Description of the Related Art
One drawback of current app execution on mobile devices is related to how app content, such as notifications, is communicated to users. As is presently known to users of apps on mobile devices, the most prevalent way for mobile apps today to engage or communicate with a user from outside the app (i.e., while the user does not have the app open or executing on the device) is through a mobile notification. Conventionally, a mobile notification is a combination of an icon (or an icon/text combination) representing the app that appears either in a "notification bar" located at the top of the home screen of a mobile device or, in another embodiment, in the center of the lock screen of a mobile device.
FIG. 1 shows a mobile device 102 having a display 104 showing a lock screen 106. At the bottom of lock screen 106 is a notification bar 108 which shows icons indicating notifications from apps when the device is in lock screen mode. As noted above, these icons convey minimal information to the user and are often ignored. Presently, they are the only way for an app to display any content to the user when the device is in lock screen mode.
Limiting such notifications (which are essentially communications to a user when an app is closed) to a single icon limits user interaction with the app; the user sees the same mobile notification from an app regardless of the nature or importance of the communication from the app. For example, a calendaring app presently has to show the same notification (on a lock screen or home screen) for a routine weekly meeting as it would for an emergency alert or urgent appointment. The nature of one notification is more important than the other but the user sees the same graphical icon/text for both.
Furthermore, notification icons from different mobile apps may also look similar and some are nearly identical, making them difficult to distinguish and set apart from each other. In addition, because the notification icon itself is not interactive, the user has to perform additional steps to engage with the notification content, for example, tapping on the notification to launch the app that sent it. As a result, many users simply dismiss conventional notifications altogether.
Another conventional tool for addressing communications from apps displayed on a home screen of a device is the use of home screen widgets. As known in the art, these are app components that can be placed on a home screen of a device, but similar to notifications, they provide limited interaction capabilities, such as music player controls, or a combination of text and images that have to be clicked in order to open the corresponding app in order to interact with the content displayed on the home screen.
As noted, mobile app notifications are typically a static image. Because this content is neither dynamic nor interactive, conventional notifications do not perform well in capturing user attention or generating user interaction. It would be desirable to be able to provide descriptive, media-rich, and potentially interactive content, including notifications, to mobile app users on a device lock screen or home screen even when the app is closed.

Extending mobile applications to the lock screen of a mobile device


A memory writer has the capability to modify the machine code according to the defective memory-cell locations, such that the modified code functionally bypasses all defective memory-cell addresses upon program execution. The machine code is modified without re-compilation of the microprogram, instead, it is modified by inserting jump machine-code instructions directly between instruction steps, and to insert dummy bytes between adjacent memory space allocations for symbols definition. The machine code is further modified to take into account of the effect of the insertion of additional codes on the instruction within the machine code that involve the address referencing. The modified machine code, when written to the partially defective memory, performs identical routines while bypassing all defective memory-cell addresses. The present invention is useful for writing a microprogram in non-volatile memories, such as EPROM, EEPROM or Flash/EEPROM. It is also useful in loading a microprogram in volatile memories like SRAM, DRAM, etc.

In the past, memory chips with defective cells will not be sold in the marketplace. However, with the advent of a number of state-of-art techniques, defective memory chip can behave as a defective-free memory chip. And there are a number of patents addressing methods of using partially defective memories as transparently "good" memories. It is also well known that defective memory-cells can be located by any appropriate testing procedure, such as alternatively writing "1" and "0" in each bit location and then verifying the results.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,694 to Eaton et. al., describes a self-testing and self-repairing memory system. The memory system tests itself during field use to locate defective memory-cells. Once these defective memory-cells are located, the memory system uses the error correction code engine to correct these defective memory-cells. When the error correction code engine becomes overburdened, then the memory system replaces these defective memory-cells.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,541, to Siu et. al., describes a memory system comprising a plurality of semiconductor memories with some bad bits, a substitution memory and a mapping logic to redirect accesses to bad-bit locations in the semiconductor memories to good storage cells within the substitution memory.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,847, to Helbig, Sr. and Anastasia, describes a fault-tolerating memory system that uses an error-detecting-and-correcting (EDAC) code. The reliability of storage is greatly improved by extension of each word to add EDAC encoding and spare-bit portions, as well as by extension of depth to allow spare words to be present, along with high-reliability storage of word maps.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,266 to Tahara, handles defective memory by use of laser repair, or programmable fuse repair, and replaces defective memory-cells with redundant rows and columns.
Executable machine code are typically generated from the source code of a computer program by the compile and link operations. As the executable machine code is obtained, it is ready to be loaded into memories for program execution.
It is observed that, the error checking and error correcting techniques, or memory re-direct techniques, provided by some of the prior arts inevitably adds overhead to the hardware design and/or program execution each time the executable machine code is executed. On the other hand, the redundant memories, circuits and the defective memory repair work provided by some prior arts also add design and operation complications.

Memory writer with deflective memory-cell handling capability


The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display including a pixel electrode including a first subpixel electrode and a second subpixel electrode spaced apart with a gap therebetween, a common electrode facing the pixel electrode, and a liquid crystal layer formed between the pixel electrode and the common electrode and including a plurality of liquid crystal molecules. The first and second subpixel electrodes include a plurality of branches, and each of the first and second subpixel electrodes includes a plurality of subregions. The branches extend in different directions in different subregions.

1. Field Of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display.
2. Discussion of the Background
Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are one of the most widely used flat panel displays, and an LCD includes a pair of panels provided with field-generating electrodes, such as pixel electrodes and a common electrode, and a liquid crystal (LC) layer disposed between the two panels. The LCD displays images when voltages are applied to the field-generating electrodes to generate an electric field in the LC layer, which determines the orientations of LC molecules therein, thereby adjusting the polarization of light incident thereto.
Among LCDs, a vertical alignment (VA) mode LCD, in which LC molecules are aligned such that the long axes of the LC molecules are perpendicular to the panels in the absence of an electric field, has been developed.
In a VA mode LCD, a wide viewing angle can be realized due to cutouts, such as slits in the field-generating electrodes and protrusions on the field-generating electrodes. Since the cutouts and protrusions may determine the tilt directions of the LC molecules, the tilt directions may be distributed in several directions using the cutouts and protrusions, thereby widening the reference viewing angle.
Also, a method for pretilting LC molecules in the absence of an electric field has been developed to improve the response speed of the LC molecules while realizing a wide viewing angle. For the LC molecules to pretilt in various directions, alignment layers having various alignment directions may be used. Alternatively, the LC layer may be subjected to an electric field and a thermal or light-hardened material may be added. Then light may be irradiated onto the LC layer to harden the thermal or light-hardening material, thereby pretilting the LC molecules.
However, the VA mode liquid crystal display may have lower side visibility compared with front visibility. To improve the side visibility, one pixel may be divided into two subpixels and different voltages may be applied to the subpixels.


A method of paint sludge conversion and sludge removal from a sump pit for disposal is provided which is particularly adapted for use with paint waste sludge derived from wet spray booth operations. The method involves blending with the starting sludge caustic, oil and emulsifiers. Water may be added to achieve a desired water to total solids weight ratio. The product is a pumpable liquid disperse system which is easily charged to tankers or the like for pump out from the sludge pit.

A sludge pit is commonly employed to collect paint wastes and residues generated in wet spray booth operations. Such operations are common, for example, in the automotive industry, and the sludge which accumulates is collected in a sludge pit or sludge consolidation equipment in the form of a liquid/solid, semi-solid or solid mass. The sludge is comprised of various liquid and particulate materials, including pigments, dyes, paint vehicles, paint detackifiers, and the like. As described in the aforementioned co-pending application, water typically is present, but the amount can vary depending on the nature of the particular operations being carried out. Periodically, usually annually or semi-annually, a sludge pit must be cleaned out and the sludge removed for environmentally acceptable disposal elsewhere. Most states require removed sludge to be processed as hazardous waste.
Sludge removal has heretofore been conventionally accomplished by known floating, sinking or dispersion and pumping methods. In all such methods, the accumulated sludge, after aging, has become hardened and difficult to remove. For example, percussive equipment (i.e., jack hammers, or the like) frequently must be employed to break up and remove the hardened sludge solids. Even after such removal, the solids present further problems of handling and disposal. Clean out of sludge pits thus is expensive, time consuming and potentially hazardous.
There thus exists a need for new and improved techniques for sludge removal and waste handling.

Method of paint sludge conversion for disposal


A novel pistol nozzle is provided herein, in which a spherical valve having a through hole is used to control the water flow by the alignment of the through hole to the water channel of the pistol nozzle. The alignment of the spherical valve's through hole is controlled by the interaction of a pinion and a gear when the control lever of the pistol nozzle is grasped, which requires less effort and achieve more precise control to the water flow.

(a) Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the pistol nozzle of a hose, and more particularly to a pistol nozzle utilizing a spherical valve to control the water flow.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
FIGS. 4 and 5 depict the structure and operation of a conventional pistol nozzle. As illustrated, inside the body 20 of the pistol nozzle, there is a water channel 21 whose intermediate section has a valve 24 permitting or blocking the water to flow through the water channel 21. The valve 24 is an integral part of a shaft 23 whose one end is in direct contact with a control lever 22 of the pistol nozzle, and whose the other end is wound in a helix spring 25. When a user grasps the control lever 22, the control lever 22 pushes the shaft 23 which in turn compresses the helix spring 25 and opens the valve 24 to allow the water to flow through the water channel 21. When the control lever 22 is released, the helix spring 25 restores the shaft 23 and, thereby, the valve 24 to their normally closed locations, which shuts down the water flow.
The valve 24 usually has a sharp contact with the cross-section of the water channel 21, and the contact would soon wear down after a period of usage and under the impact of high-pressured water flow. Also a plug-like shape of the valve 24 helps to accumulate debris and develop incrustation on the valve 24. As a result, water leakage through the valve 24 is not uncommon as the valve 24 cannot provide an air-tight blockade to the water flow. The leakage is a waste of water and is often rather annoying to the user. This leakage problem would trouble the user even more when the pistol nozzle is used to spray a liquid chemical which may be erosive or poisonous.


In a virtual ground memory array, sneak currents between input/output groups of sensed cells may be reduced by providing at least one column of programmed cells between the input/output groups. The sneak currents may arise when cells in each of two adjacent I/O groups are sensed (or programmed) at the same time.

This invention relates generally to sensing virtual ground flash memory arrays.
In virtual ground flash memory arrays, sneak currents may occur during sensing. Each input/output group of columns of cells to be sensed may be coupled to a different sense amplifier so that it is possible to sense cells within different groups at the same time. Two cells, one in each input/output group of columns may be sensed as a pair. As a result, sneak currents may result between activated, adjacent input/output groups. These sneak currents may result in excessive power dissipation and/or sensing errors.
Thus, there is a need for ways to reduce sneak currents.

Reducing sneak currents in virtual ground memory arrays


A baling assembly includes a housing defining an interior and having an access opening selectively covered by a closure, a baling chamber within the housing and having a first wall movable along a first axis for compression of material within the baling chamber, and a ram adjacent the baling chamber. The ram includes a driving mechanism operably coupled to a support structure.

Balers have been traditionally used to efficiently pack, handle, and transport materials such as straw and hay. An increase in demand to efficiently pack, handle, and transport materials other than straw and hay brought balers into the industrial arena. Balers in the industrial arena commonly incorporate a compactor. Balers can be utilized to compress and bind cardboard, plastic, aluminum, recyclables, waste material, or the like.

Baling assembly with a support structure


In the gate-controlled bi-directional semiconductor switching device, when a negative trigger signal is applied to a second electrode functioning as a gate electrode, a second auxiliary thyristor formed of the sixth, third, first and eighth conductive layers is turned on, causing an ON current to be supplied as a gate current to a main thyristor formed of the fifth, second, first and eighth conductive layers via the first wiring. When a positive trigger signal is applied to the second electrode, a first auxiliary thyristor formed of the seventh, fourth, first and eighth conductive layers is turned on, causing an ON current to be supplied as a gate current to the main thyristor via the second wiring. Since the second electrode is connected to the fourth and sixth conductive layers of the first and second auxiliary thyristors are formed separately from the third and seventh conductive layers, invalid current components in the first and second thyristors are reduced to a minimum. This enhances the gate sensitivity particularly in operation modes I and II.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a gate-controlled bi-directional semiconductor switching device such as a triac, and more particularly to an improvement in the gate sensitivity thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional triac which is one type of a bi-directional semiconductor switching device is formed to have such a cross section as shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, 30 denotes N-type layer, 31 and 32 P-type layers, and 33, 34, 35 and 36 N-type layers. Electrode T1 is formed in contact with P-type layer 31 and N-type layer 33, gate electrode G is formed in continuous contact with N-type layer 34 and P-type layer 31, and electrode T2 is formed in continuous contact with P-type layer 32 and N-type layers 35 and 36.
Gate electrode G and a portion of P-type layer 31 lying under gate electrode G constitute the gate structure of a thyristor, and a remote gate structure is formed of an NPN transistor structure which is constituted by N-type layer 33, P-type layer 31 and N-type layer 30 and an NPN transistor structure which is constructed by N-type layer 34, P-type layer 31 and N-type layer 30. Further, N-type layer 34 and P-type layer 31 constitute a junction gate structure.
Four modes I, II, III and IV are provided to turn on the triac with the construction described above. In mode I, the gate structure of the thyristor is used to turn on the triac. That is, the triac is turned on by applying a positive trigger to gate electrode G when electrodes T1 and T2 are respectively set at positive and negative potentials. In mode II, the junction gate structure is used, and the triac is turned on by applying a negative trigger to gate electrode G when electrodes T1 and T2 are set respectively at positive and negative potentials. In mode III, the remote gate structure is used, and the triac is turned on by applying a negative trigger to gate electrode G when electrodes T1 and T2 are set respectively at negative and positive potentials. Further, in mode IV, the remote gate structure is used, and the triac is turned on by applying a positive trigger to gate electrode G when electrodes T1 and T2 are set respectively at negative and positive potentials.
In order to enhance the gate sensitivity of the conventional triac shown in FIG. 1, it is necessary to reduce an invalid current component or current which flows along the surface of a P-type base formed of P-type layer 31 and which is not contributed to an injection current. For this purpose, it has been effected to increase the resistance of a surface layer of P-type layer 31 by lowering the impurity concentration of the surface layer, or from an N-type diffusion layer which functions as a barrier interrupting the current flow in P-type layer 31. However, in either case, the gate sensitivity cannot be enhanced without deteriorating other main characteristics. For example, increase in the gate sensitivity is accompanied by deterioration in high temperature characteristics, reduction in the withstanding amount of dv/dt at the time of commutation and the like. Further, from the standpoint of the operation principle of the triac, an N-type emitter formed of N-type layer 33 must be formed in the shorted structure, thereby limiting the high sensitivity attained by the fine control for the impurity diffusion.
Under this condition, it is difficult to enhance the gate sensitivity of the conventional triac to such a degree that the triac can be directly driven by an output from a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC).
As described above, in the conventional gate-controlled bi-directional semiconductor switching device, it is difficult to enhance the gate sensitivity without lowering the characteristics such as withstanding amount of dv/dt.

Gate-controlled bi-directional semiconductor switching device


A wafer packaging method in which a wafer is placed into a packaging bag that is sealed before the concentration of sulphuric oxide on the surface of the wafer reaches 3.times.10.sup.12 atoms/cm.sup.2. The placing of the wafer in the wafer packaging bag is carried out in a substantially clean environment

1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to a method of packaging wafers, and more particularly, to a method of packaging wafers to prevent the wafers from being contaminated by the external environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
The wafers used in manufacturing semiconductor devices are mainly comprised of silicon crystal. In order to achieve more precise device fabrication and greater device yields, contamination free wafers are essential, and appropriate packaging is required to prevent such contamination from the external environment. Bare wafers, as well as those having semiconductor devices formed thereon, must sometimes be stored for a predetermined period, and therefore should be packaged and stored properly to avoid contamination.
Packaging bags made of a laminated film have been employed to store the wafers. The laminated film generally consists of a polyethylene film, an adhesive film, and an aluminum-coated polyethylene film that are stacked successively. In order to prevent contaminating particles from the external environment from contacting the wafer or the packaging bag, several methods of packaging have been employed. These methods include: flushing the package with nitrogen and then sealing (nitrogen flushing package); reducing the vacuum pressure of the package for more than 4.5 seconds and then sealing (vacuum reduced pressure package); and placing a wafer in a reinforced packaging bag and then reducing the vacuum pressure of the package for about 3 seconds and then sealing (reinforced packaging bag package). The reinforced packaging bag includes an additional polyethylene film layer and an additional aluminum-coated polyethylene film layer that are added to the structure of the prior laminated bag.
While the nitrogen flushing package and vacuum reduced pressure package both are theoretically designed to eliminate contaminating particles in the packaging bag into which the wafer is put, it has been found that such packaging methods tend to increase the contaminating particles on the wafer, thereby decreasing the storage stability of the wafer.
With regard to the wafer contamination, if sulphuric oxide (SO.sub.x) is adsorbed onto the surface of the wafer, it creates a haze that contaminates the surface, and acts as a nucleation source for further particulate contamination. As shown in the graph of FIG. 1, the amount of sulphuric oxide on the respective surfaces of several wafers increases from about 2.3.times.10.sup.12 atoms/cm.sup.2 after one hour of exposure to the external air, to about 3.3.times.10.sup.12 atoms/cm.sup.2 after one day of exposure, and to about 4.5-6.0.times.10.sup.12 atoms/cm.sup.2 after three days of exposure. Thus, the amount of time the wafer is exposed to the external air prior to packaging is an important factor affecting the initial sulphuric oxide contamination concentration. The sulphuric oxide contamination measurements for the example above, as well as those described below, are performed using a Total Reflective X-Ray Fluorescent Spectroscopy instrument (TRXRF), manufactured by Rikaku Co. of Japan. Also, note that the various symbols in the figures refer to different wafers, although some of the symbols in the graphs overlap.
FIGS. 2-7 are graphs depicting various concentration amounts of sulphuric oxide contamination on a wafer exposed to the external air containing sulphuric oxide for time periods of one hour, one day, and three days. The wafers are then packaged according to the conventional packaging methods as described above, and thereafter stored for predetermined time periods, namely 23 days and 45 days. FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 depict the amount of sulphuric oxide contamination on a wafer that was exposed to external air containing sulphuric oxide for time periods of one hour, one day, and three days, and then stored for 23 days in a conventional nitrogen flushing package (in FIG. 2), vacuum reduced pressure package (in FIG. 3), and reinforced packaging bag package (in FIG. 4). FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 depict the amount of sulphuric oxide contamination on a wafer that was exposed to external air containing sulphuric oxide for time periods of one hour, one day, and three days, and then stored for 45 days in a conventional nitrogen flushing package (in FIG. 5), vacuum reduced pressure package (in FIG. 6), and reinforced packaging bag package (in FIG. 7).
As shown in FIGS. 1-7, the relatively small fluctuations in sulphuric oxide on the wafer surface indicate that the packaging types and period of storage have little effect on the initial contamination concentration of sulphuric oxide. However, while the initial contamination concentration of sulphuric oxide acts only as the haze's nucleation source, the longer the period of storage the greater is the acceleration of the nucleation, and the greater is the probability of particulate contamination. Although one of the "three day exposure" data points for the contamination concentration in FIG. 7 appears low, this is considered to be an experimental and/or measurement error.
FIGS. 8-13 show the increase or decrease in the number of contaminating particles under the conditions identified in FIGS. 2-7, as classified by particle size. More specifically, FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 depict the particle size distribution on a wafer that was exposed to external air containing sulphuric oxide for time periods of one hour, one day, and three days, and then stored for 23 days in a conventional nitrogen flushing package (in FIG. 8), vacuum reduced pressure package (in FIG. 9), and reinforced packaging bag package (in FIG. 10). FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 depict the particle size distribution on a wafer that was exposed to external air containing sulphuric oxide for time periods of one hour, one day, and three days, and then stored for 45 days in a conventional nitrogen flushing package (in FIG. 11), vacuum reduced pressure package (in FIG. 12), and reinforced packaging bag package (in FIG. 13). A Surfscan-6200 measurement apparatus (manufactured by KLA & TENCOR Co.), was used to ascertain the particle measurements.
For the nitrogen flushing packages of FIGS. 8 and 11, there is shown a rapid increase in particles on a wafer exposed for three days and stored for 23 days (FIG. 8), and exposed for both one day and three days and stored for 45 days (FIG. 11).
The increase or decrease in the particles shows no definite tendency for the vacuum reduced packages of FIGS. 9 and 12. Such irregular results make it difficult to predict the storage stability of the wafer.
For the reinforced packaging bag packages shown in FIGS. 10 and 13, the particulate contamination increases significantly on a wafer exposed for three days and stored for 23 days and 45 days.
From the above results, several possibilities arise as causes for the deterioration of wafer storage stability. For example, in the case of the nitrogen flushing method, the nitrogen supply includes a filtering means installed on a nitrogen supply line for filtering foreign matter contained in the nitrogen, such as particulates. The particulates that accumulate in the filtering means are emitted at irregular and unpredictable intervals during the nitrogen flushing, which accumulate in the packaging bag. Therefore, frequent cleaning of the nitrogen supply line or frequent filter changes are required, which increases production costs while reducing productivity.
In case of the vacuum reduced pressure method, the air in the packaging bag is drawn out and expands rapidly during the method, which results in a large temperature decrease on the wafer surface, thereby causing the sulphuric oxide in the air to condense and adhere to the wafer surface and increasing the particulate contamination.
In the reinforced packaging bag method, the particulate contamination is lower than the vacuum reduced pressure package because the vacuum application time is shorter (less than 3 seconds) than in the normal vacuum reduced pressure package (more than 4.5 seconds).
Accordingly, a need exists for a wafer packaging method in which a wafer, or a semiconductor device formed on the wafer, can be stored for a long period of time in a stable manner.


Previously recommended methods of transmitting facsimile data on the telephone network resulted in periods of time when there is no signal present in the network; one consequence of this was that the retraining time required for the facsimile modem's receiver after each quiet period was undesirably long. This problem is solved by the high-speed transmitter sending two or more holding tones whenever it is not sending training or facsimile signals; these tones prevent re-routing of a telephone connection and allow the high-speed receiver to continue to track data clock and carrier frequencies, thereby considerably reducing the time required for retraining.

Establishment of a connection on the GSTN between two facsimile devices, and the transfer of data from one to the other according to T.4 and T.30 is at present performed by modems working in an unusual half-duplex mode; that is, high-speed facsimile data is transmitted in one direction alternately with low-speed control and acknowledgement signals in the other direction. As a result, the high-speed receiver must be retrained before each batch of high-speed data can be sent; as the speed capabilities of modems are continually improved the time required for training becomes an increasingly significant proportion of the total transmission time.
Furthermore, there will be periods of time when no signals in either direction are present in the network, and the connection may be re-routed; this would further increase the time needed for retraining.

Method and apparatus for reducing the turn-around time in facsimile transmission


The present invention relates to metallic-surface detection systems for determining target substances including free bilirubin in neonatal serum in the presence of a predominantly high background of bilirubin bound Human Serum Albumin (HSA) or sensing and isolating target nucleotide sequences wherein a fluorescence signal is enhanced by close proximity of the target substances near metallic surfaces.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to detection methods, and more particularly, to the use of metallic surfaces to enhance intensity of fluorescence species or reactions in capture assays thereby increasing the sensitivity and rapidity of these assays. The present invention is applicable for determining free unbound bilirubin in serum and for capturing nucleotide sequences.
2. Background of the Related Art
Assays are used widely for the detection and determination of a variety of proteins, peptides and small molecules. Currently, there exists a large diverse family of assays today and the basic principles are generally the same. These assays typically use receptor-ligand binding for target molecule recognition and fluorescence based readouts for signal transduction. Fluorescent based assay systems are available in many forms, such as time-resolved assays, energy transfer assays and fluorescence polarization assays.
Fluorescence detection is the basis of most assays used in drug discovery and high throughput screening (HTS) today. In all of these assays, assay rapidity and sensitivity is a primary concern. The sensitivity is determined by both the quantum yield of the fluorophores and efficiency of the detection system, while rapidity is determined by the physical and biophysical parameters of temperature, concentration, assay bioaffinity, etc.
Heretofore, assay methods and/or systems have been lacking in sensitivity for determining and quantifying the amount of free unbound bilirubin in neonatal serum or isolating target nucleotide sequence.
Technology has been developed that recognizes that close-proximity to noble metallic surfaces can alter the radioactive decay rate and/or excitation rate of fluorophores. Further, it has been shown that quantum yield of low quantum yield fluorophores can be increased by proximity to such metallic surfaces. However, the use of such technology, termed Metal Enhance Fluorescence (MEF), has been limited and heretofore has not been envisioned for the use of determining the level of free unbound bilirubin in neonatal serum or for isolating a desired nucleotide sequence.
The most commonly used method for serum free-bilirubin measurement is the peroxidase method. The concentration of unbound bilirubin is determined from the peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of bilirubin by a peroxide [47]. The protocol for measurement of free bilirubin according to the peroxidase method requires a blood sample to be drawn from the baby. The serum, the portion of the sample to be tested, is then separated by centrifugation. The serum is taken on ice and shielded from the light, and is used to measure free bilirubin using the unbound bilirubin UB Analyzer, a direct free bilirubin measurement. The UB Analyzer (FDA approved) in essence utilizes the peroxidase method, but in a standardized instrument. First, a measurement is performed using the full concentration of the peroxidase enzyme, and a readout is obtained which indicates both total and free bilirubin levels. A second measurement is performed using half the initial concentration of peroxidase. To improve the accuracy of the free bilirubin measurement, both the readouts are used to derive the final estimated value of free bilirubin using a known algorithm table.
However, the UB Analyzer has some technical pitfalls including the need for reagent manipulation and sample dilution before analysis. A 40-fold dilution must be made to the serum sample, which can alter intrinsic bilirubin binding properties and mask the presence of binding competitors to albumin. Moreover, there is a possibility of interference with free bilirubin measurement by direct or conjugated bilirubin [48]. The test also requires the use of at least two peroxidase concentrations in order to improve the accuracy of the free bilirubin measurement, as an estimate of the equilibrium free bilirubin in the sample being measured. This necessary and repeated measurement with two different peroxidase concentrations increases both the amount of blood and time required for each sample. Furthermore, the light absorption of bilirubin varies with the type of albumin present and the number of bilirubin molecules bound per albumin. There are also factors that can cause the overestimation or underestimation of the free bilirubin measurement, depending on the rate of the peroxidase reaction [49].
There are also several other cumbersome techniques that indirectly measure unbound bilirubin. For example, the HBABA method, utilizes 2-(4′-hydroxybenzeneazo) benzoic acid to measure the available albumin binding sites of a sample, by a shift in the absorbance spectrum of the dye when bound to albumin [50]. This gives an estimate of how much bilirubin is unbound. The fluorescence-quenching method allows the determination of the binding capacity and affinity of albumin, whereby the concentration of unbound bilirubin may be indirectly calculated, based on the quenching of the ultraviolet fluorescence of albumin upon binding to bilirubin [51].
Providing a sensitive and reliable assay for determining serum free bilirubin would be of great value because jaundice (unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia) is one of the most common problems of prematurity. Almost all premature babies have some degree of jaundice during their first week. Jaundice can lead to neurotoxicity including deafness, auditory neuropathy, athetoid cerebral palsy, supranuclear gaze palsy, neonatal seizures, and apnea [31-33]. Premature infants are at a higher risk of bilirubin-induced neuronal injury than term infants [34]. To prevent bilirubin-induced neurotoxcity, neonates are often treated with intensive phototherapy. In rare cases with severe hyperbilirubinemia and unresponsiveness to phototherapy, exchange transfusion is used. Uniform guidelines, however, do not exist for the management of unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia in premature infants. Currently, serum total bilirubin levels are used to evaluate and manage premature infants with unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. However, there is substantial evidence that serum total bilirubin levels correlate poorly with bilirubin-induced neurotoxicity in premature infants [35-37]. Moreover, institutional variations in the levels of bilirubin at which phototherapy and exchange transfusions are initiated in jaundiced premature newborns indicate that the current management of hyperbilirubinemia in these babies is not evidence based [38].
Various biochemical factors are involved in the pathogenesis of bilirubin encephalopathy. Bilirubin binding is a complex function of the concentrations of total bilirubin, free unbound bilirubin and serum albumin. According to current theory, unbound bilirubin (UB; also referred to as non-albumin-bound or free bilirubin) is capable of crossing the intact blood brain barrier and causing subsequent neuronal damage [39]. Current literature supports the notion that the risk of bilirubin neurotoxicity increases with increasing free bilirubin (or UB) concentration. According to "free bilirubin thinking," the free bilirubin concentration determines the distribution of bilirubin between the tissues and vascular space [40]. There exists overwhelming clinical evidence to support this free bilirubin theory [41-46]. Studies in neonates supporting free bilirubin theory have involved autopsy findings of kernicterus, and auditory brainstem response (ABR) findings of transient bilirubin encephalopathy. The findings of these studies have suggested that the neurological outcome of hyperbilirubinemia correlate better with free bilirubin than total serum bilirubin levels. In premature infants, overt kernicterus becomes likely with unbound bilirubin levels ≧15 nmol/L (0.87 μg/dl) [42-43], and ABR changes are seen at unbound bilirubin levels >0.5 μg/dl [41]. In term neonates, ABR changes are seen at unbound bilirubin levels >1.0 μg/dl [45]. In summary, as far as the available biochemical measures are concerned, most of the published studies indicate that free bilirubin is the most sensitive biochemical measure to evaluate premature infants with jaundice.
Due to the shortcomings of the techniques discussed above, it would be advantageous to have a system for measuring unbound bilirubin that not only directly measures the metal-amplified fluorescence of the unbound bilirubin itself but also provides a direct correlation between the fluorescence emission and the concentration of the free bilirubin, even in whole unseparated blood.
Notably, the present invention also addresses the problems relating to isolation and quantitation of specific nucleotide sequences, such as RNA molecules, from biological samples. Isolating and determining a specific nucleotide sequence is an essential tool for the study of regulated gene expression [119] and is routinely employed in studies of gene transcription, [120] RNA stability, [121] RNA transport and a host of other biological processes [122]. In addition, RNA detection and quantitation also present an appealing strategy for rapidly identifying unknown biological agents (bacterial, viral, etc.) [123, 124]. Furthermore, nucleotide sequence detection is of great utility for gene expression profiling in clinical settings, where the expression of a subset of genes within tissue (i.e. biopsy) or blood samples may be rapidly measured, revealing diagnostic information to direct patient-specific therapeutic strategies [120, 125].
All current techniques for quantifying specific RNAs exploit base-pair complimentarity between a target RNA and one or more nucleic acid probes, either in the form of extended DNA or RNA sequences including Northern blots,[119]; RNase protection assays, [126, 127]; [RPAs]) or short oligonucleotides (reverse transcription-PCR [RT-PCR], [128]; or RNA capture assays [129]. This principle allows for extremely precise target recognition, yet current methods of probe:target hybrid detection face a number of technological restrictions. In particular, the utility of RNA sensing in microbial detection and/or clinical gene expression profiling may be hindered by two principal constraints, namely: sensitivity and rapidity [130].
RNA capture assays offer a simple and rapid approach to RNA quantitation. Target RNAs are selected based on complimentarity to an oligonucleotide probe which is attached to a solid surface or matrix, then detected by annealing a radio- or chemically-labeled probe at a distinct site on the target RNA [129]. At present, however, these assays are subject to the same sensitivity limitations as those described for Northern blots and RPAs, namely, that detection relies on the activity of radiolabels, the sensitivity of conjugated fluorophores, or the use of bright secondary chemiluminescent assays. These conditions make RNA capture assays currently useful only for abundant RNA species, thus limiting their general utility as a biosensor platform [128].
Thus, there is a need for biosensor systems and methods of using same that overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide for increased sensitivity and signal production for use in determining free bilirubin in blood or serum, and isolating target nucleotide sequences.

Metal enhanced fluorescence-based sensing methods

University of Maryland, Baltimore County


A power generating element 1 according to an embodiment includes a displacement member 10, a displacement member 20, and a fixed member 30. The displacement member 10 and the displacement member 20 are connected via an elastic deformation body 41. The displacement member 10 is connected to an attachment section 51 via an elastic deformation body 42. The displacement member 10 and/or the displacement member 20 includes a first power generation surface. The fixed member 30 includes a second power generation surface opposed to the first power generation surface. An electret material layer is provided on one surface of the first power generation surface and the second power generation surface. A counter electrode layer is provided on the other surface.

There has been conventionally known an electret power generating element (hereinafter simply referred to as "power generating element" as well) that converts vibration energy into electric energy using an electret material. The electret material is a dielectric in which dielectric polarization remains even if an electric field is eliminated as in magnetic polarization of a permanent magnet.
Patent Literature 1 describes a power generating element including a first electrode including an electret material and a second electrode made of metal. In this power generating element, the first electrode or the second electrode elastically moves in an XY plane and a charge amount electrostatically induced to the second electrode changes, whereby electric energy is extracted to the outside of the power generating element.

Power generating element and power generating device


An apparatus for wirelessly transferring power comprises a first coil having a first winding path and a second winding path. The apparatus comprises a holder configured to hold the first coil and the second coil in a predetermined winding pattern. Each of the first and second winding paths comprise a plurality of successive winding groups. In each of the plurality of successive winding groups, at least a portion of each winding of consecutive windings is disposed on top of an immediately previous winding on the holder for a predetermined number of windings. Each of the successive winding groups of the first winding path is disposed along an outer perimeter of an immediately previous winding group and each of the successive winding groups of the second winding path is disposed along an inner perimeter of an immediately previous winding group.

Wireless power transfer systems utilize a primary coil to generate an alternating magnetic field from which a secondary or receiving coil may wirelessly extract energy. In some cases, the primary and/or secondary coils may be stacked to optimize pad size and performance. However, conventional stacked coil winding processes are less accurate and more time consuming than some other coil winding processes. Moreover, some coil routing schemes for transitioning from one coil to another coil in a "double D" coil arrangement require a small bend radius that can deform Litz wire and further requires a gap between coils where a "double D" coil arrangement is utilized, which worsens magnetic performance of the coil arrangement. Moreover, to keep base and vehicle pad heights low, the sizes of ferrite structures within base and vehicle pads have to be reduced to ensure clearance for the coil arrangement, especially in transition areas from single coil layers to multiple coil layers. Previous solutions have included substantially reducing the absolute lateral dimensions of the ferrite structures to accommodate the stacked coil structure. However, such solutions generally require an increase in the ferrite structure's thickness to offset an otherwise reduced ferrite volume, which can adversely affect pad thickness. Accordingly, asymmetrically layered stacked coils and/or chamfered ferrite are desirable in wireless power transfer applications.

Asymmetrically layered stacked coils and/or chamfered ferrite in wireless power transfer applications


This invention presents an improved RFID method, system or apparatus which includes integrating one or more RFID elements or devices in an object, placing one or more RFID elements or devices on an object, and providing a smart placer which determines and places the RFID in the most efficient location in respect to interference, attenuation or frequency shifts that may exist, to improve the performance or efficiency of the RFID transponder and reader system ability.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) transponders (or tags) can be used to track materials, for example, during shipping and storage. In an RFID tag interrogation process, an RFID reader can generate an electromagnetic energy, through a reader antenna, towards the item to be tracked. An antenna on the RFID tag can pick up the energy, and an integrated circuit (IC) in the RFID tag can transmit information through the tag antenna back to the reader.
Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) RFID can use radio frequencies of 433 MHz, 865-868 MHz, and the 2.4 GHz range (e.g., 2.45-5.8 GHz and 3.1-10 GHz). In this frequency range, the RF can propagate efficiently with a reasonable amount of power consumption, and can be produced inexpensively.
However, the RF characteristics and performance of UHF RFID tags can vary depending on the dielectric properties of the substrate, e.g., the package that the UHF RFID tags are placed on. The dielectric of the substrate can change the resonate frequency of the antenna of the RFID tags, resulting in an impedance mismatch between the RFID antenna and the RFID chip, e.g., the antenna is detuned from the RFID circuit and degrading the performance of the RFID tags. In the case of severe impedance mismatch or detuned antenna in an RFID tag, the tag can stop working or the performance may fall below acceptable parameters due to the interference or any other type of effect by the object, product or other element such as field attenuation or frequency shifts caused by the object or other sources.
Thus there is a need for improved RFID transponders that remedy the substrate's ability to detune or interfere with the RFID system ability in a simple, cost effective and timely manner during or after manufacturing.

Integrated RFID antenna fabrication method and apparatus for transponder assembly


An improved system and method for the automated refilling of cryogenic helium is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a dewar in fluid communication with a liquid helium cryostat through a cryogen transfer line. A controller regulates operation of a three-way valve to pre-cool the transfer line and to cause gaseous helium to flow to the dewar and force liquid helium through the transfer line into the cryostat. The controller is coupled to the output of a cryogenic level sensor, such that the controller regulates the helium liquid level within the cryostat. During filling cycles, the dewar liquid level is also monitored by the cryogenic level sensor and an alarm sounds if the dewar liquid level is undesirably low. Between filling cycles, the controller is operable to ventilate the dewar through a solenoid vent valve in fixed time intervals to ensure the dewar pressure is sufficiently low so as to not bleed liquid helium into the cryostat.

The present invention relates to automated refilling systems for cryogenic helium and other liquids, optionally for use with superconducting magnet systems.
Cryogenic liquids, including helium and nitrogen, are used in operations where superconductive magnets are required, for example in magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear magnetic resonance. Cryogenic liquids have boiling points much lower than room temperature (−452° F. and −320° F., respectively) and are typically stored in a cryostat. Liquid helium, for example, will warm during cooling of the magnets and some portion of the liquid helium will boil off. Consequently, liquid helium must be added to the cryostat during ongoing operations.
Liquid helium for refilling of the cryostat is typically stored in one or more dewars. Dewars are self-pressuring, in that the vapor pressure within a dewar increases as the liquid boils off. Dewars often include a high vacuum between wall layers to provide thermal insulation.
In practice, it is often difficult and time consuming to fill cryostats with liquid helium from one or more helium dewars. Filling with liquid helium can be a challenge, from filling every day or twice a day depending on the type of cryostat or magnets. Accordingly, there remains a continued need for an improved system and method for refilling liquid helium and other cryogenic liquids for superconducting magnets and other applications.


A cart assembly has canvas top and side walls for transporting products on a base platform carried on wheels. Inversely U-shaped front and rear side rail skeleton structures, with vertically spaced cross rails, on the cart define a product compartment between them. Vertically spaced side straps loop around the side rail structures to correlate with the cross rails and have coupler ends. A unitary fabric cover is draped in inversely U-shaped configuration on the cart to provide a top wall and side walls. Cover straps carrying mating couplers project from the side walls of the cover in vertically spaced relation correlating with the cross rails to couple with the couplers on the side straps.

This invention relates generally to the manufacture and assembly of covered carts for transporting products of varying description.
Presently, castered carts are known for transporting diverse products such as stacked cases of beverage containers or cartons, for example, from manufacturing or distribution centers to trucks which move them to other facilities such as retailing facilities. Such carts normally have skeletal front and rear end frames extending upwardly from a base platform but are otherwise open to the elements. In the past, closures or tarps of canvas or like material, have been used to enclose the load and protect it from the elements. The tarp was however not, to our knowledge, integrated with the cart end walls in the manner to be described to function as top and side walls in a manner to efficiently mitigate load shifting.
A transport delivery system assembly according to the present invention employs a flexible tarp cover, draped in inversely U-shaped configuration, to cover the load. The flexible and pliant cover integrates with the cart front and rear end rail structures, which include side rails and have a plurality of vertically spaced cross braces, in a manner so that the tarp cover effectively provides the top and side walls of the cart. Strap mounted coupler parts projecting at spaced intervals from the front and rear edges of the tarp disengageably couple with mating coupler parts provided on straps which are looped around the end rail structures and bear upon the cross braces to support the weight of the tarp.

Covered cart assembly and methods of assembling and making the assembly


A base housing, having a base housing top wall rotatably mounts a chuck assembly through the base housing top wall, with a support member mounted to the top wall having a track, with the track slidably positioning a mounting plate, with the mounting plate including a plurality of confronting first and second arcuate jaws to secure a jar lid, with the first and second arcuate jaws arranged in a position extending over the chuck, with the chuck including a plurality of arcuate chuck jaws in an annular array operative to engage a jar within the chuck jaws.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to jaw lid opener apparatus, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved jar lid opener apparatus wherein the same is arranged to engage a jar lid and rotate an underlying jaw relative to the jar lid to disassemble the jar lid relative to the jar.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Jar lid opener structure is indicated in the prior art and exemplified by the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,812,742; 3,592,352; and 4,766,781.
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing for an organization to effect automatic opening of a jar lid permitting a torque drive assembly to effect engagement of jar engaging jaws and subsequent rotation of the jaws relative to the jar member to rotate the jar member relative to a jar lid and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


In a small-sized motor used for lens drive, to provide the motor which is easy to attach to another member and gives space saving. Further, to provide a motor in which the number of parts is reduced thereby to improve assembly efficiency and make shaft accuracy good. Stator cores constituting a stator opposed to a rotor, an output portion side bearing that rotates and supports a side, near an output portion for operating an operated member, of a rotary shaft inserted and fixed into the rotor, and an opposite output portion side bearing holding portion (cap portion) for holding an opposite output portion side bearing that rotates and supports an opposite side to the output portion side of the rotary shaft are formed integrally by insert molding; and the output portion side bearing and the opposite output portion side bearing holding portion are made of resin.

The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-384831, which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvement of a small-sized motor used for lens drive of a camera.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a small-sized motor with a lead screw, which is used for purposes of lens drive of a camera and the like. As shown in FIG. 2, in this motor, a metal frame 3 having a C-shaped section is fixed to one axial end of a stator 2 opposed to a rotor 1. Further, a bearing 4a is fitted into the other axial end of the stator 2, and one end of a rotary shaft 11 inserted and fixed into the rotor 1 is rotatably supported by this bearing 4a.
In this rotary shaft 11, its other end side protrudes from the stator 2, and its leading end is rotatably supported by a bearing 4b fitted into the metal frame 3. The portion of the rotary shaft 11 protruding from the stator 2, that is, the portion arranged in the metal frame 3 having the C-shaped section functions as an output portion 11a, at which a lead screw is formed. By rotation of the rotary shaft 11, this lead screw feeds axially an operation member (not shown) for operating a lens, whereby the lens is moved.
Such a conventional small-sized motor with a lead screw for driving a lens, since the metal frame 3 is attached to one end of the stator 2 as described above, has problems that an attaching method of the motor to another member is limited and that space-saving is difficult. Further, since the bearings 4a and 4b receiving each end of the rotary shaft 11 are supported respectively by the stator 2 and the metal frame 3 which are different members, shaft accuracy is not easy to obtain. Further, since the number of parts is large, assembly efficiency is bad, which makes it more difficult to obtain the shaft accuracy.
The inventors thought that the metal frame 3 was removed from one end of the stator 2 in consideration of the space saving and the assembly efficiency. In this case, it is necessary to fit a metal bearing for rotate-supporting a portion in the middle of the output shaft 11 to one end of the stator 2, that is, onto the attaching surface of the metal frame 3 in the above-mentioned example. However, regarding fitting of this metal bearing, the workability is bad. In case that the stator 2 and the metal bearing are integrally manufactured by insert molding in consideration of the work performance, a molding die is so complicated so that a problem of high cost is caused.
An object of the invention, in view of the above-mentioned problems, is to provide, in a small-sized motor used for lens drive, the motor which is easy to attach to another member and gives space saving. Further, another object of the invention is to provide a motor in which the number of parts is reduced thereby to improve assembly efficiency and shaft accuracy is good.
In order to achieve such the objects, a motor of the invention comprises a rotor; a rotary shaft inserted and fixed into the rotor; a stator core constituting a stator opposed to the rotor; an output side bearing provided on an output side of the rotary shaft, and supporting a portion near an output portion of the rotary shaft; and an opposite side bearing holding portion for holding an opposite side bearing supporting an opposite side to the output side of the rotary shaft; wherein the stator core, the output side bearing and the opposite side bearing holding portion are integrally formed by insert molding, and the output side bearing and the opposite side bearing holding portion are made of resin.
According to the invention, since the output side bearing and the opposite output side bearing holding portion, which were conventionally constituted by a different member from the stator, are formed integrally with the stator cores by insert molding, the number of parts can be reduced and position accuracy can be improved.
Further, the invention is characterized in that in the above-mentioned motor, a lead screw is formed at the output portion and a rotation of the lead screw directly affects an operated member.
Further, the invention is characterized in that in the above-mentioned motor, the opposite side bearing, which is urged to the output side and comprises an axially movable slide bearing, is arranged in a hole of the opposite output side bearing holding portion, and that an end of the rotary shaft is supported by this opposite output side bearing. Therefore, the rotary shaft can be exactly rotated axially in the more stable position, so that rotational position accuracy can be heightened.
Further, the invention is characterized in that in the above-mentioned motor, a hole having an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the rotor is formed in the opposite side bearing holding portion.
Further, in order to achieve the objects, a motor of the invention comprises a rotor, and a stator opposed to the rotor and constituted by stator cores, wherein the stator cores, and an output side bearing that rotates and supports a side, near an output portion for operating an operated member, of a rotary shaft inserted and fixed into the rotor are formed integrally by insert molding; the output side bearing is made of a resin; a lead screw is formed from the output portion of the rotary shaft to a portion thereof opposed to an inner surface of the output side bearing; and lubricant is filled in an opposed gap between the lead screw and the output side bearing.
According to the invention, since the output side bearing, which was conventionally constituted by a different member from the stator, is formed integrally with the stator cores by insert molding, the number of parts can be reduced and the position accuracy can be improved. Further, according to the invention, the lead screw is formed up to the portion of the rotary shaft opposed to the inner surface of the output side bearing, and the lubricant is filled in its portion. Therefore, though the metal frame that has been used in the related art is removed and the portion in the middle of the rotary shaft is held by the bearing, the rotating operation of the lead screw is smooth and run-out of the shaft is not produced.

Kabushiki Kaisha Sankyo Seiki Seisakusho


A calibration disk for use primarily with table saws. In an embodiment, the disk is installed on depth control axle and spaces away from the saw cabinet with a spacing collar. A friction collar provides a frictional engagement between the disk and the axle that may be overcome manually, so that the disk may be zero-set. To set the blade height, the operator rotates the depth control until a line corresponding to the desired cut depth is aligned with an alignment mark affixed to the saw cabinet.

The table saw is one of the most common and versatile pieces of woodworking equipment. A typical table saw consists of a saw blade mounted on an arbor and driven by a motor. The blade protrudes through the surface of a table, which provides support for the material being cut.
The depth of the cut often must be set precisely, particularly when cutting a dado or rabbet. In a typical table saw, the depth of the cut is varied by adjusting the blade height: the distance that the cutting edge of the blade protrudes above the table surface. The higher the blade protrudes above the surface, the deeper the cut. In some table saws, the blade and arbor are fixed and the table is moved up and down. In other table saws, the table is fixed and the blade and arbor are moved up and down. The angle of the cut is typically controlled by adjusting the angle of the blade relative to the table.
An operator may control the height of the blade by rotating a control handle, usually in the form of a disk or wheel, which drives a mechanism to lower or raise the saw blade relative to the table. The control handle is commonly mounted on an axle. Typically, table saws present no means for communicating the height of the blade above the table to the operator. Setting the blade height tends to be more difficult for table saws than other machine tools because the relationship between a given rotation of the control handle and a change in the blade height is not constant.
Commonly, the operator will measure the height of the saw blade using one of a variety of devices. One such device is a height gauge which functions much like a caliper, where one leg sits upon the surface of the table and the other sits upon the upper edge of the saw blade. The height is displayed on a dial. Another such device is a calibrated fence. A fence is a movable guide that is used to guide material to be cut through the saw blade. When the saw is stopped, the calibrated fence may be placed next to the blade and the height of the blade adjusted against a scale inscribed in the surface of the fence. Similar devices include scales, tape measures, or step blocks. It is common to have to make several adjustments to get precise results using these devices.
When using any of these devices, the saw must be stopped for the operator to safely read the height of the saw blade. Stopping the saw and applying an external measurement device to measure the height of the blade is both time consuming and prone to error. Furthermore, there is an incentive for an operator to sacrifice safety and adjust the saw blade while it is still spinning.
Another common method is to make a trial cut in a scrap piece of wood. Using this method, the operator makes repeated cuts in a scrap piece, making fine adjustments between each cut and measuring the result. This method is awkward, time consuming, and imprecise.
Accordingly, there is a need for an easy to use way to adjust the height of the saw blade accurately and to make fine height adjustments while the saw is spinning. Furthermore, any adjustment device should be inexpensive and easy to install.
The same needs exists for many machine tools, such as routers. In a table saw, the blade depth is directly related to the cutting depth. In other tools, the cutting depth is indirectly related to the distance from the cutting edge to the table, but the principle problems are the same. Throughout this specification, cutting depth and blade height are used interchangeably when referring to table saws.


A new and distinct greenhouse rose distinguished by its tryian purple flowers of medium size borne singly on strong upright stems of medium length growing from a vigorous free branching bush of about medium size with a height of about 26 inches and particularly suited to pot plant culture, the flowers having a long lasting quality of several weeks both on the plant and as a cut flower.

This new rose variety originated as a seedling of a hybrid produced by me at Pleasanton, Calif. by my crossing a pair of unnamed varieties selected from a collection of plants maintained by me for breeding purposes this crossing being done with the object of producing a new red flowering plant for pot plant culture. This particular seedling was selected for propagation because of its profuse production of purple red blossoms of medium size carried on strong upright stems of a plant having a height of about 26 in. and abundant foliage and I propagated this plant by budding at Pleasanton, Calif with very satisfactory results. This propagation was carried on through several successive generations which thereby conclusively determined that its novel characteristics would hold true from generation to generation and appeared to be firmly fixed.


Embodiments of semiconductor structures for wafer flatness control and methods for using and forming the same are disclosed. In an example, a model indicative of a flatness difference of a wafer between a first direction and a second direction is obtained. The flatness difference is associated with one of a plurality of fabrication stages of a plurality of semiconductor devices on a front side of the wafer. A compensation pattern is determined for reducing the flatness difference based on the model. At the one of the plurality of the fabrication stages, a compensation structure is formed on a backside opposite to the front side of the wafer based on the compensation pattern to reduce the flatness difference.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to wafer flatness control in semiconductor device fabrication.
Wafer flatness has a very large influence on semiconductor device fabrication because of the impact it can have on the ability of photolithograph systems to effectively project device patterns. Severe changes in surface topography within the area of exposure, however, can alter the device feature patterns and, ultimately, lead to potential die yield loss. For accurate projection, it is thus important to expose a pattern of light on a wafer that is relatively flat or planar. Wafer flatness is also important for other fabrication processes. For example, during the bonding process, the flatness of each wafer to be bonded needs to be controlled within a reasonable deviation range to ensure direct contact of the two bonding surfaces.

Wafer flatness control using backside compensation structure


A network node in a resource reservation network includes a data receiver, a transmitter and a timing adjustment requester. The data receiver receives fixed size application protocol data units (APDUs) from an application at fixed intervals. The transmitter transmits data from the network node to the network within transmission opportunities (TXOPs) associated with a constant data service flow for the application specified associated with the application and the network node in a media access plan (MAP) generated by a network scheduler. The timing adjustment requester requests adjustments of the network scheduler to the timing of TXOPs associated with the constant data service flow in order to minimize a delay between the arrival of the APDUs and their transmittal to the network.

There are many different types of data networks, of which Ethernet is perhaps the best known. Some data networks, such as HPNA (Home Phoneline Network Alliance) v.3, HomePlug AV and G.hn networks, have resource reservation schemes. Resource reservation networks have a scheduler to guarantee media resources to network nodes, to prevent collision between multiple network nodes using the same line and to ensure quality of service.
An exemplary resource reservation network is shown in FIG. 1A and an exemplary schedule is shown in FIG. 1B, to which reference is now made. Four network nodes 5 are shown, one of which, the domain master, has a scheduler 6. Each network node 5 is connected to a computing device of some kind, which computing device has at least one software application, labeled 8, running at any time. Software applications 8 generate data, in the form of application protocol data units (APDUs) or data packets, which are to be transmitted along a network medium 7. Each computing device may be running multiple applications 8, each of which may generate a "service flow" through the associated network node 5.
Scheduler 6 receives bandwidth allocation requests from nodes 5 and then creates and sends to each network node 5 a media access plan (MAP) for each media access (MAC) cycle 10 (FIG. 1B). Each MAP is a detailed schedule of future transmission opportunities (TXOPs) that will be made available to all network nodes in the upcoming MAC cycle described by the MAP and allocates each opportunity to a particular service flow. The MAP details the start time and length of each and all scheduled TXOPs in the next cycle of transmissions, and assigns each TXOP to a particular network node.
Within data networks, there are generally three types of services, variable bit-rate (VBR) services, best effort (BE) services and constant data services. For VBR services, such as a video stream, the amount of data to be transferred varies from transmission to transmission. Best effort services are transmitted during contention periods (CPs) during which the services to be transmitted contend for access to the network. Thus, only those that access the network get transmitted and their level of service is not guaranteed. The data is typically transmitted with a variable number of bits per cycle.
For constant data services, there is a constant amount of data being transferred at any given time with a fixed, known interval between packets. Exemplary constant data services are digital telephony transmissions, such as voice over IP (VoIP) which may generate APDUs, of a fixed size and may transmit the APDUs at fixed intervals. Scheduler 6 can easily schedule such a fixed interval activity, since the same amount of bandwidth is required for each transmission.
FIG. 1B illustrates the scheduling over a plurality of MAC cycles 10 for an exemplary fixed bit rate service. FIG. 1B shows a plurality of contention free transmission opportunities (CFTXOPs) 12 occurring at a regular rate. Accordingly, there is a fixed period of time T between any pair of CFTXOPs 12. As can be seen in FIG. 1B, fixed period of time T is maintained irrespective of where within each MAC cycle each CFTXOP 12 falls.

Allocation adjustment in network domains


A method generates an image from a set of image zones each delimited by a contour of polygonal shape defined by a set of vertexes, and comprising pixels having an attribute value which can be deduced from the value of a corresponding attribute of each of the vertexes of the image zone. The method includes determining to within a pixel the pixels that belong to each image zone according to the dimensions in number of pixels of the image to be generated; associating the pixels of each image zone in blocks of pixels; and determining an attribute value for each block of pixels of each image zone as a function of the value of the corresponding attribute of each vertex of the image zone.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to the generation of graphic images by a computer, and in particular to the determination of the values of the pixels of such images.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present disclosure particularly applies to personal computers, game consoles, as well as to portable electronic objects such as mobile telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs).
The generation of graphic images comprises processing operations which commonly involve mathematically modeling the interaction of light with a three-dimensional scene seen from a given observation point. These so-called "rendering" processing operations generate a two-dimensional image of the scene seen from the observation point. To obtain a quality of image equivalent to that of a photograph of a scene of the real world, and to meet strict real-time requirements, these processing operations generally use a specialized processing unit also referred to as a "graphic card or processor". Some graphic cards have an architecture enabling several operations to be performed in parallel.
The rendering processing operations are shared between the main processor (CPU) and the graphic processing unit of the computer. Classically, the main processor performs high level operations such as determining the position and the movement of objects in a scene and generates, from high level operations, rendering commands and graphic data giving a general description of a scene. From such commands and graphic data, the graphic processing unit produces one or more images that are stored in a frame memory containing images that are displayed on a screen.
A graphic processing unit particularly performs successive so-called "vertex", "rasterization", and then "fragment" processing operations. The vertex processing converts coordinates of object points in a two- or three-dimensional space, considered as vertexes of contours of image zones with polygonal contour (generally triangular), into coordinates of points in an image of the space seen by a user. The rasterization processing converts each image zone into sets of pixels called "fragments" comprising the coordinates in the image of all the pixels of the image zone and of the color and texture attributes associated with the vertexes of the image zone. The fragment processing particularly comprises determining characteristics or attributes, such as the color and the texture of each of the pixels of the fragment. The fragment processing supplies colors of pixels that are stored in a frame memory of a display device. Certain graphic processing units can be programmed to the point where programs implementing complex algorithms for illuminating and shading objects of a scene can be executed.
The fragment processing proves to be the most costly in computing time and power. It must indeed be executed on each image zone (or fragment) of each image to be generated. Now, an image that can be displayed at a frame frequency in the order of 30 frames per second can need several tens of millions of fragments to be processed per second. Furthermore, the definition, and therefore the number of pixels of the screens of portable devices such as mobile telephones tends to increase. Currently, these screens are close to the VGA format (640×480 pixels). In this case, the number of pixels to be calculated for each image is thus in the order of 300,000 pixels.
However, these portable devices do not have graphic processors as efficient as those of PCs. It is therefore desirable to reduce the computing time needed to process the fragments, while deteriorating the quality of the images as little as possible.

Method and device for generating graphic images


Methods, systems, and computer readable media for adjusting load at a device under test are disclosed. According to one method, the method occurs at a testing platform. The method includes determining whether a current operations rate associated with a device under test (DUT) is near a target operations rate, wherein the current operations rate is associated with one or more simulated users being simulated by the testing platform. The method also includes adjusting the current operations rate by increasing or decreasing the number of simulated users interacting with the DUT in response to determining that the current operations rate associated with the DUT is not near a target operations rate.

In communications networks, network devices are often tested using testing platforms that generate test packets, send the packets to a device under test, receive responsive packets from the device under test, and generate statistics indicative of the performance of the device under test. For example, in mobile networks, it may be desirable to test the functionality of a serving gateway (SGW) by sending streams of test packets to the SGW. In some tests, the streams of test packets mimic the traffic that would be received by such a node if the node were operating in a live network. In other tests, the goal is to send streams of packets that test the extremes of the operational capabilities or stress test the device under test.
In some test environments e.g., when testing layer 7 (L7) content aware network devices, it may be important to find out the maximum limit of various data rates a device under test can sustain. For example, various data rates that can be tested may include a connection establishment rate, a L7 transaction rate, a L7 byte exchange or throughput rate. A performance benchmarking or testing tool may test an, actual data rate against a desired target operations rate by attempting to maintain the target operations rate throughout a testing period. Conventional test tools have problems maintaining a target operations rate at a device under test throughout a testing period.
Accordingly, in light of these difficulties, a need exists for improved methods, systems, and computer readable media for adjusting load at a device under test.


The present disclosure provides a blade positioning and support system for a gas turbine engine including a blade, the blade having a root and a tip, with the root having a surface oriented away from the tip, the surface having a forward end and an aft end, the forward end projecting farther away from the tip than the aft end. Further, the present disclosure provides a blade receiver, the blade receiver having a face and a facet, with the face being oriented away from the facet, the face having a forward end and an aft end, the aft end projecting farther away from the facet than the forward end.

Many modern aircraft employ gas turbine engines for propulsion. Such engines include a fan, compressor, combustor and turbine provided in serial fashion, forming an engine core, and arranged along a central longitudinal axis. Air enters the engine through the fan and is pressurized in the compressor. This pressurized air is mixed with fuel in the combustor. The fuel-air mixture is then ignited, generating hot combustion gases that flow downstream to the turbine. The turbine is driven by the exhaust gases and mechanically powers the compressor and fan via an internal shaft. Energy from the combustion gases not used by the turbine is discharged through an exhaust nozzle, producing thrust to power the aircraft.
Turbofan engines contain an engine core and fan surrounded by a fan cowl, forming part of the nacelle. The nacelle is a housing that contains the engine. The fan is positioned forward of the engine core and within the fan cowl. The engine core is surrounded by an engine core cowl and the area between the fan cowl and the engine core cowl is functionally defined as the fan duct. This fan duct is substantially annular in shape to accommodate the airflow from the fan and around the engine core cowl. The airflow through the fan duct, known as bypass air, travels the length of the fan duct and exits at the aft end of the fan duct at a fan nozzle. The fan nozzle is comprised of an engine core cowl disposed within a fan cowl and is located at the aft portion of the fan duct.
In addition to thrust generated by combustion gasses, the fan of turbofan jet turbine engines also produces thrust by accelerating and discharging ambient air through the fan exhaust nozzle. The fan includes a plurality of blades mounted to a central hub. Each blade includes a tip, distal to the central hub, in close proximity to a rub strip along the nacelle interior. The rub strip is a section of the nacelle interior closest to the tip. In a variable-pitch design, the angle of the blades may be adjusted relative to the rub strip to provide multiple propulsion modes. Individual blades are inserted into blade receivers that can adjust the blade angle. As the blade angle changes, the tip rotates relative to the rub strip.
To maintain a desired amount of clearance between the blade and the rub strip while allowing a variable-pitch design, both the tip and the rub strip may be spherically shaped. However, as a rub strip may have a leading edge with a smaller inner diameter than that of a rub strip center section, it may be impossible to insert the blade into the blade receiver axially along the central longitudinal axis, as the tip will not clear the rub strip leading edge.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved blade positioning and support system.

Fan blade positioning and support system for variable pitch, spherical tip fan blade engines


Optimizing parameters includes, during a time interval, rotating from setting a first parameter to a first value for a first time period, to setting the first parameter to a second value for a second time period such that the time interval includes multiple first time periods in which the first parameter is set to the first value sequenced with multiple second time periods in which the first parameter is set to the second value; obtaining, for the time interval, a first set of ratings corresponding to the first time periods and a second set of ratings corresponding to the second time periods; averaging, for the time interval, the first set of ratings to a first average rating and the second set of ratings to a second average rating; and correlating the first average rating to the first value and the second average rating to the second value.

A wide variety of systems, such as systems used with audio and video media, need parameters optimized for the system's particular application. While the parameter optimization process is expected to be part of the design process and while the deployed design is expected to have been extensively tested in a wide range of scenarios, a class of applications exists in which parameter optimization can only be done after the system has been deployed, i.e., when operating in a real world application. In these situations, performance may depend on properties of the environment and these properties may be unknowable at design time and may even change as the system is being used. Different stakeholders may place or operate a particular system in unique statistical contexts that could not have been known by the original designers. A designer can make assumptions, but there may be no way to know when and if that assumption is valid.
One such example of this problem is found in audio watermarking technology used in broadcasting where the goal is to identify and count the number of listeners to a particular program as a means of evaluating the ad revenue that should be assigned to that program. There is no perfect watermarking system because one cannot simultaneously optimize all parameters. Consider the following property list: decodability of watermark, audibility of watermark, size of the information payload, response time to acquire the watermark codes, battery life if portable, the cost of decoders as measured in compute complexity, tolerance to signal degradation during transmission or encoding, dependency on the program material, and the acoustics of the listener's environment. Each application requires its own optimization and most applications are unique to the particulars of that user. Each broadcast station may well require its own optimization that by definition will deviate from some reference ideal that is a generic solution. The developers cannot do such optimization. Rather each station must tune to the properties of their own system. This means that each station must have a way of measuring the degree to which the current parameter set is or is not at an optimum.
But, in watermarking systems used in broadcasting to identify and count the number of listeners to a particular program, the broadcasted watermarked signal is received by listeners in their local environment, which may contain many other real world sound sources (e.g., the sound of engines, people talking, crowds, etc.) in addition to the broadcast. The local decoder, which has the responsibility of extracting the watermarking payload, is faced with the challenge of operating in an environment where both the program being transmitted and the sounds local to the decoder may undermine the performance of the decoder.
Even after the decoder receives and decodes the watermarked signal, the decoded payload for each listener is not immediately sent back to the radio station. The decoded payload is accumulated, perhaps once per day, and sent to the home office where an additional set of rules is applied to approximate the number of real listeners, the ratings. The final reports of listeners are eventually distributed back to the subscriber stakeholders, which may include advertising agencies, station sales staff, and others. This process can take days and it may take weeks for the ratings reports to be available. Significant delays are introduced.
Because of the long delay, optimization based on ratings is extremely difficult. Consider that a broadcaster sets a particular parameter to 17, and then a week later after getting a report, sets the parameter to 19 to see if that change influences the statistics. During the delay, a lot may have changed: school vacation may change the available listeners, a snow storm shuts down the number of drivers commuting to work, a world-series sport events takes place, the program director changes the type of audio being broadcast, and so on. In other words, if the change from 17 to 19 made a difference, there is no way to know if that change was produced by unrelated events or if the change resulted from the new parameter value. The statistics are time varying and arise from numerous unknown events. Stations may speculate, but they have no way to know if their guesses are relevant or accurate. Because the process of measuring listeners requires averaging to reduce data noise, and because averaging requires a long time span, the other variables also influence the result.

Optimizing parameters in deployed systems operating in delayed feedback real world environments


A method of reducing blurring in an image of size greater than M columns by N rows of pixels, comprises deriving a blur kernel k representing the blur in the image, and deriving an inverse blur kernel k−1. The inverse blur kernel is given by (I) where h(m) is the sum of the first m terms of the series (II) δ is the Dirac delta, m is greater than 1, and h(m) is a two dimensional matrix of size M×N. The two dimensional matrix h(m) is convolved with the image over the whole image in the image pixel domain to produce an image with reduced blur. The method may be applied to a video sequence allowing the sequence of images to be deblurred in real time.

It is known to reduce blurring of an image. Known methods are summarised in for example US-A1-2007/0098292. Known methods operating in the frequency domain are slow in that they require the whole image to be transformed to the frequency domain before deblurring can take place. Another method disclosed in US-A-2008/0240607 requires multiple iterations: It states "In one implementation, iteration is very fast using a Fast Fourier Transform, taking approximately 8 to 12 seconds for a 64×64 kernel and an 800×600 image".
It is desirable to provide a method of reducing blurring which can be carried out more quickly.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A variable speed bus has its frequency adjusted based upon bandwidth requirements of active units coupled to a variable speed bus. As units coupled to the bus are stopped, bandwidth requirements are lowered and the bus frequency is reduced in response to the lowered bandwidth requirements. An arbiter selects an appropriate arbitration configuration based on which units are active and which are stopped. The arbitration configuration is adjusted to ensure that the bandwidth requirements of the active units are sustained despite the reduced clock frequency.

In many semiconductor devices such as embedded processors, systems-on-a-chip (SOC), or other computer systems or consumer electronic devices, on-chip busses are becoming faster and wider with many associated register queues and related logic in attached unit interfaces. Split transaction capabilities on these busses have added significant depth to these queues. This is leading to a situation where on-chip busses and their associated interfaces will become a significant portion of overall system power, particularly in SOC designs.
In prior systems, power management may include simply reducing clock frequency for portions of the system (e.g., host processor), stopping clocks to unused logic units, or reducing clock frequency for the entire system, including busses. Another technique that is used is to throttle the clock off and on rather than slowing the clock down. These prior systems do not provide throttling of shared system resources such as backbone busses based on bandwidth demands and do not provide adjustments to arbitration configuration to provide sustained and stable bandwidth allocations despite aggregate bandwidth reductions.