An LED lightbulb is configured to properly illuminate a broader region. The LED lightbulb includes a light emitting unit, a pedestal, a power source unit, a heat dissipator, a base, and a globe swelling toward one side in a first direction for enclosing the light emitting unit. The globe is configured to diffusingly transmit light from the light emitting unit. The light emitting unit provides a light amount not less than 50% of the maximum light amount in a region not exceeding ±60° about the central axis extending in the first direction set as 0°. The globe provides a light amount not less than 50% in a region exceeding ±125° about the central axis set as 0°.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an LED lightbulb.
2. Description of the Related Art
LED lightbulbs utilizing LED chips as a light source have been proposed as substitutes for incandescent lightbulbs, as disclosed in JP-A-2011-70972, for example. A typical LED lightbulb includes a light emitting unit including a plurality of LED chips, a globe covering the light emitting unit, and a power source unit that converts alternating current into direct current for the LED chips.
An incandescent lightbulb emits light substantially in all directions. Accordingly, the LED lightbulb is required to illuminate a region as broad as possible, when employed as substitute for the incandescent lightbulb. In addition, if the LED lightbulb were remarkably bigger than the incandescent lightbulb, it would be difficult to handle the LED lightbulb like handling the incandescent lightbulb. Therefore, the LED lightbulb is required to be made smaller.
The LED lightbulb including the LED chips mounted therein is starting to take the place of the incandescent lightbulb. The LED lightbulb is superior to the incandescent lightbulb in energy saving performance and life span.
FIG. 47 depicts an existing LED lightbulb (see, for example, JP-A-2010-225409). The LED lightbulb 910 shown in FIG. 47 is designed for use as substitute for an incandescent lightbulb, and includes a substrate 911, a plurality of LED chips 912, a heat dissipator 913, a base 914, and a globe 915. The plurality of LED chips 912 serve as the light source of the LED lightbulb 910, and is mounted on the substrate 911. The substrate 911 is formed of an insulative material, and fixed to the heat dissipator 913. The heat dissipator 913 is formed of a metal such as aluminum. The heat dissipator 913 supports the LED chips 912 via the substrate 911, and serves to release the heat of the LED chips 912 to outside. The base 914 is used to attach the LED lightbulb 910 to an illumination instrument, and formed in compliance with, for example, JIS. The globe 915 covers the plurality of LED chips 912 and transmits the light from the LED chips 912. The globe 915 is formed so as to swell upward in FIG. 47, and fixed to an upper end portion (fixing facet) of the heat dissipator 913.
When the LED lightbulb 910 attached to an illumination instrument is turned on, heat generated by the plurality of LED chips 912 transfers to the heat dissipator 913, thus increasing the temperature of the surface of the heat dissipator 913. Especially, the upper end portion of the heat dissipator 913, close to the LED chips 912 and where the globe 915 is attached is prone to bear a higher temperature. Now, when the LED lightbulb 910 is to be removed from the illumination instrument, the user often grabs the outer circumferential portion of the upper end portion of the heat dissipator 913 opposite the base 914, and/or an adjacent portion, i.e., the outer circumferential portion of the lower end portion of the globe 915. However, as stated above, the heat dissipator 913 (upper end portion in particular) bears a high temperature while the LED lightbulb 910 is turned on, and hence the surface of the upper end portion of the heat dissipator 913 maintains the high temperature for a while after the LED lightbulb 910 is turned off. In the case where the user touches the outer circumferential portion of the upper end portion of the heat dissipator 913 while it is still hot in order to remove the LED lightbulb 910, the user may feel uncomfortable.
FIG. 48 depicts another example of existing LED lightbulbs (see, for example, JP-A-2009-267082). The LED lightbulb 920 shown in FIG. 48 includes a plurality of LED modules 922 mounted on a substrate 921. The LED modules 922 have the function of emitting light from the LED lightbulb 920, and each include an LED chip (not shown). The substrate 921 is supported by a heat dissipator 923. A base 925 is used to attach the LED lightbulb 920 to an illumination instrument designed for an incandescent lightbulb. A globe 926 is formed in a generally spherical shape, and transmits light from the LED modules 922. A power source unit 924 supplies power to the LED modules 922. The power from the power source unit 924 is supplied to the LED module 922 through wiring 927. An end portion of the wiring 927 is connected to the upper surface of the substrate 921 by means of a solder 928.
The solder 928 is typically formed with a flux. The flux often contains bromine. While the LED lightbulb 920 is in use, the bromine is emitted from the flux. The bromine may provoke a change of color of a metal constituting the LED modules 922, which may lead to decreased light amount of the LED lightbulb 920.
As stated above, the LED lightbulbs including the LED chips mounted therein have been proposed as substitute for incandescent lightbulbs, because of the advantage in energy saving performance and life span compared with the incandescent lightbulbs.
The LED lightbulb has an appearance similar to that of the conventional incandescent lightbulb, and the base of the LED lightbulb serving as the power supply terminal is also equivalent to that of the incandescent lightbulb. Therefore, the LED lightbulb can be fitted to existing sockets designed for the incandescent lightbulb.
The LED lightbulb includes LED modules and a lighting circuit as disclosed, for example, in JP-A-2011-70972 and JP-A-2011-82132, so as to be turned on upon receipt of power from the lighting circuit.
However, it has been difficult to control the light of the LED lightbulb through a simple procedure. The existing LED lightbulbs are not provided with the dimming control function. In addition, the LED is driven by a constant current as disclosed in JP-A-2011-70972, and therefore the dimming control is performed by changing the duty ratio of the current pulse signal. For such a reason, even though the LED lightbulb can be fitted to a socket for the conventional incandescent lightbulb, the dimming control system for the incandescent lightbulb is inapplicable to the LED lightbulb, because the dimming control method is different.


Embodiments provide for prediction and mitigation of network faults. Information associated network nodes may be compiled and used to generate network analytical records (NARs). A first model may be executed against the NARs to predict faults associated with one or more nodes of the network. Tickets are generated for predicted faults and stored in a ticket database. The tickets may be analyzed to predict executable actions to mitigate the faults associated with each ticket. To analyze the tickets, ticket data may be compiled and used to generate ticket analytical records (TARs). A second model may be executed against the TARs predict actions to resolve the predicted faults. The predicted actions may be executed to mitigate the impact that the faults have on the network, which may include preventing the faults entirely (e.g., via preventative maintenance) or minimizing the impact of the faults via use of the predicted actions.

With the advent of 3G/4G/5G technologies coupled with high speed fiber and cable broadband, connectivity and network uptime have become the most important factor in network operations. Additionally, round the clock connected devices, software, and services created and hosted on the cloud and made accessible through Internet, put forward a unique challenge to the industry in terms of uninterrupted connectivity. Telecommunication services are getting concentrated around a single source of medium for information transfer, which is data. For mobile communication, voice and other value added services, which were earlier created around general packet radio service (GPRS) and related services are now merged to data as a medium. Similarly, traditional video and allied services are also merged to data as transfer medium. This represents a change for telecommunication services, but other modes of transfer and communication, such as through wired and fiber cables, have always used data as a transfer medium.
On account of the merger of a multitude of services over data as means of transfer, the telecommunication backhaul infrastructure is being revamped, such that a single network provides the data backbone, while last-mile distribution of data happens through respective channels, such wireless through mobile 3G/4G/5G nodes, distribution POP (Point of Presence) units for fiber based communication, etc. This aggregation of multiple layers on a single network poses a unique problem for services and operations in terms of repair and servicing of network nodes or assets, challenges related to downtime, network traffic management, and maintenance of priority connections. Integration of different communications technologies also increases the complexity required to manage service continuity.
Due to above mentioned complexities, current service and repair identification and actions are primarily performed in a manual and reactive manner. For example, service/repair actions are performed after a network element failure event, rather than in a manner that prevents the failure in the first place or in a predictive manner that enables the repair to be completed more quickly. Secondly, due to non-availability of a unified view of network element alarms, disconnections, and ticket events, the repair action by a service engineer is unguided and limited to personal experience.

Intelligent node failure prediction and ticket triage solution


A back pack assembly which is convertible into a tree seat has a rigid, substantially planar member to which one end of each of a pair of elongated frame members is pivotally attached at either side of the planar member. Frame extension members are pivotally attached to the distal ends of the frame members, and a V-shaped blade member is adapted to be mounted to the distal ends of the extension members.

Sportsman, hunters, photographers and other wilderness and wild life enthusiasts, in order to hunt or observe indigenous wildlife, often must remain relatively motionless for extended periods of time while waiting for game to appear, especially where there is no ready means of concealment, and the relative immobility serves as the only form of concealment available. It can be extremely uncomfortable and tiring for the hunter or the like to stand still for an extended period, and equally uncomfortable to sit or lie on damp or cold ground. As a consequence, various types of tree seats have been employed by hunters to alleviate, at least to some extent, the discomfort and fatigue.
Tree seats for use by hunters generally comprise a platform which may support a cushion and a person seated thereon, and which is attached to a tree trunk to hold the seat in place in its operative position and configuration. The means by which the seat or platform is attached to the tree trunk generally consists of a length of chain, cable, or rope, which is attached to the platform and is wrapped around the tree trunk. Examples of each arrangements are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,855,980 of Konieczka, 3,368,725 of Martin, 3,513,940 of Ussery, 3,730,294 of Thurmond and 4,120,379 of Carter.
It is almost always the case that the desired location for the hunter to take station is sufficiently far from civilization or any roads to require considerable walking or hiking to get to it. As can be seen in most of the foregoing patents, the tree seats shown therein are somewhat cumbersome and awkward to carry, but if they are to be of any use, they must be carried by the hiker, i.e. hunter, to the desired location. Of the aforementioned patents, that of Thurmond suggests utilizing the tree seat structure itself as a back pack of sorts, while the Martin patent suggests the use of a back pack frame as a tree seat of sorts. Thus, with both the Martin and the Thurmond arrangements, the tree seat of Thurmond and the back pack of Martin perform a useful function while being transported to the desired site, and also after the desired site is reached, while most prior art tree seats must be transported to the desired site before they can perform any useful function.
Although both the Thurmond and Martin devices perform dual functions, the Thurmond device is barely adequate as a back pack, while the Martin device is barely adequate as a tree seat. In both devices, a chain is used to attach the tree seat to the tree, which, inasmuch as a chain of sufficient size and length is both heavy and cumbersome, adds materially to the weight that must be carried to the site. In addition, the mode of attachment of these devices to the tree does not allow for ready adjustment of the height of the seat above the ground.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,858 of Babb there is shown a tree seat which does permit height adjustment, but which is otherwise cumbersome to transport, and which does not function as anything other than a tree seat, for example, as a back pack.


A process of manufacture for and the article which comprises a connecting and/or branching of flexible hoses is characterized in that an outer covering element (6) provides a compressive action of the walls of the ends of the flexible hoses (5) onto a rigid inner pipe (1). The outer covering element (6), may comprise a polymer of which the contraction during cooling of the polymer is at least equal to 1% of its original diameter. The invention is adapted for use in fluid circuits between different parts or engine units in a vehicle.

1. Scope of the Invention
The invention pertains to any arrangement of fluid circuits which includes flexible hoses that require connections, branch-hoses or bleeding devices and, especially, to thermal exchange circuits mounted on automobile or road vehicles.
Said fluid circuits are designed for linking different parts--or engine units in the case of vehicles--and they must display, simultaneously, longevity features,--in spite of the hostile environment resulting from temperature, pressure, the presence of greases or oil-chemical resistance to conveyed fluids and airtightness.
The linking of different engine parts or units implies that the flexible hoses include a number of connections, most often on rigid nozzles, usually metallic, as well as branch-hoses of which the diameters can be equal to that of the main hose or different therefrom.
Whereas the flexible hoses display a high degree of reliability because of the character of the constituent elastomer material(s) which include(s) usually reinforcement elements, continuous or discontinuous, comprised of textile or metallic substances, the connecting zones with parts or units and those for connecting the branch-hoses or bleeding devices on the main hosing represent weak points where leaks can occur or even disconnections triggered by tear-off under the effect of pressure and temperature or simply because of the creep of elastomer-based compounds under these hostile circumstances.
2. Description of the prior art
In order to alleviate these risks, various solutions have been offered. Some, which are purely mechanical, like those described in patents EP 88 571 or DE 3 430 053, pertain to inserting inside the flexible hose a rigid pipe, which is usually metallic, fixed with any means and having an enlarged end.
Other solutions attempt to prevent the risks of probable leaks or disconnection with a rubber- or synthetic resin-based duplicate moulding, as suggested in patents FR 2 506 892, FR 2 562 886 or EP 0 110 102.
The current solutions display many inconveniences:
they weaken the intrinsic resistance of the main flexible hose, by requiring the boring of the wall that reduces the section of materials which will be subjected to mechanical stress or destroys, locally, the reinforcement of said wall; furthermore, this boring induces, along the crests of the bored hole thus performed, incipient tearing in a zone that, during operation, will be highly stressed;
their manufacturing is difficult because they require the introduction, inside the main flexible hose, either of metallic anchoring parts in the case of mechanical solutions, or, for the duplicate moulding solutions, inner cores inside the branching zone, in order to ensure vital counterpressure during the duplicate moulding operation, followed by their extraction once the operation is over. In order to facilitate those manipulations, the inner cores are often coated with a lubricating, anti-adhesive agent from rubber, that can contaminate the duplicate moulding zone and thus hamper the quality of the intimate linking that is necessary between the duplicate moulding and the outer surface of the flexible hose. Moreover, the inner core introduction and extraction operations might trigger, on the inner side of the main and secondary flexible hose, wounds which, although superficial, produce incipient constraints that accelerate the decay of said hoses;
their manufacture is costly, in terms or laying the metallic inserts inside the flexible hose in the case of mechanical solutions, and of requiring two successive operations,--injecting the duplicate moulding material onto the flexible hose then vulcanizing under pressure, inside the mould which lasts for several minutes and subsequently mobilizes implements, in the second category of solutions;
they prohibit the laying of branch-hoses of the same diameter as that of the main flexible hose, because of the size required for passage of the metallic insert or of the inner core; they also prohibit, for reasons of difficult access, the laying of branch-hoses inside zones far away from the end of the main flexible hose;
in the case of duplicate moulding, they shorten the life span of the main hose by requiring additional thermal treatment of the branching zone which leads to overvulcanizing the rubber-based mixture, therefore to a weakening of mechanical features and to a less resistance to ageing, in the considered zones.
finally, they require a state of perfect cleanliness in the areas to be assembled and they therefore require the use of solvents for reviving them, which is noxious to health at the work station and produces risks of fire or explosion in the shop.
Analysis of the prior art obviously indicates that a device which enables connections, branching of hoses or bleed to be made on a flexible hose, which displays the necessary reliability features while being economical from the manufacturing standpoint, is not known.
Moreover, we must note that the evolution of industrial technology--that of automobiles, especially--increases substantially the operating constraints, more specifically, in the areas of temperature and pressure.

Connecting or branching device for flexible hoses


A product display shelf comprising a bottom surface, a rear surface and at least one compliant member is disclosed. The bottom surface is configured to support at least one product thereon. The rear surface extends upwardly from the bottom surface. The at least one compliant member is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the rear surface and is configured to substantially prevent the product supported by the bottom surface from movement relative to the bottom surface upon movement of the product display shelf.

The present disclosure relates generally to product displays used on a door. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a product display shelf for use on a door and includes a member for stabilizing products on the product display shelf.
Shelves that are attachable to an interior of a door (e.g., a glass refrigerator or freezer door) are known in the art. An example of such a shelf is one that can be attached to the door using suction cups. In use, when shelves are attached to the interior of a door, the opening and closing of the door (e.g., by a customer) may cause products displayed on the shelf to move with respect to the shelf. For example, products may move back-and-forth, side-to-side, and may even fall off the shelf.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Product display shelf with compliant member


An oral product includes a body that is wholly receivable in an oral cavity. The body includes a mouth-soluble polymer matrix, cellulosic fibers embedded in the mouth-soluble polymer matrix, and nicotine or a derivative thereof dispersed in the mouth-soluble polymer matrix. The oral product is adapted to release the nicotine or a derivative thereof from the body when the body is received within the oral cavity and exposed to saliva.

Tobacco can be enjoyed by adult tobacco consumers in a variety of forms. Smoking tobacco is combusted and the aerosol either tasted or inhaled (e.g., in a cigarette, cigar, or pipe). Smokeless tobacco products are not combusted and include: chewing tobacco, moist smokeless tobacco, snus, and dry snuff. Chewing tobacco is coarsely divided tobacco leaf that is typically packaged in a large pouch-like package and used in a plug or twist. Moist smokeless tobacco is a moist, more finely divided tobacco that is provided in loose form or in pouch form and is typically packaged in round cans and used as a pinch or in a pouch placed between an adult tobacco consumer's cheek and gum. Snus is a heat treated smokeless tobacco. Dry snuff is finely ground tobacco that is placed in the mouth or used nasally.
A growing number of governments are now implementing restrictions on smoking in public places, such as restaurants and transport facilities. In some countries, such as the United States, some workplaces are also covered by public restrictions. Smokeless products may also be banned by certain governments or workplaces.
Trans-buccal systems such as nicotine-containing chewing gum as well as transdermal nicotine delivery systems are well known in the art. These systems, however, do not consistently provide a suitable tobacco-like experience for some adult tobacco consumers.


A length adjustable butt pad assembly for a firearm is shown and described. The length adjustable butt pad assembly includes a butt plate having an elongated butt plate shaft and a butt plate base. The butt plate base includes an elongated mounting tube extending in a horizontal direction and receives the butt plate shaft. The elongated butt plate shaft is rotatable in the mounting tube between a first locked position and a second released position. The second released position allows for an axial displacement of the elongated butt plate shaft between at least two fixed locations.

Firearm stocks are typically fixed in a single position, and the end of the stock (normally a butt pad) is designed to fit into a user's shoulder pocket. Because the stock is fixed, the user must acclimate to the position of the stock. However, there can be significant variation in the shape and size of a user's shoulder. Such variation can result in discomfort, inaccurate, and unsafe shooting positions. Moreover, a user's clothing and load out can significantly vary from one situation to another. Although available contemporary stock assemblies provide for adjusting an aspect of the stock, making the adjustment normally requires manipulating one or more unlocking one or more elements, and cannot be done without a special tool or under duress. As a result, the stock position cannot be easily adjusted under duress. What is needed is an ability for a firearm user to easily and conveniently adjust the position of the end of the stock in horizontal position of the buttstock.


One embodiment of the system and method described herein provides a computer system configured to provide an interface for operation by a user at a remote computing device, receive a request from the user for a vehicle history report of a vehicle. The computer system is further configured to prompt the user for interest in a prequalification for a financing offer. The computer system is further configured to receive the indication of the user's interest in the prequalification. The system also includes a data storage module, accessible by the computer system, configured to retrieve data corresponding to the vehicle, store the retrieved data, retrieve data corresponding to a determination regarding the prequalification for the financing offer, and store the retrieved determination. The computer system is further configured to convey the vehicle history report to the user and convey the prequalification determination to the user.

The decision of buying or leasing a specific vehicle involves not only fulfilling the consumer's desired list of attributes for the vehicle, but also the consumer's ability to finance the purchase or lease of the specific vehicle with such attributes. Furthermore, the list of attributes and the financing options are interdependent, since the consumer's list of desired attributes may be affected by the ability to pay for such attributes, and the financing options available to the consumer are dependent on the vehicle's attributes which would affect the vehicle's price. The computer systems (and other computing devices) available to consumers today provide the ability to browse vehicles' attributes. Other systems available provide the ability to determine financing options available to consumers, independent of knowledge or the specific vehicles the consumer may be interested in. Additionally, vehicle seller systems may track the browsing history of consumers to determine which vehicles the consumer is interested in. There is currently no interconnection between all of the vehicle seller systems, financing systems, and consumer systems. Therefore, vehicle sellers are not made aware of the qualifications of such interested consumers and thus sellers may waste resources in attempts to sell a vehicle which the consumer cannot afford. The process of locating and purchasing a vehicle, or for selling the vehicle, using such independent systems is also much more time consuming and less efficient for the consumer as well as the car dealers and the lenders involved. Accordingly, systems and processes for integrating vehicle history report requests with requests for consumer information, processing the requested information against financing determination factors to determine a consumer's prequalified financing options, correlating these determinations with the consumer's browsing activities, and communicating such determinations to the consumer and the vehicle seller are desired.

System, method, apparatus and medium for simultaneously generating vehicle history reports and preapproved financing options


A device for protecting a motor in a vacuum cleaner is provided. The device includes a lower casing for forming a lower portion of a main body of the cleaner, a motor housing, which is installed in the lower casing and includes the driving motor therein and an upper portion of which is opened upwardly, a filtering device installed onto the lower casing for filtering out foreign materials from introduced air, and an intermediate cover integrally formed with a first cover portion positioned onto an upper portion of the filtering device and a second cover portion for covering the upper portion of the motor housing. Further, a pressure switch for sensing pressure within the motor housing and a damper for introducing external air into the motor housing when the pressure within the motor housing is lowered below a predetermined pressure value are directly installed onto the second cover portion of the intermediate cover.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to a safety device by which a driving motor for generating suction force in a vacuum cleaner cannot be overloaded.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As shown in FIG. 1, a vacuum cleaner is generally constructed to comprise a main body 2, a connecting hose 4 connected to the main body 2, an extension tube 6 connected to the connecting hose 4, and a suction nozzle 8 mounted to a lower end of the extension tube 6.
A driving motor for generating suction force and a filtering device for filtering air containing foreign materials to be introduced are included in the main body 2. The connecting hose 4, which is manufactured in the form of a pipe made of flexible material, causes the main body 2 to be connected to the extension tube 6. The extension tube 6 is generally constructed to be extendable and contractible. Further, a handle gripped by a user is formed at an upper portion of the extension tube.
The suction force generated from the main body 2 is transferred to the suction nozzle 8 via the connecting hose 4 and the extension tube 6. In addition, since the suction nozzle 8 is usually used in a state where it is in contact with a surface to be cleaned, the foreign materials such as dusts on a room floor is introduced into the main body through the suction nozzle 8 together with the air. The air containing the foreign material introduced as such is introduced into the main body through the extension tube 6 and the connecting hose 4, and then is filtered.
FIG. 2 shows an interior structure of the main body 2 of the cleaner in a state where an upper casing of the main body 2 is opened. Referring to FIG. 2, the interior structure of the main body will be explained. As shown in this figure, a dust-collecting chamber 22a into which a dust-collecting bag such as a paper bag is inserted is provided within a lower casing 21 constructing a lower portion of the main body 2. The dust-collecting chamber 22a is divided by a partition 26, while a chamber 22b for accommodating the motor (hereinafter, referred to as a "motor chamber") is formed at the other side of the partition 26. A motor housing 24 in which the motor for generating the suction force is mounted is installed within the motor chamber 22b.
A motor cover 25 for opening and closing an upper portion of the motor housing 24 is provided with a connecting tube 25a that communicates with the motor chamber 22b located below the motor cover. Further, a dust-collecting bag (not shown) for allowing only the air, out of the air containing the introduced foreign materials, to be discharged to the outside is installed within the dust-collecting chamber 22a. Furthermore, a cover 28 in which a damper 28a is mounted is installed at an upper portion of the dust-collecting chamber 22a. The damper 28a has a construction that the damper is opened when pressure within the dust-collecting chamber 22a becomes lower than the atmosphere pressure, so that air outside the main body of the cleaner can be introduced into the dust-collecting chamber 22a. The structure of the damper 28a itself is well known, and thus, detailed description thereof will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 3 in which a connecting relationship between the connecting tube 25a and the partition 26 is illustrated, the connecting tube 25a connected to the motor cover 25 is connected to a vent hole 26a formed in the partition 26, and a pressure switch 27 for sensing pressure within the dust-collecting chamber 22a is connected to an end of the connecting tube 25a. Thus, the pressure switch 27 is formed through the vent hole 26a so that it can sense the pressure within the dust-collecting chamber 22a.
The suction pressure generated when the motor installed within the motor housing 24 starts to operate is transferred to the suction nozzle 8, and consequently, the foreign materials such as dusts remaining on the room floor are introduced into the main body 2 through the suction nozzle 8. Further, only the air out of the air containing the foreign materials, which has been introduced into the dust-collecting bag inserted into the dust-collecting chamber within the main body, flows from the dust-collecting bag. Thus, the foreign materials such as dusts are gradually collected within the dust-collecting bag.
In addition, the air flowing from the inside to the outside of the dust-collecting bag passes through the interior of the motor housing 24, and is discharged to the outside of the cleaner. The reason why the air passes through the interior of the motor housing 24 is that the air should cool down the motor from which heat is generated during its operation.
If the dusts are collected in a large quantity within the dust-collecting bag or large foreign materials are caught in any one of the connecting nozzle 8, the extension tube 6 and the connecting hose 4 in the process of such an operation, the pressure within the dust-collecting chamber 22a is lowered. That is, the pressure within the dust-collecting chamber 22a is lowered, because the motor installed within the motor housing 24 incessantly performs its own discharge operation whereas a small quantity of the air is introduced into the dust-collecting chamber 22a.
Then, if the pressure is lowered, the motor installed within the motor housing 24 is substantially overloaded. That is, this is because the motor discharges the air within the dust-collecting chamber while operating in such a state where the air cannot be normally introduced into the dust-collecting chamber 22a due to the foreign materials sucked into the dust-collecting bag inserted into dust-collecting chamber. However, such an overload is not preferable since it exerts a critical influence on the function of the cleaner.
Therefore, in this case, the pressure switch 27 mounted to sense the pressure within dust-collecting chamber 22a through the vent hole 26a in the partition 26 can sense reduction of the pressure within the dust-collecting chamber. Further, based on the pressure sensed by the pressure switch 27, alarm lights or sounds can be produced to inform the user that the cleaner is in an abnormal state. Thus, the user can take measures such exchange of the dust-collecting bag.
On the other hand, in a case where the user cannot perceive such an alarm, the motor installed within the motor housing is continuously overloaded. Thus, the damper 28a mounted on the cover 28 starts to operate. That is, if the pressure within the dust-collecting chamber 22a is greatly lower than the outside pressure, the damper 28a is opened and the air outside the main body of the cleaner is then introduced into the dust-collecting chamber 22a so that the motor is prevented from being overloaded.
However, the vacuum cleaner constructed as such has the following problems.
The aforementioned damper 28a and pressure switch 27 are parts for eventually preventing the motor from being overloaded. According to the prior art mentioned above, however, the pressure switch 27 senses merely the pressure within the dust-collecting chamber 22a, and moreover, it measures the pressure through the connecting tube 25a. Thus, there is likelihood that any error in measurement of the pressure can be produced. Consequently the pressure cannot be accurately measured.
Further, since the air introduced through the damper 28a is introduced into the motor housing 24 via the dust-collecting chamber 22a and the dust-collecting bag, a sufficient quantity of the air is not substantially introduced into the motor housing 24. Thus, there is a disadvantage in that the motor cannot be sufficiently prevented from being overloaded.
Furthermore, the aforementioned conventional constitution is not substantially simple and requires the other components such as tubes. Thus, there is also a problem in that the number of parts is increased and fabricating processes become complicated.

Device for protecting motor in vacuum cleaner


A method of creating insulating layers on different semiconductor materials includes providing a substrate having disposed thereon a first material and a second material, the second material having a chemical composition different from the first material; non-epitaxially depositing a continuous sacrificial layer of approximately constant thickness onto the first material and the second material, and then converting the sacrificial layer into a layer consisting essentially of SiO2 without oxidizing more than 10 angstroms into the second material. A structure includes a silicon nitride film disposed conformally on a silicon layer and a silicon germanium layer; a SiO2 layer is disposed on the silicon nitride film.

High performance logic device structures often include embedded SiGe channels in the pFETs while the nFETs are constructed on conventional single crystal substrates. To construct multiple gate oxides (so called double gate architectures) on embedded SiGe channels and on Si channels requires that the gate insulators/dielectrics be deposited, for example, by means of chemical vapor deposition (CVD). CVD techniques are used in order to construct devices with comparable physical thicknesses. If the double gate oxides are constructed by means of thermal oxidation (in a manner consistent with non-SiGe channel technologies), then the differing oxidation rates of the SiGe and Si will result in devices with different characteristics (Tinv, Vt, Ion/Ioff etc.). These different characteristics are often problematic.
In most cases, the CVD oxides deposited on SiGe channels are so called "high temperature oxides" or HTOs. HTOs can be deposited in either single wafer or batch furnace type tools. HTOs are typically produced through a reaction of SiH4 or Si2H6 with N2O, O2 or H2O at reduced pressures such as 200 Torr and temperatures between 600° C. and 800° C.
It is often reported that HTO layers are of lower quality when compared to SiO2 films (layers) produced by means of thermal oxidation of single crystal substrates. The lower film quality is manifested in higher trap densities (in the bulk of the film and the interface) which often leads to reduced reliability metrics, e.g. Vbd, TDDB, NBTI, etc. This reduced reliability, therefore, generally precludes the use of HTOs in high performance CMOS transistor applications.

Insulating layers on different semiconductor materials

International Business Machines Corporation


A power conversion device includes: an inverter that converts a DC current supplied from a DC power source to an AC current by engaging a plurality of switching elements, which constitute an upper arm, and a plurality of switching elements, which constitute a lower arm, in switching operation; a control unit that includes a signal generation unit that generates a switching signal carrying a command for execution of the switching operation in correspondence to each of the plurality of switching elements constituting the upper arm and the plurality of switching elements constituting the lower arm, and outputs the switching signal thus generated as a control signal; and a drive unit that individually drives each of the switching elements based upon the corresponding control signals. The control unit includes a plurality of protection circuits disposed in series on a control signal line extending between the signal generation unit and the drive unit, with each of the protection circuits outputting a control signal having been input thereto when a protective operation is not executed but outputting a control signal for setting the corresponding switching element either in a cut-off state or in an electrically continuous state in place of the control signal input thereto when the protective operation is executed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power conversion device with semiconductor switching elements.
2. Description of Related Art
The device disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 2003-88093, which executes power conversion via an inverter circuit equipped with semiconductor switching elements and supplies the power resulting from the power conversion to a load, includes a plurality of protection circuits such as an overcurrent protection circuit and an overvoltage protection circuit.


Techniques for enabling a user computing device to manage a controlled device only when the user computer device is physically proximate to the controlled device are disclosed. The controlled device repeatedly provides codes that change at select times and the user computing device sends the last received or captured code back to the controlled device. The user computing device is enabled to manage the controlled device when the most recent code sent by the user computing device matches one or more codes most recently provided by the controlled device. Additionally or alternatively, the user computing device is enabled to manage the controlled device when the user and controlled devices connect to the same access point. A technique for enabling the user computing device to share, mirror, or cast a screen on the user computing device onto a display of the controlled device is also disclosed.

Computing devices are used for a variety of purposes, including controlling other computing devices ("controlled devices"). Example controlled devices include, but are not limited to, a display device, an audio device, a television, and a projector. In some instances, the control of the controlled devices is performed over a network, such as a network. However, a Wi-fi network is not always secure from unauthorized users. A network can be compromised such that an unauthorized user is able to control the operations of the controlled devices.
It is with respect to these and other general considerations that embodiments have been described. Also, although relatively specific problems have been discussed, it should be understood that the embodiments should not be limited to solving the specific problems identified in the background.

Proximity-based management of a computing device


A bandage for joints wherein the bandage is made of elastic textile material and is provided with a pad. The pad is covered by an overlay of identical or similar textile material that is attached to the textile material of the bandage. The overlay covering the pad is only provided on its side facing the joint with knobs of anti-slip material thereby exerting a particular pressure on the respective parts of the joint.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a bandage for joints, said bandage being of elastic textile material and being provided with a pad, said pad being covered by an overlay of identical or similar textile material and being attached to the textile material of the bandage by means of edges protruding from the pad.
2. Description of Background Art
Such a bandage is described and presented in DE-PS 38 32 438. With such bandages, there is the need to fit the bandage to the joint in question in as non-slip a manner as possible. For this purpose, the textile material of the bandage has already been provided with a strip disposed in the neutral zone between the stretching and bending zones, said strip being provided with knobs of, for example, silicone, which has an anti-slip effect in relation to the skin (see DE 198 24 649 C2). A similar design is known from DE 39 02 434 A1, in which an unpadded support bandage is provided, on the skin-contacting inside of its elastic textile material, with anti-slip elements of silicone material, wherein the anti-slip elements consist of small, flat cuboids which, to that extent, have a certain similarity with knobs.
To achieve good non-slip properties, such designs require a corresponding coating of the textile material of the bandage over a large area or length in order to provide the bandage with a sufficiently secure fit.


The present disclosure is directed to geothermal power generation systems. The systems can comprise a first separator is in fluid communication with the geothermal fluid source, the first separator having a high pressure steam outlet and a liquid fraction outlet. A high pressure turbine is in fluid communication with the high pressure steam outlet and is coupled to a first power generator. A high pressure condenser is in fluid communication with the high pressure turbine. A low pressure separator is in fluid communication with the liquid fraction outlet of the first separator, the low pressure separator being capable of separating steam from the liquid fraction outflow and providing low pressure steam through a low pressure steam conduit. A low pressure turbine is in fluid communication with the low pressure steam conduit, the low pressure turbine being coupled to a second power generator. A main condenser is in fluid communication with the low pressure turbine. Methods for generating geothermal power are also discussed.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to a system for generating power using a geothermal heat source and to a method of making geothermal power using the system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some geothermal reservoirs have relatively high concentrations of non-condensable gases (NCG), such as carbon dioxide. NCG are generally considered undesirable because they increase cost and reduce efficiency of geothermal power plants.
Geothermal power plants generally employ condensers for condensing steam flow exhausted from turbines. The turbines are coupled to power generators used for producing electrical power. It is well known that, in general, lower condenser operating pressures result in more efficient power generation. However, the presence of relatively high concentrations of non-condensable gases in the steam can make it difficult to achieve desired low operating pressures, thereby decreasing efficiency. In addition, high concentrations of NCG mean that larger condensers and higher capacity vacuum equipment can be required to handle and remove the non-condensable gases, which results in increased capital costs for building geothermal power plants.
For steam turbine type geothermal power plants, there are essentially two main approaches for handling NCG, in addition to other approaches that are variations of these two approaches. A common approach, hereinafter referred to as the "standard" method, is to have a backend removal system that uses a compression system to remove the non-condensable gases from the vacuum condenser and compress them to slightly over atmospheric pressure prior to venting or treatment. This back-end NCG system typically consists of steam jet ejectors and/or vacuum pumps or turbocompressors. This is a good solution for reservoirs with low NCG content. However, for relatively high NCG content geothermal sources, this approach uses a large amount of steam for the jets or steam driven turbocompressor. In addition, the vacuum pumps and/or electric turbocompressors use large amounts of power.
The second method uses a "reboiler" device upstream of the steam turbine, which condenses the steam on one side of an exchanger and reboils it on the other side at a lower pressure. This creates a temperature driving force that powers the equipment. The non-condensable gases are vented from the upstream side of the reboiler and the lower pressure steam is sent to the turbine. Theoretically, this type of approach should work well. It has been tried experimentally, but there has been conflicting data as to how well it works in large scale geothermal power plants. Issues with this design may potentially include the loss of high pressure steam from the vent and the loss of steam pressure across the reboiler.
Other related methods and systems that are well known in the art are disclosed in an NREL report entitled "Comparative Analysis of Alternative Means of Removing Noncondensable Gases from Flashed-Steam Geothermal Power Plants," Report No. NREL/SR-550-28329 (June 2000), available online at nrel.gov/analysis/tech—geo_analysis.html.
The present disclosure is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the issues set forth above.

Geothermal power generation system and method of making power using the system


A chemical processing microsystem useful for identifying and optimizing materials (e.g., catalysts) that enhance chemical processes or for characterizing and/or optimizing chemical processes is disclosed. The chemical processing microsystem comprises a plurality of microreactors 600 and, in a preferred embodiment, a plurality of microseparators 900 integral with the chemical processing microsystem 10. The microreactors 600 are preferably diffusion-mixed microreactors formed in a plurality of laminae that include a modular, interchangeable candidate-material array 100. The material array 100 comprises a plurality of different candidate materials (e.g., catalysts), preferably arranged at separate, individually addressable portions of a substrate (e.g., wafer). The microseparators 900 are similarly formed in a plurality of laminae that include a modular, interchangeable adsorbent array 700. The adsorbent array 700 comprises one or more adsorbents, preferably arranged at separate, individually addressable portions of a substrate to spatially correspond to the plurality of different candidate materials. Modular microfluidic distribution systems are also disclosed. The chemical processing microsystem can be integrated into a material evaluation system that enables a comprehensive combinatorial material science research program.

The present invention relates generally to the field of combinatorial chemistry and, in preferred applications, to the field of combinatorial materials science. In particular, the invention relates to systems and methods employing microfluidic devices in chemical processes, for characterizing and optimizing such chemical processes and for identifying materials that enhance such chemical processes. Preferred embodiments of the invention relate to microchemical processing systems, to diffusion-mixed microreactors, and to methods for identifying or optimizing heterogeneous catalysts.
Combinatorial chemistry refers generally to methods for synthesizing a collection of chemically diverse materials and to methods for rapidly testing or screening this collection of materials for desirable performance characteristics and properties. Combinatorial chemistry approaches have greatly improved the efficiency of discovery of useful materials. For example, material scientists have developed and applied combinatorial chemistry approaches to discover a variety of novel materials, including for example, high temperature superconductors, magnetoresistors, phosphors and catalysts. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,359 to Schultz et al. In comparison to traditional materials science research, combinatorial materials research can effectively evaluate much larger numbers of diverse compounds in a much shorter period of time. Although such high-throughput synthesis and screening methodologies are conceptually promising, substantial technical challenges exist for application thereof to specific research and commercial goals.
Microfluidics refers generally to the field of miniaturized fluidic systems. Microfluidic systems have been designed to perform similar tasks as larger scale commercial fluid systems, and have included a number of different microcomponents such as fluid-distribution channels, valves, pumps, motors, mixers, heat-exchangers, condensers, evaporators, chemical reactors, chemical separators, sensors and actuators, among others. When microfluidic systems are integrated with microelectronics, the integrated systems are typically referred to as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). When microfluidic systems include a chemical reactor and/or a chemical separator, the systems can be referred to as chemical processing Microsystems. Microfluidic systems have typically been fabricated using technology known in connection with integrated circuit fabrication.
A number of chemical processing Microsystems have been developed to effect chemical and/or biochemical conversions, alone or in combination with other unit operations such as separation and analysis. See, for example, Ehrfeld et al., Potentials and Realizations of Microreactors, DECHEMA Monographs Vol. 132, pp. 1-28 (1995) and references cited therein. A microreactor is a common component of such chemical processing microsystems, and a number of different microreactor designs have been developed to date. One type of microreactor design includes microchannels in which a reaction occurs as a fluid moves through one or more relatively long channels of relatively small hydraulic diameter. Microchannels offer a large surface area to volume ratio and, when coupled with microscale heat exchangers, offer exceptional temperature control for exothermic or endothermic reactions. Exemplary channel-type microreactors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,811,062 to Wegeng et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,328 to Ashmead et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,763 to Ashmead et al., Tonkovich et al., The Catalytic Partial Oxidation of Methane in a Microchemical Reactor, AIChE 2nd International Conference on Microreaction Technology, pp. 45-53 (1998), Honicke et al., Heterogeneously Catalyzed Reactions in a Microreactor, DECHEMA Monographs Vol. 132, pp. 93-107 (1995), and van den Berg et al., Modular Concept for Miniature Chemical Systems, DECHEMA Monographs Vol. 132, pp. 109-123 (1995). Cell-type microreactors, in which a reaction occurs while a fluid resides in a cell, have likewise been employed. Exemplary cell-type microreactors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,385 to Dugan, U.S. Pat. No. 6,603,351 to Cherukuri et al., PCT Application WO 98/07206 of Windhab et al., and van den Berg et al., Modular Concept for Miniature Chemical Systems, supra. Microreactors that provide passive mixing and reaction of reactants in xe2x80x9cYxe2x80x9d-shaped or xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d-shaped microchannels are disclosed in Burns et al., Development of a Microreactor for Chemical Production, AIChE 2nd International Conference on Microreaction Technology, pp. 39-44 (1998), and in Srinivasan et al., Micromachined Reactors for Catalytic Partial Oxidation Reactions, AIChE Journal, Vol. 43, No. 11, pp.3059-3069 (1997). Microreactors for heterogenous phase reactions, such as gas-liquid or gas-solid reactions, are reported in Lowe et al., Microreactor Concepts for Heterogeneous Gas Phase Reactions, AIChE 2nd International Conference on Microreaction Technology, pp. 63-73 (1998). Reactors specifically designed for certain classes of reactions, such as electrochemical reactions or photo-induced reactions have likewise been contemplated. See, for example, Matlosz et al., Microsectioned Electrochemical Reactors for Selective Partial Oxidation, AIChE 2nd International Conference on Microreaction Technology, pp. 54-59 (1998).
Contemplated applications for such chemical processing Microsystems include end-use production of hazardous chemicals, process characterization and optimization, and combinatorial chemistry. While combinatorial chemistry applications have been contemplated, the various chemical microreactor designs reported to date, however, have not been incorporated into systems suitable for large-scale, or even moderate-scale, combinatorial chemistry research, and particularly, for combinatorial material science research directed to heterogeneous catalyst screening for identification and/or optimization. For example, although parallel-type reactors and microreactors have been reported (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,431,077 to Danforth, U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,923 to Milberger, U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,351 to Cherukuri et al. and PCT Application WO 98/07206 of Windhab et al.), none of these reactors are satisfactory for combinatorial materials science applications. These and other microreactor designs known in the art do not address important concerns such as the loading, and/or unloading of larger numbers of candidate materials (e.g., catalysts) for screening, the supplying of reactants to a plurality of microreactors, the controlling of the reaction conditions in a plurality of microreactors, and/or the evaluating of candidate materials for specific properties of interest (e.g., catalytic activity). Known microreactors also have common limitations, for example, with respect to a low throughput (e.g., the number of catalysts that can be screened over a given period of time), a narrow distribution of heterogeneous catalyst contact times, a large amount of each (often expensive) candidate catalyst required to effect the chemical conversion, the potential inherent negative influence of microreactor materials on a reaction of interest, a high degree of complexity, a lack of flexibility for analyzing the results of the chemical conversion, and, in some cases, a lack of scalability of research results to production-scale systems.
The present invention, as described in detail below, overcomes many, if not all of such shortcomings.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide cost-effective approaches for high-throughput combinatorial chemistry research and development, including particularly, research directed to the identification and optimization of new materials that enhance a chemical process and research directed to chemical process characterization and optimization.
It is also an object of the invention to provide chemical processing Microsystems that are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and use, that are flexible as to applications and variations, and that provide results which are scaleable to commercially significant systems.
Briefly, therefore, the present invention is directed to a chemical processing microsystem. The chemical processing microsystem generally comprises four or more microreactors and a fluid distribution system. Each of the microreactors comprise a surface defining a reaction cavity for carrying out a chemical reaction, an inlet port in fluid communication with the reaction cavity, and an outlet port in fluid communication with the reaction cavity. The reaction cavity has a volume of not more than about 10 ml, and in some applications, not more than about 3 ml, 1 ml, 100 xcexcl, 10 l or 1 xcexcl. The fluid distribution system can supply one or more reactants from one or more external reactant sources to the inlet port of each reaction cavity and can discharge a reactor effluent from the outlet port of each reaction cavity to one or more external effluent sinks.
In one embodiment, the four or more microreactors of the chemical processing microsystem are arranged in a substantially planar array-with a planar density of not less than about 1 microreactors/cm2 and preferably not less than about 5 microreactors/cm2.
In another embodiment, the chemical processing microsystem comprises two-hundred-fifty or more microreactors.
In a further embodiment, the chemical processing microsystem comprises ten or more microreactors and the distribution system includes a manifold comprising one or more common ports adaptable for fluid communication with one or more external reactant sources or one or more external reactor effluent sinks, ten or more terminal ports adaptable for fluid delivery to or fluid recovery from the ten or more microreactors, and a distribution channel providing fluid communication between the one or more common ports and each of the ten or more terminal ports. The ratio of the number of terminal ports to the number of common ports is at least about 10:1, and for some applications, at least about 100:1.
In an additional embodiment, the fluid distribution system of the chemical processing microsystem includes a manifold that comprises a common port adaptable for fluid communication with one or more external reactant sources or one or more external effluent sinks, 2n terminal ports adaptable for fluid delivery to or fluid recovery from 2n microreactors, and a distribution channel providing fluid communication between the common port and each of the 2n terminal ports, where n is an integer of not less than 2, preferably of not less than 3, and more preferably of not less than 6. The distribution channel comprises 2nxe2x88x921 channel sections, preferably linear channel sections, connected lo with each other through 2nxe2x88x921 binary junctions. Each of the 2nxe2x88x921 channel sections has at least three access ports serving as the common port, as a connection port for a binary junction, or as a terminal port. The microreactors are preferably arranged in a substantially planar array with a planar density of at least 1 microreactor/cm2, and preferably of at least 5 microreactors/ cm2.
In a still further embodiment, the reaction cavity of each of the at least four microreactors has a geometry defined by ratios of distances X, Y, and Z measured within the reaction cavity along three mutually orthogonal lines having a common point of intersection at a midpoint of the longest line, Z, and oriented with the longest line, Z, normal to at least one surface that it intersects, and preferably normal to at least two surfaces that it intersects. The ratios of X:Z and Y:Z each range from about 1:2 to about 1:1.
In an alternative embodiment, the chemical processing microsystem further comprises four or more microseparators. Each of the microseparators comprises a surface defining a separation cavity for separating at least one component of a reactor effluent, an inlet port in fluid communication with the outlet port of one of the microreactors for receiving the reactor effluent therefrom, and an outlet port in fluid communication with the separation cavity for discharging the separated effluent therefrom. A fluid discharge system can discharge the separated reactor effluent from the outlet port of each separation cavity to one or more external effluent sinks. The microseparators can, in one exemplary embodiment, further comprise an adsorbent material for separating, preferably selectively, one or more components of a reactor effluent stream. The adsorbent material can be accessible for loading and unloading thereof into and out of the microseparators. For example, the microseparators can be formed in a plurality of adjacent laminae with at least one of the laminae being an adsorbent-containing laminate comprising a substrate and one or more adsorbent materials for adsorbing at least one component of the reactor effluent. A releasable seal can be situated between the adsorbent-containing laminate and one or more adjacent laminae in which the microseparators are formed.
In yet another embodiment, the chemical processing microsystem further comprises at least four different candidate materials being investigated for properties that enhance a chemical process of interest. Potential catalysts are exemplary candidate materials. The candidate materials are individually resident in the reaction cavity of separate microreactors. Each of the candidate materials comprises, or consists essentially of, an element, compound or composition selected from the group consisting of inorganic materials, metal-ligands and non-biological organic materials. The amount of the candidate material in each of the candidate-material containing microreactors is not more than about 10 mg, and for some applications, not more than about 5 mg, or not more than about 1 mg. The number of microreactors preferably ranges from about 7 to about 100, and in some applications from about 100 to about 250, from about 250 to about 400, from about 400 to about 1000. The number of microreactors can also be greater than about 1000. Not all of the microreactors have to contain a candidate material; rather some microreactors can be left as blanks or can contain control materials. Typically, different candidate materials are individually resident in the separate reaction cavities of at least 2%-100% of the microreactors, preferably of at least about 5% to about 99% of the microreactors. An analytical detection system can be in fluid communication with the outlet port of one or more of the microreactors. The microreactors of this embodiment can be further characterized by the various features or combinations of features summarized in the aforementioned paragraphs.
Each of the candidate-material-containing microreactors in the aforementioned chemical processing microsystem is, in one embodiment, accessible for unloading the candidate materials after the chemical reaction, and optionally, for reloading a second set of candidate materials. For example, the microreactors can be formed in a plurality of adjacent laminae, with at least one of the laminae being a candidate material-containing laminate comprising a substrate and the at least four candidate materials at separate portions of the substrate. For access, a releasable seal is situated between the material-containing laminate and one or more adjacent laminae in which the microreactors are formed.
In another embodiment, each of the candidate-material-containing microreactors in the aforementioned chemical processing microsystem is formed in a plurality of adjacent laminae. At least one of the laminae can be a candidate material-containing laminate that comprises a substrate and the at least four candidate materials at separate portions of the substrate, but that has an essential absence of fluid distribution microcomponents (or generally, components), and preferably also of temperature-control microcomponents (or generally, components) or other microcomponents (or generally, components). The material-containing laminate can be anodically bonded with adjacent laminate or can be releasably sealed therewith. Graphite gaskets are preferred in connection with the releasably sealed embodiment.
The present invention is also directed to methods for preparing a chemical processing microsystem for identifying and characterizing materials that enhance a chemical reaction. According to such methods, at least four different candidate materials are loaded into four or more microreactors such that the candidate materials are individually resident in a reaction cavity of a separate microreactor. Each of the candidate materials are an inorganic material, a metal-ligand, a non-biological organic material or a composition comprising various combinations thereof Each of the microreactors comprise a surface defining a reaction cavity having a volume of not more than about 10 xcexcl, an inlet port, and an outlet port as described above. The candidate materials can be loaded simultaneously, or alternatively, sequentially, into the four or more microreactors. The four or more microreactors can be formed in a plurality of laminae as described above, with the at least four candidate materials loaded into the four or more microreactors as a material-containing laminate as described above.
The present invention is further directed to methods for identifying or optimizing catalysts for a chemical reaction of interest. According to these methods, at least four different candidate materials are loaded into four or more microreactors of a chemical processing microsystem such that the at least four different candidate materials are individually resident in separate microreactors. Each of the microreactors comprise a surface defining a reaction cavity having a volume of not more than about 1 xcexcml, preferably less than about 100 xcexcl, or even less than about 10 xcexcl. Each of the candidate materials are elements, compounds or compositions comprising one or more inorganic materials, one or more metal-ligands or one or more non-biological organic materials, separately or in various possible combinations.
For such methods, the candidate materials can be loaded simultaneously, or alternatively sequentially, into the four or more microreactors. In preferred approaches, the candidate materials are loaded without affecting the structural integrity of a fluid distribution system through which the one or more reactants are supplied to the microreactors or through which one or more reactor effluents are discharged from the microreactors.
In such methods, one or more reactants are simultaneously supplied to each of the at least four candidate material-containing microreactors, and simultaneously contacted with each of the at least four candidate materials. The reaction conditions are controlled to be conducive to, or intended to be conducive to, effecting the chemical reaction of interest. In some approaches, the reaction conditions are controlled to be substantially the same in each of the four or more microreactors, or at least in some subset of at least four or more microreactors. For many applications, the temperature is controlled to be not less than about 100xc2x0 C. and to be substantially the same in each of the four or more microreactors or in a subset thereof. For many applications, the residence time can be controlled to range from about 1 xcexcsec about 1 hour and to be substantially the same in each of the four or more microreactors or in a subset thereof. In some applications, the reaction conditions can be controlled such that the reactant residence time, xcfx84res, is longer than the diffusion period, xcfx84diff, for the reaction cavity. A reactor effluent is simultaneously discharged from each of the at least four candidate material-containing microreactors.
The at least four candidate materials can, according to such methods, be evaluated for catalytic activity (e.g., yield, conversion) or selectivity for the chemical reaction of interest. The candidate materials can, for example, be evaluated for catalytic activity by in situ analytical measurement, or analytical measurement of the reactor effluent. The candidate materials can be evaluated for catalytic activity by serial, parallel or serial-parallel (subgroup hybrid) analytical measurement. Detection approaches can include, with or without pre-separation of analyte component, gas chromatography, mass spectroscopy and optical spectroscopy, among other approaches. In a preferred approach, separation of one or more reactor effluent components is effected by adsorbing the component analyte onto an adsorbent material. Evaluation can then be accomplished by desorbing the adsorbed analyte component, and determining the desorbed analyte component, or alternatively, by reacting the adsorbed material with a detection agent (e.g. indicating agent) to form a detectable species, and then detecting the presence, absence or relative or absolute quantity of the detectable species.
Such methods can be further characterized with respect to the candidate-material evaluation throughput. For example, the candidate materials can be evaluated for catalytic activity (e.g. yield) at a throughput of not less than about 1 candidate material/hour. In preferred applications, the throughput can be not less than about 1 candidate material/second.
In some applications, these methods of the invention can further comprise unloading the reactant-contacted candidate materials from the microreactors in which they reside, and then loading a second set of at least four different candidate materials into the four or more microreactors of the chemical processing microsystem such that the second set of at least four different candidate materials are individually resident in separate microreactors. Such reiterative loading and unloading of candidate materials can be advantageously effected using many of the chemical processing microsystems as characterized above, with such features being employed alone or in any of the various possible combinations.
The present invention is likewise directed to methods for evaluating or optimizing process conditions for a chemical reaction of interest. Such methods generally comprise simultaneously supplying one or more reactants to each of four or more microreactors (where such microreactors can be characterized as summarized above), controlling a first set of reaction conditions to be substantially identical in each of the microreactors, controlling a second set of reaction conditions to be varied between two or more of the microreactors, simultaneously discharging a reactor effluent from each of the four or more microreactors, and evaluating the effect of varying the second set of reaction conditions.
The invention is directed, moreover, to a distribution manifold for distributing fluids in microfluidic systems. The manifold comprises a common port adaptable for-fluid communication with one or more fluid sources or sinks, 2n terminal ports adaptable for fluid delivery to or fluid recovery from 2n microcomponents, n being an integer not less than 2 and preferably not less than 6, and a distribution channel providing fluid communication between the common port and each of the 2n terminal ports. The distribution channel comprises 2nxe2x88x921 channel sections, preferably linear channel sections, connected with each other through 2nxe2x88x921 binary junctions. Each of the 2nxe2x88x921 channel sections has at least three access ports serving as the common port, as a connection port for a binary junction, or as a terminal port. The 2n microcomponents are preferably arranged in a substantially planar array with a planar density of not less than about 1 microcomponent/cm2.
The invention is, in another case, directed to methods for providing fluids to or removing fluids from a plurality of microcomponents. These methods comprise simultaneously supplying a fluid to, or discharging a fluid from, each of 2n microcomponents, where n is an integer of not less than 2, and preferably not less than 6. The fluid is supplied or discharged through a distribution manifold having features as summarized in the immediately preceding paragraph.
The present invention is still further directed to a microreactor for microscale chemical reactions. The microreactor comprises a surface defining a reaction cavity for carrying out a chemical reaction, an inlet port in fluid communication with the reaction cavity for supplying one or more reactants thereto, and an outlet port in fluid communication with the reaction cavity for discharging one or more reaction products therefrom. The reaction cavity has a volume of not more than about 10 xcexcl and a geometry defined by ratios of distances X, Y, and Z measured within the reaction cavity along three mutually orthogonal lines having a common point of intersection at a midpoint of the longest line, Z, with the longest line, Z, being normal to at least one surface with which it intersects and, where allowed by the geometry, with at least two surfaces with which it intersects. The reaction cavity geometry is characterized by ratios of X:Z and Y:Z each ranging from about 1:2 to about 1:1.
The present invention is directed, as well, to methods for effecting a microscale chemical reaction. One or more reactants for a chemical reaction of interest are supplied to a microreactor comprising a surface defining a reaction cavity having a volume of not more than about 10 xcexcl for carrying out a chemical reaction, an inlet port in fluid communication with the reaction cavity for supplying one or more reactants thereto, and an outlet port in fluid communication with the reaction cavity for discharging one or more reaction products therefrom. The reactants reside in the reaction cavity under process conditions effective for the chemical reaction of interest for a residence time, xcfx84res, that is longer than the diffusion period, xcfx84diff, for the reaction cavity under such process conditions, and the reactants are thereby converted to one or more reaction products in the reaction cavity.
As such, the devices, systems, and methods of the present invention offer distinct advantages over the prior-art. The chemical processing Microsystems of the present invention provide efficient means for loading and unloading candidate materials being evaluated, for supplying reactants to a plurality of microreactors, for controlling of the reaction conditions in a plurality of microreactors, and for evaluating the candidate materials for specific properties of interest (e.g., catalytic activity). Additionally, the instant chemical processing Microsystems can be employed for screening candidate materials such as catalysts with very high-throughput and with a large degree of analytical flexibility. Moreover, the chemical processing microsystems of the invention require only a small amount of candidate materials relative to known systems, yet offer catalyst contact times that are generally representative of those employed in production-scale reactors. Advantageously, the contact-time distribution is, for one embodiment of microreactors, broader than the distribution associated with known microreactor designs, and is, therefore, better suited to a combinatorial primary screen than known designs. Additionally, the chemical processing Microsystems of the present invention can be relatively inexpensively manufactured using commercially available technologies.
The devices, systems and methods of the invention have a primary application in the field of combinatorial materials science research for identifying and optimizing new materials that enhance chemical processes. Nonetheless, many of such devices, systems and methods will also find applications in other areas, such as combinatorial chemistry generally (including pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications), process characterization and optimization and small-quantity, end-use manufacturing (for example, of hazardous chemicals among others).
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be in part apparent to those skilled in the art and in part pointed out hereinafter. All references cited herein, whether as part of the background or as part of the detailed description, are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Moreover, as the patent and non-patent literature relating to the subject matter disclosed and/or claimed herein is substantial, many relevant references are available to a skilled artisan that will provide further instruction with respect to such subject matter.

Methods for identifying and optimizing materials in microfluidic systems


Methods, systems, and computer program products for silence insertion descriptor (SID) conversion are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for silence insertion descriptor (SID) conversion. The method includes receiving a wireless frame, the frame identifying a first node as a frame source and a second node as a frame destination; determining whether tandem-free operation (TFO) is applicable; responsive to a determination that TFO is applicable, determining whether the frame is a SID frame; responsive to a determination that the frame is a SID frame, determining whether the SID format used by the first node is incompatible with the SID format used by the second node; and responsive to a determination that the SID format used by the first node is incompatible with the SID format used by the second node, converting the SID frame from the SID format used by the first node to the SID format used by the second node.

As wireless communications networks become more pervasive and the number of subscribers continues to increase, wireless bandwidth becomes increasingly scarce. To mitigate this problem, advanced voice compression techniques are used to reduce the bandwidth needed by each voice call. For example, a standard 8-bits per data, 8000 samples per second voice coding, such as 64 kbits/s, may be reduced to 8 kbits/s or less via coder/decoders (codecs) such as the GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) AMR (Adaptive MultiRate) and EFR (Enhanced Full Rate) codecs and the CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) EVRC (Enhanced Variable Rate Codec). Codecs typically operate on a collection of samples, which are compressed and sent as a frame of data. Some codecs, for example, divide a voice call into 20 ms time slices, sending a frame of data every 20 ms.
Some voice codecs define not only a speech compression algorithm but also a silence compression algorithm. It has been estimated that fifty percent or more of a typical telephone conversation is silence—i.e., the part of the conversation during which neither party is speaking. During these periods of silence, transmitting the background noise detected by the cell phone's microphone would be an unnecessary use of network bandwidth, since the silence (e.g., the background noise) has no information content. However, sending no information during periods of silence has the undesirable side-effect of causing the receiving party to wonder, due to the lack of any sound coming from the sender's phone, whether the sender has hung up or terminated the call.
Therefore, many codecs detect the background noise present at the near-end device and characterize it, such as determining its pitch and volume, and transmit the characterization parameters to the far-end device. At the far-end device, the noise parameters are used to generate a slight background noise, such as soft white noise, recreate the background noise at the near-end device and thus convey the continued presence of the other party on the line. GSM_EFR codecs send what is called a silence insertion descriptor (SID) to the far-end codec. The far-end codec generates natural background noise for the call based on parameters within the received SID frame. Example parameters within the SID frame include line spectral frequency (LSF) and energy gain. With these two pieces of information, roughly equivalent to the pitch and volume of the background noise, respectively, the receiving end is able to recreate the background sound. These SID frames are sent relatively infrequently compared to speech frames. In some codecs, the SID frames are sent at call initiation and again only when the character of the near-end background noise changes significantly.
While the clear advantage to using voice compression is that it uses less bandwidth per call, the disadvantage of using voice compression is that it introduces signal distortion. Whenever a signal is transcoded, or converted from one format to another, there is a potential for introduction of signal distortion. Transcoding refers not only to compression but also to compression/expansion ("companding") operations, such as A-law and mu-law encoding/decoding. As shown below, in a typical mobile-to-mobile call there may be many transcoding steps, each of which having the potential to degrade the voice quality of the call.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional mobile-to-mobile call. Caller's cell phone 100 is connected via a radio frequency (RF) interface to the nearest cell phone tower and associated base station subsystem (BSS1 102). Caller's cell phone 100 typically uses a voice encoder to compress caller's voice from 64˜128 kbit/s to 12.2 kbit/s, for example, before transmitting the compressed speech data to the BSS1 102. BSS1 102 provides the interface between the RF network and the wireline network. BSS1 102 may send the speech data to a transcoded rate adaptive unit (TRAU1 104), which may decode the compressed speech data into uncompressed 8˜16 bit per sample, 8000 sample per second audio data. TRAU1 104 may transmit the uncompressed data across the network, as shown in FIG. 1, but typically it will re-encode the uncompressed voice data using a compression/expansion algorithm, such as A-law or mu-law, to boost the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal being transmitted, creating a 64 kbits/s PCM G.711 data stream. In other words, TRAU1 104 may transcode the voice data from one encoding format to another, such as from 3G_GSM_AMR to G.711. TRAU1 104 may forward the speech data across the phone network to TRAU2 106. TRAU2 106 may transcode the speech data into the compressed format used by the destination network. For example, TRAU2 106 may convert the speech data from G.711 to 2G_GSM_EFR. TRAU2 106 may send the transcoded speech data to the destination network's base station subsystem, BSS2 108. BSS2 108 may transmit the re-encoded speech data to Callee's cell phone 110.
In summary, the voice data may be encoded (and decoded) several times along the path between caller's cell phone 100 and callee's cell phone 110: encoding using the source codec by caller's cell phone 100, encoding using the intermediate codec by TRAU1 104, and encoding using the destination codec by TRAU2 106. Since both TRAU1 104 and TRAU2 106 must agree on an intermediate format, which may be 64 kbit/s mu-law PCM data, for example, TRAU1 104 and TRAU2 106 are said to be operating in tandem, and are commonly referred to as being a tandem pair.
As used herein, the term "internal format" refers to the intermediate format which the tandem pair uses to communicate data with each other, and the term "external format" refers to the format that each member of the tandem pair uses to communicate data with its respective network. The respective external formats may incompatible, as can be seen in FIG. 1, in which the external format for TRAU1 104 achieves a compression of 12.2 kbits per second, while the external format TRAU2 106 achieves a compression of 16 kbits per second.
Each encoding step—by caller's cell phone 100, BSS1 102, and BSS2 108—may introduce additional signal distortion, which degrades the overall quality of the voice call. One way to avoid the degradation of voice signal quality in a mobile-to-mobile scenario is to reduce the number of transcoding steps performed. For example, if the external format used by the caller's base station is the same or compatible with the external format used by the callee's base station, there may be no need to transcode to an intermediate format. In other words, there may be no need for a tandem pair to perform transcoding. Operation in such a mode is commonly referred to as "tandem-free operation", or TFO. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a network operating in TFO mode. In conventional systems, two codecs are the same or compatible if they use the same speech and silence compression algorithms and the same bit rates.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional mobile-to-mobile call using tandem-free operation. As stated above, TFO mode is possible only if the two mobile networks use the same or compatible external format. Thus, in FIG. 2 the codec used by BSS1 102 to communicate with caller's cell phone 100 is the same as, or compatible with, the codec used by BSS2 108 to communicate with callee's cell phone 110. For example, BSS1 102 and BSS2 108 may use codecs that use the same speech and silence compression algorithms and same bit rate. In this case, it is unnecessary for TRAU1 104 to transode the speech data into an internal format, such as G.711, before sending the speech data across the network to TRAU2 106, and vice versa. Instead, TRAU1 104 and TRAU2 106 may send the speech data to without transcoding, avoiding two transcoding steps. Furthermore, BSS2 108 may transmit the encoded speech data over its RF interface directly to the callee's mobile phone, thus avoiding two additional transcoding steps: the transcoding of data as it passes from the radio interface to the wired network interface in each of the respective wireless networks. In summary, by not transcoding voice data to and from an intermediate format (i.e., G.711), degradation of voice quality due to introduced signal distortion is avoided. The TFO principle may apply anywhere along the network path in which transcoding to an internal codec may be eliminated by agreement between nodes that use the same external codec.
For TFO to work, however, additional requirements must be met. One requirement is that the nodes or network entities be able to support TFO, which means that the nodes need be able to communicate with each other regarding the TFO stream. For example, the nodes may need to negotiate a TFO link, monitor link status, or provide fallback procedures in case of TFO interruption. Typically, in-band signaling is used for communication of TFO messages, since the compressed voice data stream uses a fraction of the bandwidth and thus makes bits available for a control channel. A common practice is to map the control channel onto the least significant bit or bits of the 8-bit, 64 kbit/s channel. This causes only a slight degradation of quality of uncompressed voice data, and causes no degradation of quality of the compressed voice data. Thus, the bearer channel must support in-band signaling. Another requirement is that external codecs should be the same or likewise compatible; otherwise, any benefit to skipping the intermediate transcoding step may be reduced by the need to convert from one external codec to another external codec.
An additional challenge is raised when attempting to implement TFO for a mobile-to-mobile voice call that crosses a boundary between 2G wireless networks and 3G wireless networks: there may be a difference between the 2G version of a codec and its 3G equivalent. FIG. 3 illustrates such an example.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional mobile-to-mobile call that crosses the boundary between 2G and 3G wireless networks. Although BSS1 102 and BSS2 108 both use the GSM_EFR (enhanced full rate) codec, BSS1 102 is a 3G network, and therefore uses the 3G version of the GSM_EFR codec, while BSS2 108 is a 2G mobile network, and therefore uses the 2G version of the GSM_EFR codec. Although the 2G and 3G versions of the GSM_EFR codec have the same 12.2 kbits/s rate for voice compression, their silence insertion description frames are incompatible. To address this incompatibility, conventional networks perform at least one transcoding operation, from 3G_GSM_EFR to 2G_GSM_EFR and vice versa. In practice, conventional systems, such as the one shown in FIG. 3, will perform not one but two transcoding operations, into and out of the preferred or native format used by the network backbone. In FIG. 3, for example, TRAU1 104 and TRAU2 106 may operate in tandem to transcode into and out of a common internal codec format such as the 12.2 kbit/s AMR format. Thus, although the 2G_GSM_EFR and 3G_GSM_EFR codecs are essentially identical, the incompatible silence insertion description frames prevent efficient mobile to mobile communication, which introduces distortion into the call.
FIG. 4 illustrates the general frame format for a conventional 3G EFR frame. The radio frequency channel index (RFCI) field indicates the type of frame. An RFCI value of "3" indicates that the frame is a SID frame. For a SID frame, the LSF and energy gain data will be contained in the frame payload part, which starts at octet 3.
FIG. 5 illustrates the general frame format for a conventional 2G EFR frame. A 2G EFR frame includes a payload field and four subframes. The LSF data is located in the payload field, in bits 1-38. The energy gain data is located in sub-frame 1, in bits 87-91. For a 2G EFR SID frame, sub-frames 2 through 4 do not contain any SID-specific information.
Unlike the 3G version of an EFR frame, the 2G EFR frame does not include a frame type field. Rather, a SID frame type is indicated by a particular bit pattern of sub-frame 1. The particular bit pattern is also called a frame signature. The frame signature must be analyzed in order to determine whether an incoming 2G EFR frame is a SID frame.
As can be seen from FIG. 5 and FIG. 4, the 2G GMS SID frame is 244 bits long, while the 3G UMTS SID frame is 43 bits long. This incompatibility is significant enough to prevent tandem-free operation between two otherwise compatible codecs. Referring back to FIG. 3, the incompatibility of the SID frames may force TRAU1 104 and TRAU2 106 to operate in tandem mode and use an intermediate format, such as a 12.2 kbit/s AMR. Thus, in a mobile-to-mobile voice call between a 2G network and a 3G network, tandem-free operation may not be possible, and the benefits of TFO, such as increased voice quality, may be unavailable.
Thus, there is a need for a way to enable TFO operation between 2G and 3G networks that use codecs with similar speech compression algorithms and bit rates but which have dissimilar SID frame formats. In particular, there is a need for methods, systems, and computer program products for silence insertion descriptor (SID) conversion.


A web site creation and maintenance system permits distributed control and centralized management of a web site. The physical implementation of the web site resides on a database maintained by a database administrator. The web site system permits a site administrator to construct the overall structure, design and style of the web site. This allows for a comprehensive design as well as a common look and feel for the web site. The web site system permits content for the web site to originate from multiple content contributors. The publication of content is controlled by content owners. This permits assignment of content control to those persons familiar with the content. The web site system is also a self service web site system for content contributors, content owners, and site administrators. The self service system displays to users one or more panels that contain input fields to permit the users to submit content and web site components for publication on the web site. The user, through use of only a web browser running on the user computer, transmits the parameter to the web site database. In response, the web site is updated at the database in accordance with the parameter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed toward the field of web sites, and more particularly toward designing, creating, and maintaining web sites.
2. Art Background
Generally, a web site is a collection of text and images configured for presentation in a predetermined way. A web site may be published by a single person or published by a group of people. A company or organization is an example of a group of people that publish a web site. For example, a company may have a web site for use by its customers (e.g., sale of products), and a company may have a web site for internal use (i.e., Intranet). Typically, web sites published by a group are created and maintained through a collaborative effort. For example, a company that sells hi-tech gadgets may include, on its web site, material that describes and shows uses for the hi-tech gadgets as well as content that describes the basic technology of the hi-tech gadgets. The material that discloses uses of the hi-tech gadgets may be submitted by the company""s marketing department, whereas the content that describes the basic technology of the gadgets may be submitted by the company""s engineering department. Thus, it is typical to assemble content for a web site from multiple sources when creating and maintaining a web site.
Typically, to create a web site, the person, referred to as the content contributor, submits the content (e.g., files and images) to the web site administrator for publication. The web site administrator assumes the role of both constructing the web site and maintaining the implementation of the web site. The task of constructing the web site includes using HTML to link the files and images. The task of maintaining the implementation of the web site includes ensuring proper operation of the host computer, such as a web server, as well as maintaining up to date back ups of the web site. The content contributor may not be technical and may not have any knowledge of HTML. Thus, the content contributors rely on the web site administrators to publish the content.
One problem associated with this traditional approach is that funneling all the content for publication through the site administrator creates a bottleneck. For example, if a web site has multiple content contributors, all of the content contributors must funnel the content through the web site administrator prior to publishing the content. Also, this approach places all of the responsibility of approving publication of content on the web site administrator when the web site administrator may have little or no knowledge of the content. Furthermore, under this approach, there is no single responsible person for ensuring that the content is up to date and accurate.
With the increased popularity of the Internet and corporate Intranets, there is an increased demand for tools that aid in the creation and maintenance of web sites. Accordingly, it is desirable to generate a web site creation and maintenance tool that permits non-technical people to publish content on a web site. It is also desirable to generate a web site creation and maintenance tool that apportions responsibility for web site creation and maintenance task to the most appropriate individuals.
A self service web site system permits content contributors to publish content without knowledge of HTML. The web site is implemented at a central repository, such as a web server. In one embodiment, the physical implementation of the web site resides on a database. The self service system displays to users, on the users"" computers, one or more panels. The panels contain input fields to permit the users to submit content and web site components for publication on the web site. In one embodiment, the self service system permits a content contributor to add an item, add an item to a folder, associate an item with a perspective, and classify the item in a category. The user, through use of only a web browser running on the user computer, transmits the parameter to the central repository. In response, the web site is updated at the central repository in accordance with the parameter. The web site system also permits, through a self service implementation, administration and management of the web site.

Self service system for web site publishing