Methods for completing a well involve the use of computational models to design cement systems that are appropriate for the anticipated well conditions. Data from laboratory tests and/or numerical simulations may be employed in the models. The cement systems are designed to have a higher Young's modulus than the surrounding formation. In addition, the cement systems contain chemical-expansion agents that cause a microannulus to be deliberately formed at the cement/casing interface prior to the application of heat. The microannulus disappears during application of heat, pressure or both owing to casing expansion.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
This invention relates to equipment and methods for completing subterranean wells; in particular, wells that are subjected to steam- or water-injection treatments.
During completion of a subterranean well, drilling and cementing operations are performed to provide a conduit through which desirable fluids originating within the formation may flow. The cementing operation involves placing a competent cement sheath inside the annular region between the external surface of a tubular body such as well casing, and the borehole wall. The cement sheath supports the casing and provides a hydraulic seal between producing formations. The presence of a hydraulic seal is commonly referred to as zonal isolation.
Well cementing is a difficult operation because it requires several parameters to be considered and controlled. For example, a slurry that is too dense may cause the formation rock to fracture, while a slurry that is too light may allow formation fluids to intrude. While slurry density is a parameter that is relatively easy to control, this is not true of the rheological properties. Such problems, which are inherent to any well-cementing operation, are well known to the skilled person, and solutions generally involve incorporating various additives into the slurry, the selection of which is not always clear and varies from one well to another. Detailed information about well cementing may be found in the following publication: Nelson E B and Guillot D (eds.): Well Cementing, 2nd Edition, Schlumberger (2006), incorporated in its entirety by reference thereto.
When well cementing is successful, and a cement sheath has been formed that provides casing support and zonal isolation once the slurry has set and hardened, it may not be long before the sheath is subjected to mechanical and/or thermal stresses that can lead to deterioration. Cement systems employed in thermal-recovery wells are particularly prone to problems that lead to loss of zonal isolation. One type of thermal-recovery well involves the injection of steam into the wellbore, commonly known as steamflooding. Steamflooding may consist of introducing steam into an injection well and sending the steam through the formation to one or more production wells. Another technique involves cyclic steam injection, during which steam is injected into a single well for a limited period. After the steam-injection period, the well is placed into production. Heating the reservoir reduces the viscosity of oil in the formation, making production more efficient. Steamflood wells are usually less than 915 m (3000 ft) deep, and are frequently deviated (30° to horizontal). The circulating temperatures during primary-cementing operations are often less than 40° C. (104° F.). During injection, the steam temperature may approach about 315° C. (600° F.).
When heat is initially supplied, the temperature rise is normally controlled to prevent undue thermal shock to the casing and cement. Nevertheless, because of thermal expansion, high levels of stress are built up in the pipe and the cement sheath.
A substantial amount of work has been performed for many years to devise cementing techniques that minimize the effects of thermal expansion. Such methods include the placement of thermal packers and the inclusion of a sliding sleeve in the casing string that can move freely in response to thermal stress. Another procedure involves holding the casing in tension during primary cementing to minimize expansion when thermal stress is eventually applied.
In some instances, methods involve applying internal casing pressure after the primary cementing has been performed, and while the cement slurry is setting and hardening. The internal pressure may vary from about 15.9 MPa to 138 MPa (2300 psi to 20,000 psi). This process prestresses the casing, and gives the cement sheath an improved ability to withstand the application of heat during the steam-injection process. Modeling software is used to analyze the anticipated well conditions during steam production, and determine the optimal amount of casing pressurization. All of the above techniques have aimed at maintaining the strongest possible bonding between the cement sheath and the casing.
Expanding cements have also been proposed in an effort to preserve intimate cement/casing and cement/formation bonding during all stages of the well's life. Unfortunately, when the formation is weak (a common occurrence in steamflood wells), expansion may cause the cement sheath to move away from the casing, creating a microannulus. For this reason, expanding cements for thermal recovery wells are generally not recommended. At the other extreme, cement expansion coupled with thermal expansion of casing and a stronger formation can compress the cement sheath, leading to cracking and even pulverization.
Despite the valuable contributions of the prior art, cement-sheath failures and loss of zonal isolation continue to occur. Therefore, there remains a continued need for improved cementing techniques in the realm of steam-injection wells.

Methods for completing thermal-recovery wells


A variable lighting apparatus for visually simulating and translating the frequencies present in an input signal to a light, the characteristics of which may be varied in accordance to the properties of the input sound. The lighting apparatus may be fitted with a plurality of filter channels for filtering the input signal into preselected bands. Each channel may then drive an independent light, each of which may be differently colored and will respond individually to the frequency components of the input signal determined by the filtering channel to which it is attached. The frequency response band and sampling characteristics of each filter may be adjusted to provide for a variable visual effect.

1. Technical Field
The method and apparatus of the present invention relates generally to lighting effects. More specifically, it relates to an apparatus and method for producing a lighting effect which varies according to the components of the input signal. If the input signal is sound, the apparatus is capable of splitting the incoming sound signal into a plurality of frequency components and using each of these frequency components to generate a light control signal. The light control signal may then be used to vary the flashing or enabling period of an individual light. This provides a unique lighting effect which differs significantly from merely varying the light's intensity. The apparatus may be configured for use in either a home or commercial setting.
Currently, lighting effects are generally confined to producing a light which will flash independent of the amplitude of the input sound sensed and usually do not discriminate according to various frequency components in the signal. Additionally, lasers have recently begun to appear in lighting shows. However, lasers, although aesthetically pleasing, are somewhat dangerous to use in a crowded environment. Further, lasers depending on power and illumination source can be quite expensive to purchase.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art devices coupling a variable lighting unit to a sound source are well known in the art. However, generally these prior art devices are limited to varying the light pulse frequency or amplitude independent of the amplitude of the input sound signal. Even simpler devices provide for a strobe light which flashes at a predetermined frequency independent of the input sound signal.
An example of this type of prior art is illustrated in Charas U.S. Pat. No. 3,838,417. The Charas invention discloses a flashing strobe light which flashes at an operator-selected predetermined frequency. The flash frequency is independent of the audio signal. The invention also discloses a means for flashing a plurality of colored lights wherein the color flashed is dependent on the flashing frequency. However, as is typical of many prior art devices, no provision is made for directly associating the frequency of flashing or the color of light being illuminated to the input sound signal.
An example of a more sophisticated prior art device is Blattner U.S. Pat. No. 1,654,068 which discloses an apparatus for visually interpreting speech and music. Blattner discloses a device which may be attached to a music source by means of a filter system which separates the sound signal from the source into three distinct bands. The outputs from these three filter bands are used to drive three lamps which may be of different colors. The intensity of the light assigned to a given frequency band is determined by the intensity of the input sound signal at that frequency. However, there is no means provided for flashing or enabling the colored lights at a frequency corresponding to the amplitude of the signal at a given filter frequency band. The visual effect presented by Blattner by varying the intensity of the lights is completely different from that provided by flashing or strobing a light off and on.
None of these prior art lighting systems teach the unique visual effect of the present invention whereby an input signal may be separated according to some predetermined characteristics such as frequency and wherein these characteristics can be used to drive a flashing light apparatus.
Consequently, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is capable of receiving an input signal, separating the input signal into a plurality of frequency bands, and assigning each frequency band output to a specified colored light. The colored light in that frequency band may then flash during an enabling period which is proportional to the amplitude of the output of the signal in that frequency band providing a unique visual effect.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a lighting apparatus which may control the flash rate of the light in proportion to the amplitude of the signal in an associated frequency channel.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a variable light apparatus which is capable of driving conventional illumination means.
An additional objective of the present invention is to provide a variable light apparatus which is capable of receiving a sound signal either by direct electrical coupling of the lighting apparatus to the sound source or by means of an acoustical coupling to the sound source such as through a microphone.
A further objective is to provide a lighting apparatus wherein the lighting colors assigned to a frequency filter band may be adjusted.
An additional objective of the invention is to provide an apparatus which is capable of adjusting the sampling rate cf the input sound signal such that the precision with which the lighting apparatus tracks the incoming signal may be adjusted.
A further objective is to provide an apparatus which is adaptable for use in either a home or commercial setting.
A final objective of the invention is to provide a means for adjusting the conversion factor between the amplitude of the frequency component and the flash frequency or enabling period of the associated light.

Apparatus and method for producing a frequency based visual effect


A visor is disclosed of the type used in an automobile. The visor has a self-supporting cardboard butterfly inner support which is covered with a decorative material. The butterfly is folded to form opposing edges and a urethane adhesive is used to bind the sides of the butterfly together and to clamp the decorative material in place. The adhesive contacts the edge of the decorative material contained within the folded butterfly and fixes it firmly in place. As the urethane resin cures, it expands to form a rigid foam member which forms a stiffening member for the visor. A torque member is attached to the visor within the folded butterfly and has a member for attachment to the ceiling of an automobile. The method of making the visor is also disclosed.

The visors used in automobiles to protect the eyes of the driver and of the front seat passenger from direct sunlight or glare have undergone a substantial change over the years. What appears to be a simple device is actually a complex structure having a hardboard, fiberboard or molded plastic inner core which is covered with padding and then a decorative cover. A torque or visor pivot rod mechanism is also included for holding the visor in the stored position or to allow the visor to be set at the position which provides the preferred shade for the driver's or passenger's eyes, the use position.
In a typical visor, a molded plastic or hardboard frame is used to establish the overall configuration of the visor. In many cases, paper or thin cardboard, in what is called a butterfly configuration, is then folded over the plastic frame or hardboard. Foam padding is then glued to the paper butterfly and then the entire configuration is covered with a decorative material which is sewn in place about the edge of the visor. In some constructions, the foam padding has been placed underneath the paper butterfly with the decorative material being completely glued to the paper butterfly and wrapped around the padded core of the visor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,990, issued Feb. 18, 1986, to Flowerday and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, is typical of the prior art visor construction. The patent discloses an automobile type visor employing a molded plastic core. The edge of the upholstery material is fastened by adhesive about the edge of the molded plastic core and then the core is folded and fused to join the core halves together to additionally secure the edge portions of the decorative material by compressing the upholstery material around the periphery between the facing peripheral edges of the core halves.
In all of the constructions of visors seen to date, a core member of some type has been used upon which the visor is assembled.


An ethylene polymerization system is provided with a quench system and that cools the product mixture entering the separation system with a reduced load on the first compressor of the system. The system includes first and second compressors, a high pressure reactor; a high pressure let down valve through which the product mixture from the high pressure reactor flows, and a separation system that separates gas from the product mixture. The quench system includes a pump having a suction inlet that receives all or substantially all of the low pressure flow of monomer from the first compressor. The system provides quenching of the product stream while allowing the first compressor to be operated at a discharge pressure lower than the suction pressure of the second compressor, thereby conserving energy.

High pressure polyethylene reactors are widely used for the polymerization of ethylene, and include autoclave reactors which operate between 1220 to 2000 bar (122 to 200 MPa) and tubular reactors which operate between 2500 and 3100 bar (250 to 310 MPa), both types of reactors, fresh ethylene from an ethylene supply is compressed to reactor pressure by the combination of a first compressor which pressurizes the ethylene to an intermediate pressure on the order of 300 bar (30 MPa), and a second compressor which pressurizes the fresh ethylene together with recycled ethylene from the 300 bar (30 MN) intermediate pressure up to the final reactor pressure. Both types of reactors create a product mixture comprising principally polymer and unreacted monomer. The mixture leaves the reactor through a high pressure let down valve, and then enters a separation system in which unreacted monomer is separated from the polymer and recycled back to the suction of the second compressor. Hence the monomer supplied to the reactor by the second compressor is a combination of feed or "make-up" monomer supplied by the first compressor and recycled monomer from the separation system.
The polymerization of ethylene is an exothermic process which generates heat. Consequently, there is a need to further cool the product mixture after it has left the reactor. In the prior art, particularly in the case of tubular reactors, such cooling has been accomplished by injecting cold ethylene into it as a "quench" prior to the entry of the product mixture into the separation system. The injection of cold ethylene cools the product mixture as it enters the separation system, thereby promoting the phase separation of the product stream into a polymer-rich liquid phase, and a monomer rich off gas. In particular, the attendant dilution of the product stream with an ethylene rich stream promotes the phase separation of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) in the separation system by lowering its concentration in the product stream.
Before the cold ethylene can be injected into the flow of product mixture from the reactor, it first must be compressed to a pressure which will allow such injection. In the past, the required flow of cold, compressed ethylene has been diverted out of the flow of make-up ethylene that the first compressor supplies to the second compressor. However, such a flow scheme requires the first compressor to provide the necessary compression to inject the cold ethylene into the flow of product mixture from the reactor.

Polyethylene manufacturing system and method


A tunneling transistor comprising an emitter layer, a barrier layer having a conduction band higher in energy than a conduction band of said emitter layer and a valence band lower in energy than a valence band of said emitter layer, and further having a thickness with which electrons can substantially tunnel the barrier layer, a collector layer having a conduction band lower in energy than the valence band of said emitter layer and a conductivity type opposite to said emitter layer, and further having a thickness with which quantum levels are substantially formed, a gate layer having a conduction band higher in energy than the conduction band of said layer and a valence band of said emitter layer, and further having a thickness with which the probability of electron tunneling is substantially greatly reduced, said layers been laminated in this order, and electrodes which form ohmic junctions on said emitter layer and said collector layer and an electrode which forms a Schottky junction on said gate layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tunneling transistor capable of controlling negative resistance characteristics.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior practice of negative resistance devices through tunneling includes a resonant hot electron transistor (RHET) and a resonant tunneling bipolar transistor (RBT), those transistors being constructed through combination of a resonant tunneling structure with a heterojunction bipolar transistor or a field effect transistor. These transistors are successful in the construction Ex-NOR gates, multiple-state holding gates, latch circuits and NOR circuits with a more reduced number of constituent transistors compared with prior art transistors, and hence attracts many interests with the expectation of application to functional devices. These devices are described, for example, in Electron Devices, Vol. 36, p 2065, 1989, F. Capasso, et al.
In the resonant tunneling effect, there is taken as a tunnel barrier the size of a discontinuity of conduction band energy in a semiconductor heterojunction, i.e., a difference between electron affinities between constituting semiconductors, so that the height of the tunnel barrier is not increased and the resonant tunneling effect is severely affected by a current (an excess current) based upon electrons going over the barrier by thermal excitation at room temperature.
The foregoing prior art tunneling transistors are therefore unlikely to be operational at room temperature.


Treatment of pain syndromes utilizes a topical polypharmaceutical preparation of phenoxybenzamine, ketamine, gabapentin, nifedipine, carbamazepine, or combinations of them. Other suitable components are blockers of sympathetic alpha 1, 2 and other receptors, NMDA receptor blockers, GABA receptor blockers, AMPA receptor blockers, nitric oxide synthase receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACDP receptor blockers, prostaglandin and leukotriene blockers, substance P blockers, bradykinin and neurotenin as well as other peptide blockers, and TNF alpha blockers. Recommended delivery is by locating a predetermined neurodermal point and locating a gel patch over the predetermined neurodermal point. Iontophoresis then delivers the pharmaceutical agent from the gel patch.

Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to surgery and to a method and means for introducing or removing material from the body for therapeutic purpose. More specifically, the invention relates to apparatus and method in which electrical energy is applied to the body, such as by iontophoresis. Similarly, the invention may have application in a method and apparatus for surgery in which material is introduced into or removed from a body orifice or inserted or removed subcutaneously other than by diffusing through skin. The invention has application to a method of enhanced absorption of therapeutic material using iontophoretic treatment. A specific focus is blocking pain by precision administration of suitable treatment.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Treatment of pain in humans is a topic of increasing research emphasis. One promising approach is by use of topical cocktails of ingredients for blocking pain from many origins. Rather than offering mere additive results, the multi-component cocktail of ingredients promises an unexpectedly high level of efficacy. Another developing approach is the use of improved delivery systems, which often can be used for the administration of treatments for diseases and conditions not solely limited to pain. Such delivery systems employ, gels creams, ointments, patches, bioadhesives, and iontophoresis that can deliver a variety of pharmaceuticals, alone or in combined administration. These approaches are exemplified in the following patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,249 to Smith discloses treatment of specific types and causes of pain by administration of a multi-component topical composition. For example, one component offers anesthetic pain relief that masks pain but does not correct the underlying cause. Another component reduces the sensation of pain by alleviating the physiological and neurotransmitter etiology of the pain. Each of the various active components functions differently in order to treat pain comprehensively, regardless of causes. Multiple components include, first, a vasodilating agent such as nifedipine; second, an antiinflammatory agent to reduce pain mediated by prostaglandins; third, a membrane stabilizing agent such as carbamazepine; and fourth, seratogenic and nonadrenergic reuptake inhibitor. These may be supplemented with a topical anesthetic and an anti-inflammatory steroid. These medications are delivered in a gel, ointment, or cream.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,289 to Grasela discloses a general purpose delivery system that employs transdermal delivery of medication in a patch. Iontophoresis is useful with the medication in the patch to increase skin permeation. A topical delivery system may use a cream carrying the desired medication plus penetration enhancers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,394 Demopulos discloses a cocktail of pain blocking agents for topical administration by irrigating with combined inhibitors for both pain and inflammation. The treatment addresses pain caused by multiple distinct sources of pain, including prostaglandin, bradykinin, histamine, and serotonin. Each source can be inhibited by application of the corresponding receptor antagonists. The cocktail of anti-pain/anti-inflammation agents can be composed of fourteen classes of receptor antagonists and agonists, plus optional anti-spasm agents. An aspect of the treatment is a resulting synergy in certain combinations, believed to result from cross talk between various signaling pathways.
The practice of iontophoresis is useful to deliver a drug to a subject by driving charged ions of the drug through the skin of the subject by applying an electric potential. The effective component of the drug must carry a charge, and the electrical apparatus must be polarized in the proper direction to deliver the charged component. For example, a patch containing a drug with positive charge is applied to the skin of a subject. The patch is connected to the iontophoretic delivery system at the positive electrode. A negative electrode is connected elsewhere to the subject to complete a closed pathway for the electric current.
A recent and representative discussion of iontophoresis appears in U.S. Pat. No. 6,235,013 to Tapper. An iontophoretic patch and administration system employ alternating current of low frequency in order to avoid problems of skin damage and pH imbalance during administration.
Electrical probes can detect numerous topical points in the skin that show a dramatic drop in skin resistance, as measured in meg ohms. These points are neurodermal points and are identified as Langerhans complexes. They have a pattern in dermis tissues much like a grid. The presence of these neurodermal points has been known for a long time. In ancient China, equivalent points were known as points of Chi or energy, and in India they were called Prahna. In fact, they are a normal complex of afferent and efferent A delta sensory myelinated nerves, small unmyelinated xe2x80x9cC fibers,xe2x80x9d and tiny endocrine organelles. Such structures are capable of releasing NO, nitric oxide, and gamma amino butyric acid (GABA). They are also capable of locally releasing a variety of substances. These include Ca++ ions via the NMDA, aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylate (ACPD) receptors; substance P peptide; alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5 methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors; and glutamate.
Persons born without Langerhans complexes in the superficial dermis cannot suffer pain. Thus, the pain process requires the projection of painful nociceptive afferents from superficial and deep structure onto the dermal grid of the Langerhans network. The afferent modulation at this level of preprocessing determines if there is painful perception at each dermatome with central projection of these neural holograms to ever-higher levels of modulation at the dorsal horn, substantia gelatinosa areas V to IX, rostrally to the thalamus and tectum of the midbrain and onto the cortical modulation. This process determines patterns of proprioceptive interpretation and, thus, muscle static and dynamic firing patterns. Spasm is modulated via red fiber tonic muscle fibers that cause spinal and joint subluxation, and further nociceptor stimulation via A delta afferent pain fibers and C fiber pain afferents. The earliest pattern on EMG is spectral imbalance in surface EMG with non-physiologic phase shifts in axial paraspinal muscle firing and increased greater than 400 Hz efferents to the spinal myotome or peripheral muscles.
A number of known electrical probes employ an electric current or resistance measurement to aid in administering drugs or performing a medical procedure. A representative example appears in U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,162 to Colyer, which combines a hypodermic needle with an electrical probe. The probe is useful to locate a nerve, which can be treated by injecting a selected medicament through the needle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,373 to Griffith et al. suggests the use of a similar needle and probe combination in order to locate a nerve for administration of anesthetic. U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,153 to Raymond et al. suggests using a nerve stimulator either to assist in administration of regional anesthesia or to guard against cutting specific nerves during surgery.
Thus, a technology is known for locating a nerve or neurodermal point by electrical detection, and this has aided in administering certain types of treatments or drugs. However, this technology has not been adapted to improve the efficiency or effectiveness iontophoresis. In particular, the method of this invention improves iontophoresis by first using a probe to locate a neurodermal point, and then placing a patch containing the drug over the located point, and driving the drug into the subject by applying an electrical current across the patch and the subject""s skin at the located point. The effectiveness of the treatment is improved, while the required quantity of drug often is substantially decreased. With a lower quantity of the drug required to be administered for effective treatment, the patient benefits by reduction in side effects. This results in an improved overall efficiency and effectiveness of treatment.
Further improvements in treatment are possible by selecting and formulating a polypharmaceutical preparation for application by topical means, which may include iontophoresis. The placement of an iontophoretic patch on a preselected neurodermal point, located by use of a probe, further improves the treatment.
An improved polypharmaceutical preparation can be formulated by the suitable selection and combination of an array of drugs. The preferred candidates include ketamine, which topically blocks the NMDA Ca++ channels. Gabapentin also is a glutamate antagonist. Carbamazepine is an AMPA (Na+ channel) receptor blocker, as is gabapentin. The 10-11 epoxide is the active molecule that modulates C fiber afferents at the Langerhans complex. Carbamazepine blocks peripheral sympathetic nerve receptors via the voltage-dependent sodium channels, in the same manner as it blocks these receptors in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). Clonidine is an alpha 2 blocker that similarly blocks the alpha 2 receptor. Phenoxybenzamine is an alpha 1 agonist. It has much more power to block dorsal ganglionic afferents that synapse with the interneurons of the wide range neurons of areas V to IX of the dorsal horn, before ascending up Lissauer""s spinothalamic tract, carrying afferent painful stimuli to the thalamus. Nifedipine is useful for non-NMDA, voltage-sensitive calcium-channel blockade, which down regulates nitric oxide (NO) synthesis.
Pluronic lecithin organogel (PLO), topical vehicle allows the above pharmaceuticals to penetrate to the dermis and modulate up regulated activity in all these pathways that cause acute and chronic pain, modulation at the periphery.
There are three phases of rehabilitation: phase onexe2x80x94increased activity at the same pain level; phase twoxe2x80x94decreased pain at the same activity level; and phase three stabilizationxe2x80x94damping of the sine wave fluctuation status with less severe and frequent flare-ups in pain, spasm and deconditioning. Such topical pharmacotherapy has proven effective on numerous patients at accomplishing benefits at all three phases of rehabilitation. Static and dynamic spasm is reduced, and dynamic eccentric-concentric contraction is restored to proper in-phase 180-degree muscle firing for oppositional muscles across the paraspinal myotomes and peripheral muscles. Restoration of oxygenation, with prevention of vasoconstriction all improved tissue healing and reduced low oxygen tension dependant induction of fibroblast collagen III generation that with later remodeling will produce adhesions and neural entrapments. In other words, barriers to movement, vasoconstriction, and healing are removed via topical peripheral pharmacological blockade. The neural holographic image of the pain is blocked before it can be projected rostrally to the thalamus and cortex, with resultant muscle firing abnormalities, postural and dynamic changes and vasoconstrictive changes with subsequent deconditioning and development of atrophy.
There are estimated to be 50 million Americans with partial or total disability due to chronic pain. The world market is estimated to be about $7.7 billion for analgesics in US dollars. The American Pain Society estimates 45% of the population seeks medical help for persistent pain at some point. The cost to American workers and companies, including lost workdays and physician visits, is in excess of $100 billion per year in America, alone.
New scientific evaluation tools such as Quantitative Sensory Nerve Threshold Testing using the MediDx 7000 to map sensory nerve and sympathetic nervous function can add the dimension of quantitative assessment of the patient""s neuropathologic improvement or deterioration. Diagnostic spinal ultrasound (DSU) also will demonstrate improvements or deteriorations with changes to perineural edema and myofascial edema up to six inches on either side of the spinal cord sagittal plane, as well as changes in posterior element facet arthropathy. Application of these technologies can verify the efficacy as not only altering the patient""s reported pain and loss of function, but also the quantitative physiological parameters of improvement in A delta and C fiber physiology, as well as joint, muscle and soft tissue edema and inflammatory change.
Most pain has a strong neuropathic component. Current over-the-counter (OTC) preparations are not benign. Thus, safer approaches without systemic side effects are required. Delivery of these effective but toxic or sedating pharmaceuticals avoids systemic effects and is very useful, safer and gives an element of control and validation back to the sufferer. An effective topical preparation can significantly reduce reliance on OTC preparations and on more powerful, orally administered, centrally acting pharmacotherapies that carry with them significant risks and side effects. More rapid recovery and lower use of oral and injected drug therapies are obvious benefits, leading to more rapid reconditioning, and maintaining fitness for duty at work and fitness for recreation. Suppressing the image of pain in the peripheral Langerhans dermal complexes results in suppression of the primary pain image at its primary projection sites of the Langerhans complex network. Such a polymodal pharmcotherpeutic management plan will prove to be a key step in all forms of pain control in the 21st century.
It would be desirable to improve the efficiency of treatment using iontophoresis by locating effective treatment sites. In addition, it would be desirable to formulate and administer more effective treatments for pain syndromes, both by addressing multiple pathways of pain propagation and administering such treatment by improved methods.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the method and apparatus of this invention may comprise the following.
A general object of the invention is to provide a new and improved composition and method of treatment of pain, utilizing topical preparations.
Another object is to provide a composition and method of the type described which provides the desired therapeutic response through topical administration in the form of cream-gel preparation, spray or aerosol, and topical iontophoresis methodology patch.
The invention provides a composition and method of treatment for alleviating pain. A solution of pharmaceuticals including phenoxybenzamine, ketamine, gabapentin, nifedipine, and carbamazepine in PLO carrier or other suitable topical preparation vehicle is applied topically to the painful region of the skin.
The invention is derived from research and observations showing local anesthetic blockade at the Langerhans complex network map of a pain-projected distribution. The mechanisms for pain modulation in the dermis provide a new theory of pain gate and prespinal cord modulation that can block afferent pain perception and the attendant reflex spasm, vasoconstriction, and atrophic and deconditioning effects that can result from a projected neural holographic image.
According to the invention, a method of administering a pharmaceutical agent suited for iontophoretic delivery to a human or animal subject is performed by, first, performing a point locating step by locating on a subject to be treated a preselected neurodermal point for receiving the pharmaceutical agent. Second, a patch application step is performed by applying to the subject, over the preselected neurodermal point, an iontophoretic patch containing the pharmaceutical agent to be administered. Third, a delivery step is performed by applying an electrical potential across the iontophoretic patch and the subject and delivering the pharmaceutical drug from the patch to the subject at the neurodermal point by iontophoresis.
According to another aspect of the invention, a polypharmaceutical composition for treating chronic pain by producing a blockade of the initiation and propagation of the pain stimulus in the Langerhans and other neuroendocrine vascular structures of the superficial and deep dermis is composed of, in combination, at least two pharmaceutical agents selected from the group consisting of an NMDA receptor blocker, a GABA receptor blocker, an AMPA receptor blocker, a nitric oxide synthase receptor blocker, a calcium channel blocker, an ACDP receptor blocker, a prostaglandin blocker, a leukotriene blocker, a substance P blocker, a bradykinin blocker, a neurotenin blocker, a peptide blocker, a TNF alpha blocker, a sympathetic alpha 1 receptor blocker, a sympathetic alpha 2 receptor blocker, and a non-NMDA calcium-channel blocker.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a method of treating pain by producing a blockade of the initiation and propagation of the pain stimulus in the Langerhans and other neuroendocrine vascular structures of the superficial and deep dermis, is performed through an administration step by topically administering to a person in need of such treatment an effective dosage of a combination of at least two pharmaceutical agents selected from the group consisting of an NMDA receptor blocker, a GABA receptor blocker, an AMPA receptor blocker, a nitric oxide synthase receptor blocker, a calcium channel blocker, an ACDP receptor blocker, a prostaglandin blocker, a leukotriene blocker, a substance P blocker, a bradykinin blocker, a neurotenin blocker, a peptide blocker, a TNF alpha blocker, a sympathetic alpha 1 receptor blocker, a sympathetic alpha 2 receptor blocker, and a non-NMDA calcium-channel blocker.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a method of treating pain in a human or animal subject by administering a combination of preselected effective pharmaceutical agents in an suitable dosage to treat a subject in need thereof, is carried out by, first, performing a point locating step by locating a predetermined neurodermal point associated with the pain. Second, the preselected pharmaceutical agents for treating pain are provided in a gel patch suited for delivery by electrically driving charged ions of the pharmaceutical agents from the path and into the subject. Third, an application step is performed by applying the provided gel patch to the predetermined neurodermal point on the subject. Fourth, a delivery step is performed by delivering the selected pharmaceutical agents from the patch to the subject by electrically driving charged ions of the pharmaceutical agents into the subject.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and forms a part of the specification illustrates preferred embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description, serves to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:


The present invention relates to enzymes produced by mutating the genes for a number of subtilases and expressing the mutated genes in suitable hosts are presented. The enzymes exhibit improved wash performance in any detergent in comparison to their wild type parent enzymes.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to novel mutant protease enzymes or enzyme variants useful in formulating detergent compositions and exhibiting improved wash performance in detergents; cleaning and detergent compositions containing said enzymes; mutated genes coding for the expression of said enzymes when inserted into a suitable host cell or organism; and such host cells transformed therewith and capable of expressing said enzyme variants.
2. Description of Related Art
In the detergent industry enzymes have been implemented in washing formulations for more than 30 years. Enzymes used in such formulations comprise proteases, lipases, amylases, cellulases, as well as other enzymes, or mixtures thereof. Commercially most important enzymes are proteases.
An increasing number of commercially used proteases are protein engineered variants of naturally occurring wild type proteases, e.g., DURAZYM® (Novo Nordisk A/S), RELASE® (Novo Nordisk A/S), MAXAPEM® (Gist-Brocades N.V.), PURAFECT® (Genencor International, Inc.).
Further a number of protease variants are describe in the art, such as in EP 130756 (Genentech) (corresponding to U.S. Reissue Pat. No. 34,606 (Genencor)); EP 214435 (Henkel); WO 87/04461 (Amgen); WO 87/05050 (Genex); EP 260105 (Genencor); Thomas, Russell, and Fersht, Nature 318: 375-376 (1985); Thomas, Russell, and Fersht, J. Mol. Biol. 193: 803-813 (1987); Russel and Fersht, Nature 328: 496-500 (1987); WO 88/08028 (Genex); WO 88/08033 (Amgen); WO 95/27049 (Solvay S.A.); WO 95/30011 (Procter & Gamble Company); WO 95/30010 (Procter & Gamble Company); WO 95/29979 (Procter & Gamble Company); U.S. Pat. No. 5,543,302 (Solvay S.A.); EP 251 446 (Genencor); WO 89/06279 (Novo Nordisk A/S); WO 91/00345 (Novo Nordisk A/S); EP 525 610 A1 (Solvay); WO 94/02618 (Gist-Brocades N.V.); and WO 96/34946 (Novo Nordisk A/S).
However, even though a number of useful protease variants have been described, there is still a need for new improved protease variants for a number of industrial uses.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide improved protein engineered protease variants, especially for use in the detergent industry.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A lockout device configured to be lockingly secured to an external structure includes a housing defining an opening sized to receive the external structure, at least one gripping member disposed within the housing and positioned to receive the external structure, and a driving member assembled with the housing. The at least one gripping member is movable in an axial direction between a first position in which internal surfaces of the housing urge the at least one gripping member into gripping engagement with the external structure, and a second position in which the internal surfaces of the housing allow the at least one gripping member to expand to release the external structure. The driving member is operatively connected with the at least one gripping member for movement of the at least one gripping member between the first and second positions.

Many electrical devices are used in applications where it may be desirable to restrict access to their use, for example, where such use may be dangerous when involving unqualified individuals or where an electrical device is not functioning properly. While access to some electrical devices may be restricted by electronic safeguards, such as, for example, by electronic passcodes or key cards, a simpler arrangement for preventing use of an electrical device may involve use of a power connection lockout device, in which an enclosure or other obstruction is lockably secured to a power connection by which the electrical device is powered, thereby preventing electrical connection of the electrical device to a power source, such as a corresponding socket or other such connector.


Disclosed herein is a foamed tobacco composition which includes tobacco particles, water and a foam stabilizer which is a hydrophobically modified hydroxyalkylated carbohydrate. In another form of the invention, the foam stabilizer is a hydrophobically modified cellulose ether. The foam stabilizer enables foaming to take place at significantly higher temperatures than are required when conventional foam stabilizers are used, thereby improving the efficiency of the foaming process. A tobacco product and a method of making a tobacco product also are disclosed.

The present invention relates generally to foamed tobacco products, and more particularly to an efficient method of producing foamed tobacco products with uniform characteristics.
It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,871 to make low density cigar tobacco sheet material from a foamed intermediate having a particular bubble size distribution, resulting in a product that is said to have excellent taste. In order to obtain a high quality foam, a stabilizer is added to the slurry prior to high speed agitation. Known stabilizers, such as ethylhydroxyethylcelluloses, are mixed ethers of cellulose prepared by the reaction of alkali cellulose with ethylene oxide, to make hydroxyethoxyl groups, and with ethyl chloride, to make ethoxyl groups. The hydroxyethoxyl groups render the resulting polymer more hydrophilic, while the ethoxyl groups render it more hydrophobic. U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,871 describes an ethylhydroxyethylcellulose (EHEC) derivative which is relatively more highly substituted with ethoxyl groups, as is evidenced by its having a cloud point (the temperature at which the polymer starts to come out of solution, when heated) of only 30-40° C. (86-104° F.).
U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,693 describes a method for producing reconstituted tobacco products using a particular type of ethylhydroxyethylcellulose. The method requires the use of cool temperatures for foaming. More particularly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,693 states that the temperature should be 25° C. (77° F.) or less in order for the EHEC to dissolve in water. The patent further indicates that if the temperature of insolubility is reached during mixing of the slurry, foaming, transfer or shaping of the foam, precipitation of the EHEC will occur and the foam stabilization property of the EHEC will be lost. While the method described in this patent produces a useful product, it requires the use of a cooling stage prior to and/or during agitation in order to ensure that the EHEC stays soluble in the aqueous solution. The use of a cooling stage adds to the overall cost of the process.

Foamed tobacco products and method of making same


A graphene-based layer transfer (GBLT) technique is disclosed. In this approach, a device layer including a III-V semiconductor, Si, Ge, III-N semiconductor, SiC, SiGe, or II-VI semiconductor is fabricated on a graphene layer, which in turn is disposed on a substrate. The graphene layer or the substrate can be lattice-matched with the device layer to reduce defect in the device layer. The fabricated device layer is then removed from the substrate via, for example, a stressor attached to the device layer. In GBLT, the graphene layer serves as a reusable and universal platform for growing device layers and also serves a release layer that allows fast, precise, and repeatable release at the graphene surface.

In advanced electronic and photonic technologies, devices are usually fabricated from functional semiconductors, such as III-N semiconductors, III-V semiconductors, II-VI semiconductors, and Ge. The lattice constants of these functional semiconductors typically do not match the lattice constants of silicon substrates. As understood in the art, lattice constant mismatch between a substrate and an epitaxial layer on the substrate can introduce strain into the epitaxial layer, thereby preventing epitaxial growth of thicker layers without defects. Therefore, non-silicon substrates are usually employed as seeds for epitaxial growth of most functional semiconductors. However, non-Si substrates with lattice constants matching those of functional materials can be costly and therefore limit the development of non-Si electronic/photonic devices.
One method to address the high cost of non-silicon substrates is the "layer-transfer" technique, in which functional device layers are grown on lattice-matched substrates and then removed and transferred to other substrates. The remaining lattice-matched substrates can then be reused to fabricate another device layer, thereby reducing the cost. To significantly reduce manufacturing costs, it can be desirable for a layer-transfer method to have the following properties: 1) substrate reusability; 2) a minimal substrate refurbishment step after the layer release; 3) a fast release rate; and 4) precise control of release thickness.
Conventional methods to remove and transfer a device layer from a lattice-matched substrate include chemical lift-off (also referred to as epitaxial lift-off or ELO), optical lift-off (also referred to as laser lift-off or LLO, and mechanical lift-off (also referred to as controlled spalling). Unfortunately, none of these methods has the four desired properties at the same time.
The chemical lift-off technique can be used for lifting off devices layers made of III-V semiconductors from GaAs wafers. A sacrificial layer of AlAs is usually epitaxially inserted between the device layer and the substrate. Chemical lift-off technique selectively etches the sacrificial layer in a wet-chemical solution to release the device layers.
Despite its continuous development over the last three decades, chemical lift-off still has several disadvantages. For example, the release rate is slow owing to slow penetration of chemical etchant through the sacrificial layer (e.g., typically a few days to release a single 8-inch wafer). Second, etching residues tend to become surface contamination after release. Third, chemical lift-off has limited reusability owing to the chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) performed after release to recover the roughened substrate surface into an epi-ready surface. Fourth, it can be challenging to handle released epilayers in the chemical solution.
The optical lift-off technique usually uses a high-power laser to irradiate the back of the lattice-matched substrate (e.g., a transparent sapphire or SiC substrate) and selectively heat the device-substrate interface, causing decomposition of the interface and release of the device layer (e.g., III-N film). This technique can reduce the cost of manufacturing III-N-based light emitting diodes (LEDs) and address the problem of heat accumulation from the device by transferring released III-Ns to a substrate that has high thermal conductivity.
However, optical lift-off has its own limitations. First, because the molten III-N/substrate interface can make the substrate rough, a reconditioning step is usually carried out before reuse, thereby reducing the reusability to less than five times. Second, local pressurization at the interface caused by high-power thermal irradiation can induce cracks or dislocations. Third, the laser scanning speed can be too slow to permit high-throughput.
Controlled spalling can have a higher throughput than optical lift-off. In this technique, high-stress films (also referred to as "stressors") are deposited on the epitaxial film, inducing fracture below the epilayers and resulting in the separation of active materials from the substrate. When sufficient tensile stress is applied to the interface, a KII shear mode can initiate a crack and a KI opening mode can allow the propagation of the crack parallel to the interface between the epilayer and the substrate. By controlling the internal stress and thickness of the stressor, strain energy sufficient to reach the critical KI can be provided, leading to fracture of the film/substrate interface. Because the exfoliation occurs via crack propagation, the spalling process can cause rapid release of films.
However, controlled spalling is not mature enough to be used for commercial manufacturing for at least the following reasons. First, because crack propagation generally occurs through cleavage planes that are not always aligned normal to the surface, the surface may need polishing for reuse. Second, a thick stressor is usually used to provide enough energy to separate strong covalent bonds, particularly when working with high Young's modulus materials like III-N semiconductors. Third, the internal stress of the stressor may only be controlled in a narrow range, which constrains the achievable thickness of the resulting spalled film. For example, because the maximum internal stress in a typical Ni stressor is about 1 GPa, the critical Ni thickness under 1 GPa tensile stress to initiate spalling of a GaAs film is about 1.5 μm, which can induce spalling of the GaAs film itself if the GaAs is about 10 μm thick. Therefore, when using a Ni stressor it can be challenging to make a GaAs film less than 10 μm thick, but typically most devices use films that are much thinner.

Systems and methods for graphene based layer transfer


A duty cycle correction circuit includes a duty correction block configured to generate a first pre-corrected signal and a second pre-corrected signal in response to a duty code and an input signal; a duty-corrected signal generation block configured to generate a duty-corrected signal in response to a first select signal, a second select signal, the first pre-corrected signal and the second pre-corrected signal; and a control block configured to generate the duty code, the first select signal and the second select signal in response to the duty-corrected signal and the input signal.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a semiconductor integrated circuit, and more particularly, to a duty cycle correction circuit.
2. Related Art
A semiconductor memory apparatus may operate in synchronization with a clock signal. Here, the clock signal would be understood as an ideal clock signal if a high level duration and a low level duration have the same length.
In order to generate a clock signal with a high level duration and a low level duration having the same length, a semiconductor memory apparatus may have a duty cycle correction circuit.


A tennis ball delivery device for use in practicing one's tennis stroke. The device includes an adjustable, moveable frame, a tennis ball carrier assembly comprising an array of ball delivery conduits carried between an upper carrier section and a lower carrier section, a ball discharge chute carried by the lower carrier section, and a rotating ball release mechanism that incrementally rotates and aligns with the next successive ball delivery conduit each time it is activated by an actuating mechanism. The actuating mechanism is positioned and configured to be struck by the player's tennis racket to activate the ball release mechanism.

The present invention relates to a tennis ball delivery device and, more particularly, to a low cost, readily producible and easily portable device for picking up and holding a supply of tennis balls that, upon actuation by a player, will deliver a ball to the player for practicing his or her tennis stroke. While a wide variety of practice devices are presently available to tennis players for developing their strokes, they typically comprise devices that drive or shoot a ball over the net toward the player who then returns the ball using a backhand or forehand stroke. The proper tennis strokes and footwork are developed through repetitive practice. Such practice devices are relatively large and heavy and hence not easily portable which limits their use. They also require electricity and are relatively expensive, particularly for children in poor families and for people in general in less affluent countries who wish to learn the game of tennis. Because of the size and weight of such devices, they also are not easily used for practice by children and older players without assistance. Without a ball delivery device, a player or prospective player can only practice his or her strokes with a coach, which is very expensive, by hitting a ball against a wall, which generally does not provide repetitive practice of the same stroke, particularly for a novice, or by repetitively dropping a ball on the same spot and at the same height. By having to drop the ball and then turn and strike the ball, the player cannot focus on the proper body position prior to and during the stroke. Also, learning through repetition is impaired because the player has to continually leave his or her position to retrieve another ball. As a result, the rhythm of repetitive practice is lost.
It therefore would be desirable to provide a device that enabled one to practice his or her tennis stroke without the aid of another person, that obviated the need to repetitively retrieve balls, that was of simple construction so as to be economical to manufacture, and that was light in weight and easily portable. Such a device should also be capable of delivering the ball to the player at predetermined variable heights to accommodate differently sized players and to enable the players to practice different strokes. Such a device would not only be beneficial to all players but be affordable by a large group of potential tennis players who cannot afford the ball delivery devices currently in use. Such a device also could be used by persons unable to physically transport and set up the tennis delivery ball devices currently available. The present invention provides such a device.


Techniques are provided for use in connection with online advertising exchanges. Methods are provided in which information is obtained, including, for each of multiple publisher sites, a set of publisher site tags, and for each of multiple advertisements, a set of advertisement tags. Methods are provided that include, in selection of an advertisement to be served in connection with a serving opportunity, utilizing, as a factor in the selection, matching of publisher site tags, associated with a publisher site associated with the serving opportunity, with advertisement tags of the advertisement.

In advertisement exchanges, such as auction-based online advertising exchanges, parties such as publishers play a very important role. Yet existing techniques do not sufficiently provide for or optimize involvement of publishers and other involved parties.
There is a need for techniques for use in auction-based online advertising exchanges, such as techniques for optimizing such exchanges and associated operations.

Online advertising with enhanced publisher involvement


A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the operation of the mobile terminal are provided. The method includes operating a camera provided in a main body of the mobile terminal in a first camera mode, and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the first camera mode on a display module; and if a 360-degree rotation of the main body about a predetermined axial direction is detected, operating the camera in a second camera mode and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the second camera mode on the display module. Therefore, it is possible to easily switch the mobile terminal from one camera mode to another camera mode in accordance with the movement of the main body of the mobile terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a method of controlling the operation of the mobile terminal, in which various operations performed by a camera of the mobile terminal can be effectively controlled in accordance with the movement of the main body of the mobile terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile terminals are portable devices, which can provide users with various services such as a voice calling service, a video calling service, an information input/output service, and a data storage service.
As the types of services provided by mobile terminals diversify, an increasing number of mobile terminals have been equipped with various complicated functions such as capturing photos or moving pictures, playing music files or moving image files, providing game programs, receiving broadcast programs and providing wireless internet services and have thus evolved into multimedia players.
Various attempts have been made to realize such complicated functions as hardware devices or software programs. For example, various user interface (UI) environments, in which users are allowed to easily search for and choose desired functions, have been developed. In addition, various equipment such as a double-sided liquid crystal display (LCD), a full touch screen or a high-resolution camera is being applied to mobile terminals.
In the meantime, as the functions of cameras of mobile terminals diversify, the setting of a camera mode and a menu system for selecting one of various functions of the cameras have become increasingly complicated. In addition, users are required to navigate through such a complicated menu system to switch their mobile terminals to the camera mode or switch their mobile terminals from one camera function to another camera function.
Therefore, it is necessary to develop ways to control the operation of a camera of a mobile terminal not only using an existing menu-based data input/output method but also using a new data input method and thus to efficiently use various functions provided by the camera.

Mobile terminal and method of controlling the operation of the mobile terminal


A harmonic drive (1), including a wave generator (8), a flexible, externally toothed gear component (14), in particular in the form of a flex ring, which can be deformed by said wave generator, and at least one internally toothed gear component (4, 5) that meshes with the flexible, externally toothed gear component (14). The flexible, externally toothed gear component (14) has a non-circular basic shape in relation to its mechanically non-loaded state.

The invention relates to a harmonic drive, comprising a wave generator as well as a flexible, externally toothed gear component, in particular in the form of a flex ring, with the flexible, externally toothed gear component engaging at least one internally toothed gear component, which is typically inherently rigid.
Such a harmonic drive is known, for example, from DE 10 2014 202 060 A1. This represents a component of an electric camshaft adjuster. A setting shaft, which drives a wave generator of the harmonic drive, shows several preferred settings.
Another electric camshaft adjuster is known, for example, from DE 10 2007 049 072 A1, which also operates with a harmonic drive. The harmonic drive can be actuated by a servomotor via a self-aligning coupling, namely an Oldham-coupling. DE 101 22 660 A1 shows a harmonic drive with a flex sleeve, which is not inherently rigid, but partially sags due to gravity.


A system and method are set forth for remotely controlling a presentation from a portable electronic device so as to freeze a slide on a remote projector to permit searching for a desired slide on the portable electronic device and then continuing the presentation when searching is complete. In one embodiment, a switch is provided in a communication layer of a presentation application such that when the switch is turned off, communication is suspended between the portable electronic device and the projector, thereby permitting browsing on the portable electronic device without interrupting the presentation. When the switch is turned on the current slide information is transmitted from the portable electronic device to the projector.

Electronic slide presentations are a common way to display information to one or more viewers. Slide presentation software (e.g. PowerPoint®) facilitates the creation of multimedia documents that may incorporate text, images, audio and/or visual clips for presentation in one or more slides. Often the documents are presented in a slideshow, displaying the slides sequentially. The slides may be displayed to a display screen of a computing device (e.g. personal computer or portable electronic devices) or remotely via a presentation device such as a projector for projecting the presentation to a remote screen.
When displayed on a portable electronic devices such as wireless mobile devices (cellular phones, PDAs, etc.) a viewer may be provided for displaying slide presentations in multiple display modes, such as a text mode for displaying text information distilled from the slides, a preview mode for displaying thumbnail slide images rendered from the slides, and a mixed mode for displaying both text information and thumbnail slide images together. The slide presentation viewer may also include a slide show mode for displaying the slide images in full screen along with an interface (e.g. menu) for selecting among the multiple modes and for invoking and controlling the slide show. For handheld wireless communication devices in particular, a network server may process slide presentation documents to generate the text information and slide images for communicating to wireless devices equipped with appropriate slide presentation viewers. The network server may be an attachment server for handling email attachments and the slide presentation viewers may be implemented as attachment viewers for email or as dedicated viewers for presentations.
Portable electronic devices may also be capable of remotely controlling display of an electronic slide presentation. For example, a presentation mode of operation may be provided for wirelessly controlling display of a slide presentation on a remote presentation device. When controlling a presentation in this fashion, the slides being displayed on the portable electronic device are the same as those displayed on the presentation device. Therefore, it is not possible to view other slides on the portable electronic device without exiting the presentation mode, which causes the presentation device to show a blank screen and thereby interrupt the flow of the presentation.

Method of remotely controlling a presentation to freeze an image using a portable electronic device


As assembly for holding routing optical fibers from a rack-mounted equipment module includes a trough element and support elements that are adapted to attach the fiber-holding trough element in front of the front panel of the equipment module. In some embodiments, the trough element is a U-channel with its opening partially covered. Also in some embodiments, the support elements"" are adjustable to permit placing the trough element at different distances from the front panel of the equipment module.

This relates to mechanical guides and supports and, more particularly, to guides and supports for optical cables.
In central offices, and similar locations, interconnected telecommunication equipment modules have been typically housed in equipment racks on frames, and often separated by distances measured in feet. Their interconnections were typically done through wires, or wire cables, (wire elements) that stretched between the equipment modules and coupled to connectors, or plugs, at front panels of the equipment modules. The wire elements so connected were dressed (tied together) and, to provide physical support for the dressed wires, mechanical elements have been used, such as ring sets or xe2x80x9ctowel barsxe2x80x9d to which the wire elements were attached with plastic ties, or xe2x80x9csewnxe2x80x9d with waxed rope. An example of a commercially available wire-support ring is shown in FIG. 1, and an example of a xe2x80x9ctowel barxe2x80x9d is shown in FIG. 2. For longer distances, such as from one cabinet to another, large troughs have often been used, in which all the wire elements or cables were laid.
The telecommunication industry is moving in the direction of using optical fibers for communicating information, and not just for long distances, but also for relatively short ones, such as from the front panel of one rack-mounted module to another rack-mounted module on the same frame. The operating characteristics of optical fibers, however, are very sensitive to physical pressure on the fibers and, therefore, use of xe2x80x9ctowel barsxe2x80x9d such as the one shown in FIG. 2, is somewhat problematic because of the necessary physical strapping of optical cable to the xe2x80x9ctowel bars.xe2x80x9d The use of rings such as the one shown in FIG. 1 may, similarly, be problematic because they provide inadequate protection against snagging of the optical fibers by workers and because they can easily contribute to a bending of the optical fibers with a bending radius that is too small (which, itself, imposes a physical stress on the fibers). In short, a need exists for a means that provides support for front-panel optical fiber connections, provides good routing guidance, and protects the fibers from inadvertent snagging.
The existing need is satisfied, and an advance in the art is achieved with an arrangement that includes a trough element for holding optical fibers, and support elements that are adapted to-attach the fiber-holding trough element to an equipment frame, an equipment rack, or to a telecommunication module. More specifically, the fiber-holding trough element and the support elements are interconnected to have the opening of the trough element generally face the front panel of the equipment module when the support elements are connected to the front panel of the telecommunication rack or to the equipment module. In some embodiments, the trough element is a channel with a cross section that is generally U-shaped, with its opening partially covered. Also in some embodiments, the support elements are adjustable, to permit placing the trough element at different distances from the front panel of the telecommunication rack.


A system and method for interface association between an ATM interface and a GigE/IP interface of a routing switch platform (RSP) to enable network management of a redundant pair of RSPs which serve as an interface between GigE/IP and ATM are provided.

Service providers delivering video services typically will include redundant links from a video server to the head end routing switch platforms so that delivery of video trough the communications network to the end user/video subscribers is ensured in the event of a failure in one of the links. In order for redundant links to work, some mechanism must be capable of detecting a condition corresponding to failure along the link providing service. Typically detection is accompanied with an alarm which is sent back to a network management system which makes appropriate changes to the system to ensure routing and forwarding of the video transmissions to their intended recipient subscribers.
Referring now to FIG. 1, known redundant delivery of video services in an ATM network 400 is described. A video server 100 is coupled to a first and a second routing switch platform 140, 142 over a first ATM link 110 and a second ATM link 120 respectively. The first routing switch platform 140 acts as a root node for a first point to multipoint (P2MP) ATM connection 150 for delivering video to a number of video subscribers 90 while the second routing switch platform acts as a root node for a second P2MP ATM connection 152. A network management system (NMS) 200 monitors and administrates the first and second routing switch platforms 140 and 142 via a first control link 210 and a second control link 220 respectively. Typically this NMS 200 understands how to manage multi-endpoint paths (MEPs) such as the P2MP connections 150, 152. Each routing switch platform 140, 142 has an ATM input interface acting as the single root point in the respective point to multi-point connection. The first routing switch platform 140 has a first ATM input interface 141 for the first P2MP connection 150, and the second routing switch platform 142 has a second ATM input interface 143 for the second P2MP connection 152.
The P2MP video signals propagate through the remaining network 400 to leaf node DSLAMs (digital subscriber line access multiplexers) 301, 302, 303 which finally are coupled to and deliver the video service to video subscribers 90 (VSs). Two leaf node DSLAMs 301, 302 are coupled to one video subscriber 90 each, while one leaf node DSLAM 303 is coupled to three video subscribers 90. In the system shown in FIG. 1, typically each virtual channel over ATM identified by a VPI/VCI (virtual path identifier/virtual channel identifier) corresponds to a single TV channel.
In known systems, video streams may or may not be delivered at the same time over both of the ATM links 110, 120. In some cases video would be delivered only over the second ATM link 120 which is referred to as the working link. The second routing switch platform 142 is referred to as the working node, while the first routing switch platform 140 is referred to as the protection node. The protection node 140 acts as a backup for the working node 142, and is coupled to the video server 100 by the first ATM link 110 which is referred to as the protection link 110.
In the case of a failure 105 along for example the second ATM link 120 (indicated by an X in FIG. 1), the second routing switch platform 142 will send an alarm to the NMS 200 that the second ARM input interface 143 has failed, and the NMS 200 will understand that the second routing switch platform 142 can no longer act as the root node, and will assign a new root node to ensure delivery of service to the leaf node DSLAMs 301, 302, 303. In FIG. 1, the new root node would be the first routing switch platform 140 which before the failure was the protection node. In the case that video was previously delivered only over one link, namely wording ATM link 105, and if the NMS 200 has management capacity over the video server 100, the assignment of the first routing switch platform 140 as the new root node is accompanied by the NMS sending a directive to the video server 100 to transmit video to the first routing switch platform 140. In the case that video was being sent to both redundant nodes 140, 142, the assignment of the first routing switch platform 140 as the new root node causes video already arriving at the first routing switch platform to commence being broadcast therefrom.
To provide IPTV/Triple play services to its video subscribers, service providers are moving towards use of GigE/IP network infrastructure, especially at the video server end including the root or head end nodes of the network while keeping in the interim a large portion of the communications network 400 ATM infrastructure based. This is especially the case where P2MP connections are present since it is very difficult and costly to develop and implement a new VLAN based P2MP connection scheme. Keeping the ATM P2MP connections while improving delivery to the root nodes with GigE/IP would be less costly. Configuring monitoring, redundancy, and coordinating alarms become important issues to be resolved especially at points in the network where these two infrastructures (ATM and GigE/IP) are being integrated.

System and method of interface association for interface operational status event monitoring


Control parameters necessary for controlling mechanism sections of a printing apparatus are stored in a program ROM. Selection data used for selecting predetermined control parameters stored in the program ROM are stored in a non-volatile memory. When operations of the mechanism sections of the printing apparatus are selectively changed, the selection data stored in the non-volatile memory are changed in accordance with operating states of the mechanism sections. The mechanism sections of the printing apparatus can be controlled upon every change in their operations without replacement of the ROM for storing the control parameters.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system for controlling mechanism sections of a printing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mechanism sections such as a print head, a paper feed mechanism, and a carriage drive mechanism in a conventional printing apparatus are controlled according to a control program executed by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) built into the printing apparatus. This control program is normally stored in a ROM (Read-Only Memory) in the printing apparatus. When control parameters necessary to control the mechanism sections are changed, even if the number of control parameters to be changed is small, the entire control program must be changed. Therefore, a currently used ROM must be replaced with another one.
The ROM stores a control program including mechanism section control parameters such as excitation time of the print head, a paper motion amount of the printing sheet in automatic paper feeding (i.e., an aligning amount of printing sheet at the start of printing), and acceleration/deceleration data of a carriage motor. These control parameters are predetermined by the characteristics of the mechanism sections, the excitation characteristics of the print head, a position of a paper end switch for determining an auto load amount of the printing sheet in automatic paper feeding, the characteristics of the carriage motor, and printing timings, and the like. For example, when a control parameter of 100 .mu.s as the excitation time of the print head is changed to 200 .mu.s by exchange of the print head, a control program must be entirely changed because the conventional printing apparatus is fixed the control parameters. Therefore, a plurality of ROMs (i.e., a plurality of control programs) must be prepared as maintenance components for the mechanism sections when the control parameters are changed.
It is desireable to control the mechanism sections without replacing the ROM for storing the control parameters even if the states of the mechanism sections in the printing apparatus are changed.

Method and system for controlling mechanism sections of printing apparatus


Embodiments of the present application provide a packet processing method, an electronic device and a readable storage medium. The method is applied to an electronic device installed with a Virtual Private Network VPN application, and includes: a non-VPN application in the electronic device sending a packet that is to be sent by the non-VPN application to the VPN application through a hardware network module and a virtual network module in the electronic device; the VPN application receiving and analyzing the packet; if the analysis indicates that the packet contains a Domain Name System (DNS) resolution request, the VPN application redirecting the DNS resolution request packet to a preset secure DNS server through the virtual network module and the hardware network module. With embodiments of the present application, the security of software, hardware, and data of an electronic device can be effectively ensured with a reduced cost.

Nowadays, VPN (Virtual Private Network)-featured service provided by the Android system can be used to ensure the security of software, hardware, and data of an Android terminal. Specifically, a VPN application is deployed in an Android terminal, and a VPN server corresponding to the VPN application is deployed in the Internet. Further, the Android terminal encrypts a packet that needs to be sent to the Internet, and sends the encrypted packet to the VPN server to obtain feedback data corresponding to the packet from the Internet through the VPN server. The feedback data is encapsulated and encrypted before being returned to the VPN application. In this way, by means of VPN server, the Android terminal is isolated from the complicated network environment of potential security risk. As such, security can be ensured for software, hardware, and data in an Android terminal.
However, this protection scheme requires construction of a dedicated VPN server, and thus proves to be costly.

Message processing method, electronic device, and readable storage medium

Beijing Kingsoft Internet Security Software Co., Ltd.


The clutch control device for a hybrid vehicle comprises an engine, an automated manual transmission, a clutch device and a clutch actuator concluding an output rod and a master cylinder which generates a hydraulic pressure therein by closing an idle port in response to the stroke of the output rod, a slave cylinder in fluid communication with the master cylinder through a passage and controlling the clutch device to be in engagement state or disengagement state operated by the hydraulic pressure generated by the master cylinder and a clutch engagement state holding control portion for temporarily holding the clutch device to be in the engagement state by operating the master cylinder to close the idle port after the engagement state under the vehicle being running under a motor drive mode continued for a predetermined time.

Conventionally, in a vehicle having an engine as a source of driving force, an automated manual transmission (hereinafter referred to as an AMT) has been known. According to the AMT, various actuators are added to an existing manual transmission (gear shifting transmission) for automatically operating a series of gear shifting operations such as clutch engagement/disengagement, gear shifting, gear selecting, in response to an intension or request of an operator of the vehicle or depending on a vehicle running state.
In such AMT, when the clutch is disengaged, first, master cylinder is operated by a clutch actuator, of which drive source is a motor and by the operation of the master cylinder, an idle port is closed to operate a friction clutch slave cylinder (hydraulic direct cylinder). Then the diaphragm spring is deformed by the operation of the slave cylinder to reduce the pressurized load of the clutch disc which is applied on the flywheel. In other words, under the clutch being in disengagement state, the idle port of the master cylinder is closed to interrupt the fluid communication between the master cylinder and the slave cylinder by closing a communication passage provided therebetween.


Apparatus and process for dissolving gas in a liquid. The process comprises: tangentially introducing a liquid into a chamber having an inner wall with sufficient volume and pressure to develop a vortex in the flowing liquid; orthogonally introducing gas into the flowing liquid through means located at the chamber inner wall for developing gas bubbles within the liquid. The apparatus comprises: a cylindrical chamber having a cylindrical inner wall, the chamber being oriented in any direction enclosed at both ends and with an entry port to introduce liquid to develop a spiral flow of liquid along the chamber inner wall toward the output end, a porous wall to permit the introduction of gas orthogonally into the stream to develop gas bubbles within the stream, and an exit port to discharge the mixture of gas bubbles and liquid.

As readers skilled in the art will recognize, this invention has a wide range of application. The following example of aeration is for illustrative purposes only, and does not suggest that the invention is restricted to this application. Details of the separation vessel may vary; however, the essence of the invention and the underlying methodology remains constant: using turbulent circular flow inside the porous tube to sheer off small bubbles of gas to maximize contact surface and enhance the process of dissolving gas into a liquid.
Aeration plays important roles in many industries where process efficiency depends on a concentration of oxygen in the processed liquid; i.e. Brewing, Environmental services: waste water treatment, Farming and Fishery, or Mineral Processing.
Traditional methods of creating conditions for aeration include the use of simple aerated tanks, spray towers, bubble tray columns, and packed columns to create a gas-liquid interface. Traditional technology uses counter current, multiple stages for the gas to be absorbed. While these traditional methods and associated apparatus do achieve aeration, they are inefficient, requiring long processing times and hence large equipment volumes. The inefficiency associated with the traditional prior art approaches arises largely from the relatively low gas-liquid interfacial area to volumes provided by the equipment.
It has been suggested that improved aeration performance may be achieved through the use of an air-sparged hydrocyclone similar to designs used in the mineral processing industry for separation of solid particles from an aqueous suspension. Examples of particle separation methods and apparatus may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,279,743; 4,397,741; 4,399,027; 4,744,890; 4,838,434; and 4,997,549; 5,192,423. Each of these references is specifically based upon the concept of passing bubbles of air through a suspension of solid particles so that hydrophobic particles attach to air bubbles and form a cohesive froth that may be removed from the separation vessel. The apparatus design are concerned with the creation of gas-liquid contact conditions favorable for efficient particle to bubble interaction and separation with mass transfer.
In addition, various methods of and apparatus for removing volatile content (VCs) from water and other liquids have been known and used in the prior art for a number of years. One of the traditional approaches, generally referred to as "air stripping", removes VCs from a contaminated liquid by passing a stream of clean air or other gas through the water or other liquid so that VCs transfer from the liquid to the gas and may be removed from the system with the exiting gas. Examples of using swirling motion and a porous tube for such approach can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,529,701, 5,531,904 Grisham T. et al. The operating parameters of the method described by Grisham are selected to optimize the overall efficiency of both mass transfer between gas dissolved in the liquid phase and gas passing through the liquid. The flow rate of liquid in the Grisham method needs to be set to produce centrifugal force fields with radial accelerations between 400 Gs up to about 1500 Gs compared to accelerations of about 70 G used for particle separation.
In general, the method described by Grisham, dynamically mixes gas bubbles with liquid (thereby rapidly replenishing the supply of molecules of the transferring component in immediate proximity to the gas-liquid interface and minimizing mass diffusion limitations on transfer rate), optimizes the contact time between bubbles and liquid (thereby allowing material transfer to reach or closely approach equilibrium), and cleanly separates post-contact gas and liquid streams (thereby minimizing regressive transfer). The Grisham's objective is to maximize gas velocity flowing through the liquid and diverting both phases (liquid and gas) at the apparatus exit. If a large volume of gas passes through the unit of liquid then mass transfer of gas dissolved in liquid into passing gas is maximized increasing overall gas stripping efficiency. Grisham apparatus works in the regime of very high Gs promoting movement of gas from liquid to gas—but not in reverse.
It is generally assumed that diffusion of gas across an interfacial contact area is instantaneous, but the actual rate of transfer is subject to various limiting factors. In most cases the rate of gas diffusion into the liquid is always favored by maximizing the interfacial area relative to liquid and gas volumes, which means that the key is in generating very small diameter bubbles with narrow size distribution. When very small bubble size and narrow size distribution is achieved then a high gas to liquid volume ratio is achieved. The smaller the bubble, the bigger the gas volume that can be packed into the unit volume with a correspondingly larger surface area. The liquid occupies only voids between highly packed gas bubble spheres and a ratio of up to 50:1 gas to liquid can be achieved. The process of generating bubbles is dynamic and equilibrium must be achieved between creation of new bubbles and bubbles coalescing into bigger ones. The time of interaction must be maximized which puts limitations on the gas velocity.
Inventive discoveries related to the present invention include that—optimum bubble size distribution can be only achieved if a porous tubular housing with mean pores size—below 100 microns is used for the gas diffuser. It has also been discovered that optimum conditions exist for a given range of G forces and Reynolds number for turbulence of flow, which impart limitations on flow rates and the diameter of diffuser. High Reynolds numbers promote maintaining small bubble size and so prevent bubble coalescence by ripping apart all bubbles bigger than eddies in the flow. However, too high G force quickly moves bubbles to the centre due to the buoyancy of the bubbles. Once at the centre, the flow becomes coaxial with consequently drastically lower Reynolds number and bubbles coalescence that rapidly lowers interfacial contact surface area.

Apparatus and method of dissolving a gas into a liquid


The invention relates to fluoropolymer filament for use in 3-D printing, and 3-D printed fluoropolymer articles having low warpage, excellent chemical resistance, excellent water resistance, flame resistance, and good mechanical integrity. Additionally, the articles of the invention have good shelf life without the need for special packaging. In particular, the invention relates to filament, 3-D printed polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) articles, and in particular material extrusion 3-D printing. The articles may be formed from PVDF homopolymers, copolymers, such as KYNAR® resins from Arkema, as well as polymer blends with appropriately defined low shear melt viscosity. The PVDF may optionally be a filled PVDF formulation. The physical properties of the 3-D printed articles can be maximized and warpage minimized by optimizing processing parameters.

Equipment advances and reduction in pricing have allowed 3D printing to become widely adopted in homes, schools, and industry as a fast, simpler, and often cheaper way to prototype and make custom end-use parts. Specifically, material extrusion 3D printing (also known as fused filament fabrication or fused deposition modeling), has emerged as a tool of choice for direct consumer use, larger scale production, and quick thermoplastic prototyping as it is the easiest to operate, produces the least waste, and provides the shortest turnaround time of conventional 3D printing technologies.
Many materials have been used to produce 3-D printed articles for a wide variety of end uses, from chocolate to collagen. Thermoplastic materials are especially well adapted for use with 3-D printers. Unfortunately, there have been few thermoplastics available that provide high chemical resistance, flame resistance, and good mechanical properties.
Some amorphous polymers like polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) have only a 3 percent elongation when printed. Nylons have higher elongation (˜30%) but poor chemical resistance and must be dried prior to printing. Much higher elongation, flexible thermoplastic polyurethanes are available but have poor chemical resistance and weathering resistance.
Fluoropolymers are known for having excellent chemical resistance and good mechanical integrity. Most fluoropolymers, such as fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), ethylene chloro-trifluoro ethylene (ECTFE), perfluoromethyl alkoxy polymer (MFA) have narrow processing windows (between Tm and degradation temp) that make 3D printing difficult. In addition they have high shrinkage on transition from the melt to a final solid, making warpage a real issue.
Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer that exhibits adhesion and warpage issues when 3-D printed. PVDF's semi-crystalline nature (PVDF homopolymer is known to have up to 50-65% crystallinity), and its high volume shrinkage during solidification (15-40%), lead to a high propensity to shrink and warp during filament 3D printing. PVDF's low surface energy of generally 25 to 31 dyne-cm results in poor adhesion to most materials.
Another issue facing fused deposition modeling printed plastics in general is that due to the layer by layer deposition process, the printed parts have significant mechanical anisotropy with properties measured in the z direction significantly lower than those measured in the xy direction. The xy directions are parallel to the bottom build stage, while the z direction is perpendicular to the build stage. The process typically involves the deposition of a layer in the xy direction followed by another layer in the xy direction. The z direction is built up by layers being deposited on top of each other. As a result printed functional parts do not perform as well in the z direction (such as a ball joint snap fit printed vertically, as shown in the Examples).
There is a need for processes and/or formulations allowing for acceptable 3-D printing of crystalline fluoropolymer articles. Fluoropolymer articles are desirable in 3-D printing for their chemical resistance, durability, flame resistance, and mechanical properties. Fluoropolymers such as PVDF that can be printed with little warpage and part shrinkage are highly desired. Such materials could be used in the industry for prototyping and custom end-use parts where high chemical resistance, durability, and part integrity are needed.
Surprisingly, after much research, a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer and process conditions have now been developed, that can be used in a filament 3-D printing process with good resistance to shrinkage and warpage. Additionally, the fluoropolymer or fluoropolymer formulation provides high chemical resistance, high water resistance, hydrophobicity, thermal and UV resistance, high layer to layer adhesion, good use temperature, good mechanical properties, high Relative Thermal Index (RTI) rating (130-150° C.), flame resistance, high elongation to break, and high impact, with the mechanical strength and stiffness that varies with the comonomer level in the PVDF, formulation components, filler type/level, and printing conditions. 3-D articles and parts printed from these formulations and using the methods of the invention could be stiff or flexible, with improved print resolution, and approach the strength and elongation to break of injection molded fluoropolymer parts. Filament made of the composition of the invention, due to its excellent moisture resistance, has a long shelf life of over a year, without any special moisture-resistant packaging.
Successful 3D printing of PVDF has been achieved by selection and adjustment of three parameters in the 3-D process, with excellent results achieved by combining two or all three parameters. The parameters include: polymer or polymer blend selection, optional filler selection, and specific processing conditions.


A mobile wireless router (100) includes a first wireless transceiver (102) for accessing a wireless packet data channel (206), and a network interface (106) for coupling to a first network (204). The mobile wireless router also includes a processor (104) coupled to the first wireless transceiver and coupled to the network interface for controlling and communicating with the first wireless transceiver and the network interface. The processor is programmed to provide an internet protocol (IP) router function to terminal equipment (TE) (202) coupled to the mobile wireless router through the first network, and is further programmed to appear, to another device (214) in a second network (220) coupled via the wireless packet data channel, to be an ordinary router.

This invention relates in general to wireless communication systems, and more specifically to a mobile wireless router.
Mobile stations (MSs), e.g., cellular handsets, recently have become able to obtain wireless connections to packet data networks, such as the Internet. A terminal equipment (TE) device, such as a printer, PDA, or notebook PC, can connect to an MS (through, for example, a cable, Bluetooth, or other wireless internet protocol (IP) technology such as IEEE 802.11x) and use the MS as a modem to connect to a wide-area network or communication infrastructure. This way, a client TE device can make a packet data connection through an MS to access a server on the Internet.
Several limitations are encountered when the MS is utilized in this manner. One limitation is that it is difficult to connect more than one TE device at a time to the MS. Another drawback is due to the fact that the connection through the MS is not transparent, because the connection process depends on the protocols and methods used by the mobile system. The MS will most likely also require non-IP protocols for connecting the client TE device. In addition, redundancy is limited: when the link between the MS and the mobile system infrastructure fails, non-standard methods must be used to connect the TE device to the infrastructure via another MS. It is also difficult to optimize the overall traffic flow. More than one MS may be able to provide Internet connectivity to the TE device. Some of the MSs may experience reduced capacity, as their cellular links will now not only carry the locally originated traffic (at the MS) but also the traffic to and from the TEs.
Thus, what is needed is a way to optimize traffic flow on the wireless connectivity between a TE device and a packet data network in a manner that is transparent, fully standardized, and less dependent on the reliability of the involved cellular infrastructure.