A method of visualizing data including displaying wheels, which represent functional units of a system, wherein each wheel is subdivided into segments collectively representing a process within the functional unit, identifying at least one communications pathway, connecting a hub of each of the wheels to the communications pathway, rotating the wheels around the communication pathway, periodically noting rotational positions of the plurality of wheels, and correlating the rotational positions with the timing of information that is transmitted via the communications pathway as the information passes one or more of the wheels.

Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a method of visualizing data. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a data visualization scheme that enables a more clear understanding of the monitoring, analysis and prediction of effects of internal and external events that occur inside and outside of a system.
The analysis of business processes to find and promote efficiencies is an important function in any enterprise. One way to undertake such an analysis is to xe2x80x9cdissectxe2x80x9d business processes, organizations and the roles of personnel. For example, a typical business might include a sales force, a marketing group, technical support personnel, infrastructure, etc., all of which, in a perfect world, should be analyzed on an on-going basis. Many methods have been developed to extract information from people and to try to assemble analytic information so that it makes sense to an analyzer (a person), whereby it is possible to constitute a solution to a problem. Such methods are often designed to detect trends or patterns around the type of collection that, presumably, can help reach answers to problems or identify inefficiencies very quickly. Usually, one tries to develop ways, techniques and methodologies to be able to gather information quickly, identify, for example, ten or fifteen key points that are believed to be important, and based on those points, quickly form and suggest a solution or recommendation.
Early methodologies for gathering information tended to be xe2x80x9ctactical.xe2x80x9d That is to say, tactical, or pointed, questions were posed to personnel such as, xe2x80x9cwhat is the current problem?xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cwhat do you think you need to do?xe2x80x9d The answers to such questions, however, tend not to provide the information that is really being sought since many business people tend not to think about their environment; they instead tend to think only about their particular job. Accordingly, even though an analysis has been attempted, tactical questions tend not to be useful and the resulting answers are also often equally unuseful. Thus, the xe2x80x9crightxe2x80x9d solution or recommendation is rarely identified because one never really collects enough, or the proper, information on which to base such solutions or recommendations.
Recognizing the deficiencies in prior art methodologies, those skilled in the art have developed ways of trying to create a generalized knowledge base that is designed to help understand where a business is in its lifecycle, where it fits in its environment and what problems it may be having. The particular problem being addressed using this knowledge base could be a communications problems or it could be a problem with purchasing or manufacturing a widget. What the xe2x80x9cproblemxe2x80x9d is is not critical. Instead, the process of data gathering and analysis is what is important.
As an example, steps for analyzing xe2x80x9csellingxe2x80x9d might include: identifying an infrastructure, an operation and a business element. Infrastructure is what runs the business, operation includes the processes within the business, and the business element is what is driving the business, e.g., what the business financials are. From the information obtained, one can extract relevant information that reveals particular aspects and characteristics of the business from which it is possible to begin pinpointing problems and to begin generating a solution.
This type of methodology accumulates knowledge and works well when one company is being analyzed. However, this type of analysis becomes problematic when hundreds or even thousands of companies are analyzed. Specifically, one quickly gets overloaded with information and it becomes impossible to find answers or to find any useful xe2x80x9ccommon denominatorxe2x80x9d type information.
To overcome the problem of data overload, driver/enabler models have been developed. It is well-established that there are fundamental drivers that are inherent in a business, namely, market, competition, technology, shareholders and government. If a true understanding of these five drivers can be achieved, then it is believed that a complete analysis of a business can be more easily acquired. Thus, it is desirable to monitor these drivers every day, and preferably every second of every day, to really know what is driving a company at any point in time.
Assuming it were possible to gather all that information, it is still difficult to appreciate the significance of the data and to appreciate the context in which all of this data exists. In other words, it is difficult to visualize how the drivers or events, both internal and external, affect a business or any other system.
Thus there is a need for a method of visualizing data and the interaction of data with different entities within a complex system, such as a business. The present invention provides a visualization method via which it is possible to gain insight into the monitoring, analysis and prediction of the effects of internal and external events.
More specifically, the present invention provides insight into when xe2x80x9cdriversxe2x80x9d and the timing of driving events affect different entities or functional units of a complex system. In addition, the present invention provides insight into the state or condition of the several entities at the time an event occurs. Further, the present invention provides a method of simulating reactions to drivers and other events.
The foregoing capabilities are made possible by providing a visualization scheme, preferably presented graphically on a computer display, in which a plurality of wheels, each representing a functional unit, entity and/or aspect of a system (such as a business concern), is connected to a virtual communications channel that acts as a common axis for the wheels. The wheels are preferably segmented into several areas that each represent a step in a process. The wheels spin in a predetermined direction around the virtual communications channel, and events and xe2x80x9cdriversxe2x80x9d are monitored as they travel through the virtual communications channel. At the same time, the state or orientation of the wheels is monitored as the events that travel through the communication channel are captured, whereby it is possible to visually synchronize the event and state of any one or any combination of wheels.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of visualizing data.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of visualizing the synchronization of events with respect to the state of a process or a particular step in a process.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of visually simulating the transmission of communication through a communications channel and of visually correlating the state of a process when a particular transmission passes a predetermined location.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of visualizing a system by representing functional units of the system with rotating or spinning wheels that rotate or spin around a common axis wherein the common axis represents a communications channel.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method of visualizing a predictive model.

BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation


An apparatus comprising one or more series transistor network elements and a plurality of shunt circuits. The series transistor network may be configured to generate an output signal in response to (i) an input signal, (ii) a first bias signal, and (iii) a plurality of variable impedances. The plurality of shunt circuits may each be configured to generate a respective one of the variable impedances in response to a second bias signal. The output signal may have an attenuation that is equal to or less than the input power. The amount of the attenuation may be controlled by the first bias signal and the second bias signal. The series transistor elements and the plurality of shunt circuits may be configured as two or more transistors each having two or more gates.

T or Pi topologies are used in conventional Voltage Variable Attenuators (VVAs). Linearity is determined by each arm of the VVA. Designers often use multi-gate MESFETs or pHEMTs in each arm to improve the power handling and linearity performance. Very frequently, however, this technique is limited by the particular process technology implemented. Certain process technologies only offer a limited number of gates per transistor, thus compromising the ultimate performance of conventional VVAs.
It would be desirable to implement a voltage variable attenuator (VVA) having high linearity using known process technologies.

High linear voltage variable attenuator (VVA)

M/A-COM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.


The disclosed system and method concentrates and enriches a chemical sample while removing water and/or CO2 prior to analysis, improving detection limits and repeatability of quantitative chemical analysis without the need for cryogenic or sub-ambient cooling. The system can include a valve system, a dewpoint control zone, and a multi-capillary column trapping system (MCCTS). During a first time period, the valve system can couple the dewpoint control zone to the MCCTS. During a second time period, the valve system can couple the MCCTS to the chemical separation column such the dewpoint control zone is bypassed. Excess water included in the sample can condense in the dewpoint control zone as the sample transfers to the dewpoint control zone and MCCTS. When the sample is transferred from the MCCTS to the chemical separation column, the condensed water in the dewpoint control zone is not transferred to a chemical separation column.

Analysis of trace level VOCs and other volatile chemicals by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry can require preconcentration prior to injection into a chemical analysis device (e.g., GC or GCMS (Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer)) in order to detect compounds that have concentrations below about 50 PPBv. In some embodiments, GCs operate using a capillary GC column with flow rates in the range of 0.5-3 cc/min, and typical peak widths eluting from the columns of 2-8 seconds wide. As an example, at a flow rate of 2 cc/min, a 6 second wide peak can be contained within 0.2 cc (2 cc/min×0.1 min) of carrier gas as it elutes from the column. Therefore, in this example, the injection volume should be no more than 0.2 cc, otherwise peak broadening and loss of resolution of the lighter compounds can occur. Since some of this peak width is caused by diffusion and "peak spreading" on the column, it can be desirable to limit the volume of carrier gas injected onto the capillary GC column with the sample to about half of this 6-second peak volume (0.2 cc), or 0.1 cc in order to preserve resolution. Loss of resolution can cause lower sensitivity and greater potential for interferences from other chemicals, for example. Poor resolution caused by wide peaks also requires longer runs times in order to further separate compounds in the injection mixture, which can impact productivity while further increasing peak widths, as compounds can experience more diffusion-based band broadening the longer they remain on the column. Good GC methods generally attempt to reduce or minimize peak widths in order to increase or maximize the effectiveness of the analytical technique.
Many chemicals of interest in water, food, beverages, consumer products, and other samples must be detected at levels 1000× lower than the 50 PPB limitation of a 0.1 cc syringe or loop injection device. Compounds present at sub-PPB levels can still pose a toxicity risk, while other trace level compounds can both positively and negatively affect the flavor and odor of consumer products at part per trillion levels. In addition, many trace level markers in breath, blood, and urine are now being considered for diagnosis of various human related conditions and diseases. Therefore, in some embodiments, samples having compounds of interest occurring at these low concentrations require sample enrichment prior to GC injection.
In some embodiments, the sample is desorbed and made mobile using a volume of carrier fluid that is less than 0.1 cc to achieve optimal injection rates. Exemplary volatile chemical analysis techniques offering sensitivities below that of a 0.1 cc syringe or loop injection system are presented below:                Dynamic Headspace (e.g., Purge & Trap)        Static Headspace, loop injection, at elevated temperatures in a salt saturated solution        SPME (Solid Phase Micro Extraction)        VASE (Vacuum Assisted Sorbent Extraction)        Large Volume Loop Injection
Although the techniques above can offer sensitivities below (e.g., are sensitive to compounds occurring in lower concentrations in the sample than) those offered by a 0.1 cc syringe or loop injection system, in some embodiments, they generally cannot transfer the sample fast enough to a typical GC column flowing at just 0.5-3 cc/min while maximizing the resolution of lighter compounds. Light chemicals that are trapped or transferred using the techniques above may not deposit and dynamically focus onto a GC column upon injection, but rather can keep moving through the column towards the detector even at the lower, initial starting temperatures during analysis. In some embodiments, this tendency requires that the injection be completed quickly, and, for best chromatographic resolution, within a 0.1 cc volume. Fast injection rates may not be possible using the above-listed sample introduction techniques due to size of the adsorbent bed or due to the initial volume of the sample. Thus, three techniques described below can be used to focus the sample prior to chemical analysis to achieve a faster injection rate.
A first focusing technique involves a cryogenic trap having an internal volume of several microliters, which can be used for analysis of target compounds that occur in very low concentrations (e.g., less than 50 PPB or as low as 5 PPB for 1 cc of sample, 0.5 cc for 10 cc of sample, or as low as 0.05 PPB for 100 cc of sample) in the sample to allow all compounds to "focus" at the head of the GC column. The resulting low volume can be completely desorbed in 1-2 seconds, allowing reduced or minimum band-width, thus improving peak resolution on the GC column.
This approach can have two problems, however. First, liquid nitrogen is falling out of favor in some laboratories due to cost and safety concerns, and, for these reasons and others, many laboratories simply cannot use liquid nitrogen.
Secondly, focusing using liquid nitrogen will retain all of the moisture in the sample, causing interferences during GC and GCMS analysis. Too much water (e.g., approximately 10 cc or more of a gas sample at 100% relative humidity at 25° C.) can suppress the signal in the mass spectrometer, and can often also affect the resolution and peak shape of compounds during gas chromatography. Many gas samples can also contain large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) that may not be eliminated using cryogenic focusing traps, which can cause chromatography problems and additional detector suppression. Because of these problems with cryogenic focusing, alternative focusing techniques are desirable in most situations.
A second focusing technique involves using a micro packed trap containing one or more adsorbent beds to further reduce the volume of the sample, followed by subsequent heating and back-flushing onto a GC column, for example. This kind of trap can reduce the amount of water and CO2 in the sample, and can lower the injection volume, but it is not effective at removing all of the moisture from the sample, and may not release the sample fast enough to obtain optimum peak widths on the capillary GC column. These shortcomings can occur because the particle size in these adsorbent traps is typically about 10× larger than the particle size found on the inner surface of capillary columns in order to achieve a reasonable flow rate through the micro packed traps.
Assuming a nearly spherical shape, the internal volume of the adsorbent particles included in micro packed traps can be on the order of 1000× larger than those on the walls of capillary columns because the volume varies by the cube of the radius. This larger particle volume requires a longer period of time for compounds to diffuse out of the particle even at higher desorption temperatures, which in turn increases the peak widths, and can even cause undesirable peak "tailing" as the final 5-20% of the chemicals "bleed" out of the larger particles. Larger particles found in packed traps additionally require a longer period of time to clean them up during a "system bake out" after injection, and are more subject to contamination by high concentration samples than are the small particles on the walls of open tubular capillary columns that have internal volumes 1000× smaller.
A third focusing technique includes performing a "split" injection, for example, by placing a split tee in front of the GC column with a flow out of the split port that is often 10-100× greater than the flow going onto the column. As an example, a split flow of 20× results in 38 cc/min of carrier gas flowing out of the split port when 2 cc/min of carrier gas are flowing onto the chemical separation column. In this example, the sample is injected at a rate of 40 cc/min instead of 2 cc/min, and a total of 4 cc is desorbed through the initial sorbent in just 6 seconds, which can achieve nearly a complete transfer out of the initial adsorbent trap and onto the chemical separation column. In addition, with a 20:1 split, 95% of the water vapor and other matrix components are eliminated, which can reduce the likelihood of chromatographic problems or suppression in the mass spectrometer. The down side of split injections is that 95% of the sample is discarded via the split port, making it more difficult to reach required detection limits because less of the sample is provided to the detector.
As another example, SPME, which is a technique that uses a small fiber to collect sample, may not collect very much water and may desorb relatively fast without focusing or splitting, but can suffer from poor reproducibility in many matrices, and often cannot recover the lighter chemicals of interest.
Thus, there exists a need in the field of chemical analysis for reducing the sample volume low enough to allow injection into the GC using 0.1 cc or less of carrier gas, while removing the water vapor and, in some examples, ethanol and/or CO2. For example, it can be desirable to remove ethanol from a sample when analyzing alcohol-containing beverages. Once the sample volume has been reduced using a means that allows it to be desorbed into 0.1 cc of GC carrier gas or less, the sample can be transferred rapidly to a chemical separation column without performing a split injection, which can result in a sensitivity that is 10-50× greater than that of current split injection techniques. The particles used on the walls of the open tubular columns in the multi-stage capillary trap described below with reference to FIGS. 1-4 can have roughly 1000× less internal volume than those used in packed micro focusing traps, allowing faster release rates supporting far superior chromatographic resolution. Embodiments of a focusing and water management system that performs this function without the need for cryogenic or electronic cooling is described below.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Sample preconcentration system and method for use with gas chromatography


A head-up display device is configured to project a display light, which is to be reflected by a concave image forming reflection surface, onto a combiner having the image forming reflection surface a combiner to display a virtual image visible to an occupant. The combiner is located above an upper surface portion of the instrument panel. The projector is configured to project a display light in the form of a light beam. A light guide mirror has a light guide reflection surface and is configured to reflect the display light from the projector toward the image forming reflection surface. The light guide reflection surface is convex.

Conventionally, a head-up display device (hereinafter abbreviated as HUD device) configured to display a virtual image visually recognized by an occupant has been known. An HUD device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 includes a projector, a light guide mirror, and a combiner having an image forming reflection surface. The projector projects a display light in the form of a light beam. The light guide mirror has a planar light guide reflection surface that reflects the display light from the projector toward the image forming reflection surface. The image forming reflection surface of the combiner reflects the display light from the light guide mirror.
When the HUD device described above is mounted on an instrument panel of a vehicle, it would be preferable to place the image forming reflection surface of the combiner above an upper surface portion of the instrument panel in consideration of the visibility (for example, movement of a line of sight) of the virtual image.
In addition, as a reflection angle of the display light on the image forming reflection surface of the combiner increases, the virtual image would be distorted asymmetrically vertically, for example. For that reason, it is conceivable to reduce an increase in the reflection angle of the display light on the image forming reflection surface.
However, in the image forming reflection surface of the large-sized light guide mirror as disclosed in Patent Literature 1, since the degree of freedom of placement is low, it would be difficult to reflect the display light toward the image forming reflection surface placed above the upper surface portion while reducing an increase in the reflection angle.


A medium storing and advancing apparatus is provided which prevents, when a medium sandwiched between two tapes is wound on a drum to be stored, that the medium could not be wound due to the thickness of the tapes wound previously on the drum. The medium storing and advancing apparatus includes reels which supply and wind up the tapes, and a drum which winds up the tapes, wherein the drum is provided with a drum groove portion over the circumferentially entire periphery substantially in a middle way of the outer peripheral surface of the drum so that the tapes are wound in the drum groove portion.

In a conventional medium storing and advancing apparatus, as described in Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 67382/1996, when storing a bill, the bill incoming from a bill insertion and discharge slot is sandwiched by two tapes, and those tapes are wound up by a drum on which the end portions of the two tapes are wound, and the bill is wound up along with the tapes on the drum to be stored.
In the initial state of the medium storing and advancing apparatus, since the tapes are already wound by a predetermined number of rounds on the drum surface, a step is formed between the surface of the drum and the outer peripheral surface of the tapes wound on the drum due to the thickness of the tapes wound on the drum. In the case where bills are stored in the medium storing and advancing apparatus in such a state, the bills are deformed into a V shape due to the step as is wound on the drum. Therefore, there is the problem that the bills maybe folded along the process of storing them, and, depending on their folding way, the pull force of the tapes surrenders to the unflexibility of the folded bill, which results in a difficulty in appropriately winding the bills onto the drum.


A method for programming multi-level non-volatile memory including at least one flag cell and a plurality of multi-bit storage cells. Each storage cell stores data of a least significant bit (LSB) and a most significant bit (MSB). The cells are programmed with LSB data such that programmed storage cells have a threshold voltage greater than VR1. The threshold voltage is modified to have a threshold voltage greater than VR2 for a third or fourth value. The cells are programmed with MSB data for a threshold voltage lower than a VR1 for a first value greater than VR1 and lower than VR2 for a second value, greater than VR2 and lower than VR3 for a third value, and greater than VR3 for a fourth value. VR1 is less than VR2 which is less than VR3. The flag cell is programmed to signal whether MSB data has been programmed.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a non-volatile memory device and, more specifically, to a method for programming a multi-level non-volatile memory device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flash memory is a form of computer memory that can retain data without having to consume power and is thus characterized as non-volatile. Flash memory may be programmed and erased in blocks.
Flash memory stores data in an array of floating gate transistors called cells. In single-level flash memory, one bit of data may be stored in each cell. In multi-level flash memory, more than one bit of data may be stored in each cell by differentiating between several levels of charge that may be stored in the floating gate of the cell.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a single cell 10 of flash memory. Flash memory is comprised of a p-type semiconductor substrate 11 that may be doped, for example, with boron ions. An n-type source region 12 and an n-type drain region 13 may be formed within the substrate 11 by doping, for example, with phosphorus, arsenic, or antimony ions. A floating gate 14 may be formed above the substrate 11 and may be insulated from the substrate. A control gate 15 may be formed above the floating gate 14 and may be insulated from the floating gate 14. Because the floating gate 14 is completely insulated, charge that may be stored within the floating gate is trapped and thus data may persist in the floating gate without the consumption of electricity.
Flash memory may be either NOR memory or NAND memory. Each form of flash memory has its own set of characteristics. For example, NOR flash utilizes a process called hot electron injection to trap charge within the floating gate and relies on quantum tunneling to discharge the floating gate. NAND flash utilizes quantum tunneling both to trap charge and discharge.
A NAND flash memory device may be organized into strings. FIG. 2 shows an example of a string of NAND flash memory. The illustrated string is depicted physically 200A and in terms of its analogous electrical schematic 200B. Each string is a group of cells connected in series. Bach string may comprise, for example, 16 or 32 cells. Each string may have a bit line with a bit line contact 210 and one or more gates for controlling the string. For example, each string may have a select gate 220 and a control gate 230. The string may also have a floating gate 240 and a cell source line 250.
Multiple strings may be connected to form a page. Word lines may connect analogous cells in each string of the page. Multiple pages may be organized into blocks. FIG. 3 shows an example of a flash memory block. The flash memory 100 has an X-Decoder 130 that controls voltages of the word lines (WL), the string select line (SSL) and the ground selection line (GSL). The flash memory 100 also has a page buffer circuit 150 for controlling voltages of the bit lines (BL). The flash memory 100 is organized as a block 110 made up of strings. In FIG 3, strings 110_1, 110_2, and 110_M are shown, however, it is to be understood that there may be any number of strings between 110_2 and 110_M. Here, string 110_1 has a bit line "BLe" and string 110_2 has a bit line "BLo". The flash memory 100 is also organized into pages. An example of a page is shown as 110p.
Each string may be connected to a string selection line (SSL), a ground selection line (GSL), a series of word lines (WL) numbered WL<N-1> through WL<0>, and a common source line (CSL), and each string may have a string selection transistor (SST), a ground select transistor (GST) and a series of memory cell transistors (MCT) numbered MCT<N-1> through MCT<0>.
In the flash memory device, the presence and degree of charge within the floating gate affects the threshold voltage of the cell. The threshold voltage of the cell may be understood to be the minimum voltage that need be applied to the control gate before current may begin to flow between the source and drain. Accordingly, the cell may be read by applying a predetermined voltage to the control gate and determining whether current may flow between the source and drain. In practice sense amplifiers may be used to detect and amplify observed current flow.
In a multi-level flash, multiple discrete levels of charge may be stored within the floating gate of the cell. For example, in a 2-bit multi-level flash, there may be four discrete levels of charge that may be stored within the floating gate of the cell. In this case, the cell may exhibit one of four distinct threshold voltages depending on the level of charge trapped in the floating gate. The level of charge stored in the cell, and hence the stored data value, may he determined by applying a test voltage to the control gate and determining whether current flows. For a 2-bit multi-level flash, it may be necessary to test whether current flows at up to 3 discrete read voltages to determine the state of the cell.
Multi-level flash may have more than 2-bits. For example, a multi-level flash may have 3 or more bits. A 3-bit flash would have 8 (23) states per cell, a 4-bit flash would have 16 (24) states per cell, a 5-bit flash would have 32 (25) states per cell, etc. The operative threshold levels of such multi-level flash would have to be set over the range of possible values and adjacent threshold ranges may be separated by margins. Accordingly, flash having higher number of bits must be able to set charge levels within narrower ranges and have narrower margins. To accommodate these narrower ranges and margins, charge must be added to cells with increased precision. The process of adding charge to cells is referred to as "programming." Accordingly, programming for multi-level flash memory requires increased precision.
When programming flash memory, particularly multi-level flash with increased precision, it is possible that the programming operation may be interrupted. For example, power may be lost or the flash memory device may be prematurely disconnected. Under these circumstances, it is possible that, data previously written to the flash memory may become unreadable. Accordingly, programming for flash memory, particularly multi-level flash memory may carry a risk of memory loss.

Method for programming a multi-level non-volatile memory device


In one embodiment, an apparatus includes memory comprising a first portion in which data contained therein is mirrored and a second portion wherein data contained therein is not mirrored, a memory allocator for allocating the first portion of the memory to critical data and allocating the second portion of the memory to non-critical data, and a processor for mirroring the critical data and receiving an indication of a memory error. If the memory error occurs in the first portion of the memory, a mirrored copy of the critical data is used. If the memory error occurs in the second portion of the memory, the memory error is contained so that the apparatus can continue to operate programs using the memory not affected by the memory error.

Computer systems running important applications should be resilient against failures due to memory errors. One technique for improving computer system availability is to store two copies of all data so that in the event of a memory error associated with the first copy of data, the system can use the second copy. This results, however, in a reduction of memory capacity by at least a factor of two and increases system costs. The memory capacity requirements of computers, and in particular servers, are increasing rapidly, therefore, conventional systems which significantly reduce memory capacity are not desirable solutions to improve system resiliency.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Partial memory mirroring and error containment


A material clamping unit and a method for clamping material, wherein a product having no creases can be manufactured, even if the material has a complex shape, and the method can improve a yield of the product, and can reduce the cost of the dies. The method of clamping materials is for a forming machine that will form thermoplastic sheet material by an upper and a lower die, which sheet material is heated in advance to a predetermined temperature in heating furnace, and thus softened, comprising the steps of: holding both edges of the sides in the running direction of the thermoplastic sheet material, and then transferring the material between the upper die and the lower die of the forming machine: holding the rear and front edges of the sides of the thermoplastic sheet material, which sides are perpendicular to the running direction of the thermoplastic sheet material; and lowering the edges of the sides in the running direction of the thermoplastic sheet material and the rear and front edges of the sides of the thermoplastic sheet material, which sides are perpendicular to the running direction of the thermoplastic sheet material, so that the sheet material will fit in the upper die.

Conventionally, there is an invention that is directed to a method of forming a laminate, wherein the laminate is formed by press-forming thermoplastic sheet material and a fibrous substrate, which is then formed into a desired form. The method comprises the steps of:                after clamping both edges of the two longer sides of the thermoplastic sheet material with a pair of clamping devices, heating it to a predetermined temperature in a heating furnace, and softening it;        fixing a position of the thermoplastic sheet material which is in a softened state, within a metal die for forming by a cold press, onto the upper surface of the die, on which is set a fibrous substrate at the predetermined position of the die; and        releasing the clamping of the clamping device on the edges of one side of the thermoplastic sheet material immediately before the start of the press-forming (when an upper die comes just before the bottom dead point), while having the material clamping device hold the other edges of the side of the thermoplastic sheet material.
(See the patent document Reference 1.)
Also, another piece of forming equipment of the conventional type includes one that forms heated material after the material is transferred from a transfer clamp to actuators for clamping that are disposed around the entire circumference of a lower die.
(The Patent Document Reference 1)
Publication of Patent Application No. H08-112869

Method of clamping material and a material-clamping unit used therefor


A twin vane-type phaser is described which is provided with a locking mechanism for locking the drive member to the driven members when the pressure in the working chambers is a below is predetermined value. The locking mechanism comprises two coaxial locking pins 114, 118 mounted in a common bore 110 in the centrally located member 32. The locking pins are resiliently urged apart by a spring 120 into bores in the two outer members 38, 40 and are retracted by pistons 112, 116 when the hydraulic pressure in the working chambers attains the predetermined value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a variable phase drive mechanism, also referred to as a phase change mechanism or still more simply as a phaser.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known to use a phaser in an internal combustion engine to vary the phase of the camshaft(s) in relation that of the crankshaft so as to allow the opening and closing times of the inlet and/or the exhaust valves within the combustion cycle to be varied. Such phasers have a drive member coupled for rotation with the engine crankshaft, one or more driven members each coupled for rotation with the or a respective camshaft and means for rotating the drive member relative to the driven member(s).
Different types of phasers have been proposed in the prior art which are actuated mechanically and electrically but the present invention is concerned only with phasers, for example vane-type phasers, that rely on the presence of a hydraulic pressure, such as the engine oil pressure, to be able to effect a relative rotation between the drive and driven members.
A problem is encountered with such phasers when the required hydraulic pressure is low, as happens during engine start-up. Under such conditions, there may occur high levels of angular movement of the camshaft(s) because the phaser oil supply pressure is not sufficiently high to control the phase.
To prevent such uncontrolled phase fluctuation of the phaser at times when the hydraulic pressure required for actuation of the phaser is below a predetermined value, it is known, for example from US2003/0196621, to provide a phaser with a spring biased locking pin for directly coupling the drive and driven members of the phaser for rotation with one another. The pin is hydraulically retracting when the hydraulic pressure attains the predetermined value to allow normal operation of the phaser.
EP 1234954 describes a vane-type phaser which allows the phase of two camshafts to be varied relative to the crankshaft. In such a twin phaser, it would in principle be possible to provide two separate locking pins, each for locking the drive member relative to a respective one of the two driven members but in practice there is not sufficient space to accommodate two locking pins.


The invention describes the preparation of novel cracking catalysts by surface coating conventional cracking catalysts with passivators that act as metals traps. The coating of passivators is weakly bound to the catalyst so as to permit the coating to continuously attrit off during catalytic cracking. The continuous flaking off of the coating exposes a new surface of the coating.

The use of zeolite-containing cracking catalysts has been described. The invention pertains to improvements in such zeolitic cracking catalyst to accommodate problems which inhere in current refinery trends.
Current worldwide refinery trends indicate a continuing need to process heavier feedstocks. As a result, many refiners are processing feeds containing atmospheric and/or vacuum resid fractions with high metals content. The development of a highly metals resistant cracking catalyst such as herein disclosed would reduce cracking catalyst requirements; permit the processing of heavier feeds including resids and give the refiner greater overall flexibility in unit operating conditions. The problem of metal contaminated feeds is treated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,158,621 and 4,645,589.
The magnitude of the problem of cracking metals-laden feeds for FCC is known. Indeed, it is evident that activity losses due to vanadium poisoning are due to destructive interaction of vanadium species and the active zeolite. Therefore, an effective trap for vanadium may be expected to significantly increase the life of FCC catalysts when processing heavier feeds. FCC catalyst requirements as high as 0.5-1.0 lbs. per barrel of FCC feed are typical when processing resids compared with 0.1-0.2 lb. of catalyst per barrel for conventional gas oils. This dramatic increase in catalyst usage is largely due to the higher metals content of the heavier resid feeds. The deleterious effects of metals have been discussed extensively in the literature (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,376,696; 4,513,093; 4,515,900) and are also well known to those skilled in the art. Vanadium is known to substantially deactivate cracking catalysts by irreversibly destroying the active zeolite while nickel, iron and copper promote dehydrogenation reactions which result in increased coke and dry gas yields at the expense of the desired liquid products. On the other hand, sodium reduces catalyst activity by neutralizing acid sites.


Phased array antennas, such as a multi-function aperture, are limited in performance and reliability by traditional air-cooled thermal management systems. A fuel-cooled multi-function aperture passes engine fuel through channels within the ribs of the multi-function aperture to provide better heat transfer than can be achieved through air cooled systems. The increased heat transfer and thermal management results in a multi-function aperture with improved performance and reliability.

The present disclosure relates to liquid cooling systems, and in particular, to a fuel cooled system for a phased array antenna.
Many aircraft are equipped with on-board air-cooling systems configured to cool various electronic components on the aircraft, such as the aircraft's radar system. The air-cooling systems route air through channels within the aircraft to the hot electronic components that require cooling. The cool air absorbs heat from the various electronic components and then transfers the heated air to another system within the aircraft or exhausts the heated air from the aircraft. Air-cooling systems are limited by the heat transfer coefficient and mass flow rate of the air and are not suitable for all cooling applications. Some electronic components, such as phased array antennas, benefit from a liquid cooling system because liquid coolant is particularly effective in absorbing heat due to its high heat transfer coefficient, density, and specific heat, as compared to air. Effective thermal management improves performance and reliability of the electronic components and can be critical to the success of the system.
A multi-function aperture is a type of phased array antenna that is configured to transmit and receive a plurality of radar and communication signals. A phased array antenna consolidates a plurality of individual antennas into a single wideband design, resulting in a more efficient system. Phased array antennas, such as the multi-function aperture, can be used for many different applications, such as radar, electronic attack, directional communications, and electronic intelligence, among other applications. Previous applications of the multi-function aperture utilize air-cooled systems, limiting the performance and reliability of the multi-function aperture. Future multi-function aperture designs challenge the limits of air-cooled thermal management systems. Therefore, the multi-function aperture requires increased cooling and thermal management to achieve improved performance and reliability.

Heat exchanger rib for multi-function aperture


The present invention relates to 3,4-dihydroquinazoline derivatives as T-type calcium channel blockers and a method of preparing the same. The present invention further relates to a composition comprising the same. The composition comprising the 3,4-dihydroquinazoline derivatives of the present invention can be effectively used for preventing and treating angina pectoris, high blood pressure, myocardial disease, pain and epilepsy by blocking the T-type calcium channel.

Calcium in nerve cells plays an important role in transferring signals between the nerve cells. There are several channels for calcium. However, when a terminal stimulus is transferred thereto, a voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel works primarily. That is, the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel as a membrane protein regulates various intracellular functions (e.g., muscle contraction, neurogenesis, synapse plasticity, secretion of neurotransmitter and hormone, gene expression, etc.) by controlling an inflow of calcium ion from a cell exterior.
The voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel can be functionally classified into two groups depending on its biophysical property: a low voltage-activated Ca2+ channel (hereinafter referred to as "LVA"), which is activated at lower voltage; and a high voltage-activated Ca2+ channel (hereinafter referred to as "HVA"), which is activated at higher voltage. The HVA calcium channel is subdivided into L-, P/Q-, N- and R-types depending on a pharmacological property of the current induced thereby The LVA calcium channel is characterized by small conductivity being very quickly activated and inactivated. Thus, it belongs to T (transient)-type calcium channel (Tsien, R. W. et al., Trends Neurosci. 1988, 11, 431-438).
It has been reported that the T-type calcium channel is involved in bursting firing of nerve cells (Huguenard, J. R. et al., Annu. Rev. Physiol. 1996, 58, 329-348), pacemaker activity of the heart (Zhou, Z. et al., J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol. 1994, 26, 1211-1219), secretion of aldosterone (Rossier, M. F. et al., Endocrinology 1996, 137, 4817-4826), fertilization (Arnoult, C. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 1996, 93, 13004-13009) and pain relief (Ikeda, H. et al., Science 2003, 299, 1237-1240).
The T-type calcium channel may become over-expressed due to genetic or environmental causes, such as epilepsy (Tsakiridou, E. et al., J. Neurosci. 1995, 15, 3110-3117), high blood pressure (Self, D. A. et al., J. Vacs. Res. 1994, 31, 359-366), ventricular hypertrophy (Nuss, H. B. et al., Circ. Res. 1995, 73, 777-7825), pain (Shin, H. S. et al., Science 2003, 302, 117-119), and angina pectoris (Van der Vring, J. A. et al., Am. J. Ther. 1999, 6, 229-233). It has been found that there are three types of genes, α1G, α1H and α1I, in the T-type calcium channel through gene cloning techniques (Talley, E. M. et al., J. Neurosci. 1999, 19, 1895-1911). There have been numerous attempts to develop a blocking agent, which selectively inhibits the T-type calcium channel. However, there were no effective T-type calcium channel blockers except for Mibefradil and ZD7288 (Felix, R. et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 2003, 311, 187-192). Accordingly, by developing a selective T-type calcium channel blocker, it may be possible to develop an epochal treating agent for epilepsy, high blood pressure and pain-related diseases.
A representative drug for blocking the T-type calcium channel is Mibefradil of Hoffman La Roche Ltd. (registered trademark: Posicor). The drug was found to be effective in treating high blood pressure, angina pectoris and cerebral apoplexy. It has been placed in the market as a treating agent for high blood pressure since May of 1997. However, a side effect caused by a drug-drug interaction due to inhibition of CYP 3A4 hepatic enzyme was discovered. As such, the drug was withdrawn from the market on June of 1999, which was just 13 months from first entering the market.
Accordingly, there has been a need in the art to develop a selective T-type calcium channel blocker, which has a new structure that can substitute Mibefradil.

3,4-dihydroquinazoline derivatives as T-type calcium channel blockers and method of preparing the same

Korea Institute of Science and Technology


A polarizer includes a base and a plurality of grids arranged on a surface of the base parallel to one another. Each of the grids comprises an intermediate layer and a semi-transmissive metal layer that reflects a part of external light incident thereon and transmits a part of the external light incident thereon. The semi-transmissive metal layer and the intermediate layer are alternately deposited to include at least two semi-transmissive metal layers. The thicknesses of the semi-transmissive metal layers increases in a direction in which the semi-transmissive metal layer is disposed away from the external light. An organic light emitting display apparatus includes the polarizer and has improved contrast and brightness.

1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a polarizer and an organic light emitting display apparatus comprising the polarizer, and more particularly, to a polarizer having improved contrast and visibility, and an organic light emitting display apparatus having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, display apparatuses have been replaced by portable thin flat panel devices. Of the flat panel devices, organic or inorganic light emitting display apparatuses that are self-light emitting display apparatuses draw attention as next generation display apparatuses because of their wide viewing angle, superior contrast, and fast response speed. Also, compared to an inorganic light emitting display apparatus, an organic light emitting display apparatus in which a light emitting layer is formed of an organic material is advantageous in that brightness, drive voltage, and response speed are excellent, and color displays are possible.
Flat panel devices have become portable; thus, the flat panel devices are manufactured to be light and thin. When a user views an image on a flat panel display outdoors, due to the reflection of sunlight, contrast and visibility of the image are deteriorated. In particular, it is a problem that such reflection becomes severe in a metal reflection film of the organic light emitting display apparatus.
To address such and/or other problems, a circularly polarized panel is arranged at a surface of the organic light emitting display apparatus. The circularly polarized panel typically includes a linearly polarized panel having a thin wire grid formed of a metal. Since the grid that is formed of a metal material reflects external light, there is a limit in improving contrast.

Polarizer and organic light emitting display apparatus comprising the polarizer

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology


There is provided a communication processing device including a sender report transmitting unit which transmits to a client a sender report including transmission information of transmission data on a regular basis separately from a rate change report, an extended receiver report receiving unit which receives from the client an extended receiver report which includes the transmission information and which is transmitted from the client when the client receives the sender report, and a rate controlling unit which controls a transmission rate of transmission data for the client, based on the transmission information stored in a transmission information storing unit and the transmission information included in the extended receiver report received from the client.

The present disclosure relates to a communication processing device, a communication processing system, a communication processing method and a program.
In a streaming system which plays back video data or sound data while receiving them, RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) is used for a communication protocol in many cases. RTP is the UDP (User Datagram Protocol) protocol which normally does not perform retransmission control (packet loss countermeasure or transmission delay time compensation) when packet loss occurs. Therefore, RTP is a protocol which does not cause time delay resulting from retransmission control, and which is suitable for playback in real time processing.
In communication to which RTP is applied, the rate is controlled using, for example, RTCP (RTP Control Protocol). RTCP is a protocol which controls sessions for transmitting and receiving data according to RTP.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-204278 discloses a technique where a receiving device reports a packet loss rate to a transmitting device, and the transmitting device estimates a transmitting state of a transmission path based on this report and changes a bit rate of transmission data.
Further, with the streaming system, it is necessary to transmit data at a stable transmission rate. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-297565 discloses a technique where a transmitting device measures an uplink transmission rate and a receiving device measures a downlink transmission rate and determines a maximum value of the transmission rate based on the smaller rate of the two transmission rates.

Communication processing device, communication processing system, communication processing method and program


An infant or small child stands on an adjustable height platform within a containment in the form of a hollow support while being showered with water, via a flexible hose or tube from an existing water supply, to a shower spray nozzle adjustably affixed to the shower containment's sidewall. The shower spray nozzle adjusts vertically to direct water spray at various levels on the infant or small child's body. The shower spray nozzle is easily removable for hand held use and even more precise control of the water spray. The invention is adapted for support on a single rail of a conventional bathtub, and adjustable to fit various width tub rails. The invention alternatively stands on three legs providing for use in a conventional shower stall. The general configuration of the shower containment provides restriction of the infant or small child from standing too far off center of the shower containment in its lower portion, and ample room in its upper portion to allow the person giving the shower to have their hands and forearms within the shower containment and about all sides of the infant or small child. Water entering the shower containment runs down through or around the platform the child is standing on, and on out the shower containment's bottom drain into the bathtub or shower stall or other receptacle of choice.

This invention relates to the shower bathing of infants and small children, too young to shower themselves in a conventional bathtub, tub shower or shower stall. More particularly, this invention is concerned with infants and small children who are capable of standing on their own, with the aid of a structure to grasp for support and balance.
The age range of infants and small children most appropriate to use this invention is from approximately seven months old to approximately three and one-half years old. This time frame closely relates to what is commonly referred to as the diaper stage, of a child.
As well as general showering, it is a very desirable procedure to be able to wash or shower an infant or small child's mid-section between diaper changes.
This invention provides for a parent or other responsible individual, a means for showering a child partially or completely, and more particularly, safely and conveniently in a containment supported on a single rail of a conventional bathtub, or free-standing in a conventional shower stall.
In the setting of conventional facilities, there exists a number of disadvantages and hazardous conditions that preclude the value of showering a child in this age range, and therefore it is not common practice to do so.
For example, bathtubs, shower stalls, wash basins, lavatories and sinks are in general dangerously hard and slippery surfaces. A child of this age group is very difficult to hold safely in the above mentioned facilities, which also have protruding fixtures that pose as hazardous objects to bump against, or as something to grab onto.
In addition, to effectively shower and wash a child, it would be convenient to have both hands free to do so. This is not possible while trying to hold and maintain the child's position.
There is also the need to direct the shower of water to the parts of the child's body determined necessary for effective cleaning, especially the mid-section, when showering between diaper changes.
Another requirement is to be able to control the over spray of water in order to not wet down the surrounding environment.
To the best of my knowledge, the aforementioned barriers have not been addressed collectively in the form of an invention for showering infants and small children, safely and conveniently in the setting of conventional facilities, or any setting.


An uninterruptible power supply and its load device are connected by a network, and the load device to which power is fed by the uninterruptible device properly executes shutdown processing. Communication means 49 of uninterruptible power supplies 2 and 3 communicate with a load device 4 to which they themselves feed power, via a network 5. UPS storage means 47 stores a waiting time until the load device 4 starts shutdown after it is notified of detection of power abnormality of an AC power supply 6. Notification means 48 causes the communication means 49 to provide notification of a remaining time until start of shutdown, in a time period until a time period corresponding to the waiting time (67) stored in the UPS storage means 47 elapses after power abnormality of the AC power source 6 is detected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an uninterruptible power supply, an uninterruptible power supply system and a shutdown processing program product.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-92859 (FIGS. 1 to 3, FIG. 5, the column of Mode for Carrying out the Invention, paragraphs 0054, 0055, 0065 and the like) discloses a redundant system. In this redundant system, a plurality of power supplies are connected to an information processor with communication lines of a serial communication method in compliance with the RS-232C standards, and the USB (Universal Serial Bus) standards. A UPS monitoring part and a UPS communication part of the information v processor monitor the states of a plurality of power supplies and control them.
As in the Patent Document, power feed at the time of a power failure can be made redundant by connecting a plurality of uninterruptible power supplies to the information processor. However, in such a configuration as that of the redundant system of the Patent Document, the information processor monitors and controls the uninterruptible power supplies, and therefore, a plurality of uninterruptible power supplies need to be individually connected to the information processor with exclusive communication lines of a serial communication method.
In contrast to this, it is conceivable to connect an information processor and uninterruptible power supplies by using networks used in, for example, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network) and the like. Thereby, the uninterruptible power supplies do not have to be connected to the information processor by individual exclusive lines.
However, an indefinite number of devices are connectable to a network. The network cannot be occupied by the respective uninterruptible power supplies. Therefore, when the uninterruptible power supplies send power failure detection notification or the like to the load device, to the network, the notification is not always provided to the load device in the timing when the uninterruptible power supplies detect the power failure. When the other devices use the network, the power failure detection notification to the load device is provided to the load device late, for example.
If the power failure detection notification or the like is provided late like this, power feed to the load device from the uninterruptible power supplies is likely to stop before completion of a predetermined shutdown sequence even if the load device starts the predetermined shutdown sequence based on the notification. The load device sometimes cannot finish shutdown processing normally.
Especially when a plurality of uninterruptible power supplies are connected to one network, if a power failure occurs, a plurality of the uninterruptible power supplies are to transmit power failure detection notification to the network substantially at the same time. Accordingly, the possibility of the power failure detection notification of any of them is provided to the load device late is not low.
Further, in the network, network devices such as a hub device and a router device are used. The network devices operate by power feed. When a power failure occurs and an uninterruptible power supply performs a backup power feed operation, power feed to the network devices is likely to stop. When power feed to the network devices stops, communication through the network cannot be performed. When the network devices stop, a start instruction of shutdown or the like which is to be transmitted to the load device by the uninterruptible power supply is not transmitted to the load device. The load device which starts shutdown based on the start instruction of shutdown cannot start shutdown processing.
The present invention has an object to obtain an uninterruptible power supply, an uninterruptible power system and a shutdown processing program product with which the uninterruptible power supply and its load device are connected by a network, and the load device which is supplied with power by the uninterruptible power device can properly execute shutdown processing.

Uninterruptible power supply, uninterruptible power supply system and shutdown processing program product


In a slide member in which an overlay is provided on a slide receiving surface of a base member, the overlay is formed by attaching a mixed solid lubricant on the slide receiving surface of the base member. The mixed solid lubricant is made by mixing a large amount of hydrogen containing solid lubricant which contains a large amount of hydrogen, and a small amount of hydrogen containing solid lubricant which contains a smaller hydrogen amount than the large amount of hydrogen containing lubricant. Thereby, a lubricant absence region where the solid lubricant is absent in a thickness direction is formed on the slide receiving surface of the base member after sliding, and an oxidized portion where the base member is oxidized is formed in the lubricant absence region.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slide member in which an overlay is provided on a slide receiving surface of a base member.
(2) Description of Related Art
A slide member such as a slide bearing used for an internal combustion engine of an automobile, a general industrial machine and the like requires excellent anti-seizure property, conformability, fatigue resistance and wear resistance. As a slide bearing for an internal combustion engine, there are an aluminum base alloy bearing in which an aluminum alloy is lined on a back metal layer, a copper base alloy bearing in which a copper alloy is lined on a back metal layer, and bearings in which overlay layers are provided on surfaces of these bearing alloy layers, and these bearings are used properly depending on the condition of operation.
In recent years, the internal combustion engines trend to increase in speed and output power, and be enhanced in fuel efficiency, and the slide member is required to have a lower frictional property in addition to the above described properties. In order to obtain the lower frictional property, it has been conceivable to provide a layer containing solid lubricant particles on a surface (slide receiving surface) of a bearing alloy layer (base member) of a bearing, for example.
As an art of providing the layer containing solid lubricant particles on a surface of a bearing alloy layer, there is conventionally known a method of providing a resin overlay layer containing solid lubricant particles on the surface of the bearing alloy layer. Generally, the resin overlay layer is formed by mixing the solid lubricant particles in a resin binder, and coating the surface of the bearing alloy layer with this mixture.
Meanwhile, there is also a method of coating the surface of the bearing alloy layer only with the solid, lubricant particles without a resin binder in order to enhance the lubricity (lower frictional property) more. For example, JP-A-2007-139149 discloses that solid lubricant particles are adhered to a surface of a bearing alloy layer (base member) while causing friction therebetween, and the overlay layer in which a number of solid lubricant particles exist is coated on the surface of the bearing alloy layer.


Amine functional solid sorbents for carbon dioxide capture and sequestration may be prepared from metal oxide foam solid sorbent supports by treating an appropriate metal oxide foam solid sorbent support with an amine material. Desirable are metal oxide foam solid sorbent supports with a foam structure and morphology at least substantially absent hollow sphere, layered sphere, wormlike and amorphous structure and morphology components. The amine materials may be sorbed into the metal oxide foam solid sorbent support, or alternatively chemically bonded, such as but not limited to covalently bonded, to the metal oxide foam solid sorbent support.

Field of the Invention
Embodiments relate generally to solid sorbents for CO2 capture and sequestration. More particularly, embodiments relate to amine functional solid sorbents for CO2 capture and sequestration.
Description of the Related Art
Rising levels of atmospheric CO2 from the consumption of fossil fuels have been widely implicated as a main contributor to global climate change. To mitigate the surging CO2 emissions, post-combustion capture from existing power plant emissions provides a feasible near-term solution. The current state-of-the-art industrial process for post-combustion capture—amine scrubbing—is based on CO2 absorption using aqueous amine solutions or chilled ammonia, which suffers from relatively low energy efficiency and issues associated with the use of liquid amine solvents such as equipment corrosion, solvent loss, and toxicity. To overcome such challenges, adsorption via solid-supported amines has been proposed as an attractive alternative for low temperature post-combustion capture. Based on the reversible amine-CO2 chemistry, solid-supported amines are highly selective towards CO2 and more robust in terms of capacity against moisture compared to adsorbents based mainly on physisorption, such as zeolites, activated carbons and many metal-organic frameworks. Meanwhile, the energy penalty required for sorbent regeneration and corrosiveness can potentially be reduced as amines are anchored to solid supports.
In light of the foregoing advantages of amine functional solid sorbents for CO2 capture and sequestration, desirable are additional high capacity amine functional solid sorbents that may be readily and efficiently prepared.

Metal oxide foam, amine functional solid sorbent, methods and applications


A transition delay test is conducted such that an internal circuit that is a test object circuit in a semiconductor device is divided into a plurality of circuit blocks and a determination test is conducted while changing concurrently operating circuit blocks, a power supply noise generated during conduction of the determination test is detected, a suitable circuit scale on which the transition delay test can be normally conducted without being affected by the influence of the power supply noise is determined based on the result of the determination test and the detected power supply noise, and clocks to be supplied to the circuit blocks are controlled based on the determination result to limit the number of the concurrently operating circuit blocks.

One of operation tests of the semiconductor device is a transition delay test (TDT) evaluating a delay. In the transition delay test, a signal pattern to generate a signal change upon application of clock is set in flip-flops in the semiconductor device that is a test object by a scan shift or the like, and two pulses (clocks) at high speed are applied from an external part. The clock application for the first time generates a signal change and the clock application for the second time captures the changed signal in an arbitrary flip-flop. By comparing and determining whether the captured changed signal coincides with an expected value, the determination whether the delay in the semiconductor device satisfies the condition as non-defective or not is performed. More specifically, in the transition delay test, when the changed signal coincides with the expected value, the semiconductor device is determined as non-defective, whereas when the changed signal does not coincide with the expected value, the semiconductor device is determined as defective. Causes of occurrence of defective include various ones such as the switching noise, the configuration of design for test (DFT), the measurement circumference, the transistor characteristics and so on.
Further, a semiconductor device in which a power supply noise measurement cell composed of a MOS transistor having a gate connected to a power supply noise measurement point in the semiconductor device, a source connected to a determination reference voltage supply terminal, and a drain connected to a measurement terminal is installed to enable measurement of the power supply noise is proposed. This semiconductor device supplies the determination reference voltage to the source via the determination reference voltage supply terminal and monitors, at the measurement terminal, the change in the drain current with respect to variation in a gate-source voltage or the change of the ON/OFF state according to the power supply noise to measure the power supply noise (see, for example, Patent Document 1).    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-184345
In the transition delay test, the test is conducted while the semiconductor device operates under conditions more strict than the actual use conditions such that the signal changes are generated in the flip-flops in the semiconductor device at the same time. In other words, the transition delay test is conducted while a number of flip-flops that is nearly impossible under the actual use conditions operate at the same time. Therefore, when the transition delay test is conducted in a large-size semiconductor device having a huge number of flip-flops, the semiconductor device may be determined, due to the influence of the generated noise, as defective which will be determined as non-defective without the influence of the noise. In other words, the delay increases due to the influence of the power supply noise (a drop of the power supply voltage) generated by the operation (switching relating to the signal change) or the like of the huge number of flip-flops, with the result that the semiconductor device may be determined as defective.

Semiconductor device test method and semiconductor device


A modular drug delivery system for use by cardiothoracic surgeons and interventional cardiologists for delivery of molecular and cellular therapies that target genes, molecules and peptides. The regulated drug delivery devices comprise a modular mechanically actuated drug delivery module (DDM) that can be attached to either a surgical viewing endoscope hand-piece or specialized catheter for interventional procedures. The DDM provides metering of drugs to treatment sites and allows for quick interchangeability with other component parts such as a viewing scope end portion for MIS or other surgical procedures or a flexible catheter shaft for percutaneous procedures.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to surgical and interventional drug delivery devices, with or without auxiliary or enhanced visualization, capable of accessing the heart or other internal organ that includes drug delivery regulation mechanism incorporated in a hand-held assembly. In particular, the preferred devices are modular, comprising a drug delivery module with drug metering capability, optionally using an articulating or non-articulating rigid endoscope or a flexible catheter, and used in either open surgical procedures, minimally invasive surgical and percutaneous, catheter-based procedures.
2. Background of the Invention
The human heart is a muscular dual pump that beats continuously throughout life sending blood to the lungs and the rest of the body. The interior of the heart consists of four distinct chambers. The septum, a thick central muscular wall, divides the cavity into right and left halves. On the right side, the upper half is known as the right atrium. Deoxygenated blood from the rest of the body arrives in the right atrium via the vena cava, the blood is pumped across a one-way valve known as the tricuspid valve into the lower portion known as the right ventricle. From there the blood circulates to the lungs through the pulmonary valve via the pulmonary artery where it is oxygenated by circulation through the alveoli of the lungs (not shown). The blood returns via the pulmonary veins to the left atrium and flows through a second valve, the mitral valve into the left ventricle where it is pumped via the aorta to the rest of the body.
Much of the heart consists of a special type of muscle called myocardium. The myocardium requires a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients to allow it to contract and pump, blood throughout the vasculature. The inner surfaces of the chambers of the heart are lined with a smooth membrane, the endocardium, and the entire heart is enclosed in a tough, membranous bag known is the pericardial sac.
The pumping action of the heart has three main phases for each heart beat. Diastole is the resting phase during which the heart fills with blood: while deoxygenated blood is entering, the right atrium, oxygenated blood is returned from the lungs to the left atrium. During atrial systole, the two atria contract simultaneously, squeezing the blood into the lower ventricles. Finally, during ventricular systole the ventricles contract to pump the deoxygenated blood into the pulmonary arteries and the oxygenated blood into the main aorta. When the heart is empty, diastole begins again. The electrical impulses which stimulate the heart to contract in this manner emanate from the heart's own pacemaker, the sinoatrial node. The heart rate is under the external control of the body's autonomic nervous system.
Though the heart supplies blood to all other parts of the body, the heart it self has relatively little communication with the oxygenated blood supply. Thus, the two coronary arteries, the left coronary artery and the right coronary artery, arise from the aorta and encircle the heart muscle on either side "like a crown" to supply the heart itself with blood.
Heart disorders are a common cause of death in developed countries. They also impair the quality of life of millions of people and restrict activity by causing pain, breathlessness, fatigue, fainting spells and anxiety. The major cause of heart disease in developed countries is impaired blood supply. The coronary arteries become narrowed due to atherosclerosis and part of the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen and other nutrients. The resulting ischemia or blockage can lead to angina pectoris, a pain in the chest, arms or jaw due to lack of oxygen to the heart's myocardium, infarction or tissue necrosis in myocardial tissue.
Techniques to supplement the flow of oxygenated blood directly from the left ventricle into the myocardial tissue have included needle acupuncture to create transmural channels (see below) and implantation of T-shaped tubes into the myocardium. Efforts to graft the omentum, parietal pericardium, or mediastinal fat to the surface of the heart had limited success. Others attempted to restore arterial flow by implanting the left internal mammary artery into the myocardium.
Modernly, coronary artery blockage can be relieved in a number of ways. Drug therapy, including nitrates, beta-blockers, and peripheral vasodilator drugs (to dilate the arteries) or thrombolytic drugs (to dissolve clots) can be very effective. If drug treatment fails, transluminal angioplasty is often indicated--the narrowed part of the artery, clogged with atherosclerotic plaque or other deposits, can be stretched apart by passing a balloon to the site and gently inflating it a certain degree. In the event drug therapy is ineffective or angioplasty is too risky (introduction of a balloon in an occluded artery can cause portions of the atherosclerotic material to become dislodged which may cause a total blockage at a point downstream of the subject occlusion, thereby requiring emergency procedures), the procedure known as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the most common and successful major heart operation performed, with over 500,000 procedures done annually in America alone. A length of vein is removed from another part of the body. The section of vein is first sewn to the aorta and then sewn onto a coronarn artery at a place such that oxygenated blood can flow directly into the heart. CABG typically is performed in an open chest surgical procedure, although recent advances suggest minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques may also be used.
Another method of improving myocardial blood supply is called transmyocardial revascularization (TMR), the creation of channels from the epicardial to the endocardial portions of the heart. Initially, the procedure used needles to perform "myocardial acupuncture," and has been experimented with at least as early as the 1930s and used clinically since the 1960s, see Deckelbaum. L. I., Cardiovascular Applications of Laser Technology, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 15:315-341 (1994). The technique was thought to relieve ischemia by allowing blood to pass from the ventricle through the channels either directly into other vessels perforated by the channels or into myocardial sinusoids which connect to the myocardial microcirculation. This procedure has been likened to transforming the human heart into one resembling that of a reptile. In the reptile heart, perfusion occurs via communicating channels between the left ventricle and the coronary arteries. Frazier, O. H., Myocardial Resascularization with Laser--Preliminary Findings, Circulation, 1995; 92 [suppl II:II-58-II-65]. There is evidence of these communicating channels in the developing human embryo. In the human heart, myocardial microanatomy involves the presence of myocardial sinusoids. These sinusoidal communications vary in size and structure, but represent a network of direct arterial-luminal, arterial-arterial, arterial-venous, and venous-luminal connections. The needle technique was not continued because the channels did not remain open, replaced by the use of laser energy to accomplish TMR.
Drug therapies with angiogenic growth factors may expedite and/or augment collateral artery development. To accomplish these needs, drug transfer devices for delivering precise amounts of these drugs can enhance this healing process. Surgeons who deal with minimally invasive surgical techniques, and interventional cardiologists who deal with percutaneous approaches, need devices for drug delivery procedures. The drugs used in modern medical technology are often quite expensive, potentially mixing and/or handling sensitive, and it is a new challenge to make these drugs or other compounds readily available for precise, predetermined delivery during these advanced or other procedures.
A great deal of published scientific information is currently available on the internet. One company, Annual Reviews is located at http://www.annurev.org. A list of genetically engineered and/or naturally occurring drugs or other agents having pharmacological activity or other utility is located at http://www.annurev.org/sup/im/im15/im15b.htm. Additional scientific information is available at http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/.about.cchughes/index.html.
Prior drug injection devices include non-articulating, viewing devices. U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,853 issued Nov. 11, 1997 to Bonnet teaches of a partially rigid endoscope to which is attached an injection or aspiration cannula that is axially adjustable along the shaft of the endoscope.
Prior devices also include viewing devices for cardiac interventional procedures. U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,133 issued Nov. 15, 1988 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,710 issued Dec. 11, 1990, both to Mackin, both teach of a flexible angioscope/bronchoscope device with an inflatable balloon structure for viewing intravasculature structures. These flexible catheter devices include a ported working channel for introduction of a working device and positioning of the working device at the viewing/treatment distal end.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,889 issued Nov. 16, 1993 to Laine et al. teaches of an injection therapy catheter that is insertable through a working channel in an endoscope for delivering fluid agents through a hollow needle at the distal end of the catheter. The patent does not, however, teach of a modular drug delivery device which can be adapted for either surgical, MIS or catheter/percutaneous procedures, in which controllable drug delivery can be achieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,148 issued Sep. 21, 1982 to Sivak, Jr. et al. also teaches of a drug injector device, in this case for treating esophageal varices. A flexible shafted endoscope has a conduit with distal ended needle is inserted in the endoscope's biopsy channel for effectuating the treatment.
Drug regulating injection mechanisms such as those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,905 issued Oct. 9, 1984 to Himmelstrup, U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,233 issued Nov. 21, 1995 to Schraga and U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,916 issued Dec. 16, 1997 also to Schraga which teach of devices for regulating drug delivery using a syringe with mechanisms for controlling plunger operation for metered dosages.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,260 issued Oct. 27, 1987 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,906 issued Aug. 30, 1988, both to Wang, teach bronchoscopic needle assemblies. The needle assemblies are especially adapted for safe and efficacious collection of biopsy samples.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,114 issued Sep. 10, 1996 to Wallace et al. teaches an infusion device with preformed shape. An infusion guidewire or catheter is used for introduction of the device through a selected path in a patient's vascular system. An elongated tubular diffusion body lies at the distal end of an elongated tube, the diffusion portion having a plurality of infusion ports through which blood, drug, diagnostic agent or other material can be delivered to the particular site in the vascular system. No metering system or other mechanism is disclosed, however, whereby a predetermined dosage rate through the diffusion device can be achieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,853 issued Nov. 11, 1997 to Bonnet teaches an injection device by means of an injection cannula axially adjustable along an endoscope shaft. The injection cannula and guide tube are axially adjustable relative to the endoscope shaft by means of a handle which can be operated with one hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,394 issued Nov. 7, 1995 to Miller et al. teaches a multilumen percutaneous angioscopy catheter which allows simultaneous irrigation and passage of an angioscope therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,453 issued Apr. 25, 1995 to Lundquist et al. teaches a steerable medical probe with stylets. The device is designed for reducing the mass of a body part, such as for biopsy sampling or for removing prostatic tissue in the case of BPH. The torquable catheter has a control end and a probe end, the probe end having a stylet guide means with a flexible tip and a tip directing means extending from the control end to the flexible tip for changing the orientation of the central axis of the stylet guide means for directing a flexible stylet outward through the stylet port and through intervening tissue to targeted tissues.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,151 issued Nov. 5, 1996 to Gregory teaches a method for contemporaneous application of laser energy and localized pharmacologic therapy. The method comprises preparing a solution of a pharmacologic agent, inserting the catheter into the lumen, directing the catheter to the site, transmitting visible light to the site, flowing the light transmissive liquid through the catheter, viewing the site, transmitting laser energy through the liquid filled catheter to treat the site, and introducing a flow of the pharmacologic agent in solution into the catheter for contemporaneous discharge at the distal end into the lumen adjacent the site.
International Publication No. WO 92/10142 published Jun. 25, 1992 by Pfizer Hospital Products Group and Makower teaches a device and method for interstitial laser energy delivery. A catheter with moveable needle system places one or more fiber optic elements and thermo-measuring devices through a body passageway wall and into the bulk of an adjacent organ. The catheter is positioned adjacent to the organ and the needles are extended to mechanically puncture the wall and move into the organ with the fiber optic elements. The needle may be withdrawn into the catheter before delivery of laser energy or remaining in the organ to serve as an aspiration-irrigation vehicle. Lumens provided within the catheter for carrying the hollow needles may likewise be used for aspiration or irrigation of the passageway. The devices may also be used with a dilatation balloon, etc.
Thus, there is a need to provide a modular, adaptable, universally utilitarian drug delivery module which provides remote needle advance and metered drug delivery. There is also a need for a hand-held drug delivery device with regard to the described drug delivery module.
There is a need for a device for performing drug delivery from either one or more minimally massive penetrations, such as in a patient's chest, and/or percutaneously, such as through the vasculature, and while viewing the procedure for efficacious delivery. Moreover, there is a need for quick interchangeability or other adaptability for regulated drug delivery, such as in a modular, adaptable system.
It would also be desirable to provide a drug delivery device which enables rapid deployment of a drug delivery needle for rapid delivery of the drug at a distal point in a patient. Reducing the overall time of intervention is often desirable, and the faster a needle can be injected, drug dispensed and the needle retracted, the less chance of causing undesirable effects.


A terminal sends to a host computer CAD drawing data which contains basic specifications of products ordered by a customer. The host computer manages product catalog information including price information of products for which orders can be accepted and customer planning information in which planning information of each customer about detail specifications of products has been registered, receives the CAD drawing data sent from the terminal, extracts the basic specifications of the ordered products from the CAD drawing data, searches the product catalog information using the extracted basic specifications of the ordered products and the customer planning information, creates quotation data based on retrieved product catalog information, and sends the quotation data to the terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a product ordering method and system, and more particularly to a product ordering method and system which handles order processing of products such as building materials between a supplier such as a building material manufacturer and purchasers such as construction contractors and allows customers to specify products online or via the Internet using drawings prepared by CAD.
2. Description of the Related Art
Each building material manufacturer routinely deals building materials with a large number of customers including distributors such as wholesalers and construction contractors such as building contractor's offices. For normal home building, customers have to order wide-ranging types and sizes of building material while building material manufacturers maintain huge quantities of building materials with different part numbers. Consequently, both customers and building material manufacturers are forced to carry a large workload when preparing quotations and processing orders. To reduce such workload when placing and receiving orders, some building material manufacturers have come to use order processing systems which can receive orders in the form of architectural CAD drawings—floor plans in which part numbers of building materials are entered directly—and prepare quotation data automatically from the CAD drawings.
When using a conventional order processing system to quote prices automatically for order placements and receipts, the work of a building material manufacturer is divided into four stages: obtaining drawings for quotation, setting conditions for quotation, preparing a quotation, and creating a presentation. A concrete example is shown below.
1. Stage of Obtaining Drawings for Quotation
1-1. A request for quotation for housing materials is received from a construction contractor such as a building contractor's office.
1-2. Either a sales person goes to a customer site to pick up CAD drawings (in paper form) of an object to be quoted or the customer is asked to fax the drawings.
1-3. Regarding the drawings, points that need care as well as uncertainties about a fit are clarified orally or by phone.
2. Stage of setting conditions for quotation
2-1. The shape of a building and conditions for quotation are checked by a sales person who visits the customer or by phone.
2-1-1. Shape of Building
                Construction method: Wood-frame construction, 2×4 modules 910, 955, 1000, etc.        Wall thickness: 130, 145, 160, 105, etc.        Height of stories, joinery, windows, handrails, walls, etc.2-1-2. Conditions for Quotation        Items covered: Joinery, fixture lumber, floors, staircase, wall paper, exterior wall material, curtains, planting, structural material and the like, product series and the like, and product design and the like.
3. Stage of Quotation
3-1. With a typical order processing system, CAD drawings are opened and parts with established parts numbers are manually laid out directly to the locations on the drawings which correspond to the actual locations where these products will be placed actually.
3-2. The system automatically counts the parts laid out on the CAD drawings and calculates the quantity for each part number.
3-3. The system searches a product catalog file by the product number, extracts price and other detailed information, and prepares quotation data.
When an order processing system is not used or when prices are quoted for products which are not supported, calculation is carried out as follows.
3-3-1. <Example 1: Doors>
Shapes of doors such as single swinging, single sliding, and two-leaf doors are checked on the drawings. The rooms on both sides of each door are checked in order to select among a glass door, panel door, lavatory door, Japanese-style door, and Western-style door. Door width and frame width are determined by calculating the opening size from information about modules, wall thickness, and inside corners. Desired parts numbers are searched for in catalogs, based on specified kinds of wood, designs, and colors.
3-3-2. <Example 2: Fixture Lumber and Floors>
Layouts are checked on the drawings. Products are searched for in catalogs.
The total length is divided by the length of a single unit to determine the quantity of the product.
4. Stage of Creating a Presentation
A presentation board and miniature house (model of a house) are created. A presentation board consists of images of building materials laid out around a floor plan and connected by means of leader lines to the places where they are used. A miniature house is a model of a house which is assembled from thin foamed plastic boards. Paper patterns with images of building materials printed are labeled on the wall and floor surfaces where the building materials will be used (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open 2000-56677).
4-1. Drawing data is captured into presentation board creation software and pasted.
4-2. Image data of each product to be quoted is searched for by the presentation board creation software and pasted to the presentation board on screen.
4-3. The quoted parts are indicated by leader lines on the presentation board on the screen.
4-4. A catch phrase for each product is pasted to the presentation board on the screen.
4-5. The presentation board is printed out on a color printer and is sent or hand-delivered to the customer.
4-6. Similarly, to create a miniature house, image data is captured into miniature house paper pattern creation software; elevational paper patterns of wall surfaces are created, printed out, and pasted to foamed plastic boards; and the miniature house is assembled.
Conventional online order processing systems, which do practically nothing but create quotation data, do not make full use of image data and thus present the following problems.
Specifically, if CAD drawings in a request for quotation are faxed or handed only in paper form, human intervention is necessary. Also, the original CAD data of the drawings is not delivered and thus is not available.
If drawings are received in paper form without DAD data, it is often the case that they are copied or faxed repeatedly in the process, resulting in indistinct copies. This in turn may necessitate telephone inquiries or cause errors.
Also, drawings without DAD data increases the possibility of leaving uncertainties or making mistakes.
Furthermore, since part numbers and parts are laid out on CAD drawings conventionally, if the customer wants items to be upgraded and quoted again or if the manufacturer adds or deletes items, modifications are required to rearrange parts on the drawings on CAD.
Also, if part numbers and parts are entered in CAD drawings, it is necessary to update the part library of the CAD system each time a new product is released or an existing product goes out of production.
Also, manual quotations without CAD data depend largely on skills of individuals, increasing the possibility of omissions, input errors in quantity, or calculation errors in size.
Furthermore, during preparation of a presentation board, since images, arrows, and captions are laid out manually, the results vary with the skill of the author.
Also, since photographs of products are laid out in a limited space, there is a limit to what a presentation board can express. Besides, Typical home pages of building material manufacturers contain a lot of information unnecessary for customers, making it difficult to obtain necessary product information efficiently.


Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and a corresponding apparatus for displaying an arc menu index, which are used to display index characters on an arc display bar. The method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: receiving a menu expanding instruction; and expanding an arc menu index on a display according to the menu expanding instruction, where the arc menu index includes an index operation area, an index pointer, and index characters; the index operation area is an area encompassed by an arc border line displayed on the display and a display frame intersecting the arc border line, the index characters are arranged along the arc border line, and the index pointer is located in the index operation area and is configured to indicate a selected index character.

In an existing mobile terminal, a search menu is generally distributed vertically or horizontally with bar items. Such a menu distribution mode is intuitive and clear, but when being applied to a touch-screen mobile terminal, it may bring inconvenience to a user.
When using a touch-screen mobile terminal, a user generally performs the operation with one hand. When dragging or switching a search menu, a thumb needs to perform a vertical or horizontal operation, which does not satisfy a requirement of human engineering. The thumb cannot flexibly move and easily clicks a non-target character, which causes a mal-operation.

Method and corresponding apparatus for displaying arc menu index