An electrically insulating cross-arm for a tower for high-voltage power networks. The cross-arm includes an insulating structural member for attachment to the tower body and to support a conductor cable. The insulating structural member comprises a solid rigid spine extending along a long axis having cross sectional profile, normal to the long axis, having a second moment of area of its cross sectional profile about every axis normal to the long axis and dissecting its centroid has a value of A2/2π or more, where A is the area of the cross sectional profile. The structural member provides resistance to bending and compressive buckling and allows conductors to be safely supported at reduced tower height. T and Y shaped cross sections provide water run-off and inhibition of organic growth. The structural members are also generally useful as insulator members in high voltage power networks.

Electricity transmission networks are based on designs dating back to the early 20th century. In recent times, as the demand for electricity has increased and more power is generated from dispersed, renewable energy sources, high voltage transmission networks are approaching full capacity with increasing risks of overloading certain routes. The IEC standards define high voltage (HV) as greater than 1 kV. Typically, high voltage transmission lines operate at voltages in excess of 100 kV, perhaps several hundred kV. Typical voltages used in power networks are 275 kV and 400 kV but voltages up to 1 MV or more may be used.
Although it is possible to build new networks, this is costly, time consuming and can meet opposition from local residents. An alternative to installing a new power system would be to upgrade power carried by the existing networks by either increasing the voltage or the current for the existing transmission lines. Increasing the current on an existing circuit can lead to an increased amount of conductor sag through conductor heating and this can cause infringement of ground clearance regulations. Increasing the voltage on an existing circuit will cause a greater risk of flashover (short circuit to earth or between phases) and may result in the system being in breach of statutory regulations. Either solution will also lead to increased electromagnetic fields at ground level. The requirements for minimum ground clearances, a reliable system (i.e., one that does not flashover) and limits on the electromagnetic field strength at ground level mean that the possibility of increasing voltages or currents for existing tower designs is limited. These issues also limit the ability to make existing tower designs more compact. In common usage, support towers for high voltage power systems are also referred to as pylons.
A conventional tower has a body made of steel, with steel cross-arms, usually fabricated from L-section high tensile steel members. The conductors are held suspended from the ends of cross-arms by insulators. For a 275 kV system, the insulators would typically be about 2.5 m in length. The insulators hold the suspended conductors under tension and keep them spaced from the tower body and from the cross-arm itself. The height of the lowest cross-arm above ground level must take into account sag of the transmission lines due to the combined effects of ambient temperature, temperature rise from solar radiation and temperature rise from resistive heating. The electromagnetic field levels at ground level generated from the transmission conductors must also be considered. It is also important that the conductors are held high enough above ground that the minimum statutory clearance is not breached. The length of the cross-arm must be sufficient to ensure that conductor swing (through wind-driven oscillations of the insulator) does not lead to the conductors coming into close proximity to the tower body, ensuring a low risk of flashover to the pylon body. In addition to being capable of bearing the weight of the transmission conductors, the cross-arm must also be strong enough to bear the additional loads that may arise, for instance, as a result of conductor icing, wind loads, conductor breakage (which could lead to high lateral forces on a cross-arm) or a combination thereof.
Insulators used for suspending conductors from pylon cross-arms are typically provided with sheds spaced along their length in order to increase the creepage path (i.e., the shortest distance between the ends of the insulator measured over the surface). In order to inhibit current leakage by surface conduction, a ratio of creepage distance to insulator length of at least 2 is desirable.
It is desirable to be able to increase the voltage rating or current rating for power transmission networks without the need to replace existing tower bodies and without increasing the risk of flashover. It is also desirable to reduce electromagnetic field strength at ground level near towers. It is also desirable to be able to design tower bodies that are more compact than existing designs.
British Patent GB 1,034,224 discloses insulators used as structural members of cross-arms or frames for supporting overhead line conductors from poles or towers. The insulator disclosed comprises two or more separate rods of resin-bonded fiber spaced apart along their length by mutually spaced insulating cross-members jointed to the rods at intervals in order to restrain the rods from buckling under compressive loads. The rods are disclosed as being of square or circular cross section.
Japanese patent publication JP06-335144 discloses the use of cross-arms as insulators for transmission lines, with a number of arm members combined into a truss arrangement. The cross-arms disclosed are circular or hollow in cross-section.


Systems and methods relate to an aircraft with a CAS that may be employed to enhance pilot awareness. The CAS may be employed on a formation member aircraft to provide a TA that is distinctive for an intruding formation member aircraft, as opposed to a TA provided as a result of an intruding nonmember aircraft. The CAS may also provide a plurality of status indications for aircraft engaged in airborne refueling, as well as aural indications of the present mode of operation for the CAS.

An aircraft with a CAS may provide a pilot with information that may enhance the pilot's awareness of situations pertaining to the aircraft (e.g., situational awareness). For example, a CAS display may show a symbol for the pilot's own aircraft, as well as symbols for other aircraft detected within the surveillance volume for the CAS, thereby providing the pilot with situational awareness. A CAS may also provide situational awareness by providing to the pilot traffic advisories (TAs) and resolution advisories (RAs).
An RA is information that may be provided by the CAS to the pilot to recommend a maneuver to increase separation relative to an intruding aircraft. RA information typically consists of a visual indication, changing a displayed symbol for the intruding aircraft, and an aural indication, an announcement played on a CAS speaker recommending a maneuver, such as "climb climb." Before an RA is provided, the CAS may typically provide a TA, information that does not recommend a maneuver to the pilot, but does indicate that an intruding aircraft has reached a predefined condition representing some collision risk. TA information typically consists of a visual indication, changing a displayed symbol for the intruding aircraft, and an aural indication, an announcement played on the CAS speaker consisting of "traffic traffic."
A present-day CAS does not distinctly indicate to a pilot in an aircraft that is a member of a formation whether a TA is caused by another formation member aircraft or by a nonmember of the formation. A pilot in a formation member aircraft that receives a TA based on another formation member has the same type of visual and aural indications that would have been received had the TA been based on a nonmember of the formation.
A present-day CAS also provides neither status indications for aircraft engaged in airborne refueling, nor aural indications of the present mode of operation for the CAS.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems and methods employing a collision avoidance system to enhance pilot awareness

Aviation Communication & Surveillance Systems, LLC


A MOSFET at an input side controls the operation of a current mirror circuit in accordance with a level change of a PWM signal applied to its gate. When the current mirror circuit operates, a current generated by a current source flows as a mirror current so that a current flows to discharge electricity charged in a capacitance between a gate and a source through a gate of a MOSFET at an output side. When the current mirror circuit stops its operation, a current flowing from the current mirror circuit through the current source is supplied to the gate of the MOSFET at the output side.

An interior light, a rear light, a flasher light or the like is recently controlled to produce gradually changing brightness of light to provide fanciness as electric equipment of a vehicle or produce light of fixed brightness irrespective of changes in a power supply voltage of a battery. The brightness of a light source such as a light bulb and a light-emitting diode is controlled by driving a switching element such as a MOSFET by pulse-width modulation (PWM) control. Since the number of electric loads such as lights to be driven increases recently, radio noises, which are generated at time of driving the electric loads, increase correspondingly.
As technology for reducing radio noises generated when a PWM control is performed, as disclosed in the following patent documents 1 and 2, it is proposed to shape a waveform of a PWM signal into a trapezoid form so that a current supplied to a load changes slowly or gradually thereby suppressing noises. According to this technology, a voltage applied to a gate of a switching element such as a MOSFET changes at low levels during a period, in which a current waveform changes at a uniform rate. Since the switching element continues to have a high on-resistance during such a period, the switching element generates heat. The amount of heat thus generated increases, as the amount of a drive current increases or the number of electric loads to be driven increases. As a result, it becomes difficult to promote heat radiation. Since reduction in radio noise and suppression of heat generation are in a relation of trade-off, the radio noise reduction and the heat generation suppression need be appropriately adjusted.
Patent document 1: JP 3685108 (US 2002/0171455 A1)
Patent document 2: JP 2009-16697A
Patent document 3: JP 2007-13916A (US 2006/0267665 A1)
In patent document 1, for example, trade-off between radio noise reduction and heat generation suppression is considered. As a result, a very complicated circuit configuration is needed. In patent document 3, a waveform of a PWM signal is modified to a pseudo-sinusoidal waveform, which is more effective to reduce noise generation and suppress heat generation.
Specifically, in patent document 3, the pseudo-sinusoidal waveform is generated by sequentially switching connections of a plurality of constant current sources while monitoring a source voltage of a FET. According to this feedback control, circuit configuration need be complicated and the circuit becomes more susceptible to noises generated by other devices. If the signal waveform is smoothed by simply using a CR filter, rise of the signal waveform is smoothed but fall of the same is not smoothed.


A method for synchronizing files and an electronic device using the same are described. The method includes receiving a first instruction; executing the application installed on the electronic device according to the first instruction, a first file among a plurality of files for the application converts into a second state from the first state during a process for executing the application; writing the first file with the second state into a network storage by a first file system, in order to enable the application installed on another electronic device to be executed based on the first file with the second state in the network storage. An application progress may be shared and synchronized conveniently without a user's interaction or participation by writing the first file with the converted state into the network storage.

This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 201210530184.3 filed on Dec. 10, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a field of electronic technique, and in particularly, to a method for synchronizing files and an electronic device using the same.
With rapid developments of a mobile internet and electronic devices like terminals, a user usually owns several electronic devices at a same time. For example, the user may have several portable electronic devices such as a mobile communication terminal, a tablet computer and a notebook computer and the like. Further, the user generally uses a desktop computer at his/her office for he/she works, and may uses a portable computer when he/she is out.
The user may install applications he/she prefers or needs on the respective electronic devices, in order to use different electronic devices in different environments. As an example, the user may install a same game application (for example, Angry Birds) on the mobile communication terminal and the tablet computer, and install a same work application on the portable computer and the desktop computer located his/her office. Therefore the user may execute the same game application or the same work application on the different electronic devices without being limited to a specified electronic device.
Many games or applications save their progresses in a local storage of the electronic device currently. As an example, when the user plays the game "Angry Birds" on the mobile communication terminal, he/she must storm strategic passes one by one in order to enter and pass following levels, wherein data related to the game progress is stored in the local storage of the electronic device. However, the game progress fails to be shared and synchronized among a plurality of devices because there is no effective data sharing mechanism among the electronic devices. As a result, the user has to storm strategic passes one by one, which have been passed on his/her mobile communication terminal, on the tablet computer again to continue his/her desired game progress, which may enormously decrease a user experience as switching among the several electronic devices. The work application among the different electronic devices also has the same problem.
Therefore, there is needed a solution for synchronizing the application progress without user's interactions/participancy, which may perform the synchronization for the application progress among the different electronic devices conveniently.

Method for synchronizing files and electronic device using the same


Use of isophoronediamine isomer mixtures containing more than 40%, preferably more than 50 up to 70%, of the trans-isomer and less than 60%, preferably less than 50 down to 30%, of the cis-isomer as reactant in polyaddition resins selected from epoxy, polyurethane and polyurea resins. As curing agents in epoxy resins compared with previously known isomer mixtures, the isomer mixtures containing more than 40% of the trans-isomer and less than 60% of the cis-isomer unexpectedly lead to an extended pot life with simultaneously reduced maximum curing temperature and therefore reduced shrinkage problems. The isomer mixtures are also surprisingly suitable as amine components with reduced reactivity for the chain extension of polyurethane/polyureas.

The present invention relates to the use of isophoronediamine isomer mixtures as a reactant in polyaddition resins selected from the epoxy resins and polyurethane/polyurea resins.
Isophoronediamine (IPDA) is 1-amino-3-aminomethyl-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexane, which in the commercially available product is a mixture of isomers. For the isomer present in about 75% of the mixture, a chair conformation with a cis arrangement of the equatorial amino group on the C.sub.1 atom and of the equatorial aminomethyl group on the C.sub.3 atom has been established; the isomer present in about 25% of the mixture is the trans isomer with equatorial amino and axial methylamino group (Die Angewandte Makromolekulare Chemie 153 (1987) 1-13). Both the commercially available isophoronediamine and the isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) obtainable therefrom with unchanged isomer ratio are used in the epoxy resin sector and the polyurethane resin art.
Epoxy resins are prepolymers that contain two or more epoxide groups per molecule; the reaction of these resins with a series of curing agents leads to cross-linked polymers. Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 5th Edition (1987), pages 547-563, provides a survey of the resins and curing agents as well as their use and the properties of the cured resins. According to the properties required for particular fields of application, epoxy resin formulations contain, apart from resin containing one or more epoxide groups and one or more curing agents, solvents, reactive diluents, plasticizers, fillers and inductors.
It is known for the curing of epoxy resins (for example those based on bisphenol A diglycidyl ether) to use, apart from numerous other aminic curing agents, also cyclo-aliphatic diamines, including commercially available isophoronediamine (IPDA). Reference is made for example to DE-OS 31 37 898 and GB 1,515,473 which are directed to epoxy resin compositions for the embedding of electrical components or for coating purposes, wherein commercially available isophoronediamine is also used as a curing component.
To obtain optimal properties of cured epoxy resins, it is usually important to achieve as high a degree of cure as possible. To reach this target, in the use of commercially available isophoronediamine according to Paintindia, May 1987, pages 25-28, two kinds of inductors are suitably used: namely those for influencing the processing time (pot life) and those for influencing the cross-linking density.
After stirring together an epoxy resin with an amine curing agent, epoxy resin systems are reactive and have a limited processing time. This is often a disadvantage if the amount charged cannot be processed in the time available. There was therefore a need for a cycloaliphatic amine curing agent that combines the advantages of the commercially available isophoronediamine having the isomer composition previously described at the start with a prolonged processing time. In addition to the extension of the pot life with maintenance of a good curing and stability of the epoxy resins, there was also an interest in lowering as far as possible the maximum temperature during curing since this is accompanied by a reduction of the shrinkage.
It is further known to react diisocyanates or prepolymers containing isocyanate groups, which in addition to urethane groups can also have urea, biuret, isocyanurate, carbonamide or carbodiimide structural elements, in a polyaddition reaction with diamines, including also commercially available isophoronediamine (Ullmann's Enzyklopadie der Technischen Chemie, 4. Auflage, Band 19, 301-317, in particular pages 302, 306, 308-310). As a result of the use of the diamines as the reactant in the systems mentioned, urea groups are introduced into the macromolecule. This is a so-called amine-chain extension wherein polyurethane ureas are formed.
As a result of the high reactivity of amino groups towards NCO groups, sterically hindered amines or diamines with electron-attracting substituents are frequently preferred for chain extension. A requirement therefore exists for extending the range of diamines with reduced reactivity as reactants for the synthesis of polyurethanes/-ureas by polyaddition in order to remove the problems caused by the high reactivity of known amines, such as inhomogeneities due to a too short pot life and a reduced selectivity in the reaction.

Use of isophoronediamine isomer mixtures in polyaddition resins


An apparatus for filtering dental solid waste has been developed. The apparatus includes a high volume evacuation (HVE) tip with one end that is connected to a suction line and another end that is inserted in a patient's mouth to remove dental waste. A filtration unit is located within the HVE tip that retains solid dental waste within the HVE tip.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to medical devices. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus for filtering dental solid waste.
2. Background Art
When filings in teeth are replaced or removed, the composition of the filings is often a mixture of such materials as silver, mercury, copper, zinc, tin, palladium, etc. These materials, along with other solid or semi-solid debris, pose disposal problems for dental facilities since they may contain hazardous and possibly bio-hazardous material.
Such material is typically removed from the patient's mouth by a high volume evacuation (HVE) tip as shown in FIG. 1. The HVE tip 10 is attached to a tube 12 with a vacuum that draws both liquid and solid material from the patient's mouth. A first filtration canister 14 is located at the patient's chair to provide an initial filtration to remove solid debris. A second filtration trap 16 is located further along the line before the vacuum pump 18. After the vacuum pump, the filtered liquid in disposed in the sewer.
The filtration canister and the filtration trap are each periodically cleaned by hand. This typically involves removed the filtration screen from the canister or trap and cleaning off the filtered debris. This is an unpleasant, messy and potentially dangerous process since the person responsible for the cleaning is exposed to these materials. Additionally, the filtered materials such as mercury must be disposed of properly since they cannot simply be added to the sewer or trash.

Apparatus for filtering dental solid waste


In a method of forming an insulating film on a substrate wherein a substrate is cleaned by heating it in an atmosphere of a reducing gas, and heating it in an oxidizing gas, and then growing an insulating film by heating the substrate in an atmosphere of a gas used to grow the film in the same reaction chamber, the insulating film is grown in stages and an insulating film grown in each stage is crystallized by heat treatment with a temperature higher than the heat treatment for the film growth. This can be accomplished by interposing a heat treatment with the higher temperature between successive film growth stages, or by using a higher temperature for the film growth for each stage with a temperature higher than that for the film growth in the preceding stage.

This invention concerns a method of forming insulating films, and in particular a method of forming high quality insulating films of very small thickness.
In silicon integrated circuits, and in particular in MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) integrated circuits formed by modern techniques, very thin oxide films are used as gate insulators. For sub-micron MOS devices which have gate lengths of 1.0 .mu.m or less, the oxide film may for example be no more than 100 Angstroms thick, this reduction in thickness permitting substantial gains to be made.
These oxide films may be formed by the following method which is described in "MOSLSI Seizo Gijutsu" (The Manufacture of MOSLSI), by Takashi Tokuyama and Tetsuichi Hashimoto, published by Nikkei McGraw Hill Co., p. 64 (1985).
According to the method disclosed in this reference, a substrate that has been cleaned is placed in a quartz tube heated to 800.degree.-1200.degree. C. by an electric furnace, and an oxidizing gas is then introduced into the tube to form an oxidizing film. This oxidizing gas may for example be dry oxygen gas, or a mixture of oxygen gas and hydrogen gas, or a hydrochloric acid spray mixed with oxygen gas. As shown by the dotted line I in FIG. 4, which is a plot of oxidation time (sec) on the horizontal axis versus oxide film thickness (Angstroms) on the vertical axis, there is a definite relation between these two variables. It is therefore possible to form an oxide film of a desired uniform thickness on the substrate by allowing it to grow for a suitable time at a suitable temperature.
In the above method of forming oxide films, however, the film is grown continuously without interruption, and it was therefore difficult to control the thickness of very thin films in the region of 100 Angstroms or less. An attempt was made to solve this problem by reducing the oxidation temperature below 800.degree. C. to decrease the rate of oxidation, or by diluting the oxygen with nitrogen.
At lower oxidation temperatures, however, the silicon/silicon dioxide interface is rougher. In the diluted oxidation method, on the other hand, nitrogen segregates at the silicon/silicon dioxide interface, and the interface state density is therefore increased. Both of these methods therefore failed to offer any improvement of properties such as the endurance against dielectric breakdown of thin oxide films.
Furthermore, the oxide films obtained at low temperatures or by diluted oxidation are generally not very dense. At the silicon/silicon dioxide interface, for example, there are a large number of unterminated bonds of silicon atoms or strained Si-O-Si bonds. As a result, the interface state therefore showed a tendency to increase. These phenomena gave rise to various problems when the oxide films were used as gate dielectric in MOSFETs. In MOSFETs with a gate length of 1.0 .mu.m or less, for example, if hot electrons produced in the channel region are injected into the oxide film, the electrons were trapped by unterminated bonds of silicon atoms or strained Si-O-Si bonds, and a new interface trap state was generated. This led to an instability of the threshold voltage, or a degradation of the transconductance, in MOSFETs.
To solve these problems, the authors of the present invention carried out various studies and experiments. They then found that if the thin film was not grown continuously as in the prior art, but grown in several stages instead, there was no risk of surface roughness or of causing an increase in interface state density.
They also found that if the insulating film that was grown in several stages in this way, was crystallized prior to or at the same time as the next layer to be grown on top of the film, a high regularity compliance, high quality crystalline insulating film is obtained.


In an example, an apparatus includes an image processing system, a print engine, and a vision system. The image processing system generates electronic signals based on a model of an object to be fabricated using an additive manufacturing process. The print engine performs the additive manufacturing process in a plurality of passes based on the electronic signals. The vision system acquires a plurality of thermal images of the plurality of passes and assigns individual passes to individual images based on data acquired during a build of a calibration object by the additive manufacturing process. The print engine may further include a material coater to spread a powder coating material, a plurality of fluid ejection devices to eject a fusing agent, and an emitter to emit energy to fuse the fusing agent and the powder coating material into a layer of the object to be fabricated.

Additive manufacturing processes (also referred to as "three-dimensional printing" processes) are often used to fabricate three-dimensional objects. High-resolution thermal images of an object being fabricated may be captured at various stages of the additive manufacturing process. These thermal images may be useful in predicting the strength of the completed object.

Identifying passes of additive manufacturing processes depicted in thermal images

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A tapped phase shift ring oscillator may be used to provide multiple clock signals having variable phase delays. Phase delays may be selected to compensate for clock skews at different locations on high speed chips, or to provide clock signals having specific, desirable phase relationships, such as quadrature signals. The phase shift ring oscillator includes an odd number of amplifier stages. Each amplifier stage includes a phase shift network and an amplifier network. CMOS components used in the phase shift and amplifier networks provide voltage controlled variable phase shift and low gain, wide bandwidth, and low output impedance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to clock signals in integrated circuits. Specifically, the present invention relates to reduction of clock skew in clock signals provided to multiple locations in the integrated circuit.
2. State of the Art
Digital integrated circuits typically include multiple logic elements, with the timing of operation of each logic element controlled by a clock signal. It is common for an integrated circuit chip to have one central clock generator, with the signal from the clock generator being distributed around the integrated circuit via clock-line interconnects. An important consideration in the design of synchronous digital integrated circuits, and in particular those using pipelined architecture, is variation in the arrival times of clock signals at the clock inputs of the various logic elements. See, K. Yip, xe2x80x9cClock tree distribution: balance is essential for a deep-submicron ASIC design to flourish,xe2x80x9d IEEE Potentials, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 11-14, April-May 1997. Variation in clock signal arrival time is referred to as clock skew.
Clock skew is primarily a function of two parameters: the loading presented by the logic being clocked and the RC delay of the clock line interconnect. Interconnect factors that affect the clock skew are the resistance, capacitance and inductance of the interconnection wires. Since the wires are not ideal conductors, different lengths of the wires carrying clock signals can result in different clock skews. Clock skew adds to cycle times, reducing the clock rate at which a chip can operate. Typically, skew should be 10 percent or less of a chip""s clock cycle, meaning that for a 100 MHz clock, skew must be 1 nsec or less. High performance microprocessors may require skew to be 5 percent of the clock cycle, or 100 psec at a 500 MHz clock rate. See, K. M. Carrig et al., xe2x80x9cClock methodology for high-performance microprocessors,xe2x80x9d Proc. Custom Integrated Circuits Conference, Santa Clara, Calif., May 5-8, pp. 119-122, 1997.
As noted above, it is relatively common to use a single, central clock generator to produce a signal that is distributed around the integrated circuit. A variety of techniques have been used in the prior art to provide clock connections that are symmetrical and all of the same length, in order to minimize clock skew at the various logic elements.
FIG. 1A illustrates an H-tree clock distribution, which is used primarily in custom layouts and has varying tree interconnect segment widths to balance skew throughout the chip.
FIG. 1B shows a clock grid clock distribution structure. The clock grid is the simplest clock distribution structure and has the advantage of being easy to design for low skew. However, it is area inefficient and power hungry because of the large amount of clock interconnect required. Nevertheless, some chip vendors are using this clock structure for microprocessors.
FIG. 1C depicts a balanced tree clock distribution structure. The balanced tree is the clock distribution structure most commonly used in high performance chips. See, J. L. Neves et al., xe2x80x9cAutomated synthesis of skew-based clock distribution networks,xe2x80x9d VLSI Design, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 31-57, 1998. In order to carry current to the branching segments, the clock line is widest at the root of the tree and becomes progressively narrower at each branch. As a result, the clock line capacitance increases exponentially with distance from the leaf cell (clocked element) in the direction of the root of the tree (clock input). Moreover, additional chip area is required to accommodate the extra clock line width in the regions closer to the root of the tree.
As shown in FIG. 1D, buffers may be added at the branching points of the balanced tree structure. Adding buffers at the branching points of the tree significantly lowers clock interconnect capacitance, because it reduces the clock line width required toward the root.
As noted above, two main factors that contribute to clock skew are loading mismatch at the clocked elements and mismatch in RC delay due to clock line segment width and length variations. The approaches discussed above and illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1D attempt to minimize clock skew caused by these factors. Most designers and clock tree parasitic extraction/evaluation tools available today deal only with RC parasitics. However, clock skew is also influenced by inductance effects, which become more prominent as clock edge times and interconnect resistances decrease, both of which are associated with shrinking chip technology and higher clock rates. For these reasons, minimization of skew due to inductance effects has become the biggest problem in the design of clock trees, and, similarly, has become a significant problem in the design of today""s leading edge chips.
Designers have not commonly considered parasitic inductance, but this is starting to change as clock frequencies approach 1 GHz. Clock trees often have wide traces at their roots and may also have long segments, making the trees more susceptible to inductance problems than are other chip networks. Careful layout, including placing power and ground lines next to, above, or below clock trees to act as shields, can help reduce the possibility of clock problems caused by inductance.
Clock skew may also be influenced by process variations induced during chip fabrication.
Various techniques have been previously described for compensating for the different delays of individual clock distribution lines by changing the line characteristics or driver characteristics. Many new techniques have been considered for addressing clock skew problems. One technique involves the generation of clock signals with various delays by using digital inverters or amplifiers with various signal delays, and multitapped variable delay lines. See, K. Ishibashi et al., xe2x80x9cNovel clock distribution system for CMOS VLSI,xe2x80x9d Proc. IEEE Int. Conference on Computer Design: VLSI in Computers and Processors, October 3-6, Cambridge, Mass., pp. 289-292, 1993. Another technique involves the use of buffer amplifiers with different skews to compensate for the different line delays. See, T. Knight et al., xe2x80x9cMethod for skew-free distribution of digital signals using matched variable delay lines,xe2x80x9d Symposium on VLSI Circuits, Kyoto, Japan, May 19-21, pp. 19-20, 1993; see also S. I. Liu et al., xe2x80x9cLow-power clock-deskew buffer for high speed digital circuits,xe2x80x9d IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 554-558, 1999. Clock skew problems have also been addressed using feedback techniques to compensate for the effects of the variable line delays. See, H. Sutoh et al, xe2x80x9cA Clock Distribution Technique with an Automatic Skew Compensation Circuit,xe2x80x9d Inst. of Electronic, Information and Communication Engineers, Japan, Vol. E8 1-C, No. 2, pp. 277-283, 1998. Furthermore, optical clock distribution techniques are also used. See, A. V. Mule et al., xe2x80x9c10 GHz Hybrid optical/electrical clock distribution network for gigascale integration,xe2x80x9d Proceeding of the 1999 12th Annual Meeting IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society, San Francisco, Calif., November 1999, vol. 2, pp. 627-628. It has previously been proposed by the inventor to minimize clock skew by using low-impedance lines with matched terminations and current mode signaling to give well-defined delays along clock distribution lines (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/385,383 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/386,505) and using lines with zero or no apparent delay of the clock signal (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/385,379).
However, there remains a need for solving the problems caused by clock skew at multiple locations in integrated circuits, and, in particular, there is a need for reducing clock skew to acceptable levels in high performance microprocessors and other high speed chips in which small clock edge times and low interconnect resistances cause inductance effects. There is also a need for a method for distributing clock signals without skew and without consuming large amounts of power or chip space.
The present invention comprises a tapped phase shift ring oscillator which may be used to generate a plurality of clock signals having different phase relationships. The phase shift ring oscillator includes an odd number of amplifier stages. A clock signal may be tapped from the output of each amplifier stage. Each amplifier stage includes a phase shift network and an amplifier network. The phase shift network of each amplifier stage includes an RC network made up of a capacitor and an NMOS transistor configured as a voltage variable resistor to provide an adjustable phase shift. The amplifier network of each amplifier stage includes an NMOS transistor and diode-connected PMOS transistor. By utilizing CMOS elements, each amplifier stage has a low gain, wide bandwidth, and low output impedance. A total phase shift of 180 degrees around the loop, a necessary condition for oscillation, may then be obtained with a large number of stages, each producing a small phase shift. The phase delay at each amplifier stage may be adjusted as desired, providing the total phase shift for the loop is 180 degrees. The phase shift ring oscillator is thus well suited for generating multiple high frequency clock signals having small phase delays or skews adjusted to compensate for delays caused by differences in clock distribution lines, and thus for providing synchronous signals at clocked logic elements.
The present invention provides a number of advantages. For example, the present invention may be used to provide multiple clock signals for timing multiple logic elements on high speed chips. The present invention also provides a method for distributing clock signals which have low power consumption. The present invention farther provides a method for distributing clock signals with minimal clock skew and which does not require a large amount of chip space. The present invention may be used to provide multiple clock signals having delays which can be readily varied, or having specific selected phase relationships.

Method and apparatus for providing clock signals at different locations with minimal clock skew


A motion sensing system includes a hand-held device and a receiver device. The hand-held device includes a microcontroller, a G-sensor (one 3-axis accelerometer), only one 2-axis gyroscope, and a wireless transmitter. The receiver device is preferably a dongle and includes a microcontroller and a wireless receiver. A first axis of the 2-axis gyroscope is parallel to the Z axis of the hand-held device and the second axis of the 2-axis gyroscope forms an acute angle α with the X axis of the hand-held device. The acute angle α allows the microcontroller of the receiver device to calculate rotational data around each of the three axis of the hand-held device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to a motion sensing system, and more particularly to system of a motion sensing hand-held device having only two rotational sensors and a corresponding receiver device capable of generating rotational data around 3-axes based on output of the hand-held device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a motion-sensing pointing device is held by a user and pointed at a monitor, rotational axes are predefined as the Z axis pointing to the ground, the Y axis is in the direction from the pointing device to the monitor, and the X axis is at right angles to both the Z and the Y axes. In a system using a conventional pointing device, only the rotational outputs around the X and Z axes are needed for moving a cursor in the X′Y′ plane of the display screen. Therefore, when the conventional pointing device is used for pointing only, only two rotational outputs are needed.
Such a system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 7,239,301, issued to Liberty et al., and herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. The patent discloses a conventional pointing device that includes an accelerometer that measures the acceleration it experiences and two rotation sensors for determining rotations around the X and Z axes. The rotational outputs are modified based on the acceleration determined by the accelerometer. The disclosed conventional pointing device provides rotational outputs around the X and Z axes only, and does not illustrate determining rotation around the third axis Y.
However, if a pointing device is to be integrated in a game system, the game system may need the rotational output around any one of the three axes (X, Y, Z), for playing a tennis or a golf game as examples, but the conventional pointing device cannot provide the third rotational output. Therefore, there is a need to provide a motion sensing system capable of determining the rotation around any of three axes without increasing the hardware cost.


An emulsion separation device including a plurality of inclined plates, a buoyancy device, and an electric field generation system. Also disclosed are systems and methods for the separation of an emulsion into a continuous aqueous phase and a continuous oil phase. The systems may include: a vessel having an emulsion inlet, a continuous aqueous phase outlet, and a continuous oil phase outlet. A separation device may be disposed in the vessel, the separation device including: a plurality of inclined plates and a buoyancy device configured to maintain the plurality of inclined plates between the continuous aqueous phase and the continuous oil phase. An electric field generation system may also be provided and configured to expose the emulsion to an electric field.

The separation of an aqueous phase from an oil phase is an important step in many industrial processes. Typically, gravity force is used to drive the separation processes inside dedicated vessels, taking advantage of the density differences between the aqueous and oil phases. Use of gravity alone, however, may result in residence times generally being very high, especially when the dispersed phase is in the form of droplets with diameters distributed in the 1 micron to 100 micron range. This leads to the adoption of large and costly separation vessels, intensive chemical treatments, and heating.
Various references disclose oil/water separators, and many use a generated electrical field to enhance the separation of the phases. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,095,790, 4,257,895, US2016/0332895, US2016/0250568, US2005/0040045, U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,582, GB2150039, and WO2018/200640 relate to apparatus used for the separation of oil and water.

Floating assembly of inclined channels with an applied electrical field for the accelerated electrostatic separation of water-in-oil dispersions


The air filled therapeutic pillow allows the user to adjust the height or firmness of the pillow to suit their tastes or needs. It can be easily broken down and transported to provide a traveler with comfortable sleep away from home.

Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention relates to a portable therapeutic pillow, more particularly it relates to an air filled therapeutic pillow that is adapted for easy transport and provides variable support to the head, neck and upper back of the user in a horizontal resting position whether the user is sleeping on her back or her side.
Many people suffer from chronic neck pain or stiffness and a tense upper back. This is often the result of sleeping with pillows that provide insufficient support for the neck and upper back. Improper alignment of the spine often occurs when the head and neck are inadequately supported. The muscles of the neck try to compensate for the misalignment resulting a sore or stiff neck.
The natural spinal curves in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions are designed to support the weight of the body and to provide flexibility. Spinal bone will remodel itself in response to applied mechanical stresses and strains, according to Wolff""s law of osseous physiology. In response to abnormal mechanical forces, living bone will constantly change its growth and orientation. An anterior head carriage posture results from decreased cervical lordosis, which in turn leads to abnormal forward weight bearing on the anterior vertebral bodies and discs. This abnormal forward weight bearing will create disc degeneration and spondylopathy.
In addition, applied force over time will cause a viscous change in the surrounding muscles, ligaments and tendons. Unless a corrective force is applied, again over time, all viscous change is permanent.
Many therapeutic sleep pillows have been developed over the years to provide proper support of the head and neck. Therapeutic sleep pillows allow the user to directly effect the biophysiologic property of viscosity. These pillows allow a force to be applied to the cervical spine in a corrective direction over an extended period of time. These pillows are usually made of open or closed celled foam. There is no way to vary the size, softness or the firmness of these pillows to suit the individual user. The typical user does not have a standard size head, neck or shoulder width. The user with wide shoulders, or a long neck or pressure sensitive ears must cope with a one-size fits all pillow. The user often must resort to modifying the pillow by raising it upon a towel or another pillow or adapting the upper surface to suit their particularly peculiar shaped head or neck size, or firmness needs.
While some users are able to achieve relief at home, they suffer when sleeping away from home. Although conventional pillows can be shaped to provide comfortable support in the position in which the user falls asleep, these pillows do not retain that shape and support throughout the entire sleeping period. The open celled or closed celled, foam therapeutic sleep pillows are too bulky and heavy to be practically taken by travelers.
What is needed is a pillow that allows the user to adjust the height or firmness of the pillow to suit their tastes or needs. What is also needed is a pillow that can be easily broken down and transported to provide the traveler with comfortable sleep away from home.
The invention resides in a fluid filled head support. The fluid filled head support includes a center section. The center section has a proximal face, a distal face, a front face, a back face, a first face and a second face. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots to form at least one cell. Each cell is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. Each cell has at least one opening therein adapted to selectively open and close for receiving and expelling air. The proximal face has a forward attachment area.
A first neck-support section is provided. The neck-support section has a cylindrical proximal face, a flat distal face, a first end face and a second end face, each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots to form at least one cell. Each cell is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. Each cell has at least one opening therein adapted to selectively open and close for receiving and expelling air. The distal face of the first neck-support section is attached to the forward attachment area of the proximal face of the center section.
An upper back-support section is provided. The upper back-support section has a proximal face, a distal face, a back face, a first face and a second face. The distal face has a front edge. The upper back-support section has a wedge shape. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots to form at least one cell. Each cell is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. Each cell has at least one opening therein adapted to selectively open and close for receiving and expelling air. The back face of the upper back-support section is attached to the front face of the center section. The proximal face slopes up from the front edge of the distal face to form a smooth transition up to the proximal face of the center section.
The center section, first neck-support section and upper back-support section are disposed, sized and shaped to receive and support the rear of a user""s head in such a way that the user""s neck muscles are in a relaxed state and the spine is in proper orthopedic alignment when the user is laying horizontally on the user""s back.
A first side section is provided. The first side section has a proximal face, a distal face, a front face, a back face, a first face and a second face. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots to form at least one cell. Each cell is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. Each cell has at least one opening therein adapted to selectively open and close for receiving and expelling air. The proximal face has a forward attachment area. The second face of the first side section is attached to the first face of the center section.
A second neck-support section is provided. The second neck-support section has a cylindrical proximal face, a flat distal face, a first end face and a second end face. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots to form at least one cell. Each cell is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. Each cell has at least one opening therein adapted to selectively open and close for receiving and expelling air. The distal face of the second neck-support section is attached to the forward attachment area of the proximal face of the first side section.
The first side section and the second neck-support section are disposed, sized and shaped to receive and support the side of a user""s head in such a way that the user""s neck muscles are in a relaxed state and the spine is in proper orthopedic alignment when the user is laying horizontally on the user""s side.
A first support section is provided. The first support section has a proximal face, a distal face, a front face, a back face, a first face and a second face. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots to form at least one cell. Each cell has at least one opening therein adapted to selectively open and close for receiving and expelling air. Each cell is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. The proximal face of the first support section is attached to the distal face of the center section, the distal face of the upper back-support section and the distal face of the first side section.
In a variant of this invention, a second side section provided. The second side section a proximal face, distal face, a front face, back face, a first face and a second face. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots to form at least one cell. Each cell is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. Each cell has at least one opening therein adapted to selectively open and close for receiving and expelling air. The proximal face has a forward attachment area. The first face of the second side section is attached to the second face of the center section.
A third neck-support section is provided. The third neck-support section has a cylindrical proximal face, a flat distal face, a first end face and a second end face. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots to form at least one cell. Each cell is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. Each cell has at least one opening therein adapted to selectively open and close for receiving and expelling air. The distal face of the third neck-support section is attached to the forward attachment area of the proximal face of the second side section.
The second side section and third neck-support section are disposed, sized and shaped to receive and support the side of a user""s head in such a way that the user""s neck muscles are in a relaxed state and the spine is in proper orthopedic alignment when the user is laying horizontally on the user""s side.
In yet another variant of this invention, a second support section is provided. The second support section has a proximal face, a distal face, a front face, a back face, a first face and a second face. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots to form at least one cell. Each cell has at least one opening therein adapted to selectively open and close for receiving and expelling air. Each cell is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. The proximal face of the second support section is attached to the distal face of the first support section.
In still another variant of this invention, the proximal face of the center section, the proximal face of the upper back-support section, the proximal face of the first side section, the proximal face of the second side section, the proximal face of the first neck support, the proximal face of the second neck support and the proximal face of the third neck support are covered by a flocked material. The flocked material is rayon.
In again another variant of this invention, the proximal face of the center section, the proximal face of the upper back-support section, the proximal face of the first side section, the proximal face of the second side section, the proximal face of the first neck support, the proximal face of the second neck support and the proximal face of the third neck support has a tucked configuration.
In a variation of this invention, the proximal face of the center section, the proximal face of the upper back-support section, the proximal face of the first side section, the proximal face of the second side section, the proximal face of the first neck support, the proximal face of the second neck support and the proximal face of the third neck support has a ribbed configuration.
The invention also resides in another fluid filled head support. The other fluid filled head support includes a center section. The center section has a proximal face, a distal face, a front face, a back face, a first face and a second face. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots. Each face is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. The proximal face has a forward attachment area.
A first neck-support section is provided The neck-support section has a cylindrical proximal face, a flat distal face, a first end face and a second end face. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots. Each face is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. The distal face of the first neck-support section is attached to the forward attachment area of the proximal face of the center section.
An upper back-support section is provided. The upper back-support section has a proximal face, a distal face, a back face, a first face and a second face. The distal face has a front edge. The upper back-support section has a wedge shape. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots. Each face is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. The back face of the upper back-support section is attached to the front face of the center section. The proximal face slopes up from the front edge of the bottom face to form a smooth transition up to the proximal face of the center section.
The center section, the first neck-support section and upper back-support section are disposed, sized and shaped to receive and support the rear of a user""s head in such a way that the user""s neck muscles are in a relaxed state and the spine is in proper orthopedic alignment when the user is laying horizontally on the user""s back.
A first side section is provided. The first side section has a proximal face, a distal face, a front face, a back face, a first face and a second face. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots. Each face is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. The proximal face has a forward attachment area. The second face of the first side section is attached to the first face of the center section.
A second neck-support section is provided. The second neck-support section has a cylindrical proximal face, a flat distal face, a first end face and a second end face. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots. Each face is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. The distal face of the second neck-support section is attached to the forward attachment area of the proximal face of the first side section.
The first side section and the second neck-support section are disposed, sized and shaped to receive and support the side of a user""s head in such a way that the user""s neck muscles are in a relaxed state and the spine is in proper orthopedic alignment when the user is laying horizontally on the user""s side.
The center section, the upper back-support section, the first side section, the first neck-support section and the second neck-support section are joined to each adjacent section in such a way as to form at least one cell. Each cell has at least one opening therein adapted to selectively open and close for receiving and expelling air.
A first support section is provided. The first support section has a proximal face, a distal face, a front face, a back face, a first face and a second face. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots to form at least one cell. Each cell has at least one opening therein adapted to selectively open and close for receiving and expelling air. Each cell is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. The proximal face of the first support section is attached to the distal face of the center section, to the distal face of the upper back-support section and to the distal face of the first side section.
In a variant of this invention, a second side section is provided. The second side section has a proximal face, a distal face, a front face, a back face, a first face and a second face. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots. Each face is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. The proximal face has a forward attachment area. The first face of the second side section is attached to the second face of the center section.
A third neck-support section is provided The third neck-support section has a cylindrical proximal face, a flat distal face, a first end face and a second end face. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots. Each face is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. The distal face of the third neck-support section is attached to the forward attachment area of the proximal face of the second side section.
The second side section and the third neck-support section are disposed, sized and shaped to receive and support the side of a user""s head in such a way that the user""s neck muscles are in a relaxed state and the spine is in proper orthopedic alignment when the user is laying horizontally on the user""s side.
The center section, the upper back-support section, the first side section, the second side section, the first neck-support section, the second neck-support section and the third neck-support section are joined to each adjacent section in such a way as to form at least one cell. Each cell has at least one opening therein adapted to selectively open and close for receiving and expelling air.
In yet another variant of this invention, a second support section is provided. The second support section has a proximal face, a distal face, a front face, a back face, a first face and a second face. Each face has at least one edge. Each edge is joined to an adjacent edge at a multiplicity of joining spots to form at least one cell. Each cell has at least one opening therein adapted to selectively open and close for receiving and expelling air. Each cell is fabricated from a flexible, air impervious material. The proximal face of the second support section is attached to the distal face of the first support section.
In still another variant of this invention, the proximal face of the center section, the proximal face of the upper back-support section, the proximal face of the first side section, the proximal face of the second side section, the proximal face of the first neck support, the proximal face of the second neck support and the proximal face of the third neck support are covered by a flocked material. The flocked material is rayon.
In again another variant of this invention, the proximal face of the center section, the proximal face of the upper back-support section, the proximal face of the first side section, the proximal face of the second side section, the proximal face of the first neck support, the proximal face of the second neck support and the proximal face of the third neck support have a tucked configuration.
In a variation of this invention, the proximal face of the center section, the proximal face of the upper back-support section, the proximal face of the first side section, the proximal face of the second side section, the proximal face of the first neck support, the proximal face of the second neck support and the proximal face of the third neck support have a ribbed configuration.
The foregoing has outlined the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood so the present contributions to the art may be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the present invention will be described hereinafter, which form the subject of the claims. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the disclosed specific embodiment may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures and methods for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It also should be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions and methods do not depart from the spirit and scope of the inventions as set forth in the appended claims.


The present invention provides overbased detergents as lubricating oil additives effective for the lubrication of mechanical components in land and marine engines, such as, for example, hydraulic systems, transmissions, two-stroke and four-stroke vehicular engines, trunk piston and two-stroke crosshead marine engines. These overbased detergents lead to improved detergency and thermal stability performances versus high overbased sulfonates. Moreover, they are more compatible with commercial phenates than conventional sulfonates.

Overbased detergents are well described to provide lubricating properties. Often such detergent additives are proportioned with other lubricating additives to provide lubricating oil compositions that exhibit certain desired lubricating properties. Overbased alkaline metal or alkaline-earth metal sulfonates are examples.
European Patent Application Publication No. 1,059,301A1 describes alkaline-earth metal aralkylsulfonates having improved detergent and dispersant properties.
International Application WO 97/46644 describes a calcium overbased detergent comprising a surfactant system derived from at least two surfactants, in which at least one of the surfactants is a sulfurised or non-sulfurised phenol, or at least one other of the surfactants is other than a phenol, for example a sulfonic acid derivative, the proportion of phenol in the surfactant system being at least 35% by mass, and the TBN/% surfactant ratio of said detergent being at least 15.
International Application WO 97/46645 describes a calcium overbased detergent comprising a surfactant system derived from at least two surfactants in which at least one of the surfactants is a sulfurised or non-sulfurised phenol, or at least one other of the surfactants is a sulfurised or non-sulfurised salicylic acid, the total proportion of said phenol and of said salicylic acid in the surfactant system being at least 55% by mass, and the TBN/% surfactant ratio of said detergent being at least 11.
International Application WO 97/46647 describes a calcium overbased detergent comprising a surfactant system derived from at least two surfactants in which at least one of the surfactants is a sulfurised or non-sulfurised phenol, or at least one other of the surfactants is other than a phenol, for example an alkylarylsulfonate, the proportion of phenol in the surfactant system being at least 15% by mass, and the TBN/% surfactant ratio of said detergent being at least 21.
International Application WO 99/28422 describes a lubricating oil composition comprising a mixture of at least two detergents containing metals, namely, a) a phenate, sulfonate, salicylate, naphthenate or metal carboxylate, and b) an overbased calcium detergent comprising a surfactant system derived from at least two surfactants in which at least one of the surfactants is a sulfurised or non-sulfurised phenol, or at least one other surfactant is other than a phenol, the proportion of phenol in the surfactant system being at least 45% by mass, and the TBN/% surfactant ratio of said detergent being at least 14.

Overbased detergents for lubricating oil applications


In response to failure of an application that initiated updates to a group of operational system resources without the updates being successfully committed, for each physically inconsistent operational system resource that was left in a non-fully functional data indexing and access state as a result of the failure of the application, a portion of available pending updates are performed to change the respective physically inconsistent operational system resource to a partially backed out operational system resource with a fully functional data indexing and access state. Remaining available pending updates are ignored for the respective partially backed out operational system resource after the respective fully functional data indexing and access state is achieved to expedite system restart.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for partial backout of application updates. More particularly, the present invention relates to resource integrity during partial backout of application updates.
Applications that run for long periods of time may fail before completing all desired processing. Applications use system software to update numerous recoverable resources and write associated recovery log records to document the updates that have been performed on the resources. The log records are stored within application log queues. For applications that have run for extended periods of time, many log records may have been generated and stored within the log queues at a time of failure of an application.
When an application failure or an application hosting system failure occurs, the log records are available within the log queues to reconstruct application states at the time of failure. The hosting system has the responsibility of performing recovery operations (e.g., rollback, backout) related to the failed application. Backout refers to a process of processing log records to identify application processing sequences and performing the represented operations to recover the resources.
However, the log records may be stored on different log media, including disks and tapes. Traversing this media is time consuming. Accordingly, for applications that have run for extended periods of time, processing the log records to reconstruct the state of the recoverable resources may take days or weeks to reconstruct the state of these resources.

Resource integrity during partial backout of application updates

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


Provided is a display device, including: a display panel which includes a thin film transistor substrate (SUB1) on which a terminal portion including a plurality of terminals (TR) is provided; and a drive circuit connected to the terminal portion, in which: the drive circuit includes: a flexible board (FB); and a semiconductor chip mounted on the flexible board; the flexible board (FB) includes a plurality of wirings (La) for connecting the semiconductor chip and the plurality of terminals (TR), respectively; and the plurality of wirings (La) each include: a first wiring portion (La1) which overlaps a corresponding one of the plurality of terminals (TR); and a second wiring portion (La2) which is positioned between the first wiring portion (La1) and the semiconductor chip, the first wiring portion (La1) being narrower than the second wiring portion (La2).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Display devices, including liquid crystal display devices and organic EL display devices, are widely used as display devices for information communication terminals, such as computers, and television sets. For example, the liquid crystal display device is a device using a liquid crystal display panel. The liquid crystal display panel displays an image by changing an electric field to change the alignment of a liquid crystal composition which is sealed between a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate and a counter substrate, thereby controlling the transmittance of light that passes through the two substrates and the liquid crystal composition. The electric field is changed for each of a plurality of pixels formed in the liquid crystal display panel.
In order to change the electric field for each pixel, the thin film transistor substrate of the liquid crystal display panel has a plurality of video signal lines and a plurality of scanning signal lines formed therein, and the video signal line and the scanning signal line are connected to a thin film transistor disposed in each pixel.
Then, to the video signal line, a video signal corresponding to a gray level of each pixel is output from a drain driver which is installed outside a display region of the liquid crystal display panel. To the scanning signal line, a signal (gate signal) indicative of a timing for inputting the video signal to each pixel is output from a gate driver which is installed outside the display region. The video signal supplied to each pixel is applied to a pixel electrode via the thin film transistor.
The above-mentioned drain driver and gate driver (herein, also referred to as drive circuits) are formed as, for example, a film package mounting a semiconductor chip, typified by chip on film (COF), and are connected to the thin film transistor substrate on which the video signal lines and the scanning signal lines are formed.
The thin film transistor substrate includes a terminal portion for making connection between the above-mentioned video signal lines or scanning signal lines and the above-mentioned COF. An example of this structure is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-36871.

Display device comprising a flexible board including a first wiring portion that is narrower than a second wiring portion and wherein the second wiring portion does not overlap a terminal portion

Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.


A locking mechanism is configured to secure a seat on a valve. The configurations may include a pin with a tapered end. The pin extends into the valve body to engage with an engagement feature, like a slot, on the seat. The slot may reside on the downstream side of the seat. This location can provide ready access to the pin, for example, through various feature found on the valve body, such as a boss. For steam conditioning valves, the locking mechanism may prove useful because it allows the seat to easily remove from the valve body.

Flow controls play a large role in many industrial facilities. Power plants and industrial process facilities, for example, use different types of flow controls to manage flow of material, typically fluids, throughout vast networks of pipes, tanks, generators, and other equipment. Steam conditioning valves are useful to reduce pressure and temperature of steam. These valves require a particularly robust design to accommodate the extremely high temperatures (up to 650° C.) and pressures typical of many applications. This design includes certain components, like a valve body that houses a cage, a moveable plug (or closure member), and a stationary seat.
Various techniques are known to secure the stationary seat in the valve body. These techniques may use the cage to retain the seat in its position. However, this design often fails to account for thermal expansion (and contraction) of components. It also fails to accommodate "hung" cage applications. In other examples, fasteners may secure a retainer ring about the circumference of the seat. But screws in this design have been known to either come loose due to vibrations or, more likely, seize in the retainer over time. This latter problem can frustrate service and repair. A few other possible configurations use welds or complimentary threads on both the seat and the valve body to secure the seat in its position. However, like seized screws, both of these designs tend to conflagrate service and repair because they require complicated, labor-intensive machining and welding to occur in the field.


The present disclosure describes an air-permeable texture providing oxygen and negative oxygen ions which comprises substances supplying oxygen and substances supplying negative ions and is embedded into several household articles or devices such as band-aids, dressings over wounds, masks, clothes, air conditioners or air purifiers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to an air-permeable texture, particularly an air-permeable texture providing oxygen and negative oxygen ions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The industrialization and the increase in population density have increased environmental pollution and deteriorated air quality, particularly through the increase in carbon dioxide and decrease in oxygen levels in confined interior spaces or populous areas. In this regard, a person suffering from an oxygen deficiency will feel fatigued and could develop cerebral lesions. Therefore, how to supply the human body with more oxygen has become an ever increasing public concern.
The negative oxygen ion is the oxygen ion with one or more negative charges. Air consists of main gas components such as nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), carbon dioxide (0.03%) and water vapor. Among these gas components, oxygen and carbon dioxide rather than nitrogen feature electron affinity. Oxygen expresses 700 times greater electron affinity than carbon dioxide and can be induced to create atmospheric negative oxygen ions in a process in which oxygen molecules in the air combine with free electrons.
Air molecules under high pressures or powerful electromagnetic fields such as electric discharge phenomenon (lightning), the photoelectric effect, or a fountain and waterfall effect, will lose part of their outermost electrons thereby becoming ionized. Those outermost electrons that are shed from the pull of the nuclei are called free electrons and posses negative charges. Negative oxygen ions are most often generated by atmospheric ionized free electrons caught by the oxygen molecule.
Depending on the air quality, the number of negative oxygen ions in the ambient atmosphere is changeable at any moment. For example, there are 10,000-20,000 negative oxygen ions per cubic centimeter around a waterfall, 5,000-10,000 negative oxygen ions per cubic centimeter in a forest or on a beach, 200-1,000 negative oxygen ions per cubic centimeter in an urban park, 100-400 negative oxygen ions per cubic centimeter in a naturally ventilated office and almost no negative oxygen ion in a closed office. People living in an environment in which more than 1,000 negative oxygen ions per cubic centimeter exist will feel comfortable.
Negative oxygen ions are indispensable to metabolism. The quality and quantity of oxygen ions directly affect metabolism in the human body according to research performed by Setsuo Lino, a Japanese scientist. The ionization rates of calcium and sodium in the blood will rise with more negative oxygen ions added into blood; the increased ionization rates contribute to weakly alkaline blood which is favorable to nutrients absorbed by and degraded wastes discharged from the human body, purification of blood, and human health.
Tourmaline generates currents by which an electric field induced around tourmaline electrolyzes moisture therein for generation of "tourmaline-induced negative ions" that are identical to "negative ions" naturally produced in a waterfall or a forest and used to adjust ionic equilibrium in the human body. Negative ions with functions such as relaxing psychosomatic conditions, activating cells and promoting natural healing can inhibit oxidation of the human body or postpone degradation. Moreover, negative ions have other functions such as deodorization, dehumidification and anti-microbial effects.
It is imperative to keep air quality of interior spaces in which people usually live and stay for 80% of a whole day. Therefore, it is a critical issue to design brand-new air-permeable texture providing oxygen and negative oxygen ions based on air-permeable texture and installed in a variety of devices for better air quality without the supply of electricity.

Air-permeable texture providing oxygen and negative oxygen ions


An apparatus in an illustrative embodiment comprises a processing platform that includes one or more processing devices each comprising a processor coupled to a memory. The processing platform is configured to communicate over at least one network with one or more additional sets of processing devices associated with at least a first blockchain-based cryptocurrency system. Each of at least a subset of the one or more processing devices of the processing platform comprises a trusted execution environment, such as a secure enclave. The processing platform is further configured to release from the trusted execution environment of a given one of the one or more processing devices of the processing platform a first blockchain transaction on the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency system, and to condition release of a second blockchain transaction relating to the first blockchain transaction on receipt of at least a specified threshold amount of evidence of confirmation of the first blockchain transaction on the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency system.

A variety of different cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin, are coming into increasingly widespread use. However, significant problems can arise when a user holding an amount of one cryptocurrency would like to exchange it for an amount of a different cryptocurrency. For example, existing systems for cryptocurrency exchange are highly vulnerable to so-called "frontrunning" attacks that can prevent users from achieving a fair exchange rate.
Such systems are also vulnerable to other attacks that can lead to theft or other loss of cryptocurrency assets. These and other conventional arrangements are unable to achieve real-time cross-trading between multiple independent cryptocurrency systems in a manner that provides adequate security against frontrunning attacks and other types of attacks.

Real-time cryptocurrency exchange using trusted hardware


The invention relates to a one-component self-adhesive composition for dental use comprising radically polymerizable component(s) with an acidic moiety as component A, radically polymerizable component(s) without an acidic moiety as component (B), an oxidizing agent comprising persulfate(s) as component (C), transition metal component(s) as component (D), photoinitiator system(s) as component (E), optionally non acid-reactive filler(s) as component (F), and optionally additive(s) as component (G).

Dental composites are well known in dentistry and are widely used as restorative materials (filling composites) or as cements (resin cements) in the prosthodontic field. Generally composites are hydrophobic in nature and contain as main parts of the formulation inorganic fillers, a (meth)acrylate based resin matrix and initiators for the radical polymerization.
To get adhesion to enamel and dentin, composites typically require a pre-treatment of the tooth surface by using a bonding agent or a bonding system. This may result in a rather complex and time consuming procedure. Therefore attempts were made to develop self-adhesive composites which avoid the use of an additional bonding agent/system resulting in materials which are easier and faster to use for the dentist.
In the prosthodontic area self-adhesive resin cements are well established materials in the meantime. A commercially available product is e.g. RelyX™ Unicem (3M ESPE). These materials are formulated as two-component systems.
Two-component systems are not always easy to apply and use. Thus, it is generally desirable to have a one-component system.
In the restorative area also a self-adhesive, light-curable, one-component composite material recently appeared on the market (Vertise™ Flow, Kerr Company).
EP 2 153 811 A2 (Kerr) relates to a single-part, light-curable, self-adhering dental restorative composition comprising three different polymerizable monomers, a photo-initiator and one or more fillers.
US 2004/0110864 (Hecht et al.) describes self-adhesive compositions. If the composition is cured by photopolymerization it is possible to formulate one-component systems. If the composition comprises a redox initiator system comprising e.g. an organic peroxide and activator then for reasons of storage stability peroxide and activator are present in spatially separated parts.
In a particular example a composition is described with an initiator system, which can comprise sodium toluene sulfinate, sodium peroxodisulfate, a barbituric acid derivative and copper acetate.
JP 2011-121869 relates to a chemical polymerization catalyst composition for dental curable materials comprising an aryl borate compound, acidic compound, inorganic peroxide and bivalent copper compound. The system is formulated as a two-component system.

One component self-adhesive dental composition, process of production and use thereof


A method, apparatus, and system for fabricating buckypaper or similar sheets of nanostructures having relatively high aspect ratios. A dispersion of nanostructures such as nanotubes is subjected to fluid dynamics/forces which promote alignment of their axes of elongation while in suspension in the flow. An agglomeration of better aligned nanostructures is isolated from the carrier fluid into a useable form. In the case of nanotubes, one form is buckypaper. One example of alignment forces is Taylor-Couette flow shear forces. One example of isolation is filtering the flowing dispersion to collect better aligned nanostructures across the filter into a sheet or film. The degree of alignment can produce anisotropic material properties that can be beneficially used in application of the sheet or film.

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fabrication of buckypaper or an analogous sheet or layer with some degree of alignment of nanostructures having some elongation in at least one direction and, in particular, to utilization of fluid flow dynamics to influence filtered collection of the nanostructures from a suspension of the nanostructures.
B. Related Art
Nanostructures are materials with at least one dimension on the order of nanometers in scale. Much work is being done to develop applications for them, either individually or in agglomeration. Nanostructures with elongation in one direction can be fibers (nanofibers) or other structures having an axis of elongation or an aspect ratio well above 1. One example is tubes (nanotubes). Another example is nanocellulose fibrils. Another example is nanoribbons.
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical nanostructure. They are members of the fullerene structural family and resemble graphitic sheets rolled into tube shapes. Rolling angle and radius influence their properties. They have been found valuable for, inter alia, nanotechnology, electronics, optics and other fields of materials science and technology.
Both single-walled (SWCNT) and multi-walled (MWCNT) varieties of CNTs have been synthesized and both exhibit outstanding mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. These extraordinary properties have prompted a great deal of research into the efficient synthesis of CNTs, and today high quality MWCNTs are commercially available at huge quantities and low cost (˜$120/kg). As a result, high-volume engineering applications of MWCNTs are becoming a reality after decades of promise at the laboratory scale. One of the most promising immediate applications of MWCNTs is as filler in composites, specifically polymer matrix composites. However, composites fabricated by mixing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into a resin are limited to low loading levels because the large increases in viscosity that occur at higher loadings encumber processing. This, in turn, limits the effect that MWCNTs can have on the composite properties, and new methods must be developed if the true potential of CNT composites is to be realized. One way to achieve high loadings of CNTs in a composite is through the use of buckypaper (BP), which is a free-standing mat of tightly packed CNTs formed by the controlled filtration of CNT solution. FIGS. 1A and 1B show the typical method used to produce BP and optical images of the BP itself. BP can be handled in a manner similar to glass and carbon fiber mats, and traditional composite processing techniques such as compression molding and vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding can be used to infiltrate resin into the pores of the BP mat and bind several plies together into composites. See references [3, 4] (bracketed numbers refer to the listing of References later in this description). See also L. Hussein et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 13, 5831 (2011), incorporated by reference herein. Loadings up to 60 wt % MWCNTs have been achieved [5] and outstanding mechanical, [6,7] thermal, [8] electrical, [7] and electromagnetic shielding properties [9] have been realized in BP/epoxy composites. Most BP is composed of CNTs that are randomly aligned. However, as with any fiber-reinforced composite, optimal properties are realized when the fiber alignment is unidirectional within each ply and the composite layup is judiciously tailored to match the expected stress state of its application.
However, as well-recognized by those in this technical field, the extremely small size of nanostructures and their properties present substantial challenges regarding their handling. What might work with macro-sized discrete items may not work with nano-sized structures.
Three approaches currently exist for the production of aligned BP mats: alignment through mechanical stretching of cross-linked CNT mats, "domino pushing" of aligned CNT forests, and magnetic alignment. Mechanical stretching involves uniaxially straining randomly aligned MWCNT BP and then impregnating it with resin. Bismaleimide (BMI)/BP composites made with this process possessed outstanding mechanical and electrical properties, [5] and, when the MWCNTs in the BP were functionalized with epoxide groups, the resulting composites exhibited unprecedentedly high strength (3081 MPa) and modulus (350 GPa), surpassing even high-performance carbon fiber composites. [10] See illustration at FIGS. 2A and 2B and [34] (see D. Wang et al. Nanotechnology 19, 609 (2008), incorporated by reference herein). However, the MWCNTs used in this study were cross-linked together through a specialized synthesis process necessary to prevent the BP from tearing at high strains, which excludes the method from widespread industrial use in the near future. Additional discussion of mechanical stretching can be found at Cheng Q, Bao J, Park J, Liang Z, Zhang C, Wang B. High Mechanical Performance Composite Conductor: Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Sheet/Bismaleimide Nanocomposites. Advanced Functional Materials. 2009; 19(20):3219-25 [5] (use of mechanical stretching or drawing to align CNTs), which is incorporated by reference herein.
Highly aligned BP can also be produced through "domino pushing" of MWCNT forests. See illustrative at FIG. 3. In this method, vertically aligned MWCNT forests are grown on a Si substrate and are subsequently pushed over by physically rolling over the forest with a cylinder. BP produced in this way has higher electrical and thermal conductivity in the direction of alignment. [20] However, this method is also not amenable to large-scale use, as MWCNT forests with very high degrees of vertical alignment must be grown, a process that is currently only possible in a few laboratories. Ding W, Pengcheng S, Changhong L, Wei W, Shoushan F. Highly oriented carbon nanotube papers made of aligned carbon nanotubes. Nanotechnology. 2008; 19(7):075609. [20] (use of mechanical rolling or "domino pushing" to align CNTs) gives further discussion of this approach, and is incorporated by reference herein.
Magnetic alignment is an alternative method developed by Smalley [21] and refined by Liang and coworkers. [22] This method involves filtering CNTs in the presence of an applied magnetic field. Because CNTs have anisotropic magnetic susceptibilities, they tend to align with the direction of applied magnetic field lines in order to minimize energy. See illustration at FIG. 4. If a sufficiently strong magnetic field is applied to MWCNTs that are very well dispersed in solution, the MWCNTs will become oriented, and subsequent filtering will lead to the formation of aligned BP. Individual nanotubes comprising a MWCNT can be metallic or semiconducting depending on their structure with paramagnetic or diamagnetic responses to applied magnetic fields, respectively, both of which tend to align the MWCNT in the same direction and with nearly the same force. [23-25] However, huge magnetic fields on the order of 10-30 T are required to produce observable degrees of alignment. [21] The cryogenically-cooled electromagnets needed to achieve those massive magnetic fields render this method unfit for the production of aligned BP on any appreciable scale. Additional discussion of the magnetic alignment approach can be found at published patent application US 2002/0185770 to McKague (use of magnetic fields to align CNTs), which is incorporated by reference herein.
McKaque U.S. 2002/0185770 describes some of the issues in this technical field, including the challenges faced trying to achieve CNT alignment. McKaque discusses the potential benefits from such things as an efficient way to produce mass quantities of BP; with an effective degree of CNT alignment to produce anisotropic and other beneficial properties, and the ability to produce composites containing improved loadings of CNTs relative to simple melt or resin mixing.
Thus, the state of the art recognizes there is a need for aligned buckypaper fabrication techniques. But as discussed above, suggested solutions leave room for improvement in terms of flexibility, efficiency, complexity, economy, and applicability to a wide range of types of nanostructures.

Method, apparatus, and system for producing buckypaper or similar sheet or layer of elongated nanostructures with a degree of nanostructure alignment

Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.


A vehicle seat comprising a seat part, an adjustable backrest part attached to the seat part, and a floor assembly supporting the seat part and arranged on a vehicle floor. The seat part is connected to the floor assembly in a pivotal manner about a first axis, and the backrest part is connected to the seat part in a pivotal manner about a second axis. The vehicle seat has a first adjusting device powered by an electric motor for pivoting the seat part relative to the floor assembly about the first axis and a second adjusting device powered by an electric motor for pivoting the backrest part relative to the seat part about the second axis.

Vehicle seats may include a seat part, a backrest part adjustably arranged on the seat part, and a floor assembly which carries the seat part and via which the seat part is to be arranged on a vehicle floor.
The vehicle seat can be configured for example as a rear seat in the second or third row in a vehicle.
In future vehicles, a different adjustability of vehicle seats may be desired in connection with novel interior design concepts. In particular, in connection with what is called autonomous driving a vehicle front seat may be adjustable to a larger extent and may take other positions—beyond the positions known from today's vehicle seats. For example, a vehicle front seat may be shiftable to the rear along a comparatively large adjustment path, and thus may be approached to a rear seat located behind the vehicle front seat and also be brought e.g. into a position approached to a reclining position (so-called relax position) in order to allow the vehicle occupant to have a comfortable, relaxed ride.
Such an adjustability of a vehicle front seat requires sufficient space behind the vehicle front seat to a larger extent. In particular, a rear seat arranged behind the vehicle front seat should not impair the adjustability of the vehicle front seat, which may require to stow the rear seat in a space-saving way in dependence on the posture and position of the vehicle front seat. It should be noted that frequently no large storage space is available behind a rear seat because for example a vehicle interior space is separated from a vehicle cargo space by a bulkhead and thus a rear seat cannot easily be shifted further to the rear.

Vehicle seat with a seat part which can be pivoted about a single pivot axis

Brose Fahrzeugteile SE & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Coburg