A system and a method for managing privacy of data are provided. The method includes causing generation of a trigger notification notifying an access to one or more fields of a user-profile in a first application. The trigger notification generated is by a second application integrated with the first application. The first application includes a plurality of fields comprising sensitive data associated with the user-profile. The method further includes enforcing one or more access preferences corresponding to the one or more fields by the second application on the generation of the trigger notification. The one or more access preferences are based at least on one of a plurality of preconfigured rules and contextual information associated with the trigger notification. Enforcing the one or more access preferences facilitates in managing data privacy.

Currently, with advancement in the internet technology, various products and services have been introduced and practiced. Examples of such products and/or services include, but are not limited, to, online transactions, social networking, e-commerce shopping websites, and so on. Such online products and services allow users to conveniently transact online. Various organization providing such products and services includes banks, telecom operators, insurance companies, and other such organizations.
The organizations enabling online provisioning of services and product to consumers acquires sensitive data of customers while the customers register with said organizations or accepts the services thereof. Such sensitive data may include, but are not limited to, name, address, date of birth, identity number, financial details like bank account details, credit card number, Card Verification Value (CVV) code, date of expiry of the credit card, and so on. The sensitive data of the customers that is available to the organizations may pose a risk of getting shared with other companies or third parties.


Provided is an electrolytic apparatus capable of pressurizing hydrogen gas produced by the electrolytic apparatus and removing impurities in the produced hydrogen gas.

In alkaline water electrolysis, electrolysis of unpurified water, brine electrolysis, electrolysis of chloride aqueous solution, bromic acid aqueous solution, hydrochloric acid, and sulfuric acid aqueous solution, etc., hydrogen gas is generated from a cathode chamber by electrolysis.
An alkaline water electrolytic apparatus and an alkaline water electrolysis method described in Patent Literature 1 are an example of an electrolytic apparatus and an electrolysis method for generating hydrogen gas. In the electrolytic apparatus and the electrolysis method described in Patent Literature 1, an anolyte and a catholyte including a gas-liquid mixed fluid produced in an anode chamber and a cathode chamber are collected in a common circulation tank, mixed in the circulation tank, and then circulated and supplied to both electrolytic chambers of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber. By mixing the anolyte and the catholyte in the circulation tank, continuous electrolysis is carried out while maintaining concentrations of electrolytes supplied to both the electrolytic chambers at the same concentration and constantly maintaining constant concentration.
In recent years, it has become important to escape from fossil fuels to prevent global warming, and use of hydrogen gas as an alternative energy source has been widely studied. For example, as disclosed in Patent Literature 2, high-purity hydrogen gas generated by electrolysis is required to be pressurized by a compressor so that the hydrogen gas is transferred to a subsequent process such as storage.
In alkaline water electrolysis, electrolysis of unpurified water, brine electrolysis, electrolysis of chloride aqueous solution, aqueous bromide solution, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid aqueous solution, etc., hydrogen gas is generated from the cathode chamber and oxygen gas, ozone gas and/or chlorine gas is generated from the anode chamber by electrolysis. Oxygen gas may be discharged into the atmosphere in some cases or recovered and used for another purpose in some cases. Ozone gas and chlorine gas are recovered and used.

Abstract: In the electrolytic apparatus, gas compression means 101 including an ejector 110, a storage tank 103 storing a circulation liquid, a circulation pipe 105 circulating a fluid mixture of hydrogen gas and the circulation liquid to the ejector, and a circulation pump 104 is provided in a discharge line 12 for hydrogen gas produced by electrolysis, a hydrogen gas discharge pipe 106 and a first valve V1 are provided in the storage tank 103, impurities in the hydrogen gas are transferred to the circulation liquid to remove the impurities from the hydrogen gas, and a pressure of the hydrogen gas stored in the storage tank 103 is raised by controlling a flow rate of the circulation liquid circulated from the storage tank 103 to the ejector 110 and opening and closing of the first valve V1.


A method of reducing the thickness of a silicon substrate made superficially porous in particular in certain areas on one side. A back of the silicon substrate facing a porous front is made porous over the entire area and the produced porous material is subsequently removed in such a way that the remaining thickness of the substrate, at least in the area where the porous material has been removed from the back, corresponds to a predetermined reduced thickness compared to the original thickness of the substrate. The proposed method is particularly suited for the manufacture of a thermally operating sensor on the basis of technology using porous silicon, of a temperature sensor, a mass flow sensor, an air quality sensor, or a gas sensor.

The present invention relates to a method, and its application, of reducing the thickness of a silicon substrate which has a superficial porosity, in particular in certain areas.
As described in German Published Patent Application No. 197 52 208, in micromechanics porous silicon is primarily used as a sacrificial layer in superficial micromechanical processes in order to, for example, produce cavities which are used for thermal isolation of sensor structures being applied thereon. Due to its low thermal conductivity, porous silicon or oxidized porous silicon may also be used for thermal isolation of sensor structures by itself. The removal of the porous silicon or the oxidized porous silicon produced is omitted in this case to increase the stability of the total system. Such a procedure is described, for example, in unpublished German Patent Application 100 58 009.2.
For producing porous silicon, an electrochemical reaction between a hydrofluoric acid electrolyte and silicon is generally used, whereby a spongelike structure is produced in the silicon, e.g., in the surface area of a silicon wafer. For this purpose the silicon wafer is introduced or immersed into the hydrofluoric acid electrolyte, and the surface of the wafer to be made porous is made into the positive pole vis-a-vis the electrolyte.
Doped silicon wafers are particularly well suited for manufacturing porous silicon, the structure variables within the porous silicon, obtained after porosification, being determined by the type and degree of doping. P-doped silicon wafers having different degrees of doping are preferably used.
Porous silicon has the advantage over conventional silicon due to its large inner surface, and therefore has other important chemical and physical characteristics, e.g., a different etching rate, a different thermal conductivity, and a different thermal capacitance. In particular, through porosification of silicon, its reactivity is clearly increased, which makes selective removal of porous silicon possible using high etching rates vis-a-vis bulk silicon, and in addition, other chemical reactions, e.g., its oxidation, within the porous silicon are made possible or are facilitated.
In thermal sensors based on silicon technology, a good thermal isolation of the sensor structures from a silicon substrate situated beneath them is particularly important. If porous silicon or oxidized porous silicon is produced on a surface area of the silicon wafer in such a thermal sensor, e.g., for thermal isolation, then the quality of the thermal isolation is determined not only by the thickness of this thermally insulating layer but also by the thickness and thermal conductivity of the silicon substrate situated beneath it. If the thickness of the thermally insulating porous layer is too low, or the thickness of the silicon substrate is too high, thermal short circuits may occur.
Using a technology on the basis of porous silicon, it was the initial object of the present invention to minimize the layer thickness of the thermally non-insulating substrate and the thickness of the layer situated beneath the porous area without adding additional complex processing steps. In the manufacture of micromechanical structures it is desirable in many cases to reduce the thickness of the relatively thick silicon wafer for packing reasons. Therefore it was the object of the present invention to integrate this additional thickness reduction procedure into one of the processing steps for the manufacture of micromechanical structures and sensor elements.
The method according to the present invention of reducing the thickness of a silicon substrate which has a superficial porosity, in particular in certain areas, has the advantage over the related art that it is easily integratable into existing manufacturing processes and usual devices for porosification of silicon may be utilized for its implementation.
Therefore, the method according to the present invention does not require investments in plant engineering, nor does it require substantial modifications in existing manufacturing processes; i.e., using the method according to the present invention, the thickness of silicon substrates may be reduced without additional expense, reducing thermal losses due to the thermal conductivity of the silicon substrate in that way, for example.
Implementing the method according to the present invention has the advantage that, compared to commonly used methods of reducing the thickness of silicon substrates, a very short time is important for removing by etching the porous silicon or the oxidized porous silicon produced. In particular, due to the high reactivity of the porous material produced, thick layers may also be removed by etching in only seconds to minutes, depending on thickness and porosity.
It is advantageous in particular if the silicon substrate is converted into porous silicon or porous silicon oxide, in part of the front surface and the entire back surface. As a rule, the front is defined here by having sensor elements or structures, manufactured using surface micromechanics in particular, produced or positioned there.
It is also advantageous if the porosification of the back is performed by polarity reversal of the voltage during the electrochemical process used for producing the area of porous silicon or porous silicon oxide on the front of the silicon substrate. This polarity reversal may take place once, so that front and back are made porous one after the other, or it may take place alternately, i.e., porosification of front and back of the silicon substrate takes place alternately in small steps. The desired thickness of the back layer of porous silicon is easily adjustable in a known manner via the duration and degree of porosification, so that a well-defined thickness of the layer of porous material is removed from the back, resulting in a similarly well-defined reduction in the original thickness of the silicon substrate after the removal from the back of the porous material produced, which is easily pre-adjusted via the back porosification parameters.
It is also advantageous that all conceivable shapes of microstructures for forming sensor elements, in particular thermal sensor elements, may be produced on the front of the silicon substrate, for example via the porous area which is covered there by a cover layer or a passivation layer. The method according to the present invention is therefore suitable for use in the manufacture of all thermally operating sensors on the basis of a technology using porous silicon, in particular in the manufacture of temperature sensors, mass flow sensors, air quality sensors, or gas sensors.

Method of reducing the thickness of a silicon substrate


A radio telephone apparatus comprises detecting means for detecting a predetermined signal sequence other than a signal sequence associated with address signaling or an incoming call indicator signal and means for indicating that a call is received in response to the detection of the predetermined signal sequence. A user of the apparatus may prestore identification numbers of parties from whom the user wishes to receive calls. Also, by means of a transmitted password and a comparison of the password upon receipt with a prestored password, incoming calls will be received.

Recently various kinds of radio telephones have been developed. One of these is generally referred to as a mobile telephone. The mobile radio telephone, which may be mounted in a car, a train, a ship or the like, comprises a transceiver unit with an antenna and telephone unit including a handset and a base unit. These units are physically separated and are connected by signal lines to one other. Another kind of radio telephone is referred to as a portable telephone. Portable telephones may be further divided into two groups: a transportable type and a handheld type. In the transportable type of portable radio telephone, a transceiver unit is combined into a main unit of a telephone unit and an antenna is attached to the main unit, consequently a user may carry the transportable telephone wherever the user goes. In the handheld type of portable radio telephone, all components are compacted into one unit which may be held in the hand of a user. All of these radio telephones are supplied with power from a battery.
Generally, it is required to reduce consumption of electric power since its power is supplied from a battery installed therein or in a vehicle, which has a limited power capacity.
Although the power of the battery is consumed whenever the radio telephone is turned on, additional power is consumed whenever a ringer tone must be generated in response to reception of a call from another party. Because power is needed to drive a loud speaker for generating the ringer tone, it is desirable to reduce either the number of times or the ringing period when calls from other parties are received. Especially, in the case of a portable phone, which has only a limited power capacity owing to miniturization therefor, the consumption of battery power is a serious problem. For example, when only limited power capacity is remaining and a call from a third party, which may not even be an important call, is received, the power of battery may be immediately consumed due to the necessary generation of ringer tone. Consequently, a user becomes unable thereafter to subsequently make or receive a call. Even in the case of a mobile telephone in a car, whenever the car is parked and the mobile telephone is left turned on without being attended by another party, if calls from anyone are received, the power of the battery is wastefully consumed.
Although the user may think to turn off the power supply in these cases, it will be impossible for the user to receive an important call or an emergency call.
Yet, in some situations the user may intentionally wish to prevent reception of incoming calls. For example, the user may wish to turn off power to the telephone while the user is attending a meeting or the like thereby preventing reception of incoming calls. Also in such a case, it is desirable for the user to be capable of receiving an important call or an emergency call.
In prior art telephone apparatus, repertory dialing is well known. For repertory dialing, the user may store a personalized repertory dialing list including a plurality of frequently called numbers is stored in a memory of the apparatus. A user may make a call to one of the frequently called numbers by inputting an abbreviated data code corresponding to a called number. When a user receives calls from other apparatus, the repertory dialing list may be thought to be useful in distinguishing an important incoming call or an emergency call from the other calls because the contents of the two lists may be similar. However, it is necessary for call restriction to identify the unique identification number of calling apparatus. Prior art radio telephone apparatus equipment with repertory dialing features is not configured to identify, nor do known radio telephone systems provide to a called apparatus, a telephone number for each calling apparatus.


A multiple-output switching power supply unit includes: a voltage generating circuit Q1, Q2, T1a, 10a configured to generate a pulse voltage by intermittently interrupting a direct current power supply 1; a series resonance circuit including a current resonance capacitor Cri2, a primary winding P2 of a transformer T2, and a switching element Q3, the pulse voltage generated in the voltage generating circuit being applied to the series resonance circuit; a rectifying/smoothing circuit D2, C2 configured to rectify and smooth a voltage which is generated in a secondary winding S2 of the transformer, and thus to output a direct current output voltage; and a control circuit 11 configured to turn on and off the switching element based on the direct current output voltage.

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of a conventional resonance-type multiple-output switching power supply unit. In the primary side of a transformer T1 included in this multiple-output switching power supply unit, a full-wave rectifying circuit 2 rectifies an alternating current voltage from a commercial power supply 1. A smoothing capacitor C3 is connected between the output terminals of the full-wave rectifying circuit 2, and thus smoothes an output from the full-wave rectifying circuit 2. A first switching element Q1 and a second switching element Q2 are connected together in series between the two terminals of the smoothing capacitor C3. Thus, as a direct current input voltage Vin, a voltage between the two terminals of the smoothing capacitor C3 is applied to the first and second switching elements Q1, Q2. A control circuit 10 controls the on and off of each of the first switching element Q1 and the second switching element Q2. A voltage resonance capacitor Crv is connected to the second switching element Q2 in parallel.
A series resonance circuit is connected to the two terminals of the voltage resonance capacitor Crv, and includes the primary winding P1 (its number of turns is denoted by reference sign N1) of the transformer T1, a reactor Lr1 and a current resonance capacitor Cri which are connected one after another in series. Note that the reactor Lr1 is made of a leakage inductance between the primary and secondary sides of the transformer T1, for instance.
In addition, the secondary side of the transformer T1 includes: a first rectifying/smoothing circuit connected to a first secondary winding S1 (its number of turns is denoted by reference sign N2) whose coil is wound in order to generate a voltage having a phase which is reverse to that of a voltage of the primary winding P1 of the transformer T1; and a second rectifying/smoothing circuit connected to a second secondary winding S2 (its number of turns is denoted by reference sign N3) whose coil is wound in order to generate a voltage having a phase which is reverse to that of a voltage of the primary winding P1 of the transformer T1.
The first rectifying/smoothing circuit includes a diode D1 and a smoothing capacitor C1. Thus, the first rectifying/smoothing circuit rectifies and smoothes a voltage which is induced by the first secondary winding S1 of the transformer T1, and outputs the resultant voltage, as a first output voltage Vo1, from a first output terminal. The second rectifying/smoothing circuit includes a diode D2 and a smoothing capacitor C2. Thus, the second rectifying/smoothing circuit rectifies and smoothes a voltage which is induced by the second secondary winding S2 of the transformer T1, and outputs the resultant voltage, as a second output voltage Vo2, from a second output terminal.
This multiple-output switching power supply unit further includes a feedback circuit 5 configured to feed back to the primary side a signal depending on the first output voltage Vo1. The input side of the feedback circuit 5 is connected to the first output terminal. This feedback circuit 5 compares a voltage between the two terminals of the smoothing capacitor C1 with a predetermined reference voltage, and thus feeds back an error voltage, as a voltage error signal, to a control circuit 10 of the primary side.
The control circuit 10 performs a PWM control by alternately turning on and off the first switching element Q1 and the second switching element Q2 on the basis of the voltage error signal fed back from the feedback circuit 5, and thereby controls the first output voltage Vo1 so that the first control output voltage Vo1 can be constant. In this case, as a control signal, a voltage for causing the first switching element Q1 and the second switching element Q2 to intermittently stop functioning for a dead time of approximately several hundreds of nanoseconds is applied to the gates respectively of the first switching element Q1 and the second switching element Q2. This makes the first switching element Q1 and the second switching element Q2 alternately turned on and off without making the on period of the first switching element Q1 and the on period of the second switching element Q2 happen at the same time.
Next, referring to a waveform diagram shown in FIG. 2, descriptions will be provided for how the conventional multiple-output switching power supply unit thus configured operates.
In FIG. 2, reference sign Vds(Q2) denotes a voltage between the drain and source of the second switching element Q2; Id(Q1), a current flowing through the drain of the first switching element Q1; Id(Q2), a current flowing through the drain of the second switching element Q2; I(Cri), a current flowing through the current resonance capacitor Cri; V(Cri), a voltage between the two terminals of the current resonance capacitor Cri; If(D1), a current flowing through the diode D1; and If(D2), a current flowing through the diode D2.
The first output voltage Vo1 is controlled, when the PWM control is performed on the first switching element Q1 by the control circuit 10 which receives the voltage error signal fed back to the primary side from the first rectifying/smoothing circuit through the feedback circuit 5. In this case, as described above, depending on the control signal from the control circuit 10, the first switching element Q1 and the second switching element Q2 alternately turn on and off while repeatedly stopping functioning for the dead time of approximately several hundreds of nanoseconds.
First of all, during the on period (for instance, between time t11 and time t12) of the first switching element Q1, energy is stored in the current resonance capacitor Cri through the magnetic inductance of the primary winding P1 of the transformer T1 and the reactor Lr1 (leakage inductance between the primary and secondary windings of the transformer T1).
Subsequently, during the on period (for instance, between time t12 and time t14) of the second switching element Q2, based on the energy stored in the current resonance capacitor Cri, a resonant current generated by the reactor Lr1 and the current resonance capacitor Cri flows, and the energy is thus transferred to the secondary side. In addition, the magnetic energy of the magnetic inductance of the primary winding P1 is reset.
More specifically, during the on period of the second switching element Q2, a voltage obtained by dividing the voltage V(Cri) between the two terminals of the current resonance capacitor Cri by the magnetic inductance of the primary winding P1 and the reactor Lr1 is applied to the primary winding P1. Once the voltage applied to the primary winding P1 becomes equal to (Vo1+Vf)×N1/N2, the voltage is clamped. Thereby, the resonant current generated by the current resonance capacitor Cri and the reactor Lr1 flows, and the energy is thus transferred to the secondary side. This makes the current If (D1) flow through the diode D1. While the voltage of the primary winding P1 is less than (Vo1+Vf)×N1/N2, no energy is transferred to the secondary side of the transformer T1. Accordingly, the resonance operation in the primary side only is performed by the magnetic inductance of the primary winding P1 of the transformer T1, the reactor Lri, and the current resonance capacitor Cri.
In general, the on period of the second switching element
Q2 is set at a time length which is determined by the on period of the first switching element Q1 with the frequency being fixed, or set at an arbitrary constant time length. When the on period of the first switching element Q1 is changed, the ratio of the duty of the first switching element Q1 and the second switching element Q2 is changed. Thereby, the voltage of the current resonance capacitor Cri is changed. For this reason, it is possible to control the amount of energy which is transferred to the secondary side.
Moreover, the first secondary winding S1 and the second secondary winding S2 are coupled together with the same polarity being shared between the two windings. During the on period of the second switching element Q2, while energy obtained from the first secondary winding S1 is being outputted as the first output voltage Vo1, energy obtained from the second secondary winding S2 is outputted as the second output voltage Vo2. This second output voltage Vo2 is almost equal to Vo1×N3/N2.
In reality, however, the voltage generated in the first secondary winding S1 is higher than the first output voltage Vo1 by a forward step-down voltage Vf of the diode D1, and the voltage generated in the second secondary winding S2 is higher than the second output voltage Vo2 by a forward step-down voltage Vf of the diode D2. For this reason, change in Vf due to the load fluctuation of each output deteriorates the cross regulation. On the other hand, in the case of a power supply unit whose specification makes its output voltages changeable, once one output voltage changes, the other output voltage also changes in proportion to it. This makes it impossible to output the multiple outputs directly from the windings.
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of another conventional multiple-output switching power supply unit. This multiple-output switching power supply unit includes a regulator 12 such as a dropper or a step-down chopper instead of the second rectifying/smoothing circuit shown in FIG. 1. By use of this regulator 12, this multiple-output switching power supply unit generates the second output voltage Vo2 from the first output voltage Vo1. Thereby, this multiple-output switching power supply unit stabilizes its outputs. This multiple-output switching power supply unit is capable of solving the problem of the cross regulation between the two outputs.
In a case where an output current corresponding to the second output voltage Vo2 is small, this multiple-output switching power supply unit allows its circuit to be constructed economically by use of the dropper. However, in a case where the output current corresponding to the second output voltage Vo2 is large, this multiple-output switching power supply unit requires its circuit to be constructed by use of the step-down chopper and the like. Additional installation of parts including a switching element, a choke coil and a control IC for this construction pushes up the costs, and increases the packaging area. Besides, because the switching elements turn on and off paths through which large currents flow, significant switching loss occurs, and noise inevitably occurs as well.
In the case of a switching power supply unit described in Patent Document 1, a rectifying diode, a switching element and a smoothing capacitor are connected in series to a second secondary winding of a transformer included in a current resonance-type DC-DC converter; based on a voltage of the smoothing capacitor, the switching element turns on and off; and a direct current output is thus outputted. In addition, a leakage inductance of the transformer, the rectifying diode, the switching element and the smoothing capacitor operate as a chopper circuit, and are thus capable of stabilizing the direct current output.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-197755.

Multiple-output switching power supply unit


The systems, devices, and methods described herein relate to tubular detection on a gripperhead system for a drilling rig. The gripperhead system includes a grabber and a gripper each having first and second grabber arm and pistons connected to the first and second arms. Each arm may also include an inwardly facing gripping surface forming at least a portion of a chamber sized to receive a portion of a cylindrical tubular. One or more sensors may be disposed on the gripperhead system, including proximity sensors disposed on the arms, inductive sensors disposed within the pistons, and ultrasonic sensors disposed on other features of gripperhead system. The one or more sensors may be configured to determine the position of the tubular in relation to the arms, measure the size of the tubular, measure the compression force of the grabber, and ensure that the tubular is secured within the grabber.

The exploration and production of hydrocarbons require the use of numerous types of tubulars also referred to as pipe. Tubulars include but are not limited to drill pipes, casings, and other threadably connectable elements used in well structures. Strings of joined tubulars, or drill strings, are often used to drill a wellbore and, with regards to casing, prevent collapse of the wellbore after drilling. These tubulars are normally assembled in groups of two or more, commonly known as "stands" to be vertically stored in the derrick or mast. The derrick or mast may include a storing structure commonly referred to as a fingerboard. Fingerboards typically include a plurality of vertically elongated support structures or "fingers" each capable of receiving a plurality of "stands."
Rotary drilling and top drive drilling systems often use these stands, instead of single tubulars, to increase efficiency of drilling operations by reducing the amount of connections required to build the drill string in or directly over the wellbore. However, the manipulation of tubulars from a horizontal to a vertical position, assembly of the stands, and presentation of the stands between the fingerboard and the well center are dangerous and can be rather inefficient operations. When the stands are stacked densely in the fingerboard, it is difficult to select, or secure, a stand from the stack of stands using the gripper. Furthermore, existing systems generally do not have the ability to measure the diameter of pipe with the gripper or verify that a pipe is securely grabbed. This can lead to costly errors due to crushed pipes or pipes slipping out of the gripper. Thus, traditional grippers may be improved to better handle pipe.
The present disclosure is directed to pipe gripping systems that overcome one or more of the shortcomings in the prior art.

Systems, devices, and methods to detect pipe with a gripperhead


A method of making silicone microspheres comprises nebulizing a silicone precursor solution comprising one or more oligomeric dimethylsiloxanes, a catalyst and a solvent into an aerosol comprising a plurality of droplets. Each droplet comprises the silicone precursor solution. The droplets are entrained in a gas which is flowed through a reaction zone comprising light energy and/or heat energy. Upon exposure of the droplets to the light energy and/or the heat energy, the solvent evaporates and the one or more oligomeric dimethylsiloxanes are polymerized. Thus, silicone microspheres are formed from the droplets of the aerosol.

Silicones, polymers with a backbone of silicon-oxygen bonds, are widely used as sorbents, adhesives, lubricants, coatings, and materials for microfluidics, medical devices, and precision molding. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and other silicones are gas permeable, biologically compatible, optically clear, hydrophobic and biodegradable. They also exhibit good dielectric properties and high thermal and chemical stability, and they swell in organic solvents, especially hydrocarbons. Despite the prevalence of bulk silicone polymers, a scalable synthetic method for producing stable, micron-sized, spherical particles (microspheres) of crosslinked silicones has proven extraordinarily challenging due to the low surface energy of silicone oligomers and their tendency to coalesce and agglomerate during emulsion polymerizations, especially at the elevated temperatures that may be required for polymer curing.
For example, emulsion polymerizations of silicone spheres produce large, polydisperse microspheres ranging in diameter from 50 microns to hundreds of microns with a multimodal size distribution. Other synthetic methods include rapid expansion of a supercritical solution to produce liquid PDMS microspheres, grinding of silicone tubing under liquid nitrogen to form PDMS microparticles, dipping a fiber into noncrosslinked PDMS for "one-at-a-time" PDMS microsphere synthesis, and use of a microfluidic channel to fabricate crosslinked PDMS magnetic microspheres. These methods are cumbersome, have low production rates, and produce only large microspheres (e.g., >100 μm to 1 mm in diameter).
Despite the fabrication challenges, many potential applications for PDMS microspheres have been suggested in the literature. Possible uses include sensors, actuators, and additives for polymer resins. PDMS microspheres may also be suitable as materials for extraction and chromatography and for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery and controlled release. These applications have not yet been well explored, at least in part due to the lack of versatility and control inherent in existing methods to fabricate PDMS microspheres.

Method of producing silicone microspheres

The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois


A process for recovering an onium hydroxide from a composition containing onium ions and a process residue, including providing a composition containing onium ions and a process residue; adding a quantity of a surfactant to the composition to obtain a surfactant-modified composition; providing a cation exchange media; collecting the onium ions by applying the surfactant-modified composition to the cation exchange media wherein the onium ions become bound to and retained by the cation exchange media and the process residue and the surfactant do not become bound to the cation exchange media and are substantially not retained by the cation exchange media; and recovering the onium ions from the cation exchange media as an onium hydroxide by applying a cation-containing hydroxide composition to the cation exchange media.

Onium hydroxides, such as tetramethylammonium hydroxide, are used in processing of semiconductors and in processing of flat panel display devices, e.g., liquid crystal display (LCD) devices. Environmental and economic concerns drive the desire to recycle materials, including materials such as the onium hydroxides used in processing of semiconductor and flat panel devices. Materials such as onium hydroxides and onium salts are the subject of rather stringent environmental regulations. The production of new onium hydroxides and onium salts is more expensive than is the recycling of used onium hydroxides and onium salts. Use of materials such as onium hydroxides in semiconductor and liquid crystal display processing inevitably contaminates the onium hydroxides with process residues such as photoresist residues. While removal of most process residues and recovery of the onium hydroxides from waste mixtures from such processing has been known, it has proven quite difficult efficiently to remove process residues such as photoresist residues and similar materials from such waste mixtures without creating problems in the recycling process. In ion exchange processes for recycling onium ions, problems include channeling, early breakthrough and resulting loss of ion exchange capacity, as a result of the presence of the process residues. In order to meet this need and overcome these problems, it has been generally necessary to conduct such recovery operations at a level of efficiency that is lower than that theoretically possible based on the loading of onium hydroxides in the waste mixtures and the known ion exchange capacity of the ion exchange resins used for such recovery, since heretofore it has been impossible to attain removal of such contaminants from recycled onium hydroxide-containing waste mixtures at higher efficiencies. Thus, it has proven difficult to recycle materials such as the onium hydroxides used in processing of semiconductor and flat panel display devices for re-use in subsequent processing of semiconductor and flat panel display devices. Removal of residues such as photoresist residues from recycled onium hydroxide and salt solutions has been a long-standing problem, and a need remains for such methods, if materials such as onium hydroxides and salts are to be successfully and economically recycled for use in the most demanding applications, such as in semiconductor and flat panel display processing.

Process for improved recovery of onium hydroxide from compositions containing process residues


An optical disk apparatus includes a digital signal processor, a photo-detector circuit, and a sample-and-hold circuit. By using a sampling-timing signal generated by the sampling-timing signal based on a sampling-timing signal transmitted from the digital signal processor to the photo-detector circuit through a flexible cable, the sample-and-hold circuit can be operated. Based on a sampling-timing signal dedicated for a side spot, the sample-and-hold circuit can be operated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disk apparatus for recording onto optical disks such as CD-R (compact disk recordable) and DVD-R (digital versatile disk recordable), and, in particular, to sampling and holding of a photoelectrically converted signal in an optical pickup.
2. Description of the Related Art
A photoelectrically converted signal, which is obtained by a built-in photo-detector circuit in an optical pickup and which corresponds to a semiconductor laser beam reflected by a disk at recording time, has the waveform shown in FIG. 5A. The photoelectrically converted signal is normally transmitted to an RF signal processing circuit through a flexible cable. This is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-53735 (page 5, FIG. 1). The RF signal processing circuit calculates signals, such as a servo signal and an APC (automatic emitting-power control circuit) control signal, based on the photoelectrically converted signal input through the flexible cable. To calculate the servo signal, the photoelectrically converted signal must be sampled in periods (the low level periods shown in FIG. 5A) in which the semiconductor laser beam is emitted at a bias power. An increase in recording speed shortens the sampling period. Thus, a signal settling time, which is obtained when a photoelectrically converted signal in the recording period changes to the photoelectrically converted signal in bias periods (the low level periods shown in FIG. 5A), must be reduced.
The above flexible cable electrically acts as a distributed parameter line and has a frequency characteristic having a peak in the vicinity of 150 MHz. Therefore, if the slew rate of an output from the photo-detector circuit is enhanced in order to shorten the settling time, as FIG. 5B shows, ringing 50, which occurs at a bias power portion of the photoelectrically converted signal in the bias period (low level period), only increases. Conversely, the settling time lengthens.
In addition, since enhancing the slew rate represents short-time charging for a capacitive element in the flexible cable and a load capacitance such as an input capacitance of the RF signal processing circuit at a post stage, a circuit current flowing at a final stage of the photo-detector circuit must be increased. This increases the power consumption, and the increased power often exceeds the allowable value in a package. Accordingly, also in this sense, the settling time cannot be shortened. Therefore, it is very difficult to shorten the settling time from the recording power level to the bias power level from the order of ten nanoseconds. This results in the inability to cope with increased recording speed, thus decreasing the servo accuracy. In some cases, tracking servo control is impossible.
Accordingly, in one method, it is possible that, by providing a sample-and-hold circuit in the photo-detector circuit, and sampling and holding the photoelectrically converted signal before performing transmission through the flexible cable, a sampled-and-held signal having a small amplitude is transmitted through the flexible cable. This prevents the signal transmitted through the flexible cable from experiencing a large change in level. Accordingly, the need for a circuit having a large slew rate is eliminated. In addition, a circuit including a hold capacitor whose capacitance is large is not required (up to 11 T of 1×CD, that is, approximately 100 kHz) as the sample-and-hold circuit. Thus, a large current is not required as a driving current in a current-voltage converting circuit at a previous stage. Moreover, since the elimination of the need to drive the flexible cable results in a small load, a slew rate at an initial stage can be sufficiently enhanced, thus shortening a signal settling time.
High speed recording has a high clock frequency. For example, in 16×DVD recording, the clock frequency is approximately 400 MHz. Thus, when signal sampling is performed in a bias power emitting interval (3 T), which is the minimum length, even in the case of performing sampling from 7.5 nanoseconds (4 T), the photoelectrically converted signal must be settled in 10 nanoseconds or less or the sampling cannot be achieved by the present circuit.
Push-pull methods and three-beam methods have conventionally been employed as tracking servo methods for apparatuses for recording on or playing back optical disks. Among these methods, a differential push-pull method is typically used.
The principle of the differential push-pull method is shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, three beam spots (a main spot M and side spots S1 and S2) formed by a diffraction grating are positioned so that the side spots S1 and S2 are disk-radially shifted with respect to the main spot M by half of a track pitch P. Reflected beams from the main spot M and both side spots S1 and S2 are photoelectrically converted by photo-detectors so that push-pull signals can be obtained for the spots M, S1, and S2. The photoelectrically converted signals corresponding to the spots M, S1, and S2 must be sampled in the above-described manner.
Regarding the photoelectrically converted signal corresponding to the main spot M, when considering detection of an address signal, sampling must be performed within a 3 T space, which is the shortest repetition. For the photoelectrically converted signal corresponding to each side spot, only a servo signal needs to be detected. Thus, conventionally, it is preferable to perform signal detection concerning a signal having 6 T or longer. However, there is a problem in that, when the main spot output and each side spot output are sampled with the same sampling timing, a circuit for the side spot must also have a bandwidth and settling characteristic similar to those in a circuit for the main spot. The bandwidth must be extremely broadened, so that the circuit for the side spot does not sufficiently operate. Accordingly, the circuit operation is unstable. For eliminating this defect, design and circuit improvements are required. This causes various problems, such as an increase in circuit size and an increase in production cost. Accordingly, it is preferable that different timing be used for each of the circuit for the main spot M and the circuit for each side spot. However, this complicates a sampling-timing-signal generator, and the number of wires for transmitting sampling-timing signals is increased, thus increasing flexible cable size. This causes a problem in that reduction in apparatus size cannot be achieved.


Monoclonal antibodies are provided which bind to heat-treated proteins of meats. The antibodies are useful in detecting the presence of an exogenous meat in a cooked or raw meat sample. Furthermore, the antibodies can be used to determine the end point temperature of a meat sample.

The accurate labeling of meat products is mandated and monitored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as well as by state and local governments. Mixing undeclared species in meat products is illegal under Food Labeling Regulations. Apart from regulatory reasons, the prevention of adulteration of meat products with less desirable meat species is important to the consumers for economic, health, food safety and religious reasons.
Several methods have been developed to identify meat species including electrophoresis, chromatography, DNA hybridization, and immunoassays. Immunological techniques, including agar-gel immunodiffusion (AGID) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) are most commonly applied for meat species identification.
There are several disadvantages to the official method AGID. Concentrated antiserum preparations are required to obtain visible precipitin lines in AGID. Obtaining the antiserum is expensive in large-scale testing. Furthermore, the sensitivity of AGID is variable. Usually ten percent or more contamination must be present to detect adulteration with this method. Lastly, AGID cannot be used for species identification in cooked meat because of the shortage of commercial antiserum specific to cooked meats.
The ELISA method has emerged as a sensitive, rapid, and specific method for meat speciation. This method can detect levels as low as one percent or less of meat contamination. Furthermore, it requires only simple sample preparation and no expensive equipment or highly skilled operator. In addition, the ELISA technique can be used for both qualitative and quantitative analysis of meat proteins.
Specific antibodies, either polyclonal antibodies or monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), are required as capture reagents in ELISA. Most of the ELISA methods currently employed for meat species identification use polyclonal antibodies as a capture reagent. However, polyclonal antibodies have disadvantages such as limited production, variable affinity and a requirement for further purification to eliminate cross-reaction.
Using MAb based ELISA can provide better data quality and eventually reduce the cost of assays. To date, the monoclonal antibodies which are utilized in ELISA based assays for meat identification have been raised against native proteins. The antibodies are useful for the detection of meat in raw meat mixtures.
A few disclosures of the production of polyclonal antibodies for the qualitative detection of meat species in cooked meat samples has been reported. These polyclonal antibodies have been raised against native heat-resistant immunizing antigens.
Wide spread meat species adulteration has been found particularly among heat-processed meat products and retail meat markets. Hsieh et al. (1995) Jrnl. of Food Quality 19:1-13, indicated that the violation rate in cooked products was higher than raw meats (22.9% versus 15.9%) in the domestic market. This adulteration can have serious health consequences. Poultry carries pathogens that cause food-borne diseases. Cooking poultry requires a minimum internal temperature of 71.1° C. (160° F.) to kill salmonella. Beef requires a minimum internal temperature of 68.3° C. (155° F.) to kill E. Coli H7:0157. If a meat product like beef is contaminated with poultry meat, it might impose a potential health hazard due to the inadequate heat-processing even at a very low level of contamination.
Additionally, regulatory controls to prevent the spread of BSE have prohibited the use of certain animal proteins in feed in several countries, requiring accurate analytical methods for detecting prohibited material in feed stuffs to ensure compliance with the new regulations. Microscopic analysis is commonly used to identify constituents of animal origin, e.g. blood clots, bone fragments, feather fragments, hair or muscle fiber, in feed stuffs. Hahn (1999) Naturwissenschaften 86:62-70. The method is simple and inexpensive, although it requires a certain degree of expertise to distinguish bone fragments of mammals from those of poultry and fish by observing the shape of lacunae. Methods based on PCR amplification of mitochondrial DNA have recently been developed, but generally are not able to distinguish between different tissues of the same species. Immunological methods have played a central role in the species identification of raw and heat processed meats. Hsieh et al., "Monoclonal antibodies against heat-treated muscle proteins for the species identification and endpoint temperature determination of cooked meats" Quality attributes of muscle foods, 1999, pp. 287-307, Plenum Publishing Co., New York, N.Y. The official enzyme immunoassay method for analyzing mammalian proteins of rendered animal material in the UK utilizes antisera raised against heat-stable proteins. Ansfield (1994) Food & Agricultural Immunology, 6:419-433. However, it detects most mammalian proteins without discrimination between prohibited and allowed proteins and requires the complement of microscopic analysis to confirm the presence of mammalian MBM (meat and bone meal).
Thus, development of a suitable screening method to detect undeclared exogenous meat is important to comply with the food labeling regulation and animal feed regulation. There is, therefore, needed a method for the determination of species identification in cooked meats, as well as in animal feed.
In our experience, crude thermostable immunogens could theoretically be used in the production of species-specific MAbs, but were actually ineffective because the chance of success in selecting a specific clone by screening with crude antigen is remote. The use of a defined antigen with known antigenic determinants, a so-called species marker, would substantially increase the chance of eliciting specific antibodies. Thus, besides thermostability, the selected species marker needs to possess a unique antigenic region for a given species that is not present in the counterpart molecules of other species.

Use of Troponin I as a species marker protein for meat speciation in both raw and heat-processed products


An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a first sheet stack portion, a sheet output section, and a post processing unit. The image forming unit forms an image on a sheet. The first sheet stack portion is provided at an upper face of the image forming unit. The sheet output section outputs the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming unit from one side of the image forming apparatus to the first sheet stack portion. The post processing unit is provided adjacent to a lateral side of the image forming unit at an upstream side of the sheet output section to execute post processing on the sheet. A sheet subjected to post-processing by the post-processing unit is output to the first sheet stack portion from the same direction as a sheet not subjected to post-processing by the post-processing unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, a plotter, a multifunctional device capable of performing several of the foregoing functions, or the like, and more specifically, to an image forming apparatus capable of outputting both a sheet subjected to post-processing and a sheet not subjected to post-processing to a so-called housing-internal space formed within the space occupied by the body of the image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Background
Image forming apparatuses are used as copiers, printers, facsimile machines, and multi-functional devices combining several of the foregoing capabilities.
In a conventional image forming apparatus of a housing-internal output type, an upper face of an apparatus body is formed as a sheet stack portion to stack a sheet on which an image is formed, and a scanner serving as an image reading unit is provided above the sheet stack portion.
In the conventional image forming apparatus the sheet stack portion serving as an output tray portion is located within the space occupied by the body of the image forming apparatus, providing advantages such as a reduction in the size of the apparatus when the apparatus is set up. More specifically, the scanner is located relative to the sheet stack portion so that the space between the scanner and the sheet stack portion is as small as possible. Such a configuration reduces the height of the image forming apparatus, resulting in downsizing the apparatus as a whole.
In recent years, demand has arisen for such a housing-internal output-type image forming apparatus with a post-processing function, and some image forming apparatuses having such a function have been proposed.
For example, one conventional image forming apparatus includes a post-processing unit within a housing-internal space, to which a bundle of sheets bound by post processing is output.
Another conventional image forming apparatus includes a post-processing unit within a housing-internal space, in which a bundle of sheets bound by post-processing is output to a sheet output tray and a sheet not subjected to post-processing is output to a separated sheet output tray.
In still another conventional image forming apparatus, a post-processing tray is substantially vertically disposed alongside a scanner above a sheet output portion of an apparatus body, and a bundle of sheets bound by post-processing is output to a housing-internal space.
For those configurations in which the post-processing unit is located within the housing-internal space, the image reading unit is located all the higher for the post-processing unit, preventing the housing-internal space from being efficiently used as the sheet output space.
For one of the above-described conventional image forming apparatuses, the height of the image forming apparatus as a whole may be relatively high and, among sheets stacked on the sheet stack portion, the image side of a sheet subjected to post-processing may differ from that of a sheet not subjected to post-processing.
Further, when a plurality of sheets is stacked on the post-processing tray, a precedent sheet may need to pass through a sheet reverse unit before a subsequent sheet is fed, resulting in a reduction in productivity.
Also, there is increasing demand for a post-processing unit capable of performing a plurality of types of post-processing operations, such as staple binding, punching, seal stamp, and sorting, and a conventional image forming apparatus has a configuration in which such a post-processing unit is mounted at a lateral side of the apparatus body.
Another conventional image forming apparatus having a common output tray provided at a post-processing unit executes a control method when an interrupt request for image formation not including post-processing is received during execution of image formation including post-processing. In this control method, a plurality of sheets for the interrupted image formation including post-processing held at a staple unit during execution of the image formation not including post-processing.
However, according to the conventional control method, when image formation including post-processing is interrupted by image formation not including post-processing, some sheets for the interrupted image formation including post-processing are held at a sheet alignment portion of the post-processing unit until the interrupt processing is completed. Since there is a certain distance between the sheet alignment position and a housing-internal tray, the restart of interrupted processing is delayed by the distance, resulting in a reduction in productivity.
In another conventional control method that assumes there is a plurality of trays, interrupting image formation not including post is executed in parallel with processing and interrupted image formation including post-processing, and respective sheets are output to separate trays. However, if the conventional control method is used in an image forming apparatus with a single output tray, a sheet output by one image formation may prevent a sheet output by the other image formation, resulting in sheet jam.


A multimodal sensing architecture utilizes an array of single sensor or multi-sensor groups (superpixels) to facilitate advanced object-manipulation and recognition tasks performed by mechanical end effectors in robotic systems. The single-sensors/superpixels are spatially arrayed over contact surfaces of the end effector fingers and include, e.g., pressure sensors and vibration sensors that facilitate the simultaneous detection of both static and dynamic events occurring on the end effector, and optionally include proximity sensors and/or temperature sensors. A readout circuit receives the sensor data from the superpixels and transmits the sensor data onto a shared sensor data bus. An optional multimodal control generator receives and processes the sensor data and generates multimodal control signals that cause the robot system's control circuit to adjust control operations performed by the end effector or other portions of the robot mechanism and when the sensor data indicates non-standard operating conditions.

Robotic systems typically integrate mechanical, electrical/electronic and computer science technologies in a way that produces autonomously controlled mechanisms that selectively perform a variety of different mechanical operations. For example, articulated robots are a class of industrial robotic systems in which an end effector (e.g., a hand or gripper) mounted on a robot "arm" mechanism is utilized to perform repetitive tasks, such as picking up a target object at one location and moving the target object to a second location. The robot arm mechanism and end effector are generally controlled in accordance with a programmed series of movement operations that are based, for example, on a precise X-Y-Z starting location at which a target object will be reliably available for pick-up, and a precise X-Y-Z terminal location at which a receptacle is positioned to receive the target object when dropped off. While this programmed movement control approach is acceptable for use in highly ordered environments, erroneous and possibly dangerous situations can occur when minor variations arise, such as displacement of a target object from the expected starting location or a receptacle is displaced at the terminal location, whereby performance of the programmed movement operations can result in damage to one or both of the target objects and the end effector/gripper. To avoid such incidents, modern robotic systems often employ camera systems and single-modal sensors (e.g., pressure sensors) that are mounted on the end effector and provide feedback information that allows the system's control circuit to recognize and adjust for minor variations.
The lack of a rich end effector sensory feedback is one of the main limitations of modern robotic systems. That is, conventional single-modality sensors (e.g., pressure sensing only) are unable to provide sufficient information to avoid many common industrial accidents and/or to perform complex assembly processes. For example, although single-modality pressure sensors provide sufficient data to verify that a predetermined gripping force is being applied by a hand-type end effector onto a target object, they lack the rich sensor feedback needed to recognize when the target object is slipping from the end effector's grasp. In addition, when mounting a canister-type object over a cylindrical object, single-modality pressure sensors provide insufficient data regarding excessive contact between the cannister and cylindrical objects when the canister and cylindrical objects are misaligned. Note that while camera-type feedback systems may be useful to identify and adjust for such occurrences in some cases, critical portions of the camera's field of view are often occluded by the end effector, which limits the functionality of camera-type feedback systems. In contrast to single-modality sensors, the human hand consists an unparalleled multimodal sensory system (i.e., mechanoreceptors sensing both pressure and vibration, and thermoreceptors sensing temperature), which largely contributes to its unprecedented dexterous manipulation. Specifically, the human multimodal sensing architecture provides fine-grained cues about contact forces, textures, local shape around contact points, and deformability, all of which are critical for evaluating an ongoing grasp, and to trigger force correction measures in case of instability.
What is needed is a sensing architecture for robotic systems that overcomes the deficiencies of conventional single-modality sensors. In particular, what is needed is sensing architecture that mimics human-like tactile exploration to facilitate object-manipulation and recognition tasks that present problems to robotic systems using conventional single-modality sensors.

Multimodal sensor array for robotic systems


A method for initializing and actuating a peripheral by a mainframe with initialization and actuation codes of the periphery stored in a memory comprises the steps of: detecting a peripheral being connected to the mainframe; detecting a type number of the peripheral; the CPU loading initial codes and actuation codes about the type number from the memory of the main frame; sending reset signals to peripheral to reset the peripheral; initializing and actuating the peripherals; sending the initialization and actuating process; and mainframe retaining to be connected to the peripheral. If it is detected that a peripheral is connected to the main frame, while the initialization and actuation codes in the memory of the main frame, the CPU loads the initialization and actuation codes from a memory of a peripheral and then the process enter to the sending step. The device for performing the method is also included.

In the prior art, the process for initializing and actuating a peripheral connected to a main frame is performed by the following steps of: turning the power of the system; a CPU of a main frame detecting a peripheral being connected thereto; the CPU calling the peripheral to input initialization codes; the peripheral loading the initialization codes from the main flash memory (an EEPROM) and then transferring the initialization codes to the flash memory of the main frame; then the CPU initiating the peripherals by using the initialization codes from the peripheral. Thereby in the prior art, the main frame and the peripheral concurrently initialize their functions by themselves. However in the prior art the main frame must is equipped with a flash memory and the periphery is also installed with a flash memory. Thereby cost is high. Thereby the initialization process is performed bi-directionally. It is cost-ineffective and process-complicated.

Method for initializing and actuating a peripheral and device for performing the method


In a first embodiment of the present invention, a method for generating a random number for an instance of a hardware description language definition is provided, the method comprising: generating a unique signature for the instance; applying a message digest generation process on the unique signature to arrive at a message digest having a fixed length; and applying a random number generation process on the message digest.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to the generation of unique random numbers for multiple instantiations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computers utilize random numbers in a variety of different applications. While the term random numbers is commonly used in the computer industry, most of these numbers are actually pseudo-random numbers generated using a random number generation algorithm. These algorithms can automatically create long runs of numbers with good random properties but eventually the sequence repeats (or the memory usage grows without bound). The string of values generated by such algorithms is generally determined by a fixed number called a seed.
Hardware description languages are programming languages used in the creation of electronic circuits, and more specifically digital logic. A hardware description language describes the circuit's operations, design, and organization. Simulations may then be run to verify the proposed circuit's operation. Common hardware description languages include Verilog and Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language (VHDL).
In Verilog, a hardware module definition may be used to describe the attributes of the proposed hardware module. This definition includes the module's operations, design, and organization.
In order to test the proposed hardware module, simulation software ("simulator") then instantiates the hardware module definition and operates it in a test environment alongside instantiations of other hardware modules and components that would interact with the hardware module in an actual circuit.
In certain situations, the same hardware module definition may be instantiated multiple times in a single simulation. For example, a switch may contain multiple port modules, each port module being structurally identical to one another. A single hardware description language definition of a port module may then be instantiated multiple times, one for each port module to be located in the switch.
Since random number generation in a computer system is performed using random number generation algorithms, if a hardware description language definition contains a call to a random number generation algorithm and an initial seed, a problem occurs if that definition is instantiated multiple times, as each instance of the definition will wind up generating the same "random" numbers. This renders testing useless, as random events in the real world do not occur in such a non-random fashion.
In the past, this problem has been solved by providing a different seed to each instance of a particular hardware description language definition, or by otherwise coordinating between or among the instances to ensure that the random numbers are different. This, however, requires that there be interaction between the instances, either directly or indirectly.
Another possible solution would be to not pass any parameters and to let the simulator generate the random numbers. This, however, results in irreproducible results when logic definition changes.
In some circumstances, however, it is desirable to minimize interactions between components of a circuit, such as where bandwidth is limited or other physical factors influence the desirability of high levels of communications.

Generating unique random numbers for multiple instantiations


A frequency allocation scheme for optical channels transmitted via a WDM transmission line with alternating left side and right side filtering for adjacent channels, with alternating channel spacing of A and B, where A less than B, and with two sets of channels orthogonally polarized.

The invention relates to the field of transmitting digital data by optical means. It is more particularly concerned with transmission at high bit rates on long-haul fiber optic links.
More specifically, the invention is related to a frequency allocation scheme for a set of optical channels (each at specific carrier frequency) multiplexed using wavelength-division multiplexing and polarization-division multiplexing.
The invention is also related to a transmission system with a transmitter function, a transmitting fiber and a receiver function and the transmitter function comprises light sources, with modulators, possibly polarizers and a wavelength multiplexer and the receiver function comprises one or several polarization demultiplexers, a wavelength demultiplexer, filters and receivers.
Such a transmission scheme uses an optical transmitter connected to an optical receiver by the fiber link. The transmitter generally modulates the power of an optical carrier wave from a laser oscillator as a function of the information to be transmitted. NRZ or RZ modulation is very frequently used and entails varying the power of the carrier wave between two levels: a low level corresponding to extinction of the wave and a high level corresponding to a maximum optical power. The variations of level are triggered at times imposed by a clock rate and this defines successive time cells allocated to the binary data to be transmitted. By convention, the low and high levels respectively represent the binary values xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d.
The maximum transmission distance is generally limited by the ability of receivers to detect without error these two power levels after the modulated wave has propagated in the optical link. The usual way to increase this distance is to increase the ratio between the average optical power of the high levels and that of the low levels; this ratio defining the xe2x80x9cextinction ratioxe2x80x9d which is one of the characteristics of the modulation. For a given distance and a given extinction ratio, the information bit rate is limited by chromatic dispersion generated in the fibers. This dispersion results from the effective index of the fiber depending on the wavelength of the wave transported, and it has the consequence that the width of the transmitted pulses increases as they propagate along the fiber. This phenomenon is characterized by the dispersion coefficient D of the fiber, which is defined as a function of the propagation constant xcex2 by the equation D=xe2x88x92(2xcfx80c/xcex2)d2xcex2/dxcfx892, where xcex and xcfx89 are respectively the wavelength and the angular frequency of the wave.
Not only does chromatic dispersion limit the possibility of transmission, but also it is a main factor for distortion. Increasing the data rate up to higher levels about T Bit/sxe2x80x94the effects of the fibers increase the impact on the received signal. One solution is the use of DWDM (dense wavelength division multiplex) systems to increase the bit rate. The wavelength channels are selected in a way that the information of the single channels can be selected at the receiver side and analyzed with an acceptable bit/error rate. Again, the bit rate is limited by the spectrum of the channels.
A modulation scheme know as VSB (vestigial side band modulation) is explained in xe2x80x9c5.12 Tbit/s Transmission over 3xc3x97100 km of Teralight fiberxe2x80x9d Bigo, S. et al., paperPD2, PP40-41, ECOC 2000.
The two side bands of a NRZ spectrum generally contain redundant information. It is therefore tempting to filter out one of them in order to increase spectral efficiency, a technique known as VSB. However VSB is difficult to implement at the transmitter because the suppressed side bands rapidly reconstruct through fiber non linearities.
So a VSB filtering at the receiver side is proposed. With a modulation and filtering scheme like VSB, the bandwidth efficiency increases to a value of more than 0.6 bit/s/Hz compared with 0.4 bit/s/Hz in conventional systems.
Again the transmission is limited due to the effects of cross talk between the adjacent channels.
The inventive solution comprises a VSB filtering scheme with alternating side band filtering and two sets of channels orthogonally polarized. The increase of bandwidth efficiency is important. The effects of cross talk between adjacent channels are minimized.
Each of these channels is generated by passing light into a modulator. The resulting optical spectrum consists of a carrier and two optical sidebands apart the carrier. The lower-wavelength sideband is referred to next as xe2x80x9cleft sidexe2x80x9d and the higher-wavelength side-band is referred to as xe2x80x9cright-sidexe2x80x9d. When sent into the transmission system, such spectrum is passed into a cascade of optical components with a filtering transfer function, such as wavelength division multiplexers, wavelength division demultiplexers, specific filters, etc. whether located within the transmitter or the receiver or in-line.
In the invention, the total set of modulated channels is divided into two frequency-interleaved subsets to be polarization-multiplexed with orthogonal polarizations. In each subset, the channel spacing is alternatively A and B, from one channel to another, with A less than B.
Furthermore, for each channel, the peak of the overall filter response (i.e. the product of all the filtering transfer functions along the system) is chosen so as to fall off the carrier frequency, such that the channels of each sub-set are alternatively left- and right-filtered. This is analogous to the vestigial-sideband (VSB) filtering technique, well-known to the radio engineers.

Frequency allocation scheme and transmission system for polarization and wavelength division multiplexed signals with left and right side filtering


An articulator system employing magnetic and supporting means enabling dental casts to be mounted in or removed from an articulator and replaced as desired.

It often necessary for dentists in evaluating teeth of patients to prepare molds of upper and lower teeth and send them to dental laboratories that will prepare dental casts of these upper and lower molds and assemble them together to display the resultant combination of temporarily joined casts. Typically the molds are joined together in a device known as an articulator.
An articulator employs a vertical support of some type with upper and lower spaced horizontal metallic plates movable toward and away from each other, with the cast of the lower teeth being secured to the lower surface of the lower plate and the cast of the upper teeth being secured to the upper surface of the upper plate.
In order to insure that the casts are properly secured to the plates, plaster is used normally and subsequent removal is very difficult. Once casts are employed in this manner, they cannot be remounted in an articulator without breaking off the plaster.
The present invention overcomes this problem by eliminating this use of plaster and instead using a novel articulator system that enable casts to be repeatedly remounted in articulators at any time.


A method for controlling the run-up of a conveyor belt BY increasing a setpoint value of the belt""s speed with an increasing acceleration in a first time interval, and with a decreasing acceleration in a second time interval, thereafter plotting a curve of the increasing acceleration against time which has a positive curvature in the second interval, a second time derivative of the acceleration in the first and the second time interval is at least approximately constant and at least approximately equal and opposite.

The invention relates to a method for controlling the run-up of a conveyor belt and to a drive device for a conveyor belt.
Conveyor belt systems that are long in length, for example in the range of a few kilometers, have to be run-up and braked particularly gently, in order to avoid belt oscillations and excessively high belt tensions. The rotational speed of the drive motors is therefore controlled by a control device known as a soft run-up controller, in order to enable a gentle runup of the rotational speed. For example, xe2x80x9cM. B. Singh, The Role of Drive System Technology in Maximizing the Performance and Economics of Long Belt Conveyorsxe2x80x9d, bulk solids handling, vol. 14, 1994, pp. 695-702 discloses running-up the rotational speed of the drive drum and therefore the belt speed u* with a linearly rising acceleration a* in a first time interval. In order to end the acceleration phase, in a second time interval t2 the acceleration a* is reduced to zero. This reduction is likewise carried out linearly. In other words, the first time derivative r of the acceleration a* (referred to in specialist language as the jerk) is constant and positive in a first time interval t1, and likewise constant and negative in a second time interval t2. The curve of the rotational speed (or speed v* against time) is therefore formed by quadratic functions with inverse curvature which follow each other directly, that is to say in which the first time interval t1 with a rising acceleration a*, and the second time interval t2 with a falling acceleration a* follow each other directly.
The time curve used in the known method of the setpoint value of the acceleration a*, of the setpoint value of the speed v*, and of the first time derivative r of the setpoint value of the acceleration a* (jerk) is plotted in a graph in FIG. 4.
FIG. 5 is a graph of the motor torque M which results from the known method, and also the real head and tail speed, vk and vh, respectively, of a conveyor belt having a length of 5000 m, given a time duration of the first time interval and of the second time interval of 20 s, and a maximum standardized acceleration of 0.05 sxe2x88x921, which occurs during a run-up operation. In this case, the standardized acceleration is to be understood as the ratio of the actual acceleration to the final speed of the belt. In the FIG. 5, it can be seen that significant fluctuations occur both in the motor torque M and in the conveyor belt itself In the case of long conveying lengths, this can lead to disruptive operating states.
It is also known to drive the band drive with an acceleration-time curve which runs in accordance with a sinusoidal curve. In this method, the acceleration is likewise increased continuously up to a maximum value, and reduced continuously from there. Here the first time derivative of the acceleration at the maximum, i.e., the jerk, is zero. Belt and torque fluctuations occur particularly at the end of the run-up in this method.
In both methods, the problem results that at the end of the run-up operation, overswings or underswings in the motor torque occur, which also result in a greater belt tension. Furthermore, in the case of the second method, it is not possible to move to a different rotational speed during the run-up with the same curve characteristic, since the curve characteristic is defined unambiguously by the run-up time, which is equal to the sum of the time duration of the first time interval and of the time duration of the second time interval, and of the predefined final speed.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling the run-up of a conveyor belt in which the aforementioned problems are largely avoided. In the novel method for controlling the run-up of a conveyor belt, the setpoint value of the belt speed is increased with a continuously increasing acceleration in a first time interval, and is increased with a continuously decreasing acceleration in a second time interval, with the curve of the acceleration plotted against the time having a positive curvature in the second time interval. Since, as a result of the positive, that is to say upwardly concave, curvature of the acceleration, the jerk decreases continuously in the second time interval, and belt oscillations at the end of the acceleration phase can largely be eliminated by a run-up program configured in this way.
In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the first time derivative of the acceleration is at least approximately equal to zero at the end of the second time interval. This ensures that the conveyor belt moves particularly gently and softly to its final speed. More specifically, the second time derivative of the acceleration in the first and in the second time interval is in each case at least approximately constant, and equal and opposite. This measure makes it possible to interrupt the run-up program at any time and, during the run-up, it is possible to change the predefined final rotational speed or final speed, without resulting in a different characteristic of the acceleration-time curve.
The apparatus which facilitates the novel method is a drive device which contains a motor for driving a driving drum. A control device is assigned to the motor which permits the setpoint value of the belt speed to be controlled during the run-up of the conveyor belt in such a way that said belt speed increases continuously with continuously increasing acceleration in a first time interval, and decreases with a continuously decreasing acceleration in a second time interval. This occurs in such a way that the curve of the acceleration plotted against the time has a positive curvature.

Method for controlling the run-up of a conveyor belt and drive device for a conveyor belt


This is a portable exercise unit used in conjunction with a wheelchair that includes a frame, two rollers, and a tension control unit. The frame is adapted to fit over a wheelchair tire on one end and adapted to hold the two rollers on the other end. Each of the two rollers have a bearing in the center, one a non-directional bearing that is placed in the front of the frame and the other a clutch bearing that only turns in one direction placed in the back of the frame, and two axles, one for each roller with two washers on each axle. The roller assemblies are held in the frame with four clips. Also, within the frame there is a place provided for an adjustable tension control unit that includes an attachable felt pad.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to exercise systems, and more specifically it relates to a portable exercise system designed to adapt a conventional wheelchair for use as a stationary exerciser, facilitating exercise of arms and upper body without requiring any modifications to the wheelchair.
2. Description of Related Art
People are confined to wheelchairs for various health reasons, such as paralysis or strokes. Hospitals and healthcare centers provide the necessary rehabilitation for these people to return home as physically independent as possible. Maintaining this independence requires maintaining upper body strength to push the wheelchair. Most people return to a home with limited space to push the wheelchair for exercise and limited funds to be able to join a gym with exercise facilities comparable those at the hospitals and healthcare centers.
Home exercise systems for building and maintaining upper body strength for pushing a wheelchair, by pushing the wheelchair, has been limited for years to treadmill exercise systems. These systems allow the user to target the necessary muscles needed to push the wheelchair, but several problems exist for the user with these systems. (1) They are expensive. This limits the availability of the system to those with money or good health insurance. (2) They require a lot of floor space. Floor space needed for these systems includes the size of the system and the floor space needed for the user to mount the system. (3) They are heavy. This makes it difficult for someone in a wheelchair to move, making them stationary systems. (4) They apply equal tension resistance to both arms at the same time. This makes these exercise systems difficult to use when one arm is weaker than the other, as is the case in many stroke patients.
There exists a need in the art for a system that allows a person confined to a wheelchair to achieve an upper body workout, and which addresses the above stated problems found in the art. Such a system must: (1) be simple in design and construction so that the system can be relatively inexpensively manufactured, (2) be relatively small and of a lightweight material so the system can be stored easily by the user in a small space and not require a permanent floor space, and (3) have a means to apply the amount of tension resistance to the arms individually in the event that one of the arms is weaker than the other.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an exercise system that satisfies the three aforesaid needs of an exercise system to eliminate the four problems cited previously pertaining to the conventional wheelchair exercise treadmill.


Methods and systems are disclosed for controlling device movement based on a movement command. Issues on accurately controlling movement of a device such as a programmable robot and rover are addressed by first determining a command type of the movement command, followed by determining specific types of controllers for a high-level controller and a low-level controller based on the determined command type. When the command type is a linear movement, a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller is used at the high-level controller and a Proportional/Proportional-Integral (PPI) controller is used at the low-level controller to accurately control a target distance. When the command type is an angular movement, the PPI controller is used at the high-level controller and the PID controller is used at the low-level controller to accurate control the end-heading of the device.

Computer-based movable devices, programmable rovers and robots, for example, have become widely available as prices of various sensors and other parts have become reasonable for use in education and entertainment settings. Such parts may include sensors such as inertia measurement sensors, and motors with moving parts, such as wheels and tread, for example.
It is with respect to these and other general considerations that the aspects disclosed herein have been made. Also, although relatively specific problems may be discussed, it should be understood that the examples should not be limited to solving the specific problems identified in the background or elsewhere in this disclosure.

Method and system for controlling movement of a device


Mounting clamps may be utilized to quickly and easily secure solar panel modules relative to mounting rails, which may in turn be secured relative to a mounting surface (e.g., a roof). The mounting clamps may be configured to quickly secure the solar pane modules relative to the mounting rails by tightening a tightening element to pull a clamp element toward the surface of a mounting rail, thereby clamping a portion (e.g., a frame) of a solar panel module between the clamping element and an outer surface of the mounting rail.

Solar panels, which typically comprise large sheets of glass surrounded by a rigid frame (e.g., aluminum) and two electrical leads extending from each panel that are electrically connected to an electrical storage device (e.g., a battery or inverter). Due to the very nature of solar panels and the mechanism through which they generate electricity, solar panels are often secured to building roofs or other supportive structures where the solar panels are exposed to direct sunlight for a maximum amount of time during each day.
As solar energy becomes an increasingly popular source of electrical power both on and off traditional power grids, the need for installation systems that can be quickly and easily utilized to secure solar panels to respective supportive structures has become increasingly important.


Methods, systems and computer program products for automatically generating structured training data based on an unstructured document are provided. Aspects include receiving an unstructured document and a corresponding structured document that includes labeled portions. Aspects also include generating a parsed document that has one or more extracted objects by applying a parsing tool to the unstructured document. Aspects also include identifying one or more matching extracted objects by applying a matching algorithm to the structured document and the parsed document. Each matching extracted object is an extracted object of the parsed document that corresponds to a labeled portion of the structured document. Aspects also include annotating a region of the unstructured document that corresponds to the bounding box of the respective matching extracted object with a respective label of the corresponding labeled portion of the unstructured document.

The present invention generally relates to processing systems, and more specifically, to providing automated generation of structured training data from unstructured documents.
Trained machine learning models can be used for object recognition applications, provided sufficient training data is available to properly train the model. In published literature, vital information is often contained in tables included in the document. This is particularly true of medical literature, such as clinical studies, in which much of the information about results across different groups is contained only in these tables and is not present in the remaining text.

Automated generation of structured training data from unstructured documents

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


Techniques can relate to generating inferences based on network devices' measuring of environmental data points and generating notifications or controlling devices based on the inferences. One or more environmental data points can be accessed. Each environmental data point in the one or more environmental data points can include one measured by a detector device and that characterizes a corresponding environmental stimulus. At least one of the environmental data points can be indicative of a light intensity or power usage measured by a first device. An inference can be generated based on the one or more environmental data points. A notification or device control can be identified based on the inference. A communication can be generated and transmitted to a second device. Receipt of the communication can cause the second device to present the notification or to be controlled in accordance with the device control.

People are surrounded by a dynamic mix of many stimuli. People are adapted to continually adapt our actions based on the current mix. For example, as a room becomes darker, a person turns on a light. As a room becomes colder, a person turns on the heat. However, such responsive actions are inconvenient. Further, due to the inconvenience or a particular circumstance, there are times when a person cannot or chooses not to perform the appropriate action. In such a case, an appeal of an environment can suffer.

Detector devices for presenting notifications and supporting context inferences


An artificial turf field system is provided. The system may include a plurality of synthetic turf strands attached to a backing layer and an infill material positioned between the synthetic turf stands. The infill material may include a plurality of porous particles. A sub-layer may be included beneath the backing layer, and may be formed of a resilient material. A support layer may be included beneath the sub-layer, and may include materials configured for drainage. The porous particles of the infill material may include porous ceramic particles and the sub-layer may include rubber. The porous particles may be at least partially coated, for example, by a polymer coating. The infill material may be free of sand and/or crumb rubber.

Artificial turf fields have evolved from presenting tightly woven carpet-like surfaces to having long strands of synthetic fibers stitched onto a backing and an infill material is brushed into the fibers building up a layer over the backing. As the infill is brushed into the synthetic strands, the strands start to become vertical and look similar to natural grass. The synthetic strands and the backing are laid over gravel or other types of support material to allow drainage of the field after rains. Artificial turf fields are beneficial when excessive play or use is desired. Natural grass fields do not withstand sporting activities and overuse in inclement weather.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present invention provides such a three-dimensional ladder polymer that has, as a main chain, a silsesquioxane skeleton having a structure of the cage structure of octasilsesquioxane with two broken corners. The polymer of the invention is a polymer obtained by using a silsesquioxane derivative represented by formula (1-0). R0 each represents hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl or arylalkyl, R1 each represents chlorine, a group defined as similar to R0, or a group having —CN, X independently represents hydrogen, chlorine, a group defined as similar to R1, or a group having one of —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, —OH, —COOH, —COO—, 2-oxapropane-1,3-dioyl, oxiranyl, oxiranylene, oxetanyl, oxetanylene, 3,4-epoxycyclohexyl, —SH, —NCO, —NH— and —NH2; and at least two of X each is a reactive group.

A polymer having a silsesquioxane skeleton has been investigated for various applications owing to the peculiar structure thereof. A polymer having a silsesquioxane skeleton has been synthesized by the sol-gel process using an alkoxysilane, such as tetraethoxysilane. However, there remain some problems in the sol-gel process. Examples of the problems are that it requires prolonged reaction time, and a resulting polymer tends to have fine pores remaining therein.
A polymer obtained by using a silsesquioxane having a cage structure or a derivative thereof has been investigated. The polymer is expected to be excellent in weather resistance, heat resistance, physical properties, optical properties and the like. For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a production process of a copolymer obtained by bonding a so-called incomplete cage structures, which has a defect in the cage structure of silsesquioxane (i.e., a structure not having a complete octahedral shape but having a defect in the octahedral shape), through siloxane. The production process uses such a method that a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane is crosslinked through a bifunctional silane having an amine or the like as a functional group, siloxane or an organic metal compound. Non-patent Document 1 discloses a production process of a copolymer having a main chain obtained by bonding a silsesquioxane having an incomplete cage structure through siloxane or the like, and a production process of a copolymer having a silsesquioxane having a cage structure as a pendant copolymer component and methacrylic acid as a main chain component. Furthermore, Non-patent Document 2 discloses a production process of a silsesquioxane-siloxane copolymer obtained by reacting OH bonded to Si positioned at a corner of an incomplete cage structure of silsesquioxane with bis(dimethylamino)silane or the like.
Patent Document 3 discloses a production process of a copolymer by reacting a silsesquioxane having a complete cage structure with a compound having a vinyl group. Non-patent Document 3 reports that hydrogenated octasilsesquioxane and phenylethynylbenzene are subjected to hydrosilylation polymerization to obtain a copolymer. Non-patent Document 4 reports that a silsesquioxane compound having a complete cage structure with vinyl groups bonded to plural corners of the cage structure and a hydrogenated silsesquioxane compound having a complete cage structure are subjected to hydrosilylation polymerization to obtain a gelled copolymer. Patent Documents 4 and 5 disclose a production process for obtaining a copolymer having an organic solvent soluble hydrogenated octasilsesquioxane by a reaction of a hydrogenated octasilsesquioxane having a cage structure with a hydroxyl group-containing compound or a vinyl group-containing compound. All of these have such a structure that a silsesquioxane having a complete cage structure is grafted to a main chain or forms a crosslinked point. In the case where a silsesquioxane having a cage structure is grafted to a polymer chain, the silsesquioxane exhibits a modification effect to the polymer by inhibiting the local molecular motion, but does not contribute to change in polymer chain structure. In the case where a silsesquioxane forms a crosslinked point, on the other hand, a gelled copolymer is formed, which is inferior in moldability.
Patent Document 1:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,053
Patent Document 2:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,562
Patent Document 3:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,867
Patent Document 4:
JPP-A-2002-069191
Patent Document 5:
JP-A-2000-265065
Non-patent Document 1:
Comments Inorg. Chem., vol. 17, p. 115-130 (1995)
Non-patent Document 2:
Macromolecules, vol. 26, p. 2141-2142 (1993)
Non-patent Document 3:
Chem. Lett., 1998, p. 763-764
Non-patent Document 4″
J. Am. Chem. Soc., vol. 120, p. 8380-8391 (1998)
Non-patent Document 5:
Polymer Preprints, Japan, vol. 50, No. 12 (2001)
In electric and electronic materials, particularly, insulating property, heat resistance, durability, moldability and the like thereof are demanded to be further improved. Since a silsesquioxane having a cage structure is excellent in heat resistance, weather resistance, electric insulating property, hardness, mechanical strength, chemical resistance and the like, such a copolymer has been demanded that has a silsesquioxane having a cage structure as a main chain. Non-patent Document 5 discloses a polymer having a silsesquioxane having a complete cage structure as a main chain component, but there is only one disclosed example for a copolymer using the polymer, and specific characteristics thereof are not sufficiently clarified. Furthermore, the copolymer still has room for improvement, e.g., it has a glass transition temperature of 125° C. An object of the present invention is to provide, in response to the aforementioned demands, such a three-dimensional ladder polymer that has, as a main chain, a silsesquioxane skeleton having a structure of the cage structure of octasilsesquioxane with two broken corners. In the following description, the structure of the cage structure of octasilsesquioxane with two broken corners will be referred to as a double-decker structure. The introduction of a silsesquioxane to the main chain facilitates control of the molecular weight and enables adjustment of the demanded properties and the moldability.

Polymer obtained by using silsesquioxane derivative