A generator capable of forming an analog signal having a waveform determined from a sequence of digital control words applied at a high frequency, each word representing an increment of the analog signal to be produced at the output. For this type of generator, the accuracy of the increment value is an essential parameter. If several increments having a different value are generated as a function of the control word, their ratio has to be very accurate. The diclosed circuit is of the switched-capacitor type; it comprises several input capacitors (C1, C2, C3) that are theoretically identical. In order to take into account the dispersion due to manufacturing, a procedure for choosing the best input capacitor is previously established for obtaining a precise ratio between the increments (+V, +3V, -V, -3V) that can be supplied at the output. This procedure consists in comparing capacitors by pairs to sequence them and select the median capacitor. Comparison is carried out by using the main amplifier of the switched-capacitor circuit.

The present invention relates to a waveform generator for an analog electric signal.
The aim of such a device is to produce an analog electric signal having a well determined shape from digital information applied in the form of digital word sequences, each word representing an increment of the analog signal.
In an exemplary embodiment, each of the words may comprise three bits, so that there are at the most six possible increment values for the analog signal. The generator periodically receives a 3-bit word, and the output signal is incremented by a value which depends upon the word value.
Before describing the general structure of the generator, an exemplary embodiment will be disclosed to show the requirements that are to be met for realizing the generator.
The chosen example relates to a telecommunication circuit comprising a telephone line which has to emit sinusoid portions having a determined frequency.
The sinusoid portions are determined in the form of a series of digital words representing the positive or negative increments that are to be constantly added to the signal so that this signal actually represents a sinusoid portion.
Digital words comprising only one bit representing an increment sign could be envisaged: +V or -V increment; but then the maximum output slope of the analog signal is limited since form one sampling period to the next one it is not possible to increase the analog signal by more than one increment. Indeed, this increment necessarily has a relatively low value with respect to the overall amplitude of the analog signal, if it is desired to realize low slopes for the output signal without being compelled to provide for the possibility of generating null increments (which is not desirable for transmission mode reasons).
That is the reason why it is chosen to define the analog signal by increments having several possible amplitudes; in the example chosen for illustrating the problem, the digital words have 3 bits permitting to determine 5 possible values, which are: 1 null central value, 2 positive values and 2 negative values, the absolute values of which are equal to the positive values.
However, still in the same example, it has been provided that the positive values are in a ratio equal to 3.
In other words, if V is the increment value of the elementary analog signal, the 5 possible increment values are: EQU -3V, -V , O , V , 3V
It will be noted later on that this ratio 3 plays an essential role (however, the ratio could be different, for example equal to 4 or 5).
The digital words can be applied to a very high input frequency, the output analog signal exhibiting the form of a step signal wherein the sampling period is substantially higher than twice the maximum frequency of the analog signal spectrum to be produced; in this way, there is no problem in smoothing the signal through a non-sampled low-pass filter, positioned at the generator output.
Typically, the sampling frequency can be 15 MHz for an analog signal, the spectrum of which is limited to 80 KHz.
The principle of restoring an analog signal by a series of digital words representing a very low number of possible increments is therefore very advantageous since it limits the complexity of the digital/analog conversion circuits (it is easier to process 3 bits at high frequency that 12 bits) and it facilitates the smoothing filter realization at the output (this filter is different to form when the sampling frequency is too close to twice the maximum frequency of the analog signal to be produced).
However, in order for the waveform generator to operate satisfactorily, it is then necessary that the value of the increments be accurately determined, failing which the signal produced is not the signal that is expected. This is easily understood since an integration of successive increments is carried out: a small difference in one increment may, if it is often repeated, lead to a very important trouble in the shape of the produced signal.
One of the objects of the invention is to provide for an analog signal waveform generator that supplies signal increments as accurate as possible and, in particular, increments that are in close relative ratio the one with respect to the other when several increment values are liable to be generated as a function of the input digital word.


A wind power generating system in which a plurality of stationary modules form a toroidal shaped tower that accelerates wind passing around and between the modules due to the Bernoulli Effect. Between the modules are located a plurality of vertical axis wind turbine rotors with an integrated generator system that in combination forms an integrated rotor and generator assembly connected to a rotatable yaw platform via an improved support arm. The rotor and generator assemblies act independently of each other to accommodate different wind conditions at different altitudes and to provide partial production to significantly enhance overall wind production.

The environmental costs of fossil fuels and the political instability of oil-producing regions have intensified efforts to develop alternative energy sources that are environmentally clean, more efficient, and more reliable. Wind-driven power generation systems are of particular interest in part because they are currently the one type of renewable power source that is closest to being economically competitive with traditional fossil fueled sources. Wind power may be converted to electrical power using a rotor assembly, either horizontally or vertically oriented to the flow of the ambient wind. The rotor blades of the rotor assembly convert the energy of the moving air into rotational motion on a drive shaft of the rotor assembly. An electrical generator coupled to the drive shaft then converts the rotational motion into electrical power.
Conventional wind-driven power generation systems suffer from many challenges. The term conventional is meant generally herein to describe a system that comprises a monopole tower with a single multi-bladed rotor spinning about an axis that is horizontal to the ambient flow of wind and is located at or near the top of the tower, i.e., a horizontal wind axis turbine or "HAWT" system. In general, wind power generators operate only when the wind blows, only within a certain range of wind velocities, and at a maximum power output level for an even smaller range of wind velocities. As a result, wind power generation has traditionally been expensive to produce and not reliably available. In response, conventional wind turbine manufacturers' assemblies have evolved towards very large rotor assemblies—with rotor diameters often equal to or greater than 90 meters—and very tall towers in order to gain economies of scale and to reach higher velocity and steadier winds that occur at higher altitudes.
However, increases in the sizes of conventional rotors have led to a number of additional problems. Large rotors are much more difficult to manufacture because the size of each blade reduces the ability for mass production and because the forces on the blade require special and expensive materials. Delivery of large rotors to the generation site is also a severe problem which often requires specialized trucking systems, assistance clearing crowded roadways, and wider/longer access ways near the wind farm which are often not feasible given the wind farm's remote location and position on hillsides. Maintenance is a challenge given the inability to quickly and easily access damaged components and the inability to deliver replacement components quickly. In addition, large rotors create greater torque and balance problems on the nacelle hub which therefore requires stronger gear box assemblies that often require exotic alloy compositions.
Another well-known problem of traditional turbines is the footprint such a technology requires. Wind rotors require smooth wind for maximum conversion efficiency. Turbulence from adjacent rotors forces towers to be spread across great distances to allow winds to recover optimal wind properties. The larger the rotors, the greater the turbulence, and the fewer the number of towers that can be placed on a given wind farm acreage. Additionally, operational efficiency is diminished due to the inability of such large rotors to effectively accommodate heterogeneous wind conditions at different altitudes across the rotor's face. In other words, it is difficult for a single large rotor to handle winds that come from different directions and/or at different speeds within the diameter of the single rotor.
Alternatively, an augmented wind power generation system uses a funneling apparatus, for example a fully or partially shrouded rotor, to increase the velocity of the ambient wind—based on the physics of the "Bernoulli Effect"—across the rotor blades. Because the electrical energy that is generated from a wind turbine is a cubic function of the speed of the wind, an augmented wind generation system holds the promise of producing an equivalent amount of electrical power from a much smaller rotor assembly. Funneling apparatuses may be vertically stacked into a tower with one or more rotor assemblies located within each apparatus. There are numerous types of wind amplification devices, but some are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,579 (Weisbrich), U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,199 (Weisbrich), U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,518 (Weisbrich), U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,333 (Weisbrich), U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,505 (Weisbrich), and U.S. Pat. No. 7,679,207 (Cory). All six of the above patents are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Specific benefits of the exemplary embodiments are expanded upon later, but in general the use of smaller rotors to produce an equivalent amount of energy to larger rotors produces numerous advantages for augmented systems over conventional wind turbine systems. First, smaller turbines are easier to mass produce and easier to transport to the generation site. Second, smaller rotor diameters require a smaller diameter of wind flow to operate which reduces the inefficiencies of having heterogeneous wind conditions at different altitudes. Third, "cut in" speeds, the speed at which a turbine begins to generate electricity, are lower because the smaller blades are usually lighter and more able to operate in lower wind conditions. Fourth, the footprint of towers with smaller rotors is significantly improved because the size of the turbulence field is smaller, and towers can be placed much closer together. Fifth, the torque impact on the hub gears is significantly lessened thereby reducing the need for heavier engineering and exotic materials. And sixth, the smaller rotors spinning at higher speeds located next to a partial or full shroud provide the visual signals needed for birds to avoid the path of the rotor blades thereby reducing accidental bird kill often found with traditional tower systems.
However, not all augmented systems offer equal benefits. Some augmented systems are still not optimized to fully maximize wind amplification efficiently or to do so in an economically ideal manner. An illustrative example would include a recent system described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,679,209. This tower utilizes a single, cylindrical core to create marginal wind amplification and a series of cylindrical rotors on only two shafts adjacent to the one core to convert wind energy into electrical energy.
This configuration is not optimal for energy conversion in an economically attractive way for a variety of reasons. First, unlike a toroidal shaped tower the single cylindrical tower only deflects wind in one direction (laterally) thereby providing only marginal increases in wind speed. In other words, a much greater amount of wind is captured and funneled in a more efficient way in a toroidal tower leading to higher volumes of faster wind streams. Second, the cylindrical rotor assembly is only a small portion of the overall tower silhouette leading to unnecessary tower costs and additional loss of potential wind energy on a given wind farm. Third, the single open cylinder exposes key components to the elements leading to unnecessary and expensive maintenance costs. Fourth, the rotors are connected to only two rotating shafts meaning that there are relatively few (two) generators for the whole apparatus which thereby restricts the tower's generating capacity. Fifth, because there are only two vertical shafts for the entire tower it is unable to have rotors automatically face the direction of the wind flow at different altitudes which again reduces the tower's applicability in larger sizes as well as its economic efficiency. Although an interesting idea for enhancing ambient wind speeds, the systems described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,679,209 and others like it fail to effectively compete with conventional large scale rotor systems or with the embodiments described herein.
One system that has withstood the test of time because of the potential of its unique attributes is the toroidal shaped wind tower introduced in U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,579 (Weisbrich) and expanded upon in U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,505 (Weisbrich), and U.S. Pat. No. 7,679,207 (Cory). This configuration uses a series of vertically stackable, partially shrouded tower modules to direct wind over a pair rotor systems located within the hollows of each module.
There are numerous benefits of this configuration. First, substantial research of the toroidal shape has demonstrated the efficiency of this configuration due to a substantial increase in wind speed especially nearest the sides of the core tower. The unique shape allows for a large volume of wind to be funneled from three sides (top, bottom, and laterally), not just one, towards the rotors in the hollows of the tower. Second, the rotor pairs operate independently from rotors on other levels which allow each rotor pair to face directly into the wind at its particular altitude. Third, because each pair is independent from other pairs, the tower can produce a portion of its overall capacity when wind conditions and maintenance activities warrant. For example, if the wind is moving sufficiently fast to generate power at the level of the higher modules but not at the lower modules, the higher module rotors can still operate and produce electricity thereby increasing the tower's overall "capacity factor"—i.e., actual energy output per year compared to the potential maximum. Partial production is also a significant advantage to reduce maintenance costs because the tower can still produce some power while a subset of rotors is being fixed. A conventional wind rotor needs a sufficient average wind flow across its entire, large diameter area to generate any power at all leading to an all or nothing output of electricity. Partial production is an advantage for the toroidal tower configuration over traditional towers and over other amplified systems such as those found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,679,209. Fourth, the toroidal tower configuration is also scalable allowing the generation of power in the multi-megawatt scale. And fifth, the toroidal tower allows multiple rotors to be accessed and maintained on a single tower reducing maintenance costs for large scale towers. These benefits are in addition to the general advantages of augmented systems described above such as smaller footprint, lower cut in speeds, reduced gear box requirements, lower cost from mass production, and reduced bird kill.
Although the toroidal configuration has some clear advantages even over other augmented systems, its success in being effectively commercialized has been limited to date. A key factor constraining the adoption of the technology thus far has been the inability to manufacture a rotor and generator system to fully capitalize on the unique horizontal wind shear flow pattern purposefully created by the toroidal tower. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a horizontal wind shear exists due to the Bernoulli Effect wherein the speed of the wind nearest the shell of the toroidal tower is traveling faster than the wind located further away from the tower. In other words, the further from the tower the wind flow is located, the lower the amplification effect and therefore the lower the wind speed. To date, engineers have relied on using traditional HAWT rotors on toroidal towers, but these rotors are severely hampered by the strong horizontal wind shear environment. Specifically, the blades of the HAWT rotor travel perpendicularly through the horizontal wind shear such that the blade nearest the tower is receiving a much greater force of wind than those blades further from the tower. In addition, the outer tip of an individual blade is impacted much more severely by the wind shear than the portion of the blade nearer to the center axis. Both of these factors create differential torque on the individual blades and the overall rotor causing significant decreases in efficiency and increases in rotor malfunctions/failures.
The embodiments described herein provide a unique combination of adaptations to a traditional Vertical Axis Wind Turbine ("VAWT") and generator configuration that specifically accommodate and optimize the benefits of a multilevel toroidal tower towards the goal of cost effective, large scale power production.
VAWT systems are a type of wind turbine where the main rotor shaft is vertical instead of horizontal to the ambient flow of the wind. For illustration purposes, a traditional wind mill with three propeller blades connected to a generator behind the blades is a HAWT assembly while an anemometer that uses cupped paddles to measure wind speed is an example of a Savonius style VAWT assembly. Advantages of VAWT rotors over HAWT rotors tend to include omni-directional operation (can simultaneously accept wind from any direction), low noise, and excellent durability even in turbulent wind conditions. Traditional disadvantages of VAWT have included lower conversion efficiencies and a pulsatory torque that is produced during each revolution. Later approaches solved the torque issue by using a helical twist of the rotor blades. In addition, because VAWT rotors have traditionally been more difficult to mount on a monopole tower they are often installed nearer to a base or the ground which typically results in access to lower speeds and more turbulent winds.
A subset of the VAWT family of wind generators is the Savonius system. A Savonius VAWT system is a "drag" type of device with two (or more) scooped blades like those used in anemometers. Savonius VAWT wind rotors spin because there is a differential in pressure between the convex and concave side of the cupped blade. In a horizontal wind shear environment—such as that which is created in a toroidal wind tower—a VAWT rotor would benefit by the differential speeds of the funneled wind in that the faster winds near the tower would be hitting the concave or cupped portion of the blade while the slower winds away from the tower would provide relatively less resistance against the convex portion of the blade as it spun around its central axis. As a result, the VAWT rotor should be more efficient than normal in a horizontal wind shear environment and should, more importantly, avoid the challenges faced by a HAWT rotor which cuts perpendicularly through the wind shear turbulence.
In addition, a complementary component that should improve the efficiency, output, and cost of the proposed VAWT rotor is the recent commercialization of permanent magnet synchronous ("PMS") generators now being manufactured by multiple companies. These generators allow for a direct connection between a drive shaft and the generator such that complicated and costly gear boxes can be eliminated. In addition, the smaller sizes of PMS generators are particularly advantageous to the smaller rotors and higher rotation speeds of an augmented wind power generation system. Taken in concert with the potential benefits of using a continuous variable transmission ("CVT") drive, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,679,207 (Cory), the new PMS generators should help to significantly improve and extend the power curve of a rotor assembly in an augmented wind power generation tower although such benefits are not necessary for the benefits of the current patent to manifest.
Although a traditional VAWT rotor should be uniquely positioned to take advantage of a horizontal wind shear environment, the rotor blades and the integration of the rotor system with its associated generator and components must be significantly reconfigured to economically accommodate a large scale toroidal shaped wind tower and to enhance conversion efficiencies that have limited previous VAWT rotors. The focus of the embodiments disclosed herein is to present such a improvement.

Toroidal augmented wind power generation system using a modified and integrated vertical axis wind turbine rotor and generator assembly


A robot control device is configured to control a robot and includes: a machine learning (ML) model for describing ranges of environments, or in other words, situations in each of which control for a control routine (operation control) executing an operation to achieve an operation objective is achievable; an operation control selector configured to select, based on an output value from the ML model, the operation control which is appropriate for the present situation; and an operation control executor configured to execute the operation control which has been selected. The operation control is a control routine for a robot to achieve an operation objective by the robot sensing a first object with interaction with a second object.

Robots (e.g., an autonomously-controlled housekeeping robot and a nursing robot) that perform an operation involving interaction with another object in a free environment (open environment) in which an environment and a task are not fixed are required to flexibly operate according to an environment, or in other words, a situation (hereinafter, referred to as "environment/situation") in which the robots are provided. Moreover, these robots are required to perform various operations according to tasks.
It appears that the above-mentioned robots and robotic arms in work areas in factories are alike, but the robotic arms only travel on a single path (route) while handling a single object (i.e., an environment, a situation, and a task are fixed for each robotic arm). Accordingly, requirements to be met by the robotic arms are different from those by the above-mentioned robots. Moreover, bringing the above-mentioned robots into active use requires an evaluation, verification, and improvement.
Examples of operations performed by the above-mentioned robots are as follows. The robots (i) move objects placed in various locations to other various locations, (ii) hold an object from a side of the object, travel while holding the object, and place the object in another location, (iii) change direction after holding an object, (iv) draw an installed rod through a hole in an object, (v) insert a holding object in a gap between objects, and (vi) stack objects.
Furthermore, examples of an environment/situation in which an operation is performed by the above-mentioned robots are as follows: (i) various places and environments where an object is placed, (ii) presence of types of objects in the vicinity, and (iii) physical interference between objects.
As an example of consideration given to an object in the vicinity, a system that checks the presence of an object in the vicinity (a space occupied by the object), and checks whether a robot physically interferes with the object or not has been proposed (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-81445; hereinafter, "JP 2005-81445").
In addition, a system that inputs sensor information to a machine learning model, and controls a target device according to an output of the machine learning model to implement flexible control of the target device has been proposed (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-64910; hereinafter "JP 2017-64910").


The present invention provides an LSI inspection method and a defect inspection data analysis apparatus capable of shortening a time needed for a wafer test. In a first database 11 is stored inspection data obtained when each defect inspection apparatus 20 inspects a wafer for defects in the front-end process. In a second database 12 are stored non-conforming article judgment criteria for each predetermined type of defect, according to which a non-conforming chip is judged. A defective chip identifying portion 16 identifies a chip having a defect and identifies the type of defect for each defect that the identified chip has, on the basis of the inspection data. For each identified chip, a non-conforming chip judging portion 17 judges whether the chip is a non-conforming article or not according to the non-conforming article judgment criteria corresponding to the type of defect for each defect, and obtains position information within the wafer surface of a chip judged as being a non-conforming article. The position information thus obtained is transmitted to an LSI inspection apparatus 30 via a transmission portion 15.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI) inspection method and a defect inspection data analysis apparatus for judging whether a semiconductor device (chip), such as an LSI, formed on a wafer is a conforming or non-conforming article.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 4 is a view used to explain the flow of an inspection process by a conventional LSI inspection method. Initially, as shown in FIG. 4, a defect inspection is performed on a wafer each time processing is completed in each of predetermined process steps among a plurality of process steps in the front-end process. The defect inspections are performed to judge whether semiconductor manufacturing equipment that performs processing in the process steps is operating normally or not. For example, upon judgment that a number of foreign substances or the like are adhering onto a wafer, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment is suspended and an inspection, cleaning, etc. thereof are performed.
When a wafer is completed upon completion of the front-end process, a wafer test is run subsequently. As shown in FIG. 4, the wafer test includes an element parameter measurement test, a wafer B/I (Burn-In) test, and an electric property test (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the element parameter measurement test, basic parameters of an element are measured to confirm that an element having desired properties has been formed. Normally, several elements are selected from a clearance (scribe region) between particular chips, and this test is run only on the selected elements.
The wafer B/I (Burn-In) test is run to ensure the reliability of each chip by accelerating deterioration of potential defects with application of electrical or thermal stress to the wafer in making a chip having such a potential defect completely defective. Also, the electric property test is a test by which an electric property of each chip formed on the wafer is tested to judge whether each chip is defective or non-defective on the basis of the test result.
In a case where the product is sold in the form of a wafer, the wafer is delivered after the wafer test is completed, together with a wafer map indicating the judging result as to whether each chip is a conforming or non-conforming article.
Herein, a published Japanese translation of PCT International Application No. 2001-526833 is cited as Patent Document 1.
Incidentally, the electric property test is conventionally run on all the chips formed on the wafer, and there is a problem that the test takes a long time. In particular, the number of elements contained in one chip keeps increasing in these days, and for this reason, the test time tends to extend further. Also, the reliability level of each chip is conventionally enhanced by running the wafer B/I test. However, running the wafer B/I test does not necessarily succeed in making all the chips having potential defects defective, and there is a case where a chip having a potential defect is judged erroneously as being a conforming article.

LSI inspection method and defect inspection data analysis apparatus


A system for flare combustion control includes a sound speed measurement device for measuring sound speed in a flare vent gas, and a flare combustion controller including a memory and a processor. The processor is configured to receive the measured sound speed and determine, based on the measured sound speed, a molecular weight of the flare vent gas. The processor is further configured to determine, based on the determined molecular weight, a net heating value of the flare vent gas, and adjust the net heating value of the flare vent gas by regulating an amount of a supplemental fuel gas in the flare vent gas.

The field of the present disclosure relates generally to gas flare operations and more specifically, to methods and systems for controlling the operating parameters of a gas flare used in industrial plants to burn flammable gasses.
At least some known flare control systems use a gas chromatograph (GC) to determine a flare gas composition and calculate a BTU value of the flare gas. This method does not directly measure a heating value of the flare gas, but rather speciates the sample and determines the heating value by summing the products of each components' heating value and the molecular fraction of each component. The GC, however, is not a continuous measuring instrument and has a slow response time that can take many minutes for a BTU determination for each gas sample. In addition, the data received from the GC is many minutes old, and, as is common in flare systems, the composition of a flare vent gas can be subject to fast fluctuations and variances.
At least some other known flare control systems use a calorimeter to calculate a BTU value of the flare gas. A calorimeter mixes and burns a sample of the flare gas with air or another fuel. At least some known calorimeters regulate the flow of air to maintain a constant exhaust temperature. The air flow variation provides an input that can be used to calculate a heating value of the flare gas. Some other calorimeters measure excess oxygen content after combustion of the flare gas sample. The residual oxygen content provides an input that can be used to calculate a heating value of the flare gas. Such calorimeters, however, can have a response time greater than one minute or more for a BTU determination for each gas sample. In addition, a calorimeter cannot speciate the gas sample, and therefore, there is still a need to have a GC installed in order to determine a total hydrocarbon content and/or a molecular weight of the flare vent gas.


A beach blanket including a stretchable main panel having two opposite sides comprising a body supporting top side for individuals to sunbath on and a bottom side for resting on a sandy beach surface, and a plurality of invertible bags attached to perimeter of the stretchable main panel. Each bag pivots about the stretchable main panel to allow users to scoop a large quantity of sand within each bag. The sand-filled bags are positioned on the beach to provide opposing tension on the main panel to easily eject sand off the blanket, and to securely anchor the beach blanket onto a beach which also prevents wind from blowing the beach blanket away.

One popular activity that is enjoyed by many during the hot summer months is going to the beach to sunbath in the hot sun and swim in the ocean. In contemplation of going to the beach, individuals typically pack a variety of staples that include food, drinks, snacks, and various beach accessories such as sun screen, coolers, and chairs. An accessory that is often employed while at the beach is a beach blanket or towel. The beach blanket is laid out on the beach in a flat configuration for individuals to rest on. In practice, users typically lay the blanket on the beach and use both hands to flatten and spread out the blanket removing any wrinkles, and anchoring with belongings. There are a variety of beach blankets available on the market to accommodate both the aesthetic and utilitarian aspects desired by beach goers. As such, beach blankets come in a variety of different colors, designs, patterns, or dimensions. Whatever the appeal, young and old alike enjoy the pleasures and benefits of using beach blankets at beaches.
The wide open sandy terrain of most beaches makes it conducive for exposure to high winds or wind gusts that swirl around uplifting blankets and sand in its path. The sand can create a lot of discomfort when trying to relax at the beach. It is welcomed when children enjoy themselves digging and building sand castles. However, the sand is not welcome when it intrudes onto a beach blanket creating discomfort from the gritty texture. Beachgoers typically have to remove their belongings, pick up the blanket, shake it to remove sand and then reposition the blanket back onto the sand. It is quite frustrating for users to consistently reposition the beach blanket over the sandy surface of the beach as a result of the wind or sand landing on the blanket. Individuals find themselves either fetching the blanket that has blown away from the resting site, or removing sand and repositioning the layout of the blanket. On windy days, it is common practice for beach goers to repeat this process over and over again constantly struggling to retain the blanket in place, and shaking off sand that has migrated onto the top surface of the blanket.
Various devices and techniques have been employed to overcome the challenges beach goers face in securing their blankets on the sandy surface of the beach. A common practice often involves weighing down beach blankets with one or more objects. As such, individuals often place a weighted article along one or both sides of the blanket, or at the corners of the beach blanket to prevent the blanket from overturning as a result of wind or movement on the blanket. Individuals will often use a purse, toys, bottled drinks, a small cooler, leg of chair, or other article on a portion of the beach blanket to anchor the blanket down. Although the added weight may resolve the need for anchoring the blanket, the weight is insufficient to retain the blanket in a tensioned laid out position to permit easily removing sand from the top surface of the blanket.
Various techniques have also been used in an effort to remove the sand from the body laying surface of blankets. Some beach goers try to brush the sand off with their hands by swiping their hands over the top of the blanket while trying to retain the flat, non-wrinkled, positional layout of the blanket. As the person swipes the sand off the blanket, the weights, used to anchor the blanket, move out of position resulting in the blanket bunching up with wrinkles making it difficult to remove the top sand and forcing the user to reposition both the weights, and the blanket. Some might try to remove the sand by way of ejection, but also fail due to insufficient anchoring and not having stretching capability causing it to wrinkle and become dispositioned. Typically, most beach goers shake and reposition the blanket repeatedly to remove the sand. A blanket having a sand-free benefit is of great interest for individual beach goers using suntan lotion or oils, as the moisture provides an attractant for sand to stick to the skin. So being able to quickly remove top sand, creating a sand-free sun bathing surface is of great value and makes the day at the beach more enjoyable.
Accordingly, there exists a need to solve at least one of the aforementioned problems mentioned herein, and to provide a beach blanket that is adequately anchored on a beach with ease, and provides opposing tension on the structural layout of the blanket for easily, quickly, and efficiently ejecting sand off the top surface of the blanket during use, while preventing the wind from uplifting and blowing the blanket away.


A ceiling fan or similar air-moving device can include a motor for rotating one or more blades to drive a volume of air about a space. The blade can include a body having an outer surface with a flat top surface and a flat bottom surface, and a side edge. The top surface includes a chamfered portion extending between a flat portion, and the side edge.

Ceiling fans are machines typically suspended from a structure for moving a volume of air about an area. The ceiling fan includes a motor, with a rotor and stator, suspended from and electrically coupled to the structure. A set of blades mount to the rotor such that the blades are rotatably driven by the rotor and can be provided at an angled orientation to move a volume of air about the area. As the cost of energy becomes increasingly important, there is a need to improve the efficiency at which the ceiling fans operate.
Chamfered edges have been provided on lower surfaces of ceiling fan blades for aesthetic reasons. But such structures have been found at best to have no effect on air flow and at worst to reduce the effectiveness of air flow generated by the blades.


A compact multipurpose tool including a bit head, a hollow first cylinder that defines a plurality of open-end wrenches on one end, and a second cylinder that communicates with the bit head and can be at least partially housed within the hollow first cylinder. In further features the hollow first cylinder defines a socket on the end opposite the plurality of open-end wrenches and the second cylinder includes a plurality of sockets.

The present invention is a multipurpose tool for use with skateboards, in-line skates, bicycles, or other sporting equipment that may require assembly, adjustment, or repair. Such sporting equipment may require several different types of tools. For example, assembly, adjustment, or repair of a typical skateboard may require a ⅜ inch socket or wrench, a ½ inch socket or wrench, a 9/16 inch socket or wrench, and a screwdriver with a Phillips or Allen head. A sporting enthusiast would prefer to have a compact multipurpose tool to assemble, adjust, or repair his or her equipment instead of a plurality of separate tools. Consequently, there have been many attempts at developing multipurpose tools that incorporate several tools in a compact form.
U.S. Pat. No. D490,284 (McElligot, et. al.) discloses an ornamental design for a skate tool, which is generally shaped as a cylinder, consisting of a first cylindrical portion, a second cylindrical portion normally housed in said first cylindrical portion, said second cylindrical portion including a provision to permit said second cylindrical portion to pivot on one end to cause said second cylindrical portion to be generally perpendicular to said first cylindrical portion, and a removable tool bit housed in said second cylindrical portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,397 (Taggart, et. al.) discloses a portable multipurpose tool including tools useful for fixing or adjusting equipment used by a person engaged in in-line skating, a board sport, or the like, wherein the various implements are conveniently stored within a tool housing and wherein at least one of the tools is a socket wrench.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,434 (Brown) discloses a tool for use on a skateboard that has a body in the general shape of a T, having a crossbar bisected by a stem, and providing for three sockets of differing sizes, one of each mounted at each end of the crossbar and the free end of the stem.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,111 (Wershe) discloses a portable tool assembly having a flat carrying case, said case having a groove along an edge side to snap-fit an Allen wrench in place, and an opposite edge side to snap-fit tool bits, counter-bores to seat the tool bits in a non-rotatable and usable position such that the case serves as a handle for the tool kit, and a key ring loop that extends from another edge side.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,760 (Clarke) discloses a skate key assembly for adjusting the wheels of an in-line skate, comprising an elongated one-piece key member of uniform hexagonal cross section including an intermediate S-shaped gripping member extending in one direction to a generally straight operating portion having a terminal end for insertion into the tightening mechanism of a wheel of the in-line skate and extending in an opposite direction to an attachment portion oriented generally transverse to said operating portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,896 (Seals, et. al.) discloses a pipe for use in smoking tobacco, including a hollow stem having a mouth end structured as a small socket for grasping nuts and bolt heads, and a removable screwdriver rod for holding said pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,513 (Barahona) discloses a tool for use in removing a wheel and bearings of an in-line skate, comprising a handle, said handle including a first cavity extending longitudinally therein from one end of said handle, said first cavity housing a detachable Allen wrench, three concentrically mounted and staggered levels having different diameters that extend longitudinally from said handle from the end opposite said first cavity, and an Allen wrench tip mounted on the third level of said concentric levels.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,811 (Chi) discloses a single unit multipurpose hand tool structured to allow manipulating of fasteners and the removal of wheel bearings on in-line roller skates, said hand tool including a rigid plastic center handle structured of a three-armed star having flattened distal ends from which metal tool tips extend.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,543 (Rowe) discloses a combination tool device having a double-ended socket wrench, a handle with a screwdriver tip, and a file disposed in said handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,721 (Hsiao) discloses a concealed and built-up type multipurpose hand tool structure that includes a hollow T-shaped handle for storing a variety of sockets, said handle having middle through-holes to receive therein a variety of hexagonal wrenches or driver heads of other cylindrical tool parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,736 (Brawner, et. al.) discloses a tool kit that has two parts which inter-fit together and are held together inside a generally flexible case that is designed to be entrained on the belt of a skateboarder, one of said two parts defines three differently sized sockets and the other of said two parts mounts an Allen wrench and a pair of screwdriver heads.
U.S. Pat. No. D243,506 (Hess) discloses an ornamental design for a skateboard adjustment tool that includes a cylindrical portion and a plurality of flat arms mounted perpendicularly to said cylindrical portion.
Many of the previous multipurpose tools do not include a sufficient number of the tools that may be required for assembly, adjustment, or repair of the user's equipment. Additionally, many of the previous multipurpose tools can be bulky and awkward to carry, often shaped as a non-compact "T" or cross. Furthermore, many of the previous multipurpose tools include a very small removable Phillips or Allen key that can be difficult to use and easy to lose. Finally, many of the previous multipurpose tools include swiveling or pivoting parts that may be susceptible to damage or breakage.
Accordingly, what is desired, and has not heretofore been developed, is a multipurpose tool that incorporates a sufficient number of the tools that may be required for assembly, adjustment, or repair of equipment such as a skateboard, is compact and generally cylindrical in shape to facilitate convenient carrying in a pocket, is devoid of swiveling or pivoting parts that may be prone to damage or breakage, and is devoid of very small detachable Phillips or Allen keys that may be difficult to use and easy to lose.


A head restraint assembly, comprising: a support configured to mount the head restraint above a seat back; a bun assembly pivotally mounted on the head restraint support for movement in first and second directions relative to the head restraint support, the limit of the first and second directions of movement defining fully forward and fully upright positions, respectively, of the bun assembly; and an adjustment mechanism disposed at least substantially within the bun assembly, the adjustment mechanism configured to permit the pivotal movement of the bun assembly in either of the first and second directions.

Head restraint assemblies, which generally comprise a headrest component—commonly called a bun—adjustably supported on the top of a seat-back, protect a vehicle occupant from serious injury due to sudden acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle. In one typical form thereof, head restraints are adjustable relative to the seat-back both vertically as well as forwardly and rearwardly in order to permit their proper positioning for the occupant. Forward and rearward adjustment is typically accomplished with a ratchet-style mechanism which, upon occupant actuation of a release means (such as, for instance, a button or lever), releases the ratchet mechanism to permit the head restraint to move under spring bias to a full-forward position. From this position, the head restraint can be moved rearwardly into one of a plurality of intermediate positions, each defined by the ratchet mechanism. Because of this construction, it is possible for the ratchet mechanism to be inadvertently released, such as in the event of a rear impact, and moved forward to a position that may enhance the risk of occupant injury.


A cleaning processing apparatus comprises a spin chuck for holding a wafer W, an under plate being positioned to face the back surface of the wafer W with a prescribed gap provided therebetween, a support member for supporting the under plate, and a nozzle hole formed to extended through the plate member and the support member. A chemical liquid, a pure water and a gas can be supplied into a nozzle hole through opening-closing valves, and the chemical liquid and the pure water remaining inside the nozzle hole can be sucked by a sucking device. A pure water remaining inside the nozzle hole is sucked and removed by using the sucking device after the processing of the wafer W with a pure water and, then, a gas is spurted onto the back surface of the wafer W.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid processing apparatus and a liquid processing method for applying a liquid processing such as a cleaning processing to various substrates such as a semiconductor wafer and an LCD substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In, for example, the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, used is a wafer cleaning apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor wafer with a chemical liquid or a pure water so as to remove the particles, organic contaminants, and metal impurities attached to the wafer and to remove, for example, polymers after the etching processing.
As a wafer cleaning apparatus, known is a so-called "single wafer type cleaning apparatus", in which a chemical liquid is supplied onto the front and back surfaces of a wafer, which is held on a spin chuck in substantially a horizontal posture, under the state that the wafer is left stationary or is rotated so as to carry out a processing with the chemical liquid, followed by supplying a pure water onto the wafer while rotating the wafer at a prescribed rotating speed and subsequently discharging a drying gas such as a nitrogen gas (N2) onto the wafer while rotating the wafer.
A discharging nozzle is used for a cleaning processing in the single wafer type cleaning apparatus. The discharging nozzle includes, for example, a circular plate and a nozzle hole formed to extend through the circular plate. The circular plate is arranged to face, for example, the back surface of the wafer, and a chemical liquid, a pure water and a drying gas are successively supplied from the nozzle hole into the gap between the wafer and the circular plate thereby cleaning the back surface of the wafer.
It should be noted that an unused chemical liquid is left inside the nozzle hole after the discharging of the chemical liquid from the nozzle hole of the discharging nozzle. The chemical liquid left within the nozzle hole is extruded into the gap between the wafer and the circular plate when a pure water is discharged in the subsequent step from the nozzle hole. The unused chemical liquid thus extruded from the nozzle hole is mixed with the used chemical liquid and the pure water so as to drop from the circular plate, or to be centrifugally removed from the wafer when the wafer is rotated. Then, the chemical liquid is recovered. It should be noted that the chemical liquid thus recovered is diluted with the pure water. In addition, a large amount of particles are contained in the recovered chemical liquid. It follows that great expenses are needed for the purifying treatment required for the reuse of the recovered chemical liquid.
It should also be noted that a pure water remains inside the nozzle hole of the discharging nozzle after discharging of the pure water from the nozzle hole to the wafer. If a nitrogen gas is spurted from the nozzle hole under this state, most of the pure water remaining inside the nozzle hole is extruded by the drying gas when the spurting of the drying gas is started. However, since the nozzle hole is arranged to extend in the vertical direction, the pure water remaining inside the nozzle hole is affected by the gravity and, thus, is unlikely to be discharged completely. It follows that the pure water is partly attached to wall of the nozzle hole. If the drying gas is spurted from the nozzle hole under the state that the pure water is partly attached to the wall of the nozzle hole, the pure water is converted into a mist by the vigorous stream of the drying gas. Naturally, the mist is spurted toward the water together with the drying gas. If the mist is attached to that portion of the wafer which has already been dried, a water mark is generated so as to degrade the wafer.

Liquid processing apparatus and liquid processing method


A tag operates in an environment where transmitted interrogators are not possible or desired. High-efficiency diode rectifiers and low-power oscillators are used in combination with an energy storage element and hysteretic switch. The combination of multi-diode rectifier, low power tunnel diode oscillator, energy storage element and hysteretic switch allow for nanowatt levels of received RF power to be stored to produce micro-watts of RF transmit power. The device trickle charges off of ambient RF radiation until enough energy is stored for transmission.

Existing transponder devices such as Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags require either a self-contained power supply, RF energy transmitted from an interrogator, or both to operate. This typically requires close proximity to the interrogator or higher-power RF transmissions. In many environments this is neither feasible nor desirable.
While active RFID tags respond using energy derived from a battery on the tag, this limits tag life to the life of the battery or requires access to the tag to replace batteries as they drain. Tag access is not feasible or possible for many applications. Passive tags not require batteries, but do require RF interrogation signals of sufficient power and duration to enable them to generate the RF response signal. This limits the range over which tags can operate and can cause interference when interrogation signals are at higher powers.
Similarly, sensors that wirelessly communicate their data are limited in range and lifespan. These constraints eliminate applications requiring multiple, inaccessible RF transponder devices.
What is needed, therefore, are techniques for employing ambient radiation to power devices such as sensors and RFID transponders.

RFID transponder using ambient radiation

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integrations Inc.


The invention relates to an ordering system for printed products, by means of which a printed product can be defined in a selection module of the ordering system and ordered from a supplier for the printed products, wherein printed products of the same product type are made of product components of the same product component types, and wherein each product component is defined precisely by a combination of a value for parameters such as page format, number of pages, coloration, type of paper, type of binding, processing, and finishing. The invention further relates to a method for ordering a printed product by means of an ordering system, wherein the ordering system determines a list of selectable values for the parameter such as page format, number of pages, coloration, type of paper, type of binding, processing, and finishing of a product component of the printed product, and wherein the ordering system orders the printed product based on the defined values after a value has been defined for each of the parameters by a buyer. In order to simplify the data management of the ordering system for printed products, it is proposed that each individual possible value for each of the parameters is defined as an article in an article database of the ordering system, and that the printed product can be defined in the selection module by successive selection from the articles, and that the ordering system determines the selectable values for the product component from an article database in which each possible value of each of the parameters is defined as an article.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an ordering system for printed products, by means of which a printed product can be defined in a selection module of the ordering system and ordered from a supplier of the printed products, wherein printed products of the same product type are made of respective product components of the same product component types, and wherein each product component is defined by exactly one respective combination of a value for parameters such as page format, number of pages, coloration, type of paper, type of binding, processing, and finishing. The invention relates further to a method for ordering a printed product by means of an ordering system, wherein the ordering system determines a list of selectable values for respective parameters such as page format, number of pages, coloration, type of paper, type of binding, processing, and finishing of a product component of the printed product, and wherein the ordering system orders the printed product based on the defined values after a respective value has been defined for each of the parameters by a buyer.
Ordering systems, which in particular implement methods of the recited type, are generally known and are being increasingly used as a front end for orders by buyers of printed products. Large graphic production shops as suppliers for individual printed products advertise that they offer a buyer several hundreds of thousands of various printed products for selection through their respective ordering system and an online determination of the final price.
Each printed product is comprised of one or multiple product components. Each product component comprises respective predetermined values for parameters such as page format, page number, coloration, paper type, binding type, processing and finishing. The product components are typically categorized by product component types with descriptive designations such as "cover", "content", "postcard", and "poster".
The known ordering systems resort to using database structures for managing the printed products offered by one respective supplier. These database structures issue an article number for each particular printed product in a dataset and list the specific values of the parameters for each particular product component where necessary, and a price calculated there from based on a respective formula. For example, when the technical capabilities of the graphics production shop change or when the calculation for a parameter changes, each particular dataset in said data structure needs to be maintained.
In particular, in large graphics production shops with a plurality of different machines and accordingly a plurality of various options for graphics production, maintaining data for the known ordering systems is so complex that complete automation of orders through the ordering systems eventually becomes uneconomical. In order to reduce the complexity of data maintenance, the known ordering systems are often used to capture only portions of the selections actually available and they state furthermore that additional options will be available upon request.
2. Object of the Invention
Thus, it is the object of the invention to simplify data management for an ordering system for printed products.

Ordering system for printed products and method for ordering a printed product


An article is reinforced by applying to it a thermally curable composition of a resin mixture of 10% to 60% by weight of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A, 5% to 25% by weight of an epoxy novolac, and 5% to 25% by weight of a reinforcement material comprising carbon fibers. Following application, the composition is cured. In some instances, at least a portion of the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A and/or the epoxy phenyl novolac resin may be adducted with an elastomer.

Motor vehicles, appliances, fuel tanks, fluid delivery systems, and other such articles are frequently manufactured from sheet stock. Manufacturers generally prefer to use relatively thin sheet stock so as to reduce the weight and/or cost of the manufactured articles. However, as the sheet stock is made thinner its strength decreases and this can cause problems with the durability and appearance of the final manufactured item. For example, the automotive industry is seeking to decrease the weight, and hence increase the fuel efficiency, of its motor vehicles by utilizing thinner steel or aluminum stock for their manufacture. However, the use of thinner stock can cause structural defects as well as detract from the appearance of the vehicle.
As will be explained in detail hereinbelow, the present invention provides materials and methods for reinforcing articles such as sheet metal articles by applying a layer of relatively lightweight, high strength reinforcing material thereto. This decreases the overall weight of the article while preserving its strength and appearance.

Sprayable, carbon fiber-epoxy material and process


The present invention provides an effective vaccine for Marek's disease, which may be prepared using a recombinant Marek's Disease Virus (MDV), strain CVI988, having been transformed with a foreign DNA construct that includes a long terminal repeat sequence of a reticuloendotheliosis virus. This safe viral agent elicits a highly protective immune response in a chicken against virulent MDV challenge without causing a significant degree of pathogenicity. Suitable formulations of the vaccine for use in chickens include an effective immunization dosage of this novel viral agent, along with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent.

Marek's disease (MD), a highly prevalent and important lymphoproliferative disease of chickens, is controlled in commercial chickens by live virus vaccines consisting of attenuated or naturally avirulent MD-related herpesviruses. Although vaccination programs have been considered effective overall, the poultry industry continues to experience losses due to MD. Given the tendency of MD virus to become more virulent with time (e.g. by reversion to more virulent form) coupled with the economic pressures confronting the poultry industry, there remains a strong incentive to develop safer and more efficacious products that will protect better in the face of early challenge with very virulent field strains without causing adverse side effects (e.g. thymic dystrophy).
There are three distinct serotypes of MD virus found in chickens: (1) serotype 1, the oncogenic form responsible for the disease, including high- and low-virulence MD virus and their attenuated variants; (2) serotype 2, a non-oncogenic MD virus; and (3) serotype 3, herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT). An early MD vaccine consists of the serotype 3 virus originally isolated from turkeys as reported in Witter et al. [Am. J. vet. Res. 31:525-538 (1970)] and Okazaki et al. [U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,574]. Its lack of oncogenicity, self-limiting infection, good replication in vivo and in vitro, availability as cell-free and cell-associated preparations, and high protective efficacy have established HVT as a standard for WID vaccines throughout the world. A commonly used strain of HVT is FC126.
Vaccines produced from the naturally avirulent SB-1 strain [Schat et al., J. Natl. Cancer inst.60:1075-1082 (1978) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,024, an isolate of a serotype 2 MD virus] have been licensed in the united States since 1984. The SB-1 strain is poorly protective against the highly virulent MDV strains. It is usually used in combination with HVT as a bivalent vaccine since the two viruses together produce greater protection than does either one alone [Schat et a/., Avian Pathol. 11:593-606 (1982); Witter, Avian Pathol. 11:49-62 (1982), the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein]. This phenomenon has been termed "protective synergism." The SB-1+HVT bivalent vaccine represents greater than 50% of the United States market for MD vaccines at present and is considered to be among the most efficacious of the various MD products available. However, sporadic losses occur despite its use.
Another MD vaccine produced from strain CVI988 clone C (CVI988/C) has been licensed for commercial use in the United States. This vaccine was derived from a mildly virulent serotype 1 MD virus attenuated by serial passage in tissue culture and has been reported by De Boer et al. [Avian Dis. 30:276-283 (1986)]. A further passaged derivative of CVI988/C, identified as CVI988/C/R6, has also been described by De Boer et al. [Advances in Marek's Disease Research, pp. 405-4 3 (1988)]. More recently, the original low-passage strain, designated CV1988/Rispens, which has been in commercial use in other countries for a number of years, was found to be highly effective against challenge with several very virulent MD virus strains by Witter et al. [4th Intl. Symp. Marek's Disease, pp. 315-319 (1992)].
An experimental vaccine derived from Md11, a very virulent serotype 1 MD field isolate, was reported by Witter, supra. Md11 was attenuated by serially passaging 75 times in cell culture, and the resultant vaccine was designated Md11/75C. This vaccine has been shown to provide good protection against challenge with Md5 and most other highly virulent MD viruses tested; but it was less efficacious against challenge with the JM/102W strain, a prototype MD virus effectively protected against by HVT and SB-1 vaccines. Furthermore, its efficacy was consistently lower in chicks with HVT antibody.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,717, Witter disclosed a revertant derivative of Mdn/75C which was referred to as Md11/75C/R2. Md11/75C/R2 was shown to be superior to several other monovalent vaccines and was the equal of a bivalent (HVT+SB-1) vaccine [Witter, Avian Dis. 31:752-765 (1987)]. However, the inherent pathogenicity of serotype 1 viruses and the potential of attenuated strains to revert to greater pathogenicity [Witter et al., Avian Pathol. 13:75-92 (1984)] are factors to be considered in the licensing of such products. A clone derived from further passages of the Mdn/75C/R2 strain, designated Md11/75C/R2/23 (or R2/23), was found by Witter et al. [Avian Dis., 35:877-891 (1991)] to possess the highly protective nature of the parent strain without its residual pathogenicity.
Witter also described another MD vaccine derived from 301 B/1, a nonpathogenic serotype 2 field isolate, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,718, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein, strain 301 B/1 possessed superior replicative ability to SB-1, as well as greater protectivity against challenge to viruses.
A recombinant Marek's disease virus, referred to as RM1, having the long terminal repeats of reticuloendotheliosis virus stably integrated into the repeat short (RS) regions of its genome was also described. This strain was generated at the USDA-ARS-ADOL from a pathogenic serotype 1 Marek's disease virus strain JM [Witter et al., 1997, Avian Dis., 41:407-421, and Jones et al., 1996, J. Virology, 70(4):2460-2467i. However, while the RM1 strain has been shown to provide a level of protection similar or superior to that of CVI988, it has also been associated with residual pathogenicity, causing thymic atrophy in treated birds.
Thus, although existing HVT, SB-1, CVI988, CVI988/C, Md11/75C, Md11/75C/R2 and 301 B/1 all elicit immune responses against certain MD viruses, none of these vaccines protect optimally against all MD challenge viruses in all chickens. Moreover, these vaccines have exhibited reduced efficacy against some of the more recently isolated very virulent strains of MD virus. To avert any large-scale outbreaks of MD in the future, the need exists to develop safer vaccines having improved efficacy against highly virulent strains of MD virus.

Modified Marek's disease virus, and vaccines made therefrom

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc.


The present invention provides catalysts, reactors, and methods of steam reforming over a catalyst. Surprisingly superior results and properties obtained in methods and catalysts of the present invention are also described. For example, a coated catalyst was demonstrated to be highly stable under steam reforming conditions (high temperature and high pressure of steam). Methods of making steam reforming catalysts are also described.

Steam reforming is a chemical process in which a hydrocarbon is reacted with steam (H2O) to form hydrogen (H2), CO and CO2. For decades, steam reforming has been the principal industrial process for making hydrogen. More recently, steam reforming has attracted great interest as a possible means to supply hydrogen for fuel cells. There have been intensive research efforts over many years to improve the steam reforming process. Despite these efforts, problems continue to exist with catalyst performance and/or cost, and the need for catalyst replacement or regeneration due to the rather harsh conditions (high temperature and steam) in which steam reforming is typically conducted.
Known steam reforming catalyst support materials include gamma alumina doped with a stabilizing element such as magnesium, lanthanum, and barium. Incorporation of a stabilizer could delay the irreversible transformation of gamma alumina into alpha alumina. However, under severe steam reforming conditions the supports continually sinter, resulting in a permanent loss of active sites.
The effect of rare earth elements and alkaline earth elements as dopants for alumina has been investigated. See Church et al., Appl., Catal., A, 101 (1993) 105. Wachowski, et al., Mater. Chem. and Phys., 37 (1994) 29. Some studies have indicated that there is a correlation between final surface area of alumina treated at high temperatures (1200° C.) and ionic radius of the dopant. Mizukami et al., in A. Cruca (Ed.), Studies in surface science and catalysis, Vol 71, Elsevier Amsterdam, 1991, 557, reported that La3+ and Ba2+ are the most effective dopants among rare earths and alkaline earths, which are large ions with high ionic charges. Yeung et al., J. Membrane Sci., 131 (1997) 9, described procedures for making mesoporous alumina membranes by slip casting a 1 M alumina sol (6 wt %) containing 3 atom % of a nitrate of Y, Ba, La, and Ce. as et al. in Appl. Catal. A: 207, 95-102 (2001), reported that a more stable La-doped support could be obtained by processing in ethanol rather than water. Martin et al. in Appl. Catal. A: 131, 297-307 (1995) described experiments in which Rh was sintered on alumina under H2 at temperatures of 700 to 900° C.; under these conditions, the mean Rh particle size varied from 1.1 to 2.1 nm. Temperature Programmed Reduction (TPR) data was also reported. Schaper et al., in Sintering—Theory and Practice, Proceedings of the 5th International Round Table Conference on Sintering, Material Science Monographs, vol. 14, pp 173-176, reported on the influence of Mg, Cr, La and Zr on the stability of gamma alumina catalyst supports and concluded that only lanthanum resulted in a significant improvement in stability against sintering.
Treatment in 10% flowing H2O has been used to pre-age a support for a catalytic convertor. McCabe et al. in J. Catal. 151, 385-393 (1995), reported that presteaming alumina at 1223 K with 10% H2O in flowing air for 24 hours prior to Rh impregnation eliminated irreversible occlusion of Rh during subsequent hydrothermal aging.
Wang et al. in US published patent application 2003/00317105 described methods and catalysts for steam reforming. In one preferred embodiment, the catalyst includes Rh on a Mg—Al spinel. This reference does not describe pretreatment of the support at elevated steam pressure.
Despite extensive efforts over many years, there remains a need for catalytic systems and steam reforming methods that have high performance and stability under the hydrothermal conditions that are typical of steam reforming. Also, despite extensive efforts, there remains a need for better methods of making steam reforming catalysts.


Potassium salts of Compound A and methods for their preparation are disclosed, wherein Compound A is of formula:

The HIV retrovirus is the causative agent for AIDS. The HIV-1 retrovirus primarily uses the CD4 receptor (a 58 kDa transmembrane protein) to gain entry into cells, through high-affinity interactions between the viral envelope glycoprotein (gp120) and a specific region of the CD4 molecule found in T-lymphocytes and CD4 (+) T-helper cells (Lasky L. A. et al., Cell 1987, 50: 975-985). HIV infection is characterized by an asymptomatic period immediately following infection that is devoid of clinical manifestations in the patient. Progressive HIV-induced destruction of the immune system then leads to increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections, which eventually produces a syndrome called ARC (AIDS-related complex) characterized by symptoms such as persistent generalized lymphadenopathy, fever, and weight loss, followed itself by full blown AIDS.
After entry of the retrovirus into a cell, viral RNA is converted into DNA, which is then integrated into the host cell DNA. Integration of viral DNA is an essential step in the viral life cycle. Integration is believed to be mediated by integrase, a 32 kDa enzyme, in three steps: assembly of a stable nucleoprotein complex with viral DNA sequences; cleavage of two nucleotides from the 3′ termini of the linear proviral DNA; and covalent joining of the recessed 3′ OH termini of the proviral DNA at a staggered cut made at the host target site. The fourth step in the process, repair synthesis of the resultant gap, may be accomplished by cellular enzymes.
The compound N-(4-fluorobenzyl)-5-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-(1-methyl-1-{[(5-methyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)carbonyl]amino}ethyl)-6-oxo-1,6-dihydropyrimidine-4-carboxamide (hereinafter designated as "Compound A") is a potent HIV integrase inhibitor. The structure of Compound A is as follows:

Compound A is disclosed in International Publication No. WO 03/035077.

Process for preparing N-alkylated hydroxypyrimidinone compounds

Abstract: Compound A is an HIV integrase inhibitor useful for treating or prophylaxis of HIV infection, for delaying the onset of AIDS, and for treating or prophylaxis of AIDS.


A signed application descriptor file (206) is used instead of X.509 certificates to authenticate a portable application code, such as a JAVA archive (JAR) file. The signed ADF includes an application descriptor file (302), file hash (304) of the JAR file (301), a developer descriptor file (308), signed time stamp (310), and a developer""s certificate (312). A network client device (202) includes limited computing resources (212) and a virtual machine environment for executing the portable code (208). Furthermore the client device contains a set of cryptographic, digital keys for authenticating parts of the signed ADF, which are further used to authenticate the JAR file.

This invention relates in general to portable code transfer, such as JAVA technology, and more particularly to security and authentication of portable code for use by wireless or mobile devices, or other computing devices with relatively limited computing resources, and limited communication bandwidth.
In networked environments such as the Internet, the use of portable code or portable applications has gained widespread acceptance. The best known technology in this field is JAVA. In creating JAVA code, a developer creates an application and makes it available on a network in byte code format. The byte code is downloaded by various client devices connected to the network and loaded into a JAVA virtual machine environment on the client machine or computer. The virtual machine environment is a layer of software that can interact with the specific computing platform of the particular client device and interpret the byte code. An application so loaded onto a client device could compromise the client device, and may even be designed to do so if the developer of the application had malicious intentions. Therefore, security is a significant issue with portable code.
Many security schemes have been devised to address these security issues. These range from giving only very restricted access to all portable applications to a system of authentication in which different levels of permission may be granted depending on whether the application can be authenticated as having come from a trusted source. The later scheme is more preferable since it allows an application more access to the local computer""s resources, so long as it is authenticated. This allows developers to create more powerful applications because the applications have more access to the computer resources of the client machine.
However, as presently devised, these authentication schemes are designed for general purpose personal computers, which are commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cdesktopxe2x80x9d computers. These machines have varying degrees of computing resources, but in general the resources they have greatly exceed the computing resources of small, portable devices such as personal organizers and mobile communication devices. There is an increasing number of these smaller devices being manufactured that are able to connect to large networks, and particularly the internet. Presently X.509 certificates are widely used for authentication, but these are quite large files compared to the limited memory resources available on these smaller mobile devices. Furthermore, since the certificate comes bundled with the application typically, the device must load both the application and the certificate. Therefore a data structure and method of authenticating portable applications that can be used by smaller devices is needed.

Method for authenticating a JAVA archive (JAR) for portable devices


Method for controlling a matrix display screen enabling its contrast to be adjusted as regards a liquid crystals screen and its luminosity as regards a fluorescent micropoints screen, said method consisting of periodically applying line conductors addressing signals V1 having for a certain period a value Vmax into an absolute value to be applied to column conductors of control signals. Addressing signals are applied to the line conductors, the durations of said signals having a value Vmax and are partially recovered for two consecutive lines.

In particular, the invention applies to the embodiment of liquid crystals indicators of the multiplexed type or of the non-multiplexed type or even fluorescent micropoint screens (marked FMS in the continuation of the description) allowing for the display of fixed or animated images.
Various known types of methods exist for controlling matrix display screens.
Matrix display screens comprise a display cell provided with line conductors and crosswise column conductors, one pixel of the screen being associated with each crossing of these conductors.
One description of such an FMS appears in the French patent application No. 87 15432 of the 6th Nov. 1987. In one FMS, the lines correspond to the grids and the columns to the cathodes.
As regards liquid crystal screens, the display material is contained in the display cell. Liquid crystal screens may be multipexed or non-multiplexed controlled.
In more detail and relating to a multiplexed display screen, the line conductors and columns are constituted by column and line electrodes respectively disposed on the internal walls of the cell, one pixel being defined by the zone for overlapping one line electrode and one column electrode.
In the case of a non-multiplexed display screen, the line and column conductors are constituted by addressing lines and control columns which, for example, are disposed on one of the walls of the cell and connected by means of transistors to point electrodes, one d.c. electrode being disposed on the other wall of the cell. According to a further example of this type of screen, the addressing lines and the control columns may be respectively disposed on the internal walls of the cell, the lines being connected by means of transistors to point electrodes and the columns being connected to electrode columns. In these last two cases, one pixel is defined by the zone for overlapping one point electrode with the d.c. electrode or with one column electrode.
Addressing signals are sent onto the various line conductors and control signals are sent onto the column conductors. One example, given by way of illustration and being in no way restrictive, is shown on FIG. 1 and describes such signals where a matrix liquid crystals display screen is controlled by the technique known as the direct multiplexing technique.
For reasons of simplicity and in no way altering the above-mentioned description, this technique is limited in this example to one screen having nine pixels, namely three line conductors L1, L2, L3, and three column conductors C1, C2, C3.
The voltages V1 applied to the line conductors are periodical with a period T known as a frame time or scanning time. For each line conductor, the voltage V1 is equal to a voltage Vmax for a time Ts, known as a line selection time, and is nil, for example, outside this time Ts concerning the rest of the time T. Each line is thus brought successively during a time Ts up to the value Vmax. FIG. 1A shows an addressing cycle of the line conductors. FIG. 1B describes a sequence example of the control voltages Vc applied to the column conductors. Depending on the motif to be displayed, the voltages applied to the column conductors shall be positive or negative.
The values of the voltages applied to the line conductors and column conductors depend on the type of display used.
When the voltage applied to a line conductor is in phase with the voltage applied to a column conductor, the pixel corresponding to their crossing is extinguished (black, for example). If the two voltages are in opposition of phase, the pixel in question is lit up (white, for example).
When the line L1 is otherwise selected when it is brought to Vmax during Ts, the voltage on the column C1 is positive in the example in question. The two column and line voltages are in phase and the pixel corresponding to the crossing of the line conductor L1 with the column conductor C1 is black. When the line L2 is selected, the voltage on the column C1 is negative in the example in question. The two line and column voltages are in opposition of phase and the pixel corresponding to the crossing of the line conductor L2 with the column conductor C1 is white. The state of each pixel is deduced identically.
FIG. 1C gives the display of the screen for the proposed line and column voltages on FIGS. 1A and 1B. The pixels marked N are black and those marked B are white.
For the display of given information and to each corresponding period T, the line and column voltages have their polarity inverted so as to only apply to the display material signals of nil average values.
In the case of a non-multiplexed liquid crystals type screen or an FMS, the selection signals of the line conductors are the same as those shown on FIG. 1A, but they do not undergo any polarity inversion. On the other hand, the signals applied to the column conductors may be either of negative or positive polarity, their amplitude solely depending on the voltage required with the electro-optical effect used.
In all cases, the line selection time Ts depends on the number of line conductors to be selected by the formula Ts=T/M where M is the total number of line conductors and T is the frame time. It is understood that M increases more when the selection time Ts is shorter.
The multipexing rate TM is defined as being the ratio between the frame time T and the selection time Ts of one line conductor. EQU TM=T/Ts
For the known screens, TM=M is established.
When the number of line conductors increases, the multiplexing rate follows this growth and the time Ts diminishes resulting in a reduction of the contrast of a liquid crystals screen and the luminosity of an FMS.
The number of lines currently used in matrix display screens with liquid crystals is about one hundred. Thus, this number is considerably lower than the number of available video line signals which is equal, for example, to about two hundred and eighty at the output of a video recorder.

Method to control a matrix display screen and device for implementation of said method


A system indicates fault conditions in an automated banking machine apparatus. A journal printer (12, 106) is supplied with paper from a paper supply (16, 112). A paper take-up device (18, 114) receives paper from the printer. Movement of the take-up device is sensed by a detector (70, 146, 124). The detector is connected to an electronic circuit (74, 118) including a processor (76, 120). Fault signals are generated by the electronic circuit responsive to the detector sensing conditions representative of a paper jam and a paper break.

Automated banking machines are well known in the prior art. Automated banking machines include transaction conducting machines which can be used to perform transactions which have financial consequences to a user and/or other persons or entities. For example, automated banking machines may include devices for purchasing goods or services, devices for dispensing items of value such as vouchers, tickets, checks, notes, or currency, as well as automated teller machines, which may dispense cash or notes and which in some cases may be used to accept deposits, transfer funds, and conduct other types of banking or financial transactions.
In many types of automated banking machines, including automated teller machines (ATMs), it is common to include a journal printer inside the machine. The function of the journal printer is to make a paper record of each transaction that has been conducted at the ATM. This enables the institution that operates the ATM to verify its electronic records and to reconstruct them in the event of a failure. An example of an ATM is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,047, the disclosure of which is fully incorporated herein by reference.
Journal printers typically involve recording transaction information on paper that is supplied from a paper roll. The paper from the roll is passed through the printer where the data is printed on the paper responsive to the corresponding transaction. After printing, the paper is rewound onto a take-up roll. As transactions are recorded, blank paper on the supply roll is used and the diameter of the supply roll decreases. As paper upon which data has been recorded is transferred to the take-up roll, the take-up roll increases in diameter. Eventually, when the amount of paper remaining on the supply roll is nearly depleted, the supply roll must be replaced and the paper on the take-up roll removed. The process is then repeated with additional transactions being recorded on the paper from a new supply roll.
The reliable operation of the journal printer is important to insure that the institution operating the ATM has a hard copy record of all the transactions that have been conducted. It is undesirable for the supply roll of the journal printer to be depleted, as this results in transactions for which there may be no hardtop record. In some existing ATMs, the need to replace the supply roll is determined electronically by storing in the memory of the machine the number of data lines printed by the journal printer since the last roll change. Such systems require for their operation that all replacement rolls be identical. This is not always the case. If the roll is either "too short" or "too long" then a paper out condition may arise or excess paper may be unnecessarily discarded.
A person servicing the ATM to replace the supply roll may forget to reset the system when the paper is replaced. This can result in the automated teller machine indicating that it is in a paper low condition when in fact no such problem exists. Also, a problem such as a paper jam may occur in the middle of a roll. In this situation the technician must start a new roll and reset the machine. This may waste a significant amount of paper.
Journal printers sometimes experience paper jams. Paper jams usually result in the paper no longer moving through the printer. During a jam, the printer mechanism prints data concerning a multitude of transactions on the same area of paper. As a result, the hard copy record of these transactions is lost. Only the most severe paper jams that trigger signals indicating a malfunction in other components are generally detected by existing automated teller machines. For example, if the paper jam condition is sufficient to prevent the printer mechanism from moving as required to produce characters on paper, then a printer fault indication may be given. However, in most circumstances, paper jams are not sufficiently severe to impact the operation of other components. Such paper jams go undetected until a visual inspection is made by a service technician.
Other types of fault conditions may arise with regard to a journal printer. A technician may remove a spent roll and forget to put in a new one even though the machine has been reset. Paper rolls may also have breaks at splices. In either situation the journal printer will become inoperative and this condition may go undetected for some time.
Problems may also result when a replacement roll has not been properly installed. The ATM may be run for an extended time before it is discovered that paper is not feeding through the journal printer.
Thus, there exists a need for a system and method for indicating fault conditions concerning paper movement associated with a journal printer in an automated banking machine.

Paper jam detection apparatus and method for automated banking machine

Diebold Self-Service Systems division of Diebold, Incorporated


A thermostat for a HVAC system with visual display of status and operating condition. The thermostat has a power switch to select one of Heater and Cooler for the HVAC system, a light sensor (200) to sense ambient lighting, a temperature sensor (210) to sense ambient temperature, a manual temperature switch (260) to set a desired temperature for the room, a control circuit (220) to select a preferred temperature based on selection of the power switch, an illuminating outer cover (110), which at least partially covers the outside of the thermostat, which displays one of Blue and Red colors according to selection of the power switch and the ambient lighting, and a plurality of LED displays (140) arranged on a display face of the thermostat, to display one arrangement of the LEDs based on a difference between the preferred temperature and the ambient lighting.

The present invention is related to thermostat controls commonly used in connection with residential or office heating ventilation air-condition systems (xe2x80x9cHVACxe2x80x9d), and more particularly related to thermostat controls that provide easy and convenient reading of its operating status.
Ever since the days of the national energy and gasoline crisis in the 1970s, the general public has been reminded over and over again that they should conserve energy whenever possible. Such reminder became especially significant, during the time when California went through its state-wide electric energy crisis. What can the general public do? Aside from driving less, using carpool or turning off appliances when not in use, one area where the consumers can help is right in their homes. For residential usage, energy policymakers in our government have advocated that the HVAC be turned off when no one is at home. Additionally, HVAC should be set differently between summer and winter seasons. In summer, the ideal temperature setting should be 78xc2x0 F., while the ideal temperature setting in winter should be 68xc2x0 F. This seasonal change will help conserve energy for home or commercial settings, without sacrificing their comfort.
While most people fully appreciate the need to conserve energy and are willing to cooperate in such endeavor, achieving such goal is not always possible, largely due to human error or negligence. For example, energy is wasted when the consumer forgets to turn the HVAC off when there is no one in the house. Energy is also wasted when the consumer neglects to adjust the setting during night time, or between seasons.
To make up for human imperfection, the HVAC industry has long promoted programmable thermostats. Such programmable thermostats use a timer to partition each day, during the week and in weekend, into different time zones, each of which can have a different temperature setting to regulate the HVAC""s operation according to the users"" routine during the week and weekend. For example, in winter, from 6 pm through 11 pm, the time zone can be set to provide a comfortable setting around 68xc2x0 F., since people are at home during that time. From 11 pm through 7 am, the time zone can be set to provide an even lower setting, since there is much less activity during night time. During the week""s day time, the setting may be to turn the HVAC off, since there is generally no one at home. For weekend, the HVAC may be turned back on, since there will be people at home. The programmable controls will adjust the settings of the HVAC, after being setup by the consumer initially. From that point on, the consumer does not have to concern himself with adjusting the temperature setting, whether it is for the day time setting, the night time setting, or even for the seasonal change.
Not everyone embraces a programmable thermostat, much in the same way that not everyone finds a programmable VCR useful, or easy to use. Aside from commanding a higher price than its conventional counterparts, the programmable thermostats are deemed by many to be either unnecessary, an overkill, or simply too complicated to use. From the perspective of those skeptics or nonbelievers, they can, and are willing to, adjust the thermostat manually, on the fly. For those who find the programmable thermostat too complicated, they simply ignore the convenience offered by the programmability, and instead resort to the xe2x80x9cmanualxe2x80x9d ON/OFF switch of the programmable thermostat. Such tendency defeats the purpose of having a programmable thermostat, as well as causes inefficient and wasteful use of heating and cooling energy in the homes.
For the manual thermostats, or those programmable thermostats operated in manual mode, one of the major drawbacks has been that they do not provide a useful reminder to the users of their status. Limited by the physical size, and the need to be inconspicuous, the conventional thermostats require the users to come close in order to observe the read-out. Due to this extra effort required, the users end up not being reminded to check the status, or to adjust for different time periods. Some of the read-out displays on the thermostat have become so small that they even motivated certain inventors to invent a magnifying glass apparatus, which can be attachable to the thermostats so that the status can be read out. See U.S. Pat. No. Des. 288,670, issued to Steiner, for A COMBINED THERMOSTAT AND MAGNIFIER THEREFOR, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,455, issued to Homing, for A COVER FOR WALL MOUNTED THERMOSTAT INCLUDING ILLUMINATION MEANS AND MAGNIFYING MEANS.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a thermostat that can provide useful status information, in addition to current temperature and pre-set temperature, to the users in a convenient manner.
It would also be desirable to have a thermostat that can facilitate the efficient use of heating and cooling energy.
It would further be desirable to have a thermostat that can alert the users that the setting has been tempered with.
An illuminating thermostat for a HVAC system with visual display is disclosed. The thermostat has a power switch to select one of heater and cooler for the HVAC system, a light sensor (200) to sense ambient lighting, a temperature sensor (210) to sense ambient temperature, a manual temperature switch (260) to control the operation of the heater and cooler, a control circuit (220) to select a preferred built-in temperature based on selection of the power switch, an illuminating outer cover (110) to at least partially cover the thermostat, and to illuminate either one of its colors according to selection of the power switch and the ambient lighting, and a plurality of LED displays (140) arranged on a display face of the thermostat, which display one arrangement of the LEDs based on a difference between the preferred temperature and the ambient temperature.
The user of the thermostat can readily determine whether the HVAC is turned on by looking at the illuminating cover, which displays one color, e.g. Blue, if the cooler is selected or another color, e.g. Red, if the heater is selected, without having to approach the thermostat or turn on the ambient light. The strength of the Blue or Red color on the illuminating cover may also be positively proportional to the ambient lighting, such that the color remains visible in both bright and dark ambient lighting situation. The user can also readily determine whether the HVAC is operating consistent with the preferred and optimal temperature setting by visually observing the location at which one, or more, of the LEDs is lit up. In one situation, the location of the LED that is lit up will indicate whether the actual temperature is above or below the preferred temperature and extent of such difference. The warmer it gets above the preferred temperature, the farther the LED to the right of the optimal state LED is lit. In the opposition situation, the cooler it is below the preferred temperature, the farther the LED to the left of the optimal state LED is lit.
The illuminating thermostat in accordance with the present invention allows the user to conveniently obtain status, usage and ambience information much more effortlessly than the conventional thermostat.