A differential pressure sensing system is provided. The sensing system includes a membrane layer having a channel extending diametrically therein, and including one or more cavities provided radially outbound of the channel and at least one resonant beam disposed in the channel and configured to oscillate at a desired frequency. The system further includes sensing circuitry configured to detect oscillation of the at least one resonant beam indicative of deformation in the membrane layer.

The present invention relates generally to sensors and, more particularly, to resonant differential pressure sensors.
Traditional differential pressure sensors are designed to determine the differential pressure between the two sides of the sensor. By way of example, traditional differential pressure sensors detect the differential pressure between two regions of interest by evaluating the net effect of the pressure forces of the two regions on a component or components of the sensor. When employed in harsh industrial environments, traditional pressure sensors often require a more robust construction. For example, if a differential pressure sensor is exposed to relatively high-pressure and/or high-temperature environments, the exposed components of the pressure sensor benefit from a construction robust enough to accommodate these conditions.
However, such traditional differential pressure sensors, the features and attributes that facilitate operation in such high pressure (i.e., harsh) environments can negatively impact the resolution of the sensor. That is to say, traditional differential pressure sensors that are robust enough to withstand high-pressure environments, for example, cannot detect the pressure differential between the two regions of interest in orders of magnitude less than the pressure difference in the environment. For example, resonating differential pressure sensors robust enough to withstand pressures of 5000 pounds per square. inch (psi), and beyond, generally do not have sufficient resolutional capabilities to detect a pressure differential of +/−10 psi, for instance. This is because traditional resonating pressure sensors contain vacuum within the closed enclosure between the diaphragms of the pressure sensor, and therefore with high pressures acting on the each of the diaphragm, the diaphragms may tend to bulge inside.
Thus, there is a need for a pressure sensing system and method that can provide differential pressure sensing capabilities with high resolution, while withstanding high line-pressures, for instance.

System and method for sensing differential pressure


A combination thermostat and warning device that is housed within a common housing, such as a housing resembling that for a conventional thermostat. The combination device includes a controller that is operable to control the operation of a climate control device, such as an HVAC system. The combination thermostat and warning device includes a radio receiver that is disposed within the common housing and receives warning radio broadcasts from a remote source, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The controller of the combination thermostat and warning device controls the generation of a warning alarm by an alarm indicator based upon the warning radio broadcast to alert occupants of the warning broadcast. The warning alarm can be generated by an alarm indicator included within the common housing or can be generated by remote devices, such as hazardous condition detectors or other alarm system. The combination thermostat and warning device includes a transceiver that can both broadcast messages to remote devices and receive information from remote devices, such as remote temperature sensors.

Most, if not all, areas of the country have building codes requiring that smoke detectors or smoke alarms be installed in almost all structures, at least of new construction. The installation of such devices has proven to be a life saving measure, as the warning provided can often alert persons within the structure to evacuate the structure in a timely manner.
In current homes, thermostats are provided that can communicate wirelessly with various devices in the home, such as smoke detectors, CO detectors, air dampers, water heater controls, furnace controls and other devices that may or may not be line powered including remote sensors, systems and appliances. The thermostat can function as a central controller for the home and can communicate information to and from the other devices wirelessly, typically using RF communication or may be a node on an in-home network that intercommunicates with other devices. In either case, the network can be a point-to-point, star, mesh or any other suitable network infrastructure that uses RF, Powerline, infra-red or any other media that is deemed to be reliable and sufficient to meet the needs of the system.
Severe weather, particularly localized and rapidly forming weather such as tornadoes, also takes a toll of life in many areas. Accordingly, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has implemented an FM radio network across the U.S. to provide severe weather warnings on a region or area-specific basis.
In 1994, the weather warning system was improved by implementing "Specific Area Message Encoding" (SAME), in which each broadcast is preceded by a "Federal Information Processing System" (FIPS) code. Weather radios with this system include means for setting the receiver to be activated only by a specific code. Thus, a severe weather warning broadcast intended to cover only a certain area (e.g., a county), will be preceded by a "FIPS" code only for that county. Only radios that have been set to be activated by that specific code will be activated by the broadcast to produce a suitable alarm and/or voice broadcast of the severe weather warning.
However, relatively few people have purchased, or have access to, such weather warning radios, for various reasons. Yet, severe weather which hits an area at night can be tragic in terms of loss of life. The provision and use of such radios, particularly those using the "SAME" system of regionally coded messages, could do much to save lives in such situations.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for an emergency warning device which combines the features of a thermostat and severe weather warning radio. The device provides a single, central receiving device for sudden emergency situations and can provide a signal to an alarm-type device, such as but not limited to a smoke or CO detector, to provide an audible alarm or to a vibrating or visual alarm strobe device to alert those who might be hearing impaired, in the event of severe weather in the area. Preferably, the thermostat including the emergency warning device and any peripheral alarm nodes is powered by standard household electrical power and includes backup battery power.

Combination thermostat and warning device with remote sensor monitoring


A new and distinct variety of white nectarine tree, denominated ‘NECTARDREAM’, has a very large fruit of very long shelf life without alteration after harvesting, a semi-sweet white flesh of high eating quality and an attractive bright purple red skin color. The tree is of large size and is vigorous. Fruit can be consumed crunchy or at maturity.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of white nectarine tree, Prunus persica L. Batsch var. nucipersica, which has been given the variety denomination 'NECTARDREAM'. This new tree produces fruit with a long shelf life without alteration both on the tree after growth completion and after harvesting, large fruit with very good eating quality, fresh fruit for fresh market in early August in the Pyrénées-Orientales department, France. Contrast is made to 'NECTARJEWEL' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,380) white nectarine tree, standard variety, for reliable description. 'NECTARDREAM' is a promising candidate for commercial success in that it has a semi-late period flowering, fruit with very long shelf life without alteration after harvesting, and so a very durable fruit.


An image-forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive drum, a motor, and a drum gear train configured to transmit a driving force from the motor to the photosensitive drum. The drum gear train includes a first gear, a second gear and a first clutch. The first gear is rotatable about a first axis upon receipt of the driving force. The second gear is rotatable about the first axis and configured to receive the driving force from the first gear and to transmit the driving force to the photosensitive drum. The first clutch is switchable between a first transmission state where the driving force is transmitted from the first gear to the second gear and a first transmission cutoff state where the transmission of the driving force from the first gear to the second gear is cut off.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-189322 discloses an image-forming apparatus including a photosensitive drum, a motor, and a drum gear train. The drum gear train is configured to transmit a driving force from the motor to the photosensitive drum.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-203009 discloses an image-forming apparatus including a photosensitive drum, a developing roller, a fixing device, a motor, a developing gear train, and a controller. The developing gear train is configured to transmit a driving force from the motor to the developing roller. The developing gear train includes a clutch configured to perform switching in state thereof between a transmission state and a cutoff state. In the transmission state of the clutch, the driving force can be transmitted from the motor to the developing roller. In the cutoff state of the clutch, the transmission of the driving force to the developing roller is interrupted.

Image-forming apparatus including structure for switching transmission state of driving force to photosensitive drum


An time variant geographical information acquisition system for mobile vehicles and the system thereof is disclosed, which provides the time variant geographic information system to at least one mobile vehicle located in the aforementioned three-dimensional space, wherein the system comprises: a plurality of image capturing apparatus, at least one monitoring host and at least one time variant geographical information acquisition system for mobile vehicles installed on the above-said mobile vehicle, in which the data capture device includes: a wireless communication unit, connected to the image capturing apparatus and/or the monitoring host; a timing unit, used to output a timing signal in cooperation with the wireless communication unit; a memory module, storing the geographic information corresponding to at least the aforementioned mobile vehicle in the three-dimensional space; and a traffic scenario output interface, collectively displaying the geographic information and the time variant object information.

With the rapid population growth and significant increase in traffic flow, accidents inevitably continue to rise. In general, driver is the main cause of most accidents. Although some vehicles are equipped with various sensors to remind drivers of the surrounding conditions, development of traffic flow and road condition away from the driver can only be notified by wireless means, news or road condition notification shown on the electronic bulletin board. Meanwhile, technology advancement has made autonomous driving possible. Automated vehicles (AV) acquire information around the vehicle via varies sensors, and in combination with static geographic information to form a real-time geographic information system or driving scenario for the AV computing system to drive the car. But AV, like human driver, is limited to what they can see, and are greatly compromised in bad weather conditions. Due to its small viewing angle toward the road, AV sensors typically have poor resolution in detecting road breaks, road potholes, broken bridge or damages, accumulated water and snow. AV sensors are blocked by curved or uphill roadway or vehicles located in front leading to poor decision making and may lead to accidents.
As shown in FIG. 1, from the perspective of vehicle 10, vehicle 12 and vehicle 13 are occluded by vehicle 11 ahead, so that if vehicle 12 or 13 created conditions that require immediate attention, the driver of vehicle 10, or its equivalent AV sensors, occluded by vehicle 11, cannot make the appropriate moves immediately. Only when vehicle 11 took evasive action, or the occlusion removed, would vehicle 10 had a chance to act, and by then it could be too late. Therefore, how to make the geographical information data acquisition device output available to all drivers, including AVs, has become an urgent problem to be solved.
Prior art intelligent transport system (ITS) uses a set of cameras to monitor the traffic scenario across an intersection, another set of cameras and system hardware to detect speeding, and a different set of cameras and system for traffic light violations. Integration of different services under ITS is a very difficult task. Prior art parking lot operation requires physical gate and barrier, multiple cameras, and dedicated system for system management. It is highly desirable to use a minimal set of cameras that can provide a rich set of vehicle movement information that allows a remote monitoring host to process seamlessly into traffic flow control, traffic violation, and park management functions.

Time variant geographical information systemdata acquisition device for mobile vehicles and the system thereof


A message can be selectively provided to users of an online content management service based at least in part on a user relationship between the users and a shared content item. Users having the user relationship associated with the message can be shown the message, where users without the user relationship are not shown the message. For example, a message can be configured to be shown upon the first time a content item is opened by a user, but not on subsequent openings of the content item.

The present disclosure relates generally to online content management services and in particular to selectively providing messages from such services to a user based on a relationship between the user and a content item in an online content management service.
Online content management services allow users to access and manage content across multiple devices using the Internet. In a typical online content management service, a user establishes an account with the service provider and associates various content items with the account. For example, some online content management services may allow the user to store content items (including, but not limited to, text documents; email messages; text messages; other types of messages; media files such as photos, videos, and audio files; and/or folders containing multiple files) and to selectively allow other users to access the content items. Content items can be stored in a master repository maintained by the service provider and mirrored to or synchronized with local copies on various user devices. Users may also be able to receive updates based on activity of other users; for instance, in a social network, status updates or other content items posted by one user can be propagated to other users who have indicated interest in receiving them.
With the proliferation of mobile computing devices, a user can now communicate about content items from a variety of clients, such as web browsers, desktop application programs, and mobile-device apps. Project membership can be dynamic with people leaving and joining projects when needed. Keeping all of a user's communications organized and/or properly addressed can present challenges for the online content management service provider.

Content-item relationship messaging system


A composition and method for the inhibiting of adhesion of disease-causing microorganisms, such as Streptococcus mutans, to tooth surrfaces, which composition contains as an active ingredient a non-immunogenic amino acid segment of a proline rich protein and which method comprises treating a calcium-containing mineral surface, such as a tooth surface, with the composition.

It is well known that the adhesion of disease-causing microorganisms, such as Streptococcus mutans, to tooth surfaces results in dental plaque formation and leads to dental diseases, including dental caries and periodontal diseases. Therefore, it is desirable to provide compositions and techniques for the prevention of adhesion of such microorganisms to surfaces of the mouth. It has been disclosed that certain anionic, aromatic polyamino acid sulfonates as active ingredients in various dental compositions are effective in inhibiting the deposition of dental plaque onto tooth surfaces (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,991, issued Feb. 9, 1982). Also, it has been reported that acidic phosphoproteins or polypeptides, such as casein, polyglutamate lactalbumin and polyaspartate reduce the adhesion of Streptococcus mutans to apatitic surfaces and thus may inhibit dental caries (see Canadian patents 1,200,506 issued Feb. 11, 1986 and 1,212,627 issued Oct. 14, 1986). The acidic polypeptides reported in the Canadian patents are derived from bovine dairy products and are immunogenic in humans. Further, a peptide with a defined amino acid sequence derived from the parotid gland of rats has been found to have a dentinal fluid transport (DFT) stimulating affect in preventing dental caries (see European patent application 86 10 5534.1, published Mar. 12, 1986, No. 0 203 359). The destruction of tooth tissues due to microorganisms has been reported to be slowed also by the use of various polypeptides having 2-4 amino acid units of at least one of which is arginine (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,579 issued May 15, 1979 and Re-issue U.S. Pat. No. 31,181, issued Mar. 15, 1983). A growth inhibitor for Streptococcus mutans has also been disclosed being a dihydro quaiaretic acid (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,190, issued Sept. 16, 1986). Therefore, it is desirable to treat tooth surfaces in such a way that colonization of teeth by disease-causing microorganisms is changed to the advantage of the host. Development of compositions and methods to prevent or inhibit the adhesion of disease-causing microorganisms is desirable.
The invention disclosed herein was supported in part by grants from the United States Public Health Service through the National Institute of Dental Research and National Institute of Health of Bethesda, Maryland, Grant Nos. DE 7009 and DE 8601.

Method to inhibit adhesion of disease-causing microorganisms to teeth


A valve comprises a valve body having a cylindrical bore and at least two fluid passages connected to the cylindrical bore. A rotating body has at least one means for allowing fluid flowing through the fluid passages, and at least one means for blocking fluid flowing through the fluid passages. At least one sealing is arranged inside said cylindrical bore, said sealing having an outer surface parallel with the axis of the cylindrical bore, and an inner surface parallel with the lateral surface of the rotating body. The rotating body comprises a frusto-conical shape.

Valves are commonly used in hydraulic applications. In general terms, the valve is configured to regulate fluid flow by opening or closing fluid passages. Commonly used types are e.g. ball valves, plug valves, and gate valves. U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,088 discloses a plug valve having a conical shaped plug inserted in a conical bore. The space between the inner wall of the bore and the outer surface of the rotating body is sealed by means of a sleeve. Further, pressure relief areas are provided to prevent a pressure build-up forcing the sleeve into a port of the plug. One drawback with the above-mentioned valve is that the manufacturing requires complex and advanced machinery. Another drawback is that the plug is allowed to move in an axial direction during operation, reducing the reliability of the valve. A yet further drawback with the valve is that it may not be implemented in hydraulic applications utilizing an internal pressure above 400 bars. In such case, hydraulic fluid may leak behind the sleeve and completely eliminate the function of the pressure relief areas.
For hydraulic applications, the DN-series of cartridge ball valves are commercially available by Rótelmann GmbH. These valves are configured to be connected to control manifold blocks in a simple way. Such a valve comprises a cartridge for insertion in a prepared well in the control block. The bore, which intersects the cartridge well at right angles, is blocked by means of a ball valve enclosed within the cartridge. An o-ring helically attached to the cartridge seals the cartridge-bore interface.
One disadvantage with the DN-series of valves is that the o-ring must pass over the openings of the cartridge when the valve is mounted. Hence, there is a severe risk of tearing the o-ring during mounting. Further, the valves comprise a plurality of components, leading to a complex and expensive valve.
Hence, there is a need for an improved valve, being efficient and cost-effective.

Valve and a method for providing such a valve


Hot surface igniter assemblies used in cooktops are shown and described. The hot surface igniters include a silicon nitride ceramic body with an embedded, resistive, heat-generating circuit. The igniters are less than 0.04 inches thick, and when energized, they reach surface temperatures in excess of 2000° F. in under 4 seconds to ignite cooking gas such as propane, butane, or natural gas. Examples of cook top burner systems are also provided which allow the igniter to remain on after ignition at a power level that is lower than during ignition but high enough to ignite the cooking gas should a flame out occur. Examples are also provided of burners that ignite on a low flow setting (e.g., simmer) as opposed the high flow settings that are common in cook top industry.

Gas cooktops include a set of burners, each of which receives and ignites cooking gas. The burner typically includes an orifice holder, which holds the orifice through which gas enters the burner, a crown, and a crown cap. The crown typically includes a plurality of flutes (orifices) arranged around its circumference through which combusting gas is directed in a radially outward direction. Gas enters the crown axially via the orifice, and a crown cap sits atop the orifice to redirect gas flowing upward through the flutes in a radially outward direction.
Typical burners also include a spark igniter to ignite the cooking gas. Certain spark igniters consist of a small, spring loaded hammer which hits a piezoelectric crystal when activated. The contact between the hammer and crystal causes a deformation and a large potential difference. The potential difference creates an electric discharge and a spark that ignites the gas. More recently, a small transformer is provided in the ignition circuit and steps up the 120V input voltage up to 10 orders of magnitude or greater to create the large potential difference that generates the electric discharge.
Spark igniters each typically spark with a potential difference of 10,000-12,000 volts. All of the igniters for each burner on a cooktop ignite simultaneously, regardless of which burner gas is being directed to. As a result, each spark ignition event involves a collective potential difference pulse equal to the number of burners times the 10-12 kV potential per igniter. This large potential difference pulse generates an electromotive force that can cause damage electronic components and lead to control board failures. In addition, customers often complain that the audible clicking sound of spark igniters is annoying.
Hot surface igniters are a possible alternative to spark igniters. Hot surface igniters are used to ignite combustion gases in a variety of appliances, including furnaces and clothing dryers. Some hot surface igniters, such as silicon carbide igniters, include a semi-conductive ceramic body with terminal ends across which a potential difference is applied. Current flowing through the ceramic body causes the body to heat up and increase in temperature, providing a source of ignition for the combustion gases.
Other types of hot surface igniters, such as silicon nitride igniters, include a ceramic body with an embedded circuit across which a potential difference is applied. Current flowing in the embedded circuit causes the ceramic body to heat up and increase in temperature, providing a source of ignition for combustion gases. However, using hot surface igniters in cooktop applications presents certain challenges. The required ignition times for lighting cooktop burners are typically shorter than those for applications such as furnaces, boilers, etc. In addition, the envelope in which the igniter must function imposes constraints on the length, width, and thickness of the igniter. Because of these requirements, many existing hot surface igniters lack the combination of structural strength and low ignition times that are required in many cooktop applications.
In cooktop applications, it is also desirable to have a method for re-igniting the cooking gas in the event of loss of flame, and in some cases, to automatically detect the loss of flame. Existing control strategies and systems are not configured to re-ignite the cooking gas or to do so in an acceptable amount of time. It is further desirable to coordinate the supply of cooking gas and the energization of the hot surface igniter and to provide a user control that provides such coordination during ignition, cooking, and re-ignition.
Modern cooktops are typically configured such that ignition only occurs when the gas flow is on one of its highest settings. The igniter is typically in fluid communication with the gas source via an igniter orifice in the crown. At lower gas flow rates to the burner, the gas pressure may be insufficient to allow a combustible mixture of gas and air to form proximate the igniter. Igniting only at high gas flows ensures that an explosive mixture will form at the igniter and provides more reliable ignition. However, it wastes gas, can create an unanticipated gas ignition plume or can fill a room with unignited gas thus create an undesirable indoor environment. Thus, it would also be desirable to provide a burner system that comprises a hot surface igniter and which ignites or re-ignites on a lower gas flow rate to the burner.
Certain countries or geographical regions have industry standards that dictate ignition times and re-ignition times that igniters must meet. In the US and Canada, the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Z21.1-2016 and CSA (Canadian Standards Association) 1.1-2016 standard governs household cooking gas appliances. In Chile Standard Nch1397 governs household appliances for cooking using gaseous fuels, and in Mexico Official Mexican Standard NOM-1010-SESH-2012 governs domestic appliances for cooking foods that use LP gas or natural gas. In some cases, these standards set minimum ignition times, minimum re-ignition times (following flame extinction) and minimum times for re-energizing the igniter. For example, ANSI Z211.1-2016 requires that ignition and re-ignition after extinction occur within four (4) seconds after gas is first available at the burner ports (to prevent uncombusted cooking gas from filling the area around the cooktop) and that if the igniter is de-energized following ignition, that it must be re-energized in not more than 0.8 second following the flame outage. The Official Mexican Standard NOM-1010-SESH-2012 has similar requirements, whereas the Chilean Nch1397 Standard allows for a five (5) second ignition time. The ANSI standard also specifies low and high cooking gas supply pressure scenarios under which the various minimum ignition times must be satisfied. Igniting or re-igniting on a lower gas flow rate can impact the ability of a burner system to satisfy such standards. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a burner system comprising a hot surface igniter that can ignite on lower gas flow rates while also satisfying one or more of the foregoing standards.

SCP Holdings, An Assumed Business Name Of Nitride Igniters, LLC


A display apparatus and a control method thereof are provided. The display apparatus includes: a signal receiver which receives an input signal corresponding to a user's input, from at least one of a plurality of input devices receiving the user's input; a display unit which displays thereon information on the plurality of input devices; and a controller which identifies whether the plurality of input devices are capable of receiving the user's input, and displays on the display unit connection information displaying at least one of the plurality of input devices which is capable of receiving the user's input. Accordingly, information on a plurality of input devices which are capable of controlling the display apparatus are displayed on the apparatus.

1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the exemplary embodiments relate to a display apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a display apparatus and a control method thereof which receives an input signal from various input devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
A display apparatus processes an image signal or image data, which is input from the outside or stored therein, by various processes, and displays an image on a panel or a screen. The display apparatus varies by a display type, including a TV, a monitor, a portable media player (PMP), etc. According to recent technological developments, the display apparatus may provide various functions, and a demand for more types of commands to be input by a user through an input device has increased to use the various functions provided by the display apparatus.
Therefore, in addition to an infrared (IR) remote controller as an example of a conventional remote input device, a user's input signal may be transmitted by various communication types such as Bluetooth, Wifi or Zigbee through various input devices including smart phone, PDA, voice recognition device, motion recognition device, etc.
However, the display apparatus does not display input signals even if a plurality of input devices may transmit such signals from a remote distance to a single display apparatus. As a result, a user does not receive information regarding an available input device, causing great inconvenience to the user.

Display apparatus and control method thereof


A modified DNA, polymerase belonging to family B that is not inhibited by dUTP is provided.

Thermostable DNA polymerases used for PCR are those belonging to family A and those belonging to family B. Examples of known DNA polymerases belonging to family A include DNA polymerase derived from Thermus thermophilus (Tth polymerase), DNA polymerase derived from Thermus aquaticus (Taq polymerase), and the like. Examples of known DNA polymerases belonging to family B include DNA polymerase derived from Pyrococcus furiosus (Pfu polymerase), thermostable DNA polymerase derived from Thermococcus litoralis (Tli polymerase), DNA polymerase derived from Thermococcus kodakaraensis (KOD DNA polymerase), and the like.
DNA polymerases belonging to family A have been heretofore used as thermostable DNA polymerases used for PCR for reasons such as good amplification efficiency and easy condition setting. However, recent various investigations into reaction compositions etc. have enabled easy condition setting even with DNA polymerases belonging to family B. In addition, DNA polymerases belonging to family B have high fidelity and thermostability, and are resistant to inhibiting substances carried into the reaction system; therefore, DNA polymerases belonging to family B have been widely used not only in the research field, but also in the field of forensic medicine, such as in genetic diagnosis and clinical diagnosis. DNA polymerases belonging to family B have also been widely used in testing for microorganisms in foods and the environment, etc.
DNA polymerases belonging to family B are, however, problematic in that when dUTP is incorporated, reactions stop because of their high fidelity. Since dUTP is also generated by thermal decomposition of dCTP, DNA polymerases belonging to family B are affected by dUTP generated during thermal cycling of PCR, and thus cannot sufficiently exhibit their high amplification efficiency. In particular, DNA polymerases belonging to family B are known to have reduced amplification efficiency in PCR using a long-chain target as a template, which requires a long thermal cycling time, and in PCR performed at multiple cycles using a small amount of template.
Additionally, since PCR is a highly sensitive detection method, carryover of amplification products from previous PCR may lead to false-positive results. To address this problem, a technique is taken in which PCR is performed using substrates containing dUTP instead of dTTP to incorporate uracil bases into amplification products, and contamination (carryover) PCR amplification products are degraded by treating with uracil-N-glycosylase (UNG) when the next PCR is performed (dUTP/UNG decontamination method) (Non-patent Literature 1). Although DNA polymerases belonging to family B have advantages of high fidelity and thermostability as well as resistance to inhibiting substances carried into the reaction system, they cannot be used in such a technique, since dUTP cannot be incorporated (Non-patent Literature 2, Non-patent Literature 3, and Non-patent Literature 4).
In recent years, interaction of DNA polymerases belonging to family B with nucleic acid containing dUTP has been studied, and an analysis of crystal structure of DNA polymerase derived from Thermococcus gorgonarius (Tgo polymerase) with dUTP was carried out. The results of the analysis suggest the presence of uracil binding pockets that are formed by amino acids at positions 1 to 40 and amino acids at positions 78 to 130 in Tgo polymerase, and show that strong interaction of one of the uracil binding pockets with dUTP shops extension reactions of PCR (Non-patent Literature 5).
It was then found that DNA polymerases in which an amino acid associated with uracil binding pockets is modified have reduced affinity for dUTP, thus allowing PCR to be performed even in the presence of dUTP. However, it has been impossible for even these DNA polymerases, in which an amino acid associated with uracil binding pockets is modified, to provide sufficient amounts of PCR amplification and to fully exhibit amplification efficiency of DNA polymerases belonging to family B. In addition, since reduction in enzyme activity has been expected, multiple mutations in amino acids associated with uracil binding pockets have not heretofore been considered (Patent Literature 1 and 2).

Abstract: The modified DNA polymerase comprises modifications of at least two amino acids selected from the group consisting of amino acids corresponding to Y7, P36, and V93 in SEQ ID NO: 1, in the amino acid sequence represented by any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 10.


The substrate washing apparatus of the present invention comprises a film scrub member permeable to liquid, which is moved relatively to a substrate held substantially horizontally while being in contact with the substrate, a supporting portion for supplying the film scrub member, a supply pipe for supplying a cleaning liquid to the substrate through the film scrub member, cleaning liquid supply means for supplying the cleaning liquid to the supply pipe, pressing means for pressing the film scrub member supplied with the cleaning liquid and swollen, to the substrate, and relative moving means for horizontally moving the film scrub member supplied with the cleaning liquid and swollen, relative to the substrate.

The present invention relates to a substrate washing apparatus and method for scrub-washing a substrate.
In a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a surface of the semiconductor wafer is scrubbed by a brush or a sponge while pouring a cleaning liquid thereon. Since foreign matters such as particles, organic substances, and metals are removed in this manner, the clean level of the surface is enhanced.
To attain the scrub washing, the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,039 is conventionally used. However, in the conventional apparatus, particles may attach to the surface of a scrub member (brush or sponge) and enter slightly depressed portions and holes in the scrub member. The particles attached to and introduced into the scrub member may fall off from the scrub member, attaching onto a wafer W.


In accordance with one embodiment, a method for securing control words is provided. The method includes receiving scrambled digital content in a descrambler integrated circuit. The method further includes receiving an encrypted control word in the descrambler integrated circuit, decrypting the encrypted control word using a key stored in a register circuit of the descrambler integrated circuit, and descrambling the scrambled digital content in the descrambler integrated circuit using the decrypted control word.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to digital devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for descrambling digital content in digital devices.
2. General Background
Analog communication systems are rapidly giving way to their digital counterparts. Digital television is currently scheduled to be available nationally to all consumers by the year 2002 and completely in place by the year 2006. High-definition television (HDTV) broadcasts have already begun in most major cities on a limited basis. Similarly, the explosive growth of the Internet and the World Wide Web have resulted in a correlative growth in the increase of downloadable audio-visual files, such as MP3-formatted audio files, as well as other content.
Simultaneously with, and in part due to, this rapid move to digital communications system, there have been significant advances in digital recording devices. Digital versatile disk (DVD) recorders, digital VHS video cassette recorders (D-VHS VCR), CD-ROM recorders (e.g., CD-R and CD-RW), MP3 recording devices, and hard disk-based recording units are but merely representative of the digital recording devices that are capable of producing high quality recordings and copies thereof, without the generational degradation (i.e., increased degradation between successive copies) known in the analog counterparts. The combination of movement towards digital communication systems and digital recording devices poses a concern to content providers such as the motion picture and music industries, who desire to prevent the unauthorized and uncontrolled copying of copyrighted, or otherwise protected, material.
In response, there is a movement to require service providers, such as terrestrial broadcast, cable and direct broadcast satellite (DBS) companies, and companies having Internet sites which provide downloadable content, to introduce protection schemes. Two such copy protection systems have been proposed by the 5C group of the Data Hiding Sub Group (DHSG) (5C comprising representatives of Sony, Hitachi, Toshiba, Matsushita, and Intel) and the Data Transmission Discussion Group (DTDG), which are industry committee sub-groups of the Copy Protection Technical Working Group (CPTWG). The CPTWG represents the content providers, computer and consumer electronic product manufacturers.
The DTDG Digital Transmission Copy Protection (DTCP) proposal is targeted for protecting copy-protected digital content, which is transferred between digital devices connected via a digital transmission medium such as an IEEE 1394 serial bus. Device-based, the proposal uses symmetric key cryptographic techniques to encode components of a compliant device. This allows for the authentication of any digital device prior to the transmission of the digital content in order to determine whether the device is compliant. The digital content is itself encoded prior to transmission so that unauthorized copying of the content will result in copy having an unintelligible format.
One method of encoding the content has been proposed by the DHSG, and is based on watermarking techniques. Although the main focus of the DHSG proposal has been for copy protection of digital movie and video content, particularly as applied to DVD systems, it is expected to be applicable to the copy protection of any digital content distributed electronically via digital broadcasts and networks. The watermarking techniques, which are invisible to the user, allow the incoming content to be marked in a manner that makes it extremely difficult to discern precisely how the content was encoded, and thus extremely difficult to remove or alter the watermark without damaging the content. The DHSG has determined three primary cases of detection and control that such a technology should accomplish: playback, record and generational copy control. It is anticipated that the watermarking technology will allow the content provider to specify at least whether the content is "copy never," "copy once," and "copy free" content. "Copy never" is used to mark digital content to indicate that the content is not allowed to be copied, while "copy free" indicates that the content may be copied freely and which can be marked with additional information. This is different than material that is never marked. Finally, "copy once" is used to indicate that the digital content is allowed to be copied only once. As a copy is being made, the original "copy once" content and the newly copied content are re-marked with "no more copy." Of course, other types of copy management commands may limit the playing or reproduction of such digital content; for example, to a specific period of time, duration, or number of plays or viewings.
Thus, even today, the functionality of digital devices such as set-top boxes, digital televisions, digital audio players, and similar such digital devices extends beyond their historical role of conditional access (CA), i.e., merely descrambling content to a CA-clear format for real-time viewing and/or listening, and now include constraints and conditions on the recording and playback of such digital content. For example, currently, copying of scrambled content for subsequent descrambling and viewing or listening may be permitted with the appropriate service/content provider authorization or key provided to the digital device
Traditional conditional access systems for Pay-TV originated from one-way broadcast systems where a back channel was not available. A cryptographic processor, such as a smart card, in a conditional access unit, such as a set top box, for example, is generally infused with information and functionality in order to automatically grant access to programs.
For example, a smart card with a Pay-TV access control application typically receives EMMs which grant certain service entitlements. Typically, services or group keys are delivered at the same time, and if the set top box is allowed to view IPPV programs, then credit and cost limit information may be transmitted as well.
When tuning to a program, the smart card receives ECMs which describe which entitlements the smart card needs in order to grant access to the show. Hackers may attempt to manipulate both EMMs and ECMs to view programs without paying the requisite subscription fees. Not only are the EMMs and ECMs manipulated, but the hardware is attacked as well. This combination of software and hardware attacks are used to cause the smart card to decrypt scrambled programs without authorization from the provider of the programs.
Once fielded, it is hard to change the functionality of the smart cards. Mechanisms for downloading new code to smart cards are prone to attack by hackers who may try to use the same mechanisms to load pirate code into the smart card in order to steal programs. One "safe" way to upgrade the access control system is to remove existing smart cards from the field and provide new ones. However, this can be costly and logistically difficult.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for securing control words


A server rack system comprises a server rack, a raised floor cooling system, and an exhaust system. The server rack includes a base, a front side, a rear side, and an interior portion including first, second, and third server rows. The raised floor cooling system includes a floor surface, ductwork disposed below the floor surface, a blower unit, and a vent. The exhaust system is coupled to the rear side of the server rack and includes a top portion, a bottom portion, and first, second, and third adjustable exhaust channels. In particular, the first adjustable exhaust channel has a first adjustable width, an exhaust inlet aligned with the first server row, and an exhaust outlet at the top portion of the server rack; the second adjustable exhaust channel has a second adjustable width, an exhaust inlet aligned with the second server row, and an exhaust outlet at the top portion of the server rack; and the third adjustable exhaust channel has a third adjustable width, an exhaust inlet aligned with the third server row, and an exhaust outlet at the top portion of the server rack. The first and second adjustable exhaust channels are separated by a first moveable guide plate, and the second and third adjustable exhaust channels are separated by a second moveable guide plate. The first and second moveable guide plates are adjustable in order to vary the first, second, and third adjustable widths of the respective exhaust channels based upon an amount of hot air that must be exhausted through each channel.

The increased computing power of today's computer systems leads to a proportionately increased energy requirement. Thus, reducing the total amount of energy for a computing center is an important issue in the design and layout of the computing center. Typical server rack rear doors are structured to blow the hot exhaust air horizontally into the room, leading to degraded total energy efficiency for cooling. One possibility of reducing energy includes minimizing the mixing of cold supply air and hot exhaust air within the computing center. For example, there are rear doors which are designed to actively move the hot air from the server rack into a specific direction. However, these rear doors utilize fans to move the hot air, which add to the total energy requirement for the computing center.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a top view of a typical arrangement of server racks 10 in a computing center. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the computing center includes a first row of server racks 11, a second row of server racks 12, and a third row of server racks 14. In particular, first row of server racks 11 includes first server rack 15A, second server rack 15B, and third server rack 15C; second row of server racks 12 includes first server rack 16A and third server rack 16C; and finally, third row of server racks 14 includes first server rack 17A, second server rack 17B, and third server rack 17C. Each server rack in the rows is orientated such that the cold inlet air used to cool the server racks and the hot outlet air created from the cooling of the server racks is blown in the same direction. This set-up creates cold aisles 18 and 19 and a hot aisle 20 between the various server rack rows. However, one common drawback to this set-up becomes apparent once one or more of the racks is removed from the computing center. When, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the second server rack is removed from second row 12, a gap is created in the row which allows the hot air from hot aisle 20 to flow through and finally mix up with cold air in cold aisle 19 prior to being blown through third row of server racks 14 in order to cool the server racks therein. The mixing of air from both the hot and cold aisles causes a net decrease in the energy coefficient for total cooling, which could therefore lead to a cooling problem for third row 14 in general, and particularly for second server rack 17B in third row 14.
Based on the foregoing, there exists a need for an improved system and method for controlling the hot air exhaust from a server rack in order to increase the total energy coefficient for cooling while substantially avoiding any mixing of cold supply air and hot exhaust air.

Passive rear door for controlled hot air exhaust

International Business Machines Corporation


A semiconductor type differential pressure measurement apparatus is disclosed comprising a measuring diaphragm having its periphery fixed, and two measuring chambers, each having a predetermined spacing along both surfaces of the measuring diaphragm, and which detects differential pressure within allowable limits of measurement. When an overpressure is applied, the diaphragm is stopped by a wall of a measuring chamber to prevent the diaphragm from being damaged by overpressure, so that no additional mechanism is required to prevent damage from overpressure. One embodiment utilizes an additional chamber and overhang to reduce overpressure. Another embodiment utilizes a measuring chamber having the two sides of the diaphragm exposed to the ambient to eliminate need for a pressure resistant casing. In a further embodiment, injected impurities serve as a terminal.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a compact and inexpensive differential pressure measurement apparatus having a simple structure and which can be manufactured without any special pressure resistant casing or any protective mechanism against overpressure, and which is free of pressure-resistant hermetic terminals.
The invention also relates to a semiconductor type differential pressure measurement apparatus comprising a measuring diaphragm provided on both sides thereof with two measuring chambers each having a predetermined spacing such that it may be immediately stopped by the wall of the measuring chamber when an overpressure is applied to the measuring diaphragm; and which directly utilizes the strain detector for measuring the pressure difference as the detector element for overpressure; and therefore the invention is a simple and inexpensive semiconductor type differential pressure measurement apparatus which is highly reliable for detecting overpressure.
The invention further relates to a semiconductor type differential pressure measurement apparatus manufacturing method which is inexpensive and can manufacture diaphragms with highly precise thicknesses.
The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor type differential pressure measurement apparatus by utilizing a sacrificial layer etching method to eliminate the possibility of the diaphragm adhering to the substrate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is an explanatory drawing of a prior art structure, such as shown, for example, in JP-A-59-56137, a published unexamined Japanese application.
Referring to FIG. 1, a flange 2 and another flange 3 are fitted and assembled on both sides of a housing 1 by means of welding or the like, and an inlet 5 for introducing a high pressure fluid with a pressure of P.sub.H and an inlet 4 for introducing a low pressure fluid with a pressure of P.sub.L are provided on both flanges 2 and 3. A pressure measuring chamber 6, provided with a center diaphragm 7 and a silicon diaphragm 8, is provided inside housing 1.
Center diaphragm 7 and diaphragm 8 are each separately fixed on the wall of the pressure measuring chamber 6, to divide chamber 6 into two parts. Plates 6A and 6B are provided on the wall of the pressure measuring chamber 6 in such a manner that they face center diaphragm 7. The periphery of center diaphragm 7 is welded to housing 1.
Diaphragm 8 is made entirely from a single crystal substrate. Four strain gauges 80 are formed on one side of a silicon substrate by selective diffusion of an impurity such as boron, and the other side is subjected to machining and etching to form a concave diaphragm. When diaphragm 8 is subjected to a differential pressure .DELTA.P, two of the strain gauges 80 are subjected to tension whereas the remaining two gauges undergo compression. The strain gauges are connected to a Wheatstone bridge to detect the change of differential pressure .DELTA.P as a change in electric resistance. A lead 81 is attached at one end to the strain gauge 80, and is connected to a hermetic terminal 82 at the other end.
The hermetic terminal 82 is held by a support 9. The end of support 9 facing pressure measuring chamber 6 is fixed and adhered to diaphragm 8 using a low melting point glass or the like.
Pressure introducing chambers 10 and 11 are provided between housing 1 and each of flanges 1 and 2. Liquid separation diaphragms 12 and 13 are further provided inside pressure introducing chambers 10 and 11, and back plates 10A and 11A having shapes similar to liquid separation diaphragms 12 and 13 are formed on the wall of housing 1 in such a manner that they face liquid separation diaphragms 12 and 13.
Liquid separation diaphragms 12 and 13 together with back plates 10A and 11a define a space communicating with pressure measuring chamber 6 via communicating holes 14 and 15. Portions 101 and 102 filled with a sealed liquid such as silicon oil are provided between liquid separation diaphragms 12 and 13 in such a manner that the sealed liquid may reach the upper and lower planes of diaphragm 8 through communicating holes 16 and 17. The sealed liquid is separated into portions 101 and 102 by center diaphragm 7 and silicon diaphragm 8 such that the amounts in both are substantially equal.
The foregoing apparatus allows transmission of a pressure being exerted from the high pressure side, by transmitting the pressure applied to liquid separation diaphragm 13, to silicon diaphragm 8 via sealed liquid portion 102. When a pressure is applied from the low pressure side, on the other hand, the pressure applied to liquid separation diaphragm 12 is transmitted to silicon diaphragm 8 via sealed liquid portion 101.
Accordingly, it can be seen that silicon diaphragm 8 is deformed by the pressure difference between the pressure on the high pressure side and that on the low pressure side. This quantity of deformation, i.e., strain, is electrically detected by strain gauge 80 for measuring the differential pressure.
The foregoing apparatus, however, suffers from the following disadvantages. (1) Because the pressure P.sub.H on one side of the apparatus is applied to the periphery of the sensor, the exterior of the sensor must be covered by a pressure resistant container. (2) A pressure resistant hermetic seal terminal for transmitting the detected electrical signal to the outside is required. (3) A complex manufacturing method is required to produce a sensor, because a silicon wafer must have both faces thereof machined. (4) An overpressure protection mechanism should be provided separately because the sensor alone has no such protective means against overpressure.

Semiconductor type differential pressure measurement apparatus and method for manufacturing the same


A master unit and a plurality of slave units perform a multi-hop communication. The plurality of slave units include hybrid slave units are configured to select at least one of wireless communication and power line carrier communication. One hybrid slave unit includes a function of reporting, to the other hybrid slave unit in which a hop number in the power line carrier communication between the one hybrid slave unit and the other hybrid slave unit is one, the minimum route cost when the wireless communication is used for a channel on an upper side. The one hybrid slave unit includes a function of adopting the power line carrier communication when a route cost reported by the other hybrid slave unit is smaller than the minimum route cost of the one hybrid slave unit, and otherwise adopting the wireless communication.

Conventionally, there has been known a multi-hop communication that is used in a communication network including a plurality of nodes. When information is transmitted between nodes, the multi-hop communication permits the relay of communication by at least one of the other nodes. As an aspect of the multi-hop communication, there has been also known a communication network in which one node as a master unit communicates to the other nodes as slave units instead of all nodes having equal relationship. For example, in order to perform remote meter reading, JP 2011-250301 A (hereinafter referred to as "document 1") discloses a communication network that includes: a plurality of slave units (a plurality of slave stations) configured to respectively acquire meter reading results of consumers facilities; and a master unit (a master station) configured to collect the meter reading results from the plurality of slave units. In the technique described in document 1, when information of a meter reading result is transmitted to the master unit from any of the slave units, the relay by at least one of the other slave units is permitted, and the communication network that performs the multi-hop communication is constituted.
Incidentally, document 1 discloses that each slave unit is available both wireless communication and power line carrier communication, and forms a channel between the slave unit and the master unit by the wireless communication when failing to communicate by the power line carrier communication. That is, because the channel of the wireless communication is used as backup of the channel of the power line carrier communication, and it is not considered to properly distribute and use the channel of the power line carrier communication and the channel of the wireless communication.

Multi-hop communication system, and slave unit

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.


A method for manufacturing a manifold for a fuel cell with a multilayer structure by injection-molding individual manifolds, each having welding projections and welding guides, and bonding the injection-molded individual manifolds by vibration welding includes arranging welding projections of an upper individual manifold and welding guides of a lower individual manifold to be engaged with each other while maintaining a uniform gap between each other to bond a plurality of individual manifolds in an up and down stacking structure, pressing the lower individual manifold upward, and applying vibration to the upper individual manifold in the left and right direction, thus bonding the upper and lower individual manifolds. Among the welding projections of the upper individual manifold, a non-horizontal welding projection whose longitudinal direction does not coincide with the vibration direction of the individual manifold has a variable height.

(a) Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a manifold for a fuel cell. More particularly, it relates to a method for manufacturing a manifold for a fuel cell with a multilayer structure in which a plurality of individual manifolds are stacked and bonded together.
(b) Background Art
In general, a manifold for a fuel cell consists of many internal paths (or flow fields) including inlet paths and outlet paths for supplying hydrogen, air, and coolant to a fuel cell stack as an electricity generation source.
In order to integrate these internal paths, several structures having internal paths are stacked and bonded together.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional individual manifold for a fuel cell, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional manifold for a fuel cell.
Conventionally, in order to form a manifold 10 for a fuel cell into a multilayer structure, a plurality of individual manifolds 11 each having individual paths 11a on upper and lower surfaces are prepared as shown in FIG. 1. An adhesive is applied to path-processed surfaces (i.e., the upper and lower surfaces on which the individual paths 11a are formed) of each of the individual manifolds 11. The individual manifolds 11 are compression-bonded together, and when the adhesive is cured, the adhesive exposed to the outside of the manifold 10 is removed, thus forming the manifold 10 shown in FIG. 2.
However, the above-described method for manufacturing the manifold for the fuel cell has a number of problems.
First, due to the difference in properties between the materials for the manifold and the adhesive, a difference in volume change between the different materials occurs under environmental conditions of an actual vehicle, which degrades the adhesive. As a result, the integrity of the airtight seal of the bonded portions is broken upon long-term operation, resulting in deterioration of the durability of the manifold. As such, foreign materials may enter the internal paths 12 of the manifold as shown in FIG. 2.
For example, foreign materials may include ionic impurities which move along the flow path of coolant, and may increase electrical conductivity to cause an insulation problem. These impurities may also clog the internal paths 12 to cause a degradation in performance.
Second, although the adhesive distributed on the outer surface of the manifold is removed and subject to ultrasonic cleaning after the compression bonding, some adhesive material in the bond may be dislodged or separated during use of the fuel cell and gradually cause build up in the internal paths 12 over time.
Third, the conventional manifold for the fuel cell is formed of epoxy glass and is manufactured under processing conditions where high-speed rotation and low-speed movement are inevitable due to the nature of the material. Moreover, it may take 20 days or longer to manufacture a single manifold due to the complex and variable shape of the manifold, as well as the above-described processing conditions.
Accordingly, since the internal paths of a conventional manifold for the fuel cell require a long time to process, an additional process for reducing the weight of the fuel cell would be cost prohibitive. Moreover, even if the manufacturing time was not an issue, it would still be difficult to reduce the weight due to the high brittleness of the fuel cell manifold material.
Fourth, due to the nature of the epoxy glass material, manufacturing a fuel cell manifold by a wet process is problematic due to moisture absorption. Thus, the manifold is manufactured by a dry process, which generates a large amount of fine powder, which can create harmful environments that threaten workers' health.
The above information disclosed in this Background section may be used for enhancement of understanding of the background of the disclosure.

Method for manufacturing manifold for fuel cell


Disclosed is a light-sensitive silver halide photographic element which comprises photographic layers applied under the condition that the surface tension of a coating solution for forming an outermost layer is 6 dyn/cm or more smaller than the surface tension of a solution for forming a layer adjacent to the outermost layer, and satisfying at least one of the conditions shown below:. (a) gelatin contained in at least the side of a support having a light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer and a hydrophilic colloid layer is in an amount of 2.20 to 3.10 g/m.sup.2, PA0 (b) the photographic layers are formed by the constitution such that said coating solution for forming the outermost layer and said solution for forming the layer adjacent thereto each have a viscosity of 20 cp or less.. The light-sensitive silver halide photographic element obtained by this invention can be processed with a high speed processing, and has high sensitivity and also excellent pressure resistance and graininess even when subjected to an ultra rapid processing.

This invention relates to a light-sensitive silver halide photographic material feasible for high speed processing. Particularly, it relates to a light-sensitive silver halide photographic material having high sensitivity and also having excellent pressure resistance and graininess even when subjected to an ultra rapid processing.
In recent years, light-sensitive silver halide photographic materials have been consumed in such quantities that go on increasing. For this reason, there is an increase in the number of sheet for the processing of light-sensitive silver halide photographic materials, and it has been needed to carry out the processing more rapidly, in other words, to increase processing quantities in a given time.
The above trend is also seen in the field of X-ray light-sensitive materials, for example, of X-ray films for medical use. More specifically, with a rapid increase in the frequency of diagnosis to be caused by encouragement of periodical health examinations, it is attempted to diagnose more accurately, thereby increasing check items and thus increasing the number of sheet for the X-ray photography.
On the other hand, it is also necessary to give notice of results of diagnosis as soon as possible, to those who have been diagnosed.
That is, there are strong demands for carrying out the processing more rapidly than ever to facilitate the diagnosis. In particular, in angiography, perioperative photography or the like, it is essentially necessary to look at photographs in a time as short as possible.
In order to satisfy the above demands in the medical field, it is necessary to promote the automatization (in photography, conveyance, etc.) of the diagnosis, and also to process X-ray films more rapidly.
However, the ultra rapid processing causes problems such that (a) density is insufficient (i.e., decrease in sensitivity, contrast and maximum density), (b) fixing can not be sufficiently carried out, (c) water washing of films may become insufficient, (d) drying of films may become insufficient, and so forth. Moreover, the insufficient fixing and insufficient water washing may cause a change in tone during storage of films to lower image quality.
A means for solving these problems is to decrease the amount of gelatin. However, decrease in the amount of gelatin tends to bring about troubles such as coating unevenness and coating streaks. Also, films with less gelatin may produce problems such that, when films rub each other or films are rubbed by other materials, the so-called abrasion blackening may become liable to occur after the processing to form a portion having higher density than other portions, i.e., the so-called abrasion blackening.
Ultra rapid processing has been sought after as mentioned above. In the present specification, the ultra rapid processing is meant to be a processing for 20 seconds to 60 seconds in total of the time during which a top end of a film is first inserted to an automatic processor, and then passes through a developing tank, a gangway, a fixing tank, a gangway, a washing tank, a gangway and a drying spot, and thereafter the top end of the film comes out of the drying spot [in other words, the quotient (sec) obtained by dividing the total length (m) of a processing line by the line conveyor speed (m/sec)]. The reason why the time for the gangways is included is, though well known in the present industrial field, that a processing solution used in a step preceding thereto may swell also at a gangway and a processing step is considered to substantially proceed thereat.
To promote the rapid processing, it becomes very important to control the surface tension and viscosity of coating solutions used for forming an outermost layer and a layer adjacent thereto which constitute a light-sensitive silver halide photographic material. In particular, a technique for improving the viscosity of a coating solution is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications No. 115214/1977, No. 1350/1979 and No. 108566/1981 as a bead coating technique. Also, a great number of efforts has been made on the formation of better photographic layers according to other various methods. For example, as conditions imposed to a lowermost layer in the layer constitution of a light-sensitive material, the amount of coating solution and the viscosity are defined to be 2 to 12 g/m.sup.2 and 1 to 8 cp, respectively (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 115214/1977), or, in respect of the viscosity .eta..sub.0 of a coating solution for a lowermost layer, when coated at a low shear rate, the scope of tolerance between it and the viscosity .eta..sub.1 of a coating solution for a layer directly above this lowermost 35 layer is defined to be .eta..sub.0 =.eta..sub.1 .+-.10 (cp), and, when coated at a high shear rate, it is defined to be .eta..sub.0 <.eta..sub.1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 108566/1981).
Japanese Patent Publication No. 47045/1976 discloses the importance of the amount of gelatin in a rapid processing, in which, however, the processing time is 60 seconds to 120 seconds in total processing time including the time for gangways. Such a processing time, however, can not satisfy the demands in the ultra rapid processing recently practiced.
Also, in recent years, with increase in medical X-ray examinations in particular, there is a strong demand for decreasing exposed doses not only in the field of medical science but also as an international public opinion. To meet such a demand, there have been used devices or appliances such as fluorescent intensifying paper, intensifying screens, fluorescent screens and X-ray image amplifiers, and a remarkable trend is seen in improvement in these devices or appliances and increase in the sensitivity of X-ray light-sensitive photographic materials. On the other hand, to carry out examinations more precisely, there is a demand for high precision techniques of X-ray photography. Since the precision may proportionally increase with greater X-ray irradiation, an X-ray photographing technique utilizing a larger radiation dose has been developed, and also a large volume X-ray generator has been developed. However, the photographing techniques requiring such a large radiation dose may rather contradict the above demands for decreasing exposed doses, and can not be said to be preferable. Accordingly, in the field of X-ray photographying techniques, it is required to provide a photographic technique that can achieve less exposed doses and yet higher precision. Thus, it has been sought after to develop a photographic material that can obtain a precise image, in other words, a photographic material having higher sensitivity, with less X-ray doses.
Many and various techniques are available for the methods of increasing sensitivity, i.e. sensitizing methods, under the same grain size. It is expected that sensitivity can be increased while keeping the same grain size, namely, while maintaining the covering power, if an appropriate sensitizing technique is used. Many reports have been made on such techniques, including, for example, a method in which a development accelerator such as thioethers is added to an emulsion, a method in which a silver halide emulsion having been spectrally sensitized is subjected to hypersensitization by use of suitable combination of dyes, or an improved technique for optical sensitizers. These methods, however, can not necessarily be said to have general-purpose properties when used in high sensitivity light-sensitive silver halide photographic materials. In other words, the high sensitivity light-sensitive silver halide photographic materials, which are chemically sensitized to an all possible maximum extent, tend to be fogged during storage when the above methods are applied.
Moreover, in the field of X-ray photographs for medical use, recently used are orthochromatic light-sensitive materials which are made light-sensitive in the wavelength region of 540 to 550 nm by carrying out orthochromatic sensitization, rather than regular type materials conventionally having a light-sensitive region at 450 nm. The materials sensitized like this have wide light-sensitive wavelength region and also have a sensitivity made higher. Accordingly, they can decrease exposed X-ray doses and minimize the influence to be given to human bodies. Thus, dye sensitization is a very useful sensitizing means, but is still involved in unsolved problems. For example, there remains a problem that sufficient sensitivity can not be obtained depending on the kind of photographic emulsions to be used.
Pressure desensitization (i.e., desensitization seen at the time of development, caused by mechanical pressure applied before exposure) also may sometimes occur due to various mechanical pressure applied before exposure. For instance, in X-ray films for medical use, which are large in size, film folding such as the so-called knick mark folding may sometimes occur, which is a phenomenon that a film is folded by its own weight at a portion where the film is held, whereby the pressure desensitization is liable to occur. Also, nowadays, automatic exposing and developing apparatus utilizing mechanical conveyance are widely used as medical X-ray photographic systems. In such apparatus, however, mechanical force may be applied to films, whereby the above-mentioned pressure blackening and pressure desensitization tend to occur especially in a dry place as in winter. Such a phenomenon is likely to cause serious difficulties in medial diagnosis. In particular, it is well known that light-sensitive silver halide photographic materials comprising silver halide grains having large grain size and high sensitivity are still more likely to cause the pressure desensitization.
As materials aiming at improving the pressure desensitization, those using thallium or those using a dye are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,628,167, 2,759,822, 3,455,235 and 2,296,204, French Pat. No. 2,296,204, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications Nos. 107129/1976 and 116025/1975, etc., but the improvement to such a level is insufficient, or dye stains may greatly occur, or other materials can not necessarily be said to have sufficiently derived the nature inherent in the light-sensitive silver halide photographic materials having high sensitivity, comprising large grain size silver halide emulsions and chiefly utilizing ordinary surface sensitivity.
On the other hand, various attempts have been made to decrease the pressure desensitization by changing binder properties of light-sensitive silver halide photographic materials, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,536,491, 3,775,128, 3,003,878, 2,759,821 and 3,772,032, and further in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications No. 3325/1978, No. 56227/1975, No. 147324/1975 and No. 141625/1976, etc. However, although an improvement has been made for the pressure sensitization by these techniques, no fundamental improvement has been achieved as there may seriously occur the sticking of film surfaces or the deterioration of binder properties such as dryness and scratching.

Light-sensitive silver halide photographic material feasible for high speed


A securing device having a winding device associated with a rear quarter of the ski boot. The winding device has a pulley for winding a cable acting on a foot. A tab has a first end fixed to the shell of the ski boot and a second end engaging a toggle for selectively locking or unlocking the pulley depending on the rear quarter being closed or open.

The present invention relates to a foot securing device with automatic release, particularly usable in rear entry ski boots.
Various devices are currently known which allow to lock and adjust the tension of one or more traction elements arranged inside a boot in order to secure the foot therein.
For the activation of the cable, the same Applicant filed a U.S. Pat. No. 4433456 granted on Feb. 28, 1984 which describes a knob for winding the cable on a spool which remains automatically in locked position by virtue of the presence of ratchet elements which interact with a toothed surface. More specifically, the ratchet elements include a spring loaded pivoting pawl having an engagement tooth adapted for selective releasable engagement with the toothed surface, such toothed surface being defined on a flange whose rotation corresponds to a rotation of the spool. In the locked position of the pawl, the pawl engagement tooth, by means of its engagement with the toothed surface of the flange, does not allow a rotation of the flange in a releasing direction and therefore, since any rotation of the flange corresponds to a rotation of the spool, prevents a corresponding releasing rotation of the spool. For unlocking of the spool to allow an unwinding of the cable thereon, the pawl can be pivoted to an unlocked position in which the pawl engagement tooth does not interfere with the toothed surface of the flange.
In order to release and consequently unwind the cable from the spool it is necessary to rotate said knob in the opposite direction, such knob being provided with an actuation projection which, when the knob is rotated in the opposite direction, contacts a shoulder of the pawl which pivots the pawl to a disengagement position in which the pawl engagement tooth does not interfere with the toothed surface so that the flange is free to rotate in the direction corresponding to the unwinding rotation of the spool.
Though it is obviously valid in its conceptual embodiment, said device has a disadvantage for the user which is due to the need to actuate the knob both during locking and during release.
This operation can be intrinsically unpleasant considering that the actuation knob is generally mounted on the rear quarter and the skier usually grips it wearing gloves.
As a partial solution to this disadvantage, the same Applicant filed on July 23, 1985 a patent application Ser. No. 21669 A/85, which discloses a foot securing device with an automatic release assembly which comprises a pointer which interacts with locking means, engaging a spool for winding a cable, and with the quarter when it is closed, said locking means disengaging from the spool when the quarter is opened.
However, even this device has disadvantages: it is in fact possible to cause an accidental release due, for example, to a lack of pressure exerted at the pointer.
Said device furthermore does not allow the partial opening of the quarters, for example when walking, since the pointer does not exert an adequate pressure when the rear quarter is even slightly open.
In rear-entry ski boots, it is common to employ a padding which is upwardly associated at the rear quarter and downwardly overlaps a flap which protrudes from the shell and usually interacts with the foot securing cable.
Such padding renders the mentioned pointer intrinsically unusable, since the pointer is not sufficiently spaced from the flap.

Foot securing device with automatic release, particularly for rear-entry ski boots


Described are processes for repairing plastic glazing and for the local application of a plasma coating using a plasma depositing device to an edge created by the removal of excess or unwanted plastic from plastic.

The use of plastic glazing is well known, for example in the automotive industry they may be used for windows, headlamps, and tail lights. In the process of manufacturing such plastic glazing, a plastic substrate generally is coated with a weatherable layer which is optionally over-coated via the deposition of an abrasion resistant layer. This abrasion resistant layer may be a plasma coating which is generally deposited in deposition chamber at sub-atmospheric pressure.
In the manufacture of plastic glazing, it may be desirable to mold the plastic substrate with tabs to facilitate the handling of the glazing during the manufacturing process. The plastic glazing may also have gates, associated with the molding process, along the edge of the molded plastic. These tabs or gates are typically removed from the glazing before its final use. If the glazing is thermoformed rather than molded there maybe excess plastic at the perimeter that would generally be removed after a plasma coating is applied. After removing the tabs, gates or excess plastic, an edge is left which is not coated with a weatherable layer or a plasma coating. The current common practice is to leave the edge uncoated or treat the edge by wet coating. The absence of coating or the presence of wet coating on the edge can cause problems with the application of subsequently applied adhesive or encapsulation because the uncoated plastic or the wet coat is different from the rest of the glazing. Practical and feasible processes for local plasma coating are needed to address these problems.
Another problem that may be encountered with plastic glazing is that during their use, for example as windows in an automobile, the plasma coating layer may be chipped. The resulting surface damage is undesirable because it exposes that portion of the glazing to the environment. Because of the time and cost involved in replacing the entire window, it would be desirable to repair the window while it remains in place. However, currently there is no practical process for doing so. Thus, practical processes are needed for repairing a window while in place.

Edge healing and field repair of plasma coating


An arrangement of a mother circuit board and daughter circuit boards in a power instrument improves current and voltage capabilities. A mother board is mounted to a base panel of an enclosure, and a number of daughter boards are attached to and extend from the mother board. Each daughter board has substantially identical circuitry and produces substantially the same amount of current. The daughter boards together provide a total output current equal to a sum of each individually generated current. The amount of power generated by the instrument can be increased by attaching additional daughter boards to the mother board. The total current produced by the daughter boards is provided to and output from the mother board via a low inductance output path. The low inductance output path ensures that a sudden increase in current does not result in a large voltage spike that adversely affects instrument operation.

Electronic semiconductor instrument technology continues to rapidly advance, producing instruments that achieve heretofore unattainable operating speeds, component packing density, and high-temperature operation. In high power instrument, many issues must be addressed to ensure proper instrument operation. These issues include lack of real estate for the electronics, high temperatures generated by power components, and a high inductance output path due to the orientation of the components.
In an effort to conserve circuit board space, many power instruments include a number of daughter boards mounted on a mother board. The daughter boards are different from each other and are configured to provide the power instrument with different capabilities. For example, a first daughter board may be configured to provide a large output current, while a second daughter board may be configured to include a controller for controlling current generation of the first daughter board. Since the daughter boards are different from each other, the implementation of design modifications becomes problematic because each daughter board may be differently affected by a single design modification.
The description below provides solutions to the various issues related to a mother and daughter board configuration in power instrument.

Mother and daughter board configuration to improve current and voltage capabilities of a power instrument


Disclosed herewith a liquid crystal display apparatus, which includes a liquid crystal display panel that employs the delta arrangement; a subtractive color processing circuit that carries out a subtractive color processing for input image data, thereby generating subtractive color image data; and data line driving circuit that drives the liquid crystal display panel in response to the subtractive color image data. The subtractive color processing circuit carries out a weighting processing that increases or decreases the subtractive color image data according to a line that includes a sub-pixel to be subjected to a subtractive color processing, then carries out an error diffusion processing for the result of the weighting processing, thereby generating subtractive color image data. The subtractive color processing circuit carries out the weighting processing so as to increase the subtractive color image data corresponding to a line and decrease the subtractive color image data corresponding to another line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving method to be employed for display apparatuses and display panels, more particularly to a display panel configured so as to carry out a subtractive color processing upon driving its display panel that employs the delta arrangement, as well as a driving technique to be employed for the display panel configured such way.
2. Description of Related Art
The stripe arrangement and the delta arrangement are the two methods employed most frequently for disposing sub-pixels in each pixel in LCD (liquid crystal display) panels. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an LCD panel that employs the stripe arrangement and FIG. 2 shows a configuration of an LCD panel that employs the delta arrangement.
As shown in FIG. 1, in case of the LCD panel that employs the stripe arrangement, one pixel consists of three sub-pixels that represent red (R), green (G), and blue (B) colors respectively and are disposed side by side in a line in the horizontal direction. The same color sub-pixels are disposed linearly and adjacently in the vertical direction. In the following description, red, green, and blue sub-pixels will be referred to as R sub-pixels, G sub-pixels, and B sub-pixels respectively. In case of the stripe arrangement, each pixel consisting of three sub-pixels (R, G, and B sub-pixels) is square in shape.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, in case of the LCD panel that employs the delta arrangement, each pixel consists of an R sub-pixel, a G sub-pixel, and a B sub-pixel that are disposed to form a triangle and the center of each of those sub-pixels is positioned at the peak of such a triangle. Furthermore, in case of the LCD panel that employs the delta arrangement, each pixel is disposed over two lines. In case of the LCD panel that employs the delta arrangement, same color sub-pixels are disposed side by side in a zigzag pattern. For example, in case of the G sub-pixels on the first line and the G sub-pixels on the second line that is adjacent to the first line, the G sub-pixels on the second line are shifted from the G sub-pixels on the first line by one and a half sub-pixels in the horizontal direction. This is similar to the red and blue sub-pixels. In case of the LCD panel that employs the delta arrangement, the three sub-pixels (R, G, and B sub-pixels) disposed side by side in the horizontal direction come to form a rectangle in a general view and this point in the delta arrangement differs from the stripe arrangement.
Note that, however, same color sub-pixels are connected to one data line even in case of the delta arrangement. For example, in case of the disposition example shown in FIG. 2, the G sub-pixels of G2, G3, and G1 are connected to a common data line and no R and B sub-pixels are connected to the data line. Similarly, the G sub-pixels of G4, G7, and G5 are connected to another common data line and no E and B sub-pixels are connected to the data line.
Upon driving an LCD panel, a subtractive color processing is carried out for display data in some cases regardless of the pixel arrangement method (delta or stripe) employed for the display panel. The subtractive color processing means a processing that generates n-bit subtractive color image data (n<m) from the original m-bit image data without degrading the image as far as possible. This processing is employed widely to realize multilevel gradation display by getting over hardware restrictions.
There is another method employed most widely; it is the error diffusion processing. The error diffusion processing uses an algorithm that determines the subtractive color image data of an object sub-pixel according to an error between input image data of another sub-pixel adjacent to the former sub-pixel and the subtractive color image data. For example, the algorithm is disclosed by JP-A-09-090902, JP-A-2002-162953, JP-A-2002-251173, and JP-A-2002-258805, respectively. FIG. 3 shows an example of a subtractive color processing circuit that carries out an error diffusion processing to generate 6-bit subtractive color image data Dfrc from 8-bit input image data Din. The subtractive color processing circuit shown in FIG. 3 generates the subtractive color image data Dfrc of a single sub-pixel in one clock cycle of the dot clock signal DCL.
The subtractive color processing circuit shown in FIG. 3 includes addition circuits 101 and 102, a D latch circuit 103, a selector circuit 104, and an initial value setting circuit 105. The D latch circuit 103 holds the error Derr of an object sub-pixel. The initial value setting circuit 105 supplies the initial value DerrINI of the error used in an error diffusion processing. The initial value setting circuit 105 holds a frame count denoting the number of an object frame to be subjected to a subtractive color processing and a line count denoting the number of an object line. The initial value DerrINI generated by the initial value setting circuit 105 differs among frames and lines respectively.
The subtractive color processing circuit shown in FIG. 3 operates as follows.
At first, the selector 104 supplies either the initial value DerrINI generated by the initial value setting circuit 105 or the error Derr held in the D latch 103 to the addition circuit 102 according to the initial error value read signal DE_POS. Concretely, in the error diffusion processing for the first sub-pixel of each line to be processed, "1" is set in the initial error value read signal DE_POS, so that the selector 104 supplies the initial value DerrINI to the addition circuit 102. On the other hand, in the error diffusion processing for each of other sub-pixels, "0" is set in the initial error value read signal DE_POS, so that the selector 104 supplies the error Derr held in the D latch 103 to the addition circuit 102.
The addition circuit 102 adds up the lower-order 2 bits of the input image data Din and the error Derr (or the initial value DerrINI) to obtain a carry output cry and an error DerrN used in the error diffusion processing for a sub-pixel from which the next subtractive color image data Dfrc is calculated. The D latch 103 is triggered by the dot clock signal DLC to latch the error DerrN output from the addition circuit 102 and update the error Derr. The addition circuit 101 adds up the upper-order 6 bits of the input image data Din and the carry output cry of the addition circuit 102 to generate the subtractive color image data Dfrc of the object sub-pixel.
The error diffusion processing that generates the subtractive color image data Dfrc such way depends on the original image data, thereby causing the position of each high luminance sub-pixel to be changed. This is why the processing can suppress the generation of peculiar patterns that might cause screen flickering.

Display apparatus and display panel driver including subtractive color processing circuit for error diffusion processing and weighting processing


A process for altering surface properties of a mass of metal alloy solder comprising a first metal and a second metal. The process comprises exposing the mass to energized ions to preferentially sputter atoms of the first metal to form a surface layer ratio of first metal to second metal atoms that is less than the bulk ratio. The solder may be located on the surface of a substrate, wherein the process may further comprise masking the substrate to shield all but a selected area from the ion beam. The sputtering gas may comprises a reactive gas such as oxygen and the substrate may be an organic substrate. The process may further comprise simultaneously exposing the organic substrate to energized ions of the reactive gas to roughen the organic substrate surface.

In the manufacture of microelectronic devices, various microelectronic components are electrically joined together into circuits using metal alloy solders. Such solders are generally alloys of tin (Sn) and lead (Pb), but can comprise other metal components. The metal alloy solder is generally optimized for bulk properties that control the thermal behavior of the solder. For example, the melting temperature of Sn/Pb solder is controlled by adjusting the relative amounts of tin and lead in the solder. The minimum melting temperature of a Sn/Pb alloy is achieved when the ratio by weight of Sn to Pb in the solder is 63:37. This is called the eutectic composition.
A solder that is homogenous across its mass and optimized for bulk properties does not take into account the desirable surface properties of the solder. Therefore, solder compositions that are optimized for bulk behavior are not necessarily optimized in terms of surface properties. Such surface properties control wetting to metal surfaces, reactivity with organic materials such as fluxes, and the melting point of the surface layer. Such surface properties depend upon both the chemical composition of the solder and the physical characteristics of the surface. For instance, a rough surface may have more surface area for holding flux than a smooth surface.
For some applications, it is desirable to use bulk solder alloys at other than the eutectic composition. For example, Controlled Collapse Chip Connection (C4) solder balls, which are used to join Integrated Circuit (IC) chips to chip carriers, are typically Pb-rich in the range of 90% to 97% Pb. Because Pb-enriched solders have higher melting temperatures, the solder joint between the chip and the chip carrier maintains its shape throughout subsequent assembly of the chip carrier (with chip attached) to another electrical component such as a printed circuit board. The Pb-enriched solders also require higher temperatures, however, to fuse them to metal surfaces such as copper pads on chip carriers. Thus, organic laminate chip carriers having copper joining pads may be exposed to undesirable high temperatures during joining processes.
A tradeoff results: without further treatment, the benefit of using a Pb-enriched metal alloy solder that maintains its shape at high temperatures is offset by the need for a high fusing temperature. Such high fusing temperatures can be avoided by applying a eutectic solder to the joining pads on the organic laminate chip carrier. To ensure proper fusing at every joint, however, the height of the applied eutectic solder layer must be controlled within very narrow limits, a requirement that is difficult to satisfy.
Another modification that retains high temperature stability while providing low temperature fusing comprises placement of an additional layer or cap of tin or other low melting point metal on the surface of the Pb-enriched solder, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,268 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,896 and assigned to the common assignee of the present invention. Such a cap enables the bulk solder to retain its desirable high-temperature resistance while providing a surface layer capable of fusing at low temperatures.
The present invention proposes an alternative process for providing a solder surface layer capable of fusing at low temperatures while maintaining the bulk solder properties. It is an object of the present invention to provide a process for altering the chemical composition and physical characteristics of a metal alloy solder surface without adding an additional metal layer. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process for altering the surface characteristics of a metal alloy solder simultaneously with roughening the surface of the substrate to which the solder is connected.

Enhanced solder surface and process for chemically and mechanically enhancing solder surface properties

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention relates to an improved solar powered sign including one or more solar panels used to charge batteries which power various components of the sign. The sign may include a rotary display which is electrically powered and may also include a lamp. The sign may be mounted on a base facilitating easy transport.

The present invention relates to an improved solar powered sign. In the prior art, the use of solar power in displays is known. However, applicant is unaware of any prior art teaching a sign including all of the aspects of the present invention.
Applicant is aware of the following U.S. Pat. Nos: 2,059,296 to Whitworth, 4,108,405 to Gibson, and 4,481,562 to Hickson. Whitworth teaches the concept of the use of repeated reciprocations of a solenoid to rotate a display. Gibson teaches the concept of a sign which is powered by a solar cell, while Hickson teaches the concept of the use of solar power to provide illumination and recharge batteries.
However, none of these patents teaches all of the aspects of the present invention in the manner contemplated herein.