An extended colorspace which has a higher accuracy and a wider gamut than sRGB color space is disclosed. The extended color space includes an alpha channel which defines the translucency of the color image. The alpha channel is different from known alpha channels in that the inventive alpha channel can represent xe2x80x9csuper transparentxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9csuper opaquexe2x80x9d values by allowing the alpha parameter (xcex1) to be greater than 1 and less than 0. A data structure for storing the extended colorspace information has three fields, a sign field, an integer field and a decimal field. The sign field defines whether an integer is negative or positive. The integer field defines the integer, wherein the integer defines the super or under saturated values for color and alpha components. The decimal field defines the fine detailed information for the value of the color and alpha components.

The present invention relates to colorspace interchange and more particularly, to a new color format that can be used for a reference color frame and for internal color space for image processing.
Communication of color information between different devices and industries has become recognized as an important issue. Each industry generally has its own color management history, with its own terminology standards and methods for communicating color information. As more users are connecting different peripheral devices made by different companies and, in addition, communicate with one another over the Internet, it is becoming more urgent to have a standardized color data management scheme that provides consistent color data management. Many different practices and standards are currently being used.
Different phosphor sets are being used to provide the colors of xe2x80x9credxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cgreenxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9cbluexe2x80x9d. For example, where a monitor may illustrate a pink color, and the user selects the pink color, the printer printing the selection may print out an ugly purple/lavender. Thus, different values on chromaticity diagrams represent a same color, providing confusion. Tone reproduction of various systems also differs. Also, viewing conditions may vary, causing colors to appear different to different observers. Thus, due to differing visual conditions, the color of the illuminant (the white point), the absolute level of the scene irradiance (generally the illuminance), the surrounding colors, etc., all affect the color perception unless the initial and final conditions are identical. Unless a white point and illuminance level are the same, the color interchange data may not be identical.
Previous color data conversion methods have required the use of cube root computation or raising values to the third power. To store data, every pixel had to be converted using a set of power function routines. This process is time-consuming, consumes processing power, and may introduce errors. Other techniques, such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,178, by Madden et al., provide for compressing digital code values to provide a set of reduced range digital codes of a same resolution, but having a smaller range of basic image content values than the dynamic range of the digitized image data base.
As shown in FIG. 1 the chromaticity diagram has been developed by the Commission Internationale de l""Eclairage (CIE), or International Commission on Illumination, to provide a common chromaticity value for colors. The displayable colors by a laser device are shown as a triangle ABC, with points A 102, B 104, and C 106. Ideally, color values for a device should cover a triangle having an area that extends over the entire visible range. However, as shown in FIG. 2, the triangle covered for color values of a Canon CLC500 color copier/printer 202 is shown along with the old RGB color values (Genl. RGB) 204, the first PC color monitors and the sRGB values 206. While some of the cyan colors are limited by sRGB, the brightest greens and reds are output device limited, but not sRGB limited. Clearly, calculations must be used to convert values of the color copier/printer 202 colors to the ordinary CRT colors (sRGB values) 206.
Although lasers have virtually monochromatic output and the primaries of the laser would reside on the spectrum locus of the CIE (International Commission on Illumination) diagram of FIG. 1, showing 2 degree observer data, typically devices do not have the gamut to display the laser colorspace. Thus, data in a laser display colorspace would have to be converted for display and printing.
Cathode display tubes (CRTs), color flat panels (both active and passive matrix types) and high definition televisions (HDTVs) provide chromaticity diagrams that are similar to the CRT model shown in FIG. 2. However, the sRGB chromaticity diagram lacks a range of gamut that includes all colors, and conversion of sRGB color data values is non-linear, thus often resulting in undesired results.
Advanced graphic systems require the features of anti-aliases (removing ragged edges) and blending (translucency) effects. Those effects are handled by an extra component, called the alpha channel, in addition to the RGB components. In order to perform the anti-alias and blending operations correctly with the alpha channel, the linear color components need to be defined in terms of their intensities. Current systems are however limited to the intensity values between 0 and 1, which do not provide optimal results in some circumstances.
One aspect of the invention relates to an extended colorspace which has a higher accuracy and a wider gamut than sRGB color space. The extended color space includes an alpha channel which defines the translucency of the color image. The alpha channel is different from known alpha channels in that the inventive alpha channel can represent xe2x80x9csuper transparentxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9csuper opaquexe2x80x9d values by allowing the alpha parameter (xcex1) to be greater than 1 and less than 0.
A data structure for storing image information for each component of an image is also disclosed. The data structure has three fields, a sign field, an integer field and a decimal field. The sign field defines whether an integer is negative or positive. The integer field defines the integer, wherein the integer defines the super or under saturated values for color and alpha components. The decimal field defines the fine detailed information for the value of the color and alpha components.


An isolating mount for connecting two parts or mechanisms includes a rigid bushing surrounded by a resilient block which includes closed cavities on opposite sides of said bushing located along a first plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of said bushing and a passage formed by pipes extending outside the mount between the cavities. A quantity of liquid fills the cavities and passage, providing a liquid column of predetermined inertia in the passage between the cavities for controlling the frequency and amplitude of forces transmitted through the bushing to provide tuning of the damping characteristics of the mount to preselected frequencies of vibration. A rigid outer body surrounds and contacts the block and exerts compressive force thereon substantially along the first plane. The bushing is connected to one of the two parts to be isolated and the outer body is connected to the other of the two parts. A fitting in the passage permits modification of the condition of the liquid, as by injection of liquid under predetermined pressure in the closed liquid damping circuit of the mount. Also disclosed are systems in which the effective length or diameter of the passage can be changed. Arrangements for interactively controlling such liquid injection, for example in response to engine or vehicle operating conditions, are also disclosed, along with (optionally) adjusting the opening of a metering valve connected to control flow in the passage.

This invention relates to a damped mount incorporating a resilient block and used for connecting two members while isolating and/or controlling the transfer of motion, and particularly motion due to vibration or shock, between these members. Mounts of the general type are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,147,964; 3,508,745; 3,642,268; and 3,698,703.
The earlier type of mount disclosed in said U.S. Pat. No. 3,147,964, utilizes primarily the directed energy absorbing characteristics of a compressed rubber bushing to control the transmission of vibration between two members, and also to provide a certain amount of shock isolation in the mounting of one mechanical member to another, while still mechanically connecting the members as desired. These members can be any of a vast variety of devices such as different parts of mechanisms or vehicles, supports for machinery, and packaging supports for large masses. Of particular interest are the connections of chassis and body parts in vehicles and/or the mounting of an engine in an automobile, which requires control and isolation in six different degrees of freedom, namely motion along X, Y and Z axes and rotation about these axes, namely roll, pitch and yaw. In this area of application alone, the modern demands for vibration control/isolation and adequate support and anchoring present sophisticated mount design requirements which are aggravated by the need to accomodate some degree of misalignment which is to be expected in mass production systems.
The aforementioned '268 and '703 patents disclose such mounts wherein the action of a resilient (such as rubber) member incorporated in the mount is modified by the placement of a damping liquid in cavities located on opposite sides of and within the resilient member. These cavities are connected through a passage which restricts the flow of the liquid between the cavities, thus further damping the motion of the resilient member along a plane extending through the two cavities. Mounts such as these are designed to handle predetermined loads and damp at certain predetermined frequencies, but they are unable to interact with changing conditions involving the supported member, such as an engine undergoing operating change due to varying load, etc. An interactive mount, on the other hand, can respond to signals indicating changes in engine operation, or changes in suspension demands, and change its spring rate, or its damping capacity, temporarily to accomodate changes of a temporary nature accompanying vehicle operations.
Various types of interactive engine mount and suspension components and systems have been used and/or described in publications related to the automotive industry. These are characterized by having high/low or hard/soft controls, e.g. selectable between two different characteristics, and also by use of mount structures which are direction sensitive to applied loads. The selection of higher or lower damping characteristics has been achieved by choosing between two different sizes of orifice in a bleed passage between hydraulic chambers in a mount, or by changing the opening of a valve in a strut-type mount. The mount structures used in these prior art devices are generally strut-type and have poor tolerance for forces applied off the axis of the strut. Typical such devices and systems are disclosed in SAE Technical Papers No. 840258 and 840259, presented at an International Congress & Exhibition in Detroit, Mich. and Copyright 1984 by the Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc., and in Machine Design magazine, Nov. 11, 1982, pages 86,87, describing a Lucas Girling Ltd. system.

Mount for controlling or isolating vibration


An apparatus for holding an electronic device, such as a smartphone or GPS device, is configured to secure the device within and without an automobile. The apparatus includes a handle grip assembly and a detachable clamp assembly. The clamp assembly may be configured with removable vent connectors to facilitate attachment of the clamp assembly to a standard air conditioning vent of the automobile. With the vent connectors removed, the clamp assembly may be coupled to a grip backing plate to form a tripod structure. A pair of legs swivel in and out of cradles formed in a handle assembly where an ergonomic handle serves as the third leg of the tripod.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to holders for smartphones, digital cameras, GPS devices, and other electronic devices or gadgets that feature visual displays.
2. Description of Prior Art and Related Information
Smartphones and tablet computers now commonly come with built-in GPS functionality. The increasing number of mobile applications ("apps") providing location-based services creates a need for users to run and see these apps while driving an automobile. For example, a user may operate a smartphone as a GPS device and desire the smartphone to be in a safe, front view while driving.
Those smartphones and tablet computers also come with built-in camera functionality, making it desirable to mount such devices on tripods in order to snap photographs.

Electronic gadget holder for automobiles and tripods


Exemplary embodiments are directed to managing promotional programs. A promotion card is associated with at least one promotional program. Eligibility of one or more items is determined based on rules associated with the promotional program. A payment amount is calculated based on the eligibility of the items and the rules of the promotional program.

Many entities, such as retailers and manufacturers, provide discounts to customers for purchasing certain products. These discounts are offered in various forms. Retailers and manufacturers can also require a customer to satisfy certain criteria for receiving the discount. Various systems and devices are used to keep tract of the criteria and discounts available. Paper coupons do not provide dynamic means to manage and edit criteria for the associated discount. Paper coupons also do not allow for multiple offers for one coupon. Similarly, existing card-based discount programs do not provide for dynamic means to manage and edit the discount program. It is also difficult for customers to redeem multiple offers or multiple different coupons for an item or multiple items. Many times, the cashier needs to determine which offers are applicable, and which order the offers should be applied. The cashiers may also need to calculate the discount and final payment amount themselves.

Systems and methods for promotional programs


A three color separation/synthesis mirror device includes a housing, four dichroic mirrors which are arranged in the housing and cross with each other at right angles to form an X-shape, and a liquid filled in the housing so as to submerge the respective dichroic mirrors. A refractive index of the liquid is higher than that of the dichroic mirrors. A correction prism for making an emergent light in parallel to an incidental light may be located in a corner on the incidental side of the X-shaped dichroic mirrors. Double image blurs due to the entrance rays can be obviated. Also, such a characteristic that the refractive index of the liquid is lowered when the liquid is heated, is utilized so that the refractive index of the liquid becomes close to the refractive index of the glass.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in a dichroic mirror device for separating/synthesizing a red light (R), a green light (G) and a blue light (B), which device is used for a projector such as a liquid crystal projector. The present invention also relates to a projection display apparatus using such a dichroic mirror device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal projectors, CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) projectors and CCD (Charged Coupled Device) cameras are accommodated in rear projection televisions, front projection televisions or television cameras. Projectors employing liquid crystal panels or CRTs for the above colored lights R, G or B, require a mechanism to separate or synthesize lights. There is a device for light separation/synthesis using a glass prism. However, the glass prism is actually used only for 1 to 2 inch liquid crystal panels. If employing a glass prism for a larger liquid crystal panel or a CRT, the glass prism has to be very large in size with an increased cost. Furthermore, there may arise the problem of retardation (irregular phase difference), when a large glass prism is used.
There is another device for light separation/synthesis, which uses three dichroic mirrors instead of a glass prism. FIG. 14 shows such a cross-type three color separation/synthesis mirror device 4. The device comprises a dichroic mirror 1 and two otherdichroic mirrors 2 and 3 holding the mirror 1 therebetween, which forms an X-shape. A blue light B is emitted from a CRT 5, a green light G from a CRT 6 and a red light R from a CRT 7, respectively. Those three colored lights are synthesized by the separation/synthesis mirror device 4, pass through a lens 8 and are projected to the screen (not shown in FIG. 14) to form an image thereon.
However, a light passing through the joint portion 9 goes along a different path from that of a light passing through other portions of the device, which adversely affects the image quality. For example, a double image appears around the center of the screen, the image gets blurred or it lacks clearness, resulting in decrease in number of scanning lines.
The other problem is an out-of-focus image and a decline in image contrast caused by an increase in the astigmatism. The astigmatism increases because the dichroic mirrors 1 to 3 are placed obliquely to the CRTs 5 to 7.

Separation/synthesis mirror device in liquid filled housing with index matching


System and method forms a lenticular viewing card having viewable depth or motion images by processing an original image into digital form and sampling and shifting the processed original image into at least two frames of images shifted perpendicular to the lenticular direction from each other by being sampled at different points. These frames of images are sliced and interlaced into a merged image that is printed and positioning into a viewing position with a lenticular lens sheet to permit a sequential viewing of the frames making up the merged image as a function of a user's viewing angle.

The history of lenticular imaging dates back to the early 1900's when Gabrielle Lipmann developed a process of integral photography, that when combined with a fisheye lens, offered a three-dimensional image to an observer. In 1925, J. S. Curwen patented a device (U.S. Pat. No. 1,475,430) involving two distinct images which changed from one to another, dependent upon the viewing angle presented to an observer.
While technology has advanced, the principal process remains similar. A lenticular image is comprised of a sequence of images that are interlaced to form a singular image where each individual image (or frame) is viewable at a different angle to the viewer when viewed through a lenticular lens sheet. These various images are termed views.
The current method of displaying an image, or portion thereof, which does not appear to change across a number of views; or throughout a depth or motion sequence, or a portion thereof, is accomplished by means of fixing the constant image to a constant coordinate location relative to the image area of each frame within the sequence from which the lenticular image is to be created. Fixing the image information in a constant location has always been assumed to provide the clearest and sharpest view of a stationary image
The conventional method, described above, displays the shortcomings of a lenticular imaging system, exhibiting a cutoff of detail where lenticule spacing exists, and a condensing of image information resulting in decreased clarity and legibility.

Process for increasing the clarity and legibility of graphics, text, and continuous tone composites in lenticular images


Mercury is often removed as an impurity from process fluid streams by adsorption in fixed beds using any of several well-known adsorbents having the ability to selectively adsorb mercury. It is also common to reintroduce this sequestered mercury into the environment by means of the spent gas used to periodically regenerate the fixed beds. A solution to this problem is provided by the present invention in which the mercury is removed from the process stream using a large cyclically regenerated adsorption bed in combination with a non-regenerable secondary adsorption bed, the mercury content of the former being in part recovered as liquid mercury by passage through a condenser and in part transferred to the non-regenerated bed. Mercury leakage from the non-regenerable bed is recycled to the cyclically regenerated bed.

Mercury is an undesirable constituent of a considerable number of fluid streams, and consequently a considerable number of methods have been devised to selectively remove the mercury. In the main the mercury impurity is in the form of elemental mercury, but in a few instances mercury compounds, including organic mercury compounds, are of concern. In the case of elemental mercury the purification processes are largely adsorption procedures, and in these the most common type of adsorbent is an activated carbon having supported thereon a mercury reactive material such as potassium triiodide, sulfur, sulfuric acid, chlorine, silver, copper or various salts of silver or copper. other supports for the mercury reactive materials include silicas, aluminas, silica-aluminas and zeolitic aluminosilicates. Ionexchange resins, particularly the strongly basic anionexchange types which have been reacted with a polysulfide, have also been reported. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,490 (Horton) in this latter regard. The disclosures of U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,327 (Nishino) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,173 (de Jong et al) are pertinent to the use of activated carbon supports.
Perhaps the two greatest problems involved in removing mercury from fluid streams are (a) achieving a sufficient reduction in the mercury concentration of the feed stream being treated, and (b) avoiding the reentry of the recovered mercury into some other environmental medium. Although permissible levels of mercury impurity vary considerably, depending upon the ultimate intended use of the purified product, for purified natural gas, mercury concentrations greater than about 0.10 microgram per normal cubic meter (.mu.g/nm.sup.3) are considered undesirable, particularly in those instances in which the natural gas is to be liquefied by cryogenic processing. In the cases where mercury is removed from process streams by use of non-regenerable adsorbents, very large adsorption beds have been required. This is because not only sufficient adsorbent must be present for the long term equilibrium capacity, but also enough adsorbent to contain the mass transfer (reaction) zone. In the case where the mercury removal is done by regenerative means, less adsorbent is required since only the adsorbent for containing the mass transfer zone is required. If regenerable, the regeneration media requirements are not only large but result in a large mercury-laden bed effluent which must itself be disposed of in an environmentally safe manner. A means has now been devised to combine the favorable aspects of both regenerable and non-regenerable process systems. Such a combination allows for (a) attaining the lowest possible mercury levels in the process streams, (b) making full utilization of the non-regenerative mercury removal adsorbent, and (c) disposing of the mercury in an environmentally safe manner.


Embodiments of the present invention include a cassette transporting apparatus having 1) a first fork member 31 and a second fork member 31, wherein each fork member 31 has a shaft 62 and a tab 63; 2) a first member 31 and a second fork member 31, wherein each fork member 31 includes a shaft 62 having a distal section 42 that is beveled; or 3) a curved handle 33. In one embodiment, the cassette transporting apparatus is a cassette fork 20 for manually transporting a cassette and includes a locking tab 63, the beveled distal section 42, and the curved handle 33. In another embodiment, the cassette transporting apparatus is a mechanical cassette transporting system 100 including an elevator 101 and the fork members 31. The design of the fork members 31 is cassette specific rather than both cassette and apparatus specific.

A semiconductor substrate carrier is a device capable of holding a plurality of semiconductor substrates. The semiconductor substrate carrier is typically one of two types: a semiconductor boat (boat) or a semiconductor cassette (cassette). The boat is typically used in high temperature applications, wherein the temperature is greater than about 200 degrees Celsius. The cassette is typically used in applications below about 200 degrees Celcius. Many cassettes comprise a plastic material, such as polypropylene or a perfluoroalkoxy fluorocarbon (Teflon.RTM. PFA), for example.
Currently, three methods of transporting a cassette are commonly used. The cassette may be transported by hand, using a ring handle, or using an elevator that is typically part of a mechanical cassette transporting system. When a person transports the cassette by holding the cassette in his or her hand, particles or sodium from the person's hand may transferred to the substrates. Particles typically increase defect density and lower the substrate yield, and sodium typically makes a metal-insulator-semiconductor device unreliable. A cassette may have flanges adjacent the top of the cassette. A ring handle 10 as shown in FIG. 1 includes the ring 11 and hooks 12 that may be slid along the flanges and over any substrates that are within the cassette. Liquids or particles on the handle may be transferred to the substrates when the handle is in contact with the cassette or when the handle is being placed on or removed from the cassette. In addition, the cassette typically must be touched by a person's hand while the ring handle is being placed on or removed from the cassette and may cause particle or sodium contamination. The ring handle 10 cannot be used to load many types of equipment including many dryers that are used to remove liquids from the surface of the substrate. Individual pieces of equipment may have a mechanical cassette transporting system including an elevator that includes fork members, but the fork members are typically not interchangeable between different types of elevators throughout the substrate fabrication area.


A display having different segments that correspond to different categories of a care plan for a user may be provided. A dimension for the display segment is determined. The dimension indicates a relative importance of a care plan category that corresponds to the display segment compared to other care plan categories. A brightness is determined for the display segment based on the user's compliance with the care for the care plan category that corresponds to the display segment. The display segment is overlaid over at least a portion of a user-selected image for the display segment. A configuration of the overlay is based on the determined dimension and the determined brightness.

Chronic conditions such as heart failure (HF) place a tremendous strain on patients, their families, the community, and the health care system because there are no real "cures". Approximately 5.8 million Americans are living with HF, with an estimated incidence of 660,000 new cases each year. Further, worsening of HF is a leading cause of readmission within 30 days post-discharge across all diseases, e.g., every 1 out of 4 patients is going back to the hospital in the 30 days post-discharge period.
Patient's non-compliance to chronic conditions therapy specified by a care plan (CP; generally being a specification of a coaching intervention) decreases the care plan efficacy and exposes the patient to clinical destabilization, which can lead to exacerbating disease symptoms. Evidence from clinical trials and validated patient's and clinician's insights show that the most commonly identified cause of disease worsening, e.g. Heart Failure decompensation is non-compliance with medication, low sodium diet, fluid restriction and physical activity. Non-compliance is the precipitating factor of exacerbation. Hence, patient's compliance to a care plan is a prerequisite for better clinical outcomes, e.g., reduced readmissions and mortality.
The care plan in home settings is usually presented to the patients via a telehealth system. The telehealth system can be a stand-alone service or an embedded service in a patient portal which supports patients with personalized information and tools to improve their understanding of their chronic condition(s) and the benefits of compliance with their care plan.

System and method for computerized visual display of user compliance with a care plan


The invention is for a handle assembly for an adjustable crutch having two upper tubes each of which slides inside one of two lower tubes to adjust the height of the crutch. The handle assembly has a body, a lever attached to the outside of the body; and two locking pins positioned inside the body. Each locking pin is mechanically coupled to the lever and each locking pin is normally biased through tube holes formed in the upper tubes and through tube openings defined in the lower tubes to prevent the sliding of the upper tubes inside the lower tubes. The depression of the lever causes the locking pins to retract from the tube holes and the tube openings such that a user may slide the upper tube inside the lower tube to change the crutch height.

Mankind has long used various shapes and sizes of sticks as supportive aids in their mobility. Over the past century or so, what is today commonly called a crutch has evolved into more specialized shapes. Those devices that are currently considered as traditional crutches aid mobility, but their design and use may also contribute to the development of significant medical problems.
As these walking aids have evolved, the primary focus appears to have followed the following design objective: reduce the cost of manufacturing to enhance mass production and marketing capabilities. The previous designs for walking aids have lacked ergonomic design objectives addressing medical problems related to the disabilities and have failed to reduce or eliminate these problems.
Three specific medical problems resulting from using the traditional crutch are: (1) injury from loss of traction, (2) carpal tunnel syndrome, and (3) neuropathy. While the first of these problems may be obvious to the general public, the other problems are not as obvious. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful or numb condition of the wrist and hand resulting when tissues that form a tunnel-like passage in the wrist swell and pinch a nerve within the passage. Repetitive movement, as in typing or knitting, often causes this condition.
The handle of a typical crutch is generally round like a dowel, which offers little, if any resistance to rotation of the hand and wrist. Because medical practitioners recommend using the handle to provide principal support for the body weight, rather than the shoulder supports, this using of the handle places abnormal pressure on the forearms, hands and wrists of the user. Without adequate and proper stability for these members, carpal tunnel syndrome may result from long-term use of the typical crutch.
Neuropathy is any disease to the nervous system. In the case of long-term crutch users, the term neuropathy describes damage to nerves in the shoulder or underarm area resulting from use of the traditional crutch. Carrying the body weight on the shoulder support, unfortunately, is quite common. A significant contributing cause of neuropathy is attributed to this abnormal pressure and to the shoulder absorbing repeated impact when the crutch makes contact with the supporting surface.
According to the U.S. Census Data, the total number of people in all age groups in the U.S. with disabilities is about 51 million. U.S. Census Bureau, June-September 2002 Data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation. Of those 51 million people, about 9.1 million people use a walker, a crutch or a cane. Id. Thus, there is a large population that may benefit from improvements in the design of walking aids. The incidence of injury from loss of traction, carpal tunnel syndrome, and neuropathy within these groups indicates that the medical problems associated with use of traditional crutches have not been adequately addressed in the design of walking aids.
Once adjusted for a particular user, the traditional crutch is designed to have a single configuration. That configuration has a fixed length, which becomes a problem when navigating a changing environment, such as stairs, curbs, restaurants, and other obstacles.
It is to solving these and other problems that the present invention is directed.

Handle assembly for an adjustable multi-purpose crutch


A method of creating a trench having a portion of a bulb-shaped cross-section in silicon is disclosed. The method comprises forming at least one trench in silicon and forming a liner in the at least one trench. The liner is removed from a bottom surface of the at least one trench to expose the underlying silicon. A portion of the underlying exposed silicon is removed to form a cavity in the silicon. At least one removal cycle is conducted to remove exposed silicon in the cavity to form a bulb-shaped cross-sectional profile, with each removal cycle comprising subjecting the silicon in the cavity to ozonated water to oxidize the silicon and subjecting the oxidized silicon to a hydrogen fluoride solution to remove the oxidized silicon. A semiconductor device structure comprising the at least one trench comprising a cavity with a bulb-shaped cross-sectional profile is also disclosed.

Silicon wafer etching is an important act in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices. As the size of semiconductor device structures decreases, it is desirable to form narrow trenches in silicon, in which the silicon etch rate and the resulting shape of the trench are controlled. Various wet etch chemistries have conventionally been used to etch silicon. For example, when an isotropic etch is desired, silicon is etched with a mixture of nitric acid (HNO3) and hydrofluoric acid (HF). In some cases, water is used to dilute the etchant solution. Typically, acetic acid (CH3COOH) is used as a buffering agent for such an etchant solution.
The drawbacks of using solutions of HNO3 and HF to etch silicon include the difficulty of controlling the consumption of reactants and the evolution of nitrous oxides as they dissolve into the etchant solution. The nitrous oxides dissolved in the etchant solution have a tendency to "poison" the etchant solution by saturation, affecting subsequent etches and etch rates. The process is difficult to control when forming uniform shapes in the silicon in which the size of the etched shape must be precisely controlled. When isotropically etching with HNO3 and HF, if the solution is not distributed uniformly across the silicon, the resulting etch may be non-uniform. Because the oxidizer (HNO3) and the etchant (HF) are in the same solution, it is difficult to finely control how much oxidation of the silicon and subsequent etching takes place at any given time. Once the silicon is oxidized, the silicon oxide may immediately be etched by the same solution and the process of oxidation and etching can repeat itself very rapidly. Thus, these solutions may result in non-uniform etches, undercutting, and pitting of the silicon. Furthermore, because HNO3 and HF etchant solutions require long exposure times to etch the silicon, the process has a tendency to damage other exposed materials, such as liners, on the semiconductor device structures. The use of conventional HNO3 and HF etchant solutions result in undercutting of the silicon and the formation of non-uniformly sized trenches, as shown in FIG. 1. In addition, the conventional HNO3 and HF etchant solutions may remove other exposed materials, such as silicon oxide or silicon nitride, in addition to the silicon. Etchant solutions other than HNO3 and HF, such as alkaline chemistries including KOH, NH4OH, TMAH, or NaOH, result in the formation of sharp corners in the silicon, as shown in FIG. 2, due to a preferential etch in the direction of the crystalline orientation of the substrate. Furthermore, the HNO3 and HF may remove too much silicon, such that adjacent trenches may touch, resulting in poor isolation of features formed in the trenches. The sharp corners increase the likelihood of electrical implications in the semiconductor device and can lead to component failure.
It would be desirable to be able to create substantially uniformly shaped trenches in a semiconductor device structure while controlling the selectivity of the etchant solution relative to other exposed materials. Further, it would be desirable to use an etchant solution by which the size and shape of the trenches may be accurately controlled.

Methods of forming bulb-shaped trenches in silicon


Apparatus for flow prover precisely measures the volume and the flow rate of a fluid through a cylinder. The prover includes a piston within a cylinder supporting a shaft extending longitudinally through the cylinder, which cylinder receives and discharges the fluid by translation of the piston from the fluid receiving end to the fluid discharging end. Motive means draws the shaft and piston toward the fluid receiving end of the cylinder. Travel of the piston in the direction from the fluid receiving end to the fluid discharging end of the cylinder is sensed at discrete locations to provide an indication of the volume of fluid therebetween and the related flow rate. Each of a plurality of emitter/detector modules provides piston position sensing signals reflective of the volume and rate of fluid flowing through the cylinder. A switch bar rigidly and permanently fixes the position of the emitter/detector modules with respect to the piston and with respect to one another. An immovable gate or aperture regulates the cross-section of the light beam striking the detector and ensures that the measured volume is repeatable and cannot be altered due to external factors such as in-field use, service, maintenance on components or the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to determination of volume and flow rate of a fluid through a prover and, more particularly, to precise detection of the position of the piston within a prover during translation of the piston within the cylinder.
2. Description of Related Prior Art
A purpose of a prover is to precisely determine the volume of fluid flowing therethrough. As a result, the measurements relating to such volume of fluid must be extremely precise. To achieve this end, fluid flows in one end of a cylinder, which cylinder includes a piston rectilinearly translatable from a location proximate one end of the cylinder to a location proximate the other end of the cylinder. The cylinder is generally precision machined and honed to provide the high level of sealing required for precision measurement. The piston may incorporate a flow through, or poppet type apparatus to permit bypass of the fluid after the measurement portion of the translation. After translation of the piston, the fluid flows out of the other end of the cylinder. The piston is supported upon a shaft extending through seals and bearings at each end of the cylinder.
Conventional small volume provers for calibrating a liquid flow meter with respect to the measurement of a fixed volume typically utilize two or more fixed position optical slot sensors located on the stationary frame of the small volume prover. A mechanical feature, or flag, rigidly mounted to the shaft of the piston passes through these optical slot sensors. The flag breaks the path between the light emitter and light sensor and triggers a signal that indicates the position of the piston. Calibrated volumes may be determined between the positions of any subset of two of the total set of optical slot sensors. The exact known traceable volume between any two such switches is determined through a gravimetric water draw process. Such small volume provers can measure the average piston velocity based on the amount of time (e.g., a time delta) between the signals from any two optical sensors. The time delta and the known volumes can provide the average flow rate on each pass. Unfortunately, such optical sensors are difficult to align and require very precise placement, which adds cost and complexity to the prover manufacture and installation. If such optical sensors are misaligned, the moving shaft mounted flag may hit and destroy the optical sensors.
The known, measured, traceable, or "proved" volume is repeated on every pass of the piston or "prove" by signaling pulses as the flag crosses the optical slot sensors. A common problem in such prior art small volume provers is that the position of the gate or slot is integral to each optical sensor switch, and therefore subject to move with the switch itself. A switch may need to be removed and replaced for a variety of reasons such as replacement due to failure, scheduled maintenance, troubleshooting, access to other components, and inspection. If a switch is removed or replaced with the same switch or a different switch, the position of the location gate or slot is likely to have changed. This may be due to the inability to place the switch back into exactly the same location within the housing, due to a change of the location of the slot housing of the switch, or both. The location of the switch can change without the switch having been removed by an external force such as the wires being pulled, the switch being hit or pressed by a force from thermal cycling or vibration over time. Any movement of the location of any of the gates or slots results in a potential change in the distance between them, which necessitates a recalibration of the known volumes. This is an expensive and time-consuming process.


A software application executed at a user computer and/or server allows a user to select one or more multimedia files. The multimedia files may be provided at the user computer, sold at the server, or procured from a third party provider. The user can arrange the multimedia files into a presentation. A user can then specify a display device that will be used to present the multimedia presentation. The display device can be a television, portable media player, a computer, or other device. The system can translate the multimedia presentation into a format compatible with the device. Thus, the user is provided with a simple system to create multimedia presentation and receive the file in a format compatible with a device.

Consumers have numerous options for devices that can display multimedia presentations. For example, users may be able to show a slideshow on a computer or a movie or slideshow on a digital television. Many of these devices allow a user to produce custom presentations to display on the devices. However, creating these presentations can be difficult. Further, it is often difficult for the consumer to generate a presentation that will execute on particular devices. Consumers may also wish to use their own multimedia files to create the presentations. However, using personal multimedia files is also difficult.

Web service for generating portable multimedia presentations


A PE and a method of forwarding packet are provided. According to an example of the method, when receiving a packet, the PE may determine a vPort associated to a port through which the packet is received. When a forwarding entry adding condition is satisfied, the PE may add a first forwarding entry in a forwarding table by recording the first vPort as an egress port, a source MAC address of the packet as a MAC address and an VLAN identifier of the VLAN associated with the first vPort as a VLAN identifier. Subsequently, the PE may search the forwarding table for a second forwarding entry matching the destination MAC address of the packet and the VLAN to which the packet belongs. The PE may search a port associating relationship table for a port associated to a second vPort in the second forwarding entry to forward the packet.

802.1BR defines that a switch with port expanding capability may consist of a Controlling Bridge (CB) and a plurality of Port Extenders (PEs) which connected with each other in a tree manner. The PEs are configured to expand port quantity and port accessing capability for the CB. For example, a PE may be connected with a CB or an upper PE through an upstream port, and connected with a lower PE through a cascade port. Two PEs may be cascaded with each other. For example, a CB may be connected with a plurality of PEs through cascade ports and configured to manage Virtual Port (vPort) mapping for ports on the PEs. For forwarding a packet, the PE may load an Ethernet-Tag (E-TAG) carrying an E-Tag Channel Identifier (ECID) associated to a source port through which the packet is received into the packet and then send the packet to the CB, so that the CB may decide how to forward the packet.

Packet forwarding method and port extender


A bracket for supporting a hand shower adjacent a wall has a base part adapted to be fixed to the wall, formed with a throughgoing passage extending along a horizontal axis generally parallel to the wall, and having axially oppositely directed sides. A holder part pivotal on the base part about the axis on one of the axial sides of the base part is formed on the axis with an upwardly open seat adapted to receive the hand shower. A bolt extending axially through the passage has to the other axial side of the base part a threaded end and to the one axial side of the base part a radially projecting flange bearing axially toward the base part on the holder part. Interengaging formations on the bolt and base part rotationally fix the bolt in the base part while permitting it to move axially therein. A nut threaded on the threaded end of the bolt and bears axially on the other axial side of the base part.

A standard telephone or hand shower is a shower head mounted on one end of a handle from whose other end extends a hose connected to the water supply. While such a shower is mainly intended for use while it is being held, it is standard to fit it to a wall-mounted bracket assembly that holds it so that it can function as a standard stationary shower. Like such a stationary shower, the bracket assembly normally permits some range of adjustment of the shower to direct the spray where it is wanted.
Accordingly German patent 2,844,190 filed October 1978 by M. Pawelzik et al describes a mounting bracket basically comprised of a stationary wall-mounted support body, a holder body pivotal about a normally horizontal axis parallel to the wall and formed offset from this axis with a seat adapted to hold the hand shower, and a bolt-and-nut assembly extending along the axis. The bolt serves not only as the pivot axis, but it allows the two parts to be secured together axially with sufficient force to frictionally impede them from moving relative to each other, unless of course considerable force is brought to bear, as when the position is being adjusted.
This arrangement has two main disadvantages. First of all it holds the shower relatively far from the wall and moves it in a relatively wide arc when it is adjusted. This makes accurately positioning it difficult. Second, the bolt itself typically bears angularly on one part and the nut on the other so that adjustment in one direction will tighten the nut and opposite adjustment will loosen it.


An information transmission method includes: when a beam failure recovery procedure is initiated for a first cell, initiating random access to a base station through a second cell, wherein the second cell is the first cell or another cell other than the first cell; and if the number of times random access is initiated without being able to complete the random access reaches a preset number, transmitting to the base station indication information for a problem existing in a cell group where the second cell is located, wherein the indication information is used to indicate that the cause for the problem existing in the cell group is the failure of random access caused by the initiation of the beam failure recovery procedure.

In a New Radio (NR) system, a base station may communicate with a user equipment (UE) through beam sweeping, and the UE may monitor a certain cell for signal quality of beams. When it is detected that the signal quality of a beam does not meet the requirements, a physical layer of the UE will indicate beam failure to a Media Access Control (MAC) layer. When the number of times of beam failure indicated by the physical layer reaches a certain number, the MAC layer may trigger a Beam Failure Recovery (BFR) procedure, and the base station will configure the UE to monitor another beam.
In related technologies, when the UE determines beam failure for a certain cell and the number of times of beam failure indicated by the physical layer reaches a preset number, the BFR procedure may be initiated through a random access procedure in this cell. When the number of times of initiating a random access procedure reaches a maximum preset number, the MAC layer will indicate occurrence of a problem in random access to a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, information may be reported to the base station subsequently, and the reported information indicates that there is a problem in a serving cell of the UE and the cause for the problem is random access.
At present, although the reported information may indicate that the cause for the problem in the serving cell of the UE is random access, it does not indicate whether the problem of random access is resulted from BFR or other causes. For the problem in random access resulted from BFR and the problem of random access problem resulted from other causes, the base station deals with them differently. Therefore, based on the information reported in the related technologies, the base station cannot accurately select a processing manner to process the problem occurring in the serving cell of the UE.

Information transmission method and information transmission device

BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO., LTD.


The invention relates to systems and methods for improving planning, scheduling, and supply chain management. Embodiments of the invention can provide some or all of the following: improved systems and methods for determining an optimal lot size, improved systems and methods for determining optimal WIP levels, improved systems and methods for an inventory advisor module, improved systems and methods for integrating functionality of a lot sizer and WIP module and an inventory module, improved systems and methods for implementing multi-echelon inventory analysis, and improved systems and methods for partitioning planning information.

Business enterprises, such as manufacturing facilities and companies, can be confronted with the challenge of maximizing service to their customers while minimizing the cost of operations. One primary component of these costs, and a significant factor influencing the level of service delivered to customers, can be the location and amount of inventory stored in a company's supply chain network. In general, higher inventory levels can offer both higher costs and higher levels of service. Conventional inventory management systems may not provide effective mechanisms for optimally configuring an existing supply chain network that include multiple echelons of interacting supply locations subject to uncertainty over the amount and timing of demand for finished products, and subject to uncertainty over the timing and reliability of resupply activities. In order to obtain a solution, various methods of analysis used in conventional inventory management systems can make significant simplifying assumptions, which may limit the applicability of such methods to relatively simple systems or otherwise risking an inaccurate description of the expected performance of the supply chain system.
As disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/685,670, entitled "SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVING PLANNING, SCHEDULING, AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT," a flow path management system (FPMS) or a supply chain management system (SCMS) can include a lot sizer and work in progress (WIP) estimator (LWE) module and an inventory advisor (IA) module. Such systems and modules can be implemented by a computer system, such as 100 in FIG. 1 of the above referenced patent application.
The LWE module can implement methods and/or algorithms to accomplish some or all of the following: (a) identify constrained resources, (b) optimize how many products should be produced together to minimize setups while meeting output goals, and (c) optimize WIP levels to reach throughput and cycle time objectives. Some conventional methods and/or algorithms for inventory management systems can monitor and control the WIP levels in a single loop or subset of items or products in a system or flow path. However, such methods and/or algorithms were limited to applying WIP levels to subsets of items or products in a single flow path, and determining an optimal WIP level for the system aggregated over the various items or products.
The inventory advisor (IA) module can implement methods and/or algorithms to accomplish some or all of the following: (a) determine stocking policies, such as which products should be made to order and which should be made to stock; (b) set reorder policies, such as determining reorder points and reorder quantities for make to stock products; and (c) generate an exchange curve to describe a best cost that can be obtained for a level of performance associated with a particular flow path, system, or set of items or products, such as displaying a policy cost for a single product or for multiple products as a function of order frequency and/or service levels. However, at least some of mathematical equations used by the IA module to analyze inventory policies assume that policy parameters that are manipulated to create the measured performance (i.e. order frequency, and service level) are continuous and unbounded. Furthermore, in some instances when the IA module determined an aggregate performance for a group of products with corresponding exchange curves, there were no assumed dependencies between any of the products.
In addition, the IA module can utilize user input data to describe demand and lead times for a flow path using commonly known statistical techniques such as average and standard deviation. In many instances, a Poisson or normal distribution can be applied to the user input data, and a representation of the flow path performance can be generated by the IA module, however in some instances, the representation of the flow path performance based on such distributions may not be indicative of or otherwise an accurate representation of flow path performance. Therefore, a need for improved systems and methods for an inventory advisor (IA) module exists.
Exchange curves can be generated by an IA module using equally spaced intervals of an intermediate parameter called β. This variable can be a surrogate for the backorder cost, a parameter which is rarely known by the user. In many instances, displays show the relationship between inventory cost and service level, but the service level varies non-linearly with β. The result can be that in the points of interest along the exchange curve, and those most likely to be selected by a user interested in such points, such points may be highly concentrated at the high end of the service distribution (near 100%). Therefore, a need for improved systems and methods for generating exchange curves exists.
Approximate equations can be utilized by an IA module to determine an "optimal" reorder point for a flow path. While such equations can be accurate under certain circumstances, in some instances relatively large inaccuracies can be induced when the reorder quantity is low or if the targeted service level is low. Therefore, a need for improved systems and methods to determine a reorder point which describes the probability of a stockout exists.
Conventional inventory management systems can utilize separate methods for determining optimal lot sizes and for determining optimal inventory stocking levels. However, potential interaction between decisions made for optimizing lot sizes and optimizing inventory stocking levels is typically unaccounted for. Such interaction may be particularly evident when a setup carries an identifiable monetary cost, for instance the production of scrap; when a selected lot size has a significant impact on a lead time for a material through a production facility; or when holding costs of products being analyzed suggest that a high cost of some products warrants special treatment (i.e. shorter lead times). The interaction may occur in such cases because lot sizes selected by the LWE module for a particular product may have a direct impact on order quantity and replenishment lead times that affect or otherwise drive selection of a reorder point by an inventory advisor (IA) module.
As disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/685,670, systems and methods for analyzing inventory in a flow path, also known as "standard single echelon inventory analysis," can rely upon user data input, such as descriptions of statistical distributions for lead time and demand data, as input for a problem solution. Reorder points and reorder quantities can then be determined based in part on the user data input. However, such analysis can provide little or no support for a user to determine what lead time distribution should be given the expected state and demand on an associated manufacturing system. Furthermore, the reorder quantities may not be aligned with constraints of the manufacturing system. Therefore, a need exists for improved systems and methods for analyzing inventory in a flow path.
Various topologies, schematics, and representations have been used to model a flow path or supply chain. In some instances, the topology of a supply chain can impact techniques and/or algorithms available to analyze the supply chain, with relatively more complicated topologies causing more significant and restrictive assumptions in a supply chain analysis. Examples of conventional topologies used to describe and model supply chains are shown in FIG. 16. As conventional theories may focuses on analyzing "pure" assembly, "pure" distribution, or "pure" serial networks, a challenge in solving supply chain problems is producing one or more solutions for supply chain with mixed topologies (i.e. having attributes of more than one of the topologies depicted in FIG. 16). Therefore, a need exists for systems and methods for performing multi-echelon inventory analysis and for optimizing a multi-echelon inventory system.
In conventional inventory management systems, partitioning planning information is sometimes limited to predetermined assumptions which can be used to partition entities into different logical sets. For example, products in an inventory can be partitioned into logical groups such as flow paths. Flow paths can include one or more route steps. Each route step in a flow path can be partitioned into logical groups such as control loops. These flow paths, route steps, control loops, and other logical groups are oftentimes predetermined and assumed partitions used by a conventional inventory management system to perform various performance analyses. However, conventional systems and methods for partitioning planning information can be somewhat inflexible since partitions are assumed, or can be ad hoc, or may otherwise be limited due to applied assumptions. Therefore, a need exists for systems and methods for partitioning planning information.

Associated systems and methods for improving planning, scheduling, and supply chain management


A walk-assistive apparatus may include at least one joint that corresponds to at least one joint of a wearer, at least one link that connects the joint, and is rotated in response to rotation of the joint, a spring that is mounted in the link or the joint so that a length of the spring is changed in accordance with rotation of the link or the joint, and a processor that controls the change in the length of the spring to compensate for a weight by gravity when the wearer walks. Accordingly, the walk-assistive apparatus and a method of controlling the walk-assistive apparatus may use a mechanical element such as a spring to reduce energy, and weight compensation having uniform performance may be performed even in an arbitrary posture.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a walk-assistive apparatus and a method of controlling the walk-assistive apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A walk-assistive apparatus is a mechanism that may assist a wearer with a disability affecting their ability to walk so that the wearer can more easily walk. Walking may become uncomfortable for people due to innate reasons such as genetic defects or acquired reasons such as age, diseases, accidents, and the like, and walk-assistive apparatuses may relieve such discomfort in walking.
As such a walk-assistive apparatus, a walk-assistive car in which at least one wheel and a support are installed, a walk-assistive robot that assists a wearer with walking by applying a force required for walking to muscles of the human body, or the like may be used.
The walk-assistive robot may be fixed to the buttocks, the femoral region, the shanks, and the like of the human body, and assist movements of muscles and joints by applying a force such as a rotational force by an actuator or various other mechanical means. The wearer may walk more easily with the assistance of the walk-assistive robot.

Walk-assistive apparatus and method of controlling the walk-assistive apparatus


An exhauster is provided having an improved fan assembly for exhausting coal through an exhauster fan housing, the exhauster fan assembly being mountable within the housing on a shaft for rotation about a shaft rotational axis. The housing has an inlet generally aligned with the shaft rotational axis such that coal entering the housing through the inlet contacts the rotating exhauster fan and is redirected thereby along a radial outlet path. The exhauster fan assembly includes a plurality of blades and a hub having an outer surface, a free end, and a bore for receiving therein the free end of the shaft in an orientation in which the free end of the shaft and the free end of the hub are oriented in the same axial direction. The outer surface of the hub is radially outwardly spaced from the bore and the blades are mounted to the outer surface of the hub at uniform angular spacings therearound and project radially outwardly therefrom. The exhauster fan assembly also includes a hub protector assembly having a wear plate and wear plate connector means for connecting the plate to at least one of the free end of the shaft and the free end of the hub. The wear plate has an outer periphery each point of which is at a greater radial spacing from the shaft rotational axis than a corresponding angularly aligned point on the outer surface of the hub, whereby the wear plate fully radially overlies the hub and the shaft to which it is attached, as viewed along the shaft rotational axis.

This invention relates to solid fuel pulverizing and firing systems for fossil fuel furnaces of the type, wherein the fossil fuel furnace and a substantial portion of the solid fuel pulverizing and firing system by means of which solid fuel and air is supplied to the fossil fuel furnace, are operated at a predetermined pressure, and more specifically, to an exhauster employable in such solid fuel pulverizing and firing systems for fossil fuel furnaces having an improved fan assembly.
Three basic types of solid fuel pulverizer firing systems find common use. These are the direct-fired system, the semi-direct fired system, and the bin storage system. The simplest and most commonly used of these three systems, and the one to which the present invention is directed, is the direct-fired system win which solid fuel, e.g., coal, is fed in a suitable manner along with hot gases to a pulverizer. The solid fuel is simultaneously ground and dried within the pulverizer. The drying of the solid fuel is effected by the hot gases as the latter sweep through the pulverizer. As the hot gases sweep through the pulverizer they are cooled and humidified by means of the evaporation of the moisture contained in the solid fuel. Often, an exhauster is employed for purposes of removing the hot gases and the entrained fine solid fuel particles, i.e., the solid fuel that has been ground within the pulverizer, from the pulverizer. Moreover, this exhauster, when so employed, is located on the discharge side of the pulverizer and is operative to effect the delivery of the mixture of hot gases and entrained fine solid fuel particles to a fossil fuel furnace. The main advantages of the direct-fired system are simplicity, low cost and maximum safety. To this end, the fine solid particles, which can be subject to spontaneous combustion and thus are considered to be potentially hazardous, go directly to the fossil fuel furnace at high velocities, and thus are not given the opportunity to collect and possibly ignite spontaneously. Accordingly, the direct-fired system can be operated at the maximum temperatures that safety will permit.
One prior art form of such a direct-fired solid fuel pulverizer firing system is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,843 entitled "Pulverized Coal Firing System" in which it is disclosed that solid fuel passes through the inlet chute 23 of the pulverizer 26 on to the rotating bowl 32 thereof. The solid fuel thus admitted to the pulverizer 26 is pulverized therewithin by means of the grinding rollers 36 of the pulverizer 26, which are mounted within the pulverizer housing to provide a grinding action between the grinding rollers 36 and the grinding ring provided on the rotating bowl 32 of the pulverizer 26. Air passes up through the pulverizer 26 between the housing thereof and the rim of the rotating bowl 32 and as the air passes the rotating bowl 32, pulverized solid fuel is entrained in this air with the air-pulverized solid fuel mixture passing up into the classifier 40 of the pulverizer 26, which is located in the upper portion of the pulverizer 26. The classifier 40 is effective to separate the coarse solid fuel fractions and return these fractions to the rotating bowl 32 of the pulverizer for regrinding, while the fines retained in the air stream pass through the outlet 42 of the pulverizer 26, which is located at the upper end of the classifier 40. From this outlet 42 of the pulverizer 26, the air-pulverized solid fuel mixture is conveyed to the inlet of the exhauster 46 via conduit 44. The air-pulverized solid fuel mixture in turn is conveyed from the exhauster 46 to the fossil fuel furnace 10 through the ducts 48.
Another prior art form of an exhauster for a solid fuel pulverizer firing system is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,776 to Wark entitled "Exhauster Inlet Venturi". The Wark '776 patent discloses a known pulverizer exhauster fan assembly 10 having a fan 18 with a plurality of radial fan blades 20 connected to a drive shaft 22 by a spider assembly 24. The drive shaft 22 ends in a hub 23 which is capped by a "cooley cap" radial diverter cap 26.
Although solid fuel pulverizer firing systems constructed in accordance with the teachings of the two issued U.S. patents to which reference has been made heretofore have been demonstrated to be operative for the purpose for which they have been designed, there has nevertheless been evidenced in the prior art a need for such solid fuel pulverizer firing systems to be further improved, and more specifically, a need for the exhauster employed therein to be improved. A limiting factor insofar as the operating efficiency of exhausters is concerned has heretofore been the need to facilitate maintenance particularly on the fan assembly thereof. The need for such maintenance is occasioned principally by the fact that the material which is transported through the exhauster is extremely abrasive. To this end, a need has thus been evidenced in the prior art for a new and improved solid fuel pulverizer firing system, and more specifically for a new and improved exhauster for such solid fuel pulverizer firing systems that would require relatively less maintenance than known exhausters.
Moreover, there has been evidenced in the prior art a need for such a new and improved exhauster for such solid fuel pulverizer firing systems that would further be characterized in a number of additional respects. One such additional characteristic which such a new and improved exhauster for such solid fuel pulverizer firing systems would desirably possess is the capability of achieving therewith an even greater reduction in the amount of erosion to which certain interior surfaces of the exhauster. A further additional characteristic which such a new and improved exhauster for such solid fuel pulverizer firing systems would desirably possess is that the exhauster would be capable of embodying all of the above-enumerated characteristics while yet retaining the existing casing of an exhauster.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved exhauster for use in solid fuel pulverizer firing systems.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a new and improved exhauster for solid fuel pulverizer firing systems which is characterized by its reduced need for maintenance as compared to prior art forms of exhausters.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a new and improved exhauster for solid fuel pulverizer firing systems which is characterized in that it is possible therewith to achieve all of the foregoing within the existing casing of an exhauster.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide such a new and improved exhauster for solid fuel pulverizer firing systems which is characterized in that use may be made thereof either in retrofit applications or in new applications.
Yet another further object of the present invention is to provide such a new and improved exhauster for solid fuel pulverizer firing systems which is characterized in that it is relatively simple in construction, relatively easy to operate, yet is relatively inexpensive to provide.

Exhauster for a solid fuel pulverizing and firing system having an improved fan assembly


A compression spring formed of an elastomer having a ratio of plastic strain to elastic strain that is greater than 1.5 to 1, the elastomer having a having a projection extending through a metal plate and being cold formed into a rivet-like head to define a mechanical bond between the elastomer and the metal plate.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates, in part, to draft gears used on rail cars to absorb shock during coupling and other physical impacts between the rail cars. Such draft gears are illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,288 which issued on Jan. 4, 1966 to Mulcahy. More particularly, the present invention relates to improvements in the compression spring components of these draft gears. Such spring components are normally formed of an elastomer pad which is joined or bonded to a metal plate. Illustrative of the related prior art spring units are those illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,037 which issued to David 0. Anderson on Apr. 15, 1980. The overall shock absorbing capacity of those spring units are affected, not only by the elastomeric pad design, but by the surface contact and bonding of the pad to the metal plates.
2. Related Art
Several alternative metal plate and elastomeric pad designs are depicted in the Anderson U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,037 identified above. Such combination designs are generally reflected in FIGS. 4 through 11. Each includes a surface incongruity in the metal plate which is intended to capture a portion of the elastomer that is forced into the incongruity by cold forming, i.e., the direct application of pressure which causes the elastomer to flow into the incongruities. The use and selection of any particular design is dependent upon the energy to be absorbed and the intended application for the spring. In large part, the design of FIGS. 5-7 of this prior Anderson patent has been the primary design used commercially by Anderson's assignee, Miner Enterprises, Inc., in its draft gears.
Another related prior patent is U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,678 which also issued to Miner Enterprises, Inc., on an application of David O. Anderson. This patent is similarly directed to an elastomeric pad formed of a thermoplastic Hytrel.RTM. that was joined to metal plates and intended to be used in a rail car buffer unit as well as other shock absorbing applications.


An order in which to delete bands is defined in advance according to a table of importance levels of bands. If the free storage space of a hard disk becomes equal to or lower than a threshold value after a new printer command of a band is stored, printer commands stored in the hard disk are deleted in units of bands in accordance with the defined importance levels of bands. If the free storage space of the hard disk becomes greater than the threshold value, new printer commands are stored in units of bands on the hard disk. In the controlling of the printing for second and following ones of the plurality of copies, printer commands stored on the hard disk are transmitted to a printer. However, printer commands that are not stored on the hard disk are again produced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique to control printing and more particularly to a technique to control printing a plurality of copies.
2. Description of the Related Art
A print system is known which performs printing using a printing apparatus based on a raster image sent from a host computer. The host computer produces a raster image by performing a process described below. In the host computer, first, application software produces data such as characters, graphics, pictures, etc. The produced data is deployed in a virtual page memory by a printer driver running on the host computer. The data deployed in the page memory is subjected to a process such as a color conversion, halftone processing, etc., and the resultant data is transmitted as a printer command to a printer. Note that the application software is hereinafter referred to simply as the application.
In such a print system, a very large processing load is imposed on the host computer. In such a situation, a plurality of copies may be printed in such a manner, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-202822. First, a printer command produced as a result of the process performed in printing of a first one of copies is stored in an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk. When second and following ones of the plurality of copies are printed, the printer command stored in the auxiliary storage device is transmitted to the printer. However, if the data size of the printer command is greater than a free storage space of the auxiliary storage device, the printer command cannot be stored in the auxiliary storage device. In such a case, the printer command is stored in the auxiliary storage device only when the auxiliary storage device has a free storage space large enough to store one page of print data, but otherwise the printer command is not stored.
However, there is a tendency that an increasing number of documents are produced in the form of an electronic document, and each document tends to have an increasing number of pages. Furthermore, an increase in resolution of a printer causes an increase in the size of a printer command (print image data) per page. This results in an increase in the probability that printer commands of all pages cannot be stored in the auxiliary storage device. In such a case, printer commands of only part of the all pages are stored in the auxiliary storage device, and the remaining pages whose printer commands are not stored in the auxiliary storage device cannot be printed at a high speed in the printing process for second and following ones of the plurality of copies.
In the printing operation, the application and an operating system (hereinafter referred to simply as an OS) also use a large amount of memory space of the auxiliary storage device. Therefore, if all the free storage space of the auxiliary storage device is used to store the print data, the application or the OS becomes impossible to correctly operate or the system is brought into an unstable state.
A wide variety of systems have become available. In some systems, the auxiliary storage device does not have a free storage space large enough to store even one page of printer commands. For example, this can occur when printing is performed using a portable telephone or a game machine as a host computer. Most portable telephones or game machines used as a host computer do not have an auxiliary storage device, and thus printer commands are stored in a main memory of a host computer or a printer. However, the main memory has a very small free storage space. In many cases, even one page of printer commands cannot be stored in the main memory.
In recent years, a low-cost printer integrated with a scanner called a multifunction printer has become very popular. However, most such multifunction printers do not have an auxiliary storage device, and thus when a plurality of sets are copied directly from the scanner to the printer, printer commands are stored in a main memory of the multifunction printer because there is no other available memory space. However, in many cases, because of the small storage capacity of the main memory, even one page of printer commands cannot be stored.

Apparatus and method for controlling printing


A device for recording an absorption spectrum of a fluid has a radiation source (1) that emits a radiation in a spectral range along a beam path (11), a measuring path (5), along which the radiation passes through the fluid and arranged in the beam path, a tunable Fabry-Perot interferometer (7), arranged in the beam path and transmitting radiation in the spectral range as a displaceable bandpass filter, and a detector (9, 35) measuring the intensity of the radiation in the spectral range. An etalon (3) is arranged for spectral modulation of radiation in the beam path and has a plurality of transmission maxima (17) in the spectral range. The bandpass filter, formed by the Fabry-Perot interferometer (7), is displaceable across the spectral range such that spectral modulation of the radiation by the etalon (3) is measured by the detector (9, 35) as a modulation of radiation intensity over time.

It is often necessary in medical engineering to determine or monitor the concentration of selected components of the breathing air. For example, the concentration of the anesthetic gases being used in the breathing air is often measured during each breath in case of anesthetized patients or the alcohol content in the breathing air is measured when testing automobile drivers. Spectrometric methods are used to determine the concentration of the respective components. As a rule, signals are recorded for this with discrete filters in wavelength bands in which the gases have absorptions, and compared with references. The concentration of the gas in the breathing air can thus be inferred from the change in the signals at these wavelengths, which are characteristic of a certain gas.
A number of devices, with which the concentrations of selected components of a fluid or of a gas, for example, breathing gas, can be determined by absorption measurements at selected wavelengths or even over a spectral range, are known from the state of the art. Such devices have a radiation source, which emits radiation over a selected, continuous spectral range. An optical bandpass filter, called filter below for short, which limits the spectrum of the radiation to a wavelength that is characteristic of a component of the gas, whose concentration shall be measured, is arranged between the radiation source and a measuring section arranged downstream, in which the radiation passes through the fluid. After the radiation has passed through the filter and the measuring section, its intensity is measured with a suitable detector. The concentration of the component in the fluid can now be inferred from the attenuation of the intensity compared to a reference measurement in a reference fluid, in which the concentration of the component is known.
If the concentration of a plurality of components is to be measured, a separate, suitable filter must be used for each component. To determine the concentration of the various components within a short time period, possibly during one breath as a so-called measurement resolved for individual breaths, the different filters are arranged on a so-called filter wheel. A filter wheel is a rotating disk, which moves the filters in a rapid sequence into the beam path between the radiation source and the detector. This has, however, the drawback that only a small number of components can be analyzed, because a separate filter must be present for each component, and the size of the filter wheels is limited. In addition, the use of mechanical components is generally disadvantageous, because these increase the amount of maintenance needed and are prone to error.
A full absorption spectrum can be recorded with the use of a tunable Fabry-Perot interferometer, as it is described in DE 10 2006 045 253 B3. A tunable Fabry-Perot interferometer is arranged for this instead of a filter in the beam path between the radiation source and the detector. A Fabry-Perot interferometer is a device that has two partially transparent mirrors arranged in parallel to one another, whose reflective coated mirror surfaces point towards each other. The distance between the mirror surfaces determines a narrow wavelength range, which is transmitted by the Fabry-Perot interferometer and for which the Fabry-Perot interferometer is permeable. The width of the wavelength range passed through by the Fabry-Perot interferometer is called spectral resolution and depends on the wavelength. The distance between the mirror surfaces can be varied in a tunable Fabry-Perot interferometer and the wavelength range that is transmitted can thus be displaced. Thus, a Fabry-Perot interferometer is a displaceable bandpass filter, whose width corresponds to the spectral resolution of the Fabry-Perot interferometer. If the absorption spectrum of a fluid is to be detected completely over a selected spectral range, the Fabry-Perot interferometer only needs to be tuned over the selected spectral range.
In case of suitable coating of the mirror surfaces, a Fabry-Perot interferometer may also be permeable for two different wavelength ranges at the same time. It is consequently possible to record the absorption spectra of the fluid in both wavelength ranges simultaneously. A device for recording an absorption spectrum of a fluid with the use of such a Fabry-Perot interferometer is known from DE 10 2009 011 421 B3.
To determine the concentration of the individual components of the fluid, the spectrum recorded by the detector must be compared with a reference measurement. Lock-in amplifiers are routinely used for this. A measured signal is multiplied in a lock-in amplifier by a reference signal, and the result of the multiplication is integrated in a low pass filter. The lock-in amplifier consequently forms the cross correlation between the measured signal and the reference signal.
To make it possible to use a lock-in amplifier, the signal sent by the detector and hence the radiation emitted by the radiation source must, however, be modulated over time. Modulation over time shall be defined here as a change in the intensity of the radiation over time. This can be carried out in the simplest case by switching the radiation source on and off or by a chopper arranged downstream, which repeatedly interrupts the beam path between the radiation source and the detector.
The absorption of selected components in the breathing air is preferably measured at wavelengths between 2 μm and 15 μm. The broad-band radiation sources available in this wavelength range are usually thermal radiators. If these are modulated electrically over time with a frequency of more than 100 Hz that is necessary for measurements resolved for individual breaths, the relative modulation of the intensity depends strongly on the wavelength being considered, and the modulation decreases from short wavelengths to long ones. The intensity modulation decreases so strongly at longer wavelengths in the spectral range between 2 μm and 15 μm at frequencies of 100 Hz and higher that it is no longer sufficient for use with a lock-in amplifier.
Even though the use of a mechanical chopper is possible, in principle, this is again a mechanical component, which requires great maintenance efforts and is, moreover, difficult to miniaturize.
A similar problem arises when a photoacoustic or pyroelectric sensor is used as the detector, because these two types of sensors can only be used if the radiation has a change in intensity over time.

Device and method for fast recording of an absorption spectrum of a fluid using a plurality of etalons in combination with a tunable fabry-perot interferometer


Described herein are compounds that are useful as protein kinase inhibitors having the formula:

Mammalian mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases are serine/threonine kinases that mediate intracellular signal transduction pathways (Cobb and Goldsmith, 1995, J Biol. Chem., 270, 14843; and Davis, 1995, Mol. Reprod. Dev. 42, 459). Members of the MAP kinase family share sequence similarity and conserved structural domains, and include the ERK (extracellular signal regulated kinase), JNK (Jun N-terminal kinase), and p38 kinases. JNKs and p38 kinases are activated in response to the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and interleukin-1, and by cellular stress such as heat shock, hyperosmolarity, ultraviolet radiation, lipopolysaccharides and inhibitors of protein synthesis (Derijard et al., 1994, Cell 76, 1025; Han et al., 1994, Science 265, 808; Raingeaud et al., 1995, J Biol. Chem. 270, 7420; and Shapiro and Dinarello, 1995, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 12230). In contrast, ERKs are activated by mitogens and growth factors (Bokemeyer et al. 1996, Kidney Int. 49, 1187).
ERK2 is a widely distributed protein kinase that achieves maximum activity when both Thr183 and Tyr185 are phosphorylated by the upstream MAP kinase kinase, MEK1 (Anderson et al., 1990, Nature 343, 651; and Crews et al., 1992, Science 258, 478). Upon activation, ERK2 phosphorylates many regulatory proteins, including the protein kinases Rsk90 (Bjorbaek et al., 1995, J. Biol. Chem. 270, 18848) and MAPKAP2 (Rouse et al., 1994, Cell 78, 1027), and transcription factors such as ATF2 (Raingeaud et al., 1996, Mol. Cell Biol. 16, 1247), Elk-1 (Raingeaud et al. 1996), c-Fos (Chen et al., 1993, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 10952), and c-Myc (Oliver et al., 1995, Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 210, 162). ERK2 is also a downstream target of the Ras/Raf dependent pathways (Moodie et al., 1993, Science 260, 1658) and may help relay the signals from these potentially oncogenic proteins. ERK2 has been shown to play a role in the negative growth control of breast cancer cells (Frey and Mulder, 1997, Cancer Res. 57, 628) and hyperexpression of ERK2 in human breast cancer has been reported (Sivaraman et al., 1997, J. Clin. Invest. 99, 1478). Activated ERK2 has also been implicated in the proliferation of endothelin-stimulated airway smooth muscle cells, suggesting a role for this kinase in asthma (Whelchel et al., 1997, Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 16, 589).
AKT, also known as protein kinase B, is a serine/threonine kinase that plays a central role in promoting the survival of a wide range of cell types (Khwaja, A., 1990, Nature, pp. 33–34). It has been shown by Zang et al. that human ovarian cancer cells display elevated levels of AKT-1 and AKT-2. Inhibition of AKT induces apoptosis of these human ovarian cancer cells which demonstrates that AKT may be an important target for ovarian cancer treatment (Zang, Q. Y. et al. 2000, Oncogene, 19) and other proliferative disorders. The AKT pathway has also been implicated in motoneuronal survival and nerve regeneration (Kazuhiko, N. et al., 2000, The Journal of Neuroscience, 20).
A number of compounds have been developed that purport to specifically inhibit various MAPKs. PCT publication WO 95/31451 describes pyrazole derivatives that inhibit p38. However, it is not clear whether these compounds have the appropriate pharmacological profiles to be therapeutically useful.
Aryl-substituted pyrroles are known in the literature. In particular, tri-aryl pyrroles (U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,719) have been described as having glucagon antagonist activity. 1,5-Diarylpyrazoles have been described as p38 inhibitors (WO 99/58523).
There is a high unmet medical need to develop new therapeutic treatments that are useful in treating the various conditions associated with ERK activation. For many of these conditions the currently available treatment options are inadequate.
Accordingly, there is great interest in new and effective inhibitors of protein kinase, including ERK inhibitors, which are useful in treating various conditions associated with protein kinase activation.

Pyrazole-derived kinase inhibitors and uses thereof

Abstract: where B, R1, n, R3, Q, and R4 are described in the specification. The compounds are useful for treating disease states in mammals that are alleviated by a protein kinase inhibitor, particularly diseases such as cancer, inflammatory disorders, restenosis, and cardiovascular disease.