A test pattern which has an outputted image obtained by said image processing executing normal image processing is used to self-judge an image processor. Namely, image data of the above described test pattern is transmitted to the image processor and image processing is effected by the image processor. The image outputted (the results of the image processing) from this image processing and the original image are compared to each other. When they do not correspond to each other, the image processing by the current image processor is judged to be abnormal. In this case, the image processing using the image processor (hard ware process) is switched promptly and automatically to be emulated by an auto set-up engine (soft ware process). Further, in the image processor section, ordinarily, all of the three frame memories are used to effect processes including reading of image data, image processing, and outputting of image data at the same time and in parallel. For example, image processing is switched in such a manner that when any one of the frame memories is judged to be abnormal, two remaining frame memories which are judged to be normal are used to execute image processing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing device, and more particularly to an image processing device in which image processing is executed for image data read from a film image or the like, and image data inputted from external devices such as a personal computer (PC) and executed for the like, and which outputs the results of the image processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional image processing devices are known where a film image recorded on a photographic film is read by an image reading device having a reading sensor such as a CCD (charge coupled device); Image processing including expansion and/or compression, and various types of correction are effected on the basis of the image data provided by reading a film image or the like. Additionally, image data inputted from external devices such as a personal computer, for example, is recorded on recording materials or displayed on a display screen.
An image processor is mounted on such a conventional image processing device as hard ware (an image processing board) which is used exclusively for carrying out the predetermined image processing described above. By this image processor, image processing has been effected at a high processing rate on the basis of image data which is read by a scanner, for example, or image data inputted from the external PC.
However, when the above-described image processor (made of hardware) is used for a long period of time, the components comprising the processor can deteriorate. Accordingly, sooner or later, the image processor may fail.
Because the image processor is not an expendable product but an expensive member, when it is out of order, it often takes time to supply and replace another image processor for the broken image processor. For this reason, when the image processor is broken, the image processing device cannot be used for a long period of time.
Therefore, one method is to replace the broken image processor with other image processors through other image processors through installing a plurality of image processors in the image processing device. However, with this method, as described above, because image processors are expensive, a problem arises in that manufacturing costs for the image processing device become extremely high.
For this reason, what is needed is an alternative means which can replace an out of order image processor so as continue uninterrupted image processing.
Further, image processing using the conventional image processing device as described above is effected with higher processing rate for a large amount of image data. Indeed, various types of image processing devices having a plurality of frame memories for storing image data are provided, and three processes including reading of image data, image processing, and outputting of image data are effected concurrently by using the plurality of provided frame memories.
However, a technical problem may arise in that, although image processing can be effected with a high processing rate, when one of a plurality of the memories is out of order, the aforementioned three processes cannot be concurrently processed such that image processing is thereby interrupted.


Presented is a portable full body work out system for indoor and outdoor uses. The system includes a pair of mounts configurable over an intended surface, a pair of bracket assembles releasably mountable over the mounts, a strap with extending around one or more pulleys of one of the bracket assemblies and operatively connecting to a securing device, a resistance band releasably mountable around a retainer member of one of the bracket assemblies and another coupled to the securing device. The securing device is selectively operated during initial set up to allow the user to adopt to an appropriate position to connect an external exercising accessory to the strap for performing an exercise. The user is able to select the desired resistance for the exercise, or reduce the selected resistance, or combine resistances for even greater resistance by selecting appropriate resistance bands, and/or changing the tension applied on the strap.

The health benefits of regular body workout or exercise is well known. In this regard, the use of specialized equipments or systems to assist in exercising the body is ever increasing in popularity. Many of existing apparatuses/machines, however, are anatomy-specific in their application and help exercise a particular section of the human muscles, such as biceps, abdomen and so on. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 10,441,846 discloses a bicep exercise machine adjustable in nature that can accommodate different anatomical sizes and lengths of different user forearms and upper arms. Likewise, US20040023763 discloses an arm exercising device usable to exercise just the users arm and shoulders.
Additionally, conventional exercise equipments/devices have been generally focused on to facilitate exercising either upper or lower human body. It is seen that such equipments generally do not have capability to help exercise or work on complete body muscles. Additionally, such equipments also restrict a user's range of movement while the user is performing the work out. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,944,973 discloses a lower body exerciser that's designed to exercise the lower body muscles such as lateral and internal leg muscles, front and back muscles of buns, hips, thighs, calves. U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,376 discloses an improved lower extremity exercise board device capable of supporting elastic bands in numerous orientations to facilitate a user to perform a variety of exercises. U.S. Pat. No. 9,776,036 discloses an upper body exercise or a resistance based training device that uses the weight of the exerciser to generate a counterforce that provides resistance to specific upper body exercises. Further, lots of standalone squat machines are also available in the market that help the users exercise their lower body and increase the lower body strength Such as for example, ELITEFTS™ BELT SQUAT MACHINE, ROGERS™ PIT SHARK and so on. These are mechanical and bulkier devices, some requiring fixation on the ground or floor, one need to keep loading or unloading the weight plates on the shaft in order to adjust the exercising resistances that may be cumbersome.
Further, of the available workout or strength training devices, lots of devices claim to have the ability that helps the user perform a full-body workout too. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,193 discloses a mechanical exercise apparatus suitable for simultaneously performing upper and lower body exercise. U.S. Pat. No. 8,608,631 discloses a multi-function exercise machine for training abdominals, chest, shoulders, back, arms, legs and related cardiovascular system. US20160166878 discloses full body exercise equipment that includes four elongate rails arranged in a generally side-by-side longitudinal configuration and connected together to allow for selected angular arrangements between the rails. Further, the equipment includes a slidable shuttle member provided on each rail with the two inside rails having toe holds and the two outside rails having hand grips. Further, as disclosed a resilient cord or rope is provided for each shuttle for selectable attachment to either end of the shuttle to provide selected resistance against slidable movement of the shuttle in either direction on a respective rail.
Further, lot of inventors in the past has proposed exercising devices/equipments that help perform a variety of exercises and are portable in nature. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,817 discloses a personal and portable exercising device that may be readily assembled on a hinged door of a structure, such as at home, office, or hotel, disassembled and transported to selected locations for exercising by the user. U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,518 discloses another portable device that may be mounted on a door to perform resistance training. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 7,976,445, US20110177921, U.S. Pat. No. 9,028,381 discloses some other door mountable portable exercise systems, or equipments or gyms.
Additionally, lot of wall mounted cable machines or stations, portable or non-portable home gyms are known in art such as for example, Vanswe™ Fitness Wall Mount Cable Station, XMark™ Functional Trainer Cable Machine (XM-7626), Valor™ Fitness BD-62 Wall Mount Cable Station, BodyBoss™ 2.0, ARCHON™ Wall Mount Commercial Ball Bearing Cable Station. Although, these available equipments facilitate in performing a great variety of exercises such as bicep curls, triceps extensions, shoulder presses, reverse flyes, squats, lunges, ab crunches, chest presses, rows, single arm rows, pull throughs, face pulls, and many more. These types of exercising systems/equipments are mostly suitable for indoor uses such as for home or for small commercial gyms only.
As discussed above, although several efforts have been made in the past for providing exercise devices or systems to either facilitate the user to perform more focused exercises related to a particular section of the human muscles or just exercise the upper or lower body, or to even perform whole body exercise. It can be noted that due to at least the complicated configurations, due to being bulky, increased cost for storage and transportation, unsuitability for uses in a limited indoor space such as bedroom, living room or an office, unsuitability for uses at outdoors, inventor of the present invention believes there is further scope of improvement, and thus, herein proposes a full-body workout device that's portable and can be used for strength training and/or performing a variety of resistance exercises both indoor and outdoor.


A pixel circuit includes: a writing circuit that samples a voltage of a signal line; and a driving circuit that generates from the signal line a current that depends on an output of the writing circuit, and delivers the current to a light-emitting device of a current-drive type.

The present disclosure is related to a pixel circuit that drives a self-emitting device such as an organic EL (ElectroLuminescence) device for example. Further, the present disclosure is related to a display panel, a display unit, and an electronic system that include the above-described pixel circuit.
In recent years, in the field of a display unit for performing an image display, a display unit using a current drive type optical device the luminescence of which varies depending on a value of a flowing current, such as an organic EL device as a pixel light-emitting device has been developed and the commercialization thereof has been advanced (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-083272). Unlike a liquid crystal device and the like, an organic EL device is a self-emitting device. Therefore, a display unit using an organic EL device (organic EL display unit) eliminates the need for a light source (backlight), achieving higher image visibility, lower power consumption, and higher device response speed as compared with a liquid crystal display unit involving a light source.
As with a liquid crystal display unit, an organic EL display unit has a simple (passive) matrix method and an active matrix method as a drive method thereof. The former is disadvantageous in that it is difficult to achieve a large-sized and high-definition display unit in spite of a simple structure. Consequently, at present, the active matrix method has been actively developed. This method controls a current flowing through a light-emitting device arranged for each pixel using an active circuit provided for each light-emitting device.

Pixel circuit, display panel, display unit, and electronic system


An animal collar formed from a continuous generally flexible strap made from a plastic material having a series of slots adjacent one end of the strap and a buckle adjacent the other end of the strap, the buckle having a pair of openings with a latch projecting upward between the openings adapted to be mated with one of the slots when the end of the strap containing the slots is inserted through the pair of openings in the buckle, the strap having a pair of opposed inset projections on the side of the strap adapted to be the front of the collar when the collar is installed on a pig and adapted to retain the collar in place back of the ears and upper skull bones of a pig.

Livestock farming has become bigger and more intense as well as fiercely competitive. Hog farming in particular requires the successful utilization of better breeding, optimum feeding and intensive marketing to be successful. Genetic engineering is continuing to create leaner and heavier hogs for market. The development of swine somatatropin has resulted in the potential for production of larger litters, more milk from the mother sows and healthier piglets which grow faster.
With the movement to larger producers, some now producing from 25,000 to 50,000 market hogs per year, controlled breeding, farrowing, feeding and finishing practices have become an economic necessity. Boars with good performance records and good breeding readings are an essential component of successful hog farming. As a general practice, pure bred boars are mated with cross bred sows and gilts to produce an offspring which can be fed to 240 pounds in 180 days. By utilizing computer record keeping and microprocessors to individualize feed and water per animal, the production of big and lean pigs for market can be optimized.
Swine appears to be the only mammal wherein artifical insemination is ineffective. Extensive testing of artificial insemination has resulted in low conception rates and litters consisting of one to two piglets. Thus, the selection and utilization of the best boars with the best producing sows and gilts becomes an imperative for swine farmers. Also, this practice is very labor intensive so every aid must be employed by the swine producer to maximize his effectiveness. Thus, it becomes important to be able to identify each sow or gilt mated with a particular boar in order to complete reliable records as a basis for selecting animals for future production. In fact, it is now possible for a computer to regulate through a microprocessor system the precise amount of feed and water for each particular animal per day by coding input into the microprocessor to trigger a mechanism to release the indicated amounts of feed and water when a particular animal enters a private stall.
For many years, metal and plastic ear tags have been used to identify particular animals such as pigs. Although used for many years, tags have never been completely satisfactory because they tend to become illegible with dirt, they are easily pulled off during rubbing or fighting, they are inaccessible when the pig is lying or standing in a particular position, they are impossible to read when the pig is moving and grouping is impossible. More recently, collars for animals such as pigs have been made from flexible webbing material such as nylon but such collars are not completely adequate either. Being made from web material, they tend to stretch and are easily rubbed off. Also, they can be chewed in two during fighting or the mating ritual. Tests have shown that it is very difficult to maintain flexible web collars for any extended period of time.


A semiconductor light-emitting device has a lower clad layer, an active layer, a p-type GaP layer and an upper clad layer, which are successively formed on an n-type GaAs substrate. The p-type GaP layer has a higher energy position by 0.10 eV than the upper clad layer in the conduction band, which makes it more difficult to let electrons escape from the active layer. This contributes to increase of the probability of radiative recombination between electrons and holes in the active layer, and thereby, luminance of the semiconductor light-emitting device is improved. The p-type GaP layer is effective in a semiconductor light-emitting device having a short wavelength in particular.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor light-emitting device, and in particular, to a semiconductor light-emitting device that employs an AlGaInP-based semiconductor in its light-emitting section.
In order to form a high-intensity semiconductor light-emitting device, it is required to increase the luminous efficiency of its active layer, increase the amount of injection current into the active layer and increase the efficiency of taking out the light emitted from the active layer to the outside of the device.
In order to increase the amount of injection current into the light-emitting section, a current diffusion layer and an intermediate layer or the like capable of improving the amount of injection current without increasing the operating voltage are effective. At the same time, it is required to increase the amount of electrons and holes that contribute to radiative recombination by confining the injected current (electrons and holes) without letting it escape. As a means for confining electrons and holes in the light-emitting layer, a double-hetero (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cDHxe2x80x9d) structure is widely used.
In the DH structure, the active layer is held between semiconductor layers that have a bandgap wider than that of the active layer. Thereby, an energy barrier over which the electrons and holes hardly pass is formed on the upper and lower sides of the active layer, and therefore, the DH structure makes it difficult to let electrons and holes escape. This enables the increase of the probability that the electrons and holes may contribute to the radiative recombination.
The DH structure is widely used also for a semiconductor light-emitting device in which an AlGaInP-based semiconductor is employed in the active layer (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 5-335619, page 2, paragraph 0003 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 4-229665, page 2, paragraphs 0003 and 0004).
FIG. 10 shows a prior art semiconductor light-emitting device that has the DH structure.
According to the above-mentioned semiconductor light-emitting device, as shown in FIG. 10, a desired buffer layer 102, an n-AlGaInP clad layer 103, an AlGaInP active layer 104, a p-AlGaInP clad layer 105 and A GaP current diffusion layer 106 are successively laminated on an n-GaAs substrate 101. Further, on the GaP current diffusion layer 106 are successively laminated the other layers of a current blocking layer, a protective layer, an intermediate bandgap layer, a protective layer and so on that are not shown. A p-type electrode 107 is formed on the GaP current diffusion layer 106. An n-type electrode 108 is formed under the n-GaAs substrate 101 by vapor deposition. Subsequently, the n-GaAs substrate 101, the p-type electrode 107, the n-type electrode 108 and so on are formed into the desired shapes so that a semiconductor light-emitting device is completed.
In the above-mentioned semiconductor light-emitting device, a semiconductor having a composition of (AlxG1-x)yIn1-yP (x≈0.7 and y≈0.5) is employed for the n-type clad layer 103 and the p-type clad layer 105. However, in the general semiconductor light-emitting device of the AlGaInP-based semiconductor, a semiconductor having a clad layer composition of (AlxGa1-x)yIn1-yP (0.7xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa61.0, y≈0.5) is often employed.
FIG. 11 shows a band profile in the vicinity of the active layer of the prior art semiconductor light-emitting device.
As shown in FIG. 11, the upper and lower clad layers have a bandgap wider than that of the active layer, and therefore, an energy barrier is formed on both outer sides of the active layer. This arrangement restrains the phenomenon that the electrons and holes injected into the active layer escape from the active layer to the outside, i.e., overflow. As a result, there increases the probability of radiative recombination of electrons and holes in the active layer, and this allows a high-intensity semiconductor light-emitting device to be obtained.
In the above-mentioned prior art example, the DH structure has been used as a method for confining a large number of electrons and holes injected from the outside of the device in the active layer. However, in a device that has a short wavelength of light emitted from the active layer, the bandgap of the active layer is widened, and the difference in the bandgap between the active layer and the clad layer is reduced.
As described above, if the bandgap difference between the active layer and the clad layer is reduced, then the energy barrier against electrons and holes is reduced. As a result, the effect of confining electrons and holes produced by the clad layer is reduced, and therefore, the electrons and holes easily escape from the active layer. That is, the electrons and holes easily overflow from the active layer. For the above-mentioned reasons, there have been the problems that the luminous efficiency has been reduced in the short-waveform semiconductor light-emitting device and a high-intensity semiconductor light-emitting device has hardly been unable to be obtained.
With regard to electron and hole, it is difficult for hole to overflow since hole has a low mobility, whereas it is easy for electron to overflow since electron has a mobility several tens of times higher than that of hole.
In concrete, with regard to the AlGaInP-based semiconductor light-emitting devices, the overflow does not matter in a device that has an emission wavelength longer than 590 nm, whereas the overflow becomes significant in a device that has an emission wavelength of not greater than 590 nm. This overflow causes a reduction in luminance.
FIG. 12 shows a graph showing the relation between emission wavelength and external quantum efficiency in the semiconductor light-emitting device.
As is apparent from FIG. 12, the overflow of electron becomes particularly significant in the semiconductor light-emitting device that has an emission wavelength equal to or shorter than about 590 nm, and therefore, the luminous efficiency falls with reduced luminance. For the above-mentioned reasons, the luminous efficiency falls in the short-wavelength semiconductor light-emitting device, and it is difficult to obtain a high-intensity semiconductor light-emitting device.
An object of the present invention is therefore to improve the luminance by increasing the probability of radiative recombination of electrons and holes in the active layer of an AlGaInP-based semiconductor light-emitting device of a short wavelength.
In order to solve the aforementioned object, the present invention provides a semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:
a compound semiconductor substrate;
a first-conductive-type clad layer formed on the compound semiconductor substrate;
an active layer formed on the first-conductive-type clad layer and comprised of an AlGaInP-based semiconductor wherein light emitted from the active layer has a wavelength of not greater than 590 nm;
a second-conductive-type clad layer formed on the active layer; and
a semiconductor layer interposed between the active layer and the first-conductive-type clad layer or the second-conductive-type clad layer, wherein
an energy position at a lower end of a conduction band of the semiconductor layer is 0.05 eV to 1.0 eV higher than an energy position at a lower end of a conduction band of the second-conductive-type clad layer in a band profile before formation of a junction between the active layer and the semiconductor layer, and a junction between the semiconductor layer and the first-conductive-type clad layer or the second-conductive-type clad layer.
According to the semiconductor light-emitting device of the above-mentioned construction, since the semiconductor layer is interposed between the active layer and the first-conductive-type clad layer or between the active layer and the second-conductive-type clad layer, the semiconductor layer operates as an energy barrier against electrons to restrain the overflow of electrons from the active layer. As a result, there increases the probability of radiative recombination of electrons and holes in the active layer, and the luminance of the semiconductor light-emitting device can be increased.
In the present specification, the first conductive type means the p-type or the n-type. Moreover, the second conductive type means the n-type when the first conductive type is the p-type, or the second conductive type means the p-type when the first conductive type is the n-type.
The present invention also provides a semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:
a compound semiconductor substrate;
a first-conductive-type clad layer formed on the compound semiconductor substrate;
an active layer formed on the first-conductive-type clad layer and comprised of an AlGaInP-based semiconductor wherein light emitted from the active layer has a wavelength of not greater than 590 nm;
a second-conductive-type clad layer formed on the active layer; and
a semiconductor layer interposed between the active layer and the first-conductive-type clad layer or between the active layer and the second-conductive-type clad layer, wherein
a highest energy position at a lower end of a conduction band of the semiconductor layer is 0.02 eV to 1.0 eV higher than an energy position at a lower end of a conduction band of the second-conductive-type clad layer.
According to the semiconductor light-emitting device of the above-mentioned construction, since the semiconductor layer is interposed between the active layer and the first-conductive-type clad layer or between the active layer and the second-conductive-type clad layer, the semiconductor layer operates as an energy barrier against electrons to restrain the overflow of electrons from the active layer. As a result, there increases the probability of radiative recombination of electrons and holes in the active layer, and the luminance of the semiconductor light-emitting device can be increased.
The present invention also provides a semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:
a compound semiconductor substrate;
a first-conductive-type clad layer formed on the compound semiconductor substrate;
an active layer formed on the first-conductive-type clad layer and comprised of an AlGaInP-based semiconductor wherein light emitted from the active layer has a wavelength of not greater than 590 nm;
a first second-conductive-type clad layer formed on the active layer;
a second second-conductive-type clad layer formed on the first second-conductive-type clad layer; and
at least one semiconductor layer interposed between the first second-conductive-type clad layer and the second second-conductive-type clad layer, wherein
an energy position at a lower end of a conduction band of the semiconductor layer is 0.05 eV to 1.0 eV higher than an energy position at a lower end of a conduction band of the second second-conductive-type clad layer in a band profile before formation of a junction between the first second-conductive-type clad layer and the semiconductor layer and a junction between the semiconductor layer and second second-conductive-type clad layer.
According to the semiconductor light-emitting device of the above-mentioned construction, since the semiconductor layer is interposed between the first second-conductive-type clad layer and the second second-conductive-type clad layer, the semiconductor layer operates as an energy barrier against electrons to restrain the overflow of electrons from the active layer. As a result, there increases the probability of radiative recombination of electrons and holes in the active layer, and the luminance of the semiconductor light-emitting device can be increased.
The present invention also provides a semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:
a compound semiconductor substrate;
a first-conductive-type clad layer formed on the a compound semiconductor substrate;
an active layer formed on the first-conductive-type clad layer and comprised of an AlGaInP-based semiconductor wherein light emitted from the active layer has a wavelength of not greater than 590 nm;
a first second-conductive-type clad layer formed on the active layer;
a second second-conductive-type clad layer formed on the first second-conductive-type clad layer; and
at least one semiconductor layer interposed between the first second-conductive-type clad layer and the second second-conductive-type clad layer, wherein
an energy position at a lower end of a conduction band of the semiconductor layer is 0.02 eV to 1.0 eV higher than an energy position at a lower end of a conduction band of the second second-conductive-type clad layer.
According to the semiconductor light-emitting device of the above-mentioned construction, since the semiconductor layer is interposed between the first second-conductive-type clad layer and the second second-conductive-type clad layer, the semiconductor layer operates as an energy barrier against electrons to restrain the overflow of electrons from the active layer. As a result, there increases the probability of radiative recombination of electrons and holes in the active layer, and the luminance of the semiconductor light-emitting device can be increased.
The present invention also provides a semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:
a compound semiconductor substrate;
a first first-conductive-type clad layer formed on the compound semiconductor substrate;
a second first-conductive-type clad layer formed on the first first-conductive-type clad layer;
at least one semiconductor layer interposed between the first first-conductive-type clad layer and the second first-conductive-type clad layer;
an active layer formed on the second first-conductive-type clad layer and comprised of an AlGaInP-based semiconductor wherein light emitted from the active layer has a wavelength of not greater than 590 nm; and
a second-conductive-type clad layer formed on the semiconductor layer, wherein
an energy position at a lower end of a conduction band of the semiconductor layer is 0.05 eV to 1.0 eV higher than an energy position at a lower end of a conduction band of the first first-conductive-type clad layer in a band profile before formation of a junction between the first first-conductive-type clad layer and the semiconductor layer and a junction between the semiconductor layer and second first-conductive-type clad layer.
According to the semiconductor light-emitting device of the above-mentioned construction, since the semiconductor layer is interposed between the first first-conductive-type clad layer and the second first-conductive-type clad layer, the semiconductor layer operates as an energy barrier against electrons to restrain the overflow of electrons from the active layer. As a result, there increases the probability of radiative recombination of electrons and holes in the active layer, and the luminance of the semiconductor light-emitting device can be increased.
The present invention also provides a semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:
a compound semiconductor substrate;
a first first-conductive-type clad layer formed on the compound semiconductor substrate;
a second first-conductive-type clad layer formed on the first first-conductive-type clad layer;
at least one semiconductor layer interposed between the first first-conductive-type clad layer and the second first-conductive-type clad layer;
an active layer formed on the second first-conductive-type clad layer and comprised of an AlGaInP-based semiconductor wherein light emitted from the active layer has a wavelength of not greater than 590 nm; and
a second-conductive-type clad layer formed on the semiconductor layer, wherein
an energy position at a lower end of a conduction band of the semiconductor layer is 0.02 eV to 1.0 eV higher than an energy position at a lower end of a conduction band of the first first-conductive-type clad layer.
According to the semiconductor light-emitting device of the above-mentioned construction, since the semiconductor layer is interposed between the first first-conductive-type clad layer and the second first-conductive-type clad layer, the semiconductor layer operates as an energy barrier against electrons to restrain the overflow of electrons from the active layer. As a result, there increases the probability of radiative recombination of electrons and holes in the active layer, and the luminance of the semiconductor light-emitting device can be increased.
In the semiconductor light-emitting device of one embodiment, the semiconductor layer is either one of a group consisting of a GaP layer, an AlxGa1-xP (0 less than xxe2x89xa60.7) layer and an (AlxGa1-x)yIn1-yP (0 less than xxe2x89xa60.7, 0.65xe2x89xa6y less than 1) layer.
In the semiconductor light-emitting device of the above-mentioned embodiment, the semiconductor layer is either one of the GaP layer, the AlxGa1-xP (0 less than xxe2x89xa60.7) layer and the (AlxGa1-x)yIn1-yP (0 less than xxe2x89xa60.7, 0.65xe2x89xa6y less than 1) layer. Therefore, the overflow of electrons from the active layer can reliably be restrained.
In the semiconductor light-emitting device of one embodiment, the semiconductor layer has a thickness range of 10 xc3x85 to 500 xc3x85.
In the semiconductor light-emitting device of the above-mentioned embodiment, the thickness of the semiconductor layer is within the range of 10 xc3x85 to 500 xc3x85. Therefore, the overflow of electrons from the active layer can reliably be restrained, and crystal defect due to lattice mismatch can be restrained. That is, when the thickness of the semiconductor layer is smaller than 10 xc3x85, the overflow of electrons cannot reliably be restrained. When the thickness of the semiconductor layer exceeds 500 xc3x85, the crystal defect due to lattice mismatch occurs.
In the semiconductor light-emitting device of one embodiment, the semiconductor layer has a thickness range of 10 xc3x85 to 140 xc3x85.
Since the layer having lattice mismatch is inserted, wafer warp occurs. The wafer warp significantly occurs when a wafer is thinned by grinding before the wafer obtained after growth is divided into device elements. However, in the semiconductor light-emitting device of the above-mentioned embodiment, the layer thickness is set smaller than 500 xc3x85 or, in particular, not greater than 140 xc3x85. Therefore, the wafer warp can reliably be restrained. Accordingly, it is preferable to set the thickness of the semiconductor layer within the range of 10 xc3x85 to 140 xc3x85.
In the semiconductor light-emitting device of one embodiment, the active layer is an SQW active layer or an MQW active layer.
In the semiconductor light-emitting device of one embodiment, the SQW layer or the MQW layer is comprised of a plurality of barrier layers and at least one well layer, and
the energy position at the lower end of the conduction band from a vacuum level in part or all of the barrier layers is 0.05 eV to 1.0 eV higher than the energy position at the lower end of the conduction band from the vacuum level in (AlxGa1-x)yIn1-yP (x=0.7, y=0.51).
According to the semiconductor light-emitting device of the above-mentioned embodiment, the energy position at the lower end of the conduction band from the vacuum level in part or all of the barrier layers is 0.05 eV to 1.0 eV higher than the energy position at the lower end of the conduction band from the vacuum level in (AlxGa1-x)yIn1-yP (x=0.7, y=0.51). Therefore, electrons can reliably be confined in the well layer. As a result, there increases the probability of radiative recombination of electrons and holes in the active layer, and the luminance of the semiconductor light-emitting device can be increased.
The present invention also provides a semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:
a compound semiconductor substrate;
a first-conductive-type clad layer formed on the compound semiconductor substrate;
an active layer formed on the first-conductive-type clad layer; and
a second-conductive-type clad layer formed on the active layerm, wherein
the active layer is an SQW active layer or an MQW active layer comprised of an AlGaInP-based semiconductor,
the SQW layer or the MQW layer is comprised of a plurality of barrier layers and at least one well layer, and
an energy position at a lower end of a conduction band from a vacuum level in part or all of the barrier layers is 0.05 eV to 1.0 eV higher than an energy position at a lower end of a conduction band from a vacuum level in (AlxGa1-x)yIn1-yP (x=0.7, y=0.51).
According to the semiconductor light-emitting device of the above-mentioned construction, the energy position at the lower end of the conduction band from the vacuum level in part or all of the barrier layers is 0.05 eV to 1.0 eV higher than the energy position at the lower end of the conduction band from the vacuum level in (AlxGa1-x)yIn1-yP (x=0.7, y=0.51). Therefore, the overflow of electrons from the active layer can be restrained by reliably confining the electrons in the well layer. As a result, there increases the probability of radiative recombination of electrons and holes in the active layer, and the luminance of the semiconductor light-emitting device can be increased.
In the semiconductor light-emitting device of one embodiment, the barrier layers are either one of a group consisting of a GaP layer, an AlxGa1-xP (0 less than xxe2x89xa60.7) layer and an (AlxGa1-x)yIn1-yP (0 less than xxe2x89xa60.7, 0.65xe2x89xa6y less than 1) layer.
According to the semiconductor light-emitting device of the above-mentioned embodiment, the barrier layers should preferably be either one of the GaP layer, the AlxGa1-xP (0 less than xxe2x89xa60.7) layer and the (AlxGa1-x)yIn1-yP (0 less than xxe2x89xa60.7, 0.65xe2x89xa6y less than 1) layer in terms of reliably restraining the overflow of electrons from the active layer.
In the semiconductor light-emitting device of one embodiment, the semiconductor layer or each of the barrier layers is the second conductive type.
In the semiconductor light-emitting device of one embodiment, the semiconductor layer or each of the barrier layers has a carrier density of 1xc3x971017 to 5xc3x971018 cmxe2x88x923.
In the semiconductor light-emitting device of one embodiment, the first conductive type is n-type, and the second conductive type is p-type.


Embodiments disclose a power distributor for a vehicle, comprising a printed circuit board for diagnosis and/or for controlling a power supply of a plurality of electrical loads connected to the power distributor, and a bus bar comprising a plurality of first plug contact parts. According to the present disclosure, the printed circuit board comprises a switch part for collectively controlling the power supply of multiple electrical loads via the bus bar disposed separately from the printed circuit board, wherein the first plug contact part of the bus bar together with a second plug contact part disposed on the printed circuit board form a plug contact pair, and a load connected to the respective second plug contact part can be supplied via each plug contact pair.

Electric power distributors are provided in vehicle electrical systems, among other things, to supply a plurality of electrical loads with electric energy. One or more power distributors can be disposed in a vehicle. The power distributors are used to switch electrical loads, optionally for diagnostic purposes or to protect against electrical malfunctions, and to distribute the electric energy to the plurality of electrical loads of the onboard power system that are electrically connected thereto. These power distributors are frequently designed in the form of fuse carriers or fuse boxes, relay boxes, combinations thereof or the like. Moreover, these power distributors are frequently configured depending on the vehicle type and/or depending on the equipment variant.
DE 10 2009 029 166 A1 discloses a modular power distributor for use in vehicles, which comprises a printed circuit board and a bus bar.
Such a power distributor is frequently also equipped with one or more printed circuit boards or the like, which fulfill electronic functions, such as diagnostic functions, within the power distributor. For this purpose, the printed circuit boards are pre-populated with corresponding electrical and/or electronic components. These pre-populated printed circuit boards are then fixedly integrated into the power distributor, for example by embedding or insert-molding the same in a housing of the power distributor. To connect the plurality of electrical loads thereto, the printed circuit boards additionally comprise a plurality of electrical (plug-in) contact elements, solder pads for soldered joints or the like, for electrically conductively connecting electrical lines, which are connected to the electrical loads to be supplied.
DE 10 2012 214 366 A1 describes a switch device for a bus bar-based vehicle power distributor.
US Patent Application 2010/0038133 A1 describes a power distributor comprising a vertical bus bar.
While the configuration of a power distributor ensures a reliable supply and protection of the electrical loads, if applicable, it has been shown that the design, manufacturing, and assembly complexity are comparatively high. A desire therefore exists for a simplification in the manufacture and/or assembly of an electric power distributor.
In addition, topics such as autonomous driving are increasingly gaining in importance. Systems for autonomous driving are subject to high safety requirements to not jeopardize the vehicle occupants. This is combined under the term 'functional safety.'


A radial seal is described for use in a filtration system having annular elements. The rings or annuli fit in a groove in an outer surface of a seal plate. Each annulus has an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of a cylindrical housing of the filtration system. A gap in the annulus has a width selected to enable the annular element to deform sufficiently to permit insertion of the at least one annulus into the cylindrical housing. Two or more annuli can be configured such that the gaps of the annuli are misaligned when both annuli are installed in the groove, thereby minimizing leakage in operation. A registration system includes a registration element that cooperates with a registration element of the other annulus to ensure misalignment of the gaps of the pair of annuli.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to membrane filtration systems and more particularly to seals used in spiral membrane elements of filtration systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Certain types of filtration systems used for removing chemical contaminants and organisms from water comprise one or more filtration elements that are sealed within an enclosure. The enclosure may comprise a canister, a drum and/or a pipe. In particular, filtration systems used for large-scale water treatment can include a series of elements that connect together within a pipe like structure and which direct an inflow of contaminated or impure water through a filter material and onto an outflow pipe or channel. In the example shown in FIG. 1, filtration element 11 in a spiral membrane filtration system comprises a membrane structure that is wound in a spiral. In FIG. 1, permeate carrier sheet 18 is laminated within an envelope of a membrane filtration sheet 19 and adjacent layers are separated by feed spacers 101 and typically enclosed within a hard shell or wrapping to prevent leakage of the inflow and to provide a degree of mechanical stability and strength to filtration element 11. Filtration elements, such as spiral membrane filtration element 11, are typically provided in a substantially cylindrical form and one or more filtration elements 11 can be installed end-on-end within a housing 10 (as shown in FIG. IC). An inflow fluid 140 is introduced through an inlet under pressure into an end of the system, and enters filtration element 11 at one end 140 and, having passed through membrane 19, exits either as a permeate stream 143, typically through a center pipe or channel 13, or as a concentrate stream 144 which exits from the membrane filtration device. The center pipe 13 is typically coaxial with the enclosure 10 and coupled or otherwise connected with the membrane 19 in a manner that permits collection of the permeate 143. Permeate 143 can be drawn from the system in either direction.
These filtration elements function as membrane filters. Unlike conventional batch mode filtration systems, the described filtration system operates as continuous steady state process. As such the total of all material entering in the feed stream 15 is substantially equal to the summation of all material leaving the filtration device in the two exit streams 143 and 144. Such systems may be used in applications that deliver drinking water, clean or treat wastewater and/or storm water, extract water from sludge, and/or desalinate water such as sea water; in these applications, the dilute permeate stream 143 is the principal product of the system. Conversely the concentrate stream 144 may provide the principal product where the objective is to recover or concentrate a valuable solute.
Spiral membrane elements 11 are used as a means of packaging flat sheet, reverse osmosis membrane 19 in useful separation applications. These elements are typically loaded end to end in a cylindrical housing 10 as shown in FIG. IC. Process feed flow 140 is introduced at one end of the housing and flows axially 141 through the element 11, with some portion 142 passing through the filter medium 19 to a center collection channel or pipe system 13 from which it is provided as an outflow 143. The concentrated remnant 144 is drawn from a first element 11 into a second element 11 and so on. Concentrate 144 extracted from the system can be processed externally and/or recycled through the system based on system configuration and function. It is necessary to provide a sealing mechanism between successive spiral elements 11 that insures concentrate stream 144 from the first element 11 is passed as a feed stream 140 to the subsequent spiral membrane filtration element 11.
This sealing mechanism can be accomplished using seal plates 12 (shown in more detail in FIG. 1 B) that are attached to each end of each spiral element 11. In conventional systems, elastomeric seals are placed in a groove 16 located on an external edge of seal plate 12, in order to prevent escape of fluid into a space between element 11 and housing or vessel 10. Couplings 130 connect successive center channels 13 are typically also sealed using elastomeric seals.
An additional seal 120 may be required between the spiral element 11 and the inner wall of the cylindrical housing 10 to direct the flow 140 into the element 11 itself rather than the annular space between the element 11 and the housing 10. If the flow 140 were not directed primarily into the element structure the velocity of the feed flow over the membrane sheet would be reduced which would impact the separation performance of the membrane sheet. Conventional systems provide an elastomeric seal in a circumferential grooved depression 16 located on the outer surface of a seal plate 12 as shown in sectional FIG. 2A. A commonly used elastomeric seal 24 is shaped in a cup form as shown in FIG. 2B which creates an effective seal but requires that the element be inserted into the housing in one direction as the seal cannot be pushed a reverse direction. A symmetrical elastomeric seal such as an 0-ring 26 could be used within the element seal late groove as sown in FIG. 2C. This permits movement in either direction but relies on a greater amount of deformation of elastomeric seal in order to function as an effective seal. This results in greater force needed to insert the element into the cylindrical housing and is the principal reason for the preference for the cupped shaped elastomeric seal.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Radial split ring seal for filtration systems


A test probe aligner for aligning a test probe card with devices under test of a wafer is provided. The test probe aligner includes a backer plate arranged with its bottom side to the test probe card, and a stiffener mounted to the test probe card outside a horizontal dimension of the backer plate. The stiffener and a top side of the backer plate end in a same plane above the test probe card. The alignment further includes a bridge beam locked to a top side of the stiffener. Furthermore, the test probe aligner also includes at least two actuators and at least two corresponding force measurement sensors below a top surface of the bridge beam, arranged such that forces are applicable to the test probe card.

One or more aspects of the invention relate generally to aligning a test probe card with devices under test.
Today, integrated circuits (ICs) are typically manufactured many at a time in the form of dies on or in a semiconductor material wafer. Often the manufacturing of the semiconductor wafer is diced, so as to obtain a plurality of IC chips. Before being packaged and shipped to a customer, and before being installed in various electronic systems, the ICs are tested for assessing their functionality, and in particular for ensuring that they are not defective. Typically, the dies are tested before the semiconductor wafer is diced into the individual chips.
Today's state-of-the-art test systems provide a planar wafer chuck and a test probe head as precisely as possible aligned in parallel to the wafer chuck. The test probe head is equipped with hundreds of thousands of pins in order to establish a contact to a device of a wafer to be tested. However, recent technology steps require tighter tolerances and are leading to more precise alignment requirements. Often, manual alignment steps are required in order to establish all electrical contacts between a test probe head and the device under test. For the test procedure, it is mandatory that all electrical contacts are established. One way to ensure a good contact may be to apply a defined force between a test pin and a test pad of the device under test. For short periods of time an electrical current of several amperes may flow through the pin/pad connection several times. The mentioned manual steps may be time-consuming and require special expertise of personnel.

Auto-alignment of backer plate for direct docking test boards

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


In one embodiment, a packet processing apparatus includes interfaces, a memory to store a representation of a routing table as a binary search tree of address prefixes, and store a marker with an embedded prefix including k marker bits providing a marker for an address prefix of a node corresponding to a prefix length greater than k, and n additional bits, such that the k marker bits concatenated with the n additional bits provide another address prefix, packet processing circuitry configured upon receiving a data packet having a destination address, to traverse the binary search tree to find a longest prefix match, compare a key with the k marker bits, extract an additional n bits from the destination address, and compare the extracted n bits with the n additional bits, and process the data packet in accordance with a forwarding action indicated by the longest prefix match.

Modern Internet routers determine data routing based on searching for a packet destination Internet Protocol address (DIP) in a database of forwarding information known as a routing table. The routing table, rather than storing a full DIP, stores only some of the leading portion, known as a prefix. The prefix comprises some number of the most significant bits (MSB) of the DIP. The remaining bits are treated as "don't care" bits for purpose of a DIP search in the routing table. Computers that belong to a subnetwork are addressed by a common prefix in their IP address.
The most specific of the matching table entries—the one with the longest subnet mask—is called the longest prefix match (LPM). This is the entry in the routing table in which the largest number of leading address bits of the destination address match those in the table entry. The router selects this entry to route the packet.
In high-speed routers, an LPM implementation generally needs to handle billions of packets per second and thus needs to operate at very high speed. Searching the routing table for the LPM is a bottleneck in routing throughput. Implementing LPM is challenging, as the DIP of each incoming packet has to be compared against the entries of the routing table, which can be very large, for example more than 900,000 entries, in order to find the best (longest) prefix match. Additionally, storing all the prefixes on chip (that is beneficial for speed) is increasingly difficult.
Various hardware-based solutions have been proposed, but the circuitry required to implement such solutions becomes complex. Moreover, the increasing amount of Internet traffic and demands for reduced latency have resulted in relatively costly router circuitry having high power consumption and heat dissipation.
One option is to use Ternary Content Addressable Memories (TCAM) to perform LPM in one memory access. TCAMs however have several drawbacks. First, they are much more costly in terms of area and power than standard SRAM memories and therefore, only a limited amount of TCAM bits can be placed inside an Integrated Circuit (IC). Second, while an SRAM can be used for several functions, for example to store exact match entries, actions associated with entries, counters, etc. a TCAM can only be used to match incoming packets. This limits the flexibility of the device and is an aspect that is increasingly important as Software Defined Networks (SDN) become widespread.
Due to the above issues, many modern implementations of LPM rely on hash-based structures, performing several exact match lookups to find the LPM. For example, a popular algorithm is a method described in an article entitled, "Scalable High-Speed Prefix Matching," by Waldvogel et al., published in Proceedings of the ACM SIGCOMM '97 Conference on Applications, Technologies, Architectures, and Protocols for Computer Communication, pages 25-36 (1997), which is incorporated herein by reference. Waldvogel et al. implements LPM with a binary search on prefix lengths. The algorithm has a worst case of five hash lookups for IPv4 and seven for IPv6 with the average being significantly lower in most configurations. For the binary search to work, in addition to the prefixes, special entries denoted as markers are added to the tree to guide the search to the LPM. This means that the storage requirements for a given table are larger than the number of prefixes and that the overhead cannot be known beforehand as it depends on the tree and prefixes. This limits the size of routing tables that can be supported on chip.
Hashing for packet processing is discussed in a paper written by G. Levy, S. Pontarelli and P. Reviriego, entitled "Flexible Packet Matching with Single Double Cuckoo Hash," in IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 55, no. 6, pp. 212-217, June 2017, doi: 10.1109/MCOM.2017.1700132, and in a paper written by P. Reviriego, S. Pontarelli and G. Levy, entitled "Improving energy efficiency of Ethernet switching with modular Cuckoo hashing," 2015 IEEE Online Conference on Green Communications (OnlineGreenComm), Piscataway, N.J., USA, 2015, pp. 7-10, doi: 10.1109/OnlineGreenCom.2015.7387371, whose disclosures are incorporated herein by reference
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2017/0366459, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes an optimization of the solution described in the above-noted Waldvogel paper that can be easily implemented in hardware. The search jumps on a match to the next level of the tree that needs to be checked, thus reducing both the number of accesses and the number of markers. The jump captures most of the benefits that can be extracted from information provided by a match.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,616,113 to Levy, et al., whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method for packet processing including representing a routing table for a network as a binary search tree of address prefixes ordered by prefix lengths. For each node j in the binary search tree, a respective hash table is stored, including entries representing the address prefixes of length Lj. Each address prefix includes Lj-c most significant bits (MSB) and c least significant bits (LSB), and each entry in the respective hash table includes a matching value corresponding to the Lj-c MSB of one or more of the address prefixes and one or more action codes indexed by the c LSB of the one or more of the address prefixes. Upon receiving from the network a data packet having a destination address, the binary search tree is traversed to find a longest prefix match by performing, at each node j, a hash lookup in the respective hash table.
Documents incorporated by herein reference are to be considered an integral part of the application except that, to the extent that any terms are defined in these incorporated documents in a manner that conflicts with definitions made explicitly or implicitly in the present specification, only the definitions in the present specification should be considered.

Avoiding markers for longest prefix match based on binary search tree algorithm


A device comprising first and second housings arranged to swivel about a swivel axis, wherein the device is arranged such that relative turning of the first and second housings about the swivel axis in a first direction reveals a first device user operational area, and relative turning of the first and second housings in the second opposing direction reveals a second device user operational area.

The surface area available on electronic devices decreases as electronic devices (e.g. radiotelephones) get smaller and smaller. This can lead to a compromised ergonomic arrangement and thus awkward usability of the user interface (UI) area, for example, the keypad/touchpad.
In some products, it may be beneficial to have other UI elements other than just a single key input. This is particularly so for the case of graphical text input (e.g. Chinese/Japanese/Korean text input) or dedicated keys used only for one or more operational modes (e.g. music or video playing or making a telephone call) of the device.
Consumers are also often encouraged to purchase products with imaginative device arrangements in which features of the device can be hidden away and subsequently revealed when required.
The listing or discussion of a prior-published document in this specification should not necessarily be taken as an acknowledgement that the document is part of the state of the art or is common general knowledge.


A hair care composition for conditioning hair with silicone oil comprisese a stable emulsion of water-insoluble hair conditioning silicone oil dispersed in a liquid carrier composed essentially of polyoxyalkylene glycol and an emulsifier consisting of a silicone phosphate salt in which the anionic moiety comprises a copolymer of dimethylpolysiloxane and polyoxyethylene.

The term "silicone oil" is used herein to designate water-insoluble silicone polymers which are applied to hair to improve its feel or appearance. Silicone oils can provide the hair with a silky, lubricious feel. They can also provide a lusterization effect. These results are obtained by coating hair strands with thin films of silicone oil. Since silicone oils are substantially water-insoluble, after application to the hair they tend to remain thereon. Silicone oil can therefore be applied in a shampoo, or in a hair conditioner which is applied after shampooing and followed by water-rinsing.
The two most common types of hair conditioning silicone oils are referred to in the International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary (CTFA) as "dimethicone" and "dimethiconol". Dimethicone is defined as a mixture of fully methylated linear siloxane polymers end blocked with trimethylsiloxy units. Dimethiconol is a dimethyl silicone polymer terminated with hydroxyl groups. Such hair conditioning silicone oils are relatively non-volatile liquids, which are obtainable from commercial sources in the United States and other countries. For example, silicone fluids are sold by Dow Corning Corporation, Midland, Mich. Among the silicone oils (also called fluids) supplied by Dow Corning for use in hair treating compositions is a solution of high-viscosity dimethiconol fluid in dimethicone (Dow Corning Q2-1403 Fluid).
Since silicone oils have limited solubility in water and other polar solvents, they are usually applied in the form of dispersions or emulsions. For example, in a water-based shampoo or hair conditioner, the silicone oil may be dispersed with the aid of an emulsifying agent, and the dispersion or emulsion may be stabilized by the inclusion of thickeners.
Cationic hair conditioning agents are commonly used in hair conditioning compositions, and to a lesser extent in shampoo formulations. Typically, cationic hair conditioning agents contain one or more cationic quaternary nitrogen or amido amine groups, and one or more hydrophobic long chain aliphatic or silicone polymers. The cationic group can provide a degree of substantivity between the conditioning agent and hair. The long chain hydrophobic groups, which are derived from long chain fatty acids or are silicone polymers, can provide hair conditioning or hair repair functions.
The published European patent application 0 115 806 describes a hair conditioning composition containing silicone oil dispersed in water. The composition also contains dimethicone copolyol, which the Cosmetic Dictionary defines as a polymer of dimethylpolysiloxane with polyoxyethylene and/or polyoxypropylene side chains. To provide a stable emulsion, the composition is in the form of a gel vehicle, consisting of a lipid material and a cationic surfactant.
The incorporation of cationic hair conditioners in anionic surfactant-based shampoos presents a stability problem because of the tendency of the conditioner to interact with the surfactant. Anionic-cationic complexing of these ingredients can result in an unstable dispersion. The complexed conditioner/surfactant may settle out of the dispersion. However, some formulations have been developed in which quaternary nitrogen-containing conditioning agents are incorporated in anionic surfactant shampoos. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,704,272, 3,964,500, and 5,034,218 are illustrative of such formulations. As described in these patents, the shampoo formulations may also include silicone oil which is dispersed and maintained in suspension by the inclusion of thickeners.
In the cited U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,272, a tri (long-chain) alkyl quaternary ammonium salt or a tri (long-chain) amine is utilized in combination with a synthetic anionic surfactant, a silicone oil, and a suspending or thickening agent. The patent disclosure indicates that the cationic conditioner does not interact with the anionic surfactant. Silicone oils are also used in after-shampoo hair conditioning emulsions. (See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,090.)
As far as it is known, silicone polymers having an anionic functional group such as a phosphate have not heretofore been used commercially in hair conditioning compositions. However, methods of preparation and the chemical structure of phosphated silicone polymers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,171. The base polymer described in these patents contains a dimethylpolysiloxane chain with a side chain of polyoxyalkylene. This structure can be regarded as a co-polymer of a siloxane chain and a polyoxyalkylene chain.
This type of silicone co-polymers is designated by the CTFA as "dimethicone copolyol". The Cosmetic Dictionary definition is: a polymer of dimethylpolysiloxane with polyoxyethylene and/or polyoxypropylene side chains. Using that terminology, the phosphated silicone polymers of the above-cited patent can be called dimethicone copolyol phosphates. In terms of chemical structure, the phosphate group forms the terminus of the polyoxyalkylene side chain, and the end hydroxyl has been converted to an ester linkage to the phosphate group.
Hair conditioning lotions are conventionally formulated as aqueous solutions, dispersions or emulsions. Organic solvents are not ordinarily used as carriers for the hair treating agents. Organic liquids may be included in the total formula as emulsifiers or hair conditioners. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,824 describes a water-based hair rinse containing a minor amount of polyethylene glycol.

Hair care composition for conditioning hair with silicone oil


Systems and methods for assisting game play and wagering are provided. A game assistant system may provide a user with advice on game play or wagering for casino games such as blackjack, roulette, poker, craps, slots, or baccarat. The game assistant may also provide a user with advice on wagering events (e.g., horse racing, etc.) or on other games (e.g., backgammon, chess, etc.). The information provided by the game and wagering assistant during game play or a wagering event may allow a user to minimize losses or the statistical advantage of a casino or game provider. The game and wagering assistant system may also allow a user to allocate a particular amount of money for wagering on games or events, and allow the user to control the rate at which the money is expended.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for assisting in game play and wagering. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for providing players of casino games or other games, as well as individuals participating in wagering events, with playing advice, probabilities information, statistical analysis, and wagering information to optimize game play and wagering decision making.
Blackjack, poker, craps, roulette, slots, baccarat and other such games are generally known as casino games since such games have been played at casinos. More recently, such casino games, as well as traditional games (e.g., chess, backgammon, etc.) and wagering events have been played on computers with game or wagering event software, on the Internet, or by using dedicated electronic machines.
Casino games involve decision-making regarding game play and wagering amounts. Such decisions affect a player's odds of winning or losing, as well as the wager amount gained or lost. Depending on the game played, as well as the table rules, the casino or game provider typically has a predetermined advantage over a player. During the course of playing a casino game, a player may have difficulty making decisions that minimize the advantage of the casino or game provider, minimize losses, or maximize gains.
Typically, a player competes in multiple rounds of a casino game. Thus, the player needs to make decisions regarding play and wagering over a series of rounds of a particular game to minimize the player's potential losses.
Similarly to casino games, traditional games such as chess and backgammon involve decision making and strategy. Wagering can occur between players of such games. In addition, wagering events such as horse racing typically involve use of information and statistics for wagering purposes.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide systems and methods for providing advice or information in playing or wagering decisions for electronic, on-line, or table casino games, traditional games, and wagering events.

Systems and methods for assisting in game play and wagering


An oxidizing agent comprising a pre-measured amount of stabilized potassium hydrogen peroxymonosulfate and a buffer in a sealed water-soluble pouch, said pouch comprising a hydrolyzed copolymer of vinyl acetate and at least one of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, itaconic acid, and esters thereof is disclosed.

Water-soluble packaging material commonly comprises polyvinyl alcohol films. Polyvinyl alcohol is manufactured commercially by polymerization of vinyl acetate monomer to yield polyvinyl acetate. The polyvinyl acetate is then transesterified, typically using methanol, to yield polyvinyl alcohol and methyl acetate. Polyvinyl alcohol that is greater than 98% hydrolyzed (that is, less than 2% residual vinyl acetate) is unacceptable for water treatment applications because it does not dissolve at practical temperatures, usually requiring temperatures in excess of 50° C. to dissolve. Of greater utility are packaging materials that dissolve in cold water, that is, water at a temperature of from 10-25° C. This can be accomplished by modifying polyvinyl alcohol to reduce crystallinity and/or increase hydrophilicity of the polymer. The crystallinity of the polymer is conveniently and conventionally reduced by carrying out the transesterification of polyvinyl acetate in such a manner as to not complete the conversion to polyvinyl alcohol and obtain a product that is conventionally known as partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol.
In order to be practical and useful, the films should be compatible with the chemicals they contain. For example, a film made from partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol is sensitive to high or low pH chemicals, as they cause hydrolysis of the residual vinyl acetate, causing the film composition to change towards the cold-water insoluble and fully hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol. Acidic pool chemicals such as potassium hydrogen peroxymonosulfate or caustic pool chemicals, if packaged in a film comprising partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol, cause the hydrolysis reaction which results in a deterioration of the film solubility. Additionally the packages can exhibit an odor of acetic acid, which is unpleasant to consumers.
Buckland et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,727,219, disclose stabilized potassium hydrogen peroxymonosulfate packaged in a sealed water-soluble pouch, optionally including various additives, including pH buffers, such as anhydrous sodium carbonate and bicarbonate; active halogen agents such as halogenated hydantoins; and halogen stabilizers such as cyanuric acid. The water-soluble pouch compositions included partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol. Buckland et al. do not provide information on the stability of partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol films to long-term storage in contact with stabilized potassium hydrogen peroxymonosulfate compositions. Such storage causes reduced film solubility and formation of acetic acid.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,821,590, Verrall et al. describe starch-loaded polyvinyl alcohol copolymer films for packaging non-liquid products. Starch loadings were from about 4 to about 30% by weight. This patent does not teach how to package low pH solids.
It is desirable to have a storage stable single dosage oxidizing agent for treatment of recreational waters. Such an agent requires that a stable pouch material be used to package such moisture-sensitive acidic materials to avoid loss of cold-water solubility, acetic acid formation, and other indicators of deterioration on prolonged storage. The present invention provides such a product.


A method, apparatus, non-transitory computer readable storage medium, computer system, network, or system, is provided for using location information, 2D and 3D mapping, social media, and user behavior and information to provide alternative a consumer feedback social media analytics platforms for providing analytic measurements data of online consumer feedback for global brand products or services of past, present or future customers, users, and/or target markets, for companies, organizations, government agencies, and the like, by electronically collecting and analyzing, on a networked computer system using a processor, qualitative or quantitative online social media online communications, activity, and online communications and activity relevant to consumer products or services, or promotions thereof, of interest, in order to provide targeted, location based, 2D or 3D mapped, or impressions to generate online location information data or promotions to provide improved or desired customer perception or sentiment regarding a company's products, services or promotions thereof.

Traditional methods of collecting, managing and providing real-time or near real-time relevant information have been enhanced through the use of the Internet and online research and information collection tools. One such set of tools is known as web analytics. Web analytics focus on a company's own website for collection of online information, particularly traffic data. Web analytics are limited because they only consider a subset of the relevant online universe, specifically the behavior of users of a given website. They do not discover other information about the users such as interests and opinions expressed in interactive systems. Behavioral analytics are another set of information collection and management tools that attempts to analyze the "click stream" of users and show advertisements based on this information. However, this method has many technical limitations since it tends to provide only a very limited picture of a user's overall interests. Also there is a lack of consolidation between a user's work and home PCs.
Online social media is a new source of valuable information on the Internet that may be collected to generate information and other data about products or services, branding, competition, and industries. Online social media encompasses online media such as blogs and sub-blogs, online discussion forums, social networks, wiki sites, online reviews on e-commerce sites, video sites, micro-blogging services, and so on. There are several million forums with active contributions by more than 33% of Internet users.
As of 2009, there are more than 483 million users of social networks worldwide growing at a rate of more than 47% annually. As a result, social media is becoming a crucial and rapidly growing source of consumer opinion. This information may allow users to quantify opinion on social media sites to gain useful insights into current consumer or brand sentiment and trends relating to their products or services, brands, and/or technologies, and those of their competitors. Collecting and presenting this information can help users in a variety of ways such as, for example, target advertising revenues and expenditures, marketing, sales, customer service, brand management, product development, investor relations, and so on. Social networking sites are currently trying to leverage their own user profiles to target advertising based on their users' behavior and declared interests. However, most users today participate in several different online social media sites. Online content analytics are another set of information collection tools that attempts to analyze content in social media sites such as online forums, blogs, and so on. However, these techniques require a high degree of manual human intervention by analysts. Additionally, the reports generated by these analysts can be very expensive and can't be updated very frequently due to the necessity of human intervention in the data gathering and analysis process.
The Geospatial Revolution examines the world of social mapping, digital mapping, and how it is changing the way we think, behave and interact. Geospatial information influences nearly everything. Seamless layers of satellites, surveillance, and location-based technologies create a worldwide geographic knowledge base vital to the interconnected global community. The Geospatial Revolution explores compelling human stories that explain the history, applications, related privacy issues, and impact of location-based technologies including GPS and GIS. The video episodes are useful for teaching history, social studies, geography, environment, and ecology, science and technology and for learning about career development.

System and method for using global location information, 2D and 3D mapping, social media, and user behavior and information for a consumer feedback social media analytics platform for providing analytic measurements data of online consumer feedback for global brand products or services of past, present or future customers, users, and/or target markets


A cleaning system includes a rotating member and a cleaning blade which is forced against a curved outer surface of the rotating member to scrape off matter to be removed (toner) which is present along the outer surface of the rotating member. The cleaning blade has greater hardness than the outer surface of the rotating member.

The present invention relates to a cleaning system including a cleaning blade for scraping off matter to be removed from an outer surface of a rotating member.
An image forming apparatus is provided with a photosensitive drum, an intermediate transfer belt, a fuser roller and a cleaning system, for example. A toner image is formed on an outer surface of the photosensitive drum based on an electrostatic latent image which is formed from image data input into the image forming apparatus. The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt. The toner image transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt is then transferred onto a sheet of printing paper and fused, or fixed, thereto by the fuser roller. The cleaning system removes residual toner left on such rotating members as the photosensitive drum and the intermediate transfer belt to prevent deterioration of image quality in succeeding processes.
FIG. 1 is a structural diagram schematically showing an example of a conventional cleaning system including a cleaning blade 103. As depicted in FIG. 1, an endless belt 101 is mounted over a rigid rotating body (photosensitive drum) 102. As the cleaning blade 103 having flexibility is pressed toward a cylindrical outer surface of the rotating body 102 with the endless belt 101 passing in between, the cleaning blade 103 scrapes off matter to be removed, i.e., residual toner, left on an outer surface of the turning endless belt 101. If the cleaning blade 103 which scrapes across the endless belt 101 turning on the rigid rotating body 102 is an element made of a rigid material, the cleaning blade 103 will damage the endless belt 101. For this reason, the hardness of the cleaning blade 103 is made lower than that of the outer surface of the rotating body 102. Therefore, a tip end of the cleaning blade 103 could be crushed by a pushing force applied thereto against the outer surface of the rotating body 102.
FIGS. 2A to 2D are explanatory diagrams showing how the conventional cleaning system works. Forced in tight contact with the outer surface of the endless belt 101, the cleaning blade 103 scrapes and collects toner powder adhering to the outer surface of the endless belt 101 as shown in FIG. 2A. The tip end of the cleaning blade 103 is pulled in a turning direction (clockwise direction as illustrated) of the rotating body 102 due to a frictional force exerted between the endless belt 101 and the cleaning blade 103 as shown in FIG. 2B. When the frictional pulling force exerted on the cleaning blade 103 by the endless belt 101 in the turning direction of the rotating body 102 exceeds a limit of buckling strength of the cleaning blade 103, the tip end of the cleaning blade 103 bounces back due to its resilience and flips off the cumulated toner powder as shown in FIG. 2C, and then the cleaning blade 103 returns to an original position as shown in FIG. 2D. The cleaning blade 103 removes the residual toner while repeatedly producing the aforementioned action due to a so-called stick-slip phenomenon.
Therefore, the conventional cleaning system is associated with a problem that surrounding areas of the cleaning blade 103 are apt to be contaminated with the toner powder scattered around by the stick-slip phenomenon. Furthermore, since great pressure is applied to the cleaning blade 103, the tip end of the cleaning blade 103 tends to wear or be cut away. The outer surface of the endless belt 101 with which the cleaning blade 103 is forced in tight contact is likely to wear or be abraded. In addition, the pressing cleaning blade 103 is prone to cause meandering of the endless belt 101.
If the endless belt 101 exerts too large a friction force on the cleaning blade 103, the tip end of the cleaning blade 103 would occasionally become bent in an opposite direction as shown by broken lines in FIG. 3. When the tip end of the cleaning blade 103 is bent in the opposite direction as illustrated, the cleaning blade 103. will not be able to remove the toner. Typically, a slip agent 104 made of fine spherical plastic particles is applied to the outer surface of the endless belt 101 as shown in FIG. 4 in the conventional cleaning system. The slip agent 104 serves to prevent such backward bending of the cleaning blade 103 as mentioned above (FIG. 3). In addition, fine particles of an external additive 106 made of silica and magnetite are attached to an outer surface of each toner particle 105.
Each particle of the slip agent 104 is approximately 0.3 micrometers in diameter while each particle of the external additive 106 has a diameter smaller than that of the slip agent 104. Since the outer surface of the rotating body 102, against which the cleaning blade 103 forces the endless belt 101, has a surface roughness of approximately 50 micrometers, the particles of both the slip agent 104 and the external additive 106 pass through a gap between the rotating body 102 and the cleaning blade 103.
The particles of the slip agent 104 and the external additive 106 passing between the rotating body 102 and the cleaning blade 103 act as abrasive material, which accelerates wear of the endless belt 101 against which the cleaning blade 103 is tightly pressed. In a case where the cleaning system is used for cleaning a photosensitive drum, those particles of the slip agent 104 and the external additive 106 applied to each toner particle 105 which have passed between the photosensitive drum and the tip end of the cleaning blade 103 would adhere to a charging wire for electrostatically charging the photosensitive drum, thereby causing uneven tones of a printed image.
An example of a cleaning system employing a cleaning blade is found in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1992-362680. The Publication discloses an arrangement for preventing backward bending of the cleaning blade which is pressed against an image transfer belt with the aid of an elastic reinforcing plate which has higher stiffness than the cleaning blade and is disposed in contact with the cleaning blade on a rear side thereof.
Another example of a cleaning system employing a cleaning blade is found in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-148958. This Publication also discloses an arrangement for preventing deformation (backward bending) of the cleaning blade. In this arrangement, an image transfer belt has a double-layer structure including a base layer having high flexibility and a surface layer formed by heat-bonding a plastic film to the base layer to provide improved lubricity between the cleaning blade and the image transfer belt.
The aforementioned prior art arrangements disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 1992-362680 and 2002-148958 are approaches to preventing backward bending of the cleaning blade. Accordingly, neither of these arrangements prevents the aforementioned problems of the prior art, such as contamination of the surrounding areas of the cleaning blade 103 by the toner powder scraped off and scattered around, wear or cutting of the tip end of the cleaning blade 103, wear of the endless belt 101 and uneven tones of a printed image caused by those particles of the slip agent 104 and the external additive 106 which have passed between the photosensitive drum and the tip end of the cleaning blade 103.


A communication control device is provided with: an erroneous communication prevention antenna capable of receiving electromagnetic waves transmitted from an electromagnetic wave leakage monitoring region, which is defined in a region different from a dedicated short-range communication region where valid communication with a dedicated short-range communication antenna is carried out; a signal alteration unit which is provided on a communication interconnection between the dedicated short-range communication antenna and an antenna controller, and which alters a signal received from the dedicated short-range communication antenna; and a signal alteration unit control unit which, when the erroneous communication prevention antenna has received electromagnetic waves, causes the signal transmitted from the dedicated short-range communication antenna to the antenna controller to be altered.

In intelligent transport systems (ITSs), an electronic toll collection system (ETC (trade name), also referred to as an "automatic toll collection system") is widely applied as a system configured to automatically collect the tolls in toll roads. The electronic toll collection system allows the tolls of toll roads to be collected by means of dedicated short-range radio communications between onboard units installed in vehicles and roadside antennas (dedicated short-range communication antennas) installed in tollgates.
In a case where a particular roadside antenna communicates with a particular onboard unit, the particular roadside antenna may have irrelevant communications with a non-target vehicle that is outside the dedicated short-range communication region defined for the valid dedicated short-range radio communications (hereinafter, such irrelevant communication(s) are referred to as "erroneous communication(s)"). For example, the reflection of the electromagnetic waves by the structure such as the ceiling of the tollgate may cause erroneous communications to be established between the roadside antenna with the onboard unit on a different vehicle that follows the vehicle in the dedicated short-range communication region (the target vehicle for the valid communications).
A technique to address such as problem is use of an electromagnetic wave absorbing panel installed in the structure on the road (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Communication control device, toll collection system, communication control method, and communication control program

MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES MACHINERY SYSTEMS, LTD.


This interposer provides interconnections between stacked layers of circuits, which may include integrated circuits, PC boards, and hybrid substrates. Fabricated as an integrated circuit itself using readily available process steps, this interposer uses single and dual-damascene layers to increase the density of usable interconnections on both its top and bottom surfaces. Access from a top surface to a bottom surface is provided by conductive through-vias that may be placed at a high density. For even greater density, interconnections may be routed within silicon trenches, while damascene processing reduces the total number of steps required for fabrication. The described techniques may be used to create double-sided integrated circuits.

An interposer is a device that is used as an interface to provide interconnections between two or more integrated circuits to produce a stacked three-dimensional structure. Individual IC's, printed circuit boards and hybrid substrates, each being an electronic subsystem, may be connected using an interposer to form a more complex system.
The following Reference Numbers may be used in conjunction with one or more of the accompanying FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings:    100 Interposer device    110 Substrate of silicon, quartz or semiconductor    120 DTSV, Dual-damascene Through-Silicon Via    130 Via Fill    140 Damascene top trench    150 Damascene T1 top interconnect    160 Top ILD    170 TV1 Top Via    180 TM1 Top interconnect    190 Dual-damascene bottom trench    200 Dual-damascene B1 bottom interconnect    210 Bottom ILD    220 BV1 Bottom Via    230 BM1 Bottom interconnect    250 Pad Passivation layer    260 Connective bond    280 Logic Function Integrated Circuit    290 Memory Function Integrated Circuit


A battery with a threaded battery terminal for accommodating a threaded terminal bolt is provided. The threaded battery terminal includes a bushing having an axial bore extending between an open end and a closed end; and an insert having a longitudinal axis and a threaded opening extending along the longitudinal axis between an open end and a back wall. The terminal bolt is threadably received in the threaded opening and the back wall of the insert has sufficient strength to cause an overlong bolt to break upon continued threaded insertion subsequent to the bolt contacting the back wall.

Battery terminals for automobile, industrial and other uses are typically connected using either posts which extend from the top of the battery casing or threaded connections in the sides of the battery casing. Connections to threaded terminals are generally made using a lug and a bolt that is threaded into the battery terminal and tightened with a wrench. The battery terminal is molded into the side wall of the battery casing and includes a bushing and a threaded insert inside the bushing, which receives the bolt.
A common problem encountered with threaded battery terminals is that over-torquing an overlong bolt forces the bolt through the bottom wall (also referred to as the back wall) of the insert and can either damage the weld zone that connects the terminal to the battery plates or rupture the battery casing and make the battery unusable. A variety of different terminal designs have addressed this problem but none of them have been completely successful.
One of the problems encountered in designing a battery terminal insert that can withstand over-torquing and overlong bolts is the limited amount of space in the battery casing. Industrial batteries are typically mounted in racks or cabinets that are constructed for standard size batteries. Any replacement battery has to have the same "footprint" as a standard size battery in order to be an acceptable replacement. If the footprint of the battery is increased to accommodate a larger battery terminal insert, the footprint of the battery will be too big to fit in standard racks and cabinets. If the battery casing is reduced in size to allow room for a larger battery terminal insert, the battery cells will be smaller and the battery will have less power. Therefore, two of the considerations in designing a battery terminal insert are that the insert cannot change the size of the battery footprint and that the insert must not extend too far into the battery casing. Accordingly, there is a need for a battery terminal insert that extends a minimal distance into the battery casing and can provide a proper connection using a minimum number of threads. There is also a need for a battery terminal insert that can withstand over-torquing and overlong bolts without permanently damaging the battery.


The present invention relates to a mirror type display device and a control method thereof, and a mirror type display device of the present invention includes a mirror type display; a camera provided on a front surface of the display; an interface for recognizing a user's dress(wear) located in front of the display and a mobile terminal carried by the user through the camera and recommending an operation mode of the recognized mobile terminal based on the recognized dress(wear), and a controller. Thus, the user projecting the image on the mirror-type display device can be photographed to recognize the dress, and the mobile terminal recognized by the user can be recognized to recommend the mode of the mobile terminal suitable for the current dress mode.

The mirror-type display device may include a display device that provides the function of the display together with the function of the mirror.
The mirror type display device may have a mirror on the front surface and a display device on the rear surface of the mirror. At this time, the mirror provided on the front surface uses a half mirror which reflects a part of light and transmits a part of the light. The light reflected by the half mirror acts as a mirror and the light emitted by the display arranged on the rear side can act as a display by transmitting the half mirror.
The mirror type display device constructed in another way may have a transparent liquid crystal element on the front side and a reflective medium having a reflective function on the rear side. When the transparent liquid crystal element provided on the front transmits all the light, the transmitted light is reflected on the reflection medium, and the mirror type display acts as a normal mirror. When data is displayed on a transparent liquid crystal device, light entering the cells in which the data are displayed is blocked, and the corresponding cells can function as a display by emitting light.

Mirror type display device and method for controlling same


A method and system of compressing an input data item such as, e.g., a cache line of machinc-executable code, by selecting a partition of the data item into subsequences that appear as words in a dictionary of a probability-based encoding scheme, such that the encoding of the subsequences produces a compressed representation of the data according to a desired efficiency parameter, e.g., minimized length. The method may implement an algorithm to identify one or more possible compressed representations of the input data item and to select a more efficient compressed representation.

Conventional lossless data compression methods use algorithms to compress an original data item such as, e.g., machine executable code, having a given length measured in bits, into a compressed representation of the data, which may include less than the original amount of bits. The compressed representation allows reconstruction of the original data item with no loss of information.
Some lossless data compression methods may include a probability-based encoding scheme, e.g., Huffman encoding, to encode input data into a unique bit sequence, eg., a binary encoding, in such a way that data subsequences having a higher recurrence probability are associated with a shorter binary encoding. An encoding algorithm may rely on a statistical model of the input data type, which may include, for example, a dictionary having entries that correspond to subsequences, or words, of high recurrence probability.
Reducing the size of the compressed code, i.e., improving the compression ratio, may allow more data to be stored in a limited memory space, resulting in reduced storage costs and/or faster execution performance times.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.

Apparatus, system, and method of data compression