An electronic cigarette includes a housing. A rebuildable dripping atomizer (RDA) deck on the housing supports first and second spaced terminal posts connected to first ends of respective first and second heating coils. A central column terminal has a central post received within a central orifice of the RDA deck and engages a battery contained in the housing. A transverse support is spaced above the terminal posts and onto which second ends of respective first and second heating coils are clamped. An insulator separates the central post from the RDA deck. A switch is carried by the housing and connected to the electrical circuit and completes the electrical circuit to energize the heating coils and vaporize juice contained on at least one wick held by the heating coils.

Electronic cigarettes have become very popular in the last few years. Many of these electronic cigarettes operate as a battery-powered vaporizer that includes a mouth piece, a rebuidable device or deck, a juice or e-liquid that is vaporized and a heating element or similar atomizer. The heating element is typically a heating coil and heats and vaporizes the juice. A wicking material helps draw the juice or liquid onto the coil such as from a well that holds the juice. In some devices, the user manually depresses a button on the side of the housing or at the end of the device to close a switch and actuate a contact button or "firing pin" or other contact device to complete the electronic circuit between the battery and the atomizer.
The electronic cigarette designs currently in use vary and recent design modifications include mechanical "mods," for example, that may have a rebuildable atomizer deck that allows a user to assemble or "build" the wick and coil themselves, instead of using off-the-shelf atomizer "heads." These types of devices are often termed a rebuildable dripping atomizer (RDA), or sometimes referred to as a "dripper." Experienced users of electronic cigarettes enjoy building their atomizers because they can choose a specific configuration and electrical resistance of their coil, and thus, pick their flavor and the amount of aerosolized vapor produced by the electronic cigarette. In the rebuidable dripping atomizer, the juice is usually dripped directly onto the coil and the wick. The liquid or juice used in these systems generally has vegetable glycerin or propylene glycol and may include flavoring. The RDA "building deck" or "deck" usually has two or three or more posts with holes formed in them that accept one or more coils. The user typically maintains the wick wet by dripping liquid onto the bare wick and coil and/or drawing juice from a well. Often a well-built RDA will last as many as 10 to 20 puffs and emit very large quantities of vapor.
When rebuilding the RDA decks, there is usually a positive post in the center and one or more negative posts located outside the center. One end or lead of the coil is attached to the positive post and the other lead of the coil is attached to one of the negative posts. This process is repeated on opposing sides if two coils are used. In some devices, air flow control can be maintained by spinning a top piece to close off the air holes or open them wide. The number of holes can vary so that the atomizer is used efficiently with one or two or more coils and the holes are lined up adjacent the coils. With a single coil, the RDA operates in a single coil mode, but with two coils, the RDA operates in a dual coil mode.
Building the coils typically requires a user to select the type of wire and its gauge. In one example, the user wraps the wire around a cylindrical object to form the coil and then inserts the coil within the negative or positive leads in order to make a "build." Often the device configuration does not permit an efficient electrical connection and makes the build difficult. Some designs are even clumsy to use after the build.

Electronic cigarette having rebuildable atomizer deck (RDA)


One terminal device accepts provision information to be provided, and furthermore, recipient information relating to a recipient capable of receiving the provision information, and accepts a provision format of the provision information for each recipient. The accepted provision information, recipient information and provision format are transmitted to a central apparatus. In the case where a request of the provision information and the recipient information is transmitted from one of terminal devices, provision information corresponding to the registered provision format is provided to the one of terminal devices based on the received recipient information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information providing method for providing provision information registered in a central apparatus by a request for receipt of a plurality of terminal devices connected to the central apparatus through a communication network.
2. Description of Related Art
In an organization such as universities or companies, there has been built a network in which information to be provided are registered in a central apparatus such as a WWW server computer and information required for students or employees are read or downloaded through a browser or the like, thereby sharing provision information. Such network is built in an intranet of the organization, and furthermore, desired information can be acquired through the Internet on the outside of the intranet if necessary.
However, in the case where the information are registered in the central apparatus, a third person can freely acquire the information. Therefore, there has been a problem in that information having a high secrecy cannot be registered easily. Moreover, provision information (information to be provided) such as a research paper, a research thesis or an operation manual has such a high literary property that they can be read but a problem arises if original data themselves are freely copied and easily reused. For this reason, original data of such provision information itself cannot be registered in many cases.
Referring to information having a high literary property such as a research thesis and information for individuals such as notification matters to be given from an academic adviser to students, moreover, it is necessary to disclose a provider name and to make the source of the provision information clear. On the other hand, referring to general matters having a low literary property such as information about employment, the opening time of a cafeteria or information about no class, it is not necessary to specially make a provider name clear. Alternatively, it is not desired that the personal name of the provider is known in some cases.
In the case where provision information having a large data volume such as a motion picture is to be provided, furthermore, a hindrance is not particularly occurred in an intranet under an excellent communication environment having a communication capability in a giga-unit, for example. In the case where the motion picture is to be provided through the Internet having a poor communication environment, a traffic between a central apparatus and a terminal device is greatly influenced.

Information providing method, information providing system, terminal device, central apparatus and computer memory product


A centrifugal compressor includes an electric motor coupled to a low-speed shaft, an impeller, and a speed increaser. The speed increaser includes a ring member, a high-speed shaft, rollers, a speed increaser housing member, a discharge passage, and a partition. The ring member includes a circumferential wall and is rotated when the low-speed shaft rotates. The high-speed shaft is coupled to the impeller. The rollers are located between the circumferential wall and the high-speed shaft. The speed increaser housing member stores oil. The discharge passage discharges oil out of the ring member. The partition is located between the speed increaser housing member and the circumferential wall in the radial direction. Power is transmitted from the low-speed shaft to the high-speed shaft by the ring member and the rollers.

The present invention relates to a centrifugal compressor.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2016-186238 describes an example of a compressor including a speed increaser. One example of a speed increaser includes a ring member, a high-speed shaft, rollers, and a speed increaser chamber. The rotation of a low-speed shaft rotates the ring member. The high-speed shaft is located at the inner side of the ring member. The rollers are located between the ring member and the high-speed shaft in contact with both of the ring member and the high-speed shaft. The speed increaser chamber accommodates the ring member, the high-speed shaft, and the rollers.
In the speed increaser, the location where the rollers contact the ring member and the location where the rollers contact the high-speed shaft need to be oiled to reduce wear and avoid seizure.
The compressor of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2016-186238 includes a reservoir chamber that is separate from the speed increaser chamber and located near the outer surface of a housing. This enlarges the compressor. To avoid enlargement of the compressor, the speed increaser chamber can be configured to also serve as the reservoir chamber. In this case, the ring member will be immersed in the oil that is stored in the speed increaser chamber. This will increase the agitation resistance when the ring member rotates and lower the efficiency of the speed increaser.


A resin material can be prevented from flowing to a front end and a rear end of an inner terminal during an insert molding.

A request for a high speed of a signal processed in an electronic circuit and a miniaturization of a device is outstandingly increased. Thus, in the field of a connector, various proposals are presented to meet a high speed and high density signal circuit. One of important things for the connector is a matching of impedance to meet the high speed of the signal. In the matching of impedance (an impedance matching), when the impedances of signal circuits which are connected to each other are mismatched with each other, since a reflection of the signal arises in a connecting part (a connector part) of the signal circuits respectively, the impedance is matched with a prescribed impedance (for instance, 75Ω, 95Ω, etc.). It is important to suppress the occurrence of a reflected wave of a high frequency signal by taking the matching of impedance for achieving an acceleration of a signal transmission speed.
Therefore, usually, a method for obtaining a matching of impedance by adjusting an area of a main body part of a terminal is disclosed in, for instance, patent literature 1. This method is unique as a method for obtaining the matching of impedance. However, when an optimum form is designed, since an adjustment is required by changing a metal mold, this method is not suitable for a small quantity of production.
Further, a method for adjusting an impedance so as to be reduced by adjusting an opposed area to an adjacent contact is disclosed in patent literature 2. This method cannot meet an impedance lower than a prescribed impedance in view of design.
Further, patent literature 3 discloses a connector having an insulator and two or more connector parts arranged in parallel in the insulator in which the insulator is formed with a resin component obtained by mixing 5 to 85 wt % of ceramics dielectric powder having 30 or more of relative dielectric constant measured under 1 MHz at 25° C. in a matrix resin. According to this method, impedance can be changed without changing a form of the connector. In this method, since the impedance is determined in accordance with the relative dielectric constant of a resin material to be used, an inconvenience arises that flexibility in design of the connector is not obtained.
Thus, in a connector for a coaxial cable having a structure that supports an inner terminal for connecting a core wire through an insulating member, an area arises in which a shield is insufficient, so that impedance is high in the vicinity of the area to generate the reflected wave as described above or cause a transmission efficiency to be deteriorated in that part. In this case, the form (the thickness) of the insulating member is adjusted to adjust the relative dielectric constant of a resin material so that the impedance may be adjusted. However, in this case, an operation is necessary for pressing-in the inner terminal to an accommodating hole of the insulating member having a prescribed relative dielectric constant. When the insulating member is formed to be thin in order to lower the impedance, an inconvenience is caused to occur that an insulating coat is damaged or the inner terminal is broken during the pressing-in operation.
On the other hand, in order to avoid the inner terminal from being broken, a method is contemplated to apply an insert molding to the inner terminal by a resin material by using a metal mold. In the insert molding, a pressing-in operation of the inner terminal to the insulating member is not necessary. Thus, the damage of the insulating coat or the injury of the inner terminal can be avoided. Further, although the insulating member is formed to be thin so as to obtain prescribed impedance, the inner terminal can be assuredly integrally held.

Insert molding method and inner terminal

Abstract: Under a state that a hollow and tubular main body part (11c) of an inner terminal (11) formed by covering one of two end parts of a rectangular piece with the other is held by metal molds (14), (15) and (16), the resin material is injected.


The direction of conveyance of paper sheet is changed through an angle of 90.degree. between processing and/or handling stations. Troublefree operation is ensured and an adjustment in adaptation to different paper sizes is permitted by the provision of a guide ruler 18 which is provided with pressure-applying balls 8 which cooperate with inclined driven conveyor rollers 15. The guide ruler 18 is fixed to a receiving deck 16 and comprises a continuous guiding flange 21 which depends below the level of the apices of the rollers 15. The position of the discharge end of a feeding conveyor 14 is adjustable toward and away from the guide ruler 18 .

I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to sheet feeding and delivering, and particularly to apparatus and method for deflecting or changing the direction of conveyance of paper sheets traveling between processing and/or handling stations.
II. Prior Art and Other Considerations
Apparatus of the type to which this invention pertains are used to deliver a paper sheet from a first station or input station to a second station or processing station, with the direction of travel of the sheet entering the second station being in a direction which is at right angles to the direction of travel of the paper sheet leaving the input station. Examples of suitable types of respective first and second stations are (1) a cutter station whereat individual paper sheets are severed from an endless form, and (2) a downstream folding station to which the severed sheets are delivered in a direction which is at right angles to the direction of travel of the paper sheet leaving the cutter station. Other examples of suitable types of respective first and second stations are (1) a first folding station and (2) a downstream second folding station (assuming that a paper sheet is to be folded along crossing fold lines). In accordance with the above, in addition to its normal meaning the terminology "paper sheet" is also used herein to describe an article which has been obtained by a folding of a paper sheet. Also, in addition to its normal meaning the terminology "edge of paper sheet" is also used herein to describe a fold line.
Prior art apparatus of the type to which this invention relates generally comprise a feeding conveyor which has a discharge end at a receiving deck. The receiving deck is provided with an array of driven conveyor rollers (having apices disposed approximately in the plane of the deck) and a guide ruler for laterally guiding the paper sheet, particularly the edge of the sheet which is the leading edge (in the direction of conveyance of the feeding conveyor). Typically the axes of the conveying rollers are not at right angles to the direction to which the paper sheets are deflected but are so inclined that the rollers tend to move the paper in a direction that has a component which is directed toward the guide ruler. The guide ruler is provided with movably mounted balls which are associated with respective conveying rollers and bear on the apices of the associated rollers.
In apparatus of the type described herein, once a paper sheet is fed in a first direction from the input station, the guide ruler is used to laterally guide the paper sheet as the apparatus conveys the sheet in a second direction of travel to the processing station. It has been found that the paper sheet to be handled can be more precisely deflected to travel in the second or predetermined direction and, as a result, the paper sheet can be more precisely processed or handled in the processing or handling station which is downstream with respect to the second direction, if the distance from the discharge end of the feeding conveyor to the guide ruler is adjusted in dependence on the size of the paper. If the papers to be handled differ greatly in size, that distance must be properly adjusted to ensure a trouble-free and reliable conveyance of the paper sheets.
According to prior art practice, an adjustment of the distance between the guide ruler and the discharge end of the feeding conveyor was facilitated by a guide ruler which was displaceable along the rotational axes of the conveying rollers. To make displacement of the guide ruler feasible, a guiding flange of the guide ruler had to be formed with arcuate recesses so that the conveying rollers would be accommodated and so that portions of the guiding flange would depend below the level of the apices of the conveying rollers. The sheet edge to be guided was thus prevented from moving between the lower edge of the guiding flange of the guide ruler and the apices of the conveying rollers.
Despite prior art efforts to prevent paper jams of the type described, experience has shown that if a paper sheet is delivered by the feeding conveyor at a relatively high speed and if the sheet edge to be guided initially extended at a small angle to the guiding flange of the guide ruler, the leading edge or corner of the sheet can be caught at the accurate recesses of the guiding flange of the guide ruler In such a case a paper jam occurs and operation of the apparatus is halted.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which changes the direction of conveyance of a paper sheet in a manner whereby disturbances due to a catching of a paper sheet at the guide ruler will be reliably avoided, with the distance between the guide ruler and the discharge end of the feeding conveyor being adjustable.

Method and apparatus for changing the direction of sheet conveyance


A transparent solar cell and method of manufacture. The method includes steps of providing a transparent substrate. The method also includes forming a first conductive layer overlying the substrate. The method also includes forming a first amorphous silicon layer of a first dopant type overlying the first conductive layer. A step of annealing the first amorphous silicon layer is included. The method also forms a second amorphous silicon layer of a second dopant type, and also anneals the second amorphous silicon layer. A second conductive layer is formed overlying the second amorphous silicon layer. A combination of these steps forms a transparent solar cell structure.

The present invention relates, in general, to electronic devices. More particularly, the present invention provides a transparent solar cell and method of its manufacture.
Solar energy provides many advantages over traditional energy sources. For example, energy from the sun is virtually unlimited and easily accessible throughout the world. It does not require the extraction of a natural resource from the ground to obtain the energy and it can be converted to electricity in a manner that is not harmful to the environment. Solar energy is available whenever the sun is shining and can be collected and stored for use when no light source is available. Therefore, if it can be harnessed economically, it provides an environmentally friendly source of energy that does not deplete or destroy precious natural resources. This is in stark contrast to the use of fossil fuels that are of limited supply and which cause environmental damage with both their use and extraction processes. The use of fossil fuel also requires a constant source of raw materials that may be difficult obtain in many circumstances.
Many different applications benefit greatly from the use of solar energy. For example, buildings and automobiles, with their broad surfaces that are exposed to the sun's energy for much of the day, can use that energy to provide some or all of their energy needs. Various solar cells have been developed using different fabrication techniques to take advantage of this energy source.
One type of solar cell is formed with crystalline silicon. For these solar cells, crystalline silicon is formed by melting silicon and drawing an ingot of crystalline silicon of the size desired. Alternatively, a ribbon of crystalline silicon can be pulled from molton silicon to form a crystalline silicon solar cell. A conductor is placed on either side of the crystalline silicon to form the solar cell. These processes use high temperatures and the solar cells are expensive to manufacture. Packaging is also difficult and expensive and creates a rigid structure. Their maximum size is limited by the manufacturing process. It is difficult to slice the resulting crystalline silicon thin enough to provide a transparent or flexible solar cell. However, these structures are very efficient (relative to other types of presently available commercial solar cells). As such, crystalline solar cells are used primarily for applications where efficiency is more important than cost and where the structures do not need to be flexible. For example, these are commonly used on satellites.
Another type of solar cell is formed with polycrystalline silicon. These may be formed as thin layers on wafers and can thus be made thinner than crystalline silicon solar cells. As is well known in the art, polycrystalline silicon can be formed by heating amorphous silicon. Typically, amorphous silicon begins to crystallize at temperatures greater than about 1400.degree. C. Because of these high temperatures, known processes can only use substrates with high melting points. These processes are not appropriate for substrates made of plastics or other materials that melt at lower temperatures. In the manufacture of flat panel displays, it is known to use lasers to form polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors (TFTs). Such use has not included the formation of P-N junctions or solar cells which presents its own set of challenges. Moreover, these manufacturing processes generally formed single transistors and were not used to form large sheets or areas of polycrystalline silicon. Further, lasers have been used in the manufacture of solar cells, but only as a tool to mechanically form (slice, pattern, etch, etc.) the solar cells.
Another type of solar cell has been formed using doped layers of amorphous silicon. These are not subject to some of the problems inherent in the previously described crystalline silicon or polycrystalline solar cells. First, amorphous silicon can be formed using low temperature processes. Thus, it can be formed on plastic and other flexible substrates. They can also be formed over large surfaces. Second, the processing techniques are less expensive. Nevertheless, amorphous solar cells introduce other significant limitations not found in crystalline silicon or polycrystalline silicon solar cells. For example, hydrogen is generally added during the manufacturing to increase the efficiency of the cell. Amorphous silicon solar cells tend however to lose this hydrogen over time, causing reduced efficiency and reduced usable life. Moreover, amorphous silicon solar cells are not transparent. Thus, they are not appropriate for many applications. For example, buildings and cars with solar cells can be unsightly, and the solar panels may block the view of the outdoors or access to outside light indoors. Also, portable electronics often place a premium on size and surface area. Some devices have displays that cover most--if not all--of the exposed surface of the device. Therefore, it is often undesirable or impossible to mount a traditional amorphous silicon solar cell on the device.
Attempts have been made to solve this transparency problem by making transparent panels from existing solar cell processes. One method has been to take advantage of the "window shade effect" whereby solar cells are formed on a transparent substrate with gaps between adjacent solar cells. This allows some light to pass through to create a transparent effect. The larger the gaps, the more transparency the device has. A disadvantage of this technique is that much of the space is unused, therefore the efficiency of the device is less than it would be if all of the surface area were used for solar cells. Of course, devices of this type also suffer from the problems inherent to the type of cell used. For example, if based on amorphous silicon, these devices suffer from the hydrogen loss exhibited in other amorphous silicon devices.
Other work has been done at making transparent solar cells using materials other than silicon (for example, cadmium telluride (CdTe)). These cells suffer from the challenges inherit to using materials other than silicon.
Thus, a new solar cell and method of fabrication that will avoid these problems is desirable.

Transparent solar cell and method of fabrication


A light module may include a base having a first side and a second side, and a light source on the first side of the base and having a light emitting diode (LED) to emit light in a direction away from the base. A plurality of cooling fins may be provided on the second side of the base, the plurality of cooling fins including a first set of fins having a first height and a second set of fins having a second height, wherein the first height is less than the second height. A driving circuit may be provided on the first set of cooling fins having the first height, wherein the first set of cooling fins are provided between the driving circuit and the second side of the base.

1. Field
Embodiments may relate to a lighting device.
2. Background
An electric lighting device may include a light source to emit light upon application of electricity thereto. The light source may emit heat as well as the light.
Usage of a light emitting diode (LED) has been recently rapidly increased. LED lighting devices may consume relatively less power, and thus are getting used more.
A LED lighting device may use one or more than one LED as the light source. Heat generated by the LEDs may have a negative influence on a lifespan of the LED. The LED lighting device may include a heat sink (or housing) to absorb the heat from the LED and emit to outside of the LED lighting device.
A module type lighting device may have a plurality of light modules. The module type lighting device may illuminate a wider space.

Light module and module type lighting device


An endless track for traction of a work vehicle. The endless track comprises a body of elastomeric material and a plurality of cores at least partially embedded in the elastomeric material. Each core comprises a pair of wings extending transversally to a longitudinal axis of the endless track, and a wheel guide comprising at least one guide projection projecting on an inner side of the endless track. Each guide projection comprises a top end and a wheel-facing side for facing wheels of the work vehicle, such as roller wheels that roll on the inner side of the endless track. The wheel-facing side comprises a recess to impede passage of grit between the wheel-facing side and a portion of the elastomeric material in the recess. This can enhance a wear resistance of the endless track.

Work vehicles, such as construction vehicles (e.g., bulldozers, loaders, backhoe loaders, excavators, etc.), agricultural vehicles (e.g., harvesters, combines, tractors, etc.) and forestry vehicles (e.g., feller-bunchers, tree chippers, knuckleboom loaders, etc.), are often equipped with endless tracks which enhance their traction and reduce pressure they apply on soft, low friction and/or uneven grounds (e.g., soil, mud, sand, ice, snow, etc.) on which they operate.
One type of endless track comprises a body of elastomeric material (e.g., rubber) in which are embedded rigid cores (e.g., metallic cores) that extend transversally to impart transverse rigidity to the track and that guide wheels of the work vehicle that rotate in an inner area of the track.
In this type of endless track, the wheels of the work vehicle typically induce wearing of the track's elastomeric material. For example, roller wheels of the work vehicle that roll on the track's inner side normally tend to cause rapid wearing of the elastomeric material in a zone where they roll. Such wear of the elastomeric material often results in fissures between the elastomeric material and the cores, particularly at locations where the roller wheels engage the cores and the elastomeric material. As they continue to roll on the track's inner side, the roller wheels tend to push rocks, sand, water and/or other undesirable matter between the cores and the elastomeric material through the fissures, which become increasingly larger. Over time, this contributes to a progressive loss of adhesion between the cores and the elastomeric material which can lead to the cores being poorly retained in or even removed from the track.
For these and other reasons, there is a need to improve wear resistance of endless tracks having embedded cores.


Techniques for logging data pertaining to the operation of a data stream processing server. In one set of embodiments, logging configuration information can be received specifying a functional area of a data stream processing server to be logged. Based on the logging configuration information, logging can be dynamically enabled for objects associated with the functional area that are instantiated by the data stream processing server, and logging can be dynamically disabled for objects associated with the functional area that are discarded (or no longer used) by the data stream processing server. In another set of embodiments, a tool can be provided for visualizing the data logged by the data stream processing server.

The present disclosure relates in general to data logging, and in particular to the logging of data pertaining to the operation of a data stream processing server.
Traditional database management systems (DBMSs) execute queries in a "request-response" fashion over finite, stored data sets. For example, a traditional DBMS can receive a request to execute a query from a client, execute the query against a stored database, and return a result set to the client.
In recent years, data stream management systems (DSMSs) have been developed that can execute queries in a continuous manner over potentially unbounded, real-time data streams. For example, a typical DSMS can receive one or more data streams, register a query against the data streams, and continuously execute the query as new data appears in the streams. Since this type of query (referred to herein as a "continuous query") is long-running, the DSMS can provide a continuous stream of updated results to a client. DSMSs are particularly suited for applications that require real-time or near real-time processing of streaming data, such as financial ticker analysis, physical probe/sensor monitoring, network traffic management, and the like.
Many DSMSs include a server application (referred to herein as a "data stream processing server") that is configured to perform the core tasks of receiving data streams and performing various operations (e.g., executing continuous queries) on the streams. It would be desirable to have a framework for logging data pertaining to the operation of such a data stream processing server to facilitate performance tuning, debugging, and other functions.

Log visualization tool for a data stream processing server


A rectangular-shaped primary zinc-air battery is provided. Hence, many components of the primary zinc-air battery can be designed in shapes of sheets for easy production. In addition, the primary zinc-air battery comprises two sheets of air cathodes on opposite sides of the zinc-air battery to double the power output.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to a metal-gas cell battery. More particularly, the present invention relates to a primary zinc-air battery.
2. Description of Related Art
The growth in use of portable electronic devices has increased the demand for primary power sources. The alkaline Zn—Mn battery is the most popularly used primary battery at present. Nevertheless, due to its low specific energy, it is not suitable to be used as the power source of the most portable electronic equipment, such as military communication devices. Therefore, LiSO2 and LiMnO2 primary batteries are used instead, but these batteries are very expensive. As electronic equipment becomes more and more ubiquitous, the demand for environmental friendly primary batteries with both high specific energy and high specific power is more and more pressing.
Among all of the battery technologies, metal-air batteries are the most attractive technology because of their high specific energy. Metal-air batteries deliver the high specific energy due to the use of atmospheric oxygen as their cathode reactant. Compared to other batteries of similar size, the use of atmospheric oxygen allows the metal-air cell to contain more anode material to provide a larger energy capacity. Therefore, a longer lifetime is obtained.
Among the metal-air batteries, the zinc-air battery technology is the only commercialized technology. Since the last century, the zinc-air button battery has been extensively used for entertainment electronics, pocket calculators and especially hearing aids. However, it can't be extensively used in other high-drain electronic devices due to its relatively low specific power.
Many companies and institutions wish to develop a primary zinc-air battery of AA or AAA size, which have both high specific energy and high specific power. This battery would have nearly three times the energy of an ordinary alkaline Zn—Mn battery. Many prototypes have been made successfully, but no company has yet succeeded in commercialization. The obstacle is the complicated manufacturing process of the cylindrical-shaped air cathode.
Two methods have been used to fabricate the cylindrical-shaped air cathode. The first method is to prepare the air cathode as a flat sheet and then roll it into a cylinder, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,461,761. However, the rolling process may crack the air cathode, resulting in the leakage of electrolyte and failure of the cell. The second method is to fabricate the cylindrical-shaped air cathode by putting the necessary materials onto a cylindrical-shaped electrically conductive mesh. However, this is a very difficult and slow process, and the high manufacturing cost incurred leads to failure in competing with ordinary alkaline Zn—Mn battery.


In a system for determining the relative position of a first object with respect to a second object, electrical detection of registration is achieved. This registration can be used during the manufacture of printed circuit boards or discrete wiring boards to determine the registration between layers of wiring, or between wiring layers and printed circuit layers. The system introduces an a.c. current at a suitable frequency into at least one first conductive pattern wired or etched or otherwise provided near the perimeter of a printed or wired first layer of a circuit board panel. The panel having the first pattern is moved relative to similarly wired second conductive patterns on a second layer or base plate, mounting table, etc., to which detection circuits are connected. Voltage induced in the second patterns is detected and indicates the positional relationship between the first and second conductive patterns and, hence, objects associated with such patterns. The system is well adapted for use in the manufacture of circuit boards, with errors between a distorted panel layer and the next succeeding layer may be evenly distributed or averaged to produce optimum results.

In the manufacture of multiple-level printed circuit boards, either multilayer printed circuit boards or discrete wiring boards, it is necessary to insure registration of each layer with respect to all others.
As an example, in either multilayer printed circuit boards or discrete wiring boards, the "signal" layers, i.e., those containing the pathways for the logical interconnections, must be registered with each other, with the power-ground format layers and the input/output/mounting pad layers. The connections between these layers usually are made by drilling through the boards at the desired interconnection points and then metallizing the drilled holes in order to form the interconnections. If the layers are not in accurate alignment, the drilled holes will not pass through the intended connection points, and may, in fact, pass through terminal points or conductors which are not intended to be connected to these outer layers.
Registration is normally provided by the inclusion in each layer of two or more optically located "tooling" or registration holes which are intended to fit accurately over a pair of corresponding pins having the same diameter as the drilled "tooling" holes. These "tooling" holes and pins are repeated on the work stations of each critical manufacturing tool, i.e., the pattern printer (if multilayer printed circuit boards), the wiring machine (if discrete wiring boards), and the drilling machine.
In the production of sequentially laminated multilayer printed circuit panels, the achievement of front-to-back registration of individual inner layers is not normally a problem. The glass or metal-based photoprinting tools usually have extremely high edge definition and contrast. As a result, the first-side tool for one layer can be optically aligned with the second-side tool with excellent accuracy. Both sides of the thin inner layers are then photoprinted at the same time and, therefore, it is only necessary that care be taken in set-up of the two-sided printer to achieve good inner-layer registration.
The real difficulty, and the operation which is prone to produce scrap, comes in stacking the individual layers prior to lamination. Material shrinkage or stretch or warp gives rise to this difficulty; the panels are opaque or translucent, so that optical registration using features common to all layers (e.g. termination pads), is not usually feasible. Normally this operation is carried out by including a series of "targets" on each of the layers, formed at the same time that the photoprinter exposes (creates) the doublesided image on each inner layer surface. These "targets" are subsequently used to locate "tooling holes" for the purpose of locating, in conjunction with corresponding "tooling pins", the layers in the correct position relative to each other during lamination.
The finished inner layers are then stacked in proper order, together with the required ground, power and component mounting-pad layers, and with interleaved prepreg layers, on pins located on an assembly jig, in preparation for the lamination step. Unfortunately, during their manufacturing process, prior to laminating, the layers are subjected to heat during (i) conductor formation, (ii) hole metallization steps, and (iii) removal by etching of most of the copper foil which had restrained movement of the thin dielectric core. These factors introduce considerable dimensional variation into the layers, and therefore the original tooling targets are not at the same locations that they were when they were first formed.
Each of the laminating "tooling holes" may be individually and precisely located in reference to their respective target, but the layer's dimensional changes, resulting from the aforementioned manufacturing stresses, may cause the holes to be mislocated and fail to match the position of the "tooling pins". Forcing the layers onto the pins is a common cause for layer-to-layer misregistration.
In one optical alignment system, several "targets" (e.g. one in each corner of the layer) may be optically sighted and used to achieve a compromise position of the layer in a punching or drilling tool which generates all the "tooling holes" in the correct position to each other but in a "best compromise" position in relation to the distorted layer. While this method is generally considered an improvement, and has been incorporated in commercial embodiments (for example, in the Opti-Line PE equipment manufactured by the Multiline Division of Lenkeit Corporation), it is subject to the shortcomings of the optical systems previously described. In addition, the "best compromise" position is subject to human variability, if done by an operator, or to the sophistication of the optical system and image positioning algorithm in the case of computer controlled optical systems.
In either case physical and optical variations of the "targets" occur to some degree. These variations may be related to:
Size PA1 Reflectivity PA1 Contrast to background PA1 Form definition PA1 Within a target PA1 Among targets on the same layer PA1 On targets residing on different layers.
In addition, these variations may occur:
As a result of these variations, the "best compromise" perceived by either an operator or arrived at as a result of processing optically derived data does not necessarily coincide with the "best geometrical compromise".
Optical work positioning systems are suitable for many applications. In other applications, however, optical systems have been used because of the lack of available alternatives, but they present serious shortcomings. These shortcomings include (1) insufficient depth of field at the magnification needed to achieve the desired resolution, e.g., magnification of at least 100X is required for a resolution of about 0.0005 inch (0.0125 mm); (2) high cost due to the need for at least two expensive devices at each work station to define the geometrical position of features on one plane; (3) difficulty in mounting the optical devices on operating machines in a sufficiently rigid manner to retain the precise reference position intended in the presence of vibration and acceleration/deceleration; (4) the need for the operator to alternatively view two targets (on two optical devices), in order to effect the workpiece position, in an iterative manner, or, alternatively, the need of complex and expensive optical or television systems to accomplish the task non-iteratively; (5) the inability to access images (features) on the face resting on a machine table (down face) as necessary, for example, when a second side of an opaque panel has to be wired in registration with the first side; (6) the difficulty in averaging out or symmetrically splitting dimensional errors of the workpiece; and (7) the need for high optical contrast targets.
While the layer-to-layer registration errors attributable to these factors are generally acceptable for process tolerances of a few mils (tenths of a mm), they become intolerable in processing more advance, denser designs where the acceptable registration tolerances are in the vicinity of one mil (0.025 mm) and preferably lower.
Looking at the manufacturing process for a typical two-level wiring discrete wiring board, there are four critical operations where precision is required: (1) first side-to-side voltage plane/ground plane (format) registration; (2) side wiring to voltage/ground plane registration; (3) second side to first-side wiring registration; and (4) drilling to wire pattern registration.
The manufacture of the two-sided format comprising a voltage plane and a power plane involves conventional two-sided photo print image formation. Good two-side photo printers have been available for many years. The desired precision in this operation is readily achievable because of the transparency of the base film and the high optical contrast between this base and the photoimage formed thereon.
Wiring-to-format and wiring-side-one to wiring-side-two registration are characterized in that individual layers of features are generated in separate operations. Moreover, as each layer is produced the previous layer is not optically visible. For example, the step of registering the wiring to the format is "blind" because the underlying opaque format is covered by opaque or translucent adhesive. Similarly, when wiring the second layer, the first layer is face down on the table and cannot be used as a visual reference. The conventional way of performing this operation, i.e., using pins and matching holes in the panel, has certain flaws. These flaws include inaccuracies in pin/hole fit, material shrinkage or deformation and misadjustment in position of the pins with respect to the wiring head and/or x-y axis travel.
In spite of the considerable efforts that have been expended to insure registration of the layers throughout the manufacturing sequence, misregistration caused by errors in the tooling hole location or size, and/or material stretch or shrinkage remains a significant reason for the rejection of these multiple layer boards. As board size and interconnection density rises, this problem becomes even more serious.
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a simple and accurate method of registering the various layers of either multilayer printed circuit boards or discrete wiring boards during their manufacture.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of registering the various layers of either multilayer printed circuit boards or discrete wiring boards which is substantially free of tooling hole location or size defects and material stretch or shrinkage problems.
The present invention provides a solution to the shortcomings associated with the prior art mechanical or optical sensing systems described above.

Multilevel circuit board precision positioning


One embodiment of a virtual reality apparatus comprises: a graphics processing engine comprising a plurality of graphics processing stages, the graphics processing engine to render a plurality of image frames for left and right displays of a head mounted display (HMD); and foveation control hardware logic to independently control two or more of the plurality of graphics processing stages based on feedback received from an eye tracking module of the HMD, the feedback indicating a foveated region selected based on a current or anticipated direction of a user's gaze, the foveation control hardware logic to cause the two or more of the graphics processing stages to process the foveated region differently than other regions of the image frames.

Foveated rendering is a digital image processing technique in which the image resolution, or amount of detail, varies across the image in accordance with one or more "fixation points." A fixation point indicates the highest resolution region of the image and corresponds to the fovea, the center of the eye's retina. The location of a fixation point may be specified in different ways. For example, eye tracking devices which precisely measure the eye's position and movement are used to determine fixation points in virtual reality implementations. A higher resolution may be used in a region surrounding the fixation point than in other regions of the image.
Tile-Based Immediate Mode Rendering (TBIMR) architectures include multiple on-chip buffers for storing geometry for each tile. In current architectures, one on-chip buffer stores the actual geometry (e.g., vertices, triangles) for each tile and one or more other on-chip buffers store pointers to the various vertices associated with each tile. One problem with this is that because these buffers are limited, once they are filled up, the data for each tile needs to be drained, one by one, and then subsequently tiled again if needed. As a result, a complete render pass to the render target is never achieved on chip.
In current tile-based rendering architecture, incoming triangles are transformed into screen space and assigned to each screen-space tile. This requires storage for the lists of geometry for each tile, sometimes referred to as "bins." Once triangles have been assigned to tiles, the graphics pipeline renders each tile separately to a small on-chip memory, reducing the processing requirements for composition operations.

Apparatus and method for foveated rendering, bin comparison and TBIMR memory-backed storage for virtual reality implementations


The invention relates to a method for producing pig iron. Iron ore is reduced in a reduction shaft (1) for forming sponge iron which is subsequently introduced into the head of a melt-down gasifier (3). The sponge iron is melt open in said gasifier by means of a gasifying means that is also introduced into the head of the melt-down gasifier and an oxygen-containing gas and is melt-down to form liquid pig iron, whereby a reduction gas is produced at the same time. Said reduction gas is discharged from the head of the melt-down gasifier and is supplied to the reduction shaft for reducing the iron oxide. Operation of the melt-down gasifier is controlled in such a way that a reduction gas having a certain composition and being present in a certain amount is produced so that the sponge iron that is introduced into the melt-down gasifier is provided with a high metallisation degree. Operation of the melt-down gasifier is also controlled by introducing iron oxide therein. The metallisation degree of all the iron carriers which are introduced into the melt-down gasifier is reduced in relation to the metallisation degree of the sponge iron and by means of said iron oxide.

The invention relates to a method for producing pig iron, in which iron ore is reduced to sponge iron in a reduction shaft and this sponge iron is then introduced into the head of a melting gasifier and melted there with the aid of a gasification agent.
In a plant for producing pig iron from iron ore, in which a reduction shaft and a melting gasifier are coupled to one another, during the charging of the melting gasifier with the reduced iron carriers and calcined loading materials only via the reduction shaft and with carbon carriers via the coal line, it is only possible in very few cases and for quite short periods of time to operate both units without their influencing one another in a negative manner. The two units are operationally connected to one another in such a way that normally the operation of the entire plant is shifted alternately for a period in favour of the reduction shaft and then for a period in favour of the melting gasifier. For a period of time, sufficient reduction gas is thus produced in the melting gasifier, by which means the reduction shaft is operated with a high specific amount of reduction gas and the iron carriers and loading materials, which are charged from the reduction shaft into the melting gasifier have a high degree of metallisation and calcination. Consequently, the energy requirement in the melting gasifier is lower, the temperatures of pig iron, slag and/or dome rise, the amount of oxygen is lessened and the amount of reduction gas produced in the melting gasifier becomes smaller. In turn, an inadequate amount of reduction gas for the reduction shaft results in a lower degree of metallisation and calcination of the charge introduced into the melting gasifier such that the energy requirement in the melting gasifier rises again, the temperature level in the melting gasifier drops, the specific amount of oxygen for the gasifier is increased and the new cycle begins again afresh with a higher input of energy. Only through the selection of raw materials which are matched to one another and by the early introduction of countermeasures is it possible to avoid the formation of such cycles with all their negative consequences such as pig iron which is too cold or too hot, fluctuations in the silicon, carbon and sulphur content of the pig iron, and the like. In order to produce usable pig iron continuously, the plant is operated with a much higher specific energy consumption and with a much greater fluctuation in the quality of the pig iron than would be the case if the two units were operationally uncoupled from one another.
From this arises the object of the present invention which consists in operationally uncoupling the two units from one another and operating them without their influencing one another in a negative manner.
This object is accomplished according to the invention by having a high degree of metallisation of over 90% of the sponge iron introduced into the melting gasifier, and introducing iron oxide into the melting gasifier to reduce the degree of metallization. Additional developments of the method according to the invention are described hereinbelow.
Through the combined charging, matched to one another, of the melting gasifier with a well reduced sponge iron, i.e. one with a high degree of metallisation, from the reduction shaft, and with iron oxide preferably via the gasification agent line, there are supplied to the melting gasifier overall iron carriers with a controlled metallisation, which is relatively independent of the metallisation of the sponge iron alone, such that the operation of the melting gasifier is optimised. Through the direct introduction of the iron oxide via the head of the melting gasifier, additional oxygen is supplied to the latter and reacts with fine particles of gasification agent in the dome of the melting gasifier, exploiting the surplus amount of heat. In order to avoid a lack of carbon in the dome of the melting gasifier and to counteract the oxidation, by excess oxygen, of CO to form CO2, in addition to iron oxide, gasification agent undersize is also supplied to the melting gasifier via the gasification agent line. Through a melting gasifier which is balanced in terms of energy and through an adequate amount of reduction gas for the reduction shaft, both units are thus operated without influencing one another.
A high and uniform metallisation of the sponge iron from the reduction shaft gives sufficient latitude for the latter to be adapted, through the addition of the iron oxide, to the excess energy in the upper region of the melting gasifier and to the quality of the raw materials, particularly of the gasification agent.
The degree of metallisation of the sponge iron from the reduction shaft should be maintained above 90%, preferably above 92%, and reduced by the addition of the iron oxide to roughly 88% or to an even lower value, if excess gas production is economically viable (e.g. for producing sponge iron or generating power). In this case, introducing gasification agent undersize and blowing increased amounts of oxygen into the dome of the melting gasifier makes sound technical and economic sense.
In order to be able to use all the iron oxide occurring during the sifting of the iron carriers and a portion of the gasification agent undersize, the degree of metallisation of the sponge iron from the reduction shaft and the amount of oxygen for the dome of the melting gasifier are correspondingly adapted.
The increased energy requirement for the reduction of the iron oxide undersize and the gasification of the gasification agent undersize in the upper region of the charge bed and in the dome region of the melting gasifier are covered by blowing increased amounts of oxygen into the dome of the melting gasifier.
Undersize containing carbon is supplied to the melting gasifier via the gasification agent line in order to cover the increased requirement for carbon carriers in the dome region of the melting gasifier and to prevent the combustion of CO into CO2.
Through the additional input of oxygen in the form of iron oxide, volatile components of the gasification agent undersize and gaseous oxygen into the upper region of the melting gasifier, an adequate amount of reduction gas is produced in the melting gasifier, and thus the reduction shaft can be operated with a high and uniform specific amount of reduction gas, independently of the proportion of volatile constituents of the gasification agent.
By uncoupling the operation of the reduction shaft in this way from the operation of the melting gasifier what is achieved is that these two main units can be operated without influencing one another.


One embodiment of the present invention relates to a machine-readable form configuration (and associated method). Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a system for interpreting at least one user mark (and associated methods). In one example, a plurality of user marks may be interpreted. In another example, the machine-readable form may be a lottery play slip, survey, test, or the like. In another example, the system may interpret user mark(s) made on a lottery play slip, survey, test or the like. In another example, the system may interpret user mark(s) made on a paper or the like having non-planar distortion(s).

Forms intended for lottery games, surveys and the like have traditionally been read by page scanners, whose mechanical feeding mechanism also flattened the form with the help of rollers and springs before presenting the form to the scanning head. Subsequently, scanning was performed under controlled lighting conditions that disregard a set of colors, termed "blind colors" (e.g., red and its close hues). All the regions that are intended for user markings as well as any information not required to be machine-readable have typically been colored in these blind colors, so that there has been adequate guidance for the user's placement of marks, but the guides themselves remained essentially invisible to the scanning sensor. This eased the user mark detection process. Additional machine-readable indices may have been printed in machine-visible ink along a side of the form, separate from the area allocated to user markings, to help the inference of the possible marking areas (typically arranged in the form of a rectangular grid) by the machine. These machine-readable markings would traditionally allow compensation for the image shift and/or rotation encountered during the scanning process, but would not traditionally convey any other spatial information (e.g. , scaling and/or position in the 3D space).
The traditional page scanner has complex and precise mechanical parts; hence its dimensions are typically dictated by the document size and mechanical complexity, increasing its overall size and manufacturing costs. Additionally, regular maintenance is typically needed, further increasing the ownership cost.
At least in part for these reasons, image sensors have been proposed for the task. Of note, image sensors have been known to be used in the art for reading barcode symbols, but these bar code applications operate under strict printing tolerances for machine printing and offer designed-in redundancy that facilitates reading by such a sensor.
Among those benefits and improvements that have been disclosed, other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures. The figures constitute a part of this specification and include illustrative embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.

Machine-readable form configuration and system and method for interpreting at least one user mark

Intralot S.A.—Integrated Lottery Systems and Services


Repeated inserting, tightening, loosening, and removing of external threads to internal threads can increase the likelihood of cross threading and thread damage. A spring loaded gear bolt assembly, which promotes alignment of mating threads before applying torque, is described. A spring is disposed on the back end of a bolt shaft to promote alignment of lead mating threads before twisting to engage external to internal threads. A gear chain translates a single hand rotation to thread two bolts into respective affixed internal threaded holes, simultaneously. A spring loaded gear bolt assembly and method described herein promote increased thread life and ease of use ease for test plate securing. Efficient single handed manipulation of multiple bolts simultaneously can be achieved using a test plate assembly, which included spring loaded gear bolt assemblies, as described herein. Applications of a spring loaded gear bolt include infrared adapter test plate assemblies.

The present invention relates generally to preventing thread damage across pairs of external bolt threads and internal mating threads. Thread damage is an ongoing challenge in bolt fastening applications. Numerous factors can contribute to thread damage. Repeated fastening and unfastening may add to the opportunity for damaging threads. Cross threading can lead to fastener failure. Different bolt applications and configurations can present additional challenges for potential cross threading as compared with a conventional straight on bolt and nut application.
It would be desirable to provide a method and system which promoted alignment of external bolt threads and internal mating threads to preserve external and internal threads.


Disclosed are methods and compositions for treating tumors. Disclosed methods and compositions enhance the uptake of immunocytokines into tumors, and are based on a combination of an immunocytokine with an immunocytokine uptake enhancing agent. Disclosed methods and compositions are particularly useful for reducing tumor size and metastasis in a mammal.

Effective treatment of diseases such as cancer require robust immune responses by one or more effector cell types such as natural killer (NK) cells, macrophage and T lymphocytes. In animals and patients bearing tumors, the immune system has not effectively dealt with the growing tumor due, in large part, to specific mechanisms the tumor has elaborated to suppress the immune response. In many cases, potentially tumor-destructive monocytic cells, e.g. macrophages, migrate into growing tumor beds, but the secretion of factors such as prostaglandins, TGF-β and IL-10 by the tumor cells modulate their cytotoxic activity (see, for example, Sharma et al., 1999, J. IMMUNOL. 163:5020-5028). Likewise, lymphocytic cells migrating into tumors, such as NK and T cells, can be suppressed by factors secreted by tumors as well as by interactions with receptors expressed on the surface of tumor cells that activate apoptosis of the immune cells (see, for example, Villunger, et al, 1997, BLOOD 90:12-20). The exposure of these lymphocytes to immunosuppressive monocytic cells within the tumor bed can further reduce their ability to mount an effective anti-tumor response.
Efforts made to overcome the immune suppressive effects of the local tumor microenvironment include targeted immune stimulation, such as treatment with tumor-specific antibody-cytokine fusion proteins. Effective treatment with this approach has been demonstrated in several mouse tumor metastasis models, however, treatment is far less effective as the size of the tumors increases. This is likely due to the increased level of suppressive factors secreted by the tumor mass as well as other factors, such as the increase in tumor interstitial fluid pressure (Griffon-Etienne et al. 1999, CANCER RES. 59:3776-3782), a barrier to penetration of solid tumors by therapeutic agents.
While most cancer patients are still treated with one or more courses of chemotherapy, it is well known that cytotoxic therapy of cancer is damaging to the immune system. Immune cells are among the most rapidly dividing cells in the human body, and any treatment that kills dividing cells will also kill immune cells. Thus, treatments including radiation, DNA-damaging chemicals, inhibitors of DNA synthesis, and inhibitors of microtubule function all cause damage to the immune system. Bone marrow transplants are needed as an adjunct to cancer therapy precisely because the immune system becomes damaged and needs to be replenished. Methotrexate and other anti-cancer drugs are often used as immunosuppressants. There is also evidence that anti-cancer treatments can specifically inhibit T cell function. For example, patients who have been treated for Hodgkin's disease with whole-body irradiation suffer from an apparently permanent loss of naïve T cells (Watanabe et al., 1997, Blood 90:3662).
Based on current knowledge it would appear unlikely that standard treatments (chemotherapy and radiation) and local immune stimulation would be a useful combination approach for effective treatment of cancer. Therefore, there is a need in the art for methods that enhance antibody-cytokine fusion protein mediated immune responses against pre-selected cell types, for example, tumor cells, and compositions employed in such methods.

Enhancement of antibody-cytokine fusion protein mediated immune responses by combined treatment with immunocytokine uptake enhancing agents


A method, system and apparatus for processing bill payments in a PSTN. The method of the invention can include, responsive to answering a telephone call from a caller over the PSTN, identifying the caller from a data communications source external to the telephone call and retrieving billing information for the identified caller. Once the billing information has been retrieved for the identified caller, the payment of a bill can be processed based upon the billing information. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the identifying step can include identifying the caller based upon identifying information for the caller received through a data communications link from a name resolution adapter disposed within the PSTN. For instance, the identifying step can include identifying the caller based upon identifying information retrieved from a LIDB and transmitted by the name resolution adapter.

1. Statement of the Technical Field
The present invention relates to delivering subscriber services for a telephone subscriber, and more particularly to providing bill payment services in a public switched telephone network (PSTN).
2. Description of the Related Art
The intelligent network of today bears little semblance to the PSTN of old. In fact, the term "intelligence" has little to do with the operation of the conventional PSTN. Rather, the conventional PSTN of old incorporates a massive complex of switching matrices and transport trunks that, through the electronic equivalent of "brute force", forge the interconnections necessary to call completion. More particularly, for decades for every call processed the PSTN relied upon each successive switch to route a voice signal to the next. Still, the modern volume of calls processed within the conventional PSTN demands a faster, more streamlined approach to call routing.
To overcome the elements of the brute force aspect of the conventional PSTN, physically separate signaling networks have been grafted upon the transport and switching PSTN elements to oversee call set-up and billing. These "out-of-band" adjuncts speed routing data and commands directly to the switches involved, establishing all the necessary links prior to the actual transmission of a call. Consequently, with "out-of-band" signaling the PSTN has become "conscious" of the operations it is to perform prior to their execution. As a result, the PSTN has become a more flexible beast, capable even of substantial logic.
The development of the "out-of-band" protocol, Signaling System 7 (SS7), has led to the widespread deployment of intelligent network technology. In SS7, signaling links transmit routing packets between switches. Consequently, specialized SS7 Signaling Transfer Points (STPs) appeared to shepherd routing messages from local switches onto a high-capacity packet switches for distribution to other switches, STPs and call-related databases, such as the Line Information Database (LIDB), the Local Number Portability (LNP) database, the Toll Free Calling database and other databases containing additional call routing instructions. And, so, the agility of high-speed computer networking began exerting control over the raw power of the PSTN.
The marriage of convenience between SS7 and the PSTN soon produced the Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN)—an architecture where centralized databases control call processing. Logic ported via STPs to select switches now have become widely distributed throughout the network. AIN-capable switches also have begun to function as interactive signaling-platforms. Equipped with resident software triggers, AIN capable switches now can halt a call in progress long enough to query Service Control Points (SCPs)—databases containing service logic and subscriber information—which can provide instruction as to how to route, monitor, or terminate the call. The PSTN of today now effectively includes long-term memory as well as intelligence. Accordingly, the modern local exchange carrier holds the means to deploy such advanced telecommunications features such as telephone number portability, wireless roaming, call waiting and a host of other subscriber options.
The LIDB is a database configured for coupling to the PSTN through an SCP. The LIDB typically includes amorphous records arranged to store information regarding telephone callers, such as the name of the caller, the address of the caller, billing information for the caller, and the like. By storing invariable information regarding the caller, such as the name, address and billing method, many intelligent telephonic services can be provided over the PSTN through a simple query to the LIDB. In this regard, several local exchange carriers have deployed independent LIDB access services to facilitate the deployment of intelligent telephonic services which can exploit the invariant information stored within the LIDB.
Despite the wealth of information associated with a telephone caller stored in the LIDB, the LIDB seems to remain an untapped resource suitable only for advanced telephony billing applications. Accordingly, many conventional inconveniences remain prevalent in the world of the call center. For instance, though a name of a caller can be resolved prior to the completion of a phone call, in many cases, telephone callers still must exhaustively establish their respective identities in order to conduct a phone payment of a bill. Typically, the required information can include a social security number, account number, home address, phone number, date of birth and mother's maiden name. Consequently, the potential convenience of telephonic bill payment can be lost among the clutter of identity establishment procedures.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

International Business Machines Corporation


Image processing for computer-aided eye-surgery includes acquiring a reference image of the eye and enriching said reference image by inserting additional context information which are helpful for a surgeon when performing the eye surgery. The reference image is registered with a real time image of the eye. The context information is overlayed over the real time image of the eye based on a tracking of the eye movement such that the context information is displayed at the same position despite a movement of the eye.

In the prior art the process of intraocular lens (IOL) surgery is a cumbersome process for the surgeon. The classical process according to the prior art may involve four steps, namely i) diagnosis, ii) pre-surgery preparation, iii) surgery preparation, iv) lens removal and implantation, and finally v) surgery finalisation. The whole process is outlined in somewhat more detail in the following.
A first step involves the diagnosis of the eye to be treated. Usually the geometry of an eye (length, chamber depth, lens thickness, etc.) is determined using a device like an IOL Master from Zeiss. It may further include a topometry measurement to measure the corneal surface of the eye. Moreover, it may include the use of a refractometer to determine the visual performance of the eye. This diagnostic data is used to define the IOL type and IOL geometry that should be implanted.
A second step consists of the pre-surgery preparation. This means the preparatory work done by the surgeon to "plan" the surgery, such as "where to cut", etc. This may include e.g. the marking of the reference vertical and horizontal axes on the eye, typically by a pen. Moreover, it may involve the graphical marking of a hardcopy of a diagnostic image using a pen.
A third step consists of the surgery preparation. This involves e.g. anesthesia, desinfection and lid speculum in the eye. If the surgery involves a toric IOL, this also involves the marking of the astigmatism axis with marking pen or special axis marker (Mendez Ring) for later final IOL orientation. The third step further includes the preparation of incisions for instruments and for implanting the lens. Finally a viscoelastica is injected to the eye to ensure a smooth lens implantation.
A fourth step includes the actual surgical steps, such as capsulorhexis, hydrodissection, phacoemulsification, and of course then the lens implantation.
A fifth step of the whole procedure is the surgery finalisation, which may e.g. involve the alignment of the IOL, for toric IOLs the angular positioning of the IOL, and finally the removal of the viscoelastica.
The whole procedure is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1. It should be noted that these steps, especially the pre-surgery preparation and the surgery preparation are carried out by the surgeon manually without any assistance by computerised tools. E.G. the marking of the axis of the eye involves setting marks by a pen on the actual eye, which is a very tedious work for the surgeon. Moreover, the marks may become fuzzy or may disappear over time, which may negatively affect the performance and accuracy of the surgery.
During the actual surgery the surgeon only has the real-time image as he can see it through the surgical microscope, without any further indications which may assist him in performing the surgery.
It is therefore desirable to improve the whole process by providing the surgeon with a tool which can assist him in executing the aforementioned steps, in particular assisting him with the planning and also the execution of the surgery.

Method and apparatus for image processing for computer-aided eye surgery


An improved float to prevent over-filling of a dishwashing machine including a cylindrical main float body, a skirt attached to the main float body and extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom, and a float stem. The main float body includes a lower portion which extends downwardly beyond a lower terminal portion of the skirt, and serves as a suds stop to prevent suds created during operation of the dishwasher from rising up within the hollow interior of the main float body and flowing down a stand pipe upon which the float is mounted. The lower portion of the main float body includes a slotted opening which serves as a vacuum breaker to prevent a vacuum from being created within the main float body which would cause the float to adhere to bottom wall of the dishwasher tub.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to fill-control devices for dishwashing machines and, more particularly, to floats which prevent over-filling of dishwashing machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Dishwashing machines typically include a fill or inlet valve which is operable to admit water into an interior of a dishwasher tub. A timer is usually provided to open the fill or inlet valve for a predetermined time at the beginning of each wash cycle to thereby admit a volume of water necessary to clean the dishes housed within the tub. In order to safeguard against over-filling the tub due to variations in water pressure, floats have been employed which actuate switches or control means that turn off or close the fill or inlet valve when the water level within the dishwasher tub reaches or exceeds a predetermined level.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,550, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein in its entirety, is exemplary of such fill control floats. The '550 float has a generally cylindrical body with an outwardly and downwardly extending skirt, and a centrally located float stem. The lower edges of the cylindrical body and skirt are co-planar. The stem projects downwardly from the cylindrical body through a stand pipe provided by the tub bottom, and actuates a control switch when water level within the tub reaches a predetermined level, thereby closing the inlet valve. Downward movement of the float is limited by engagement with the stand pipe in which the float stem is inserted and spaces the lower edges of the cylindrical body and skirt a distance away from the bottom of the tub, allowing suds to rise up within the interior of the cylindrical body and flow down the stand pipe. Means are provided to automatically capture and retain the float stem upon insertion thereof into the stand pipe.
Expired U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,555, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference, provides a similar float having a cylindrical main body and an outwardly and downwardly extending skirt. A terminal portion of the skirt extends downwardly beyond a terminal portion of the main body. During operation, the lower edge of the cylindrical main body is spaced a distance from the tub bottom, allowing suds to rise up within the interior of the main body and flow down the stand pipe. A float stem extends downwardly through a stand pipe and is operable to actuate a control switch to control a water inlet valve.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,256,136 and 4,301,829, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference, provide a float which is housed within a cover member at the bottom of the dishwasher tub. The float includes a pair of cylindrical walls which define concentric annular chambers. The inner annular chamber receives a stand pipe which, in turn, receives a float stem. The cover member retains and guides the float, and is provided with notched openings to enable water to pass into the interior of the cover member and move the float vertically. During operation, the lower edges of the cylindrical walls are spaced a distance from the tub bottom wall, allowing suds to rise up within the inner annular chamber and flow down the stand pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,154, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference, discloses a self-cleaning float which has an open construction to allow food particles and the like to be rinsed from the interior of the float. The float includes a central shaft, an upper bowl-shaped member, and inner and outer concentric walls. The outer wall extends below the inner wall while the bowl-shaped member is directly attached to the shaft and overlies an open end of a stand pipe. Arms connect the bowl-shaped member to the inner and outer walls.
The prior art over-fill preventing floats suffer from the disadvantage that, when oversudsing occurs, as is common when hard water is used, suds may rise up within the float and flow down the stand pipe and onto the floor, giving the user the impression that there is a tub leak. Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a float which prevents or otherwise minimizes suds from reaching the stand pipe. There also exists a need in the art for such a float which includes means to prevent a vacuum from being created within the interior of the float which would cause the float to be adhered to the bottom of the tub.

Float with skirt to prevent leakage due to oversudsing