A harvesting attachment for a harvesting machine includes a frame, and the frame includes an outer wall which defines a cavity in which at least one strut is arranged.

The present disclosure relates to a harvesting attachment for a harvesting machine, wherein the harvesting attachment comprises a frame which is suitable for holding various harvesting tools, in particular cutting units. During the harvesting operation, the harvesting attachment is moved in a forward direction over a field by means of an agricultural harvesting machine and serves to take up certain crops. For example, the harvesting attachment comprises a cutting unit, a reel and further components required and can be mounted on the front side of a combine-harvester. The harvesting attachment likewise can comprise a corn adapter as it is used in a known corn chopper.
In principle, it is currently largely desired in the agricultural machine industry to offer increasingly broad harvesting attachments for self-propelled harvesting machines, which allow the farmer to harvest a field in a shorter time and with less cross-over. However, the maximum width of the harvesting attachment is limited as regards the stability of the construction due to increasing material stress in dependence on the amount of material used. For example, axial area moments of inertia play an important role here, which represent a measure for the bending resistance of the cross-section of the harvesting attachment. Furthermore, acting torsional forces must also be considered when dimensioning the harvesting attachment. Since broadening the harvesting attachment involves a constant increase in dead weight, the forces acting on the harvesting attachment, in particular the bending moment, thus are further increased.
From DE 10 2004 008 342 A1 a harvesting attachment for a combine-harvester is known, which comprises a frame on which a cross-beam extends horizontally and transverse to the forward direction.
DE 10 2005 016 334 A1 discloses a discharge chute for a field chopper, which comprises a frame-shaped or lattice-shaped supporting assembly.
From DE 956 815 B a frame construction for binding mowers is known, which can be manufactured in a lightweight construction.
AT 180 915 B discloses a self-propelled motor mower, whose cutter bar is configured in a lightweight construction in the form of a profile bar.
From DE 10 2004 059 064 A1 an attachment for agricultural harvesting machines for cutting off, taking up and passing on corn plants is known, in which drum-shaped rotary bodies are used, which are made of lightweight materials, in particular of plastic materials or metallic alloys.
It is the object of the present disclosure to provide an improved construction for a harvesting attachment, which allows a reduction of the dead weight and/or an increase in strength of the harvesting attachment. In particular, the construction in accordance with the present disclosure can enable a broader or larger-dimensioned harvesting attachment.
In accordance with the present disclosure, this object is solved by a harvesting attachment for a harvesting machine comprising a frame which includes an outer wall which defines a cavity, wherein at least one strut is arranged in the cavity. The frame serves to hold further harvesting tools and components, in particular a cutting unit. The cavity can, but need not be completely enclosed by the outer wall. The outer wall in particular includes a front wall and a rear wall. The cavity defined by the front and rear walls of the outer wall possibly can be closed completely by one or two side walls. In accordance with the present disclosure, at least one strut is arranged inside the cavity. The strut is connected with the outer wall. The strut is connected with at least one inner surface of the outer wall defining the cavity. It is desirable that the strut is arranged such that a stabilization of the frame is achieved. As compared to harvesting attachments known from the prior art, a considerable saving of weight is achieved by forming a cavity and at the same time the system of struts inside the cavity, without a loss of stability of the entire construction. Due to the saving of raw materials in the manufacture of the harvesting attachment of the present disclosure, a less expensive production method hence is obtained.
Advantageously, the frame has an L-shaped angular shape. In this embodiment, the outer wall can be divided into a horizontally extending area and an area extending vertical thereto. In an operating position, the longer leg of the L-shaped frame extends in vertical direction and the shorter leg lies in a horizontal plane. In the following paragraphs of the description, the surfaces of the outer wall forming the longer leg of the L-shaped frame are designated as front and rear walls, wherein the vertically extending wall lying on the inner surface of the L-shaped frame is referred to as front wall.
A further advantageous development is characterized in that in its cavity the frame includes at least one cross strut which connects the front and rear walls of the outer wall and extends substantially horizontal, possibly vertical to the side wall. The front and rear walls of the frame are connected with each other by a plurality of cross struts. With the L-shaped angular shape of the frame, exactly two cross struts may be arranged one after the other along an axis parallel to the side wall, which connect the front and rear walls of the leg with each other. The cross struts can include recesses. It is conceivable that the width of at least one cross strut is identical to the distance of the two side walls of the frame, so that the two opposed side walls of the frame likewise are connected with each other by the at least one cross strut.
In accordance with a further advantageous development the frame includes at least one longitudinal strut in its cavity, which connects the front and rear walls of the outer wall and extends substantially vertical, possibly parallel to the side wall. The at least one longitudinal strut extends in vertical direction of the frame, wherein the longitudinal strut is configured so broad that it connects the front and rear walls of the outer wall of the frame with each other. Particularly, a plurality of longitudinal struts are arranged inside the cavity of the frame. With an L-shaped angular shape of the frame, the longitudinal struts thus extend in vertical direction along the longitudinal axis of the longer leg of the L-shaped frame, wherein a longitudinal strut may extend from the apex of the L-shape along the longitudinal axis of the longer leg to the upper end thereof.
It can be provided that at least one strut of the entire strut system includes at least one recess. The recesses are arranged in the strut such that on the one hand a reduction of the total weight of the frame is accomplished and on the other hand the stability of the frame is not impaired.
The frame includes at least one tubular through opening, which extends parallel to the front and rear walls of the outer wall. Particularly advantageously, with an L-shaped configuration of the frame a tubular through opening is arranged at the upper end of the longer leg and a second tubular through opening is arranged in the shorter leg of the L-shaped frame. It is also conceivable that through the at least one tubular through opening a required cabling, in particular hydraulic lines, is/are passed for operation of the harvesting attachment. Particularly, the through opening completely extends from one side wall to the opposite side wall of the frame. It can be advantageous when the tubular through openings are configured as a continuous tube. The moment of resistance to bending can be increased thereby.
It is also conceivable that the struts form a honeycomb structure or strut system inside the cavity of the frame. Due to the honeycomb structure, which consists of two-dimensionally arranged, in particular hexagonal cavities, a particularly stable construction of the frame is obtained and at the same time a substantial saving of material is achieved.
Another advantageous embodiment is characterized in that the frame consists of segments which are connectable or connected with each other. It is conceivable that in its width the frame is divided into segments of the same size or into segments of variable size. The connection of the individual segments in particular is effected by screwing the side walls to each other, whereby a positive and/or frictional connection of the segments is obtained. An advantage of the division of the frame into individual segments exists in that the geometry, in particular the width of the frame can also be varied after the production of the frame by adding or removing a segment. This opens up the opportunity for the user of the harvesting attachment to possibly adapt the harvesting attachment to the existing working conditions. Furthermore, the production of such harvesting attachment also can be rendered less expensive due to the division into individual segments. In particular, one segment of the frame as such has at least part of the above-mentioned features of the present disclosure. Accordingly, an individual segment may have an L-shaped angular shape which includes at least one cross strut and/or at least one longitudinal strut. Particularly, an individual segment includes six cross struts and three longitudinal struts as well as two side walls which extend in a direction parallel to the longitudinal struts, wherein the cross struts are arranged vertical to the side walls. The six cross struts can also be interpreted as two broad cross struts arranged on different planes, wherein the cross struts include recesses. The segments can include tubular through openings. Advantageously, the tubular through openings of adjacent segments are in alignment with each other and are connected with each other. The moment of resistance to bending can be increased thereby.
The frame or the segments may be made of cast light metal. For manufacturing the cavity inside the casting, commonly used methods known from the prior art are employed. The resulting recesses in the outer wall of the frame or the segment are covered by at least one sheet mounted on the outer wall comprising the recesses. In particular, the recesses are arranged on the front side of the L-shaped segment or frame and are concealed or closed by two sheets covering the entire front wall of the L-shaped frame or segment, so that during operation of the harvesting attachment no crops or small parts can fall into the cavity of the frame.
It is also conceivable that the frame or a segment is manufactured by means of a light-metal welding method.
Particularly, the frames or the segments are made of aluminum.
Alternatively, the frame or the segments are made of plastics, where they are manufactured by a plastics injection molding method, for example.
The outer wall may have a wall thickness in the range from 4 mm to 6 mm, particularly 4 mm. It is conceivable that a frame or a segment with a wall thickness of 4 mm is made by means of a gravity die-casting method.
The harvesting attachment of the present disclosure advantageously comprises a cutting unit and is mounted on a combine-harvester. In addition to the cutting unit all further components required can be mounted on the harvesting attachment of the present disclosure.
Furthermore advantageously, the harvesting attachment comprises a corn adapter for a corn chopper.
An embodiment of the present disclosure will be explained in detail with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Harvesting attachment for a harvesting machine


The present invention relates to a method for treating cancer. This method involves providing a first agent comprising a first targeting component coupled to a first cancer therapeutic component and providing a second agent comprising a second targeting component coupled to a second cancer therapeutic component. The first and second targeting components have different biodistributions and/or pharmacokinetics. The first and second agents are administered to a subject having cancer to treat the cancer. Also disclosed is a combination therapeutic comprising the first and second agents.

Combination therapy is a common, accepted treatment approach for virtually all types of cancers and has been the standard therapeutic approach for several decades. The basis for the adoption of combination therapy was the early chemotherapy experience where it was determined that the high mutational rate of cancers allowed rapid development of resistant strains of tumor cells when only a single agent was employed. The goal of combination therapies is to increase efficacy and minimize the development of tumor resistance or escape. This is generally achieved by employing 2 or more anti-cancer agents each of which has a different mechanism of action, making the development of resistant tumor cells more difficult and less likely. The additive or synergistic effects of combining two or more agents can be the difference between successful and unsuccessful treatment of the patient.
Many combination treatment regimens are well known in the oncology field. As an example, MOPP (an acronym for mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone) is a curative treatment regimen for Hodgkins' Disease. Several different combination regimens (which all include cisplatin, vinblastine, and bleomycin) are accepted in the treatment of testicular cancer, which is curable in up to 98% of diagnosed cases. In all, more than 300 different combination regimens have been used.
The main drawback to combination therapy is often that it also results in an increase in toxicity. For example, most forms of nonsurgical cancer therapy, such as external irradiation and chemotherapy, are limited in their efficacy because of toxic side effects to normal tissues and cells as well as the limited specificity of these treatment modalities for cancer cells. This limitation is also of importance when anti-cancer antibodies are used for targeting toxic agents, such as isotopes, drugs, and toxins, to cancer sites, because, as systemic agents, they also circulate to sensitive cellular compartments such as the bone marrow. In acute radiation injury, there is destruction of lymphoid and hematopoietic compartments as a major factor in the development of septicemia and subsequent death. Thus, methods of reducing the toxic effects of cancer therapy while maintaining or even increasing efficacy are in high demand.
The present invention is directed to overcoming these and other deficiencies in the art.

Methods and reagents for tumor targeting with greater efficacy and less toxicity


One example includes a method for surge-testing a gallium nitride (GaN) transistor device-under-test (DUT) that includes at least one GaN transistor device. The method includes inserting the GaN transistor DUT into a test fixture comprising an inductor such that the inductor is coupled to the GaN transistor device to form a switching power regulator. The method also includes operating the switching power regulator at a DUT operating voltage to generate an output current through the inductor based on a DUT input voltage and a duty-cycle. The method also includes controlling an excitation voltage source to provide a voltage surge-strike to the GaN transistor DUT. The method also includes measuring the output current and the DUT input voltage at least one of during and after the voltage surge-strike. The method further includes storing the measured output current and the measured DUT input voltage in a memory to specify device characteristics of the GaN transistor DUT.

Switching power regulator systems are used for a variety of electronic devices to regulate a voltage (e.g., a direct current (DC) voltage) for operating electronic circuits (e.g., digital circuits). A variety of factors can lead to unexpected electrical surges that can provide elevated amplitudes of voltage that control such electronic circuits. For example, power distribution systems can be affected by both natural and equipment-related events that can cause electrical surges (e.g., transient over-voltages or line-surge conditions). The ability of circuit components to withstand such surges can be important for field reliability to maintain prolonged operation of the circuit components. In traditional silicon applications like power factor correction (PFC) circuits, much of the line surge can be attenuated by other components, like spark gaps, metal-oxide varistors (MOV's), EMI filters, and the power supply capacitors. A residual surge-front reaching a silicon power field-effect transistor (FET) can be dissipated by means of avalanche, rendering the avalanche rating of the silicon power FET important. However, gallium nitride (GaN) transistor devices do not have a high avalanche rating. Therefore, the transient overvoltage capability of GaN transistor devices can be used to design transient tolerant switching power regulator circuits.

System and method for surge-testing a gallium nitride transistor device


A disclosed storage apparatus comprises a cupboard body and a lifting arrangement. The lifting arrangement is mounted on a wall or other fixture and selectively moves the cupboard body between a raised position adjacent the wall or fixture and a lowered position outward from the wall or fixture. Shelves are arranged in the storage cupboard to remain at a constant alignment irrespective of the alignment of the cupboard body.

This invention concerns improvements in or relating to storage apparatus.
In kitchens and other locations it is often desired to have wall mounted cupboards above a work surface. To render the work surface wholly usable the cupboards must be spaced thereabove, which tends to mean that the cupboards are relatively high and therefore not readily accessible. This may mean that a person accessing the cupboards has to use a stool, steps or chair to stand on, which is not wholly satisfactory.
According to the present invention there is provided storage apparatus, the apparatus comprising a storage compartment and a movement arrangement, the movement arrangement being mountable on a wall or fixture and arranged to selectively move the storage compartment between a raised position adjacent the wall or fixture and a lowered position, the movement arrangement being arranged such that as the storage apparatus moves towards the lowered position the storage apparatus also moves outwardly away from the wall or fixture.
The storage compartment is preferably mounted on a moving part of the movement arrangement, with the moving part pivotally mounted to the remainder of the movement arrangement so as to be pivotally movable away from a wall or fixture upon which the apparatus is mounted.
The moving part may be of variable length such that as the moving part lengthens the storage compartment is lowered, and as the moving part shortens the storage compartment is raised.
A pivotal link may extend between the storage compartment or moving part and a fixed point on the movement arrangement, and the pivotal link may be arranged such that in the raised position the pivotal link lies generally parallel to the moving part, and as the storage compartment is moved towards the lowered position the pivotal link pivots relative to the moving part causing the storage compartment to be moved away from the remainder of the movement arrangement.
The moving part may comprise first and second parts in a telescopic arrangement. The first part may be threaded and movable into or out of the second part by virtue of rotation and threadable engagement with the second part. An electric motor may be provided to selectively rotate the first part in either direction.
The storage compartment is preferably fixedly mounted to the moving part, and desirably to the second part thereof, so as to pivot therewith. One or more storage structures, which may comprise shelves, are preferably provided in the storage compartment and arranged so as to remain at a substantially constant alignment irrespective of the alignment of the storage compartment. The storage structures are preferably pivotally mounted on the storage compartment.
A line means preferably extends from a point to the or each storage structure such that the line means urges the storage structure to the substantially constant alignment as the storage compartment pivots. The line means may extend from a point on the moving part to the storage structures via a point on the remainder of the movement arrangement. The line means may engage with a wheel or other guide at said point on the remainder of the movement arrangement.
The movement arrangement may comprise a frame which is mountable on a wall or fixture, and the frame may be engageable with adjacent similar frames to provide a plurality of adjacent storage apparatus.


The present invention provides a method for authenticating a digital data unit of a mobile communications device. In one embodiment, the invention provides for the capture of a digital data unit with a mobile communications device and generating authentication data to confirm at least one of the source or integrity of the digital data unit.

Digital photography and other digital media have replaced a major segment of traditional analog media. This raises the question of how to authenticate or verify that the digitally taken photograph or other digital media has not been tampered with or altered. Digital data can be easily duplicated or altered utilizing computers and other digital devices. So many software applications are available for video or audio processing that for even a relatively unskilled person can easily alter digitally captured data. Thus, persons relying on a digital photograph or other digital data for factual accuracy may want proof that the digital data being relied is the genuine article.
For many commercial purposes the owner of a digital image or audio file has an interest in being able to ascertain whether the image or file has been copied or altered. For example, a television or radio station would generally want to be in a position to prove the genuineness of a data file if the content or accuracy of such file is challenged. An entertainer who has a digital recording of a performance made with a handheld communications device has an interest in assuring that the recording is not copied or distributed. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,628,801, entitled IMAGE MODIFICATION WITH PIXEL MODIFICATION, to Robert D. Powell, et al. (Powell), a method and system is described for inseparably embedding signatures within a visual image so that it persists throughout any image transformation.
In certain areas of interest, such as digital data used as evidence in a legal proceeding, a system or method for the authentication of captured digital data is needed. Powell does not provide this level of authentication. It is also desirable that a useful level of authentication for digital data be available for use with a mobile communications device. This would be particularly useful because mobile communications devices, such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants, are a constant companion for a large percentage of the population.
Mobile phones, as well as other mobile communications devices, have become multi-functional. In addition to being used for speech communications, mobile phones are being equipped with applications that provide SMS or MMS based messaging, e-mail and fax services. They are also routinely equipped with a recording apparatus for capturing dialog or to take speech notes as well as a digital camera for taking still photos and moving pictures in short video clips. However, thus far no method or device is known to authenticate digital data captured by a mobile communications device.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a new method and device to authenticate digital data, particular digital data captured by means of a mobile communications device such as a mobile phone.

Authenticating data units of a mobile communications device


A computer-implemented presentation authoring method, tool, and interface is provided for creating a remote experience lesson defined with a hierarchy of pages, at least one of the pages including an interactive view of a three-dimensional model. Any number of three-dimensional models and views, and any number of two-dimensional images and views may be used for the pages of the lesson. Annotations are drawn directly in the three-dimensional space of the three-dimensional model and are associated with particular pages. Hotspot annotations provide a non-linear link to other pages in the hierarchy of pages. The authoring tool and interface allows the creation of richly interactive and visual lessons based on telepresence experiences of remote locations and objects.

The present invention relates to interactive visual lessons. More particularly, the present invention relates to a presentation authoring tool and interface used to create richly interactive visual lessons including, for example, telepresence experiences of remote locations and objects.
Conventional products provide various presentation authoring capabilities. For instance, Microsoft PowerPoint is a tool used to create presentations based on a sequence of slides. Two-dimensional text and drawings can be edited on each slide. It is possible to add hyperlinks to slides so that the user can navigate the presentation in a nonlinear order. However, Microsoft PowerPoint does not provide any capabilities for visualizing or annotating three-dimensional models.
The World Wide Web standards, including the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) as defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), specify an architecture that allows web pages made up of two-dimensional text and drawings to be navigated through hyperlinks. Some web browser plug-ins allow interactive three-dimensional models to be embedded in web pages. Some web based three-dimensional plug-ins and authoring systems include the Cortona Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) client from ParallelGraphics, 3D Anywhere from 3Di Ltd., b3d from Brilliant Digital Entertainment, Inc., and Shockwave 3D from Macromedia, Inc.
However, the World Wide Web architecture does not provide any capabilities for visualizing or annotating three-dimensional models. In addition, while web browser plug-in products allow three-dimensional models to be incorporated in web-pages, these three-dimensional models exist in isolation. Interactive hotspot links to other web pages cannot be authored within these three-dimensional models. Some web authoring systems also require software programming skills to implement some interactivity.
QuadriSpace Presenter from QuadriSpace allows presentations to be created that incorporate interactive three-dimensional models. Presentations are organized as a sequence of slides. However, QuadriSpace Presenter does not allow annotations or hotspot links to be added to three-dimensional models.
SketchUp from @Last Software Inc. allows three-dimensional models to be imported and annotated with a variety of drawing tools. Annotations are drawn directly on the model and exist in the three-dimensional space of the model. SketchUp provides rich annotation capabilities for three-dimensional models, but it operates on only a single model at a time. It has no notion of a presentation made up of multiple model views. It has no notion of hyperlinking.
Adobe Atmosphere from Adobe Systems Inc. allows three-dimensional virtual worlds to be created and edited. Elements of a virtual world can be made interactive by writing programming scripts. However, Atmosphere has no notion of a presentation made up of separate pages or slides because information is organized as a combination of many three-dimensional models to make a continuous virtual world. Atmosphere also requires software programming skills to implement some interactivity.
Conventional presentation authoring tools, such as those described above, create presentations that are limited in various interactivity or visualization capabilities. In addition, it is sometimes more difficult to author presentations with the conventional products because some conventional products require software programming skills to implement some aspects of presentations.

Authoring tool for remote experience lessons


A computer-implemented method for evaluating a machine-executable software code specification includes using the computer to generate a system dependence graph corresponding to the software code specification. The system dependence graph includes elements including nodes and edges. The computer evaluates the system dependence graph including selecting a variable modified in the software code specification, providing a control operation node of the system dependence graph corresponding to a control statement in the software code specification with a preferred calibration state, traversing to selected elements of the system dependence graph wherein the selected elements are associated with the selected variable and the preferred calibration state of the control operation node, evaluating only the selected elements of the system dependence graph, and identifying ones of the selected elements whereat a state of the selected variable is modified.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Known control systems include embedded systems that have control modules configured to execute embedded software programs to accomplish one or more prescribed functions. The control module and embedded software program can be concurrently designed and developed, often referred to as a codesign process. The control module can include a programmable processing device, including one of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, and a central processing unit, e.g., a microprocessor. The programmable processing device includes or is signally and operatively connected to memory and storage devices. Exemplary memory and storage devices include, e.g., read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), random access memory (RAM), and hard drives. The programmable processing device is configured to execute one or more embedded software or firmware programs. The control module may include combinational logic circuit(s), input/output circuit(s) and device(s) that signally and operatively connect to the processor. The control module includes appropriate signal conditioning and buffer circuitry and other suitable components to accomplish the prescribed function.
Embedded software can be developed and specified using a programming language that can be compiled into machine code suitable for storing and execution by the programmable processing device of the control module. A known software analysis method includes program slicing to identify a subset of program statements that may affect computation at a particular point in a program. This program point, which may be defined as a statement or a particular variable used at a statement, is called the slicing criterion. In the simple case of a single entry, single-exit program, a slice is determined by finding all the transitive data flow and control dependences that lead to the slicing criterion. Slicing is useful as a maintenance or reuse tool for activities such as program understanding, debugging, regression testing, and function extraction from existing code. As an interactive tool, a program slicer facilitates understanding of relevant portions of the software by directly transforming the source code into a simplified specification.
A program slice consists of those statements that may affect the values of criterion variables, including whether or not the statement executes. One known slice is computed by iteratively solving data and control flow equations based on a control flow graph representation of a software program.
A control flow graph is a representation of a program suitable for systematic analysis, derived from an imperative language source code specification using standard techniques. A control flow graph includes operations, referred to as nodes, and control and data paths between operations, referred to as edges. A flow graph is an equivalent representation that consists of basic procedures and control paths between the basic procedures. A basic procedure is a sequence of operations that always execute as a group. A control flow graph is a common representation for source code analysis, and standard techniques exist to find control dependence relationships and data flow dependence relationships.
In a control flow graph-based approach, a system dependence graph summarizes control and data dependences of an entire program or portion thereof. A system dependence graph is composed of one or more procedure dependence graphs, where each procedure dependence graph summarizes intra-procedure control and data flow dependences. The procedure dependence graphs, one for each procedure in the program, are connected in the system dependence graph with edges that indicate inter-procedure data and control dependences. A graph-based approach allows a more precise calculation of a slice and includes fewer statements. A threaded control flow graph can be defined such that all parallel threads are explicitly indicated in a single control flow graph, which is then analyzed to find interference dependences, which are data flow dependences between parallel software threads, as well as feasible execution order for the multiple software threads.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for analyzing software including a calibrated value


Apparatus for generating an organ timing signal relating to an inspected organ within the body of a patient, including a medical positioning system, and a processor coupled with the medical positioning system, the medical positioning system including at least one reference electromagnetic transducer placed at a reference location, at least one inner electromagnetic transducer attached to a surgical tool inserted in a blood vessel in the vicinity of the inspected organ, and a medical positioning system processor coupled with the reference electromagnetic transducer and the inner electromagnetic transducer, the medical positioning system processor determining the three-dimensional position of the inner electromagnetic transducer, by processing transmitted electromagnetic signals transmitted from one of the reference electromagnetic transducer and the inner electromagnetic transducer with detected electromagnetic signals detected by the other of the reference electromagnetic transducer and the inner electromagnetic transducer, the medical positioning system processor further generating medical positioning system data sets, each of the medical positioning system data sets including a collection of three-dimensional position coordinate readings demonstrating the motion trajectory of the surgical tool over time, the processor generating the organ timing signal from the medical positioning system data sets by detecting and identifying periodic motion frequencies in the medical positioning system data sets, and filtering the periodic motion frequencies from the medical positioning system data sets.

Medical imaging is a powerful tool to assist in the performance of various types of medical operations, and to enhance diagnostics and other decisions concerning a medical procedure. Several systems are known in the art to produce real-time medical images via a variety of different imaging modalities. In instances of imaging of anatomical structures that involve periodic motion or cyclic phases, the imaging system may encompass a timing element to take this into account. Monitoring devices, such as an electrocardiogram (ECG) machine, are regularly incorporated into medical imaging systems to provide timing information for registering the captured images with respect to organ phase. Typically, the timing information obtained from such monitoring devices is not completely accurate. As well, the signal received from such monitoring devices involves a delay, and is not obtained in real-time with respect to the actual organ motion. Finally, an external monitoring device adds a cumbersome element to an already complex system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,502 to Darrow et al entitled "Imaging of interventional devices during medical procedures", is directed to a method for compensation of subject motion during tracking of an invasive device within the body of the subject. A device tracking unit determines the location of the invasive device relative to a fixed reference point. An imaging device acquires a reference image of the subject. A position detection means placed within the imaging device measures the location over time of a reference point of the subject. Each acquired image is stored together with the corresponding location of subject reference point. A subject tracking unit receives location information over time from position detection means, and computes translation and rotation movement of the subject from time of image acquisition to time of device location measurement. A registration unit receives the reference image, the net position and orientation change of the subject, and the device location. The registration unit translates and rotates the reference image to match the position and orientation of subject at the time of device location measurement. An image of the device is superimposed upon the translated/rotated image of the subject at its absolute position and orientation. The registration unit may also adjust the displayed location of the device, rather than the display of the image.
In addition to translation and rotation motion, the registration unit accounts for expansion and contraction of the subject, occurring due to a periodic motion cycle, such as the respiratory or cardiac cycles. Position detection means measures the change in the subject due to expansion and contraction, and feeds this information to the registration unit. The registration unit distorts the reference image in accordance with the expansion and contraction, and subsequent translation and rotation, thereby dynamically registering the image of the subject with the current device location.
Alternatively, the imaging device may monitor subject motion by obtaining subsequent projections of the subject and then detecting offset and cross-sectional size of the subject in these images. Further alternatively, a series of reference images are each gated to the periodic motion cycle. The imaging device acquires a series of images at different times within the cardiac cycle, as measured by an ECG signal. An ECG provides a signal for each measurement of device location. At a given time, an image from the series which corresponds to the ECG signal is selected as the reference image. The registration unit translates and rotates this reference image, with respect to the information received from the subject tracking unit for that time. A representation of the measured location of the device is superimposed upon the updated image, resulting in a registered image of the subject and the invasive device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,174 to Yamazaki entitled "Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and image displaying system", is directed to a system for determining movement velocities of a moving internal organ and providing a color display of the movement velocities over time. An ultrasonic probe transmits an ultrasound beam toward the heart. The transmitted ultrasonic beam is partially reflected by tissues of the heart as an echo signal and returned to the probe. The echo signal has a Doppler shift in frequency due to the Doppler effect. The echo signal is transduced into a voltage signal and supplied to a reception signal processor. The signal is beam-formed, detected and output to a B-mode digital scan converter (DSC). The B-mode DSC converts the image data of the signal to standard television scanning data, which is sent to an image synthesizer. The B-mode DSC also stores a plurality of image data at arbitrary cardiac timing in a B-mode frame memory.
The reception signal processor also sends the transduced echo signal to a phase detector. The phase detector performs phase detection on the Doppler shift frequency to extract the Doppler shift signal. A low pass filter filters out unnecessary Doppler signals resulting from valve motion or blood flow, leaving only the Doppler signal from the cardiac muscle. A frequency analyzer calculates physical values relating to the velocities at each sampling volume of a scan plane, using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) or auto-correlation method. These values include mean Doppler frequencies (corresponding to mean velocities of movement of the organ), variance (turbulence factors of Doppler spectrum), and maximum values of Doppler shift frequencies (maximum velocities of organ movement at sampling volume). These values are sent as color Doppler information to a vector-velocity calculator, which calculates the absolute movement velocities of the organ at each sampling volume point. A display presents the magnitude and/or direction of velocities, in accordance with a color scheme assignment. It is noted that detected ECG signals of the heart are used to trigger the signal generator (output reference pulses for transmission/reception of ultrasonic beams). In addition, these cardiac timing signals are used to produce a real-time image displaying changes in movement velocities of the heart in color.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,246,898 to Vesely et al entitled "Method for carrying out a medical procedure using a three-dimensional imaging and tracking system", is directed to a method for performing an in-vivo medical procedure on an associated body using three-dimensional tracking and imaging. A plurality of transceivers is used to track the three-dimensional motion of an object under investigation. At least four transceivers are implanted within a specimen in whom distances are to be measured. Three transceivers lie in a (x,y) plane and act as a reference. The fourth transceiver determines the z-coordinates of surrounding transducers by determining if an active one of the transducers lies above or below the reference plane established by the three transceivers. Each of a plurality of transmitters attached to the specimen at various locations is sequentially fired, while the three reference transceivers record the receiver signals. Since the difference from each transmitter to the reference plane is known, the relative x,y,z coordinates of the transmitters can be determined using triangulation.
The video display is synchronized with the real-time patient heart beat using an ECG signal. An Analog-to-Digital (ND) converter converts the ECG signal into digital data. A sync generator module produces a timing signal corresponding to the current heart activity from the digital ECG data. This is done by activating a memory location or input port, or generating an interrupt, at the precise time a QRS complex is identified. In particular, the sync generator module tests the data signal for large rates of change, zero crossings, and other information allowing the sync generator module to reveal the QRS complex of the signal
U.S. Pat. No. 6,556,695 to Packer et al entitled "Method for producing high resolution real-time images, of structure and function during medical procedures", is directed to a method for providing medical images in real-time to assist physicians in the performance of medical procedures. A Medical Resonance Imaging (MRI) system obtains a high resolution model of the heart prior to the medical procedure. Images of the heart are acquired during successive cardiac phases. A pulse generator creates a series of fast gradient echo pulse sequences. The R-R interval of the cardiac cycle is divided up into several short segments of pulse sequences, using an ECG gating signal that triggers at the peak of the R wave. A single coordinate, or view, of the heart is acquired during each fast gradient echo segment. Adjacent segments are combined into groups, and the data in each group contributes to generating an image at a different phase of the cardiac cycle. A number (e.g., fifteen) of two-dimensional slices are acquired during an entire cardiac cycle, depicting one slice through the heart at (e.g., fifteen) successive phases of the cardiac cycle. Additional slices of the heart are acquired and reconstructed into two-dimensional images. These two-dimensional slices are then combined to form (e.g., fifteen) three-dimensional image data sets.
During the medical procedure, an ultrasonic transducer acquires low-resolution image frames of the heart in real-time. An ECG signal from the patient detects the real-time cardiac phase. The stored high-resolution heart model is registered using the real-time image frames and ECG signal. The registered high-resolution model is then used to produce high-resolution, large field of view images in real-time on a display.

Method and apparatus for invasive device tracking using organ timing signal generated from MPS sensors


An end mill forms at least a pair of spiral grooves or flutes in the mill side walls. Each groove includes polycrystalline diamond formed along a leading edge of each flute. A process for forming the diamond edged on the PCD material bonded within the flute.

I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to rotary cutting tools and more particularly to helically fluted end mills.
Helically fluted end mills are the most commonly used milling tools and are generally required to perform severe machining operations under extremely adverse conditions. The cutting end of a helically fluted end mill includes at least a pair of cutting lips on opposite surfaces of the end mill blank.
Oppositely directed cutting surfaces positioned at the cutting end of the mill blank are subjected to axial and torsional loads which create material demands on the fabrication of the milling tool. Obviously the material of the cutting lips should be as hard as possible to cut a work piece and it should be heat resistant as well to maintain the cutting edge of the mill at elevated temperatures. Moreover the material of the body of the mill blank must be both rigid and tough to resist deflection and to maintain the integrity of the mill under loads while the mill cutter is being used. The foregoing requirements have resulted in compromises in material selection since hard materials tend to be brittle while tough materials tend to wear quite easily.
This invention has application for other types of rotary cutting tools such as router bits, reamer and taps (not shown).
II. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art teaches a combination of materials having the characteristics of hardness and wear-resistance at the cutting surfaces and toughness and rigidity of the body and shaft. It has been previously proposed to form the cutting surfaces of one material and the body and shaft of another. This has resulted in a variety of combinations such as tungsten carbide or diamond inserts or tips on carbon steel or carbide shafts These combinations while individually useful have a common disadvantage, i.e. the braze connection between the insert or tip and a shaft. Tungsten carbide can be soldered or brazed directly to the steel or carbide shaft. However a diamond tip or insert must first be adhered to a carbide substrate which is in turn soldered or brazed to the shaft. Diamond particles are typically formed into a compact or PCD (polycrystalline diamond disc) and bonded to a carbide substrate with a metallic catalyst in a high pressure-high temperature press. At atmospheric pressures however the metal which catalyzes the bonding of the diamond particles to each other and to the substrate in the press will also catalyze the conversion of diamond to graphite at temperatures above 700 degrees centigrade which will cause disintegration of the PCD compact. Accordingly a low temperature solder or braze connection is used to attach the substrate to the shaft. The aforementioned diamond discs as well as the diamond insert stud blanks for example are fabricated from a tungsten carbide substrate with a diamond layer sintered to a face of a substrate the diamond layer being composed of polycrystalline material.
The synthetic polycrystalline diamond layer is manufactured by Megadiamond Industries, Inc., a wholly owned division of Smith International, Provo, Utah. Another source of polycrystalline diamond is manufactured by the specialty material department of General Electric Company of Worthington, Ohio. The foregoing drill cutter blank is known by the trademark name of Stratapax Drill Blank.
Two examples of patents assigned to Megadiamond describe cutting elements for drilling holes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,643 teaches a cutting element for drilling holes which consists of five cutting edges which are comprised of polycrystalline diamond or the like mounted to a central carbide substrate of similar hard material held by a rotatable shaft which can be inserted into a drilling machine. The polycrystalline material is then supported with respect to torsional forces exerted upon it during drilling.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,503 describes a polycrystalline diamond and metal element for use as a cutting element for drilling holes or similar uses. The cutting element comprises a polycrystalline diamond center portion sandwiched between metal. The metal side portion is made from a soft metal having a Young's Modulus less than approximately 45 times 10 to the sixth power and is selected from a group comprising cobalt, nickel, iron, copper, silver, gold, platinum, palladium and alloys of these metals in metallic compounds containing these metals.
Both of these recently issued patents utilize a braze type bonding element to secure the diamond cutters within a drill blank. Typically a low temperature solder or braze connection is used to attach the substrate to a shaft such as the shaft of a helical twist drill. This braze connection limits the effective life of such drilling tools since it is softer than either the substrate or the shaft. The braze thus becomes the weakest point of the tool construction and the limiting factor in the tool usage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,445 teaches a helically fluted twist drill apparatus in which offset opposed veins of sintered abrasive particulate, such as diamond, are embedded within a drill blank made of a less abrasive material such as carbide. The non-aligned veins of abrasive material, themselves intersect through juxtapositioning adjacent the point and web of the drill. The veins of diamond are 180 degrees opposed across the tip of the helical drill blank. The opposing veins intersect at the center or axis of the helical drill to provide a concentration of diamond at the tip of the twist drill.
A disadvantage of the foregoing patent is that the veins of diamonds are relatively shallow at the tip of the twist drill and tend to wear out rather quickly.
The present invention overcomes the problems of the foregoing prior art by providing, for example, a concentration of diamond in each of a pair of flutes of a milling cutter blank.


Features are disclosed relating to a network-based consent management system that securely manages various aspects of consenting and agreeing to engage in physical relationships, including sexual relationships. For example, the system can manage processes such as requesting and obtaining consent, agreeing to provide consent, declining to provide consent, preemptively providing or declining consent without a consent request, verifying identities of individual users, verifying users' capacity to consent, and the like. In addition, the system can securely maintain a record of consent agreements and refusals. Thus, users of the system can initiate or otherwise participate in certain physical interactions with other users, secure in the knowledge that the participants have provided unambiguous informed consent and that a record of such consent has been created and securely stored by a third party.

Individuals often use network-based systems such as social networks, dating websites, and applications to search for, identify, express interest in, and communicate with other individuals for the purpose of forming relationships. For example, many dating systems afford users the opportunity to develop relationships with other users prior to meeting with each other in person. Such dating systems often provide an online meeting place for like-minded users to register their personal profiles, search and view the profiles of other users, and initiate contact with other users through various communication channels such as text or voice messages, video chats, voice chats, and instant messaging. Users then decide whether to advance the relationship and meet in person or otherwise communicate outside of the dating system (e.g., via personal email, phone calls, text messages, and other electronic communication not routed through or otherwise involving the social network or dating system). Once the relationship progresses to such in-person meetings and other interactions, social networks and dating systems typically have little or no control over the interactions and do not record information about the interactions. Therefore, such social networks and dating systems are unable to facilitate or record consent and/or agreement as to the nature of in-person meetings, including consent and/or agreement regarding sexual interactions.
Some individuals use security systems, such as video and/or audio recording equipment, to record the consent and/or agreement of others related to physical relations and sexual interactions. Thus, the individuals may be protected from false accusations regarding the consensual nature of the interactions. However, such methods are often used without full disclosure to the other parties, thereby raising privacy concerns regarding the video and/or audio recordings. To ease or eliminate such concerns, some individuals use written consent documents to obtain consent from others prior to engaging in physical relation and sexual interactions. Thus, the individuals may be protected from false accusations regarding the consensual nature of the physical relationships without many of the privacy concerns associated with video and/or audio recordings.


Apparatuses, systems, and/or methods relate to a welding system that provides a field former for use in welding applications. The welding system includes a welding torch that includes one or more coil windings through which flows current that forms a magnetic field. The magnetic field is concentric to the tool center point. An arc is formed between the electrode and a workpiece. The magnetic field forces the arc in a center of the welding torch or the one or more coiled windings.

Arc blow is the deflection of a welding arc from its normal path due to magnetic forces. This condition is usually encountered in direct current welding of magnetic materials, such as iron, nickel, and their alloys. Arc blow mostly in DC welding, but can happen in alternating current welding under certain conditions, but these cases can be rare and the intensity of the arc blow is less severe. Direct current flowing through the electrode and base metal sets up a magnetic field around the electrode. The magnetic field tends to deflect the arc to the side at times, but the arc can deflect forward or backwards along the joint.
Back blow is encountered when welding toward the work cable connection on a workpiece near the end of a joint or into a corner or an edge. Forward blow is encountered when welding away from the work cable connection on a workpiece at the start of a joint. In general, arc blow can be the result of two conditions: change of current flow direction as it enters the work and is conducted toward the work cable; and asymmetric arrangement of magnetic material around the arc, a condition that can exist when welding is performed near the end of ferromagnetic materials or the workpiece and/or weld fixture has residual magnetism. Improper grounding of the workpiece can also cause arc blow.
Although arc blow cannot always be completely eliminated, what is needed is way in which to control or reduce arc blow to an acceptable level.
High current is needed to provide the melt off of the wire at high deposition. However, one problem of high current gas metal arc welding is arc instability from rotational spray arc metal transfer. To support higher current, the anode area increases such the arc climbs above the molten metal, plasticizes the wire near the molten metal and forms it into a tapered shape. The asymmetric electromagnetic Lorenz/radial pinch forces and Euler/azimuthal forces move the liquid away from its straight line of flow, and forms an unstable or unpredictable rotating liquid string tethered to the wire end with arc pressure and resulting in spiral filament motion, excessive spatter, lack of penetration, and process instability.
Further, high current for high deposition gas metal arc welding with certain shielding gas composition can suffer from finger shaped penetration due to certain energy density distribution of the arc from a round wire, heat sinking condition of the workpiece and thermodynamics of the weld puddle. The penetration profile can cause the root of the joint to be missed due to arc blow or make the part fit-up in a situation in which wire placement alignment with respect to the joint is critical. This can increase the tooling cost and part dimensional control cost to improve fit-up for a fabricator. Further, joint preparation cost (e.g., necessitating precision laser or waterjet cutting and CNC machining of the joint prior to welding) can also increase. Ultimately, weld quality can be compromised if the pre-welding operations are not controlled.
In addition, shielding gas flow may not be uniform due to turbulence, clogged gas nozzle, improper gas flow rate, out-of-position welding, and/or wind or fume exhaust that steer ionized gas plasma astray from the center of weld tool axis.
What is needed is an apparatus, system or method that keeps the arc centered and prevents the arc from straying or being disturbed for enhanced arc control, increased weld quality, and a more stable weld process.

Field former for use in welding applications


A liquid crystal display device and a driving method thereof for preventing a color distortion phenomenon in a field-sequential driving system are disclosed. In the liquid crystal display device, a data driver sequentially supplies a green data signal, a red data signal and a blue data signal to the data lines. A gate driver applies a scanning pulse to gate lines. A light source irradiates a green light onto a liquid crystal cell during a time interval when the green data signal is maintained at the liquid crystal cell, irradiates a red light onto the liquid crystal cell during a time interval when the red data signal is maintained at the liquid crystal cell, and irradiates a blue light to the liquid crystal cell during a time interval when the blue data signal is maintained at the liquid crystal cell.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display device and a driving method thereof that can prevent a color distortion phenomenon.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device controls the light transmittance of liquid crystal cells in accordance with video signals to display pictures. A LCD device of an active matrix type having a switching device provided for each liquid crystal cell is suitable for displaying moving pictures. A thin film transistor (TFT) is generally employed as a switching device for the active-matrix type LCD.
FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a structure of a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel of a related art LCD device.
Referring to FIG. 1, in the LCD panel, color filters 6 and a common electrode 4 are disposed on a upper substrate while a pixel electrode 10 is provided on a lower substrate 12. A liquid crystal 8 is provided between the upper substrate 2 and the lower substrate 12. A white lamp 14 acting as a backlight source is provided under the lower substrate 12. On the upper substrate 2, black matrices (not shown) are provided among the red, green and blue color filters 6. Each of the upper substrate 2 and the lower substrate 12 has an alignment film (not shown) formed on the interface surface that is in contact with the liquid crystal 8. On the lower substrate 12, gate lines and data lines perpendicularly cross each other, and a TFT is provided at each crossing of the gate lines and the data lines. The TFT provides a channel between a source terminal thereof connected to the data line and a drain terminal thereof connected to the pixel electrode 10 in response to a scanning pulse applied, via the gate line, to a gate electrode thereof, thereby applying a data signal to the pixel electrode 10. The pixel electrode 10 is provided within a pixel area that is enclosed by the gate lines and the data lines.
In such a LCD panel, a voltage is applied to the white lamp 14 to continuously irradiate a white light onto the LCD panel. When the white lamp is turned on, the scanning pulse turns on the TFTs to simultaneously apply red, green and blue data signals to the corresponding liquid crystal cells. As a result, the white light (backlight) irradiated onto the LCD panel passes through the liquid crystal cells and the red, green and blue color filters 6, and thus becomes a red light, a green light and a blue light. The LCD panel displays a desired color by a combination of the red, green and blue lights.
The LCD panel according to the related art has a drawback in that the backlight looses approximately one-third of its intensity while passing through the color filer 6, which raises a problem of low brightness. In order to solve such a problem, a field-sequential driving method has been suggested.
FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a LCD panel driven by a field-sequential driving method according to a related art.
Referring to FIG. 2, the LCD panel has no color filter, but includes a red lamp 36R, a green lamp 36G and a blue lamp 36B. Black matrices (not shown) are provided on a upper substrate 22 of the LCD panel. Each of the upper substrate 22 and a lower substrate 32 has an alignment film (not shown) formed on the interface surface that is in contact with a liquid crystal 28. On the lower substrate 32, gate lines and data lines perpendicularly cross each other, and a TFT are provided at each crossing of the gate lines and the data lines. The TFT provides a channel between a source terminal thereof connected to the data line and a drain terminal thereof connected to a pixel electrode 30 in response to a scanning pulse applied, via the gate line, to a gate electrode thereof, thereby applying a data signal to the pixel electrode 30. The pixel electrode 30 is provided within a pixel area that is enclosed by the gate lines and the data lines. In such a field-sequential driving method, a lamp driving voltage is sequentially supplied to the red lamp 36R, the green lamp 36G and the blue lamp 36B to sequentially irradiate red, green and blue lights to the LCD panel.
According to such a field-sequential driving method in which red, green and blue lights are sequentially irradiated onto liquid crystal cells during one frame interval, light transmittance becomes higher in the order of the red light, the green light and the blue light due to a cumulative response characteristic of the liquid crystal, thereby raising a color distortion problem. In other words, the cumulative response characteristic of the liquid crystal distorts the light transmittance, and when the red, green and blue lights from the red, green and blue lamps 36R, 36G and 36B pass through the liquid crystal, the distorted light transmittance distorts the color of the liquid crystal cell.
Such a color distortion phenomenon distinctly appears when a yellow color is displayed. According to such a field-sequential driving method, a yellow color can be displayed by sequentially driving a red light and a green light. Because of the time resolving power of human beings, the sequentially driven red and green lights can be recognized as a yellow color. Because the green light is transmitted to the liquid crystal cell after the red light when displaying a yellow color, the transmittance of the red light becomes lower than that of the green light due to the cumulative response characteristic of the liquid crystal. In this case, because the green light contributes to the brightness of the liquid crystal cells twice as much as the red light (wherein brightness contribution degree has generally a relationship of R:G:B=3:6:1), a yellow color close to a green color is displayed on the LCD panel, thereby raising a color distortion problem.

Liquid crystal display device and driving method thereof


A fin-shaped field-effect transistor device is provided. The fin-shaped field effect transistor device may include a semiconductor substrate having a top and a bottom surface. The fin-shaped field effect transistor device may also include a fin structure disposed on the top surface of the semiconductor substrate, where the fin structure includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite of the first sidewall. The first sidewall is adjacent to a first region of the top surface of the semiconductor substrate and the second sidewall is adjacent to a second region of the top surface of the semiconductor substrate. The fin-shaped field effect transistor device may also include an insulation layer disposed above the fin structure and the first and second regions of the top surface. The fin-shaped field effect transistor device may also include a conductor structure disposed above and adjacent to the insulation layer.

Passive semiconductor devices include capacitors, which may be implemented as metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors formed on a substrate of an integrated circuit chip, or as complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) capacitors. MOS capacitors can be formed on a substrate of an integrated circuit chip by tying the source and drain terminals of metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFET). Such a capacitor may generally be designed to have a high capacitance density (e.g., a large amount of capacitance per unit area) and may generally be formed in a straightforward manner as part of a larger MOS or CMOS processing of the chip as a whole. MOS capacitors generally configured with a connection to ground or to a supply voltage.
As semiconductor devices are increasing in layout density, technology scaling has led to development of fin-based, also referred to as fin-shaped, field effect transistor (finFET) structures as an alternative to bulk metal-oxide-semiconductor FET structures for improved scalability. Fin-based manufacturing techniques can be employed to create non-planar structures on a semiconductor substrate (e.g., silicon), which can increase device density since the channel, source, and/or drain can be raised out of the semiconductor substrate in the form of a fin. The finFET utilizes a fin, such as a silicon fin, to wrap the conducting channel, and the fin forms the body of the transistor. In effect, the gate electrode of the transistor straddles or surrounds the fin. During operation, current flows between the source and drain terminals along the gated sidewall surfaces of the fin.

Fin-shaped field effect transistor and capacitor structures

AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES GENERAL IP (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.


An integrated circuit with a through-die via (TDV) interface for die stacking is described. One aspect of the invention relates to an integrated circuit die having an array of tiles arranged in columns. The integrated circuit die includes at least one interface tile. Each interface tile includes a logic element, contacts, and through die vias (TDVs). The logic element is coupled to a routing fabric of the integrated circuit die. The contacts are configured to be coupled to conductive interconnect of another integrated circuit die attached to the backside of the integrated circuit die. The TDVs are configured to couple the logic element to the contacts.

Programmable logic devices (PLDs) exist as a well-known type of integrated circuit (IC) that may be programmed by a user to perform specified logic functions. There are different types of programmable logic devices, such as programmable logic arrays (PLAs) and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs). One type of programmable logic device, known as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), is very popular because of a superior combination of capacity, flexibility, time-to-market, and cost.
An FPGA typically includes configurable logic blocks (CLBs), programmable input/output blocks (IOBs), and other types of logic blocks, such as memories, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and the like. The CLBs, IOBs, and other logic blocks are interconnected by a programmable interconnect structure. The CLBs, IOBs, logic blocks, and interconnect structure are typically programmed by loading a stream of configuration data (known as a bitstream) into internal configuration memory cells that define how the CLBs, IOBs, logic blocks, and interconnect structure are configured. An FPGA may also include various dedicated logic circuits, such as digital clock managers (DCMs), input/output (I/O) transceivers, boundary scan logic, and the like.
As semiconductor technology has advanced, the amount and speed of logic available on an IC, such as an FPGA, has increased more rapidly than the number and performance of I/O connections. As a result, IC die stacking techniques have received renewed interest to address the interconnection bottleneck of high-performance systems. In stacked IC applications, two or more ICs are stacked vertically and interconnections are made between them.
One approach to stacking a die on an FPGA involves mounting a second die on the face side of the FPGA die. The term "face side" denotes the side of a FPGA die that receives the bulk of semiconductor processing such that circuitry and interconnect are fabricated on that face side. The FPGA includes interface circuitry coupled to an array of contacts on the face side of the FPGA die. A second die is mounted on the face side of the FPGA die such that signals from the second die are communicated through the contacts to the interface circuitry of the FPGA. This approach, however, is incompatible with FPGAs designed for flip-chip packaging. In a flip-chip package, the bump contacts for power, ground, and signals are distributed throughout the face side of the FPGA die. Such bump contacts make it difficult if not impossible to mount a second IC to the face side of the FPGA die. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a die stacking approach that is compatible with flip-chip integrated circuit packaging techniques.

Integrated circuit with through-die via interface for die stacking


A high power light string device comprises a plug with a plug blade set, a tail receptacle, and at least an LED string, wherein a first power adaptor disposed in the plug converts an AC voltage through the plug blade set to a high DC voltage, and a second power adaptor disposed in the tail receptacle converts the AC voltage through the plug blade set to a low DC voltage. Two ends of the LED string are respectively connected to the first and second power adaptors to receive the high and lower DC voltages so that the LED string is turned on to emit light. The power adaptors are directly disposed respectively in the plug and the tail receptacle to simplify the whole light string device so as to enhance the decorating effect of the light string device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high power light string device and, more particularly, to a light string device composed of LEDs.
2. Description of Related Art
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) have the characteristics of small size, low power consumption, long lifetime, fast response, and luminescence. Moreover, LEDs are recycled to meet the requirement of environmental protection, and cause no problem of mercury pollution to the environment as general fluorescent lights. Besides, LEDs are driven by DC power and thus are easily controlled to reduce the complexity in circuit design. Therefore, LEDs have been widely applied in various kinds of electronic products.
As shown in FIG. 1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,358 discloses an LED string device 10, which is commonly used as a decoration light string in several situations such as the Christmas to enhance the festive mood. In FIG. 1, the LED string device 10 comprises a plug 12, a power adaptor 14, two LED strings 16 and a tail receptacle 18. The plug 12 is externally connected to the power adaptor 14 to convert an AC voltage to a DC voltage that is sent to the two LED strings 16. The tail receptacle 18 can be plugged by another plug. However, because the power adaptor 14 has a certain volume, the delicacy of the whole LED string device is usually destroyed.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a more perfect light string device to solve the above problems in the prior art.


A vertical axis hook (10) for a lockstitch sewing machine comprises a hook body (11) with a hook point and a peripheral needle guard plate (12) mounted on the hook body, the plate comprising a fastening and positioning portion and an adjustable portion integral with each other. It further comprises a plate adjustment means to adjust the radial position of the adjustable portion with respect to the hook point. The plate adjustment and positioning means (16) acts in a position of the adjustable portion of the plate which is near the fastening portion thereof.

The present invention refers to adjustment of the needle guard plate on a vertical axis hook or crochet of a lockstitch sewing machine.
In lockstitch sewing machines the crochet or hook has a peripheral xe2x80x9chook pointxe2x80x9d extending for a distance along the circumference of the hook. The hook, by rotating around its own axis, grips with said point the loop formed by the upper thread or needle thread, a loop which forms at the start of the movement of withdrawal or raising of the needle. The point of the hook must brush the needle to grip the loop of thread. Any bending of the needle, due for example to the force exerted thereon by a sideways translation of the fabric, could bring it to be situated on the trajectory of the hook point and could cause a collision with probable breakage of the needle or splintering of the hook point. In order to avoid this, a needle guard plate is provided which serves to prevent the needle from bending in the direction of the hook tip. The plate has an arched shape, in its working portion seen in a plan view, and rotates integrally with the hook body.
FIG. 28 is a top perspective view illustrating a vertical axis hook 1, according to the prior art, provided with a hook point 2, and a needle-protecting plate, or needle-guard plate, denoted by reference numeral 3.
Adjustment of the position of the plate in a radial direction with respect to the axis of the hook is generally required or desirable to adapt the hook to the type and size of needle used. The state of the art comprises various solutions for mounting plates on the hook body, so as to be able to perform said adjustment. Needle guard plates are generally considered to be grouped into three families according to the type of construction: a first family comprises so-called xe2x80x9cflange platesxe2x80x9d, formed by a sheet of metal bent into an L-shape which is placed with the flat part between the hook and its axial resting point on the sewing machine; a second family comprises xe2x80x9cflange-mounted platesxe2x80x9d wherein a flange is fastened to the rear part of the hook; a third family comprises the xe2x80x9cperipheral platesxe2x80x9d, obtained from sheet metal bent in an arch and fastened to the side of the hook body.
The subject matter of the present invention concerns the field of peripheral plates.
Peripheral plates are positioned on and fastened to the body of the hook. Some currently known and used methods of fastening will be described briefly.
According to a first method, the plate is mounted on the side of the hook by means of two head countersunk screws which centre the respective seats on the plate and therefore perform both the positioning function and that of fastening of the plate. The two screws are in proximity to the opposite end of the plate with respect to the hook point and leave the part of the plate near the hook point projecting. A variant of said system consists in fastening with four screws, two for each end of the plate.
In a second manner, the plate is positioned in a circumferential groove on the side of the hook and is fastened by means of two flat-headed screws, which therefore serve no positioning function, but only that of fastening.
As far as adjustment of peripheral plates is concerned, the following three systems are known and used.
a) The mounted plate is adjusted only by manual deformation of the bending curve of the projecting part with respect to the positioning and fastening system. Adjustment can therefore be only rough.
b) A third screw is placed on the side of the body of the hook at the opposite end of the needle guard plate with respect to the positioning and fastening portion. The screw, when it is loosened, presses on the tip of the plate and obliges outward deformation thereof. The screw normally requires a braking system (typically a locking thread) and holds the disadvantage of not being able to be applied to all hooks, in that it requires an adequate space, on the side of the hook and near the hook tip, a space which often is not available. Such an adjustment system is described in patents DE G 8116870 and IT 1151267.
c) In the case of the hook with a plate positioned in the groove, whilst positioning of the plate is performed by the groove and fastening of the plate by the flat-headed screw nearest the end of the plate, for fine adjustment use is made of the second screw, positioned between the fastening screw and the tip of the plate at the hook point. In this case the plate has a double bend which, without the second screw, would position it far to the outside of the hook tip. By screwing the second screw, on the other hand, the plate is forced inwards.
An object of the present invention is to reduce production costs of hook with an adjustable plate.
A further object is to be able to apply a finely adjustable plate on a hook where this was not hitherto possible because of problems of space.
The object has been achieved with a hook as stated in claim 1. Further new and useful characteristics are disclosed in the dependent claims.
In other words, in the hook of the invention fine adjustment of the peripheral needle guard plate is achieved without the need for a third screw in proximity to the point of the hook and with the sole function of adjustment, and without the need for a slot for positioning of the plate.
In one embodiment, three screws (two countersunk head for fastening and positioning and one for adjustment), all positioned on the portion of plate opposite that facing towards the hook point. The plate has a double bend and the third screw forces the plate inward.
In another embodiment, two countersunk head screws are used, one of which serves for positioning and fastening, whereas the second serves for positioning and adjustment. The plate has a double bend and the second screw forces the plate inwards.
In a third embodiment, two screws are used, one countersunk head for fastening and the second flat-headed for positioning and adjustment, having a cylindrical shape between the head and the thread which couples with a horizontal slot on the plate.
In a fourth embodiment two screws are used, the first being countersunk head and having a positioning and fastening function, whereas the second, serving for positioning and adjustment, works in thrust and is shaped with a cylindrical pin protruding from the head of the screw. Said pin enters a hole or slot in the plate and it is also possible from the pin to act to tighten or loosen said screw. The plate is naturally bent inwards and is forced outwards by loosening the screw.
In a fifth embodiment two screws are used, the first of which is countersunk head and serves for positioning and adjustment, whereas the second serves for positioning and adjustment. The second screw serves for xe2x80x9cdual effectxe2x80x9d adjustment: that is, it works both in traction and in thrust, depending on whether it is more or less tightened. The plate is bent to be level with the hook point with the adjustment screw half tightened. The adjustment screw has two flanges that remain one on the inside and one on the outside of the needle guard plate. The outer flange is flat in shape.
A sixth embodiment is similar to the fifth but the outer flange of the adjustment screw is conical.
The invention achieves the aforementioned objects, in particular it achieves lower production costs for the hook and allows simplified adjustment where it was not otherwise possible.

Vertical axis hook for lockstitch sewing machine, with screw-adjustable needle guard plate


An electrostatic coater capable of realizing high-level coating quality is provided. Shaping air SA, discharged from an air port, is directed radially outward. An elevation angle thereof preferably ranges from 10 to 20 degrees. Further, the shaping air SA is a flow in a state of being twisted in a direction opposite to the rotation direction R of a bell cup. The twisting angle about the axis O of the bell cup preferably ranges from 38 to 60 degrees. A liquid thread of paint extends radially outward from the outer peripheral edge of the bell cup, and the paint separated from the tip end thereof becomes a particle. It is preferable that the shaping air SA collides with the paint particle at a point P where the momentum of the paint particle is decreased of the paint particle is decreased.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electrostatic coating technology, and in more detail, to an electrostatic coater having a rotary atomizing head.
Background Art
It is a well-known fact that electrostatic coaters are widely used. Electrostatic coaters are frequently used in the automobile industry. In the automobile industry, as the coating quality affects the commercial value of an automobile, each manufacturer sets a rigid standard for the coating quality. As such, electrostatic coaters keep evolving in response to strict demands from the automobile industry.
Paint used for coating an automobile includes a solid paint, a clear paint, and a metallic paint. As a metallic paint, there is a so-called pearl paint containing nonmetallic glossy chips such as mica, besides a paint including metallic chips.
As for electrostatic coating using a metallic paint, it is difficult to realize high-level coating quality. Specifically, with a metallic paint, it is known that if a colliding speed of the paint with an automobile body (hereinafter referred to as a "workpiece"), which is an object to be coated, is slow, the finished appearance of the workpiece is dark. It is also known that as the diameter of a paint particle is larger, the finished appearance of the workpiece becomes darker. In order to realize metallic coating having high-level coating quality, a large number of proposals have been made.
An electrostatic coater of a rotary atomization type, disclosed in Patent Literature 1, includes two systems of air ports arranged coaxially with a rotary atomizing head. Air ports of a first system are positioned on a relatively inner peripheral side. Air ports of a second system are positioned on a relatively outer peripheral side. The orientation of the first air ports on the inner peripheral side is parallel to the axis of the rotary atomizing head. The inner shaping air discharged from the first air ports passes through the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge of the rotary atomizing head. The inner shaping air has a higher pressure and a lower flow rate than those of the outer shaping air discharged from the air ports of the second system. By the inner shaping air, atomization of the paint is facilitated. Then, the atomized paint is accelerated toward the workpiece by the outer shaping air, having a lower pressure and a higher flow rate relatively, discharged from the second air ports.
Patent Literature 2 proposes an electrostatic coating method which improves the coating quality and the coating efficiency of a metallic paint. An electrostatic coater of a rotary atomization type to be used in this electrostatic coating method includes one system of air ports. The orientation of the air ports is parallel to the axis of the rotary atomizing head. The shaping air discharged from the air ports passes through the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge of the rotary atomizing head. Patent Literature 2 proposes to control the peripheral velocity of the rotary atomizing head of the coater.
Patent Literature 3 proposes an electrostatic coater of a rotary atomization type capable of improving the coating quality of metallic coating. The electrostatic coater includes a plurality of air ports arranged behind a rotary atomizing head concentrically with the axis of the rotary atomizing head, and shaping air is discharged from the plurality of air ports. The orientation of the air ports, when the coater is viewed laterally, is parallel to the axis of the rotary atomizing head. When the coater is viewed from the front, the air ports are positioned 2 to 3 mm outward from the outer peripheral edge of the rotary atomizing head. The air ports include guide grooves on the tip end side. The shaping air discharged from each of the air ports becomes a jet flow in a state of being twisted in a rotation direction of the rotary atomizing head or a direction opposite thereto, by the guide groove. This means that the shaping air becomes a flow in a state close to a swirling flow, not to say a swirling flow itself. By setting the twisting direction of the shaping air to a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the rotary atomizing head, it is possible to cause the shaping air to strongly collide with the charged paint particles being scattered from the outer peripheral edge of the rotary atomizing head. Thereby, the paint particles can be micronized.
Patent Literature 4 proposes an electrostatic coater of a rotary atomization type by which metallic coating and general coating can be performed with a single coater. That is, Patent Literature 4 proposes a coater which does not deteriorate both the coating quality of metallic coating and the coating quality of general coating using a solid paint or a clear paint other than a metallic paint. The coater disclosed in Patent Literature 4 includes air ports arranged behind a rotary atomizing head, on first and second circumferences coaxial with the rotary atomizing head. A plurality of first air ports arranged on the first circumference of the inner peripheral side discharge first shaping air toward the rear surface of the rotary atomizing head. Second air ports arranged on the second circumference of the outer peripheral side discharge second shaping air toward the outer peripheral edge of the rotary atomizing head.
The orientation of both the first and second air ports is parallel to the axis of the rotary atomizing head when the coater is viewed laterally. The first shaping air directed to the rear surface of the rotary atomizing head is a straight flow. On the other hand, the second shaping air directed to the outer peripheral edge of the rotary atomizing head is a jet flow in a state of being twisted about the axis of the rotary atomizing head. It should be noted that Patent Literature 4 fails to clearly describe whether the second shaping air is twisted in a rotation direction of the rotary atomizing head or in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the rotary atomizing head.
The first shaping air directed to the rear surface of the rotary atomizing head is used for general coating, that is, coating using a solid paint, for example. Meanwhile, the second shaping air directed to the outer peripheral edge of the rotary atomizing head is used for metallic coating. As such, in the coater of the Patent Literature 4, each of the first shaping air and the second shaping air is used properly, depending on the case of general coating or the case of metallic coating.
Patent Literature 5 proposes an electrostatic coater of a rotary atomization type capable of improving atomization of paint and coating efficiency and also improving the coating quality of metallic coating. The coater disclosed in Patent Literature 5 adopts a configuration in which first shaping air, second shaping air, and third shaping air are directed to the paint, in a particle state, scattered from the outer peripheral edge of the rotary atomizing head. Patent Literature 5 discloses various specific examples. One example will be described below. A coater of an embodiment includes first, second, and third air ports arranged sequentially in a radial direction from the axis of the rotary atomizing head. The first to third air ports are positioned behind the rotary atomizing head.
The first to third air ports are directed to a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the rotary atomizing head, and shaping air discharged from each air port is a jet flow in a state of being twisted in the opposite direction of the rotation direction of the rotary atomizing head. The first and the third air ports, positioned on the innermost periphery and the outermost periphery, are tilted by 30° in the circumferential direction of the rotary atomizing head. The second air ports, at an intermediate position, are tilted by 15° in the circumferential direction of the rotary atomizing head. From the first air ports positioned on the innermost periphery, first shaping air, having a high speed and a low flow rate, is discharged. From the second air ports at an intermediate position, second shaping air, having a high speed and a low flow rate, is discharged. From the third air ports positioned on the outermost periphery, third shaping air, having a high speed and a low flow rate, is discharged. By adjusting the first to third shaping air, the particle diameter of the paint particles, a coating non-volatile (NV) value, an air impact force, and the like are optimized.
Here, a coating non-volatile (NV) value is recognized as an index of evaluating the appearance quality of coating. A coating non-volatile value is defined by the following expression.Coating NV value (%)=(coating film weight after drying/coating film weight at the time of coating)×100
The coating NV value is described in detail in Patent Literature 6. As such, the description thereof is omitted by incorporating Patent Literature 6 herein by reference.


A method, system, and computer program product for coordinating the configuration of local and remote storage subsystems for a local client is provided. A command sender is configured on a local storage subsystem to create remote command objects based on commands received from the local client, and deliver the remote command objects to a remote storage subsystem for execution. A command receiver is configured on the remote storage subsystem, the command receiver service having an interface to receive the remote command objects. A remote connection bucket is configured to manage at least one connection between the local storage subsystem and the remote storage subsystem.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to computers, and more particularly to a method and computer program product for configuring a virtual array site on a remote server to provide on-demand storage capacity to a customer.
Description of the Related Art
Computers, and accompanying data storage, are commonplace in today's society. Individuals, businesses, organizations, and the like have a need for a certain amount of data storage. Historically, data has been stored on local storage devices, such as tape drives, hard disk drives (HDDs), and removable media such as compact discs (CDs) and digital versatile discs (DVDs). As more of society becomes digital, the need for data storage has generally increased. As the need for data storage and data redundancy has proliferated, storage devices have been implemented in various sites. In some cases, the data storage is maintained in multiple storage servers as part of multiple data storage subsystems.
Occasionally, it is beneficial to be able to redirect commands from one storage server to another. Examples include commands that require configuration commands to be executed on one server, or machine, and the setup of copy services commands on a separate machine. An example of this scenario is a method in which a user requests an offsite machine to be used as a backup for a range of storage volumes. In this case, the user must first open a session to the primary machine, and then query the volumes to be configured. As a next step, the user must open a session to the secondary machine, and configure target volumes (which will be used to hold the backup data) based on the volume attributes retrieved from the primary machine. Finally, the user must open a session again to the primary machine (or reuse the original session) and execute a command that initiates the copy from the source to the target volumes.

Coordinated remote and local machine configuration

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


With this rotating cylinder driven on the outer periphery and running on rollers with pipes or connections that are provided in the area of the rotating cylinder heads connected to the rotating cylinder ends for product intake, product gas removal, and solid matter discharge for thermal treatment, low-temperature carbonization or pyrolysis of liquid or solid substances or mixed phases by indirect heating, to improve the sealing function and increase the service life of the sealing packings there is provided between the driven and the stationary parts of the rotating cylinder on both the intake and the discharge side a floating slide ring sealing system. A nonpositive frame structure for each makes possible a revolving joint between the rotating cylinder and the two stationary rotating cylinder heads connected with the pipes or connections.

A technical embodiment of a low-temperature carbonization of residues containing hydrocarbons is described in "Die Katalytische Druckhydrierung von Kohlen, Teeren und Mineraloelen" (The Catalytic Hydrogenation Under Pressure of Coals, Tars, and Crude Oils) Springer-Verlag, Berlin/Goettingen/Heidelberg, 1950. According to that treatise, the liquid residue containing hydrocarbons and heated to about 400.degree. C. to 450.degree. C. is sprayed into the low-temperature carbonization chamber, which is heated by external gas heating to about 550.degree. C. to 600.degree. C. A distillation to coke occurs, and the distilling off of the recoverable hydrocarbon oil portion can be promoted by countercurrent addition of about 10% of superheated steam. The low-temperature residue is removed by water immersion at the end of the furnace opposite the intake (see page 45). Thus, such devices that were placed on the discharge side inclined slightly downwardly from the horizontal were often provided as so-called ball furnaces with a feed of steel balls to cause, by flat ribs welded on as drivers in the lengthwise direction, the balls in the rotating furnace to be driven as high as possible so that, when falling, they knocked the forming encrustations loose (see page 254).
In addition to the working up of residues containing hydrocarbons coming from coal or crude oil, waste substances such as synthetic wastes, residues laden with hydrocarbons, contaminated soil, biomasses, sludges, and the like can be worked up by low-temperature carbonization into liquid product and low-temperature tar in addition to low-temperature gas and low-temperature coke.
Therefore, it has been proposed to subject household, industrial, and commercial garbage and special waste substances to a low temperature pyrolysis in a suitable reactor (e.g., a rotary kiln). See, e.g., DE-PS 29 47 293 and EP-0 111 081 Al.
Comparatively few publications discuss the equipment side of such processes, especially the making available of improved rotating cylinder designs. A satisfactory sealing of the rotating parts of a rotating cylinder from the stationary parts that receive the product feed or product discharge pipes is still a technical problem the solution of which causes considerable difficulties because of the prevailing mechanical and thermal stresses.
Therefore, according to DE 33 46 338 Al there has been proposed a sealing arrangement with a slide ring sealing system and a sealing disk placed on a rotating part of a rotating cylinder as well as sealing, adjacent thrust rings.
Significant drawbacks of the standard-built rotating cylinder designs known in the prior art are the heat losses in the area of the bearing races built directly into the rotating cylinder, the problems that have occurred in sealing between the stationary rotating cylinder heads and the rotating cylinder, and the problems associated with the thermal expansion of the rotating cylinder.
The heat losses associated with the bearing races and also with the drive of the rotating cylinder, which is often performed as a chain drive by gearwheels, also lead to a decrease in the liquid product yield because of premature condensation with subsequent cracking and polymerization reactions. The known rotating cylinder designs are usually designed with a soft, axial expansion compensator for the rotating cylinder head. The sealing function of the sealing part (for example, rotating with pressure rollers pressed on the stationary sealing part and containing two sealing packings) is considerably impaired by rotating cylinder eccentricities.