A concealed portable display fastener providing coupling means to assembly display devices, comprising two components, a channel interlocking means projecting outward at one end, a barb web attachment means at opposite end; A flexible clip having a plurality of semi circular open edge tubes joined perpendicular to a rectangular plate interlocking means, components when interlocked form a single fastener then conjointly mate with another fastener by a horizontal then vertical movement of clips through interlocking means permitting easy uncomplicated assembly and disassembly of devices.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a portable display device fastener used to couple display devices without use of tools or loose parts.
2. Description of Prior Art
Portable display devices include connection means comprised of fixed hinges, flexible corners, rigid barbell shaped splines and plates. The fixed hinge does not disassembly but folds upon itself causing the entire display to be handled as a single unit. This is cumbersome and weighty. Flexible and solid corners as well as spline and plate connectors have small loose parts that may become lost or damaged. Spline connectors required components to slide full length of themselves for assembly and disassembly which requires use of ladders and overhead space.
Portable display systems and devices designed in recent years, use for display surfaces, fabric rib materials to provide a full bleed surface allowing display surfaces to appear seamless. This is desirable because it does not distract the viewer from the product, message or graphics incorporated in the display.
Inventors have created a variety of connection means to provide full bleed display surfaces. U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,336 to Backer (1987) provides a full bleed system with a connection means which has many small loose parts, and is complicated to assembly or disassemble. U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,560 to Miller (1986) shows a connector means and display surface with panels exposing a frame, not full bleed, and connector plates which are not attached to display devices and merits the objections of loose parts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,858 to Perutz (1989) discloses a hinge system having loose parts and exposed connector means, this system folds upon itself and is handled as a unit, is complicated and requires more than one person to assemble or disassemble.
Portable display devices in addition to multiple panel display surfaces includes pedestals, towers, headers and the like. Available connector means have not provided simple assembly and disassembly procedures for these devices without the use of tools, loose parts, or accomplished by one person. This feature however is desirable for low budget market.
A variety of complicated connector means now in use in the portable display industry have not provided a low cost, lightweight, quickly assembled system without loose parts and use of any tools.
Display components and devices are often covered with fabric or other surface materials on both sides. One side having different material or color or pattern than the opposite side. This allows the possibility to interchange individual components, thus having the capability to change the configuration, and or colors or patterns and in essence having a variety of display configurations and color schemes available from a single display system.
At this time however there is no connection means available which allows any single or group of components to be individually and independently, reversed, removed, or added to, with a simple horizontal then vertical movement of display components the distance of vertical movement, being less than three inches, requiring only one individual and no tools or loose parts.
Prime concerns among user of portable display systems has been connecting means which restrict variation of configuration, colors and patterns. That are loose, cumbersome and unsightly. Seams that are apparent and at times framed by flanges, not full bleed. Tools are required to assembly or disassemble. Connection means are not attached to components and are subject to loss or damage and more than one person is required to assemble or disassemble display devices.
Full bleed display surface is a popular and desirable feature. One problem when using rib wall fabrics for display surfaces has been the nap in portable devices does not flow in the same direction, thus light reflection is varied giving display surfaces different hues and color which defeats the objects of full bleed appearance which is a continuous display surface. Connecting means current in use are not color coded or otherwise matched to overcome that problem.
The objections and disadvantages above mentioned are over come by my invention and will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Concealed portable display device fastener


A phase difference between a timing of rising or falling of the data read from a semiconductor device to be test and a timing of rising or falling of a reference clock outputted synchronized with the data is measured by operating sampling with strobe pulses configured with multi-phase pulses given the phase difference by a small amount in regard to the timing of the data and the timing of the reference clock. In addition, a glitch of the data is detected, and the quality of the semiconductor device to be tested is judged based on the phase difference and/or the glitch.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for testing a semiconductor device, which is suitable for testing a semiconductor device equipped with a memory capable of reading and writing at high speed, and an apparatus for testing a semiconductor device that operates using the testing method.
2. Related Art
The brief summary of an apparatus for testing a semiconductor device to test a general semiconductor device will be described for confirmation before the prior art relating to the present invention is described. FIG. 25 shows a configuration of a conventional apparatus for testing a semiconductor device. TES in FIG. 25 represents the overall apparatus for testing a semiconductor device. The apparatus for testing a semiconductor device TES consists of a main controller 13, a pattern generator 14, a timing generator 15, a waveform formatter 16, a logic comparator 12, a driver 17, a signal reading circuit 11, a bad analysis memory 18, a logical amplitude reference voltage source 19, a comparison reference voltage source 21 and a device source 22 etc.
The main controller 13, which is generally configured by a computer system, mainly controls the pattern generator 14 and the timing generator 15 in accordance with a test program prepared by a user, allows the pattern generator 14 to generate the test pattern data, changes the test pattern data into the test pattern signals having actual waveforms with the waveform formatter 16 and applies the test pattern signals to a semiconductor device to be tested DUT in order to store it via the driver 17 which amplifies the voltages of the waveforms having amplitude values set by the logical amplitude reference voltage source 19.
The signal reading circuit 11 reads out logical values from the response signals read from the semiconductor device to be tested DUT. The logic comparator 12 compares the logical values read out by the signal reading circuit 11 with the expected values outputted by the pattern generator 14, judges that there is a defect in the memory cell of the address when a non-coincidence occurs, stores the fail address into the bad analysis memory 18 for every fail occurrence, and judges, for example, whether the fail cell can be repaired after the test.
Although FIG. 25 shows a configuration of the test apparatus for one pin, practically, this configuration is provided for a plurality of pins of the semiconductor device to be tested DUT, and the input of the test patterns and the reading of the response signals from the semiconductor device to be tested DUT are conducted for every pin. These are the configurations of the apparatus for testing a semiconductor device for the general semiconductor device.
Meanwhile, in the semiconductor device such as a memory configured with a semiconductor device, there is a memory which performs data passing by using the timing of the clock, writing data into the semiconductor device synchronized with the clock by inputting the data together with the clock, while retrieving the data from the semiconductor device synchronized with the clock together with the clock.
FIG. 26 shows a state of reading of this kind of memory. DA, DB, DC . . . in FIG. 26A represent the data outputted by the semiconductor device (the data outputted from one of the pins). DQS shown in FIG. 26B the clock outputted from the memory. The data DA, DB, DC . . . is outputted from the semiconductor device synchronized with the clock DQS. This clock is used as a synchronization signal (data strobe) when passing the data DA, DB, DC . . . to other circuits.
As a test item when testing this kind of semiconductor device, there is an item to measure a time difference (phase difference) dI1, dI2, dI3 . . . from the timing at rising or falling of each of the clocks DQS (hereinafter, the clock is referred to as reference clock) to the transition point of the data. As the time difference dI1, dI2, dI3 . . . is short as possible it is evaluated as a device having an excellent characteristic that the response is fast. The grade of the semiconductor device to be tested is decided by the length of the time difference.
In regard to the reference clock DQS outputted from the semiconductor device to be tested, the clock generated by the clock source in applied to the semiconductor device, the clock is distributed to the circuits in the semiconductor device, and the data is outputted synchronized with the clock. Therefore, even when performing test with the apparatus for testing a semiconductor device, the clock from the apparatus for testing a semiconductor device is applied to the semiconductor device to be tested, the clock is outputted with the data as the reference clock for data delivery through the inside of the semiconductor device to be tested. Accordingly, the timing of rising or falling of the reference clock is measured and the time dI1, dI2, dI3 . . . from the timing of rising or falling measured to the transition point of the data DA, DB, DC . . . is measured.
As described above, since the reference clock outputted from the semiconductor device is outputted through the inside of the semiconductor device, the timing of rising and the timing of falling is considerably affected by the inside of the semiconductor device and the external environment such as temperature, so we can find a phenomenon that differences between the phases of the reference clocks DQS1, DQS2, DQS3 . . . occur for every semiconductor device as shown in FIG. 27. Further, added to that the phase difference is caused by the difference of each semiconductor device, we can find a phenomenon that jitter occurs, where in the phase difference is changed by the difference of the address of the memory accessed and the time transition (thermal change) even in the semiconductor device.
Therefore, in order to exactly measure the time dI1, dI2, dI3 . . . from the timing of rising or the timing of falling of the reference clock DQS to the transition point of the data DA, DB, DC . . . , it is necessary to exactly measure the timing of rising or the timing of falling of the reference clock DQS outputted from the semiconductor device in advance. Accordingly, the prior art gradually shifts the timing of applying the strobe of a signal reading circuit, with which the apparatus for testing a semiconductor device is equipped, measures the timing of rising or falling of the reference clock DQS, and measures the time dI1, dI2, dI3 . . . using the measurement result.
FIG. 28 shows a part for measuring the timing of rising or falling of the reference clock DQS being used in the prior art. The level comparator 10 is configured with a pair of voltage comparators CP1 and CP2, and judges whether or not the logical value of the reference clock DQS outputted by the semiconductor device to be tested DUT satisfies the normal voltage condition by a pair of voltage comparators CP1 and CP2. The voltage comparator CP1 judges whether or not the voltage value of the H logic of the reference clock DQS is more than the normal voltage value VOH. The voltage comparator CP2 judges whether or not the voltage value of the L logic of the reference clock DQS is less than the normal voltage value VOL.
These judgment results are inputted into the signal reading circuit 11, and the signal reading circuit 11 measures the timing of rising or the timing of falling of the reference clock DQS. The signal reading circuit 11 reads the logical value inputted at every timing of applying the strobe STB.
FIG. 29 shows an example of phases of the strobes in regard to DQS. The strobes STB are applied while being given phase differences (τT) by a small amount for each test cycle as shown in FIG. 29. That is, the strobes STB are given to the signal reading circuit 11 by one for each test cycle, and the state of the output of the voltage comparators CP1 and CP2 is read.
The logic comparator 12 compares the logical value outputted by the signal reading circuit 11 and the expected value, which is predetermined (the H logic as an example in FIG. 28), and outputs the pass signal PA, which indicates a pass (good), if the logical value outputted by the signal reading circuit 11 coincides with the expected value. The timing of the rising of the reference clock DQS is decided by obtaining the time T1 (FIG. 29C) from the occurrence timing of the strobe STB1 (FIG. 29B) when the output of the level comparator 10 is read to be reversed in the H logic (the occurrence timing of the strobes STB has already been known).
In case of detecting the timing of falling of the reference clock DQS, the timing of falling is detected by the strobe when the output of the voltage comparator CP2 is read to be reversed in the H logic like the detection of rising, while the strobe STB occurs at a timing after the timing of rising of the reference clock DQS in the H logic.
As described above, since the prior art measures the occurrence timing of the reference clock DQS by the timing measurement method using the signal reading circuit 11, with which the apparatus for testing a semiconductor device is equipped, and the strobe STB, which is applied to the signal reading circuit 11, there is a defect that it takes time to necessarily perform the test cycle TD many times repeatedly even when measuring only the timing of rising or falling of the reference clock DQS.
Furthermore, since the method of measuring the timing of rising or falling of the reference clock DQS have to measure all of the addresses of the memory to be tested or to measure all the way from the start to the end of the test pattern in case of avoiding the influence of the jitter caused by the heat, it is necessary to take long time to measure the timing of rising or falling of the reference clock. Although it is considered that the phase difference τT, which is given to the strobe STB, is adopted roughly so as to reduce the number of times of performing the test cycle as a method of decreasing the time taken in measuring the timing of rising or falling of the reference clock DQS, there is a defect that the reliability of the measurement result of the time dI1, dI2, dI3 . . . until the transition point the reference clock DQS and the data DA, DB, DC . . . is decreased because the accuracy of measuring the timing of rising or falling of the reference clock DQS is decreased if the phase difference τT, which is given to the strobe STB, is changed roughly.

Apparatus and method for testing semiconductor device


A system for joining partitioning panels is simple to assemble and take down while effectively concealing the inter-panel connections and maintaining visual continuity of the panels. Attachment fittings are provided at the top and bottom corners of each panel and plate-like connector brackets are used to connect the fittings and assemble the panels either in line or at an angle. Snap-on covers are provided for the top attachment fittings which conceal the connector brackets and form a visual continuation of finishing strips which extend along the top edges of the panels.

This invention relates to a system for joining individual partitioning panels together, in situ, for example to form an office or other indoor partition.
In modern day office spaces and other work areas, it is common practice to divide the work area into separate work stations by means of in situ knockdown partitions, commonly made up of individual connectable free-standing or suitably supported panels and the like.
Among the requirements for partitions of the above kind are, inter alia, that the individual panels should be as simple as possible to connect together when erecting a partition and to disconnect when taking down the partition consistent with maintaining the structural integrity and strength of the partition. Also, for aesthetic reasons, it is preferable to be able to conceal any inter-panel connections in the completed partition and generally enhance its overall appearance. The present invention provides a partition joining system directed toward fulfilling these requirements.


[Object]

In order to measure a target component in blood, methods of detecting an electrochemical signal or an optical signal with the use of a biosensor have been used widely. A signal value, which indicates the magnitude or intensity of the signal, corresponds to the amount of the target component. Thus, by measuring the signal value, the amount of the target component in blood can be measured.
In such measurement, the influence of the hematocrit value of blood has been regarded as a problem. In general, the normal value of the hematocrit value of blood is set to 30% to 55%. However, the hematocrit value of anemic blood may be lower than the normal value, while the hematocrit value of polysynthetic blood may be higher than the normal value. As such, the Ht value of blood varies from one person to another. Thus, when the measurement of a target component is performed on a blood specimen whose Ht value is unknown, there arises a problem that, owing to the influence of the Ht value, the amount of the target component cannot be determined accurately.

Method for measuring target component in erythrocyte-containing specimen

Abstract: [Object]

Abstract: To provide a method for measuring a target component in an erythrocyte-containing specimen with high reliability while suppressing the influence of the Ht value of the specimen.

Abstract: [Solution to Problem]

Abstract: In the measurement method of the present invention, first, prior to measurement, a relationship between amounts of the target component and a plurality of signals corresponding thereto is provided. Then, a plurality of signals derived from the target component in the erythrocyte-containing specimen are acquired with a biosensor. With reference to the relationship, the amount of the target component in the specimen is determined based on the thus-acquired plurality of signals.


Provided is a high-carbon steel wire which gives steel wires having high strength and has excellent suitability for wiredrawing and which after being wiredrawn, has excellent fatigue properties. The high-carbon steel wire has an adequately regulated chemical composition and has a pearlite structure in an areal proportion of 90% or more. In 2,000 μm2 of the pearlite structure, the number of BN compound grains having an equivalent-circle diameter of 100 nm or more but less than 1,000 nm is 100 or less (including 0) and the number of BN compound grains having an equivalent-circle diameter of 1,000 nm or more is 10 or less (including 0).

A high-carbon steel wire used for steel cord, saw wire for semiconductor cutting, hose wire, etc. is required to have a good wire drawability from the viewpoint of productivity in addition to a high strength and high fatigue properties. In this context, various steel wire rods and steel wires of high qualities conforming to the above requirements have heretofore been developed.
For example, Patent Literature 1 proposes a technology of improving the wire drawability and fatigue properties of a hard steel wire for cold drawing by forming tempered lower bainite in a structure before wiredrawing. According to the technology, excellent wire drawability and fatigue properties after wiredrawing are materialized by drawing a lower bainite structure that is considered to be suitable for wiredrawing from the shape of carbide. The work hardenability of a bainite structure is lower than that of a pearlite structure however and a final wire strength is only about 3,500 MPa.
Further, Patent Literature 2 proposes a technology of improving wire drawability and fatigue resistance after wiredrawing by controlling a total oxygen quantity and the composition and number of inviscid inclusions. By the technology however, a fatigue limit stress to a tensile strength is only about 0.3 and fatigue properties are not necessarily exhibited sufficiently.
Patent Literature 3 discloses a technology of improving the fatigue properties of a high-strength wire by controlling the aspect ratio of inclusions in the steel wire. According to the technology however, a fatigue limit stress to a tensile strength is about 0.3 at the most and a sufficiently high fatigue strength is not yet obtained like Patent Literature 2.
Patent Literature 4 discloses a technology of improving the strain aging embrittlement resistance of a high-strength high-carbon steel wire by forming amorphous cementite as lamellar cementite in the pearlite structure of the wire and controlling the strength of the wire in a range stipulated by a wire diameter and a carbon quantity. By the technology, it is possible to produce a thin high-strength high-carbon steel wire having an improved longitudinal crackability but satisfactory high strength and high fatigue strength are not obtained yet.
Meanwhile, Patent Literature 5 proposes a technology of improving wire drawability and twistability by controlling the size of a pearlite nodule and the maximum length of secondary phase ferrite. By the technology, it is possible to obtain a high-strength high-carbon steel wire excellent in wire drawability but satisfactory high strength and high fatigue strength are not obtained yet.

High-carbon steel wire excellent in wire drawability and fatigue property after wiredrawing


The present invention relates to combustion devices such as incineration furnaces and the like, and in particular, relates to combustion devices which include a combustion gas cooling device by means of which slag, combustion by-products and the like are rapidly cooled and thereby converted to nonadhering fly ash. By converting slag to nonadhering fly ash, the accumulation of slag in downstream exhaust processing equipment is diminished, and hence, the necessity of halting the operation of the combustion apparatus in order to remove the accumulated slag is eliminated, thereby improving the efficiency of operations.

1. Field of the Invention
The apparatus of the present invention relates to combustion devices such as incineration furnaces and the like, and in particular, relates to a combustion-gas cooling device which is mounted on the combustion device wherein dust form slag is generated. More particularly, the apparatus of the present invention relates to a combustion device that combusts or otherwise heats material at a high temperature so that ash components therein liquify, and in which fumes and fine particles of liquified ash entrained in the combustion gasses formed therein are converted to fly ash which is nonadhering to surfaces of the combustion-gas exhausting section.
2. Prior Art
Slag is a material composed of various noncombustible substances remaining after combustion takes place at a temperature greater than the melting point of the slag. Slag can usually exist in three general states: at low temperatures, slag is a nonadherent solid; at medium temperatures, slag is a highly viscous liquid which is relatively adhering and nonflowing; and at high temperatures, slag is a fluid of low viscosity which may or may not adhere, but which flows readily.
As an example of a prior art combustion apparatus, the combustion apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 6, is known in which a cyclone-type combustion furnace 20 contains a combustion chamber 22 for receiving particles which are to be combusted. After the particles are combusted, the remnants are carried by centrifugal force around the face of the inner wall, adhere to the inner wall, and are heated to liquefaction, resulting in combustion gas and slag. Therefore, unburned components are exhausted from exhaust port 26. The slag separation pathway 34 in the slag separation chamber 30 at the combustion gas inlet 33 mediates the supply, and the slag is removed by passing out through the exhaust port 26; the greater part of the slag flows down the inner wall of the combustion chamber, flows down the inner wall of the exhaust port 26 as combustion gas is exhausted from combustion gas chamber 22, and passes down slag separation pathway 34 in slag separation chamber 30 at combustion gas inlet 33 of slag separation chamber 30, while a smaller portion of the slag is carried out as particles or droplets suspended in the moving combustion gas.
Along the slag separation path 34 in slag separation chamber 30, combustion gas exhausted from combustion gas inlet 33 is separated from the slag. The combustion gas is then exhausted through exhaust port 35 and is then supplied to a treatment apparatus (for example heat recovery apparatus 50) for final exhaustion to the outside, while the thus separated slag is expelled to a treatment apparatus at slag outlet 36.
At the exhaust port 35, in order that the subsequent treatment apparatus is supplied with combustion gas of a temperature low enough not to damage the treatment apparatus, and in order that slag is converted into non-adhering fly ash, low temperature gas is supplied to be mixed with the combustion gas to produce a mixture of a suitably low temperature downstream of the mixing site, by low temperature gas supply pipe 35A; the high temperature of the combustion gas (for example 1300.degree.-1500.degree. C.) is reduced to below 1000.degree. C.
If the high temperature combustion gas in which slag is suspended is allowed to proceed past exhaust port 35, and if the slag suspended in the combustion gas subsequently encounters a low temperature surface, it is transformed to a highly viscous or solid state and will adhere to and accumulate on the surface, and accordingly, a great deal of labor will have to be expended to remove the accumulated slag.
Therefore, in combustion apparatus 10, suitably low temperature gas is supplied directly from the low temperature gas supply pipe 35A to the interior of exhaust port 35, however it is not possible to mix high temperature combustion gas and low temperature gas sufficiently rapidly and homogeneously, and it is not possible to avoid the production of an adhering ash fraction and the restriction of flow in the low temperature gas supply pipe 35A and combustion gas exhaust port 35 by the rapid accumulation of adhering slag downstream of the opening of the low temperature gas supply pipe 35A and exhaust port 35, which requires intermittent cessation of operation of the combustion apparatus, since the formation of the adhering slag necessitates removal. The invention is directed toward overcoming these problems.


A non-invasive method for measuring the level of filling material in a vessel and for detecting the presence of the filling material in the vessel at a predetermined set point level is based on monitoring the oscillation of the vessel's outside wall that follows an impact load applied to the external surface of the vessel's wall. The method may employ short range level measurement and long range level measurement procedures. The short-range level measurement utilizes the macro-dynamic properties of the oscillating space in the vicinity of the center of the impact. The long-range level measurement utilizes the properties of the transverse elastic waves propagating along the vessel's wall after the impact. The value of the measured level may be determined by a joint evaluation of the output of the short range level measurement procedure and the output of the long range level measurement procedure.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods for measuring a filling material level in vessels and for detecting filling material presence in vessels.
2. Description of the Related Art
The need to know about the presence of a filling matter in a vessel, as well as the quantitative information about the space that the filling matter occupies in the vessel, is evident in many industrial and domestic applications. Accordingly, a variety of methods and devices are described in the scientific and technical literature. Methods for filling material level measurement could be grouped by the following five considerations:                1. Invasive vs. Non-invasive        2. Dependence of the method upon the vessel's material        3. Dependence of the method upon the filling material        4. Invariance to environmental disturbances        5. Safety
Of these, the primary consideration is invasive versus non-invasive because this consideration is the most serious constraint for the measuring method and the measuring apparatus implementing the method. Therefore, the prior art methods will be discussed from the position of invasiveness first of all. Invasive methods require the presence of a measuring device's element inside the vessel; non-invasive methods are limited to those that do not require a measuring device's element inside the vessel. The number of invasive methods is noticeably larger then the number of non-invasive methods. The former methods could utilize the principals of Time Domain Reflectometry of very short electrical pulses (TDR) that " . . . are propagated along a transmission line or guide wire that is partially immersed in the material being measured. . . . Reflected pulses are produced at the material interface due to the change in dielectric constant. . . . " The time difference between the launched and reflected pulses is used to determine the material level, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,610,611, 6,452,467 and 6,481,276. This approach is usable in continuous and set-point level measurement applications.
Another known approach to the material presence detection and the filling material level measurement is based on monitoring the dynamic properties of a mechanical system comprised of an oscillatory structure directly contacting the filling material as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,631,633, 4,896,536, 6,105,425 and 5,862,431. Some solutions suggest using a mechanical arm with one end fixed at a predetermined level and the opposite end attached to a switch, to provide for a level relay control or set point level measurement of the filling material. U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,211 issued to Dziedzic et al, serves as an example of the above-described invasive method for the set point level measurement. Among the methods that exploit monitoring the dynamic properties of a mechanical system, U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,997 issued to Dieulesaint, et al. represents a set-point liquid level measurement solution that monitors changes in the parameters of the Lamb elastic waves in the detection plate. These waves are generated by a transmitter and are received by a receiver of the measuring system. The plate is installed at a predetermined level inside of a tank. The parameters of the Lamb wave change dramatically at the moment the detection plate contacts the filling liquid, thereby allowing the set-point level measurement. Scientific Technologies, Inc., manufactures another vibrating level sensor, VBS series. The sensor is described in the company website www.stiautomationproducts.com: "The VBS series is designed specifically for solid level detection in very small hoppers less than 3 ft (1 m) tall. The VBS is a compact diaphragm vibration switch for use with dry solids at atmospheric pressures." "The sensitivity may vary depending on the apparent specific gravity and fluidity of the powder," thus the detection sensitivity depends on the buried portion of the diaphragm in the vertical direction.
A large group of methods is based on the capacitive properties of the filling material. According to these methods, at least one member of the measuring capacitor is located within the container. The electrical capacitance of the measuring capacitor varies depending on the amount of filling material and could be calculated to correspond to the measured level. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,207,098 and 4,574,328 illustrate such invasive capacitive methods.
Although limited by the constraints of specific applications, every ultrasound, electromagnetic, and laser method for distance measurement and their combinations are usable for measuring the filling material level in vessels. Some of these methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,877,997, 5,793,704, 6,122,602, 5,822,275, 5,699,151, 6,128,982 and 5,892,576 and illustrate the wave-train-based invasive approaches to the vessel's filling material level measurement.
With regard to non-invasive methods for the level measurement, the following popular approaches are known:                Radioactive        Capacitive        Ultrasound        Gravitational
Radioactive methods are based on the fact that radioactive energy attenuates after passing through a vessel's walls and through filling material. Obviously, radioactive systems are dependent on the vessel's material and the filling material. These systems are not capable of continuous level measurement and these systems require special design and operational efforts to maintain a sufficient degree of safety. The example of a radioactive system usable for a set point level measurement is Radiometric Measuring System DG57 manufactured by Endress+Hauser.
Gravitational systems require the exact knowledge of the empty vessel's weight and its dimensions including the internal dimensions. Gravitational systems are limited in their applicability due to problems with installation of the weight-measuring equipment and calculation of the actual level of filling material, which varies depending on the vessel's internal topology, mechanical properties of the filling material and environmental conditions, e.g., material viscosity or temperature. Vishay Nobel of Sweden manufactures one such gravitational system.
Non-invasive capacitive methods for the material level measurement in vessels are subject to a very strong limitation. In order to obtain satisfactory measurement resolution, the distance between the conductive elements of a sensing capacitor must be substantially smaller than their area. In fact, the capacitance of two parallel rectangular plates taken into the first approximation analysis is described by a well-known formula:
                    C        =                                            kɛ              o                                    A                    d                                    (        1        )            wherein, C denotes the capacitance; ∈o—electric constant; k—relative permittivity; A—area of a flat rectangular conductive element; and d—distance between the conductive elements. Note that all mathematical notations in this patent application are standard (refer to www.mathworld.wolfram.com). Given that d=0.01 m, A=1.00 m2, k=2.5 (typical value for dielectric materials), C=2.5·8.85·10−12·1.00/0.01=22.125·10−4 μF. A 10% change in the area of the conductive plates results in a 221.25 pF change in the capacitance. This value is comparable with the capacitance of wiring for a printed circuit board. Thus, the non-invasive capacitive method for level measurement is only practically applicable to very small vessels with dielectric filling material. For the same reason, in applications with electro-conductive filling material, the non-invasive capacitive methods are only feasible for vessels with relatively thin non-conductive walls. Therefore, non-invasive capacitive methods for the filling material level measurement in vessels have a narrow field of application. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,448,782 and 6,472,887 offer a detailed description of devices utilizing the non-invasive capacitive method for filling material level measurement in vessels; the former is for electro-conductive filling material, and the later is for dielectric filling material.
Ultrasound non-invasive methods for level measurement require the attachment of one or more transducers to the external wall of a vessel for transmitting the acoustic energy toward the boundary surface separating the filling material from the remaining space inside of the vessel. The receiver of the measuring system gets the reflected ultrasound wave train and sends it to the device's echo processing electronics. Thus, with the exception of the external attachment of the transducers, these methods bear all the distinctions of well-known invasive ultrasound methods for the distance/level measurement. However, the ultrasound non-invasive method is advantageous because of its non-invasiveness. At the same time, the ultrasound non-invasive approach to the filling material level measurement is limited by the homogeneity of the filling material. Typically, measuring systems of this method are used for homogeneous liquid filling materials. It is not applicable to loose materials or liquids with inclusions. In addition, this method is not applicable to relatively small-sized containers due to problems with acoustic pulse relaxation, reverberation and the size of transducers. Plus, the method is temperature-dependent, thereby requiring temperature compensation during measurement. If used for the set-point level measurement or material presence detection, the method is prone to creating false alarms due to the effect of some volume of a viscous filling material adhering to the internal surface of the container. Finally, the ultrasound-based non-invasive technologies require special treatment of the container's surface in order to create a conduit for ultrasound waves emitted by a transducer into the container. An example of such technology is VesselCheck ST and SpotCheck of Cannongate Technology, UK. The VesselCheck marketing material published on www.cannongatetechnology.co.uk says: "With VesselCheck ST, there's no need to make holes in the vessel. The unique VesselCheck ST provides continuous measurement with no process connections, meaning no down-time during installation. Two small ultrasonic transducers are clamped to the outside walls of the vessel. One is mounted on the bottom of the vessel and the other on the side, to compensate for variations in temperature and density." "SpotCheck uses an ultrasonic "footprint" to determine the presence or absence of liquid inside a tank or pipe. . . . In order to insure that SpotCheck will operate satisfactorily, the surface of the tank or pipe must be prepared correctly." For instance, deseaming and gelling the wall's surface is required in the area in which the transducer is mounted.
A similar approach has been announced by HiTECH Technologies, Inc., USA. This company markets continuous and set point devices based on their Penetrating Pulse Technology (PPT) [Online article: "Penetrating Pulse Technology," at www.hightechtech.com], which resembles the method developed by Cannongate Technology, Ltd., UK. The distinctive feature of PPT is generating a single short ultrasound impulse penetrating the vessel's wall toward the filling material. The HiTECH Technologies-developed SONOMETER for the continuous level measurement and SONOCONTROL for the set point level measurement are based on PPT. The company provides a comprehensive description of their method on the website www.hitechtech.com. An analysis of PPT methods shows that the technology is ultrasound and uses either the Pulse Transit Time paradigm or the monitoring of the duration of ultrasound waves' relaxation to indicate the material presence in the plane in which the special acoustical transducer is installed on the outside wall of the vessel. The PPT are subject to all of the above-described limitations of the ultrasound methods of the level measurement.
An analysis of the related art shows that all known invasive or non-invasive level measurement techniques are limited by the factors of vessel's material, filling material and environment. See also: Burdik V. Analysis of Sonar Systems. L., 1988; Skoochik E. Fundamentals of Acoustics. M., 1976; and Krasilnikov V. A., Krylov V. V. Introduction to Physical Acoustics. M., 1984.
The object of the present invention is to develop a method for the non-invasive measurement of the filling material level in the vessel free of the underlined limitations.

Non-invasive method for detecting and measuring filling material in vessels


A magnetometer containing a crystal sensor with solid-state defects senses the magnitude and direction of a magnetic field. The solid-state defects in the crystal sensor absorb microwave and optical energy to transition between several energy states while emitting light intensity indicative of their spin states. The magnetic field alters the spin-state transitions of the solid-state defects by amounts depending on the solid-state defects' orientations with respect to the magnetic field. The optical read out, reporting the spin state of an ensemble of solid-state defects from one particular orientation class, can be used to lock microwave signals to the resonances associated with the spin-state transitions. The frequencies of the locked microwave signals can be used to reconstruct the magnetic field vector.

The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond has a number of exceptional properties, including a long room-temperature spin coherence time (˜1 ms), optical accessibility for spin initialization and detection, and embedding in a solid-state spin environment that can be engineered for a wide variety of applications. One application for which the NV center has shown particular promise is quantum sensing including magnetometry. A standard method of sensing magnetic fields with NV centers uses an optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) spectrum to determine the NV ground state transition frequencies which experience Zeeman splitting as a function of the applied magnetic field and are scaled only by fundamental constants. However, current NV magnetometers that employ this method rely on measurements of NV fluorescence intensity and are therefore susceptible to noise in the optical and microwave excitation sources used to perform ODMR measurements.
An earlier approach to ODMR-based NV magnetometry measured the full spectra and performed fits to extract the NV resonance frequencies. It involved spending a large fraction of the measurement time monitoring non-information-containing off resonance signal and was subsequently prohibitively slow.
Another earlier method used lock-in techniques to continuously monitor a single resonance on the approximately linear derivative of the curve, from which small resonance frequency shifts were detected by applying pre-calibrated scale factors. However, this second approach was still limited to the approximately linear regime of the lock-in signal resulting in a dynamic range of about 10 μT. Furthermore, this method was dependent on phenomenological variables instead of a true frequency shift. In particular, the scale factor was influenced by the NV resonance linewidth and contrast, both of which were affected by optical pump power, microwave power, and detection efficiency. These variables are different for each device and drift over time, consequently requiring periodic calibration.
A third earlier method employed a closed-loop feedback lock-in technique on a single resonance of a single NV center; however such an approach is not inherently suited to magnetic sensing, suffering from severe systematic errors due to, for example, time-varying temperature and magnetic field when applied to magnetic sensing. Furthermore, single-NV measurements are incompatible with vector magnetometry. In particular, none of the previous methods performed measurements on multiple NV resonances in an NV ensemble simultaneously; thus none were able to extract full magnetic field vector information in real-time, decoupled from the effects of temperature.

Methods and apparatus for optically detecting magnetic resonance


Interactions between a player, an electronic gaming machine being played by the player, and a control system that is interfaced with both the electronic gaming machine and the player's smart device are described. The player registers with the electronic gaming machine and also registers with the control system using an application residing on the player's smart device which establishes the player's identity and physical location as being within the venue containing the electronic gaming machine and/or near the electronic gaming machine. In one embodiment, when both registrations are active, a control command can be sent from the player's smart device that controls an operation of the electronic gaming machine.

Most casinos implement rewards programs for their customers. The rewards programs can vary in specific overall content but in general each rewards program involves tracking the amount of game play by the player, offering promotions, incentives and rewards to the player, and the like. Casino rewards programs typically issue a token such as card to each player that signs up for the rewards program. The token is used by the game player and the casino to keep track of the amount of game play by the player. The token can be used to track game play on any game found in a casino including table games such as blackjack or roulette, or gaming machines such as slot machines and video poker.
In one example involving electronic slot machines, a player intending to play a specific electronic slot machine registers with the machine using their assigned rewards token element, and for financial interactions such as cashing in credits or exchanging credits, a passcode element assigned to the player. As long as the player has the token element and, for financial interactions the correct passcode element, or correct singular credential like a biometric input such as a fingerprint, the electronic slot machine and the control system interfaced with the slot machine consider the player to be verified and start tracking game play and otherwise interacting with the player.
In one known implementation, each electronic slot machine is provided with for example a card reader, a key pad, and a basic LED display. The player inserts their card into the card reader. This verifies the player, and registers the player with that specific machine and allows the casino to track the amount of game play of the player. If the player wishes to cash in credits or exchange credits, the player may also need to enter their passcode using the key pad. Basic messages such as greetings to the player, promotional offers, incentives, advertisements and the like can be presented to the player via the LED display. The basic LED display limits the amount and quality of the content that can be provided by the casino to the player.
In another known implementation, each electronic slot machine can be provided with a card reader and a touchscreen display that is separate from the screen of the slot machine. The player inserts their card into the card reader and, if necessary, enters their passcode using the touchscreen. The touchscreen is larger than a basic LED display and permits display of more content to the player, such as videos, and permits display of more complex messages to the player such as greetings, promotional offers, incentives, advertisements and the like.
In yet another known implementation, each electronic slot machine can be provided with a card reader and a portion of the slot machine screen functions as a touchscreen (referred to as picture-in-picture) via which the player enters their passcode if necessary. Once the player is verified, the portion of the slot machine screen can then be used to display content to the player, such as videos, or greetings, promotional offers, incentives, advertisements and the like.

Systems and methods of facilitating interactions between an electronic gaming machine, game player, and a control system


A paintbrush having an adjustable brush head which allows for various positioning of the head with respect to the handle. The paintbrush comprises a wedge-shaped tilt element (30) positioned between the head (20) and the handle (10). The body and the wedge-shaped tilt element can rotate with respect to one another. The wedge-shaped tilt element and the handle can rotate with respect to one another. The handle, the wedge-shaped tilt element and the body are removably secured against one another by a connecting member, such as a nut and bolt assembly passing through apertures which extend through the handle, the wedge-shaped tilt element and the body. Interlocking protrusions may be provided to assist in the handle, the wedge-shaped tilt element and the body being removably secured against one another.

The paintbrush is the staple tool for all painters, whether professional or amateur. A typical paintbrush comprises a brush head extending straight out from the end of a straight handle.
The prior art includes variations on the typical paintbrush in which the construction of the paintbrush head and/or handle are altered to assist a painter in reaching difficult places such as corners, nooks and crannies or to simply make the painting chore more easily performed. As a result, various paintbrush designs exist in which the paintbrush head is attached to a handle in a fixed orientation.
Herbowi (Canadian Patent No. 2,111,262), discloses a paintbrush having an adjustable head. The head can be tilted through various angles about an axis which extends generally perpendicularly to the handle. The positioning is limited to a two-dimensional plane. A typical paintbrush head cannot be easily converted into this design. The same comments apply to numerous other adjustable paintbrushes, such as the paintbrushes disclosed in Smith (Canadian Patent No. 1,220,448); Perabo (German Patent No. DE 198 37 988 A1); and, Piombino (EP 0 541 138 A1).
Despite the many designs for adjustable paintbrushes which have been proposed and the long history of paintbrush development, the inventors have determined that there remains a need for a paintbrush which is more widely adjustable than existing paintbrushes and is still cost effective to produce.


A process for protecting a MEMS device used in a UV illuminated application from damage due to a photochemical activation between the UV flux and package gas constituents, formed from the out-gassing of various lubricants and passivants put in the device package to prevent sticking of the MEMS device""s moving parts. This process coats the exposed surfaces of the MEMS device and package""s optical window surfaces with a metal-halide film to eliminate this photochemical activation and therefore significantly extend the reliability and lifetime of the MEMS device.

The present invention relates to micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices and more specifically to enhancing the reliability and lifetime of these devices when operating in the presence of UV illumination.
Micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices are usually small structures, which rely on mechanical motion to function. The digital micro-mirror device (DMD) is a MEMS structure comprised of an array of tiny micro-mirrors, which are attached to posts extended up from the substrate by means of compliant torsion hinges. Electrostatic fields between the mirrors and memory cells located in the underlying semiconductor substrate cause the mirrors to rotate (tilt) in either a positive or negative direction. These devices have found wide application as spatial light modulators (SLM) and optical switching devices.
Since there is motion involved, special lubricants, passivants, getters, and/or other gases are often included in the package headspace (space inside package around device) around the device to assure smooth (proper) operation of the device. For example, without special lubricants the micro-mirrors of a DMD may stick causing a lubricants the micro-mirrors of a DMD may stick causing a defect in the device. This sticking problem can result from hydration, surface tension, tribology, or any number of other effects for which these special lubricants and getters help prevent.
There are a number of applications requiring UV illumination, such as photolithography and photo-finishing, where MEMS devices are highly effective, due to their optical performance. However, the headspace chemistry inside the MEMS package often contains sufficient amounts of fluorocarbon, chlorocarbon, fluorochlorocarbon, and hydrofluorochlorocarbon modalities that when exposed to UV flux can become reactive, due to photochemical activation, damaging the surfaces of the MEMS device and the package optical window.
What is needed is a way to eliminate this surface degradation in MEMS devices, caused by photochemical activation, when used in UV illuminated applications. This invention describes a new use process for enhancing the reliability, and hence the lifetime of MEMS devices in UV exposed environments by properly coating the device and window surfaces with a metal halide.
This invention discloses a process for precluding damage to a MEMS device, used in a UV illuminated application, due to a photochemical activation between the optical UV flux and package gas constituents. These gases come from out-gassing of various lubricants and passivants put in the device package to prevent sticking of the MEMS device""s moving parts. When these gases are exposed to UV flux, various chemical radicals can be generated that can etch or otherwise damage the surfaces of the device and the package window.
The essence of this invention is to coat the exposed surfaces of the MEMS device and window surface with various metal-halides to eliminate this photochemical activation and therefore significantly extend the reliability and lifetime of the MEMS device. These coating prevent the Si and SiO2 of the MEMS device, and the SiBO7 of the package""s optical window from being exposed to UV flux, thereby eliminating the formation of such volatile compounds as SiF4, SiCl4, BF3, and BCl3, any of which has the tendency to destroy the MEMS device.

MEMS device with controlled gas space chemistry


A dispenser device for removing planar panels from a hopper is provided with a panel engagement drum located at the discharge of the hopper which includes friction surfaces at spaced apart locations around the perimeter for sequentially engaging subsequent bottom-most panels in the hopper and extracting them from the hopper as the drum continuously rotates. A positioner is engagable with disengagable from the bottom-most panel at the hopper discharge end to position the bottom-most spacer at a location to be engaged by the friction surfaces of the drum. A stop is operatively responsive with the positioner for engagement with the penultimate one of the panels for preventing the penultimate one of the panels from moving to the location of the positioner during the time period the positioner is in its panel disengaged position.

The present invention relates to devices for removing planar panels, such as cards or sheets of material from a supply hopper containing a plurality of such panels and more particularly to a dispenser device for removing planar panels sequentially one at a time from a hopper containing a plurality of panels. For example, panels such as cards or sheets of material are used in the manufacture of packaging for various goods. The panels or cards of material are used to construct the container for the goods or as partitions or spacers within the container to separate the goods within the container from each other.
In a high volume manufacturing environment, it is a problem to rapidly remove such panels from a supply of panels and feed them one at a time to a workstation for assembly into a package. And, various devices have been proposed to accomplish this task.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,456,449 issued on Dec. 14, 1948 to Ruan et al. is directed to a device for removing a card from the bottom of a stack of cards and inserting the card into the fold of a folded sheet. The stack of cards is in an open bottom hopper. A wheel or stripper disc is located beneath the open end of the hopper to engage the bottom-most card in the hopper. As the disc rotates through a quarter turn it extracts a card from the hopper. A linearly moving ram contacts the trailing edge of a card from the hopper and pushes it into a fold of a folded sheet. The disc has a pinion gear which is engaged by a rack gear to rotate the disc through quarter turns.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,994 issued on Oct. 3, 1972 to Henry Morgan Corderoy is directed to a device for removing flat spacers from the open bottom of a magazine. The device is a feed plate which moves transversly across the bottom end of the magazine and pushes the bottom-most spacer into a set of jaws located next to the magazine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,803,993 issued on Apr. 16, 1974 to Robert H. Graham is directed to a horizontally reciprocable table or blade which moves across the open bottom end of a hOpper to remove the bottom-most one of a panel or sheet of cardboard from the hopper.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,328 issued on May 17, 1977 to Calvert et al. is directed to an angled hopper having an open bottom end for holding a stack of spacers or blanks. A pair of suction cups are mounted to a moving belt. The belt reciprocates back and forth bringing the suction cups into engagement with the bottom-most one of the spacers in the hopper. As the suction cups move away from the hopper they extract a spacer from the hopper.

Dispenser device for removing planar panels from a hopper


A flexible guide for paper sheets exiting the outlet slot of office equipment. The flexible paper guide is easily attachable to a variety of office equipment, which, ordinarily, do not have sheet paper guides. After being attached to the desired office equipment surface, the flexible guide extends over a roll of unprinted material keeping the unused material clean and preventing the printed material from re-coiling and re-entering the material inlet slot. The flexible paper guide has an attachment layer for fastening the guide to the upper surface of the desired office equipment, and is made from a flexible material. The flexible material causes the flexible and tensioned guide to bend, which produces a low angle between the plane of the flexible material guide and the plane of the upper surface of the equipment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to guides, and more particularly to a flexible sheet device which is an easily attachable and interchangeable guide for printed sheets exiting the outlet slots of different types of office equipment, which usually do not have integrated sheet guides.
2. Description of Related Art
The conventional art depicts a variety of non-interchangeable sheet guides designed for specific types of equipment which generally fall into two categories: 1) paper type guides mechanically fastened through hinge type pins or anchored to specifically shaped receiving slots; or 2) paper outlets of office equipment, shaped and functionally configured to hold exiting paper in a specific orientation in relation to the unprinted paper for minimizing interference with the unprinted paper. In contrast to the conventional art, the present invention is designed to be interchangeable and capable of attachment to a variety of office equipment not configured with built-in guides or specifically shaped paper outlets.
In the first category, U.S. Pat. No. 3,333,671, issued to Karl H. Rhode on Aug. 1, 1967, describes a paper guide mechanically fastened by pins or pivots to the piece of office equipment. Rhode does not disclose an interchangeable and flexible material guide that can be attached via an attachment or adhesive layer to a variety of office equipment.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,612, issued to Helge Stahre on Jul. 18, 1989, describes an apparatus for viewing a large number of entries on a sheet of paper leaving a calculating machine. The apparatus connects or anchors to the calculating machine by fitting in a track of the calculating machine, and utilizes an elongated fastening device. Stahre does not disclose an interchangeable and flexible material guide that can be attached via an attachment or adhesive layer to a variety of office equipment.
U.K. Patent Application No. GB 2142879 A, published on Apr. 9, 1984, for Naoyuki Maruyama, describes a paper guide adapted for use in an apparatus for producing a record. The paper guide is specifically shaped and mechanically fastened through a hinge pin to the recording apparatus. The patent application does not disclose an interchangeable and flexible material guide that can be attached via an attachment or adhesive layer to a variety of office equipment.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 2,802,558, issued on Aug. 13, 1957, to Mark Wexler describes magnetic alignment elements for continuous form typewriters or machines. The Wexler alignment elements are two separate tabs which attach to a carriage of a typewriter to keep the forms fed through the typewriter from moving laterally due to the drag exerted by the reciprocal motion of the carriage. The alignment elements are anchored to the typewriter through a combination of metallic attraction and use of a pressure sensitive adhesive layer. Wexler does not disclose a one-piece interchangeable and material flexible guide that can be attached via an attachment or adhesive layer to a variety of office equipment. As a result, the structure of the specifically designed Wexler typewriter alignment tabs cannot be used to keep printing material or paper from recoiling, inking unused rolls of printing material, or keeping debris out of a printing material inlet slot of various pieces of office equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,282 issued Jan. 3, 1989, to William R. Bradham on describes a paper guide and stop for a multifunctional printer. The paper guide is attached by screws, rivets or adhesives to a stop block integrated into the multi functional printer. The paper guide is structurally designed to work in conjunction with a specifically shaped path or track for a paper slip or recorded media integrated into the multifunction printer. This combination of components restrains the movement of the paper slip and prevents interference of the paper slip or recorded media with a movable printhead, which moves in a reciprocating motion perpendicular to the path of the paper slip or recording media. Bradham, therefore, does not disclose a one-piece interchangeable and flexible material guide that can be attached via an attachment or adhesive layer to a variety of office equipment. As a result, the structure of the specifically designed and shaped Bradham paper guide and slip stop cannot be used to keep printing material or paper from re-coiling, inking unused rolls of printing material or keeping debris out of a material inlet slot of various pieces of office equipment.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a flexible paper guide solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
The present invention is a flexible guide for printing material exiting the material outlet slot of office equipment. The flexible guide is easily interchangeable and attachable to a variety of office equipment, which, ordinarily, do not have specifically configured and integrated guides. Upon attachment to the equipment surface, the guide extends over the roll of unused printing material keeping the unused material clean, and preventing the printed material from recoiling and reentering the material inlet slot. The guide specifically incorporates an attachment layer for attachment to the equipment""s upper surface. The guide is made from flexible material, such as vinyl, which produces an angle generally less than 45xc2x0 between the planes of the guide and the upper surface of the equipment, to minimize debris and printed material from reentering the material inlet slot of the equipment.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a flexible material guide that is interchangeable and attaches to a variety of office equipment that ordinarily do not have integrated material guides.
It is another object of the invention to flex and prevent a ribbon of printing material exiting an outlet slot from rolling back into the material inlet slot.
It is a further object of the invention to keep debris and torn printing material from entering the material inlet slot.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an easily removable invention which is capable of attaching to a variety of office equipment with printing material supplies.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.


A method of operating a filter press, wherein filter material is fed into a filter chamber so as to form a filter cake between at least two sides of a flexible said filter medium. Filtrate is received from the filter chamber and the filter cake formed the filter chamber is discharged. Prior to discharging the filter cake, compression is applied on the filter cake formed within the filter chamber by providing compression fluid gas at a compression pressure exceeding a prevailing pressure within the filter chamber, directly on a side of the filter medium exterior to the filter chamber, so as to exert said compression pressure directly on said side of the filter medium, thereby causing the filter medium to yield against the filter cake.

Conventional filter presses are well known in the art. Commonly, a filter press comprises a filter chamber into which filter material, such as slurry, is fed. The solids content of the filter material is separated from the liquid contents thereof by a filter medium, such as a liquid permeable filter cloth. The liquid portion is recovered from the filter chamber via a drainage arrangement, whereas the solids content forms filter cake within the filter chamber.
To further extract liquid content form the filter cake, it is often squeezed by diaphragm or membrane element, compressed against the filter cake using fluid pressure. Such a membrane or diaphragm have conventionally been sealed elements in the sense that the fluid used for exerting a pressure is contained within the diaphragm or membrane.
Moreover, an airflow is often induced through the filter medium and/or filter cake for further extracting any remaining liquid portion therefrom.
Such arrangements provide good results in extracting the liquid contents of the filter material, but requires a complex structure and introduces additional components which are subject to wear, and thus, additional maintenance.

Method for operating a filter press and a filter press


A precooling operation/preheating operation control apparatus includes: an air conditioner, a ventilation apparatus, and a controller. The air conditioner performs heat exchange between air in a target space for precooling or preheating and a heat medium. The ventilation apparatus replaces part of the air in the target space with outside air that is air outside a building. The controller determines, on the basis of a set temperature of the target space at a designated time and a quantity related to an outside air temperature, operation details of the air conditioner and operation details of the ventilation apparatus during a precooling operation or preheating operation.

Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent No. 6270996) discloses absence control for controlling an air conditioner when a user is absent in an air-conditioning-target space. The absence control is performed in order to increase comfortableness when the user is back to the air-conditioning-target space. During the absence control, in order to determine the length of time for operating the air conditioner and the load processing amount of the air conditioner, the length of an absent time, framework performance of a building including the air-conditioning-target space, and an air conditioning load at the start of occupancy are referred to.

System for determining operation condition of precooling operation/preheating operation of air conditioner


The invention is directed to an improved method for making a porcelain enamel tag or sign. The process involves forming a single white porcelain enamel base coat over a suitable metal backing, and firing to bond the porcelain enamel to the metal, resulting in the formation of a porcelain coated metal blank. The blank is then coated with a photographic emulsion which contains a colored frit. The emulsion coating is allowed to dry, and is then ready to receive a printed image. The desired image or graphic to be reproduced is formed on a light transmitting backing, which is made in the form of a print. The print is then affixed to the porcelain enamel blank which contains the emulsion overcoating. The blank containing the image on its surface is then exposed to a source of activating radiation. Following exposure, the image containing blank is developed in a warm aqueous solution, whereby the water serves to develop the emulsion mixture. The developed blank is then fired to burn off the emulsion mixture, whereby the colored frit in the form of the desired image melts and is fused into the base coat to form a permanent image.

Porcelain enamel coated products have existed and been used for over three centuries. Porcelain enamel may be defined as a substantially vitreous or glassy, inorganic coating bonded to metal by fusion at a temperature above 800.degree. F. Although there have been many modifications to porcelain enamel technology over the years, the basic principles regarding the formation of porcelain coated products remain the same. Basically, a combination of metals and other organic compounds are combined in the form of a fine powder, like glass, into a frit. A frit may be defined as small friable particles produced by quenching a molten glassy material. The frit is then coated or applied, typically with a liquid carrier such as water, to the prepared surface of a blank or supporting substrate, such as a metal. The frit is then fired, usually at a temperature above 1,000.degree. F., to form the desired porcelain enamel coating on the selected product. Porcelain enamel coated products typically include grills, stove tops, washing machines, plates, utensils, bath tubs, and tags and signs. Because of its outstanding weather, chemical and heat resistance, porcelain enamelling has undergone a recent resurgence in view of a cost aware economy and the need for certain products which exhibit durability over a long period of time.
With respect to outdoor use, porcelain enamel tags and signs offer the ultimate in durability. For this reason, porcelain enamel signs are commonly used for gas pipe lines and electric utility tower transmission signs, which are examples of two applications where it is extremely costly to install a sign and where the durability and extra life of the sign is extremely important. In addition, porcelain enamel signs can be easily cleaned after being defaced, and for this reason, provide an excellent product for use in public areas such as parks, subways, and zoos.
Typically, porcelain signs are currently made using a metal backing such as steel, in view of porcelain enamel's ability to bind to metal. Generally the metal is first pickled and washed in a variety of hot baths, in order to remove any oil or other unwanted material from the surface. If all the oil is not effectively removed from the surface, it will cause a blemish and the porcelain enamel will not adhere to that spot. After pickling the metal blank, it is typically coated with a grey ground coat of frit. This coating may conveniently take place by either dipping the blank in a wet solution of grey frit, or by spraying with a wet solution. The ground coat has been specially made to adhere well to the metal. The ground coat is then fired to form a porcelain enamel coating over the metal backing. The next step is to apply a white (or other solid background color) coating on top of the ground coat. This coating can be painted, sprayed, or dipped over the ground coat as described above in the forming of the ground coat. Following the application of the white coat, the sign blank is then fired again.
After this step, the sign blank is now ready to receive the desired graphics typically in the form of an image and/or words. The image is typically made by an art department by any suitable graphics program available to the art or hand typesetting technique. The image is eventually shot onto a film positive, and the film positive placed on to a previously photo-sensitized, stretched screen, and exposed. The screen now has the image burned into it, and the image appears as openings in the screen mesh; with the unprinted background having the opaque coating.
The finished screen is then positioned in a screen press, and porcelain enamel ink is loaded into the screen, and the white coated porcelain enamel blank sign is printed. The porcelain enamel ink is available from a number of frit manufacturers of powdered frits and oils. The oils help the frit flow and make the frit screen printable.
Once the words are printed on the sign, generally in black, the frit is allowed to air dry. During the drying process, the oil in the frit evaporates, and after the black words dry, the sign is then fired. After cooling, the sign is then completed.
The above process represents the current state of the art for making porcelain enamel signs and tags. This process, although suitable for a large run of signs or hags, is extremely expensive for making one-of-a-kind or small numbers of signs due to the labor intensive costs involved in the various steps. Therefore, there has been a continuing need in the field for an improved process, which would allow for porcelain enamel signs to be made more simply and efficiently.

Method for making porcelain tags and signs by selectively radiating a frit containing-emulsion coating applied thereto


A vehicle control system includes a position recognition part that recognizes a position of a vehicle, a trajectory generating part that generates a trajectory which includes a plurality of future target positions to be reached by the vehicle, the plurality of future target positions being consecutively aligned in time series, and a travel controller that derives a target speed when the vehicle is caused to travel along the trajectory on the basis of a distance between the plurality of target positions included in the trajectory and that corrects the target speed on the basis of a first deviation between the position of the vehicle recognized by the position recognition part and a first target position corresponding to a recognition time at which the recognition of the position of the vehicle has been performed among the plurality of target positions.

In recent years, research has been performed on a technology for automatically controlling at least one of acceleration/deceleration and steering of a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as automated driving). In relation thereto, an automated traveling vehicle in which a speed difference between a host vehicle speed and a preceding vehicle speed is compared with a predetermined value which has been determined in advance, acceleration and deceleration are controlled in order to adjust an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle according to the host vehicle speed or the preceding vehicle speed on the basis of a comparison result, and the acceleration and deceleration are corrected according to the host vehicle speed when the speed difference between the host vehicle speed and the preceding vehicle speed is equal to or greater than the predetermined value is known (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).

Vehicle control system, vehicle control method and vehicle control program


Systems and methods for processing quality-of-service (QoS) information of memory transactions are described. In an embodiment, a method comprises receiving identification information and quality-of-service information corresponding to a first or original memory transaction transmitted from a hardware subsystem to a memory, receiving a given memory transaction from a processor complex that does not support quality-of-service encoding, determining whether the given memory transaction matches the original memory transaction, and appending the stored quality-of-service information to the given memory transaction in response to the given memory transaction matching the original memory transaction. In some embodiments, a system may be implemented as a system-on-a-chip (SoC). Devices suitable for using these systems include, for example, desktop and laptop computers, tablets, network appliances, mobile phones, personal digital assistants, e-book readers, televisions, and game consoles.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure is related to the field of computer systems, and more particularly to systems and methods for processing quality-of-service (QoS) information of memory transactions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some computers feature memory access mechanisms that allow hardware subsystems or input/output (I/O) peripherals to access system memory without direct interference from a central processing unit (CPU) or processor. As a result, memory transactions or requests involving these peripherals may take place while the processor continues to perform other tasks, thus increasing overall system efficiency. Moreover, enabling a variety of circuits to access a common memory creates situations where the memory may have to make decisions as to the order in which received requests are processed, for example.
To allow the memory to make these types of decisions, a quality-of-service (QoS) mechanism may be implemented such that an entity generating a memory request may also provide information representing the QoS associated with that request. In a typical scenario, every circuit in the path of a memory request or transaction containing QoS information must be capable of processing that information—or at least of forwarding the information to a subsequent circuit which is then capable of processing it.

Processing quality-of-service (QoS) information of memory transactions


The present invention provides methods and devices for attenuating sound emanating from a harmonica when played while practicing or performing by a player. The methods and devices include a sound blocking and reflecting means and, optionally, a sound absorbing means.

The harmonica is a popular handheld musical instrument that appeals to a wide range of players from children to seniors, amateurs to professionals. Also called a harp, French harp, blues harp or mouth organ, the harmonica is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country and rock and roll.
One popular form of the harmonica is the ten-hole diatonic harmonica, having two reeds per hole, although there are numerous variations having different numbers of holes, and reeds per hole. As shown for example in FIG. 1, the typical construction of a diatonic harmonica 1 includes a pair of reed plates 4, 5 attached to opposing faces of a comb 2 defining an air chamber 3 there between. Each reed plate 4, 5 contains a set of flexible elastic reeds 7, 10 each affixed below rectangular slots 6, 9 through which the metallic reeds 7, 10 vibrate. The means of attachment of the elastic reeds 7, 10 to the reed plate 4, 5 may be a rivet, screw, spot weld or any other appropriate attachment means 8. The elastic reeds may be typically made from a variety of alloys including beryllium copper, phosphor bronze, brass, or stainless steel, although they may also be made from polymeric materials.
Harmonicas produce musical tones by a player blowing air into, or drawing air from, a mouthpiece containing multiple holes (or reed chambers) in a manner that causes one or more of the reeds 7, 10 therein to vibrate. The reeds 7, 10 of each reed chamber are configured such that one reed 7 is preferably played when blowing and the other reed 10 when drawing. Surrounding the reeds 7, 10 is an enclosure typically comprised of a pair of cover plates 11, 12 fashioned from metal, plastic, or wood, and providing an opening 15 to the atmosphere, usually positioned on the face of the harmonica opposite the player's mouth, downwind of the air flow.
In a non-limiting example of the operation of the harmonica, the player blows into the air chamber 3 causing the blow reed 7 to close, obstructing the reed slot 6, thereby interrupting the flow of air 14. This flow interruption causes intermittent compression and rarefaction of the air, creating acoustic sound that exits the opening 15 provided by the cover plates 11, 12 which transmit an acoustic pressure to the surrounding air, whereupon it may be perceived by the ear of a person within proximity to the instrument.
When practicing or playing for personal pleasure, however, it may be desirable to prevent the sound from being perceived by persons other than the player so as not to disturb others or to bring unwanted attention to the player.
Further, it may be undesirable or disadvantageous for the player to simply play less forcefully, as a certain minimum air flow is necessary for the instrument to operate property.
A need exists, therefore, for a way to attenuate the loudness of a harmonica so as to permit playing or practicing the instrument without disturbing others.

Methods and devices for muting a harmonica


Routing of data in a mobile radiotelephone system to an intended recipient roaming mobile end station (M-ES) is facilitated by determining if the M-ES is within the same geographic area of the originating data source. If the M-ES is within the same geographic area as verified by interrogation of the local mobile data interface station, then data is sent directly to the intended M-ES without transmission to the mobile end station's home mobile data interface station. If the intended recipient M-ES is not currently located within the same geographic area served by the originating data source, then the data is transmitted to the M-ES's home mobile data intermediate station where the last known location of the roaming M-ES is stored and then on to the appropriate mobile data intermediate station for transmission to the intended M-ES.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus and method for communications and more specifically to mobile radio data communications systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Circuit switching is inefficient for bursty mobile data services such as facsimile (fax), electronic mail (email), and short messaging. First generation cellular systems that provide data communications using circuit switching have difficulty passing modem signals through the audio filters of receivers designed for analog air-interfaces. Inevitably, voice filtering must be deactivated when data is transmitted over first generation cellular networks, and a dedicated data link must be established over the common air-interface. The demand for packet data services has, until recently, been significantly less than the demand for voice services, and first generation subscriber equipment design has focused almost solely on voice-only cellular communications. The cellular digital packet data (CDPD) standard was developed to coexist with the conventional voice-only cellular system.
However, numerous shortcomings exist with CDPD systems. One such shortcoming occurs when a mobile end-station (M-ES) is roaming away from the area covered by its home mobile data intermediate station (MD-IS). Much time, overhead processing and routing resources are expended in forwarding the data to the MD-IS serving the area in which the M-ES is now visiting.
There is accordingly a need for improvements in the system and method for routing digital packet data to a roaming M-ES in a Cellular Digital Packet Data network in order to solve or ameliorate the above-described problem.

System and method for routing in a cellular digital packet data network


Calibration for a transmit chain of a device transmitting information to multiple devices over wireless links includes selecting from between two or more calibration determination techniques. In certain aspects the techniques include phase only calibration and phase and amplitude calibration.

I. Field
The following description relates generally to wireless communications, and, amongst other things, to over-the-air calibrating an antenna array.
II. Background
Wireless networking systems have become a prevalent means by which a majority of people worldwide has come to communicate. Wireless communication devices have become smaller and more powerful in order to meet consumer needs and to improve portability and convenience. The increase in processing power in mobile devices such as cellular telephones has lead to an increase in demands on wireless network transmission systems. Such systems typically are not as easily updated as the cellular devices that communicate there over. As mobile device capabilities expand, it can be difficult to maintain an older wireless network system in a manner that facilitates fully exploiting new and improved wireless device capabilities.
More particularly, frequency division based techniques typically separate the spectrum into distinct channels by splitting it into uniform chunks of bandwidth, for example, division of the frequency band allocated for wireless cellular telephone communication can be split into channels, each of which can carry a voice conversation or, with digital service, carry digital data. Each channel can be assigned to only one user at a time. One commonly utilized variant is an orthogonal frequency division technique that effectively partitions the overall system bandwidth into multiple orthogonal subcarriers. These subcarriers are also referred to as tones, carriers, bins, and/or frequency channels. With time division based techniques, a band is split time-wise into sequential time slices or time slots. Each user of a channel may be provided with a time slice for transmitting and receiving information in a round-robin manner. For example, at any given time t, a user is provided access to the channel for a short burst. Then, access switches to another user who is provided with a short burst of time for transmitting and receiving information. The cycle of "taking turns" continues, and eventually each user is provided with multiple transmission and reception bursts.
Code division based techniques typically transmit data over a number of frequencies available at any time in a range. In general, data is digitized and spread over available bandwidth, wherein multiple users can be overlaid on the channel and respective users can be assigned a unique sequence code. Users can transmit in the same wide-band chunk of spectrum, wherein each user's signal is spread over the entire bandwidth by its respective unique spreading code. This technique can provide for sharing, wherein one or more users can concurrently transmit and receive. Such sharing can be achieved through spread spectrum digital modulation, wherein a user's stream of bits is encoded and spread across a very wide channel in a pseudo-random fashion. The receiver is designed to recognize the associated unique sequence code and undo the randomization in order to collect the bits for a particular user in a coherent manner.
A typical wireless communication network (e.g., employing frequency, time, and code division techniques) includes one or more base stations that provide a coverage area and one or more mobile (e.g., wireless) terminals that can transmit and receive data within the coverage area. A typical base station can simultaneously transmit multiple data streams for broadcast, multicast, and/or unicast services, wherein a data stream is a stream of data that can be of independent reception interest to a mobile terminal. A mobile terminal within the coverage area of that base station can be interested in receiving one, more than one or all the data streams carried by the composite stream. Likewise, a mobile terminal can transmit data to the base station or another mobile terminal. Such communication between base station and mobile terminal or between mobile terminals can be degraded due to channel variations and/or interference power variations. For example, the aforementioned variations can affect base station scheduling, power control and/or rate prediction for one or more mobile terminals.
When antenna arrays and/or base stations are employed in conjunction with a time domain duplexed (TDD) channel transmission technique, very large gains can be realized. A key assumption in realizing these gains is that due to the TDD nature of the transmission and reception, both the forward link (FL) and reverse link (RL) observe similar physical propagation channels corresponding to a common carrier frequency. However, in practice the overall transmit and receive chains, which can include the analog front ends and the digital sampling transmitters and receivers, as well as the physical cabling and antenna architecture, contribute to the over all channel response experienced by the receiver. In other words, the receiver will see an overall or equivalent channel between the input of the transmitter digital to analog converter (DAC) and the output of the receiver analog to digital converter (ADC), which can comprise the analog chain of the transmitter, the physical propagation channel, the physical antenna array structure (including cabling), and the analog receiver chain.
In view of at least the above, there exists a need in the art for a system and/or methodology of calibrating in antenna arrays employed in wireless communication devices.

Antenna array calibration for wireless communication systems


A new cultivar of Phlox plant, ‘Violet Pinwheels’, that is characterized by its low spreading mounded plant habit, its blooming period for four to six weeks from early to mid-April to mid-May, followed by a light repeat blooming period from August through October, in northern Illinois, its slightly cupped flowers with turned in petals that are obovate in shape with a strongly constricted base and a broad rounded tip with a slight terminal notch, its flowers that at anthesis are vivid purple in color with light violet eyes and basal pairs of violet striae and age to a vivid violet color, its soft, needle-like foliage that is dark green in color, and its resistance to powdery mildew.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant, botanically of hybrid origin and known as Phlox 'Violet Pinwheels' and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, 'Violet Pinwheels'. The new cultivar represents a new herbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.
The new invention arose from an ongoing controlled breeding program by the Inventor in Glencoe, Ill. The objectives of the breeding program are to develop improved cultivars of spring blooming moss phlox by developing select interspecific hybrids of Phlox with novel traits of flower colors, plant habits, and tolerance to drought and soils with high salinity and pH.
'Violet Pinwheels' was derived from a cross made in May of 2008 under controlled conditions (that excluded natural pollinators) between an unnamed plant of Phlox bifida as the female parent and Phlox kelseyi 'Lemhi Purple' (not patented) as the male parent. The resulting seedlings were planted for evaluation in June of 2009. 'Violet Pinwheels' was selected in April of 2010 as a single unique plant amongst the resulting seedlings.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stem tip cuttings by the Inventor in May of 2010 in Glencoe, Ill. Asexual propagation by stem tip cuttings has determined that the characteristics of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


An impact head for a chiropractic adjustment tool or tapper that is easy to install, remains stable during lateral movements and easily exchangeable. The impact head comprises a central bore having a bore diameter disposed in the impact head at the attachment end, an annular slot concentrically disposed and parallel to the impact head central bore extending into the impact head from the attachment end of the impact head. The impact head is then attached to a reciprocating rod having a rod center bore and an annular reciprocating rod insert end wherein the reciprocating rod attaches by inserting the reciprocating rod insert end into the annular slot of the impact head and in a central insert having an insert diameter inserted into the impact head central.

The present invention involves the field of medical devices. More particularly, it involves the field of percussive medical devices used as chiropractic adjustment tools used to move bones and relieve muscle spasms and stress. Even more particularly, it relates to an improved head assembly for a percussive therapeutic device.
Percussion is a relatively new treatment modality for those who suffer from musculoskeletal pain and myofascial trigger syndrome. It is a non-surgical, non-invasive procedure that may serve as a therapeutic alternative to trigger point and epidural injections. Percussion may also be used when other treatments have failed. Performed on an outpatient basis, percussive treatment carries little or no risk and is relatively comfortable.
As is well-known in the chiropractic art, the spines or other bones of humans sometimes go out of alignment or are otherwise mis-adjusted. This can lead to discomfort and additional physical symptoms. In such cases an adjustment of the spine or other bone to a healthy alignment can have substantial therapeutic effects.
Several attempts have been made to provide hand-held manual, pneumatic, or electric vibratory devices to assist in adjusting a patient's spine or other bones by the use of successive impacts. Typically these devices have a soft or pliable head or tip that makes direct contact with the patient's body. For the patient's comfort, these heads are made from a much softer material than the driving mechanism behind them. As a result, the heads have a tendency to creep or become disconnected from the driving mechanism when lateral force is applied. This may cause pain to the patient as well as frustration to the physician due to continuous replacement of heads during a treatment.
Needed in the field is a percussive device that allows the physician to apply adequate lateral pressure to the head of the device without causing the head to disconnect from the assembly. Additionally, there is a need for the impact head to be quickly and easily exchanged for another shape or size if needed during a therapy session. The present invention is directed to these shortcomings in the prior art.

Impact head assembly for percussive therapeutic device


Provided are a method of manufacturing a composite positive active material, a composite positive active material manufactured by the method, and a positive electrode and a lithium battery including the composite positive active material. The method may include acid-treating an overlithiated lithium transition metal oxide; and applying fluorine onto the acid-treated overlithiated lithium transition metal oxide using a fluorine compound.

Field
One or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method of manufacturing a composite positive active material, a composite positive active material manufactured thereby, and a positive electrode and a lithium battery including the composite positive active material.
Description of the Related Technology
A typical positive active material for a lithium battery is a transition metal compound or an oxide of a transition metal and lithium, such as LiNiO2, LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, LiFePO4, LiNixCo1−xO2 (wherein 0≦x≦1), and LiNi1−x−yCoxMnyO2 (wherein 0≦x≦0.5 and 0≦y≦0.5). However, such a positive active material has a limited electrical capacity.
Therefore, there is a demand for a novel positive active material having a variety of structures. In particular, a composite oxide is being presented as an alternative positive active material for a high capacity battery.
For example, the composite oxides may be Li2MO3—LiMeO2 (wherein M and Me are transition metals) that has a layer structure. The composite oxide having the layer structure may be, capable of intercalating/deintercalating lithium (Li) ions in a fundamentally large amount, in comparison with other types of positive active materials. Accordingly, the composite oxide having the layer structure may have a high capacity property. However, an existing composite oxide that has a layer structure has a low rate property due to the low levels of electrical and ion conductivities of Li2MO3.
Therefore, in order to apply a positive active material to a battery for vehicles or the like, a positive active material that has a high capacity and has improved a rate property is still demanded.

Method of manufacturing composite positive active material, composite positive active material manufactured thereby, and positive electrode and lithium battery including the composite positive active material