A fuel cell assembly having a flow distribution subassembly that comprises four sets of flow channels, the first set facing an anode for distribution of a fuel reactant to said anode, the second set facing a cathode for distribution of an oxidant to said cathode, the third set in flow communication with said second set and in heat transfer relation with at least one of said anode and said cathode, and the fourth set receiving a coolant different from said oxidant.

Fuel cell power systems convert a fuel and an oxidant into electricity. One such fuel cell power system has a proton exchange membrane (hereinafter also referred to as "PEM") to catalytically facilitate the reaction of fuels (such as hydrogen) and oxidants (such as oxygen or air) into electricity. The PEM is a solid polymer electrolyte that facilitates transfer of protons from the anode to the cathode in each individual fuel cell of the stack of fuel cells present in a fuel cell power system.
In a typical fuel cell assembly, or stack, each fuel cell has flow fields in flow communication with manifolds that provide channels for the various reactant gases to flow into each cell. Gas diffusion assemblies then distribute the reactants from the flow fields to the reactive anode and cathode of a membrane electrode assembly (hereinafter also referred to "MEA").
Effective operation of a PEM fuel cell requires proper humidification of the PEM to maintain its proton conductivity. At the same time, the flow field channels and gas diffusion assemblies must be maintained in non-flooded operational states. In operation, the oxidant is supplied to the cathode where it reacts with hydrogen cations that have crossed the PEM and electrons from an external circuit. The fuel cell generates both electricity and water through the electrochemical reaction. The water is typically removed with the cathode effluent, which may dehydrate the PEM unless the water is otherwise replaced. It should be noted that the rate of evaporation to the cathode is generally greater than the rate of water generation.
When hydrated, the polymeric PEM possesses "acidic" properties that provide a medium for conducting protons from the anode to the cathode of the fuel cell. However, if the PEM is not sufficiently hydrated, the "acidic" character diminishes, and may impede the desired electrochemical reaction of the cell. Hydration of the PEM also assists in temperature control within the fuel cell, insofar as the heat capacity of water provides a heat sink. In addition to issues of water balance and cell hydration, another issue in fuel cell design is the efficient use of space. For example, space in a vehicle is precious and designs that minimize the ongoing use of space in the vehicle clearly benefit the utility of the vehicle; this leads toward integration of the humidifying system into each of the fuel cells.
The need for efficiency in operation and greater integration of cooling and humidification to achieve efficient space utilization in fuel cell systems continues to be strongly felt. What is needed is a fuel cell power system which provides integrated humidification of the feed gases (especially the oxidant) and cooling of the MEA.

Fuel cell design with an integrated heat exchanger and gas humidification unit


An apparatus using a heat pump includes a refrigerant circuit and a heat medium circuit. The refrigerant circuit is capable of performing a first operation, in which a load-side heat exchanger is used as a condenser, and a second operation, in which the load-side heat exchanger is used as an evaporator. A main circuit of the heat medium circuit has a branching part and a joining part. An overpressure protection device and a refrigerant leakage detecting device are connected to the main circuit. The overpressure protection device is connected to a connection part located between the load-side heat exchanger and one of the branching part and the joining part, or at the load-side heat exchanger. When leakage of refrigerant is detected, the state of a refrigerant flow switching device is set to a second state, an expansion device is set to a closed state, and a compressor is operated.

Patent Literature 1 describes an outdoor unit of a heat pump cycle device using a flammable refrigerant. The outdoor unit includes a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, an air-heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a water-heat exchanger are connected by pipes, and a pressure relief valve that prevents an excessive increase in hydraulic pressure in a water circuit that supplies water heated by the water-heat exchanger. Thereby, even when a partition wall that isolates the refrigerant circuit and the water circuit from each other in the water-heat exchanger is broken and the flammable refrigerant thus enters the water circuit, the flammable refrigerant can be discharged to the outdoors via the pressure relief valve.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Apparatus using a heat pump including a refrigerant leakage detector


This invention includes a motion detector, electric connector harness apparatus, and master-slaves and connections to fluorescent tube light fixtures and electric power line connected to the motion detector, or to a master-slave in the electric connector harness apparatus and the motion detector responding to any motion in its field of view to activate lighting of the fluorescent light fixtures.

This invention is to disclose, and claim, motion detector fluorescent electric light connector harness apparatus to activate fluorescent lights to the xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d, status, when activated by the response of the motion detector to a detected motion in the field of the motion detector.
The prior art listed does not either collectively show this invention to be obvious, or to be anticipated by any one of the cited prior art patents.
An object of this invention is to disclose an electrical wiring harness including a master-slave electrically wired to a motion detector and a master-slave wired to one or a plurality of fluorescent tube luminaire fixtures and the master-slave connected to another master-slave in turn connected to another fluorescent tube luminaire fixture.
Another object of this invention is to disclose an electrical wiring harness including master-slaves, and female MATE-N-LOK sections mounted in each master-slave and on each fluorescent tube luminaire fixture, and male MATE-N-LOK sections attached to wires of the electrical wiring harness to plug into a female MATE-N-LOK on a master-slave, or fluorescent tube luminaire fixture to complete a circuit for operation of the master-slave connected to a motion detector to actuate lighting of the fluorescent tube luminaire fixture or luminaire fixtures connected thereto.
Another object is to disclose a motion detector wired to one or a plurality of fluorescent tube luminaire fixtures and a master-slave component wired to each luminaire and the master-slave component connected by wire to the motion detector through MATE-N-LOK connectors at the master-slave, and the wire from the master-slave connected to the fluorescent tube luminaire fixture via a male MATE-N-LOK section attached to the wire from the master-slave plugged into a female MATE-N-LOK connector section attached to the fluorescent tube luminaire fixture and wired to the ballast and fluorescent tubes of the luminaire for actuating on/off lighting of the fluorescent tubes of the fluorescent tube luminaire fixture or fixtures.

Motion detector fluorescent light connector apparatus


A copying machine operable in a manual copying paper feed mode and an automatic copying paper feed mode which has an automatic paper feeding section and an inlet for receiving copying paper inserted manually. The automatic paper feeding section includes a cassette containing copying paper to be fed automatically, a feed roller for feeding the copying paper, and a lifting mechanism for lifting the copying paper for pressure contact with the feed roller. The inlet has a cover which is opened for manually inserting copying paper, and a guide member for guiding the copying paper to a position between the feed roller and the copying paper contained in the cassette. The manual feed mode is automatically switched to the automatic feed mode when the manually fed copying paper is exhausted and the cover remains closed for a predetermined time during the manual feed mode.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to copying machines having a manual paper feeding function and an automatic paper feeding function.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Various copying machines having a manual paper feeding function have been proposed in recent years for allowing duplex copying and composite copying with conventional simple construction without relying on sophisticated copying machines. The proposed copying machines employ either a type of manual paper feeding device with a feed roller of its own or a type with a feeding roller and an automatic paper feeding cassette. A trend has formed in favor of the latter because of the lower cost in spite of the more complicated construction.
A type of manual paper feeding device which shares a feed roller with a cassette is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Publication Kokai No. 61-171746. This device is comprised of an openable and closable table attached to a machine body for supporting manually fed copying paper. The table has a forward end thereof in pressure contact with the feed roller from below when the table is opened. The device further comprises a lever shaft rotatable with opening and closing of the table. The lever shaft has a return lever for limiting the leading end of the copying paper, a feed roller lift lever for pushing the feed roller upward, and a manual feed lever for rotating the lever shaft from outside.
When making copies with manually fed copying paper, the sheets of copying paper may be placed one by one on the table when the table is in the open position and insert under the feed roller whereby the sheets are delivered into the copying machine. For making a plurality of copies successively with manually fed copying paper, the table is kept open and the lift lever is operated to retract the feed roller upwardly from the table surface, and a plurality of copying sheets are manually placed on the table and inserted until the leading ends of the sheets contact the return lever. Thereafter the manual feed lever is lowered to bring the feed roller into pressure contact with the copying sheets. As a result all of the copying sheets manually placed on the table are ready for successive delivery into the copying machine.
This manual paper feeding device, however, involves different operations when manually feeding a single sheet of copying paper than when feeding a plurality of copying sheets. The operation is troublesome particularly when feeding a plurality of copying sheets in because the manual feed lever must be operated. The manual feed lever acts also to press the copying sheets.
Moreover, with the known device, the number of copying sheets for manual feeding is limited by the gap between the feed roller and the table. There is also the problem of poor operability because the table must be returned to the original position after the copying paper is fed manually.

Copying machine allowing manual feed of copying paper


A robot control method includes defining a robot monitor model that covers at least a part of the robot and defining a monitor region parallel to a coordinate system for the robot. The monitor region is configured to monitor a range of motion of the robot. The method further includes transforming a position of a definition point that is an arbitrary point contained in the robot monitor model into a position of the definition point in a coordinate system different from the coordinate system for the robot (ST9), determining whether or not the robot monitor model is put into contact with a boundary surface of the monitor region by using the transformed position of the definition point (ST6), and stopping motion of the robot if the robot monitor model is put into contact with the boundary surface (ST8).

In production systems using robots, the robot and a human frequently work together. An example situation is that one welding robot is welding two objects alternately and while the welding robot is welding one of the objects, a human is replacing the other object with another object.
In such working, a safety step is taken to prevent the robot from erroneously entering into a region where the human works. The safety step, as shown in FIG. 11, involves defining three-dimensional spherical or capsule-shaped model 200 (hereinafter referred to as "robot monitor model 200") to cover robot 100 and incidental equipment, and defining safe region 300 where the robot can move and unsafe region 400 where the robot cannot move. Then, a system monitors a position of robot monitor model 200 in a space, and when robot monitor model 200 is about to enter into the unsafe region, the system stops the motion of the robot.
These regions are defined using a controller for operating the robot. For example, PTL 1 discloses a technique for readily defining a safe region. This technique enables a user to define a safe region by drag control instead of a direct input of numerical values. The safe region can be shifted, enlarged, and scaled down by drag control.

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


Voice command operated systems are being installed in modern motor vehicles with increasing frequency. Such systems should be operable by various vehicle occupants and from various seating positions. A new type of speech recognition system is described, which is good at accomplishing these tasks. Therein, for regulating the speech recognition system, the reception characteristic of a a directionally selective microphone array (12) is controlled by an optimization unit (10). These speech signals are then processed in a speech recognizer (11) at least parallel in time. Then, on the basis of the results provided by the speech recognizer (11), the reception characteristic of the microphone array (12) is so controlled by an optimization unit (10), that the recognition performance of the speech recognizer (11) downstream of the optimization unit (10) is optimized. Herein, the speech recognizer is supplied with the received speech signals from different spatial directions parallel or at least quasi-parallel via the speech channels (14), so that this selects and further processes those speech signals that have the potential for the best possible recognition performance. On the basis of the recognition results, the optimization unit (10) obtains via the speech recognizer the necessary regulatory signals (18), in order to optimize the reception characteristics of the microphone array (12) by means of the optimization unit (10) with regard to the respective direction from which speech signals are received, which have the potential for the best possible recognition performance.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns an intelligent acoustic microphone front end and a process for operation thereof according to the precharacterizing portion of Patent claims 1 and 6.
Voice command operated systems are being installed in modern motor vehicles with increasing frequency. Such systems should be operable by various vehicle occupants and from various seating positions. It is also an object, in the framework of modern occupant communication systems, to equip the individual seat places in the passenger compartment with specifically assigned microphones and loudspeakers. Thereby it is to be ensured that the individual occupants can communicate comfortably at any time from any position, independent of the physical design of the occupant communication system.
2. Related Art of the Invention
Japanese document JP 2002-091469 discloses a speech recognition system using a switchable, directionally selective microphone array for beam-forming for recording speech signals. The unit for beam-forming includes a directional recognizer, which uses the recorded speech signals to recognize the azimuth of the direction of speech origin. For this, signals are received from different angular directions with regard to the reception characteristic of the microphone array and subjected to a sound level analysis. In the framework of this threshold analysis the direction recognizer provides the most probable direction from which the speech signal originates as recognition result. This result is then used by the unit for beam forming for controlling the microphone array, so that the reception diagram of the microphone array is oriented with the greatest probability as close as possible towards the direction from which the speech signal originates.
From published EP 1 081 682 A2 a speech recognition system for an occupant communication system is known, which includes a number of differently positioned microphone systems. The signals of the individual microphone systems are detected in parallel and analyzed with regard to the signal-noise ratio parameter and the average speech level contained in the signal. Those signals, of which the parameters exceed predetermined threshold values, are supplied to a speech recognizer, which sequentially processes the individual signals, beginning with the strongest signal. From the positive recognition results, the speech content of the signal is determined. By the parallel analysis of the microphone signals recorded at different locations, a speaker is no longer required to speak the voice commands in a particular direction; it is also possible for the direction of speech to change during the speaking process, without loss of information.
A further speech recognition setup for parallel processing of multiple parallel microphones channels is described in German laid open DE 100 30 105 A1. Here the individual microphone channels are subjected to a character extraction independent from each other, and merged for the first time in the framework of a common classification. On this basis the information supplied to the classification still contains the information associated with the individual channels. It is also possible to individually carry out the preliminary processing in the individual channels, and to independently monitor the therefrom resulting effects on the signals.

Intelligent acoustic microphone fronted with speech recognizing feedback


A mobile terminal includes: a first controller configured to control a function related to a call; a second controller configured to control a multimedia function such as a camera; and a relay module configured to transfer information required between the first and second controllers, wherein the second controller provides control to continuously capture an image during call communication, and when displaying of the captured image is stopped for the call communication, the controller provides control to display the image by displaying it starting from the point at which the displaying was stopped when the call communication is terminated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal capable of continuously capturing an image during call communication and reproducing the captured image when the call communication is terminated, and its control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Terminals may be divided into a mobile terminal (portable terminal) and a stationary terminal according to whether the terminal is portable or not. The mobile terminals may be divided into a handheld terminal that can be directly carried around and a vehicle mount terminal.
According to diversification of functions, terminals are implemented in the form of multimedia players having complex functions such as capturing images or video, reproducing music or video files, playing games, receiving broadcasts, etc. In order to support or increase the functions of the terminals, modifications of structural parts and/or software parts of the terminals may be taken into consideration.
In the related art, in order for the user to simultaneously perform call communication while using a multimedia function (e.g., a camera function), the user must stop the multimedia function, connect a video call to a counterpart, and operate the camera (e.g., a video call camera). And then, the user can transmit an image captured by using the camera (e.g., the video call camera) to the counterpart.
In other words, even when the user performs video call communication allowing for a simultaneous execution of image capturing and voice call communication, the user must stop the currently executed camera (e.g., a camera for capturing an image or video) function. Thus, when the camera function is stopped, an image of the situation occurring until such time as the video call is connected and the video call camera is driven cannot be captured. In addition, when a voice call is changed to a video call, an even longer time difference (e.g., the duration in which image capturing by the user is stopped) is made.


A system and method for checking the concentration of an electrolyte in a solution utilizing ion-selective electrodes for sequentially measuring potential levels of a sample solution and a correction solution at selected time intervals. The potential levels of the positive and negative ions in the sample and corrective solutions are then compared with a standard potential level for the correction solution. A procedure determines if an abnormal deviation in the sample solution exists and if this abnormal deviation is caused by the actual concentration of electrolytes in the sample solution or if the abnmormality is caused by an error in measurement. An alarm is sounded to indicate that the abnormality exists and the cause of the abnormality.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system and procedures therewith for determining concentration of electrolytes in the field of medical examination.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the medical examination field, ions in the human blood, urine, and so on, in particular, positive ions such as sodium ion (Na.sup.+) and potassium ion (K.sup.+), and negative ions such as chloride (Cl.sup.-) ion are determined, and the obtained data is useful as diagnostic information. For the determination of ionic concentrations, an ion-selective electrode unit can be used comprising at least one negative electrode responsive to positive ions and/or at least one positive electrode responsive to negative ions and a reference electrode.
Once a sample of a test solution (this term refers hereinafter to a solution containing an electrolyte of which an ionic concentration is to be measured) such as blood is placed in such an ion-selective electrode unit, a positive or negative ion activates the corresponding negative or positive electrode to produce an electromotive force in accordance with the concentration of it between an activated electrode and the reference electrode.
When ionic concentration is determined as described above, the ion-selective electrode unit may permit the electromotive force generated by it to drift with the course of time. In order to avoid the unwanted influence and thus to make accurate determination, typically the ionic concentration of a test solution is determined with respect to a correction solution having substantially the same composition as the test solution. The potential level of the correction solution is measured before or after the ionic concentration measurement of the test solution, and thus the ionic concentration of the test solution is obtained as the difference of the measured potential level of the test solution from the measured potential level of the correction solution.
Correction solution for use in correcting the determination of ionic concentration of a test solution should be prepared or composed to have an always constant potential level Eo under normal conditions, and the ionic concentration of a test solution such as sample 1, 2 or 3 is determined in accordance with the difference in potential level from Eo as shown in FIG. 5. Eo may be measured before or after determination of the ionic concentration of a test solution, preferably alternately in measurement of test and correction solutions possibly with effective results.
There is a problem encountered in the determination of the concentration of electrolytes in the prior art if the potential level of correction solution, which originally should remain constant, varies for some cause, ionic concentration of test solution can be determined with error due to the variation, resulting in an inaccurate value.
FIG. 6 shows where Eo deviates by .DELTA.E for some cause between determinations with test solution samples 1 and 2. As a result, E.sub.2 is not obtained but E.sub.2 ' is obtained instead. Thus an error results.

System for determining concentration of an electrolyte


Predicted environment conditions are received for time steps within a prediction horizon N. Information is accessed regarding expected system responses generated by a system model, each expected system response related to a different combination of control parameters and starting environment conditions applied to the model.

A system may be subject to multiple factors that influence the system, causing control of the system to be difficult. It is desirable that the multiple factors be taken into consideration when calculating control parameters such that system operation is stable and meets performance requirements. However, the computational resources allocated to the system may be incapable of considering enough of the influencing factors necessary to meet stability and performance requirements during operation.
One option for overcoming the issue of limited computational resources is to allocate additional resources. However, this option may be prohibitively expensive in terms of space, weight, or price, for example. Additionally, computational resources may not exist that are fast enough to react for systems in which the conditions or state of the system change rapidly, or for systems in which it is necessary to have the ability to rapidly change control parameters. Thus, simply adding more computational resources to the system may be insufficient.
Many systems with limited computational resources address the issue by designing the system for a certain set of expected conditions. However, if actual conditions are not as expected, system stability and/or performance may suffer. Thus it is preferable to have the capability to optimize control for stability and performance during system operation.
A solution for optimizing control during system operation without overburdening system computational resources reduces the number of calculations required during system operation.

Duty cycle independent real time dynamic programming implementation for hybrid systems controls optimization

Abstract: An optimal response is designated for each combination of starting environment conditions for each time step from time step N−1 to the current time step based in part on the expected system response and the predicted environment conditions, each optimal response in a time step based at least in part on an optimal response determined for a later time step.

Abstract: For the current time step, for starting environment conditions substantially similar to the current environment conditions, the combination of control parameters that results in the system response designated as the optimal response is determined from the expected system responses and is applied to the system.


Embodiments relate to a computer system for bitline deletion, the system including a cache controller and cache. The system is configured to perform a method including detecting a first error when reading a first cache line, recording a first address of the first error, detecting a second error when reading a second cache line, recording a second address of the second error, comparing first and second bitline addresses, comparing the first and second wordline address, activating a bitline delete mode based on matching first and second bitline addresses and not matching first and second wordline addresses, detecting a third error when reading a third cache line, recording a third bitline address of the third error, comparing the second bitline address to the third bitline address and deleting a location corresponding to the third cache line based on the activated bitline delete mode and matching third and second bitline addresses.

The present invention relates generally to memory in a computing system, and more specifically, to handling errors in memory.
Computer systems often have a considerable amount of cache and high speed random access memory (RAM) to hold information, such as data and programs, temporarily when a computer is powered and operational. This information is normally binary, composed of patterns of 1's and 0's known as bits of data. The bits of data are often grouped and organized at a higher level. A byte, for example, is typically composed of 8 bits; more generally these groups or bytes are called symbols and may consist of any number of bits or sub-symbols.
Memory device densities have continued to grow as computer systems have become more powerful. Unfortunately, the failure of just a portion of a memory device, such as a cache or RAM, can lead to significantly reduced performance. When memory errors occur, which may be "hard" (repeating) or "soft" (one-time or intermittent) failures, these failures may occur as single cell, multi-bit, wordline or bitlines and may cause all or part of the memory device to be unusable until it is repaired.
In the case of failures in a cache, a failure of a bitline is a hard error that causes errors each time a line that includes the failed bitline is accessed. In some cases, the failed bitline, in addition to a correctable error (CE) in the same line, will result in an uncorrectable two bit error (UE). Thus, cache performance is adversely affected by a failed bitline, as it may cause CEs that would ordinarily be quickly corrected by ECC to require additional processes to access the correct data or result in corrupted data.

International Business Machines Corporation


A process of filtering packet data in a network device is disclosed. A descriptor table is accessed to obtain a first descriptor and a first field is extracted from a packet based on the first descriptor. An action table is accessed based on a value of the first field of the packet. Then an action from the action table is executed when a valid bit from the action table for the action is set or an action from a miss action table is executed when a valid bit from the action table for the action is not set.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to network devices, including switches, routers and bridges, which allow for data to be routed and moved in computing networks. More specifically, the present invention provides for a multilevel parser for conditional flow detection for assisting in the flow of data in a network device and a network device having such a parser.
2. Description of Related Art
In computer networks, each element of the network performs functions that allow for the network as a whole to perform the tasks required of the network. One such type of element used in computer networks is referred to, generally, as a switch. Switches, as they relate to computer networking and to Ethernet, are hardware-based devices that control the flow of data packets or cells based upon destination address information, which is available in each packet or cell. A properly designed and implemented switch should be capable of receiving a packet and switching the packet to an appropriate output port at what is referred to wirespeed or linespeed, which is the maximum speed capability of the particular network.
Basic Ethernet wirespeed is up to 10 megabits per second, and Fast Ethernet is up to 100 megabits per second. Another type of Ethernet is referred to as 10 gigabit Ethernet, and is capable of transmitting data over a network at a rate of up to 10,000 megabits per second. As speed has increased, design constraints and design requirements have become more and more complex with respect to following appropriate design and protocol rules and providing a low cost, commercially viable solution.
A particular function that these network devices often perform is filtering the data that pass through the network devices. Such filtering of packets can be either static or dynamic and can examine a packet header to determine attributes of the packet, such as its source or destination, or examine other portions of the packet. Some network devices, in particular, have fast filtering processors that are independent of any central processing unit connected to the network device. Because of the independence of such a fast filtering processor, linespeed processing is more easily achieved and the functions of the processor can be tailored to the filtering functions required than could a central processing unit.
Many such filtering systems are similar to the filtering processes described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,335,935, which is hereby incorporated by reference, that provide filtering results. Additionally, these systems are often implemented using large, fixed size masks that are applied to portions of the packets. The application of the masks allows for fields of the packet fields to be extracted and the processor determines if extracted fields match configured values so that a proper action can be implemented. Additionally, filtering may also include management of flows through the network device and allow for the specific handling of certain data based on fields within the packet. These fields contain data about the source, destination, protocol and other properties of the packet. Classification of flows of flows of incoming packets on an ingress port of a network device is critical to providing differentiated services to different types of traffic flows.
However, these fast filtering processors require that a significant portion of the network device be utilized in the filtering process. The filtering processes are generally not expandable, often take a great number of cycles to process and increase the latency periods for address resolution lookup (ARL) and ingress processes. Given that the number of masks that can be applied is generally limited, the number of functions that a fast filtering processor can perform is also limited.
As such, there is a need for an efficient filtering method and a scalable filtering mechanism for data passing through network devices. There is also a need for filtering mechanisms that are more flexible and allows filtering masks to be reserved for classification of packets, especially where the extracted fields need to be extracted independent of the values of those fields. Also, there is a need for a powerful, flexible method of extracting relatively small fields from a datagram, where the extraction of the next field is optionally based on the value of the previous field, is described.

Multilevel parser for conditional flow detection in a network device


The present invention relates to a system for clipping a necktie to a dress shirt. The system includes a necktie and a clip that attaches to a loop on the rear portion of the necktie. The clip has a front prong that passes through an aperture in the necktie loop and a rear prong that is placed behind a panel of the dress shirt. The tie clip allows the necktie to lie vertically (not crooked) along the dress shirt and is hidden from view when in use.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a system for clipping a men's necktie to a dress shirt.
2. Background of the Invention
Although many U.S. companies have gone to a business casual dress code, suits and neckties are still worn by men in many industries. For those wearing neckties and suits, maintaining a professional appearance remains critically important. Thus, a disheveled look caused by, for example, wind blowing the necktie and causing it to lie crooked on the shirt is not desirable. In addition, neckties are prone to getting wet when wearers lean over a sink to wash their hands.
Various systems have been developed to secure neckties to dress shirts. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,723,429, 2,608,729, and 2,581,274 each describe a tie clip that secures a necktie to a dress shirt. However, the clips described in the aforementioned patents are visible when worn, which is disadvantageous because tie clips can go into and out of style quickly.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,019,782 ("the '782 patent") teaches a tie clip that attaches to the rear of the thick portion of the tie. The commercial embodiment of the '782 patent is the Grayco END-LOCK clip. The END-LOCK clip, however, is relatively small in size and is prone to allowing the tie to lie crooked on the dress shirt, as it is not attached at the center of the width of the tie.
Thus, there is a need for tie clip systems that secure a necktie to dress shirts and allow the necktie to lie in a generally vertical manner along the shirt's length. It is especially desirable to develop tie clips that are hidden from view when worn.


A composite prepreg base which includes a raw prepreg base comprising a fiber sheet comprising discontinuous reinforcing fibers arranged in one direction and having a fiber length of 1-300 mm and a matrix resin infiltrated into the fiber sheet; and an additional resin layer formed on at least one surface of the raw prepreg base. The composite prepreg base is produced by a process including (i) the step of preparing the raw prepreg base and (ii) the step of forming an additional resin layer on at least one surface of the raw prepreg base prepared. Also provided are: a layered base including two or more sheets of the composite prepreg base which have been superposed so that the additional resin layer is present on at least one surface; and a fiber-reinforced plastic formed by heating and pressing the layered base.

A fiber reinforced plastic (hereinafter also referred to as FRP) comprising reinforcing fibers and a matrix resin has gained greater attention in industrial fields because of having a high specific strength, a high specific modulus, good mechanical characteristics, and other highly functional characteristics such as weather resistance and chemical resistance, and demands for them is increasing every year.
The most widely used molding method for producing an FRP haying highly functional characteristics is an autoclave molding process in which a layered body produced by laminating a plurality of prepreg bases each of which is prepared by impregnating a sheet comprising continuous reinforcing fibers with a semi-cured matrix resin, is heated and pressed in an autoclave and the matrix resin is cured to mold an FRP.
The FRP produced by the autoclave molding process is composed of the reinforcing fibers being in continuous and therefore has good mechanical properties. Furthermore, where the continuous fibers are arranged regularly, such as in one direction, it will be easy to design an FRP having desired mechanical properties by arranging the prepreg base plates in an appropriate configuration or alignment, and the resulting FRP products will be small in variation of mechanical properties.
However, on the other hand, it is difficult to produce an FRP having a complicated shape such as three-dimensional, since the reinforcing fibers in the prepreg base are in continuous, and therefore, conventional FRP products have been limited to planar or nearly planar shapes.
A press molding process that uses a SMC (sheet molding compound) is one of the molding methods that serve to mold an FRP having a complicated shape such as a three-dimensional shape. In this molding process, chopped strands, normally cut into pieces of about 25 mm, are impregnated with a matrix resin to provide a SMC sheet comprising partially cured resin, which is then heated and pressed by using a press machine to produce an FRP. In most cases, the SMC is cut into sheets each of which is smaller than a molding FRP before the pressing, the sheets are placed on a mold, and the sheets are extended by pressing, or made to flow, into a desired shape. Thus, the flowing allows the material to be molded into a complicated shape such as a three-dimensional shape.
However, the chopped strands inevitably suffer uneven distribution and orientation during the SMC sheet forming step, and therefore, the resulting FRP product will have poor mechanical properties that vary largely over the product, causing some problems. Moreover, in the case of thin components, in particular, the molded products tend to suffer warp and shallow depressions etc. in the surface, often leading to decreased suitability as components of structural materials.
To eliminate such disadvantages in the above-mentioned FRP materials and their production processes, an improved FRP production method has been proposed in which deep cuts are put in a prepreg base that is composed of continuous fibers and a thermoplastic resin, in such a way that cuts are put in the continuous fibers in the direction across the continuous fibers, with the aim of increasing the flowability of the fibers during a molding process and decreasing the variation in the mechanical properties in the resulting moldings (JP 63-247012 A).
In the prepreg base described in JP 63-247012 A, however, cuts are simply put in the prepreg base though thermoplastic resin having a high melt viscosity is used as matrix, and therefore, if an attempt is made to produce a molded product having undulating portions, it will be impossible riot only to achieve such an undulating shape precisely but also maintain a high flowability of the prepreg base itself and that of the fibers in the prepreg base that are no longer continuous after being cut to limited lengths.
It could therefore be helpful to provide a method for producing a prepreg base having a good flowability of the prepreg base itself and/or fibers having a certain length and being not continuous which is prepared with cuts of fibers in the prepreg base, having a good followability to a shape of an intended mold, and having a wide range of selecting molding conditions, at the time of molding a mold.
It could also be helpful to provide a layered base that can be molded into an FRP product having excellent mechanical properties, quality stability, and appearance quality, and also provide FRP products that can be produced from the prepreg base or the layered base.

Process for producing composite prepreg base, layered base, and fiber-reinforced plastic


A method for controlling a vehicle transmission during a park release event includes engaging a park brake to hold vehicle wheels against rotation, holding against rotation a first component and a second component of an epicyclic gear unit connected to the wheels, releasing the park brake, selecting a transmission drive range, releasing said first component, and operating the transmission in the selected drive range.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an automatic transmission, and more particularly to its control during a transition from Park to a forward drive range or a reverse drive range.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When rolling movement a vehicle is produced by placing a range selector of an automatic transmission in the Park range, the vehicle wheels are held against rotation by securing them through a drive connection to the transmission case. It is conventional practice to engage automatically a friction control element of the transmission that must be engaged in both first gear and reverse gear, when Park range is engaged.
When a transmission in this state is shifted out of Park on a grade, a large objectionable boom can occur when the stored energy of the loaded drive line is suddenly released. This abrupt release of energy can cause the driveline to oscillate for a brief but undesired period.
A need exists in the industry for a reliable technique that prevents unintended rolling of a vehicle using a park brake, and avoids a harsh, abrupt release of energy stored in the vehicle driveline when the park brake is released.

Transmission control during park range disengagement


A polymer composite composition wherein at least one of the constituents is a silicone ionomer and the other constituent is polymer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to polymer composites comprising silicone ionomers.
2. Background of the Art
Several approaches have been developed to combine silicones with non-silicone polymers to form a single polymeric composition. The approach closest to the present invention includes silicone-based interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) and their variants. This method comprises the juxtaposition of two or more distinct polymer chains in the form of a network, such that the resulting material has properties shown by all of its constituents. The following are examples of state of art describing silicone-based IPNs:
European Patent application (EP1840167 A1) describes a transparent gel and contact lens based on the same, comprising of an interpenetrating network between a polycarbonate-modified polydiorganosiloxane and a hydrophilic curable monomer.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,687,585 describes a method of preparing silicone-based IPN by swelling the polymer with a monomer dissolved in a low surface tension solvent (e.g. supercritical CO2), precipitating the monomer via solvent removal and subsequently crosslinking the monomer within the silicone framework.
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,578 also describes a silicone-acrylate IPN made by sequential polymerization of PDMS, imbibition with acrylate monomer, and crosslinking the same to form a penetrating network.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,499 covers interpenetrating networks in which the constituent polymers are held together by ionic attractions between the participating sites. The objects of this invention are thermosets at a certain temperature, above which they show thermoplastic behavior.
While the above examples independently describe polydiorganosiloxane-based IPNs or IPNs based on ionic interactions between the two polymers, they fail to mention ionically modified polydiorganosiloxanes as one of the IPN constituents. Thus, the silicone ionomers that are a component of the present invention are a significant feature of the invention.
The present invention seeks to combine silicone ionomers with other polymers to provide polymer composite compositions. The resulting polymer composition possesses properties that are additive or synergistic of the properties of the participating reactants. On account of these properties, the composites can be used in different applications such as healthcare, personal care, automotive, construction, apparel, sporting goods, electrical and electronic applications, textile applications, oil and gas and household goods and articles.


An image forming apparatus has a network interface unit for communication with an electronic mail server via a communication network, a main control unit that entirely controls the image forming apparatus and does not operate in a power-saving mode, and a sub control unit that inquires of the electronic mail server in the power-saving mode about whether an electronic mail addressed to the image forming apparatus is stored in the electronic mail server. When such an electronic mail is stored in the electronic mail server, the sub control unit activates the main control unit. The main control unit shifts the image forming apparatus from the power-saving mode to a normal mode, and acquires the electronic mail from the electronic mail server. An image forming unit forms an image on a recording medium based on an attachment file attached to the electronic mail acquired by the main control unit.

The present invention relates to a technology for forming an image on a recording medium according to an electronic file sent via an electronic mail system.
Recently, facsimile communications via an IP (Internet Protocol) communication line have become common. One of such facsimile communications uses an electronic mail system. To be more specific, a sending terminal sends an electronic mail (hereinafter, referred to as E-mail) with an attachment file in TIFF (Tag Image File Format) or PDF (Portable Document Format) to a receiving terminal having a printing function. The receiving terminal receives the E-mail from the sending terminal via a mail server, and forms (i.e., prints) an image on a recording medium according to the attachment file of the E-mail. There have recently been digital multifunction peripherals having a scanner function, a printing function, a copying function, and the above described facsimile communication function (see, for example, Patent Publication No. 1).
In the facsimile communication using the E-mail system, it is necessary to send an inquiry command to the mail server about presence or absence of E-mail with an attachment file in the mail server. Convenience can be enhanced by increasing a frequency of sending the inquiry commands. However, if the frequency of sending the inquiry commands to the mail server and receiving response messages from the mail server increases, electric power consumption of the receiving terminal increases.
In order to reduce an increase of such electric power consumption, Patent Publication No. 1 discloses a digital multifunction peripheral having a standby mode and a power-saving mode. In the standby mode, all of the functions of the digital multifunction peripheral can be immediately started by an operation by a user. In the power-saving mode, several functions of an operation panel and the like are disabled or restricted. The digital multifunction peripheral is configured to send the inquiry command to the mail server (about the presence or absence of E-mail with an attachment file) during the power-saving mode, so as to reduce electric power consumption.    Patent Publication No. 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-262096.
However, in the conventional power-saving mode, only several functions of the operation panel and the like are disabled or restricted. Therefore, a sufficient power saving effect cannot be achieved.

Image forming apparatus and image forming system with power-saving mode


A dishwasher appliance includes a carrier roller assembly for supporting a rack within a wash chamber. The carrier roller assembly includes a carrier body defining a receiving slot for receiving a wire of the rack. A first and a second retention clip extend from the carrier body into the receiving slot for securely locking the wire in position after it is fully inserted into the receiving slot. The first retention clip and the second clip are different sizes for snapping around and securing wires having different diameters such that the carrier roller assembly is versatile and may be universally used with dishwasher appliances using differing wire sizes.

Dishwasher appliances generally include a tub that defines a wash chamber. Rack assemblies can be mounted within the wash chamber of the tub for receipt of articles for washing. Wash fluid (e.g., various combinations of water and detergent along with optional additives) may be introduced into the tub where it collects in a sump space at the bottom of the wash chamber. During wash and rinse cycles, a pump may be used to circulate wash fluid to spray assemblies within the wash chamber that can apply or direct wash fluid towards articles disposed within the rack assemblies in order to clean such articles. During a drain cycle, a pump may periodically discharge soiled wash fluid that collects in the sump space and the process may be repeated.
Conventional dishwasher appliances include slide assemblies for supporting one or upper racks within the wash chamber. These slide assemblies permit a user to slide the upper racks out of the wash chamber for emptying and loading dishes and back into the wash chamber for running a wash cycle. Similarly, typical racks are slidable into and out of the wash chamber between cycles for removing and loading dishes, but rely on roller assemblies to achieve such movement. Particularly, carrier roller assemblies are typically mounted to the rack and include a plurality of rollers that roll along the dishwasher door which opens to a horizontal position. Notably, however, conventional carrier roller assemblies are formed from many parts, require different mold parts for the left and right sides of the rack, and are unable to accommodate racks formed from wires having different sizes. As a result, manufacturing complexity is increased, part procurement and storage is complicated, and appliance assembly is complex and costly.
Accordingly, a dishwasher appliance that utilizes an improved carrier roller assembly would be useful. More specifically, a carrier roller assembly that is simple to assemble, versatile, and may be universally used with different wash racks having different wire diameters and on the left and right side of the racks in different model dishwashers would be particularly beneficial.

Carrier roller assembly for a rack of a dishwasher appliance


According to one embodiment, an insulation film is formed over the surface, backside, and sides of a first substrate. Next, the insulation film formed over the surface of the first substrate is removed. Then, a joining layer is formed over the surface of the first substrate, from which the insulation film has been removed. Subsequently, the first substrate is bonded to a second substrate via a joining layer.

In a conventional CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor, a photodiode is formed over a silicon substrate, and wiring is formed over this photodiode. However, from the viewpoints of improvement in light efficiency and degree of flexibility in design, a backside-illuminated CMOS image sensor has attracted attention, in which light is made incident from an opposite side (i.e., the backside) of a face where a photodiode is formed.
In the backside-illuminated COMS image sensor, a silicon substrate (hereinafter referred to as "device substrate") over which a photodiode and so on are formed needs to be thinned by mechanical or chemical polishing in order to shorten the distance to the photodiode. When the device substrate is thinned, the device substrate alone cannot withstand polishing pressure. Therefore, the device substrate is thinned after the support substrate is bonded to the device substrate.
However, it is assumed that a conventional backside-illuminated CMOS image sensor undergoes a conventional wafer process after the support substrate is bonded to the device substrate. Accordingly it is easy to imagine that, as a result of metal contamination, a general silicon substrate for use as a support substrate may degrade device characteristics.

Semiconductor device manufacturing method, semiconductor device, and camera module


A siliconized graphite for use in mechanical seals is provided. This material is prepared by reacting graphite at an elevated temperature ranging from 1800.degree. to 2100.degree. C. with silicon monoxide. Silicon monoxide is generated in rate-controlled fashion by reacting either silicon carbide and silica or silicon nitride and silica at an elevated temperature ranging from 1500.degree. to 1800.degree. C.. Although the optimum temperature range for the SiO generation and the siliconization of graphite is different by 300.degree. C., size-controlled raw materials (silicon carbide, silicon nitride, and silica) and a unique sample loading method make the whole process occurred in situ and make the production of mechanical seals efficient. Size-controlling of the raw materials is essential for a constant supply of silicon monoxide in controlled fashion, and a unique sample loading method is essential to put the SiO generation and the siliconization of graphite within their optimum temperature ranges. The produced materials by this method show excellent properties suitable for use in mechanical seals, rocket nozzles, etc.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to graphite materials with chemically-formed silicon carbide on its surface, which can be used as mechanical seals and a process for producing the same materials.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As compared with bare graphite products, SiC-coated graphite has superior properties such as higher strength, higher hardness, higher abrasion resistance, and higher oxidation resistance. Therefore, it is one of the best useful materials for use in mechanical seals.
There are three major methods for the formation of SiC on graphite: (i) chemical vapor deposition employing organosilicon compounds such as trimethylsilane, (ii) infiltration-reactions employing Si liquid or gas; and (iii) gas-solid reactions employing SiO gas.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,243 discloses the bearing elements which consist of coherent pyrolytic silicon carbide formed by Si-carring gas through chemical vapor deposition.
U.K. Patent Specification No. 1,118,056 provides a process for cladding or coating a carbonaceous substrate with silicon carbide. This is accomplished by melting a thin layer of highly pure silicon on carbonaceous substrates, and then by depositing homogeneous silicon carbide over the surface of the substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,831 employs molten silicon (Si) as a siliconization agent for porous carbon blank. Impregnation of the carbon blank with molten silicon starts at a temperature ranging from 2100.degree. to 2200.degree. C. for 3 to 5 minutes, followed by transformation to silicon carbide at a temperature ranging from 1800.degree. to 2050.degree. C. for 30 to 40 minutes.
Japanese Patent Publication No. (Sho) 38-16,106 employs a mixture of silicon powder (Si) and silica (SiO.sub.2) as a silicon monoxide source for the conversion of graphite to silicon carbide. SiC-coated layer of 0.2-0.5 mm thickness is achieved at a temperature of 1800.degree. to 2300.degree. C. for 150 minutes.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. (Sho) 59-3,907 employs a mixture of silica (SiO.sub.2) and carbon black (C) as a silicon monoxide source for the conversion of graphite to silicon carbide.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,634,116 teaches silicon monoxide vapor, which is produced by heating silicon powder (Si) and silica (SiO.sub.2) to a temperature of at least 1400.degree. C. and reacts with graphite particles of the substrate to form individual silicon carbide casings on the graphite particles.
U.K. Patent Specification No. 2,122,179 concerns a method for forming SiC by the reaction of SiO gas with graphite and a carbon substrate. In this method, SiO gas is generated by reacting SiO.sub.2 powder with hydrogen gas within a temperature ranging from 1425.degree. to 1600.degree. C. The layer of SiC has 1.5 mm thickness and a density of 2.6 g/cm.sup.3.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. (Sho) 54-28,311 discloses a process for making a uniform, SiC-coated graphite. It employs a graphite tube furnace which has a temperature gradient ranging from 300.degree. C. at the entrance to 2000.degree. C. at the center. A graphite crucible having two separated zones is used to generate silicon monoxide and to siliconize the graphite substrate. Silicon monoxide is generated by reacting a mixture of silica or silicon compound and carbon. The yielded products have a uniform SiC-coated layer of about 0.8 mm thickness.

Mechanical seals of SiC-coated graphite by rate-controlled generation of SiO and process therefor

Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology


The present invention generally relates to a container for tobacco for use in hookahs or other smoking apparatuses. Specifically, this invention relates to a hookah tobacco container that is configured such that liquids contained in the tobacco or stored with the tobacco are allowed to be separated and stored away from the tobacco. Embodiments of the present invention include a container comprising a chamber for the retention of tobacco and one or more separation areas for the separation of liquids from the tobacco.

Hookahs and other smoking apparatuses have been used for centuries. Regardless of the type of device, each of these smoking apparatuses require a source of partially dried tobacco. The tobacco is occasionally flavored with oils or other substances to enhance the desirability and taste of the inhalable smoke.
One frequent issue users of these smoking apparatuses have is that storing tobacco can be a complex task. On one hand, tobacco left out in the open will dry out and become stale, brittle or otherwise inappropriate for use in a smoking apparatus. On the other hand, tobacco stored in liquids, high-humidity or the like, the tobacco can become hard to ignite and may become prone to hazardous contaminations, such as mold, bacteria growth and insects (e.g., tobacco beetles).
Therefore, proper storage and maintenance of the tobacco is crucial. In some scenarios, tobacco is stored in a humidor or other area where humidity can be monitored and controlled in a sealed environment (e.g., box, room, table). However, humidors are generally not portable and not adequate or cost effective for the consumer sale and purchase of tobacco.
Storing tobacco in containers, generally sealed from the external environment, has been a favored approach. However, these containers are generally cylindrical containers with the tobacco stored inside. Over extended periods of time, the liquids and natural oils in the tobacco tend to settle at the bottom of the container. This creates the situation where the tobacco at the top of the container becomes dry and brittle, while the tobacco at the bottom of the container becomes soggy and prone to afflictions previously mentioned (e.g., mold, bacteria, insects, rot).
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a tobacco container that allows for storage of tobacco within the container while protecting the tobacco from the liquids and natural oils stored with the tobacco. These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be explained and will become obvious to one skilled in the art through the summary of the invention that follows.


A gas turbine combustor is provided in which product reliability and heat transfer promotion are compatible while suppressing an increase in pressure loss.

For combustor liners, turbine wings, heat exchangers, fins, boilers, heating furnaces, etc. of gas turbines and the like, with respect to promotion of heat transfer between fluid and solids in cooling, heating, heat exchanging, etc., various structures have been devised based on specifications required for the respective equipment.
For example, in combustors of gas turbines for electric power generation or the like, it is demanded to maintain required cooling-performance with low pressure loss level, which does not allow gas turbine efficiency to be deteriorated, and to maintain the reliability of structural strength. Moreover, from the viewpoint of consideration to environmental problems, it is demanded to reduce a discharge amount of nitrogen oxide (NOx) generated in the combustors. The cause of the generation of NOx includes the fact that, at the time of combustion, oxygen and nitrogen in air are maintained at a very high temperature. In order to prevent this to reduce NOx, premix combustion in which fuel and air are mixed prior to combustion and the mixture is then combusted is employed, and it is realized to combust the mixture in a state where the mixture ratio of fuel and air (a fuel-air ratio) is lower than a theoretical mixture ratio.
As a heat transfer device (a heat transfer structure) of a gas turbine combustor in which the above mentioned matter is taken into consideration, a structure provided with a combustor liner which is formed by axially connecting a plurality of cylindrical materials formed by cylindrically rolling up substantially rectangular-shaped plate materials is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-280154 (Patent Literature 1). Each cylindrical material in the combustor liner is overlapped on and connected to adjacent cylindrical materials. The overlapped portions are coupled by welding or brazing.
Moreover, at one end of each cylindrical material (a downstream side in a flowing direction of compressed air from a compressor), a plurality of protrusions (longitudinal vortex generators) which are formed by press machining or the like are circumferentially arranged. The longitudinal vortex generators generate a longitudinal vortex which has a central rotation axis in a flowing direction of a cooling medium (cooling air) (compressed air). By the longitudinal vortex, the cooling medium (cooling air) in a flow passage is agitated. Moreover, on an outer peripheral surface of the combustor liner, ribs (turbulators) for destroying a boundary layer which is generated in the cooling medium (cooling air) agitated by the longitudinal vortex generators are provided.
Moreover, as a heat transfer structure of a gas turbine combustor which has a different structure, a structure is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei. 6-221562 (Patent Literature 2), in which an inner diameter of an outer tube provided for forming a flow passage for a cooling medium (cooling air) on the outside of a liner is gradually reduced. In the structure described in this literature, a heat transfer coefficient is improved by reducing the cooling medium flow passage between the combustor liner and the outer tube to increase a flow velocity of the cooling medium and by increasing surface roughness of a liner surface.
Moreover, as a heat transfer structure of a gas turbine combustor which has a different structure, a structure is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-320837 (Patent Literature 3). This literature describes "by providing guide fins on an outer periphery side of a liner and on an inner periphery side of an outer tube, a flow velocity is increased to realize improvement in heat transfer effect".
While the heat transfer device disclosed in the patent literature 1 is superior to conventional heat transfer devices in cooling performance, structural strength, low NOx property, and the like, there remains room for improvement in its structure from the viewpoint of the simplification of manufacturing process and long-life property.
For example, while the combustor liner is formed by axially coupling the plurality of cylindrical materials, the respective cylindrical materials are weld-coupled at the overlapped portions. Such welded portions may become the cause of generation of cracks and may not endure long usage as compared to a case where the welding is not employed (namely, in a case where the combustor liner is formed from a single cylindrical material). Moreover, the fact that the provision of a great number of welded portions increases the workload of the combustor liner to result in an increase in the manufacturing cost of the combustor liner can be pointed out. This fact becomes more remarkable in the case of employment of welding for the mounting of the ribs that are the turbulators.
Moreover, in the case of the employment of the welding, the respective cylindrical materials may be subjected to thermal deformation. In the case of occurrence of the thermal deformation, an incorporating property of the combustor liner into other cylindrical members (for example, a disk plate, to which a combustion nozzle and a premix nozzle are mounted, a transition piece (a tail cylinder), etc.) is lowered and the labor for causing the combustor liner to be again formed into a circular shape is required, whereby the fabrication process of the combustor may be complicated. Moreover, the fact that because the overlapped portions of the respective cylindrical materials forming the combustor liner have double structures and become thicker than other portions, the heat transfer property (cooling property) of the overlapped portions is lowered as compared to that of the other portions can be also pointed out.
Moreover, the heat transfer device disclosed in the patent literature 2 has a simple structure on the combustor liner side as compared to the heat transfer device disclosed in the patent literature 1, so that it is considered to be superior in the simplification of the fabrication process and the long-life property of the structure, but it realizes the heat transfer promotion only by the increase in the flow velocity and the surface roughness, so that the pressure loss may become excessively high in order to obtain a large heat transfer promoting effect.
Moreover, although the heat transfer device disclosed in the patent literature 3 has the structure in which the guide fins are installed only on the inner periphery side of the outer tube and which is superior in the simplifying property and the long-life property, the action in the heat transfer device which contributes to the heat transfer promoting is only the increase in the flow velocity and, like the heat transfer device described in the patent literature 2, the pressure loss may become excessively high in order to obtain the large heat transfer promoting effect.
The object of the present invention is to provide a heat transfer device which can promote heat transfer while suppressing an increase in pressure loss and is superior in a simplifying property of a fabrication process and a long-life property.

Cooling structure for gas turbine combustor liner

Abstract: In a gas turbine combustor comprising a combustor liner, an outer tube provided around an outer periphery of the combustor liner, and an annular flow passage in which a cooling medium (cooling air) flows and which is formed between an outer surface of the combustor liner and an inner surface of the outer tube, the outer tube includes an inner diameter reduced portion and a taper portion smoothly connecting the inner diameter reduced portion and an inner peripheral portion on an upstream side, and is provided at an inner surface of the taper portion with longitudinal vortex generating means generating a vortex that has a central rotation axis in a flowing direction of the cooling medium (cooling air).


The present invention relates to methods of modulating (for example, inhibiting) activity of JAK3, comprising contacting the JAK3 with a compound of Formula I:

Cytokines are the key regulators of immunity and inflammation. Antagonism of cytokine function has emerged as an effective strategy for immunosuppression (Steinman L. Science 305:212-216 (2004)). Cytokines that bind type-1 receptors (such as interleukin-2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9) and type-II receptors (such as INFα/β, IFNγ, IL-10, 19, and 20) are important in immunoregulation and inflammation, and critical for lymphoid development, homeostasis, and differentiation (O'Shea J J et al, Nat. Rev. Immunol. 2: 37-45 (2002); O'Shea J J et al, Curr Opin Rheumatol. 17:305-11 (2005); O'Shea J J et al Immunity. 28, 477-487 (2008)).
Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) are pleiotropic transcription factors which mediate cytokine-stimulated gene expression in multiple cell populations (Levy D A, Cytokine Growth Factor Rev., 8:81 (1997)). All STAT proteins contain a DNA binding domain, a Src homology 2 (SH2) domain, and a transactivation domain necessary for transcriptional activation of target gene expression.
Janus kinases (JAK), including JAK1 (also known as Janus kinase-1), JAK2 (also known as Janus kinase-2), JAK3 (also known as Janus kinase, leukocyte; JAKL; L-JAK; and Janus kinase-3), and TYK2 (also known as protein-tyrosine kinase 2), are cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) which play pivotal roles in initiation of cytokine-triggered signaling events by activating the cytoplasmic latent forms of STAT proteins via tyrosine phosphorylation on a specific tyrosine residue near the SH2 domain (Ihle J N et al., Trends Genet., 11: 69 (1995); Darnell J E et al., Science, 265: 1415 (1994); Johnston J A et al., Nature, 370: 1513 (1994)).
Binding of the cytokines to the receptor brings JAKs together, resulting in JAK activation and autophosphorylation, with subsequent phosphorylation of tyrosine residues on the cytoplasmic portion of the receptor. The inactive STAT monomers are then recruited to the activated receptor complex via the interaction of the SH2 domains with phosphotyrosine docking sites. STATs are phosphorylated by the JAKs on a conserved tyrosine residue in the c-terminal domain to form STAT homodimers or heterodimers. STATs then dissociate from the receptor, dimerize, and translocate into the nucleus. In the nucleus, STATs bind to specific response elements and induce gene transcription (Benekli M, et al, 101, 2940-2954 (2003); Leonard W J, Nature Medicine, 2: 968 (1996); Leonard W J, Nature Medicine, 2: 968 (1996); Zhong Z et al., PNAS USA, 91:4806 (1994); Darnell Jr. J E et al., Science, 264:1415-1421 (1994); and Scott, M J et al., Clin Diagn Lab Immunol 9: 1153-1159 (2002)). The STATs control fundamental cellular processes, including survival, proliferation, and differentiation.
Different ligands employ specific JAK and STAT family members, thus utilization of this pathway mandates specificity in signaling cascades and contributes to a diverse array of cellular responses. Janus kinases, including JAK3, are abundantly expressed in primary leukemic cells from children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer, and recent studies have correlated STAT activation in ALL cells with signals regulating apoptosis (Demoulin J B, et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 16: 4710-4716 (1996); Jurlander J., et al., Blood. 89: 4146-4152, (1997); Kaneko S, et al., Clin. Exp. Immun. 109: 185-193 (1997); and Nakamura N et al., J. Biol. Chem. 271: 19483-19488 (1996)). JAK3 mutations with continue activities are also found to express in acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) patients, which implies the JAK3 mutants as potential therapeutic targets (Walters D K et al Cancer Cell, 10, 65-75 (2006); Kiyoi H et al Leukemia, 21, 574-576 (2007)).
Among the four members of the JAK family, JAK1, JAK2, and TYK2 are ubiquitously expressed. JAK3 is predominantly expressed in hematopoietic cells, such as Natural Killer cells and thymocytes, platelets, mast cells, and inducible T and B cells. JAK3 plays an important role in normal lymphocyte development and functions, as evidenced by qualitative and quantitative deficiencies in the B-cell as well as T-cell compartments of the immune system of JAK3-deficient mice (T. Nosaka et al., Science, 270:800 (1995): D. C. Thomas et al., Science, 270:794 (1995)); development of severe combined immunodeficiency in JAK3-deficient patients and development of severe combined immunodeficiency in JAK3-deficient patients (Buckley R H et al., J Pediatr., 130: 379 (1997)). JAK3 binds exclusively to the IL-2 cytokine receptor gamma chain and is activated by IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, and IL-15. JAK3 is critical for lymphocyte survival, differentiation, and function. In humans, mutations in JAK3 have been associated with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) (Macchi P et al, Nature. 377: 65-68 (1995), Notarangelo L D Immunol Rev 178:39-48 (2000)), a disorder that is fatal in infancy unless treated by therapies such as hematopoetic stem cell transplantation. JAK3 knockout mice are found to display defects in T, B, and NK cell development and function (Nosaka T et al., Science, 270:800-802 (1995): Thomas D C et al., Science, 270:794-797 (1995); Suzuki K N et al Int Immunol 12:123-132 (2000)).
JAK/STAT signaling has been implicated in the mediation of many abnormal immune responses such as allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases such as transplant rejection, rheumatoid arthritis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis as well as in solid and hematologic malignancies such as leukemias and lymphomas. An inhibitor of JAK3 will block the JAK3/STAT signaling pathway, and could be useful for treating or preventing diseases mentioned hereinabove (Cetkovic-Cvrlje et al Current Pharmaceutical Design, 10, 1767-1784 (2004); Luo C et al, 2004, Drug Discovery Today, 268-275 (2004); Pesu M et al Immunol. Rev. 223:132-42 (2008)).
Besides hematopoietic cells, JAK3 is also found to express in variety levels in endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells (Verbsky J et al, J. Biol. Chem. 271, 13976-13980 (1996)), cancers cells other than leukemia and lymphoma as described hereinabove. For example, JAK3 is constitutively phosphorylated and activated in colon carcinoma cells (Lin Q eta al Am. J. Pathol. 167, 969-980 (2005)). Information regarding the physiologic functions of JAK3 in these non-lymphoid cell populations also spurred much interest in research (Thomas D C et al., Curr. Opin. Immunol., 9: 541 (1997); Ihle J N, Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond B Biol. Sci., 351: 159-166 (1996); Verbsky J W et al. J. Biol. Chem., 271: 13976 (1996)).
Animal studies have suggested that JAK3 not only play a critical role in B- and T-lymphocyte maturation, but that JAK3 is constitutively required to maintain T-cell function. Modulation of immune activity through this novel mechanism can prove useful in the treatment of T-cell proliferative disorders such as transplant rejection (e.g. organ transplant rejection) (Borie D C et al, Trends Mol. Med. 10, 532-541 (2004); Borie D C et al, transplantation, 79, 791-801 (2005)) and autoimmune diseases (e.g. insulin-dependent diabetes) (Cetkovic-Cvrlje M. et al, Clinical immunology, 106, 213-225 (2003).
The role of JAK3 in mast cells has been described in knockout mice. Thus, IgE/antigen induced degranulation and mediator release were substantially reduced in mast cells generated from JAK3 deficient mice. JAK3 deficiency does not affect mast cell proliferation in vitro, and it has also been shown that IgE receptor levels and mediator contents are identical in JAK3−/− and JAK3+/+ mast cells. Therefore, JAK3 appears essential for the complete response of IgE challenged mast cells. The role of JAK3 in mast cell activation has been well established in murine system, and it was suggested that mast cells plays an important role in Autosomal Recessive-Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (AR-SCID) patients and that targeting JAK3 provides the basis for new and effective treatment of mast cell mediated allergic reactions. See e.g. WO/2004/099205. JAK3 inhibitors can be used to treat (including prevent) mast cell mediated immediate hypersensitivity reactions. See R. Malaviya, et. al, "Targeting Janus kinase 3 in mast cells prevents immediate hypersensitivity reactions and anaphylaxis"; Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 274, No. 38, Issue of September 17, pp. 27028-27038, 1999.
The JAK3/STAT pathways play pivotal roles in diseases such as autoimmune diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, type I diabetes and complication from diabetes, lupus, autoimmune thyroid disorder, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease), cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, inflammatory diseases or disorders (e.g. asthma, rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis), Alzheimer's disease, and organ transplant rejection. See e.g. WO 2001042246. Pharmacological targeting of JAK3 has been employed successfully to control (treat and/or prevent) transplant complications (e.g. rejection of donor organs by the host immune system such as allograft rejection) and complications associated with bone marrow transplantation such as development of graft versus host disease (GVHD). In addition to its involvement in signaling of cytokine receptors, JAK3 is also engaged in the CD40 signaling pathway of peripheral blood monocytes. During CD40-induced maturation of myeloid dendritic cells (DCs), JAK3 activity is induced, and increases in costimulatory molecule expression, IL-12 production, and potent allogeneic stimulatory capacity are observed. A rationally designed JAK3 inhibitor WHI-P-154 prevented these effects arresting the DCs at an immature level, suggesting that immunosuppressive therapies targeting the tyrosine kinase JAK3 may also affect the function of myeloid cells (Saemann M D et al, Am J Transplant 3: 1341-1349 (2003)). In the mouse model system, JAK3 was also shown to be an important molecular target for treatment of autoimmune insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes mellitus. The rationally designed JAK3 inhibitor JANEX-1 exhibited potent immunomodulatory activity and delayed the onset of diabetes in the NOD mouse model of autoimmune type I diabetes (Cetkovic-Cvrlje M et al, Clin Immunol 106: 213-25 (2003)). Moreover, JAK3 can be one of the regulators of platelet function, and JAK3 inhibitors can prevent platelet aggregation, inhibit thrombus formation, and thus can be anti-thrombotic agents. See e.g. Tibbles, H. E. "Role of a JAK3-dependent Biochemical Signaling Pathway in Platelet Activation and Aggregation" J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 276, Issue 21, 17815-17822, May 25, 2001; See also Cetkovic-Cvrlje, M. "Therapeutic Potential of Janus Kinase 3 (JAK3) Inhibitors" Current Pharmaceutical Design, Volume 10, Number 15, June 2004, pp. 1767-1784(18). Because of the importance of JAK3 inhibitors and the market for specific immunosuppressants, many pharmaceutical companies have established JAK3 drug development programs, including Pfizer, Vertex, Rigel, InCyte, and Pharmacopeia (Pesu et al. Immunological Reviews. 223, 132-142 (2008)). Pfizer has progressed CP-690550 (Changelian P S et al, Science, 302, 875-878 (2003)) into 19 clinical studies on ulcerative colitis; acute rejection in kidney transplantation; rheumatoid arthritis (RA); dry eye syndromes; Crohn's disease; and psoriasis. These clinical studies include Phase II clinical trials for RA and an expanded Phase I acute kidney transplant rejection trial. CP-690550 has therapeutic effects with both adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat models (Milici et al. Arthritis Research & Therapy 10:R14 (2008)). A new analog of CP-690550, PF-956980, was found to have improved JAK3 specificity (Changelian et al, Blood 111:2155-2157 (2008); WO 2001042246; U.S. Pat. No. 6,627,754; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,432,370).
Pharmacopeia (Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc) developed a JAK3 inhibitor, PS020613, for RA, psoriasis, and other immunological conditions. PS020613 has an IC50 value of 3.4 nM for Jak3 kinase. It inhibits IL2-induced cell proliferation in mouse F7 cells with an IC50 value of 64 nM, and demonstrates 31-fold cell selectivity over Jak2. When administered orally to BALB/c mice, PS020613 inhibits IL2-induced IFNg production with an ED50 value of 3 mg/kg, is efficacious in an oxazolone-induced model of delayed hypersensitivity and demonstrates good oral bioavailability (116%) (Sills M et al, Fourteenth international conference, Poster A 155 (2006)).
Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc. is testing the compound R348 (an inhibitor for Jak3 and Syk) for Psoriasis/RA and transplant rejection (Deuse T et al, Transplantation, 85,885-892 (2008); U.S. Pat. No. 7,435,814; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,435,879).
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. is testing compound VX-509 (a JAK3 inhibitor) in Phase 1a clinical development for the potential treatment of multiple immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. See e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 7,122,552.
Parker-Hughes Institute had developed a group of compounds, such as WHI-P131 and WPI-P154, as potent inhibitors for PDGFR and EGFR, and also capable to inhibit JAK3 with IC50s in low μM ranges. These compounds have been studied for their immunosuppression (Marzec M et al, Lab Invest 85: 1544-1554 (2005); Papageorgiou A C et al. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 25: 558-562 (2004); Changelian P S et al, Blood 111(4):2155-2157 (2008)). It was also reported that WHI-P131, as a JAK3 inhibitor, increased survival in a transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and can be useful for treatment of ALS such as FALS (Trieu V N, et. al, Biochem Biophys Res Commu., 267, 22-25 (2000)).
A JAK3-selective inhibitor (selective over other Kinases such as JAK1, JAK2, and TYK2) would not interfere with (or interfere insignificantly with) the signaling pathways mediated/controlled by other members of Kinases such as JAK1, JAK2, and TYK2. However, one draw back of some of the current JAK3 inhibitors is that they also have activities toward other kinases such as JAK1 and JAK2, which also play critical roles to the signaling of many hematopoietic cytokine and growth factor receptors. For example, a binding assay performed by Ambit has revealed that CP-690550 had very similar Ki for JAK3 (Kd=2.5 nM) and JAK2 (Kd=5 nM) (Karaman M W et al, Nat. Biotech. 26, 127-132 (2008)), although one Pfizer's publication (Changelian P S et al, Science, 302, 875-878 (2003)) indicated that with ELISA assays, CP-690550 inhibited JAK3 with an IC50 value of 1.5 nM, which is 20 fold more selective than toward JAK2. However low selectivity (about 2.5 fold more selective to JAK3 over JAK1) of CP-690550 was also reported according to Pharmacopeia's internal test (2nd Protein Kinases in Drug Discovery Conference, 2007). JAK3-selective inhibitors, such as compounds in the present invention, are useful in treating (and/or preventing) rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, organ transplant rejection, allergic or type I hypersensitivity reaction such as urticaria and eczema, conjunctivitis, rhinorrhea, rhinitis, asthma and gastroenteritis, familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS), lupus, multiple sclerosis, dry eye disease, Type I diabetes and complications from diabetes, cancer, asthma, rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, autoimmune thyroid disorders, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, Alzheimer's disease, leukemia, thrombus, and other autoimmune disease.
New or improved agents which specifically inhibit JAK3 are continually needed for developing new and more effective pharmaceuticals to treat, autoimmune diseases and inflammatory diseases, to name a few. The compounds, compositions and methods described herein are directed toward these needs and other ends.

Abstract: or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein constituent members are provided hereinwith. The present invention further provides novel compounds and compositions as well as their methods of preparation and use of the same as JAK3 inhibitors in the treatment of JAK3-associated diseases including, for example, inflammatory and autoimmune disorders.


A thin film transistor substrate. The thin film transistor substrate includes a substrate, an adhesive layer on the substrate, and a semiconductor layer having a first doped region, a second doped region and a channel region on the adhesive layer. The thin film transistor substrate further includes a first dielectric layer on the semiconductor layer, a gate electrode overlapping the channel region, a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer and the gate electrode, a source electrode disposed on the second insulating layer, and a drain electrode spaced apart from the source electrode on the source electrode. The channel region is disposed between the first doped region and the second doped region, and has a transmittance higher than those of the first doped region and the second doped region.

The present invention disclosed herein relates to a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor and a thin film transistor substrate that can enhance the switching speed in AC characteristic by decreasing the parasitic capacitance of the thin film transistor.
Flexible electronic devices are generally realized by using organic thin film transistors (OTFTs). When OTFTs are exposed to the atmosphere, however, their service life is shortened and reliability is also lowered. Instead of OTFTs having the limitations in service life and reliability, there has been proposed a technique in which a silicon-based thin film transistor is separated from a glass substrate or wafer substrate and is transferred onto a plastic substrate, in recent years.
Typically, the transfer of the thin film transistor is performed by manufacturing a thin film transistor on an organic substrate and then indirectly transferring the manufactured thin film transistor onto a plastic substrate. Since the related art transfer must be performed after the manufacturing of the thin film transistor is completed, it is difficult to transfer a large area and thus failure rate is increased. Meanwhile, if the transfer is performed while the thin film transistor is manufactured in order to address those limitations, self-alignment between a gate electrode and source/drain electrodes is deteriorated, so that the switching speed of the thin film transistor is lowered in AC characteristic due to a parasitic capacitance between the source electrode and the gate electrode or between the drain electrode and the gate electrode.

Method of manufacturing thin film transistor and thin film transistor substrate

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A method and system for enhancing the signal quality of received signals generated by acoustic tools by factoring in feedbacks from the rig operations in an adaptive optimization process. The system may include a transmitter driver circuit and transmitters which can implement signal transmission at selected power, mode and waveforms. The selected power, mode and transmit waveforms may further be generated in the system by making optimal calculations based on realtime information from the downhole data regarding the formation and borehole characteristics.

Hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, are commonly obtained from subterranean formations. Although acoustic logging tools are generally known for monitoring and obtaining downhole formation characteristics, different downhole conditions in drilling affects the quality of signals received at the different receivers of the acoustic tools. Acoustic tools may be used to collect information from various drilling operations. Generally, a drilling operation conducted at a wellsite requires that a wellbore be drilled that penetrates the hydrocarbon-containing portions of the subterranean formation. Typically, subterranean operations involve a number of different steps such as, for example, drilling the wellbore at a desired well site, treating the wellbore to optimize production of hydrocarbons, and performing the necessary steps to produce and process the hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation.
The performance of various phases of subterranean operations involves numerous tasks that are typically performed by different subsystems located at the well site, or positioned remotely therefrom. One of these different steps may involve the use of an acoustic tool for measuring various parameters. Generally, for operation of a wellsite, formation characteristics may provide information for downhole conditions.
Traditionally, acoustic tools operate at predefined waveforms of certain frequencies, operating mode (monopole, dipole, quadrupole or crossed dipole) and output power. An acoustic logging tool typically includes an acoustic source, and a set of receivers spaced apart by a preset length. An acoustic signal is transmitted by the acoustic source and received at the receivers of the borehole tool which are spaced apart from the acoustic source. Measurements are repeated at predefined periods or depths as the tool passes along the borehole.
The acoustic signal from the acoustic tools travels through the formation adjacent the borehole to the receiver. Typically, compressional wave, shear wave, and other waves are detected by the receivers and are processed. The processing of the data may be performed on the surface or in real time in the tool. This information is typically used to determine formation characteristics from which pore pressure, porosity, and other formation property determinations can be made.
Acoustic logging tools are used for both wireline logging and logging-while-drilling (LWD) applications. In wireline logging, a probe, or "sonde", housing multiple logging tools is lowered into the borehole after some or all of the well has been drilled. The sonde is attached to a conductive wireline that carries power from the surface to the tools in the sonde, and that carries telemetry information to the surface. Power is generally acquired through a power supply or by some other means to generate a signal with sufficient intensity to be detected at the receivers.
Acoustic logging tools may also require a source waveform. Several different types of acoustic logs may be generated based on the source waveform. The source waveform may be based on the frequencies applied to the waveform for use by the acoustic logging tools. Several types of logs may be generated using the source waveform (which may be in the form of wavelets, chirp waves or sine waves), including compressional and shear velocities, and more.
Typically, the amount of power, operating mode and the waveforms to be applied for the acoustic logging while drilling (LWD) tool is fixed before going downhole. The resulting measurement results in signals based on power, mode and waveforms, that generate a formation response and characteristics of the downhole environment. Quality of the received signals is important for signal processing to get accurate downhole formation characteristics. The quality of the signals received from downhole may be attenuated due to the formation characteristics of the downhole environment, the mud pulse or other method of transmission of the data, the mud flow, the size of the borehole, and tool eccentering, among other factors.
The quality of the signals received also depends on the input to the acoustic logging tools. Certain power, operating mode and waveform input are provided to the acoustic logging tool. Despite the changes in formation characteristics and the various attenuation factors listed above, the power, operating mode and waveform applied to the acoustic tool remain fixed. This results in signals received from the acoustic logging tools that may not be using the most efficient input to generate the signals. As measurements continue downhole, the applied power, operating mode and waveform may result in signals that are not effective and may need to be varied to improve the accuracy of the formation characteristics. However, all of these require significant time and effort, including requiring the need for removing the drilling assembly to reprogram the various variables for the acoustic logging tools. This can be both time-consuming and extremely costly, especially in situations where a substantial portion of the well has been drilled. There may also be improved source wave forms that may be available based on the environmental conditions.
Prior methods to vary the power, mode and waveforms applied to the acoustic logging tool including varying the source waveform pose significant problems. Other systems have proposed using a variety of waveforms by adapting the frequencies, but this results in over-measurement of data and still does not use the environmental conditions to factor in optimizing the input variables for the acoustic tools. Still other systems have suggested using a high output transmitted power to receive and improve the signal quality from the acoustic logging tool. However, higher power affects the signal-to-noise ratio of the received signal via higher tool mode noise. Moreover, it is undesirable to have a high power transmitter as the power must be provided by a power supply downhole, where space for such tools is already limited. Though having additional power can address the quality of the signal, it is undesirable because it will reduce the tool downhole operating time, time that the tool can remain downhole performing logging operations, to an undesirable period. Transmission waveform is also an important factor in acoustic logging tools as different formations have a different resonance and may require a different waveform of other frequencies to be used. This transmit waveform may not be easy to decide until measurements from downhole characteristics have been received. Typically, it is desirable to transmit near the resonance frequency of the formation to reduce signal attenuation. In fast formations (where the shear velocity is faster than the mud velocity), we can measure refracted shear velocities due to Snell's law. However, when the shear is slower (or very close) than the mud, we cannot measure refracted shear and must rely on borehole modes such as Stoneley, flexural, or quadrupole to infer the shear velocity. The various modes for acquisition of these borehole modes by the acoustic logging tool are monopole, dipole, quadrupole and crossed dipole mode.
Accordingly, there is a need for an adaptive controller that can adapt the various power, mode and transmit waveform based on feedback from the downhole environment.
While embodiments of this disclosure have been depicted and described and are defined by reference to exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, such references do not imply a limitation on the disclosure, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modification, alteration, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those skilled in the pertinent art and having the benefit of this disclosure. The depicted and described embodiments of this disclosure are examples only, and not exhaustive of the scope of the disclosure.

Adaptive optimization of output power, waveform and mode for improving acoustic tools performance