A resistive memory device includes: a memory cell array including resistive memory cells disposed at respective intersections between word lines and bit lines, a first column selection circuit disposed on one side of the memory cell array and configured to selectively connect a bit line connected to a selected memory cell among the resistive memory cells, a second column selection circuit disposed on another side of the memory cell array opposite the first column selection circuit and configured to selectively connect the bit line connected to the selected memory cell, and a control circuit configured to determine a distant column selection circuit from among the first column selection circuit and the second column selection circuit relative to the selected memory cell, and enable the distant column selection circuit during a read operation directed to the selected memory.

The inventive concept relates to nonvolatile memory device, and more particularly, to resistive memory devices reducing the possibility of read disturbances. The inventive concept also relates to methods of operating resistive memory devices.
Resistive memories such as phase-change random-access memory (PRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), and magnetic RAM (MRAM) are well known as nonvolatile memory devices. Resistive memories use a variable resistance element whose resistance state is changed to store data as a memory cell. A cross-point resistive memory device is formed by locating such a memory cell at each of intersections between a plurality of bit lines and a plurality of word lines. In the cross-point resistive memory device, the memory cell is accessed by applying a voltage to both ends of the memory cell, and stores a data value of "1" (low resistance state) or "0" (high resistance state) based on a threshold resistance of the memory cell. During a read operation of the cross-point resistive memory device, current conducted by the memory cell may spike above acceptable levels. Such current spikes may cause read disturbances capable of damaging a resistive memory cell and/or degrading memory system performance.

Method of operating resistive memory device reducing read disturbance


The present invention is applicable for inverter-type power plants where the electric distribution line is used as stand-by unit. The present invention is composed of a ballast impedance and an electric mesh including an energizing circuit of a first section suitable for insulating a power plant from the distribution line; contacts of a second section which are monitored by a supervisory control circuit of the power plant; and an electric probe for making available a voltage or a current measurement when current flows through the distribution line.

The present invention is applicable for inverter-type power plants where the electric distribution line is used as stand-by unit. The present invention is composed of a ballast impedance and an electric mesh comprising an energizing circuit of a first section suitable for insulating a power plant from the distribution line; the contacts of a second section which are monitored by a supervisory control circuit of the power plant; and an electric probe making available a voltage or a current measurement when current flows through the distribution line.
The present invention is directed to a circuit for inhibiting voltage and current returns to the distribution line in an inverter-type power plant which uses the distribution line as stand-by unit. In this system, the load is switched during the presence of faults in one or more inverters or during the presence of an overload condition caused, for example, by a fault in the utilizing units.
As shown, the inverters receive a direct voltage at their input and output an alternating voltage which feeds a load. The power plants of this type comprise one or more inverters, connected in parallel, as well as, one or more stand-by inverters or electric distribution lines as stand-by units. The power plants are then used to feed systems which require an high degree of reliability. It is therefore necessary to provide working and stand-by devices, as well as, a supervisory control circuit. The present invention is to be utilized when the electric distribution line is used as stand-by unit.
In particular, when the supervisory control circuit detects the presence of faults in the working devices, this control circuit causes a disengagement of a first set of static switches which, by assuming a normal condition of "open", cause a sectioning of the connection between the load and the working devices. The static switches may be centralized (located on the multiple unit which connects in parallel the inverters to the utilizing units) or remotely located (i.e. in cascade to each inverter). At the same time the supervisory control circuit releases a second set of static switches which, by assuming a normal condition of "closed", connect the load to the distribution line which is the stand-by unit, as specified above. During normal operations (the load being fed by inverters) and due to a fault in the system, it is possible that the second set of static switches unduly assume the configuration of "closed", so that the distribution line is connected to the inverters. The fault causes both accident prevention and handling problems. The problems relating to the accident prevention arise when the faults mentioned above occur, and a determined voltage or current returns to the electric distribution line. When the faults occur during a maintenance operation (subsequent, for example, to a sectioning operation of a network section which is therefore insulated from the power generators located upstream from the network section interested), problems related to the accident prevention may arise, as the personnel works with the understanding that the mains are not connected to any power source. These handling problems arise in conditions similar to the above (load feeded by inverters and with a fault in the second set of static switches), and they are caused by a power transfer to the distribution line in the absence of any regulations suitable to control the transfer.
The units which arrange the electric energy distribution do not usually allow the direct parallel connection between the network and a set of inverters, except when specific regulations are provided and adequate devices for the execution of the operation are arranged.
In the known power plants, due to faults in the static switches or in the supervisory control circuit, the voltage and current returning to the electric distribution line is inhibited by a current return device connected in series to the electric distribution line. As known, these devices are adequate to carry out a sectioning of the line when they detect an energy transfer in the direction opposite to the normal working direction. A current return device, namely "a reverse power flow blocking and sensing device" is shown in the Figures of U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,539 and disclosed in column 6, lines 60 to 66 of this U.S. Patent. These devices are too expensive and have too large of an operating time. They are, therefore, suitable only to solve the handling problems cited above, but are not adequate to solve the problems associated with accident prevention, as personnel usually intervene when the sectioning has been already carried out. No current, therefore, flows, and the current return device may not operate. In fact, since the operating time of these devices is too long, the sectioning time of the connection may be not effected (if the current intensity of the human body is inferior to the operating current) or may be effected when the accident has already occurred.
The known devices are not capable of solving the problems of an accident prevention nature caused by voltage returns to the electric distribution line.

Circuit to inhibit voltage and current returns to the electric power distribution line in an inverter-type power plant

Italtel Societa Italiana Telecommunicazioni S.p.A.


A dual-band semi-active laser (SAL) sensing system incorporating a dual-passband filter. According to one example, a semi-active laser sensing system includes a detector assembly and an aperture lens. The SAL sensing system further comprises a dual-passband filter having a stopband, a first passband and a second passband, the first and second passbands being distinct and non-overlapping and spectrally separated from one another by a portion of the stopband, the filter being configured to receive the electromagnetic radiation from the aperture lens and to filter the electromagnetic radiation to pass a first wavelength range within the first passband and a second wavelength range within the second passband. The SAL sensing system further includes a lens assembly configured to receive the first and second wavelength ranges from the filter and to focus the first and second wavelength ranges onto the detector assembly.

A variety of guidance systems are used in military applications. As one example, semi-active laser (SAL) designation is used in military systems to designate targets and guide a missile or other weapon to the target. In a typical SAL system, the operator of a SAL designator fires a narrow pulsed laser beam at a target. The SAL designator may be man-portable or carried by a designator aircraft such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
The laser beam fired by the SAL designator reflects off the target to provide a reflected spot that can be detected by a SAL sensing system. When the designated target is within range, the SAL sensing system processes the detected reflection to detect the spot, acquire the designated target, and verify that the SAL designator was the source. The SAL sensing system includes processing equipment for generating guidance commands from the pulse-stream to guide the weapon to impact.
The SAL system thus provides the ability to precisely guide weapons to a designated target. Furthermore, the SAL system provides a "man-in-the-loop" capability that is preferred in many battlefield situations.
One issue in SAL systems is the wavelength (and thus frequency) of the laser beam used to designate targets. In current implementations, SAL designators have been limited to wavelengths that are not desirable for all applications. For example, typical SAL systems are limited to a single passband, and do not support more than one laser designator wavelength.
Thus, there remains a continuing need for SAL systems in general, and SAL sensing systems in particular that can be adapted to use different electromagnetic radiation wavelengths.


A method for providing a low fire mode and a high fire mode of a heating cycle in a current cycle of a furnace as a function of the previous heating cycle wherein the current heating cycle is a function exclusively of time run in low fire mode and time run in high fire mode of the previous heating cycle, comprising the steps of: (1) determining the existence of a heating load to be satisfied; (2) running burners in low fire mode for a first time interval that does not exceed a predetermined limit, L.sub.des ; (3) running the burners in high fire mode for a second time interval until the heating load is satisfied; (4) calculating a BtU load requirement, as a function of the first time interval and the second time interval; and (5) determining the desired low fire mode time limit, L.sub.des, for the next cycle from the calculated BtU load requirement.

The present invention pertains to furnaces, and more particularly to a microprocessor control system and method for providing high and low heating rates in a furnace utilizing a single stage thermostat.
Presently, many furnace controls include a two-stage thermostat for providing dual rate heating, wherein the first stage of the thermostat operates the furnace on low heat and the second stage of the thermostat operates the furnace on high heat. For example, a typical two-stage thermostat comprises two small mercury bulb contacts on a bi-metal sensor that close and open as a function of the movement of the bi-metal sensor in response to changing room temperatures. If the present room temperature is below a desired temperature set point, for example, one degree to two degrees below the set point, then the low mercury heat bulb contact closes to provide low heat. If the room temperature continues to drop to, for example, three degrees below the desired temperature set point, then the second mercury bulb contact closes to provide a high rate of heat. When the heating load is satisfied, both of the mercury bulb contacts in the thermostat will sequentially open or deactivate, thereby terminating the heating cycle. Thereafter, when the thermostat contacts close indicating a new heating load to be satisfied, the furnace control repeats the same identical heating cycle.
Disadvantages of the above type of furnace control include the requirement of a two-stage thermostat for providing dual rates of heat and the existence of large swings in room temperature.
In an earlier patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,942 to Ballard et al., assigned to a common assignee, an adaptive microprocessor control system and method was taught which overcame the aforementioned disadvantages.
In addition to the benefits achieved by the Ballard et al. patent, however, it is desirable to have a furnace which recovers quickly from setback such as, in particular night-setback. It is also desirable to reduce off-cycle electrical power draw, which reduction can result in savings on the average cost of operation of the furnace.

Adaptive microprocessor control system and method for providing high and low heating modes in a furnace


Compositions and methods for conferring herbicide resistance to bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues and seeds are provided. Compositions comprising a coding sequence for a polypeptide that confers resistance or tolerance to glyphosate herbicides are provided. The coding sequences can be used in DNA constructs or expression cassettes for transformation and expression in plants. Compositions also comprise transformed bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues, and seeds. In particular, isolated nucleic acid molecules corresponding to glyphosate resistant nucleic acid sequences are provided. Additionally, amino acid sequences corresponding to the polynucleotides are encompassed. In particular, the present invention provides for isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:3 or the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, 2, or 4.

N-phosphonomethylglycine, commonly referred to as glyphosate, is an important agronomic chemical. Glyphosate inhibits the enzyme that converts phosphoenolpyruvic acid (PEP) and 3-phosphoshikimic acid to 5-enolpyruvyl-3-phosphoshikimic acid. Inhibition of this enzyme (5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase; referred to herein as "EPSP synthase") kills plant cells by shutting down the shikimate pathway, thereby inhibiting aromatic acid biosynthesis.
Since glyphosate-class herbicides inhibit aromatic amino acid biosynthesis, they not only kill plant cells, but are also toxic to bacterial cells. Glyphosate inhibits many bacterial EPSP synthases, and thus is toxic to these bacteria. However, certain bacterial EPSP synthases may have a high tolerance to glyphosate.
Plant cells resistant to glyphosate toxicity can be produced by transforming plant cells to express glyphosate-resistant EPSP synthases. A mutated EPSP synthase from Salmonella typhimurium strain CT7 confers glyphosate resistance in bacterial cells, and confers glyphosate resistance on plant cells (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,535,060, 4,769,061, and 5,094,945). Thus, there is a precedent for the use of glyphosate-resistant bacterial EPSP synthases to confer glyphosate resistance upon plant cells.
An alternative method to generate target genes resistant to a toxin (such as an herbicide) is to identify and develop enzymes that result in detoxification of the toxin to an inactive or less active form. This development can be accomplished by identifying enzymes that encode resistance to the toxin in a toxin-sensitive test organism, such as a bacterium.
Castle et al. (WO 02/36782 A2) describe proteins (glyphosate N-acetyltransferases) that are described as modifying glyphosate by acetylation of a secondary amine to yield N-acetylglyphosate.
Barry et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,175) describe genes encoding an oxidoreductase (GOX), and states that GOX proteins degrade glyphosate by removing the phosphonate residue to yield amino methyl phosphonic acid (AMPA). This activity suggests that glyphosate resistance can also be conferred, at least partially, by removal of the phosphonate group from glyphosate. However, the resulting compound (AMPA) appears to provide reduced but measurable toxicity upon plant cells. Barry describes the effect of AMPA accumulation on plant cells as resulting in effects including chlorosis of leaves, infertility, stunted growth, and death. Barry (U.S. Pat. No. 6,448,476) describes plant cells expressing an AMPA-N-acetyltransferase (phnO) to detoxify AMPA.
Phophonates, such as glyphosate, can also be degraded by cleavage of C-P bond by a C-P lyase. Wacket et al. (1987) J. Bacteriol. 169:710-717 describe strains that utilize glyphosate as a sole phosphate source. Kishore et al. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262:12164-12168 and Shinabarger et al. (1986) J. Bacteriol. 168:702-707 describe degradation of glyphosate by C-P lyase to yield glycine and inorganic phosphate.
While several strategies are available for detoxification of toxins, such as the herbicide glyphosate, as described above, new activities capable of degrading glyphosate are useful. Novel genes and genes conferring glyphosate resistance by novel mechanisms of action would be of additional usefulness. Single genes conferring glyphosate resistance by formation of non-toxic products would be especially useful.
Thus, novel genes encoding resistance to herbicides are needed.


The present disclosure provides a carrier composition for eye drops in which a substance to be delivered is loaded in a carrier, wherein the substance to be delivered includes one or more selected from the group consisting of an anti-inflammatory agent, a glaucoma treatment agent, a calcium channel blocker (CCB), an NMDA-receptor blocker, an antioxidant, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, a heat shock protein (HSP), a cystinosis treatment agent, and an antibiotic, the carrier has a spherical shape, the carrier includes a multilayer shell in a region ranging from the center to the surface of the carrier, the multilayer shell includes a core located in the center of the carrier and including a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-based hydrogel having a degree of substitution (D.S.) of 0.9, a first shell located on the surface of the core and including a CMC-based hydrogel having a degree of substitution of 0.8, a second shell located on the surface of the first shell and including a CMC-based hydrogel having a degree of substitution of 0.6, and a third shell including a CMC-based hydrogel having a degree of substitution of 0.65, and the multilayer shell includes the core having a radius equal to 25% of the radial length of the carrier, the first shell having a thickness equal to 20% of the radial length, the second shell having a thickness equal to 40% of the radial length, and the third shell having a thickness equal to 15% of the radial length, and a pharmaceutical composition including the same.

The use of medicines such as anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics in small amounts and at low frequencies is one of the important concerns in the art because it helps in terms of drug abuse prevention, convenience and cost effectiveness.
Meanwhile, in the case of eye drop drugs, the rate of drug absorption after one administration is as very low as 5% or less of the amount administered, due to washing out of the drug by tears and the loss of the drug by eye blinking or the clarification of the drug by tears. Therefore, the eye drop drugs should be frequently administered.
In particular, it is necessary to administer anti-inflammatory eye drops to prevent infection and inflammation at the surgical site of the patient after cataract surgery or other ophthalmic surgery. In this case, for example, there is inconvenience in that an eye drop containing an anti-inflammatory drug or an antibiotic should be frequently applied dropwise to an eye 3 to 6 times a day for 1 month. In addition, if the timing of eye drop application is missed, side effects may occur. Therefore, there is a need to develop a technology that can effectively deliver eye drops to an eye and can maintain the efficacy of the eye drops for a long time.
The present inventors have developed a carrier composition, which is harmless and safe for the human body, allows a substance to be delivered to penetrate into tissue without pain, and enables the substance to be delivered to a local site at a high concentration, and a pharmaceutical composition including the same.
Korean Patent No. 10-0775065 relates to an eye drop composition having a long-lasting effect and a method for preparing the same, and merely discloses an eye drop composition which contains a carboxyvinyl polymer in an ophthalmic formulation, and thus exhibits prolonged drug duration time while giving a comfortable feeling when applied dropwise to an eye. However, it does not disclose a technology in which a hydrogel is composed of multilayer shell particles and is used as a drug carrier.
Korean Patent No. 10-0938500 relates to an eye drop composition for preventing and treating ophthalmic diseases, and merely discloses an eye drop composition containing hyaluronic acid and a salt thereof as active ingredients in addition to carboxymethyl cellulose. However, it does not disclose a technology in which a hydrogel, which stays locally in the anterior segment of an eye and sustainedly releases the drug for a long period of time, is composed of multilayer shell particles and is used as a drug carrier.
Meanwhile, a pharmaceutical composition should necessarily undergo a sterilization process. However, when a suspension gel contained in the pharmaceutical composition undergoes sterilization with a filter, changes in the contents of the excipient and the active ingredient are severe. For this reason, the suspension gel may not be subjected to sterilization with a filter.
Instead of sterilization with a filter, a high-temperature sterilization method is used to maintain the composition in a sterile state. However, in the case of a steroid-based drug or a derivative thereof, there is a fatal problem in that the denaturation of the drug at high temperature occurs. For this reason, technical development for this drug is impossible.
The present inventors have found a pharmaceutical composition which undergoes no change in the content of the active ingredient and no change in the component and content of the suspending agent phosphatidylcholine even after sterilization with a filter, thereby completing the present disclosure.

Carrier composition for eye drops and pharmaceutical composition including the same


A method and a device for displaying information and searching information are provided. The method includes: in response to detecting a display operation of an information flow page performed by a user, displaying the information flow page obtained from a network device (201), wherein an information flow is displayed on the information flow page; in response to detecting an obtaining operation of related information of selected information in the information flow performed by the user, obtaining the related information of the selected information from the network device (202); and switching the selected information displayed on the information flow page to the related information of the selected information (203). By means of the method, frequent switching between pages is avoided, and the related information of the selected information is rapidly displayed.

Generally, an information flow refers to a group of ordered information. For example, information in the information flow may be sorted according to a sequence of publishing time, or may be sorted in combination with the degree of interest of a user in information in the information flow.
Currently, a plurality of types of client applications (for example, social platform software or a news client) are provided with an information flow page on which an information flow may be displayed. Generally, the information flow on the information flow page only includes newly published information. When the user intends to browse related information of one piece of information in the information flow, the user generally needs to switch to a search page to search the related information of the piece of information and browse the related information of the piece of information on the search page, or switch to a home page of a publisher of the piece of information, to browse the related information of the piece of information on the home page of the publisher of the piece of information. After the user finishes browsing, the user needs to return to the information flow page again to browse other information.

Method and device for displaying related information based on display operation of an information flow page

LIANSHANG (XINCHANG) NETWORK TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A polymer latex, including a polymerization step of polymerizing a monomer in organic solvent to thereby obtain polymer solution of synthetic polyisoprene and/or styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer, antioxidant addition step of adding antioxidant to the polymer solution of synthetic polyisoprene and/or styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer at proportion of 0.01-1.00 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the synthetic polyisoprene and/or styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer, and emulsification step of emulsifying the polymer solution which the antioxidant is added, in water in the presence of a surfactant, to thereby obtain polymer latex, wherein the emulsification performs in the emulsification step so the ratio D75/D25 of the volume particle size D75 at a cumulative frequency of 75% to the volume particle size D25 at a cumulative frequency of 25% of a particle of the synthetic polyisoprene and/or styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer included in the polymer latex is 1.90 or more and 2.30 or less.

It has been conventionally known that a dip molded article for use in contact with the human body, such as a nipple, an air ball, a glove, a balloon and a sack, is obtained by dip molding of a latex composition containing a latex of natural rubber. A latex of natural rubber, however, contains a protein causing an allergy symptom in the human body, and thus is problematic in terms of use in a dip molded article that is in direct contact with the mucous membrane or organs of a living body. Therefore, studies about use of not a latex of natural rubber, but a latex of synthetic polyisoprene or styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer have been increasingly made (Patent Document 1).
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a composition for dip molding, containing a latex of synthetic polyisoprene and/or a styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer having a weight average molecular weight of 10,000 to 5,000,000, and a sulfur-based vulcanizing agent and a vulcanization accelerator. According to the composition for dip molding described in Patent Document 1, a dip molded article reasonably improved in tensile strength is obtained. Tensile strength not sufficient, however, may be caused depending on the intended use, and a further improvement in the tensile strength has been thus demanded.


An object of the present invention is to provide a novel semiconductor device which is excellent in stability, uniformity, reproducibility, heat resistance, durability and the like, and can exert excellent transistor properties. The semiconductor device is a thin-film transistor, and this thin-film transistor uses, as an active layer, a polycrystalline oxide semiconductor thin film containing In and two or more metals other than In and having an electron carrier concentration of less than 1×1018/cm3.

Field effect transistors are broadly used as unit electron elements of semiconductor memory integrated circuits, high-frequency signal amplification elements, liquid crystal driving elements and the like, and the transistors are electronic devices which have nowadays been put to practical use in the largest quantities.
Above all, with the remarkable development of the display devices in recent years, in not only liquid crystal display devices (LCDs) but also various display devices such as electroluminescence display devices (ELs) and field emission displays (FEDs), thin-film transistors (TFTs) are used in large quantities as switching elements for applying a driving voltage to display elements to drive the display devices.
Moreover, as the material of the transistors, a silicon semiconductor compound is most broadly used. Usually, for high-frequency amplification elements, elements for integrated circuits and the like which require a high speed operation, a silicon single crystal is used, and for the liquid crystal driving elements and the like, amorphous silicon is used for the requirement of a area enlargement of the display device.
Furthermore, in the case of a crystalline silicon-based thin film, a high temperature of, for example, 800° C. or more is required at its crystallization, and hence it is difficult to form the thin film on a glass substrate or an organic substrate. Therefore, the formation of the thin film is possible only on an expensive substrate such as a silicon wafer or quartz having a high heat resistance. In addition, for the production of the film, a large amount of energy and many steps are necessary.
Furthermore, in the crystalline silicon-based thin film, the element constitution of the TFT is usually limited to a top gate constitution, and hence it has been difficult to decrease the number of masks or the like, which disturbs the decrease of production costs.
On the other hand, an amorphous silicon semiconductor (amorphous silicon) which can be formed at a comparatively low temperature has a low switching speed as compared with a crystalline semiconductor. Therefore, when the amorphous silicon is used as the switching element for driving the display device, such an element cannot follow up the display of a dynamic image at a high speed on occasion.
Furthermore, when a semiconductor active layer is irradiated with visible light, the layer exerts conductivity, and a leakage current might be generated to cause malfunctions. Thus, properties as the switching element deteriorate on occasion. To solve this problem, a method of providing a light block layer which blocks the visible light is known, and as the light block layer, for example, a metal thin film is used. However, when the light block layer made of the metal thin film is provided, not only the steps increase, but also the layer has a floating potential. Therefore, the light block layer needs to be set to a ground level, and also in this case, a parasitic capacity is generated.
It is to be noted that at present, as the switching element for driving the display device, an element using a silicon-based semiconductor film has been a mainstream. This is because such a silicon thin film has various satisfactory performances such as a high stability, an excellent processability and a high switching speed. Moreover, such a silicon-based thin film is usually produced by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process.
Moreover, some of conventional thin-film transistors (TFTs) have an inversely staggered structure in which a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) or the like, a source electrode and a drain electrode are laminated on a substrate of glass or the like. This kind of thin-film transistor is used as the driving element for not only an image sensor but also a flat panel display typified by an active matrix liquid crystal display in the field of a large area device. In these applications, even in the elements using conventional amorphous silicon, the speedup of an operation has been demanded with the advancement of functions.
Under such a situation, in recent years, a transparent semiconductor thin film made of a metal oxide has received attention as a thin film having an excellent stability as compared with the silicon-based semiconductor thin film (see Patent Documents 1 to 6).
In general, the electron mobility of oxide crystals increases as the overlap of the s-orbits of metal ions increases. The oxide crystals of Zn, In and Sn each having a large atomic number have a large electron mobility of 0.1 to 200 cm2/Vs. Furthermore, the oxide has ionic bonds between oxygen and metal ions, and hence it does not have any directionality of the chemical bonds. Hence, even in an amorphous state in which the direction of the bonds is nonuniform, the oxide can possess an electron mobility close to that of a crystalline state. In consequence, even if the metal oxide is amorphous, a transistor having a high field effect mobility can be produced, in contrast to the Si-based semiconductor. There have been investigated various semiconductor devices utilizing these advantages and made of the crystalline/amorphous metal oxide containing Zn, In and Sn, circuits using the semiconductor devices, and the like.
It is to be noted that the technology of a transparent conductive film obtained by adding a positive bivalent element to indium and (see Non-Patent Document 1), technologies concerning the crystal configuration of ITO (see Non-Patent Documents 2 and 3) and the like are investigated.
Moreover, various technologies are disclosed in which an amorphous transparent semiconductor film made of a metal oxide such as indium oxide, gallium oxide or zinc oxide is produced by, for example, a pulse laser deposition (PLD) process, and a thin-film transistor is driven (see Patent Documents 7 to 11),    Patent Document 1: JP-A-2006-165527    Patent Document 2: JP-A-11-505377    Patent Document 3: JP-A-60-193861    Patent Document 4: JP-A-2006-528843    Patent Document 5: JP-A-2006-502597    Patent Document 6: WO 2005/088726    Patent Document 7: JP-A-2003-86808    Patent Document 8: JP-A-2004-273614    Patent Document 9: JP-A-7-235219    Patent Document 10: JP-A-2006-165528    Patent Document 11: JP-A-2006-165532    Non-Patent Document 1: Thin Solid Films 445 (2003) 63 to 71    Non-Patent Document 2: Thin Solid Films 411 (2002) 17 to 22    Non-Patent Document 3: Journal of Applied Physics 100, 093706 (2006)

Semiconductor device, polycrystalline semiconductor thin film, process for producing polycrystalline semiconductor thin film, field effect transistor, and process for producing field effect transistor


An ice building machine for spraying a fluid comprising water to form ice is described. The machine comprises: a chassis; a power generating source connected with the chassis; a control module electrically connected with the power generating source; and a fluid spray system coupled with the chassis and arranged to spray a fluid under control of the control module and powered by the power generating source, the fluid spray system arranged to access the fluid from below a lower surface of the ice building machine.

Ice construction vehicles of which the inventor is aware typically include a vehicle spreading water obtained from a truck or a stationary or semi-mobile pump combined with specialized nozzle setups for spraying water. Such systems are manned or require significant man-hour maintenance and support for setup and operation. The diffusion of water to form ice in below freezing temperatures is used for making snow, ice platforms, formations and massifs, roads and airstrips, as well as, off-shore industrial uses.
There are several ice-related problems including flooding during spring break-up of ice, loss of animal habitat as a result of ice free polar seas and loss of ice at the poles and its impact on the climate future. At latitudes having extended seasonal freezing, marine environments in response to rising spring temperatures cause billions of dollars in property damage as a result of spring thaw.
Sea ice increases the health and area range of wildlife. For example, seals raise, rest, and protect young on free flowing ice during the Arctic summer season. Polar bears also utilize sea ice to rest on while hunting.
Polar regions act as a heat sink or counter-weight to the heat regions of the globe, such as the tropics. Planetary differences in energy are a major influence driving atmospheric wind and ocean currents.


A quick connector apparatus and method of forming same includes a retainer element having a first end portion spin welded to an inner surface of a bore formed in an end portion of a first conduit after a sealing element has been mounted in the end portion of the first conduit. The retainer element includes a movable latch member projecting from the second end which is engagable with an enlarged annular flange on the second conduit to releasably interconnect the second conduit and the retainer; while at the same time providing sealing between the second conduit and the first conduit via engagement between the internally mounted sealing element and the retainer element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fluid connectors and, specifically, to the sealing interconnection of such connectors with tubing end forms and, more specifically, to the use of spin welding to effect such interconnection.
2. Description of the Art
Quick connect couplings have been widely used in the U.S. Automobile industry for many years. Although applicable in numerous applications, quick connectors are typically employed in fuel systems and vapor recovery systems. The simplest and most cost effective design is the plastic housing female type quick connector releasably mated to a metal or plastic male tube endform. The opposite end of the female housing most typically defines a stem having a number of axially spaced barbs formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof and a nylon or plastic tubing endform pressed thereover.
In fluid handling systems, it is imperative that the connectors used have their male and female portions properly coupled together. A faulty connector enables an associated system to leak fluid or vapor. This can be particularly disadvantageous when the system is under pressure and the leaking connector expels the pressurized fluid. Furthermore, recent federal legislation has mandated significantly reduced hydrocarbon emissions from automotive fuel and vapor recovery systems. Conventional quick connectors, although effective to mechanically maintain tubing endforms in assembly with their associated connector body, have not adequately addressed the federal requirements. Also, the materials employed, typically nylon 12, do not provide sufficient resistance to the permeation of hydrocarbons therethrough.
The permeation problem has been addressed in part through the development of co-extruded multi-layer plastic tube containing two or more discreet layers of different types of formulations of plastic, one of which is specifically designed to provide an effective permeation layer, blocking the escape of hydrocarbons from the system. In general, the most successful multi-layer tubing employs an outer layer composed of a material resistant to the exterior environment. An innermost layer is composed of a material which is chosen for its ability to block defusion of materials, such as hydrocarbons, alcohols and other materials present in fuel blends, to the outer layer and may have a degree of electrical conductivity sufficient to dissipate static charges generated by the flow of fluid therein. To date, it has been extremely difficult to obtain satisfactory lamination characteristics between dissimilar polymer layers. Thus, the use of one or more intermediate layers for bonding the inner and outer layers has been proposed.
The use of multi-layer tubing in fuel related applications has been problematic inasmuch as the tubing endform necessarily exposes the lamina ends of the inner and outer layers as well as any intermediate layers to either the system fuels and vapors or the equally harsh exterior environment. Such exposure tends to degrade the bonding between the various layers, causing delamination or separation of the layers, resulting in loss of system integrity, fuel contamination and even blockage of fluid flow.
A related problem stems from dual aspects of commercially available quick connect devices, to wit: high volume and low sale price frequently necessitating the use of inexpensive, somewhat pliable materials, and complex contours of extremely small inter-fitting components. These aspects collectively increase the likelihood of misassembly. High volume production techniques, including automated assembly tends to aggravate the problem wherein misassembly or impermissible dimensional variations of the components is difficult to detect. Excessive dimensional tolerance stack-up can result in low pull-apart characteristics between the barbed stem and the plastic tube and produce leakage. Misassembly, such as failure to include an O-ring on the barbed endform can result in leakage. In the case of multi-layer tube, dimensional and/or adhesive problems can result in mechanical delamination upon insertion of the tube over the barbed stem. Finally, mono-wall plastic tube or multi-layer structures with low hoop strength can relax over time or at elevated temperatures, resulting in leaking or weeping of fluid.
One prior art approach to address at least certain of these problems is shown in FIG. 1 wherein a quick connector assembly includes a connector which interconnects a steel tubing member endform with a mono-wall plastic tube endform. An upset bead displaced axially from the leading end of the steel tube releasably engages a retainer interconnected with the connector and is fluidically sealed thereto by a series of O-rings in the usual manner.
The opposite end of the connector is formed as an elongated stem or nipple having a plurality of axially spaced, radially outwardly projecting barbs. The plastic endform is slip fit over the outer surface of the nipple and engages the sharp edges of the barbs to mechanically engage the two elements, while an optional O-ring disposed within a radially outwardly opening recess provides a seal between the internal diameter of the plastic endform and the connector.
In order to address certain problems with this prior art design, another quick connector developed by the assignee of the present application is in FIG. 2, also serves to interconnect a steel tubing member endform and a multi-layer plastic tube endform to effect a fluid seal therebetween ideally suited for use in automotive applications, particularly in fuel and vapor applications.
This prior art connector is formed of a hard shell plastic connector body having a stepped bore which receives one end of the male endform at one end. A retainer is releasably mountable in the connector body in engagement with the raised annular flange on the male endform to releasably interconnect the male endform and the connector body.
The rigid plastic tube has an end seated within a specially formed, annular groove in the end of the connector body and spun welded thereto to form an environmentally favorable seal between the two elements as well as to physically join the two elements together.
While the second prior art connector overcomes many disadvantages associated with the earlier prior art connector shown in FIG. 1, the connector assembly shown in FIG. 2 includes a complex connector housing with an internal stepped bore sized in various diameters to receive the sealing elements as well as the male endform and a separate retainer. In addition, the connector body uses the annular end groove specifically formed for the spin welded joint between the connector body and the rigid plastic tubing. Further, the spin welded tubing to quick connector joint is axially in front of the O-ring seal elements which can lead to a fuel/vapor leak if the weld is improperly formed or foils.
Thus, it would still be desirable to provide a simple and inexpensive, yet mechanically and environmentally robust connection between a tube endform and a connector body as well as a quick connector which overcomes the shortcomings of prior art connectors. It would also be desirable to provide a quick connector for use in vapor/fuel applications which uses a minimal number of components; yet is still able to provide the desired environmentally safe fluid seal between the metal male endform and the plastic tube.
The present invention is a quick connector apparatus ideally suited for fuel and vapor applications in automobiles.
One aspect of the present invention is a unique method of forming a quick connector. The method includes the steps of:
inserting a seal member into an open end portion of the first tube member endform;
providing a retainer element with a through bore extending between first and second opposed ends and at least one latch member extending from the first end;
disposing the second end of the retainer element in the end portion of the first tube member endform;
welding the end portion of the first tube member endform to the retainer element; and
inserting a second tube member endform through the bore in the retainer element and into the end portion of the first tube member endform with the latch member on the retainer element engaging a radially enlarged flange on the second tube member endform to couple the second tube member endform to the retainer element.
In another aspect of the present invention, a quick connector apparatus includes:
a first tube member having an end portion terminating at a first end;
a seal member mounted in the end portion of the first tube member;
a retainer element having a through bore extending between first and second opposed ends and at least one latch member extending from the first end with the second end of the retainer element inserted into a bore in end portion of the first tube member and spin welded to the first tube member; and
a second tube member releasably coupled to the retainer element by the latch member.
In one aspect, the end portion of the first tube endform is expanded to an enlarged diameter from a nominal tube diameter. The seal element(s) are inserted into the enlarged diameter end portion.
The quick connector apparatus of the present invention overcomes several deficiencies found in previously devised quick connectors, including quick connectors utilizing spin welding to join various components of the connectors together, and quick connectors designed for specific use in fuel and vapor applications wherein it is necessary to limit fuel permeability through the conduits or tubes. The present quick connector utilizes a minimal number of components and eliminates the need for a complex, high cost housing employed in previous quick connector assemblies which is joined to one of the conduits and which receives the retainer element. The cylindrical sleeve of the retainer element and the inner surface of the open end portion of the conduit are spin welded together to form a gas impermeable seal therebetween. The welded conduit to quick connector housing joint is axially behind the O-ring seal(s) to reduce the possibility of a vapor fuel leak.

Quick connector for fuel/vapor applications


Switching voltage regulator embodiments are provided with hysteretic control to thereby switch between pulse-width modulation and pulse-frequency modulation operational modes. The switching is in response to different levels of an error voltage Verr in the feedback loop of voltage regulators. The hysteretic control is configured to provide a dc hysteretic response to changes in the error voltage Verr and also an ac hysteretic response to these changes. These two responses can be independently set to thereby enhance operational speed of the voltage regulators and also enhance immunity to transient noise signals that are generated by the mode switching. The voltage regulator embodiments facilitate instant return from the pulse-frequency modulation operational mode to the pulse-width modulation operational mode so that the stability of the feedback control of the regulator is enhanced. This feature is especially useful when the feedback loop is configured to include current-mode control as it minimizes the time duration in which the feedback loop operates in a voltage-mode control. The instant return insures that the feedback loop is immediately returned to the greater stability of the current-mode control.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to switching converters.
2. Description of the Related Art
Switched-mode voltage regulators provide superior voltage conversion efficiency because they regulate an output voltage with transistor switches that are either on or off so that they never operate in the linear region in which both current and voltage are nonzero. Because at least one of transistor current and voltage is therefore always close to zero, dissipation is greatly reduced.
These regulators often operate in two different operational modes. When current demand is high, they preferably operate in a pulse-width modulation mode and, when current demand is low, they are preferably switched to a pulse-frequency modulation operational mode. The latter mode enhances operational efficiency because it eliminates switching losses in the transistor switches. It has been found, however, that transitioning between these operational modes is slow, is sensitive to transient noise signals, and, often prone to circuit instabilities.

Switching voltage regulators with hysteretic control for enhanced mode-transition speed and stability


A fusing device includes a belt, a first stretching member contacting an inner circumference of the belt and stretching the belt tightly, a heating member having a heating element on the surface, a second stretching member having a heating member facing part that faces the heating member and a curved surface part that faces the belt, and stretching the belt tightly with the first stretching member.

Conventional fusing devices includes a heater within a semi-cylindrical metallic body to transfer heat from the heater to a belt that is stretched and stringed to the metallic body, and the heated belt is pressed against the carried print medium to fuse the developer transferred onto the print medium by melting (see JP Patent Application Publication No. 2007-140562, paragraphs [0016] to [0022], FIG. 2).
However, obtaining high heat efficiency is difficult with conventional technology when the belt is heated by a heating member. Specifically, when a halogen lamp is the heating member, heating the belt to a prescribed temperature may require a long period of time. Furthermore, when using electromagnetic heat, the size of the device may increase.
An object of the present invention is to obtain high heating efficiency described above.

Fusing device, print device and apparatus for heating belt


An electromagnetic flowmeter has a measuring tube through which a fluid to be measured flows, a magnetic field applying section which applies a magnetic field to the fluid to be measured, and a couple of electrodes which pick up an electromotive force generated according to a flow rate of the fluid to be measured, wherein each of the electrodes has an interface processed by electropolishing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electromagnetic flowmeter which applies a magnetic field to a fluid to be measured and picks up an electromotive force generated according to a flow rate of the fluid to be measured, and a production method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Related art of electromagnetic flowmeters are normally classified into two groups, i.e., one having a couple of electrodes which have been left cut by a lathe or fine cutter and another having a couple of electrodes which have been cut by a lathe or fine cutter and then mechanically polished (substrate adjustment) with a grinding paper, buff or the like.
Such an electromagnetic flowmeter is arranged to allow the electrodes to pick up an electromotive force generated according to the flow rate of a fluid to be measured when a magnetic field is applied to the fluid (not shown). The electrodes of the electromagnetic flowmeter are adapted to pick up an electromotive force.
An electromagnetic flowmeter generates a flow noise when electric charge moves between the surface of the electrodes and the fluid to be measured. It is also known that when the electrodes of an electromagnetic flowmeter are soaked in a fluid to be measured (e.g., water) for a long period of time, the flow noise reduces.
The term "flow noise" as used herein is meant to indicate a noise generated when the fluid to be measured rubs against the lined surface (electrode), i.e., noise generated by electric charge with the movement of a fluid to be measured, remarkably a fluid having a low electrical conductivity and a low viscosity such as alcohol and pure water. In some detail, the flow noise falls when the dynamic viscosity or electrical conductivity of the fluid to be measured rises but rises when the flow rate of the fluid to be measured rises.
Specific flow noise characteristics will be described hereinafter in connection with FIGS. 4 to 6. In these figures, the abscissa indicates the time during which the fluid to be measured flows through the measuring tube of the electromagnetic flowmeter (since the time at which the measuring tube comes in contact with the fluid) and the ordinate indicates the magnitude of flow noise. In these figures, B-1 to B-9, C-1 to C-3 and D-1 to D-3 each indicate the measurements of the respective sample that are dispersed by the difference in properties between electrodes.
FIG. 4 illustrates the flow noise characteristics of a related art electromagnetic flowmeter wherein there is provided a couple of electrodes which have been left as it is lathed.
As can be seen in the characteristics of FIG. 4, the flow noise maintains a high level after the contact of the fluid with the measuring tube of the electromagnetic flowmeter and, even after several hours, doesn't readily fall and is much dispersed.
FIG. 5 illustrates the flow noise characteristics of a related art electromagnetic flowmeter wherein there is provided a couple of electrodes which have been lathed and buffed to smoothen the surface of the substrate.
As can be seen in the characteristics of FIG. 5, the flow noise is large after the contact of the fluid with the measuring tube of the electromagnetic flowmeter, but falls after the lapse of time.
FIG. 6 illustrates the flow noise characteristics of a related art electromagnetic flowmeter wherein there is provided a couple of electrodes which have been lathed and forcedly oxidized in the atmosphere.
As can be seen in the characteristics of FIG. 6, the flow noise is large after the contact of the fluid with the measuring tube of the electromagnetic flowmeter, but falls after the lapse of time. The flow noise in the characteristics of FIG. 6 is larger than that of FIG. 5.
The aforementioned related art of the production method an electromagnetic flowmeter has a step of assembling a couple of electrodes in a measuring tube (product assembly), a step of soaking the electrodes in a fluid to be measured for a predetermined period of time, and a step of correcting the electromagnetic flowmeter.
If the electromagnetic flowmeter has failed in the correcting step, a step of soaking the electrodes again in the fluid to be measured is then executed. Subsequently, a step of correcting the electromagnetic flowmeter is executed.
Some related art of electromagnetic flowmeters has a couple of oxidized electrodes (see, e.g., the following document (1).).
(1) Keisuke Kihara, et al., "Electrode Behavior of Electromagnetic Flowmeter", Oct. 27, 28 and 29, 1993, 36th Proceedings of the Japan Joint Automatic Control Conference, 4,028 pp. 415
However, the electromagnetic flowmeters of the related art generate much flow noise shortly after coming in contact with a fluid. Further, the generated flow noise doesn't readily fall even after the lapse of time from the contact with the fluid. Further, the generated flow noise is much dispersed by the difference in properties between electrodes.
Further, the step of soaking the electrodes of the electromagnetic flowmeter in the fluid to be measured and the step of correcting the electromagnetic flowmeter require much time, it takes long time to produce the electromagnetic flowmeter.

Electromagnetic flow meter having electropolished electrodes


A blind riveting nut comprises a hollow shank portion and a setting head thereon at one end thereof. Towards the other end the shank portion has an internal screwthread for receiving the pulling mandrel of a blind rivet setting tool while at the end remote from the setting head, the shank portion has an element which closes off the interior of the shank portion at that end but which can be removed from its closure position. The closure element may be of various configurations including a ball and a portion of closure material fitted over the appropriate end of the shank portion.

The invention relates to a blind riveting nut.
One form of a blind riveting nut comprises a hollow shank portion having a setting head at or towards one end thereof, and, towards the other end, a female screwthread within the shank portion for accommodating the pulling mandrel of a blind rivet setting tool. Thus in use of such a blind riveting nut the nut is fitted into a hole prepared for that purpose, and actuation of the blind rivet setting tool applies a pulling force to the shank portion to cause it to assume an upset configuration whereby the rivet nut is secured in the hole and can then receive for example a fixing bolt or stud.
Blind riveting nuts of that kind are produced with an open end or a closed end on the shank portion, at the end thereof remote from the head. A closed construction for a blind riveting nut is substantially more expensive than an open construction as, besides the more expensive blind hole screwthread, that riveting nut must also be of a greater length due to the fact that, besides the end closure portion, there must also be the space required for the tapering configuration formed by the tip of the drill producing the blind hole therein, as well as a certain safety margin at the closed end of the riveting nut, in regard to production thereof. If longer fixing screws are screwed into the screwthread in the shank portion, the length that the shank portion is required to be can be further increased. On the other hand, it is not possible to forego a closed end on the shank portion of such a riveting nut, if for example the interior of the workpiece in which the riveting nut is to be secured is filled with foam. If the end of the shank portion is not closed in that context, foreign materials pass into the screwthread therein, when the workpiece in question is filled with foam.


An electrical connector includes a dielectric housing having an opening for receiving a mating connector. A plurality of terminals are mounted on the housing and have contact portions exposed at the opening for engaging appropriate contacts of the mating connector. A shutter plate is mounted on the housing for movement from a protective position at the opening for covering and protecting the contact portions of the terminals, to a retracted position upon mating of the mating connector to allow the contact portions of the terminals to engage the contacts of the mating connector. At least one flexible locating spring is disposed between the shutter plate and the housing to allow the shutter plate to yield relative to the housing during movement between its positions and prevent binding of the shutter plate upon movement relative to the housing.

This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, more particularly, to an electrical connector which includes a movable shutter for protecting the terminals of the connector.
A typical electrical connector includes a dielectric housing having a mating end to which a mating connector is connected, along with a plurality of terminals mounted on the housing. Each terminal typically includes a contact portion located generally at the mating end for engagement with appropriate contacts of the mating connector. If the connector is frequently connected with and disconnected from the mating connector, the contact portions of the terminals often are exposed exteriorly of the connector during the time the connector is disconnected. Therefore, the connector may be provided with some form of protective cover, slider or the like which acts as a shutter at the mating end for protecting the exposed contact portions of the terminals. Examples of such connectors are shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Nos. 5-1175 and 6-50270; and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 8-7973, 8-203594 and 9-63685.
Such shutter members may be movably mounted so that they move out of a protective position when the connector is mated with the mating connector. Unfortunately, such movable shutters create considerable binding problems during such movement. This is particularly true when the connector, along with the shutter member, is considerably elongated in a direction transversely of the mating direction of the connector. The present invention is directed to solving these problems by yieldably mounting the shutter member to the connector housing to prevent binding of the shutter member upon movement relative to the housing.
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved electrical connector of the character described, which includes a movable shutter member for protecting the terminals of the connector.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the electrical connector includes a dielectric housing having a mating end for mating with a complementary mating connector. The mating end includes an upper wall and a pair of depending side walls at opposite sides of the upper wall defining an opening for receiving the mating connector. The housing is elongated between the side walls. A plurality of terminals are mounted on the housing in a side-by-side array longitudinally thereof. The terminals have contact portions exposed at the opening for engaging appropriate contacts of the mating connector. A shutter plate is movably mounted on the housing for movement from a protective position spanning the opening between the side walls for covering and protecting the contact portions of the terminals at the opening, to a retracted position upon mating of the mating connector to allow the contact portions of the terminals to engage the contacts of the mating connector. Complementary interengaging flexible locating means are provided between at least one side of the shutter plate and an adjacent one of the side walls of the housing to allow the shutter plate to yield relative to the housing and prevent binding of the shutter plate upon movement relative to the housing.
As disclosed herein, one of the flexible locating means is provided between both opposite sides of the shutter plate and the pair of side walls of the housing. Biasing means in the form of a coil spring is provided between the shutter plate and the housing for biasing the shutter plate toward its protective position.
According to one aspect of the invention, the flexible locating means is provided by a spring member which, as disclosed herein, is a metal leaf spring. Generally, the flexible locating means includes retention means engageable with the shutter plate to define the protective position of the shutter plate. With the use of the leaf spring, a retention hook is provided on the leaf spring engageable with the shutter plate to define its protective position.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.


An aircraft ejection seat includes a frame and a headrest. The vertical position of the seat is adjusted by a pair of motor driven lead screws that cooperate with threaded barrel nuts attached to the seat frame. The upper end of one of these motor driven lead screws drives a slip coupling driving a splined shaft. The splined shaft then drives a gearbox mounted to the seat frame. The gearbox in turn drives an upper lead screw, which acts on an upper barrel nut to move the headrest up and down relative to the seat frame. The upper lead screw is driven in the opposite direction from the lower lead screws. Consequently, as the seat moves up to accommodate a shorter pilot, the headrest moves down to accommodate the shorter torso of the shorter pilot.

This invention relates to aircraft components, in particular to aircraft ejection seats.
Aircraft ejection seats in modern piloted fighter aircraft must serve a variety of functions within a limited space. In addition to providing physical support for the pilot, the seat must house the ejection seat rocket, recovery parachute, survival kit and other equipment. The seat must be adjustable so as to maintain the pilot within the design eye of the aircraft instruments irrespective of the pilot's stature. The ejector seat headrest must also perform many functions including canopy breaker, harness attachment, head impact attenuator, and headrest panel. Prior art fighter aircraft ejection seats had headrests that were either not adjustable at all or if adjustable did not adjust to correspond to the seat elevation. Accordingly, headrest adjustment was at best cumbersome.

Aircraft ejection seat with adjustable headrest


Techniques, apparatus and systems for laser surgery including imaging-guided surgery techniques, apparatus and systems.

This document relates to laser surgery techniques, apparatus and systems, including laser surgery techniques, apparatus and systems based on photodisruption caused by laser pulses in a tissue.
Laser light can be used to perform various surgical operations in eyes and other tissues in humans and animals. Recent development of laser surgical methods for performing operations on the human eye, such as LASIK combined with flap creation using a femtosecond laser, demonstrates that surgery of the human eye with lasers often requires precision and speed which cannot be achieved by manual and mechanical surgical methods. In laser surgery such as laser ophthalmic surgery, laser pulses interact with a target tissue to cause one or more desired surgical effects in the tissue. One example of surgical effects is the laser-induced photodisruption, a nonlinear optical interaction between light and a tissue that causes the tissue to ionize. Laser-induced photodisruption can be used to selectively remove or disrupt tissue in various surgical procedures, such as laser surgery in opthalmology. Traditional ophthalmic photodisruptors have used relatively long pulse duration lasers in single shot or burst modes involving a series of approximately a few laser pulses (e.g., three) from a pulsed laser such as a pulsed Nd:YAG laser. Newer laser surgical systems including laser ophthalmic systems tend to operate with short laser pulses with high repetition rates, e.g., thousands of shots per second and relatively low energy per pulse.
One technical challenge associated with surgical lasers of short laser pulses with high repetition rates is precise control and aiming of the laser pulses, e.g., the beam position and beam focusing of the pulses in a surgical laser beam.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Precise targeting of surgical photodisruption


A metal particle sensor system for detecting metal particles in an oil line. The metal particle sensor system may include a metal particle sensor positioned about the line, an orifice positioned within the line and downstream of the metal particle sensor, a first pressure sensor positioned upstream of the orifice, and a second pressure sensor positioned downstream of the orifice. The metal particle sensor detects metal particles in the line while the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor determine a pressure drop across the orifice.

Ball bearings or gears used in many machines may have a finite lifetime. As these parts degrade, metal fragments and particles often end up in the lubricating oil stream. These particles can cause significant damage to the machine as a whole if not reduced or eliminated.
There are a number of metal particle sensors currently on the market to monitor metal particles in a lubricating oil line. The condition of the bearings or the gears can be extracted by determining how much of the metal has gone into the oil stream. Sensors can be placed in different locations to review the status of a single bearing or the status of an entire group. These measurements, however, tend to vary based upon the flow rate of the oil or the depth of the oil line and thus may provide inaccuracies. Such inaccurate measurements can lead or contribute to machine failure and/or a reduced lifetime.
Thus, there is a desire for an improved metal particle sensor device that can accommodate many different flow rates and oil lines. Such a device preferably would have a minimum impact on the machine as a whole, would be relatively small in size, would be simple to install, and would need little or no calibration. Such a device preferably would provide a constant and reliable output.


Disclosed are a polysaccharide derivative having the structure: ##STR1## and a polysaccharide graft polymer having the structure: Sacch--O--(G).sub.m --(M)--.sub.n, wherein Sacch- is a polysaccharide; m is zero or one; G is the residue of a polymerizable, unsaturated monomer which is bonded to the polysaccharide in an ether or ester linkage; n is greater than one; M is the residue of one or more polymerizable, unsaturated, monomer(s), at least one of which is a siloxane-containing monomer, which have been grafted to the polysaccharide by free radical polymerization; R is an organic group which is bonded to the polysaccharide by an ether or ester linkage and to the silicon by a carbon-silicon linkage; R.sub.1 is a straight or branched C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl or alkenyl group, or an aryl, aralkyl or alkaryl group; and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are, independently, straight or branched C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl or alkenyl groups, or aryl, aralkyl or alkaryl groups, or alkoxides of straight or branched C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl or alkenyl groups, or aryl, aralkyl or alkaryl groups, or alkoxides wherein R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 together form a cyclic structure of at least five members. The siloxane-containing polysaccharide derivatives and polysaccharide graft polymers are useful in glass fiber forming size compositions, in paper making and in other applications.

This invention relates to polysaccharide derivatives and polysaccharide graft polymers which contain organosiloxane substituents. These compositions are prepared by reacting a polysaccharide with a di-functional reagent which contains a siloxane group and a group which will react with a polysaccharide. The polysaccharide-reactive group of the reagent forms an ether or ester linkage with the polysaccharide, thereby attaching a reactive siloxane group to the polysaccharide. These organosiloxane-containing polysaccharides are employed in glass fiber size composition compositions to improve size adhesion to glass fibers, in paper-making to increase dry strength in paper, and the like.
Other silicon-containing polysaccharide compositions are known. In one class of such compositions, the silane group is bonded directly to a hydroxyl group of the polysaccharide. The compositions are prepared by first hydrolyzing the siloxane functionality of the reagent to the corresponding silanol, and then reacting the silanol with starch. One member of this class of starch organosilanes forms more viscous aqueous dispersions than unmodified starches and is useful for the hydrophobation of cellulosic materials, and as binders for mineral fibers, textile additives, paper sizes and plastic fillers. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,777. Other starch organosilanes are hydrophobic and free-flowing. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,071,492. Such compositions are not useful in applications taught herein which require the presence on the polysaccharide of siloxane substituent(s) that are available for further reaction.
Silicone-containing amylose films have been prepared by contacting the surface of a preformed amylose film with organo-silicon halides. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,398,015. The silicon is bonded directly to the amylose, and the amylose-silicone films are reported to exhibit hydrophobic properties.
Organosiloxane-containing polysaccharide derivatives wherein the siloxane group is available as a reactive group are taught in commonly assigned, co-pending, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 112,634, to Billmars, et al., filed Oct. 26, 1987. However, unlike the compositions disclosed herein, the derivatives disclosed in that application require a two step, dual reagent process for preparation, and the products of that process are limited to divalent aromatic group containing, nitrogen-containing derivatives. Thus, the derivatives and polymers disclosed herein offer advantages of greater flexibility, process efficiency, reagent availability and reduced costs over known organosiloxane-containing polysaccharides.
The present invention also relates to a glass fiber forming size composition, comprising the organosiloxane-containing polysaccharides of this invention; and to a method for preparing glass fibers, and, in particular, to the application of the forming size to continuous filament glass fiber strands.
In glass fiber production, molten glass flows or is pulled through tiny orifices or tips in a heated platinum bushing. The individual glass filaments are passed through a sizing bath, grouped into a strand, and then wound on a rapidly rotating forming tube. The size is applied to the filaments in order to bind them together, maintain the integrity of the strand during winding and unwinding, and facilitate eventual processing. The strand on the forming tube is thereafter placed in an oven to dry or is allowed to air dry to reduce the moisture content of the strand.
Many different compositions have been used as glass forming sizes. Typically, the sizes have comprised aqueous dispersions of various modified and unmodified starches and oils. Numerous patents are directed to starch- or other polysaccharide-containing glass fiber size compositions. Illustrative patents include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,227,192; 3,167,468; 3,481,771; 3,664,855; 3,793,065; 3,928,666; and 4,168,345. Typical polysaccharide-containing glass fiber forming size compositions which are useful herein are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,615,311; 4,166,872; 4,780,339; and 4,259,190, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,600 (issued Feb. 19, 1985 to Wong et al.) discloses glass fibers coated with a size containing gamma-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and a selected alkoxysilane, and a method for making such fibers. Unlike the sizes disclosed herein, the Wong et al. sizes do not bond a polysaccharide to the glass, and the fibers made with the Wong et al. size are designed for use in reinforced plastics. They are not suited for applications requiring significant adhesion of the size to the glass fiber.
There remains a need for new polysaccharide derivatives, especially derivatives containing silane groups which are useful in glass forming sizes and which display improved adhesion to glass.

National Starch and Chemical Investment Holding Corporation


A container is disclosed having an outwardly protruding bulge in its neck that expands in response to an increase in internal container pressure, thereby partially relieving the internal pressure increase, which benefits the label appearance and adherence characteristics, and enables the base to be reduced in weight.

The present invention relates to plastic containers, and more particularly to plastic containers for holding carbonated or like products that expand after sealing or capping.
Plastic bottles are in widespread use for containing beverages and food products. A particular type of bottle, which is filled with products at elevated temperatures, is designed to accommodate internal vacuum pressure developed upon cooling of the products after sealing. Often, hot fill bottles include panels formed in the container sidewall that inwardly flex or deform in response to formation of an internal vacuum. For example, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/295,911, filed Jun. 4, 2001, entitled xe2x80x9cHot-Fillable Container With Gripxe2x80x9d discloses a bottle in which inward, vacuum-induced deformation is distributed outside of the handgrip panel.
Another type of plastic bottle that contains carbonated beverages (or like products that exhibit increased internal bottle pressurexe2x80x94that is, compared with the internal pressure upon or soon after capping or sealing) is designed to accommodate internal positive pressure (that is, pressure greater than the ambient atmosphere). Such bottles, which will be referred to herein as xe2x80x9cpressurized bottles,xe2x80x9d are typically formed of blow-molded PET that is capable, upon orienting, of containing an internal bottle pressure of several atmospheres, which may occur when carbonated contents within a bottle are exposed to elevated temperatures, such as 100 degrees F. to 120 degrees F. Such temperatures may be encountered during storage or during transport while the bottle is not in an air-conditioned environment, or like circumstances.
Plastic bottle production is, of course, a competitive industry in which weight-reducing techniques produce significant costs savings, especially in light of the vast quantity of bottles produced worldwide. However, the high internal pressures that pressurized bottles must contain provides a constraint against bottle weight reduction.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,382, entitled xe2x80x9cPlastic Container Having Base with Annular Wall and Method of Making the Same,xe2x80x9d discloses a conventional beer bottle shape that may be subject to high internal pressures due to the carbonated (or otherwise pressurized, such as for example by nitrogen) beverage contained therein being exposed to elevated temperature. In this regard, as in most conventional beer bottles and many other pressurized bottles, the exemplary bottle 110 shown in FIG. 7 (PRIOR ART) has a tapered neck 112 extending above a right circular body 116. A shoulder 118 is disposed between neck 112 and body 116. A label panel 120 is defined by at least a portion of body 116. Neck 112 may also receive a label (not shown in the Figures).
Neck 112 has a continuous taper so as to form a frustum of a right circular cone. In this regard, a neck diameter D-PA1 near an upper end of neck 12 is less than a diameter D-PA2 near a lower end of neck 12. Another conventional glass bottle shape (not shown in the Figures) has an upper neck diameter that is the same as the lower neck diameter such that the neck substantially forms a cylinder having a circular cross section. In this regard, the term xe2x80x9cstraightxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cstraight portionxe2x80x9d will be employed to refer to a sidewall or a sidewall portion, respectively, that is rectilinear or not curved in longitudinal cross section.
Referring again to FIG. 7, the straight sidewalls of neck 112 and body 116 deform in response to an increase in internal pressure, as indicated diagrammatically by the dashed lines in FIG. 7. The maximum radial expansion is indicated by xcex94-PA-neck and xcex94-PA-body, respectively. Typically, the volumetric expansion of the neck is less than the volumetric expansion of the body and/or the base.
Often, a plastic bottle is developed to replace a corresponding glass container with economic advantages that are apparent. In some circumstances, technical problems must be solved to make a plastic bottle that is commercially satisfactory. For example, a plastic bottle containing a carbonated (or otherwise pressurized) product inherently yields more than a corresponding glass container in response to an increase in internal pressure. Thus, a label panel of a plastic pressurized bottle may deform in response to an increase in internal pressure. Such label panel expansion is undesirable for aesthetic reasons and because the label may tend to separate from the label panel. Further, the bottle base may tend to bulge or xe2x80x9croll outxe2x80x9d in response to such internal pressure, thereby making the base unstable.
In order to produce a bottle that is sufficiently strong to withstand such internal pressure without unacceptable label expansion and/or base expansion or roll-out, bottles formed of oriented thermoplastic are designed with a sidewall and base of sufficient thickness and weight. In general, there is a need for pressurized bottles that have improved expansion characteristics, and/or reduced weight.
A bottle is provided that includes a neck that expands volumetrically in response to an increase in internal bottle pressure. In this regard, such a plastic container comprises a body, a base extending from the body and enclosing a lower end of the container, a finish disposed at an upper end of the container, and a neck disposed between the finish and the body. The neck includes an outwardly convex portion that radially expands in response to positive internal pressure, whereby the maximum magnitude of the radial expansion is less than a maximum magnitude of radial expansion for a frusto-conical neck of like dimension.
Further, the bottle may include a waist that is outwardly concave such that the convex portion of the neck extends upwardly from and smoothly yields from the waist. Thus, the waist may form a hinge point relative to the convex portion. According to another aspect, the neck""s convex portion expansion may diminish expansion of the body straight sidewall, thereby enhancing the appearance and adherence of the label. Also, such expansion may enable the total weight of the bottle to be reduced.

Crown Cork and Seal Technologies Corporation


A liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates facing each other; a liquid crystal material between the first and second substrates; gate and data lines crossing each other on the first substrate to define a pixel region; a thin film transistor adjacent to the crossing of the gate and data lines; a color filter pattern in the pixel region; a first passivation layer on the color filter pattern, the first passivation layer made of an inorganic insulating material; and a pixel electrode on the first passivation layer and electrically connected to the thin film transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device and a fabricating method thereof.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Until recently, display devices have typically used cathode-ray tubes (CRTs). Presently, many efforts are being made to study and develop various types of flat panel displays, such as liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, plasma display panels (PDPs), field emission displays (FED), and electro-luminescence displays (ELDs), as a substitute for CRTs. Of these types of flat panel displays, the LCD devices have many advantages, such as high resolution, light weight, thin profile, compact size, and low voltage power supply requirements.
In general, an LCD device includes two substrates that are spaced apart and face each other with a liquid crystal material interposed between the two substrates. The two substrates include electrodes that face each other such that a voltage applied between the electrodes induces an electric field across the liquid crystal material. Alignment of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal material changes in accordance with the intensity of the induced electric field into the direction of the induced electric field, thereby changing the light transmissivity of the LCD device. Thus, the LCD device displays images by varying the intensity of the induced electric field.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an LCD device according to the related art. As shown in FIG. 1, the LCD device 11 includes a first substrate 22, a second substrate 5 and a liquid crystal material 14. The second substrate 5 is referred to as a color filter substrate that includes a color filter pattern 8, a black matrix 6 between the color filter patterns 8, and a common electrode 18 on both the color filter pattern 8 and the black matrix 6. The first substrate 22 is referred to as an array substrate that includes a data line 15 and a gate line 13 that cross each other to define a pixel region P. A pixel electrode 17 and a thin film transistor T, as a switching element, are positioned in each pixel region P. Thin film transistors T, which are disposed adjacent to where the data lines 15 and the gate lines 13 cross, are disposed in a matrix form on the first substrate 22. The gate line 13 and a storage electrode 30 overlap the gate line 13 to define a storage capacitor C.
The first and second substrates 22 and 5 have patterns that block light. The first and second substrates 22 are aligned to each other and then attached. There is a possibility of light leakage in the LCD device due to a misalignment between the first and second substrates 22 and 5.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, a thin film transistor T in a switching region S includes a gate electrode 32, a semiconductor pattern 34, a source electrode 36 and a drain electrode 38 disposed on the first substrate 22. A passivation layer 40 is disposed on the thin film transistor T. A pixel electrode 17 is disposed on the passivation layer 40 in each pixel region P. A storage capacitor C includes a gate line 13 and a storage electrode 30 overlapping the gate line 13. A black matrix 6 corresponding to a gate line 13, a data line 15 and a thin film transistor T is disposed on the second substrate 5. Red, green and blue color filter patterns 7a, 7b and 7c corresponding to respective pixel regions P are also disposed on the second substrate 5. A liquid crystal material 14 is interposed between the first and second substrates 22 and 5.
To prevent cross-talk, the data line 15 and the gate line 13 are spaced apart from the pixel electrode 17 by a first distance Al and a second distance A2, respectively. Since light leakage can occur through the areas defined by the first and second distances A1 and A2, the black matrix 6 covers the areas defined by first and second distances A and B. Further, the black matrix 6 blocks incident light from affecting the semiconductor pattern 34. Due to the possibility of misalignment during attachment of the first and second substrates 22 and 5, the black matrix 6 has a margin of error to compensate for misalignment. Thus, an aperture ratio of the LCD is reduced by margin of error for the black matrix 6. When misalignment during attachment of the first and second substrates 22 and 5 is greater than the margin of error, some of the areas defined by the first and second distances A1 and A2 are not covered by the black matrix 6 so that light leakage occurs.

Liquid crystal display device and fabricating method thereof


In some embodiments, a motion model refinement system receives an input video depicting a human character and an initial motion model describing motions of individual joint points of the human character in a three-dimensional space. The motion model refinement system identifies foot joint points of the human character that are in contact with a ground plane using a trained contact estimation model. The motion model refinement system determines the ground plane based on the foot joint points and the initial motion model and constructs an optimization problem for refining the initial motion model. The optimization problem minimizes the difference between the refined motion model and the initial motion model under a set of plausibility constraints including constraints on the contact foot joint points and a time-dependent inertia tensor-based constraint. The motion model refinement system obtains the refined motion model by solving the optimization problem.

Developments in computer vision technologies allow a character's motions to be estimated from a video sequence containing the character. The extracted motions can be applied in various applications such as understanding the content of the video and to infer actions, intentions, or emotions of characters. The extracted motions can also be utilized in computer animations by retargeting extraction motions to a computer-generated character. However, existing methods of motion extraction often generate unsatisfactory results showing motions that are visually and physically plausible. Motions estimated by these methods include errors such as feet floating above the ground or penetrating the ground, and implausible forward or backward body lean.

Motion model refinement based on contact analysis and optimization


Methods and compositions are provided for measuring an analyte without instrumentation. The device employs a stripstick which may include as its components, a discontinuous flow path, which is made continuous after transfer of the sample, means for automatically metering the volume of a sample, and means for providing a sharply delineated color front. The method finds particular use where a limited amount of substrate is provided for an enzyme on a sample pad.

The ability to measure a wide variety of physiologically active compounds, both naturally occurring and synthetic, has become of increasing importance, both as an adjunct to diagnosis and therapy. While for the most part, assays of physiological fluids and drugs have required clinical laboratory determinations, there is an increasing awareness of the importance of being able to carry out assay determinations in the doctor's office and in the home. To be able to perform an assay in a doctor's office or home requires that an assay have a simple protocol and be relatively free of sensitivity to small changes in the conditions under which the assay is carried out. Importantly, accurate measurements of reagents and sample should whenever feasible be avoided. Numerous systems have been developed in efforts to try to address the various problems associated with analysis outside of the clinical laboratory. There is, nevertheless, a continuing interest in providing improved and alternative methods to those which are presently generally available.
Exemplary of this situation is the need today to be able to determine cholesterol levels or low density protein levels in blood. There is a clearly established relationship between total blood cholesterol (mainly LDL fraction) and coronary artery disease (Journal of the American Medical Association (1985) 253:2080-2086). New guidelines have been established for adults over 20 years of age to identify risk groups associated with blood cholesterol level. These levels are as follows: <200 mg/dl is a desirable blood cholesterol; 239 mg/dl is borderline high blood cholesterol; >240 mg/dl is high blood cholesterol.
Cholesterol levels can be controlled by both diet and cholesterol lowering drugs. The key is to identify those individuals at risk. By being able to monitor one's own cholesterol at home for those individuals at risk will provide a significant tool in monitoring cholesterol levels and reducing the potential for heart disease. The measuring of other naturally occurring compounds of physiologic importance and synthetic drugs is also of great interest.

Direct measuring assay strip and method of use thereof


A modular pipe gripping assembly has a universal actuator assembly having a control fluid swivel. An external pipe gripping assembly can be attached to the actuator assembly for gripping the external surface of a section of pipe. Alternatively, the external pipe gripping assembly can be quickly and easily removed and replaced with an internal pipe gripping assembly for gripping the internal surface of a section of pipe. Control fluid pressure is trapped within the actuator assembly, but relieved from a fluid swivel, permitting high speed rotation of the modular pipe gripping assembly and preserving swivel seal life.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to an apparatus for assembling and installing pipe in a well. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a pipe running tool that can rotate at high speed, and selectively grip pipe either internally or externally. More particularly still, the present invention pertains to a pipe running tool that can be quickly and easily converted between internal and external pipe gripping simply by changing out modular components.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Efficiency in connection with oil and gas operations, especially in terms of drilling rate, has been addressed with great earnest for many years. However, drilling rate is not the only variable affecting operational costs; pipe string assembly and installation rate typically has about the same cost-effect as drilling rate. The present invention addresses an increase in efficiency of such pipe string assembly and installation operations (and a resulting decrease in costs associated with such operations) without sacrificing safety concerns.
Once a well has been drilled to a desired depth, large diameter and relatively heavy pipe known as "casing" is frequently installed in the well. During installation in a well, casing is typically inserted into the pre-drilled well bore in a number of separate sections of substantially equal length referred to as "joints." The joints, which generally include threaded connections, are typically joined end-to-end at the earth's surface (typically from a drilling rig) in order to form a substantially continuous "string" of pipe that reaches downward into a well. After the casing is installed within the well bore, the pipe is usually cemented in place.
During the pipe installation process, additional sections of pipe are added to the upper end of the pipe string at the rig in order to increase the overall length of the pipe string and its penetration depth in a well bore. The addition of pipe sections at the surface is repeated until a desired length of pipe is inserted into the well. The rate of assembly and installation of the casing can amount to many hours of total work time which, in turn, equates to higher costs. As such, time reduction in pipe string assembly and installation operations can result in significant cost reduction.
Conventional casing installation operations typically involve specialized crews and equipment mobilized to a well site for the specific purpose of assembling casing and installing such casing into a well. Recently, a method of running casing using a rig's top drive system, together with specialized casing running tools (RT's), has become increasingly popular. In many cases, casing can be run more efficiently and for less cost using an RT, compared to conventional casing crews and equipment, because RT's can be used to pick up and stab joints of casing and to provide torque to make up threaded casing connections. As a result, specialized casing tongs are frequently not needed, and fewer personnel are required on and around the rig floor during the casing running operations.
In most cases, a RT is connected immediately below a rig's top drive unit prior to commencement of casing operations. A single-joint elevator, supported by a RT, is typically used to lift individual joints of casing from a V-door or pipe rack into a derrick in vertical alignment over a well. The top drive and attached RT are lowered until the RT is proximate to the top of the new joint being added. The slips of the RT are set on the new joint of casing, and the top drive is actuated to apply the required torque (through the RT) to make up the casing to the upper end of the casing string previously installed in a well. At times, during the lowering of the pipe string into the well, the pipe string can be rotated and/or reciprocated using the RT to facilitate installation in the well.
In certain circumstances, it is beneficial for an RT to grip a pipe section internally (i.e., within the internal bore of such pipe), while in other circumstances it may be better to grip such pipe externally (i.e., on the outer surface of such pipe). However, because such functions generally require very different RT equipment configurations, most RT systems are designed for either internal gripping of pipe or external gripping of pipe, but cannot be converted from one method to the other. Further, existing RT systems generally provide for relatively low rotational rate (rpm), primarily due to limitations associated with hydraulic swivel seals.
In economic interest, the feed rate during the lowering of a pipe string into a well should be maximized, within the limits of safety considerations. Thus, there is a need for an RT that can pick up, assemble, rotate, and reciprocate casing or other pipe during installation operations, while having the ability to fill up fluids and compensate such casing or pipe during critical make up or break out procedures. The RT should allow for quick and efficient conversion between internal and external pipe gripping methods, while also permitting high rotational rates.

Modular apparatus for assembling tubular goods


Described herein is a method for and a device configured to generate an energy amount via a received magnetic field. A sensor may be configured to generate an output voltage based on a sensor reading by using a portion of the energy amount and a diode biased in its active region via a resistor may generate an operating voltage to shift the output voltage into a positive region. The resistor may be configured to modify an operating voltage of the diode by using a portion of the energy amount. An analog to digital converter may be configured to receive a combined voltage or to combine received voltages to convert a combined voltage such that a combined voltage is the output voltage shifted by or added to the operating voltage. A transmitter may transmit a sensor output based on the combined voltage by using a portion of the energy amount.

Sensors in passive energy harvesting tags may be used to sense characteristics or gather data. An analog to digital converter may be integrated with the tag to convert analog data obtained from a sensor to digital data to be provided to a component that may utilize the sensor data.
The output voltage provided by a sensor may be not be suitable as an input to an analog to digital converter as the output voltage may contain a negative voltage portion due to a sensor's output range.

Sensor tunable offset removal circuit in passive tags