In the wire dot printer head of the present invention, there is provided an armature stopper against which an armature having pivoted from a printing position to a stand-by position comes into abutment, the armature stopper being formed by bonding an elastic plate and a hard plate with each other into an integral combination and thereafter punching the integral combination from the hard plate side. By this punching work the armature stopper is warped so that the hard plate side is convex in shape. With this warp, when the armature having pivoted to the stand-by position comes into abutment against the armature stopper, the armature stopper deflects in a direction to eliminate the warp. With this deflecting motion, an impact force induced upon mutual abutment of the armature and the armature stopper is diminished and deformation or chipping of the hard plate are suppressed, further, the durability of the armature stopper is improved and the printing accuracy is kept high over a long period.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wire dot printer head provided in a wire dot printer and more particularly to a wire dot printer head having an armature stopper against which an armature comes into abutment when it has pivoted from a printing position to a stand-by position.
2. Description of the Background Art
Heretofore there has been known a wire dot printer head wherein an armature with printing wire connected thereto is moved pivotally between a printing position and a stand-by position and a tip of the wire is caused to strike against printing paper when the armature is pivoted to the printing position, to effect printing.
Such a wire dot printer has an armature stopper against which an armature comes into abutment when it has pivoted from the printing position to the stand-by position. By provision of the armature stopper, it is possible to absorb a shock induced when the armature has pivoted to the stand-by position, thereby suppress the rebound of the armature and prevent the occurrence of such inconveniences as double striking caused by rebound and ribbon hooking. As an example of the armature stopper there is known a structure in which an elastic sheet made of rubber and a stainless steel plate are superimposed one on the other. The armature stopper is disposed in a direction in which the armature when pivoted to the stand-by position comes into abutment against the stainless steel plate. Such a stainless steel plate is formed so that its surface for abutment against the armature is flat.
However, with the recent tendency to a higher printing speed and a higher printing pressure, the impact force induced when the armature having pivoted to the stand-by position comes into abutment against the armature stopper is becoming more and more strong.
With such an increase of the impact force, the portion of the stainless steel plate as part of the armature stopper which portion comes into abutment against the armature is chipped or deformed, with consequent change in the printing stroke of the armature, occurrence of variations in print timing and printing pressure for each wire, and deterioration of the print quality.
Further, the plate may be damaged with the impact force induced upon abutment of the armature against the armature stopper, and if broken plate pieces scatter, the wire dot printer head may be heavily damaged.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to suppress chipping or deformation of a hard plate of an armature stopper for abutment against an armature when the armature having pivoted from a printing position to a stand-by position comes into abutment against the armature stopper, and thereby improve the durability of the armature stopper.
It is another object of the present invention to prevent an armature from striking against burrs even when a hard plate which constitutes an armature stopper is burred in the course of fabrication of the armature stopper, and prevent cracking or the like of the armature and the hard plate caused by striking of the armature against the burrs.
It is a further object of the present invention to prevent scattering of broken hard plate pieces even when a hard plate which constitutes an armature stopper is broken upon abutment thereof against an armature.
The above objects of the present invention are achieved by a novel wire dot printer head according to the present invention.
In the novel wire dot printer head of the present invention, an armature stopper against which an armature having pivoted from a printing position to a stand-by position comes into abutment is formed by punching an integrally bonded laminate of an elastic plate and a hard plate, the punching being carried out from the hard plate side to warp the armature so that the hard plate side is convex in shape.


A method for bioremediation of contaminants, comprising contacting a contaminant with composite particles including at least one microbial available nutrient species and at least one fatty acid species, and contacting the contaminant with oxygenated water including greater than about 4 parts per million dissolved oxygen. Water may be oxygenated on-site using various oxygenating devices, such as an aspirator, aerator, impeller and diffuser. Optionally, the oxygenated water may be prepared with wastewater that is being remediated. The method may be used to maintain a dissolved oxygen concentration of greater than a setpoint concentration, such as at least 4 ppm. A preferred oxygenated water stream or source has a dissolved oxygen concentration of greater than 50 ppm. Where the contaminant is in a wastewater, the dissolved oxygen concentration in the remediation zone or the oxygenated water stream may be measured with a dissolved oxygen sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bioremediation of contaminants, such as oil.
2. Background of the Related Art
Despite governmental regulations and industrial efforts, oil spills of great magnitude can occur as a result of an accident or failure of one or more safety systems. The vast demand for petroleum products has been met by increased shipments of oil in ocean going tankers, barge traffic and the like, as well as a continuing array of new technology. However, equipment malfunctions and/or human error would suggest that there will occasionally be an oil spill. Unfortunately, without adequate clean up technology, the environment can suffer devastating damage.
Much of the effort to cleanup such spills has centered on mechanical methods to contain and remove the spilled oil and to clean oil contaminated areas. However, these methods are not entirely satisfactory because much of the oil either cannot be contained or escapes containment. For example, the use of oil-absorbing booms have a limited capacity for absorbing oil and water waves can carry oil right over the top of the boom. Even when contained, mechanical removal is at best only partial.
On open waters, oil can sometimes be burned off. Such burning may require further use of special booms pulled by boats to gather a critical amount of oil into one place where it can be burned effectively. However, such techniques require smooth water conditions and the burning itself can produce harmful emissions.
Although mechanical methods and burning may be inferior under the best of conditions, these techniques are completely unacceptable for dealing with oil that has already entered into a sensitive ecosystem. For example, marshlands would be destroyed by either of these techniques.
Bioremediation presents an alternative that utilizes natural environmental biology for dealing with the oil. In particular, naturally occurring microorganisms that exist in the vicinity of an oil spill are typically capable of using the oil for their own growth. It is a distinct advantage that these biological processes can occur without wholesale disturbances to the ecology. Unfortunately, natural biological processes can take time. Where the oil spill overwhelms an ecosystem, the oil may damage or kill many plants and animals before the natural biological processes can get rid of the oil.

Accelerated bioremediation using supplemental compositions and oxygenated water


Aluminum carboxylate drag reducing agents are described herein. These materials are useful to reduce drag in hydrocarbon fluids and multiphase fluids of hydrocarbon(s) and water. No injection probes or other special equipment is expected to be required to introduce the drag reducing agent into the liquid stream. The drag reducing additives of the invention are not subject to shear degradation and do not cause undesirable changes in the emulsion or fluid quality of the fluid being treated, or undesirable foaming. In one non-limiting embodiment, an aluminum monocarboxylate is reacted with at least one carboxylic acid in situ. In another non-limiting embodiment, the aluminum carboxylate is introduced as a dispersion in a solvent such as paraffin oil. The drag reducing additives include aluminum dicarboxylates such as aluminum dioctoate, aluminum distearate, aluminum octoateoleate, aluminum octoatestearate, aluminum stearateoleate, hydroxyaluminum bis(2-ethylhexanoate) and mixtures thereof.

The use of polyalpha-olefins or copolymers thereof to reduce the drag of a hydrocarbon flowing through a conduit, and hence the energy requirements for such fluid hydrocarbon transportation, is well known. These drag reducing agents or DRAs have taken various forms in the past, including slurries of ground polymer particulates. A problem generally experienced with simply grinding the polyalpha-olefins (PAOs) is that the particles will "cold flow" or stick together after a relatively short time, thus making it impossible to place the PAO in the hydrocarbon in a form that will dissolve or otherwise mix with the hydrocarbon in an efficient manner. Further, the grinding process irreversibly degrades the polymer, thereby reducing the drag reduction efficiency of the polymer.
One common solution to preventing cold flow is to coat the ground polymer particles with an anti-agglomerating agent. Cryogenic grinding of the polymers to produce the particles prior to or simultaneously with coating with an anti-agglomerating agent has also been used. However, some powdered or particulate DRA slurries require special equipment for preparation, storage and injection into a conduit to ensure that the DRA is completely dissolved in the hydrocarbon stream.
Gel or solution DRAs have also been tried in the past. However, these drag reducing gels also demand specialized injection equipment, as well as pressurized delivery systems. They are also limited to about 10% polymer as a maximum concentration in a carrier fluid due to the high solution viscosity of these DRAs. Thus, transportation costs of the DRA are considerable, since up to about 90% of the volume being transported and handled is inert material.
Further, as noted, polymeric DRAs additionally suffer from the problem that the high molecular weight polymer molecules can be irreversibly degraded (reduced in size and thus effectiveness) when subjected to conditions of high shear, such as when they pass through a pump. Additionally, some polymeric DRAs can cause undesirable changes in emulsion or fluid quality, or cause foaming problems when used to reduce the drag of multiphase liquids.
Surfactants, such as quaternary ammonium salt cationic surfactants, are known drag reducing agents in aqueous (non-hydrocarbon) systems and have the advantage over polymeric DRAs in that they do not degrade irreversibly when sheared. In contrast, flow-induced structures in surfactant solutions are reversible.
Thus, it would be desirable if a drag reducing agent could be developed which rapidly dissolves in the flowing hydrocarbon or emulsion, which could minimize or eliminate the need for special equipment for preparation and incorporation into the hydrocarbon or emulsion, and which could avoid or minimize shear degradation. It would be desirable to develop a drag reducing agent that does not cold flow and thus require the use of cryogenic grinding and/or the further addition of an anti-agglomeration additive.

Aluminum carboxylate drag reducers for hydrocarbon emulsions


A gas turbine engine includes a fan that includes a plurality of fan blades rotatable about an axis. An on-wing portion includes a compressor section and a combustor that is in fluid communication with the compressor section. A turbine section is in fluid communication with the combustor. A core flow path is arranged within a core nacelle. The fan is arranged upstream from the core flow path. A fan drive gear system module is coupled to the turbine section for rotating the fan about the axis. A connector assembly including first and second members respectively is secured to the on-wing portion and the fan drive gear system module. The first and second members are removably secured to one another by radially extending fasteners. The first members are connected to an on-wing portion of the gas turbine engine and the second members are connected to the fan drive gear system module. The fasteners are accessible through the bypass flow path.

This disclosure relates to a coupling mechanism for removably securing a fan drive gear system module from the rest of the gas turbine engine.
A gas turbine engine typically includes a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. Air entering the compressor section is compressed and delivered into the combustion section where it is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a high-speed exhaust gas flow. The high-speed exhaust gas flow expands through the turbine section to drive the compressor and the fan section. The compressor section typically includes low and high pressure compressors, and the turbine section includes low and high pressure turbines.
The high pressure turbine drives the high pressure compressor through an outer shaft to form a high spool, and the low pressure turbine drives the low pressure compressor through an inner shaft to form a low spool. The fan section may also be driven by the low inner shaft. A direct drive gas turbine engine includes a fan section driven by the low spool such that the low pressure compressor, low pressure turbine and fan section rotate at a common speed in a common direction. One type of gas turbine engine uses a geared architecture between the turbine section and the fan section, which reduces the rotational speed of the fan section.
Turbine engine manufacturers, including those of geared gas turbine engines, continue to seek further improvements to engine performance and assembly including improvements to manufacture, maintainability, thermal, transfer, and propulsive efficiencies.

Fan drive gear system module and inlet guide vane coupling mechanism


According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a housing and a stylus holder accommodated in the housing. The stylus holder includes a holding portion that is supported in the housing and configured to ejectably hold a stylus for handwriting input and a reinforcing wall that is provided to the holding portion and configured to reinforce the housing from the inside of the housing.

For example, an electronic apparatus having a handwritten character recognition function includes a stylus receptacle configured to ejectably accommodate a stylus in a housing. The stylus receptacle is tunnel-like hollow space and extends in an axial direction of the stylus in the housing.
In a state that the stylus is extracted from the stylus receptacle, the stylus receptacle is just the hollow space and remains in the housing. Therefore, the rigidity of the housing is hard to be assured.


Provided are methods of reducing a sulfur concentration in a liquid fuel and methods of forming a thiophene/metal complex in a liquid fuel. The method can involve combining a liquid fuel and at least one metal acetate to form a thiophene/metal complex and substantially removing the thiophene/metal complexes from the liquid fuel. A thiophene concentration in a liquid fuel is reduced by the formation of an insoluble complex salt, which can be removed by, for example, centrifuge, filtration, decantation, and/or distillation.

A substantial portion of hydrocarbon fractions used to prepare fuels such as motor gasoline are derived from catalytic cracking of heavy petroleum fractions such as vacuum gas oils. The cracked materials are typically distilled into fractions including naphtha, heating oil, and diesel fuel.
Cracked naphthas are obtained from catalytic crackers in relatively high volumes and generally have good octane numbers. They are major components in blending for the motor gasoline pool. A substantial portion of the octane rating of cracked naphtha is due to its high olefin content.
Among the primary contaminants in feeds to fluidized catalytic cracking units are sulfur bearing materials. These sulfur contaminants result in the appearance of sulfur species in the cracked products. Heavy gasoline components are known to accumulate sulfur impurities.
Combustion of gasoline and diesel fuels during use in internal combustion engines converts the sulfur contaminants into sulfur oxides. The sulfur oxides are environmentally undesirable and also have been found to have a long-term deactivation impact on automotive catalytic converters that are used to remove nitrogen oxide and unburned hydrocarbon contaminants from automotive emissions. In order to improve air quality, environmental protection agencies of various industrialized countries have therefore announced or proposed new regulations requiring reduction in sulfur content of gasoline, diesel, and other motor fuels.

James K. and Mary A. Sanders Family L.L.C.


A computer-implemented system may include one or more storage devices storing first metadata defining an instance of a first metaobject, second metadata defining an instance of a solution supplement metaobject, wherein the second metadata comprises annotations to the first metadata, and wherein the first metaobject and the solution supplement metaobject are instances of a meta-metaobject. Also stored is executable program code of a service to determine merged metadata based on the first metadata and the annotations to the first metadata. A processor is included to execute the executable program code.

A business object is a software model representing real-world items used during the transaction of business. For example, a business object may represent a business document such as a sales order, a purchase order, or an invoice. A business object may also represent master data objects such as a product, a business partner, or a piece of equipment. Particular ones of such master data objects (e.g., SalesOrder SO435539, ACME corporation) are represented by instances of their representing business object, or business object instances.
A business object may specify business logic and/or data having any suitable structure. The structure of a business object may be determined based on the requirements of a business scenario in which the business object is to be deployed. A business application for a particular business scenario may require many business objects, where the structure of each business object has been determined based on the requirements of the particular business scenario.
A business process platform, or application platform, typically exposes a complex business object model. The business object model describes many business objects, their relations and dependencies. The business object model may be used by several business applications, or solutions, to access data and logic of business object instances. The applications, in turn, provide such data to end-users through user interfaces, reports, etc.
An application platform is typically intended as a basis for different business solutions applicable for small-, medium-, and large-sized companies. In order to provide all the business functionality required by these target groups, the business objects of the platform's business object model may contain more functionality than is required by a business solution sold to small- and medium-sized companies.
Moreover, the business objects of a typical application platform are modeled and implemented in a strictly normalized way focused on service provisioning. These normalized business objects are typically not designed in order to facilitate their manipulation and use by a customer. A business object model also contains many entities which are for internal use by the platform developer.
For at least the foregoing reasons, it is not desirable to directly expose a customer to a business object model of an application platform. The complexity of the business object model may provide flexibility in developing applications, but a customer is primarily focused on use-case specific views, including joined data of other business objects, which may be used by the customer to develop user interfaces, forms, agents, or analytics.


Exemplary embodiments provide compositions and methods for making and using an erasable medium that can contain oligomeric photochromic materials such as spiropyran oligomers, wherein the oligomeric photochromic material can include a plurality of photochromic groups such as spiropyrans covalently connected together by one or more linkers.

Current transient document technology enables images written on an erasable medium based on photochromic color change of photochromic materials, such as spiropyrans.
Spiropyrans (SPs) undergo reversible color change when irradiated at an appropriate wavelength. Typically, an ultraviolet (UV) light exposure converts SPs from a colorless state to a colored state of merocyanine. The colored state of merocyanine reverts back to the colorless state of spiropyran upon application of a thermal treatment as described by the following:
This color change is caused by a chemical structural change that involves absorption spectral change in the visible region. The color conversion and the color reversion are used to write and/or erase images.
Images are written visibly by a color contrast between an image and the surrounding background regions and are erased by removal of such color contrast. Visible images on conventional erasable media are readable for a few hours such as about 2-4 hours under ambient light conditions, and are often self-erased with no effort from the user and ready to be written or used again with new images in 24 hours.
On the other hand, longer image lifetimes and erase-on-demand capabilities are also desirable for erasable media. For example, it would be desirable for information on an erasable medium to be readable for as long as required by users, then erased or re-imaged on demand.
Thus, there is a need to overcome these and other problems of the prior art and to provide compositions and methods of erasable media having longer image lifetime and longer image readability.

Oligomeric spiropyrans for erasable medium applications


A method is disclosed for integration of open advertisements with targeted websites, including enabling a seller to place a product on auction through an auction website, wherein an auction server creates an auction listing for the product together with a first software code affiliated with the auction listing; marking the first software code to function with a targeted website in response to the seller requesting an open advertisement of the auction listing; receiving a call of the software code from a targeted website server; generating a second software code with the first software code, wherein the second software code includes a product identification to provide access to the auction server; and sending the second software code to the targeted website server, the second software code configured to create the open advertisement that displays specific information related to the auction listing to be served to an advertisement position of the targeted website.

1. Technical Field
The disclosed embodiments relate to the integration of open advertisements from online auctions with other e-commerce activities, and more particularly to the integration of open advertisements related to auction listings with targeted websites and with search results pages.
2. Related Art
Electronic commerce, or e-commerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. The amount of trade conducted electronically has grown extraordinarily since the spread of the Internet. A wide variety of commerce is conducted in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modem electronic commerce, or e-commerce, typically uses the World Wide Web ("Web") at least at some point in the transaction's lifecycle, although it can encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail as well.
A large percentage of e-commerce is conducted entirely electronically for virtual items such as access to premium content on a website, but most e-commerce involves the transportation of physical items in some way. Online retailers are sometimes known as e-tailers and online retail is sometimes known as e-tail. Almost all big retailers have electronic commerce presence on the Web.
Online auctions are increasing in popularity, which include Yahoo!, eBay, Ubid, Overstock, etc. The auction sites for Yahoo! currently include those in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. Another increasingly popular auction site is that for Asian Pacific Auction Centre (APAC), which includes global marketing that brings together buyers and sellers. That is, the APAC site provides to its sellers opportunities to also be advertisers of their goods in a system that identifies goods to be sold and unites buyers and sellers in purchasing arrangements.
Internet advertising is also a multi-billion dollar industry and is growing at double digits rates in recent years. It is also the major revenue source for Internet companies, such as Yahoo! of Sunnyvale, Calif. or Google of Mountain View, Calif., which provide advertising networks that connect advertisers, publishers, and Internet users. A major portion of revenue has historically comes from sponsored search advertisements and other advertising related to conducting search through search engines, for instance. Another major source of revenue includes serving display advertisements to Web pages that include content matching material related to the advertisement. These Web pages may be located with an affiliate network such as created or hosted by Yahoo! or Google, or may be third party websites that exist outside of a network of such service providers. No online search or advertising company, however, has integrated open advertisements created to promote online auction listings through affiliate or third party websites, or through search results pages from its search marketing systems.

Integration of open advertisements with e-commerce activities


An electrical connector assembly comprises a first connector having a first housing and a first retainer and a second connector having a second housing and a second retainer. The first retainer and the second retainer respectively retained on two opposed end of the first housing and the second housing. The second retainer is in an M-shaped and assembles to the second housing from a top surface of the second housing. The second retainer has two contacting arms for engaging with the first retainer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a board to board connector assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
A board to board connector is used to electrically link two print circuit boards to transmit electrical signals. Such a board to board connector usually has a pair of retainer members respectively assembled on opposed ends thereof, the retainer member has a soldering portion for being soldered to a print circuit board to reliably mount the board to board connector to the print circuit board.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,645,005 discloses a board-to-board connector assembly having a plug connector and a receptacle connector, both the plug and the receptacle connectors have a pair of retainer members on opposed ends thereof for being soldered to a print circuit board, respectively, and each retainer member has a mating portion with a clasping portion. When the plug connector mates with the receptacle connector, the retainers of the plug connector engage with the retainers of the receptacle connector in manner of the clasping portions of corresponding mating portions clasping with each other to enhance a mating force between this mating process and prevent the plug connector easily falling from the receptacle connector. However, the retainers are respectively disposed out of two lateral ends of the plug connector and the receptacle connector, so during the plug connector mating with the receptacle connector, the mating portions of the retainers may distort along a longitudinal direction, which will influence an interferential force between the engaging retainers, and insulting housings of the connector assembly may be damaged by the retainers if user inserts the first connector by unbalanced force.
Hence, an improved connector assembly is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.


A cam for a revolving dobby includes a plate with an upwardly extending protective external edge, the external edge has two peripherally located, mutually opposite notches, key levers are associated with the plate and are protected by the external edge, thrust teeth on the auxiliary and drive pushers cooperate with the key levers. The thrust tooth of the drive pusher is rotatable hinged relative thereto and is rotated on the same axis as the auxiliary pusher, springs cooperate with the auxiliary and drive pushers to engage the key levers via one of the notches on the plate.

As known from said prior patent application, each main connecting rod of the revolving dobby is mounted with its idle head on the intermittent-motion drive shaft which drives said dobby to revolve, through a cam which, by being interposed between said shaft and said main connecting rod head, is locked in its position by the action of the thrust tooth of an auxiliary pusher which, by being rotatably hinged onto the fixed body of the revolving dobby, cooperates with either of two radial, mutually opposite notches provided on the periphery of the same cam, or is made integral with said shaft by two swinging, mutually opposite keying levers pivotally installed on said cam and cooperating with each other at one of their ends, wherein a key is present which is urged by two springs to enter one from two, also radial, mutually opposite grooves provided in the drive shaft, with the disengagement of said key from the relevant groove being accomplished thanks to the cooperation of the thrust tooth of a drive pusher, also rotatably hinged onto said fixed body of the revolving dobby, with one of the free ends of said keying levers.
On the other hand, in as much as the need for locking in position the cam, and consequently the relevant main connecting rod, only arises simultaneously with the above said key disengagement, the movements of revolution of said auxiliary and drive pushers are always produced simultaneously through one single cam system.
Such a structure known from the prior art offers considerable advantages, but, unfortunately, is not absolutely free from risks of damaging its own organs under very special circumstances.
In fact, if, owing to an assembling mistake, the cam is not installed in such a way that either of both said locking notches thereof is in correspondence of said tooth of the auxiliary lock pusher so as to be capable of cooperating with it and consequently said tooth of the drive pusher is not in such a position as to be capable of cooperating with the free end of one of both key engagement levers, a subsequent motion of both pusher teeth towards the cam would generate, upon the revolution of the same cam, an interference between said mechanical parts, with consequent breakages.
On the other hand, a possible incomplete operation of key disengagement attained by moving said teeth of both pushers towards the cam in order to lock said cam in its position, leaving the key still partially inside the groove provided along the drive shaft, would keep said cam revolving and the cam, by interfering with the pushers in lowered position, would cause the same drawbacks as said above.
In the same way, an accidental dragging of the cam owing to various reasons, such as foreign bodies entering between adjacent cams, by causing an angular offset in the alignment between the tooth of the auxiliary pusher and the relevant locking notch and consequently between the tooth of the drive pusher and the end of the relevant keying lever, would unavoidably cause fatal sticking events between the above said mechanical organs.
Summing-up, the presence, on the peripheral edge of the cam, of two radial locking notches which must necessarily be provided in corresponding extensions of the same cam, showing more or less vertical walls, can cause, in certain abnormal situations, fatal sticking events to occur between said auxiliary pusher and said drive pusher and said walls of the locking notches.

Nuovopignone - Industrie Meccaniche e Fonderia S.p.A.


A double diaphragm pump operated by selectively switching pressurized air into either of two diaphragm chambers; the air actuator valve is a cup valve which is slidable over orifices in a valve plate, and actuable by air pistons; the air pistons are coupled via passageways to a pilot valve which is a second cup valve slidable over orifices in a valve plate, the cup valve being actuable by pins extending into the diaphragm chambers and into contact with diaphragm members at predetermined positions.

The present invention relates to a diaphragm pumping apparatus; more particularly, the invention relates to a double diaphragm pump having a two-stage air valve actuator for regulating the pumping action.
Double diaphragm pumps are well known in the art, wherein a source of pressurized-air is selectively applied into each of two diaphragm chambers to thereby cause deflection of the respective diaphragms to create a pumping action against liquid materials which are introduced into the diaphragm chamber. Each diaphragm effectively isolates the chamber into two halves, a first half which is susceptible to varying air pressures and a second half which is exposed to the liquid materials being pumped.
The delivery of pressurized air to a double diaphragm pump is typically controlled by an air valve, and the air valve is typically actuated by a mechanical linkage to the diaphragms. Therefore, deflection of one diaphragm causes the actuator to toggle the air valve so as to introduce pressurized air into the diaphragm chamber, which then causes deflection of the second diaphragm until the mechanical actuator toggles the air valve in the reverse direction. This reciprocating movement of the respective diaphragms continues for so long as the pressurized inlet air exceeds the pressure of the liquids confined in the delivery portion of the diaphragm chambers. When the liquid and air pressures equalize, the diaphragms no longer cycle and the pump undergoes what is referred to as a stall condition. This stall condition exists until a pressure imbalance occurs, and the air pressure driving force against the diaphragm again causes diaphragm movement. The valve actuator which controls the flow of pressurized air into the diaphragm chambers is typically mechanically linked to the diaphragms themselves, so as to become actuated at predetermined positions of the diaphragm. In some cases, double diaphragm pumps have utilized a pilot valve mechanically linked to the diaphragm, which then directs the flow of pressurized air to an actuator valve, and the actuator valve directs the flow of pressurized air to the diaphragm chamber. Various types of spool valves have been utilized for either or both of these valving functions.
The actuator valve which functions to direct the flow of pressurized air into a diaphragm chamber usually simultaneously exhausts the pressurized air from the other diaphragm chamber. The air exhausting through the valve actuator undergoes rapid and sudden decompression, causing a dramatic drop in temperature in the proximity of the valve actuator. Repeated exhaust cycles, particularly when the pressurized air has significant moisture content, results in frost buildup proximate the actuator valve and in the exhaust chamber. This frost buildup can accumulate and create an icing effect, which in the extreme can block the further physical movement of the actuator valve and thereby disable the pumping system.
Another problem with prior art double diaphragm pumps relates to the inefficiencies caused by wear of the valve actuators. Valve actuators typically cycle at rates up to several hundred times per minute during the lifetime of the pump, and as these actuators gradually wear, the air seals associated with the actuators undergo leakage which degrades the pressurized operation of the pump. This can eventually lead to pump failure when the leakage condition becomes so excessive as to no longer permit the actuators to operate effectively.

Double diaphragm pump having two-stage air valve actuator


A bollard apparatus for use as a vehicle barrier including one or more bollard members, and one or more separate foot members each adapted for ground engagement by placement upon (or shallow-mount embedment within) a ground or floor surface. To each of the foot members is fixed at least one bollard member upstanding therefrom. At least one collar member is positioned within a respective through-opening in a respective foot member wherein the collar member is fixed to the base end of a bollard member and circumscribes the bollard member thereat. The collar member is upstanding from the surface of foot member from which the bollard number is also upstanding.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to bollards. In particular, though not exclusively, the invention relates to vehicular impact barriers and bollards suitable for use in vehicular impact barriers.
2. Description of Related Art
The provision of barriers comprising bollards, particularly vehicle barriers, often requires the permanent fixture, embedding or foundation of bollards within a ground surface in order to provide sufficient robustness and resilience of permanency to the barrier. It is very common that bollards arrayed collectively to provide such a barrier on a ground surface require some degree of excavation into that ground surface to enable each individual bollard of the barrier to be firmly, fixedly and permanently set into the ground to be upstanding from it. This is costly, time consuming and damaging to existing ground surfaces. For example an existing ground surface may comprise a paved area or may comprise a floor surface which is not in immediate contact with the ground, such as an elevated floor surface (e.g. a concrete floor) within an upper level of a building such as a car park or airport terminal building or the like. Excavating such a floor surface in order to accommodate embedded bollards is extremely undesirable. Structural integrity maybe compromised and the embedding of suitably robust bollards may not be feasible or permissible.
These problems are compounded when the situation requires only temporary placement of a barrier. In those circumstances, subsequent re-excavation of the embedded bollard members would be required in order to remove the barrier. Subsequent repair of the ground surface or floor surface would be required where excavation had taken place.
Furthermore, when the embedding of barriers within an excavation is required, the existence of obstacles to the intended positioning and linear trajectory of parts of the barrier may prevent the necessary excavation being provided. Additionally, sharp turns in the trajectory of the barrier may be required to avoid obstacles (e.g. street furniture) or to follow a desired arcuate route (e.g. a turn in a pavement).
The present invention aims to provide means and methods which may be used desirably to assist in addressing some or all of the problems identified above, while still providing a robust and effective barrier able to absorb vehicular impact forces efficiently.


A method and device is provided for the continuous estimation of the blood pressure using a noninvasive technique. The method involves sensing of the displacement signal generated by the palpation of the radial artery. The radial artery is modelled as a cylindrical voight type viscoelastic tissue for the estimation of the personalized blood pressure. The model includes the displacement signal and a set of parameters as an input. The set of parameters include a mean radius of the artery, a radius at zero mmHg, a viscoelastic damping parameter, an elasticity of the artery and a thickness of wall of artery. The method involves the optimization of the set of parameters using heuristic optimization techniques, which helps in the estimation of the systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The method and device can also be personalized for individualized monitoring and estimation of the blood pressure of the person.

The blood pressure measurement is one of the techniques to monitor the health of an individual. Typically, blood pressure is characterized by two readings, the systolic and diastolic blood pressures. The systolic blood pressure is the pressure as the heart contracts and is the higher of the two pressures. The diastolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart relaxes and fills with blood in preparation for another contraction. The high blood pressure can result in headache, vision problem, nose bleeding etc. The high blood pressure may indicate few problems such as type II diabetes kidney disease or toxemia. The low blood pressure which results in dizziness, blurred vision, fainting, which may be an indicator to certain diseases like allergic reaction, heart problems, shock, etc. Thus it is necessary to continuously monitor and measure the blood pressure of a patient or a person.
The conventional non-invasive blood pressure measurement methods require a cuff to be fastened on a particular part of a body, and each group of measurement data is obtained after going through periods of inflation and deflation of the cuff. Therefore, it is impossible to continuously monitor a patient's blood pressure without interruption. In addition to that these methods are susceptible to noise.
Another approach for measuring blood pressure uses a sphygmomanometer. This is one of the auscultatory methods to measure the blood pressure. A typical sphygmomanometer has an occluding cuff capable of being wrapped around a patient's arm; a pump for inflating the cuff; either an aneroid or mercury gravity sphygmomanometer to measure pressure in the cuff; and a stethoscope or other system for detecting Korotkoff sounds. Such devices are widely used in hospitals and doctors' offices for making routine blood pressure measurements but are not well adapted to providing continuous blood pressure monitoring.
Another method for measuring blood pressure is the oscillometric method. Oscillometric blood pressure measurements are made by using a transducer to detect and measure pressure waves in a pressure cuff as blood surges through an artery constricted by the pressure cuff. Many currently available digital blood pressure monitors use the oscillometric method for determining blood pressure. The oscillometric method is not ideal for continuous blood pressure monitoring because it typically cannot produce an updated blood pressure reading more frequently than about once every 30 seconds. Further, the cuff compresses underlying tissues. Over an extended period of time this can cause tissue damage.
Continuous measurement of blood pressure by means of optically based pressure transducer tips, inserted into the blood stream using a catheter, have also been proposed. Several other methods exist for the determination of continuous non-invasive blood pressure monitoring. However, none of these has been widely accepted. Problems include susceptibility to motion, questionable accuracy, and poor sensor locations.
Another non-invasive method of estimating the BP from the physiological signal is using multimode approach. For example, acquire more than one signal like ECG and PPG or ECG and PCG or PCG and PPG. Here we have to use multiple sensor, which is an cumbersome method and less accuracy
In addition to those, cuff-based methods may not yield representative blood pressure during sleep as repeated inflations induce arousal reactions, leading to non-representative overestimated BP values. Therefore, the development of novel technologies that reduce the recurrent use of pneumatic cuffs is clearly justified.
The above-mentioned prior art lacks the advantages of a continuous blood pressure monitoring system that is capable of being worn for continual periods, whilst offering the patient complete mobility.

Method and device for continuous blood pressure monitoring and estimation


A multi-stage coding method includes receiving an input block of data for encoding and one or more previously coded samples associated with the input block. The input block is segmented into at least a first sub-region and a second sub-region. A prediction for the first sub-region is generated based on the one or more previously coded samples. Residual data for the first sub-region is obtained using the prediction for the first sub-region. A reconstruction of the first sub-region is generated using the residual data for the first sub-region and the prediction for the first sub-region. A prediction for the second sub-region is generated using the reconstruction of the first sub-region. Residual data for the second sub-region is obtained using the prediction for the second sub-region. The input block is encoded based in part on the residual data for the first region and the residual data for the second region.

Modern image and video coding applications use various compression techniques to reduce the size of data for transmission or storage. In some cases, the compression operations result in information loss, which can lead to errors in the subsequently reconstructed data when compared to the source data that it represents. Such information loss can produce distortions or artifacts that are noticeable to a viewer and detract from the viewer's experience.


The present disclosure is related to a photo album based music selection method, apparatus and device, and a storage medium. When a certain photo album is viewed on a device, the corresponding music can be automatically selected and played based on a character relationship determined according to the method between the viewer and a person being viewed in a picture of the photo album, which decreases the complexity of operations of the user, and thereby improves the user experience.

A user often uses a computing device such as a camera enabled mobile phone to take pictures and store the photographed pictures in the computing device. Photo album management applications with face recognition capabilities have been provided for managing and organizing stored pictures based on attributes of the stored pictures.
When the user browses pictures in different photo albums or other collections of associated pictures, in order to encourage a certain atmosphere, the user may want to play some music. For example, when the user is viewing the photo album of a baby, the user may select to play some music that is bright and of children interests to add atmosphere. However, the selection of music is generally performed manually, that is to say, the user usually needs to manually choose and switch the desired music when the user browses pictures in different photo albums.

Multimedia presentation method and apparatus


Systems and methods of operating a cooling system provide for determining one or more cooling requirements of a computing system and controlling one or more vent valves of the cooling system based on the cooling requirements. In one approach, the cooling requirements are determined based on operating system state data and/or power management data.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to cooling systems. More particularly, embodiments relate to dynamically cooling computing systems.
2. Discussion
As society continues to become more mobile, the demand for enhanced mobile computing systems also grows. Indeed, the desirability of features such as wireless networking and digital imaging has spurred an unparalleled increase in the use of systems such as notebook (or laptop) computers, handheld personal digital assistants (PDAs) and wireless smart phones. Other types of computing systems such as desktop computers, servers and set-top boxes have also been associated with an escalation in functionality and use. While adding features to computing systems has likely increased the marketability of these systems, it has been determined that the additional power workload associated with these features can negatively affect processing performance and/or battery life.
For example, the temperature increases that commonly accompany feature-rich mobile computing have been a recent area of concern. As components consume more power, they generate heat, which can slow down transistor switching and increase the drain of current on the power supply. While conventional notebook computers often make use of strategically located and sized vents to address these temperature concerns by increasing the amount of airflow through the system, a number of difficulties remain.
In particular, the power workloads and associated optimum cooling requirements in a mobile computing system often change as the use of the mobile computing system changes. For example, the use of a computing system's wireless networking functionality may result in the generation of heat in an entirely different set of components than the use of the computing system's digital imaging functionality. The location and sizing of conventional vents in mobile computing systems, however, is static and typically does not change once the system is designed and constructed. As a result, a computing system having a vent scheme that is optimized for one usage profile may experience less than optimum performance and battery life for another usage profile.


A surface hardened aluminum part having excellent heat resistance and abrasion resistance obtained by forming, on the surface of an aluminum base material, an alloy layer that has a uniform composition and uniform hardness, being free from cracks. An aluminum alloy powder made of aluminum and metals each of which forms an intermetallic compound of high hardness with aluminum is prepared. This aluminum alloy powder is supplied onto the aluminum base material and the aluminum or aluminum alloy contained in the aluminum base material is alloyed with the aluminum alloy powder using a high-density energy heat source to form an alloy layer. The alloy layer thus formed has an intermetallic compound of high hardness uniformly distributed throughout the layer so that the hardness of the alloy layer is uniform and cracking is unlikely to occur.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surface hardened aluminum parts in which a hardened layer possessing high resistance to abrasion and heat is formed on the surface of an aluminum base material made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and to a method of producing same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Thanks to its small specific gravity (=2.7) and excellent corrosion resistance, aluminum has come into wide use for a variety of mechanical parts, e.g. in industrial robots, automobiles, and aircraft. However aluminum materials have markedly inferior abrasion resistance and heat resistance, compared with iron materials, and this could be a serious bar to employing aluminum parts in place of iron parts for the purpose of seeking light weight.
up to now, there have been proposed various techniques of forming a hardened layer (i.e., a hardened alloy layer), on the surface of an aluminum part to be provided in a position where high abrasion resistance and high heat resistance are required. One of those techniques that have been put to practical use is the so-called laser alloying method in which a powder of metal such as iron Fe, nickel Ni and cobalt Co is supplied onto an aluminum base material made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy and this powder metal is melted using a high-density energy heat source such as laser beams so as to be alloyed with the aluminum or aluminum alloy contained in the aluminum base material.

Surface hardened aluminum part and method of producing same


A system for analyzing security compliance requirements analyzes a linked database that includes data from the Unified Compliance Framework™. The system generates a tiered question structure to obtain information about a particular business offering, wherein questions of a particular tier are based on answers to questions of a preceding tier. Based on the information, the system generates a query and submits the query to the linked database. The query results provide a list of security compliance requirements, leading practices, and/or regulations applicable to the business offering.

1. Technical Field
This application relates to security compliance. In particular, this application relates to a system for building a security compliance framework customized to a business offering.
2. Related Art
The Unified Compliance Framework™ (UCF) is a compliance database that harmonizes controls from hundreds of international regulatory requirements, standards, and guidelines (such as HIPAA, ISO 17799, PCI, FDA, SOX, etc.) into a single, hierarchal framework. Each of these regulations publishes a list of standards or controls that affected companies must comply with. These lists (also referred to as "authority documents") contain thousands of statements stating how information should be protected, monitored, or presented. Accurately determining which of the hundreds of requirements, standards, and guidelines of the UCF are applicable to a particular business offering can be challenging and time consuming.

System for analyzing security compliance requirements


An image processing terminal comprising: a processor, a memory for storing one or more commands executed by the processor, and a control signal receiving unit for receiving a control signal in accordance with an input to a key by a user from a remote controller. The one or more program commands include commands for, comparing a sensing level corresponding to a pressure or an area applied to the key by the user with a preset value, determining whether the input to the key corresponds to a normal input or a force input depending on the comparing, outputting an identification image for identification of the force input on a screen during a predetermined period of time or adjusting a full size of the screen when the input to the key corresponds to the force input, and performing a control process corresponding to the force input after the predetermined period of time elapses.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for providing an identification service of a force input and a method for performing the same. More particularly, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for providing various services through a force input of a single key by a user though a remote controller has few key and a method for performing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A set-top box is connected to a television, converts properly a video signal and a voice signal received from an external device and displays an image corresponding to the converted video and voice signal through the television.
The set-top box receives an IPTV signal, a cable TV signal, a satellite TV signal or a general signal for broadcasting, and the set-top box displays the received signal on the television.
The set-top box generally interoperates with a wired or wireless remote controller. A user remotely controls the set-top box with the remote controller.
Functions of the set-top box or the television are diversified as types of contents and services provided from an IPTV, a cable TV or a satellite TV have been diversified. The number of buttons in the remote controller controlling the set-top box or the television has increased due to the diversification of the functions.
It is preferable to provide various contents and services to the user, but the user need to know a function of each button in the remote controller in order to fully enjoy the various contents and services provided.
It becomes difficult for the user to control the remote controller with keeping the user's eyes toward the television (blind control) as the remote controller has lots of buttons. Additionally, there are many factors distracting user's view when the user controls the remote controller. For example, the user should look at the remote controller and select a relevant button whenever the user wants to properly control the remote controller.
A demand for a remote controller having few or no button has been on the rise. Since a conventional remote controller does not satisfy such demand, a system and method for controlling the remote controller minimizing the number of the buttons in the remote controller is needed while allowing the user to enjoy a variety of contents and services. With the remote controller having few or no button, the user may easily figure out how to use the remote controller and it also enables the user to perform the blind control when using the remote controller.
Additionally, an apparatus for processing a control signal received from the remote controller has been required, if the remote controller performable the blind control uses.

Apparatus for providing an identification service of a force input and method for performing the same


A process for the removal of sterols and/or lipid components (e.g., cholesterol and fats) from lipid containing food (e.g., meat) using sub or super-critical fluids (e.g., CO.sub.2) involves initial processing of the food to produce an intermediate moisture product in which substantially all of the "free water" but not all of the "bound water" is removed. Different moisture removal techniques may be used. Where freeze drying of food flakes is adopted the moisture level is preferably reduced to 30-55% w/w. The intermediate moisture product is treated with supercritical CO.sub.2 to remove the lipids therefrom. Optionally the cholesterol can be separated from the fat component by use of an absorbent to selectively remove the cholesterol from the supercritical CO.sub.2. The product can be reconstituted with water and fat to provide a reconstituted meat product suitable for hamburgers.

Some meats have a limited market acceptance because of their strong flavour, or in some cases the unacceptable smell associated with the meat fat. Lamb is an example of this as it is not acceptable to many people and in particular is not readily marketable in Asia.
There is also concern over the level of fat and cholesterol in foodstuffs. In addition to concern over the presence of saturated fats in our diet, it is likely that legislation will be enacted in some countries which will require cholesterol content to be shown along with other nutritional values when the foodstuff is sold.
The primary source of cholesterol in foodstuffs is lipid-containing food such as meat, either red or white, fish and dairy products. Offal, such as brains or kidney, has a high cholesterol content but a relatively low lipid content.
The lipid components of interest are those known as neutral lipids. This class of lipids contains: mono-, di- and tri-acylglycerides, collectively known as fat; free and esterified cholesterol, and other sterols; free fatty acids, fatty alcohols and wax esters. Of most interest are the fat and cholesterol components.
These lipid components may also influence the flavour of the food, especially if the fat becomes rancid. Oxidation of fat destabilises the fat molecules giving rise to unpleasant flavours. The amount and type of fat present in the food is one of the limiting factors in storage of meats. Meats with a high proportion of unsaturated fats--fish, poultry, pork, lamb, and veal, --cannot be kept as long as beef. Some meats e.g. lamb because of their fat content have an unacceptable flavour.

Removal of lipid components from foodstuffs and products thereof


An integrated circuit includes an optical source that provides an optical signal to an optical waveguide. In particular, the optical source may be implemented by fusion-bonding a III-V semiconductor to a semiconductor layer in the integrated circuit. In conjunction with surrounding mirrors (at least one of which is other than a distributed Bragg reflector), this structure may provide a cavity with suitable optical gain at a wavelength in the optical signal along a vertical direction that is perpendicular to a plane of the semiconductor layer. For example, the optical source may include a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). Moreover, the optical waveguide, defined in the semiconductor layer, may be separated from the optical source by a horizontal gap in the plane of the semiconductor layer. During operation of the optical source, the optical signal may be optically coupled across the gap from the optical source to the optical waveguide.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to techniques for communicating optical signals. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an integrated circuit that includes an optical source.
2. Related Art
Silicon photonics is a promising technology that can provide large communication bandwidth, low latency and low power consumption for inter-chip and intra-chip connections. In the last few years, significant progress has been made in developing low-cost components for use in inter-chip and intra-chip silicon-photonic connections, including: high-bandwidth efficient silicon modulators, low-loss optical waveguides, wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) components, and high-speed CMOS optical-waveguide photodetectors. However, producing a suitable low-cost WDM optical source remains a challenge and poses an obstacle to implementing WDM silicon-photonic links. For example, conventional WDM laser sources: have very low wall-plug efficiency (typically, 1-5%), require cooling, and are bulky and expensive.
Hence, what is needed is an integrated optical source without the above-described problems.


A cannulated screw having a resilient balloon structure capable of supporting compressive and cyclic loads. The balloon provides an artificial disc prosthesis by use of the balloon that mimics the porperties of the natural disc by maintaining the intervertebral disc space through a full range of natural motion, absorbing shocks and permitting a natural range of motion.

Intervertebral discs are oblate spherical structures that maintain the space between adjacent vertebrae. Each intervertebral disc consists of an outer annulus fibrosus, which surrounds the inner nucleus pulposus. The annulus fibrosus consists of several layers of strong annular fibrocartilage to contain the nucleus pulposus and distribute pressure evenly across the disc wherein a mucoprotein gel serves to absorb shocks.
Deterioration of an intervertebral disc results in limited mobility and can cause severe pain. For instance, normal aging causes the nucleus pulposus to lose fluid and contract in volume resulting in a reduction in the intervertebral space. Any reduction of space between adjacent vertebrae may put pressure on the nerves of the spinal column. Further, a reduction in volume of the nucleus pulposus reduces the disc's ability to absorb shock which can result in disc herniation. The bulge of a herniated disc may also put pressure on nearby nerve structures resulting in pain as well as diminished range of motion.
Surgical options are available including laminectomy and discectomy combined with vertebral fusion and/or dynamic stabilization. However, these surgical options are highly invasive and require prolonged hospitalization and recovery. More recently, artificial disc replacement prosthetics have been used to replace or augment all or part of the removed or resected intervertebral disc.
The use of an expandable balloon like artificial disc prosthesis filled with a polymer is known. A joint arthroplasty device can be formed in situ by inserting a hollow device having an aperture and a lumen into a target joint, and injecting material into the hollow device to form an implant. An artificial/prosthetic facet joint with balloon joint space component composed of latex, polymer, silicone or the like materials.
What is lacking in the field is a cannulated screw that includes an inflatable balloon to mimic the properties of the natural disc by maintaining the intervertebral disc space through a full range of natural motion and absorb the shocks of daily use.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A merchandising display card for displaying products is a sheet that includes a number of slits that are adapted to receive tabs from the packaging of the products to be displayed. Each slit has a boss projecting into it. The boss is adapted to engage in a slot in the packaging tab. When the sheet is hung for display, the product is maintained thereon by gravity.

This invention generally relates to a display card for merchandise and to a method for manufacturing the same. More particularly, the invention relates to a display card for merchandise that is adapted to display products that have a tab extending from their packaging. Specifically, the invention relates to a slotted display card that has a mechanism for engaging the tabs of product packaging.
Retailers have frequently used clip strips or clip sheets for displaying products that are too small to place on shelves or that are seasonal in nature. The strips or sheets are hung on other product displays or on shelf supports so that they do not take up valuable shelf space.
The clip strips and sheets used in the prior art are typically manufactured from a lightweight plastic that has been die-cut to produce a plurality of upwardly extending pegs that are each flanked by two downwardly extending legs. The products for display need to be mounted onto a cardboard backing sheet that includes a hole toward its upper end. The peg of the clip strip is inserted through the hole and the legs engage over a portion of the uppermost end of the cardboard backing sheet. In this manner the product is attached to the clip strip or sheet. The attachment of the products onto the clip strip or sheet is a labor intensive operation inasmuch as every single product has to manually be mounted onto a peg on a clip strip. Once the products are mounted onto the clip strips or sheets, they are packaged and sent to the retailer. During transit, the products tend to become disengaged from the pegs. It is not uncommon for retailers to find that around 50% of the products have become detached from the clip sheets or strips. It is then up to the retailer to reinstall the products onto the strips. The clip strips or sheets are then hung onto the displays or shelf supports so that consumers can see them.
Apart from the disengagement of the products from previously known clip sheets and strips during shipping, these products have also had other disadvantages for the retailer. The first of these is that a fairly limited number of products may be displayed on any one clip strip or sheet. Secondly, when consumers remove the products from the clip strips, they may accidentally disengage other products from the strip. Once a peg has been used, it tends to become slightly deformed and consequently if a consumer attempts to reattach products onto the clip strip, they tend to fall off again. After a few attempts the consumer is likely to give up and place the product on another shelf. This leaves the retailer with the problem of not having products adequately on display in the store and having to repeatedly reattach products onto the strips or sheets. Even if the products remain on the sheets, the displays tend to be messy in appearance. This does not enhance the aesthetic appeal of the clip strip display and does not aid in selling the product.
Several devices have been developed to address these problems. These devices have included metal rods with metal clamps mounted on them or thin metal strips with upwardly extending metal hooks. In some instances, like the device with metal clamps, the problem of products disengaging during shipping have been greatly reduced. The devices are, however, far more expensive to manufacture and still require the manual installation of products.
There is therefore still a need in the art for an inexpensive, easily manufactured and shipped, display card for displaying various products.
The device of the present invention is a sheet that has a simple yet effective means for securing products to it. The sheet include at least one slit that is adapted to receive the tab from the packaging of a product to be displayed. A boss projects into the slit. The boss is adapted to engage a slotted tab that extends from the packaging of the product. The tab from the product is inserted through the slit in the display card and the slot in the tab is brought into engagement with the boss on the sheet. The sheet is adapted to be hung on a store display and consequently the product is suspended from the boss and kept in position by gravity.
The product""s packaging tabs are preferably provided with perforations so that when a consumer wishes to purchase the product, they pull on the product, the perforations tear and the product is released from the display card.

Display card for merchandising strips and method of manufacturing same


A method of fabricating a layer of a thin film battery comprises providing a sputtering target and depositing the layer on a substrate using a physical vapor deposition process enhanced by a combination of plasma processes. The deposition process may include: (1) generation of a plasma between the target and the substrate; (2) sputtering the target; (3) supplying microwave energy to the plasma; and (4) applying radio frequency power to the substrate. A sputtering target for a thin film battery cathode layer has an average composition of LiMaNbZc, wherein 0.20>{b/(a+b)}>0 and the ratio of a to c is approximately equal to the stoichiometric ratio of a desired crystalline structure of the cathode layer, N is an alkaline earth element, M is selected from the group consisting of Co, Mn, Al, Ni and V, and Z is selected from the group consisting of (PO4), O, F and N.

All solid state Thin Film Batteries (TFB) are known to exhibit several advantages over conventional battery technology such as superior form factors, cycle life, power capability and safety. However, there is a need for cost effective and high-volume manufacturing (HVM) compatible fabrication technologies to enable broad market applicability of TFBs.
Most of the past and current state-of-the-art approaches, as they pertain to TFB and TFB fabrication technologies, have been conservative, wherein the efforts have been limited to scaling the basic technologies of the original Oak Ridge National Laboratory inventions that started in the early 1990s. More recently, some efforts to improve the properties and deposition rates for the cathode and electrolyte material layers have been seen. First is the application of a pulsed DC sputtering (i.e. pDC) technique to the cathode (LiCoO2 specifically; e.g. U.S. Patent Pub. 2006/0134522), with some improvement in deposition rate. In addition, substrate biasing has been applied to both cathode (U.S. Patent Pub. 2006/0134522 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,921,464, the second one with RF on the target) and electrolyte (U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,289) deposition steps, leading to some improved properties. However, much improvement is still needed.
FIGS. 1A to 1F illustrate a traditional process flow for fabricating a TFB on a substrate. In the figures, a top view is shown on the left, and a corresponding cross-section A-A is shown on the right. There are also other variations, e.g., an "inverted" structure, wherein the anode side is grown first, which are not illustrated here.
As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, processing begins by forming the cathode current collector (CCC) 102 and anode current collector (ACC) 104 on a substrate 100. This can be done by (pulsed) DC sputtering of metal targets (˜300 nm) to form the layers (e.g. main group metals such as Cu, Ag, Pd, Pt and Au, metal alloys, metalloids or carbon black), followed by masking and patterning for each of the CCC and ACC structures. It should be noted that if a metallic substrate is used, then the first layer may be a "patterned dielectric" deposited after a blanket CCC 102 (the CCC may be needed to block Li in the cathode from reacting with the substrate).
Next, in FIGS. 1C and 1D, the cathode 106 and electrolyte layers 108 are formed, respectively. RF sputtering has been the traditional method for depositing the cathode layer 106 (e.g. LiCoO2) and electrolyte layer 108 (e.g. Li3PO4 in N2). However, pulsed DC has been used for LiCoO2 deposition. The cathode 106 layer can be about 3 μm thick, and the electrolyte 108 layer can be about 1-2 μm thick.
Finally, in FIGS. 1E and 1F, the Li layer 110 and protective coating (PC) layer 112 are formed, respectively. The Li layer 110 can be formed using an evaporation process. The Li layer 110 can be about 3 μm thick (or other thickness depending on the thickness of the cathode layer) and the PC layer 112 can be in the range of 3 to 5 μm. The PC layer 112 can be a multilayer of parylene, metal or dielectric as disclosed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Note that, between formation of the Li layer and the PC layer, the part must be kept in an inert environment, such as argon gas.
There may be an additional "barrier" layer deposition step, prior to the CCC 102, if the CCC does not function as the barrier and if the substrate and patterning/architecture call for such a barrier layer. Also, the protective coating need not be a vacuum deposition step.
In typical processes, annealing of the cathode layer 106 will be required if the TFB performance specification calls for "plateau of operating voltage" and high power capability. A summary of the TFB properties can be found in N. J. Dudney, Materials Science and Engineering B 116, (2005)245-249.
While some improvements have been made to the original ORNL approaches, there are many problems with the prior art fabrication processes for TFBs that prevent them from being compatible with cost effective and high-volume manufacturing (HVM), and thereby preclude broad market applicability of TFBs. For example, issues with the state-of-the-art thin film cathode and cathode deposition processes include: (1) a low deposition rate leading to low throughput and inefficient scaling (of economy) for cost reduction, (2) a need for a high temperature anneal for the crystalline phase, which adds to process complexity, low throughput and limitations on the choice of substrate materials, and (3) a higher electrical and ionic resistivity, which limits the thickness of the cathode and high power (in battery operation) application, as well as the applicable sputtering methodology and sputtering power (which determines deposition rate).
With respect to the electrolyte, RF sputtering does not provide a high deposition rate with good conformality for pinhole free deposition. The low deposition rate RF sputtering process affects the throughput while the low conformality affects yield. The electrolyte is the key layer that allows the TFB to function as an energy storage device. More particularly, electrolyte layers with very high electrical resistivity (>1×1014 ohm-cm), have been deposited using RF sputtering with rates up to ˜2 Å/sec. Recently, when electrolyte layers were deposited using a PECVD process, the deposition rates appear to be higher, and provide reasonable properties in the resulting films. However, the long term reliability (cycle life) appears less than that observed in TFBs produced with RF sputtered layers. This discrepancy can be attributed to reactions between the charge carriers (lithium) and the impurity inclusions that likely result, during the PECVD processing, from incomplete oxidation of the organic ligands of the volatile precursors. As such, improvement in this layer will lead to significant outcomes for the overall technology.
Accordingly, a need remains in the art for fabrication processes and technologies for TFBs that are compatible with cost effective and high-volume manufacturing (HVM), and thereby enable broad market applicability of TFBs.

Thin film batteries and methods for manufacturing same


A tamper resistant electronic tag that wirelessly receives and transmits unique subscriber information to and from a transceiver so that financial transactions can occur quickly and seamlessly. In a preferred embodiment, the tag works in conjunction with a roadway toll booth and is mounted onto a flat interior surface of a vehicle, where it can receive and transmit electronic information to and from a toll booth. That allows a driver to pay the toll fee without having to stop his vehicle. The electronic tag includes a hard plastic support case for carrying a circuit. The circuit includes an integrated circuit that is adhesively attached to the support case. The support case and circuit are then attached to the flat surface. When the support case is removed, the integrated circuit is pulled off with the support case while the rest of the circuit remains attached to the flat surface, thereby severing the circuit, and rendering it inoperable. This prevents the unwanted tampering and unauthorized use of the electronic tag.

Toll booths for collecting fees along heavily trafficked highways and roadways is a common practice for generating revenue for many jurisdictions. In order to facilitate the quick and efficient collection of these fees and to prevent "bottlenecking" at the toll booths, many jurisdictions have incorporated wireless electronic tags that seamlessly transmit subscriber information to a transceiver at the toll booth, which then automatically deducts the appropriate fees from an existing account established by the tag owner. In that way, a driver may simply pass a toll booth and have the appropriate fees paid without having to bring his vehicle to a stop.
The electronic tags are typically small portable units that are placed inside a vehicle so that when a toll booth is passed, the tag retransmits signals to a transceiver at a toll booth. Oftentimes, the tags are attached to a front windshield of a vehicle so that its signal to the toll booth is unobstructed. However, this often leaves the tag in open view making it highly susceptible to theft.
One solution to this problem is to embed the electronic tag in between two layers of glass in a vehicle's windshield, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,275,157 to Mays et al. This prevents unwanted tampering, but also bars access to the tag. If the tag malfunctions or otherwise becomes inoperative, or if the vehicle is sold, it is impossible to access the tag without destroying the windshield. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a electronic tag that can be accessed or removed from a vehicle. It would also be advantageous to provide an electronic tag that can be accessed without having to destroy or break portions of the vehicle.


In a multithreaded computing environment, a platform independent method for providing a highly interactive transaction session between a browser residing on a client computer and a data base coupled to a server computer is provided. A web page that includes a plurality of input selection icons and an update icon is requested and displayed by the client computer. A user provides selection data by selecting an input using one of the selection icons which is then sent by the browser to the server computer. The server-side data base is then updated based in part upon the selection data. Once the database has been updated, the update icon only is refreshed indicating that the database has been successfully updated.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to computer systems. More particularly, methods and apparatus for providing a highly interactive environment in a distributed computer network are disclosed.
2. Description of Relevant Art
Generally speaking, a browser is an application program that provides a way to look at and interact with information on distributed computer networks such as the Internet. In particular, a Web browser is a client program that uses the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to make requests of Web servers throughout the Internet on behalf of the browser user. One of the most recent uses of browsers is in the realm of electronic (e-) commerce in which any number of client side users (i.e. xe2x80x9ce-customersxe2x80x9d) interact in a real time basis with any number of server side processors (i.e., xe2x80x9ce-sellersxe2x80x9d) over the Internet. In order to transact business in a Web-based environment, browsers typically execute Web commerce applications specifically designed to facilitate e-commerce transactions such as requesting quotes, selecting options and assembling components into complex bundles, and placing orders.
In this regard, successful Web commerce applications must be capable of automating a customer through the entire buying cycle, from initial inspection to final purchase and shipping, in addition to providing the customer all relevant information required to make a buying decision and providing customer guidance. As the complexity of the buying cycle and/or the purchases themselves increasesxe2x80x94for instance, from buying office supplies to buying mainframe computersxe2x80x94a general purpose Web commerce application must scale its ability to manage this complexity. In order to accomplish this, a general purpose Web commerce application must be fast loading and highly responsive in xe2x80x9cclick over clickxe2x80x9d type scenarios in order to support highly interactive customer sessions such that a buyer can input any and all relevant information quickly and with apparently little or no delay in application response.
Conventional attempts to construct general purpose e-commerce application utilize the common gateway interface (CGI) to process user input and present a corresponding response. As an example, as shown in FIG. 1, a distributed computer system 100 includes a client computer 102 that is coupled to a server (host) computer 104. The computer 102 includes a browser application 106 that, in turn, includes a requested Web page 108. In order to enter a particular order, for example, a user will first select a particular item to purchase as represented by one of the clickable product icons 114-1 through 114-3 included in the WEB page 108. By clickable, it is meant that the user will typically utilize an input device such as a mouse, stylus, or any other appropriate pointing or non-pointing device to generate a user input event by xe2x80x9cclickingxe2x80x9d on the icon.
Once selected, the user will proceed to click on the input icon appropriate to the item desired, or in some cases, will enter text in a text field 116 provided. In either case, once all the appropriate input information has been appropriately entered, the user must then click a xe2x80x9cSUBMITxe2x80x9d button 118 in order to have the data provided by the user be sent to the server computer by way of a common gateway interface (CGI) 119. Once received, the script updates a database 120 accordingly. Once the database 120 has been updated, the server computer generates an appropriate HTTP response 121 that has the effect of generating a new WEB page 122 by what is referred to as refreshing. By refreshing, the server computer 104 must load the new WEB page in order to confirm the user""s request command to update the database 120. In some cases, the user must repeat this process several times in order to complete a particular transaction that can be wearisome and time consuming, to say the least.
In addition, by requiring several xe2x80x9cover the wirexe2x80x9d transmissions between the client computer 102 and the server computer 104, there is a not an insubstantial risk that the transaction will be slowed due to network traffic, a slow node, or a system failure. In addition, the time consuming nature of the current state of the prior art may result in a user deciding to not complete a particular transaction out of sheer frustration at the lack of a fast response time.
Therefore, what are desired are a method and an apparatus for providing a highly interactive transaction environment in a distributed network
In one embodiment of the invention, in a multithreaded computing environment, a platform independent method for providing a highly interactive transaction session between a browser residing on a client computer and a data base coupled to a server computer is disclosed. A requested web page is displayed at the client computer that includes a plurality of input selection icons and an update icon. Selection data corresponding to a user selected input is sent to the server computer by the browser. A server-side data base is updated based upon the selection data and only the update icon is updated to indicate that the data base has been successfully updated.
In a preferred embodiment, the server computer is coupled to a distributed network of computers such as the Internet.
Another embodiment of the invention describes a platform independent apparatus in a multithreaded computing environment that provides a highly interactive transaction session between a browser residing on a client computer and a data base coupled to a server computer. The apparatus includes a web page. The web page includes, in turn, an input selection icon capable of providing selection data based upon a user supplied input event and an update icon configured to notify the user that the database has been successfully updated. The web page also includes an event handler coupled to the input selection icon arranged to receive the selection data and an interaction applet coupled to the update icon arranged to provide an database update signal to the update icon. In a preferred embodiment, when the database has been successfully updated, the update icon only is updated in such a way that a portion of the web page displayed prior to the database update remains substantially unchanged.

Method and apparatus for providing a highly interactive transaction environment in a distributed network


Systems and techniques are provided for automation and recommendation based on device control protocols. HDMI-CEC device control data may be received from a connected electronic device that may be connected to an electronic display device. The HDMI-CEC device control data may be based on a HDMI-CEC device control signal from the electronic display device. Signals may be received from sensor devices located in a same structure as the electronic display device. The HDMI-CEC device control data and signals from the sensor devices may be input to the machine learning system. The machine learning system may generate a control signal for a device. The control signal may be sent to the device to be implemented by the device.

Electronic devices may use a control protocol such as HDMI-Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) for sending and receiving control signals to and from other electronic devices. This may allow for simplified control of the electronic devices. HDMI-CEC protocol may allow for control signals to be sent between devices with HDMI ports connected by HDMI cables. A single input device, such a as a remote control, for an electronic device using the control protocol may be used to control other electronic devices that use the control protocol.

Automation and recommendation based on device control protocols


A ship's hull is constructed of a monohull forebody shaped to be lifted upwardly as the ship speeds through the water and a catamaran afterbody which extends to rear of the monohull forebody. A deck disposed over a tunnel defined between a pair of catamaran hulls which comprise the hull's catamaran afterbody is constructed and positioned to support most of the load of the ship thereon. Venting ducts extend from the deepest point at the boundary region between the monohull forebody and the catamaran afterbody to a location on the ship which remains at all times above water level. The venting ducts serve to maintain atmospheric pressure conditions within the tunnel. This prevents formation of undesirable subpressure conditions in the tunnel which if permitted to develop would interfere with the ability of the monohull to lift as the ship is accelereated.

The present invention relates to a ship's hull and more particularly relates to a hull which is constructed of a monohull forebody and a catamaran afterbody.
The hull of virtually all conventional ships and boats has a so-called monohull-configuration. The term "monohull" denotes a hull which is constructed of a single water displacing body. A monohull typically narrows in cross-section toward the front thereof to define a pointed bow which facilitates the ship's ability to cut efficiently through the water. But a monohull is otherwise relatively wide and a good portion thereof remains submerged at all times below the water surface. This enables a monohull to withstand and to remain more stable in rough seas. However, because a large portion of the monohull is submerged at all times, a monohull produces greater drag at high speeds, i.e. resistance to motion, which results in a ship whose top speed is limited and/or which requires more powerful engines.
A catamaran is a type of a ship which has a different hull structure which has been known for a long time to reduce drag and to result in a faster ship or boat. The hull of a catamaran consists of a pair of hulls each of which is comparatively narrow and long. The catamaran hulls are laterally spaced and typically held together by the deck or by the superstructure of the ship.
Catamarans offer the advantages of reduced drag which permit catamarans to attain speeds not possible with a monohull and/or the option of being equipped with less powerful and therefore less expensive engines. However, as is well known to those skilled in the marine arts, catamarans suffer from the serious disadvantage that they are considerably less stable in rough seas and from a propensity for submarining their forward hulls into large head seas which can result in the forward end of the hull "digging in" and the vessel flipping end for end.

Ship's hull having monohull forebody and catamaran afterbody


A pressure regulating valve has a valve chamber having an inlet for connecting to a pressure source, a discharge chamber communicating through a valve opening with the valve chamber, a valve member, a valve seat surrounding the valve opening, a valve closing spring which presses the valve member against the valve seat with an adjustable spring force, and a throttling surface arranged downstream of the valve opening so that between the valve member and an inner wall of the discharge chamber, a pressure is formed at the valve member which counteracts the spring force.

The present invention relates to pressure regulating valve.
Pressure regulating valves operate in a fuel injection system of internal combustion engines with fuel pumps preferably arranged in a fuel tank for regulation of a system pressure.
A known pressure regulating valve of this type in a fuel supply system for internal combustion engine is disclosed in the German patent document DE 42 31 731 A1. In this pressure regulating valve, the valve closing spring is supported between the valve member and an adjusting screw which is screwed at the end side in the control chamber, so that the spring force of the valve closing spring and thereby the fuel pressure regulated by the pressure regulating valve in a discharge can be adjusted. When the fuel pressure applied in the valve chamber of the fuel pump reaches an opening pressure provided by the spring force F of the valve closing spring and the cross-section A of the valve opening, the valve member is lifted from the valve seat and controls so much overflow quantity Q that the regulating pressure p.sub.r =F/A is adjusted. The regulating pressure p.sub.r depends from the throughflow quantity Q, since with increasing through flow quantity Q the stroke of the valve member is increased and thereby the spring force F is increased due to the spring strength of the valve closing spring. The characteristic line p.sub.r (Q) of the pressure regulating valve which exhibits the operational dependency of the regulating pressure p.sub.r from the discharge quantity, has thereby an increase. In other words, the regulating pressure increases with the throughflow quantity.


A projector includes a light source lamp, a lighting control unit adapted to supply a lamp electric power to turn on the light source lamp, a cooling unit adapted to send a cooling fluid to cool the light source lamp, and a start control unit adapted to, from the start of turn-on of the light source lamp until a predetermined period elapses, adjust at least one of the length of the predetermined period and a limited flow rate, which is the flow rate of the cooling fluid per unit time sent from the cooling unit within the predetermined period, on the basis of an operation history of the light source lamp to control the operation of the cooling unit.

In the related art, a projector is known which modulates a light beam emitted from a light source to form an image based on image information, and projects the image on a magnified scale onto a screen to be projected, such as a screen. As the light source, a light source lamp, such as an ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp, is used which includes a light-emitting tube having a discharge space, in which a pair of electrodes and a light-emitting material, such as mercury, are sealed.
In this projector, for the purpose of reducing power consumption or reducing noise of a fan which sends cooling air to the light source lamp, a low power mode may be used in which power lower than rated power supplied in a normal power mode is supplied to turn on the light source lamp. In this case, in the projector, the light source lamp and the fan are driven on the basis of lamp electric power and the rotational speed of the fan set in advance in accordance with each mode.
In the low power mode, since lamp electric power supplied to the light source lamp is low, the period until the temperature of the light source lamp reaches the temperature appropriate for turn-on in the low power mode is extended compared to the normal power mode. For this reason, when the light source lamp will be started in the low power mode, there is a problem in that it takes a lot of time to obtain desired brightness.
On the other hand, a projector is known in which rated power is supplied to the light source lamp until a set time elapses from the start of the light source lamp in the low power mode, and the fan is driven at the rotational speed according to the low power mode (for example, see PTL 1). In this projector, if the set time has elapsed, lamp electric power according to the low power mode is supplied to the light source lamp. Thus, at the time of the start in the low power mode, it is possible to reduce the time when the temperature of the light source lamp reaches the appropriate temperature.
In this projector, when the light source lamp starts in the normal power mode, the fan is driven at the rotational speed according to the normal power mode.