A method of configuring an LED driver is disclosed. The LED driver being arranged to provide a supply current to an LED fixture comprising a plurality of LEDs. The method comprises: identifying the LED fixture (LF), sending via a communication network (NTW) a configuration request to a configuration database (DB), receiving configuration data from the configuration database; and configuring the LED driver (LPS) according to the configuration data.

In the field of LED illumination technology, a variety of products are on the market today. In order to provide an illumination solution for a given application, an installer selects one or more LED assemblies (each comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs)) as well as one or more LED drivers in order to drive the LEDs under appropriate electrical conditions. An LED assembly can also be referred to as an LED engine. In order to have an LED driver (an LED driver in general comprising a power converter for providing a supply power and a control unit for controlling the power converter and/or an LED fixture) drive a particular LED fixture under appropriate electrical conditions, such as LED current, duty cycle, color, maximum power dissipation, etc., the configuration of the LED driver is required.
Given the different types of LED assemblies and the different types of LED power supplies (or power converters), installation appears to be prone to errors, which may result in incorrect light output or even damaging of the LED fixture and/or the LED driver, due to exceeding a maximum current, maximum duty cycle, maximum power dissipation etc. of the LED fixture and/or the LED driver. Configuration of the LED driver may be performed usually by providing configuration parameters (expressed e.g. in the form of digital data) to it.
Whether due to a defective or invalid installation causing a light output which differs from a user's expectations, an incorrect configuration of the LED driver may result in additional cost, additional installation time, waste of valuable resources by damaging power supplies and/or LED assemblies, etc.
In addition, in known applications, the response of an LED assembly to an input signal (e.g. provided via a user interface) is predetermined, i.e. the control unit of the LED assembly being arranged to interpret an input signal in a certain way and control, based on the input signal, the power converter and/or the LED fixture in a certain way.
Such a predetermined behaviour of the control unit may however render the control unit unsuitable to adjust to changes implemented in e.g. the LED fixture, the power converter or the input signal or when a different response is required/desired by a user. In addition, such a predetermined behaviour may limit the application of the control unit in a dynamic environment e.g. to control an LED assembly having a modular product concept. Over the life-time of the control unit, it may be desirable or required to replace or upgrade certain components or modules of the LED assembly or (modular) lighting system that is being controlled. Such modules can e.g. comprise an LED or LED unit or a power converter.

Method of configuring an LED driver, LED driver, LED assembly and method of controlling an LED assembly


A multiple pixel display driving system and method. A display generator displays a plurality of images on a multiple pixel display. An aging monitor determines values of total electrical current consumed by the multiple pixel display while displaying the images, and determines electrical current value differences between baseline electrical currents total electrical currents associated with a test pattern image. A plurality of pixel aging characterization values indicating decreases in electrical current consumed by a pixels of the display is determined, and a display aging compensation matrix representing values by which pixel intensity values are to be compensated is determined based on the pixel aging characterization values.

Advancements in the design of Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLEDs) displays, such as Active Matrix OLED (AMOLED) displays, have resulted in an increase in the variety of applications that incorporate such display technology. Unlike many other types of conventional backlit LCD designs, AMOLED devices include light emitters in each individual pixel and require no backlight. These individual pixels emit light with intensity proportional to the electrical current supplied to the in-pixel OLED device. This OLED current (IOLED) is controlled by circuits associated with each pixel, which may include one or more thin film transistor. (TFT).
AMOLED displays inherently degrade upon prolonged usage. AMOLED displays typically contain in-pixel circuit algorithms to compensate for transistor and OLED material degradation. These in-pixel algorithms are optimized for panel performance (luminance, spatial uniformity, etc) and reliability. However, the limits of compensation provided by these in-pixel circuit algorithms can be reached after prolonged and continuous usage. Once these limits are reached, the optical performance of the display reduces and is able to cause the panel to be un-usable or to at least fail out of specification.
The TFT devices generally implement an algorithm that is applied to externally supplied image data to supply the OLED element with an IOLED that results in the desired grayscale level for that pixel. The TFT configuration that applies this algorithm is referred to as an "in-pixel compensation circuit." The performance of the TFT components of a display commonly exhibit variations over time, variations relative to different locations across the display, or both. Degradation of OLED device elements themselves includes decreases over time of both turn on voltage (VF) and quantum efficiency (QE). The effect of the combination of the degradation of the TFT components and OLED components results in both a temporal and a spatial degradation in optical performance for the display. This composite degradation is referred to as "OLED panel aging". OLED panel aging results in optical luminance degradation that is spatially, temporally, and content dependent.
Therefore, the long term usability and performance of a display is able to be improved by an efficient technique that spatially monitors, i.e., across the pixels of a display, the actual performance degradation of a display over time to produce display aging compensation coefficients that are used to compensate grayscale data supplied to each pixel of the display.

Organic light emitting diode based display aging monitoring


A multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump for a vehicle includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet and a motor disposed in the housing. The multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump also includes a shaft extending axially and disposed in the housing. The multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump further includes a plurality of pumping modules disposed axially along the shaft. One of the pumping modules is a turbine pumping module and another of the pumping modules is a gerotor pumping module for rotation by the motor to pump fuel from the inlet to the outlet.

The present invention relates generally to fuel pumps for vehicles and, more particularly, to multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump for a vehicle.
It is known to provide a fuel tank in a vehicle to hold fuel to be used by an engine of the vehicle. It is also known to provide a fuel pump to pump fuel from the fuel tank to the engine. Examples of such fuel pumps are mechanically or electrically driven piston pumps, turbine pumps, roller vane pumps, progressive cavity pumps, gear pumps and mechanically, electrically or hydraulically driven diaphragm pumps.
Some of the pumps used in systems for direct injection of volatile fluids such as gasoline are cam driven or crankshaft/connecting rod mechanism pumps. These pumps require a driving shaft and dynamic seals to prevent fuel leakage outside a pump housing or fuel to penetrate into a lubricated driving mechanism area. These pumps also require a shaft coupling a pump driving shaft with a source of rotational movement (e.g., engine crankshaft, camshaft). Some of these driving sources impose a specific location for the pump in the engine compartment. Dynamic sealing systems are usually expensive and do not guarantee an extensive leak free working life that meets fuel emission and safety requirements for modern engines. Engine driven pumps for direct injection systems also require an additional lift or prime pump to supply fuel from the fuel tank to the engine driven pump thereby increasing system cost. Pumps that are engine driven also have difficulty achieving pressure during vehicle starting conditions since rotational speed is typically below ideal pump speed, thus resulting in starts under less than ideal conditions. This could lead to degraded start performance and higher emissions. Further, piston type engine drive pumps typically utilize drain and re-circulation lines to contain leak and dissipate heat, respectively, adding to cost and complexity.
Known fuel pumps such as gerotor, turbine, and rollervane are able to operate up to about one (1) MPa of discharge pressure. That is not sufficient to satisfy the requirements of a high-pressure PFI or low-pressure Gasoline Direct Injection Fuel System which may need up to three (3) Mpa.
In the case of existing gerotor pumps, of the type used in automotive applications, ability to operate at higher pressure on low viscosity gasoline fuel is limited by internal leakage and high friction causing loss of volumetric efficiency and requiring high power consumption, respectively. Additionally, high friction can cause pump durability and noise concerns. In automotive type gerotor fuel pumps, where an inner gear is the driven member, high friction results as pressure is increased and the inner and outer gears are forced against the axle and housing, respectively. Additionally, higher friction also results as the pressure forces the inner gear against a plate member.
With existing gerotor type fuel pumps, it is typical that the pumping section is separated from the motor section, the pump section being assembled on an extension of the shaft, making the assembly less compact. The shaft drives the pumping section through a driver, in the case of the gerotor pump, the inner gear being the shaft driven element. The drive shaft, to improve volumetric efficiency, may require some type of dynamic sealing, especially at higher outlet pressure, to prevent high leakage along the shaft back into the inlet area. Also, the driving shaft may need guiding to prevent vibrations and bending of the cantilever/driver section of the shaft, phenomena that might induce the failure of the pump in absence of a precise guiding feature. But tight guiding/sealing around the driving shaft could produce high wear at elevated discharge pressure, that also can end in failure of the pump, unless expensive wear resistant materials are used for shaft, guiding and sealing systems.
For medium pressure application, such as gasoline direct injection operating at about three (3) Mpa, attempts to use electrically driven single-stage internal gear pumps usually results in low efficiency-high power requirements. High leakage between gear teeth and gear faces reduces efficiency at high operating pressure necessitating the need for very tight tolerances. Tight tolerances usually result in high costs and poor durability.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a fuel pump by a combination of a turbine fuel supply module and an outer-gear driven gerotor fuel supply module, integrated with a brushless electrical motor and motor controller in a compact and robust design for a vehicle. It is also desirable to provide a fuel pump for a vehicle by providing a medium pressure fuel pump by combination of a turbine fuel supply module and an outer-gear driven gerotor fuel supply module, integrated with a brushless electrical motor and motor controller in a compact and robust design, to satisfy the requirements of a medium-pressure fuel delivery system. It is desirable to provide a pump that can be used for pumping volatile or non-volatile fluids for a vehicle. It is also desirable to provide a fuel pump that has an electrical driving mechanism contained within a common housing, eliminating the need for additional prime or lift pumps. It is further desirable to provide a fuel pump that eliminates any source of fluid leak for a vehicle and is able to provide adequate flow at desired pressure during vehicle starting conditions. Additionally, it is desirable to provide a pump that can be mounted either in a fuel line or fuel tank. It is still further desirable to provide a pump not requiring drain or re-circulating lines. It is also desirable to provide a pump that can be modular in design so that pumping sections can be added to reduce sectional pressure differential and provide for operation at higher pressure and efficiency at nominal tolerance levels.
It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump combined with a turbine or other type of supply fuel pump module for a fuel tank or for xe2x80x9cin-linexe2x80x9d mounting in a vehicle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump for a vehicle that provides a driving mechanism completely contained within a pump housing.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump for a vehicle that provides high discharge fuel pressure to satisfy requirements of a medium pressure gasoline direct injection fuel system pressure that can not be generated by a single-stage internal gear pump.
To achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention is a multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump for a vehicle including a housing having an inlet and an outlet and a motor disposed in the housing. The multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump also includes a stationary shaft extending axially and disposed in the housing. The multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump further includes a plurality of pumping modules disposed axially along the shaft. One of the pumping modules is a turbine pumping module and another of the pumping modules is a gerotor pumping module for rotation by the motor to pump fuel from the inlet to the outlet.
One advantage of the present invention is that a multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump is provided for a vehicle. Another advantage of the present invention is that the multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump is low cost, simple construction and eliminates the need for expensive dynamic shaft seals. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump eliminates the need for mechanical coupling with a driving device. Still another advantage of the present invention is that the multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump can be placed in the fuel line near the fuel tank or located in the fuel tank. A further advantage of the present invention is that the multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump incorporates a high speed DC electrical motor, allowing for a quick priming of the pump and fast pressure/flow generating and eliminating the need for lift or prime pumps. Yet a further advantage of the present invention is that the multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump is compact, modular and easy to assemble. Still a further advantage of the present invention is that the multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump incorporates a plurality of modular gear pumping modules, allowing output pressure to be increased to a required value of direct injection fuel systems. Another advantage of the present invention is that the multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump incorporates integral pressure regulation or pressure by feedback-speed control which simplifies the system to a single line supply typically called return-less or demand supply.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood, after reading the subsequent description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Multi-stage internal gear/turbine fuel pump


The present invention relates to polyalkylsilsesquioxane particulates and a method of preparing the same, and more particularly provides the polyalkylsilsesquioxane particulates, of which moisture content is low, water repellency is high, and hygroscopic property in storage is low, and a method of preparing the same by end-capping silanol groups (SiOH) on the surface of the polyalkylsilsesquioxane particulates with alkyl groups by adding an alkoxytrialkylsilane having a triorganosilyl group thereto.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to polyalkylsilsesquioxane particulates and a method of preparing the same, and more particularly to polyalkylsilsesquioxane particulates that can be used as a diffusing agent or various additives because of their low moisture content and low content of surface silanol groups, and a method of preparing the same.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Since polyalkylsilsesquioxane particulates have a cross-linked structure of a dense 3-dimensional network, the particulates have a low specific gravity in comparison with an organic polymer and there is no gravimetric change until 400° C., and moreover the particulates have excellent heat-resisting property and mobility.
Polyalkylsilsesquioxane has been generally known since soluble polyphenylsilsesquioxane was first synthesized in the nineteen-sixties by Brown, Jr. et al. of GE Co., Ltd. Polyalkylsilsesquioxane is a common name of all compounds having an empirical formula of RSiO3/2, wherein R is hydrogen, an arbitrary alkyl, an alkylene, an aryl, an arylene, or organic functional derivatives including the same.
As a method of preparing the polyalkylsilsesquioxane particulates, which are well known as silicone resin powder, a method of hydrolyzing and polycondensing a tri-functional silane, such as an organotrichlorosilane and an organotrialkoxysilane, was suggested.
Japan patent publication Hei 4-70335 discloses a method of hydrolyzing and polycondensing a methyltrialkoxysilane and/or a partial hydrolysis-condensate thereof and ammonia or an aqueous solution of an amine while slowly stirring it so as to maintain a layered state, in which the methyltrialkoxysilane and/or the partial hydrolysis-condensate thereof constitutes the upper layer. However, it is very difficult to control the stirring speed and maintain the interface of the hydrolysis-polycondensation reaction in such method, and the method has a disadvantage in that the efficiency of production in terms of polymerization time and device volume is low because there is little occasion for contacting with an alkali and thus the reaction speed is slow.
Korea patent publication No. 1993-0006260 discloses a method of hydrolyzing an organotrialkoxysilane in the presence of an organic acid, adding a solution of water/alcohol and subsequently a basic aqueous solution thereto, and condensing the same in a stationary state. By such method, particulates that do not form coagulations can be obtained with a low concentration of catalysts, but it is not suitable for producing particulates having a diameter of 1 μm or more.
Korea patent publication No. 1998-0024929, also, discloses a method of hydrolyzing and condensing an organotrialkoxysilane in an aqueous solution including an anionic surfactant, a polymer stabilizing agent, and a hydroxyl base. In the method, particulates that do not form coagulations can be obtained with a low concentration of catalysts by adding a dispersing stabilizer, but it is difficult to obtain reproducibility of the prepared particle size with a low concentration of catalysts, and the method has disadvantages in that the efficiency of production is low because the organotrialkoxysilane, which is a solid part of the raw material, cannot be used much in order to prevent the formation of coagulations, and the amount of residual silanol is substantial.
To solve the problems, Japan patent publication Hei 2-150426 discloses a method of treating the surface of polymethylsilsesquioxane particulates with a silylating agent including polyfluoroalkyl groups, and Japan patent publication Hei 3-244636 provides a method of treating the surface of silsesquioxane particulates with hexamethyldisilazane and/or divinyltetramethyldisilazane in water. However, the silicone particulates obtained by these methods are not sufficiently improved in terms of water repellency and need to be handled with care during the storage of products because their hygroscopic property in storage is increased.
Therefore, when the polyalkylsilsesquioxane particles prepared by the prior arts are mixed and used with various rubbers or plastics, the problem of a high hygroscopic property in storage may be caused because the water repellency thereof is low and the moisture content is high because of the silanol groups on the surface of the polyalkylsilsesquioxane particles.

Polyalkylsilsesquioxane particulates and a preparation method thereof


A dust removing and cooling apparatus is provided. High temperature dust-containing harmful gases are exhausted in a state where 99.9% of airborne particulates are removed from the high temperature dust-containing harmful gases at a temperature that is similar to the air so that dust collecting efficiency is very high and white plume can be avoided.

In industrial boilers and incinerators in which waste oil, various garbage, etc, that are environment contaminating materials, as well as a variety of fuels are used as a heat source or are incinerated, much harmful gases, exhaust gas, and a variety of foreign substances are exhausted during combustion or incineration, and waste gas and exhaust gas allow air pollution to be greatly accelerated and thus destroy an ecosystem and infringe several fields of the human life.
Thus, in order to prevent air pollution, various exhaust gases, airborne particulates, etc. that occur during combustion or incineration are filtrated and captured by installing filtration devices, cyclones, etc. at a variety of boilers or incinerators. Filtration devices or cyclones filtrate comparatively large foreign substances but do not capture various gasified harmful gases, etc. as well as exhaust gas having slightly small particles and are not efficient. As such, there is a limitation in preventing air pollution. In particular, high temperature dust-containing harmful gases are exhausted in a state where airborne particulates are removed from only a portion of the high temperature dust-containing harmful gases. As a result, air pollution and white plume occur.


A method and system is disclosed for maintaining Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of a new data center constant or within narrow range around efficient level during ramping up stage of the data center. The method comprises of capturing a plurality of design and operational parameters of the data center, computing an efficient design for the data center at full occupancy, and maintaining the Power Usage Effectiveness constant or within narrow range around efficient level at a current occupancy during a ramp up period of the data center.

A data center typically contains information technology (IT) equipment like servers, telecom equipment, networking equipment, switches and other IT equipment arranged in racks or frames. The heat generated by such IT components is cooled with the help of cooling units. Typically, the cooling units are computer room air conditioners (CRAC) or computer room air handlers (CRAH) which supply cold air or air draft to cool the heat generated. More recently advanced cooling units such as in-row coolers, rear door coolers, liquid cooled cabinets and chip cooling techniques have come into practice.
Data centers have now become energy guzzlers. With the drastic increase in energy prices, the huge energy bill is one of the major concerns for the data center managers. Power consumed by cooling equipment contributes to a major portion of the total data center power consumption. The main challenge is to ensure safety of IT equipment by ensuring appropriate temperatures in the data center and at the same time ensuring efficient cooling efficiency of the data center. Due to poor design of the data center, data center mangers face lot of problems like hot spots, low tile flow rates etc. General measures taken are to decrease supply temperature of cooling units, increase cooling capacity near the problem area etc. These measures lead to decrease in cooling efficiency. Hot spots and low cooling efficiency are the major challenges faced by data center managers in thermal management of data centers.
Owing to the challenges stated above, various attempts have been made to design and operate new data centers efficiently. Efficient design of data center include proper arrangement of racks, tiles, CRACs etc, adequate plenum depth, use of airflow management techniques such as aisle containment etc. Efficient control schemes have been developed to control parameters of CRAC like supply temperature, supply flow rate or tile flow rates in accordance to changes in heat generation, temperature, pressure and airflows in the data center. These control schemes make CRAC run at efficient possible efficiency while maintaining satisfactory temperatures in the data center at the same time. Different algorithms for workload placements have been developed which take cooling related parameters like recirculation, CRAC capacities into account while executing placement requests. Numerical models such as computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models as well as data based models using neural networks are being used to facilitate efficient control schemes.
The attempts towards efficient designing of new data center aim at exploration of efficient design and operation parameters pertaining to fully occupied data center. However, the new data centers seldom are occupied within short time. The time of ramping up of a new data center ranges from few months to few years depending upon financial constraints, business constraints, resources availability etc. In some cases, the data center may never be completely occupied for many years because it is designed for expected future needs. The data center operates at inefficient conditions during this time of ramping up of data center as its efficient possible efficiency is ensured only for the full occupancy. Hence, there is a need for a method for maintaining PUE of a data center constant/within narrow range during ramping up.

Method for efficient designing and operating cooling infrastructure in a data center


Described is a decolorizable dye represented by the following formula (I): ##STR1##. wherein R.sup.1 represents an alkyl, aryl or heterocyclic group; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 independently each represents a hydrogen atom or has the same meaning as R.sup.1 or may be coupled together to form a ring; L.sup.1 and L.sup.2 independently each represents a methine group or a nitrogen atom; L.sup.3 and L.sup.4 independently each represents a methine group; Z represents an atomic group necessary for the formation of a 5- or 6-membered hetero ring; m stands for 0 or 1; Y represents an oxygen, sulfur, selenium or tellurium atom; A represents a hydrogen atom or a group eliminative by solution treatment; V stands for a monovalent group; p stands for 0, 1, 2 or 3, X represents a counterion, and n stands for a numeral of 0 or greater necessary for the neutralization of an electron charge in the molecule. The decolorizable dye according to the present invention retains stable color forming condition during storage but becomes colorless rightly after solution treatment.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a decolorizable dye. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a decolorzable dye which becomes colorless rightly after solution treatment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Enormous efforts have been made for decreasing color remaining (residual color) which occurs after processing of a silver halide photographic material. Particularly in recent years, with a view to satisfying environmental countermeasures and user's needs, there has been a strong demand for processing speed enhancement and replenishment reduction of a photographic processing solution. A sensitizing dye or pigment (which will hereinafter be called "photographic dye" collectively) therefore needs a new molecular design utterly different from that of the conventional one.
It is widely known that color remaining of a photographic dye is effectively reduced by washing away the dye, which has hydrophilic property enhanced, into a processing solution upon photographic processing. The enhancement of hydrophilic property however usually impairs the adsorption property of a sensitizing dye to silver halide grains and adversely affects the performances of photograph such as sensitivity, fog and storage stability. It is therefore very difficult to attain reduction in color remaining and other photographic performances at the same time.
Investigations have been energetically carried out in order to remove the color of a photographic dye by making use of the chemical reaction between the dye and an additive of a photographic processing solution such as nucleophilic agent, electrophilic agent, oxidizing agent or reducing agent, or other chemical species. There are however not so many additives which do not worsen the photographic performances and complete suppression of color remaining by the reaction with a dye has been found to be difficult as a result of investigations so far made.


Plants during an initial growth period are protected by a plurality of plastics drinks bottles arranged in a pattern surrounding an area in which the plant is growing. The drinks bottles are engaged by a locating device in the form of a flat sheet with a plurality of openings therein with each bottle being inserted into an opening to engage the locating device to hold the bottles in the pattern surrounding the area. The locating device is a central opening through which the plant can grow and a generally circular outer peripheral edge.

This invention relates to a plant protection device which can be used to surround a plant during the early stages of the growing season to assist in protecting the plant from low temperatures.
It is known to surround a plant with a cylindrical structure defined by an inner and an outer sheet which are connected to form a series of parallel vertical compartments with each compartment being arranged to receive water. The plant is thus physically protected by the surrounding sleeve or cylindrical structure, the structure is held in place by the weight of the water and the water acts as a heat source of high specific gravity which can receive heat from the sunshine during the day and provide heat to the plant and to the surrounding soil should temperatures drop overnight. This maintains the plant at a more uniform temperature for better propogation and can prevent frost damage.
Devices of this type are commercially available but are relatively expensive and relatively flimsy with in some cases a significant danger of leakage after which the device can simply collapse and become valueless.


An intelligent laser diffraction particle sizing system is disclosed. A portion of the primary laser beam is directed by beam splitter into a calibration leg, modulated, and passed through a diffraction reticle. The known diffraction signature of the reticle is then recombined with the primary beam to pass through the particle field. Both the modulated calibration diffraction signature and the portion of the primary beam scattered by the particles are collected by the transform lens and detected at the back focal plane using an X-Y photodiode array. The detector array elements are grouped into variable geometry annular rings. The ring detectors are continuously centered around the beam using feedback from the X-Y position detector which monitors beam deflection.

The present invention relates generally to particle sizing instruments, and more specifically to a device for determining the particle size distribution in a liquid or a gas using Fraunhofer diffraction patterns.
Many processes would benefit from on-line monitoring of liquid and gaseous suspensions. For example, the ability to characterize the size distribution of dispersed particles and droplets is of crucial importance in a number of practical systems. Some important applications include liquid fuel droplets sprayed into air in combustion systems such as boilers and gas turbine combustors; solid particles dispersed in liquids as in coal-oil slurries; solid particles dispersed in combustion exhausts with respect to the health aspects of particulate pollutant emissions; and others. In many of these applications optical (as opposed to batch) sampling techniques for particle sizing are advantageous and sometimes necessary. (The term particle will refer herein to both solid particulate matter and liquid droplets of diameters approximately 0.01 .mu.m to 1 mm.)
A problem which is often encountered in measuring techniques is to determine the size distribution of physical entities, such as particles in a liquid or gas. This task is alleviated, to some extent, by the systems described in the following U.S. Patents, the disclosures of which are specifically incorporated herein by reference:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,469,921 issued to Taylor; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,636,367 issued to Girard; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,964 issued to Wertheimer et al; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,030 issued to Loos; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,733 issued to Hirleman; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,121 issued to Hirleman; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,315 issued to Gravitt; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,772 issued to George et al; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,988,612 issued to Palmer; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,799 issued to Leighty; and PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,677 issued to Carreras et al.
Advanced optical systems for determining the particle parameter of size often use laser illumination of single particles and analysis of the scattered light characteristics to obtain information on the size and other physical parameters of a given particle. The sizes of many particles are measured and summed to determine an overall particulate size distribution. The use of lasers is advantageous due to the greater light intensity available as compared to conventional light sources, thereby allowing measurement of smaller particles and enhancing the ability for in-situ or non-interfering measurements. Arrangements using white light scattered in only one solid angle require an extremely well defined and compact sampling volume through which a representative sample of the particulate flow must be passed.
In the system disclosed by Gravitt, laser or other light is focused to intensely illuminate a small region in space. This region, called the sensitive volume or particle sampling zone, is located in the field of light collecting apparatus which discriminates between the light scattered at two small angles and the light traveling in the light beam propagation direction. Detector means are used simultaneously to detect and record signals representing the intensities of the scattered light detected at the different angles. A measure of one of the parameters, i.e. the particle size, of a particle passing through the sampling zone is determined by measuring the ratio of the signals representing the intensities of the scattered light detected at two angles. This measurement is, however, non-unique or ambiguous since particles of different sizes may pass through the sampling zone and since many particle sizes can generate the same ratio signal.
One problem with a laser system is the Gaussian intensity distribution in the beam, since single angle systems can not differentiate between a small particle passing through the high-intensity center of the beam and a larger particle passing through an off-center point of lower intensity. This problem can be eliminated by utilizing the ratio of light intensities scattered in two directions thereby cancelling the incident intensity effect as suggested by Gravitt.
Since the Fraunhofer diffraction pattern possesses circular symmetry, the rings and wedges sample the diffracted energy in polar coordinate form. That is, the rings sample the distance of the diffraction pattern portions from the axis, while the wedges sample the direction at which portions of the pattern are disposed. A suitable wedge-ring Detector, having 32 rings and 32 wedges, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,772, and is manufactured by Recognition Systems, Inc. of Van Nuys, Calif.
The above-cited Palmer reference discloses a photodetector array system, which is an array which is comprised of a matrix of photodiode detectors, and may for instance be a 32 by 32 element device such as the Reticon model R32X32A.
The first of the above-cited Hirleman patents disclose a technique for measuring particle size and velocity, using two beams of electromagnetic radiation with symmetric radial intensity distributions are directed through space. A particle sampling volume is defined by those portions of the two beams within the field of view of one or more radiation sensitive detectors. The detectors respond to scattered radiation or fluorescence from particles passing through the beams in the sampling volume. The detector output for a single particle indicates two signal pulses corresponding to those times when the particle was in one of the beams. The speed of the particle in the plane perpendicular to the beams is determined from the transit time or width of the signal pulses, and the angle of the particle traverse in that plane determined from the time-of-flight between the signal pulses.
The second of the above-cited Hirleman patents is an improved multiple ratio single particle counter. Intensities of scattered radiation are measured at more than two angles and ratios of these intensities are derived. These ratios are compared with calibration curves to determine an unambiguous measure of the particle parameter.
Loos shows an arrangement for measuring the size distribution of particles suspended in a gas or in a liquid. In this patent a spatial filter is placed in the exit plane of a dispersive element so that its transmittance is a function of position on the filter. Light transmitted by the filter is measured by a photodetector. The photodetector output is measured as different spatial filters are switched in place.
Wertheimer et al discuss a Fraunhofer plane spatial filter in which a mask lies in the Fraunhofer plane of lens. In Taylor size distribution of an aggregation is determined by the amount of light in a ring in the Fourier plane. Girard describes a Fourier transform optical analyzer which uses a mask shifted step by step relative to an optical object support.
While the above-cited references are instructive, the task of measuring particle size distribution in liquids and in gas remains an ongoing need. The present invention is intended to make a useful contribution towards satisfying that need.

Programmable detector configuration for Fraunhofer diffraction particle sizing instruments

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


A temperature probe for a cooktop appliance includes a resilient clip configured for mounting on a cooking utensil with a module connected to the resilient clip and a temperature sensor extending from the module along a longitudinal direction. The resilient clip may include a hook portion configured to engage a rim of the cooking utensil and an offset portion that is not parallel to the hook portion. The temperature probe may include an emitter and a receiver for non-contact measurement of a diameter of the cooking utensil.

Certain cooktop appliances include gas burners for heating cooking utensils on the cooktop appliances. Some users prefer gas burners over electric heating elements due to the adjustability of gas burners. In particular, a gas burner's control valve can provide more heat outputs compared to the discrete number of output settings available for electric heating elements. However, precisely heating a cooking utensil with a gas burner can be difficult. For example, a user may have to constantly monitor the cooking utensil and tweak the control valve to maintain a particular temperature in the cooking utensil, and such monitoring and adjustment can be tedious.
Providing automated heating with a gas burner also presents difficulties. For example, the appropriate operating range, such as heat output from the gas burner, may vary depending on the size of the cooking utensil. A smaller cooking utensil, relative to the size or output of the gas burner, may not be suitable for use with the upper portion of the gas burner's operating range.
Accordingly, a cooktop appliance with features for operating a gas burner to maintain a particular temperature in a cooking utensil while also operating the gas burner within an appropriate range for the cooking utensil would be useful.

Temperature probe for a cooktop appliance with a gas burner


A method for estimating power consumption of a motor includes steps of: determining an error voltage for a terminal voltage of each of multiple phases of the motor, the terminal voltage being supplied from an inverter to the motor; generating a compensation terminal voltage for each of the multiple phases of the motor by applying the error voltage to a prediction value of the terminal voltage that is derived in a preset manner during operation of the motor; and calculating power consumption of the motor by using the compensation terminal voltage and a current value obtained by detecting a current that flows in each of the multiple phases of the motor.

In a fuel cell vehicle, it is desirable to control distribution of electric power generated from a fuel cell to various components of the vehicle. When controlling the power distribution of the fuel cell vehicle, it is extremely important to estimate power of auxiliary systems such as an air compressor for supplying air to a cathode of the fuel cell by operating a motor, a pump for circulating cooling water cooling the fuel cell stack, a radiator fan, an air conditioner, etc. However, power of the fuel cell stack and of a high voltage battery may be precisely estimated by using current sensors provided at respective output ends. A motor of a driving system connected to driving wheels of a vehicle may estimate power consumption on the basis of a prediction value of torque. In contrast, other auxiliary systems for a vehicle are not provided with respective individual sensors, and thus it is impossible to precisely estimate power consumption.
Particularly, an air compressor including a motor to supply air to the fuel cell consumes approximately 10% of the total power of the fuel cell stack, and thus it is important to precisely estimate power consumption of the motor of the air compressor in order to enhance precision in power distribution control. However, it is difficult to precisely estimate power consumption. Particularly, the air compressor supplies air required for reaction with the fuel, to the fuel cell stack, and thus speed variation of the motor of the air compressor is wide depending on variation of the power of the fuel cell. Due to this, power of the motor of the air compressor varies depending on driving speed, and power consumption is different depending on acceleration, deceleration, and constant speed states at the same speed. Thus, it is extremely difficult to estimate power consumption of the motor of the air compressor.
In the fuel cell vehicle, it is desirable to precisely estimate power consumption of the above-described air compressor for tactical control of the power of the fuel cell stack and charging-discharging amount of the battery. For example, when a driver attempts to achieve wide open throttle (WOT) acceleration and the estimation in power consumption of the air compressor is incorrect, the motor consumes as much or as little energy of the fuel cell or the high voltage battery as the estimation error of the power consumption of the air compressor. When the air compressor consumes the energy more, the fuel cell or the battery consumes the energy beyond an acceptable maximum output. Thus, the fuel cell and the battery may be damaged. When the air compressor consumes the energy less, air supply to the fuel cell is insufficient. Thus, it is difficult to provide power performance required from the vehicle.
Conventionally, a map mapping power consumption onto flow rate of an air compressor or rotational speed of a motor through a test is used to estimate power consumption of the air compressor. However, in this way, as described above, power consumption of the motor of the air compressor is different depending on driving states such as acceleration, deceleration, and constant speed, and levels of acceleration and deceleration at the same rotational speed (or flow rate of air being supplied by an air compressor) condition. Thus, it is difficult to precisely estimate power consumption.
As described above, the fuel cell vehicle requires technology for accurately estimating power consumption of an air compressor supplying air to a fuel cell, more precisely, power consumption of a motor in the air compressor.
The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and is not intended to mean that the present disclosure falls within the purview of the related art that is already known to those skilled in the art.

Method for estimating power consumption of motor in fuel cell system


A system and method for improving code coverage for web code that is analyzed for security purposes by dynamic code execution are described. A controller receives information, routes the information to the appropriate engine, analyzer or module and provides the functionality for improving code coverage for code analyzed for security purposes. A code rewrite engine rewrites code in such a way that all branches and stray functions will be executed. A dynamic analyzer performs dynamic analysis on web content to detect malicious code. Additionally, a static analyzer performs static analysis on web content. The static analyzer scans web content and detects a style of coding, a style of obfuscation of the code or patterns in the code.

This invention generally relates to malicious software detection. More particularly, the invention relates to improving code coverage for web content and code that is analyzed for security purposes by dynamic code execution.
A typical web page for viewing by a browser is no longer a simple static "hypertext page." Instead the web page is for engaging dynamic functionality of the browser. The dynamic functionality of the browser allows for interactive and animated web sites. Additionally, the dynamic functionality of the browser opens numerous possibilities of malicious code to exploit the browser and other applications at runtime.
Network security content scanners are inherently limited in their ability to find malicious code. For example, when running code through a dynamic analyzer or code execution box, some portions of the code potentially go unchecked. This could be the result of different environmental settings, of missing code (e.g. a function is declared but it is only called by an external file that was not yet fetched), or a direct result of hackers trying to fool the dynamic analyzer while retaining the ability of the code to run in a normal browser. The browser executes the unchecked portions of the code resulting in exploitation of the browser and other applications during runtime.
Therefore, what is needed are a method and system for improving code coverage for web code that is analyzed for security purposes by dynamic code execution.

System and method for improving coverage for web code


A mixing valve for use with a faucet. The mixing valve includes a rotatable flow control member having a flow control channel with circumferentially space flow control portions for controlling temperature and flow rate of outlet water.

The present invention relates generally to fluid control valves and, more particularly, to a mixing valve for use with a faucet.
Mixing valves are a known type of fluid control valve including components for controlling the temperature of water supplied to a fluid delivery device. One such mixing valve is a cycling valve including a flow control member supported for rotation about a center axis. Rotation of the flow control member adjusts the mixing ratio of water from respective hot and cold water inlet ports to a water outlet port, thereby adjusting the temperature of water at the outlet port.
Known cycling valves typically control the mixing ratio of water from the hot and cold water inlet ports and, as such, outlet water temperature but not outlet water flow rate. Control of outlet water flow rate may also be provided through the addition of a second cycling valve or an adjustable flow restriction device.
According to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a mixing valve includes a first flow control member having a first surface, a hot water inlet port, and a cold water inlet port. A second flow control member includes a second surface facing the first surface of the first flow control member. The second flow control member is supported for rotation about a center axis extending perpendicular to the second surface such that the second surface is in sliding contact with the first surface. A flow control channel extends inwardly from the second surface of the second flow control member. The flow control channel includes a first hot water flow control portion, a first cold water flow control portion circumferentially spaced from the first hot water flow control portion, a second hot water flow control portion circumferentially spaced intermediate the first cold water flow control portion and the first hot water flow control portion in a first angular direction from the first cold water flow control portion, and a second cold water flow control portion circumferentially spaced intermediate the first cold water flow control portion and the first hot water flow control portion in a second angular direction from the first cold water flow control portion. The first angular direction is one of clockwise and counterclockwise, and the second angular direction is the other of counterclockwise and clockwise. A carrier is operably coupled to the second flow control member for rotating the flow control portions of the flow control channel in an arcuate path about the center axis. Rotation of the second flow control member about the center axis within a first angular range aligns at least one of the first hot water flow control portion with the hot water inlet port, and the first cold water flow control portion with the cold water inlet port for permitting fluid flow at a first flow rate through the flow control channel. Rotation of the second flow control member about the center axis within a second angular range aligns at least one of the second hot water flow control portion with the hot water inlet port, and the second cold water flow control portion with the cold water inlet port for permitting fluid flow at a second flow rate through the flow control channel.
According to a further illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a mixing valve includes a first flow control member having a first surface and a first inlet port. A second flow control member includes a second surface slidably engaging the first surface of the first flow control member. A flow control channel extends inwardly from the second surface of the second flow control member. The flow control channel includes a central chamber, a first water flow control portion extending radially outwardly from the central chamber and including an outer control edge, a second water flow control portion extending radially outwardly from the central chamber and circumferentially spaced from the first water flow control portion. The second water flow control portion includes an outer control edge positioned radially outwardly from the outer control edge of the first water flow control portion. A carrier is operably coupled to the second flow control member for moving the water flow control portions of the flow control channel. Full overlap of the first water flow control portion and the first inlet port defines a fluid passageway having a first cross-sectional flow area, and full overlap of the second water flow control portion and the first inlet port defines a fluid passageway having a second cross-sectional flow area. The first cross-sectional flow area is less than the second cross-sectional flow area.
According to another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a mixing valve includes a first flow control member having a first surface, a hot water inlet port, and a cold water inlet port. A second flow control member includes a second surface facing the first surface of the first flow control member. The second flow control member is supported for rotation about a center axis extending perpendicular to the second surface such that the second surface is in sliding contact with the first surface. A flow control channel extends inwardly from the second surface of the second flow control member. The second flow control member is rotatable about the center axis between an off position, a first flow position, and a second flow position. The off position is defined when the second surface of the second flow control member blocks water flow from passing through the hot water inlet port and the cold water inlet port. The first flow position is defined by rotating the second flow control member about the center axis within a first angular range wherein the flow control channel permits water flow to pass through at least one of the hot water inlet port and the cold water inlet port at a substantially constant first flow rate. The second flow position is defined by rotating the second flow control member about the center axis within a second angular range wherein the flow channel permits water flow to pass through at least one of the hot water inlet port and the cold water inlet port at a substantially constant second flow rate.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.

Mixing valve including dual flow control


A damper assembly includes a bearing assembly including a radially outer surface. A housing surrounds the bearing assembly and includes a radially inner surface facing the radially outer surface. The radially outer and inner surfaces define a plurality of annuli therebetween. The damper assembly further includes a plurality of fluid supplies coupled in flow communication with the plurality of annuli and configured to deliver a fluid to each annulus of the plurality of annuli. Each fluid supply of the plurality of fluid supplies independently controls the fluid within the respective annulus.

The field of the disclosure relates generally to gas turbine engines and, more particularly, to a variable squeeze film damper system within gas turbine engines.
Gas turbine engines typically include squeeze film dampers that provide damping to rotating components, such as a rotor shaft, to reduce and control vibration. At least some known squeeze film dampers include a bearing support member, such as an outer race of a rolling element bearing supported shaft, fitted within an annular housing chamber that restricts radial motion of the bearing support member. An annular film space is defined between an outer surface of the outer race and an opposite inner surface of the bearing housing such that damper oil can be introduced therein. Vibratory and/or radial motion of the shaft and its bearing generate hydrodynamic forces in the damper oil within the annular film space for damping purposes.
In known squeeze film damper systems, damping is generally consistent during engine start conditions and during engine cruising operating conditions. However, gas turbine engines typically require a greater amount of damping during engine start conditions, such as during bowed rotor starts, rather than during normal gas turbine engine cruising conditions when excess damping can decrease engine efficiency.

System and method for a variable squeeze film damper


A filter-retainer assembly performs both the function of filtering the inlet fuel flow and retaining the inlet tube O-ring of a top-feed fuel injector of the type commonly used in fuel injection systems of internal combustion engines. The assembly has a snap-on, snap-off feature.

Fuel injectors that are of the type commonly known as top-feed fuel injectors typically comprise a metallic inlet connector tube via which fuel enters the fuel injector. It is also typical to have an elastomeric O-ring disposed around the outside of the inlet connector tube for forming a fluid-tight joint between the fuel injector and a cup, or socket, of a fuel rail into which the inlet connector tube is inserted so that the fuel injector can be supplied with fuel. In order to assure that the O-ring will stay on the inlet connector tube, the inlet connector tube comprises a retainer ring disposed over the O-ring. One common practice is to join the retainer ring to the inlet connector tube, such as by staking. Instead of using a separate retainer ring, It is also known to flare the entrance end of the inlet connector tube radially outwardly so that it will have radial interference with the O-ring. The inlet connector tube also typically contains a filter assembly that is assembled onto its entrance for filtering certain foreign matter from fuel entering the fuel injector.
The present invention relates to an improvement in a fuel injector comprising a new and unique integration of the fuel filtering and O-ring retention functions. The invention provides advantage over prior fuel injectors in a number of ways: it reduces the number of individual parts; it reduces the risk of contaminant generation; it facilitates assembly; and it can provide for fuel injector identification by color-coding.
In certain prior constructions, the filter assembly comprised a metal collar press-fitted to the entrance of the inlet connector tube. Such metal-to-metal pressing has the potential for generating undesired contaminant that could adversely affect performance. Such contaminant would be additional to any contaminant generated by operations used to join the retainer ring to the inlet connector tube. The press-fitting of the filter assembly to the inlet connector tube may also make it difficult to accurately control the filter assembly's insertion depth into the inlet connector tube. The present invention avoids these potential disadvantages.
Details of the invention, along with its general and specific principles, will appear in the ensuing description and claims which are accompanied by a drawing. The drawing discloses a presently preferred embodiment of the invention according to the best mode contemplated at this time for carrying out the invention.


This application relates to a full duplex communication device. In one aspect, the device includes a transmission/reception antenna configured to receive a received signal corresponding to a transmitted signal. The device may also include an analog cancellation unit configured to set values of elements constituting an analog cancellation circuit and cancel an interference signal included in the received signal using the set values of the elements constituting the analog cancellation circuit. The device may further include a digital cancellation unit configured to cancel a remaining interference signal included in the received signal. Some embodiments can minimize the influence of distortion of a transmitted signal due to non-linearity of a power amplifier during an active analog self-interference cancellation process.

In general, a full duplex communication system is technology by which a transmitter and a receiver can simultaneously perform transmission and reception in the same band to increase channel capacity about twice.
To cancel self-interference generated during transmission and reception processes in a full duplex communication system for increasing channel capacity, research on self-interference signal cancellation techniques has been conducted.

Device for self-interference cancellation of full duplex communication system and method thereof


Methods, systems, and software are disclosed herein for secured system access by means of a bot proxy for a bot within a group communication service. In an example embodiment, a bot within a selected group of a group communication service may receive a message from a user of the selected group. The bot may transmit, to a bot proxy node within a secured local network, information related to the message that is relevant to executing a selected command. The bot proxy node, in turn, may transmit an application programming interface (API) instruction to perform the selected command to a target server within the secured local network. The bot may send a response message, via the group communication service, to at least one user from the selected group based on a result of the selected command.

Group communication services can facilitate secure communications between multiple user nodes in a distributed communication environment. Members of a communication group can send messages that are broadcast to multiple other members of the group through personal communication devices in approximately real-time, over communication networks such as the internet. These communication groups allow teams or friends to stay connected even when far apart and on the move.
As individuals grow accustomed to easy and quick access to information, a way to integrate data access capabilities into a communication group would improve the robustness and appeal of group communication services. Further, allowing employees of a company to access the data and software of the company while the employees are on the move, by way of a group communication service, could improve work efficiency. However, the data and the computer systems on which the data and software are stored are valuable assets, and these assets must be protected from unauthorized access and tampering through the internet. Therefore data and computer systems may be located within a secured local network, behind protective systems such as firewalls that may interfere with access to these assets by users through a group communication service.

Bot proxy for group communication service


An elastic deformation rate of a photoconductor, an additive amount of inorganic fine particles, and a rotary member are set to satisfy a relation of 0.6≤(D/(A×B/C))/(1+E/20)≤0.82, where A is a thickness of fibers of a brush, B is a bristle density of the fibers of the brush, C is a length of the fibers of the brush, D is an elastic deformation rate obtained from a hardness test conducted using a Vickers diamond pyramid indenter at a temperature of 23° C. and a humidity of 50%, and E is the additive amount of the inorganic fine particles relative to 100 parts by mass of toner particles.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in the electrophotographic image forming method, a surface of an image bearing member is charged, the charged surface of the image bearing member is irradiated with light to form an electrostatic latent image, the electrostatic latent image is developed with a coloring toner to form a visible image, the toner image is transferred to a transfer sheet, and the transferred toner image is fixed with a heat roller. After the transfer process, an external additive, an untransferred toner, and a discharge product remaining on the surface of the image bearing member need to be removed by a cleaning unit prior to a next image forming process. The cleaning unit for removing, for example, the transfer residual toner, employs various methods, such as a method using a fur brush or a magnetic brush, and a method using an elastic cleaning blade. Since using of the cleaning blade which rubs the image bearing member to scrape the toner from the image bearing member is simple and inexpensive, it is generally used.
With the recent acceleration of operation speed of image forming apparatuses and enhancement of image quality, the shape of toner particles used by the image forming apparatus becomes more spherical. This causes difficulty in cleaning the toner by only the cleaning blade. Thus, a cleaning auxiliary unit for supporting removal of transfer residual toner is provided. For example, a fur brush that contacts the image bearing member is arranged in front of the cleaning blade, so that transfer residual toner before reaching the cleaning blade is removed by the fur brush. The pre-cleaning operation performed by the fur brush reduces a load of the cleaning blade and enhances cleanability. Such a technique is discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-300860, for example.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-300860, a brush roller to which a bias can be applied is arranged on an upstream side of a cleaning blade to support a cleaning operation. Moreover, enhancement of cleanability is discussed. A bristle density of brush or a resistance value of brush is defined to increase a contact probability between the brush roller and toner, so that the cleanability is enhanced.
The fur brush has not only a function of cleaning a surface layer of a photoconductor, and also a function of grinding the surface layer of the photoconductor. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-300860, however, grinding of the surface layer of the photoconductor and an abrasion amount of the surface layer of the photoconductor are not precisely defined. The abrasion amount of the surface layer of the photoconductor varies depending on a hardness of the surface layer of the photoconductor and a bristle condition of the fur brush.
Recently, a configuration for increasing a hardness of a surface layer of a photoconductor is employed to prolong the lifetime of the photoconductor. If the surface layer of the photoconductor is hard, a grinding amount or an abrasion amount of the surface layer of the photoconductor tends to be reduced. Consequently, discharge products are accumulated. This degrades a surface property of the photoconductor, and thus the lifetime of the photoconductor cannot be sufficiently prolonged.


A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body, and first and second electrodes provided on front and back surfaces of the semiconductor body, respectively. The semiconductor body includes a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer selectively provided between the first electrode and the first semiconductor layer. A method of manufacturing the semiconductor device includes forming a mask layer on a first insulating film provided on the front surface of the semiconductor body, the mask layer including an opening above the first semiconductor layer; selectively removing the first insulating film to expose the semiconductor body, the mask layer being entirely removed together with the first insulative film; and forming a second insulating film to contact the first insulating film and the semiconductor body. The first insulative film is selectively removed through the opening. The second insulating film is formed to be semi-insulative and contact the first semiconductor layer.

A power control semiconductor device such as a power MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) or the like includes an active region serving as a current path. The active region is surrounded by a terminal region; and it is required for the power control semiconductor device to have a stable breakdown voltage in the terminal region.

Method of manufacturing semiconductor device

Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation


A radiotherapy machine beam treats a region of a subject while the region and volumes abutting the region are imaged by a magnetic resonance imaging system. The beam and an excitation coil assembly of the imaging system are arranged so the beam is not incident on the coil assembly and magnetic fields derived from the coil assembly do not interact with the beam. The excitation coil assembly includes two spaced winding segments for producing a main DC magnetic field; the segments are located on opposite sides of the region. In one embodiment, wherein the excitation coil assembly is mounted independently of movement of an axis of the beam, the winding segments have a common axis generally aligned with an axis about which the beam axis turns. A treatment couch for the subject fits within aligned central openings of the winding segments. The coil produces main magnetic field lines that extend generally in the same direction as the axis about which the beam turns. In other embodiments, the coil assembly moves with the beam axis and the treatment couch is between the coil segments. In one such embodiment, each winding segment includes a central opening (1) through which the beam axis extends; and (2) generally aligned with magnetic field lines established by and extending between the segments. In another such embodiment, the beam axis extends through a space between the segments, being generally orthogonal to magnetic field lines established by and extending between the segments.

Radiotherapy machines, such as the CLINAC machines manufactured by the assignee of the present invention, generally include a linear electron beam accelerator mounted on a gantry which rotates on an approximately horizontal axis. The electron beam accelerator is usually mounted on the gantry in such a manner that it is offset from the horizontal rotational axis of the gantry. The high energy electron beam emerging from the accelerator is further processed by techniques well-known to those experienced in the art to produce either an electron beam or an X-ray beam suitable for patient treatment. In either case the radiation is collimated in a treatment beam which is caused to travel in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis of the gantry in such a manner that the axis of the treatment beam intersects the rotational axis of the gantry. The point at which the axis of the treatment beam intersects the rotational axis of the gantry is the focal point of the treatment beam and is referred to as the isocenter of the radiotherapy machine.
In a radiotherapy machine the patient is placed on a treatment couch that can be precisely positioned to locate the treatment region, which is usually a cancerous tumor or lesion in the patient, on the rotational axis of the gantry at the isocenter of the radiotherapy machine. Thus, by rotating the gantry, the source of the treatment beam can be rotated around the patient during treatment, thereby minimizing the amount of treatment radiation passing through any one region of the patient's body near the treatment region while the beam always passes through the treatment region itself. Excessive irradiation of non-diseased tissue, especially those tissues abutting the diseased treatment region, causes undesirable cell damage and cell death in healthy tissue.
Among practitioners of current radiotherapy treatment art it is well-known that minimum abutting cell damage generally occurs when the diseased treatment region in the patient is precisely located at the isocenter of the radiotherapy machine. However, several limitations of the present art make it difficult to achieve the desired precise positioning of the diseased region of the patient at the isocenter of the radiotherapy machine.
One reason for this difficulty is that diseased tissue in a patient usually is surrounded by, or is adjacent to, other soft tissue which is materially similar to the diseased tissue. The similarity of the tissues makes it difficult to precisely define the exact boundaries of the diseased tissue using current diagnostic and imaging techniques appropriate for radiotherapy machines.
One past attempt to overcome this problem has involved using relatively low contrast two-dimensional X-ray-based imaging of the region when the subject is positioned on the radiotherapy machine. The X-ray-based imaging systems have generally relied on detecting X-rays in the same X-ray beam which is used for radiotherapy purposes. However, low contrast two-dimensional X-ray-based imaging of the region does not enable the true position of the region including the tumor or lesion to be definitely located. The difference in X-ray absorbance between different soft tissue structures and between cancerous and non-cancerous soft tissues frequently ranges from small to undetectable. Only the bones, which absorb X-rays more strongly, can be readily imaged and precisely located by this means. Determining the true position of the soft tissue region to be treated is difficult because due to its lack of rigidity the region moves relative to the nearby bones of the subject as a result of unavoidable body movements of the subject on the treatment couch. The uncertainty in determining the true position of the region exists even when fiducial markers are inserted into the tumor because patient movement is likely to cause the fiducial markers to move.
Because the region desired to be treated is usually not located exactly as planned with respect to the isocenter of the radiotherapy system, insufficient quantities of radiotherapy beam energy are deposited in the region desired to be treated and excessive amounts of radiotherapy beam energy are deposited in healthy tissue in a volume abutting the region desired to be treated. Consequently, the tissue in the abutting volume is subjected to undesired and unnecessary damage so healthy organs adjacent the tumor site are damaged.
Because of the general inability to focus the radiotherapy beam with sufficient precision on the region desired to be treated, current medical practice is to increase the irradiated area to include additional tissue volume and to increase the dosage of the radiotherapy beam to ensure complete cell death in the region desired to be treated. The expectation is that all cells in the treated region are killed and possible positioning errors between the beam and the region are compensated. However, such techniques inevitably cause increased collateral radiation damage to the volume abutting the desired region to be treated, in some cases resulting in devastating quality of life effects on the subject. It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of, and apparatus for enabling a radiotherapy beam to be accurately positioned on a desired region to be treated by the beam.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved method of, and apparatus for enabling a radiotherapy beam to be precisely positioned on a region desired to be treated, wherein the apparatus used to determine whether the beam is properly located is easily retrofitted on existing radiotherapy devices.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a radiotherapy machine including a magnetic resonance imaging system for acquiring 2D and 3D spatially resolved high-contrast images of soft tissue structures and organs within and abutting the region desired to be treated.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a radiotherapy machine including a magnetic resonance imaging system, wherein an excitation coil assembly of the imaging system is arranged so that a radiotherapy beam of the radiotherapy machine is not incident on the coil assembly and wherein the coil assembly is arranged so subjects to be treated can easily be placed in the path of the radiotherapy beam, on a treatment couch.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a new and improved radiotherapy machine in combination with a system for directly detecting the effect of the radiotherapy beam on an irradiated region, particularly the contents of tissue cells in the region, and to spatially resolve the effect of the irradiation to enable real time three-dimensional correlation between the shape, position and intensity of the region actually being irradiated and the known location of a region desired to be irradiated, where a tumor or lesion is located.
A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved radiotherapy machine in combination with a relatively low cost device for determining whether, and the degree to which tissue in a region desired to be treated by a radiotherapy beam is actually being treated.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved X-ray beam therapy device in combination with a magnetic resonance imaging system, wherein secondary electron skin dosage resulting from bombardment of the skin by the X-ray beam is substantially reduced by the magnetic field of the coils of the imaging system.

Radiotherapy machine including magnetic resonance imaging system


A transaction context can be used to select a single database instance for global transaction to prevent lockout or other data problems from the database system with multiple data instances.

Application servers, such as the WebLogic™ Server available from BEA Systems of San Jose, Calif., allow users to do a number of functions. One of the functions typically supported by application servers is to provide access to a database. In one embodiment, a connection pool such as a Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) connection pool is provided by the application server. The connection pool provides a number of previously prepared connections with a database. These connections are provided to applications of the application server as needed. Such connection pools allow for a relatively large number of applications in the application server to access a database while reducing the database connection time for the application. When the database is a high availability database, it can have a number of database instances containing the information of the database.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Use of transaction context to select single database instance for global transaction


A varactor is described that may be constructed in CMOS and has a high tuning range. In some embodiments, the varactor includes a well, a plurality of gates formed over the well and having a capacitive connection to the well, the gates comprising a first subset of the gates that are adjacent and consecutive and coupled to a positive pole of an excitation oscillation signal, and a second subset of the gates that are adjacent and consecutive and coupled to a negative pole of the excitation oscillation signal, and a plurality of source/drain terminals formed over the well and having an ohmic connection to the well, each coupled to a respective gate to receive a control voltage to control the capacitance of the varactor.

A varactor provides a variable capacitance that can be controlled with a control voltage applied on a terminal of the varactor. Varactors are particularly useful in radio frequency circuits for tuning a circuit to oscillate at a particular frequency, but varactors are used in many other applications as well. Capacitors in general and varactors in particular operate on a principle of using two conductive plates or surfaces with an insulator in between.
Varactors typically vary the electrical capacitance on one of the terminals (the signal terminal) in response to the voltage level on the other terminal (the control terminal). In CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) technology varactors are typically built with an NMOS (n-type CMOS) in an N-type well. The intrinsic MOS gate capacitance of the MOS device is used as the varied capacitance, the gate terminal being the signal terminal and the N-well potential being used to vary the capacitance. The source and drain terminals are ohmically connected to the N-well and are used as control terminals.
A CMOS varactor has several sources of parasitic capacitances. For example, there is a fringe capacitance from the gate to the raised source/drain structures and from the gate to the source/drain contact elements. These fringe capacitances form a fixed capacitance that is not varied by the control voltage and increases the varactor capacitance at every control voltage level by a fixed amount. These parasitic capacitances increase the capacitance seen on the signal terminal and restrict the tuning range of the varactor devices as measured by a Cmax/Cmin ratio (maximum to minimum capacitance ratio). The relative contribution of the fixed capacitance to the overall varactor capacitance increases as the device gate length is scaled down in more advanced CMOS processes, decreasing the Cmax/Cmin of the varactor.
With further scaling in the features of integrated circuits, channel lengths are reduced. Smaller channel varactors have a smaller Cmax/Cmin ratio due to the comparatively larger fixed Cfringe component of the capacitance of the varactor.

CMOS varactor with increased tuning range


An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for redirecting an instruction pointer to recovery software instructions. A load module copies a first and second process to memory locations addressed by a first and second base address. An instruction pointer module addresses a memory location with an address comprising a pointer base address set to the first base address and an offset. A pointer modification module modifies the pointer base address from the first base address to the second base address in response to a read error to redirect the instruction pointer module to a memory location of the second process.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to redirecting an instruction pointer and more particularly relates to redirecting an instruction pointer to execute recovery software instructions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data processing devices ("DPD") such as computers, servers, personal digital assistants, embedded controllers, and the like typically store software instructions and data, herein referred to collectively as software instructions, in memory. Memory may include dynamic random access memory ("DRAM"), static random access memory ("SRAM"), read only memory ("ROM"), Flash random access memory ("Flash RAM"), and the like.
The DPD also typically includes a processor module. The processor module retrieves or reads software instructions from the memory. The software instructions direct the operation of the processor module. The processor module cannot function without the proper software instructions.
In one embodiment, the processor module includes an instruction pointer module that is configured to address a memory location. The processor module may read a first software instruction from the address of the instruction pointer module. In addition, the processor module may increment the address of the instruction pointer after reading the first software instruction to a subsequent second software instruction or may write a new address to the instruction pointer module as directed by the first software instruction.
Unfortunately, software instructions may be stored to an inoperative or bad memory location. The bad memory location cannot store and retrieve a valid software instruction. As a result, a processor module reading a software instruction from a bad memory has a read error and may cease to function properly or hang.
A DPD often executes memory diagnostics to detect bad memory before software instructions are stored in the bad memory. Unfortunately, the DPD may load the memory diagnostics into bad memory, resulting in the DPD hanging during the memory diagnostics and preventing the detection of the bad memory.
From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for an apparatus, system, and method that redirects the instruction pointer module of a DPD to valid software instructions if a read error occurs. Beneficially, such an apparatus, system, and method would enable a DPD to recover from reading a software instruction from bad memory.

Apparatus, system, and method for redirecting an instruction pointer to recovery software instructions

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for making a memory cell capacitor is disclosed. Steps in accordance with present invention are: (1) forming a capacitor node contact hole after making necessary elements in a semiconductor substrate by depositing an insulation layer and etching a predetermined portion of the insulating layer by a photolithographic process; (2) depositing a doped polysilicon layer, thereby making a contact for connecting the capacitor electrode and a source/drain region in the semiconductor substrate; (3) depositing a silicon nitride layer and a first silicon oxide layer, and opening a window by a photolithographic process in the first silicon nitride layer and the silicon oxide layer at a position where the capacitor storage electrode is to be formed; (4) depositing a hemispherical polysilicon layer having peaks and valleys on the exposed surfaces of the polysilicon layer, the silicon nitride layer, and the first silicon oxide layer; (5) depositing a second oxide layer and etching back the second silicon oxide layer so that it selectively remains in the valleys of the hemispherical polysilicon layer; (6) forming a plurality of polysilicon projections by dry etching the hemispherical polysilicon layer and the polysilicon layer using the remaining portions of the second silicon oxide layer and the first silicon oxide layer as a mask; (7) removing the first and second silicon oxide layers by a wet etching process; (8) depositing a polyimide layer and etching back the polyimide layer so as to expose the surface of the silicon nitride layer; and (9) forming a capacitor storage electrode by removing the silicon nitride layer by a wet etching process, etching the polysilicon layer by using the polyimide layer as a mask, and removing the polyimide layer. In step (2), the doped polysilicon layer may be deposited to a thickness of about 2000 .ANG. or more by applying a LPCVD process at a temperature of about 500.degree. C. or more.

In dynamic random access memory (DRAM) fabrication technology, continuous efforts are being made to build a capacitor of larger capacitance in a smaller space.
FIGS. 1(A)-(C) illustrate one of the conventional techniques for forming a DRAM capacitor. The fabrication process of such a DRAM capacitor will be explained briefly below.
As shown in FIG. 1(A), after forming necessary elements on semiconductor substrate 1, the overall surface is coated with insulation layer 2. A contact hole for making contact between a source/drain region in semiconductor substrate 1 (not explicitly shown) and a capacitor electrode is formed by application of a photolithographic or photo-etching process to predetermined portions of insulating layer 2. Continually, doped polysilicon is deposited by a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) process at a temperature of about 600.degree. C., and a portion of a capacitor storage node is patterned.
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1(B), hemispherical polysilicon layer 4 (which has many hemispherical domes on the surface) is deposited under the conditions of pressure of about 1.0 torr, at a temperature of about 550.degree. C., and an ambience of SiH.sub.4 (20%) gas diluted with "He" or helium gas.
A capacitor node is formed by etching back hemispherical polysilicon layer 4, such as by application of a reactive ion etching (dry type of etching) in an atmosphere of "HBr" gas, as illustrated in FIG. 1(C).
Thereafter, the capacitor is fabricated by forming a dielectric layer and a plate electrode of polysilicon.
This conventional method of increasing the surface of the capacitor node by using a hemispherical polysilicon layer typically is insufficient. That is, in the case of a hemispherical polysilicon node compared with a planar node, the increase of the surface area of the node is 2.pi.r.sup.2 /.pi.r.sup.2 =2; it is up to about 2 at best, and it is impossible to be more.


DNA probes capable of specifically hybridizing to DNA from an allele of the locus D4S139 are disclosed. The probes may be used within a method for determining the existence of a biological relationship, a method for the identification of the source of a bio-forensic specimen, or within a method for the identification of the haplotype of the source of a biological sample.

Traditional protein methods for the typing of blood and semen are based on allelic differences in proteins (Divall, Electrophoresis 6:249-258, 1985; Sensabaugh, Current Topics in Biological and Medical Research 6:247-282, Alan R. Liss, New York, 1982). Enzyme and antigenic variants which have been examined in blood include adenylate deaminase, adenylate kinase, carbonic anhydrase I, erythrocyte acid phosphatase, esterase D, glyoxylase I, hemoglobin, peptidase A, phosphoglucomutase, and Gm, Lewis, and Rh antigens. In paternity testing, typing of the HLA antigens is commonly used (Terasaki, J. Family Law 16:543, 1977-1978). The analysis of proteins in semen involves the characterization of the following systems: ABO blood group, phosphoglucomutase, glyoxylate, peptidase A, and the Lewis antigens. While these traditional methods, when used in combination, can exclude up to 99% of the general population as the source of a biological sample, these methods do not allow the unequivocal identification of a particular individual as the source of the biological sample or as the first degree relation (Gaensslen, Sourcebook in Forensic Serology, Immunology and Biochemistry. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 1983). Potential problems with protein typing include changes in electrophoretic mobility with aging of the sample, and possible cross-reactivities and artifacts due to other materials in the evidential sample (wool, for instance).
Polymorphic regions of human DNA are also being used as a basis for the identification of human bio-forensic evidence specimens and in the establishment of both first degree and higher order biological family relationships. The technique for the examination of polymorphic DNA regions is called "DNA fingerprinting," "DNA profiling," or "DNA typing," and has clearly become the method of choice in these areas. DNA typing with appropriate probes allows the identification of genotypes that would not be expected to be duplicated within the entire human population.
DNA typing is based on the detection of intergenic regions of nuclear DNA that are composed of variable numbers of tandem repeats (VNTRs). VNTRs are also known as "hypervariable minisatellite restriction fragment length polymorphisms." These loci are found on a number of different chromosomes, which makes the appearance of a given VNTR allele statistically independent of most others. The large number of alleles (up to 70-80 or more) that can be found at many of the VNTR loci, combined with the high level of heterozygosity (greater than 88%), are features that make VNTRs useful for identification purposes (Nakamura et al., Science 235:1616-1622, 1987).
For example, Jeffreys et al. have described the use of three VNTR-specific probes for DNA fingerprinting (Nature 316:76-80, 1985). The probes in the Jeffreys et al. study detected upwards of 15 hybridizing bands per person. Although the hybridization patterns were complex, this work led to results which convinced the British immigration authorities that a man desiring entry into the country was, in fact, the son of a (female) citizen (Jeffreys et al. Nature 317:818-819, 1985).
DNA fingerprinting using the DNA-print.TM. system (Lifecodes Corporation, Elmsford, N.Y.) with probes recognizing four different VNTR loci has also been used to establish paternity with a probability of greater than 99% (Baird et al., in Advances in Forensic Haemogenetics 2, Springer Verlag, New York, 1987).
Forensic applications of DNA fingerprinting have also been described. Gill et al. (Nature 318:577-579, 1985), successfully isolated DNA suitable for fingerprinting from such specimens as vaginal swabs, 4-yr-old dried bloodstains and semen stains on cloth. In another report on the DNA-print.TM. system, which allows discrimination at levels greater than in 10.sup.8 individuals, the probes were used to establish that human tissue found on a car apparently involved in a homicide was likely to be from the offspring of the parents of the car's registered owner, with a 1 in 160,000 chance that the tissue was derived from an unrelated individual (Baird et al., in Adv. Forensic Haemooenetics 2, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1987).
DNA typing presents obvious advantages over protein typing methodologies, including less interference from other materials in the evidential samples, and greater stability of DNA as compared to protein in dried samples. DNA typing also presents the possibility for re-use of the same DNA gel or blot for multiple sequential hybridizations. However, due to a lack of sensitivity of the probes, and the relatively small size of the useful restriction fragments identifying other VNTR loci, the true potential for the commercial application of such probes has not yet been realized.
The present invention provides a novel group of DNA probes that recognize the human VNTR locus, D4S139, a highly polymorphic region. These probes overcome the disadvantages briefly discussed above, while providing other related advantages.


The invention relates to a method of storing and/or transporting in vitro two-dimensional cell cultures. The inventive method comprises the following steps consisting in: a) coating a cell culture that is immobilized on an asymmetric support with a gelatine solution in culture medium at a concentration of between 1 and 5%; b) solidifying the gelatine added to the support at a temperature of between 15 and 25° C.; and c) storing and/or transporting the cell culture at a temperature of between 15 and 25° C. for a period of up to 96 hours. The invention also relates to a kit which is used to store and/or transport the in vitro two-dimensional cell cultures according to the inventive method, said kit comprising: i) an asymmetric support, and (ii) a gelatine solution in culture medium at a concentration of between 1 and 5%.

Cell cultures, whether homogeneous or not (cocultures), may be useful models for some genetic, biochemical, metabolic or physiological processes that take place within the living organism. Their ease of use allows a large number of conditions to be analysed before performing the definitive experiments on animals or clinical tests on human beings. In vitro models are a tool for validating new therapeutic targets, to select seeds in high-performance systems, to define the mechanism of action of new molecules and, in general, for biomedical, biotechnological or cosmetic research.
In general, all models based on cell cultures have a limited useful life. Thus, culture cells pass through different differentiation phases, and require continuous manipulation to maintain the properties that make them a suitable model. For example, the gastrointestinal barrier model based on the confluent culture of Caco-2 cells requires 21 days to reach the state of differentiation which allows many of the properties of intestinal mucous to be reproduced (Le Ferrec et al., ATLA 29:649-668, 1999), and its use is prolonged only during a window of approximately 3 to 5 days. BC2 cells, used as a model of hepatic cell, require between three and four weeks of differentiation before they acquire the properties that make them a good model, and the subsequent culture conditions are essential for them to respond to the experimental treatments in a similar way to hepatocytes (M J Gómez Lechón et al., Eur. J. Biochem. 268:1448, 2001). Huvec umbilical cord cells, grown to confluence, may be induced to form structures comparable to blood veins in suitable experimental conditions, for which reason they constitute a good model of angiogenesis (Vailhe et al., Lab. Invest. 81:439-452, 2001), Nevertheless, the number of cell divisions prior to the experiment and the stimulus used are critical to obtaining a suitable response.
These limitations in the manipulation and generation of the different in vitro cell models make them difficult to implement for occasional users, and in general limit the marketing of the models in their end format. The problem gets worse in complex models, wherein the cells should imitate the organism's natural barriers (Rubas et al., J. Pharma. Sci., 85:165-169, 1996; Walter et al., J. Pharma Sci., 85:1070-1076; Irvine et al., J. Pharma Sci., 88:28-33, 1999; Gaillard et al., Eur. J. of Pharma Sci., 12:215-222, 2001); or the cultures should be performed on asymmetric supports, separating two compartments or with a strong dependence on the polarisation of the system components. In these cases, to the complexity of the model and its time limits, we can add mechanical-type problems, which mean bumps or shaking may invalidate the system. Researchers can access the different model components (support, culture medium and additives and cell lines) and later they should combine them in the laboratory using more or less laborious processes). In the best of the cases, the final researcher may receive the cells ready-for-use, but with limitations which practically mean it is obligatory to perform the experiments within two days after their reception, and they impose serious restrictions on the distribution of the model by the company marketing it, such as, for example, In Vitro Technologies. Document EP 702 081 discloses a method for the storage and transport of three-dimensional tissues which consists of positioning said three-dimensional tissue fixed on two types of sponges in a gelatine solution, so that this gels with cooling, thus making it easier to transport and store.
Therefore, there is an existing need in the state of the art for providing a method to be able to supply models based on ready-to-use organized two-dimensional cell cultures and with their functional properties intact so that, on the one hand, the researcher has a margin of manoeuvre for its use and, on the other, the supplying company may consider delivery times within the reasonable logistic margins of international distribution.
The object of the present invention consists of providing a method of storing and transporting in vitro organized two-dimensional cell cultures which resolves the aforementioned needs of the state of the art.

Method of storing and/or transporting in vitro cell cultures

Advanced In Vitro Cell Technologies, S.L.