Hyperparameters for tuning a machine learning system may be optimized for fairness using Bayesian optimization with constraints for accuracy and bias. Hyperparameter optimization may be performed for a received training set and received accuracy and fairness constraints. Respective probabilistic models for accuracy and bias of the machine learning system may be initialized, then hyperparameter optimization may include iteratively identifying respective values for hyperparameters using analysis of the respective models performed using an acquisition function implementing constrained expected improvement on the respective models, training the machine learning system using the identified values to determine measures of accuracy and bias, and updating the respective models using the determined measures.

With the increasing use of machine learning (ML) systems in domains such as financial lending, hiring, criminal justice and college admissions, there has been increasing concern for the potential for these systems to unintentionally encode societal biases resulting in systematic unfairness when data contains sensitive attributes. In some instances, specialized algorithmic fairness techniques may be employed to mitigate these encoded biases but such techniques commonly apply to a single family of ML models and a specific definition of fairness, limiting their effectiveness in practice. In machine learning systems, hyperparameters, parameters whose values are set before the training is performed, may be optimized to develop both accurate and fair machine learning models. This optimization, however, is challenging as various performance metrics and behaviors of the machine learning system and results models cannot be known a priori and evaluating machine learning system training for a specific training data set may be costly and expensive. Furthermore, this process is complicated by a need to consider model-specific bias and accuracy constraints.
While embodiments are described herein by way of example for several embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments are not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit embodiments to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as described by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (e.g., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (e.g., meaning must). Similarly, the words "include," "including," and "includes" mean including, but not limited to.
It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first contact could be termed a second contact, and, similarly, a second contact could be termed a first contact, without departing from the scope of the present invention. The first contact and the second contact are both contacts, but they are not the same contact.

Hyperparameter optimization using fairness constraints


The present disclosure enables a UE (100) to discover a P-CSCF (85) in the IMS network based on the services offered by the P-CSCF or the area served by the P-CSCF (85) when it establishes a data session. The P-CSCF (85) registers with a discovery node (70) in the wireless communication network (10) and provides relevant information about the P-CSCF (85) to the discovery node (70), such as the type of services provided, its network address and/or FQDN, a list of cells supported, and a list of tracking areas supported. When a request is received to establish a session with the IMS for a UE, the SMF (45) in the wireless communication network (10) queries the discovery node (70) to fetch the P-CSCF (85) information and forwards the P-CSCF information to the requesting UE. The UE (100) selects a P-CSCF (85) to use when it initiates IMS registration.

The Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is a core network that delivers multimedia services to users over any type of access network. Mobile devices, known as user equipment (UEs), can connect to the IMS over wireless communication networks. In order to receive multimedia services via the IMS, a UE connects to a Proxy Call State Control Function (P-CSCF), which serves as the entry point to the IMS domain. The UE attaches to the P-CSCF prior to performing IMS registrations and initiating IMS sessions.
With the advent of Fifth Generation (5G) networks, also known as New Radio (NR) networks, it is expected that the P-CSCF will become more specialized to support certain services and may even be location dependent. More specialized P-CSCFs may be advantageous, for example, to support future trends in mobile edge computing, network slicing, etc.
To connect to the IMS, a UE performs a connection establishment procedure to establish a Packet Data Network (PDN) connection over a Fourth Generation (4G) network or a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session over a Fifth Generation (5G) network. During the connection establishment procedure, a list of P-CSCFs is returned to the UE and the UE selects a P-CSCF from the returned list. Typically, the list of P-CSCFs that are returned to the UE are statically configured in the network and contain no service information or location information. Currently, there is no way for a UE to discover and/or select a P-CSCF based on the services offered by the P-CSCF or the area served by the P-CSCF.


A thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) array substrate and a method of manufacturing a TFT-LCD array substrate are provided in the invention. The TFT-LCD array substrate comprises a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines formed on a substrate. A plurality of pixel regions are defined by the gate lines and the data lines. A pixel electrode, a first thin film transistor for controlling the charge of the pixel electrode and a second thin film transistor for controlling the pre-charge of the pixel electrode are formed in each pixel region.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) array substrate and a manufacturing method thereof.
Thin film transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCDs) have the advantages of small volume, low energy consumption, low radiation and the like, and thus have prevailed in the flat plate display market. A TFT-LCD mainly comprises an array substrate, a color filter substrate and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the array substrate and the color filter substrate. Gate lines, data lines, pixel electrodes and thin film transistors are formed on the array substrate. Each pixel electrode is controlled by a corresponding thin film transistor. The pixel electrode is charged when the thin film transistor is turned on. In addition, when the thin film transistor is turned off, the voltage of the pixel electrode sustains until recharging at the time of next scanning.
In order to prevent the liquid crystal layer from being damaged, the liquid crystal display generally is driven in a manner of polarity reversal. The polarity reversal manner mainly comprises: frame reversal, row reversal and point reversal. For example, in the point reversal, the polarity of each pixel electrode is opposite to that of the adjacent pixel electrode within a frame, and the polarity of each pixel electrode is reversed in the next frame so that the polarity of each pixel electrode is still opposite to that of the adjacent pixel electrode. Since each pixel electrode has opposite polarities in adjacent two frames, the voltage drop between adjacent two frames is relatively large. In this case, it is difficult to charge and discharge the pixel electrode, the charge-and-discharge time of the pixel electrode is relatively long and the energy consumption is relatively large.

TFT-LCD array substrate and manufacturing method thereof

Beijing BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


An integrated circuit (IC) layout includes an arrangement of instances of cells, wherein each cell describes a separate corresponding electronic device to be incorporated into the IC. An internal layout of each cell includes one or more objects corresponding to portions of IC material that are to form the corresponding electronic device, and the shape and position of each object within the cell layout represents the shape and position of the corresponding portion of IC material within the corresponding electronic device. When a dimension or position of an object within a cell's internal layout can be altered without affecting the behavior of the electronic device the cell describes, a device rule is created for that cell to indicate any constraint on that object's dimension or relative position. The IC layout is then compacted both by moving cell instances closer together, and also by altering internal layouts of cell instances in a manner consistent with their device rules.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automated compaction system for repositioning cell instances within an integrated circuit (IC) layout to reduce IC floor space, and more particularly to a compaction system that also modifies the internal layouts of the cell instances.
2. Description of Related Art
An integrated circuit (IC) fabricator typically manufactures an IC by doping a semiconductor substrate to form a pattern of rectilinear doped areas of various sizes and shapes and then successively laying down several layers of various types of material over the substrate, with each layer being etched or deposited to form a pattern of rectilinear shapes. An IC designer produces an IC design in the form of an IC layout, a data file describing the substrate doping pattern and the patterns for each layer of material above the substrate, and the IC manufacturer uses the layout as a guide for fabricating the IC.
The rectilinear areas of doped semiconductor substrate and the other rectilinear objects formed on the higher layers of the IC form electronic devices such as transistors, capacitor and resistors, and also form conductors for interconnecting the devices. An IC designer will usually create an IC initially in the form of a netlist describing an IC at a relatively high level of abstraction; for example, by a set of Boolean expressions describing the logic the IC is to carry out. The designer will then employs various automated tools to covert the high level netlist into a gate level netlist describing the IC as a collection of interconnected instances of standard cells, where each cell describes the layout of a device such as a transistor, a capacitor, a resistor, a logic gate or other device. The gate level netlist also indicates which terminals of the cells are to be interconnected by conductive nets. The gate level netlist describes each cell instance only indirectly by referring it as an instance of a standard cell described in a cell library. The designer then uses a computer-aided placement and routing tool to generate the IC layout based on the gate level netlist. The placement and routing tool automatically determines how to position and orient each cell within the layout for each cell instance and how to form the nets interconnecting them from objects on various layers of the IC. The placement and routing tool obtains the internal layout for each cell instance from the cell library.
A designer may use graphic tools to manually generate a layout for a custom devices not included in the cell library, thereby creating a new cell for a cell library. The new cell may be hierarchical in that it incorporates instances of existing cells. For example a new gate cell may incorporate instances of various types of existing transistor cells.
After creating an initial layout for a portion of an IC, for an entire IC, or for a new IC cell, the designer will sometime use a computer-aided compaction tool (a compactor) 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1 to modify the initial layout 11 by repositioning cells and the nets that interconnect them to produce a compacted layout 12 that takes up less floor space within an IC. For example FIG. 2 shows how compactor 10 might convert a simple, initial layout 11 having four cells A-D interconnected by nets 15 to produce a compacted IC layout 12 where the cells are closer together.
When compacting the initial layout 11, compactor 10 must ensure that that compacted layout 12 satisfies a set of design rules 17 imposed by the IC fabricator that place limits on the dimensions of and spacing between objects formed on the various layers of the IC. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a design rule may specify a minimum distance d1 between two objects A and B on the same layer of a layout, or a minimum dimension d2 for an object A as shown in FIG. 4. As illustrated in FIG. 5, a design rule may specify that the edges of object A on one layer of the IC residing above another object B must be horizontally spaced from the edges object B residing on another layer of the IC by some minimum distance d3.
Such design rules 17 place constraints on how a compactor 10 can reposition cells A-D and nets 15 of initial layout 11 of FIG. 2 when forming the compacted IC layout 12. Since various objects subject to design rule constraints form the cell instances and nets, a compactor risks violating design rules by moving cell instances closer together. For example, FIG. 6A shows a cell instance 36 formed by a set of objects 38-43 positioned near another object 44 within a layout. Design rules might subject the distance between the material forming objects 40 and 44 to a minimum spacing constraint. A compactor might therefore move cell instance 36 closer to object 44 as illustrated in FIG. 6B, but no closer than the point at which the spacing between objects 40 and 44 satisfies the minimum spacing constraint d1 between objects 40 and 44 as illustrated in FIG. 6B. Note that in doing so, the compactor causes objects 38 and 44 to overlap, but this is permissible when no design rule prohibits overlap of the material forming objects 38 and 44. Thus a compactor must take into account the internal layout of each instance cell when compacting a layout to make sure that in bringing cell instances closer together it does not violate design rules limiting the spacing between objects forming those cell instances. However a conventional compactor does not reposition objects within a cell instance because the relative positions of objects forming a cell instance can influence the electrical behavior of the cell instance.
As illustrated in FIG. 7, a typical compactor uses a two-phase process to compact a layout, by first compacting the layout in an X direction within the plane of the IC layout and then compacting the layout in an orthogonal Y direction. The compactor initially (step 20) builds a graph modeling the relative position of the object boundaries along the X direction and indicating the minimum spacing between edges mandated by the design rules. It then uses well-known graph theory techniques to "solve the graph" (step 22) by finding a position for each edge that maximizes the amount of layout compression in the X direction while satisfying the design rules. The compactor then converts the graph solution into a new layout compressed in the X direction. Using the x-direction compressed layout as input, the compactor then repeats the process to compress the layout in the Y direction, building graph modeling the relative positions of edges in the Y direction (step 26), solving that graph (step 28) and then converting the graph solution back into a layout that is compressed in both the X and Y directions (step 30).
FIG. 8 shows a simple example of an uncompressed layout having four objects A-D residing in a placement area having X-direction boundaries S1 and S2. Object A has X-direction boundaries A1 and A2, object B has X-direction boundaries B1 and B2, object C has X-direction boundaries C1 and C2, and object D has X-direction boundaries D1 D2. The design rules specify minimum spacings between edges of the objects in the layout, and the double arrows in FIG. 8 extend between edges that are subject to minimum spacing design rules. The number above each double arrow indicates a minimum space between the objects permitted by the design rules. Thus edges A2 and D1 must be at least one unit apart, edges A2 and C1 must be at least one unit apart, and edges B2 and C1 must be at least one unit apart. In this example, all of the objects are two dimension units wide.
In carrying out step 20 of FIG. 7, the compactor generates a graph as illustrated in FIG. 9 in which the edges S1 and S2 of the placement area, and the edges A1, A2, . . . D1, D2 of the objects correspond to nodes of the graph, arrows (directed vertices of the graph) represent spatial relationships between edges, with a number next to each edge indicating the minimum allowable spacing between the edges. A number next to each node indicates the current position of the edge corresponding to the node in the X-direction.
As it solves the graph (step 22 of FIG. 7), the compactor tries to find a coordinate for each node that will minimize the distance between S1 and S2. However in doing so, the compactor must not change the width of any object and must ensure that the spacing between object edges satisfies the design rules.
FIG. 10 shows a solution to the graph of FIG. 9 providing minimum spacing between edges. The graph of FIG. 10 shows that the compactor should move objects B and C one unit in the −X direction, and should move object D two units in the −X direction. This will allow the compactor to move area edge S2 two units in the −X direction as illustrated in FIG. 11, thereby shrinking the placement area from 7 units wide to 5 units wide when the compactor modifies the layout (step 24 of FIG. 7) in accordance with the solution graph of FIG. 11.
The compactor next processes the new X direction compacted layout (step 26 of FIG. 7) to produce a graph modeling edge positions in the Y direction. FIG. 12 shows the labeling of object area edges associated with the nodes of the resulting graph for use in connection with Y-direction compaction. FIG. 13 shows a Y-direction graph modeling the layout of FIG. 12, and FIG. 14 illustrates the solution to the graph of FIG. 13 the compactor produces at step 28 of FIG. 7. FIG. 15 illustrates the resulting layout the compactor produces at step 30 of FIG. 7 that has been compacted in both the X and Y directions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,587,992, issued Jul. 1, 2003 to Marple describes a two-dimensional compaction system the carries out compaction in both X and Y directions at the same time.
While prior art compactors can compact an IC layout by repositioning cells in a manner consistent with design rules, or by replacing cells, the amount by which they can compact a layout is limited by the need to maintain adequate spacing between cells and by the dimensions and internal layouts of the individual cells incorporated into the design. U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,239 issued Sep. 3, 2002 teaches to replace some of the cells within an IC layout when doing so can help reduce the dimensions of an IC layout. However here too, the dimensions and internal layouts of available cells limit the ability of the compaction system to compact the layout.


The technology relates to a cap 1 having a head 4 and a skirt 7 with a circumferential opening area 20 characterized in that the cap 1 may include a transponder 10 including and antenna circuit 14 and a leg circuit 17 the leg circuit 17 extending to the skirt 7 and being non-releasably affixed to the opening area 20, whereby the leg circuit 17 is breakable by disruption of the opening area 20. The transponder 10 stores and is able to transmit information on the integrity of the cap 1 to a reading device.

Some products quickly deteriorate once the bottle or package has been opened. Thus, many manufacturers include labels and devices warning a consumer if a package has been opened. For example, a simple system for foods in glass jars that are sealed under vacuum by their tops include a warning label to check the condition of the metal lid top as this top bubbles downwards as long as the vacuum is maintained. Once the jar is opened, the vacuum is lost and the top bubbles upwards and no longer downwards.
Product counterfeiting presents a further difficult situation for the customer and the manufacturer. In particular, more expensive products make it attractive for counterfeiters to exactly duplicate the packaging and all associated seals and security devices. As a result, on one hand the consumer runs the risk to purchase an imitated product of lower quality or a product not meeting the specified properties at all. On the other hand, the manufacturer suffers losses from lower sales and also runs the risk to have its goodwill and good reputation hampered through counterfeited products.
Therefore, many expensive products are subject to tampering or counterfeiting in the marketplace. Wines and high-end spirits are particularly susceptible to such activities, as the goods often have high value, and such tampering or counterfeiting may be difficult to detect. Tampering and counterfeiting can become a significant commercial issue, resulting in loss of revenue, reduced consumer confidence in product quality and authenticity, as well as impairment to brand value. Due to their high cost and reliance on consumer goodwill, wine and spirit products are also particularly sensitive to negative market effects that may be caused by product tampering and counterfeiting. In addition, there is also a growing need to include and communicate further information related with a particular product, e.g., information on the manufacturer, the brand in general or in a further aspect tracking information about the product from its production to the end consumer.
US 2005/0162277 describe a product security system including an RFID chip and an antenna polymerized onto separable parts of a product package. When the package is opened, the antenna is damaged and electronic access to the RFID chip is impossible.
Many of the available product security and authentication systems rely in one way or the other on the destruction of the RFID chip, its antenna or both when the package is opened for the first time or tampered with. That means, these systems do not provide for and allow the transmission of more complex information and continued exchange of information once the package has been accessed for the first time. As the RFID chip or one of its essential parts is destroyed, no further access is possible and no further information may be retrieved.


A concentric holdown connection joining a held building structural member to a holding building structural member including a holdown connector having at least one upright portion operably connected to the held building structural member and a seat portion. A combination member having a threaded opening therethrough connects the holdown member to a threaded anchor member connected to the holding building structural member. In a preferred form the combination member has a donut-like configuration.

This invention relates to a concentric holdown connection for anchoring a first building structural member or held member to a second building structural member such as a foundation or holding member.
The concentric holdown connection includes a holdown connector and an anchor member that is connected to the holding member, The holdown connector is attached to the held member with fasteners. The anchor member is threadably connected to a combination member seated on the holdown connector.
Holdown connectors have been used for many years in building structures to strengthen the joints of wood frame members to better withstand such cataclysmic forces such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. One of the primary uses of holdowns is in connecting the frame of a building to the concrete foundation.
Early holdowns and even most holdowns in use today are formed so that there is a short but deleterious lateral distance between the load force applied by the held member and the resistance force applied by the holding member causing an eccentric loading. This eccentric loading applies a load multiplier effect which is directly related to the distance between the applied load and the resistance load. Such holdown are hereafter referred to as eccentric holdowns.
Within the past few years a form of holdown known as a concentric holdown has been developed. In a concentric holdown, the applied load and resistant load are on or as near as possible to the same axis. The holdown of the present invention is another form of concentric holdown.
A recent example of a concentric holdown is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,290 granted to William F. Leek on Feb. 4, 2003.
The holdown of the present invention improves upon the prior art holdowns by providing a combination nut, washer, clamp, and tension force flow member, hereafter sometimes referred to as a combination member. The combination member serves as a nut for threadably engaging the end of the threaded anchor member as well as serving as a washer for transferring the load forces from the holdown connector seat to the anchor member.
But, the combination member of the present invention is more than simply a washer. Additionally, the combination members serves as a tension force flow director.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,531 granted to Nash Aug. 5, 1986 shows a threaded nut 26 which also serves as a washer, but the threaded nut 26 serves only as a clamp by means of a bolt 25 to a specially formed foundation plate 28 which in turn is connected to the foundation by anchor bolts 30. (See FIGS. 4, 6, and 9 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,531)
Referring to FIG. 3 of Nash, the sides of elongated nut 26 have no part in directing the flow of tension forces from the seat penetrated by opening 24 of mounting bracket 20 around the right angle bend to the upright members of mounting bracket 20 which hold wood vertical member 10.
Millions of sheet metal eccentric holdowns have been successfully used in building structures in the United States since they were first introduced in the late 1970's and became commonly used during the 1980's.
Both eccentric and concentric holdowns are attached to large column type members such as 4×4's or even tripled 2×4's.
The initial and primary purpose of both eccentric and concentric holdowns is to hold the weight of the building frame and the contents of the building and transfer these compression forces to the concrete foundation. The best way to transfer these large compression forces is to set the ends of the wood members on a flat metal plate or flat connector seat.
When an earthquake, hurricane or tornado strikes, the downward forces suddenly are reversed and an equally important purpose of both eccentric and concentric holdown members is to resist upward forces and to prevent the frame of a building from lifting off its foundation. It is here that the concentric holdowns are generally superior to the eccentric holdowns because the momentum forces are minimized.
But even eccentric holdowns must be carefully designed. The upward force in a prior art concentric holdown is initially resisted by the upright portion or straps of the concentric holdown connector which pull upwards on the outside edges of the flat holdown seat. These upward forces, if unrestrained, would quickly bend a prior art holdown connector seat into the shape of the letter "U" and crush the cross grain wood mud sill members when the weight of the building crashes back down on the mud sill resulting in failure of the connection and possibly leading to the destruction of the building.
Some work has been done to improve the flow of forces through holdown connector members from the held member to the foundation member. Holdowns such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,130 granted Nov. 9, 1999 to Gregg, Leek and Commins have been constructed with pre-bent concave seats and provided with U-shaped washers.
The problem with the U-shaped seat connector taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,130, however, is the fact that they are problematical for resisting compression loads. The compression loads are exerted on a very small surface area which results in crushing the mud sill instead of being distributed over a large area.
To spread the compression bearing load in the present invention, the connector seat is not curved, but rather is flat to spread the bearing compression loads.
The flow of forces which move from the flat seat to the vertical members around nearly a right angle where the straps meet the connector seat requires a force flow director. Channeling forces through a right angle bend is clearly the worst possible condition. Failure of prior art holdown connectors is often at the right angle bend between the seat and the upright members or at the anchor bolt opening in the seat.
Applicant teaches a structure which directs the huge forces imposed by earthquakes and hurricanes to flow from the vertical members of the connector straps to the flat seat member in a smooth curvilinear stream.
Applicant cannot use a connector with a U-shape bend and an n-shaped washer as taught in Gregg et. al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,130, because the combination member of the present invention must be rotated relative to the holdown connector to tighten down the combination member on the threaded anchor member in a clamping force against the seat of the holdown member. Gregg et. al.'s n-shaped washer cannot be rotated.
The n-shaped washers of Gregg et. Al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,130 are unusable in Applicant's concentric holdown because they are operational in only one specific orientation.
Holdowns which can withstand huge forces have found a growing use in structural shear wall panels such as the Simpson Strong-Wall Shear wall shown in Simpson Strongtie® connector catalog by Simpson Strong-Tie Company, Inc. catalog C-2002 pages 27, 30, and 31 and in Mueller U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,626, granted Jan. 13, 1998.
Mueller continued to use a standard nut, but did increase the thickness of the washer to withstand the greater loads. Mueller, however, teaches only the thick square washer and has virtually no curvature in his holdown connector which give the benefits of force flow control.
As evidence of the successful use of the compound curve force flow feature of the present invention, a destruction pull test of the connector of the present invention caused the holdown to fail in the strap portion at a point above the compound curve; not in the curved portion adjacent the seat.
The work done by others in the field to improve the ability of concentric holdowns to resist huge upward forces due to earthquakes and high winds such as hurricanes and tornadoes generally resulted in raising the held column member needlessly high above the foundation member. Applicant has labeled this increase in the height of holdowns, especially concentric holdowns as set forth above, as the "tower effect". The raising of the held column member or "tower effect", required the designers who built the U-shaped members and other lifting blocks to increase the length and thickness of the side straps to hold the columns in an upright position and to prevent them from bending over laterally.
This "tower effect" problem has been greatly alleviated by the use in the present invention of a combination member in which a single member, due to its internal threads, holds the combination member to the anchor member and serves as a nut while its large area serves as a clamping surface.
By eliminating sharp bends in the holdown connector member of the present invention and the use of compound bending through cold working of the metal, and directing flow of forces by means of the combination member, the problem of premature failure of the holdown member at the joinder of the upright straps to the flat seat member has been eliminated.


A portable, unpowered, inexpensive, personal nut milk extraction device that maximizes the amount of milk that can be extracted from a nut such as an almond. It utilizes a collection vessel with a hanging filter bag that is twistably compressed by a series of polymer straps operatively engaged by a twistable cap on the vessel. An over-torque device prevents the filter bag and polymer straps from damage.

It is known that nutmilks such as almond milk, is replete with vitamins like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc. The other nutrients available therein include vitamins such as vitamin C, B-6, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate and vitamin E. All these nutrients have beneficial effects, essential for healthy bodies. One cup of almond milk contains only 60 calories, and has no cholesterol or saturated fat. It's low in sodium and high in healthy fats (such as omega fatty acids, typically found in fish), which helps to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease. One glass has 30 percent of the recommended daily amount, as well as 25 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin D, reducing the risk for arthritis and osteoporosis as well as improving the body's immune function.
Almond milk contains 50 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin E, which contains antioxidant properties essential to your skin's health, such as protecting it against sun damage. It is low in carbs, has no lactose and has a low glycemic index. It has almost one gram of fiber per serving, which is important for healthy digestion. Most importantly—it does not require refrigeration.
The downfalls are that it is not readily available everywhere and where it is available, it often is not fresh because of the low demand. Since it is processed in smaller batches it can be expensive. Commercial extraction devices are expensive, large and require a power source. Since almond milk is derived from a nut, it can, in its unprocessed, ground form, be transported anywhere and freshly extracted if one had a portable extraction device.
Henceforth, a portable, unpowered, inexpensive, personal nutmilk extraction device that maximizes the amount of milk that can be extracted from a nut such as an almond, would fulfill a long felt need. This new invention utilizes and combines known and new technologies in a unique and novel configuration to overcome the aforementioned problems and accomplish this.


An optical system for detecting light from a 2D area of a sample (36) comprises a collection lens (34) for collecting light from a collection region of the sample. A light detector (44) is positionally fixed with respect to the sample, and a reflector arrangement (61) directs collected light to the detector. The reflector arrangement comprises movable components and the collection lens (34) is movable relative to the sample. The collection lens and the movable components are configurable to define different collection regions, and the movement of the components effects a direction of the light from the collection region to a substantially unchanged area of the light detector (44). This arrangement avoids the need for a bulky detector in order to detect signals from a 2D sample area formed by scanning across the sample.

An example of the use of fluorescence detection is in nucleic acid testing (NAT). This is a core element in molecular diagnostics for detecting genetic predispositions for diseases, for determining RNA expression levels or identification of pathogens, like bacteria and viruses that cause infections.
In many cases, particularly in the identification of pathogens, the amount of target DNA present in a reasonable sample volume is very low, and this does not allow direct detection. Amplification techniques are necessary to obtain detectable quantities of the target material. Different amplification techniques have been proposed and are used in daily practice. The most widely used are based on the so-called Polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
The amplification involves the denaturing of double-stranded DNA at elevated temperature (typically >90 degrees Celsius), specific binding of primers to the DNA sample at a reduced temperature (approximately 65 degrees) and copying of the original sequences starting from the primer position (at approximately 70 degrees). This procedure is repeated and in every cycle the amount of DNA with the specific sequence is doubled (when proceeding at 100% efficiency).
After amplification, the presence of target DNA is detected by measuring the fluorescence intensity of the labeled amplified DNA, for instance after electrophoretic separation in a capillary or after hybridization to so-called capture probes which are applied in spots on a surface over which the amplification product is flowed.
This invention relates to the apparatus used to provide the illumination to the sample, and the method of use.
The standard technique for fluorescence detection is the use of a scanning confocal microscope. Typically, a small (<1 μm), diffraction limited spot is used to excite the fluorescence in the focal plane. In the detection part of the system, only the light resulting from this single excitation point is detected.
It has previously been proposed that the excitation of a number of spots or a complete line in parallel enables an increase in the scanning speed, without a major impact on the confocality of the detection system. A pixilated detector can be used to detect the fluorescent emission.
The main disadvantage of a camera is the readout speed and the fact that these detectors are rather bulky and expensive. It is the aim of this invention to overcome these problems by sacrificing the spatial resolution along the length of the excitation line. A more compact solution is important for Point of Care test solutions.

Optical illumination apparatus and method having a reflective arrangement with moveable components for adjusting incident light


A precision analog exponentiation circuit includes a precision analog exponentiation circuit includes a first transistor coupled to a reference current for generating a voltage at the first transistor, a second transistor coupled to the first transistor for generating an output current, a variable current source coupled to the first transistor and the second transistor for generating a sum of the reference current and the output current in response to a feedback signal, and a feedback amplifier coupled to the first transistor for generating the feedback signal wherein the variable current source maintains the voltage at the first transistor substantially equal to a reference voltage so that the output current is substantially equal to an exponential function of a control voltage coupled to the first transistor and the second transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to electronic circuits for generating exponential functions. More specifically, but without limitation thereto, the present invention is directed to an electronic circuit for generating an output current that is an exponential function of a control current.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In many analog and radio frequency (RF) communications systems, for example, television and cellular telephony, the received signal often has a highly variable amplitude. This variation in amplitude is typically a result of transmission distance, fading, and various imperfections in the transmission medium. To prevent saturation of the receiver while maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio, the receiver gain is typically controlled by an automatic gain control circuit. The automatic gain control generally includes a variable gain amplifier (VGA) having a gain that is a function of a control voltage or current.
In one aspect of the present invention, a precision analog exponentiation circuit includes a first transistor coupled to a reference current for generating a voltage at the first transistor, a second transistor coupled to the first transistor for generating an output current, a variable current source coupled to the first transistor and the second transistor for generating a sum of the reference current and the output current in response to a feedback signal, and a feedback amplifier coupled to the first transistor for generating the feedback signal wherein the variable current source maintains the voltage at the first transistor substantially equal to a reference voltage so that the output current is substantially equal to an exponential function of a control voltage coupled to the first transistor and the second transistor.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of generating a precision analog exponentiation function includes steps for generating a reference current through a first transistor to generate a voltage at the first transistor, generating an output current through a second transistor, generating a sum of the reference current and the output current by a variable current source in response to a feedback signal, and generating the feedback signal to maintain the voltage at the first transistor substantially equal to a reference voltage so that the output current is substantially equal to an exponential function of a control voltage coupled to the first transistor and the second transistor.

Precision analog exponentiation circuit and method


An article comprising a ceramic matrix composite component of a gas turbine engine such as a combustion liner this is adapted for backside radiative cooling is provided. The article comprises a ceramic matrix composite composition having a frontside and a backside, and coated with a ceramic insulating material on the frontside and coated with a high temperature emissive material on the backside; and a metal element spaced apart from the ceramic matrix composition and defining a gap between the metal element and the ceramic matrix composite, whereby at least a portion of thermal energy exposed to the ceramic insulating material is emitted from the high temperature emissive material through the gap to the metal element.

This invention relates generally to the field of temperature resistant components and in particular, to an article comprising a ceramic matrix composite component of a gas turbine engine such as a combustion liner adapted for backside radiative cooling.
Gas turbine engines are known to include a compressor section for supplying a flow of compressed combustion air, a combustor section for burning fuel in the compressed combustion air, and a turbine section for extracting thermal energy from the combustion air and converting that energy into mechanical energy In the form of a rotating shaft. Many components that form the combustor and turbine sections are directly exposed to hot combustion gasses, for example, the combustor liner, the transition duct between the combustor and turbine sections, and the turbine stationary vanes and rotating blades and surrounding ring segments.
It is also known that increasing the firing temperature of the combustion gas can increase the power and efficiency of the combustion turbine. Modem high efficiency combustion turbines have firing temperatures that exceed temperatures of about 1,600xc2x0 C., and even higher firing temperatures are expected as the demand for even more efficient engines continues. Thus, the cobalt and nickel based superalloy materials traditionally used to fabricate the structural gas turbine components must be aggressively cooled and/or insulated from the hot gas flow in order to survive long term operation in the aggressive high temperature combustion environment.
Ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials have many potential applications in high temperature environments due to their ability to withstand and operate at temperatures in excess of those allowed for a non-insulated superalloy component. However, oxide and non-oxide CMC""s characteristically can survive temperatures in excess of about 1,200xc2x0 C. for only limited time periods in a combustion environment. Furthermore, oxide-based CMC""s cannot be cooled effectively with active cooling systems due to their low thermal conductivity and their limitations in cooling fluid path design due to manufacturing constraints. For example, convective cooling requires a precise amount of cooling air to flow across the backside of the component; however, although this can be done with appreciable difficulty by controlling air flow splits via sizing cooling air exit holes, undesirable air leakage can often result which is difficult to inhibit if not prevent. For another example, convective cooling causes continuous airflow that can cause thermal shock conditions. Moreover, although non-oxide based CMCs can be aggressively cooled to withstand temperatures above about 1200xc2x0 C., they are subject to environmental degradation that limits their useful life. Thus, to increase the operating temperature range and useful life for CMC components, a high temperature ceramic insulation can be used. However, use of such insulation to cover the CMC substrate does not resolve need to cool the CMC substrate.
Accordingly, there is a need to enhance the operation of CMC structural gas turbine components in a high temperature environment. There is also a need to cool a CMC substrate in an easy and inexpensive manner.
Accordingly, an enhanced operation of CMC structural gas turbine components in a high temperature environment is provided. An easy and inexpensive method of cooling a CMC substrate is also provided, as well an accompanying article of manufacture.
One aspect of the present invention involves an article of manufacture, comprising a ceramic matrix composite composition having a frontside and a backside, and coated with a ceramic insulating material on the frontside and coated with a high temperature emissive material on the backside; and a metal element spaced apart from the ceramic matrix composition and defining a gap between the metal element and the ceramic matrix composite, whereby at least a portion of thermal energy exposed to the ceramic insulating material is emitted from the high temperature emissive material to the metal element.
Another aspect of the present invention involves a component of a gas turbine engine, comprising: a ceramic matrix composite composition having a frontside and a backside, and coated with a ceramic insulating material on the frontside and coated with a temperature emissive coating on the backside; and a conductive metal element spaced apart from the ceramic matrix composition and defining an air gap between the metal element and ceramic matrix composite.
Another aspect of the present invention involves a combustion liner adapted for use in a combustion turbine engine, comprising: a ceramic matrix composite composition having a frontside and a backside, and coated with a ceramic insulating material on the frontside and coated with a temperature emissive coating on the backside; a metal element spaced apart from the ceramic matrix composition and defining an air gap between the metal material and ceramic matrix composite; and a platform adapted to secure the ceramic matrix composition relative to the metal element and to maintain the air gap.

Backside radiative cooled ceramic matrix composite component


Embodiments of an apparatus of the present invention generally include a tubular, substantially exteriorly rectangular, jumper tube connector having a substantially rectangular interior cavity having a plurality of transverse grooves disposed in the surface thereof and extending there around, wherein at least a portion of the jumper tube connector along its two opposing wide sides has a non-uniform wall thickness, at least a portion of which being thicker than a substantially uniform wall thickness of the connector's two opposing narrow sides. A method of connecting shunt tubes utilizing the apparatus is also provided.

Down-hole completion operations commonly require filter screens to restrain flow of sand and particulates existing in the well environment from entering pipe openings. In a common application, shunt tubes are utilized exterior of a base pipe to provide downhole fluid communication independent of flow through the base pipe.
As presently practiced, jumper tubes are provided at connections of the base pipe sections. Jumper tubes provide fluid connection of a shunt tube on a pipe section to a corresponding shunt tube attached to an adjoining pipe section. Jumper tubes are typically installed after connection of pipe sections.
Generally, for adjoining pipe sections, shunt tube ends are aligned when pipe sections are connected. The jumper tube is inserted between respective shunt tube ends. The jumper tube has a connector at each end comprising a telescoping tube section slideable on the jumper tube. Each telescoping tube section is extended to cover a corresponding shunt tube end. Sealing components, such as o-rings, are provided intermediate the telescoping connector sections and corresponding jumper tube sections, and intermediate the telescoping sections and corresponding shunt tube ends to provide a contained fluid flow path from a shunt tube through a jumper tube to the next corresponding shunt tube.
Traditionally, set screws are used to retain a telescoping tube section to a corresponding shunt tube end and to retain a telescoping tube end to a corresponding jumper tube. Exemplary jumper tube connectors utilizing set screws are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,497,267 to Setterberg, Jr. and U.S. Pat. No. 7,886,819 to Setterberg, Jr. In one known technology, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0220606, removable "snap-on clips" may be utilized to secure a jumper tube connector. In another known technology, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publications Nos. 2016/0356098 and 2017/0204682, which applications are incorporated herein by reference as if reproduced in full below, various jumper tube attached fasteners, such as snap clips, and/or shunt tube attached fasteners, such as retention clips, are utilized to secure a jumper connector.
By another technology, as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,562,402, which patent is incorporated herein by reference as if reproduced in full below, jumper tube connectors are secured by means of a retainer ring segment disposed on the interior of a shroud assembly utilized to protect the jumper tube connector assembly.
In a typical industry embodiment, the shunt tubes to be connected are not substantially round tubulars, but rather are more rectangular in shape. Accordingly, typically employed jumper tube connectors have a corresponding interior substantially rectangular geometry. Currently used jumper tube connectors have a generally uniform circumferential wall thickness, and based on dimensional limitations and other considerations, are generally exteriorly rectangular in shape. As would understood by one skilled in the art, the maximum internal fluid pressure such assemblies can withstand is effectively determined by the fluid seal provided by the o-rings. One limitation of such rectangularly shaped tubular configurations is that the "wide" side of the tubular is less geometrically pressure stable than the "narrow" side of the tubular. In certain high-pressure applications, the internal fluid pressure can actually deform the jumper connector along the "wide" sides of the tubular, and compromise the seal provided by the o-ring. It is often desired, however, to operate at fluid pressure levels above the effective limit of current jumper connector/o-ring arrangements.


Systems and techniques are described for actuating a control surface about a pivot point using variable moments. A bracket having a moment arm is coupled to the pivot point such that the bracket is rotatable about the pivot point to actuate the surface. A power actuator has a shaft coupled to the bracket at a coupling point on the moment arm such that actuation force applied to the shaft results in a moment produced about the pivot point. A linear actuator is configured to adjust the location of the coupling point with respect to the pivot point to thereby changing the moment arm and the moment produced about the pivot point as the bracket rotates. By adjusting the distance between the pivot point and the coupling point, the moments produced about the pivot point can be increased while conserving actuator power.

Conventional aircraft are guided by various flight control surfaces such as rudders, ailerons, flaps, elevators, stabilizers and/or the like. These flight controls are typically moveable on the exterior surface of the aircraft to affect the flow of air in accordance with the principles of aerodynamics, and are widely deployed in various types of manned or unmanned aircraft (including both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft), as well as various missiles, rockets and/or the like.
More recently, aircraft have been designed to be larger and more complex in various ways. The migration to so-called "flying wing" and other tailless aircraft designs, for example, represents a choice to design aircraft with improved performance, but potentially with less aerodynamic stability. The stability of such aircraft is typically recouped through the use of larger control surfaces and/or faster control rates. Such designs, however, can be somewhat disadvantageous in that the larger surfaces frequently undergo larger aerodynamic loads than comparatively smaller surfaces, thereby demanding additional power to overcome such loads. Faster control rates similarly impose increased power demands. The increased demands for electrical and/or hydraulic power can limit the effective range or performance of the aircraft, and/or can reduce the size of the aircraft payload. Improved power consumption and/or hydraulic power plant size would therefore improve the range, performance and/or payload capacity of the aircraft. As a result, it is desirable to produce control surfaces that conserve electric and/or hydraulic power, or at least use as little power as possible.

Flight control using actuated variable moment arm


A video subtitle processing system encoding unit which allows display of high quality subtitle in accordance to a preference of an user, to switch the display of the subtitle quickly without degrading the background video image and to transmit and display the colored subtitle with less data amount are provided. The subtitle data encoding unit comprises a color lookup table as memory means for storing color data and a color quantization circuit as detecting means for detecting an address in memory for storing the color data which corresponds to a color of the subtitle, and is characterized in that the address in the memory means detected by the color quantization circuit is coded and transmitted as color information concerning on the color of the subtitle.

Typically, when one watches, for example, a foreign movie, a textual subtitle is often superimposed on the display screen along with video imagery. In video disks or ordinary TV broadcasting, video signals are transmitted in a state in which subtitles have been superimposed beforehand on the video images. In currently known systems, such as CAPTAIN and CD-G, subtitles may be transmitted as character codes or dot patterns.
CD-G is adapted to be able to record graphics utilizing subcodes and utilizing that, it is also possible to record subtitles in a CD. In the CD-G, one frame of data is composed of one byte subcode and 32 byte data, as shown in FIG. 22. In the 32 byte data, six samples of two byte data per sample are allocated to L and R channels, respectively. Accordingly, the total is 24 bytes. Then, an eight byte error correction code is added to the 24 byte audio data, resulting in the data of 32 bytes in total.
On the other hand, 98 frames of subcodes are assembled to compose one block. Among the 98 frames of subcodes, the first two frames of subcodes are allocated for sync patterns S0 and S1. Various subcode data may be recorded in the remaining 96 frames of subcodes. However, among one byte subcodes (each bit is represented by P through W), data for searching a track has been already allocated for data in P and Q channel. Then, graphic data may be allocated with 6 bits in the remaining R channel through W channel. That is, a substantial range in which the graphic data can be allocated is 6.times.96 bits.
Because one block data is transmitted with a frequency of 75 Hz, an amount of one frame of data transferred is 75.times.98 Hz. Accordingly, the bit rate for transmitting the subcodes is 7.35 kbyte/s.
FIG. 23 shows a transmission format of such graphic data. As shown in the figure, a packet is composed of 96 symbols of data, with one symbol being 6 bit data from R channel through W channel, and each packet is composed of four packs. Each pack is composed of 24 symbols from symbol 0 to symbol 23. Mode information is allocated to three bits of R, S and T in the symbol 0 and item information is allocated to three bits of U, V and W, respectively. The following modes are defined by combining such modes and items:
MODE ITEM 000 000 Zero Mode 001 000 Graphic Mode 001 001 TV-graphic Mode 111 000 User Mode
Then, an instruction is allocated to the symbol 1 and the mode and parity bits for the item and instruction are allocated to the symbols 2 and 3, so that a substantial range to which graphic data can be allocated is 12 symbols, for example, as shown in FIG. 23 among the symbols from symbol 4 through symbol 19. Parity bits for 20 symbols from the symbol 0 through symbol 19 are allocated to four symbols from symbol 20 through symbol 23.
Graphic data can be thus allocated as binary data in the range of 6.times.12 pixels of each pack in the CD-G. Because the rate of the pack is 75.times.4=300 packs/s, 300 characters may be transmitted per one second if one character is allocated in this range of 6.times.12 pixels.
Further, because one screen defined in the CD-G is 288 horizontal pixels.times.192 lines, it takes 2.56 seconds to transmit this one screen of characters as shown in the following expression: EQU (288/6).times.(192/12)/300=2.56
Still more, because different patterns have to be transmitted four times per one character pattern if a hexadecimal representation is made in each pixel, it takes 10.24 seconds which is four times of the above time.
By the way, among such conventional methods, there has been a disadvantage that an user cannot turn on or off a displayed subtitle arbitrary in the method by which the subtitle superimposed on a video image is transmitted, like the video disk and normal TV broadcasting. Further, there has been another disadvantage in them that they do not allow to prepare subtitles in a plurality of languages and to let the user select certain one.
Contrary to that, although the method in the CAPTAIN system and CD-G allows to arbitrary turn on off the display of the subtitle, it has a disadvantage that its resolution is not good enough.
That is, whereas a displayable area of one screen is 248 horizontal pixels.times.192 lines in the CAPTAIN system, component digital TV signal has a resolution of 720 horizontal pixels.times.480 lines, and it can be seen that the resolution of the former is not as good as compared to the resolution of the latter.
Furthermore, because only one bit data can be accommodated per one pixel in the CD-G, data is represented by binarizing it. Accordingly, there has been a disadvantage that such phenomena as an aliasing phenomenon by which slanted portions of a character appears in zig-zag and a flicker phenomenon by which characters flicker become significant, giving an unpleasant feeling to the user.
Although it is conceivable to convert the binary information to multi-valued information by means of a filter for example, it requires a high precision filter and hence increases the cost. The use of such filter may also degrade the background image.
If one pixel is represented in hexadecimal in the CD-G, it takes about four times the amount of time when it is displayed in binary and it becomes difficult to switch the display of subtitles quickly. Further, because the data rate is low in the method in the CAPTAIN system and CD-G, it has been difficult to display subtitles which dynamically change timewise.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to solve the aforementioned problems by providing means which allows to display a high quality subtitle in accordance to a preference of an user, to switch the display of the subtitle quickly without degrading the background video image and to display the subtitle which dynamically changes timewise with less data amount.


In a flip-chart comprising at least two sheets disposed in overlying relationship and releasably securable to one another by means of static cling, each said sheet adapted for writing thereon and erasure of said writing, and each said sheet being removeable from said other sheets for releasable securement to a surface soley by means of static cling.

Various devices have heretofore been developed in connection with displaying information during a presentation, a seminar, or for advertisement or the like.
For example, white boards having a vertical surface presenting a smooth white surface for writing thereon have heretofore been used. Such white boards usually comprise a board of wood, particle board or other like material which has one side finished with a smooth white surface for writing thereon with a felt pen or the like, and which writing is erasable by a dry brush or tissue s that the white board can be reused. Such white boards are generally expensive to make and require fasteners such as screws or the like to fasten the white board to a vertical surface.
Other arrangements such as paper pads including advertising display pads as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,755,576 have been used for displaying certain advertising information. The advertising display pad disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,755,576 generally relates to a removeably adhesive supportable advertising display pad which is adapted to be secured adhesively to an irregularly contoured support.
Furthermore, other devices have been used in the past which utilize electrostatic attraction for securing materials to a surface. For example, French patent no. 76 36888 discloses that a notice in a window or other display position is made up of regular geometric shapes carrying blocks of information which when arranged together convey a particular message.
Moreover, Japanese patent no. 111183 discloses a sheet which is bonded to an object by electrostatic action by rubbing the surface of the object to be bonded. Such sheets having adequate adhesiveness to the objects to be bonded and ar highly transparent.
Finally, British patent no. 627881 teaches that thin sheets of polyvinyl chloride when made with a highly glazed surface will cling very firmly to a glossy surface.
It is an object of this invention to combine the benefits of white boards with those of a traditional paper pads.
It is a further object of this invention to provide for a flip-chart pad which is more economical to produce and easily transportable.
The broadest aspect of this invention relates to a flip-chart comprising at least two sheets disposed in overlying relationship and releaseably securable to one another by means of static cling, each said sheet adapted for writing thereon and erasure of said writing, and each said sheet being removeable from said other sheets for releaseable securement to a surface soley by means of static cling.
It is another aspect of this invention to provide a flip-chart pad comprising a plurality of overlying tear sheets releaseably attracted to one another by means of static cling so as to define said pad, each said sheet adapted for writing thereon and for dry erasure of said writing for reuse of said sheet, and each said sheet being removeable from said pad for releaseable securement to a surface solely by means of static cling.
It is another aspect of this invention to provide a flip-chart pad comprising; a plurality of overlying tear sheets capable of generating static cling, each said sheet adapted for writing thereon with a felt pen, and for dry erasure of said writing; a bristol board backing adapted to support said plurality of overlying tear sheets, said backing including a folded edge adapted to overlie a portion of said tear sheets; fastening devices presented in the region of said folded edge of said backing so as to fasten said overlying tear sheets between said folded edge and said backing, so as to define said pad; each said tear sheet adapted to be removeable from said pad for releaseable securement to a surface solely by means of static cling.


An ethylene styrene copolymer having isolated styrene monomer units separated by 5 or 6 methylene groups as determined by 13C-NMR may be polymerized in the presence of an activator and a transition metal catalyst containing a phosphinimine ligand.

The present invention relates to copolymers of one or more C2-8 alpha olefins with one or more C8-20 vinyl aromatic monomers, in which the vinyl aromatic monomer is incorporated into the polymer in a manner such that the distribution of vinyl aromatic monomer does not follow a Bernoullian statistical distribution and not less than 90% of the vinyl aromatic monomer is in the form of triads of the structure of C2-8 alpha olefin-vinyl aromatic monomer xe2x80x94C2-8 alpha olefin as determined by 13C NMR.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,066,709 issued May 23, 2000 assigned to Denki Kagaku Kogyo, Kabushiki discloses an ethylene styrene copolymer having from 1 to 55 mole % of an isotactic ES alternating structure having a head to tail bond structure (e.g. ESSE). The polymers of the current invention do not have an ethylene and a styrene monomer in alternating manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,191,245 issued Feb. 20, 2001, to Campbell et al, assigned to the Dow Chemical Company teaches copolymers of one or more alpha olefins and one or more vinyl aromatic monomers which are substantially random (Col. 6, lines 45-48) containing head to tail insertion (ESSE). Analysis of the polymers of the current invention indicates over 90% of the styrene monomer is isolated and separated by not less than 5 methylene units (in case of ethylene styrene copolymer).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,703,187 issued Dec. 30, 1997, assigned to the Dow Chemical Company teaches pseudo random co-polymers of styrene and ethylene. In the polymers at the present invention the aromatic branches are separated of either 5 or 6 methylene (CH2) units (e.g. EESEES (5 CH2 between branches) or EES (reverse styrene-6 methylene groups between branches). The Dow Patent does not teach this.
There are a number of Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd. patents which teach polymers comprising blocks of syndiotactic polystyrene (the phenyl rings are alternating on opposite sides of the backbone) and the olefin is incorporated in repeating units (e.g. olefin blocks). The patent teaches blocks of syndiotactic polystyrene and does not suggest the isolated vinyl aromatic structure of the present invention. Additionally, the process for preparing the block copolymers does not use the catalyst system contemplated by the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,239,242 B1 issued May 29, 2001 discloses pseudo block polymers of vinyl aromatic monomers and alpha olefins. At least 10 weight % of the vinyl aromatic monomers are incorporated in the form of at least one or more atactic pseudo blocks (three or more vinyl aromatic monomers in conjunction). In the polymers of the present invention the vinyl aromatic monomers are isolated. There are no blocks or pseudo blocks of the vinyl aromatic monomers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,390,141 issued Jun. 25, 1968 teaches a block copolymer of styrene and ethylene containing from 0.01 to 7 weight % of styrene block polymerized in the presence of a conventional Ziegler-Natta polymerization system. The patent teaches that the styrene is not incorporated into the ethylene backbone of the polymer but rather tends to be in styrene blocks at the end of the olefin homopolymer (Col. 2 lines 55-60). This teaches away from the subject matter of the present patent application as the vinyl aromatic monomer is incorporated into the backbone of the polymer. Further, in the polymers of the present invention the vinyl aromatic monomer is not incorporated in the form of blocks. Rather the vinyl aromatic monomers are separated by 5 or 6 methylene units.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,315 issued Jul. 29, 1997 to Inoue et al. assigned to Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals, Inc. teaches the polymerization of an ethylene styrene interpolymer which is substantially random in the presence of a bridged bis cyclopentadienyl transition metal compound in the presence of aluminoxane as an activator. The process of the patent requires the presence of a bridging moiety which has been eliminated in the present invention. Further the polymers of the patent are substantially random. The polymers of the present invention are not substantially random in that they do not have a Bernoullian distribution of monomers. Rather the vinyl aromatic monomers are separated by 5 or 6 methylene units.
The present invention provides a polymer comprising from 95 to 80 weight % of one or more C2-8 alpha olefins; from 5 to 20 weight % of one or more C8-20 vinyl aromatic monomers which are unsubstituted or substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of a chlorine or bromine atom and a C1-4 alkyl radical; and from 0 to 10 weight % of one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of C5-9 nonconjugated diolefin monomers wherein the vinyl aromatic monomer is incorporated into the polymer in a manner such that the distribution of vinyl aromatic monomers does not follow Bernoullian statistical distribution and not less than 90 % of the branching due to the vinyl aromatic monomer is separated by 5 or 6 methylene groups as determined by 13C NMR.
The present invention further provides a process for preparing the above interpolymer comprising contacting a monomer mixture comprising from 0.5 to 0.7 mole fraction of one or more C8-20 vinyl aromatic monomer which are unsubstituted or substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of C1-4 alkyl radicals; from 0.5 to 0.3 mole fraction of one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of C2-8 aliphatic alpha olefins and optionally from 0 to less than 0.1 mole fraction one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of C5-9 nonconjugated diolefins with a catalyst comprising a phosphinimine compound of the formula;
Cp((R1)3Pxe2x95x90N)xe2x80x94Mxe2x80x94L2
wherein each R1 is independently selected from the group consisting of C3-6 alkyl radicals which are unsubstituted or substituted by a heteroatom, provided that there is a carbon phosphorus bond and the CPN bond angle is less than 108xc2x0, Cp is selected from the group consisting of a cyclopentadienyl, indenyl and fluorenyl radicals which are unsubstituted or substituted by one or more substitutents selected from the group consisting of C1-6 alkyl radicals which are unsubstituted or substituted by one or more fluorine atoms; M is selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, and Hf, and each L is independently selected from the group consisting of a halogen atom, a hydrogen atom, a C1-10 alkyl radical, a C1-10 alkoxide radical, and a C6-10 aryloxide radical, and at least one activator, at a temperature from 25xc2x0 C. to 150xc2x0 C. and a pressure from 15 psi to 15,000 psi.

Ethylene styrene copolymer with isolated styrene


A process for removing a nitrogen compound from a vacuum gas oil feed includes contacting the vacuum gas oil feed comprising the nitrogen compound with a VGO-immiscible phosphonium ionic liquid to produce a vacuum gas oil and VGO-immiscible phosphonium ionic liquid mixture, and separating the mixture to produce a vacuum gas oil effluent having a reduced nitrogen content relative to the vacuum gas oil feed.

VGO is a hydrocarbon fraction that may be converted into higher value hydrocarbon fractions such as diesel fuel, jet fuel, naphtha, gasoline, and other lower boiling fractions in refining processes such as hydrocracking and fluid catalytic cracking (FCC). However, VGO feed streams having higher amounts of nitrogen are more difficult to convert. For example, the degree of conversion, product yields, catalyst deactivation, and/or ability to meet product quality specifications may be adversely affected by the nitrogen content of the feed stream. It is known to reduce the nitrogen content of VGO by catalytic hydrogenation reactions such as in a hydrotreating process unit.
Various processes using ionic liquids to remove sulfur and nitrogen compounds from hydrocarbon fractions are also known. U.S. Pat. No. 7,001,504 B2 discloses a process for the removal of organosulfur compounds from hydrocarbon materials which includes contacting an ionic liquid with a hydrocarbon material to extract sulfur containing compounds into the ionic liquid. U.S. Pat. No. 7,553,406 B2 discloses a process for removing polarizable impurities from hydrocarbons and mixtures of hydrocarbons using ionic liquids as an extraction medium. U.S. Pat. No. 7,553,406 B2 also discloses that different ionic liquids show different extractive properties for different polarizable compounds.
There remains a need in the art for improved processes that enable the removal of compounds comprising nitrogen from vacuum gas oil (VGO).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Process for removing nitrogen from vacuum gas oil


A method for accurately aiming vehicle headlamps, with apparatus for practicing the method. A vision system, including a digital camera, is positioned in front of a headlamp, in communication with a control device. The control device employs pattern recognition to identify the optical axis indicia within the headlamp, and based on the identified location of that indicia, the control system accurately aligns a beamsetter with the optical axis of the headlamp.

Motor vehicles generally use headlamps to illuminate the road during low visibility conditions. In the past, vehicle generally employed two headlamps, one on either side, mounted at the front of the vehicle. Recent years have seen a proliferation of multiple headlamp systems, however, and many vehicles now feature at least two headlamps on each side. Each headlamp, or each pair of headlamps, offers two illumination conditions, referred to as high beam and low beam. The high beam setting offers maximum illumination, as the beams are aimed generally straight ahead of the vehicle. If oncoming traffic is present, however, high beams will impair the visibility of approaching drivers, and therefore a low beam setting is available, in which the headlight beams are directed relatively downward. Most countries, including the United States, ensure safety through regulations specifying the light patterns produced by mounted headlamps. In general, a vehicle under test is positioned in a stated position relative to a test surface, the headlamps are illuminated, and the resulting light pattern is analyzed. Headlamp mounting arrangements include an aiming adjustment mechanism, which typically shifts the orientation of the headlamp beam on horizontal and vertical axes, and that mechanism is used to aim the beams as required. A target or pattern on the projecting surface assists the aiming process, also referred to as aiming the headlamps.
Headlamps are initially aimed during manufacture, and that process must occur smoothly and rapidly. Typically, the vehicle assembly line includes a headlamp aiming station where that task is performed. It can be readily understood that headlamp aiming criteria vary with vehicle height, width, and other factors related to vehicle make, model, and build. Manufacturers have attempted to streamline the headlamp aiming process by identifying individual automobiles with a given build specification. In practice, these measures have not been noticeably successful, as it has been found that even small variations, particularly in height, have cause significant variation in results, causing undesirable cost and effort. A need therefore remains for headlamp aiming equipment and processes that allow flexible aiming over a range of vehicle types.


Gear drive systems used with a camera comprise a housing with an electric drive gear disposed outside of the housing. A host gear is engaged with the drive gear and is rotatably disposed on a stationary shaft extending from the housing. An adapter is attached to the host gear and extends axially outwardly therefrom. A secondary gear is attached to the adapter and comprises a plurality of teeth disposed along an outside diameter. The secondary gear is releasably attached to the adapter by retaining elements and is fixed rotatably to the adapter by registration elements. The secondary gear is attached to the adapter by a push on snap-fit, and is removed from the adapter by being pulled off, thereby avoiding the need for tools to interchange a secondary gear having a desired configuration of teeth to engage a camera optical adjustment element such as a lens ring.

The use of motor gear systems as used in conjunction with cameras such as film or movie cameras and the like for adjusting such optical characteristics as lens iris and/or focus and/or zoom is known, and conventionally comprises a drive motor that is external from the camera. An example conventional motor gear system 100 is illustrated in FIG. 1A, and generally comprises a motor housing 102 having an electrically-powered motor (not shown) disclosed in the housing. A drive gear 104 is mounted on a shaft extending outside of the housing that is rotated by the motor. The drive gear 104 includes teeth 106 that are engaged with teeth 108 of a host gear 110 positioned adjacent to and in the same plane of alignment as the drive gear. The host gear 110 is mounted on a stationary shaft 112 that extends from the housing, wherein a bearing is interposed between the shaft 112 and the host gear 110 to facilitate rotation of the host gear when operated by the drive gear. In the example illustrated, axial placement of the host gear 112 on the shaft 112 is maintained or fixed by use of a retaining element such as a C-clip 114 or the like.
The host gear 110 has a set diameter and pitch, in this conventional motor gear system a 32 pitch, which may or may not complement the pitch of the particular camera component to be adjusted. Thus, in use, it is oftentimes necessary to attach a differently sized/pitched secondary gear to the host gear that complements a ring gear on the camera for the optical feature being adjusted. FIG. 1B illustrates a situation where the motor gear system 100 is rigged or otherwise mounted to be adjacent a ring gear 120 of a camera element 122, e.g., a lens, to adjust a desired optical feature, in this case, the iris of a lens having a 64 pitch. In such a situation, the camera lens iris having a 64 pitch cannot be adjusted by the host gear having a 32 pitch. FIG. 1A illustrates an example secondary gear 116 having a pitch that is different, in this case, a 64 pitch, then that of the 32 pitch host gear, wherein the addition of such secondary gear in such conventional motor gear system is made by attaching the secondary gear axially to the outside of the host gear through the use of three screws 118. Once attached, the motor gear system may be adjusted to place the secondary gear in contact with the same pitch camera ring gear to be adjusted.
While such conventional motor gear systems are useful for adjusting an optical property of the camera lens, e.g., zoom, focus, iris/aperture or the like, there are times where a different camera element needs to be adjusted that has either a different pitch or a different depth (where it is desired to match the depth of the camera ring gear to that of the motor gear system to prevent unwanted wear of the camera ring gear. The need to make such adjustments on the run occurs frequently. In such conventional motor gear system, this requires that the motor gear system be removed or retracted from the camera to access the screws holding the existing secondary gear, removing the screws and the existing secondary gear from the host gear, finding the correct secondary gear having the necessary pitch, attaching the new correct secondary gear by screwed attachment, and then moving the motor gear system into engagement with the camera ring gear to be adjusted. Alternatively, the entire motor gear system can be changed out with another motor gear system having the correct secondary gear already attached thereto. Either way, the process is time-consuming, requires that you have the necessary secondary gears and tools on hand and/or may require that one have more than one entire motor gear system handy which still takes time to properly set up with the camera.
It is, therefore, desired that a motor gear system be constructed in a manner that enables use with cameras, e.g., provides a desired geared engagement with a camera element gear such a lens gear or the like, that is specially engineered to enable removal and replacement of a gear element that engages a camera element gear without removal and replacement of the gear system and in a manner that avoids the use of tools. It is further desired that such motor gear system be configured in a manner that permits retrofit use with existing gear motors so that an entirely new gear motor is not needed. It is further desired that the motor gear system be developed comprising a number of different camera gears providing different gear pitches and/or gear depths that are all interchangeable in the system to permit a toolless switch out from the motor gear system to thereby enable quick and easy camera reuse in once an adjustable camera element has been changed.


A linear motion electric power generator. A rare earth magnet and a coil are positioned to move linearly back and forth relative to each other. The movement of the coil in the field of the magnet generates a current in the coil. Springless orientation means are provided to maintain a neutral position about which the relative motion occurs.

There are many electrical devices such as environmental monitors and alarms which are installed at remote locations where they cannot, in many cases, be conveniently wired to electrical power lines. Batteries have limited lives and solar cells are expensive and don't work when the sun doesn't shine. Many remote applications, such as ocean surfaces or remote roadways, have available considerable mechanical energy that is not being used. That mechanical energy is normally in the form of essentially linear, bi-directional motion.
Almost all electrical power produced in the world is generated from large rotary generators. Some attempts have been made to convert linear mechanical energy into electricity. U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,974 would attempt to convert vehicular roadway traffic energy into electrical power by using a plurality of magnets and coils. This device, however, was impractical requiring extensive installation cost, and would have been very inefficient, wasting most of the available mechanical energy in compression springs.
Another U.S. Pat. No. 4,260,901 attempted to convert the linear rise and fall of sea waves into electrical power. This device required complex mechanical linkages, and also converted the linear motion into rotary motion to generate its power.
Powerful rare earth magnets (for example Samarium-Cobalt, and Neodymium-Iron-Boron magnets) have been available for years.


A method of memory BIST (Built-In Self Test) and memory repair that stores a redundancy calculation on-chip, as opposed to scanning this data off-chip for later use. This method no longer requires level-sensitive scan design (LSSD) scanning of memory redundancy data off-chip to the tester, and therefore does not require re-contacting of the chip for electrical fuse blow.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a memory BIST (Built-In Self Test) and repair, and more particularly pertains to a memory BIST and repair which stores redundancy data on-chip to allow redundancy to be activated during wafer test or to be used to select fuses for permanent enablement (i.e. for e-fuses, which are electrically-blown fuses).
The present invention provides a method of memory BIST (Built-In Self Test) and memory repair that stores a redundancy calculation on-chip, as opposed to scanning this data off-chip for later use. This method no longer requires level-sensitive scan design (LSSD) scanning of memory redundancy data off-chip to the tester, and therefore does not require re-contacting of the chip for electrical fuse blow.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Memory BIST and repair is commonly used in memory designs as a means of increasing product yield. BIST and repair schemes in the prior art generally require that the failing bit/word be LSSD (level-sensitive scan design) scanned off-chip or to an on-chip processor to determine fixability of the memory cells and for fuse blow identification.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art BIST and repair scheme which requires that the failing bit/word be LSSD scanned off-chip or to an on-chip processor to determine fixability of the memory cells and for fuse blow identification. Also, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,961,653 as an example
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a memory BIST and repair.
A further object of the subject invention is the provision of a memory BIST and repair which stores redundancy data on-chip to allow redundancy to be activated during wafer test or to be used to select fuses for permanent enablement (i.e. for e-fuses).
In accordance with the teachings herein, the present invention provides a method of storing memory redundancy allocation signatures for memory elements, such as memory blocks or banks, on-chip. Pursuant to the method, each memory element capable of redundancy on the chip is interrogated, one at a time using a built-in self test program. A redundancy allocation signature is then stored on the chip for each memory element from said built-in self test program, and redundancy is enabled for each memory element by interpreting the stored redundancy allocation signature for that memory element.

International Business Machines Corporation


Cyclic ketal compounds provide excellent foam protection when having at least one moiety of a threshold size (comprising 4 or more carbon atoms) pendant from a ketal carbon. The carbons in such moieties may be present in one or more chains. The cyclic ketal compounds of the present invention are compatible with foodstuff manufacturing. In particular, it has been discovered that the cyclic ketal compounds of the present invention exhibit excellent foam control performance in both potato and sugar beet processing systems.

Industrial technologies may generate foam when fluid mixtures are mixed, agitated, under mechanical shear, exposed to acoustic energy, filtered, boiled, extruded, sprayed, sparged, coated, or the like. In some instances, foaming results due to entrapment of air or other gases. Solutions, dispersions, emulsions, gels, and the like all may be susceptible to foaming. Often, foaming is undesirable. Foaming decreases process efficiency and may compromise product quality. Foaming may also damage equipment.
Food and beverage products typically incorporate one or more foodstuff ingredients. A foodstuff ingredient is a substance suitable for human or animal consumption. A foodstuff ingredient may be derived from one or more foodstuff ingredient precursors. The ingredient precursors are substances that are physically or chemically modified to form further precursors or the desired ingredients, depending on the stage of manufacture and how many manufacturing stages are involved. Processing the ingredient precursors may involve unwanted foam generation. For example, production of sugar or other products from sugar beets requires complex processing of sugar-containing plant juices. Many of the processing steps, including juice recovery and purification stages, may be instances at which unwanted foaming could occur. Different stages of manufacturing food and beverage products derived from potatoes also may give rise to severe foam formation.
Thus, foam control strategies are highly desired and widely used in the manufacture of food and beverage products. Mechanical methods of foam management have had limited effectiveness used on their own. Instead, one or more foam control agents may be incorporated into in-process mixtures in order to help control foam generation. Foam control agents optionally may be used as an alternative to such mechanical methods of foam control or, if desired, in combination with such mechanical methods. A foam control agent may control foam in different ways such as to prevent foam from forming on the first instance (an antifoam agent) and/or to break up foam that forms (a defoamer).
Several classes of foam control agents are known. One class results from alkoxylation of polyols. Another class includes alkyl polyglucosides. Another class includes glycerol esters. Notwithstanding the availability of these different classes, there remains a strong demand for foam control agents that are suitable for use in the manufacture of foodstuffs.

Cyclic ketal compounds having long side chains useful as foam control agents in the manufacture of food and beverage products


This invention relates to a manual operating device for the brake and accelerator pedals of an automobile which enables a driver to operate an automobile safely and conveniently. The present invention comprises a handle lever, a mounting member, a brake pedal operating rod, and an accelerator pedal operating rod. The mounting member includes a supporting member, connecting bolts, a fixing member and a U-bolt. The brake pedal operating rod includes an upper pipe rod, a connecting pipe and a lower rod. The accelerator pedal operating rod includes an upper pipe rod, a connecting pipe and a lower rod.

In the prior art, there is a manual operating device for the accelerator pedal and brake pedal for the handicapped person, such as Korean Utility Model Publication No. 85-592. In Korean Utility Model Publication No. 85-592, dated Apr. 21, 1985, K.H. Rho et al. describes a type of manual operating device for the accelerator pedal and brake pedal of an automobile. As shown in FIG. 6, K.H. Rho et al. shows that when the driver pulls the handle lever 101, bevel gear 102 and the axle 103 are rotated simultaneously, thereby rotating eccentrical shaft 104 and bevel gear 105, which causes the rod 106 to move downward and press accelerator pedal 107 down, thus the automobile is accelerated. When the driver takes his hand off the handle lever 101, or pushes it to the original position, the axle 103 and accelerator pedal 107 are moved to the original position by the spring 108. When the driver pushes the handle lever 101 downward in order to stop the automobile, the rod 109 and the brake pedal 110 are moved downward, and the automobile is stopped. When the driver takes his hand off the handle lever 101, or pulls it to the original position, the rod 109 and the brake pedal 110 are moved upward to the original position, and the automobile is again able to move.
However, the prior utility model is inconvenient for the handicapped driver to use to operate the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal, because it requires both forward and backward movement and upward and downward movement for accelerating and stopping the automobile. In this conventional device, the complicated mechanical structure increases the cost of production, and creates an enormous economic burden. Furthermore, the efficiency of production is low because of the complicated mechanical structure.

Manual operating device for the brake and accelerator pedals of an automobile