Method of drying a medium for producing a porous matrix from a solution, a paste, an extract, a granulated material or such, where a liquid inert agent is fed into a vessel (5) at controlled pressure and amount through a valve (7), transferring the pressurized liquid inert agent to a mixing vessel (4), said mixing vessel (4) also receiving the solution, such as paste, extract or granulated material, through an inlet valve (10), adjusting the pressure and temperature inside the mixing vessel (4) to desired levels by a release valve (6), upon complete mixing of the inert agent with the solution, the mixture is expanded into a porous matrix and injected into a drying circuit through a drying chamber (3), the matrix thereby being kept suspended in the drying chamber by the flowing drying medium, supplied by the blower (2), the matrix moisture being removed from the mixture through a heat exchanger coil comprising a first heat exchanger (11) where the water vapour is condensed and removed from the circuit and finally the drying medium is adjusted to the desired inlet condition in a heat exchanger (1) before the drying medium flows through the matrix and the process is repeated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a method and an apparatus for producing a porous matrix from a solution, a paste, an extract, a granulated material or such, and the drying process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Developments are continuously made to make processes and apparatus and connectors with freeze drying more economical, more accurate, to a higher degree capturing aromatic and nutritious ingredients during the, freeze drying process.
With the method and the apparatus according to present invention, the dryer may operate at different temperature levels and inlet conditions below the freezing point of the material, enabling removal of substantial amount of moisture within a shorter residence time.
With the method according to the present invention is provided a flexibility on the operation since a solution, a suspension, a paste, juices, extract and even finely granulated sticky products can be mixed with an inert agent and expanded as to form a porous matrix. Said porous matrix is progressively dried as it is introduced into the drying chamber, said drying chamber thereby comprising means to adjust the inlet conditions as provided by the heat exchanger and the blower.
By closed loop circulation of the drying air or other media, processing contaminations are avoided and a maximum retention of the final product aroma or odorants as well as other heat sensitive organic components, which would have been lost i open processes.
Uncoupled heat exchangers provide conditioned drying media at appropriate and different levels as to attain minimum thermal inactivation while avoiding degradation of heat sensitive or delicate products. To avoid environmental and thermal pollutions, natural refrigerants are used in the uncoupled heat exchangers.
The above described advantages are achieved with the method and the apparatus according to the present invention.
According to the invention, an inert agent is introduced into the structural raw material which may be a solution, a paste, an extract, a granulated material or such, whereafter the raw material is expanded to above or below the freezing point of the raw material and to a lower pressure, thereby producing a matrix mainly consisting of solids, pores and ice crystals. The resulting matrix may be frozen prior, or during the drying process or may be directly introduced into drying chamber.
The frozen matrix is placed into the drying chamber of the apparatus whereafter the dryer is activated. The moisture removed from the matrix is guided as an exhaust medium through a heat exchanger having cooled surface coils in which the water vapour condenses and thereafter is removed from the drying circuit.
In the next phase the drying medium is conditioned to the desired and preset inlet condition of the drying chamber by using the heated surface of the heat exchanger. This process is repeated continuously as the drying medium is reentered the drying chamber containing the matrix.
With the apparatus according to the present invention the inert agent is mixed with a matrix in a controlled mixing process. For this purpose the apparatus comprises several components also for conditioning the drying medium.
Reservoir 1 for the inert agent and reservoir 2 for the raw material are preferably made of stainless steel. The outlet of said reservoirs is accurately controlled for fine proposing of the mass fractions, by the use of flow meters and control valves. Pressure and temperature at the reservoir inlets and outlets are recognized by sensors and indicators arranged in the reservoir piping, fittings and connections.
The dryer as such consists of a closed loop in which the drying medium flows after being conditioned in the heat exchanger. The surfaces of the heat exchanger may be independently heated respectively cooled or may as such be connected with the appropriate refiguration systems and heat pumps.
A blower, when activated, provides the flow of the drying medium through drying chamber containing the fixed or fluidized bed of porous frozen matrix, whereafter the drying as such is accomplished by heat transfer and mass transport mechanisms. The heated and cooled surfaces of the heat exchanger promote dehumidifaction and conditioning of the drying medium and may be adjusted to provide desired specification and thermal sensitivity of the matrix by specific chamber designs and preset inlet conditions.
With the method and apparatus according to the present invention the dryer is able to operate at different temperature levels and the inlet conditions may be preset at or below the final freezing point of the raw material, such that nearly all of the moisture in the matrix is removed. In connection therewith, the circuit temperature of the heat exchanger may be changed in order to increase the temperature of the drying medium, controlling the relative humidity and consequently attaining a high degree of water removal and a short residence time of the matrix.
The design of the dryer as such enables use of only a fraction of the energy used in conventional processes. Furthermore the closed drying circuit avoids contamination as such, as frequently observed with commercial open systems.
Due to the higher operation temperature and higher operation pressure, the drying process according to the present invention is less expensive than commonly available drying systems having similar capacities. Furthermore the final product from the dryer provides higher and more uniform quality than conventional dryers and spray dryers operating at much higher temperature which furthermore is unsuitable for heat sensitive materials.

Method and apparatus for drying a porous matrix


An animal prop having a body or appendages with rip-stop nylon air bags surrounding a support member. The air bags are attached to each other with zippers. A blower provides air to the air bags through air hoses. A liner surrounds the air bags. A fur cloth covering simulating animal skin or fur is placed over the liner. A life-like appearance and movement is provided as the air bags roll, billow or deform with movement of the prop.

Large animal props are frequently used in parades or in theme or amusement parks. The prop should appear life-like yet it must also be relatively durable and lightweight. The surface of the prop must accurately simulate the animal represented by the prop. The appendages of the prop, for example, arms and legs, must be articulated and flex and move in a life-like manner. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a prop for simulating part of or an entire animal having a natural and life-like appearance of animal fur.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a prop which is suitable for use on very large size animal simulations, but with a minimum of weight.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a prop which is durable and easily maintained. Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.


An applique is provided that is attached to the outer surface of a product. The applique comprises a decorative piece including an upper surface with a design element digitally printed thereon and an opposite lower surface attached to the product.

The present application relates generally to decorative items and, more particularly, to appliques. Appliques are decorations or designs that are applied on top of larger surfaces of apparel and other products. Appliques can be used to customize apparel, and can bear emblems and insignia particular to events or organizations. Conventionally, appliques bearing emblems or insignia are embroidered.
Appliques can be used to create items which commemorate events such as athletic contents. Commemorative items which are particular to the outcome of an event, such as those featuring the winner, are desirable. Fans in attendance at the event are also often particularly interested in purchasing commemorative items at the contest. Items which display details about the contest such as a final score would be particularly desirable. However, conventional means do not permit the creatFion of such items, as current processes are too time consuming and/or require complex equipment which cannot be ported to the location of an athletic contest. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of quickly and efficiently producing customized commemorative items using equipment which can transported and operated outside of a traditional production setting.

Digitally printed applique and method of making same


A basilar membrane model is used to receive an input signal including a target signal in step I. With successive further steps the target signal is filtered from the input signal. After the filtering the target signal can be used as an input for further processing, like for example signal recognition of data compression. The target signal can also be applied to a substantially reverse method to be obtain an improved or clean signal.

This invention relates to an apparatus for estimating frequency properties as in the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to an apparatus for estimating the spectrum of a signal as in the preamble of claim 7. The invention further relates to a signal recognition system, a data compression system and a signal improvement system device including such apparatuses and methods for performing functions of the apparatus.
Apparatuses as described above, are known from the article xe2x80x9cUsing an Auditory Model and Leaky Autocorrelators to Tune In to Speechxe2x80x9d by T. Andringa, published in ESCA Eurospeech 97, Rhodes, Greece, ISSN 1018-4074, pp. 2859-2862. From this Andringa 1997 article, it is known to make use of an auditory model which imitates the working principles of the basilar membrane. The output of the segments of the model is used as an input for a set of leaky autocorrelator units which are tuned to a particular, fixed, periodicity. The activity of the responsive autocorrelator units as a function of the segment number is then a direct measure for the spectrum of the periodic signal to be detected.
With the apparatus described in this prior art document, it is possible to reconstruct an energy spectrum of a signal whose fundamental period is both known and constant. However, a problem presents itself in that the known device does not provide for the correct and or optimal reconstruction of the energy spectrum when the period is unknown, is not constant, or both. The object of the invention is to provide a device which enables a correct reconstruction of the signal when the period of the sound signal is unknown and/or is not constant.
In a first aspect of the invention to that end the invention provides a device as claimed in claim 1. In a second aspect of the invention to that end the invention provides a device as claimed in claim 8.

Methods and apparatuses for signal analysis


A sliding pocket door adapted for aircraft use comprising two generally tabular door segments each laying in a common sliding plane and each attached to a carrier frame which is mounted to an aircraft bulkhead. Each door segment is attached to its carrier frame by unique hinges that allow the door segment to rotate out of the sliding plane while simultaneously dropping along their axes of rotation. This rotation will allow a non-destructive depressurization of the doors, for example during rapid decompression in the aircraft.

Aircraft interiors, especially those of large corporate jets, are often subject to extensive modifications of their interior to fit the needs of individual corporate clients. Aircraft interior designers often prefer to use doors which slide into pockets in the bulkhead because such doors are more aesthetically pleasing and will allow greater latitude of design. These doors are called "pocket doors" and consist of two segments which slide horizontally in a common sliding plane, which sliding plane is perpendicular to the floor of the aircraft interior. When the door is in a closed position, the door segments present a uniform plane parallel to the bulkhead into which they recess (the "pockets"), thereby giving the interior designer an unbroken plane on which to create designs. When the pocket door is in an open position, the door segments are recessed into the bulkhead pockets and the passengers can pass through.
However, Federal Aviation Agency regulations require doors of an aircraft interior to be capable of withstanding nondestructive blow-out. That is, if there is sudden decompression in one portion of the aircraft interior, the aircraft door must be capable of blowing out without shattering. The purpose of such nondestructive blow-out is to avoid injury to aircraft occupants by flying debris.
Presently, aircraft utilizing pocket doors contain blow-out panels whereby sections of the door segments are releasably retained to the door segments by means of lanyards.

Sliding pocket door for aircraft use capable of non-destructive blow-out


A method of storing data processed during the operation of a data processing system, stored in the form of files in main storage means of the system and backed up by copying it to auxiliary storage means, includes, at transfer initiation times periodically recurring with a long period, transferring files stored in the main storage means of the system when it is operating from the primary storage area in which they are initially stored in the main storage means to a secondary storage area of the main storage means if they were not created and/or modified during the immediately preceding long period. Thus files recently created or modified can be processed separately from other files, to enable differentiated back-ups.

This application is based on French Patent Application No. 01 02 074 filed Feb. 15, 2001, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto in its entirety, and the priority of which is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of storing data resulting from the operation of a data processing system and stored in storage means of the system, referred to herein as main storage means, and which is copied (to provide a xe2x80x9cback-upxe2x80x9d for use in an emergency) in storage means, referred to herein as auxiliary storage means, so that the data can be copied back in the event of an incident preventing use of data stored in the main storage means. The invention also relates to a storage device for implementing the method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Computer data is routinely backed up on a storage medium other than that on which the data is initially stored to limit the inconvenience resulting from loss of data from a data processing system, which can have diverse causes, such as a hardware fault or software error, for example, or an operator error.
One prior art method periodically performs two separate back-ups in a data processing system. A first periodic back-up makes a complete copy onto a particular media module of all of the files containing data resulting from the operation of the data processing system over a period of time that can be considered to constitute a long period, for example one or two weeks. The second periodic back-up makes a selective and incremental copy of files containing data resulting from the operation of the data processing system over a much shorter period of time, for example of the order of one day. Thus an incremental back-up copies only files created or modified since the immediately preceding back-up.
The volume of data to be copied in a complete back-up and the duration of that operation usually prevent repeated back-ups at frequent intervals, in particular if the data processing system includes a large number of interconnected machines.
A drawback of the prior art method described above is that it is not easy to restore lost data from copies made by the periodic back-up operations that it provides if the restore operation must take into account a plurality of copies, for example a series of copies spanning a period of more than a few weeks. The operations to be carried out to restore the data then become very complex, and can therefore entail reading a relatively large number of media modules, and take too long to provide a satisfactory response to the needs of users, on whose behalf the data processing system is operated, since the fastest possible restoration of the data is generally required. The benefit of an incremental back-up is that it makes it possible to supply each user with a copy of the work that they were doing in the state at which that work existed at the time of the back-up, short of always being able to restore the work to the user in the state in which it existed at the time it was unintentionally interrupted. The objective aimed at is to avoid each user having to redo, or have redone, work that has been done and unintentionally interrupted, and delayed restoration of data rapidly becomes of no benefit in the case of work in progress.
The invention therefore proposes a method of storing data processed during the operation of a data processing system, stored in the form of files in main storage means of the system and backed up by copying it to auxiliary storage means, which method includes, at transfer initiation times periodically recurring with a long period, transferring files stored in the main storage means of the system when it is operating from the primary storage area in which they are initially stored in the main storage means to a secondary storage area of the main storage means if they have not been created and/or modified during the immediately preceding long period, in order to separate files recently created or modified from other files, to enable differentiated back-ups.
According to the invention files stored in the primary storage area are backed up by complete copying to the auxiliary storage means of the system at an intermediate period less than the long period, of which it is preferably a submultiple, and by incremental copying to the auxiliary means at a short period less than the intermediate period, of which it is preferably a submultiple, files stored in the secondary storage area being backed up to the auxiliary storage means with the long period.
According to the invention, files are periodically transferred from the primary storage area to the secondary storage area in the main storage means under the control of the operating system of the data processing system including the main storage means and in a manner that is entirely transparent to a user.
According to the invention, access pointers to files stored in the secondary storage area of the main storage means are stored in a database located in a primary storage area of the main storage means that is updated on transferring files from the primary storage area to the secondary storage area and in the event of requests to modify or eliminate a file stored in the secondary storage area, each request leading to the deletion of the pointer for accessing the file in the secondary storage area after copying the file into the primary storage area in the case of a request for modification.
The invention also proposes a data storage device for a data processing system including storage means for storing data assigned to a data processor entity that includes at least one processor and operates in conjunction with a clock system, the storage means including:
main storage means in which the data is stored in the form of files and with which at least one processor of the processing entity communicates for transmission and command purposes when the data processing system is operating, and
auxiliary back-up storage means for storing files periodically copied from the main storage means.
According to the invention, the main storage means are organized into at least two separate storage areas, including a primary area for storing files newly created and/or modified and a secondary area into which are periodically transferred, at a transfer initiating time recurring periodically with a specified long period, files stored in the primary area that have not been created and/or modified during the immediately preceding long period, the areas providing for differentiated back-ups of files recently created or modified and other files, producing copies of different files at different periods.
The invention, its features and its advantages are explained in the following description, which is given with reference to the single FIGURE of the accompanying drawing.

Method and device for storing computer data with back-up operations


The disclosed subject matter provides for systems, devices, and methods facilitating carrier-driven bearer path selection. Carrier-driven bearer path selection enables a carrier to assert bearer path selection policies. Bearer paths available to UEs can be checked for compliance with a carrier's policies. Preferred bearer paths can be designated to the UE for selection. Designation of preferred bearer paths can, in an aspect, be related to route cost, path requests, or path characteristics. In addition, complex bearer path schema can be determined. In an aspect, complex bearer path schema can include asymmetric routing, bonding, and multiplexing. The subject disclosure can enable a carrier to improve management of the carrier's network resources by driving bearer path selection determination to UEs.

Modern communication devices typically have mechanisms for communicating over a variety of communications pathways. These communications pathways can comprise a large plurality of communication path segments that can be linked together in a variety of ways to effect a communication path that will bear communicative traffic. These various permutations comprising communication segments can be known as bearer paths. A simple example of a bearer path segment can be a string stretched tight between two cans, the string carrying the vibrations of a voice spoken into one can across the string to the other can. More complex examples of bearer path segments can include the various interconnections of copper wire in old POTS (plain old telephone system) exchanges, hops across various routers in an IP system, wireless links in a cell phone network, wireless links in an WLAN system, fiber lines running across the ocean floor, copper power lines in a PowerLine-type LAN system, radio links between HAM operators, or any other medium that can bear communicative content or data.
Typically, the selection of a bearer path is delegated, at least in part, to a communicating device or the user of a communication device. As a basic example, a modern smartphone can select among an Enhanced Data rates for GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) Evolution (EDGE) cellular link, a 3G (3rd Generation) cellular link (including 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) technologies), a WiFi link (IEEE 802.11 or other wireless LAN links), etc., when sending or receiving information. Generally, modern devices are merely programmed to select from the available bearer paths in a predefined preferential order based on availability, e.g., where WiFi is available, data is preferentially routed on WiFi rather than a 3G bearer path segment regardless of the actual performance of the bearer path segments. This can result in sub-optimal selections of a bearer path where the actual performance of a bearer path segment departs from the anticipated performance. Continuing the previous example, where the WiFi bearer path segment is selected by the smartphone, if the WiFi link is heavily burdened, the 3G bearer path segment could have provided superior performance. A user can also generally interact with a device to, at least in part, designate a bearer path, e.g., the user can turn off the WiFi radio in the exemplary smartphone and the smartphone will then typically revert to a 3G bearer path segment selection where WiFi is no longer available. Generally, the selection mechanisms in modern user equipments (UEs) can often be associated with sub-optimal performance.


A ferroelectric material includes a compound of formula (I):(Pb1−x−zBazAx)(ByZr1−y)O3,   (I)wherein 0≦x≦0.1, 0≦y≦0.020, 0.15≦z≦0.35, with the proviso that y≠0 when x=0, and that x≠0, when y=0; and wherein A is a first element having a valence number greater than that of Pb, and B is a second element having a valence number greater than that of Zr. A ferroelectric memory device made from the ferroelectric material is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a ferroelectric material, more particularly to a ferroelectric material having a lead barium zirconate-based modified structure so as to improve fatigue resistance thereof. This invention also relates to a ferroelectric memory device made from the ferroelectric material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, in view of rapid development in semiconductor processing techniques, there is a surge of interest in searching for ferroelectric materials to meet the requirements for reducing volume and size of a memory device. In recent development of memories, attention has been drawn to the manufacture of non-volatile semiconductor memories by using ferroelectric materials that exhibit a polarization hysteresis having two stable electrical polarization states.
In application of the ferroelectric materials, such as lead zirconate titanate, to a ferroelectric memory device, since lead zirconate titanate (Pb(Zrx, Ti1−x)O3, PZT) is characterized by a relatively high remanent polarization (Pr) and a high Curie temperature (Tc) with respect to the operating temperature, PZT is useful for manufacturing of the ferroelectric memory device having a Pt/PZT/Pt capacitor. However, although such ferroelectric memory device has high remanent polarization, the switched polarization (ΔP) will decrease with an increase in switching cycles after repeated switching at a predetermined voltage. As such, the applied coercive field (Ec) of the ferroelectric memory device is required to be increased accordingly, which, in turn, results in poor fatigue resistance.
In detail, since oxygen vacancies accumulated at the interface between the PZT film and the metal electrode layers during switching cycles, movement of domains included in the ferroelectric memory device tends to be adversely affected, which can result in deterioration of the fatigue resistance. Formation of such oxygen vacancies is related to reduction of Ti4+ to Ti3+ in PZT during manufacture of the ferroelectric memory device. Conductive metal oxides, such as (La, Sr) CoO3 (LSCO), SrRuO3 (SRO), and YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO), that have a perovskite structure similar to that of PZT, can be used for manufacturing metal electrode layers, so as to improve the fatigue resistance of the ferroelectric memory device.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,519,235, 5,248,564 and 5,838,035 describe a ferroelectric memory device including a LSCO/PZT/LSCO capacitor. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,194,228 and 5,155,658 describe a ferroelectric memory device including a SRO/PZT/SRO capacitor and a YBCO/PZT/YBCO capacitor, respectively. The entire contents of these prior art Patents are incorporated herein by reference.
However, even though the fatigue resistance of the ferroelectric memory device mentioned in these prior art Patents can be improved by using the conductive metal oxides as the electrode layers, the manufacture of such ferroelectric memory device requires a relatively high sputtering or depositing temperature, e.g., about 600° C. to 810° C., and complicated processing steps.
Therefore, there is still a need in the art to provide a ferroelectric material that is capable of forming a ferroelectric memory device with good fatigue resistance and high remanent polarization.

Ferroelectric materials and ferroelectric memory device made therefrom


The crop residue distribution apparatus and system use a horizontal crop spreader assembly and deflector door independently relatively positionable to be configurable in a straw windrowing and chaff spreading configuration in which straw flow is directed through an aperture between drive units of the spreader assembly while the chaff is directed to the spreader disposed in a lower opening; in a straw and chaff spreading configuration wherein the door closes the aperture and both straw and chaff are directed to the spreader; and in a straw and chaff windrowing configuration wherein the spreader is withdrawn from the lower opening such that the straw and chaff are both discharged therethrough to form a windrow without requiring removing disks of the spreader.

The disclosure of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/517,419, filed Apr. 19, 2011, is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
Agricultural combine harvesting machines or harvesters typically discharge crop residue, or processed crop material, from a rear cavity of the harvester. Crop residue is typically generated by two sources. One source is the threshing and separating system, which produces a large volume of crop residue, typically including larger fragments of stalks, stems, cobs, and leaves, often referred to as straw or straw residue. The other source is the cleaning system, which produces a much lower volume of smaller elements of crop residue, such as pod and husk fragments, and particulates, commonly referred to as chaff or chaff residue. Both sources are typically propelled rearwardly through the rear cavity of the harvesting machine, and discharged through a rear opening in some manner.
Combine harvesters or machines typically utilize a rotary residue spreader in or adjacent to the rear opening to distribute the processed crop materials or residue over a harvested field. Alternatively, the spreader can be by-passed to not spread or distribute the crop material onto the field for a subsequent operation, such as baling. When the residue spreader is by-passed, the by-passing crop residue material, is often desirably placed on the field in a relatively narrow windrow behind the harvester in a process referred to as windrowing. Later, if the windrows are to be baled, often the baling apparatus, e.g., a tractor towing a baler, will have wheels spaced a certain distance side to side apart. As one desirable advantage, the windrows will be at least marginally smaller in width than this distance, so that when baling, the tractor wheels are not driven on the windrows. Difficulty achieving desired windrow width increases proportionally as the volume of residue to be windrowed increases, as a result for instance, of larger header widths and harvesting machine capacity, crop cut heights, crop density, etc. As another advantage, in some circumstances, it may be desired to windrow all of the crop residue for later pick up, e.g., baling, and in other circumstances it may be desired to have the ability to spread some of the residue, particularly the lighter, smaller chaff, and to bale the larger straw.
Rotary residue spreaders typically include counter rotating disks or impellers for receiving all or part of the processed crop material or residue from the rear cavity of a combine harvester and spreading the material in a generally even side to side manner behind the harvester. In some styles of spreaders, known generally as vertical spreaders, the impellers are oriented generally vertically or at a small acute angle relative to vertical, so as to rotate about a horizontal or near horizontal rotational axis. In other spreaders, known generally as horizontal spreaders, the disks are oriented generally horizontally, for rotation about upstanding or vertical rotational axes.
In connection with vertical spreaders, it is known to provide a manner of enabling easily choosing different operating modes or configurations for spreading all of the crop residue; windrowing all of the residue; or spreading the chaff and windrowing the straw. Reference in this regard, Wolters et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,719,627 issued Apr. 13, 2004, which discloses a vertical spreader and rear door arrangement wherein the door can be closed and the spreader positioned in a straw and chaff spreading configuration, and wherein the door can be opened to provide straw windrowing and chaff spreading. The spreader can alternatively be positioned in a rearmost raised clean out position to allow both the straw and chaff to fall through the rear opening of the machine for windrowing.
In contrast, with horizontal spreaders, the disks are relatively large and when not in use substantially block the rear opening of the harvesting machine, necessitating removal of the spreader assembly from the machine, or removal of the spreader disks from the spreader assembly, if it is desired not to spread crop residue. Some spreaders provide quick release mechanisms for this purpose. However, as a disadvantage, the spreader assembly, or the spreader disks are both quite large, and must be stored when not in use. As another disadvantage, with at least some horizontal spreaders it is not possible to spread the chaff and windrow the straw, which is a desired operation of many combine operators.
Therefore it would be desirable to have a crop residue distribution apparatus and system utilizing a horizontal spreader, that provides a straw and chaff spreading configuration, a straw windrowing and chaff spreading configuration, and a straw and chaff windrowing configuration that does not require removal of the spreader disks.
Thus, what is sought is an apparatus or system that overcomes at least one of the problems, shortcomings or disadvantages as set forth above.

Crop residue distribution apparatus and system with cooperatively movable deflector door and spreader assembly


Conversion and passivation coatings and methods for treating metal surfaces such as steel and aluminum are disclosed. The coating compositions comprise a silane and a stabilizing agent. The methods herein comprise contacting the requisite metal surface with the coating composition.

1) Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to non-chromium containing coatings for metals. Particularly, the disclosure relates to a no-rinse, non-chromate, non-metal phosphate coating for steel, zinc coated steel, and aluminum surfaces comprising a stabilizing agent to improve the adhesion of siccative, conversion and/or passivation coatings to the surface and provide enhanced corrosion protection.
2) Description of Related Art
A variety of compositions are known for commercial applications to prepare metal surfaces. For example, chromium compounds and heavy metal phosphate conversion coatings are used in commercial applications to prepare metal surfaces prior to painting operations. However, growing concerns exist regarding the toxicity profile of chromium and the pollution effects of chromates, phosphates, and other heavy metals discharged into rivers and waterways from the waste streams of these industrial processes.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art to provide an effective treatment free of chromium compounds or heavy metal phosphates to provide dried in place conversion or passivation coatings to inhibit metal surface corrosion and enhance place conversion or passivation coatings to inhibit metal surface corrosion and enhance the adhesion of paint or other coatings that may be applied to the surface. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,976 describes an alkaline solution made from a combination of inorganic silicate or aluminate, an organofunctional silane and a non-functional silane as a treatment for metal that provides enhanced corrosion resistance of painted metal substrates. U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,901 discloses a method to treat a metal with a solution comprised of a ureido silane with one or more multi-silyl-functional silanes. A solvent such as an alcohol may be included to improve the solubility or stability and an acid may be added to adjust the pH of the solution below 7. The solvent may be substantially removed in a subsequent step.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Storage stable composition of partial and/or complete condensate of hydrolyzable organofunctional silane


A number of parameters representative of the vehicle operation are sampled in addition to those critical for determining the actual malfunction of the turbine sensor. In the event that the additionally sensed parameters are such as to indicate that conditions exist under which an erroneous malfunction detection is apt to occur, the diagnostic process is inhibited or alternatively, in the event that a malfunction is detected under such conditions, the malfunction indication is ignored and neither recorded in memory nor displayed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an automotive power unit including an automatic transmission and more specifically to a diagnostic arrangement for monitoring the operation of a sensor or sensors utilized therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
JP-A-62-62047 discloses an automotive transmission which is electronically controlled in a manner to minimize shift shock. Data such as engine and vehicle speed are input to a A/T control unit which processes the same and generates the various necessary shift and line pressure control signals. Further, this type of transmission uses a conventional type torque converter wherein the engine torque which is input thereto, is transmitted to the transmission input shaft by the turbine. Accordingly, as the transmission input speed can vary considerably from the engine speed during various modes of operation, in order to control the transmission in the required manner it is deemed advantageous to know the rotational speed of the transmission input shaft and to be able to compare this value with the rotational speed of the output shaft.
The sensors which are used in this arrangement are provided with diagnostic and fail-safe back-up arrangements in order to obviate totally erroneous operation in the event that one or more of the sensors should suddenly begin to malfunction and supply totally erroneous data to the control unit.
For example, in the case of the turbine sensor, when the vehicle speed is above a predetermined level and the turbine sensor output indicates an abnormally low turbine rotational speed, the turbine sensor can be diagnosed as being out of order. Alternatively, in the case of the engine speed sensor indicating a high rotational speed while the turbine speed is indicated as being below a predetermined level it is possible to predict that the turbine sensor is not functioning properly.
However, with this type of diagnostic arrangement it is possible in the case the transmission is conditioned to produce neutral (such as in response to a D-N select for example) for the engine speed to be quite high (e.g. engine racing) while the turbine speed is quite low or even zero. This opens the door to the possibility of an erroneous malfunction indication. Further, in the case of a vehicle coasting and the engine speed lowers to the point where the output pressure of the oil pump drops off and permits the power train to assume a pseudo neutral condition wherein the reverse flow of torque from the driving wheels back through the transmission to the turbine does not occur, it is possible for the turbine speed to quite low while the vehicle speed is high, and again induce the situation wherein an erroneous indication that the turbine sensor is out of order, may be produced.
A further example of a situation wherein erroneous sensor diagnosis is possible occurs in the case wherein the vehicle stalls--the engine speed is high but the vehicle progress is so inhibited (e.g. extremely steep incline) that the speed is very low. Under these conditions the turbine speed will be sensed as being too low for the instant engine speed and thus the diagnostic system is apt to generates an erroneous sensor malfunction indication.

Sensor malfunction diagnostic system for automatic automotive transmission


A magnetic resonance imaging system includes magnetic resonance signal detecting means (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10) for detecting a magnetic resonance signal from an object to be examined, receiving means (9) for phase-sensitive detecting and amplifying the magnetic resonance signal, data acquiring means (11) for sampling and digitizing the magnetic resonance signal obtained by the receiving unit (9), and image reconstructing means (12) for performing image reconstruction on the basis of the magnetic resonance signal and the sampling data obtained by the data acquiring means (11). The magnetic resonance imaging system includes a reference signal phase correcting circuit (26) for correcting a phase of a phase-sensitive detecting reference signal, a base line correcting circuit (27) for correcting a base line of the magnetic resonance signal detected by the magnetic resonance signal detecting means (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10), and a sampling point correcting circuit (28) for correcting a sampling point of the magnetic resonance signal in the data acquiring means (11).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging system and, more particularly, to a magnetic resonance imaging system in which correction is performed for acquired magnetic resonance data by hardware, thereby reducing a load on software processing except for Fourier transform processing for image reconstruction and improving throughput of the system.


The present invention provides methods for stimulating or enhancing the conversion of coal to methane. The methods of the current invention subject coal to an oxidation step, for example ozonolysis, thereby converting at least a portion of the coal to partially-oxidized and water-soluble forms of organic matter. Subsequent contact of the oxidized coal components with a suitable inoculum containing a methanogenic microbial community produces methane.

With the majority of the available liquid hydrocarbon reservoirs located in politically unstable regions, the need to increase the amount and diversify of energy sources continues to grow. Coal, an abundant natural resource in North America, is not a viable fuel substitute for liquid hydrocarbons. To take advantage of this abundant natural resource, the solid coal must be converted to a more readily usable liquid or gaseous form.

Methods for obtaining clean energy from coal

The Board of Regents of The University of Oklahoma


A single client session may be managed such that two or more virtual instances are presented without regard to technologies of the different virtual instances. Individual ones of the two or more virtual instances may be of a virtual environment or a virtual space. A first virtual instance may be loaded into the client session responsive to a user being authenticated for the first virtual instance based on received authentication information. A second virtual instance may then be loaded into the client session responsive to the user being authenticated for the second virtual instance based on the same received authentication information. Information associated with the user, information associated with a user character controlled by the user, and/or other instance services may be provided to the first virtual instance and/or the second virtual instance. Individual ones of the virtual instances may be monitored for a runtime error and/or memory abuse.

In some existing virtual worlds, users can play games created by third parties. In existing systems, however, the third-party games may be limited to the same technology as that used for the virtual worlds in which they are played. For example, if a given virtual world uses Flash technology, a third-party game played in that virtual world may be restricted to Flash. Furthermore, virtual world providers may not be in control of games played within the virtual world with respect to memory usage, runtime errors, and/or other aspects of game control. Additionally, user authentication may be convoluted in that separate user authentications may be required for a virtual world and games played within that virtual world.


A first circuit having deteriorated duty is connected to a second circuit having the same circuit arrangement and the same layout as that of the first circuit. The first and second circuits are connected to each other by means of an inversion logic. The difference between a rising time tr and a falling time tf generated in each circuit block of the first circuit is canceled by the circuit block of the second circuit corresponding to that of the first circuit. Accordingly, duty deterioration derived from types of blocks, branching and wiring capacity is prevented without the influence of process variation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit and a duty deterioration preventing method thereof and particularly relates to a technique for preventing the deterioration of the duty of a propagating signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
The recent computerization or information-oriented trend is characterized by the increase of the quantity of information and higher transfer speed as can be seen from the transfer of images and voice through the Internet, the higher display resolution and the increase of use of mobile communications and the like.
For the purpose of downsizing, systems supporting the information-oriented society are required to be provided not only at low cost but also with high performance, which requirements are prominent for semiconductor integrated circuits serving as the center of the systems.
To realize high-speed, low-cost semiconductor integrated circuits, such measures are taken as one-chip mount, i.e., integrating and mounting a plurality of circuits on a single chip, and the reduction of the number of signal lines.
Accordingly, a circuit arrangement in which the number of signals is reduced by means of parallel/serial signal conversion (to be referred to as "P/S conversion") and a Data-Strobe transfer method for generating a clock signal from a data signal and a strobe signal without using a clock signal to thereby transmit/receive signals at higher transfer speed, becomes a mainstream.
In the P/S conversion, it is essential to ensure timing accuracy of a clock signal relative to a serial signal, to reduce the difference between the rising time (tr) and the falling time (tf) of a serial signal, i.e., to make a duty ratio when the rate of change of a serial signal is the highest, closer to 50%.
Additionally, in case of the Data-Strobe transfer method, it is essential to reduce the skew of the data and strobe signals and to reduce the tr/tf difference between the data signal and the strobe signal so as not to deteriorate the duty ratio of a clock signal generated from the data and strobe signals, i.e., to make a duty ratio when either data or strobe signal operates in a cycle of a clock signal, closer to 50%.
The deterioration of the duty ratio derived from the tr/tf difference becomes prominent at high transfer speed. Considering this, too, it is a particularly demanded technique to make the duty ratio closer to 50% in recent years.
Next, a mechanism which causes the tr/tf difference to deteriorate a duty ratio will be described with reference to a circuit shown in FIG. 1A and a timing chart shown in FIG. 1B.
Referring to FIG. 1A, this circuit is a variable delay circuit in which inverters are serially connected and the outputs of even stage inverters are connected to the next inverters and switch-added output blocks.
In this variable delay circuit, it is assumed that when a load is one inverter, a rising time tr1 and a falling time tf1 satisfies the relationship of tr1=tf1, and when a load is an inverter and output block, a rising time tr2 and a falling time tf2 satisfies the relationship of tr2>tf2.
When a signal having a duty ratio of 50% is inputted to an input terminal, it is found that as the number of stages is increased, the distance between the rising edge and the falling edge tends to be narrowed and the duty ratio deteriorates in the circuit connection in which the even stage inverters have higher loads.
In order to meet the demand of preventing the deterioration of a duty ratio, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 8-335861 has proposed a variable delay circuit having a circuit arrangement in which a plurality of identical inverters are serially connected and even stage inverters are connected to switch-added output blocks, respectively, characterized in that dummy load capacities (load circuits) are connected to the odd stage inverters (inverting buffers) and that the differences in driven capacity between odd stage inverters and the even stage inverters for the purpose of reducing the duty deterioration of output signals.
According to the technique disclosed in the above publication, as shown in FIG. 2, the capacities of the gates driven by the inverters are equal and duty deterioration derived form the difference in driven gate capacity is prevented. That is, the variable delay circuit 1 includes inverting buffers 3.sub.1, . . . , 3.sub.n from the first to the n-th stages (where n is an even number) connected in series, switch circuits 5.sub.1, . . . , 5.sub.n/2 connected to output terminals b of the even numbered inverting buffers 3.sub.2, 3.sub.4, . . . , 3.sub.n, respectively, an up/down counter circuit 7 for selecting one of the switch circuits 5.sub.1, . . . , 5.sub.n/2 and for outputting a signal I1 from the selected switch circuit and load circuits 6.sub.1, . . . , 6.sub.n/2 connected to output terminals b of the odd numbered inverting buffers 3.sub.1, 3.sub.3, . . . , 3.sub.n-1 of the inverting buffers, and having equivalent loads to those of the switch circuits 5.sub.1, . . . , 5.sub.n/2.
The circuit arrangement described in the above publication, however, has a problem that the difference in wiring capacity is generated depending on the difference in wiring length between blocks and the difference between adjacent wirings and crossed wirings and duty thereby deteriorates.
Furthermore, there are many cases where actual circuits, which functions are complicated and on which test modes are mounted, require an antangenient in which different blocks are mixed and circuit branches exist. With such a circuit arrangement, there is no avoiding the occurrence of the difference between a rising time (tr) and falling time (tf) depending on the combinations of driving capabilities and loads of the respective blocks. It is not, therefore, practical to prepare load adjustment blocks which satisfy all the combinations and to design a circuit.
Owing to this, it is difficult to prevent duty deterioration derived from wiring capacities even with a simple circuit in which identical blocks are serially connected, or particularly difficult with a circuit having different blocks and including branches.
This problem will be described in detail while taking the following cases as examples.
The first example, i.e., an example of a circuit arrangement in which identical circuit blocks (e.g., inverters) are serially connected, is shown in FIG. 3A.
Duty deteriorates because of the difference in wiring capacity caused by the difference in wiring length among inverters and difference between crossed wirings and adjacent wirings.
The second example, i.e., an example of a circuit arrangement in which different circuits blocks (inverters and NAND circuits in this example) are serially connected, is shown in FIG. 3B. Duty deteriorates because of the differences in driving capability and input capacity among circuit blocks as well as that in wiring capacity as in the case of the first example.
The third example, i.e., an example of a circuit arrangement having connection branches, is shown in FIG. 3C. Duty deteriorates because of the difference in input capacity among circuit blocks and that in wiring capacity as in the case of the first example.
In an actually used semiconductor integrated circuit, the above-stated first to third examples are mixed, thereby making it more difficult to prevent duty deterioration.

Semiconductor integrated circuit and duty deterioration preventing method thereof


A multi-spectrum based image fusion apparatus is disclosed, which includes a light acquisition device, an image processor, and an image sensor having five types of photosensitive channels. The five types of photosensitive channels including red, green and blue RGB channels, an infrared IR channel and a full-band W channel. The light acquisition device acquires target light corresponding to incident light. The image sensor converts the target light into an image signal through the RGB channels, the IR channel and the W channel. The image processor analyzes the image signal into RGB color signals and a brightness signal, and fuses the RGB color signals and the brightness signal to obtain a fused image. The collection of the channels based on which the RGB color signals and the brightness signal are obtained includes the five types of photosensitive channels.

In low illumination conditions, an image acquisition device with a beam splitting and fusion function is usually required to acquire an image, in order to ensure that the acquired image contains more image information. Specifically, the basic principle for acquisition an image through the image acquisition device with the beam splitting and fusion function is as follows: acquiring a visible light image corresponding to visible light signals and acquisition an infrared image corresponding to infrared light signals, and fusing the visible light image and the infrared image to obtain a fused image. The fused image is a dual-band image, which contains more image information than a single-band image, either the visible light image or the infrared light image.
The image acquisition device with the beam splitting and fusion function specifically includes a transflective mirror, a visible light sensor, an infrared light sensor, a registration unit, and a fusion unit. Specifically, the transflective mirror is used to separate incident light into visible light and infrared light. The visible light sensor is used to acquire visible light to produce a visible light image, and the infrared light sensor is used to acquire infrared light to produce an infrared image. The registration unit is used to eliminate a position deviation between the infrared image and the visible light image. The fusion unit is used to perform weighted fusion on the infrared image and the visible light image the positions of which have been corrected by the registration unit. The resulting fused image obtained by the fusion is an output image of the image acquisition device.
Although the image acquisition device with the beam splitting and fusion function can obtain an fused image, its optical system needs to be specially designed to obtain infrared light and visible light simultaneously, that is, to acquire the infrared light and the visible light simultaneously by a prism beam splitter and different optical sensors. This results in a complex structure of the image acquisition device and limits the scope of its application.

Multi-spectrum-based image fusion apparatus and method, and image sensor

HANGZHOU HIKIVISION DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Isomannide-based compounds having chiral properties are provided, in addition to liquid crystal compositions and polymer networks derived therefrom.

Thermotropic liquid crystals are generally crystalline compounds with significant anisotropy in shape. That is, at the molecular level, they are characterized by a rod-like or disc like structure. When heated they typically melt in a stepwise manner, exhibiting one or more thermal transitions from a crystal to a final isotropic phase. The intermediate phases, known as mesophases, can include several types of smectic phases wherein the molecules are generally confined to layers; and a nematic phase wherein the molecules are aligned parallel to one another with no long range positional order. The liquid crystal phase can be achieved in a heating cycle, or can be arrived at in cooling from an isotropic phase. A comprehensive description of the structure of liquid crystals in general, and twisted nematic liquid crystals in particular, is given in "The Physics of Liquid Crystals," P. G. de Gennes and J. Prost, Oxford University Press, 1995.
An important variant of the nematic phase is one wherein a chiral moiety is present therein, referred to as a twisted nematic, chiral nematic, or cholesteric phase. In this case, the molecules are parallel to each other as in the nematic phase, but the director of molecules (the average direction of the rodlike molecules) changes direction through the thickness of a layer to provide a helical packing of the nematic molecules. The pitch of the helix is perpendicular to the long axes of the molecules. This helical packing of anisotropic molecules leads to important and characteristic optical properties of twisted nematic phases including circular dichroism, a high degree of rotary power; and the selective reflection of light, including ultraviolet, visible, and near-IR light. Reflection in the visible region leads to brilliantly colored layers. The sense of the helix can either be right-handed or left-handed, and the rotational sense is an important characteristic of the material. The chiral moiety either may be present in the liquid crystalline molecule itself, for instance, as in a cholesteryl ester, or can be added to the nematic phase as a dopant, leading to induction of the cholesteric phase. This phenomenon is well documented, as discussed for example in H. Bassler and M. M. Labes, J. Chem. Phys., 52, 631 (1970).
There has been significant effort invested in methods for preparing, by synthesis, polymerization and otherwise, stable polymer layers exhibiting fixed cholesteric optical properties. One approach has been to synthesize monofunctional and/or polyfunctional reactive monomers that exhibit a cholesteric phase upon melting, formulate a low melting liquid crystal composition, and polymerize the liquid crystal composition in its cholesteric phase to provide a polymer network exhibiting stable optical properties of the cholesteric phase. Use of cholesteric monomers alone, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,896, provided cholesteric layers with the desired optical properties, but the polymer layers possessed relatively weak mechanical properties.
Many efforts have been made to improve the physical properties and thermal stabilities by formulating twisted nematic monomer phases that are capable of crosslinking polymerizations to provide polymer networks. A need remains, however, for polymerizable chiral monomers that have good phase compatibility in polymerizable nematic liquid crystals and high helical twisting power (HTP). High HTP allows the use of smaller amounts of the expensive chiral component to be used in twisted nematic formulations to induce a desired pitch. Good phase compatibility is required to prevent premature crystallization or phase separation of the chiral monomers from the twisted nematic formulation. Crosslinking chiral monomers with high HTP and good phase compatibility, based on the isosorbide chiral group, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,723,395. However, the chiral monomers based on the isosorbide moiety generally reflect right-handed circular polarized light (RHCPL), as described inter alia.
For many optical applications, both cholesteric twist senses are required, that is a twisted nematic phase that reflects RHCPL and a twisted nematic phase that reflects left-hand circularly polarized light (LHCPL). Despite the disclosures of U.S. Pat. No. 6,468,444 concerning polymerizable chiral compounds based on isosorbitol, isomannitol and iditol, and their uses as chiral dopants for producing cholesteric liquid crystal compositions, a need remains for cholesteric liquid crystal compositions that reflect LHCPL, and particularly for optical films derived from two twisted nematic phases, with opposite twist sense, that can be combined to give nominally 100% reflection of light within a specific reflection band. Thus, needed are chiral monomers that have good phase compatibility with polymerizable nematic phases, exhibit high HTP, and have the ability to induce a twisted nematic phase that reflect LHCPL. There also is a need for polymer networks derived from these chiral monomers that exhibit cholesteric optical properties and reflect LHCPL.

Chiral compounds, liquid crystal compositions and polymer networks derived therefrom


A device and method for investigating phase transformation properties and structural changes of materials. In one form, the device simulates actual thermal processing conditions, while the method can be used in both simulations as well as in actual processing conditions. An analysis using at least one of the device and method is referred to as a single sensor differential thermal analysis, as it compares the temperature recorded in a measured specimen against a reference thermal history without requiring the derivation of the reference thermal history from measured reference temperatures.

The present invention generally relates to a device and method for measuring the physical property of a material as a function of that material's temperature, and more particularly to a device and method for measurement of solid-liquid and solid-state phase transformations and structural changes in materials under simulated and actual conditions associated with thermal and thermo-mechanical processing of such materials.
The solid-liquid and solid-state phase transformation and structural changes that occur in metallic materials during thermal and thermo-mechanical processing determine their final microstructure and hence their mechanical and physical (in-service) properties. These phase transformations and structural changes are also closely related to the fabricability (weldability, castability, formability or the like) of conventional and modern structural alloys, and consequently to their successful implementation as materials for advanced structural applications.
Extensive investigations have been performed worldwide, aimed at developing practical methods to measure and subsequently control the phase transformations and structural changes in metallic materials, in order to improve their fabricability and structural properties. Effective methods for studying of phase transformations and structural changes can be used for the development of new materials and advanced processing applications.
There are known various techniques and devices for evaluating phase transformation information in simulated and actual material processing environments. Examples of such evaluation include thermal, differential thermal and dilatometric analyses.
The method for thermal analysis (TA) allows direct determination of phase transformation temperatures from heating/cooling curves where large thermal effects cause significant change of the heating/cooling rate. This method is mainly applicable in equilibrium conditions and can be used in simulated, as well as in-situ, conditions. TA can also be applied during processing when the phase transformations are accompanied by release of large amounts of heat as in solidification of castings, or large weld pools. TA is insensitive to phase transformations and structural changes with small thermal effects that occur at non-equilibrium heating and cooling rates, as for example in welding.
Differential thermal analysis (DTA), is used for investigating phase transformations in materials where a specimen of the investigated material and a reference specimen experience the same heating and cooling thermal cycle in a controlled environment. In such technique, the material of the reference specimen does not undergo any phase changes in the investigated temperature range, while that of the specimen being investigated typically does. The heat consumption or release that accompany the phase transformations impact the heating and cooling rates of the investigated specimen. These heat effects are revealed by plotting the difference in the temperature of the two specimens versus time or the current temperature. Changes in the sample that lead to release or absorption of heat can be used in determining the phase transformation temperatures of the sample. The method and devices for DTA have high sensitivity to the thermal effects of phase transformations and structural changes. The traditional DTA technique utilizes sophisticated and expensive devices that operate in a short range of heating and cooling rates of up to about twenty degrees Celsius per minute. Such limitation makes this approach inapplicable for investigating the phase transformation in materials where actual processing conditions must be simulated. For example, the heating and the cooling rates of actual processing conditions are normally much higher, reaching up to several hundred degrees per second.
Continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams are one of two main types of transformation diagrams that are used to optimize a metal's processing path to achieve a given set of properties. CCT diagrams measure the extent of phase transformation as a function of time for a continuously decreasing temperature. This allows the metal to be heated and then cooled at some rate so that the degree of transformation can be measured by dilatometry or other methods. In welding (for example) these diagrams allow the welding engineer to select the range of cooling rates, and the respective operational window of heat inputs that provides the optimal combination of microstructural constituents in the heat affected zone (HAZ) and weld metal. CCT diagrams are typically constructed by simulating weld thermal histories over numerous laboratory scale specimens. This approach is limited in depicting the actual heating and cooling rates and thermal gradients, and utilizes expensive, specialized equipment. Such an approach is not applicable for investigating solidification and solid-state phase transformations in the weld metal and therefore is not useful for constructing weld metal CCT diagrams. DTA methods and devices were also used for constructing CCT diagrams; however, because of the maximum heating and cooling rates for these techniques are so low, thet are generally inappropriate for constructing a useful CCT diagram.
Methods for investigating the phase transformations under actual welding conditions have been conducted, where the temperature changes in a particular point of a real welded joint during welding were recorded. The method of differentiation of recorded thermal histories can be applied in-situ by analog or digital differentiation of the weld thermal history, in order to reveal the small thermal effects of phase transformations occurring in the HAZ. Disadvantages of such a method include the amplification of electromagnetic noise, recorded over the thermal cycle, the low sensitivity to and difficult recognition of higher temperature phase transformations, and low accuracy of determining phase transformation starting and finishing temperatures.
More recently, the original two-thermocouple version of DTA was applied during actual welding and partly solved some of the above mentioned problems. In such approach the reference thermal cycle is recorded by a thermocouple inserted into a tube of austenitic stainless steel, which does not undergo solid-state phase changes. The two thermocouples are equally positioned into the heat affected zone (HAZ) of the investigated carbon steel. The measured and the reference thermal histories, and the temperature difference between them are recorded. The sensitivity to heat effects of phase transformations in this approach depends on the distance between the two thermocouples, and further needs repetitive experiments to be optimized. In addition, the experiment is difficult to control. The manner of obtaining the reference thermal cycle limits the applicability of this approach only to solid-state phase transformations in the HAZ and does not allow investigating the solidification behavior and the other phase transformations in weld metal.
Dilatometric analysis (DA) is based on measuring the volume changes that accompany the phase transformations in metallic materials. This method is mainly applied in combination with devices for simulation of thermal and thermo-mechanical processing, and is capable of determining the solid-state phase transformations only. Since DA has low sensitivity to some solid-state phase transformations, it is inapplicable for solid-liquid phase transformations, and is insensitive to most structural changes. Dilatometry can be used to evaluate actual thermal cycles and heating and cooling rates associated with those cycles in such a way as to quantify dimensional changes of the material produced by such changes in temperature. Nevertheless, DA cannot be used in-situ, as it requires special sample types and can only detect phase transformations where there is a significant change in sample dimension. In addition, it cannot detect structural changes, such as recrystallization.
Different devices for simulation of thermal and thermo-mechanical processing are available. Such devices are based on resistance, induction, convection or light radiation heating of laboratory scale specimens. These devices use dilatometric analysis for determining the solid-state phase transformation temperatures. Because of the control loops used for controlling the heating and cooling rates, DTA is inapplicable in combination with such devices. Some thermo-mechanical simulators are not capable of reproducing the extremely high heating and cooling rates at the high temperature range that are typical for the most welding processes. This results in longer dwell times in austenite phase field (for steels), leading to larger grain size, lower transformation temperatures and consequently higher content of lower temperature products of austenite decompositions and higher hardness in the simulation specimens, compared to the real HAZ. The above technique is not capable of simulating the solid-liquid and solid-state phase transformations. In addition, the simulation equipment is complex in shape and involves expensive laboratory setups.
In another form, weld microstructure simulation equipment based on light radiation heating has been disclosed. The specimen is heated by focused high-power lamps and the specimen's temperature is controlled by a thermocouple. The cooling rate is controlled by the flow rate of a stream of shielding gas and simultaneous heating. The HAZ simulation specimen is a small thin wall tube that is in continuous contact with a dilatometer that is used to determine the phase transformation temperatures. The weld simulation specimen is a small cylinder that is attached to a thermocouple and melts over it forming a small ball. The solidification temperature range is determined by differentiation of the thermal history (measured by the thermocouple) using an analog electronic device. The main disadvantages of this equipment are that it has difficulty in resembling the actual weld and HAZ heating and cooling rates. In addition, it exhibits non-uniform heating of the HAZ simulation specimen. Moreover, the small volume of the weld simulation specimen does not allow resembling the actual weld solidification patterns.
The available methods and devices have a number of disadvantages that limit their usefulness for measuring phase transformations and structural changes in structural alloys during actual or simulated processing. Thus, what is desired is a method for determining phase transformation temperatures and structural changes under either simulated or actual operating environments for material processing. What is also desired is a device for performing more accurate simulations to evaluate material phase transformations and structural changes.

Method and device for investigation of phase transformations in metals and alloys


An isokinetic oscillation exercise device of an elongated flexible blade having a first and second end and a grip portion coupled to a middle portion of the elongated flexible blade. End caps coupled to said first and second ends adapted to storage. Further, a method is disclosed of manufacturing an isokinetic oscillation exercise device that provides a flexible elongated flexible blade, a grip portion injection molding, a pliable ring injection moldings, and end caps injection molding; slides the pliable rings on the elongated flexible blade separated by a length of the grip portion, overmolds a first-shot of the grip portion over the pliable rings, overmolds a second-shot of the grip portion to the first-shot of the grip portion to the elongated flexible blade, seals the first-shot to the second-shot of the grip portion against the pliable rings; and attaches the end caps to the elongated flexible blade.

Isokinetic oscillation exercise devices have been used in the past as an excellent method of obtaining a full body workout.
Strength training is an essential fitness component for people of all ages, and muscle strengthening plays an important role in maintaining muscle mass and a person's ability to participate in daily activities. Muscle not only gives a body its shape, but muscle affects a person's resting metabolic rate (number of calories burned while at rest). Generally, people tend to lose strength and muscle mass due to inactivity, a sedentary lifestyle and/or the aging process.
The more people advance in age, the more strength plays an important role in several key functions, such as, for example, maintaining balance, preventing falls, and retaining bone density. Muscle loss is a condition that affects many older people, and has a major impact on an older adult's functional ability and quality of life.
Resistance training is a preferred method for increasing muscle mass, and thus, getting stronger. As a result, there many conventional resistance training tools that are commonly used to maintain and/or increase strength and muscle mass. A main criterion for strength improvement is to gradually increase the resistance that is placed on a muscle or muscle group, as said muscle becomes stronger.
Strength can be increased by use of a variety of different methods, including, but not limited to the use of isokinetic devices. However, while these methods can help increase strength, they also have certain shortcomings.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,633 by Hymanson discloses an isokinetic oscillating exercise apparatus. Hymanson discloses an isokinetic oscillating exercise apparatus which may be used to exercise different muscles by grasping by one hand or two hands centrally-located gripping portions attached to a blade and moving or shaking the blade back and forth causing the opposite ends of the blade to oscillate. The oscillation causes isokinetic exercising of a user's muscles. However, if a user lacks coordination, this device can be very difficult to oscillate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,262 by Hymanson discloses a method for exercising using an isokinetic oscillating exercise apparatus. Hymanson discloses how to properly use an isokinetic oscillating exercise apparatus.
United States Publication No. 2012/329,616 by Theuer discloses a hand-held isokinetic exercise ring. Theuer discloses an isokinetic exercise ring which is comprised of two rigid concentric rings. The inner ring is large enough to fit over a user's shoulders and/or waist. The outer ring is approximately 150% larger in diameter than the inner ring. The two rings are strapped together with elastic cord. A user grasps either inner or outer ring on opposite sides and pulses the invention in and out or in a twisting motion. Pulsing in turn causes the ring not being grasped to oscillate. Oscillation can be achieved in front of, above, or around the user's body. By maintaining oscillation, the user will experience isokinetic exercise.
United States Publication No. 2015/141216 by Gvoich discloses a resistance training apparatus. Gvoich was concerned with a resistance training apparatus providing an elastic blade for use in exercise strength training and fitness conditioning. The resistance training apparatus provides a user with a more consistent and even resistance tension throughout an exercise movement.
However, there is a need for an isokinetic oscillation exercise apparatus that provides one or more advantages over current exercise apparatus such as: improved oscillation ability irrespective of user coordination, adjustability of frequency of oscillation, adjustability by a user adjustment to vary an intensity of a workout, improved ability of storage when not in use, and easier and more cost affordable manufacturability is desirable. All referenced patents, applications and literatures are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Furthermore, where a definition or use of a term in a reference, which is incorporated by reference herein, is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply. The embodiment may seek to satisfy one or more of the above-mentioned desires. Although the present embodiment may obviate one or more of the above-mentioned desires, it should be understood that some aspects of the embodiment might not necessarily obviate them.

Isokinetic oscillation exercise device and method of producing same


A computer-implemented method of managing hierarchically related and heterogeneous data structures includes the steps of separating the data structures from hierarchical information interrelating the data structures and representing and storing the hierarchical information as a nodal tree structure. The nodal tree structure includes a first node and a plurality of second nodes, each node being in a parent-child relationship with at least one other node. The data structures are stored separately from the nodal tree structure and each of the first node and the plurality of second nodes references one of the data structures. Each of the second nodes is a child node, and each child node has a respective parent node selected from among the first node and the plurality of second nodes. Each of the second nodes includes a dependency attribute indicative of a dependency relationship of the child node with its respective parent node. Applications accessing the data structures may be configured to enforce the dependency relationships based upon the dependency attributes. In this manner, heterogeneous but related data structures such as operation sequences, scheduling and costing data may be collectively referenced by a single hierarchical structure.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to computer-implemented methods of managing large amounts of interrelated and heterogeneous data. In particular, the present invention relates to hierarchical data structures and to methods and computer systems for organizing and managing and using such hierarchical data structures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Large projects, undertakings and organizations typically necessitate a correspondingly large information infrastructure. This information infrastructure may include a large amount of hierarchically related data. For example, the construction or repair of complicated machinery, complex civil engineering projects and the large corporations often use separate hierarchical data structures to represent scheduling, the organization of human resources, job costing and the like.
Scheduling software, for example, may store job-scheduling information in a tree-like structure. The nodes of the tree structure may be related to one another, in that lower-level tasks typically must be completed before higher-level jobs can be started or completed. A delay in a lower-level task may push forward the completion date of the higher-level job, for example. Similarly, separate accounting software applications may track item and job costs in one or more hierarchical data structures with which the cost of manufacturing, modifying or storing items, for example, is tracked across the manufacturing facility or work flow. Labor costs may be tracked in similar separate structures, as may be other types of inter-related data.
Existing hierarchical data representations and the methods of managing such data representations suffer from a number of disadvantages that become increasingly apparent as the size and complexity of such data structures increases. In the case of scheduling software, for example, when a single job or operation within the hierarchy is modified, delayed or canceled, the estimated start and completion dates of all subsequent operations must typically be serially re-computed before, for example, the final completion date of the project can be made available. Similarly, should the cost of any individual sub-assembly of a larger manufactured item change, the cost of the entire item must be re-calculated by traversing the entire hierarchical structure and re-computing all costs in the structure to account for the changed cost of the sub-assembly. As hierarchical structures may include thousands of nodes, this organization and approach is believed to be both time consuming and a less than optimal use of computing resources.
Moreover, large organizations typically rely on a plurality of separate hierarchical structures to represent and manage different facets of a same high level undertaking, including, for example, costing information, scheduling information, work flow, assembly and/or repair of complex machinery and the like. Separate hierarchical structures, therefore, have typically been required for each separate data type. The activities such separate structures represent are, however, related to one another in the real world. Indeed, the accounting department may need to interrelate scheduling, costing, resources and labor costs, to insure that sufficient funds are available at key points in time to meet staged deliverables, payroll or accounts payable for example. However, no single conventional hierarchical structure, method or system for managing same, it is believed, has had the ability of representing heterogeneous but related data structures in a single hierarchy.
What is needed, therefore, are novel forms of data organizations and methods of managing related information that allow for a more efficient use of computing time and resources in maintaining large hierarchical data structures. Also needed are means and methods that allow heterogeneous but related data structures to be represented by a single hierarchical structure. For example, there has been a long felt need for data structures and data management methods that would allow heterogeneous data and related structures such as, for example, costing and scheduling information, to be represented by a single hierarchical data structure that may be used by diverse applications. Preferably, such data structures and data management methods would permit users to flexibly modify, duplicate, mirror or delete portions of the hierarchical structure without expending unacceptable bandwidth, computing time or resources.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to allow for a more efficient use of computing time and resources in maintaining large hierarchical data structures. It is a further object of the invention to allow heterogeneous and related data structures to be represented in a single hierarchical structure. It is a still further object of the present invention to allow, for example, costing and scheduling information to co-exist within a single hierarchical data structure, and to allow more flexible methods of modifying, duplicating mirroring or deleting portions of the hierarchical structure.
In accordance with the above-described objects and those that will be mentioned and will become apparent below, a computer-implemented method of managing hierarchically related and heterogeneous data structures, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of separating the data structures from hierarchical information interrelating the data structures and representing and storing the hierarchical information as a nodal tree structure. The nodal tree structure includes a first node and a plurality of second nodes, each node being in a parent-child relationship with at least one other node. The data structures are stored separately from the nodal tree structure and each node references one of the data structures. As all dependency relationships between the data structures are stored in the nodal tree structure, the same tree structure may represent the dependency relationships between data structures of different types.

Generic hierarchical structure with hard-pegging of nodes with dependencies implemented in a relational database


Various embodiments described herein provide for substrate structures including uniform plating seed layers, and that provide favorable adhesion on dielectric substrate layers. According to some embodiments, a methods for forming a magnetic recording pole is provided comprising: forming an insulator layer; forming a trench in the insulator layer; forming an amorphous seed layer over the insulator layer; forming an adhesion layer over the amorphous seed layer, the adhesion layer comprising a physical vapor deposited (PVD) noble metal; forming a plating seed layer over the adhesion layer, the plating seed layer comprising chemical vapor deposited (CVD) Ru; and forming a magnetic material layer over the plating seed layer.

When fabricating Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR) writer main poles (hereafter referred to simple as "PMR poles"), generally a trapezoidal shaped trench is etched into a thick substrate layer (e.g., alumina) and the trench is then filled with a magnetic material by way of a plating process. It has been shown that during fabrication, lining the inside of the trench and cover the top surface of the thick substrate layer with a plating seed layer can achieve a substantially void-free fill of the trench (with the magnetic material) while retaining desirable properties (e.g., as high saturation magnetization, low easy/hard axis coercivity, low anisotropy, high frequency response, and low remnant magnetization).
Using ruthenium (Ru) when plating high moment magnetic materials, such as those used in PMR poles, is known to provide the high moment magnetic materials with desirable properties for effective functioning of the magnetic head. Additionally, it can be useful and desirable to encapsulate the PMR pole with a soft magnetic shield, where the soft magnetic shield is plated over the top and sides of the PMR pole with an intervening non-magnetic spacer layer that also serves as a plating seed. Like with high momentum magnetic materials, Ru is well suited for the plating of soft high moment magnetic materials. Of known deposition techniques, Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) is one commercially viable method for providing conformal Ru deposition, and is often used for electroplating seed layers during PMR pole fabrication.
Unfortunately, it is a challenge to form a smooth, highly conformal layer of Ru on the inside of the trench or the exposed surfaces of the three dimensional PMR pole structure while also providing good thickness control and uniformity over the entire PMR pole structure. Additionally, employing a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Ru-based film as a Ru layer is known to cause peeling/delamination issues during plating processes or chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). This is especially true where the CVD Ru-based film is deposited from RuO4-containing precursor and where the CVD-Ru-based film is deposited on a dielectric, such as an amorphous seed layer.

Methods for improving adhesion on dielectric substrates


A catalyst laminate includes a plurality of catalyst layers containing at least one of a noble metal and an oxide of the noble metal and at least one of a non-noble metal and an oxide of the non-noble metal, including:    two or more first catalyst layers and two or more second catalyst layers. In an atomic percent of the noble metal obtained by using a line analysis by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in a thickness direction of the catalyst laminate. The first catalyst layer is less than an average of a highest value and a lowest value of the atomic percent of the noble metal. The second catalyst layer has an atomic percent of the noble metal equal to or greater than the average of the highest value and the lowest value thereof. The second catalyst layer is present between the first catalyst layers.

In recent years, research on electrochemical cells has actively been conducted. For example, polymer electrolyte water electrolysis cells (PEECs) among electrochemical cells are superior in responsiveness to renewable energy of photovoltaic power generation and the like and so are expected to be utilized for generating hydrogen of large-scale energy storage systems.
One big challenge for widespread use of PEEC is the cost reduction by reducing the amount of use of noble metal catalysts. In general, a Pt nanoparticle catalyst is used as a cathode of PEEC and a particulate Ir catalyst is used as an anode in order to ensure sufficient durability and water electrolysis performance. In particular, Ir black or Ir oxide powder was used for the anode and the powder was slurried in a solvent and applied onto a substrate and then, carried on the substrate after the solvent being removed in a drying process or the like. This is not sufficient for close contact between a catalyst layer and the substrate and particularly when the substrate is subject to corrosion or in a high-load environment like operating for a long time in a high current density, catalytic activity is degraded with gradual desorption of catalyst particles, posing a grave problem of durability. Further, Ir fine particles agglomerate so that the specific surface area decreases and also, the substance transportation indispensable for the electrode reaction is hindered, also posing a problem that sufficient water electrolysis efficiency cannot be obtained.
In contrast, according to the catalyst technology of the inventors of the present invention, by sputtering a catalyst onto a substrate by a vacuum film forming method, adhesion strength with the substrate is secured and relatively high durability can be obtained with a small amount of catalyst. Further, with a laminated structure in which a catalyst layer into which vacancies are introduced using a pore-forming material and a void layer containing no catalyst are alternately stacked, the specific surface area contributing to an electrolytic reaction and substance transportation efficiency increase and sufficient electrolysis efficiency is obtained even with a small amount of noble metal.

Catalyst laminate, membrane electrode assembly, electrochemical cell, stack, water electrolyzer, and hydrogen utilizing system


The invention has an object for improving response of a fuel injection device. A flow-in recessed portion and a flow-out recessed portion are formed at a press-contacting surface of a floating plate, which is movably accommodated in a pressure control chamber. A flow-in port and a flow-out port are formed at a pressure control surface of a valve body. The flow-in port is opened to the flow-in recessed portion, while the flow-out port is opened to the flow-out recessed portion. When the floating plate is moved upwardly and the press-contacting surface is brought into contact with the pressure control surface, the flow-in port is surely closed.

A fuel injection device is generally known in the art, which is composed of a control body having a pressure control chamber, and a valve member for opening and closing a valve portion in accordance with fuel pressure in the pressure control chamber. According to the fuel injection device of this kind, a fuel inlet port is opened to the pressure control chamber of the control body so that the fuel from the fuel supply line flows into the pressure control chamber, and a fuel outlet port is likewise opened to the pressure control chamber so that the fuel is discharged from the pressure control chamber to the fuel return line. Communication and non-communication (block-off of the communication) between the fuel outlet port and the fuel return line is controlled by a pressure control valve so that the fuel pressure in the pressure control chamber is controlled.
According to a known fuel injection device, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. H6-108948 or Japanese Patent No. 4054621, the fuel injection device further has a floating member movable in the pressure control chamber. The floating member has a press-contacting surface, which is opposed in an axial direction of the floating member to a pressure control surface exposed to the pressure control chamber. A fuel inlet port as well as a fuel outlet port is opened at the pressure control surface. When a pressure control valve is operated to communicate the fuel outlet port with a fuel return line, the press-contacting surface of the floating member is attracted to the pressure control surface (at which the fuel outlet port is opened) by fuel flow from the pressure control chamber to the fuel outlet port. When the floating member is brought into contact with the pressure control surface, the press-contacting surface of the floating member is pressed against the pressure control surface, so that communication between the fuel inlet port and the pressure control chamber as well as communication between the fuel inlet port and the fuel outlet port is blocked off.
According to the fuel injection device of Japanese Patent No. 4054621, a surface portion of the pressure control surface (surrounding the fuel inlet port) is recessed, while another surface portion of the pressure control surface (surrounding the fuel outlet port) is not recessed but formed in a flat shape. The press-contacting surface of the floating member is also formed in a flat shape.
In the above fuel injection device, when the press-contacting surface of the floating member is pressed against the pressure control surface in order to block off the communication between the fuel injection port and the pressure control chamber, a surface area of the floating member (that is, the press-contacting surface) which is in contact with the pressure control surface is large. Therefore, it is difficult to increase surface pressure (pressing force per unit surface area). As a result, high pressure fuel from the fuel inlet port may pass through a gap between the pressure control surface and the press-contacting surface of the floating member. In other words, it is difficult to surely block off the communication between the fuel inlet port and the pressure control chamber. Therefore, when the fuel outlet port is opened (that is, when the fuel outlet port is communicated to the fuel return line), rapid pressure increase of the fuel in the pressure control chamber may not be realized, and thereby a rapid opening operation of the valve portion may not be possible.


An information processing system and method capable of enhancing a processing speed of the entire system includes a first server apparatus that executes a command issued from a client or transfers the command to a second server apparatus which executes the command. The first server apparatus: collects, as server-related information from each second server apparatus, each of processing time and a data communication traffic volume which are retained by the second server apparatus with respect to each combination of a type of the command executed in the past and a path at that time, load information of the second server apparatus, and communication performance of each; predicts processing time of each combination on the basis of the collected server-related; and determines a path for executing the command in consideration of properties of the command issued from the client on the basis of the prediction result.

Conventionally, there has been a manager-agent configuration as one of methods for dispersing commands from a client to a plurality of server apparatuses. With a system having the manager-agent configuration, a command from the client is received by a server apparatus equipped with a manager (hereinafter referred to as the "management server"); actual execution of the command is performed by a server apparatus equipped with an agent (hereinafter referred to as the "agent server"); and the result returned from the agent server is transmitted from the management server to the client.
Regarding an information processing system having such a manager-agent configuration, there has been conventionally a widely used method of enhancing response performance by causing the agent server to select a communication path to a command execution target apparatus (hereinafter referred to as the "storage apparatus") on the basis of, for example, a communication speed of the path (PTL 1 and PTL 2).

Information processing system and method