Disclosed is a composition for preventing and treating acetaminophen induced liver injury including the protein extracted from Porphyra yezoensis. The protein(s), separated and purified from hot water extracts of Porphyra yezoensis, having the molecular weight of 14 kDa measured by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, has an excellent effect for inhibiting the oxidative injury of liver tissue and cell apoptosis of liver cells induced by acetaminophen.

Recently, various physiological chemistry effects of sea algae have been verified and the interest on sea algae inducing bioactive materials has been increased. Also, a cancer cell inhibition effect and lipid metabolism improvement effect in blood on ethanol extracts extracted from sea weed fusiforme, sea tangle, brown seaweed, seaweeds, green layer have been reported. In case of porphyran with the highest farm production amount of sea algae in Korea, it has the lowering action of cholesterol, antibacterial effect, anticancer effect as well as various physiological actions such as anti-coagulation effect and anti-oxidation effect of fucoidan.
Porphyra called as layer is classified as sea algae of bangiaceae of bangiales of rhodophyta and has a long ellipse shape or an egg shape like a strip with length of 14˜25 cm and width of 5˜12 cm. There are Porphyra tenera, P. yezoensis, P. suborbiculata and the like as the kind of seaweed and P. yezoensis is the main kind of farm seaweed in Korea. Seaweed contains in special calcium and phosphorus abundantly. As mentioned above, it is discovered that porphyran contained in seaweed as polysaccharide has bioactive effects such as anti-cancer, anti-virus and anti-coagulation actions and the like and accordingly, the great concern is concentrated to search bioactive materials of seaweed. Also, polyphenol as the anti-oxidation substance is contained into seaweed. Han et al. (J. Korean Soc. Food Sci, Nutr. 33, 324-330, 2004) describes that layer extracts recovers the production of pyridinoline for mixing and crosslinking collagen. Yashizawa et al. (Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry 59, 1862-1866, 1995) also describes that polysaccharide extracted from seaweed shows the microphage promotion action. A study on the structure and function of porphyran extracted from various seaweed has been performed actively.
Acetaminophen (AAP) is the most-widely used anti-inflammatory agent and when taking an excess of quantity, a secure liver damage is occurred. In the United States and United Kingdom, the liver injury due to AAP occupies the highest position among causes of liver disease due to medicines. Accordingly, the liver injury mechanism caused by AAP examines closely and several studies for preventing or recovering the liver injury have been progressed. Cathleen et al. (TOXICOLOGICAL SCIENCES 84, 201-208, 2005) report that when administrating AAP into a rat, the PARP activity as one of cellular death phenomena is shown. Tamara et al. (TOXICOLOGICAL SCIENCES 76, 229-236, 2003) report that AAP generates the lipid peroxidation of liver and then causes to happen the liver injury. On the other hand, Sidhartha et al. (Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 369, 42-58, 1999) report that the cell apoptosis of liver cells by AAP is prevented when proanthocyanidin as grapestone extracts is administrated into a rat. Francisco et al. (Journal of Ethnopharmacology 98, 103-108, 2005) report that when administrating protium heptaphyllum extracts which has been used for a long time in South America as folk remedies, the liver injury by AAP can be prevented.
Accordingly, inventors of the present application provide with the present invention in which the liver injury induced by acetaminophen is prevented and treated by using protein extracts from porphyra yezoensis separated from porphyra yezoensis and then a mechanism on these effects is produced.

Composition for preventing and treating acetaminophen inducing liver injury comprising the protein extract from

Pukyong National University Industry Academic Cooperation Foundation


There is provided: a production process for a water-absorbing agent having stable properties in a short time; and a water-absorbing agent. The production process comprises the step of blending an acid-group-containing water-absorbent resin powder with a noncrosslinkable water-soluble inorganic base and/or an irreducible alkaline-metal-salt pH buffer and further with a dehydratable crosslinking agent reactable with the acid group, thereby subjecting the resin powder to crosslinking treatment, or comprises the step of blending an acid-group-containing water-absorbent resin powder with the above base and/or pH buffer and further with a crosslinking agent reactable with the acid group, thereby subjecting the resin powder to crosslinking treatment, wherein the resin powder has a weight-average particle diameter of 300 to 600 μm wherein the ratio of fine powders having particle diameters of not larger than 150 μm in the resin powder is not more than 10 weight %.

In recent years, water-absorbent resins are widely used as constituent materials of sanitary materials, such as disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, and so-called incontinent pads, for the purpose of causing the water-absorbent resins to absorb body fluids.
Examples of the above water-absorbent resins include: crosslinked products of partially neutralized polyacrylic acids; hydrolyzed products of starch-acrylic acid graft polymers; saponified products of vinyl acetate-acrylic acid ester copolymers; hydrolyzed products of acrylonitrile- or acrylamide copolymers, or crosslinked products of these hydrolyzed products; and crosslinked polymers of cationic monomers.
Hitherto, it has been said that the above water-absorbent resins should have properties such as excellent absorption amount of liquid, absorption rate, gel strength, gel liquid permeability, and suction force to suck up water from a base material containing aqueous liquids, when they are in contact with aqueous liquids such as body fluids. Then, various water-absorbent resins (water-absorbing agents), combing at least two of these properties and displaying excellent performance (absorption properties) when they are used for sanitary materials (e.g. disposable diapers and sanitary napkins), has been proposed hitherto.
For example, as to a method for improving absorption properties (e.g. absorption capacity without load and absorption capacity under a load) of a water-absorbent resin in good balance, there is a known art in which the surface neighborhood of the water-absorbent resin is crosslinked, and then various methods have been disclosed.
Known examples thereof include methods in which the following materials are used: polyhydric alcohols (JP-A-180233/1983 and JP-A-016903/1986); polyglycidyl compounds, polyaziridine compounds, polyamine compounds, or polyisocyanate compounds (JP-A-189103/1984); glyoxal (JP-A-117393/1977); polyvalent metals (JP-A-136588/1976, JP-A-257235/1986 and JP-A-007745/1987); silane coupling agents (JP-A-211305/1986, JP-A-252212/1986, and JP-A-264006/1986); alkylene carbonates (DE 4020780); polyvalent heterocyclic carbonates (JP-A-315216/1999); oxazolidinones (WO 99/42494); polyvalent oxazolidinones (WO 99/43720); oxadines (WO 00/31153); and oxazoline compounds (JP-A-197818/2000).
And further, when the improvement of the absorption properties is carried out by the above crosslinking agents, there are also known methods in which additives (e.g. inert blending promoters, acid catalysts, and bases) are used in order to further improve the performance. That is to say, known examples of the methods (1) in which the inert blending promoters are used as the additives include methods in which the following materials are allowed to exist: inert inorganic powders (JP-A-163956/1985 and JP-A-255814/1985); water containing salts and/or hydroxides of polyvalent metals (JP-A-007745/1987); dihydric alcohols (JP-A-292004/1989); water together with ether compounds (JP-A-153903/1990); water-soluble polymers (JP-A-126730/1991); alkylene oxide adducts of monohydric alcohols, monovalent salts of organic acids or lactams (JP-B-074331/1994 and JP-A-033818/1995); monovalent metal salts (WO 98/49221); and cations (WO 00/53664 and WO 00/53644).
Furthermore, known examples of the methods (2) in which the acid catalysts are used as the additives include methods in which the following materials are allowed to exist: phosphoric acid (WO 94/15651); and inorganic acids or organic acids (JP-A-278225/1995).
In addition, known examples of the method (3) in which the bases are used as the additives include a method in which water-soluble alkaline compounds are allowed to exist (JP-A-298841/1994).
Because these additives, as used in the above methods (1), (2), and (3), exist together with the crosslinking agent, the balance of the absorption properties of the water-absorbing agent can also be improved to a certain extent in comparison with the case that the crosslinking agent exists alone. However, it was yet still difficult to say that the balance was sufficient.
Specifically, as to the additives (inert blending promoters) as used in the above method (1), the effect is caused by acting as blending promoters when the water-absorbent resin as used contains fine powders in a large amount. On the other hand, because of their existence, there were problems such that: almost no improvement of the absorption properties is observed, for example, because the absorptivity of the crosslinking agent to a water-absorbent resin powder is excessively lowered or because the crosslinking reaction is inhibited; and even if the improvement is achieved, it is necessary to increase the amount of the crosslinking agent as used, to prolong the reaction time, and to raise the reaction temperature.
As to the additives (acid catalysts) as used in the above method (2), the effect as a catalyst that promotes the reaction of the crosslinking agent can be expected. However, when the amount to obtain a certain effect is added, the pH of a crosslinking agent solution is extremely lowered and, especially in such as cases of water-absorbent resins of a partially neutralized type containing an acid group, the acidification of the surface is caused, so that the control of the absorptivity of the crosslinking agent is difficult. In addition, there are disadvantages in that: the acidification of the surface increases the adhesion between the water-absorbent resin particles, and it tends to form aggregates. As a result, there are problems such that: the desired crosslinking density of the water-absorbent resin particle surface layer cannot be obtained; and it is difficult to obtain what displays satisfactory performance.
As to the above method (3), there is disclosed the surface-crosslinking which is carried out by combination of the additives (bases) with compounds having at least two functional groups easily reactable with a carboxyl group (e.g. multivalent metal salts, polyepoxy compounds, polyaziridinyl compounds, and polyisocyanate compounds), and the improvement of the gel strength and absorption capacity under a comparatively light load (20 g/cm2) are intended. However, in the method as described in JP-A-298841/1994, the improvement of the blendability of the surface-crosslinking agent or the properties of the water-absorbent resin is still insufficient. Particularly, it was difficult to improve an SFC and an absorption capacity (AAP) under a heavy load (4.83 kPa, about 50 g/cm2) (both are mentioned below.), as requested in recent years.
In addition, examples of typical water-absorbent resins include acrylic water-absorbent resins comprised of crosslinked products of partially neutralized acrylic acid salts, from the viewpoint of high properties and costs. Then, as to production processes for such acrylic water-absorbent resins, the following two methods are generally carried out: a method which involves polymerizing acrylic acid and its salt as neutralized to a predetermined neutralization ratio beforehand (hereinafter, referred to as neutralization polymerization method); and a method which involves polymerizing unneutralized or low neutralized acrylic acid; and thereafter post-neutralizing the resultant polymer gel (hereinafter, referred to as acid-type polymerization method).
In comparison with the neutralization polymerization method, the latter acid-type polymerization method tends to obtain a water-absorbent resin having a high absorption capacity and a low extractable content. However, it takes plenty of time to uniformly neutralize a crosslinked hydrogel polymer after polymerization, and further the neutralization is technically very difficult, and there are cases where the neutralization ratios of individual particles of the resultant water-absorbent resin powder are non-uniform among those particles. JP-A-010173/1998 (EP 0882502 A1) discloses that: in this case, although the water-absorbent resin of the acid-type polymerization method has a high absorption capacity and a low extractable content, and even if the surface-crosslinking treatment is carried out, the performance of the water-absorbing agent is not sufficiently obtained.
That is to say, when water-absorbent resins are surface-crosslinked, there has hitherto been a case where the necessary surface-crosslinking treatment is different depending upon the difference of the neutralization ratio, therefore the desired performance of the water-absorbing agent is not obtained at other neutralization ratio even if the optimum crosslinking treatment for a certain neutralization ratio is carried out. Particularly, when the neutralization ratios of the individual particles of the water-absorbent resin powder are various, there has hitherto been a case where the desired performance of the water-absorbing agent is not be obtained.
As is mentioned above, the surface-crosslinking treatment cannot be uniformly carried out by the prior arts. As a result, the balance of various properties (such as a CRC, AAP, and SFC as mentioned below, particularly SFC) of the water-absorbent resin as obtained went bad, and further the scatter of the SFC was caused. Therefore, for example, the scatter of properties of diapers among lots and the great difference of properties even in one diaper were caused.

Water-absorbing agent and production process therefor, and sanitary material


A process for producing a clay mineral of chain structure such as sepiolite and attapulgite. The process comprises suspending a metal silicate gel in an aqueous solution which has a pH value of 3-11 at room temperature and contains a clay mineral of chain structure suspending therein, and then heating the resulting suspension at a temperature below 350.degree. C. According to this process, it is possible to produce a clay mineral of chain structure in a simple, stable manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing in a simple manner a clay mineral of chain structure such as sepiolite and attapulgite.
2. Description of the Related Art
A clay mineral of chain structure such as sepiolite and attapulgite finds use as, for example, a catalyst for chemical reactions, an adsorbent for chromatography, a membrane for separating various mixtures, and a rheology controlling material.
Sepiolite is a fibrous clay mineral represented by the general formula below. EQU (Mg.sub.8-y-z R.sub.y.sup.3+ X.sub.z)Si.sub.12-x R.sub.x.sup.3+)O.sub.30 (OH).sub.4 (OH.sub.2) .sub.4 Q.sup.2+ (x-y+2z)/2.multidot.(H.sub.2 O).sub.8
where R denotes at least one member selected from Al and Fe; Q denotes Ca; X denotes a lattice defect; and x, y, and z denote the substitution of tetrahedral ion, the substitution of octahadral ion, and the defect of octahedral ion, respectively.
It has channels (measuring 3.7 .ANG..times.9.3 .ANG.) running parallel to the direction of the fiber. In these channels are bound water molecules coordinating to Mg.sup.2+. Owing to this structure, sepiolite is used as an adsorbent and drilling mud for geothermal exploitation.
The clay mineral of chain structure now in use is of natural origin because of difficulty in its synthesis. However, there are some reports on the synthesis. According to B. Siffert and R. Wey (Comptes rendes vol. 254, pp. 1460-1464, 1962), sepiolite is synthesized when sodium hydroxide is added to silicic acid and magnesium chloride, followed by standing at room temperature for 3 weeks. The reaction product formed in this manner is mostly amorphous and sepiolite would be very small in quantity even though it should occur. N. I. Nesterchuk and T. A. Makarova reported a process of synthesizing sepiolite by the reaction of magnesium chloride with sodium metasilicate, followed by the heat treatment in an autoclave at 250.degree. C. for 3-5 hours. (Zap. Vses. Mineral Obshchest, 1973, 102(2), 232-4) This process, however, merely yields a product of poor crystallinity as indicated by powder X-ray diffraction. Thus it is difficult to produce sepiolite efficiently.

Process for producing clay mineral of chain structure


Mid-level combining methods and systems that combine benefits of high level and low level combining methods for generating HD (High Definition) radio signal outputs. The High level IBOC combining technique combines the RF outputs of an analog transmitter with an IBOC transmitter operating in a combined digital/analog mode, and can include a properly phased, identical, analog component of the signal feeding the analog transmitter. The low level combining technique includes splitting and phase adjustment for the purpose of feeding the analog signal simultaneously to an analog transmitter and an IBOC digital transmitter operating in a combined digital/analog mode. The mid-level combining method and system uses attributes of the high and low level methods and systems. Another mid-level combining method and system is for high transmitter power output (TPO). Additional methods and systems for converting existing transmitter room spaces to HD (High Definition) radio transmitters, without having to add onto existing rooms and buildings.

HD radio is the combination of a traditional analog signal with a mixed digital audio stream. The digital audio stream is typically produced separately from the analog via a linear solid-state transmitter. The output of this digital transmitter is then combined with the output of the original analog transmitter (tube type or solid state). From the beginning of this technology the challenge has been to develop an efficient method to combine these two signals.
The current and typical transmitter used today is not able to carry both the analog and digital signals at the same time. The digital signal requires additional bandwidth, which must be linear to pass the two signals. Traditional tube type transmitters are not capable of passing this type of signal without severely overheating. Newer solid-state transmitters can be modified to pass both signals simultaneously, however the maximum amount of power capable from these transmitters is still very limited because of the high cost. Other methods of transmitting both signals had to be found for stations needing high power outputs.
The first obvious method was to use two transmitters, one for the digital signal, and one for the analog. Combining two transmitters works well when the outputs of both transmitters are in phase with each other and of equal power. In HD combining, the digital signal is much lower in power, and not locked in phase with the analog signal. This creates a "mis-match" problem resulting in high amounts of wasted power. The current methods of combining are briefly described below.
High Level Combining (Separate Amplification) is Shown in FIG. 1(Prior Art)
Referring to FIG. 1, the output of the "main" Analog transmitter 2 is combined through a 10 dB (decibel) hybrid combiner 4 with the output of the Linear Digital transmitter 6.
The program audio is transmitted to the tower site (not shown) via a linear AES digital STL 8 and fed into an In Band On Channel (IBOC) exciter 10. Audio from IBOC exciter 10 is looped through the digital processor 12 to tailor the sound for the digital transmission. The exciter 10 also sends out a delayed AES stream 14 to feed the Analog Signal Audio Processor 16, which in turn feeds the input of the Analog Exciter 18.
Each of the two exciters (IBOC 10 and Analog 18) have very low power radio frequency (RF) outputs which feed the appropriate transmitters. The purpose of the transmitters is to amplify the low power of the exciter output into the high power output needed to broadcast through the antenna 20. This power level can commonly be 15,000 to 50,000 watts. The outputs of the two transmitters are then connected through a combiner hybrid 4. The main output feeds the antenna. In any combining system like this there is some of the signal that does not get to the antenna. It can be thought of as backpressure through a water hose. To prevent this back pressure from damaging the transmitter, a "release valve" or reject port 22 is used to channel this lost power into a resistive or reject load 24 which absorbs the power and converts it into heat.
The down side of this High Level combining method is low efficiency. In this arrangement, 10% of the RF signal from the Analog transmitter 2 is lost and sent to the reject load 24, while 90% of the RF signal of the IBOC transmitter 6 is lost into this same load. To compensate for the power losses, the output of the Analog transmitter 2 must be increased. This can be a hardship for a station owner if this transmitter is already operating at maximum power. The transmitter would have to be replaced with a higher power model. Also, because of the inefficiency, the electric power consumption will increase dramatically increasing the monthly power bills.
The placement of the reject load 24 must also be considered. If placed inside of the building, the heat dissipation will be such that the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system will need to be re-evaluated. In many cases, new larger air conditioners will be necessary to overcome the heat produced. Another option would be to purchase a reject load capable of being placed outside to remove the heat from the room. This installation would incur additional costs to cut and seal holes through the outside wall of the building, and possibly to pour a cement pad to place the reject load on. Fencing would also be recommended as the heat and RF energy in the reject load could be considered dangerous to touch.
Low Level Combining (Common Amplification) is Shown in FIG. 2 (Prior Art).
FIG. 2 shows a much more efficient version of HD radio transmission and is used when the total amount of power needed from the system is low. As in the High Level combining system, the digital audio 30 is fed into both the digital exciter 32 and analog exciter 34. Since a single affordable solid-state transmitter can accommodate the total power output necessary, the combining in a low-level combiner 36 can actually take place at the outputs of the exciters. While there are similar losses still, they exist in power levels of 50 watts or less and are insignificant. The combined analog/digital signal 38 is then fed into the solid state, linear transmitter 40 where the power can be amplified to power levels around 7,000 watts.
While this version is much more efficient and eliminates the high power losses going into a reject load, the output power levels are very restricted. For stations operating with transmitter power outputs (TPO) of 7 kW and under, this method is very attractive. Unfortunately most FM radio stations operate with much higher TPO's and the solid-state transmitters to accomplish this become extremely expensive, and for the most part not cost effective.
There is another prior art technique of combining currently proposed that utilizes two separate antennas as shown in FIG. 3. The method in FIG. 3 has just been approved for use by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FIG. 3 embodiment allows the two signals (Analog 50 and Digital 52) to combine in free air space. It is efficient in that no power is lost, however it requires a second antenna 54 to be installed on the tower which will cost in tower space rental, and in many cases, the extra space is not available. There will also be a difference in signal coverage between the two signals as the two antennas are not in the same location on the tower.
Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art.

HD digital radio combining methods and systems


The invention relates to the production of concrete roof tiles in an extrusion process, in which a continuous layer of fresh concrete is deposited on pallets supplied in a continuous row to a depositing apparatus and is subsequently compacted by means of a shaping roller and slipper and, if appropriate, profiled, and then the compacted layer of fresh concrete is cut at a cutting station into roof-tile moldings of equal length with a rear edge and a front edge, and the front edge is trimmed. To increase the weathering resistance and the strength of the front edge of the concrete roof tiles produced in this way, and to reduce the efflorescence which occurs in this region, a rounding or bevel starting from the lower cut edge adjacent to the pallet and extending up to the top side of the roof-tile moldings is produced, preferably in steps, on the front edge as a result of a compacting of material. The apparatus provided for this purpose has, as a trimming tool, an indentation tool which matches the profile of the layer of fresh concrete and which, during its movement penetrating into the layer of fresh concrete, compacts the front edge portion produced in the preceding work cycle over the entire cross-section of the latter.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for producing concrete roof tiles in an extrusion process and the roof tiles produced thereby. The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out this process. Finally, the invention relates to the concrete roof tiles obtained by the new process. The new process is in the same manner suitable for producing both plain concrete roof tiles and profiled concrete roof tiles. The invention is described below, particularly with reference to the production of profiled concrete roof tiles, although there is no intention to restrict the invention because of this.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,075 issued to Douglas Frederick Matthews on Dec. 4, 1973 for MANUFACTURE OF TILES discloses a process and apparatus of this general type. The content of Matthews U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,075 is incorporated herein by reference, where necessary. This known apparatus for cutting a continuously moving ribbon of plastically deformable material into individual concrete tiles allows throughput rates of 150 tiles per minute to be achieved. However, the high cutting speed required results in irregularities on the cut surfaces.
The trimming tool of the known apparatus is a trimming knife which trims the leading edge of the next molding of the moldings just cut off from the layer of fresh concrete. In this trimming operation, a short length is removed from the front edge of each molding, so that the finished moldings adjacent to one another do not stick together during subsequent curing. The strip of material cut off during trimming is removed. It is customary, at the same time, to arrange for the trimming knife to be inclined rearwardly relative to the moldings, so that the front edges of the concrete tiles have a more pleasing appearance when laid on a roof.
The prior process and apparatus presents certain disadvantages and drawbacks. For example, the concrete roof tiles obtainable by means of this known proposal have both on the rear edge and on the front edge a plane cut surface which typically possesses pores and other irregularities. The roughness and porosity of these cut surfaces are substantially greater than those of the compacted top side, with the result that the end faces of concrete roof tiles do not have the outstanding quality of the compacted top side. The quality of the rear end face of a roof tile is less important, because, on the finished roof, this rear edge is covered by the front portion of the roof tile laid above and is thus shielded against the effects of the weather. In contrast to this, on the finished roof each front edge of the concrete roof tiles is exposed to the effects of the weather, and as a result of the action of moisture which can be further intensified by frost, excessive leaching of calcium salts and the known efflorescence often occurs here. Black spots attributable to the growth of black micro-organisms, such as mold fungi, lichens, algae and the like, which feed on calcium also frequently arise.

Apparatus for producing concrete roof tiles


A portable computer docking station comprises a cradle coupled to a docking base where the cradle is adapted to receive a portable computer. The docking station also comprises a wireless receiver adapted to communicate a wireless input signal received by the docking station to the portable computer.

Portable computers are being increasingly used for both mobile and workstation or desktop applications or environments. For example, portable computers are generally used independently as a mobile device and as an office or desktop workstation via a docking station, thereby enabling the portable computer to be used as a desktop or workstation system while providing mobile convenience as well. However, conserving desktop work space and providing an ergonomic environment for using the portable computer in a desktop application is an important design objective.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining an indication that indicates that a donor radio is online with respect to an interoperability system, and determining if the indication is accurate. If the indication is not accurate, the method includes identifying a communication status for the donor radio within the interoperability system as a fail. Alternatively, if the indication is accurate, the communication status for the donor radio is identified within the interoperability system as being a success.

The disclosure relates generally to interoperability and collaboration systems and, more generally, to efficiently identifying resources within an interoperability and collaboration system that is not operating as expected.
In an interoperability system, e.g., a voice interoperability system such as an Internet Protocol (IP) Interoperability and Collaboration System (IPICS) system, donor radios are often used to bridge radio communications between the interoperability system and a system that is associated with the donor radio. When the donor radio is successfully receiving and transmitting information, communications between the interoperability system and the system associated with the donor radio may occur efficiently. However, when the donor radio is not successfully receiving and/or transmitting information, communications may be disrupted. When communications are disrupted because a donor radio is not functioning as expected, messages are not successfully relayed, which may lead to inconvenience and, in some instances, serious consequences.

Method and apparatus for detecting an offline radio resource in an interoperability system


An expression recognition method under a natural scene comprises: converting an input video into a video frame sequence in terms of a specified frame rate, and performing facial expression labeling on the video frame sequence to obtain a video frame labeled sequence; removing natural light impact, non-face areas, and head posture impact elimination on facial expression from the video frame labeled sequence to obtain an expression video frame sequence; augmenting the expression video frame sequence to obtain a video preprocessed frame sequence; from the video preprocessed frame sequence, extracting HOG features that characterize facial appearance and shape features, extracting second-order features that describe a face creasing degree, and extracting facial pixel-level deep neural network features by using a deep neural network; then, performing vector fusion on these three obtain facial feature fusion vectors for training; and inputting the facial feature fusion vectors into a support vector machine for expression classification.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a kind of theory, method, technology and application system that utilize a computer or a computer-controlled machine to simulate, extend and expand human intelligence, perceive environment, acquire knowledge, and use knowledge to obtain the best outcome.
Computer Vision (CV) refers to performing machine-visual identification, tracking, and measurement on a target with a camera and a computer instead of human eyes, and further performing graphic processing so that images processed by the computer become into the ones that are more suitable to be observed by human eyes or to be transmitted to an instrument for detection. As a scientific discipline, computer vision studies on related theories and technologies and attempts to establish an artificial intelligence system that can obtain information from images or multi-dimensional data. Computer vision technology generally includes image processing, image recognition, image semantic comprehension, image retrieval, OCR, video processing, video semantic comprehension, video content/behavior recognition, three-dimensional object reconstruction, 3D technology, virtual reality, augmented reality, synchronous positioning and mapping construction and other technologies, and it further includes some common biometric recognition technologies like face recognition, fingerprint recognition, and the like.
Machine Learning (ML) is a common research hotspot in the fields of artificial intelligence and pattern recognition, and its theory and methodology have been widely applied to solve complicated problems in engineering applications and science fields.
Deep Learning (DL) is a new research direction of the field of machine learning, which is introduced into machine learning to get closer to its original goal—artificial intelligence. Deep learning is to learn inherent law and representation levels of sample data. Information obtained during this learning helps a lot for interpretation of data, such as text, images and sounds. An ultimate goal of DL is to enable machines to have an ability of analyzing and learning and to recognize data such as text, images and sounds, just like human beings. Deep learning is a complex machine learning algorithm, by which achieved outcomes in speech and image recognition has surpassed the prior related technologies much further.
Emotion computing is a highly comprehensive research and technical field, which employs computational science in conjunction with psychological science and cognitive science to carry out study of emotional characteristics during human-human interaction and human-computer interaction, and to carry out design of a human-computer interaction environment enabling emotional feedback so that it is possible to realize human-computer emotional interaction. Research of emotion computing will increasingly deepen comprehension on human emotional states and mechanisms, and improves harmony between human and computer interfaces, that is, improving capabilities of computers to perceive situations, comprehend human emotions and intentions, and respond appropriately.
Emotion is a crucial component of human-human interaction and human-computer interaction systems. Emotional information may be conveyed in different forms, such as facial expression, speech intonation, peripheral physiological signal, brain electrical signal, and even text content. Facial expression is the most powerful and natural channel of humans to express their emotional states and intentions, because data from facial expression is easier to be collected and labeled relative to data from other channels; more than 55% of human emotions and intentions are delivered through facial expressions; facial expression recognition has a wide range of application demand in many fields, such as chat robot, intelligent medical care, fatigue monitoring, and polygraph analysis.
Since the year of 2013, due to substantial improvement of chip processing capability (such as a GPU unit) and rapid development of machine learning technology, expression recognition has gradually leaped from traditional machine learning methods to deep learning methods, and improvement of algorithms and computing power has unceasingly brought about breakthroughs in performance of expression recognition systems. However, on the one hand, in a natural scene, since interference such as light irradiation, head posture change, and face occlusion are inevitable, there is always a problem of low accuracy of recognition.
On the other hand, according to varied representing patterns of features, facial expression recognition systems can be divided into two types, i.e., static image facial expression recognition and dynamic sequence facial expression recognition. In a method of static, an expression recognition system only extracts spatial feature information of a current single image for encoding. Rather, a method of dynamic, temporal relationship between neighboring frames among multiple images is taken into account. Expression recognition in a laboratory environment focuses more on static expression analysis, while in the case of a natural scene major focus is on expression clue in a video stream. How to integrate with time-series context information to improve performance of expression recognition under a natural scene is a key issue to be solved urgently.
Patent No. CN108491764B provides a video face emotion recognition method, medium and device. The method includes: acquiring a video within a specified time period; and identifying emotion of at least one to-be-detected face image in the video according to content context information and facial expression information in the video. By acquiring the video within the specified time period, and according to the content context information and the facial expression information in the video, the emotion of at least one to-be-detected image in the video is identified. This solution simultaneously considers both the content scene of a scene in the video and the facial expression to recognize the emotion, so that robustness and accuracy of the emotion recognition can be improved.
Patent Application Publication No. CN109145837A discloses a face emotion recognition method, device, terminal device and storage medium. The method includes steps of: obtaining a current data frame in a video stream, capturing a face from the current data frame, and extracting feature information of the face; according to the extracted facial feature information, subjecting the feature information to a pre-trained expression classification model to classify a facial expression; sending a classification result of the facial expression to an associative robot so that the associative robot can feedback the classification result of the facial expression in the form of speech. This solution precisely locates specific positions of feature points, and then recognizes classification results of different facial expressions.

Expression recognition method under natural scene

INSTITUTE OF AUTOMATION, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES


The present invention defines a packaging implementation providing a multichip multilayer system on a chip solution. Greater integration of a plurality and variety of known good die contained within cavities formed in a separate substrate is achieved. Additional redistribution and interconnect layers above the multichip configuration may be formed with the redistribution layers terminating in electrical connections such as conductive bumps or balls. In one embodiment, the substrate cavities receive signal device connections, such as conductive bumps, of a plurality of semiconductor dice in a flip-chip configuration. A portion of the substrate's back surface is then removed to a depth sufficient to expose the conductive bumps. In another embodiment, the cavities receive the semiconductor dice with their active surface facing up, wherein metal layer connections are formed and coupled to bond pads or other electrical connectors of the semiconductor dice. Computing systems incorporating the packaging are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to semiconductor packaging. More particularly, the present invention relates to wafer level multichip packaging such as, for example, a system in a package solution.
2. State of the Art
Semiconductor chips (also referred to as die/dice herein) are found in many electronic products today. As semiconductor dice get smaller and more complex, the problem of making electrical connections between semiconductor dice, connections to carrier substrates such as printed circuit boards, and connections to intermediate substrates such as multichip modules which are, in turn, connected to carrier substrates has been addressed with a variety of constantly evolving solutions.
One of the earlier solutions included wire bonding from signal connection devices, such as bond pads of a semiconductor die, to pins or leads of a lead frame contained in a ceramic or plastic package. Finished packages are mounted to a carrier substrate, such as a printed circuit board, where the pins or leads make electrical connection with contact pads on the carrier substrate.
The term "signal connection devices" as used herein regarding semiconductor devices includes not only contact pads of a substrate and bond pads of a semiconductor device but also I/O connections for a semiconductor device created by adding circuitry from bond pads located on the active surface of the semiconductor device to different locations on the active surface of the semiconductor device. Such additional circuitry is typically effected using a so-called "redistribution layer" extending over the active surface or a surface of a semiconductor die.
An evolution of electrical connection technology occurred when multiple semiconductor dice were mounted on an intermediate substrate. In this instance, the semiconductor dice are typically connected to a lead frame by way of bonding wires. Signals, or electrical connections, required for coupling with an external device, such as a circuit board, are brought out to contact pads, pins or leads of the multichip module package. Other signals or electrical interconnections may be established between multiple semiconductor dice by way of circuitry formed on the intermediate substrate.
In these solutions, using wires for connecting a semiconductor die to a substrate and wire bonding processes can create problems. Such problems may include, for example, size and pitch (spacing) requirements for the bond pads of the semiconductor die and contact pads of the substrate; inductance in the signals due to the long curved wires; wire bond breakage and wire sweep causing shorting between adjacent wires; and high signal frequency semiconductor dice making the wire bonding process difficult and expensive.
Flip-chip technologies using solder balls or bumps have helped to alleviate some of these problems. For example, instead of wire bonding, conductive bumps such as, for example, balls of solder may be formed at the locations of the bond pads of a semiconductor die. A specialized lead frame, a dielectric tape carrying circuit traces as used in tape automated bonding processes, or other carrier substrates, such as a printed circuit board, may have electrical connection locations such terminals, which correspond to the placement of the solder balls on the bond pads of the semiconductor die. The semiconductor die is "flipped" upside down so the solder balls are placed, for example, on the contact pads of a carrier substrate. A solder reflow process heats the solder balls until the solder begins to flow and bond with a corresponding contact pad of a carrier substrate. Upon cooling, the solder forms both mechanical and electrical connections between the carrier substrate and the semiconductor die. This packaging solution may alleviate at least some of the inductance problems, allowing for higher frequency performance and better signal integrity of the semiconductor die. Also, to a certain extent, it allows the contact pads of a substrate where conductive bumps were formed to be larger, more widely pitched and placed anywhere on the semiconductor die active surface rather than just around the periphery or down the center thereof.
Chip scale packaging has evolved from various standard flip-chip processes to a configuration wherein the size of a package is reduced to only slightly larger than the size of the semiconductor die. Chip scale packages are typically created using an interposer substrate. The semiconductor die, with solder balls or bumps such as described above, is attached and electrically connected to the interposer substrate and an encapsulation material is applied over the chip for protection thereof from the elements. The interposer substrate can redistribute signal connections to new locations so they are physically positioned in a desired pattern or arrangement, or to just a different pitch more suitable for mounting to an interposer substrate. An additional set of conductive bumps may then be formed at other contact pad locations on the interposer substrate. The resulting package may then be attached to a carrier substrate such as a printed circuit board.
Chip scale packaging enables small packages using desired ball grid arrays or fine ball grid arrays. However, the interposer substrate is typically made of an organic material which is the same as, or similar to, that used for printed circuit boards. There is conventionally a significant mismatch in the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of the interposer substrate and the semiconductor die, often resulting in substantial stress on the mechanical and electrical interconnections formed between the semiconductor die and interposer substrate (e.g., a reflowed solder connection) during the normal thermal cycling during normal operation of the semiconductor die. The use of a ceramic substrate may alleviate some of the CTE mismatch concerns but at a considerably higher cost relative to more conventional interposer substrates.
Another advance in the area of multichip modules includes wafer scale integration. Wafer scale integration generally comprises fabricating multiple types of functional semiconductor dice on a single wafer. For example, a four-chip system may be created by placing a microprocessor next to a memory controller and two memory-type semiconductor dice. This pattern may then be repeated across the entire wafer. After fabrication, the wafer is sawed into individual segments with each segment containing the four different functions. However, this approach has not been a very satisfactory solution due to yield problems created by the variations in processes for forming processors and various types of memory-type semiconductor dice. For example, if a defect causes any one of the four functions to be inoperable, the entire segment is defective and not usable.
In addition to that described above, there have been advances in bump technologies where the conductive bumps act as the signal connection device. Conventional solder bumps, in some cases, have been replaced by stud bumps. Stud bumps have conventionally been gold, but copper and plated-type stud bumps have also been used recently. The stud bumps may actually comprise short wires or wire stubs applied to a semiconductor die using a conventional wire bonding process. Stud bumping has the advantages of using a more cost effective wire bonding process for application of the bumps in comparison to the more complex, multistep solder bumping process. Further, conductive and conductor-filled adhesives have also been employed to attach the conductive bumps to a carrier substrate. The conductive or conductor-filled adhesive may provide an amount of flexibility to the mechanical and electrical connection, thereby compensating for some of the problems associated with the mismatch of CTE often associated with solder bump processes as discussed above.
However, in light of the advances made in fabricating semiconductor device packages, there is a continued need for a reliable, cost effective solution with a higher integration of various functional semiconductor dice in a single package to produce, for example, a system on a semiconductor die solution. There is also a need to create smaller packages with more consistent thermal expansion properties while enabling the redistribution of signal connection devices of the various semiconductor dice to a more convenient, possibly denser, and optionally standard configuration for attachment to a carrier substrate.
Finally, it would be advantageous to provide a system on a chip packaging solution using known good dice, such use thereby increasing the yield of usable packages and, thus, improving the efficiency and cost effectiveness associated with producing such packages.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method of making multichip wafer level packages and computing systems incorporating same


A distance measuring apparatus and method that enable high-precision and high-speed measurement by canceling variations of a delay circuit in the apparatus are provided. Pulsed light is branched into first and second reference light, and transmitted measurement light, and the difference in detection time among the first reference light along a first path with no optical variations, the second reference light along a second path with an optical delay, and received measurement light from an object to be measured is measured. The received measurement light and the first reference light are temporally separate, distance is calculated from the difference in detection time between the received measurement light and the first reference light. When the received measurement light and the first reference light are not temporally separate, distance is calculated from a difference in detection time between the first reference light and the second reference light and a difference in detection time between the received measurement light and the second reference light.

Hitherto, there has been a distance measuring apparatus that radiates pulsed light to an object to be measured and then detects the pulsed light reflected from the object to be measured to measure, using the road-trip propagation time of the pulsed light, the distance to the object to be measured.
Such a distance measuring apparatus adopts a scheme in which the propagation time is determined at a light processing stage so as not to be affected by electric variations in the distance measuring apparatus in order to perform measurement with as much accuracy as possible. For example, as shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, a distance measuring apparatus 100 is provided with a pulsed light source 101, a reference light path Rc branched from the pulsed light source 101, and a photodetector 104, and adopts a scheme in which the photodetector 104 detects the propagation time lag of a measurement light path Mc leading to an object to be measured 160 with reference to the light pulse arrival time through the reference light path Rc to measure a distance L. Switching between the reference light path Rc and the measurement light path Mc is performed mechanically using light path switchers 103a and 103b, the propagation time of pulsed light by way of each of the light paths Rc and Mc is independently measured at temporally different timings, and the propagation time lag is calculated from the measurement results. However, it is difficult for this method to operate rapidly, which gives a significant factor that restricts shortening of the measurement time.
As one method of addressing this issue, a method in which switching between light (reference light rc) by way of the reference light path Rc and light (measurement light mc) by way of the measurement light path Mc is not performed and the reference light rc and the measurement light mc are synthesized to be detected with one photodetector is conceivable. In the case where the distance between the object to be measured 160 and the distance measuring apparatus 100 is short, however, the reference light rc and the measurement light mc may overlap each other on the time axis, which may make it difficult to accurately detect the time lag between the reference light rc and the measurement light mc (see case 1 in FIG. 15B). Thus, there is provided a method in which an optical delay generator, the delay time of which is accurately known in advance, is inserted in the reference light path Rc or the measurement light path Mc to separate the measurement light mc and the reference light rc from each other on the time axis and measure the time lag between the measurement light mc and the reference light rc, and thereafter the measured time lag is corrected with the value of the delay time of the optical delay generator (see case 2 in FIG. 15B; Patent Document 1, for example).
When the pulsed light source 101 is driven, electro-magnetically induced noise is produced on the electric output side of the photodetector 104 because of significant current variations at the moment of light emission. If the time of passage through the reference light path Rc is short, the induced noise may overlap the reference light rc on the time axis to cause a measurement error. In order to avoid such a phenomenon, a delay element with a certain delay time may be added to the reference light path Rc to separate the reference light rc and the measurement light mc from each other (Patent Document 2, for example).
Normally, the pulsed light source 101 produces a pulse having a pulse width of about 10 n seconds in many cases. In order to generate a delay of 10 n seconds, it is necessary that the delay element should have a length of at least 2 meters (in the case where an optical fiber with a refractive index of 1.5 is used) . In practice, the delay time is set in consideration of a margin, and thus it is desirable to set a delay time of several times or more of the pulse width. In order to obtain a delay time of 100 n seconds, which is one order higher, the delay element, if formed by an optical fiber, should have a length of about 20 meters. Further, in the case where a high-precision time lag measurement method through detection of a zero point of a damped oscillation waveform to be discussed later is adopted, a noise level of about −58 dB ( 1/800) or less is desirable. In such a case, the delay element should have a long length of 200 meters or more in terms of optical distance.
As the delay element described above, an optical fiber that can be bent freely and that can achieve a longer delay time with smaller geometry is suitable. However, the propagation delay time of the optical fiber is varied depending on the temperature. The temperature coefficient of the refractive index of a quartz fiber is about 10 ppm/° C. (Non-Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 2, for example), and in the case where the length of the fiber is 130 meters, which achieves a delay time equivalent to that achieved by the length of 200 meters described above, and the variation in outside temperature is 50° C., the error in measurement distance due to variations in delay time is about 10 cm. Such an error is not allowable for a precise distance measuring apparatus that aims at a measurement accuracy of about 1 mm.

Distance measuring apparatus and distance measuring method


A sealed, chemiluminescent novelty device includes a housing having side walls and a bottom wall to define a housing and a lid sealable to the housing. The lid has a flexible membrane with a depending plunger. A sealed charge having side walls and a top wall with a flexible membrane, is positioned in the housing. The charge has an activation post aligned with the membrane. A sealed, frangible ampoule is disposed in the charge. A first chemical is disposed in the charge, outside of the ampoule and a second chemical is disposed in the ampoule. Pressure applied to the housing lid urges contact with the charge top wall to urge the top wall to move the activation post into contact with the ampoule to break the ampoule allowing the first and second chemicals to mix.

The present invention relates to an illuminated novelty device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a chemiluminescent illuminated novelty device.
There are several illuminated novelty devices commercially available, some of which are in the form of, or resemble beverage accessory devices, such as ice cubes. Two principal types of devices are known, chemically activated devices and electrically activated devices. The chemically activated devices are exemplified by that described in Cheng, U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,724, which includes a chemiluminescent light emitter within a housing shaped like an ice cube. The housing has several chambers each filled with chemicals that when mixed together emit light.
The device in Cheng is a relatively complex construction, with multiple (three) chambers and a thin film or membrane that is needed to maintain the chemicals segregated from one another. In addition, the construction makes mixing the chemicals, following fracture of the film, difficult in that the flow space between the chambers is limited by the area of the film.
In the electrically activated devices, light emitting diodes (LEDs) are typically used to produce light. The LED require a power source, i.e., batteries, that have their inherent drawbacks, such as possibly limited shelf life. One such LED-type construction is illustrated in Vanderschuit, U.S. Pat. No. 6,416,198 and its progeny.
Accordingly, there is a need for a chemically activated or chemiluminescent illuminated novelty device. Desirably, such a device is a beverage accessory device, resembling or shaped much like an ice cube. More desirably still, such a device is readily easy to manufacture with a minimal number of chambers require to maintain the chemicals segregated from one another.

Chemiluminescent illuminated novelty device


A design of an integrated computational element (ICE) includes specification of a substrate and a plurality of layers, their respective constitutive materials, target thicknesses and refractive indices, where refractive indices of respective materials of adjacent layers are different from each other, and a notional ICE fabricated in accordance with the ICE design is related to a characteristic of a sample. One or more layers of the plurality of layers of an ICE are formed based on the ICE design, such that the formed layer(s) includes(e) corresponding material(s) from among the specified constitutive materials of the ICE. Characteristics of probe-light interacted with the formed layer(s) are measured at two or more temperatures. Temperature dependence(ies) of one or more refractive indices of the corresponding material(s) of the formed layers is(are) determined using the measured characteristics. The received ICE design is updated based on the determined temperature dependence(ies) of the refractive index(ices).

The subject matter of this disclosure is generally related to fabrication of an integrated computational element (ICE) used in optical analysis tools for analyzing a substance of interest, for example, crude petroleum, gas, water, or other wellbore fluids. For instance, changes as a function of temperature dn*H(T)/dT, dn*L(T)/dT of complex refractive indices n*H(T), n*L(T) of materials of adjacent ICE layers are determined while fabricating the ICE.
Information about a substance can be derived through the interaction of light with that substance. The interaction changes characteristics of the light, for instance the frequency (and corresponding wavelength), intensity, polarization, and/or direction (e.g., through scattering, absorption, reflection or refraction). Chemical, thermal, physical, mechanical, optical or various other characteristics of the substance can be determined based on the changes in the characteristics of the light interacting with the substance. As such, in certain applications, one or more characteristics of crude petroleum, gas, water, or other wellbore fluids can be derived in-situ, e.g., downhole at well sites, as a result of the interaction between these substances and light.
Integrated computational elements (ICEs) enable the measurement of various chemical or physical characteristics through the use of regression techniques. An ICE selectively weights, when operated as part of optical analysis tools, light modified by a sample in at least a portion of a wavelength range such that the weightings are related to one or more characteristics of the sample. An ICE can be an optical substrate with multiple stacked dielectric layers (e.g., from about 2 to about 50 layers), each having a different complex refractive index from its adjacent layers. The specific number of layers, N, the optical properties (e.g. real and imaginary components of complex indices of refraction) of the layers, the optical properties of the substrate, and the physical thickness of each of the layers that compose the ICE are selected so that the light processed by the ICE is related to one or more characteristics of the sample. Because ICEs extract information from the light modified by a sample passively, they can be incorporated in low cost and rugged optical analysis tools. Hence, ICE-based downhole optical analysis tools can provide a relatively low cost, rugged and accurate system for monitoring quality of wellbore fluids, for instance.
Errors in fabrication of some constituent layers of an ICE design can degrade the ICE's target performance. In most cases, deviations of <0.1%, and even 0.01% or 0.0001%, from point by point design values of the optical characteristics (e.g., complex refractive indices), and/or physical characteristics (e.g., thicknesses) of the formed layers of the ICE can reduce the ICE's performance, in some cases to such an extent, that the ICE becomes operationally useless. Examples of fabrication errors include differences between values of complex refractive indices of layers of the ICE as conventionally fabricated—e.g., by reactive magnetron sputtering at room temperature—and as used in a down-hole optical analysis tool—at elevated temperature. In such cases, although complex refractive indices and thicknesses of the layers are found to be on target as fabrication of the ICE is completed at room temperature, the ICE materials' complex refractive indices change as a function of temperature, for some materials significantly, when the fabricated ICE is operated at an operational temperature much higher than the room temperature at which the ICE was fabricated. Such changes in the complex refractive indices of the ICE layers due to differences between fabrication and operational temperatures lead to temperature-dependent performance degradation for the conventionally fabricated ICE. Those familiar or currently practicing in the art will readily appreciate that the ultra-high accuracies required by ICE designs challenge the state of the art in thin film fabrication techniques.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

Determining temperature dependence of complex refractive indices of layer materials during fabrication of integrated computational elements


An RFID transponder including a Bluetooth® compatible transceiver is described a (BLEET). The Bluetooth® compatible transceiver may be configured to set data that is transmitted via one or more RFID transceivers in the transponder and to return data received by the RFID transceiver(s) to a client application running, for example, on a user's smart phone. The BLEET may be used for electronic vehicle tracking or tolling. Vehicle occupancy data may be set by the user with the client application via a Bluetooth® connection in connection with high occupancy vehicle tolling and express lane incentive programs.

The field of electronic vehicle tracking for tolling and other purposes has seen many iterations over the years. These include the use of vehicle-based backscatter transponders that are detected by and communicate with by roadside equipment, active transponders that are detected by and communicate with by roadside equipment, hybrid transponders having both active and backscatter functions, and video monitoring of vehicle license plate and other placards. Cellular telephones have also been described for use in tolling systems, alone or in combination with the aforementioned types of transponders. These transponders have been implemented in various ways and using combinations of software running on embedded microcontrollers, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) (both digital and mixed signal types), discrete logic, digital, and analog circuitry. The transponders may operate in a passive manner whereby a downlink signal (reader to tag) is sent to the tag which includes modulating data on an ultra-high frequency (UHF) carrier signal to the tag including commands to perform certain operations. These tags are powered by harvesting incoming energy from a radio signal such as the UHF carrier signal in the 900 MHz range, which powers the transponder circuitry. The tag typically backscatter modulates the incoming continuous wave (CW) signal to create an uplink (tag to reader) signal in accordance with the said received commands. These types of tags are currently used in the Florida SunPass® system, for example. Tag protocol also may also be used in conjunction with an active transmitter for both downlink and uplink, such as is used in the EZ-Pass® system.
Radio Frequency Identification transponders (RFID tags) used for vehicle tolling are typically programmed at the factory with a unique user identification number that is used to identify the owner of the tag. In the United States, many different tolling protocols are used in the various toll agencies and often tags from one agency are not compatible with tags in another. This incompatibility requires users who would like to utilize toll roads across multiple toll agencies to use multiple toll tags in their vehicle. Multi-protocol tags can work with the various toll agencies and their protocols, however, these tags are programmed at the factory, at time of manufacture and communicate only with dedicated road-side equipment.

Vehicle tracking system using transponders


Multifunctional cellular metals (or other materials) for structural applications that are capable of recovering their original (undeformed) shape and thickness after impact or crushing (i.e., self-healing). Alternatively, they may normally be stored or used in their compressed (i.e., crushed) state and deployed when needed to act as energy absorbing structure or packaging (i.e., deployable energy absorber). Additionally, the multifunctional structures may act as an actuator, capable of providing localized or distributed force and displacement, and related methods of using and manufacturing the same. These active cellular metals (or other materials) are composites consisting of conventional metal/alloy truss structures (or other material structures) in combination with shape memory metal/alloy components (or other material components) and offer high specific strength and stiffness, but which are also deployable energy absorbers or self-healing smart structures.

Foams and cellular materials are well established as energy absorbing materials. Styrofoam packaging for computer monitors during shipping, bubble wrap and cardboard are examples. Their energy absorbing capability arises from the deformation (bending, stretching, or buckling) of struts (if open-celled) or membrane walls (if closed-cell) [1]. Closed-cell foams may also rely upon compression of a gas contained within the cell to absorb impact energy.
Although the foamed and cellular materials we are most familiar with for packaging and energy absorption are practically all polymeric, recent developments have led to a variety of metallic counterparts. Metals and alloys are attractive in these applications owing to their much higher stiffness and strength, and the increased energy they can absorb by deforming plastically (e.g., by dislocation glide). Foamed aluminum alloy can now be produced by injecting air (e.g., Metal Foams: A Design Guide by Michael Ashby, Anthony Evans, Norman Fleck, Loma Gibson, John Hutchinson and Haydn Wadley, Butterworths, 2000) or a foaming agent (TiH2) into the liquid melt and solidifying the froth in a steep temperature gradient at the surface of the bath [2], or by a similar, semi-solid process [3]. These low-cost, high-volume processing routes strongly encouraged increased research into their performance, and the relation between (porous) structure and performance.
Recent developments by Sypeck and Wadley [4] have led to the development and demonstration of low-cost cellular metals based on woven wire truss structures and formed metal lattices. It is worthwhile to briefly describe both of these approaches/materials.
Woven wire truss core sandwich panels use a core consisting of lamina of woven wire sheets, which are stacked and bonded using brazing or liquid phase sintering. The lightweight (relative density below 10%) cores are then bonded to metallic face sheets, which may be of the same or a different alloy than the core. Compared to metal foam core panels, such cellular metal beams and panels have been shown to exhibit excellent specific stiffness and strength [5]. The formed metal lattice, or simply truss-core, material is produced by first punching a honeycomb-like array of hexagonal holes from a flat dense sheet of the desired metal or alloy (e.g. 304 stainless steel); specially-designed tooling (consisting of a pair of interpenetrating arrays of pins) is then used to deform the hex sheet into an array of tetrahedral. This is accomplished by pushing every second vertex (i.e., node at which three ligaments within the hex sheet come together) upwards, and at the same time, all other vertices in the opposite direction. The resulting truss-core sheets can then be stacked, either with intermediate sheets (or punched hex sheets), and bonded by brazing, sintering, etc.
The cellular metal structures based on woven-wire and truss-core approaches are attractive as structural materials because of their exceptional specific properties. However, they are perhaps even more promising as candidates for multifunctional materials applications. In addition to bearing forces and moments as an integral structural component, they will simultaneously be used as heat exchangers, filters, catalysts, batteries, energy absorbers, or actuators. Cellular metals are attractive as energy absorbers not only because they can double as structural members with high specific stiffness and strength. But also because plastic deformation of metals and alloys is an efficient energy absorption mechanism, such materials have very low Poisson ratio (they densify while crushing), and the threshold stress for crushing can be accurately controlled by the cellular morphology (size, shape of cells and of the struts and cell walls).
Recent work by Elzey et al. [6] has led to the development of active, shape-morphing structural components based on 2-D and 3-D truss-core structures combined with SMA elements (actuators). This design has been shown to provide the capability for fully reversible, shape-changing structures. Applications might include mission adaptable wings for aircraft, tunable rotors for helicopters and turbine generators, and deployable space structures. The SMA elements used currently are based on roughly equi-atomic NiTi, which can be induced to undergo a phase transformation from its martensite form (monoclinic crystal structure) to austenite (cubic crystal structure) either by increasing the temperature to above the austenite finish temperature (Af), or by applying stress at temperatures below the temperature at which the austenite phase is stable. Deformations of up to 8% strain can be absorbed at low temperature (e.g.
20) by the formation of the martensite phase, and are completely recoverable upon heating to the Af temperature.
The present invention relates to, among other things, low-cost cellular metals (e.g. truss-core sandwich panel) and active structures to achieve active, cellular metal materials for use as deployable and reusable energy absorbers and self-healing structural members. The present invention provides low-cost precursors such as the truss-core lattice in combination with active (SMA) elements. The active elements will provide for energy absorption by inelastic deformation (like a conventional metal or alloy), but fully recoverable (like a polymer foam).

Active energy absorbing cellular metals and method of manufacturing and using the same

University of Virginia Patent Foundation


Systems and methods for optimizing factory scheduling, layout or both which represent active factory elements (human and machine) as computational objects and simulate factory operation to optimize a solution. This enables the efficient assembly of customized products, accommodates variable demand, and mitigates unplanned events (floor blockages, machines/IMRs/workcell/workers downtime, variable quantity, location, and destination of supply parts).

Dedicated manufacturing lines are based on fixed automation and labor combinations making parts or components in long production runs, at high volume, and with limited product variability. Each dedicated line is typically designed to produce a small number of distinct parts at high production rates achieved by high utilization of the entire production line. When product demand is high and cost per part is low, dedicated manufacturing lines are cost-effective as long as they can operate at high utilization. But manufacturing companies face increasingly frequent and unpredictable market changes, driven by global competition (including the rapid introduction of new products) and constantly varying product demand. To stay competitive, companies must design manufacturing systems that not only produce high-quality goods at low cost, but that are responsive to market changes and evolving consumer preferences.
Increasing global competition, shorter production runs, and greater product variability disadvantage traditional dedicated manufacturing lines. Substantial efforts have been devoted to organizing production using active, context-aware, autonomous systems. This paradigm reflects a shift from static process chains towards more automation and autonomy, with context-aware facilities capable of efficiently combining and reorganizing manufacturing steps to create various product types and variants cost-effectively, even in small lot sizes.
The increase in complexity of manufacturing systems, together with the fact that small-lot production is becoming more common than mass production, are some of the challenges engineers face in advanced manufacturing facilities. The traditional assembly line is ill-suited to this kind of dynamic manufacturing, and hence alternative manufacturing methods and technologies are being developed.
One approach to separate the manufacturing line into independent workcells, arrayed not in a one-dimensional fixed path, as in a traditional line, but in an arbitrary modular assembly layout on the factory floor. Modularity makes every production system scalable and adaptable as model diversity grows, allowing different levels of product customization to be achieved efficiently, and decreasing inactivity when compared to a traditional assembly line across different workstations with fixed operations.
This arrangement provides for a much higher level of flexibility in terms of production profile arrangements, corresponding to variations in demand or product specifications, and tighter economic coupling between production needs and capital efficiency. The downside is greater complexity in the factory layout design and resource orchestration, which includes workers, transportation, workcell scheduling processes, ordering and prioritization of process steps, and materials and parts-flow routing.
A modular factory is like a distributed system, lacking centralized synchronization. In an assembly line, the movement of work items down the line determines the rate at which each task is completed, and each task must be completed before its successor can begin. This is not the case in a modular factory, in which tasks need to be coordinated so that they do not conflict with one another. Since delays accumulate over time, it is essential that the method of coordination is able to adapt to changes during production. To ensure the efficiency of a modular factory, it is essential to coordinate the activities of workcells and movement of work items between workcells to maximize resource utilization and minimize transport delays. This implies the need for efficiency both in terms of the layout of the factory and scheduling of production tasks, i.e., in space and time. While interrelated, these objectives can be approached separately and each can, to some extent, compensate for weaknesses in the other; efficient scheduling can mitigate layout bottlenecks while well-organized factory layouts can minimize wait times between fabrication tasks, dwell times at task stations due to late arrival of work in process, and down time resulting from collisions or safety-mandated pauses as human operators pass through work areas. Achieving either objective, however, poses significant engineering challenges.

Optimized factory schedule and layout generation


The present invention provides a set of circuits which is capable of performing an automatic check on main components of a circuit interrupting device when the circuit interrupting device is properly powered and the device is at a tripped state to determine whether these main components function normally. The results of the automatic check can be detected by depressing a reset button in the circuit interrupting device. If the reset button can be depressed, the main components function normally. Alternatively, the results can be automatically displayed by a showing on the face lid of the circuit interrupting device of either a green light, which means that the main components function normally, or a red or yellow light or no light, which means that at least one of the main components in the circuit interrupting device does not function properly. The present invention also provides an end-of-service-life detection integrated circuit chip capable of receiving and transmitting an automatic check signal and determining whether or not the circuit interrupting device can be reset. The preferred circuit interrupting device is a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).

Circuit interrupting devices, such as ground fault circuit interrupters ("GFCIs"), arc fault circuit interrupters ("AFCIs"), and circuit breakers, have been widely used by consumers since 1970s. Nowadays, due to household safety concerns, there are needs for GFCIs with extra safety features. According to the UL standards under 934A effective Jul. 28, 2006, a GFCI is required not only to have reverse wiring protection, but also to be able to provide a user with indications to alert the user when the GFCI has reached the end of its service life and is no longer capable of providing ground fault protection. That is because for most of the GFCIs currently available on the market, when their service life ends, resetting by pressing the reset button is still possible, which gives the users a false sense of security that they are still under proper protection of the GFCI, while in fact the GFCIs' capability of sensing a ground fault and cutting off the electricity due to a ground fault has been compromised. Thus, when a ground fault occurs, the GFCI is unable to provide any protection, which can result in fatal electric shocks.
The invention to be described in the following sections is a circuit interrupting device which contains an automatic end of life testing system capable of determining whether the major components in the circuit interrupting device function normally without any manual operation of the device when the device is powered on and at a tripped state.

Circuits for circuit interrupting devices having automatic end of life testing function


The invention is concerned with the application of adenosine in the form of topically applicable pharmaceutical preparations for controlling herpes, in particular herpes labialis, herpes zoster, and herpes genitalis. The preparations are applied thinly several times daily to the affected skin or mucous areas. The active substance concentration should be in the region of 5-30%. Anhydrous preparations such as powder or anhydrous ointments have proven to be particularly effective and are surprisingly rapid in promoting healing.

Adenosine is a well-known nucleoside which plays a significant role in the metabolism in the form of its phosphates.
However, adenosine has not been significant in the past as a pharmaceutical because, inter alia, it is metabolized extremely quickly upon enteral and parenteral administration. Topical application of adenosine has been totally unknown up to present.
It has not been found that adenosine, when applied topically, surprisingly demonstrates an excellent effect on controlling various types of herpes, in particular herpes labialis, herpes zoster, and herpes genitalis.

Topical composition for treating herpes with adenosine


A transponder is disclosed. The transponder includes a resonant circuit serving as an antenna, a load modulation module coupled to the resonant circuit, a current source coupled to the resonant circuit and a command interpreter configured to interpret a received initialization command. The command interpreter is configured to monitor input communication for a stop command signal and a charge & talk bit and if the charge & talk bit is not received within a predetermined time interval after receiving the stop command signal, the load modulation module is activated to provide a signal for transmission by modifying an incoming carrier wave through the load modulation module. If the charge & talk bit is received within the predetermined time after receiving the stop command signal, the current source is activated to provide a signal for transmission by generating pulses of current.

Many countries require new vehicles to include an immobilizer device in ignition circuitry of the vehicles. An immobilizer is a security system, typically made up of an immobilizer base station and a transponder in a key. The immobilizer base station is typically located in the steering column or in the dashboard of a vehicle and is able to prevent fuel flow or ignition of the vehicle (i.e., by breaking an electrical circuit or otherwise disabling signal flow within the circuitry of the vehicle) when the key is not present. Properly configured, an immobilizer can greatly reduce the possibility of vehicle theft because standard hotwiring methods are ineffective.
A transponder may be a legacy transponder using load modulation (LM) communication method. A LM type transponder offers limited range. New type of transponders use charge & talk (C&T) communication method and offer extended range of communication. A transponder designed to work with C&T base station is not able to communication with legacy LM base stations and vice versa.

Integrated circuit device and method for dual-mode transponder communication protocol


A protection method in a packet transport network is provided. A protection path is established for a service data flow borne on a shared protection ring in the method, where the protection path includes a wrapping protection path and a steering protection path. Firstly, a first service data flow is sent through the wrapping protection path. Then, a service data flow node stops sending a second service data flow subsequent to the first service data flow to the wrapping protection path, and buffers the second service data flow. When the first service data flow completely passes by the service data flow node again, the buffered second service data flow is switched from the wrapping protection path to the steering protection path.

In order to improve the transport efficiency and reliability, a transport network usually adopts a ring network. Taking a T-MPLS shared protection ring (TM-SPRing) as an example, a logic adjacency relation is established between each two nodes of the ring network, and the establishing of the connection relation between corresponding nodes is not limited by physical devices and a media access control (MAC) topology. The connection between the neighboring nodes is called a span, and the span is a bi-directional connection (possibly being a physical link or a logic connection). A transporting channel entity configured to transport service data flows between nodes on the ring is implemented by a group of LSPs based on the T-MPLS. The TM-SPRing adopts a double-ring structure, and flowing directions of the service data flows of the two rings are opposite, the two rings include a working ring (working direction) and a protection ring (reverse direction of the working direction), each ring may establish a plurality of LSPs according to the amount demand of services, so as to assign different LSPs to different service data flows. The protection of the TM-SPRing is performed for the span between the neighboring nodes, and is implemented through an OAM function of the span.
When the span has a failure, in order to prevent the span between the neighboring nodes from failing, an entire protection mechanism needs to be confirmed, so as to quickly protect the span failure, and correctly and effectively transport the service data flow. Currently, the common protection mechanism using the shared protection ring has two switching mechanisms, namely, a steering manner and a wrapping manner. The largest difference between the steering manner and the wrapping manner is that after the span failure occurs, the nodes initiating the switching of the service data flow are different, where in the steering manner, the node initiating the switching of the service data flow is a source node of the service data flow, but in the wrapping manner, the node initiating the switching of the service data flow is a failed span neighboring node. The wrapping manner has a short switching starting time, and has low corresponding packet loss, but a switched wrapping protection path is not an optimal routing. A steering protection path of the steering manner is the optimal routing, but the steering manner has a long switching starting time and high corresponding packet loss.
An existing resilient packet ring (RPR) network adopts a combination protection solution of the wrapping manner and the steering manner, and the implementation of the solution is performed according to the following steps.
Firstly, after the failure occurs, a failed span neighboring node detects the failure, and immediately performs the switching operation in the wrapping manner, so that a first service data flow steer clear of the failed span, that is, the affected first service data flow (the service data flow that is about to pass by the failed span from the working direction) is wrapped to the other ring for being transported, and meanwhile, the failed span neighboring node bi-directionally sends a protection request message including the failed span information.
Next, when receiving the protection request message, the source node and the target node of the service data flow perform the switching operation in the steering manner, so that a second service data flow subsequent to the first service data flow is transferred to the other ring for being transported, so as to steer clear of the failed span.
A starting time of the switching action of the solution is equal to a starting time of the switching action in the wrapping manner, and the reason is that the wrapping protection solution is used in a first stage, so that the packet loss of the first service data flow is low. In addition, after the switching action in the steering manner is adopted, the final path which the second service data flow passes by is the same as the steering protection path in the steering manner, and is the optimal routing on the other ring, thereby improving the utilization of network resources, avoiding from introducing unnecessary time delay, and integrating advantages of the two solutions being the wrapping manner and the steering manner.
The inventors find the following problems during the implementation of the disclosure.
According to the description of the above two steps, the path of the service data flow is changed twice in the solution. F or the first time, the first service data flow is switched from the working path to the wrapping protection path for being transported, and for the second time, the second service data flow is switched from the wrapping protection path to the steering protection path for being transported. As compared with the steering protection path, the wrapping protection path has the path wrapping on the working ring, so it is possible that the second service data flow sent after the second time of switching reaches the target node earlier than the first service data flow sent after the first time of switching, so as to result in a disordering problem of the service data flow.
The packet transport technique aims to implement a multi-service uniform bearing platform, and needs to transport a TDM service, and the TDM service has strict demands on a time sequence.

Protection method, system, and device in packet transport network


A paper tissue roll holder eliminates the use of a spindle. Two opposed arms with slidable back frames have support plugs or protrusions extending inwardly from ends of the arms, to engage in the ends of a tissue paper roll. The frames move laterally in opposition to one another in a slide track of a housing. In one preferred embodiment both slidable frames have gear racks which engage with a single rotatable gear positioned in the center of a back plate of the housing. Movement of either of the arms and frames causes opposite movement in unison by the other frame, by virtue of the mechanical linkage provided by the gear. This allows clearance for center loading of a tissue paper roll.

The invention relates to a gear activated paper tissue roll holder which functions without the use of a spindle.
Most paper tissue roll holders prior to this invention have employed a spindle to hold the tissue roll in place. Some spindles are detachable, can come apart and are difficult to use for people with disabilities, including arthritis. The spindles actually are not needed, since support plugs engaging in each end of the tissue core can be sufficient for holding a tissue roll in place, as is well known. Further, spindles can be removed and lost, another disadvantage for the hotel industry.
Several prior art paper tissue roll holders have offered an alternative to the use of a spindle. Some have claimed to be dual retractable, yet require two hands to operate; some have one frame which remains stationary as another frame is pulled out to the side, requiring off-center loading, followed by shifting the tissue roll to the side.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a tissue holder which can be center loaded, more quickly and easily than in the prior art, with only one hand needed to manipulate the holder.
In accordance with this invention, a paper tissue roll holder is easily operated with one hand. The holder device has a mechanical linkage such that when one arm of the holder is pulled outwardly, the other is moved outwardly in the opposite direction. Preferably a knob is provided on the outside of one arm of the tissue roll holder for gripping by the user. Each arm is connected to a back portion comprising a frame or bracket which extends at about right angles from the back end of the arm and which is generally parallel to the wall on which the unit is to be mounted. In one embodiment each of these back frames has a gear rack, and each gear rack engages with a gear positioned between the two racks and mounted for rotation in the unit""s housing. This causes motion of-the one arm to be transferred to opposing motion of the opposite arm. In another embodiment, the opposing motion of the two arms is achieved with two enmeshed gears, each connected to a pivotal lever that engages with one of the slidable frames.


The object is to make alignment of liquid crystals more uniform by reducing alignment disorder when a voltage is applied and to improve the display quality. A liquid crystal display element comprises a first electrode (122), a second electrode (141) opposed to the first electrode, and a liquid crystal layer provided between the first electrode and the second electrode and having alignment of liquid crystal in the voltage-off state being vertical alignment, wherein either one of the first electrode and the second electrode is provided with a plurality of regularly disposed L-shaped slits, and the L-shaped slits (21) are formed so that at least within an area where the first electrode and the second electrode overlap each other, the electrode provided with the slits, is divided into a plurality of rectangular sub-pixel electrodes each having connection portions at three corners for connection to adjacent sub-pixel electrodes.

As a liquid crystal display element, there is a liquid crystal display element wherein alignment (initial alignment) of liquid crystal molecules in a liquid crystal layer is substantially vertical to the substrate surface when no voltage is applied. Such a liquid crystal display element is called a VA (vertical alignment) type liquid crystal display element. In the VA-type liquid crystal display element, liquid crystal having a negative dielectric anisotropy is used. And, by applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer, liquid crystals (liquid crystal molecules) are orientated towards horizontal to the substrate surface (e.g. Patent Document 1). With the VA-type liquid crystal display element, it is possible to increase the responsivity and to realize a display with a high contrast, as compared with a TN (twisted nematic) type liquid crystal display element or a STN (super twisted nematic) type liquid crystal display element (e.g. Patent Document 2).
In a case where alignment of liquid crystals in the voltage-off state, is completely vertical to the substrate, it is not possible to prescribe the tilting direction of liquid crystals when a voltage is applied. Consequently, the alignment of liquid crystals tends to be non-uniform, and the display quality deteriorates. Therefore, it is necessary to prescribe the tilting direction of liquid crystals by imparting a pretilt by some methods or by adjusting the shapes of electrodes. The method for prescribing a tilting direction of liquid crystals by imparting a pretilt or by adjusting the shapes of electrodes, may, for example, be an oblique electric field method wherein the electric field direction by an applied voltage is made oblique to the substrate surface, a rib method wherein electrodes, etc. are provided with a rib structure, or an oblique vapor deposition method wherein silicon oxide (SiO2) is obliquely vapor-deposited on a substrate. Further, it is also possible to prescribe the alignment direction of liquid crystals by applying rubbing treatment to a vertical alignment type alignment film.
Further, as a method for prescribing the alignment direction of liquid crystals, a method of forming slits in an electrode is known. For example, Patent Document 3 discloses a liquid crystal display device wherein a plurality of openings are regularly formed in an electrode to define sub-pixel regions by such openings, so that liquid crystal molecules in such sub-pixel regions are axially symmetrically aligned. In the liquid crystal display device disclosed in Patent Document 3, the sub-pixel regions are defined so that at least one of corners and sides of a polygonal shape have such openings. Further, domain division to let a plurality of alignment directions co-exist by a method of forming slits in an electrode has also been proposed.