A system and method for inverting a cubical device 100 that inverts one or more faces of the cubical device 100 in a single fluid motion. In an embodiment, the cube faces are split in two face piece assemblies 210, in an alternative embodiment faces have only one invertible section 802, 702. The face piece assemblies 210 are initially held by cubical device 100 with a particular side facing inward. Operating the cubical device 100 causes one or more face piece assemblies 210, 803 to expand out from the center point of the cubical device 100, to rotate, and then collapse inward until cubical device 100 is reformed with the particular side of the faces in an outward-facing orientation. The joints, links and gears in the mechanism restrict the degrees of freedom to one such that the entire inversion movement is coupled. Multiple applications are proposed for the device, and embodiments having actuators for driving the inversion are disclosed.

There are occasional applications for a device having two interchangeable outer surfaces, the outer surfaces being interchangeable, where the interchange of surfaces is powered either manually or under power from an actuator.
Application for such a device may include toys, satellites or other devices having delicate equipment fixed to one of the two interchangeable outer surfaces. For example, a solar collector may have one side exposed for power collection and another side exposed during hailstorms. Similarly, a satellite may protect its solar arrays by exposing a bare surface until launch, after which the exterior surface inverts to expose the solar arrays.
Another application may include weather/climate dependent camouflage for remote sensors placed in cold-weather climates. Such a remote sensor may have need to interchange a green, brown, or mottled green-brown exterior with a white exterior during or after a winter storm to avoid visual detection. Other applications are also possible, including some discussed below.

System and methods for smoothly inverting one or more faces of a cubical device


An improved method for producing substantially moisture- and oxygen-free, nitrogen-hydrogen atmospheres suitable for annealing, hardening, brazing, and sintering ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys is disclosed. According to the disclosed method, suitable nitrogen-hydrogen atmosphere is produced by 1) generating a nitrogen stream containing about 0.1 to 5% residual oxygen by a known non-cryogenic air separation technique, 2) mixing it with a pre-determined but more than stoichiometric amount of hydrogen required to convert residual oxygen to moisture, 3) converting residual oxygen to moisture by reaction with hydrogen in a catalytic reactor, 4) cooling the reactor effluent stream, and 5) removing moisture from it in a regenerative sorbent dryer.

Inert gases such as nitrogen, argon, helium, and the like are widely employed in industry to protect materials from exposure to oxidizing elements contained in ambient atmosphere. For example, inert gases such as argon, nitrogen, and helium are commonly used today to shield materials during welding, spraying metallic and ceramic materials by thermal and plasma techniques, depositing coatings by chemical vapor and physical vapor deposition techniques, and melting and refining ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys. They are also used to provide inert atmosphere for processing composites, semiconductor materials, and chemicals, packaging electronics and food products, removing dissolved gases from chemicals, fruit juices and edible oils, vulcanizing rubber and curing tires, and processing ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys, ceramics, composites, and metal matrix. Inert gases used in these applications are required to be substantially free of oxygen and moisture because the presence of these impurities results in oxidizing the processed materials.
Inert gases mixed with more than 0.1% hydrogen are widely employed by the Metals Processing Industry for heat treating operations such as annealing, hardening, brazing, and sintering ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys. The primary function of hydrogen gas is to prevent oxidation of metals and alloys during heat treatment as well as to maintain a reducing environment in the furnace . Inert gases used for heat treating metals and alloys are also required to be substantially free of moisture to prevent surface discoloration and/or oxidation during processing.
A major portion of dry, inert nitrogen used by the Metals Processing Industry for heat treating metals and alloys has been produced by distillation of air in large cryogenic plants. The cryogenically produced nitrogen is generally very pure (contains less than 10 ppm by volume PG,3 residual oxygen) and expensive. To reduce the cost of nitrogen, several non-cryogenic air separation techniques such as pressure swing adsorption and permeation have been recently developed and introduced in the market. The non-cryogenically produced nitrogen is much less expensive, but it contains residual oxygen (0.1 to 5% by volume) which makes a direct substitution of cryogenically produced nitrogen with non-cryogenically produced nitrogen in processing oxygen sensitive materials very difficult.
Several techniques have been developed and used commercially today to purify and produce inert gases substantially free of residual oxygen and other impurities prior to using them in processing oxygen-sensitive materials. For example, Cu/CuO and Ni/NiO based catalysts have been used extensively to purify inert gases by chemically scavenging residual oxygen from them. These catalyst systems are described in detail in BASF Technical Leaflet on BASF-Catalyst R3-11 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,224. Since the oxygen absorption capacity of these catalyst systems is limited, they are generally used to purify inert gases containing less than 1,000 ppm or 0.1% by volume oxygen impurity. They are, therefore, not economically attractive for removing residual oxygen from nitrogen streams containing more than 0.1% oxygen impurity. Furthermore, they are not suitable for producing nitrogen-hydrogen atmospheres required for many heat treating applications.
Inert gases containing 0.1% or more of oxygen as an impurity have been purified by converting oxygen to moisture by reaction with hydrogen over platinum group metal catalysts. Such techniques have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,004,489 and 4,960,579 and in Australian Patent Applications AU 45561/89 and AU 45562/89. The inert gas streams produced by such techniques are contaminated with moisture. They are, therefore, not suitable for producing moisture-free, nitrogen-hydrogen atmospheres required for many heat treating applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,074 discloses a process for purifying inert gases containing oxygen as an impurity. According to patentees, a pure inert gas stream is produced by converting a part of the oxygen contained in the gas stream to moisture by mixing with hydrogen over a platinum group metal catalyst followed by removing hydrogen, moisture and, remaining oxygen by using a copper or nickel catalyst. The disclosed process, therefore, is not suitable for producing nitrogen-hydrogen atmospheres required for many heat treating applications.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,931,070, 5,004,482, 5,077,029, and 5,122,355 and European Patent Application 91109189.0 disclose various processes for producing high purity nitrogen from non-cryogenically generated nitrogen stream. The non-cryogenically generated nitrogen stream containing residual oxygen is purified by mixing it with a controlled amount of hydrogen, converting residual oxygen to moisture over a platinum group metal catalyst, and removing moisture by using a dryer. The amount of hydrogen used in these processes is controlled very precisely to produce high purity nitrogen containing less than 0.1% or 1,000 ppm hydrogen impurity. These processes do not, therefore, disclose producing nitrogen-hydrogen atmospheres with more than 0.10% hydrogen required for many heat treating applications.
French Patent Applications (Publication numbers 2,639,249 and 2,639,251) disclose processes for producing nitrogen-hydrogen atmospheres from non-cryogenically generated nitrogen. In these processes non-cryogenically generated nitrogen containing residual oxygen is mixed with hydrogen and reacted over a platinum group metal catalyst to convert residual oxygen to moisture. The moisture is subsequently removed using a refrigeration dryer, producing nitrogen-hydrogen stream containing more than 350 ppm moisture. The processes disclosed in these patent applications are, therefore, not suitable for producing substantially moisture-free, nitrogen-hydrogen atmospheres required for many heat treating applications.

Method of producing nitrogen-hydrogen atmospheres for metals processing


A dispensing device comprising an upright rotatable product carrousel comprising a plurality of dispensing chutes for retaining a product. The dispensing chutes are radially located about a central pivot, with a dispensing point located at a lowest point of rotation of the product carrousel. During use, removal of product from a dispensing chute located at the dispensing point results in rotation of the product carrousel to position an adjacent dispensing chute at the dispensing point, allowing for sequential removal of product from the product carrousel.

Dispensing machines, in particular vending machines have become a popular and convenient method to sell a range of commercial products. For example, vending machines are commonly used to dispense items such as snack foods (e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,066,348, 5,553,736), drink products (e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,996,838, 6,230,930), perishable food items such as sandwiches (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,436), hot meals (e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,303,093, 7,137,529), flowers (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,501) and multi-media based products (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,160).
Dispensing machines are generally located in areas of high pedestrian or vehicular traffic such as schools, shopping centers, commuter terminals and gas stations. In providing convenient access to a product, the dispensing device must be both robust, and dependable.
Many of the vending machines currently in use comprise an array of helical feeder coils arranged with axes perpendicular to the front display area of the vending machine. The helical coil is configured to rotate upon selection of an item, thereby urging the item forward, generally towards a dispensing chute. Once pushed into the dispensing chute, the item generally slides or falls into a dispensing bin at the front of the machine, allowing the consumer access to the item.
Other vending machines, particularly machines designed to dispense carbonated beverage and glass containers rely on ramps and the ability of the item to roll or slide, in order to dispense the product. In general, ramp-based machines retain the product in a storage configuration until a consumer selects the item. Upon selection, the machine releases the product, directing it to a dispensing bin using a series of ramps, thereby preventing excessive agitation of the product, as well as product damage.
While well suited for smaller dimensioned products, the helical feeder and ramp configurations of vending machine are not well suited for larger container formats. Helical feeder vending machines require motors to rotate the coils, while ramp-based configurations require a considerable amount of extra space for the ramp assembly. The overall complexity of vending machines currently being used leads to frequent breakdowns, resulting in an inconvenience to the consumer. In addition, given the larger weight associated with larger container formats, they should not be dispensed in any manner that would allow the container to fall an appreciable distance. Using conventional vending machine technology to dispense, for example, 4 L water containers would likely result in damage to both the product, as well as the vending machine.
With an increasing shift towards automated transactions, dispensing machines will continue to increase in popularity. Products packaged in larger format containers, such as motor oil, water and windshield washer fluid are currently not compatible with traditional dispensing machine technology.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Upright rotatable product carrousel dispensing device


A motor vehicle includes an electrohydraulic brake system with driving dynamics control, a master brake cylinder (1), wheel brakes (75-78), and at least one pressure fluid supply device (94, 95) actuated by an electronic control unit. The pressure can be applied to the wheel brakes (75, 76, 77, 78) of the vehicle which are also connectable to the master brake cylinder (1) by way of a closable hydraulic connection (73, 74). A device for detecting a brake application includes a magnet (35) as a signal transmitter and a sensor element (36). The sensor element (36), upon piston movement of the master cylinder (1), senses a change in the magnetic field and outputs a digital signal and an analog signal. The two signals are passed on to an electronic control unit and are evaluated in the electronic control unit.

The invention relates to a method and a device for controlling a motor vehicle comprising an electrohydraulic brake system with driving dynamics control, a master brake cylinder operable by means of a brake pedal, at least one pressure fluid supply device which can be actuated by an electronic control unit and the pressure of which can be applied to wheel brakes of the vehicle which are connectable to the master brake cylinder, on the other hand, by way of at least one hydraulic connection that is closable by means of a separating valve, each one inlet valve and one outlet valve connected upstream of the wheel brakes, as well as with a device for detecting brake application which comprises a magnet as a signal transmitter and a sensor element.
In principally known driving dynamics control systems, a driving dynamics control action regularly causes automatic interruption of a hydraulic connection between master cylinder and wheel brakes which is normally constantly opened, with the result that one or both of the pistons of the master cylinder in braking maneuvers during the driving dynamics control action (ESP control intervention) or during an ABS intervention is quasi undisplaceable in relation to the housing due to the separating valves being closed. One cause is that pressure fluid cannot be conducted in the direction of the wheel brakes. The ESP intervention takes place irrespective of the driver, and the rudimentary piston travel is not sufficient to indicate a change of travel. Also, the ESP action cannot be interrupted by the driver so that only limited deceleration is possible. Further, an actuating signal cannot be generated, and e.g. stop light signaling is impossible. The traffic in the rear is informed about the braking request of the driver only after the driving dynamics control action is completed.
Another special objective is to avoid accidents and reduce the consequences of an accident. To this end, passive and active safety systems are cross-linked to each other in order to achieve data exchange among the safety systems and thus provide information about the vehicle's condition, the vehicle ambience and the driver himself.
In view of the above, the objective is to offer a method and a device which is simple in terms of its structure to solve the problems, i.e. to enable reliable monitoring of a piston also during a driving dynamics control action, and to detect the driver's request during the entire actuating travel in order to optimize control operations of the vehicle by detecting the driver's request.

Method and device for controlling a motor vehicle comprising an electronically controlled brake system with driving dynamics control


A new and distinct variety of poinsettia plant named ‘NPCW12197’ particularly characterized by early season flowering, large bracts and very good branching is disclosed.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch and hereinafter referred to by the variety name 'NPCW12197'. The new variety is the result of cross conducted in November and December of 2006 in Kenya, district of Nairobi, between the female parent poinsettia plant 'NPCW02044' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,618) and the male poinsettia plant 'U 006' (unpatented). A single plant selection was subsequently chosen for further evaluation and asexual propagation.
'NPCW12197' was first propagated via vegetative cuttings in Stuttgart, Germany in May 2008 and has been asexually reproduced by vegetative cuttings in Stuttgart, Germany for approximately 20 generations. 'NPCW12197' has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations via vegetative cuttings.
Plant Breeder's Rights for this variety have not been applied for. 'NPCW12197' has not been sold or made publicly available anywhere in the world more than one year prior to the filing date of this application.


Methods and systems of reducing drilling vibrations include generation a vibration performance index using at least one frequency-domain model having a velocity-dependent friction relationship. The vibration performance index may be used to aid in the design or manufacture of a drill tool assembly. Additionally or alternatively, the vibration performance index may inform drilling operations to reduce vibrations.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be associated with embodiments of the present invention. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with information to facilitate a better understanding of particular techniques of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not necessarily as admissions of prior art.
Drill tool assembly vibration is one of the primary Rate of Penetration (ROP) limiters encountered during drilling operations. Drill tool assemblies vibrate during drilling for a variety of reasons, each of which may be said to be related to a drilling parameter. For example, the rotary speed, weight on bit, mud viscosity, etc. each may affect the vibrational tendency of a given drill tool assembly during a drilling operation. Additionally or alternatively, the configuration of the drill tool assembly may influence the vibrational tendency of a drilling operation. Other factors beyond the control of the operators, such as the condition of the formation, may also influence the vibrational tendency of a drill tool assembly. As used herein, drilling parameters includes characteristics and/or features of both the drilling hardware (e.g., drill tool assembly) and the drilling operations.
The particular design of the drill tool assembly, in terms of the choice of drill tool assembly components and their relative placement with respect to each other, is known to have significant impact on the vibrations encountered during drilling. As used herein, drill tool assembly refers to assemblies of components used in drilling operations. Exemplary components that may collectively or individually be considered a drill tool assembly include rock cutting devices, bits, bottom hole assemblies, drill collars, drill pipes, drill strings, couplings, stabilizers, etc. Conventional efforts to determine the vibration-related performance of a particular drill tool assembly configuration under the specific, realistic conditions of a drilling operation required deploying the design or resorting to sophisticated and computationally intensive models that require a large amount of time, computing power, and detailed input information that is usually not available. Deployment of vibrationally poor designs can result in loss of ROP, shortened drill tool assembly life, increased number of required trips, increased failure rate of downhole tools, and increased non-productive time. The cost of failures can vary from a few hundred thousand dollars to several millions of dollars depending on whether a round-trip of drill tool assembly is required or if there is a need to fish components stuck in the hole. Thus, it is desirable to provide the drilling engineer with a tool utilizing readily available data that can quickly analyze the vibrational tendencies of one or more considered drill tool assembly designs.
As described above, drilling parameters that may affect drilling vibrations include drilling operating conditions. Ranges and constraints on drilling operating conditions vary from one bit run to the next, so there is a need to study the effects of these changes on vibrational performance in an easy to use model. Several vibrational modes can affect the drilling performance; efforts to study each of these modes has to be posed and analyzed in a tractable manner. One approach to mitigate lateral drilling vibrations was presented in pending International Patent Publication No. WO2008/097303, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. That application presented methods for analyzing or evaluating alternative bottom hole assembly designs to determine the response of the alternative BHA systems under identical loading conditions. More specifically, WO2008/097303 discloses tools to evaluate the lateral vibration (whirl) tendency of BHA designs through the use of at least one vibration index. The models utilized by the tools are based on the forced harmonic response of the BHA to excitations at the bit, driven by the rotation rate (RPM) of the BHA and its harmonics. While these tools and associated models are effective at modeling and studying whirl vibrations, they only analyze lateral vibrations in the BHA. Other modes of vibration, such as axial and torsional vibrations, are influenced by the drill string in addition to the BHA. Due to the greater complexity of the entire drill tool assembly (e.g., the drill string and the BHA) and the nature of the interactions between the drill tool assembly and the wellbore, there is a need to develop tools, suitable models, and vibration indices for axial and torsional vibrations encountered by a drill tool assembly during operation.
Typically, severe axial vibration dysfunction can be manifested as "bit bounce," which results in a lessening or even a complete loss of contact between the rock formation and the drill bit cutting surface through part of the vibration cycle. Dysfunctional axial vibration can occur at other locations in the drill tool assembly. Other cutting elements in the drill tool assembly could also experience a similar effect. Small oscillations in weight on bit (WOB) can result in drilling inefficiencies, leading to decreased ROP. Thus, there is a need to minimize the response of the drill tool assembly to axial excitations.
The primary torsional dysfunction is called "stick-slip", which is primarily associated with instability in the rotation rate of the drill bit around its nominal value. Other types of torsional dysfunctions exist, including large forced oscillations that could cause fluctuations in the RPM.
Multiple efforts have been made to study and/or model these more complex torsional and axial vibrations, some of which are discussed here to help illustrate the advances made by the technologies of the present disclosure. For example, "Drill String Vibrations due to Intermittent Contact of Bit Teeth," P. R. Paslay, 1962, Transactions of the ASME Paper No. 62-Pet-13 presents early work in the area of axial and torsional vibrations. This paper presents an analytical solution to the axial vibration problem. The model considers the entire drill tool assembly (from the bit to the kelly). The boundary condition at the kelly is treated as a fixed condition. The drill tool assembly is broken up into two sections: drill collars and drill pipe. An axial displacement excitation is specified at the bit. Forced frequency response is utilized to determine the steady state harmonic axial force that is generated at the bit due to the specified displacement excitation. The natural frequencies of the system are calculated analytically.
Other early work included "Longitudinal and Angular Drill-String Vibrations with Damping," D. W. Dareing, Petroleum Mechanical Engineering and First Pressure Vessel and Piping Conference, Dallas, Tex., Sep. 22-25, 1968. The authors presented a mathematical model for studying axial and torsional vibration of drill tool assemblies. The entire drill tool assembly is modeled using wave equations based upon bar theory. A spring and mass are used to model the surface equipment. The equations are solved analytically, and the model allows for changes in pipe diameters.
DEA Project 29 was a multi-partner program initiated to develop modeling tools for analyzing drill tool assembly vibrations. In the research work, a transfer matrix was used to solve for the surface conditions, for a given initial displacement or initial force at the bit. The model of the drill tool assembly was composed of tubular elements. The program focused on the development of an impedance-based, frequency-dependent, mass-spring-dashpot model using a transfer function methodology for modeling axial and torsional vibrations. These transfer functions describe the ratio of the surface state to the input condition at the bit. The boundary conditions for axial vibrations consisted of a spring, a damper at the top of the drill tool assembly (to represent the rig) and a "simple" axial excitation at the bit (either a force or displacement). For torsional vibrations, the bit was modeled as a free end (no stiffness between the bit and the rock) with damping. The authors also commented on the effect of damping and included it in the model in the form of a constant selected to approximate the damping effect. The DEA Project 29 reports disclosed that the coupling between mud pressure fluctuation and drill pipe vibration should not be ignored. This work also indicated that downhole phenomena such as bit bounce and stick-slip are observable from the surface. While the DEA Project 29 recognized that various factors affect vibrational performance, the results of the research (i.e., models developed through the research) represented these factors simply by including one or more constants into the model. For example, the mud damping effect was represented in the models by a constant approximating the effect on vibration. Results of this effort were published as "Coupled Axial, Bending and Torsional Vibration of Rotating Drill Strings", DEA Project 29, Phase III Report, J. K. Vandiver, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and "The Effect of Surface and Downhole Boundary Conditions on the Vibration of Drill strings," F. Clayer et al, SPE 20447, 1990.
While the frequency-domain approaches that have been developed tend to be computationally tractable, the tractability derives from the almost singular focus on the primary factors affecting vibration, such as the weight on bit and the length of the drill string, and the use of approximating constants to represent the multitude of other factors that affect the severity and mode of vibration. While such approximations may be suitable in simple wells or in perfect wells, the application of such approximations and models to real-world wells is limited. For example, while the total impact of borehole damping effects and mud damping effects on vibrations may be small relative to the weight on bit, poor approximations of their affects can lead to significant changes in drilling efficiencies.
Moreover, the impact of these damping effects is difficult to approximate in transitioning from a model to an actual well, rendering the use of an approximation constant suitable in only the most limited of actual drilling operations. Consider, for example, a drilling operation that includes deviations in the well trajectory, such as to provide doglegs or directional drilling. In simple vertical wells, the drill tool assembly has contact points at the bit and at the rig (i.e., effectively no borehole damping effects). In more complex trajectories, or in more realistic representations of an actual wellbore, the drill tool assembly may contact the borehole at numerous locations along its length; the contact locations and characteristics may vary over time. These additional and varied contacts result in a distribution of additional forces exerted on the drill tool assembly along the well and over time. A model that fails to incorporate the effects of borehole damping will result in inaccurate vibration predictions leading to poor drill tool assembly design and/or inefficient drilling operations.
With the advent of more powerful computer systems, various attempts have been made to develop large scale, time-domain models of entire drill tool assemblies in complex wellbore trajectories, using finite element methods to resolve complex interactions between the various drill tool assembly elements, the drill bit, and the rock formation that is being drilled. Such methods have been disclosed in SPE 52821 and other publications, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,785,641 and 7,139,689. While powerful, such methods require a level of detail about the condition and trajectory of the borehole, rock properties, and bottom hole pattern, that are still very difficult and costly to obtain, if at all possible. They are also too computationally intensive to allow a rapid screening of various drilling scenarios for multiple drill tool assembly designs. Furthermore, the outputs of these models are complex and difficult to interpret.
Additionally, "The Genesis of Bit-Induced Torsional Drillstring Vibrations," J. F. Brett, SPE 21943, 1992 describes a time-domain torsional vibration model that is described using two coupled differential equations. One equation described the stiff BHA attached to the drill pipe and the second equation described the upper end of the drill tool assembly, or surface drive system. The model was then solved using a Runge-Kutta simulation algorithm. Experimental friction curves relating the torque on bit as a function of the bit RPM were obtained for a sharp and a dull PDC bit. The experimental observations suggested that the torque on bit (i.e., stick-slip tendency) was proportional to the weight on bit for all observed bit speeds. These models and methods were implemented in the time-domain, requiring the computational intensity associated therewith.
While technologies related to torsional and axial vibration modeling have evolved, these technologies are still significantly limited by virtue of the assumptions and conditions used. As seen in the above discussion, the frequency-domain models previously developed have failed to account for complex relationships between the multiple segments of the drill tool assembly and the wellbore wall. Moreover, the finite-element based time-domain methods suffer from high computational complexity and cost, making them unsuitable for use as a routine analysis tool to evaluate large numbers of drilling scenarios in an efficient manner. Furthermore, the damping models used in these time- and frequency-domain methods are inadequate, omitting or oversimplifying the mud-drill tool assembly interactions. Accordingly, the need exists for systems and methods for mitigating drill tool assembly vibrations that utilizes the tractability and computational efficiency of frequency-domain models, but also allows consideration of more realistic drilling conditions such as complex wellbore trajectories (with or without doglegs), mud damping effects, velocity dependence of frictional forces, and complex boundary conditions at the surface and bit end. Additionally or alternatively, the need exists for systems and methods of evaluating two or more drill tool assembly configuration designs, for a given set of operating conditions, to determine which configuration design will experience the least torsional and/or axial vibrational dysfunction. Additionally or alternatively, the need exists for systems and methods to evaluate a given drill tool assembly configuration design to determine or predict operating conditions likely to result in lateral, axial, and/or torsional vibration, or alternatively, to result in minimizing lateral, axial, and/or torsional vibration.
Other related material may be found in at least U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,829; and in U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2007/0289778. Further, additional information may also be found in "Drillstring Torsional Vibrations: Comparison between Theory and Experiment on a Full-Scale Research Drilling Rig," G. W. Halsey et al, SPE 15564, 1986; "A Study of Slip/Stick Motion at the Bit," A. Kyllingstad and G. W. Halsey, SPEDE, December 1988, pp. 369-373; "Drillstring Stick-Slip Oscillations," R. Dawson et al, 1987 SEM Spring Conference, Houston, Jun. 14-19, 1987; "Detection and Monitoring of the Slip-Stick Motion: Field Experiments," M-P. Dufeyte and H. Henneuse, SPE/IADC 21945, 1991; "A Study of Excitation Mechanisms and Resonances Inducing Bottomhole-Assembly Vibrations", A. Besaisow and M. Payne, SPE 15560, 1988; "Cost Savings through an Integrated Approach to Drillstring Vibration Control", P. C. Kriesels, and W. J. G. Keultjes, SPE/IADC 57555, 1999; "Suppressing Stick-slip-induced Drillstring Oscillations: A Hyperstability Approach," Van den Steen, L., 1997, PhD Thesis, University of Twente, The Netherlands; "H-∞ Control as Applied to Torsional Drillstring Dynamics," Serrarens, A. F. A., 1997, MSc Thesis, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands; "On the Effective Control of Torsional Vibrations in Drilling Systems," Tucker, R. W., and Wang, C., 1999, Journal of Sound and Vibration; Application of Neural Networks for Predictive Control in Drilling Dynamics", D. Dashevshiy et al., SPE 56442, 1999; "Development of a Surface Drillstring Vibration Measurement System", A. A. Besaisow, et al., SPE 14327, 1985; "Torsional Resonance of Drill Collars with PDC Bits in Hard Rock," Warren, SPE 49204, 1998; "Stick-slip Whirl Interaction in Drillstring Dynamics," R. I. Leine, et al, Journal of Vibration and Acoustics, April 2002, Vol. 124, pp. 209-220; "Analysis of the Stick-slip Phenomenon Using Downhole Drillstring Rotation Data," Robnett, E. W., Hood, J. A., Heisig, G., and Macpherson, J. D., SPE/IADC 52821; "The Effects of Quasi-Random Drill Bit Vibrations Upon Drillstring Dynamic Behavior," Skaugen, E., 1987, SPE 16660; "An Analytical Study of Drill String Vibrations," Li, C., 1987, SPE 15975; "Mathematical Analysis of the Effect of a Shock Sub on the Longitudinal Vibrations of an Oilwell Drill String," Kreisle, L. F., and Vance, J. M., 1970, SPE 2778; "Downhole Vibration Monitoring & Control System Quarterly Technical Report #2," M. E. Cobern, et al, 2003, DOE Award Number: DE-FC26-02NT41664, APS Technology Inc.; and "Application of High Sampling Rate Downhole Measurements for Analysis and Cure of Stick-Slip in Drilling," D. R. Pavone and J. P. Desplans, 1994, SPE 28324.

Methods and systems for mitigating drilling vibrations


A window and door trim which can be used with siding placed against the walls of a house. The trim includes elongated composite panels each comprising a receiving strip member and a facing strip member. The receiving member is formed with a folded hem having a receiving slot and has a flat portion securable to the front face of the window or door casing. The facing member is L-shaped. Its shorter leg is inserted in the receiving slot of the receiving member while its longer leg is adapted to enclose an end portion of the siding and be secured to the wall of the house. Corner trim arrangements and corner caps are also provided.

The present invention relates to accessories for use with siding placed on a house, and more particularly to a window and door trim which can be used in conjunction with the siding.
Siding is used on houses to protect the outside of the house. Such siding is generally made of aluminum or vinyl material and is secured to the exterior of the house. Various types of moldings are required at the corners, edges adjacent the roof, and at other interconnecting locations.
Window and door trims for use with the siding have been proposed by the applicant, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,824. The window or door trim disclosed in this patent is comprised of two side panels, an upper panel and a windowsill covering. Each side and upper panel is comprised of a receiving strip which is attached to the inside wall of the window casing and an elongated L-shaped facing strip which is fitted around the casing. The receiving strip includes a spring-held receiving slot which receives a shorter leg of the L-shaped facing strip.
The problem with this otherwise satisfactory prior art window or door trim is that in order to attach the side receiving strip of the panels to the window casing it is necessary to dispose the receiving strip against the inner side wall of the window casing and secure the receiving strip wall to the inside casing wall by nails. Nailing takes place within a relatively small space of the window recess which leads to inconveniences. Likewise this arrangement can only be used where the window is received within a casing having an inner wall. It cannot be used for windows which are flush with the siding. Therefore there has been need to provide an improved window or door trim which could be secured to the window casing from the front face thereof.
While installing window trims it is often necessary to cut the trim to a desired length whereby resulting cut corners and edges make the window quite unaesthetic in appearance. J channels have been utilized in the prior art to finish off a window or door. Some installers have found J channels are also unaesthetic. Thus there has also been need to provide a window or door trim with finished off surfaces without however adding to costs and time for installation.

Window and door trim for use with siding

c/o Alum-A-Pole Corporation, 2589 Richmond Ter.


A system for manual control, by a user, of water delivery to an interior of a tub, spa or shower includes a plurality of ports and a flow control device. The device includes a handle, a first pipe, and a second pipe. The handle is movable among a plurality of positions. The first pipe includes a plurality of inlets. The second pipe is movable relative to the first pipe, and the second pipe includes a plurality of outlets in fluid communication with the plurality of ports. The handle is connected with the first pipe or the second pipe. Manual moving of the handle by a user serves to cause communication of an inlet of the plurality of inlets with a first outlet of the plurality of outlets. The first outlet is in fluid communication with a first port of the plurality of ports. The communication of the inlet with the first outlet serves to allow flow of water from a water source to the inlet to the first outlet to the first port to the interior of the tub, spa or shower. The moving of the handle also serves to block a second outlet of the plurality of outlets with a solid portion of the first pipe. The second outlet is in fluid communication with a second port of the plurality of ports. The blocking of the second outlet with the solid portion serves to prevent flow of water from the water source to the second port to the interior of the tub, spa or shower.

Tubs, spas or showers generally have a number of fluid flow ports or nozzles. Each flow port usually transmits or jets water or a water-air froth into the tub, spa or shower. Enhanced treatment or enjoyment for a user typically results from increased control over the flow of fluid to the tub, spa or shower.
One design employs a multi-ported valve having a handle to allow a user to rotate an inner cylindrical member relative to an outer cylindrical casing for selective alignment of ports of the inner cylindrical member and ports of the outer cylindrical member, for selective flow among a water supply and recirculating system, a spa, and a swimming pool. For instance, the user can manually rotate the handle to align a first port for flow of water to the spa and a second port for flow of water from the spa, and then the user can further manually rotate the handle to stop the flow of water to move from the spa and instead align the first port for flow of water to the swimming pool and align the second port for flow of water from the swimming pool. These first and second ports are the only ports for water flow between the valve and the spa for between the valve and the swimming pool. For example, the manual rotation of the handle by the user does not allow selection among individual ones, sets, or subsets of ports for water flow into the spa. Such a design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,413 issued to Valdez.
Another configuration includes an air valve for spas and baths. Air is drawn from the air valve to a jet by a venturi effect created by coupling of a water pump to the jet. A knob is manipulated by a user to selectively cause full, partial, or no air flow from the air valve to the jet. The air valve includes a housing having a port and a slot, and a barrel having a port. A user can turn the knob connected with the barrel, to cause selective flow or blockage of air, by selectively aligning the port of the barrel with the slot or port of the housing, or by selectively blocking the port of the barrel by aligning neither the slot nor port of the housing with the port of the barrel. In this configuration, only one jet delivers water from the pump to the spa or bath. The manual turning of the knob by the user does not allow selection among individual ones, sets, or subsets of ports for water flow into the spa or bath. The manipulation of the knob simply selects the quantity of air content in the flow through the jet. Such a configuration is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,768 issued to DeSousa et al.
Thus, a need exists for increasing selectability and/or controllability of water delivery to a tub, spa or shower in which a handle of a flow control device is manually moved by a user. A need also exists for improving controllability, selectability, ease, accuracy, repeatability, effectiveness, efficiency and/or performance in use of individual ones, sets, or subsets of ports in a tub, spa or shower through which water is delivered by manual moving of a handle of a flow control device by a user.

Manual control of water delivery through ports of tub, spa or shower


A video system for determining a region of interest in a video comprising a video source and a video processing system is provided. The video processing system is configured to receive the video from the video source and identify at least one object in the video which is in contact with the floor. The video processing system is further configured to determine a contact point between the object and the floor in a frame of the video and identify at least one polygon representing the floor in the frame, wherein the polygon includes the contact point. The video processing system is further configured to identify a three dimensional volume representing a space above the polygon extending to a designated height and select the region of interest by identifying a two dimensional area of the frame based on the three dimensional volume.

In the field of video analysis, software is developed and employed to process sequences of video images provided by a video camera or similar imaging device to generate information that is useful for any of a variety of applications, such as inventory tracking, traffic analysis, and queue control. Generally speaking, such applications involve the analysis of the location and/or movement of "objects", such as people, vehicles, products, or the like, within the images as the video sequence progresses. In many of these applications, the video analysis benefits from the identification of a "region of interest", or an area of each image of a video sequence to be analyzed. Identification of a region of interest may aid in reducing the amount of processing required to properly analyze the video sequence, and may also improve the accuracy of the information yielded from the processing.

Method and apparatus to determine a region of interest in a video sequence based on floor detection


A sound discriminator (107, 207) in accordance with the invention distinguishes or emphasis a specific audio signal or class or audio signals. The sound discriminator is employed in a digital audio encoding and/or decoding process. A comparator (110, 210) within the sound discriminator compares a received representation of an audio signal with a stored representation (112, 212) of a desired signal. An error between the two signals is determined and if the error is within an acceptable range, the stored representation of the desired signal replaces the actual received representation of the audio signal in an encoded or decoded stream of data. In this manner, a desired signal within an encoded or decoded signal is discriminated.

The present invention relates generally to audio encoding and decoding, and in particular, to a method and apparatus for encoding and decoding audio signals to emphasize and discriminate select sounds.
The advantages of processing audio signals digitally are known. In many applications compression is used when processing audio signals digitally to accommodate the bandwidth requirements of a communications channel or the storage limitations of a system. Compression is accomplished by numerous means that reduce the amount of data required to reproduce a sound. In general, an encoder exploits redundancy or some negligible perception quality to reduce the amount of digital data needed to reproduce an audio signal. A decoder reverses the encoding process to reproduce the audio signal.
In a system using compressed audio, unwanted background noise is a problem. In particular, since some information is generally lost in the compression process, noise may make an audio signal incomprehensible or otherwise undesirable after compression. Filtering techniques are employed to reduce noise, but these techniques generally filter based on frequency and signal level thresholds. Frequency based filtering is inadequate where the noise is at or near the sound level and frequency of the audio signal of interest.
In many applications a specific audio signal or class of signals must be perceived. For example, the sound of coins dropping in a payphone needs to be distinguished from background noise. Surveillance systems may need to monitor a particular sound related to an event under surveillance. Certain speech may need to be distinguished from background noise. Conventional compression techniques and filtering do not provide an adequate means to distinguish or emphasize a particular sound among other sounds.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus to distinguish or emphasize a specific audio signal or class of audio signals.
In accordance with the present invention, a specific sound is discriminated or distinguished within an audio encoder or decoder. This is accomplished by referring to a code table storing a plurality of audio samples representing the specific sound to be discriminated.
In one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for encoding audio signals employs techniques to discriminate a specific sound. The apparatus includes an analog-to-digital converter that converts an audio signal to a stream of digital audio samples. An encoder receives the stream of digital audio samples and encodes the samples to produce an encoded stream of audio samples. After encoding, a comparator compares a predetermined number of samples from the encoded stream of audio samples with a predetermined number of samples from a code table. The code table stores audio samples relating to a specific audio signal to be discriminated. The comparator locates the audio samples in the code table that are closest to the predetermined number of samples from the encoded stream of audio samples and a discriminator determines whether it is more favorable to use the encoded audio samples or the samples from the code table. This determination selects a discriminated group of samples. In variations of the invention the comparator and discriminator precede the encoder or the comparator and discriminator are coupled between two encoders. Multiple code tables are provided relating to different specific sounds. The code tables are selectable by a user of the apparatus.
In another aspect of the present invention an apparatus for decoding audio signals employs techniques to discriminate a specific sound. The apparatus includes a decoder that receives and decodes an encoded stream of audio to produce a stream of decoded audio samples. A comparator compares a predetermined number of decoded audio samples from the stream of decoded audio samples to a predetermined number of samples in a code table. The comparator locates the audio samples in the code table that are closest to the predetermined number of decoded audio samples and determines a difference between the selected samples from the code table and the predetermined number of decoded audio samples. A discriminator uses the difference to select either the decoded audio samples or the samples from the code table as discriminated samples. The discriminate samples are received by a digital-to-analog converter that renders the discriminated samples into an audio signal. In variations of the invention the comparator and discriminator precede the decoder or the comparator and discriminator are coupled between two decoders. Also, multiple code tables are provided relating to different specific sounds and the code tables are selectable by a user of the apparatus.
Code tables storing audio samples of desired sounds to be discriminated are created by receiving a desired sound to be discriminated. The desired sound is preferably mixed with noise, including random or predetermined noise, to produce a mixed input signal. The mixed input signal is digitized to produce a digitized input signal. A filter with adjustable parameters is used to filter the digitized input signal to produce a plurality of audio samples that are stored. The plurality of audio samples are converted to an audio signal that is compared with the desired sound. If the audio signal is acceptable, the plurality of audio samples are stored as a code table for the desired sound. If the audio signal is not acceptable, the process is repeated employing different filter parameters until the audio signal produced is acceptable. The plurality of audio samples relating to the acceptable audio signal are stored as code table entries for discriminating the desired sound.

Method and apparatus for sound discrimination


A light projecting circuit of a photoelectric switch includes a light projecting element (2), a driver circuit (1, 3) for driving the light projecting element by use of pulses, and a change-over switch (4) for increasing or for decreasing an amount of light emitted from the light projecting element. With this provision, in an operation to adjust optical axes, the change-over switch can be used to increase the amount of the emitted light. Consequently, the position of the projected light beam can be easily confirmed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photoelectric switch, and in particular, to a photoelectric switch including a light projecting circuit which can be changed over to increase an amount of projected light in occasions such as in adjustment of an optical axis and further to a photoelectric switch associated with optical fibers in which a projected light is introduced to a sense position by means of an optical fiber and a transmitted light or a reflection light thereof is delivered from the sense position to a light receiving element by use of an optical fiber.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, in a light projecting circuit of an photoelectric switch, a light-emitting diode (LED) is used as a light projecting element. The LED is connected to a resistor for limiting a current flowing therethrough and a transistor as a driver thereof. The transistor has a base, which is supplied with a pulse signal from an oscillator so as to be turned on and off in response thereto, thereby resultantly blinking the LED by use of the pulse signal. As shown in FIG. 8, the photoelectric switch of this type can be used in a wide range of environmental temperatures T ranging from -25.degree. C. to 55.degree. C. The LED is assigned with a rated current I.sub.B, which is decreased as the temperature T is increased. In consequence, the driving current of the light projecting LED has a limit associated with a rated current developed at an upper limit of the environmental temperature (I.sub.A of FIG. 8).
In the conventional photoelectric switch, the rated current obtained at the upper limit of the environmental temperature limits the light projecting current. Consequently, the amount of the light thus projected from the LED is not sufficient. Even when a red-light LED is employed, a position of a beam of lights is not easily determined and hence there has been a problem that a considerably long period of time is necessary to align a light axis, for example, in a light receiving section.
On the other hand, in a photoelectric switch employing optical fibers in which the fibers connect a sense position to a sensor unit, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, a light projecting element 6 of a sensor unit 101 is intermittently driven (with pulsated signals or pulses) by means of an oscillator circuit 103 so as to deliver a light emitting output from the light emitting element 6 to a light projecting optical fiber 7. Disposed to oppose an end surface of the optical fiber 7 is an end surface a light receiving optical fiber 8. Through the optical fiber 8, a light signal is delivered so as to be sensed by a light receiving element 9, which converts the light signal into an electric signal to be processed through an amplifier circuit 106, a detection circuit 107, and a waveform shaping circuit 108. The electric signal is thus converted into a rectangular wave to be outputted as an object sense signal via an output circuit 109 and to an indicator lamp 110, which thus indicates a sense state of an object. In the conventional photoelectric switch using optical fibers, since the optical fiber has a small diameter and is flexible, such a photoelectric switch is arranged in a position where the ordinary photoelectric switch not employing the optical fiber cannot be easily installed. In this arrangement, the optical fibers 7 and 8 are extended from the sensor unit 101. With the provision of this configuration in which an optical system of the photoelectric switch is constituted with optical fibers having a small diameter, it is possible to sense a fine or very small object.
However, in the photoelectric switch adopting the optical fibers as described above, since the end portions of the optical fibers 7 and 8 are separated from the sensor unit, in an alignment of optical axes of the optical fibers and in a position alignment to adjust a distance to an object, it is necessary to confirm the blinking state of the indicator lamp 110 of the sensor unit 101 disposed at a location separated from the end portions of the optical fibers 7 and 8. Consequently, when the sensing position (associated with the end positions of the optical fibers) is apart from a location of the sensor unit or when a fine adjustment is required in the setting of the apparatus, there has been a disadvantage that the adjustment takes a long period of time.

Photoelectric switch having pulse driver circuitry


A communication circuit apparatus includes: multiple level shift circuits, each of which receives an input signal corresponding to a respective communication bus; an activation comparator for generating an activation signal when the input signal is input into one of the level shift circuits, and a level of the input signal exceeds a predetermined threshold; multiple input current voltage conversion circuits, each of which is arranged together with a respective level shift circuit, converts the input signal to a voltage signal, and outputs the voltage signal as an identification signal; and an identification circuit for identifying one of the communication busses based on the identification signal, which is output from one of the input current voltage conversion circuits. The one of the communication busses corresponds to the one of the level shift circuits, in which the input signal is input.

For example, a LIN (local interconnect network) as a multi-communication protocol for a vehicle is used for receiving and transmitting a signal of a sensor, an actuator or the like. In a LIN protocol, a LIN transceiver having one channel and includes one bus activation circuit. On start-up, based on a signal such as an INHIBIT signal, an external circuit is activated. When the number of LIN busses is large, and multiple transceivers are mounted on one ECU (electric control unit), it is necessary for a CPU mounted on the ECU to recognize which transceiver executes an activation of the bus. In this case, the signal such as the INHIBIT signal may be input into a port of the CPU. Alternatively, the signal such as the INHIBIT signal may be transmitted to the CPU as a serial signal. Thus, the recognition in the CPU may be executed in various ways.
When the above constitution is mounted on one ASIC, dark current (i.e., standby current) in a comparator circuit increases. Here, the dark current is consumption electric current or supply current in a sleep mode. Since one comparator circuit as a construction of the receiver executes a function at a standby mode and a function at a communication mode, current always flows in the comparator circuit in order to receive the signal at the standby mode. Thus, when multiple receivers are arranged so as to correspond to multiple channels, the standby current in multiple receivers increases.
(Patent literature No. 1) JP-A-2005-316209

Communication circuit apparatus and transceiver having the same


A plenoptic imaging device according to the invention comprises an image multiplier (130) for obtaining a multitude of optical images of an object or scene and a pick-up system (140) for imaging at least some of the multitude of images to a common image sensor (170) during the same exposure of the sensor.

Imaging dimensions of the plenoptic function has been a long-standing goal [Adelson and Bergen 1991]. Access to the full properties of the incident light on a sensor, e.g. the direction, spectrum, the temporal variation, the polarization and other properties has a large number of applications in scientific imaging, industrial quality control, remote sensing, computer vision, and computer graphics.
Numerous specialized devices, ranging from space-borne imagers to microscope cameras, exist for classic multispectral and polarization imaging. More recently high dynamic range imaging and light-field capture have become a major focus in computer graphics. In order to gain access to these physical dimensions of an image, the light integration has to be adapted.
In a temporal multiplexing approach, an image stack is recorded and filters of different exposures are placed in the light path. This approach can only be applied to static or quasi-static scenes. The latter requires a registration of the individual images which is a difficult problem in itself. In a hardware parallel acquisition approach, the optical image is multiplied by means of a beam-splitter arrangement and projected onto different sensor units that are spatially de-localized. Different optical pre-filters can be inserted into the different optical light paths. This arrangement allows for dynamic scenes to be imaged. It comes, however, at the price of large, expensive, and bulky setups that have to be custom built. Further, synchronization and radiometric calibration of the different sensors with respect to each other is another problematic aspect. Finally, in a spatial multiplexing approach, a single sensor unit is employed where every pixel is associated with a different optical pre-filter. This design allows a single-exposure (snapshot) retrieval. Its most familiar application is color imaging via a color filter array. Presently, this requires custom sensor designs or the permanent modification of the standard sensors.

MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V.


The conventional capacitor-under-bitline (CUB) DRAM structure faces problems of high photoresist developing aspect ratio and step-height. The present invention discloses a DRAM with planar upper-plate structure and the upper-plate forms an opening broader than the bitline contacts at the top of the lower-plate neighboring the bitline contacts to isolate from the bitline contacts, and the step height at the interface between the peripheral circuit and cell arrays almost does not exist. Furthermore, conventional problems could be solved because of an oxide plug during producing bitline contacts and the thick oxide deposited on the peripheral circuit. A lightly doped polysilicon is deposited between the lower-plate and the silicon wafer substrate to avoid current leakage of the lower-plate.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a dynamic random access memory made to have high integration density and low critical dimension and the method for making the same, and more specifically relates to a dynamic random access memory with planar upper-plate, low photoresist aspect ratio of bitline contacts, and low step height between periphery and cell arrays and method for making the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
The DRAM technology develops rapidly. The utilization and markets of DRAM further push the development of science and technology. The MOSFET IC (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect-Transistor Integrated Circuit) is one of the main integrated circuit products. The production method basically comprises the steps of forming an insulated field oxide on silicon wafer and then producing a field-effect-transistor on the silicon wafer. In order to reduce the cost, the issue for increasing memory chip numbers per unit of wafer area and reducing memory chip area is more important. The decreasing of critical dimension becomes a greater challenge. The difficulties in the process, for example, spectrometric effects and molecular chemistry effects, are increasing because of the decreasing of critical dimension, for instance, from 0.25 .mu.m to 0.19 .mu.m.
The manufacturing of the metal contact has not influenced the whole DRAM production process until the pattern dimension decreases. The surface area of the capacitor and capacitance must be enhanced under the limited surface area as the integration density increases. In order to attain enough capacitance and excellent performance under the limited planar surface area, the three-dimensional structures are practical solutions. However, the three-dimensional structures, for example, the vertical and stacked capacitor, will result in difficulties during producing processes. The increasing step height and aspect ratio not only challenge producing processes, but also result in variations of critical dimension, and will influence throughput and yield. In order to solve such problems, various ways have been proposed to produce high integration density memory under the limited space. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,674 has disclosed a method of making a stacked capacitor DRAM cell; U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,603 has disclosed a folded bitline, ultra-high density DRAM having access transistors stacked above trench storage capacitors; U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,850 has disclosed a vertically oriented DRAM structure which replaces the conventional planar transistors; U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,533 has disclosed a method of making DRAM which has a dual cell plate structure made by forming two field insulation films with a constant interval on a semiconductor substrate and forming word lines uniformly spaced from each other along with the associated bit lines; U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,761 has disclosed a DRAM cell arrangement and method for manufacturing it, which can be utilized in 1 Gbit generation.
Conventional methods of upper-plate etching in capacitor-under-bitline DRAM (CUB DRAM) are facing patterning challenges on critical dimension control, mis-aligneton high step height. In order to overcome the upper-plate patterning difficulties, many techniques, such as thin resist and multiple exposure, were proposed for the plate formation. However, much more difficult was found in the plate etching while step height increases rapidly. As shown in FIG. 1, for a structure of the conventional capacitor-under-bitline DRAM, high step height and high photoresist aspect ratio are critical issues to be solved. In order to gain the capacitance and surface formed by the hemi-sphere grain and high dielectric constant substance 91, the three-dimensional structures cause the height differences deposited by the upper-plate 13 to be almost 1 .mu.m, especially at the interface between peripheral circuit and cell arrays. The thickness of the following photoresist coating should be about 1 .mu.m in order to make the masked photoresist area 12 resist etching of the following process. In consequence, the depth of the unmasked photoresist area 11 almost reaches 2 .mu.m. Such high photoresist aspect ratio of contact makes the exposure and development of the bitline contacts almost impossible, especially when the integration density of the contact increases and the critical dimension of the contact decreases, for example, 0.25 .mu.m. The exposure light and developer is hard to reach the bottom of the bitline contacts, and thus proceeding processes will be influenced.

DRAM using oxide plug in bitline contacts during fabrication

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation


A shoe, comprising a sole and a shoe upper, wherein the sole comprises a sole part which has a base region from which at least one support part extends upwards during the intended use of the shoe, wherein the shoe upper comprises a sock-like section connected to the sole for receiving the foot of the wearer. To obtain improved contact of the shoe with the foot of the wearer, the at least one support part covers the sock-like section on the shoe outer side, wherein no firm connection exists between the support part and the sock-like section over at least a section of the support part and that both the at least one support part and the sock-like section are surrounded by a tensioning element which tensions at least some sections of both the support part and the sock-like section against the foot of the wearer of the shoe.

The invention relates to a shoe, in particular to a sports shoe, comprising a sole and a shoe upper, wherein the sole comprises a sole part which has a base region from which at least one support part extends upwards during the intended use of the shoe, wherein the shoe upper comprises a sock-like section connected to the sole for receiving the foot of the wearer, wherein the at least one support part covers the sock-like section on the shoe outer side, wherein no firm connection exists between the support part and the sock-like section over at least a section of the support part and wherein both the at least one support part and the sock-like section are surrounded by a tensioning element which tensions at least some sections of both the support part and the sock-like section against the foot of the wearer of the shoe.
Sports shoes of this kind are well known. Beside a base plate structure the sole part often comprises sections which extend upwards which should give the foot of the wearer a proper hold.
Furthermore, it is known to employ a sock-like section in the region of the shoe upper which widely surrounds the foot of the wearer during intended use of the shoe.
Thereby, it is a continuous concern to design the shoe in such a manner that a best contact is given at the foot of the wearer. Thereby, a uniform tension is aimed for after the lacing of the shoe at the foot of the wearer.
A shoe of the above mentioned kind is known from WO 2012/012332 A2. Similar and other solutions are shown in FR 2 999 882 A1, FR 1 228 239 A, US 2015/0089839 A1, FR 2 835 405 A1 and US 2007/180730 A1.


The method of rivet installation creates a preload on the workpieces being joined. The installation steps include inserting a rivet into two or more workpieces to be joined and engaging the head of the rivet with an upper two piece tooling assembly while engaging the tail of the rivet with a counterbore provided in a lower tool. In phase one of installation, which follows these engagement steps, the lower tool exerts a compressive force upon the rivet tail, thereby deforming the tail to form a lower upset head. In phase two of installation, an inner retractable pin of the two piece tooling assembly is withdrawn from contact with the rivet head while an outer ring tool of the tooling assembly exerts a compressive force upon peripheral portions of the rivet head, thereby deforming the rivet head periphery to form an enlarged rim comprising an upper upset head. This deformation of the rivet head periphery produces a preload. Both phase one and phase two of installation are executed in one continuous motion.

This invention relates to a method of installing a rivet in a plurality of workpieces, and to the resulting riveted joint, as well as the rivet itself.
One rivet type fastener commonly used in aircraft constructions includes a shank with a manufactured head on one end and a tail on the other end. In use, the tail end of the shank is inserted through aligned holes of two or more workpieces with the rivet head engaging the outer face of one of the workpieces and with the tail extending beyond the outer faces of the other workpiece. The tail is then deformed by means of an axial force, compressing the rivet axially and upsetting the tail material outwardly to form an upset head which is larger in diameter than the hole through the workpieces, so that the two workpieces are fastened together. One widely used rivet of this general type is of the bi-metallic variety, comprising a shank made of a strong material which is high in shear strength and a tail made of a more ductile material which is easier to deform than the shank.
All types of fasteners having a tail to be upset are often installed by squeezing, wherein the ductile tail is compressed until the upset head is formed therefrom. A general problem associated with rivet installation of this type is that when the squeezing force used to form the upset head is released, the column of the rivet shank "springs back" or lengthens a certain distance due to elastic memory. Although the material of the workpiece being fastened also springs back, most of the materials in common use do not spring back as much as the rivet shank, with the result that a small gap is created between portions of the upset head and the workpiece after the installation is complete. This gap is undesirable in that it provides a location for moisture to collect, thereby promoting corrosion of the workpiece. Moreover, this gap is unacceptable for applications where the workpiece and fastener are to be subjected to high fatigue loads.
In aircraft structures, particularly those involving tension fatigue loading of the fastener, it is desirable that the gap between the upset head and the workpiece be zero. This is in part because, with the gap eliminated, the upset head will be flush with the underlying workpiece, thereby providing an improved aerodynamic profile for the aircraft structure. Ideally, the underside of the upset head should exert a compression force against the workpiece after the installation. When such a loading is achieved, the fastener is said to exert a residual tension force against the workpiece after installation. This loading is often referred to as a "preload" in the joint. The advantages of preload are especially desirable in aircraft construction because preload provides for a higher fatigue life of the joint and provides excellent protection against corrosion because it becomes difficult for a corroding substance to infiltrate inner surfaces of the joint.
A general problem in this area is an inability to obtain a predictable, measured preload in a fastened or riveted joint. For example, preload is obtainable with conventional two piece fasteners, such as a nut and bolt, but it is very difficult to quantify the amount of preload achieved because of other factors present such as friction, type of materials, etc. Moreover, two piece fasteners present serious feeding problems when automatic or robotic installation is attempted. Thus, although a difficult to quantify preload is achievable with two piece fasteners, use of such fasteners is still not as preferred as one piece fasteners in the aircraft industry because automated fastener installation of one piece fasteners is the preferred mode in aircraft construction due to the lower costs and improved installation uniformity associated therewith. One prior practice which attempts to address the problem of providing preload in a riveted joint involves the use of hot rivets which, after being upset, contract upon cooling and produce the desired preload in the joint. However, this hot rivet approach is not a practical method for obtaining preload in aircraft structures because of the higher costs and complexities associated therewith.
A one-piece fastener is particularly desirable as opposed to a two-piece fastener in that it is easy to feed and install using automatic equipment. A predominant type of one-piece fastener in use is the afore-mentioned bi-metallic rivet having a strong shank and a ductile tail. However, an inability to provide a preload had previously been encountered with the use of bimetallic rivets. This drawback was addressed in Applicant's prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,688,317 and 4,904,137, incorporated herein by reference. Unfortunately, the teachings of Applicant's above-noted prior patents apply best when the rivet to be installed comprises a manufactured head (such as 55 Ti 45 Cb titanium alloy) which is much harder than the shank material (i.e. a bi-metallic rivet). Thus, a method of obtaining preload during the installation of solid ductile rivets, rather than bimetalic rivets, is an area which has yet to be addressed in an ideal manner. The widespread use of standard solid ductile rivets in the aerospace industry today requires that an effective method of obtaining preload in solid, one-piece ductile rivet installation be achieved.
There exists therefore, a significant need for a method of installing a solid one-piece ductile rivet or shear pin fastener in a manner which can provide a significant axial preload. Moreover, such a method is needed which allows for automated rivet installation using machines, and which enables a predictable, quantifiable preload to be obtained. Further, such a method is needed which is compatible for use with universal head rivets as well as with flush head rivets. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.

Method to obtain preload in solid one-piece ductile rivet installation


A communication method used in a handheld communication device is provided. The communication method comprises the steps outlined below. Whether a voice communication is established is determined. When the voice communication is established, a sensing element is activated to determine whether the handheld communication device is operated in a hand mode. When the handheld communication device is not operated in the hand mode, an antenna module of the handheld communication device would be operated in a first operation frequency band to perform the voice communication. When the handheld communication device is operated in the hand mode, the antenna module of the handheld communication device would be operated in a second operation frequency band to perform the voice communication, in which the second operation frequency band is higher than the first operation frequency band. A handheld communication device is disclosed herein as well.

1. Technical Field
The present application relates to a communication technology. More particularly, the present application relates to a handheld communication device and a communication method of the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Handheld electronic devices become indispensable in daily life of most of the people because of the advantages of small size, lightweight and portability. Recently, the handheld electronic devices can perform data transmission through wireless network in addition to the telephony communication. Accordingly, the design trend of the handheld electronic devices is related to wireless and high data transmission speed. The antenna is responsible for data transmission/receiving thus it becomes more and more important. Efficient data transmission can be achieved by using a well-designed antenna.
However, only the condition of free space is taken into consideration in the conventional handheld electronic device design process. When the handheld electronic device is operated in a hand mode, the hand and the head of the user may absorb part of the energy radiated from the antenna and affect the operation of the antenna. The performance of the antenna is degraded since the frequency band that the antenna operates in would shift to the lower ones due to the hand and the head of the user.
Accordingly, what is needed is a handheld communication device and a communication method of the same to overcome the above issues.

Handheld communication device and communication method of the same


The invention describes the preparation and use of fluorescent stains for nucleic acids derived from unsymmetrical cyanine dyes, dimmers, trimers, or tetramers. In particular, the invention describes unsymmetric cyanine dyes, dimmers, trimer and tetramers having a water soluble substituent. The dyes of the invention possess superior fluorescent properties when complexed with nucleic acids, and have utility in any application which requires detection of nucleic acids, such as detection of nucleic acids in solution, in gels, in blots, in microarrays, and in bacteria and cells, and for use in analysis of cell structure, membrane integrity, and function. The presence of the water soluble substituent results in improved water soluability and stability, resulting in improved detection of nucleic acids.

Fluorescent dyes or stains have been widely used in biological detections in which the high detectability of fluorescence is desirable. By binding to a particular target in a biological sample enables the researcher to determine the presence or quantity of the target. Nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are involved in the transmission of genetic information from one generation to the next, and the routine functions of live organisms. Nucleic acids are thus of interest and the objects of study. Fluorescent dyes that specifically bind to nucleic acids and form highly fluorescent complexes are useful tools for such study. These dyes can be used for detection of DNA or RNA in a variety of format, including in solution, in electrophoretic gels and blots, in microarray, dead or fixed cells, and live cells.
Several dyes are commercially available for detection of nucleic acids. Unsymmetrical cyanine dyes were described long before much was known about DNA, by Brooker, et al., J. AM. CHEM. SOC. 64, 199 (1942). The commercial dye Thiazole Orange has good applications in the quantitative analysis of immature blood cells or reticulocytes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,867 to Lee, et al. (1989); Lee, et al., Thiazole Orange: A New Dye for Reticulocyte Analysis, CYTOMETRY 7, 508 (1986). But, the limitation of Thiazole Orange is low detection sensitivity on nucleic acids. Ethidium bromide is the most widely used nucleic acid stain, and is commercially available from a number of suppliers. However, ethidium bromide is mutagenic, and its use requires significant care from the user to avoid contact with staining solutions, and special handing and waste disposal procedures (M. J. Waring, J. Mol. Biol. I 13, 269 (1965); McCann et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 72, 5135 (1975); and Fukunaga et al., Mutation Res. 127, 31 (19840)). PicoGreen is a stain selective for double stranded DNA and commercially available from Invitrogen; OliGreen is a stain useful for the quantitation of single stranded DNA and commercially available from Invitrogen; RiboGreen is a stain that is useful for quantitation of RNA in solution, and commercially available from Invitrogen; SYBR Green I is a stain selective for DNA and used for DNA gel stains and qPCR quantitation, and commercially available from Invitrogen; SYBR Gold is a high sensitive stain for both DNA and RNA, and commercially available from Invitrogen. These dyes are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,436,134, 5,658,751 and 5,863,753. However, these dyes have low water soluability and have to be predisolved in organic solvent such as DMSO or DMF; and also have limited stability in aqueous solution, and have to be used within 24 hours before losing sensitivity. Another asymmetric cyanine dye, SYBR Safe, is commercially available from Invitrogen as an alternative to SYBR Green I and Ethidium bromide due to its low mutagenicity. This dye is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,727,716 and 7,977,057. However, this alternative dye is less water soluability and low sensitive than desired.
Development of fluorescent dyes with improved water soluability and stability or the making or the use thereof is desirable.

Nucleic acid detections and methods of their use