A method for customizing a printed circuit board comprises steps of registering a template to the PCB, the template having an opening in registration defining a volume on the PCB where a conductive trace or jumper is desired, placing a semi-liquid conductive polymer in the opening, removing the template, leaving a conductive polymer trace or jumper on the PCB, and curing the conductive polymer. The method is applied to load boards for IC test apparatus and to unique receptacles for coupling test sockets to load boards. Receptacles according to the invention have decoupling capacitors mounted through the receptacle, providing capacitor connection very near leads for devices under test in such apparatus. In an embodiment of the unique receptacle, a power plane is provided as well as a ground plane, allowing the receptacle to provide complete customization for more generic load boards. In another embodiment, power and ground sensing lines are brought to the unique receptacle as well.

At the time of the present invention, integrated circuits (ICs) in a wide variety of sizes and for a wide variety of purposes have been developed and commercialized. ICs are typically rectangularly shaped dies, also called chips, of semiconducting silicon upon which solid state transistors and interconnecting circuitry have been constructed, and connection to off-chip circuitry is provided through contact leads and bonding pads arranged around a periphery of such a chip.
To protect an IC die and to provide a standard physical interface to, for example, a printed circuit board, such die are typically encapsulated in plastic or ceramic material with wires bonded to bonding pads on a die and to conductive leads leading away from the die. The conductive leads are ultimately soldered to electrical traces on a printed circuit board for use in any one of many electronic applications.
It has been a trend in the art to accomplish increased device density and smaller circuitry dimensions in ICs, to provide more circuitry in a smaller space. There is a trend as well to accomplish increased speed at which an IC operates. As ICs become more complex and powerful as a result, thorough testing of many thousands (sometimes millions) of transistors and miles of interconnective traces has become ever more critical. Typically, an effort is made to test every transistor and every connection of an IC to assure proper operation.
The present invention is in the area of test apparatus for testing ICs. In following descriptions and discussions, ICs to be tested and under test will be referred to generally as device-under-test (DUT), as is common in the art.
Partly because of a trend to smaller die and to more contacts to the outside world from an IC, reliably connecting bonding pads on a die to perform thorough testing is not a simple exercise. Because of this, most ICs are tested after packaging, although in some cases ICs are tested before packaging, and even before individual ICs are separated from semiconductor wafers upon which they are constructed. Methods are also being developed to mount ICs on circuit boards without packaging.
The IC testing process is historically one of placing a packaged IC in a test socket, with leads of the IC making electrical contact with contact pads or lands in a socket. In present art, a computerized tester, to be more fully described below, comprising a CPU, power supply, suitable memory, and control routines developed for testing an IC, provides test vectors, power, and ground connections through an interface harness to a test head. In a test head, power, ground, and vector signal lines are interfaced through a somewhat complex distribution system, which includes pin electronics boards, and provided finally to leads of a DUT placed in a test socket connected to a load board.
Typically, each individual DUT has a dedicated set of software control routines to be executed on a tester to provide a serial stream of test vectors for a DUT. There will also typically be an especially designed and constructed load board for a unique type of DUT, and a specific socket interfaced to a load board, and a particular power and ground connection to suit the unique configuration of the DUT.
In design and development of an IC, information is also used to develop software for testing ICs manufactured according to a particular design. A customized load board and a customized socket is also typically developed. One may have, for example, a batch of 100 packaged ICs of a particular design to be tested. To prepare to test these devices, a customized load board is assembled to a test head. A test socket, with connections configured to meet appropriate leads on a DUT, is assembled to the board, and customized software for that DUT is loaded into a test system.
After a test apparatus is customized to a DUT and a dedicated software is loaded, the 100 DUT's are installed and removed serially, with a test vector set applied to each in order. Typically, if a DUT fails, a test system reports the failure. After the 100 devices are tested, much of a test system (tester, software, load board, socket) is reconfigured for a new batch of DUT types to be tested. Test systems are sometimes manual, and sometimes complex material handling systems may be interfaced to a test system for presenting DUTs to a tester.
The shape and size of IC packages varies, the number of leads varies from type to type, the size and geometry of leads varies, the position of leads where the power supply voltages and grounds must be applied differs from type to type, and so on. Different standard packages are given names, such as dual in-line package (DIP) and quad flat package (QFP). In current art, load boards are designed and manufactured to fit a unique configuration of each DUT.
In many cases, although a single load board may be able to serve a variety of different DUTs having a common package configuration and lead geometry and configuration, power connections and ground lead locations will vary. Load boards, in these cases, have to be configured somehow so power supply and ground connections match with connective requirements of a unique DUT.
In some instances, user's prefer a completely customized board, so power and ground connections terminate at points aligning with socket connections. This is a relatively expensive solution, requiring an entirely different, fully customized board for each DUT, even if several devices to be tested have a common size and lead configuration and can be interfaced to a common socket.
An alternative solution is to bring signal leads to all lead positions at an interface area on a load board, and to provide power and ground points or pads nearby each lead position. Then power and ground may be jumpered to appropriate points at the interface according to the unique requirements for each DUT. In this manner, a common load board may be provided for a large number of DUTs, and customization is done on the common board by one or another finishing technique.
One method of finishing and customizing a load board of the type described above, involves hand-soldering a solder bridge or a jumper wire from power and ground locations nearby, to pads contiguous with through-holes to which socket or receptacle pins may be mounted. That is, given a pattern, for example, of through-holes on a load board to which pins of a receptacle or a socket will be engaged, the through-holes typically corresponding to the leads of a DUT, one simply provides a jumper one-at-a-time to each through-hole for a pin requiring power or ground.
There are some problems inherent in soldering on such a load board, however. Plated through-holes and solder pads on a load board are typically very small and necessarily closely-spaced. This makes such a soldering process, either with or without jumper wires, time-consuming, costly, and somewhat risky. Such solder connections must be very carefully made on a board that may represent a several thousand dollar investment, without damaging plated through holes, contact pads, or surface of the load board. An improper connection or damaged test surface may mean a scrapped board and costly delays.
A new apparatus and method for customizing load boards quickly, inexpensively, and without risk of loss and delay is clearly needed.
For those leads of a DUT that require power, it is conventional in the art that a power connection be made to each such lead, and, during testing each of these leads is typically hot. Still, during testing, depending on the test vectors provided, the power draw on each such lead varies. At various times a relatively sudden demand for increased power may be made on one lead or another, or on all power leads at the same time.
When a demand for power is relatively sudden, due to multiple junctures and often necessarily small cross-section of conductive paths for power from a power supply to final connection to leads of a DUT, it has become a practice to provide decoupling capacitors near each power lead connection, with one end of the capacitor connected as close as is practical to the power lead, and the other connected to ground. These decoupling capacitors are typically and conventionally mounted between plated through holes and a ground plane on the backside of a load board; that is, the side opposite the side where a receptacle and a test socket are mounted.
To provide the best possible decoupling for power leads, closer coupling of capacitors to power leads is needed.

Smart IC-test receptacle having holes adapted for mounting capacitors arranged adjacent to pin positions


Systems and methods for detecting a waste receptacle, the system including a camera for capturing an image, a convolutional neural network, and processor. The convolutional neural network can be trained for identifying target waste receptacles. The processor can be mounted on the waste-collection vehicle and in communication with the camera and the convolutional neural network configured for using the convolutional neural network. The processor can be configured for using the convolutional neural network to generate an object candidate based on the image; using the convolutional neural network to determine whether the object candidate corresponds to a target waste receptacle; and selecting an action based on whether the object candidate is acceptable.

Waste collection has become a service that people have come to rely on in their residences and in their places of work. Residential waste collection, conducted by a municipality, occurs on "garbage day", when residents place their waste receptacles at the curb for collection by a waste-collection vehicle. Waste collection in apartment and condominium buildings and commercial and industrial facilities occurs when a waste-collection vehicle collects waste from a dumpster.
Generally speaking, the process of waste collection comprises picking up a waste receptacle, moving it to the hopper or bin of a waste-collection vehicle, dumping the contents of the waste receptacle into the hopper or bin of the waste-collection vehicle, and then returning the waste receptacle to its original location.
The waste-collection process places demands on waste-collection operators, in order to achieve efficiencies in a competitive marketplace. These efficiencies can be found in terms of labor costs, waste-collection capacity, waste-collection speed, etc. Even minor savings in the time required to pick up a single waste receptacle can represent significant economic savings when realized over an entire waste-collection operation.
One area of interest with respect to improving collection speed (i.e. reducing waste-collection time) is the automation of waste-receptacle pick-up. Traditionally, a waste-collection vehicle would be operated by a team of at least two waste-collection personnel. One person would drive the waste-collection vehicle from one location to the next (e.g. from one house to the next), and then stop the waste-collection vehicle while the other person (or persons) would walk to the location of the waste receptacle, manually pick up the waste receptacle, carry it to the waste-collection vehicle, dump the contents of the waste receptacle into the waste-collection vehicle, and then return the waste receptacle to the place from where it was first picked up.
This process has been improved by the addition of a controllable mechanical arm mounted to the waste-collection vehicle. The arm is movable based on joystick operation of a human operator. As such, the waste-collection vehicle could be driven within close proximity of the waste receptacle, and the arm could be deployed through joystick control in order to grasp, lift, and dump the waste receptacle.
Further improvements on the arm system have included the automatic or computer-assisted recognition of a waste receptacle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,423 to Schulte-Hinsken discloses a camera system for determining the spatial position of five reflective marks that have been previously attached to a garbage can. Due to the properties and geometric pattern of the five reflected marks, the pattern of the reflected marks can be distinguished from the natural environment and therefore easily detected by the camera. However, Schulte-Hinsken fails to teach a solution for detecting an un-marked and textureless garbage can in a natural environment, which may contain highly textured elements, such as foliage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,461 to Frölingsdorf discloses an apparatus for picking up a trash receptacle comprising a pickup arm that includes sensors within the head of the arm. Frölingsdorf discloses that an operator can use a joystick to direct an ultrasound transmitter/camera unit towards a container. In other words, the operator provides gross control of the arm using the joystick. When the arm has been moved by the operator into sufficiently-close proximity, a fine-positioning mode of the system is evoked, which uses the sensors to orient the head of the arm for a specific mechanical engagement with the container. Frölingsdorf relies on specific guide elements attached to a container in order to provide a specific mechanical interface with the pickup arm. As such, Frölingsdorf does not provide a means of identifying and locating various types of containers.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,403,278 to Van Kampen et al. discloses a system and method for detecting and picking up a waste receptacle. The system, which is mountable to a waste-collection vehicle, comprises a camera for capturing an image and a processor configured for verifying whether the captured image corresponds to a waste receptacle, and if so, calculating a location of the waste receptacle. The system further comprises an arm actuation module configured to automatically grasp the waste receptacle, lift, and dump the waste receptacle into the waste-collection vehicle in response to the calculated location of the waste receptacle. Van Kampen et al. relies on stored poses of the waste receptacle, that is the stored shape of the waste receptacle, for verifying whether the captured image corresponds to a waste receptacle. However, such detection is limited to waste receptacles having an orientation that matches one of the stored poses.
In addition, waste collection can implement multiple streams. A single waste-collection vehicle can collect contents from multiple waste receptacles—one for each of garbage, recycling, and compost (or organics). In order for the waste-collection vehicle to dump contents from the waste receptacles into the appropriate bin for that collection stream, it must be able to distinguish between the multiple waste receptacles. Multiple waste receptacles can use similarly shaped waste receptacles that differ in color or decals.
Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods for detecting a waste receptacle that address the limitations found in the state of the art.

Systems and methods for detecting waste receptacles using convolutional neural networks


A structural assembly such as for use in constructing a living space of a recreational vehicle includes a wall with vertical rails at the top and bottom. The rails fitting into complementary recess within floor and ceiling members. The bottom rail has a curved cross section and fits into a complementary shaped curved channel in a floor member such that to assemble the wall to the floor, the wall is rested on the floor member at an angle and is then tilted upright to lock it to the floor member. A first keeper is then placed into a gap between the wall and the floor member, and acts in compression to prevent rotation of the wall. A second keeper has portions that fit into recesses in the wall and the ceiling members, respectively. The second keeper acts in tension to prevent vertical separation of the wall and the ceiling.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of structural members. More particularly, this invention relates to the field of articulated interlocking structural extrusions for recreational vehicles and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Structural members made of lightweight materials such as aluminum are well known. Extrusions made from aluminum are popular for use in applications in which structural members must be strong but lightweight.
In recreational vehicles such as motor homes, the need is particularly acute for strong structural members. Both towed and self propelled recreational vehicles experience vibration on the road and around curves, jars and jolts over bumps and potholes, and experience high winds associated with highway travel, sometimes into a strong headwind which greatly increases the wind speed experienced by the structure. Each structural member of a recreational vehicle must therefore not only strong by itself, but the assembled structure as a whole must be firmly and strongly held together. At the same time, the structural members in recreational vehicles must be lightweight for reasons of fuel efficiency, vehicle stability, and tire wear. For these reasons, extruded aluminum structural members have been used by some recreational vehicle manufacturers as preferred structural members.
Another requirement of the recreational vehicle industry is that the structure be easily assembled. U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,792 issued to Cooper shows a housing structure for use in recreational vehicles which uses aluminum extrusions having a honeycomb structure for strength. The aluminum extrusions are riveted together. U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,906 issued to Kunz shows extruded aluminum floors and sidewall members, and discloses a method of joining those members together which relies on sets of complementary sets of teeth to interlock those members together.

Articulating interlocking structural extrusions for recreational vehicles and the like


The invention relates to stable aqueous-aqueous emulsions defined by a dispersed phase having molecule(s) meeting special criteria and continuous phase having surfactant or surfactant system with micelles in rod-like shapes.

Conventional emulsions are typically formed when a liquid phase is dispersed in another immiscible liquid phase, e.g., oil in water or water in oil, and the dispersion is stabilized against coalescence by a steric and/or electrical barrier (e.g., surfactant) at the interface between the dispersed phase and the continuous phase.
Emulsions of the subject invention, on the other hand, are so-called aqueous-aqueous emulsions in which both the dispersed phase and the continuous phase are aqueous in nature. Such aqueous-aqueous emulsions do not have the "heavy oil" feel associated with conventional emulsions formed by oil and water. Further, since the dispersed phase is aqueous, highly water soluble benefit agents (e.g., glycerin, proteins) can be integrated or encapsulated in the dispersed phase offering potential of high delivery efficiency to skin or other substrate from a wash off product. Because the dispersed phase is typically and preferably poor in surfactant (for example, less than 5% by wt.), bioactive agents such as proteins also have a better chance to preserve their native structures in such aqueous-aqueous emulsions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,429,177 to Williams et al. discloses aqueous-aqueous biphasic compositions comprising surfactant, thickener (e.g., hydrophobically modified polyethylene glycols such as PEG (160) sorbitan triisostearate), polyalkylene glycol and chelating salt to induce phase separation. This reference discloses biphasic liquids rather than stable aqueous-aqueous emulsions of the invention and further fails to define how the stable emulsion of the invention would be formed or what they are made of.
Applicants have also filed two co-pending applications entitled "Biphasic Composition Induced by Polydextrose" to Patel et al.; and "Biphasic Composition Induced by Polydextrose and Sucrose" to Pereira et al., both filed on Aug. 14, 2002. These disclose use of polydextrose to induce biphasic liquids and fail to disclose the stable aqueous-aqueous emulsions of the objection. They further fail to disclose how to form such emulsions and what they are made of.
Finally, U.S. patent application Publication No. U.S. 2002/0055461 A1 to Jin et al., published May 9, 2002, discloses a stable polymer aqueous-aqueous emulsion system. This reference requires use of a third charged particle phase that is critical because it coats the dispersed phase and provides an electrical barrier to prevent the coalescence of the dispersed phase. In the subject invention, the disclosed aqueous-aqueous emulsion is formed by surfactant and a molecule (defined by specific water solubility and MW) upon mixing with water and no additional emulsifier is required. The reference fails to teach specific dispersed phase molecule and surfactant or surfactant system of continuous phase of the subject invention.

Aqueous-aqueous emulsions comprising a dispersed phase and a continuous surfactant phase with rod-like surfactants

Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, division of Conopco, Inc.


An ink jet recording apparatus determines the timing of executing discharge recovery processing based on the discharge amount of ink for each predetermined region discharged from a recording head, and controls the discharge recovery processing to be executed at the determined timing. Thereby, the discharge performance of the ink can be kept to be good, and the discharge recovery processing can be executed at the suitable timing without producing any deterioration of the image quality of a recorded image, and with the deterioration of throughput reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and a discharge recovery method, and more particularly to the execution timing of discharge recovery processing executed for keeping the discharge performance of a recording head to be good.
2. Description of the Related Art
A recording apparatus having the functions of a printer, a copier, a facsimile, and the like, and a recording apparatus used as the output equipment of a computer, a word processor, a work station, and the like have been known. These recording apparatus are adapted to record an image (including a character, a sign, and the like) on a recording medium such as a sheet of paper and a plastic thin plate (such as an OHP sheet) based on image information. Among the recording apparatus of this kind, a serial type recording apparatus adopting a recording system of performing the main scan thereof in the direction intersecting with the conveyance direction of the recording medium (sub scan direction) is widely used. The system records an image with a recording head mounted on a carriage moving along the recording medium (main scan), and performs a predetermined quantity of paper feed (sub scan) after the end of the recording for one scan. By repeating the main scan of the recording head and the sub scan of the recording medium, the image can be recorded in a desired range on the recording medium.
The systems of the recording head include an ink jet system, a wire-dot system, a thermosensitive system, a thermal transfer system, a laser beam system, and the like. The ink jet system among them discharges ink from a recording head to a recording medium to perform recording, and can easily make the recording head compact and can record a highly fine image at a high speed. Moreover, the ink jet system has the following advantages: the system can perform recording on a sheet of plain paper without needing any special processing, the running cost thereof is inexpensive, noises are little owing to being a non-impact system, and a color image can be easily recorded using multi-color ink, and the like.
The recording head of the system of discharging ink using thermal energy among the ink jet systems is especially manufactured by forming an electrothermal transducer, electrodes, liquid path walls, a top plate, and the like on a substrate through a semiconductor manufacturing process including etching, vapor deposition, sputtering, and the like. From this manufacturing method, the recording head having a high density discharge port arrangement can be easily manufactured, and the recording head can be formed to be more compact. Moreover, the recording unit of the recording head can be easily formed to have a long size or to be a plane (to have two dimensions) by utilizing the advantages of an IC technology and a micro working technology, and the recording unit can be also easily fully multiplied and mounted in high density.
The ink jet recording head like this arranges its discharge ports at a pitch of, for example, 1/600 inches or 1/2400 inches. In the recording head like this, ink sometimes attaches on a discharge port surface owing to ink mist produced at the time of ink discharge or splashes produced by the impact produced when the discharged ink reaches the recording medium. In this case, the attached ink sometimes obstructs the discharge ports to generate a defective discharge. Accordingly a configuration for removing the ink attached to the circumferences of the discharge ports by wiping out the ink by providing a blade made of an elastic body such as rubber and moving the recording head with the blade abutting against the discharge port surface of the recording head. This is known as wiping, and one of the discharge recovery processings for keeping the discharge performance of the recording head in a good state.
Moreover, the so-called preliminary discharge is known as another mode of the discharge recovery processing. The preliminary discharge performs an ink discharge that does not participate in the recording of an image from the recording head at a predetermined position of the apparatus. A thickened ink is ejected from the inside of an ink flow path to prevent the defective discharge beforehand. At the time of recording, ink is selectively discharged from a plurality of discharge ports of the recording head to form an image. If individual discharge ports are examined, some of them do not perform any discharges of ink according to some image data, so that the ink remains being exposed to the open air to some image data. The viscosity of the ink remaining in the discharge ports like this increases, and thereby a defective discharge such as the decrease of the amount of discharged ink and the deflection of a discharge direction may occur. The defective discharge like this can be prevented beforehand by performing the preliminary discharge periodically.
The so-called absorption recovery processing is known as a still other mode of the discharge recovery processing. The recovery processing absorbs ink and ejects the ink from the discharge ports by capping the discharge port surface of the recording head and producing a negative pressure in the cap. The recovery processing ejects the bubbles staying particularly in an ink path and a common liquid chamber together with ink.
The timing of executing the discharge recovery processing mentioned above is frequently based on factors such as a discharge frequency and an environmental temperature, and the discharge recovery processing is executed at the timing when the factors satisfy the conditions in which the recovery processing becomes necessary. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H09-207358 describes one example of the discharge recovery processing. The Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H09-207358 describes that the interval between the performance of the preliminary discharge is determined according to the degree of temperature rise of a recording head. Moreover, the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H09-207358 describes that the number of times (the number of dots) of the discharges for one page is counted every end of recording for one page, and that, if the number of times is a predetermined value or more, absorption recovery is performed. Moreover, the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H09-207358 also describes that the counted number of dots is corrected at this time according to an environmental temperature and the degree of temperature rise.
Now, as described above, the determination of the execution timing of the conventional discharge recovery processing is uniformly executed when the discharge recovery processing satisfies the necessary condition. For example, if the degree of temperature rise is that of making the thickening of ink reach a value near to the limit of producing a defective discharge, the preliminary discharge is executed. Or, if discharges have been performed by the number of dots at which it can be presumed that a staying bubble has grown to the size that influences a discharge, the absorption recovery is executed.
However, such method of determining the execution timing of the discharge recovery processing is uniform, and as a result, unnecessary recovery processing is sometimes performed. In particular, the degree of the contamination of the discharge port surface of a recording head, which is an object of wiping, relatively changes owing to the duty (density) of recording dots and a drive frequency. Consequently, wiping is sometimes preformed at unnecessary timing in some contaminated states of the discharge port surface.
As a result, the conventional discharge recovery has a problem with the lowering of throughput by the relatively frequent wiping operations. Moreover, there are some cases where the frequent wiping operations cause deterioration of the image quality of a recorded image. That is, if the wiping is frequently performed, there are some cases where a difference in the density or the tint that can be produced between the images of the bands formed by the scans before and after the wiping becomes remarkable to deteriorate the image quality. In concrete terms, the time interval from the end of the scan just before wiping to the start of the scan just after the wiping is longer than the time interval of the scans without any wiping operations put between them, and an image that has a part where the density or the tint is different from that in the other parts according to the longer time interval is formed. For example, in the case of one path recording, stripe-like density unevenness can be produced at the boundary between the bands before and after wiping, or the degree of generation of the stripe-like density unevenness can differ from that at the other parts. Moreover, especially in the one-path recording, the influences exerted on the following scans by cockling, which can be produced by a scan, can become larger after the elapsing of a relatively long time with intervening wiping. The difference of density may be produced by the influences of the cockling. Moreover, in multi-path recording for performing recording in a determined region by a plurality of times of scans, the time interval between scans before and after wiping is similarly longer than that of scans without intervening any wiping operations, and an image that has a part where the tint is different from that in the other parts according to the longer time interval is formed.
As described above, the discharge recovery processing such as wiping especially has a problem with density unevenness, a tint, and the like caused by the discharge recovery processing if the discharge recovery processing is simply uniformly executed at the timing satisfying the conditions necessary for the discharge recovery processing.

Ink jet recording apparatus and discharge recovery method


Methods, systems, and apparatus, for powering AC and DC loads in the event of a power failure. In one aspect, a system includes one or more DC loads that are powered by DC power, one or more AC loads that are powered by AC power, and an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The UPS includes AC terminals connected to an AC power source and to the one or more AC loads to power the AC loads, DC terminals connected to a backup battery and to the one or more DC loads to power the DC loads a bidirectional AC/DC converter connected between the AC terminals and the DC terminals, and a controller that selectively switches the bidirectional AC/DC converter to the first mode when the AC power source is available and to the second mode when the AC power source is not available.

Uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) are used in mission critical applications to provide continuous power in case of a power failure event. In general, there are two types of UPS systems, direct current (DC) UPSs and alternating current (AC) UPSs. A DC UPS is used to provide DC power to DC loads. An AC UPS is used to provide AC power to AC loads. Both types of UPSs can provide the backup power from batteries or other stored power sources, such as capacitors.
In a typical AC UPS system, the backup battery is a higher voltage battery than for DC UPS systems. In general, a DC UPS is not compatible with an AC UPS. Thus, different types of UPS systems need to be used in order to supply power to both AC and DC loads.

UPS system for powering alternating and direct current loads


A method of blocking a water out zone in a production well includes the steps of connecting a throttle unit to a dump bailer, wherein the throttle unit is internally defined a flowing space, which can be adjusted in size to thereby control a flow rate of cement for blocking the water out zone; loading the cement into the dump bailer; slowly lowering down the loaded dump bailer to the water out zone in the production well; opening an outlet of the dump bailer under control, so that the cement flows from the dump bailer into the throttle unit and is released at a flow rate preset by adjusting the size of the flowing space; allowing the released cement to load up in the water out zone and slowly permeate into a gravel layer in the production well before becoming cured to block the water out zone.

Gas, oil, and water coexist in the stratum of an oil/gas production well. Since gas and oil have specific gravities lower than that of water, they are floating on the water. When the oil/gas production reaches a certain volume, formation water would gradually rise to approach perforated zones in the well and tends to enter the production well.
Generally, entering of water into a production well might be caused by different reasons, such as a high permeability formation at the production zone that results in an earlier edge encroachment on the well, vertical cracks or faults within the production zone that result in flowing of bottom formation water into the upper production zone, fissures on a casing or a plug set in the well, and poor cement bond at the casing of the well. Or, a rising water gas contact (WGC) would induce water coning to resulting in increased water rate and shutoff of well. Under these conditions, the water must be completely shut off lest it should rise and enter the well to adversely affect the production at other zones.
In the case of a gravel packed production well subjected to water encroachment, since the gravels between a screen pipe and a wall of the well is highly permeable and there is not a casing provided at the production zone, both of the mechanical type bridge plug and the thermal expansion type patch flex are not applicable to block the perforated zone under the WGC for the purpose of continuing the oil/gas production of the well.
The conventional bridge plug can only be mounted in the screen pipe, and does not provide the function of blocking tiny meshes on the screen pipe and the gravels outside the screen pipe. That is, the conventional bridge plug does not function to seize invasive water from flowing into the well. Similarly, the thermal expansion type patch flex must also be provided in the screen pipe. As to the conventional way of pumping gel into the gravel packed production well using coiled tubing, since the tiny meshes on the screen pipe and the gravels outside the screen pipe are highly permeable, the pumped gel would inevitably flow through the gravels and fails to completely enter a water out zone in the production well.
Regarding the way of placing traditional G-grade or H-grade cement milk at the well bottom to block the water out zone, it is also not applicable because the cement has large grain size and does not pass through the screen pipe into the gravels easily. Therefore, once the bottom of the gravel packed production well is subjected to invasion by water, there is no way to save the well but leaving it to the rising water until the well is no longer economical for use and shut off, or until the invaded water accumulates in the oil pipe and the well no longer produces any oil or gas.
For gravel packed production wells, a most common way of stopping water invasion is to use thermosetting resin or fine-grained cement milk to block the water out zone in the production well. In most cases, the resin used for this purpose is phenolic resin. However, in the case of stopping water invasion with the thermosetting resin, the formation water would still break through a joint of the gravels and the well wall to largely reduce the water blocking effect when a differential pressure at the well bottom exceeds 50 psi. There is also limitation to the cement used to block water. Only the fine-grained cement can flow into the gravels to completely fill up the pore space thereof, and thus blocks the water out zone after the cement is cured.
In performing water blocking for the gravel packed production well, a dump bailer is used to carry the resin or cement. The dump bailer is a cylindrical container being lowered to the well bottom or a desired depth in the well using a wire line. A signal is transmitted from the ground to open the dump bailer and release the resin or cement milk loaded therein. Due to a difference in specific gravity between the resin or cement milk and the formation water, the resin or cement milk is able to flow into the meshes and the gravels. When the resin or cement milk is cured, the water out zone is blocked.
However, in the conventional way of releasing the cement from the dump bailer, it is not able to control a flow rate of the released cement. Once a bottom opening of the dump bailer is opened, the cement in the dump bailer immediately flows out to mix with the formation water, resulting in an excessively low concentration of the cement and preventing the cement from curing effectively to thoroughly block the water out zone. That is, the quickly released cement does not provide good water blocking effect and the formation water tends to rise via the incompletely filled pore spaces of the gravels to adversely affect the oil/gas production at other production zones.
When the dump bailer is operated while the well has water therein, the releasing speed of the cement milk has great influence on the mixture of the cement milk with water, and accordingly the concentration of the cement milk. When the cement milk is released at a high speed, the cement milk mixed with the formation water is highly diluted to the extent of being unable to cure and losing the function of blocking water. This condition can be observed in lab experiments. On the other hand, when the cement milk is released at a controlled slow speed, the undesirable dilution of the cement milk can be largely improved.

Throttle unit for dump bailer and method of blocking a water out zone in a production well utilizing the same


A gaming machine comprising, a main circuit comprising a main processor and a main memory, the main memory storing program code that allows a player of the gaming machine to play the at least one game when executed by the main processor, the program code including authentication code that, when executed, causes the main processor to output challenge data and modify game play if valid response data is not received, and an auxiliary circuit in data communication with the main processor and comprising an auxiliary processor configured to process challenge data received from the main processor in order to output valid response data to the main processor.

In the gaming industry a significant amount of capital is invested in gaming machines. That is, there is a significant capital outlay in producing machines and in their subsequent purchase by gaming venue operators.
There is a need for techniques for improving existing gaming machines. It is preferable, that such techniques can also be applied to new gaming machines.

Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited


A periodic input signal Sa is input into a first subtracter and is input on the other hand into a second subtracter, a difference signal Sb between the periodic input signal Sa and a signal Se obtained by delaying this signal by 1H is obtained in a second subtracter. This difference signal Sb is input into a first limiter amplifier having a specific gain factor and a second limiter amplifier having a smaller gain factor, the outputs of the first and second limiter amplifiers are input into a third subtracter. A signal Sc is obtained by subtracting the output of the second limiter amplifier from the output of the first limiter amplifier. This signal Sc is subtracted from the input signal Sa by the first subtracter to obtain a filter output Sd. Thereby, without using a non-correlation controlling switch, a tailing phenomenon by a large variation of a signal amplitude can be reduced most suitably, a noise suppressing operation is made in a minute signal, a tailing is suppressed in response to the signal variation amount in a medium signal and further, tailing can be substantially eliminated in a large amplitude signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recursive comb filter to be used for a video signal processing circuit of a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the techniques of elevating the picture quality of a reproduced video signal is a technique of removing noises with a recursive comb filter by utilizing the line correlativity in the vertical direction of a video signal.
In the NTSC television system, a luminance signal has a line correlativity and is substantially the same signal in an adjacent one horizontal scanning period (abbreviated as 1H hereinafter). A chroma signal is displaced in the phase by 180 degrees per line and therefore the present signal as inverted in the phase and the present signal as delayed by 1H are substantially the same signal. The noise component included in a video signal is usually so small in the level that a small amplitude part having no line correlativity is considered to be a noise component, a technique of removing noises by subtracting it from the original signal is adopted and a chroma noise reduction (CNR) circuit in which is used a recursive comb filter provided with also a color irregularity suppressing effect is used particularly on chroma signals.
That is to say, as shown in FIG. 4, the above mentioned CNR circuit comprises a subtracter 2, subtracter 3, limiter amplifier 4, switch 5, 1H delaying circuit 6 and inverting amplifier 7.
A chroma signal Sa having a 1H line correlativity is fed as an input to an input terminal 1. The input signal Sa becomes a signal Sd through the subtracter 2 and is fed to an output terminal 8. The signal Sd is delayed by 1H by the 1H delaying circuit 6, is inverted in the phase by 180 degrees by the inverting amplifier 7 and becomes substantially the same signal Se as the before 1H delay. The difference between the input signal Sa and 1H delayed signal Se is taken by the subtracter 3 and output as a signal Sb. A signal Sc obtained by amplifying the difference signal Sb by the limiter amplifier, and the signal Sc 4 and limiting the amplitude is input into the other input terminal of the subtracter 2 through the switch 5. In the subtracter 2, the signal Sc is subtracted from the input signal Sa and the subtraction signal Sd is output to an output terminal 8 as an output. The switch 5 is controlled by a non-correlation detecting signal to be off only when there is no line correlativity in the vertical direction. In a luminance signal system, when the difference between the present luminance signal and 1H delayed luminance signal is taken and the difference signal amount is above a predetermined value, it will be judged that there is no correlation before and after 1H and the non-correlation detecting signal will be made by a pulse making means.
The operation shall be explained in the following. In case a continuous chroma signal having a line correlativity has a noise component, the input chroma signal Sa containing the noise component will be subtracted from the signal Se delayed by 1H by the 1H delaying circuit 6 and a signal Sb having only the noise component extracted will be obtained. When the noise component, reduced k times (k<1 wherein k is a gain) by the limiter amplifier, is subtracted from the input chroma signal Sa containing the noise component, a chroma signal Sd having the noise component removed will be output to an output terminal 7. In case a continuous chroma signal having a line correlativity has no noise component, Sa=Se and, as Sc=0, the output Sd will not be different from the input Sa.
Here, such step response that a chroma signal of an amplitude A is present until a horizontal line but is no longer present from the next line shall be considered. The gain k of the limiter amplifier 4 represents a recursive coefficient and is set to be 0<k<1.
First of all, the gain k of the limiter amplifier 4 is assumed to be k=0.5 and the operation in case the amplitude A of the input chroma signal Sa is below the limiter level L of the limiter amplifier 4 shall be explained with reference to FIG. 5. At this time, the switch 5 will remain on.
Sa represents a step-like chroma signal introduced into the input terminal 1 and Se represents a signal when the signal Sa is delayed by 1H by the 1H delaying circuit 6 through the subtracter 2 and is inverted in the phase by 180 degrees by the inverting amplifier 5. Sb represents a difference signal between the signals Se and Sa in the subtracter 3 and Sd represents a difference signal between the input signal Sa and a signal Sc when the signal Sb is suppressed by the limiter amplifier 4.
While the chroma signal Sa introduced into the input terminal 1 is of a fixed value A, Sc=0 and then, in the 1H period when the chroma signal is no longer present, Sa=0 and Se will still remain to be of the amplitude A and, on the basis of the output Sc=-kA of the limiter amplifier 4, the output Sd=kA will remain. Further, in the next 1H period, as Sa=0 and Se=kA, the output Sd=k2A and will be thus multiplied by k in turn to be attenuated. This is shown to tail the fluctuation suppression and to be effective to the noise suppression. That is to say, the limiter amplifier 4 is provided to limit the tailing amount.
The operation in case the level of the input chroma signal Sa is made to be more than twice as high as the limit level L of the limiter amplifier 4 and the gain k of the limiter amplifier 4 is made k=0.5 shall be explained in the following with reference to FIG. 6. The switch 5 shall remain on.
While the chroma signal Sa introduced into the input terminal 1 is of a fixed value A, Sc=0, in the 1H period when the color signal is no longer present, Sa=0, Se will still remain to be of the amplitude A, will be multiplied by k by the limiter amplifier 4 and will be suppressed to the L value of the limit level, the output signal Sc will become Sc=L and will be subtracted from the signal Sa and the output signal Sd=L will remain. In the next 1H period, Sd=kL and then Sd will be multiplied by k in turn to be attenuated.
Here, int he 1H period when the chroma signal is no longer present, in case a non-correlation detecting signal switches off the switch 5, Sc=0 will be able to be made, the output Sd=0 as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 6 and the tailing of the chroma will be able to be eliminated.
However, the problem is that it is very difficult to emit a non-correlation detecting signal most properly. In the case of controlling a chroma signal, it will be generally practiced to obtain a non-correlation detecting signal from a luminance signal but often it will not coincide with the variation of the chroma signal.
As described above, there has been a problem that the method of using a switch at the time of a non-correlation in order to reduce the tailing in case the variation of a large amplitude signal level is large requires a non-correlation detector for its control and will be properly operate in many cases.


A method for forming an isolation layer in a semiconductor device includes forming a trench in a semiconductor substrate, forming a first liner nitride layer on an exposed surface of the trench, forming a first high density plasma (HDP) oxide layer such that the first HDP oxide layer partially fills the trench to cover a bottom surface and a side surface of the trench and an upper surface of the first liner nitride layer, etching overhangs generated during the forming of the first HDP oxide layer by introducing a hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution into the semiconductor substrate, forming a second liner nitride layer over the first HDP oxide layer, removing the second liner nitride layer formed on the first HDP oxide layer while forming a second HDP oxide layer to fill the trench, and subjecting the second HDP oxide layer to planarization, so as to form a trench isolation layer.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, and more specifically, to a method for forming an isolation layer in a semiconductor device, which can prevent attacks on a liner nitride layer in the course of forming an isolation layer.
In recent trends toward high-integration and fine-pattern of semiconductor memory devices such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices, there has been increased the importance of a shallow trench isolation (STI) layer that exhibits a superior device isolation performance with a small width. It is known that the shallow trench isolation layer has an effect on the characteristics of DRAM devices, for example, a data retention time. In particular, a liner nitride layer is applied to the trench isolation layer, to improve the refresh characteristics of DRAM devices.
It will be appreciated that a method for forming a trench isolation layer comprises: forming a trench in a semiconductor substrate by a predetermined depth; forming a buffer layer, a liner nitride layer, and a liner oxide layer on a sidewall of the trench; and depositing an insulating layer to fill the trench.
The insulating layer to fill the trench is formed by repeating deposition-etching-deposition (DED), for the purpose of improving gap-fill characteristics. With the repetition of deposition and etching, overhangs, which are generated in the upper region of the trench in the course of depositing the insulating layer in the trench having a small width, can be removed by etching, thus resulting in an enhancement in the gap-fill characteristics of the trench. However, the repetition of deposition and etching has a limit to fill a trench having a low gap-fill margin due to the reduced size thereof.
FIG. 1 is illustrating defects in a trench isolation layer according to the prior art.
Referring to FIG. 1, it can be appreciated that, if a portion of the trench is exposed by etching that is carried out to remove overhangs generated during deposition of an insulating layer, a liner nitride layer on the exposed portion (as designated by the dotted circle A) of the trench is attacked by an etching solution. If the liner nitride layer is attacked, the liner nitride layer has defects such as pin holes, and the density of the liner nitride layer may be changed loosely.
The liner nitride layer having the loosely changed density cannot completely protect a semiconductor substrate from an oxidant source during the following oxidation process. Thereby, an unwanted oxidized portion further occurs in the semiconductor substrate by the oxidant source. The oxidized portion causes a stress during the fabrication of a device, and consequently may cause the leakage of current and a reduction of data retention time. Further, the liner nitride layer having the loosely changed density has a problem that impurities inside an active region may leak out in the following thermal process, to thereby be diffused into the isolation layer. If the diffusion of impurities into the isolation layer occurs, a cell threshold voltage (Vth) is changed, therefore the electric characteristics of a transistor may be deteriorated.

Method for forming isolation layer in semiconductor device


A voltage supply circuit comprises a voltage control circuit for outputting a bias voltage control signal according to a set value based on a bias voltage of a sensor and a voltage generation circuit for generating the bias voltage to be applied to the sensor based on the bias voltage control signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a voltage supply circuit for supplying voltage to a sensor such as a condenser microphone, and a microphone unit comprising the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
For voice communication in portable terminals, such as portable telephones, a technology using a microphone, called a condenser microphone, has been popularized. A condenser microphone is sometimes called a capacitor microphone or an electrostatic microphone. In a condenser microphone, one electrode of a capacitor is a diaphragm. This diaphragm detects the vibration of voice as a change of capacitance, and converts it into electric signals. A conventional microphone unit is disclosed in "PA acoustic system, (Kougakutosho Ltd., 1996)"
FIG. 1 shows a circuit of a condenser microphone unit 100 using a conventional condenser microphone. As FIG. 1 shows, the conventional condenser microphone unit comprises a condenser microphone 101, JFET (Junction Field Effect Transistor) 102, capacitor 103, resistors 104 and 105 and DC power supplies 106 and 108.
The condenser microphone 101 is a vibration sensor for generating output signals corresponding to the sound pressure of voice to be input. One electrode of the condenser microphone 101 is connected to the DC power supply 108 via the resistor 104, and the other electrode is grounded. A predetermined bias voltage is supplied by the DC power supply 108 to the condenser microphone 101. The output of the condenser microphone 101 is connected to the gate of the JFET 102. The JFET 102 is an amplification circuit for amplifying the output signals of the condenser microphone and generating the amplification signals. The amplification signals generated by the JEFT 102 are output via the output terminal 107.
In this condenser microphone unit, manufacturing dispersion occurs when the condenser microphone and the JFET are manufactured. This manufacturing dispersion appears as the dispersion of the inter-electrode distance of the capacitor and the dispersion of the amplification efficiency of the JFET. This manufacturing dispersion becomes a cause of the sensitivity dispersion of each condenser microphone unit.
A voltage supply circuit for supplying voltage to the sensor device, such as a condenser microphone, such that the sensor device can operate at an appropriate sensitivity even if manufacturing dispersion occurs, has been desired. Also a condenser microphone unit that can operate at an appropriate sensitivity according to the dispersion has also been desired.
To switch the sensitivity of the condenser microphone unit in a conventional condenser microphone unit, two condenser microphone units with different sensitivity settings are provided. The sensitivity is switched by switching the condenser microphone unit itself. With this configuration, however, a condenser microphone unit must be provided according to the levels of sensitivity to be switched. Therefore a condenser microphone unit that can select a plurality of sensitivities in one condenser microphone unit has been desired.

Voltage supply circuit and microphone unit comprising the same


An apparatus for processing packets in a multimedia terminal has a media access controller to send and receive packets from a network. A digital signal processor converts a series of incoming real-time transfer protocol packets into an incoming digital signal and converts an outgoing digital signal into a series of outgoing real-time transfer protocol packets. A compression-decompression unit decompresses the incoming digital signal and generates an output signal to an output device and compresses an input signal from an input device and generates an outgoing digital signal. A central processing unit sends and receives transmission control protocol packets. The apparatus can store a packet in one of a plurality of queues in a buffer and assign a priority to the packet based on whether the packet is a real-time transfer protocol packet or a transfer control protocol packet.

The present invention relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly to communication systems that handle both voice data and conventional computer data, such as Voice-over-Internet Protocol (IP) communication systems.
As computer networks become more powerful, the boundary between traditional telephony and data communication becomes increasingly blurred. Data can be sent through a computer network, such as a local area network (LAN), as a series of individually addressed packets. Such packets are conventionally used to carry computer data. However, it is also possible to transmit real-time voice data over a packetized network.
One advantage of using a computer network to carry both computer and voice data is that only a single set of wiring is needed. This is particularly advantageous for large businesses where the cost of installing wiring for both computer and telecommunication networks is considerable.
Currently, it is possible to provide real-time voice communication using an Internet protocol (IP) network. An acceptable quality of service can be achieved if the proper compression techniques are used and the network is fast enough to avoid noticeable delays.
However, future applications will dramatically increase the use of local area networks (LANs) for data transfer, including both traditional legacy data transfer and distributed application data transfer between terminals, workstations and servers. In particular, if terminals are upgraded for multimedia capability, such as a single simultaneous session including voice, video and data, there will be significant demands on the processing capabilities of the LAN. Moreover, as voice and data converge in a single application, new features will be expected for all elements in the packet network.

Priority handling of voice over data in a voice-over-internet protocol processor

Infineon Technologies North America Corp.


Provided is a method for producing a glass material by a containerless levitation technique, which enables production of a large-sized glass material. The method includes the steps of: preparing a forming member and a cover member 20, the forming member including a gas jetting portion 11 in which a plurality of gas jet holes 12 for use in levitating a block of glass raw material are formed, the cover member 20 which is capable of covering a peripheral portion of a gas jetting surface 13 of the gas jetting portion 12 and in which a controlling surface 21 controlling, near the peripheral portion of the gas jetting surface 13, a flow of gas jetted through the gas jet holes 12 is formed and an opening 25 capable of releasing the gas to outside is formed; placing the block of glass raw material on top of the gas jetting surface 13 and covering the peripheral portion of the gas jetting surface 13 with the cover member 20; and heating the block of glass raw material to melting while holding the block of glass raw material levitated by jetting the gas through the gas jet holes 12 and then cooling the melted block of glass raw material.

In recent years, studies on containerless levitation techniques as methods for producing glass materials are being conducted. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a method for vitrifying a barium-titanium-based ferroelectric sample by heating the barium-titanium-based ferroelectric sample levitated in an aerodynamic levitation furnace to melting by irradiation with a laser beam and then cooling it. The containerless levitation techniques can reduce the progress of crystallization of a material due to contact with the wall surface of a container in the above manner and, therefore, can vitrify even materials that could not be vitrified by conventional production methods using containers. Hence, the containerless levitation techniques are noteworthy as methods enabling the production of glass materials having novel compositions.
In Patent Literature 2, a larger glass material is obtained using a containerless levitation technique in which a forming surface having a plurality of gas jet holes is used. Provision of a large-sized glass material is preferred because it increases the variety of application possibilities.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for producing glass material and apparatus for producing glass material


The present invention provides rice brown planthopper resistance gene Bph14. It has a nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO:1 and its cDNA sequence is shown in SEQ ID NO:2. The Bph14 gene in the present invention belongs to the CC-NBS-LRR gene family, its coded protein is related to plant disease resistance. Bph14 gene has the function of resisting brown planthopper. By introducing Bph14 gene into ordinary rice variety through genetic transformation and cross breeding, the brown planthopper resistance of rice can be increased, so that the harm caused by brown planthopper can be alleviated and the aim of increasing and stabilizing production can be achieved.

Rice is a very important food crop, which serves as staple food for more than half of the world's population. Furthermore, detailed genetic mapping and physical mapping of the rice genome is complete. Creating transgenic rice has become routine. Additionally, rice has colinearity with the genomes of other gramineous crops, therefore it has been viewed as a model plant. Therefore, the study of rice functional genes has significant meanings for social economic development and biological research.
The lack of adequate food supply is a challenge faced by the entire world. Rice yield has been dramatically increased by the two technology revolutions of dwarf rice plant of the 1950s and 1960s, and the hybrid rice of the 1970s. However, rice crops are still harmed by pests over large areas and rice production remains threatened, particularly by brown planthopper. Brown planthopper adults and nympha stab and suck the rice sap with their stylets, causing the leaves to turn yellow or to wither to death, which results in reduction or total destruction of the yield. According to China agriculture yearbook, there were severe outbreaks of brown planthopper nation wide in the years 1966, 1969, 1973, 1977, 1983 and 2003 and extremely severe outbreaks in the years 1987, 1991, 2005, 2006 and 2007. The harmed area accounts for more than 50% of the total rice cultivation and it caused a great loss to the rice production of China. Since the harm caused by brown planthopper occurs mainly during rice grain filling and ripening stages, large amounts of pesticide must be applied during this period, which risks contaminating the rice. There remains a need in the industry for a safer way to ensure a high yield from rice cultivation.
Using a brown planthopper resistance gene to breed pest resistance into a rice variety is the most economic and effective method for the integrated control of brown planthopper. The research results of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the practical experience of rice production in Southeast Asia have shown that even rice varieties having medium level resistance are sufficient to control the brown planthopper population so as to have no discernable damage and that no actual harm and loss of yield are caused. Thus, isolating a brown planthopper resistance gene and applying it in the project of rice breeding are the fundamental measures for controlling damage in rice crops caused by brown planthopper.
The study of rice brown planthopper resistance gene began in the 1970s. Up to now, 19 major pest resistance genes have been named (for detailed reviews see Yang H Y et al., 2004 High-resolution genetic mapping at the Bph15 locus for brown planthopper resistance in rice. Theor Appl Genet. 110: 182-191). Among them, the resistance of the three rice varieties (Mudgo, CO22 and MTU15) is controlled by a single dominant gene, this gene is named as Bph1, and another recessive gene bph2, closely linked with Bph1, controls the resistance of rice variety ASD7. In their genetic study of 28 varieties, Lakshminarayana and Khush found that rice variety Rathu Heenati carries a dominant brown planthopper resistance gene Bph3, which is inherited independently from BPh1. In addition, rice variety Babawee contains a recessive gene bph4, which is also inherited independently from bph2. Sidhu and Khush found that Bph3 and bph4 are closely linked, bph4 is also linked with the semidwarf gene sd-1. The genetic analysis of Khush et al about rice variety ARC10550 showed that it contains the recessive gene bph5. In their study of 17 materials resistant to bio-type 4 BPH but sensitive to the other three bio-types, Kabir and Khush found that varieties Swarnalata and T12 contain one pest resistance gene respectively, which are named Bph6 and bph7. The discovery of bph8 and Bph9 is similar to that of the other genes, the recessive gene bph8 is not allelic to bph2 and bph4, the dominant gene. Bph9 is not allelic to Bph3 and Bph4. Among the afore-mentioned brown planthopper resistance genes, bph5, Bph6 and bph7 are resistant to brown planthopper bio-type 4, while exhibiting sensitivity to bio-types 1, 2 and 3.
Wild rice is also a source of brown planthopper resistance genes. In 1994, Ishii et al. identified a new dominant brown planthopper resistance gene Bph10 from a transformed line of Australian wild rice (O. australiensis), IR65482-4-136-2-2. This gene is resistant to brown planthopper bio-types 1, 2 and 3. Bph11 is identified from O. eichinger. Rice with a brown planthopper resistance gene can inhibit food fetching, growth and development, and reproduction of brown planthopper, so that the aim of pest resistance is achieved (Hao P Y et al., 2008 Herbivore-induced callose deposition on the sieve plates of rice: an important mechanism for host resistance. Plant Physiology 146: 1810-1820). However, up to now, no rice brown planthopper resistance gene has been cloned.
Map-based cloning is also called positional cloning, which is a gene cloning technology developed along with the development of molecular marker genetic linkage map. The steps of map-based cloning comprise genetic mapping of the target gene, physical mapping, sequence analysis and genetic transformation and test of function. Theoretically, any gene that is able to be positioned can be isolated by map-based cloning. Generally, map-based cloning is suitable for species with relatively small genomes, such as the monocot model plant rice, in which the ratio between genome physical distance and genetic distance is small and has plenty of markers. As a gramineous model plant, rice has a genome that is the center of a concentric circle formed by the genomes of 7 gramineous plants, such as wheat and broomcorn, and it is one of the crops most suitable to use map-based cloning to isolate a target gene. Multiple genes already cloned in rice were cloned by map-based cloning, for example, the Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae resistance gene Xa-21 (Song W Y et al. 1995, A Receptor Kinase-Like Protein Encoded by the Rice Disease Resistance Gene, Xa21. Science, 270: 1804-1806), Xa-1 (Yoshimura et al. 1998, Expression of Xa-1, a bacterial blight-resistance gene in rice, is induced by bacterial inoculation. PNAS, 95: 1663-1668) and Xa-26 (Sun et al. 2004, Xa26 a gene conferring resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae in rice, encodes an leucine-rich repeat LRR receptor kinase-like protein. Plant Journal, 37: 517-527), rice blast resistance gene Pi-b (Wang et al. 1999, The Pi-b gene for rice blast resistance belongs to the nucleotide binding and leucine-rich repeat class of plant disease resistance genes. Plant Journal, 1999, 19: 55-64) and Pi-ta (Bryan et al. 2000, A single amino acid difference distinguishes resistant and susceptible alleles of the rice blast resistance gene Pi-ta. Plant Cell, 12: 2033-2046), and the tillering gene cloned by Li (Li et al. 2003, Control of tillering in rice. Nature 422: 618-621), salt tolerance gene (Ren et al. 2005, A rice quantitative trait locus for salt tolerance encodes a sodium transporter. Nature Genetics 37(10): 1141-1146) and high yield gene (Weiya Xue et al. 2008. Natural variation in Ghd7 is an important regulator of heading date and yield potential in rice. Nature Genetics 40, 761-767).

Rice brown planthopper resistance gene and applications thereof


Ditopic molecules in the form of linear reaction templates have been used to construct ladder-like hydrocarbons known as [n]-ladderanes (n=3,5). The templates assemble and position reactant molecules in the solid state by way of hydrogen bonds for [2+2] photodimerization. The products, which are based on recently identified naturally occurring frameworks, form stereospecifically, in gram quantities, and in quantitative yield. The control of reactivity achieved using linear templates provides a basis for the development of molecular tools, termed assemblers, that could be used to manufacture, with atomic-level precision, a wide range of products (e.g. molecular nanostructures) with unique properties.

Tools that enable picking and positioning of individual atoms and molecules for chemical reaction could have widespread applications in chemical synthesis and materials science (e.g. molecular nanotechnology). Such tools, or assemblers, could combine the chemical diversity of synthetic organic chemistry (e.g. functional groups), which is chiefly realized at the atomic level, with the ability of human engineers to fabricate objects using mechanical devices (e.g. robotic welders), which is chiefly realized at the macroscopic level, for the development of a universal molecular manufacturing scheme. See K. E. Drexler, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78, 5275 (1981); K. E. Drexler, Sci. Amer. 285, 74 (2001); G. M. Whitesides, Sci. Amer. 285, 78 (2001); K. C. Nicolau, D. Vourloumis, N. Winssinger, P. S. Baran, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 39, 44 (2000); S. Hecht, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 42, 24 (2003); and K. E. Drexler, Nanosystems. Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing and Computation; Wiley-Interscience: New York (1992).
Owing to the superior stereo- and regiocontrol of chemical synthesis offered by assemblers, molecular manufacturing via molecular assemblers could provide efficient, low-cost access to molecules, and materials, with unique molecular (e.g. catalytic) and bulk physical (e.g. mechanical) properties. Despite this realization, however, a synthetic system that enables such general 'pick-and-place' control of atoms and molecules has not been realized.
Top-down approaches, which have employed surface microscopy tips (e.g. STM) to position reactive sites mechanically, have had difficulties achieving atomic-level dexterity and high throughput for grabbing individual molecules and manufacturing appreciable amounts of product, respectively. See S. Hecht, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 42, 24 (2003); V. Balzani, A. Credi, M. Venturi, Chem. Eur. J. 8, 5525 (2002); D. M. Eigler and E. K. Schweizer, Nature 344, 594 (1990); and S.-W. Hla, G. Meyer, K.-H. Rieder, ChemPhysChem. 2, 361 (2001).
Bottom-up approaches, which have employed molecules to recognize and assemble reactive sites chemically, have had difficulties contending with structure effects of entropy and solvent of the liquid phase, which can hinder reactants molecules from achieving the necessary order for reaction. See V. Balzani, A. Credi, M. Venturi, Chem. Eur. J. 8, 5525 (2002); J.-M. Lehn, Supramolecular Chemistry; Wiley-VCH: Weinheim (1995); T. R. Kelly, C. Zhao, G. J. Bridger, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 111, 3744 (1989); and D. M. Bassani, V. Darcos, S. Mahony, J.-P. Desvergne, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 122, 8795 (2000).
A [n]-ladderane is a molecule that consists of n edge-sharing cyclobutane rings (where n≧2) that define a molecular equivalent of a macroscopic ladder. See H. Hopf, Angew. Chem. 2003, 115, 2928-2931; and Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2003, 42, 2822-2825. Ladderanes are considered promising building blocks in optoelectronics and, very recently, have been identified in biological systems (where: n=3 and 5), in the form of ladderane lipids, being integral components in the microbiological conversion of ammonium and nitrite to dinitrogen gas. See W. Li, M.A. Fox, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1996, 118, 11752-11758; J.S. S. Damste, et al., Nature 2002, 419, 708-712; E. F. DeLong Nature 2002, 419, 676-677; and M. M. M. Kuypers, et al., Nature 2003, 422, 608-611.
In the simplest case, a cis-fused [n]-ladderane (n=3, 5, 7 . . . ) can be constructed by photochemical dimerization of two all-trans-poly-m-enes (m=2, 3, 4.). Despite the apparent simplicity of this intermolecular process, however, such a transformation generally fails. This can be attributed to the lack of a method that overcomes the energetic cost, due to solvent and entropy effects, of organizing two polyene molecules in a suitable geometry in the liquid phase for photoreaction, although a covalent linker that holds two polyene chains in a parallel orientation for a high-yield, intramolecular photoaddition to give a [n]-ladderane (where: n=3 and 5) has been reported. See H. Hopf, Angew. Chem. 2003, 115, 2928-2931; and Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2003, 42, 2822-2825; D. H. Williams, E. et al., Chem. Commun. 2003, 1973-1976; M. Rekharsky, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 14959-14967; and H. Hopf, et al., Angew. Chem. 1995, 107, 742-744; Angew. Int. Ed. Engl. 1995, 34, 685-687.
Unfortunately, the study of these unique molecules and their properties has been hampered because existing methods for preparing ladderanes typically provide low yields and/or mixtures of products that are difficult to separate. Accordingly, there is currently a need for improved methods and intermediates that can be used to prepare ladderanes. In particular, there is a need for methods that provide improved yields of ladderanes and for methods that provide pure ladderane products as opposed to mixtures of compounds.


The invention relates to catalyst packing and a production process for catalyst packing in which a fabricated woven or knitted fabric in the form of continuous web goods is shaped to give a package by stacking a plurality of layers, and segments (S) are cut out of the package and assembled to give one or more course(s) which completely fill the reactor cross section. A reactor containing catalyst packing of this type is particularly suitable for catalytic reactions, preferably for hydrogenations, selective hydrogenations, selective oxidations or isomerizations.

Catalyst packing is known for carrying out a wide variety of liquid-phase reactions and for cleaning the exhaust from internal-combustion engines and industrial plants.
Thus, DE-C-29 08 671 describes a catalyst support which is permeated by flow channels and has a cross-flow effect, comprising layers of a steel sieve fabric arranged one on top of the other with improved support profiles in the support matrix.
DE-C-44 11 302 describes a process for the production of a monolithic supported catalyst in the form of a coated gas-permeable molding. This catalyst packing likewise has flow channels in the starting-material flow direction.
EP-B-433 223 describes catalyst packing having a support structure comprising layers of steel sheeting or solid ceramic material stacked one on top of the other, where the layers are arranged in the principal flow direction and, owing to waved or zigzag-shaped profiling, form linear flow channels which are open to one another and cross one another. This catalyst packing thus also has flow channels in the starting-material flow direction.
The known catalyst packing is monolithic, structured packing which has flow directions in the starting-material flow direction. If reactions are to be carried out in the gas phase, in particular under superatmospheric pressures, this results, in known catalyst packing, in the formation of laminar flow and consequently slip of unreacted starting materials.
It is an object of the invention to provide catalyst packing which does not have the disadvantages described.

Process for the production of catalyst packing, reactor containing catalyst packing, and the use thereof


The invention relates to a process for the production of synthesis gas by the use of autothermal reforming in which tail gas from downstream Fischer-Tropsh synthesis is hydrogenated and then added to the autothermal reforming stage.

The production of synthesis gas for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is typically obtained by passing a hydrocarbon feed through primary and secondary reforming stages. The primary reforming is often conducted in tubular steam reformers or heat exchange reformers, while the secondary reforming is typically conducted in autothermal reformers. When combining a heat exchange reformer with a subsequent autothermal reformer, the hot effluent gas from the autothermal reformed is usually used as heating medium in the heat exchange reformer. It is known to recycle tail gas from Fischer-Tropsch synthesis as part of the hydrocarbon feed used to produce the synthesis gas in the primary and secondary reforming stages. Tail gas can be added prior to the primary reforming or to the primary reformed gas before entering the secondary reforming (typically autothermal reforming).
Tail gas from Fischer-Tropsch synthesis contains hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide as well as light hydrocarbons in the form of paraffins such as methane, ethane, propane and not least olefins such as propylene. The tail gas may also include alcohols and other higher hydrocarbons of both paraffinic and olefinic nature. It is known that the addition of such tail gas to the synthesis gas production section enables that there is sufficient carbon dioxide during the reforming to achieve the desired H2/CO molar ratio, typically about 2.0.
As used herein "tail gas" means off-gas from the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis stage which is not re-used in said stage.
Hydrogenation of tail gas is known in the art. For instance, in GB 632386 tail gas from Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is hydrogenated in order to increase the otherwise low heating value of this gas caused by the presence of i.a. carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
WO-A-0142175 discloses a process in which tail gas is hydrogenated in order to saturate any unsaturated hydrocarbons and is then reformed in a separate steam reformer. The hydrogenation serves to decrease the tendency towards coking in the subsequent high temperature treatment of the steam reformer, since the tendency to coking in said reformer is greater when unsaturated hydrocarbons are present in the tail gas. The resulting reformed tail gas may subsequently also be passed to an autothermal reformer. Accordingly, a steam reformer is used between the hydrogenation stage and the autothermal reformer.
EP-A-1860063 discloses a process in which off-gas from Fischer-Tropsch synthesis where olefins present in the off-gas are first hydrogenated and then converted to hydrogen by a reforming process. Olefins are hydrogenated because of carbon deposition or coking of catalysts used in the hydrogen manufacturing unit and which form hot spots on the catalyst and the reformer reactor tubes. Thus, olefins are removed to avoid coking in a steam reformer having reformer tubes such as a fired reformer.


Handshaking is performed between a first host system and a second host system. First handshaking is performed between a host module within the first host system and a first transceiver within the first host system. The first handshaking includes passing from the first transceiver to the host module dummy information about the second host system. Second handshaking is performed between a second transceiver within the second host system and the first transceiver. The second handshaking includes obtaining, by the first transceiver from the second transceiver, first information about the second host system. Handshaking between the host module and the first transceiver is restarted. This includes passing from the first transceiver to the host module the first information about the second host system. The first information replaces the dummy information passed from the first transceiver to the host module during the first handshaking.

The present invention pertains to networking systems and pertains particularly to multiple protocol handshaking between systems.
When two host systems are communicating via a cable, each host system typically includes a transceiver that converts electrical signals received from the host system to signals that are suitable for the cable. Each transceiver also converts signals received from the cable to electrical signals usable by the host system. Generally, the transceiver can convert the signals one bit at a time or the transceiver can encode/decode the signals. In addition, the transceiver can be an electro-optic transceiver (which converts electrical signals to optical signals and vice versa) or an electrical transceiver (which converts electrical signals of one format to another format and vice versa). Typically, the "one bit at a time" transceiver allows handshaking to occur directly between two host systems and the "encoding/decoding" transceiver does not. Typically, the electro-optic transceiver allows the use of a receiver status signal to be sent when a cable connection is detected and the electrical transceiver does not.
For example, in 1000BASE-X systems transceivers typically perform the conversion one bit at a time. The transceiver can be electro-optical or electrical in nature. When the transceiver is electro-optical, the two communicating systems are connected with a fiber optic cable. The electro-optic transceiver converts each bit in the electrical signal received from the host system to a bit in an optical signal to be sent across the fiber optic cable. Each electro-optic transceiver also converts optical signals received from the fiber optic cable to electrical signals used by the host system. When an electro-optic transceiver first receives light from a source at the other end of the fiber optic cable, the electro-optic transceiver updates its receiver status signal. When both electro-optic transceivers forward to their respective host systems a receiver status signal that indicates the reception of optical power the two host systems perform their handshaking protocol to establish a link.
Whenever a fiber optic cable link between two electro-optic transceivers is broken, each electro-optic transceiver changes its receiver status signal to indicate optical power is no longer being received. When the fiber optic cable link between two electro-optic transceivers is restored, each electro-optic transceiver changes its receiver status signal to indicate the reception of optical power and the systems again perform handshaking.
When two host systems are communicating via electrical (e.g., copper-based) cables, each host system typically includes an electrical transceiver that converts electrical signals in a format used by the host system to electrical signals in a format appropriate to be sent across the electrical cables. Each electrical transceiver also converts electrical signals received from the electrical cables to electrical signals in a format used by the host system. A typical 1000BASE-X transceiver converts data one bit at a time. Typically, in systems based on electrical cable, there is nothing equivalent to a receiver status signal that indicates the reception of optical power. This results in an incompatibility between protocols used between host systems using two electrical transceivers to exchange information over electrical cables and protocols used between host systems using two electro-optic transceivers to exchange information over a fiber optic cable.
If 1000BASE-X host systems are communicating and non-1000BASE-X transceivers that encode/decode data are used, then direct handshaking between the host systems is not possible. For example, if 1000BASE-T electrical transceivers are used in two communicating 100OBASE-X systems, the data from a host system is encoded by the 1000BASE-T transceiver and the special handshaking codes sent by the system are not passed through the 1000BASE-T transceiver. In addition, as in the case when a 1000BASE-X electrical transceiver is used, the receiver status signal does not exist when the 1000BASE-T electrical transceiver is used in the system.
For further information, see, for example, the IEEE Std. 802.3, 2000 Edition, Part 3: Carrier sense multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) access method and physical layer specifications, Clause 36 and Clause 37, in which pertinent parts of the 1000BASE-X protocol are discussed, and Clause 40 and Clause 28, in which pertinent parts of the 1000BASE-T protocol are discussed.

Multiple protocol handshaking between systems

Avago Technologies Fiber IP (Singapore) Pte Ltd