A robot control unit for controlling a robot mechanism unit constantly detects the status of a robot and stores it as robot status data. An operation command input by voice from a head set is converted into character data by a voice/character data conversion device, and input to a control device. The control device searches a command corresponding to an operation command input in operation commands stored in management data. An executing program group is specified for link and storage with the corresponding operation command.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to and industrial robot, and more particularly to an industrial robot to which an operation command can be easily issued.
2. Description of the Related Art
To operate an industrial robot, it is necessary to prepare a robot program for the industrial robot describing positions of operating points of the robot and/or a signal input/output for interlock with other components in the system.
A robot program describes all operations of a robot in a process in which the robot is directed to start the production, performs production activities such as welding, transferring, etc. using tools attached to the tip of the hands of the robot, and completes the production. Therefore, there may be no problems when a robot program is thoroughly executed from the start to the end of the program. However, it is difficult to perform only a part of the operations of a robot described in a robot program, to temporarily omit apart of the operations, or to stop the operation of a robot at a certain point of a first robot program to perform there a part of an operation described in a second robot program and then resume the first robot program, etc.
For example, to verify whether a robot can correctly perform each operation described in a robot program in conformance with the intentions of an operator, it may be desirable that a robot program is not executed from the beginning, but a portion of the operation to be verified is repeatedly performed a number of times. To do this, the program counter of a robot program is forcibly moved to the position where operation is to be started hereafter, a verification is made at this position for the current position of the robot, the status of an I/O signal, the value of a register, etc., they are manually changed so that the current position of the robot, the status of the I/O signal, and the value of the register are the same as those assumed when the robot program is executed from the beginning, and then the robot program is resumed and the operation to be verified is performed by the robot. To make a verification on the same operation again, the above-mentioned operation must be repeated.
When a robot program is continuously performed from the start to the end of it, and when an attempt is made to temporarily stop the robot program, and then perform it from the beginning, if, for example, the robot program is suddenly stopped while the robot is carrying a heavy object, then there may be a problem that interference with surrounding equipment occurs by dropping a carried object and/or the displacement of an operation path. Therefore, the operator is required to stop the robot program at a stop timing determined by the operator.
When a robot holds a heavy workpiece, but the workpiece is still placed on the worktable, there may be no problem if a signal is manually output to open the hand of the robot to the hand holding the workpiece. However, if the hand is opened with the workpiece lifted from the worktable, then the workpiece may be dropped. Therefore, when the operator manually outputs a signal, he or she carefully considers the status of the robot before issuing an open hand command.
For an industrial robot operated in a spot-welding line, if an alarm is given to the robot operated in the welding operation on the inside of a car using a welding gun, and it is determined based on the cause of the alarm that it is not possible to resume the robot program, then the welding gun is fully opened first, the robot is manually moved to set the welding gun outside the car to the point where the robot and the car do not interfere with each other, and it is necessary to execute the robot program again from the beginning. In the spot-welding line, normally a plurality of robots are operated, and the robots are interlocked using I/O signals, etc. to avoid the interference between robots. Therefore, another robot may be waiting for the completion of the spot-welding operation of the robot in which an alarm is occurred. In this case, after manually moving the robot to the position where there is no interference between robots, it is necessary to issue an interlock signal after the manual completion of the welding operation. After an alarm is given and the robot is stopped, manual recovery is required to recover the robot and to resume the operation of the line.
Furthermore, when an alarm is given in a production line, the contents of the alarm is understood to identify the cause of the alarm, the alarm code is verified on a teaching pendant of the robot to remove the cause of alarm, the meaning of the alarm code is examined referring to a robot manual, the parts that may contribute to the alarm is identified, and then the status signal for the parts is checked on the teaching pendant. Practically, it is difficult to immediately identify the parts that may contribute to the alarm, and check the statuses of the parts, and it is necessary to check each of a large number of parts that may contribute to the alarm in order of possibility from the highest to the lowest so that a part which causes the alarm can be located. In checking the parts, it is necessary to display a screen of the status signal on the teaching pendant to check the status signal.
Even when the cause of the alarm has been known and removed and the robot program is resumed from the alarm-causing point, the robot has coasted due to an emergency stop when an alarm is given. Therefore, if the program is resumed as it is, the robot will not follow the taught operation path, thereby causing the problem that the robot interferes with surrounding equipments, jigs, etc. To correctly resume the program, the robot has to be manually moved onto the original operation path before resuming the program.
As described above, in the conventional techniques, it is difficult to perform only a part of the operations of a robot described in a robot program, to temporarily omit a part of the operations, or to stop the operation of a robot at a certain point to perform there an operation not described in the robot program and then resume the robot program safely and easily. Furthermore, to verify that the robot can perform the operations correctly, it is desirable that a relevant part is repeatedly performed, but it is not easy to perform such operations.
When a robot program is stopped, it is necessary to determine the situation, and carefully consider the stop timing. When a robot is manually operated using an open hand command, it is also necessary to carefully check the current situation of the robot to avoid an undesired operation. When an alarm is given to terminate the robot program halfway, an operator must perform the operation necessary for terminating the program according to circumstances.
Furthermore, to identify the cause of an alarm, the operator has to check the status of all of a number of parts that may contribute to the alarm on a teaching pendant. When the program is resumed after the issue of alarm, the operator has to determine a necessary operation to resume the program according to circumstances, and to resume the robot operation after performing the necessary operation.
To allow a robot to perform an operation, it is necessary for an operator to manually perform required operations based on the teaching pendant or the like before causing the robot to perform the operation. That is, the operator does not allow the robot to freely perform an operation. Instead, he or she first determines, according to the status of the robot, additional operations required for accomplishing the operation or divisions of the additional operations into smaller operations before carrying out the operation, and then performs a number of smaller operations by manual operation on a teaching pendant or by executing a robot program. That is, the operator cannot directly issue an operation command to the robot. The operation which the operator originally desired to perform cannot be performed by a robot.
As a result, when an unskilled operator operates a robot, he or she cannot check up correct and necessary operation, and therefore it is not possible to cause the robot carry out a required operation. Even when the operation can be correctly analyzed, some operations must be manually performed on a teaching pendant, some operations must be performed by executing a robot program, thereby requiring different means for performing an operation. Therefore, an operator who cannot correctly determine means for performing an operation cannot allow a robot to perform a requested operation. That is, an operator who can correctly operate a robot has to correctly determine means for performing an operation, requiring expertise. Thus, there is a problem that every operator cannot correctly operate a robot.


Systems and methods are provided for restricting and allowing the initiation of operations on an electronic device according to settings of management control functions on the electronic device. In certain instances, operations may be initiated after the electronic device determines, detects, or receives an authorized event. The initiation of operations on the electronic device may also be prevented after the electronic device determines, detects, or receives an unauthorized event. A user of an electronic device consistent with the invention may set settings that identify whether a remote electronic device or user of a remote electronic device may initiate a camera function. Preferred embodiments of the invention are implemented in part or entirely within the operating system of a smartphone, or a cellphone.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of smart mobile devices and their associated controls.
2. Description of the Related Art
Handheld electronic devices (e.g., smartphones, or cell phones) typically have at least one built-in camera for capturing still images or video. There are also applications made for handheld electronic device applications that are available today. Examples of such applications that use a camera include FaceTime™, and Remote Camera™. However, unlike other operating system level functions of these handheld electronic devices, such as speaker and sound controls or accelerometer activity controls, the camera function is not currently separately controlled in the operating system (OS) settings function of such devices. Because the camera function is not separately controlled in the OS settings function, user-controlled settings for the camera function are currently limited. For example, there is no local security setting to ensure that the camera(s) is turned off. In another example, there is no mechanism to automatically turn a camera on in response to a real-time event or 3rd party application. In yet another example, there is no mechanism to systematically cross the camera function with other OS functions or other application functions. In yet another example, there is no mechanism to allow a 3rd party to remotely access the camera.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for new systems and methods for managing the camera functions of an electronic device such as a smartphone.


A device for separating metal components from a colloidal suspension or solution uses a vessel for holding the colloidal suspension or solution. A membrane impermeable to the selected metal components of a colloidal suspension or solution is sealed over a support to form a leaf element. The leaf element includes an outlet for the selected components of the colloidal suspension or solution and is extended into the colloidal suspension or solution. The leaf element is controllably vibrated simultaneously with application of a negative or positive pressure which is used to motivate permeation of the membrane by the liquid of the colloidal suspension or solution to purify it. Metals removed by the method include metals with an atomic number greater than 10 including and/or silicon. The colloidal suspension or solution may optionally contain a metal precipitator such as a dithiocarbamate and/or trithiocarbamate to aid in the separation.

Permeable and impermeable membranes have been used to separate ions, molecules, and solids from the liquid portion of the colloidal suspension or solution. Although filtration has been employed in this regard there is an ever present problem of plugging or fouling of the filter membrane. Methods of enhancing membrane permeate rates (dewatering rates) are found in the prior art. Such methods include the shearing of liquid slurry across the membrane in tangential flow i.e. crossflow filtration. This method uses a pump to force the feed slurry to flow tangentially to the dewatering membrane. The resulting sheer causes concentrated material, usually in the form of a filter cake, to be removed from the face of the membrane. Thus, the rate of liquid removal through the membrane is increased. Unfortunately, the provision of pumps to force the feed slurry in this manner requires expensive and bulky equipment and creates serious problems in the sealing of the vessel holding the colloidal suspension or solution.
Another method proposes the use of sonic vibration, created by ultrasonic transducers, to produce cavitation at the face of the membrane. A different technique proposes a shock-type system where the membrane support structure and a filtration apparatus are periodically shocked to induce the filter cake to drop from the membrane. A further process employs a shearing plate which is oscillated parallel to a fixed membrane. Further, an additional method teaches a system where a membrane is mechanically vibrated in a direction normal to the membrane. Alternatively, screening and sieving devices used in dry mineral and wet powder classification use screens vibrated parallel to the face of the screen to induce the powder to fall through the pores of the screen. None of these devices are suitable for separation of the components of a colloidal suspension or solution with the application of negative or positive pressure.
Ultrafilters manufactured by Millipore Corporation of Billerica, Mass. offer a system intended for separating proteins from aqueous solutions. The system utilizes a cylindrical probe which is inserted into a test tube containing the solution to be separated. The cylindrical wall of the probe is formed in part from a membrane material and the proteins pass through the filter from the solution occupying the annular volume between the probe and the test tube wall. The cylindrical probe is reciprocated over a small amplitude (less than 0.01 centimeters) and at 60 Hz. The shear created between the opposed walls of the probe and the test tube is partially effective in reducing plugging of the membrane by the proteins.
In general, the technique of cross-flow microfiltration and ultrafiltration is limited since shear rates above 20,000 sec−1 of intensity are difficult to achieve. Such high intensities require a massive amount of power and the provision of entrance pressures which are uneconomical. Also, such membranes are often arrayed in a rectangular pressure vessel such as a plate and frame cross-flow device. The transmembrane pressure drop is limited by the inherently weak vessel walls.
A membrane filtration device which is able to produce a large shear intensity on the exterior or face of the membrane simultaneously with the application of a large pressure drop across the membrane to create high permeate rates would be a great advance in the art of filtration and metal component separation.


A controller is provided for operating a DC motor through a commutation circuit and for synchronizing the commutation circuit to motor position and speed by measuring back EMF voltages along commutation cycle steps during which the measured phase is not being driven. In connection with each such step, the back EMF voltage is measured at two points offset from the center of the step. The controller uses the measured voltages and their corresponding locations to locate the center point of the step through extrapolation. The motor can be analyzed for determining suitable locations for the measuring points.

The present invention relates to controllers that govern electrically commutated motors, and more particularly to controllers that use back EMF signals to determine rotor position.
Brushless DC motors have been utilized increasingly to replace brushed DC motors in numerous applications, primarily for their advantages of lower cost, higher efficiency, and longer useful life. Electronically commutated motors and drivers generally are provided in two types: sinusoidally commutated motors and trapezoidally commutated motors.
The latter are known as trapezoidally commutated motors because they have a somewhat trapezoidally-shaped back EMF waveform. In a three-phase motor, the phases are driven intermittently and in pairs so that at any given time one of the phases is not driven. This allows the back EMF signal, in particular its zero crossing, to be used to determine rotor position. This configuration is referred to as a sensorless drive.
The motor is driven through selective application of voltages to the different phases in a repeating sequence, i.e. a commutation cycle. FIG. 1 illustrates the six steps of a commutation cycle in a standard brushless DC motor. During each step, two of the phases are in an active state, i.e. either driven at a high voltage or driven at a low voltage, while the third phase is not driven. Between each pair of succeeding steps, two of the phases transition, either from an active state to the inactive state or from the inactive state to one of the active states.
FIG. 2 graphically illustrates the commutation cycle, with motor phases A, B, and C aligned to facilitate recognizing simultaneous transitions. It is to be appreciated that the levels "1," "−1," and "0" respectively represent a high voltage, a low voltage (which may be ground), and a center voltage midway between the high and low voltages; in other words, the sum of the high and low voltages divided by two.
FIG. 3 graphically represents the back EMF voltages measured at motor phases A, B, and C over the commutation cycle. Like the applied voltages in FIG. 2, the back EMF voltages in FIG. 3 behave according to the cycle of 360 degrees of electrical rotation, with six steps or segments each with an angular dimension of 60 degrees.
During commutation cycle steps when a given one of the phases is driven, its voltage corresponds to the drive voltage, e.g. positive or negative 1. During segments when the given phase is not driven, the back EMF voltage changes from the voltage applied during the previous segment to the voltage to be applied in the following segment, e.g. as seen in the first cycle segment for phase C in changing from −1 to 1. Further, the change in voltage is substantially linearly related to the change in angular dimension. As a result, the center voltage, i.e. zero voltage in FIG. 3, corresponds to the angular center of each commutation cycle segment.
The correspondence of the zero crossings with cycle segment midpoints is the basis for sensorless commutation of brushless DC motors. Since the zero crossings coincide with the commutation cycle segment midpoints, they can be used to determine starting points for the cycle segments, either in terms of direct angular rotor position or in terms of timed intervals in conjunction with sensing motor rotational speed.
However, it is not always possible to measure the back EMF voltage at the correct zero crossing point. For example, when a given phase moves from a "driven" commutation cycle step during which one of the drive voltages is applied, to an "undriven" segment during which the given phase is not driven, the given phase demagnetizes during the undriven step. At the beginning of the undriven step, the voltage at the given phase includes the back EMF voltage and the voltage generated by demagnetization. The back EMF voltage cannot be measured until demagnetization is complete. Thus, in configurations where the time required for demagnetization exceeds the time equivalent of one-half of the cycle step, it is not possible to directly measure the back EMF voltage at the zero crossing.
Another case in which the back EMF zero crossing may not be measurable directly is when a driving voltage to a given phase is pulsed or chopped. For example, using a half chop to control a driving potential for each phase can result in a back EMF signal measurable only during times when the associated chopped phase is being driven. Unless one of the driven periods coincides with the zero crossing point, the zero crossing cannot be measured directly.
Therefore, the present invention has several aspects directed to one or more of the following objects:                to provide a sensorless drive for a brushless DC motor adapted to synchronize a commutation cycle and the motor, without the need to sense zero crossing of the back EMF signals;        to provide a process for maintaining a commutation cycle synchronized with the position and speed of an electrically commutated motor by measuring back EMF voltages at locations other than the midpoints of commutation steps;        to provide a controller for a DC motor commutation circuit configured to selectively sample back EMF voltages only during times within each commutation cycle step during which the back EMF voltage is directly measurable; and        to provide a process for predetermining off-center locations within the commutation cycle steps for measuring back EMF voltages for a more reliable indication of cycle step center points.

Extrapolation of back EMF signals in brushless DC motors


The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having phospholipase B activity and isolated nucleic acid sequences encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the nucleic acid sequences as well as methods for producing and using the polypeptides.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having phospholipase B activity and isolated nucleic acid sequences encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the nucleic acid sequences as well as methods for producing and using the polypeptides.
2. Description of the Related Art
Phospholipases are enzymes that participate in the hydrolysis of phospholipids which consist of a glycerol backbone with two fatty acids in an outer (sn-1) and the middle (sn-2) positions and esterified with phosphoric acid in the third position. The phosphoric acid may, in turn, be esterified to an amino alcohol.
Several types of phospholipase activity can be distinguished which hydrolyze the fatty acyl moieties. Phospholipase A1 and A2 catalyze the deacylation of one fatty acyl group in the sn-1 and sn-2 positions, respectively, from a diacylglycerophospholipid to produce lysophospholipid. Lysophospholipase (also called phospholipase B by the Nomenclature Committee of the International Union of Biochemistry on the Nomenclature and Classification of Enzymes {Enzyme Nomenclature, Academic Press, New York, 1992}) catalyzes the hydrolysis of the remaining fatty acyl group in a lysophospholipid. A phospholipase B has been reported from Penicillium notatum (Saito et al., 1991, Methods in Enzymology 197:446–456) which catalyzes the deacylation of both fatty acids from a diacylglycerophospholipid and intrinsically possesses lysophospholipase activity.
Fungal enzymes with phospholipase activity have been reported from various sources, including Cryptococcus neoformans (Chen et al., Infection and Immunity 65: 405–411), Fusobacterium necrophorum (Fifis et al., 1996, Veterinary Microbiology 49: 219–233), Penicillium notatum (also known as Penicillium chrysogenum; Kawasaki, 1975, Journal of Biochemistry 77: 1233–1244; Masuda et al., 1991, European Journal of Biochemistry 202: 783–787), Penicillium cyclopium (Mustranta et al., 1995, Process Biochemistry 30: 393–401), Saccharomyces cerevisia (Ichimasa et al, 1985, Agric. Biol. Chem. 49: 1083–1089; Paultauf et al, 1994, Journal of Biological Chemistry 269: 19725–19730), Torulaspora delbrueckii (old name Saccharomyces rosei, Kuwabara, 1988, Agric. Biol. Chem. 52: 2451–2458; Watanabe et al, 1994, FEMS Microbiological Letters 124: 29–34), Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Oishi et al., 1996, Biosci. Biotech. Biochem. 60: 1087–1092), Neurospora crassa (Chakravarti et al, 1981, Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 206: 393–402), Aspergillus niger (Technical Bulletin, G-zyme™ G6999, Enzyme Bio-Systems Ltd.; Mustranta et at, 1995, supra), Corticium centrifugum (Uehara et al, 1979, Agric. Biol. Chem. 43: 517–525), Fusarium oxysporum (WO 98/26057), and Fusarium solani (Tsung-Che et al, 1968, Phytopathological Notes 58:1437–38).
Fungal phospholipase genes have been cloned from several sources including Penicillum notatum (Masuda et al., 1991, supra), Torulaspora delbrueckii (Watanabe et al., 1994, FEMS Microbiology Letters 124: 29–34), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Lee at al, 1994, Journal of Biological Chemistry 269: 19725–19730), Aspergillus (JP 10155493), Neurospora crassa (EMBL 042791), and Schizosaccharomyces pombe (EMBL 013857).
It is an object of the present invention to provide improved polypeptides having phospholipase B activity and nucleic acid encoding the polypeptides.

Polypeptides having phospholipase B activity and nucleic acids encoding same


An assembly comprising first and second electronic devices and an optical resonator that optically couples an optical waveguide on the first electronic device to an optical waveguide on the second electronic device. In this way, optical proximity communication between the devices is possible. The electronic devices may be integrated circuit chips. A first portion of an optical resonator is disposed in a pit of the first device to optically couple the optical resonator to the first optical waveguide. A second portion of the optical resonator is disposed in a pit of the second device to optically couple the optical resonator to the second optical waveguide. Thus, the optical resonator optically couples the first optical waveguide to the second optical waveguide.

One technique to allow communication between two electronic devices such as integrated circuit chips is to use electrically conductive connections between the electronic devices. Typically, these electrically conductive connections are on a PC board or the like. However, a drawback of such electrically conductive connections is the limited amount of information that can be transmitted between devices. This problem and others associated with inter-device communication are becoming more significant as electronic devices become more complex. Moreover, new ways of assembling groups of two or more electronic devices may allow for better inter-device communication. However, it is difficult to fully take advantage of the new ways of assembling groups of devices.
For example, multi-chip packaging is used to assemble two or more electronic devices, such as integrated circuit chips. Multi-chip packaging allows for communication by a technique referred to as "proximity communication", which uses capacitive coupling to provide communications between chips which are oriented face-to-face. This capacitive coupling can provide signal densities two orders of magnitude denser than traditional off-chip communication using wire-bonding or traditional ball-bonding, while the circuits and coupling structures remain fully-compatible with standard CMOS foundries. To communicate off-chip through capacitive coupling, on-chip circuits drive high-impedance, capacitive transmitter pads.
While proximity communication provides off-chip signaling bandwidth that scales with chip feature size, it also introduces topological constraints. The active sides of chips typically need to face each other in a precise alignment, so that corresponding transmitter and receiver pads on opposing chips align both laterally and vertically. Achieving and maintaining chip alignment for proximity communication is challenging.
Typically, the chips are assembled with a "pick-and-place" technique that is cost efficient. However, the pick-and-place (as well as other known cost effective techniques) can only assembly the chips to within several mils of tolerance. Furthermore, commercial package materials also have flatness variations. Thus, techniques that may provide high-bandwidth inter-chip communication are difficult, if not impossible to achieve, given the tolerance of typical multi-chip assembly techniques.
Therefore, improved techniques for assembling electronic devices in such as way that will allow communication of large amounts of information between the electronic devices, such as integrated circuit chips is desired.
The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

Resonator system for optical proximity communication


A staining composition for staining an ophthalmic membrane when performing the ophthalmic membrane removal, wherein the staining composition comprises a Brilliant Blue G (BBG) derivative as a primary component.

The staining of the internal limiting membrane (ILM) is one of the important developments of surgery for such vitreo-retinal diseases as macular hole and epiretinal membranes (ERMS) (Indocyanine green-assisted peeling of the retinal internal limiting membrane. Burk S E et al. Opthalmology. 2000; 107:2010-2014). It is now widely recognized that without surgical adjuvant it is extremely difficult to remove the membranes due to the poor visibility of the ILM and ERMS. In particular, Indocyanine green (ICG) and Trypan Blue (TB) staining have greatly facilitated ILM and ERMS peeling in various vitreo-retinal diseases and as a result, this technique is now widely accepted by many surgeons However, numerous reports have recently emerged regarding retinal damage caused by intravitreal injections of ICG and TB both in experimental and clinical use. (Morphological and functional damage of the retina caused by intravitreous indocyanine green in rat eyes. Enaida H, et al. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Opthalmol. 2002; 240:209-213; Uemura A, et al. Visual field defects after uneventful vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane with indocyanine green-assisted internal limiting membrane peeling. Am J Opthalmol. 2003; 136:252-257; Veckeneer M, et al. Ocular toxicity study of trypan blue injected into the vitreous cavity of rabbit eyes. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Opthalmol. 2001; 239:698-704).
Further, creating a continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) in eyes with a white mature cataract can be challenging as it is difficult to distinguish the anterior capsule from the underlying white cortex. Poor visualization of the capsule tends to result in an incomplete or inadequate CCC that could cause a subsequent capsular tear, vitreous loss and intraocular lens (IOL) dislocation. The intraocular administration of dyes for anterior capsule staining to perform CCC in eyes with a cataract with poor or no red reflex has become increasingly popular. Dada demonstrated that capsular staining facilitates the CCC even in immature cataracts and could be a useful adjunct for trainee surgeons. Trypan blue 0.1% and 0.06% have been introduced to capsular staining, and has been found to have no apparent toxicity in vivo. However, trypan blue has been reported to be toxic to corneal endothelium in vitro in severe conditions. Indocyanine green (ICG) is also a frequently used dye for capsular staining. McEnerney and Peyman described the use of ICG for cell counts in rabbit corneal endothelium, and suggested the dye did not damage living endothelium. However, the inventors reported the potential toxicity of ICG to retinal cells in 2002, and recently, the toxicity of ICG has been reported in retinal pigment epithelium, ganglion cells, and photoreceptors. (Indocyanine green induces apoptosis in human retinal pigment epithelial cells. Rezai K A, et al. Am J Opthalmol. 2004; 137:931-933; Trypan blue induces apoptosis in human retinal pigment epithelial cells. Rezai K A et al. Am J Opthalmol. 2004; 138:492-495).
As stated above, dyes (such as IC or TB) conventionally used for staining an ophthalmic membrane, particularly the internal limiting membrane and the anterior capsule have produced questions regarding their safety. Such doubts developed due to reports of the possibility of toxicity, teratogenicity and so on to the retinal cells. Furthermore, there were technical problems such as the inability to get a satisfactory dye at lower concentrations and complicated staining methods. Thus, such problems made ophthalmic surgery an even more difficult matter.
Accordingly, to promote the improvement of ophthalmic surgeries, the development of a dye that specifically colors an ophthalmic membrane, and has the objectives of high staining at low concentrations along with high levels of safety, has been greatly desired.

Staining composition for staining an ophthalmic membrane

National University Corporation Kyushu University


The present invention comprises an apparatus and method for recording information on a multi-layer diffractive optics memory to extend storage capacity. A composite mirror device comprises a plurality of sets of mirror elements. Each one of the mirror elements of the sets is configured to direct a reference beam to a point of the multi-layer memory at one of a plurality of angles. A plurality of planes is associated with the plurality of sets. There is one plane per set, each plane being defined for each of the sets of mirror elements so that the paths formed from the mirror elements of the set to the point lie in the plane. Each of the planes is separated from its neighbor by an angle selected to avoid crosstalk.

The large storage capacities and relative low costs of CD-ROMS and DVDs have created an even greater demand for still larger and cheaper optical storage media. Holographic memories have been proposed to supersede the optical disc as a high-capacity digital storage medium. The high density and speed of the holographic memory comes from three-dimensional recording and from the simultaneous readout of an entire packet of data at one time. The principal advantages of holographic memory are a higher information density (1011 bits or more per square centimeter), a short random access time (˜100 microseconds and less), and a high information transmission rate (109 bit/sec).
In holographic recording, a light beam from a coherent monochromatic or multi-spectral source (e.g., a laser) is split into a reference beam and an object beam. The object beam is passed through a spatial light modulator (SLM) and then into a storage medium. The SLM forms a matrix of shutters (in the binary case) or, more generally, a matrix of photocells modulating the light intensity that represents a packet of data. The object beam passes through the SLM which acts to modulate the object beam with the binary information being displayed on the SLM. The modulated object beam is then directed to one point on the storage medium by a beam processor where it intersects with the reference beam to create a hologram representing the packet of data.
An optical system consisting of lenses and mirrors is used to precisely direct the optical beam encoded with the packet of data to the particular spatially addressed area of the storage medium. Optimum use of the capacity of a thick storage medium is realized by spatial and angular multiplexing. In spatial multiplexing, a set of packets is stored in the storage medium shaped into a plane as an array of spatially separated and regularly arranged sub-holograms by varying the beam target in the x-axis and y-axis of the plane. Each sub-hologram is formed at a point in the storage medium with the rectangular coordinates representing the respective packet address as recorded in the storage medium. In angular multiplexing, recording is carried out by keeping the x- and y-coordinates the same while changing the irradiation angle of the reference beam in the storage medium. By repeatedly incrementing the irradiation angle, a plurality of packets of information is recorded as a set of sub-holograms at the same x- and y-spatial location.
Previous techniques for recording information to a highly multiplexed volume holographic memory, and for subsequently reading the information from this memory are limited in memory capacity.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for recording to and reading from a multi-layer diffractive optics memory capable of an extended storage capacity.
It is a further object of the present invention to increase the capacity of the multi-layer diffractive optics memory by developing hyper-multiplexing techniques.
It is another object of the present invention to develop a hyper-multiplexing recording device for recording information to a multi-layer diffractive optics memory which has a small size.
It is still another object of the present invention to develop a hyper-multiplexing reading device which reads information from a multi-layer diffractive optics memory which has a small size.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to develop methods for making a multi-layer diffractive optics memory.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.

Method and apparatus for recording to and reading from a multi-layer diffractive optics memory


An exhaust gas containing nitrogen oxides and particulate matter is cleaned by using an exhaust gas cleaner including a heat-resistant, porous filter; a porous ceramic powder layer formed on the filter; and a catalyst supported by the ceramic powder layer, the catalyst consisting essentially of (a) at least one of alkali metal elements, (b) cobalt and/or manganese, (c) vanadium, and (d) at least one of rare earth elements, whereby the nitrogen oxides are reduced by the particulate matter in the exhaust gas serving as a reducing agent.

The present invention relates to an exhaust gas cleaner and a method of cleaning an exhaust gas by using such an exhaust gas cleaner, and more particularly to an exhaust gas cleaner capable of efficiently removing nitrogen oxides and fine carbonaceous particles simultaneously from exhaust gases of diesel engines, etc., and a method of cleaning an exhaust gas by using such an exhaust gas cleaner.
Recently, fine carbonaceous particles (hereinafter referred to simply as "particulate matter") and nitrogen oxides (hereinafter referred to simply as "NOx") contained in exhaust gases of diesel engines, etc. are causing environmental problems. In particular, the particulate matter having an average particle size of 0.1-1 .mu.m is likely to float in the air and be inhaled by breathing. As a result of recent clinical tests, it is confirmed that the particulate matter contains carcinogenic substances.
As a method for removing the particulate matter, there are two candidates:
One method comprises the steps of trapping the particulate matter in heat-resistant filters by filtrating exhaust gases, and burning the trapped particulate matter by a burner, an electrical heater, etc. when a pressure drop increases due to the particulate matter accumulated, to regenerate filters. The heat resistant filters may be honeycomb-type ceramic filters, foam-type ceramic filters having three-dimensional network structures, steel wool, wire mesh, etc. The other method comprises the step of trapping and self-burning the particulate matter by the action of catalysts supported by the above filters.
In the former method, as the efficiency for removing the particulate matter increases, the pressure drop increases more quickly, meaning that the filters are required to be regenerated more frequently with a high reliability, leading to an economical disadvantage.
In contrast, the latter method is considered to be excellent as long as a proper catalyst exists, which is capable of maintaining a catalytic activity under the conditions of the exhaust gases of diesel engines with which the catalyst is brought into contact (gas composition, gas temperature, etc).
However, since a diesel oil is used as a fuel in diesel engines, exhaust gases contain a large amount of SO.sub.2. The oxygen concentration in exhaust gases varies in a wide range of 2-20%, depending upon the operation conditions of diesel engines. Under these conditions, there has been no established method of well igniting and burning fine carbon particles accumulated without causing secondary pollution.
For instance, as catalysts for removing particulate matter from exhaust gases, which have been proposed so far, there are precious metal catalysts and base metal catalysts. The precious metal catalysts are durable and function efficiently to oxidize CO and unburned hydrocarbons (hereinafter referred to simply as "HC"), but it is likely to convert SO.sub.2 existing in exhaust gases to SO.sub.3, leading to secondary pollution. Besides, there are problems such that ignition activity of soot in the particulate matter is lowered. On the other hand, the base metal catalysts are effective for removing the particulate matter, but their durability is poor.
Most of the catalysts for exhaust gas cleaners, which have been proposed hitherto, mainly function to lower the ignition temperature of particulate matter, leaving unsolved the problems of removing NOx from exhaust gases of diesel engines having a large oxygen concentration and/or a considerably variable oxygen concentration.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-47539 discloses an exhaust gas cleaner comprising a heat-resistant, porous filter, a first catalyst supported by the filter in the inlet region, and a second catalyst supported by the filter in the outlet region, the first catalyst consisting essentially of (a) one or more alkali metal elements, (b) one or more elements in Groups IB, IIA, IIB, transition metal elements of the Periodic Table and Sn, and (c) one or more rare earth elements, and the second catalyst consisting essentially of at least one platinum-group element. By this exhaust gas cleaner, NOx and particulate matter are removed by the first catalyst in the inlet region by using mainly particulate matter and HC as reducing agents, and HC, CO, and other toxic gases are removed by the second catalyst in the outlet region. However, according to their research, the catalytic activity of this catalyst is not satisfactory even when any one of the transition metal elements is selected.

Exhaust gas cleaner and method of cleaning exhaust gas


A movie set can include light sources each producing a light corresponding to a light channel, at least one high-frame rate camera, and a controller connected to the light sources and camera to synchronize the camera and light sources. The number of light channels can be proportional to the frame rate. For example, if the filming frame rate is 120 frames per second (fps) and the playback frame rate is 24 fps, then 5 light channels can be used. In this example, for every one playback frame, 5 frames were filmed by the high frame rate camera. The controller modulates the light channels such that each of the 5 frames has different lighting characteristics. In post-production, contributions from each of the light channels can be included or excluded from the final frame. An optical flow algorithm can be used to stitch together frames with different dynamic light characteristics.

The present disclosure relates generally to dynamic light and more specifically to dynamic lighting for capturing motion content for visual media, including films, television programs, gaming, and other visual media.
Traditionally, multiple time-consuming manual setups are required to capture the desired lighting, facial expressions, and/or subject movement on a stage for a particular scene. For example, a Director of Photography (DP) or other person with creative input into scene lighting may spend hours placing lights and setting the desirable intensity, color, and quality on each of them to get the desired aesthetic effect. The DP would then shoot the scene with the various characteristics of the light baked into the final image (intensity, color, quality) that is recorded. This methodology gives the DP very little flexibility to modify the scenes qualities after it has been shot with a camera. During post-production, if the DP or others wanted to change the balance or intensity of lighting, this would be very difficult to achieve without major expense and time.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems both individually and collectively.


Apparatus is described for use with a bar code scanner, to enable consistent bar code reflectance quality measurements. The apparatus includes a holder (60, FIG. 1 ) which holds a hand-held bar code scanner (20) at a predetermined distance (B) and angle (A) with respect to the surface of a sheet (12) that has been imprinted with a bar code. The holder has a lower end (66) for lying "flat" against the sheet, and has a plurality of switches (81-83, FIG. 3 ) at locations spaced around the lower end of the holder. Only when all switches are operated, is the lower end of the holder flat against the sheet, and only when all switches are simultaneously actuated is the bar code scanner operated to generate a display that indicates reflectance quality.

Companies that print and/or receive bar code labels often require apparatus for indicating whether the label will be accurately read by a large proportion of bar code scanners. A major factor determining whether the bar code label will be accurately read, is whether there is a sufficient difference in reflectance between the dark bars (usually created by applying ink to a light-colored surface) and the light bars (usually the portion of the original light-colored surface lying between the dark bars). Although a visual inspection of the label is useful, it is also useful to determine how well a bar code scanner or bar code label verifier can read the label. A bar code scanner often produces a display indicating the number read, while a verifier may indicate the number of times the same bar code number was detected, the amount of light detected at each of numerous points along the bar code label, etc. Applicant finds that the relative reflectance of the dark and light bars depends to a large extent upon the precise angle of the scanner or verifier with respect to the plane of the sheet on which the bar code has been printed. A change of angle of only a few degrees can result in a great difference in sensed reflectance. A device which could be used with a hand-held scanner (or verifier which can be considered to act as a scanner herein) would facilitate accurate measurement or determination of the reflectance characteristics of a printed bar code label.

Bar code reflectance measurement apparatus


A request for information relating to a commodity is sent to a server using a client computer. The requested commodity information is received at the client computer and rendered on a display. A client action with respect to the commodity information is detected, and, using the client computer, a determination is made whether communication with the server is required to respond to the client action and, if the communication is not necessary, responding to the client action without communicating with the server regarding the response.

As the use of the Internet to purchase various commodities becomes more and more common, merchants must find ways to sell such commodities online if they wish to remain competitive. Some commodities, however, are difficult to sell online because of consumer resistance, the nature of the commodity itself, or a combination of factors. For example, diamonds have historically been a commodity that is purchased in-person because of their high cost and unique nature. But purchasing a diamond in person has its own drawbacks.
Most conventional "bricks and mortar" diamond retailers cannot afford to maintain a significant number of diamonds in stock because of the high cost associated with purchasing, securely storing and insuring the diamonds. Each diamond varies in terms of shape, weight, color, clarity and cut. As a result, it is difficult for a consumer to compare prices when selecting diamonds in-person because it is highly unlikely that stores in the consumer's area will have two diamonds that are similar enough in terms of these characteristics to enable a suitable comparison. If a consumer truly wanted to compare prices of two very similar diamonds, the consumer would probably have to travel to many different stores in a wide area before finding two diamonds that are both similar enough for a reasonable price comparison and match the consumer's desired characteristics.
Therefore, for purposes of price comparisons and selection, it would be beneficial for a consumer to shop for diamonds—or any type of commodity—online. Consumers, however, are still likely to be hesitant to purchase a diamond online because it is difficult to visualize what a diamond, if purchased loose, will look like in a setting. For example, a ring setting may make a diamond look larger or smaller depending on the width of the band or other factors. A diamond merchant that wishes to conduct business online may attempt to provide a picture of each diamond so a consumer can see what the diamond looks like. This would involve taking a picture of every diamond in inventory in some standardized manner and then storing the picture in memory. When a consumer requests to see the picture, the merchant's server would have to send the picture to the consumer's computer. If the consumer wishes to compare a number of diamonds, numerous pictures would have to be sent to the consumer's computer. Such a mechanism for illustrating the diamond's appearance is costly in terms of labor to take the pictures, storage space and bandwidth. And, in any event, such effort may not be warranted because consumers usually just want to have an idea of what a diamond looks like, and seeing a picture of the exact diamond is unnecessary.
In addition, a server that hosts a merchant website may be a secure server, with the attendant security firewalls and other protective features. While these protective features help to ensure a secure Internet session with a consumer, the features slow down the process of providing information to a consumer because all of the security processes that must take place. Likewise, the client may have firewall or other protective features that also slow down the process of receiving information. Even if the server is not a secure server, the high volume of Internet traffic many servers experience dictates that the number of times a consumer computer has to access the server should be minimized.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and computer readable medium for facilitating asynchronous communication between a server and client computer

United Services Automobile Association (USAA)


An information carrier in which the substrate, having a signal-forming portion for forming signals corresponding to specific information, is attached to a base material having a transfer portion for transferring signals. The specific information is recognized using signals transferred from the signal-forming portion through the transfer portion. The surface attached to the substrate is the surface for attaching the carrier and substrate to an object. When the information carrier is peeled off the object, the substrate remains on the object, thereby separating the substrate and the base material. Accordingly, the signals from the signal-forming portion are no longer transmitted to base portion.

To forward the automation of a distribution, it is important to automatically read the contents of slips stuck to the individual articles by using a machine. For this purpose, so far, barcode labels corresponding to the contents have been stuck to the individual slips.
To read the barcode labels by using a so-called barcode reader, however, a predetermined relationship concerning distance and direction must be established between the two while maintaining high precision, hindering the smooth distribution. Besides, only small amounts of information can be input to the barcode, and the range of managing the distribution is limited to be narrow.
In recent years, therefore, there has been used slip data-incorporating IC labels capable of effecting the reading in a non-contacting manner using an induction field. According to the slip data-incorporating IC labels, the recorded data are read by using the induction field without much limitation due to distance or direction for reading the data, which is very convenient for the management processing.
Besides, the individual data of the object to be managed can be stored in the IC in the IC label. Depending upon the use, the function for storing the individual data can be used as security information for specifying the individual articles. However, when the information of the individual articles is used for the security purpose, it is essential that the information of the individual articles to be managed is in agreement with the information stored in the ICs, and the IC labels that are once used, i.e., once stuck must not be used for other articles that are to be managed. The IC labels used for managing the distribution are usually stuck to the surfaces of packaging boxes and articles in a manner that they can be easily attached and detached without excluding such a probability that the IC labels that are once used, i.e., once stuck can be peeled off the articles and can be fraudulently stuck to other articles, making it difficult to maintain a perfect security.
In this regard, there has been disclosed a technology for preventing the fraud such as peeling of the surface layer of the IC card to stick it to another one, by forming the surface layer of the IC card using a material that develops peeling in the layer with a stress smaller than the breaking strength in the case the surface layer is peeled (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication "JP-A-10-171962").
According to the above technology, however, the surface layer is peeled inside the layer in order to prevent the forgery of the IC card itself, which is not to inhibit the reading of information recorded in the IC that is incorporated. Therefore, the above technology does not make it possible to solve the above problems of the IC label.
The above problem is not specific to the non-contact IC labels (e.g., RFID tag and the sticking type IC card) only which effect the communication relying upon the electromagnetic waves through antennas but also applies to the IC labels, in general, inclusive of the non-communication type IC labels.
Concerning this problem, the applicant considers that it would be desired to provide a sensor that cannot be used again if it is once peeled off the object (object having characteristics in agreement with those of the sensor) to which it had been stuck, so that the sensor cannot be used for the undesired objects, i.e., so that the sensor cannot be used for the objects having characteristics which are not in agreement with the characteristics possessed by the sensor.
The present invention was accomplished in view of the above problems, and its object is to provide an information carrier (e.g., information recording medium like RFID tag and the like) and a sensor which cannot be used again if they are once peeled off the objects to which they had been stuck.

Information carrier, information recording medium, sensor, commodity management method


A method for manufacturing a semiconductor includes forming an active region for an ESD device, an active region for a first polygate and the semiconductor, and a second polygate having a form of a blanket trench on a substrate, forming an interlayer dielectric layer including first and second insulating on the substrate, planarizing the interlayer dielectric layer, forming a contact pattern to open a portion of the interlayer dielectric layer over the first polygate, forming a first polygate trench by performing a first etch process with respect to the second insulating layer below the contact pattern, and performing a second etch process to remove the first insulating layer inside the first polygate trench and to remove the first insulating layer over the active region of the semiconductor other than the second polygate.

When an electro-static discharge (ESD) device is realized in a single substrate together with a semiconductor such as a metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), a normal contact is formed in the ESD device region, and a blanket contact is formed in the semiconductor region.
When forming the normal contact and the blanket contact by using a single mask, tetraethyl orthosilicate; Si(C2H5O4) and borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) are sequentially deposited on the ESD device region and the semiconductor region to form a polysilicon-metal dielectric (PMD) layer. Thereafter, a pattern is formed in order to form the normal contact over an ESD poly. In this case, the region for the blanket contact does not require a pattern.
In the case of the normal contact, a trench having the shape of a wine glass is formed in order to perform a metal gap fill process. In this case, after performing an isotrophic etch process, an anisotrophic process is performed to form a trench having a desired profile. However, after the etch processes have been performed, a PMD layer may be excessively removed from the blanket contact although the PMD layer having a predetermined thickness is formed on the blanket contact. Accordingly, an insulating function is not achieved on the blanket contact. This phenomenon may occur by the following causes.
First, since the PMD layer is thicker in the ESD device region than in the semiconductor region due to difference between the contact structures, most of the PMD layer is removed from the semiconductor region in the etch processes. In other words, although the BPSG must be etched by about 1000 Å or less on a trench poly of the semiconductor region, the BPSG is etched from the trench poly by about 2000 Å or more due to thickness difference. Accordingly, the contact of the ESD device cannot be formed if the loss of the BPSG of the semiconductor region is maintained to about 1000 Å or less.
Second, in order to improve the contact property of the normal contact over the poly of the ESD device, an etch process must be sufficiently performed by using a mask. In contrast, in the case of the blanket contact of the semiconductor region, an etch process must be performed at an etch rate as low as possible such that the PMD layer over the trench poly is removed as little as possible. This causes a contradiction situation in the contact etch process.


The present invention is a monolithically integrated programmable device having elementary modules connected electrically by means of memory cells of the flash type, which cells allow the signal paths between signal lines of the elementary modules to be programmed and re-programmed. Preferably, the flash memory cells are Fowler-Nordheim Effect cells.

In recent years, the demand for FPGAs has kept growing at a rate that can be termed exponential. Two techniques are currently employed to make FPGAs. A first technique uses structures of the PLA (Programmable Logic Array) type, whereby extensive combinatorial logics can be implemented, but which are disadvantageous in applications of intensive sequential logics due to the limited number of flip-flops allowed. The second technique uses elementary modules, each capable of implementing combinatorial and sequential logics. Such modules are connected together as appropriate to produce the circuitry of interest using a technique much in the same class as gate array designing--whereby the elementary cells typically are connected by a second metallization level during the fabrication process--except that in FPGAs the elementary modules provided are either connected together or isolated from the circuitry or re-configured electrically, rather than during the process.
Currently utilized for the purpose are either switches driven by static RAMs--which have the disadvantage of losing their configurations on the occurrence of a power supply failure--or so-called "anti-fuses", which can only be programmed once and pose all the problems that are typical of fuses, including testing.
As is well known, anti-fuses generally are thin dielectrics adapted to be perforated by a high voltage.
It should be further considered that the application of anti-fuses involves additional, non-standard process steps.
Examples of such techniques are represented by products sold by two manufacturers of FPGAs: XILINX STYLE and ACTEL.
The underlying technical problem of this invention is to provide FPGAs with electrical interconnections between elementary modules which afford improved programmability and reliability over prior solutions.
This technical problem is solved by FPGAs having a structure as previously outlined and defined in the characterizing portions of the appended claims to this specification.

Monolithically integrated programmable device having elementary modules connected electrically by means of memory cells of the flash type


An LED light fixture includes a heat sink structure, at least one LED board in thermal engagement with the heat sink structure, the at least one LED board having at least one LED emitter thereon, and an on-board connector on the LED board for connecting electrical wiring to the LED emitter(s). At least one enclosing member forms with the heat sink an interior space enclosing a corresponding LED board, the rigid enclosing member defining a wiring aperture therethrough in alignment with the on-board connector. The LED light fixture also has an exterior wireway structure including a one-piece duct which has an end portion engaged with the wiring aperture and forms a channel for wires to the on-board connector. The wireway structure further includes a single-piece rigid cover secured with respect to the enclosing member and enclosing the duct.

In recent years, the use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in development of light fixtures for various common lighting purposes has increased, and this trend has accelerated as advances have been made in the field. Indeed, lighting applications which previously had typically been served by fixtures using what are known as high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps are now being served by LED light fixtures. Such lighting applications include, among a good many others, roadway lighting, factory lighting, parking lot lighting, and commercial building lighting.
High-luminance light fixtures using LEDs as light source present particularly challenging problems. One particularly challenging problem for high-luminance LED light fixtures relates to achieving manufacturing efficiencies and ease of assembly while at the same time producing high quality sturdy light fixtures that fully comply with applicable standards, including UL and other regulatory standards.
One desirable characteristic of certain LED light fixtures is modular flexibility permitted by LED-array modules. However, manufacture of modular fixtures presents a challenge with respect to the electrical connection to and between LED-array modules. In some prior LED light fixtures, assembly required alignment of wiring-related parts that was difficult to achieve and the failure of which would complicate assembly and add risk of imperfections in sealing arrangements intended to protect the LEDs—and thus extend the useful life of the LED lighting products. Achieving improvements without expensive additional structure and apparatus is much desired.
In summary, a major consideration in the development of high-luminance LED light fixtures for various high-volume applications is controlling product cost even while delivering improved light-fixture performance and extended fixture life. And, improvement in electrical connection to and between LED-array modules would be valuable contributions to achieving low cost and high quality.

LED light fixtures with arrangement for electrical connection


A task queue is structured as a single-keyed indexed file in which the key has a most significant portion indicating a priority level and a less significant portion that is ordered with the loading of the tasks into the queue. For any given task record in the queue, the less significant portion of the key is determinable from a respective task identifier. Preferably the less significant portion of the key is a "time stamp" including the current date when the task was created and a representation of the data processor's internal 24 hour time clock, and a task identification number is formed by appending a node number to the time stamp in the event that the system has multiple processors capable of creating different tasks at the same time. This format of the single key causes an internal ordering of the records in the queue that is sequential with respect to the less significant portion of the key within blocks of records having the same priority. Therefore, due to the relationship between the key and the task identification number for each task record in the queue, it is possible to quickly search for the record having a requested task identification number. Conventional memory management facilities for accessing key-indexed files can be used for searching the queue. In this case the queue is searched by random or "key next" access to repeatedly step through the possible priority levels until a record having a matching key is found or the end of file is reached. When a record having a matching key is found, the requested task identification number is compared to the identification field of the record. If there is a match, the desired record has been found. If not, then searching continues by sequential access until there is a match of the identification numbers or until the keys no longer match.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to distributed computing, and more particularly to transaction processing. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method of searching a queue holding a series of requests for data processing tasks or transactions.
2. Description of Related Art
A queue is a line of items waiting for service in a system, such as tasks to be performed by a data processor. Associated with a queue is a queuing discipline that orders the entries in the queue according to some characteristic of the entries. Typical queuing disciplines include priority order, first in first out (FIFO), and last in first out (LIFO).
Service queues for data processing tasks typically employ a hybrid of the priority order and FIFO disciplines. The tasks are assigned respective priority levels so that a higher priority request placed in the queue after a lower priority request will be serviced first. Tasks in the same priority level, however, are serviced on a FIFO basis.
For some service queues, it is desirable to leave the task at the head of the queue while the task is being serviced, and remove it from the queue only after processing of the task has completed. If the task was not processed successfully, it may be transferred to an "error queue" prior to being removed from the service queue. Typically, the service queue is kept in nonvolatile or permanent memory so that in the event of a partial system failure, there will be a record of the task being performed at the time of the failure and a record of the tasks not yet performed. The results of the interrupted task can be inspected to determine whether that task completed, whether it can be restarted from an intermediate point, or whether it must be restarted from the beginning after intermediate results have been discarded. The remaining tasks on the queue can then be performed.
A very useful data structure known as a "key indexed file" is organized as a queue to provide both random and sequential access to data records. The data records are stored in a primary index structure ordered by a "primary key" and can also be retrieved through alternative index structures ordered by alternative keys. The alternative data structures do not contain data records; instead, they contain appropriate pointers to the data records. Software facilities for managing key indexed files typically provide the option of allowing two records to have the same keys; in this case, the records are stored or indexed so that they can be retrieved in first-in, first-out order. Therefore, service queues have been implemented as key indexed files by using a priority number as the primary key.
For data processing applications, and in particular distributed computing, a unique identification number is typically assigned to each task or transaction performed by a computer system. Also in such systems queues are typically used to transfer task data from one set of processors to another set of processors. In many applications it is desirable for the processing of a task to access the task data of another task, for example, to share data among tasks, to alter the priority of task execution, or to cancel tasks that have become unnecessary. To search a service queue for a specified task, the service queue could be a key indexed file using the task priority level as a primary key and using the task identification number as an alternate key. But using two keys decreases memory access speed because of the need to update the index for the alternate key any time a task is inserted or removed from the queue.

Single-keyed indexed file for TP queue repository


To provide a semiconductor device in which a rectifying element capable of reducing a leak current in reverse bias when a high voltage is applied and reducing a forward voltage drop Vf and a transistor element are integrally formed on a single substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and, more particularly, to a semiconductor device having a transistor element and a rectifying element on a single substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been proposed a semiconductor device in which a transistor element and a rectifying element are formed on a single substrate. In the case where a rectifying element needs to be added to a single substrate on which a lateral field-effect transistor (FET) utilizing a two-dimensional electron gas layer is formed, a structure as illustrated in FIG. 13 can be considered (refer to, e.g., Patent Document 1).
As illustrated in FIG. 13, a semiconductor device 200 has a hetero junction 101 of nitride semiconductors disposed on a substrate 100. The hetero junction 101 is formed between a first nitride semiconductor 103 formed on the substrate 100 through a buffer layer 102 and a second nitride semiconductor 104 formed above the first nitride semiconductor 103. The first nitride semiconductor 103 has a two-dimensional electron gas layer at the vicinity of the hetero junction 101. A source electrode 105 and drain electrode 106 ohmic-contacting with two-dimensional electron gas are provided on the second nitride semiconductor 104. A gate electrode 107 is formed on the second nitride semiconductor 104 at a portion between the source and drain electrodes 105 and 106. A Schottky electrode 108 Schottky-contacting with the second nitride semiconductor 104 is formed on the second nitride semiconductor 104 at a portion on the opposite side to the gate electrode 107 with respect to the drain electrode 106. As described above, a rectifying element 109 having the Schottky electrode 108 as the anode electrode and drain electrode 106 as the cathode electrode is formed, whereby the semiconductor device 200 having the transistor element 110 and rectifying element 109 on the single substrate 100 is formed.
In the case where a high-voltage and high-speed GaN based semiconductor device is produced, in order to allow the semiconductor device to operate at high speed, it is preferable to make the anode electrode have a Schottky barrier diode (SBD) structure using a Schottky electrode suitable for high-speed operation.

Abstract: A semiconductor device has a transistor element and a rectifying element on a single substrate. The transistor element has an active layer formed on the substrate and three electrodes (source electrode, drain electrode, and gate electrode) disposed on the active layer. The rectifying element has an anode electrode disposed on the active layer, a cathode electrode which is the drain electrode, and a first auxiliary electrode between the anode electrode and cathode electrode.


A push rod is manufactured by projection-welding a bottom surface of an end element to a tapered annular end surface of a pipe. To prevent some inclination from arising between the bottom surface of the end element and the annular end surface of the pipe when they are tightly pressed against each other, the bottom surface is formed integrally with a plurality of rose seats of wedge shape in cross section that extend radially with respect to the axial center of the end element. Projection-welding is performed after the rose seats are brought into confronting contact with the tapered annular end surface of substantially triangular shape in cross section.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of manufacturing a pipe-shaped product with end elements welded to the ends thereof, such as a push rod for operating intake valves and exhaust valves of internal combustion engines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hitherto, a pipe-shaped product with end elements, such as a push rod used to operate intake valves and exhaust valves of internal combustion engines, was manufactured by pressing a bottom surface of a carburized and hardened end element having a concave end surface against one tapered annular end surface of a pipe chucked by a chuck by means of an electrode provided at the point of a piston rod of an air cylinder, heating and fusing them by means of large current to perform projection-welding, and similarly projection-welding a bottom surface of another carburized and hardened end element having a convex end surface to the other tapered annular end surface of the pipe.
According to the foregoing conventional method, as shown in FIG. 6A, if an end element 3 is pressed against a tapered annular end surface 2 of a pipe 1 with some inclination because of looseness of a piston rod of an air cylinder or wear of a chuck for a pipe, the tapered annular end surface 2 of the pipe 1 abuts partially on the bottom surface of the end element 3; as a result, an abutting portion of the annular end surface is crushed and deformed. In this case, since the deformation of the tapered annular end surface 2 occurs only radially, the deformation resistance of the annular end surface to crushing increases slightly, so that deformation advances in response to subsequent pressing force. Therefore, the initial inclination can hardly be avoided even by the deformation resistance; thus, such a degree of inclination is retained even after the completion of pressing (see FIG. 6B). Consequently, the width of a welding surface portion at the point of the pipe 1 that is formed by pressing the end element 3 thereagainst becomes non-uniform in the circumferential direction as shown in FIG. 7, or the ratio of largest width to smallest width becomes as large as three.
Since this type of push rod is used in a drive section, including intake valves and exhaust valves, of an internal combustion engine, it is required to have sufficient tensile strength, shear strength and fatigue strength, the fatigue strength must be uniform especially in the circumferential direction, and therefore, the pipe 1 and the end element 3 must be welded together after the welding surface portion is rendered as uniform as possible.
However, where the welding surface portion is non-uniform in the circumferential direction as described above, since the value of current per unit area becomes substantially certain even when welding is performed under the same conditions of voltage, current, welding time, etc., the value of welding current varies largely from portion to portion in the circumferential direction. Consequently, the width of welding, welded condition between the end element and the pipe, extent of influence of heat, strength of welding, and the like become non-uniform in the circumferential direction, with the result that the tensile strength, shear strength, and fatigue strength take small values; thus, no sufficient strength and durability cannot be obtained. Accordingly, in the conventional method, the end element 3 must be accurately set and welded to the tapered annular end surface 2 of the pipe 1 without any inclination, and for uniform welding, high skill is demanded.


The pH controlled selectivity of the sulfomethylation reaction is used to prepare a series of di-, tri-, tetra- and hexaazacyclomacrocycles with specified patterns of pendent side-chain chelating groups. The prepared mono and diacetic acid derivatives, together with monomethylenephosphonate and monomethylenephosphinate derivatives of tetraazacyclododecane, and triazcyclododecane and [9]aneN3, make these types of ligands easily available by a synthetic pathway that avoids the use of protective groups. The invention thus comprises a variety of compounds, methods and uses characterized by relatively high synthetic yields of polyazamacrocyclic ligands exhibiting a wide and predictable choice of metal ion binding constants water and lipid solubilities by reason of their substituent pendent groups.

The high thermodynamic and kinetic stability of chelates formed between lanthanide(III) cations and polyazamacrocyclic ligands having pendent acetate (Desreux et al.; Stetter et al.; Hama et al.; Cortes et al.), phosphonate (Geraldes et al. (Inorg. Chem.); Polikarpou et al.; Delgado et al.), phosphonate monoester, and phosphinate side-chains have lead to considerable interest in their use as NMR shift reagents in biological systems or as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents (Lauffer). A new application for the tri- and tetraaza macrocycle derivatives having phosphorous-containing pendent groups is for noninvasive in vivo monitoring of intracellular concentrations of free Ca(II), Mg(II), and Zn(II) by .sup.31 P NMR (Ramasamy et al.).
In most cases, this application will require fine tuning of the binding constant under physiological conditions for a particular metal ion, keeping it in the same range as the free metal ion concentration in the cell, to achieve the desired equal concentrations of free ligand and metal ion complex.
One method of fine tuning is to introduce two or more different pendent groups onto the macrocycle, but the synthesis of polyazamacrocycles with specific numbers of even a single pendent N-substituent group (acetic acid, for example) has proven difficult with prior art methods (Neves et al.; Tweedle et al.; Kruper; Dischino et al; Studer et al.). Yields of diacetic acid derivatives prepared as in the prior art, with specified pendent group distributions, have been poor. Such conventional synthetic methods produce mixtures of the desired product with macrocycles having different pendent group distributions, thus necessitating subsequent separation of the desired species.

Synthesis of polyazamacrocycles with more than one type of side-chain chelating groups

Board of Regents, The University of Texas System


An inspection lamp kit for detecting fluorescent leak detection materials in hard-to-reach areas. The inspection lamp kit includes a pen-size light with an extendible handle and a plurality of attachable lamp housings. At least one lamp housing including at least one LED which emits light within a wavelength band below about 500 nm.

The invention relates to the general field of inspection lamps utilized for detection of fluorescent materials.
Leak detection and surface flaw non-destructive testing techniques often use fluorescent dye additives or fluorescent penetrants. These techniques rely upon the unique physical property of various materials to fluoresce when excited by certain wavelengths of light.
Fluorescence is generally understood to be a property that enables some materials to absorb light energy and to radiate visible light at a longer wavelength than the absorbed light. According to generally accepted theory, electrons in fluorescent materials are excited upon being illuminated by light energy of a specific absorption band wavelength, and emit light energy in a longer wavelength response band as the electrons return to the unexcited or ground state. The specific excitation and response wavelengths are characteristics of the particular fluorescent materials.
The apparent brightness of a fluorescent material""s luminescence is dependent on the wavelength and the intensity of the incident radiation. The excitation band generally has one or more peak wavelengths that will produce a greater response than incident light of the same intensity at an off-peak wavelength. Thus, a fluorescent material which has an excitation peak at a specific wavelength may exhibit a much reduced luminescence as the wavelength of incident light deviates from the excitation peak, and will lose the ability to fluoresce when the incident light does not provide enough energy within the excitation range.
For example, two commonly used fluorescent leak detection dyes are perylene-based fluorescent compounds and naphthalimide-based fluorescent compounds. Perylene dyes produce a yellow fluorescent response when exposed to incident radiation which includes the UV-A wavelength band of about 315 nm to about 400 nm, with a strong peak between about 340 to 375 nm. Naphthalimide dyes fluoresce green when exposed to incident radiation of visible violet/blue light in a range from about 400 nm to about 480 nm.
A fluorescent response is more visible when the intensity of other visible light is reduced, so that the fluorescent response is not masked or washed-out by other light. The various UV-A or Violet/Blue inspection lamps use several types of light sources and filtering to produce a light output in the excitation bands with little or no output light in the fluorescent response band. For example, a lamp having a high intensity incandescent light source with a narrow band UV (360-370 nm) absorption filter will emit light energy concentrated around the excitation peak of a perylene dye additive. An inspection lamp with a wider band UV/BLUE absorption filter centered at about 400 nm provides output in the UVA and visible violet/blue range, with the greatest intensity centered in the excitation band of a common naphthalimide dye compound. In the absorption filter lamps, however, the larger portion of light energy in the visible and infrared wavelengths is absorbed as heat in the filter.
A more efficient inspection lamp uses thin-film dichroic reflectance filter. A dichroic filter can be tailored to reflect back into the lamp only the range of visible wavelengths outside of the chosen excitation band, while passing the other wavelengths. Because the emitted light is not converted to heat in the dichroic filter, the lamp can be made considerably more compact than the lamps with absorption filters.
All of the above-described prior lamps use a broad spectrum light source, and thus require some type of filtering, whether absorption or dichroic, to transmit light in an excitation band while restricting light output in the visible fluorescent response band. In the present invention, however, the inspection lamp uses the narrow band electroluminescence of solid state lamps, specifically light-emitting diodes (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cLEDsxe2x80x9d) with glass envelopes that refract light to the tip of the envelope. LEDs have been known for many years, but until recent developments it has been difficult to obtain sufficiently high levels of luminous flux as would be required for an inspection lamp. This problem was particularly acute for LEDs emitting in the blue to UV bands, which produced much less lumens per watt than the red, yellow and green emitting LEDs. [See, Lighting Handbook, 8th edition, Illuminating Engineers Society of North America, Chapter 6, figure 6.68(f)].
Recent developments in nitride semiconductor materials, particularly gallium nitride (GaN) based epitaxal structures, have provided more efficient LEDs that can produce sufficient lumens for an inspection lamp in the UV 360-390 nm range. For example, a GaN electroluminescent device as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,185 has an emission peak at 380 nm. An LED emitting in the 360 nm-390 nm range would make a useful light source for detection of a perylene dye.
GaN alloys can produce other useful emission bands. The same patent describes a commercial GaInAlN LED that emits blue light at 460 nm. The light emission wavelengths of GaN LEDs can also be altered by phosphor films if desired. As described in the specification of the U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,185, these GaN-based LEDs have high efficiencies, typically in the energy emitted/power-in range of 10%.
The invention uses these LED light sources in the form of a LED bulb in which the glass lens capsule directs light to the rounded tip of the capsule. This causes a narrow high intensity focus at the tip and a diverging beam emanating from the tip. The effect is having a highest light intensity at the capsule tip and a rapidly decreasing intensity as distance from the tip increases. Thus, while the intensity at close distances may be sufficient to excite a strong response from a fluorescent dye, the intensity at longer distances may not be enough to produce the fluorescent response.
An LED inspection lamp can be very small, in fact, it can be the size of a pen light powered by AAAA sized batteries. A current LED pen light, the STYLUS(trademark) model with an xe2x80x9cIce Bluexe2x80x9d emitting LED is only 0.38 inches in diameter and 6.60 inches in length and operates on three AAAA batteries with a run time of over 10 hours, yet it has sufficient blue light output to cause a fluorescent response in a naphthalimide-based leak detection additive from a distance of 18 inches in dark conditions. Even in daylight conditions, it can excite a naphthalimide dye to a bright response at one to six inches.
Although the narrow shape of the LED pen light is helpful in allowing the LED capsule to be inserted into narrow areas close to a suspected leak site, it is still restricted by its length. Furthermore, the metal handle and battery housing is inflexible. Both the short length and inflexibility can make it difficult or impossible to reach areas of potential leak sites, such as lines and connectors in the circuit of an automobile air conditioner.
It would therefore be useful to provide an LED lamp that has a high intensity focus at the tip as well as an extendible handle so that the lamp may be inserted deeply into tight areas to bring the tip of the LED capsule close to the potential leak site to be investigated for fluorescent material. An extendible handle may alternatively be flexible to aid in insertion around obstructions. An alternative embodiment lamp may have two or more different color LEDs, such as violet and blue, which may be selectively used to detect more than one type of fluorescent material, or may have an LED and a white light bulb to select between general illumination and fluorescent detection. An LED lamp with an extendible handle may also have a mirror attached to permit inspect under or around an obstruction.
The present invention relates to an inspection lamp kit for detecting refrigerant leaks from air-conditioning systems through illumination of fluorescent material added to the refrigerant. The inspection lamp kit includes an LED pen light having an extendible handle and a lamp mount on one end of the handle. The kit also includes a plurality of lamp housings, each lamp housing being individually removably mountable to the lamp mount on the handle. Each lamp housing including at least one LED. At least one LED in at least one of the lamp housings emits light within a wavelength band below about 500 nm.
In one embodiment, the extendible handle includes an upper flexible portion on which the lamp mount is located, and a lower portion. The flexible portion is bendable relative to the lower portion in order to permit pointing of the lamp housing toward hard-to-reach areas of an air-conditioning system.
The mounting of the lamp housings is preferably provided by mating threads formed on the lamp mount and each lamp housing.
The foregoing and other features of the invention and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying figures. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modifications in various respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and the description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

Pen size LED inspection lamp kit for detecting fluorescent material


A blade for a gas turbine engine includes a body that includes an airfoil that extends in a radial direction from a 0% span position near an airfoil base to a 100% span position at an airfoil tip. The airfoil has a leading edge and a trailing edge that define the true chord length. The airfoil includes a first portion near the airfoil base with a first density and a second portion near the airfoil tip with a second density. The second density is less than the first density. The second portion includes an increasing true chord length in the radial direction. The second portion is in the range of 90% span to 100% span.

A gas turbine engine typically includes a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. Air entering the compressor section is compressed and delivered into the combustor section where it is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a high-temperature and high pressure exhaust gas flow. The high-temperature and high pressure exhaust gas flow expands through the turbine section to drive the compressor and the fan section. The compressor section typically includes low and high pressure compressors, and the turbine section includes low and high pressure turbines.
An airfoil has a true and axial chord that extends from the leading edge to the trailing edge. A typical turbine blade has an airfoil that generally uniformly tapers from the platform toward the tip such that the axial chord of the airfoil steadily decreases along the radial direction toward the tip.

Gas turbine engine blade with variable density and wide chord tip


The present invention is a method for the production of a subunit vaccine against canine parvovirus (CPV). The method includes the step wherein a recombinant protein VP2 of CPV is obtained by using the replication of a recombinant baculovirus wherein the gene corresponding to VP2 has been previously inserted in cells of a permissive host. The protein VP2 obtained has the capacity of forming empty VP2 capsids with high immunogenicity and can be provided as a vaccine formulation for protecting dogs against CPV infection the recombinant baculovirus AcMNPV.pCPVEx17 expresses the VP2 of CPV in conditions making possible the formulation of pseudo-viral capsids.

The Canine Parvovirus (CPV) belongs to the autonomous parvoviruses, causing severe enteritis in dogs of all ages and myocarditis in puppies less than 12 weeks old. CPV was first isolated in 1978 (Burtonboy, G. et al., Arch. Virol. 61:1-11, 1979; Appel et al., Vet. Rec. 105. 156-179, 1979). It is believed to have arisen as a natural variant of the feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV) or the mink enteritis virus (MEV). CPV infection is controlled using conventional vaccines based on live or inactivated viruses. However, since dogs are vaccinated before pregnancy, maternal antibodies can block attenuated live vaccine replication. Autonomous parvoviruses provide a good vector for recombinant subunit vaccine production for several reasons, inter alia:
1. The capsid proteins are structurally simple (no glycosylation, phosphorylation or acetylation is required). PA0 2. Humoral response appears to adequately control viral dissemination given the relative efficiency of inactivated vaccines. PA0 1. LucKow, V. A. & Summers, M. D. (1988). Trends in the development of baculovirus expression vectors. Bio/Technology 6, 47-55. PA0 2. J. Vialard et al. (1990). Synthesis of the membrane fusion and Hemagglutinin Proteins of Measles virus, using a novel baculovirus vector containing the .beta.-galactosidase gene. J. Virol. 64. 37-50. PA0 i) the CPV VP2 protein produced in an expression vector of baculoviruses multiplied in a cell culture of a permissive host (this protein hereinafter optionally referred to as "VP2 hereof"); or PA0 ii) empty VP2 capsids formed by assembly of the VP2 hereof.
Protein and DNA sequence studies and serologic studies show an enhanced antigenic and genetic homology between CPV, FPLV, MEV and the Raccoon Parvovirus (Tratschin et al., J. Gen Virol. 61:33-41. 1982. Carlsson et al., J. Virol., 55, 574-582, 1985. Parrish et al., Arch. Virol. 72, 267-278, 1982. Reed et al., J. Virol. 62:266-276, 1988). Despite this homology they are exquisitely specific in the "in vivo" host, although "in vitro" all viruses replicate in cat kidney cells (Appel et al., Vet. Rec. 105, 156-179, 1979. Trastschin et al., J. Gen. Virol., 61:33-41, 1982). The CPV capsid contains two proteins with broadly overlapping amino acid sequences, VP1 (82-84 KDa) and VP2 (67.70 KDa) (Paradiso et al. J. Gen. Virol. 39, 800-807, 1982. Surleraux et al. Arch Virol., 82, 233-240, 1984. J. Gen. Virol. 62, 113-125, 1982. Surleraux et al., Arch. Virol. 82, 233-240, 1984). The parvovirus capsid has a diameter of 22 nm and holds some 10 VP1 copies and some 60 VP2 copies (Wobble et al., Biochemistry 23, 6565-6569, 1984), arranged as either homo- or heterodimers (Paradiso, J. Virol., 46, 94-102, 1983) though the precise capsid structure is unknown. VP2 in full capsids (holding DNA) is preferentially broken down by proteolytic digestion into 63-67 KDa VP3 (Paradiso et al., Gen. Virol. 39, 800-807, 1982. Surleaux et al. Arch. Virol., 82, 233.240, 1984) after capsid assembly (Paradiso, J. Virol., 39, 800-807, 1981).
Our laboratory has of late been researching into the immunogenicity of various fragments of the proteins making up the CPV viral capsid which has resulted in new VP2 protein and VP2 and VP1 fragment-based recombinant vaccines being described. These findings are summarised in Spanish patent application number 9002074 for: "PRODUCTION OF CANINE PARVOVIRUS VACCINES BY VIRAL POLYPEPTIDE EXPRESSION IN E. coli OR BY CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS" with J. I. Casal et al. as inventors.
The said patent application relates to the expression of such products in E. coli bacterial vectors.
New large-scale protein production vectors have however been recently discovered based upon the replication of recombinant baculoviruses derived from the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (ACMNPV) in culture insect cells. The state of the art for these vectors is summed up in two scientific papers as follows:
Furthermore, European Patent Application number 0 341 611 by Cornell Research Foundation, Inc. and Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Inc., describes the obtention of CPV subunit vaccines using a baculovirus expression vector other than that used in the present invention, and the said European Patent moreover fails to mention that the proteins obtained are capable of forming empty VP2 capsids thereby drawing a fundamental distinction with the instant invention inasmuch as the VP2 protein obtained under our invention is able to form empty VP2 capsids. In consequence of the above their immunogenic and hemagglutinant capacity is clearly superior as the following description will show. This added capacity of the VP2 protein obtained with our invention is further convenient in that other viral protein epitopes can be introduced in the said capsids by genetic manipulation of the recombinant baculoviruses, or by chemical manipulation of the actual capsids.
The advantages of VP2 protein synthesis in a baculovirus vector over E. coli synthesis are remarkable, namely a greater fidelity as to the identity of the protein obtained, a greater solubility of the product obtained, fusion proteins need not be used, etc. These are clearly advancements of and improvement to processes for obtaining recombinant subunit vaccines as regards previous processes.

Empty canine parvovirus capsids having CPV recombinant VP2 and vaccines having such capsids