A CRC calculation method and system for generating a CRC from a message is provided while improving the process time and simple to implement. A linear mapping matrix is used for the operation of the LFSR to generate the CRC and the maximum value of the non-zero entries in the mapping matrix is reduced by applying one or more raw operations to the linear mapping matrix in advance before the computation of mapping the input message to the CRC result. Flip-flops are additionally inserted before the generator matrix to obtain a pipeline architecture so as to further improving the operation speed thereof.

Cyclic redundancy code (CRC) has been used for a long time to preserve the integrity of digital data in storage and transmission systems. More particularly, CRC is an important error detection tool used for communications and data processing applications. The CRC schemes are often used for checking integrity of data because they are easy to implement and they detect a large class of errors. CRC is a kind of checksum which is transmitted with data between a source node and a target node over a communications medium. The source node calculates the CRC for the data to be transferred using a predetermined polynomial and then transmits the data along with the CRC to the target node where the CRC of the received data is independently generated using the predetermined generator polynomial and compared with the CRC received from the source node to check if errors have occurred during the transmission. Treating the data or message as a binary polynomial, its CRC corresponding to a particular generator polynomial may be generated by raising the message polynomial to a proper power first and then taking the remainder of the message polynomial divided by the generator polynomial. For CRC generation, data bits are typically serially inputted into a CRC generator in order to produce the appropriate CRC code for transmission along with the data. Traditionally, CRC codes are generated with Linear Feedback Shift Register (LFSR) circuits. An LFSR takes the input data and shifts through a series of flip-flops on successive clock cycles. Combinations of the shift register output and data input are fed back to the flip-flops via exclusive-OR gates. An LFSR can be defined in terms of a generator polynomial which relates the input data and the CRC code via a polynomial expression and of which "+" is an exclusive-OR operation. The state of the flip-flops upon completion of the shifting process is the CRC code.
For example, ATM uses a FCS field derived from CRC error detection codes for error checking. The integrity of the transmitted or processed message in an ATM system is ensured by the addition at the end of the message of the FCS traveling with the message itself so it can be checked on the reception side for proper transmission. The FCS code has been standardized for data integrity checking as described in the ANSI X3.139-1987 document pages 28 and 29. All the CRC codes constitute a finite Galois Field (GF), and the CRC32 codes belong to the GF generated by the following generator polynomial of degree 32:
      g              (      x      )        =            x      32        +          x      26        +          x      23        +          x      22        +          x      16        +          x      12        +          x      11        +          x      10        +          x      8        +          x      7        +          x      5        +          x      4        +          x      2        +    x    +    1.  This generator polynomial of degree 32 was chosen as a standard for error checking in Ethernet and then chosen by the ATM standard for AAL5 error checking. In the circuitry for calculating the FCS or checking the message, an LFSR carries out a bit by bit multiplication in the GF, i.e., modulo the polynomial on which GF is generated, and by which each bit of the message is inputted into the LFSR in the manner of most significant bit (MSB) first and division is performed by feedbacks. At the end of the process, the FCS, i.e., the remainder of the division, is within the shift registers.
Hardware implementation for CRC generators in large scale digital systems is preferred because it is faster. The drawback of hardware implementation of CRCs is that more hardware is required with consequent increase in cost, size and complexity and a decrease in reliability. Software implemented CRCs are known although their use is not widespread because of the speed penalty thought to be inevitable. Those skilled in the art understand that choosing a polynomial of a larger degree will result in greater error detection. However, for the applications of current large scale systems, the desired hardware becomes too complicated and costly to be implemented and the required software needs huge computations. Several improvements were made for CRC generators. For example, by using CRC routines to generate tables consisting of all possible combinations of the chosen polynomial, the checksum generation is reduced to a table lookup. These CRC routines are considered to be the fastest software implementations available, but they take up a great deal of dedicated memory. Early CRC implementations use the concept of LFSR in which the polynomial division is processed one bit at a time. However, the serial processing for the generation of the CRC is relatively slow, and as the technology advanced, single-bit CRC generation was not enough to handle high-speed data processing and transmission, and parallel CRC algorithms were then developed to meet this need. The key reason that existing CRC algorithms are limited in their degree of parallelism is deeply rooted in the concept of LFSRs. All existing algorithms try to solve the same problem, i.e., how to parallelize the bit-by-bit operation of LFSRs. As a result, the degree of parallelism never goes beyond the perceived size of LFSRs.
Accordingly, it is desired a CRC calculation method and system to reduce the processing for generation of CRC codes.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

High performance CRC calculation method and system with a matrix transformation strategy


The present disclosure relates to the electronic document review field and, more particularly, to various apparatuses and methods of implementing batch-mode active learning for technology-assisted review (TAR) of documents (e.g., legal documents).

The following terms are herewith defined, at least some of which are referred to within the following description of the present disclosure.
BPSBiased Probabilistic SamplerCALContinuous Active LearningDSDiversity SamplerIRInformation RetrievalLDALatent Dirichlet AllocationLSALatent Semantic AnalysisOCROptical Character RecognitionROCReceiver Operating CharacteristicSALSimple Active LearningSPLSimple Passive LearningSVMSupport Vector MachinesTARTechnology-Assisted ReviewTF-IDFTerm Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency
In recent years, technology-assisted review (TAR) has become an increasingly important component of the document review process in litigation discovery. This is fueled largely by the dramatic growth in data volumes that may be associated with many matters and investigations. Potential review populations frequently exceed several hundred thousands of documents, and document counts in the millions are not uncommon. Budgetary and/or time constraints often make a once traditional linear review of these populations impractical, if not impossible, which has made "predictive coding" the most discussed TAR approach in recent years. A key challenge in any predictive coding approach is striking the appropriate balance in training the system. The goal is to minimize the time that the subject matter expert(s) spend in training the system, while making sure that the subject matter expert(s) perform enough training to achieve acceptable classification performance over the entire review population. Recent research demonstrates that Support Vector Machines (SVM) perform very well in finding a compact, yet effective, training dataset in an iterative fashion using batch-mode active learning. However, this research is limited. Additionally, these research efforts have not led to a principled approach for determining the stabilization of the active learning process. These needs and other needs are addressed by the present disclosure.

Apparatus and method of implementing batch-mode active learning for technology-assisted review of documents


A system for removing cyanotoxins and excess ions from contaminated water. Contaminated water passes from a storage tank (200), through a sand filter (210), through a reaction chamber (230), and finally through a carbon filter (270). The sand filter removes particulates and bacteria. The reaction chamber first destroys cyanotoxins, algae, and bacteria through the use of high voltage shocks applied between two groups of electrodes (285, 285′ then the voltage on the electrodes is lowered and electrolysis is used to sequester free ions in the water in the region near the electrodes. Partially treated water is removed from the upper portion of the reaction chamber and passed through a carbon filter (270) to remove radiation, and improve taste and smell. The water is then potable. The water remaining in the reaction chamber is discarded into a reservoir (265).

1. Field
The field is water treatment, and in particular the neutralization of cyanotoxins in the water environment.
2. Prior Art
The following is a list of some prior art that presently appears relevant:
Patent or Pub. Nr.Kind CodeIssue or Pub. DatePatentee or Applicant4,277,344B1Jul. 7, 1981Cadotte7,338,600B2Mar. 4, 2008Chidambaran et al.7,501,046B1Mar. 10, 2009Constantz7,520,971B2Apr. 21, 2009Iwasaki7,591,088B1Sep. 22, 2009Schuh et al.7,897,019B2Mar. 1, 2011Akers

Purification system for cyanotoxic-contaminated water


A platform for storage and transfer of payloads in space includes a plate for supporting a payload, and a transfer mechanism for transferring the payload to and from the plate. A groove extends diametrically between two edges of the plate for receiving a rail provided on the payload. The rail includes a plurality of teeth, and the transfer mechanism includes a gear which interacts with the teeth for moving the rail. Two platforms may be positioned adjacent to each other for transferring a payload. Docking of the two platforms includes engagement of tapered pins and tapered holes on the platforms. In this manner, the grooves of the platforms are aligned. The rail is passed between the grooves of the platforms for transferring the payload between the platforms.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and method for storing and transferring payloads and propellants in space.
2. Description of the Related Art
The transportation of cargo and propellant mass between locations in space and maintaining a support platform in orbit is expensive. High costs create a barrier to the commercial transportation hardware development for space and to the investment of private capital in technically viable space transportation ventures. Part of this high cost is the expense caused by combining unmanned and manned cargo on the same type of space vehicle and requiring the safety and reliability to be the same for both classes of mass transported. Another reason for costs higher than necessary is the previous practice of using the same vehicle to transport mass in each of transportation cycles beyond the earth's surface instead of transferring mass, payloads and propellant from one vehicle to another as the requirements change. For example, the launch from earth's surface required a vehicle capable of traveling through the earth's atmosphere and also capable of using attitude control systems in the vacuum of space. Historically, these different conditions were satisfied by one vehicle. In a mature Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) transportation systems with separate transportation cycles on earth changing from ocean travel to land transportation would require a change in vehicle types from water requirements to land requirements. The resulting transfer location became a harbor or transportation node with a point of commerce created and various vehicle types obtained transportation related services including specialized cargo and fuel transfer hardware.
Rocket propelled space vehicles transport cargo outside the proximity of the Earth in airless space. Such vehicles may, for example, start a trip from Earth orbit and travel to the surface of the Moon. Such trips use large amounts of propellants, requiring the use of enormous multi-stage rockets. Such rockets may be similar to the Saturn first stage of the Apollo project, which landed the first man on the Moon more than 30 years ago. The longer the trip the more onboard propellant must be transported and the space vehicles grow to a size that is difficult to finance. On mature transportation cycles on earth fuel and cargo transfer services are aided by fuel stations along the road and container cranes to transfer cargo. Innovation in propellant and cargo transfer services is required for space transportation.
Rendezvousing, docking and transferring payloads between space vehicles was performed more than forty years ago in the Apollo program with the lunar orbit transfer of humans from a transport vehicle to a lunar lander vehicle in lunar orbit and saved both propellant and vehicle mass. More recently between shuttles and the International Space Station. For example, in the Apollo program the astronauts had to transferred humans and cargo to/from the lunar lander to the command module in lunar orbit. Today the procedures have been refined and are used, for example, between the Russian Soyuz and the International Space Station. In such conventional systems, the actual transfer of cargo is performed by people after docking of the vehicles and opening of a hatch. However, the automatic transfer of cargo between two vehicles in space, such as unmanned space vehicles, is a more complex operation which been slow to mature in conventional manned and unmanned systems. Accordingly, the transfer of payloads between vehicles in space is currently a labor intensive and inefficient operation. Eventually, mature transportation cycles will emerge space cargo and human transfer and support services will be separated and each will become automated allowing an acceleration in the transportation maturing process and a potential reduction in costs. Cargo and payloads will be transferred from one vehicle to another vehicle with a different design, much the way a ship transfers cargo from a ship to a truck or rail car at a port. If the cargo were transferred automatically, then it would accelerate the maturing process, but maybe more expensive given the cost of labor on earth. The modern container ship, for example, is unloaded in a near automatic manner with a single crane operator compared to a cargo net and gang of men fifty years ago. Now the cost of labor in space is expensive and the unmanned cargo transfer is likely to be automatic as well as the ship that carries the unmanned cargo. The ratio of human cargo (1%) and unmanned cargo (99%) is significantly great to make it an issue in the design process, because the cost of a manned or crewed vehicle is much greater than an unmanned vehicle.

Platform and system for mass storage and transfer in space


A semiconductor wafer comprising a single crystalline lattice suitable for use in the manufacture of integrated circuits, namely computer chips and dies, wherein a diameter of the wafer is greater than approximately 150 millimeters and wherein the wafer includes a first hole extending through the wafer. The hole is adapted to facilitate handling of the wafer without directly contacting a surface of the wafer. The wafer preferably includes a primary flat and the first hole includes a flat side having a predetermined and known orientation with respect to the primary flat of the wafer. In one embodiment, the wafer further includes a guide hole formed near the first hole such that the center-points of the first hole and the guide hole are oriented with a predetermined and known orientation with respect to the primary flat of the wafer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing and more particularly, to a structure, apparatus, and method for handling semiconductor wafers in a manner which will permit transporting the wafer from one processing station to another without touching the surface of the wafer, thus reducing formation of loose particulates and permitting processing of both the top and bottom surfaces of the wafer.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Semiconductor wafers, such as silicon wafers, are becoming increasingly large in terms of diameter. Larger diameter wafers permit placement of more devices, such as chips or dies, on the wafer thereby increasing the potential yield of the wafer. Large diameter wafers, such as those with diameters of 450 mm or greater, are increasingly difficult to handle, either manually or by robotic means. Wafers need to be physically moved to a number of processing stations for a number of various processes to be performed on the wafer. The difficulty of handling larger wafers coupled with the number of times a wafer is moved increases the risk of breakage or other damage to the wafer and its surface.
Handling of smaller diameter wafers is conventionally accomplished by using various wafer transfer mechanisms (WTMs) such as specialized tweezers for grasping the edge of the wafer and vacuum wands for applying suction to the surface of the wafer. Processing technicians use such WTMs on smaller wafers and manually move the wafers to the various processing stations. Using conventional WTMs, such as vacuum wands or tweezers, on large diameter wafers can more easily result in the wafer being damaged or broken. WTMs also tend to introduce contaminates onto the surface of the wafer as well as the dislodgment of particulates from the wafer surface. Such contamination and dislodgment can lead to failure of some of the chips or dies located on the wafer, thus lowering the yield of chips per wafer. In addition, large diameter wafers contain more chips or dies than smaller diameter wafers so that the cost of dropped or otherwise destroyed wafer due to handling is increased.
In addition, large diameter wafers are heavier than small diameter wafers. This increased weight makes it more difficult to transport the large diameter wafer using conventional WTMs and vacuum wands. Mechanical WTMs, such as tweezers, must have more force applied to prevent the wafer from dropping. This increased pressure can also contribute to damaging the chips or dies located on the wafer by introducing contaminates onto the wafer surface or dislodging particulates from the wafer surface.
In a conventional semiconductor process, integrated circuit structures, such as chips or dies, are usually only formed on one surface of the semiconductor wafer. There is increased interest, however, in processing both sides of the wafer. For example, it is sometimes necessary to remove oxide films from the backside of wafers without the surface contact of either the top or backside of the wafer. To remove oxide films that have been deposited, the front side of the wafer is conventionally pushed upward to a grounding surface, thereby endangering the already processed surface with a contacting and rubbing motion which creates particulate.
Conventional wafer processing steps are generally performed by resting the backside of the wafer on a flat support surface. In order to process the backside of the wafer, conventional means may require turning the wafer over and resting it on the front side of the wafer. This also involves resting the wafer on its front side which increases the likelihood that contaminates will be introduced to the chips or dies on the front side of the wafer. This involves increased processing steps (turning the wafer over) as well as more direct handling of the wafer. Increased direct handling adds further risk of damaging the chips or dies contained on the wafer from particulates that may become dislodged from such handling.
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a processing step well known in the field of semiconductor fabrication. One problem with CVD fabrication is distributing the deposited film evenly over the wafer surface. Using conventional fabrication means, some parts of the wafer tend to receive a thicker film while other areas receive a thinner film Uneven wafer surfaces are undesirable because they tend to make subsequent processing more difficult and more prone to errors. Uneven wafer surfaces can effect photolithographic Processes and may cause notched interconnects which are susceptible to failure or reduced lifetime causing the device to fail after it has been sold to a customer. Because these types of defects may not manifest themselves until sometime well after fabrication, these types of reliability problems are very difficult to detect using conventional testing means.
Depositing films uniformly and evenly onto the surface of wafers through CVD processing is increasingly difficult on larger diameter wafers because of the inherent difficulty in maintaining a uniform deposition rate across the entire wafer. Cross-sections of wafers after CVD processing often appear wavy. As the wafer is subjected to further CVD processes, the wavy effect may become further and further pronounced. Eventually, mechanical grinding processes may need to be employed to reduce film thickness variations. Mechanical grinding processes are exceptional processes that add further risk of damage to the surface of the wafer. Not only can these processes introduce contaminates and loosen particulates on the wafer surface, but if not done properly these processes can grind into and damage the devices, such as chips and dies, which have been positioned on the wafer.
As complexity of integrated circuit devices continues to increase, circuit designers continue to add layers of circuitry to the wafers surface. Adding more layers of circuitry requires more CVD processing which can lead to undesirable effects as explained above. In addition, more overall steps and processes need to be performed to create more complex devices. As a result, more of an investment, in terms of resources and time, is made on the wafer surface. Therefore it is increasingly important to reduce the risk of contamination and formation of loose particulate as well as increase the quality of the wafer surface in terms of uniformity on larger diameter wafers.
As is described in further detail below, the prior art describes handling wafers by their edges or laying wafers flat against a platform. The prior art does not address the problem of both avoiding touching of the surface of the wafer and the need to have a handling mechanism which is independent of the wafer diameter.
Murdoch U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,909 describes a wafer holding assembly wherein a wafer is handled by a retaining ring which encircles the wafer and protruding wafer-engaging clips with ceramic tips which engage the edge of the wafer as well as a robotics system for loading a plurality of wafers into the wafer handling retaining ring. Murdoch does not, however, address the problem associated with increasing the wafer diameter without replacing or modifying the handling equipment. In addition, it is possible that holding large diameter wafers by the wafers'edges may be prone to slippage and accidental drops due to the increased size and weight of wafers roughly 450 millimeters in diameter.
Dean et all U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,455 describes a wafer holding assembly wherein a number of wafers are loaded onto a plate. Pedestal elements engage the backside surfaces of the wafers. The wafers are held in the plate by clips which are attached to springs mounted on the plate and which engage the edge of the front surface of the wafers. Dean does not, however, address the problem of touching the surface of the wafer. In Dean, wafers are rested on a pedestal from the backside of the wafer which can loosen particulates and contaminate the surface of the wafer. In addition, Dean does not address processing of the backside of the wafer.
Shaw U.S. Pat Nos. 4,306,731 and 4,779,877 describe a wafer support assembly comprising a wafer plate assembly having an aperture larger than the diameter of the wafer. Spring clips comprising spring bands or spring wires carried by the wafer plate assembly have arcuate ends which engage the wafer surfaces adjacent the edges of the wafer. Again, Shaw does not address the problem of touching the surface of the wafer which can loosen particulate and cause contamination of the wafer surface.
It would be highly desirable to provide a wafer, process, and apparatus which would be independent of the diameter of the wafer surface unlike many methods and apparatus in the prior art. In addition, it would be desirable to provide a wafer, process, and apparatus which would permit the transport of the wafer from one process station to another without directly touching the surface of the wafer. It would also be desirable to permit transport of the wafer in a manner which would allow processing of both sides of the wafer without increased contact and handling of the wafer surface.

Semiconductor wafer, handling apparatus, and method


A filterbank-based multicarrier transmitter for transmitting a multicarrier signal is disclosed, the multicarrier signal comprising a synchronization part and a payload part, the synchronization part comprising K1 frequency sub-channels being arranged to form M subsequent multicarrier symbols, the payload part comprising K2 frequency sub-channels, the filterbank-based multicarrier transmitter comprising a processor being configured to assign subsequent pilot values of a pilot sequence to every Pth frequency sub-channel of the K1 frequency sub-channels to obtain a pilot symbol of the multicarrier signal, and to assign subsequent payload values of a payload sequence to subsequent frequency sub-channels of the K2 frequency sub-channels to obtain a payload symbol of the multicarrier signal, and wherein the processor is configured to assign subsequent groups of subsequent pilot values to every Qth symbol of the M multicarrier symbols.

Filterbank-based multicarrier (FBMC) communication systems are of increasing interest in the context of dynamic or shared spectrum access and inter-operator sharing. In these contexts, different communication systems can coexist in the same frequency band and an exclusive and contiguous usage of the frequency band for one communication system may not be realizable. Therefore, the receiver has to cope with interference from different users within its allocated frequency band and has to deal with a fragmented frequency spectrum.
Synchronization schemes for filterbank-based multicarrier systems are usually performed in the time-domain, where it is assumed that the multicarrier signals cover a contiguous bandwidth with no interfering signals.
However, time-domain based synchronization schemes suffer from several drawbacks. Time-domain based synchronization schemes may fail to synchronize if other users or interfering signals exhibit higher signal power than expected at the receiver. Furthermore, additional pre-filtering techniques of the time-domain signal may come at high implementation costs and may lead to distortion of the signals. Moreover, time-domain based synchronization schemes may be based on a large number of pilot symbols which may lead to a penalty in spectral efficiency of the communication system. Finally, implementation costs for time-domain based synchronization schemes may scale linearly with the number of users.
Synchronization schemes for filterbank-based multicarrier systems can also be performed in the frequency-domain.
In T. H. Stitz, T. Ihalainen, A. Viholainen, M. Renfors, "Pilot-Based Synchronization and Equalization in Filter Bank Multicarrier Communications," EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing, vol. 2010, pp. 1-19, 2010, a pilot-based synchronization scheme in frequency-domain is presented. The presented synchronization scheme is based on a fixed pilot symbol arrangement of legacy systems. Furthermore, the presented synchronization scheme assumes coarsely pre-synchronization and suffers from a limited offset estimation range.
In T. H. Stitz, T. Ihalainen, M. Renfors, "Practical issues in frequency domain synchronization for filter bank based multicarrier transmission," Communications, Control and Signal Processing, 2008, ISCCSP 2008, 3rd International Symposium, 2008, pp. 411-416, a preamble-based synchronization scheme in oversampled filterbank-based multicarrier systems is presented. The presented synchronization scheme is based on a long pilot symbol arrangement with boosted signal power and suffers from a limited offset estimation range.

Filterbank-based multicarrier transmitter for transmitting a multicarrier signal


An apparatus for recording and reproducing information on and from an optical disk is disclosed in which at least one optical beam and a reference clock signal are used. The optical disk comprises recording tracks which are divided into a plurality of blocks and concentrically arranged along the radial direction. The apparatus comprises: a block judging unit for judging one of the blocks that the one block is currently impinged by the optical beam; a clock signal generator for generating a plurality of clock signals which are different in frequency from each other; and a clock signal selecting unit for selecting one of the clock signals as the reference clock signal, on the basis of the judgement of the block judging unit.

1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to an apparatus for recording and reproducing information on and from an optical disk using an optical beam, and an optical disk for storing information useful in such an apparatus. In the specification and accompanying claims, the term "an optical disk" includes an optical disk in which information cannot be rewritten (e.g., a so-called compact disk) and also that in which information can be rewritten (e.g., a magnetooptical disk), and the term "an apparatus for recording and reproducing information" means an apparatus which can record and/or reproducing information on and from an optical disk.
2. Description of the Related Art:
In an apparatus for recording and reproducing information on and from an optical disk using an optical beam, tracking servo control is performed so that an optical beam such as a laser beam accurately traces recording tracks preformed in the optical disk. In order to perform the tracking servo control, the continuous tracking servo method is widely employed which uses servo control signals obtained from guiding grooves or data pits preformatted in an optical disk for guiding a laser beam along the recording tracks.
An optical disk used in the continuous servo method has preformed continuous grooves or data pit rows so that the servo control signal can be easily obtained from the grooves or pit rows independently of the data recording density or recording method. Therefore, this method can be applied to optical disks with various formats.
When using an optical disk on which data is recorded based on variations in the reflectivity of the recording medium or the presence and absence of pits, however, the continuous servo method does suffer from deterioration of the servo control signal obtained from the grooves or pit rows near the recording areas, due to the effect of the recorded signal. Furthermore, the quality of the servo control signal tends to be affected by slight dimensional inaccuracies such as shape errors in the guide grooves. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain compatibility between various disk types.
As another method for performing the tracking servo control, the sample servo method is employed which uses a tracking servo control signal obtained from servo bytes preformatted in sampling areas which are formed locally on the optical disk. In the sample servo method, a phase lock loop (PLL) circuit generates a reference clock signal in synchronization with the timing with which an optical beam passes the servo bytes. Based on this reference clock signal, a tracking servo control signal is obtained from the servo bytes, and the timing with which the data signal is written and/or read is controlled.
In the sample servo method, the sampling areas are completely separated from the areas in which data is recorded, and therefore the tracking servo control signal is not affected by the recording signal and a tracking servo control signal of high quality can be easily obtained. Furthermore, the formation of sampling areas specialized for the tracking servo control allows the apparatus to use a relatively simple detection means, resulting in that the sample servo method can offer a wider range of disk compatibility than the continuous servo method.
When a focus servo control is performed against an optical disk having guide grooves in the astigmatic method, the presence of the guide grooves may cause a shadow to form in a beam spot on an optical detector, thereby necessitating the precise positioning of the optical detector. Since it is not necessary to form guide grooves in an optical disk used in the sample servo method, in contrast, such a shadow does not form even when a focus servo control is conducted. This results in that the servo control can be accurately executed without excessively accurate positioning of an optical detector. Therefore, the sample servo method offers advantages such as reduced steps in the assembly of the detector and an improved yield of an apparatus.
Generally, an optical disk is driven under either the constant angular velocity (CAV) control in which the rotational velocity of the disk is controlled so that its angular velocity is kept constant, or the constant linear velocity (CLV) control in which the rotational velocity of the disk is controlled so that the speed of the optical beam spot with respect to the optical disk (i.e., the linear velocity) is maintained constant.
While the CAV control is simple since the rotational velocity is kept constant irrespective of the irradiation position of the optical beam on the optical disk, the CAV control involves a disadvantage in that the recording density at the portion nearer the outer circumference of the disk becomes smaller, thus reducing the storage capacity of the disk as a whole.
In the CLV control, on the other hand, the storage capacity can be easily increased, but the rotational velocity of the optical disk must be varied in accordance with the change of the radial position of the optical beam spot on the optical disk. Moreover the extra time required for stabilizing the rotational velocity makes the access time longer.
To tackle these problems, the modulate-constant angular velocity (M-CAV) control has been proposed in which the rotational velocity of the optical disk is kept constant, the recording area of the disk is divided into a plurality of blocks comprising multiple tracks, and information is written and/or read using a clock signal having a higher frequency in the more outer block. According to this M-CAV control, it is possible to avoid the increase in the access time caused by the change of the rotational velocity, and in addition, the linear recording density near the outer circumference of the optical disk is not reduced, so the storage capacity can be easily increased.
However, in the M-CAV control, it is difficult to employ the sample servo method which has various advantages as described above, because of the reasons mentioned below.
That is, in the M-CAV control, the period with which the optical beam passes a servo byte changes with each block. Therefore, when a sample servo method is used, each time the optical beam moves in the radial direction of the optical disk and enters into another block, the tracking control cannot be correctly performed until the PLL circuit is pulled again into synchronism.
In the sample servo method, comparison pulses input to the PLL circuit per unit time is small in number so that, if the period with which the optical beam passes the servo byte changes greatly, the response time is prolonged until the PLL circuit is pulled again into synchronization to generate a stable reference clock signal. Consequently, even though the M-CAV control method does not require the change of the rotational velocity of the optical disk, it does result in longer access times.
When performing the M-CAV control in the sample servo method, therefore, it is difficult to shorten the overall access time while increasing the storage capacity of an optical disk.

Apparatus for recording and reproducing information on and from an optical disk


An ophthalmic apparatus for analyzing a section of an anterior part of an eye providing an input device for inputting a photographed image data of corneal section which is cut optically by a slit light, an image memory for memorizing the image data of corneal section inputted by the input device, an image analyzing device for analyzing an optical density of the image of corneal section by processing the image data of corneal section memorized by the image memory, and a display device for displaying an analyzed result of the image analyzing device.

1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates to an ophthalmic apparatus for analyzing a section of an anterior part of an eye, and more particularly relates to the ophthalmic apparatus for analyzing an opacification condition of a cornea by processing an image of corneal section.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, a corneal operation has been well-known in order to correct ametropia of an eyeball by ablating a corneal surface with using excimer laser beam so as to change a corneal curvature. This sort of operation may cause hypodermic opacification of epitherium anterius corneae after the operation.
Usually, in case that the hypodermic opacification of the epitherium anterius corneae is caused, a slit-light lamp used to be applied for the examination. An operator observed a corneal section which was optically cut by the slit light by using an observing microscope so as to estimate the opacification level, the condition of a convergent heal, and the like.
However, the operator tended to depend on his own subjective judgement when the hypodermic opacification of the epitherium anterius corneae was estimated. Even though the same estimated standard is applied, it resulted in an disadvantage that each individual different level of operator effected on the estimation. Also, it is difficult to estimate only by observation.

Opthalmic apparatus for analyzing a section of an anterior part of an eye


A portable computer having a main body and a display panel hingedly attached to the main body, including an open/closed sensor to output open and closed detection signals in response to the display panel being open and closed, respectively; a power supply to supply a driving power to the display panel; and a controller to identify a predetermined power state in response to receiving the closed detection signal from the open/closed sensor, and to control the driving power to the display panel to be interrupted in response to the power state not being set to a low-power state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable computer and a controlling method thereof, and, more particularly, a portable computer, and a controlling method thereof, which can reduce power consumption by interrupting the supply of power driving a display panel when a display is closed even if the low-power state is not configured.
2. Description of the Related Art
A general portable computer comprises a main body provided with a keyboard, a Floppy Disk Drive (FDD), etc., and a display attached by a hinge to the main body so as to open and close. Commonly, the display of the portable computer incorporates a flat display panel such as a Plasma Display Panel (PDP), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), etc., which makes the portable computer easy to carry.
Such a portable computer is operated using electric power supplied from a DC adapter or a battery. However, when the portable computer is operated using the battery-supplied electric power, the allowable operating time is restricted to the battery life. Therefore, in order to extend the limited battery life and maximize the allowable operating time, accordingly achieved by the reduction in power consumed, various power saving measures have been proposed.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a conventional power control when a display of a portable computer is closed.
Referring to FIG. 6, at operation 101, if the display of the conventional portable computer is closed, at operation 102 a driving power for a back-lit unit is interrupted. At operation 104, a MICOM (MIcro COMputer), a BIOS (Basic Input Output System), and an O/S (Operation System) sequentially determine whether the display of the portable computer is closed or not. Thereafter, a power management program in the O/S reads out a predetermined power state according to the closure of the display at operation 106, and places the portable computer into the power state corresponding to the predetermined power state at operation 108.
Herein, in a case in which the power state is set to a low-power state such as S3 (one level of standby in which minimal power is maintained) or S4 (hibernation), the O/S places the portable computer into the low-power state to achieve the reduction of power use.
Meanwhile, in a case in which the power state is not set to the low-power state, for example, S0 (fully active), S1 (another level of standby in which the display and drives are powered off), etc., only the driving power for the back-lit unit is interrupted.
Therefore, the driving power for the display panel is maintained and consumed even if the display of the portable computer is closed, that is, even if a user does not use the display for a while, although the portable computer does not need to supply the driving power for the display panel.

Portable computer and controlling method thereof


Electro-deposition-coated steel is top coated with a flexible coating formed of a polyester having --OH functionality, a polyacrylate having --OH functionality and melamine-formaldehyde resin to provide substantially a stoichiometric amount of reactive sites relative to the total amount of --OH functionality of the polyester and the polyacrylate. The flexible coatings exhibit superior chip and scratch resistance relative to rigid coatings of the type conventionally used in the automotive industry.

Historically, one area of concern with painted exterior car and truck bodies is chip and scratch resistance. Utilizing an electro-deposition process, steel car bodies are primed with an organic coating prior to top coating. This primed steel is referred to as "E-coated steel". The coating may be any of a variety of polymeric materials known in the art which contain an ionic moiety which causes them to migrate to either the anode or cathode of a electrophoretic plating bath, the metal part to be plated serving as the cathode or anode according to the polymer. Electrodeposition is described, for example, in "Automotive Coatings" Bruce McBane, Federation of Societies for Coating Technology, September 1987. An advantage of E-coating of steel or other metals is that the build-up of polymers is self-limiting because the build-up of polymer on the metal renders the surface progressively less conductive. Accordingly, very uniform coatings are achieved. In most cases a second primer, referred to as a "primer-surfacer" is applied to the E-coated steel. The nominal film build on this primer-surfacer is 1.2 mils with a nominal bake of 25 minutes at 325 .degree. F. The topcoat is usually a 1-component, acid catalyzed polyol-melamine, a 2-component polyol-polyisocyanate system or a 1-component polyol-blocked polyisocyanate system. To a lesser extent, certain 2-component "non-isocyanate" coatings are utilized as exterior topcoats. The coating may be a single coat color, a dual coat (colorcoat/clearcoat) or a tri-coat (colorcoat/tinted clearcoat/clearcoat) system. All of the above systems have excellent durability as tested by UV light resistance and are categorized as hard, rigid, non-flexible coatings.
Flexible paints over flexible plastic substrates are utilized in areas of automobiles and trucks where impact and chip resistance are of concern. The areas include bumpers, grilles, and rocker panel areas. A flexible coating is defined herein as a coating when applied and baked on flexible substrate such as TPU (thermoplastic urethane) shows no cracking when subjected to a 1" mandrel bend at 75.degree. F., 0.degree. F., and -20.degree. F.
Previously, flexible coatings have not been deemed acceptable for application to rigid substrates such as E-coated steel because of certain deficiencies. The deficiencies include too soft (easily scratched and marred), not finessible (not repairable via a buffing and polishing procedure) and excessive dirt pick-up.

Utilization of flexible coating on steel to impart superior scratch and chip resistance


A polarizing plate includes two transparent supports A and B; and a polarizer sandwiched between the two transparent supports A and B; wherein (i) the transparent support A is a stretched cellulose ester film (a) which contains a non-phosphoric acid ester plasticizer and substantially does not contain a phosphoric acid ester plasticizer, and wherein (ii) the transparent support B is a stretched cellulose ester film (b) which has a retardation value R0 of from 0 nm to 10 nm and a retardation value Rt of from −30 nm to 20 nm, and the retardation value R0 and the retardation value Rt are defined by the following formulas (I) and (II):Ro=(nx−ny)×d  Formula (I):Rt={(nx+ny)/2−nz}×d.  Formula (II):

The present invention relates to a polarizing plate and a liquid crystal display apparatus using the same, particularly to a liquid crystal display apparatus of transverse electric field switch mode.
In response to an increasing level of performance and definition of the liquid crystal display apparatus, a polarizing plate protective film used in the polarizing plate is required to meet various requirements.
A film made of cellulose ester is employed as a polarizing plate protective film of commonly used liquid crystal display apparatus. To manufacture the cellulose ester film, a solution casting method is generally utilized in order to ensure flatness. The refractive index along the thickness tends to reduce relative to the refractive index of the film inner surface.
Patent Document 1 describes the cellulose ester film whose optical anisotropy is reduced by addition of an ethylenic polymer. The film with reduced Rt has been found out to easily cause deterioration of the polarizer after a long-term use.
The polarizing plate is required to provide excellent characteristics in dimensional stability and retardation stability subsequent to a long-term use or exposure to high temperature or high humidity since it has a serious impact on the display performance (viewing angle, tint and gradation) of the liquid crystal display. In particular, the polarizing plate is required to have superb dimensional stability in the direction of the absorption axis of the polarizer, and prominent resistance to deterioration of the polarizer
If there is much dimensional variation of the polarizing plate subsequent to a long-term use or exposure to high temperature or high humidity, stress will occur between the polarizing plate and agglutinant or liquid crystal cell bonded through the agglutinating layer, a so-called light leakage occurs wherein a white patch will occur at the time of black display
It has been found in particular that a phenomenon such as the aforementioned light leakage, reduction in contrast and variations in visibility such as color shift occur to the liquid crystal display apparatus of transverse electric field switching mode (hereinafter referred to as "IPS type") due to generation of a vast amount of heat from the backlight, when the polarizing plate containing a cellulose ester film with the reduced optical anisotropy as mentioned above is utilized, or the liquid crystal display apparatus has been subjected to a long-term use or adjustment of the screen brightness. This has required prompt action to be taken for improvement.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Non-Examined Patent Publication 2003-12859

Polarizing plate and liquid crystal display apparatus using the same


A new Petunia plant named ‘Pic Whit,’ particularly distinguished by the small white flowers, early blooming, very good floriferousness, and a strong semi-trailing plant habit.

The present invention comprises a new Petunia, botanically known as Petunia hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name 'Pic Whit.'
'Pic Whit' is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar has small white flowers, early blooming, very good floriferousness and a strong semi-trailing plant habit.
'Pic Whit' originated from a hybridization made in August 2004 in a controlled breeding environment in Gilroy, Calif. The resultant seed was sown in February 2005. The female parent was the proprietary plant designated '1695-3', unpatented, with pink small flowers and larger foliage.
The male parent of 'Pic Whit' was identified as '1691-1', a unpatented, proprietary plant with light pinkish flowers. '1691-1' has less vigor and little larger flowers than 'Pic Whit.'
'Pic Whit' was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in May, 2005 in a controlled environment in Gilroy, Calif.
The first act of asexual reproduction of 'Pic Whit' was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in May 2005, in a controlled environment in Gilroy, Calif.


A system and method is provided for enhancing hydrocarbon production. The method and system involve geochemistry analysis and include multiply substituted isotopologue and position specific isotope geochemistry. The method and system involve using clumped isotope and position-specific isotope signatures to enhance reservoir surveillance operations.

This section is intended to introduce various aspects of the art, which may be associated with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. This discussion is believed to assist in providing a framework to facilitate a better understanding of particular aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that this section should be read in this light, and not necessarily as admissions of prior art.
Hydrocarbons can be thermogenic or biogenic in origin. Biogenic hydrocarbons are generally restricted to gases and lower molecular weight hydrocarbons generated from the microbial utilization of buried organic matter in the subsurface at temperatures less than 100° C. The generation of these hydrocarbons usually occurs early during sediment burial (e.g., primary biogenic gas), but can also occur during the degradation of thermogenic hydrocarbons (e.g., secondary biogenic gas).
Thermogenic hydrocarbons, such as liquids or gases, are generated in the subsurface from source rocks rich in organic matter. Following initial deposition, source rocks are buried and subjected to increasing temperature and pressure with increasing burial. Thermogenic hydrocarbons are generated when the source rocks reach temperatures sufficient for the thermal conversion of organic material to kerogen and then to free liquid and/or gaseous hydrocarbon phases, which is a process called source rock maturation. Upon generation, the hydrocarbons may either be retained in the source rock (e.g., unconventional resources) or subsequently be expulsed from the source rock and migrate in the subsurface to reservoir rocks, such as sandstones or limestones, that have sufficient porosity, structure and an adequate seal that make them capable of trapping the hydrocarbon phase(s), providing a location for hydrocarbons to accumulate. Alternatively, hydrocarbons may migrate to a surface location, which may be referred to as a seep.
As may be appreciated, any hydrocarbons present in the subsurface may be stored and preserved in a reservoir or they may be subjected to different forms of alteration. For example, biodegradation is the process of degradation or consumption of hydrocarbons by micro-organisms. Similarly, hydrocarbons may be thermally altered by exposure to temperatures above there thermal stability. Alternatively, hydrocarbons may be oxidized or consumed in processes, such as thermochemical sulfate reduction. Non-hydrocarbon compounds, comprising for example CO2, N2, and/or H2S may also be present in a reservoir gas or fluid. These are contributed from processes, such as maturation, high temperature release from sediments and thermochemical sulfate reduction coupled to the oxidation of organic compounds.
Conventional tools, which include wireline sampling and production logging tests, are costly, time consuming and may be ineffective in certain reservoirs. Monitoring geochemical variations on a production time-scale (e.g., time-lapse geochemistry) may constrain reservoir hydrocarbon signatures while drilling or during production. As such, drilling technology has recently focused on the development of real-time stable isotope measurements (e.g., δ13C) of subsurface fluids to constrain reservoir fluids (e.g., oil and gas) signatures, while drilling. These conventional systems include fluid logging and analysis in real time. These types of conventional systems analyze fluid samples from the well to provide a quantitative analysis of certain hydrocarbon components, such as C1 to C5. Such measurements may provide initial end-member isotope signatures that can be used to evaluate reservoir connectivity or to characterize a baseline for future reservoir surveillance activities.
However, these conventional systems are limited and do not provide sufficient information about the hydrocarbons formation and generation. For example, certain hydrocarbon gases have a limited variety of hydrocarbon compounds for which bulk stable isotopes can be determined (i.e. only methane, ethane, and propane with little or no butane or higher hydrocarbons). Furthermore, processes that impact the non-clumped and/or position specific isotopic signatures of these compounds provide a narrow range in the variability in the signatures that often give rise to similar signatures that result from different histories of generation. That is, the origin of stable isotopic signatures can be non-unique, even for separate reservoir compartments, diminishing their utility for connectivity and surveillance applications.
There remains a need in the industry for apparatus, methods, and systems to identify and enhance hydrocarbon operations. In particular, conventional techniques do not properly distinguish and/or provide accurate quantitative estimates between the amount of hydrocarbon compounds (e.g., gas or liquid) or the sources of these hydrocarbons that are provided for separate reservoir compartments, diminishing their utility for connectivity and surveillance applications.

Field deployable system to measure clumped isotopes


An Automatic Location Identifier (ALI) trigger mechanism can include a data tap configured to detect an ALI location request for an emergency services call. The data tap can also be configured to output a trigger signal in response to detecting the ALI location request. The ALI trigger mechanism can also include a metadata router configured to receive the trigger signal and output an enhanced caller information request to a metadata server in response to the trigger signal.

9-1-1 is a phone number widely recognized in North America as an emergency phone number that is used to contact emergency dispatch personnel. Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1) is defined by an emergency call being selectively routed to an appropriate Public Service Answering Point (PSAP), based on an identifier, such a Automatic Number Identifier (ANI), a Pseudo Automatic Number Identifier (pANI), an Emergency Services Routing Key (ESRK), any of which can generically be referred to an ESxK or a locator key. The locator key can include the transmission of callback number and location information when 9-1-1 is used. E9-1-1 may be implemented for wireless, (e.g., cellular) landline, or VoIP networks.
A PSAP is a dispatch office that receives 9-1-1 calls (voice or text messages) from the public. A PSAP may be a local, fire or police department, an ambulance service or a regional office covering all services. As used herein, the term PSAP can alternatively refer to an Emergency Call Center (ECC) a term employed for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems.


A transmission timing control apparatus included in a network node constituting a telecommunications system is configured to use the reception timing of a timing signal from another node to determine the transmission timing of a timing signal of the own node and determine a time slot for transmission of a data signal in accordance with the transmission timing and the reception timing of a timing signal from the other node. A response timing signal transmitter transmits a response timing signal when received the timing signal from the other node. A transmission timing control circuit uses the reception timing of the timing signal and that of the response timing signal to determine the timing at which the own node transmits the timing signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a telecommunications system; and more specifically to a communication timing control apparatus for use in a node included in a telecommunications network for controlling with accuracy a timing at which data are transmitted. The invention also relates to a method of controlling the timing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As systems for allowing a plurality of spatially distributed nodes to transmit and receive data without any collision, available are the time division multiple access (TDMA) system and the carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) system, such as a CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance) system and a CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) system, as taught in Y. Matsushita, et al., "Wireless LAN Architecture", pp. 47, 53-59 and 69, Kyoritsu Shuppan Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, 1996.
In accordance with the CSMA system, a node, intending to transmit data, determines whether or not any other node is in communication by sensing a carrier or frequency, and then transmits the data when having determined that the other nodes are not in communication. However, one of the problems with the CSMA systems is that the number of channels available for communication at the same time is remarkably limited.
The TDMA system allots a particular time slot to each of a plurality of nodes so as to cause each node to transmit data only in the time slot allotted thereto, and allows the number of channels available for communication at the same time to be increased more easily than the CSMA system. When nodes expected to communicate with each other dynamically change, a certain node plays the role of a central or management node for dynamically allotting time slots to the other nodes.
However, the TDMA system has a drawback that, when the central node expected to allot time slots malfunctions, the entire telecommunications system goes down. Further, the TDMA system must dynamically reallot a particular time slot to each node by a sophisticated procedure, and is therefore likely to fail to rapidly adapt to the varying environment. In addition, the TDMA system is unable to vary the width of a time slot itself.

Communication timing control for allotting a time slot by a distributed coordination through interaction with neighboring nodes


A softgel formulation containing retinol comprises a soft gelatin shell and a fill material within that shell containing retinol-impregnated microparticles. The fill material may be an optionally thickened silicone oil, or may be an emulsion comprising a silicone oil. Ascorbic acid may be present as ascorbic acid-impregnated microparticles and/or within the emulsion.

This invention relates to a softgel formulation containing retinol, and to a softgel formulation containing both retinol and ascorbic acid.
Retinol, along with other retinoids, has enjoyed increasing popularity as an active ingredient in skin care compositions, especially for acne, photoaging, and sun damage. However, more so than other retinoids, retinol tends to decompose on exposure to light, heat, and oxygen. The problem of decomposition has been addressed to some extent by formulating retinol with antioxidants and chelating agents, and storing it in opaque or colored containers, and several patents and published applications, for example, PCT International Application Publication No. WO 93/00085 and European Patent Application Publication Nos. 0 440 398 and 0 596 106, all to Johnson & Johnson, describe water-in-oil emulsions containing retinol, which are asserted to be stable. European Patent Application Publication No. 0 781 551, to Advanced Polymer Systems, discloses an oil-in-water emulsion containing retinol, in which the retinol is entrapped within the pores of solid porous polymeric microparticles. The disclosures of these and other documents referred to in this application are incorporated herein by reference.
Softgel (soft gelatin capsule) formulations have recently become of greater interest in the formulation of products for topical application to the skin, because the softgels provide an attractive single use method for dispensing the product. Typically, these softgels contain 0.1 mL to 2 mL of a fill material, and have a "twist-off" or other removable feature at one end for dispensing the fill material. Such softgels can be prepared by methods well known for the preparation of softgels for oral dosage formulations, i.e. by encapsulating the fill material between two sheets of gelatin as it passes between a pair of die rolls having surface cavities shaped to form the desired shape of the resulting softgel.
However, it is well known in the art that unmodified softgels are incompatible with water, and that typical emulsions, whether water-in-oil or oil-in-water, will degrade the gelatin shell of a softgel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,149 (Punto et al.) discloses a softgel formulation for water-soluble active ingredients, such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C), where the fill material comprises an emulsion of which a first phase includes polyethylene glycol (into which the water-soluble active ingredient is dissolved) and the second phase includes a silicone fluid.
It would be of value to have a softgel formulation containing retinol, and a formulation containing retinol and ascorbic acid.


A fixing member (30) is formed by coupling a plurality of mounting portions (31A, 31B) spaced apart along the longitudinal direction of a protector main body (10) by a coupling portion (32). Thus, one fixing member (30) is sufficient for one protector main body (10), thereby reducing the number of parts. The protector main body (10) and the fixing member (30) are so locked as to have their relative displacements prevented only at one position along the longitudinal direction of the protector main body (10) and are permitted to make relative displacements along the longitudinal direction of the protector main body (10) in other areas. Thus, areas of the protector main body (10) excluding the one locked position with the fixing member (30) can independently undergo a deformation caused by heat shrinkage without being influenced by the corresponding deformation of the fixing member (30) as temperature changes.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a harness protector to be mounted on a device and to a method of assembling it.
2. Description of the Related Art
A harness is used for supplying power to an injector of an automotive vehicle. The harness is accommodated in a long narrow tubular protector for protecting the harness. The protector is fixed to a casing of the injector by screws or the like at a plurality of positions spaced apart along the longitudinal direction of the protector. One such protector is shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-230222.
The protector and the injector are arranged in an engine compartment and are exposed to large temperature variations. The casing of the injector is made of a metal. However, the protector is made of a synthetic resin for weight saving. Thus, thermal expansion rates of the protector and the casing are different. A protector that is fixed directly to the injector casing at a plurality of positions can damage the injector as the temperature changes. Some protectors employ separate fixing members that are relatively displaceable along the longitudinal direction of the protector in an effort to avoid damage attributable to differential thermal expansion of the protector and the injector casing.
The use of several fixing members for each protector complicates assembly and creates inventory control problems.
The present invention was developed in view of the above problems and an object thereof is to reduce the number of parts.


An inductor element includes a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion, and a magnetic core. The first conductive portion includes a first round-about portion, a first mount portion, and a second mount portion. The second conductive portion includes a second round-about portion, a third mount portion, and a fourth mount portion. The magnetic core houses at least a part of the first and second conductive portions so that each mount surface of the first to fourth mount portions is exposed from one side of the magnetic core. The first and second conductive portions are arranged so that the first and second directions are substantially parallel and opposite to each other. The first and third mount portions are at least partially overlapped with each other in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions.

The present invention relates to an inductor element used for electronic circuits or so.
As inductor elements responsible to a high electric current, having a comparatively low L value, and required for high magnetic saturation characteristics, proposed is an inductor element where a conductor having less than 1 T is covered with a magnetic material. As one of these inductor elements, also proposed is an inductor element containing a plurality of mutually independent conductors. In such an inductor element containing a plurality of conductors, the conductors are electrically connected via a mount board, and an inductance value similar to that of an element with a conductor having 1 T or more can be achieved.
Patent Document 1: WO2006070544 (Al)


A floatable skimmer apparatus is movably attached in a storm water filter box with a pair of tracks attached in the housing chamber of the filter box. A floatable skimmer has a skimmer panel having floatation members attached to the inlet side of the storm water filter box for raising and lowering the skimmer panel responsive to the rise and fall of storm water in the housing chamber. Storm water is forced under the bottom of the floatable skimmer panel while blocking floatable debris from entering the housing chamber outlet. A floatable hydrocarbon absorbing boom is attached to the skimmer panel and floated independent thereof.

The present invention is a storm water filter system for skimming debris from storm water passing through a storm water drain system and more specifically, the present invention is directed towards a storm water filter box having a floatable skimmer therein for capturing floatable debris and trash in the storm water system.
Drain water, which is frequently laden with trash, grass clippings, tree limbs, sand, gravel and other forms of sediment, as well as floatable trash and floatable oil is collected from streets, parking lots and other areas into a storm drain inlet where it is directed into a storm drain pipe system. The drain water laden with trash collected from the streets is fed through an entrance into a storm water catch basin and into a lake or retention pond or the like. The retention pond can tolerate a certain amount of grass clippings collected from parking lots along the streets but debris left in water for a long period of time decays and allows a build up of soluble nutrients, such as nitrates and phosphates, in the water. Thus, it is desirable to remove organic debris from the water collected from the drain water before it enters lakes and retention ponds. At the same time, drain water collects residue oil, and floatable hydrocarbons and organic materials from parking lots and streets and it is also desirable to prevent the floating hydrocarbons being discharged into the lakes or retention ponds. Typically, a skimmer is utilized to capture hydrocarbons and floating liquids within a baffle box to prevent their passing into the outlet.
The present invention is directed towards a skimmer to prevent floatable trash and floatable hydrocarbons from passing out the outlet of a storm water drain system baffle box.
In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,869,525 for a Storm Drain Filter System I show a storm drain filter system which includes a skimmer for collecting floating hydrocarbons and for absorbing the hydrocarbons in a hydrocarbon absorbing boom while preventing them from passing out of the skimmer. In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 7,294,256 for a Storm Water Filter System, a storm water filter system is provided for filtering storm water being fed into an in-ground well and uses a fixed skimmer to prevent floating organic debris from entering the discharge into the in-ground recharge well.
The present invention is directed towards an improvement in storm water filter systems in which a filter box has a skimmer for capturing debris and floating organic matter in a storm water filter box and blocking the floating debris from the outlet. Drain water entering a baffle box sometimes flows in very fast and allows the water to rise above a fixed skimmer. This allows floating trash and floating oil and hydrocarbons to go over the top of the skimmer and out the outflow pipe into rivers, lakes or retention ponds. The present invention provides for a floating skimmer that prevents this overflow and forces the drain water passing through the filter box to go under the skimmer and into the outlet.
In the present invention a relative short floating skimmer is used and has the same performance of a much taller fixed skimmer without the head loss associated with a taller skimmer by opening up a larger passageway under the skimmer. A storm water treatment structure that makes use of a floating skimmer can be more easily retrofitted to an existing water shed storm drain system due to the minimal head loss of the shorter skimmer.

Storm water filter system having a floating skimmer apparatus


A piezoelectric transformer converts a first voltage, supplied from a voltage source, into a second, different, stabilized voltage by a DC/AC converter followed by a rectifier connected in cascade to a filter. The DC/AC converter block includes a driver block followed by the piezoelectric transformer, such that the driver block feeds the piezoelectric transformer with a pulse train (21) the frequency of which coincides with the switching frequency (F1) of switching elements included in the driver block. The switching frequency (F1) is less than a resonant frequency (FR) of the piezoelectric transformer; for example, the switching frequency is a sub-harmonic of the resonant frequency (FR).

The present invention relates to a switched power supply converter which employs as transformer a piezoelectric transformer to perform a process of converting a voltage supplied from a power source into a different output voltage, suitable for being applied to a load.
The galvanic isolation of the switched power supply converter is provided by the piezoelectric transformer, the operation of which is controlled by the switching of at least one switching element.
The switched power supply converter is of special application, but not exclusively, in telecommunications systems since it offers a high performance with reduced size and weight.
The piezoelectric transformer carries out the transformation of a is voltage applied across some primary terminals to a different voltage produced across some secondary terminals through the mechanical vibration of the piezoelectric transformer, using the piezoelectric effect.
A switched power supply converter with galvanic isolation is adapted for performing a conversion of an input voltage into an output voltage by means of the action of a transformer with windings, i.e., it is a magnetic element.
It is possible to incorporate the power supply converter into a conversion topology with galvanic isolation, which is provided by means of the electromagnetic transformer. Examples of this conversion topology are a forward converter with active clamp and a flyback converter. Both converters have the property of facilitating galvanic isolation, located in different position.
The transformer provides galvanic isolation between the input and the output of the power supply converter, and permits design of the power supply converter with various outputs, as well as compliance with the safety regulations.
However, for the power transformer to provide said properties it must fulfil some design requirements that determine its physical size and weight. Consequently, the power transformer within the switched power supply converter is one of the heaviest and bulkiest devices. Therefore it is necessary to reduce the volume of the power transformer in order to carry out an overall process of miniaturising the switched power supply converter, as well as achieving a reduction in the weight thereof.
The function of transforming the input voltage into a different output voltage may be implemented by a mechanical vibration of a piezoelectric transformer, the volume of which is noticeably less in size than that of the magnetic transformer for an equivalent power level.
Nonetheless, the use of the piezoelectric transformer is not generalised since it has the drawback that in order to work with a high efficiency, the switching elements that govern its operation must work at very high frequency, so that the switching losses increase significantly.
There exists a need to develop a switched power supply converter with galvanic isolation by means of a piezoelectric transformer. The power supply converter has switching elements for implementing the control of the piezoelectric transformer in a simple fashion, which assures the production of a constant and regulated output voltage with a high overall efficiency, a compact size and a reduced weight.
To overcome the problems mentioned above a switched power supply converter is proposed which is reduced in size and weight, while having a high overall efficiency, making it suitable for being mounted together with telecommunications equipment.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a power supply converter that includes a piezoelectric transformer so that its excitation is directed by a driver block the switching elements of which may be switched at a reduced frequency such that the switching losses are minimal.
The switched power supply converter converts a first voltage, supplied from a voltage source, into a second different stabilised voltage by means of a connection in cascade of a DC/AC converter block, followed by a second rectifier connected to a second filter.
The DC/AC converter block comprises a driver block followed by said piezoelectric transformer, connected in cascade. The driver block excites the piezoelectric transformer by means of a pulse train with a first frequency that is less than a resonant frequency of the piezoelectric transformer.
The first frequency corresponds to the frequency at which is switched at least one switching element that the driver block comprises. Then, the switching frequency is a sub-harmonic (sub-multiple) of the resonant frequency of the piezoelectric transformer.

Switched power supply converter with a piezoelectric transformer


This invention detects leaks in small, hermetically sealed packages, especially microchips or other packages of electronic circuits. The invention includes a procedure for detecting fine leaks, and a somewhat different procedure for finding gross leaks. To detect gross leaks, one places the package in a chamber, and varies the pressure in the chamber slightly. If the leak is not too big, one wall of the package, such as its lid, initially becomes deformed, but quickly returns to its original position, due to the leak. If the leak is very large, the wall of the package may not move at all. The position of the wall is monitored with an interferometer, such as an electronic shearography apparatus. The movements of the wall show whether there is a gross leak. In the fine leak test, the package is placed in the chamber and the pressure is changed substantially, thus causing the walls of the package to deform. If there is a fine leak, a deformed wall gradually returns to its initial position. Preferably, the chamber is pressurized with helium to increase the sensitivity of the test. The gradual return of the deformed wall can be measured by the interferometer, and the rate at which the wall returns to its starting position can be used to calculate the leak rate. In another embodiment, a single pixel of a series of interferometric images is analyzed to determine the number of times the pixel changes from a maximum to a minimum and back to a maximum. The latter number is related to the number of wavelengths of deformation, and can be used to compute the leak rate of the package.

This invention relates to the field of testing of packages for leaks, especially the testing of small packages used to house electronic components. The invention can also be used in other applications, such as in the testing of sealed packages which contain food products or medical devices, or which contain components to be used in outer space.
Micro-electronic components are mounted within packages that must be hermetically sealed to prevent contamination of the fragile inner circuitry and the very fine interconnecting wires or circuit traces. The cavity inside the micro-electronic package is filled with a dry, inert gas, and typically a metallic lid is brazed to the package to provide the hermetic seal. Leakage of molecules of water or oxygen into the package cavity can corrode or oxidize the interconnecting wires to the point that the circuit fails. In many cases, the loss of one component can lead to the failure of a subsystem or the failure of an entire system. The reliability of every electronic control system therefore depends on the reliability of each hermetic seal of each component package.
In the prior art, it has been known to use "tracer" gases to detect fine leaks in microchips. Typically, one places a batch of electronic components into a chamber, and pressurizes the chamber with a gas such as helium or krypton-85. Then, one removes the components, and lets them sit for a short time, allowing excess gas to dissipate. Then, the amount of gas still leaking from the package is measured with a mass spectrometer or radiation detector. In this method, it is often necessary to keep the components within the chamber for several hours, depending on the desired sensitivity of the test and the package volume.
To detect gross leaks, it has been known to place a batch of components in a tank filled with liquid fluorocarbons, while an operator watches for tiny bubbles streaming out of specific packages.
One disadvantage of both of the above methods is that only discrete components can be inspected. Components mounted to completed circuit boards cannot be inspected because of the quantity of the components and because the circuit boards themselves release gases.
The present invention provides an optical method of detecting leaks in small packages. The invention preferably employs electronic shearography as the method of interferometry, thereby making it possible to obtain test results in "real time". The same apparatus used to detect gross leaks is also used to detect fine leaks, although the methods are somewhat different. Also, both tests can be performed on components mounted directly on a circuit board.

Apparatus and method for detecting leaks in packages


A database system performs hash join process for processing queries that join an inner and an outer database table. The hash join processes builds a hash table in memory for the inner table. The database system receives a limit on the memory for storing the hash table. The database system maximizes the number of partitions stored in memory for the hash table. If the hash table exceeds the limit of the memory while adding rows from the inner table, the database system selects a partition for spilling to a persistent storage. The partition selected for spilling to may be the largest partition or a partition larger than most of the partitions. The database system initializes the hash table to a number of partitions that is substantially equal to half of the total number of blocks that can be stored within the specified limit of memory for the hash table.

This invention relates to joining tables in databases, and in particular to hash join method of joining tables in databases.
Relational database store information as tables or relations. For example, in a database schema describing an organization, one relation may store information describing employees and another relation may store information describing departments. Each row of the department relation may represent a department and each row of the employee relation may represent an employee. Each relation may have a key that identifies a particular entity represented in the relation. For example, each employee may be associated with a key value that uniquely identifies the employee. Key values that identify employees can be employee id or social security numbers of employees. Similarly, the department relation may have a key based on the department name or a unique department id. The employee information may refer to a department associated with the employee using the corresponding department id. A user that wants to retrieve information combining the employee and department relation may issue a join query that specifies a join clause relating fields from the relation being joined.
Various techniques are used by databases to perform joins of tables including nested-loop join, sort-merge join, and hash join. A hash join algorithm typically builds a hash table for one of the relations and probes the hash table for each record of the other table in the join relation. For performance reasons it is preferable to store the data structures used in the hash-join process in memory rather than on persistent storage e.g., disk. However, several scenarios cause the hash-join process to run out of memory, thereby requiring the structures to be stored on disk. This causes the performance of the queries based on the hash join process to be degraded. Bad performance of queries often requires analysis by experts to determine how to speed up the queries and may consume significant resources of development and support teams of an organization.


A novel angiogenesis drug which can be clinically used for therapies of human or the like is disclosed. The angiogenesis drug according to the present invention comprises a peptide as an effective component, which has a prescribed amino acid sequence and has an angiogenesis action.

A considerably high mortality rate in Japan is caused by ischemic diseases due to vascular occlusion, such as myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction. There are also another ischemic diseases which are not fatal but deteriorate QOL (quality of life), such as aortic obstructive diseases for which amputation of lower extremity is forced. To overcome these ischemic diseases, angiogenesis therapy by which sufficient circulation is supplied through newly generated blood vessels is hoped very much. Angiogenesis plays an important role not only in the treatments of ischemic diseases, but also in the adaptation of biomaterials. Some artificial biomaterials including apatite and titanium have been used for filling bone defect or implant. These artificial biomaterials have poor compatibilities with the surrounding soft and hard tissues, so that they often cannot exhibit their primary function well.
To improve the compatibility with the surrounding soft and hard tissues, it has been proposed to use peptide derivatives having bio-adhesive functions. For example, it has been proposed to use a composite as an artificial bone, which is a mixture of apatite carbonate having the composition and crystallinity similar to those of hard tissue in the body, and collagen which is one of the bio-adhesive functions (K. Nokihara et al., The Japanese Peptide Society, Osaka, 373–376, 2001., Development of Biomimetic Materials: Novel Composite Material Carrying Immobilized Functional Peptides; M. Okazaki et al., Dentistry in Japan, 37, 95–100, 2001, A New Concept of CO3 apatite-Collagen Composites with Adhesion Motif as Biomaterials). This composite has a good biocompatibility and is a promising biomimetic artificial bone.
If blood vessels are newly formed on the surfaces and insides of such biomaterials, nutrients and oxygen are sufficiently supplied to the cells on the surfaces and insides of the transplanted biomaterials by means of abundant blood at an early stage after surgery, so that optimum environment for the cells to function is formed, thereby advantageously attaining good taking of the materials to the body.
On the other hand, peptides which have great advantages in the safeties in view of side effects, metabolic properties and the like, are easy to design, and highly efficient synthesis methods and characterization methods have been established. In addition, amino acid derivatives are convenient building units for the construction of combinatorial chemical libraries, and optimization thereof can be attained by solid phase synthesis methods in a short time. Thus, it is advantageous that peptides having a relatively low molecular weight and exhibiting angiogenic activities, which may improve interactions between biomaterials and the surrounding soft and hard tissues, may be synthesized and administrated alone or conjugates, that is, such peptides are immobilized onto biomaterials. However, low molecular peptides or peptide-mimetic organic compounds having prominent angiogenic activities are scarcely known.


A method for producing diarylalkanes at a high yield using an aromatic hydrocarbon and inexpensive formalin in the presence of an easily usable solid acid catalyst, and in the method, a mixture of an aromatic hydrocarbon and formalin, said mixture containing 1.5 to 12% by weight of water, is reacted at a temperature of 170 to 450.degree. C. under an elevated pressure in the presence of a zeolitic catalyst.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved method for producing diarylmethanes. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for producing diarylmethanes using formalin, which diarylmethanes are useful as high boiling aromatic solvents and for various kinds of chemical products.
(2) Prior Art
Several methods have been proposed for producing diphenylmethane by condensing benzene with formaldehyde and for preparing dihydroxy diphenylmethane by condensing phenol and formaldehyde.
However, the handling of formaldehyde is difficult because it is a gaseous substance at ordinary temperatures. So that, as the material to be fed to a reaction system, paraformaldehyde and trioxane are practically used, which are in solid state at ordinary temperatures.
Meanwhile, the formaldehyde is usually supplied by makers in the form of an aqueous solution of formaldehyde, the so-called formalin. Therefore, in industrial production, the above-mentioned paraformaldehyde and trioxane are often prepared from the above aqueous solution that are supplied by makers. Accordingly, if it is possible to use the formaldehyde in the form of an aqueous solution for the reaction with the foregoing aromatic hydrocarbon, it is quite advantageous to reduce the cost for formaldehyde in industrial practice because it is possible to use the inexpensive material supplied by makers of formaldehyde.
However, this has been scarcely tried in the conventional art. One of the reasons is that, if an aqueous solution is supplied as a reaction material, the catalyst such as sulfuric acid and aluminum chloride that are useful for the condensation of formaldehyde, cannot be employed because they are water-soluble.
As a countermeasure to this problem, the reaction between phenol and formalin in the presence of solid acid catalysts such as zeolites is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1-180835 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,988. These known methods are serviceable for the reaction of the aqueous solution of formaldehyde and phenols which are high in condensation activity with the formaldehyde. However, in the case of aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene and toluene having low condensation activity, these methods are not always preferable in view of their low yields. Furthermore, any practicable method to condense benzene, toluene or xylene using formalin, has not been known.


An in-situ gas-measuring system (1) includes an IR photon source (10) and an IR photon detector (11). The in-situ gas-measuring system (1) has an expansion chamber (12), at which an optical element (16, 16′, 16″) is arranged. A connection element (13) provides a detachable fluid-communicating connection of the expansion chamber (12) to a gas reaction chamber (2). The IR-photon source (10), the optical element (16, 16′, 16″) and the IR photon detector (11) define an optical measuring path, which extends through the expansion chamber (12). The installation and maintenance of the in-situ gas-measuring system (1) are reduced by the features of the in-situ gas-measuring system (1).

In gas reactors or enclosed environments, in which critical gas concentrations may be present, gas measurements are necessary in order to detect gases being released or too high concentrations of toxic or explosive gases. The environment-related variables in the gas reactors or in the enclosed environments are frequently critical, i.e., very cold, very hot and/or highly reactive. The necessary gas-warning devices cannot therefore be used directly in these critical environments. The effort needed for safe gas removal for gas measurement/gas warning is very high in case of uncritical temperatures as well.
Extracting the gas by means of SIL (safety integrity level)-approved pumps from the measuring environment and passing the gas through a likewise SIL-approved filter stage, in which the gas is released from condensates (e.g., water) and possibly cooled, is known. The cleaned and cooled gas may then be fed to a gas-warning device. However, the high installation and maintenance efforts needed are drawbacks. Further, the result of the gas measurement is obtained with a time delay, which is due to the filtering, the distance traveled by the gas in the filter section and the cooling off of the gas.
Guiding visible light by means of optical fibers by collimation lenses through a reaction chamber is known from CN 102 062 726 A. This light is fed to a measuring device with an additional optical fiber. The optical fibers are attached to a bracket, which is arranged within the reaction chamber. Such an arrangement is not suitable for large volumes of gas, because the optical measured section through the reactor would be so long that the entire light fed in would be absorbed. Further, the installation and maintenance effort needed in this form of measurement is also very high since the bracket for the optical fibers is arranged within the reaction chamber. For installation, the bracket has to be inserted with effort and has to be removed with high effort for maintenance, which also comprises a cleaning of deposits of reactive gases.

In-situ gas-measuring system for gas reactors with critical environments


An apparatus and method for performing a medical procedure comprising an elongated member having an aperture extending longitudinally therethrough. The member has a proximal and an opposite distal end. An actuator is positioned within the aperture and has a proximal end and an opposite distal end. Biopsy means are connected to the distal end of the actuator for cutting and collecting biopsy specimens. Either the elongated member or the distal tip is modified to receive the cut specimens in the order of acquisition. After serial acquisition, the holding segment is separated from the remainder and closed by a cap to form a processing cassette. The cassette holds the specimens in the order of acquisition through fixation and processing to be opened for slicing or analysis.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method and devices for the serial collection, storage, and processing of biopsy specimens for microscopic, chemical, or other types of examination. In particular, the invention relates to biopsy sampling or removing tissue from any remote luminal structure within a patient, and storing the tissue within the removal apparatus in the order sampled through analysis or processing.
2. The Prior Art
It is often necessary to obtain tissue samples for examination from deep within luminal structures. These samples can only be retrieved by catheterization methods using endoscopic or fluoroscopic control, or by blind palpation. The biopsy devices used for these techniques remove 1 to 4 specimens that are retrieved by removing the biopsy instrument from the patient, and placing the specimen in a container of fixative solution labeled with the biopsy site and patient identification. The biopsies obtained in each pass are processed in a batch, since the minute pieces cannot be easily separated. Consequently, biopsies from different sites must be handled separately, thus requiring considerable effort and expense. The need to perform multiple biopsy passes because of the limited storage capacity of the biopsy instrument and the need to identify the sites of biopsy origin prolongs the procedure and may even cause it to fail, if the position of the biopsy instrument cannot be reacquired.
The batch of containers for each patient is then transported to the laboratory where the containers are serially opened and the specimens transferred to numbered cassettes that are recorded for later identification. The cassettes are then processed for examination. The processed specimens are then sliced, stained and mounted on labeled slides for microscopic examination. The specimens in each container must be processed separately to maintain identification. This is particularly important when the distribution and extent of a cancer is being mapped to determine the possibility of surgical removal and to prevent errors in reporting.
During this complex handling process, small specimens may be lost or damaged. At each stage of handling, the staff is exposed to possible infection from the biopsies particularly true when the unfixed specimen is removed from the sharp biopsy instrument before it is fixed. The staff is also exposed to solvent vapor from the fixative at each transfer step of processing. The solvents may be allergenic or carcinogenic. This tedious, labor intensive process is also expensive both in terms of time and laboratory space.
Although the prior art has made biopsy deep within the patient possible, the need for additional improvements remains. The present invention satisfies this need in a novel and unobvious way.

Apparatus and method for serial collection storage and processing of biopsy specimens