There is provided a screen scattering system. The system has a transparent substrate forming a substrate layer, and wide band gap materials made of 0D, 1D and 3D elements forming a scattering layer. The 0D, 1D and 3D elements are in the form of nanostructures aligned uniformly on said substrate layer.

There are currently two main types of scattering screen systems, namely the optical type and the scattering (diffuser) type. These systems are for example described in Nuijs et al 1994, Lin et al 2008, and Matsuda et al 2009, contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
The optical type is generally based on the construction of double lenticular elements. However, in such construction the pitches of the lenticular elements have to be fabricated precisely in order to avoid formation of moiré pattern between the lenticular elements and pixel of the projector.
By comparison, the scattering type is composed of typically highly-transparent diffusers formed on a substrate surface by for example sandblasting, etching or by introducing surface additives. This type of scattering screens may suffer the problem of "sun effect". By sun effect, it means incident light would directly pass through the projection screen without scattering.
In recent years, there have been proposals which suggest the use of a "Fiber Beam" system. Such system makes use of a rear projection display that utilizes resin optical fibers as transmission media. Published US Patent No. 2010/0208217A1, contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, for example discloses such system. Utilizing Tsuya Fabric's weaving technology, there is produced high-density webbing with limited damages to the Optical Plastic Fibers (OPFs). However, the cost of obtaining compact weaving fibers is very costly and in many cases may not be economical realistic.
The present invention seeks to provide a scattering screen system with higher efficiency, and/or to widen the viewing angle of monitors/displays or the lighting angles of illumination devices, or at least provide an alternative the public.

Scattering screen system, method of manufacture and application thereof


Method for decontaminating medical waste by comminuting it and contacting the comminuted waste with an antimicrobial agent.

In the past few years, federal, state and local governments, the scientific community and the public in general have become acutely aware of the problem of handling of possibly infectious medical waste generated by hospitals and other medical treatment facilities. Because of the concern for possible adverse effects on persons who may come into contact with such waste, various regulatory agencies have acted to control and direct the handling of such waste. In addition, the Congress of the United States has enacted the Medical Waste Tracking Act which is being evaluated in several states. This Act mandates that medical waste be rendered unrecognizable from its original state and be decontaminated or disinfected before disposal.
The transportation and disposal of untreated medical waste presents an expensive and potentially hazardous situation. Moreover, the storage of such waste until such time as it can be properly handled involves serious logistic problems. Some hospitals generate tons of such waste every week and find it extremely difficult and expensive to handle it in such a way as to avoid violation of the Act and, more importantly, to avoid injury to any persons who may come into contact with the waste. In addition, treatments presently available for decontaminating such waste to the extent that it can be transported and disposed of in landfills or other waste disposal facilities have become extremely expensive and difficult.


The orthoalkylation catalyst for phenols of the invention is one produced by calcining a catalyst precursor comprising basic magnesium carbonate (a) and magnesium oxide (b) optionally together with manganese oxalate (c), the basic magnesium carbonate (a) and magnesium oxide (b) being mixed together at a weight ratio ((a)/(b)) of 20/80 to 80/20. The process for producing an orthoalkylated phenol according to the invention comprises performing a vapor phase reaction of a phenol with an alkyl alcohol in the presence of the above orthoalkylation catalyst so that an orthoalkylated phenol is obtained.

Examples of orthoalkylated phenols used in industrial fields include 2, 6-xylenol as a raw material for producing polyphenylene oxide resins, 2,3,6-trimethylphenol as a starting material for synthesizing vitamin E,.and o-cresol, 2,5-xylenol, 2,3-xylenol, 2,4-xylenol, 2,4,6-trimethylphenol, methylhydroquinone or the like as a starting material or an intermediate of medicine, agricultural chemicals, resins, various additives, industrial chemicals, etc.
Methods of orthoalkylating a phenol having a hydrogen atom of at least one ortho position thereof with an alkyl alcohol in the presence of an alkylation catalyst are known in the art. In these methods, a phenol is reacted with an alkyl alcohol in a vapor phase in the presence of a catalyst composed only of magnesium oxide, a catalyst composed of magnesium oxide coated with copper, or a catalyst composed of magnesium oxide and a co-catalyst of manganese salt as bases.
The catalyst composed only of magnesium oxide is, for example, the magnesium oxide catalyst described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 42(1967)-6894, which is prepared by compression molding powder of basic magnesium carbonate and calcining the molding.
The catalyst composed of magnesium oxide coated with copper is, for example, the catalyst composition described in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 59(1984)-228940, which comprises magnesium oxide containing copper about 0.1% by weight based on magnesium oxide, wherein this copper is adhered on magnesium oxide either, the copper being either in elemental form being a shape of a layer of submicroscopic thickness or in chemically bonded form. This catalyst composition is prepared by first preparing at about 50 to 100° C. a slurry, in an aqueous solution, of at least one copper salt of a substantially water insoluble magnesium reagent capable of forming magnesium oxide upon calcination (at least one member of magnesium oxide, magnesium hydroxide and magnesium carbonate), subsequently controlling the copper content of the slurry to thereby obtain a magnesium-containing solid layer having a copper coating of submicroscopic thickness, and thereafter drying the solid layer and effecting calcination thereof.
The catalyst composed of magnesium oxide and a co-catalyst of manganese salt as bases is, for example, the catalyst composed of magnesium oxide and manganese sulfate described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 46(1971)-21371. This catalyst is prepared either by pulverizing magnesium oxide and mixing the resultant powder with manganese sulfate or by impregnating magnesium oxide with manganese sulfate and subjecting the impregnated magnesium oxide to drying, molding and calcining.
These conventional orthoalkylation catalysts for phenols containing magnesium oxide are industrially employed, for example, in the production of 2,6-xylenol from phenol as a starting material. They, although thus meeting the objective to a certain extent, suffer from the degradation as-inherently exhibited by magnesium oxide containing catalysts. Therefore, further enhancement of the catalytic performance thereof is demanded from the industrial point of view.
In Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 7(1995)-265710, the same applicant disclosed, as a catalyst of high selectivity that exhibits catalytic performance improved over the conventional magnesium oxide containing catalysts, an orthoalkylation catalyst for phenols produced by calcining a catalyst precursor composed of a dry mixture of manganese oxalate (a), fine particles of a phenol resin (b) and at least one magnesium compound selected from among basic magnesium carbonate and magnesium oxide.
However, there is a demand for the development of an orthoalkylation catalyst for phenols which is superior to this catalyst in respect of activity, selectivity, catalytic life and stability, and further the development of a process for producing an orthoalkylated phenol with the use of the above orthoalkylation catalyst.
Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide an orthoalkylation catalyst for phenols which exhibits high activity and high selectivity, has prolonged catalytic life and is stable, and to provide a process for producing an orthoalkylated phenol with the use of the orthoalkylation catalyst.

Orthoalkylation catalyst for phenol and process for producing orthoalkylated phenol with use thereof

Abstract: The invention enables obtaining an orthoalkylation catalyst for phenols which has high activity and high selectivity, has long catalytic life and exhibits more stable catalytic life than those of conventional orthoalkylation catalysts for phenols. Moreover, by virtue of the use of the catalyst capable of exerting these effects, there can be obtained a process for producing an orthoalkylated phenol which ensures prolonged and constant catalyst regeneration cycle.


The present invention is directed to methods for treating cancer wherein more than one therapeutic agent is used, with each of the therapeutic agents having different tumor-killing capabilities, and wherein the therapeutic agents are delivered to the tumor sites using combined targeting and pre-targeting methods. The methods of the present invention achieve good tumor to non-tumor ratios of the therapeutic agents, and are effective for cancer therapy.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to methods for treating cancer or an infectious disease wherein more than one therapeutic agent is used, with each of the therapeutic agents having different tumor-killing or infectious cell-killing capabilities, and wherein the therapeutic agents are delivered to the tumor sites or diseased sites using combined targeting and pre-targeting methods. The methods of the present invention achieve good tumor/disease site to non-tumor/non-disease site ratios of the therapeutic agents, and are effective for therapy.
2. Description of Related Art
Target-directed therapy, such as antibody-directed therapy, offers advantages over non-targeted therapy such as systemic therapy via oral or i.v. administration of drugs or whole body therapy such as external radiation therapy (XRT). An advantage of antibody-directed therapy, and of therapy using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) in particular, is the ability to deliver increased doses of a therapeutic agent to a tumor, with greater sparing of normal tissue from the effects of the therapeutic agent. This directed therapy might include the use of naked MAbs or MAbs conjugated to drugs, bacterial or other toxins, radionuclides, or neutron-capturing agents, such as boron addends.
However, antibody-directed therapies have drawbacks, which include:(1) the inability to target all cancer cells within a tumor due to tumor antigen heterogeneity especially when using non-isotopic therapeutics ; (2) low absolute accretion of antibody in the tumor; and (3) the use of therapeutic conjugates which cause unacceptable normal organ toxicity. The prior art treatment methods have not provided complete solutions to each of these problems.
Methods of increasing the amount of isotope which can be specifically directed to a tumor while at the same time minimizing the amount of time an isotope remains in circulation so that host toxicity is reduced are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,482,698 and 5,525,338, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. For example, host toxicity may be minimized by using pre-targeting techniques that decouple the isotope delivery step from the antibody localization step. In addition, these patents disclose methods for amplifying the amounts of therapeutic agents which may be delivered to tumor sites. These methods also are useful in accordance with the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,846, discloses methods for reducing host toxicity by administering a second antibody to clear circulating radiolabeled first antibody. U.S. application Ser. No. 08/486,166, filed Jun. 7, 1995, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, teaches the use of an antibody that is anti-idiotypic to the first administered (radiolabeled) primary targeting species as a clearing agent in pre-targeting methods. These methods also may be used in accordance with the present invention, and the contents of the aforementioned patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Although these patents and patent applications disclose methods which address several of the problems associated with target-directed therapies, none of them address the problem caused by tumor antigen heterogeneity. Additionally, there is a continuing need to utilize the specificity of a targeting moiety to simultaneously deliver tumor-killing amounts of therapeutic agents to tumors yet sparing the toxic effect of these agents on normal tissues. The present invention provides a solution to these problems by disclosing a method that utilizes multiple targeting and pre-targeting administrations to deliver more than one therapeutic agent to the tumor. Preferably the therapeutic agents have different tumor killing properties so that more cells in the tumor can be targeted and killed. Further, the present methods maximize and amplify the mole amounts of therapeutic agents delivered per mole of antibody to address the low absolute target accretion levels of antibody. To solve the problem of low antibody-to-normal tissue ratios, at least one therapeutic agent is delivered in a later treatment step.
The present invention provides a method for therapy to tumors and infectious diseases, including bacterial, viral and fungal diseases. It comprises administering a first conjugate, which contains a targeting moiety, a therapeutic agent, and a first member of a binding pair; then optionally administering a clearing agent to clear non-targeted first conjugates; and then administering a second conjugate, which contains the complementary binding member of the binding pair and a second therapeutic agent.
The method of the present invention delivers more than one therapeutic agent to a tumor or diseased site using both targeting and pre-targeting methods to achieve effective and efficient delivery of the agents to the sites. The present invention provides a therapy method that addresses the problem of tumor heterogeneity by using multispecific targeting agents and by delivering at least two different therapeutic agents having different tumor-killing properties to the tumor sites.
The present invention further provides a therapy method that minimizes patient toxicity caused by the therapeutic agents by using pre-targeting and targeting methods of delivery.
The present invention additionally provides a therapy method with reduced toxic effects on normal tissue by utilizing clearing agents in combination with the targeting and pre-targeting methods of delivering more than one therapeutic agent to efficiently clear non-localized targeting moieties from circulation.

Targeted combination immunotherapy of cancer and infectious diseases


A fluorescent particle measuring method comprising the steps of trapping a fluorescent particle included in a fluid that is to be evaluated; identifying, by a material analyzing device, a material of a fluorescent particle that has been trapped; measuring, by a fluorescent particle measuring device, a number of fluorescent particles included in the fluid; and identifying, as the material of a fluorescent particle that has been measured by the fluorescent particle measuring device, a material identified by the material analyzing device.

In a clean room, such as a bio clean room, airborne microorganism particles and non-microorganism particles are detected and recorded using a particle detecting device (referencing, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-83214 and N. Hasegawa, et al., "Real-time Detecting Technologies for Airborne Microbes, and Applications Thereof," Yamatake Corporation, Azbil Technical Review, December 2009, Pages 2-7, 2009). The state of wear of the air-conditioning equipment of the clean room can be ascertained from the result of the particle detection. Moreover, a record of particle detection within the clean room may be added as reference documentation to the products manufactured within the clean room. Optical particle detecting devices draw in air from a clean room, for example, and illuminate the drawn-in air with light. If a microorganism particle or non-microorganism particle is included in the air, then the particle that is illuminated by the light will produce fluorescence or scattered light will be produced by the particle. Because of this, it is possible to detect the numbers and sizes of microorganism particles and non-microorganism particles that are included in a gas, through detecting the fluorescent and scattered light. Moreover, a technology able to detect accurately particles in not just clean rooms, but in fluids as well, is desired (referencing, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H8-29331). Moreover, there has been a proposal for identifying aerosol materials through Raman spectroscopy (referencing, for example, MATSUKI, Atsushi, "Atmospheric Aerosol Research Using Raman Microscopy," Aerosol Research, 2013, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 208-213).


A memory controller is configured to communicate to a DRAM an indication of when a most-recent memory-controller-triggered refresh cycle occurred prior to a transition to a self-refresh mode of operation in which the DRAM self-triggers its refresh cycles.

Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) is relatively inexpensive because each memory cell requires just an access transistor and a capacitor. In contrast, static random access memory (SRAM) requires at least six transistors per memory cell and is thus more expensive. DRAM is therefore the memory of choice for bulk storage in many electronic devices such as smartphones. Although DRAM is considerably less expensive, the relatively small capacitor used for each memory cell leaks charge over time such that it is necessary to refresh its contents periodically. In a refresh cycle for a DRAM, the contents of a memory cell are read out so that the memory cell's capacitor may be recharged appropriately. It is critical for a DRAM to refresh regularly according to its refresh schedule or it may lose its memory contents.
The enforcement of refresh operations according to the required refresh interval may be performed by a memory controller, which acts as the interface between a host processor and the corresponding DRAM. In conventional desktop and related applications, the memory controller is typically contained in a separate integrated circuit that is associated with the memory slots that accept the DRAM integrated circuits. Such a standalone memory controller may remain powered during normal operation independently of the host processor. But in modern mobile device applications such as smartphones, the memory controller is integrated with the host processor into a system-on-a-chip (SoC). Reducing power consumption by an SoC is a major goal in smartphone design as consumers do not want to constantly recharge their devices. It is thus conventional for a mobile device SoC to implement a sleep mode in which the memory controller is powered down either completely or partially. But the associated DRAM integrated circuit for the SoC must remain powered on during the sleep mode so that it may retain its memory contents. The refresh scheduling for a DRAM in mobile and related devices is thus controlled by the memory controller during an active mode of operation and by the DRAM itself during an idle or sleep mode of operation. To distinguish between the two types of refresh scheduling management, the memory-controller-managed refresh scheduling may be denoted as a "refresh mode" of operation whereas the DRAM-controlled refresh scheduling may be denoted as a "self-refresh mode" of operation.
Although this split control of the refresh scheduling in mobile devices allows the SoC to save power by entering the sleep mode, it is associated with unnecessary triggering of refresh cycles. For example, during the refresh mode of operation, the DRAM does not keep track of the refresh schedule timing since that is being managed by the memory controller. Upon resumption of the self-refresh mode of operation, the DRAM thus triggers a refresh operation. But the memory controller may have just triggered a refresh operation prior to the handoff to the self-refresh mode of operation such that the automatic triggering of a refresh operation by the DRAM upon the transition to the self-refresh mode was unnecessary. Similarly, the memory controller triggers a refresh operation at the resumption of a refresh mode of operation and termination of a self-refresh mode. Depending upon the timing of the last refresh cycle in the DRAM, the automatic triggering of a refresh operation by the memory controller upon the transition to the refresh mode may also be unnecessary. These unnecessary refresh cycles needlessly consume power. In addition, they increase memory latency since the DRAM is unavailable for read and write access until a refresh cycle is completed. This problem of increased latency and power consumption is aggravated in modern SoCs, which are engineered to enter sleep mode more frequently to minimize power consumption.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved refresh scheduling in systems in which both the memory controller and the memory itself may control refresh scheduling.

Refresh timer synchronization between memory controller and memory


In the field of viscoelastic dampers, a new strut design comprises a viscoelastic material sandwiched between multiple layers, some of which layers bear and dampen load force. In one embodiment, the layers are composite plies of opposing orientation. In another embodiment, the strut utilizes a viscoelastic layer sandwiched between V-shaped composite plies. In a third embodiment, a viscoelastic layer is sandwiched between sine-shaped plies. Strut strength is equal to or greater than conventional aluminum struts due to the unique high interlaminar shear ply design.

One of the technological limitations of space exploration results from a spacecraft's inability to aim devices with extremely high accuracy. Current requirements for the aiming accuracy of 20 to 40-foot-long truss structures are approximately 20 nanoradian. Since the spacecraft has a number of vibration sources with undetermined frequencies (solar pressure, micrometeorites, reaction wheels, etc.), the truss structures must have some vibration damping devices. Conventional damping designs of structures of great length have proven ineffective at inhibiting vibrations at low frequencies, down to 10 Hz. These types of vibrations are very apparent in a space environment, and extremely damaging for control mechanisms.
Active aiming mechanisms can, and do, compensate for some of the vibration perturbations which a spacecraft experiences. Boris Lurie, "Balanced Bridge Feedback Pointing Control," Proc. of ACC, Atlanta, 1988, is an example of such an active feedback control system. However, for control systems to be robust, the vibration and resonances at low frequencies down to 10 Hz must be suppressed.
Conventionally, there have been a number of ways to incorporate damping into strut design. Examples of these techniques are shown in Gun-Shing Chen and Ben K. Wada, "Passive Damping for Space Truss Structures," Apr. 1988, and James F. Wilson and L. Porter Davis, "Viscous Damped Space Structures for Reduced Jitter," 58th Shock and Vibration Symposium.
These conventional designs place a viscoelastic or viscous damper in parallel with a load-carrying aluminum cylinder. These designs, however, experience several difficulties. They tend to add weight to a space structure, which excessive weight increases liftoff cost and ability. The designs are unproven at low vibration frequencies and low displacements. Finally, the level of absorption decreases with increased strut lengths, which can be a significant factor in designing large scale space structures.

Composite passive damping struts for large precision structures

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


A manufacturing method of a clutch cover assembly comprising an annular clutch cover provided with a plurality of projections, a diaphragm spring, and a pair of wire rings supported by said projections, characterized in that; said method comprises supporting the lower surface of the diaphragm spring, to which the wire rings have been assembled, by a lower die in such a position that said projections project upwardly from a body of the clutch cover; supporting radially inner sides of portions of said projection bodies positioned below the diaphragm spring by a projection body support provided in the lower die; downwardly bending the free ends of the projections, which incline upwardly from the projection bodies, to predetermined positions by an end pushing-down portion provided in the upper die; and supporting radially inner sides of portions of said projection bodies positioned above the diaphragm spring by a projection body support provided in the upper die.

The present invention relates to a manufacturing device of a clutch cover assembly and a manufacturing method of the same, which is used in a friction clutch of a diaphragm spring type for automobiles and others.
Generally, in a clutch of a diaphragm spring type, a diaphragm spring for forcing a pressure plate is supported by projections or tabs of a clutch cover through wire rings which form fulcrums of the diaphragm spring. However, in manufacturing of such a clutch cover assembly, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of the projections 2 integrally formed at the inner periphery of the clutch cover 1 are bent by a hydraulic press device 3 to support the inner peripheries of a pair of the wire rings 5 and 6, and then ends 7 of the projections 2 are further bent by the press device 3 so that the ends 7 may hold the sides opposite to a diaphragm spring 8 of the wire rings 5 and 6.
However, in the conventional press device 3, a lower die 10 of the device 3 is desgned to support only a lower surface of an annular body 11 of a clutch cover 10, and an upper die 12 is designed to push the projection ends 7 downwardly while supporting a radially inner side of each projection body 9 through its whole length by support portions 14. Therefore, in the conventional upper die 12, it is necessary to provide the long projected support portions 14 which are longer than the projection bodies 9, and these long supports 14 receive a large bending moment from the work piece. Therefore, the support portions 14 of the conventional upper die 12 may be broken, which causes interruption of the work. Further, the bending accuracy can not be increased sufficiently because the support portions 14 deform. Moreover, the support portions 14 must be long projections to be extended downwardly through openings 15 in the spring 8. Moreover, the whole support portions 14 have complicated shapes, resulting in a high manufacturing cost.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a structure and a manufacturing method, overcoming the above-noted disadvantages, in which portions of projections at free end sides positioned above a diaphragm spring are adapted to be supported by a upper die and portions of the projections at base end sides positioned below the diaphragm spring are adapted to be supported by a lower die.
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention.

Manufacturing device of a clutch cover assembly


A system and related method for force-sensitive emissive display incorporates a force sensing device, such as a force-sensitive resistor or frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) assembly, bonded to a flexible film/film resistive touch sensor and an emissive display surface. The film/film resistive touch sensor may detect contact with the display surface and transmit the detected contact to the force sensing device, which determines a magnitude or degree of touch force associated with the detected contact. A display controller of the force-sensitive emissive display system may adjust the displayed content, or execute other responsive actions, based on the detected touch force as well as the position of the contact relative to the display surface, as determined by the film/film resistive touch sensor or by the force sensing device.

Force-sensitive touch interaction can bring additional intuitive functionality to touchscreen avionics. By adding a force-sensitive component to the touch-sensitive input (e.g., detecting a degree, or a magnitude, of force, rather than the binary presence or absence of force), the touchscreen functionality of an avionics display may include basic tasks such as speeding or slowing scroll bars or dials based on input force, alternating menus depending on the force level applied, or other human-machine interface (HMI) software efficiencies. A major challenge in enabling force-sensitive touch input—especially so in an avionics context—is incorporating force-sensing functionality without either a) increasing mechanical complexity, e.g., by adding strain gauges, or b) placing force-sensing hardware within a display bezel of limited size, without interfering with the active display area. For example, if the display is a liquid crystal display (LCD) assembly, placing force sensors directly behind the display may be difficult due to the thickness of the cover glass, as well as the necessity of a backlight module incorporated within the LCD. Further, LCD assemblies are sensitive to force applied directly to the LCD cells, as the force creates a cell gap distortion which causes the display to flash for short impacts. Worse, sufficient localized force may permanently blotch, or distort, a portion of the display surface.

Emissive Display over resistive touch sensor with force sensing


The present invention discloses a tactile warning panel inlay system and method. Such system is comprised of a panel formed with an exposed surface having a plurality of tactile warning protrusions and a support surface configured to contact a substrate matrix. The panel includes a plurality of apertures extending from the exposed surface to the support surface. Further, a plurality of fasteners are configured to extend individually through an aperture included in the plurality of panel apertures to secure the panel to the substrate matrix. Each fastener includes a head conformed to the shape of the tactile warning protrusion and a body for extending the fastener through the panel and into the substrate matrix.

Cement-type materials such as concrete pervade the construction industry. The durability and strength of concrete makes it particularly well suited for heavy traffic areas such as sidewalks, roadways, and the like. In addition, concrete has been utilized in non-traditional aspects of construction. For example, concrete has been utilized for countertops and other non-traditional surfaces. Concrete surface treatments may allow for various treatments to impart a pseudo stone look, pseudo brick look, and the like such as by including coloring agents and texturing the surface with stamps or the like.
Drawbacks to concrete surface treatments include the level of skill required to accomplish the task, cost, the durability of the surface, and the like. For instance, if a concrete surface is poured as a single slab, a crack in such surface may be repaired only by replacing the entire surface. In addition, concrete surface treatments are limited by the extent to which the pattern must imprint into the concrete. For example, if the difference between an upper surface and the primary (recessed) surface is too large the stamp may not provide a uniform surface or may damage the edge of a raised pattern. As a result, the project may not meet consumer desires.
Therefore, it would be desirable to develop an inlay system for concrete which allows the damaged concrete surface to be repaired without requiring the entire surface to be replaced. Further, it would be desirable for such a system to allow various types and sizes of patterns to be imprinted into concrete surfaces and yet still provide a uniform surface and not cause damage to the edge of a raised pattern.


Dual turbine-booster compressor units are arranged for advantageous liquefaction operations using high pressure heat exchangers.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to high pressure liquefier operations. More particularly, it relates to improved energy efficiency in such operations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many processes, both once-through and recycle types, have been used to liquefy air separation products, namely nitrogen, oxygen and argon. Around the middle of this century, processes were employed in which feed air to an air separation plant was compressed to as high as 3,000 psig in piston type, positive displacement reciprocating compressors. The high pressure air was dried and cooled in shell and tube, or spiral-wound, heat exchangers and expanded through reciprocating, positive displacement, work extraction expanders to produce the refrigeration necessary for producing air separation liquids. Such high pressure operation offered significant liquefaction cycle thermodynamic efficiency advantages. However, the heat exchange equipment employed was bulky and expensive, and the reciprocating machinery was complex and costly, both from an investment and maintenance viewpoint.
In the late fifties, viable low pressure, multi-stage centrifugal compressors, radial-inflow turboexpanders and compact, cost-effective brazed aluminum heat exchangers became commercially available. Low pressure recycle nitrogen processes were employed to utilize this new equipment for the production of refrigeration to liquefy air separation products. The low aerodynamic efficiency of said machinery and the thermodynamic disadvantage of low pressure operation resulted in liquefaction systems whose energy efficiency was, at times, lower than that of the high pressure systems they replaced. However, investment and maintenance requirements were lower. By the early eighties, steady advances in working pressure and maximum size availability of brazed aluminum heat exchangers, improvements in aerodynamic efficiency of centrifugal compressors, and the commercial availability of multi-stage, centrifugal, high pressure, nitrogen recycle compressors with matching cryogenic turboexpander/booster assemblies were utilized in both recycle and single pass liquefaction cycles with maximum pressures as high as 770 psig. Energy efficiency was significantly better for these newer designs than for the earlier, low pressure turbomachinery-based systems. At the present time, most air separation liquids are manufactured by liquefiers of such improved design.
Typical configurations of the present type of nitrogen liquefier is illustrated in the Hanson et al patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,497. As shown therein, first feed nitrogen is supplied to the suction of a three or four stage recycle compressor from the discharge of the feed compressor supplied with low pressure nitrogen from an air separation plant. Additional feed is often supplied as warmed vapor from the high pressure column in the air plant. The nitrogen recycle compressor pumps this feed and the returning recycle nitrogen stream from the liquefier cold box from a pressure of typically about 80-90 psia to about 450-500 psia. The total recycle compressor discharge stream is further compressed to about 700 psia by warm and cold turbine boosters arranged in parallel as shown in the Hanson et al patent. For this liquefaction cycle arrangement, parallel rather than series arrangement of the boosters results in the most advantageous dimensionless aerodynamic performance parameters for the booster compression stages. The high pressure stream exiting the boosters is successively cooled in the cold box brazed aluminum heat exchangers and divided between the warm turbine, cold turbine and the product stream. The exhaust from both turbines is warmed in the heat exchange system and returned to the suction of the recycle compressor.
In 1985, large brazed aluminum heat exchangers with working pressure capability of 1,400 psig became available. For a number of reasons, the nitrogen liquefaction process described above is not able to benefit from the thermodynamic advantages of operating at this higher pressure level. With both turbines operating at a pressure ratio of about 8, e.g. 700 psia to 88 psia, the sum of the temperature drop across the two machines equals the total temperature range from ambient to saturated vapor temperature at the cold turbine exhaust. Increasing the inlet pressures of the turbines without increasing their outlet pressure would increase the temperature drop across the machines beyond that which can be efficiently used by the process. Thus, temperature mixing losses and/or two phase exhaust from the cold turbine would develop. Also, the pressure ratio across a single stage radial inflow turboexpander cannot be increased much beyond 8 because of aerodynamic design constraints. These problems could be avoided by increasing both the inlet and outlet pressures of the turbines proportionately to maintain the pressure ratio across them fixed at about 8. At a 1,400 psia turbine inlet pressure, exhaust pressure of the turbines and inlet pressure to the recycle compressor would be about 175 psia. The cold turbine exhaust temperature could not be lower than the saturation temperature of 107.degree. K. at 175 psia which, in turn, would result in excessively high temperature and enthalpy of the supercritical product stream entering the flash separator, exported to the air plant, or passing to the subcooler for subsequent delivery to storage. The overall efficiency of the system is hurt by this reduction in the proportion of total liquefaction refrigeration that is provided by direct heat exchange contact with the turbine exhaust streams. In addition, increasing the exhaust pressure of the cold turbine and suction pressure of the recycle compressor above the operating pressure of the high pressure column in the air separation plant prevents direct transfer of either cold or warmed vapor from this column to the suction circuit of the liquefier. While various means for avoiding this problem can be attempted, they all add appreciable cost and complexity to the plant. As a result, therefore, the liquefaction processes operating at peak cycle pressures of 700-800 psia and currently used widely to liquefy nitrogen and air are not well suited for operating at higher peak cycle pressures.
The Dobracki patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,076, discloses a turbomachinery-based, recycle nitrogen liquefaction process designed to take advantage of the commercially-available high working pressure brazed aluminum heat exchangers. As indicated in Table I, thereof, the patented process has a claimed energy efficiency advantage of about 5% compared to typical commercial liquefiers. The patented process uses three radial-inflow turboexpanders to span the temperature range from ambient to saturated vapor exhaust of the cold turbine. The warm turbine, taking aftercooled recycle compressor discharge gas at 489 psia as feed, discharges at recycle compressor suction pressure of 91 psia and 192.degree. K. It provides all of the refrigeration required by the process down to the 200.degree. K. temperature level. The remaining recycle compressor discharge gas is boosted from 490 psia to maximum cycle head pressure of 1,215 psia by two centrifugal compressor wheels absorbing power delivered by the three gas expanders. After cooling to 200.degree. K. in the heat exchange system a portion of this stream is directed to the intermediate gas expander where it expands to 480 psia and 155.degree. K. This machine provides process refrigeration between 200.degree. K. and 155.degree. K. The cold turboexpander is fed exhaust gas from the intermediate expander blended with a small trim stream of recycle compressor discharge gas which has been cooled in the heat exchange system to the same temperature. The cold expander exhausts at 94 psia at, or close to, saturated vapor. It provides refrigeration between 155.degree. K. and 99.degree. K. The turbine exhaust stream after being warmed in counter-current heat exchange with incoming feed stream returns to the recycle compressor suction. The liquid, or dense fluid expander, expands the cold, supercritical product nitrogen stream from 1,206 psia to 94 psia for further heat content reduction before export to the air separation plant as refrigeration supply for production of subcooled liquid products. While the patented process is disclosed as having an overall energy efficiency better than the prior art by about 5%, there nevertheless remain several deficiencies and disadvantages that are desired to be overcome to further advance the liquefier art.
The power requirement of the Dobracki patent process is 2.3% greater than that of the invention herein described and claimed. Two factors contributing to this circumstance are that its reported cycle pressure of about 1,200 psia is lower than the currently preferred 1,400 psia level of the subject invention, and, secondly, the power generated by the liquid turbine is not recovered to accomplish useful work. Furthermore, the cycle is more complicated because it uses three nitrogen gas turbines and one liquid turbine with incremental investment and maintenance costs being high because of the use of four machines as compared to the simpler scheme of the subject invention involving two gas turbines and one liquid turbine.
The cycle arrangement of the Dobracki patent will be seen to preclude achieving the thermodynamic advantage theoretically available from increasing process head pressure to 1,400 psia, the maximum working pressure capability of today's brazed aluminum heat exchangers, or desirably up to 2,500 psia.
It will thus be seen that it would be highly desirable in the art to have high pressure liquefier processes capable of advantageously employing heat exchangers with working pressure capability up to 1,400 psia. It should also be noted that, in many instances where the liquefier is integrated with an air separation plant, it would be advantageous to have the flexibility of lowering the cold turbine exhaust pressure and recycle compressor inlet pressure to permit exporting either or both warmed and cold nitrogen vapor from the air separation plant's high pressure column without compression, as feed to the liquefier. Modern air separation plants with structured packing-filled distillation columns are being designed with high pressure nitrogen column pressures as low as 68 psia. The process of the Dobracki patent does not have the flexibility of operating at a recycle compressor suction pressure this low. If it were attempted, either very large liquid content would develop in the cold turbine exhaust, or large temperature mixing losses would occur between the heat exchanger zones. This problem could be resolved by operating at a maximum cycle pressure of about 900 psia, but this would result in a significant reduction in cycle energy efficiency.
It is an object of the invention to address these various problems in the art so as to provide an improved high pressure liquefier process and system capable of utilizing high pressure heat exchangers and of achieving significant process energy savings over current practices in the art.


A fluid dynamometer is provided for absorbing a range of power output proed by an engine's rotating shaft. Power absorbing characteristics are controlled by adjusting the fluid media characteristics in terms of its temperature and/or its density and viscosity. A tank, containing an energy or power absorbing fluid, receives the rotating shaft. One or more disks, submerged in the fluid and coaxially mounted on the rotating shaft for rotation therewith, cooperate with the fluid to absorb power from the rotating shaft. The disk(s) are sized so that a first specified amount of power from the rotating shaft is absorbed at a calibration temperature of the fluid. Heating and cooling units are provided to respectively heat and cool the fluid. A controller energizes the heating and cooling units in a cooperative fashion to adjust and maintain the fluid at a predetermined temperature value for power absorption at a second specified amount of power produced by the rotating shaft. A fluid composition exchanger may also be provided to alter the power absorbing characteristics by altering the fluid's composition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fluid dynamometers, and more particularly to a fluid dynamometer that adjusts the characteristics of the fluid contained therein to thereby adjust the power absorbing characteristics of the dynamometer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dynamometers are devices which are used to measure and absorb the power output of engines or power producing devices. This output is usually transmitted by a rotating shaft to the dynamometer. There are two basic types of dynamometers, a brake dynamometer and a disk dynamometer. In a brake type dynamometer a frictional load is imposed upon the rotating shaft to absorb the energy produced. The amount of force needed to impose the frictional load is equatable to the power being produced by the engine.
In a disk dynamometer, a disk is affixed to the rotating shaft of the engine. The disk is submerged in a container of fluid, typically tap or fresh water. The power produced by the engine is absorbed by the well known interaction of the disk and fluid at the disk/fluid interface. In this type of dynamometer, there often are no physical or mechanical measurements of torque or force caused by the rotating shaft. Rather, the disk is calibrated to absorb a specified amount of power in fresh water at 68.degree. F. for a prescribed number of shaft revolutions per minute (RPM). In this way, one may determine power or energy output of the engine by measuring shaft RPM.
In addition to single disk dynamometers, there are multiple disk and counter-rotating disk dynamometers. For multiple disk type dynamometers, the dynamometer tank housing usually includes a number of projections interspersed between the rotating disks to assure that a cylindrical water slug is not formed about the rotating components. The formation of a water slug would destroy or cause a variation in the known power absorption characteristic of the disk assembly. The counter-rotating disk type dynamometer is used to measure total engine power output when the engine has two power output shafts which rotate in different directions.
For single or multiple disk dynamometers, the equation relating a disk's size, shaft rotational speed and horsepower is usually in the form: EQU HP=1.78.times.10.sup.-11 CR.sup.4.6 .rho..nu..sup.1/5 .omega..sup.2.8
where HP is the shaft horsepower;
.rho. is the density of the fluid in slugs/ft.sup.3 ;
C is a dimensionless constant verified by a horsepower calculation that uses shaft torque and angular velocity measurements;
.nu. is the kinematic viscosity of the fluid media in ft.sup.2 /sec;
R is the disk radius in inches; and
.omega. is the angular velocity of the disk in revolutions per minute (RPM). For multiple and counter-rotating disk dynamometers, the horsepower equation is evaluated for each of the disks.
From the foregoing relation, it can be seen that to absorb a different amount of power at a given rotational speed under standard test conditions (i.e., water at 68.degree. F.), the disk radius is the only parameter which can be modified. Modification of the "C" parameter, or constant, is not considered because it relates primarily to the dynamometer tank geometry. The standard practice is to optimally size the disk's diameter to absorb the power output of the engine being tested. Therefore, it is necessary to have a number of disks available, each uniquely suited to absorb a specified engine output as a function of rotational speed. If the disks available are unsuited to absorb the specified power, an additional disk must be made, or an existing disk modified for the application. Providing additional disks and/or modifying existing disks is both costly and time consuming. Another method of adjusting the load is to partially fill the tank or vary the amount of water in the tank. However, drawing fluid from the tank results in an air-water interface that produces system oscillations, unsteady conditions and noise.

Fluid dynamometer having fluid characteristic power absorption adjustment capability

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A method and system for privately communicating signals over a wireless communications network include the steps of and circuitry and instructions for processing communication signals in a first signal processing circuit within a first communications controller circuit at a first location to produce processed communication signals. The processed communication signals may be processed voice communication signals or any arbitrary data stream that is to be communicated from one point to another. These processed communication signals are then enciphered and transmitted from the first location to a second location over a wireless communications network where a second communications controller circuit deciphers and decompresses the received communication signals. The enciphering and deciphering may occur in a digital signal processor of the communications controller circuit. The invention permits employing yet unspecified schemes or to provide a mobile device a certain amount of ubiquitousness, since it may employ one privacy scheme in one venue and a different one in another circumstance, the method and system permit facile use of politically correct privacy schemes in different jurisdictions very flexibly.

Acceptable privacy systems for wireless communications systems such as cordless and cellular telephones have in common some way of authenticating a mobile unit. Once authentication occurs, the mobile unit may communicate with a base station or another mobile unit. After authentication, however, no standard or easily adaptable method or system exists to ensure that wireless communications are private or secure. The ease with which a skilled person can intercept wireless communications establishes a need for privacy in these communications. Moreover, as cellular telephones become increasingly wide-spread, the need for privacy in these communications will surpass its current high level.
To implement known privacy schemes in wireless communications requires additional circuitry that increases the purchase price of these systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,919 to Reeds et al. (hereinafter Reeds) describes an authentication and data encryption/decryption technique that requires both additional circuitry and additional cellular telephone systems software reprogramming. This scheme substantially increases the cellular telephone unit purchase price for systems that use it. Competitive market forces, however, continue to require that the purchase price of cellular or cordless telephones and other wireless communication systems remain as low as possible.
Any system that protects wireless communications must also be flexible to combat creative attempts to violate or render ineffective the associated privacy scheme. A problem with systems similar to that of Reeds, to the contrary, is that the authentication and encryption circuitry has a high likelihood of becoming outmoded and its utility diminishing once its operation becomes well-known. Furthermore, the combination of technology variances, jurisdictional variances, differing legal constraints on use of otherwise private information, and the various and ever changing legal tests and standards that provide privacy in electronic communications all require flexibility in any approach to making wireless communications private. Existing systems cannot respond to these differing circumstances. In fact, there does not exist a method and system that provides a flexible privacy scheme for wireless communications that is both economical to use and adaptable to existing and future wireless communications scenarios.

Wireless communications privacy method and system


A pressing mechanism is adapted for use in an image shake suppressing optical device that includes a driving unit and an image capturing unit. The pressing mechanism is adapted to be disposed between the driving unit and the image capturing unit, and includes an arm body and a press head unit. The arm body has a driven end that is adapted to be connected to the driving unit, and a connecting end that is opposite to the driven end. The press head unit is adapted to be disposed between the connecting end of the arm body and the image capturing unit, and is adapted for providing a resilient pressing force on the image capturing unit when the driven end of the arm body is driven by the driving unit to move the connecting end in a pressing direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a pressing mechanism, more particularly to a pressing mechanism for an image shake suppressing optical device.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional pressing mechanism 1 is disposed in an image shake suppressing optical device, such as a camera. The camera has an image detecting module (not shown) that can drive an image sensing component 11 via a driving circuit (not shown) to move quickly so as to suppress or compensate blurring due to shaking of the camera. After movement of the image sensing component 11, the conventional pressing mechanism 1 presses a mounting frame 12 coupled co-movably to the image sensing component 11, such that the image sensing component 11 can be positioned. The conventional pressing mechanism 1 includes an arm body 14 and a press head 15 coupled to the arm body 14. When the arm body 14 is driven by a driving unit 13 to move one end thereof downwardly, the press head 15 moves along with the arm body 14 to press the mounting frame 12, thereby positioning the image sensing component 11 and avoiding slight vibration of the image sensing component 11.
However, since the press head 15 is rigid and is coupled fixedly to the arm body 14, when the arm body 14 suffers from elastic fatigue and deforms permanently after long-term use, the press head 15 may not able to completely contact and effectively press the mounting frame 12, thereby resulting in possible vibration of the image sensing component 11.

Pressing mechanism for an image shake suppressing optical device


A system and method for providing a collaborative platform, the system including a server configured to create a collaborative back room folder environment on the server in response to a request from a renter, wherein the collaborative back room folder environment includes at least one parameter configurable by the renter, and wherein the collaborative back room folder environment is capable of supporting an exchange of information between a plurality of computers wherein the information is configurable by the renter.

As more businesses become 'connected' and begin to operate on a National and/or International level, the need for the exchange of information over long distances increases. One way to accomplish the exchange of information involves transferring the information via 'hard' mailing techniques, such as by sending volumes of paper via traditional mailing services, such as Federal Express, UPS and US Postal Service, or by facilitating the information exchange via a courier. Unfortunately however, this type of transfer method can be expensive, time consuming and impractical depending on the volume of information to be exchanged. Additionally, because the information is transferred via paper copy, the paper copy must be physically delivered to the desired location. Depending upon the desired location, the time required for transfer may be days.
Another way to accomplish the exchange of information involves using electronic transfer devices to facilitate the transfer, such as via a facsimile or electronic mailing (E-Mail) device. Unfortunately however, although this method has been around for several years and is typically much more efficient than the physical transfer of information, both in cost and time, this method becomes less efficient and cost effective as the volume and sensitivity of the information increases. For example, sending large amounts of information via email may not be a viable option if the email servers of both the sender and receiver need to be secure servers or cannot support large files. Another problem occurs when the information being exchanged needs to be discussed by multiple parties disposed in multiple locations. Unfortunately, this type of communication, or 'Internet collaboration' setup, raises several issues on information security and the technical sophistication of the parties involved.
In order to address these concerns, several services for Internet collaboration have been developed, including Internet based services, such as Intranets.com, iceboxportal.com, teamworkzone.com and wiki.org, which provide for extranet communication or Internet collaboration. Unfortunately however, these services currently have several drawbacks. First, in order to access and take full advantage of these services, the users must have a considerable amount of technical expertise involving Internet systems and communications. This is a skill the average business person does not have without hiring an IT professional. Second, these services typically require specialized software to facilitate and operate. This is an added cost to the user. Third, the level of information security provided by these services is typically not sufficient to prevent the intrusion of unwanted parties or the dissemination of sensitive information.


Various embodiments enable a web site to expose various search providers that it promotes to browsers that navigate to that site. In at least some embodiments, the search providers are exposed using the HTML of a web page. When a browser navigates to that site, it processes the HTML of the associated web page and exposes the promoted search providers to the user. In at least some embodiments, the browser can permit use of one or more search providers without requiring the user to install the search provider. Alternately or additionally, in at least some other embodiments, the browser can enable the user to quickly and efficiently install the search provider so that the search provider can be available whenever the user uses their browser application.

Modern web browsers commonly provide built in mechanisms for searching the web. One mechanism is known as an "inline search box". Here, if a user provides search text, such as words and phrases, the browser will perform a web search using the words or phrases.
The inline search box depends on what is known as a "search provider", also referred to as a "search engine" or "search scope". A search provider is typically defined by information stored on the user's machine. The browser uses this information to perform its web searches. This information can, but need not necessarily, include a short user-friendly name for the provider, a longer descriptive name, information about how the browser should assemble a URL to use to navigate the browser window to show search results, and information about the company, person or organization that provided the information. Typically, however, all that is really needed is information on how to assemble the search URL.
Many browsers provide for some mechanism to allow the user to select from one of several pre-installed search providers. Typically, this mechanism is a drop-down menu located next to the inline search box.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Automatic browser search provider detection and usage


Provided is a simple light irradiation apparatus capable of performing uniform irradiation even on to a treatment area having a curved surface and capable of suppressing excessive heating caused by light irradiation. The light irradiation apparatus (10) includes a polymer gel layer (3) that covers the treatment area (2) on skin (1), an LED protective layer (6) that closely adheres to the polymer gel layer (3), and a substrate (5) on which LEDs (4) closely adhered to the LED protective layer (6) are arranged thereon. A current control apparatus (8) which lights the LEDs (4) controls irradiation intensity and stops irradiation when reaching a demanded dose amount.

In general, light treatment is used for various purposes such as treatment of diseases such as neonatal jaundice, psoriasis, and acne, relief to pain and beauty. Green light beams and blue-white light beams are used for treatment of the neonatal jaundice, ultraviolet light is used for psoriasis treatment, and blue light beams, red light beams, and yellow light beams are used for acne treatment. In addition, various light sources are used depending on the application.
For example, in a case of using a light source such as an excimer lamp and an arc lamp, a treatment area is disposed at a certain distance from a fixed light source and irradiated with the light beams. However, since the light beams also hit on an area other than the treatment area in this method, it is demanded to take measures such as covering the area other than the treatment area with a light shielding object such as an eye mask for protecting the eyes. In addition, for curved parts such as hands and legs, since irradiation intensity varies depending on a location of the treatment area due to an angle and distance to the light source, it is difficult to uniformly irradiate the treatment area with the light beams. Furthermore, since such a lamp type apparatus is large and many auxiliary apparatuses such as a power supply and a cooling apparatus are demanded, a large installation space is demanded and price is high.
In addition, in a case where a light source such as a laser is used, since the light beams irradiated to the treatment area becomes spot light beams, it is demanded that the spot light beams are scanned in order to irradiate the treatment area of a large area with the light beams, so that an apparatus becomes complicated and expensive.
Furthermore, in a case where an apparatus that irradiates a surface with the light beams by utilizing an optical fiber is used, since efficiency of transmitting the light beams to the optical fiber is relatively low, irradiation power tends to be lowered, and thus it is suitable for only a relatively long treatment.
From the background as described above, there is a demand for a flexible light source for light beam treatment which can cover the treatment area while keeping a certain distance along the treatment area.
Here, a light-emitting diode (LED) is relatively smaller than other light sources, and it is possible to irradiate the treatment area having a curved surface with the different numbers of elements and different arrangement and the like with the light beams.
Therefore, with respect to the demand, the following PTLs using LEDs as the light-emitting sources are disclosed.
In PTL 1, a light irradiation apparatus in which a laser and an LED as the light-emitting source are disposed on a flexible substrate and which winds around the treatment area to be used is disclosed.
In PTL 2, a light irradiation apparatus for a face in which an LED as the light-emitting source is disposed on a flexible substrate and which covers the face in use is disclosed.
In PTL 3, a flexible light irradiation apparatus in which a large number of LEDs serving as a light-emitting source are arranged on a flexible substrate and which is wrapped around the treatment area, irradiating the wrapped treatment area with the light beams is disclosed.
In PTL 4, on the premise of application to the head, a light irradiation apparatus in which an LED serving as the light-emitting source is disposed inside a cap is disclosed.
In PTL 5, a light irradiation apparatus in which an LED serving as the light-emitting source is disposed of a flexible substrate and a light-transmitting material is interposed between the treatment area and the LED such that heat generated from the LED is transmitted to the treatment area is disclosed.
In NPL 1, a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection skin ulcer treatment method using LED near-ultraviolet light is described.


A pinion mounted at the lower end of a steering column engages a rack which is supported for movement laterally of the longitudinal axis of a riding lawnmower. Opposite ends of the rack have respective drag links pivotally mounted thereto. Free ends of the drag links are connected to the ends of respective spindle arms, each of which is rotatable about a vertical axis. Each spindle arm supports a ground-engaging wheel. When a steering wheel joined to the steering column is turned, the pinion displaces the rack. The drag links impart pivotal movement to the spindle arms to cause the wheels to turn in the direction the steering wheel has been turned.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rack and pinion steering arrangement incorporated in a riding lawnmower to provide a low turning radius for the lawnmower.
2. Prior Art
A frequently used riding lawnmower steering arrangement is one employing a steering plate which is pivotally mounted to the frame of the mower. The plate is displaced by a steering wheel-mounted pinion which engages serrations on a curved edge of the plate. When the pinion is rotated by the steering wheel, the plate is correspondingly pivoted about its mounting. A pair of drag links are pivotally connected to the steering plate. Each drag link is joined to a respective spindle arm which supports a wheel. Thus, when the steering wheel is turned, the pivotal movement of the steering plate is transmitted through the drag links to cause the wheels of the lawnmower to turn.
The present invention improves the turning aspect of a riding lawnmower as compared with the conventional steering arrangement just described.
A pinion mounted at the lower end of a steering column engages a rack which is supported for movement laterally of the longitudinal axis of a riding lawnmower. Opposite ends of the rack have respective drag links pivotally mounted thereto. Free ends of the drag links are connected to the ends of respective spindle arms, each of which is rotatable about a vertical axis. Each spindle arm supports a ground-engaging wheel. When a steering wheel joined to the steering column is turned, the pinion displaces the rack. The drag links impart pivotal movement to the spindle arms to cause the wheels to turn in the direction the steering wheel has been turned.

Rack and pinion steering arrangement for a riding lawnmower


A wind energy conversion system employs a wind turbine means mounted on a frame, said wind turbine having a venturi configured shroud with a core and a plurality of blades fixedly mounted between the core and the throat of the venturi. The blades have an air foil design consisting essentially of an inverted pan-shaped, cross-sectional configuration to create high torque at low air speed.

In the prior art, it was known to use windmills with air compressor units that are powered by the wind energy turning the windmill, to store air under pressure for use, for example, in generating electricity. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,055,950; 4,236,083 and 4,447,738.
Windmill type designs have also been used in wind turbines with various shaped impeller blades and angles encased in a cowling designed to direct the wind over the blades. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,025,428; 4,021,135; 4,140,433; 4,132,499; 4,143,992; 4,324,985 and 4,720,640.
One of the primary goals of the prior art configurations was to get more revolutions per minute (rpm) out of the device. Thus, the blade configurations were such as to pass air quickly through the device. To do this, the blades would be so configured and positioned as to not interfere with each other's air flow.
One of the problems with prior art devices was that in sustained high winds they would tend to "run away" and burn up. Furthermore, at low winds or intermittent winds, they could not produce the sustained energy, i.e. constant speed, necessary to produce, for example, electricity.


A method and apparatus for a connection interface between a reservoir or syringe, infusion set tubing, and an infusion pump is provided. The reservoir, a base and a cap are connected to form an integrated unit that is capable of being inserted and secured in an infusion pump housing. The cap and the infusion pump are each provided with at least one sensor or at least one detectable feature, arranged to interact with at least one corresponding detectable feature or sensor on the other of the cap and infusion pump device, to detect one or more of the presence, position or other characteristic of the cap when the cap is aligned or coupled with the infusion pump housing. The detectable feature and sensor may be magnetic, RF, mechanical, optical or any combination.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to connection interfaces for syringes and reservoirs and, in particular embodiments, to connection interfaces for interfacing a syringe or reservoir to an infusion pump, infusion set tubing, or both. Further embodiments relate to infusion pump systems and infusion set systems that include such connection interfaces, and to methods that employ the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Infusion pump devices and systems are used in medical contexts, to deliver or dispense infusion media to patients, where such infusion media may be, for example, a prescribed medication such as insulin, a cancer therapy drug, an HIV therapy drug or other media for treating a medical or biological condition. In one form, such infusion pump devices have a relatively compact pump housing adapted to receive a syringe or reservoir that contains a prescribed medication for administration to a patient.
Infusion pump devices typically include a small drive motor connected through a drive linkage to a piston in the syringe or reservoir. The drive motor operates to selectively move the piston within the syringe or reservoir, to drive fluidic media from the reservoir and to the user. Programmable controls are normally provided for operating the drive motor continuously or at periodic intervals to obtain a controlled delivery of the medication over a period of time. Such infusion pumps are utilized to administer insulin and other medications, with exemplary pump constructions being shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,562,751; 4,678,408; 4,685,903; 5,080,653 and 5,097,122, each of which is incorporated by reference herein, in its entirety.
Infusion sets are tubing and connection apparatus that provide a fluid flow path for infusion media to flow from the reservoir or syringe in the pump to the user. Connectors for attaching the infusion set tubing to the reservoirs can take various forms. Some examples of such connectors are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,695, which is incorporated by reference herein, in its entirety.
Nevertheless, it remains desirable to develop improved designs of connection methods to facilitate infusion procedures and to provide suitable interface connections that provide additional features for ease of use and manufacture, and other advantages.


In wireless communications between first and second frequency hopping wireless communication devices, both devices can dwell on a single selected frequency (f11) for selected types of data transmissions such as large data bursts and data requiring an enhanced quality of service. For a large data burst, the data transmission rate can also be increased (DH5) during the duration (Ti) of the frequency dwelling, thereby reducing the transmission time of the burst. In addition, the combination of frequency dwelling with an increased data transmission rate can advantageously be used to free time slots in a wireless communication link between the devices, which freed time slots would not otherwise be available.

Present telecommunication system technology includes a wide variety of wireless networking systems associated with both voice and data communications. An overview of several of these wireless networking systems is presented by Amitava Dutta-Roy, Communications Networks for Homes, IEEE Spectrum, pg. 26, December 1999. Therein, Dutta-Roy discusses several communication protocols in the 2.4 GHz band, including IEEE 802.11 direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) and frequency-hopping (FHSS) protocols. A disadvantage of these protocols is the high overhead associated with their implementation. Id. pg. 31. A less complex wireless protocol known as Shared Wireless Access Protocol (SWAP) also operates in the 2.4 GHz band. This protocol has been developed by the HomeRF Working Group and is supported by North American communications companies. The SWAP protocol uses frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology to produce a data rate of 1 Mb/sec. Another less complex protocol is named Bluetooth after a 10th century Scandinavian king who united several Danish kingdoms. This protocol also operates in the 2.4 GHz band and advantageously offers short-range wireless communication between Bluetooth devices without the need for a central network.
The Bluetooth protocol provides a 1 Mb/sec data rate with low energy consumption for battery powered devices operating in the 2.4 GHz ISM (industrial, scientific, medical) band. The current Bluetooth protocol provides a 10-meter range and an asymmetric data transfer rate of 721 kb/sec. The protocol supports a maximum of three voice channels for synchronous, CVSD-encoded transmission at 64 kb/sec. The Bluetooth protocol treats all radios as peer units except for a unique 48-bit address. At the start of any connection, the initiating unit is a temporary master. This temporary assignment, however, may change after initial communications are established. Each master may have active connections of up to seven slaves. Such a connection between a master and one or more slaves forms a "piconet." Link management allows communication between piconets, thereby forming "scatternets." Typical Bluetooth master devices include cordless phone base stations, local area network (LAN) access points, laptop computers, or bridges to other networks. Bluetooth slave devices may include cordless handsets, cell phones, headsets, personal digital assistants, digital cameras, or computer peripherals such as printers, scanners, fax machines and other devices.
The Bluetooth protocol uses time-division duplex (TDD) to support bi-directional communication. Spread-spectrum technology or frequency diversity with frequency hopping permits operation in noisy environments and permits multiple piconets to exist in close proximity. The frequency hopping scheme permits up to 1600 hops per second over 79 1-MHZ channels or the entire ISM spectrum. Various error correcting schemes permit data packet protection by ⅓ and ⅔ rate forward error correction. Further, Bluetooth uses retransmission of packets for guaranteed reliability. These schemes help correct data errors, but at the expense of throughput.
The Bluetooth protocol is specified in detail in Specification of the Bluetooth System, Version 1.0A, Jul. 26, 1999, which is incorporated herein by reference.
In conjunction with frequency hopping systems such as the Bluetooth system, master-slave frequency dwelling (MSD) has been presented as a way of increasing the range in a Bluetooth system when the Doppler frequency is very low. The basic idea is to exploit the frequency diversity of the ISM bands by dwelling on good frequencies that are not currently in a fade. This can extend the operational range of the system by a factor of 3. Such master-slave dwelling techniques are disclosed in copending U.S. Ser. No. 09/507,134 filed on Feb. 22, 2000, incorporated herein by reference.
The aforementioned master-slave frequency dwelling technique is illustrated generally in the Bluetooth example of FIG. 1. MSD is used during the period of time indicated at 11. During this period of time (of length Ti), communications between the master and slave devices are conducted on a single, predetermined dwell frequency. Outside of the MSD time period 11, the frequencies of the normal Bluetooth frequency hopping pattern are used.
In many packet data applications, for example packet data applications in Bluetooth systems, the data will come in large bursts, for example images to download from a digital camera, transmission of a data file, Internet browsing, etc. In many of these situations, the user must wait for a considerable period of time before the entire data transmission is completed. For example, when transmitting a 1 megabyte file with a ⅔ rate code using 3-slot Bluetooth packets (e.g., Bluetooth DM3 packets with 121 information bytes per packet) where the master and slave alternate transmissions (and the acknowledgment takes a single-slot packet) the complete transmission will take about 22 seconds.
In other applications such as Bluetooth HV1 (High-quality Voice) where the voice transmission is protected by a ⅓ rate FEC (forward error correcting code) so that the master and slave each send an HV1 packet every 2 time slots, a single HV1 voice call disadvantageously occupies all of the available time slots.
In any packet communication system, some packets are more important than others, so different packets can have different quality-of-service requirements. In Bluetooth systems, for example, different coding rates are available for voice (rates of ⅓, ⅔ and 1) and for data (rates of ⅔ and 1), so some differentiation in quality-of-service is already possible. One problem, however, is that there is no additional coding across frequencies, so a packet may be lost during a fade, no matter what coding rate is used. Another problem is that using a ⅓ or ⅔ rate code disadvantageously decreases the information rates significantly. Retransmissions, for example using conventional ARQ techniques, are useful for packets that can tolerate the extra delay, but this also disadvantageously reduces the information rate.
It is desirable in view of the foregoing discussion to provide for reducing data transmission times for large data bursts, temporarily freeing time slots in applications which otherwise use all available time slots, and enhancing the quality-of-service for selected packets without decreasing the associated information rate.
The present invention uses master-slave frequency dwelling for selected types of data transmissions such as large data bursts and data requiring an enhanced quality of service. For a large data burst, master-slave frequency dwelling can be combined with an increase in the data transmission rate advantageously to reduce the transmission time of the burst. Also according to the present invention, master-slave frequency dwelling can be combined with an increased data transmission rate advantageously to free time slots which would not otherwise be available.

Enhanced performance in frequency hopping wireless communications by combining frequency dwelling with data transmission adjustments


There is described an aqueous ink of the type useful for drop-on-demand printers, that is, comprising more than 40 weight % humectant and a compatible dye. The ink is improved by the addition of from about 0.5 to about 10 weight % of a non-ionic, acetylenic diol surfactant or a dioctyl sulfosuccinate surfactant, effective to provide high quality image properties when printed on plain paper. Without the surfactant, such high quality image is not achieved on the plain paper.

Coated paper has been the only material used in the past for thermal drop-on-demand printing, to overcome feathering. The feathering is particularly aggravated by the presence of the excessive (greater than 40 weight %) amounts of humectant needed to reduce "crusting-over" and relaxation times in the print head. As used herein, "thermal drop-on-demand printing" means printers that generate drops only when printing is needed, in response to thermal energy. Thus, for example, Hewlett-Packard's "Think Jet Black Ink" printed from drop-on-demand printers uses specially coated paper. It is not acceptable for use on plain paper, because the optical density is insufficient (no greater than about 0.75) when printed in a standard test pattern. This density, or lack of it, is not due to the amount of colorant present, since it can be shown that a greater amount of the colorant used by this ink gives no appreciable improvement in optical density.
The coatings needed for these specialty papers now used for drop-on-demand printing, are frequently calcium carbonate-based or silicate-based. In any event, such coatings usually result in paper costs that are two to five times as much as plain paper. The cost has not been due just to materials, but also to the process of achieving the coating. In addition to cost, the need to use specialty papers has been a substantial inconvenience, since the customer cannot use just any paper at hand. Furthermore, the recommended specialty papers are difficult to obtain in foreign countries.
Thus, ever since thermal drop-on-demand printing has been available, there has been a substantial need for an ink that does not require coated papers, but is useful on plain paper, even when the ink has greater than 40 weight % penetrant or humectant.
Surfactants have long been used with ink jet inks, for various purposes. Clearly, however, none of these have been found, heretofore, to be effective to render the thermal drop-on-demand ink printable on plain paper.
A typical example of surfactants used in inks is that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,881, wherein Surfynol 485, one of the acetylenic diols found useful herein, is listed as being useful as a humectant, "in the absence of any glycol". That patent is silent about using this surfactant to allow printing of drop-on-demand ink on plain paper. That is not surprising since the use of 14 weight % Surfynol 485, in the absence of any of the preferred glycol humectants of this invention, is shown hereinafter as not being effective to allow printing in a drop-on-demand printer. That is, it provides insufficient glycol or other humectant.
Other inks have been taught that use high levels of humectants, such as glycols. These humectants are particularly needed, as noted above, in such large quantities for drop-on-demand printers, since the ink is retained in a quiescent state for so long between demands. Without the high weight % of humectant, the printhead crusts over. A representative patent illustrating an ink with such properties is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,543. However, this patent makes no mention of the use of plain paper, nor does it suggest that acetylenic diols should be added to the humectants already present, for any reason. In fact, plain paper is not acceptable for such ink, due to feathering caused by the high weight % of humectant.
Finally, yet another reason mitigates against the addition of a surfactant to an ink already heavily loaded with a humectant. That is, it is difficult to find a surfactant that accomplishes control of the drop appearance on plain paper, without adversely affecting the ink's property in some other respect, such as the ink's drying time.

Plain paper ink for drop-on-demand printing


A conductive elastomeric foam composite is presented, comprising an elastomer foam and polypyrrole, thiophene, or aniline and derivatives thereof. The foam is manufactured by first diffusing an oxidant into the dense polymer phase of a solvent-swollen foam and then diffusing pyrrole or pyrrole derivative vapor or solution into the dried foam, resulting in an in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole at the oxidant site. Only about 5 wt % of conductive polymer is required for observing an insulator to conductor transition. The conductivity of the composite foam can be effectively controlled between 10.sup.-7 and 10.sup.-1 S/cm by varying either the amount of oxidant used and/or the copolymer composition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to conductive elastomeric foams. In particular, the present invention relates to methods of rendering insulative polymeric foams conductive.
2. Brief Summary of the Related Art
Conductive elastomers are well known for use in soling materials for shoes, in electrostatic dissipative (ESD) footwear, and in other applications which require ESD and Electromagnetic Interference/Radio Frequency Interference (EMI/RFI) shielding. Cellular elastomers, such as polyurethane foams, are presently rendered conductive by the incorporation of ionic compounds, but this approach has a number of drawbacks. The most serious of these is that the lowest electrical resistance (highest conductivity) achievable is a conductivity of about 1.times.10.sup.-8 Siemens per centimeter (S/cm), the resistivity is also very sensitive to temperature and humidity (hygrothermal conditions), and the conductivity changes over time due to ion mobility and ion depletion.
Use of electrically conductive fillers can overcome some of these disadvantages, but it is difficult to achieve a target resistivity with conductive fillers in, for example, the 1.times.10.sup.-6 to 1.times.10.sup.-7 S/cm conductivity range due to the percolation threshold mechanism. At the percolation threshold concentration of an electrically conductive filler, the conductivity increases rapidly from that of an insulator to that of a semiconductor. As a result, the conductivity is very sensitive to small variations in filler concentration at the percolation to threshold concentration. Moreover, resilient foams cannot be obtained in the range of conductivity required for Electromagnetic Interference/Radio Frequency Interference shielding applications, that is, most typically greater than about 0.10 S/cm.
Inherently conductive polymers may also be used in the form of blends or composites with other polymers, providing conductivity as well as improved mechanical properties and processability characteristics to the conductive blends or composites. During the past fifteen years, there has been significant progress in the synthesis of conductive organic polymers having novel electrical, optical and electrochemical properties. Among those conducting polymers, polypyrrole has been especially promising for commercial application, because of its good environmental stability and ready synthesis. Polypyrrole is ordinarily synthesized by either oxidative, chemical or electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole.
While polypyrrole is conductive, it is also insoluble and non-fusible. Polymerization of .beta.- or N-substituted pyrrole with alkyl chains having more than six carbons yields polymers with improved solubility in organic solvents. However, because of stearic and/or electronic interactions, the conductivity of these substituted polypyrroles depends on the position of the alkyl substitution. The .beta.-alkyl substituted polypyrroles thus exhibit conductivities one to two orders of magnitude lower than polypyrroles, and N-alkyl substituted polypyrroles have conductivities about five to six orders of magnitude lower than polypyrrole.
In addition to polypyrroles, copolymers of pyrrole and N-substituted pyrroles have advantageous conductive and other properties. The monomer oxidation potentials of pyrrole (1.15 volts (v) vs. Standard Colomel Electrode (SCE)) are very close, which indicates that the monomers have very similar polymerization reactivity. However, the polymer redox potential for polypyrrole about is 0.5 V less than poly(N-methylpyrrole) ("PMPy"), which indicates that polypyrrole is more oxidatively stable than poly(N-methylpyrrole). The conductivity of the copolymer depends upon the composition and is intermediate between that of polypyrrole (10-100 S/cm) and poly(N-methylpyrrole)(10.sup.-4 -10.sup.-5 S/cm).
Blends or composites of conductive polymers with other polymers are manufactured by either dispersing conducting polymer particles directly into an insulating polymer matrix, or by an in situ polymerization of the conducting polymer within a polymer host. The in situ polymerization of pyrrole by vapor phase polymerization within a polymer matrix containing a suitable oxidant has been reported. This approach has been used to prepare conductive blends based on a number of different polymer matrices, including poly(vinylchloride), poly(vinyl alcohol), cotton, poly(phenylene terephthalamide), and polyurethane as are described in "Conductive Polymer Blends Prepared by In Situ Polymerization of Pyrrole: A Review", Polymer Engineering and Science, December 1997, Vol. 37, No. 12, 1936-1943, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
All of these polymers are dense polymers, that is, none are in the form of a foam. Foam presents particular problems for in situ vapor phase polymerization, because the conducting polymer must be restricted to the walls or struts of the foam. If the conducting polymer forms on the surface of the foam cells, it is too easily removed by abrasion or handling the foam. Formation of the polymer on the surface of the foam cells not only decreases the conductivity of the composites, but also may result in undesirable marking of surfaces which come into contact with the foam. (See "Preparation of Polypyrrole-Polyurethane Composite Foam by Vapor Phase Oxidative Polymerization", by He et al., Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol. 55, 283-287 (1995)). Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a method of effective in situ polymerization of pyrroles and other monomers within a foam which result in stable, conductive blends and composites.

Conductive elastomeric foams by in-situ vapor phase polymerization of pyrroles


Various communication systems may benefit from load control. For example, systems that employ device-to-device discovery signal transmissions may benefit from such load control. A method can include determining a first classification of a user equipment according to desired or allowed transmission probability. The method can also include configuring a transmission probability based on the first classification. The method can further include operating the user equipment based on the transmission probability.

Field
Various communication systems may benefit from load control. For example, systems that employ device-to-device (D2D) discovery signal transmissions may benefit from such load control.
Description of the Related Art
Device to device proximity detection is discussed in third generation partnership project (3GPP) documents including 3GPP RAN RP-122009 and technical report (TR) 36.843, which are each incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Proximity detection can be based on a plurality of user equipment (UEs) transmitting and detecting discovery signals. In a so-called general use case, UEs are under the coverage of a cellular network. The network is assumed to assign an overall discovery resource pool. From this pool, UEs either are given or select in a contention based manner, a resource from the time and frequency multiplexed resources. A contention based approach, known as Type 1 discovery in TR 36.843, may be useful in order to support device-to-device (D2D) discovery for idle mode UEs. The discovery signals are conventionally assumed to be broadcasted. Therefore, there are no negative or positive acknowledgements from the receiving UEs. Accordingly, conventionally there is no way a transmitting device can know whether its discovery signal has collided with another device's signal. Therefore, a simple load controlling system where back-off time is applied after collision is not available.

Load control system for device to device discovery signal transmissions


A full phase shifting mask (FPSM) can define substantially all of the features of an integrated circuit using pairs of shifters having opposite phase. In particular, cutting patterns for working with the polysilicon, or gate, layers and active layers of static random access memory (SRAM) cells are considered. To resolve phase conflicts between shifters, one or more cutting patterns can be selected. These cutting patterns include cuts on contact landing pads. This cut simplifies the FPSM layout while ensuring greater critical dimension control of the more important features and reducing mask misalignment sensitivity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to manufacturing small dimension features for integrated circuits using photolithographic masks. More particularly, the present invention relates to cutting patterns for full phase shifting masks that can implement dense layouts, such as static random access memory (SRAM) layouts.
2. Description of the Related Art
A standard binary mask includes a patterned opaque (e.g. chrome) layer formed on a transparent (e.g. quartz) substrate. The pattern can be transferred onto the wafer using optical lithography. Specifically, for each layer of the integrated circuit design, a radiation (e.g. light) source is shone on the mask (wherein the term mask can also refer herein to a reticle) corresponding to that layer. This radiation passes through the transparent regions of the mask and is blocked by the opaque regions of the mask, thereby selectively exposing a photoresist layer on the wafer. After development of the photoresist layer, the underlying semiconductor layer no longer covered by photoresist can be removed by etching, thereby transferring the desired pattern onto the wafer. This process can be repeated for each layer of the integrated circuit design on the wafer.
In a phase shifting mask (PSM), complementary phase shifters (also called shifters) are configured such that the exposure radiation transmitted by one shifter is approximately 180 degrees out of phase with the exposure radiation transmitted by the other shifter (often referred to a 0- and 180-degree phase shifters for convenience). Therefore, rather than constructively interfering and merging into a single image, the projected images destructively interfere where their edges overlap, thereby creating a clear and very small low intensity image between the pair of shifters. This low intensity image generally represents a feature on the layout.
For example, in one embodiment, the shifters can be used to print critical features of a layout. These critical features can be user-defined and could include the gates of transistors. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,580. In one embodiment, this PSM can be used in conjunction with a trim mask that defines other features of the layout, e.g. interconnects, etc.
In another embodiment, shifters can be formed on a full phase shifting mask (FPSM), which can define substantially all of the desired features for a layer, thereby providing small features on substantially all of the layer, a region of a layer, etc. These small features can significantly improve speed and performance compared to both binary masks and PSMs. The FPSM can be used in conjunction with a trim mask that can remove the areas left unexposed by the FPSM.
Defining dense designs with a FPSM can result in a significant increase in phase conflicts in the FPSM layout. One type of phase conflict occurs when two shifters intended to define a feature, and thus should have opposite phase, have the same phase. If these shifters are assigned the same phase, then they will not result in the optical interference necessary to create the desired feature. Thus, the shifters need to be cut, or split, in such a way as to allow the relevant layout features to be defined using the phase shifters.
Unfortunately, proximate shifters (e.g. one shifter in each pair) of opposite phase can generate an artifact, i.e. an undesirable feature, not in the layout. This artifact must be cleared using the trim mask.
FIG. 1 illustrates a FPSM layout 100 including a line 101 that is proximate and perpendicular to a line 102. An exemplary shifter pattern that can define lines 101 and 102 is shown. Specifically, shifters 105 and 106 can define line 101 whereas shifters 103 and 104 can define line 102. Note that shifters 103 and 106 are approximately 180 degrees out of phase with shifters 104 and 105 (indicated by the different orientation of the cross-hatching), thereby providing the necessary optical interference to define lines 101 and 102. Further note that a FPSM layout would include only the shifters. Lines 101 and 102 are shown in FIG. 1 for context in relation to the shifters and would be of the same material as the darker stippled areas of mask 100.
Of importance, a cut 107 can be provided to resolve the potential phase conflict caused by shifters 104 and 106. Specifically, cut 107 is formed so that shifters 104 and 106, which are of opposite phase, are not abutting. In this cutting pattern, a complementary trim mask (not shown) can define the line end of line 101. See, e.g. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/932,239, having inventors Christophe Pierrat, et. al., entitled "Phase Conflict Resolution for Photolithographic Masks", filed 17 Aug. 2001, and assigned to the assignee of the present application, which is incorporated herein by reference. Unfortunately, because the desired width of shifter 104 is reduced (see cut 107), some loss of critical dimension (CD) control for line 102 can occur. Moreover, the complementary trim mask must be carefully aligned with the FPSM implementing FPSM layout 100 to ensure that the end of line 101 is correctly defined.
Therefore, a need arises for a technique that simplifies the FPSM layout while ensuring critical dimension control and reducing mask misalignment sensitivity.

Cutting patterns for full phase shifting masks