An apparatus for detecting drive line system imbalances in an automotive vehicle includes an angular position and speed sensor located at a preselected position spaced from, but associated with the drive shaft in non-contacting relationship therewith, the sensor generates a signal responsive to the speed and angular position of the drive shaft relative to the preselected reference point. The apparatus also includes at least one vibration sensor located at a preselected position, spaced from, but associated with, the drive line in non-contacting relationship therewith. The vibration sensor detects the drive line vibration and generates a signal responsive thereto. A signal analyzer receives the signals generated by the angular position and speed sensor as well as the vibration sensor and calculates any imbalance in the drive line system and presents counterweight and position parameters for correcting any system imbalance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for detecting drive line system imbalances. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for detecting system imbalances in a drive line assembly for an automotive vehicle using non-contacting vibration sensors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally speaking, automotive vehicles require three basic components: a power plant, such as an internal combustion engine, a drive line system or drive train, as it is sometimes known in the art, and a plurality of rotatably driven wheels. A typical drive line system may include a transmission, a drive shaft and an axle connected between the engine and the driven wheels. Engine torque and speed are converted in the transmission in accordance with the tractive-power demand of the wheels and translated to the drive shaft. In turn, the drive shaft transmits rotational power from the transmission to the driven wheels via the axle assembly. The axle assembly includes a differential which is operatively coupled to the drive shaft through a pinion nose. A pair of output axle shafts connect the differential to the driven wheels.
The drive shaft typically includes an elongated tubular member which is operatively coupled to the transmission and axle assembly through a pair of universal joints or other similar coupling disposed on either end of the shaft. Alternatively, the drive shaft may include two or more elongated tubular members which are connected together by a universal joint or some other similar coupling device and connected between the transmission and axle assembly as above-discussed. Additionally, a center bearing is often employed between the transmission and axle assembly to support the drive shaft relative to the body of the vehicle.
The individual components of the drive line system discussed above often include inherent or residual imbalances due to variations in manufacturing tolerances. While steps can be taken to balance the individual components, residual imbalances often still remain. When the individual components are assembled into the drive line system, the residual imbalances can "stack up" such that they combine to produce a relatively high level of imbalance. Automotive drive line systems which embody these characteristics are unacceptable because they produce drive line vibration and boom.
It is known in the related art to balance the drive line system prior to installation into the vehicle. Many fixtures are known in the art for performing this function and typically rely on vibration measuring devices physically coupled to the drive line system to identify and thereafter correct the imbalances.
Still, this is often not enough to eliminate objectional vibration in the drive line system of a fully assembled automotive vehicle. Thus, devices have been proposed in the related art which seek to identify and correct drive line system imbalances at the terminal stage of vehicle production and prior to shipment of the vehicle. However, these devices suffer from the disadvantage that an additional step in the manufacturing process must be added in order that vibration sensing instrumentation can be physically coupled to the drive line system of each vehicle. This is time consuming and labor intensive. In short, drive line system balancing as employed in the related art for a fully assembled automotive vehicle is presently not cost effective.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an apparatus which can detect and perform drive line system balancing in a fully assembled automotive vehicle in high volume production environments which is transparent to the current workload. More particularly, there is a need in the art for an apparatus for performing drive line system balancing which does not rely on the physical attachment of vibration sensing instrumentation to the automotive vehicle in order to detect and correct system imbalances.

Method and apparatus for detecting drive line system imbalance


A carding machine casing (1) is connected with a suction device (15) for preventing uncontrolled release of fibers and dust into the environment adjacent the machine, and the casing is provided with large suction openings (9, 10) having a combined area of not less than 0.5 m.sup.2 for admitting conveying air to the interior of the casing. The air is sucked in through the large openings at a substantially lower flow speed so that a considerably lower proportion of the airborne particles and fibrous particles occurring in a spinning mill are sucked into the suction device (15). In many cases it is no longer necessary to provide for precise sealing of the casing (1), and it is sometimes feasible to omit the use of a filter cloth over the suction openings (9, 10) or to simplify the maintenance (e.g., cleaning) of the filter.

Cards of modern design are generally surrounded by casings. Such a casing may be required by safety regulations. Also, such casings may be dictated by considerations relating to air purity. In order to effectively remove any fluff, trash particles or other dirt particles arising during the carding, suction means are connected to the interior of the casing to generate a pressure below atmospheric within the encased space. In this way fibrous particles, trash particles and other dirt particles are sucked away.
Presently known carding machines of this type are typified by the C4/1 offered by Maschinenfabrik Rieter and the DK740 of the Truetzschler company. In such machines, conveying air may be admitted to the interior of the card casing through one or several suction openings having a small combined suction area as compared to the total area of the casing. Such suction openings are covered by a screen grating which is partly provided with a filter cloth.
If the air streams generated in the atmosphere surrounding the casing flow with a significant velocity, they can draw dust, fly, debris and the like into the casing. If such material flows through the machine to the extractor fan of the cleaner system, no special problems arise. However, if the air streams entering the card casing are subjected to deceleration (or even sharp deviations), the air streams will tend to deposit the dust, fly, particulate material and other fiber debris which they carry into the casing. Such a depositing can occur at a position where no special cleaning system is provided. In other words, the air drawn into the casing for purposes of cleaning specific locations within the card casing actually contributes to accumulation of dirt, fly and debris at other positions within the casing.
The use of filter cloth positioned over the air inlet openings as mentioned above provides a way of addressing with this problem. However, the filter must be cleaned or replaced somewhat regularly to prevent the filter from becoming clogged and choking. If that occurs, the under-pressure in the casing draws air into the casing at any place possible--usually through cracks in the casing and thus at high flow rates. Consequently, the problem once again arises of depositing dust, fly and other particulate material at places where no special cleaning systems are provided.
Due to the large suction effect exerted in the existing machines, it is useful to seal the smaller gaps and openings which inevitably exist in connection with the casing of such a machine so as to prevent uncontrolled inflow of external air at unintended locations. To prevent such an inflow of air at unintended places, it is necessary that the best possible sealing be provided in the casing, so that external air is only sucked into the casing at the openings provided for this purpose.

Casing of a card including suction openings

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A collision alarm system for an automotive vehicle is provided which includes an object identifying circuit, a stationary object alarm circuit, a moving object alarm circuit, and an alarm inhibiting circuit. The object identifying circuit determines whether an object falling within a given detection zone is a stationary object or a moving object. The stationary object alarm circuit issues an alarm when a distance between the object identified as a stationary object and a system vehicle equipped with this system falls within a given stationary object warning distance. The moving object alarm circuit issues an alarm when a distance between the object identified as a moving object and the system vehicle falls within a given moving object warning distance. The alarm inhibiting circuit inhibits an operation of the moving object alarm circuit for a preselected period of time after the object falling within the given detection zone which has been identified as the stationary object, is identified as the moving object.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a collision alarm system for an automotive vehicle which rases an alarm when obstacles are tracked within a detection zone defined ahead of the vehicle, and more particularly to an improvement on a collision alarm system which is designed to avoid raising a false alarm.
2. Background Art
Japanese Patent First Publication Nos. 5-166097 and 4-201643 teach a collision alarm system which issues an alarm when a distance between a vehicle and an obstacle ahead thereof falls within a dangerous distance.
The former (No. 5-166097) represents a simple improvement on a conventional collision alarm system which emits a laser beam to track a preceding vehicle and which issues an alarm when an intervehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and a system vehicle equipped with this system falls within a dangerous zone. This system however, does not take stationary obstacles such as side edges of a road into account. Alarms are therefore raised frequently, especially when a side edge of a curved road is detected during cornering, making vehicle passengers feel uncomfortable.
The latter (No. 4-201643) discloses an improved alarm system which is designed to restrict portions of a detection zone on both sides of a road for avoiding a false alarm such as that undesirably raised in the former system.
The above prior art collision alarm systems, however, have suffered from the following drawbacks.
For example, when a vehicle has entered a curved road from a straight road, a guardrail, although tracked initially as a stationary object, becomes identified as a preceding vehicle because it is viewed as an object present at a constant distance away from the vehicle after the vehicle begins turning. Thus, even when the vehicle slightly approaches the guardrail, it recognizes the guardrail as an approaching preceding vehicle that is decelerating, and a false alarm is raised to a vehicle operator.
Additionally, when a large vehicle squeezes between the vehicle and an immediately preceding vehicle, a long side thereof will be tracked sequentially from the front to the rear so that it is identified as an approaching decelerating vehicle, thereby issuing a false alarm.

Collision alarm system for automotive vehicle


A radar system with a main antenna that is rotatably supported to permit use in searching about a search axis includes an auxiliary antenna that is rotatably supported to permit use in complementing main antenna coverage. Rotational components and control circuitry are provided, both for simultaneously rotating the antennae with the auxiliary antenna poised in position relative to the main antenna to stop and face a direction just searched, and for separately stopping the auxiliary antenna in position to face a selected direction as rotation of the main antenna continues. One embodiment includes a coaxially-masted antenna support having a pair of coaxial masts mounted on a common support structure, one mast being rotatably mounted to support the main antenna and the other mast being fixed. A carriage is rotatably mounted on the coaxial masts to support the auxiliary antenna. One clutch mechanism selectively interconnects the carriage and the rotatable mast to cause them to rotate together and another clutch mechanism selectively interconnects the carriage and the fixed mast to cause carriage rotation to stop.

This invention relates in general to radar systems, and pertains particularly to a search radar effecting coordinated use of complementary antennae.
In some radar systems effective hemispherical searching coupled with rapid target acquisition that is highly immune to interference is desirable. For example, a search radar system used for tracking or fire-control must often detect and track small, threatening targets, including sea-skimming targets and fast moving targets. It must often react quickly to the detection of an in-range target in order to commence firing against it, while combatting interference such as multiple targets, jamming, heavy rain clutter, surface clutter, and chaff.
These requirements make it desirable to employ a narrow-beam antenna to combat the interference and provide accurate target positional data, in combination with a broad-beam antenna for rapid hemispherical searching. In addition, they encourage using dynamic response characteristics and associated mechanical parameters that have resisted implementation in the prior art.
Some multichannel and multiarray systems exist in the prior art that are slow and incapable of the separate antenna positioning ability required to implement full-function search radar systems of the quick reaction, antijamming type desired for tracking or fire-control. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,975,413, for example, a "Ground-Controlled Approach System" is described which employs separate elevation and azimuth antennae which are rotatable about a common search axis. The antennae must be stopped together, however, and the system does not lend itself to rapid target acquisition.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,007,151 describes separate elevation and azimuth antennae which are mounted on an antenna housing to rotate in mutually perpendicular planes for use alternately as a precision approach radar antenna or an air surveillance antenna.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,047,856 describes separate elevation and azimuth antennae driven by the same motor in a precision approach radar. The azimuth antenna rotates continuously and clutches are used to decrease its angular velocity as it scans past a landing approach path.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,113,310 describes a system employing two antenna arrays that can rotate together in azimuth while one of the arrays nods in elevation so that echo energy received by the arrays is cancelled when they are on target.
British Patent No. 455,765 describes two antenna arrays arranged to rotate about a common axis, with clutches for disconnecting the drive. However, rotation of one antenna about the common axis cannot be stopped while the other continues to rotate.
Japanese Patent No. 54-143047 describes a single radar channel using two antennae that are mounted on separate carriages to alternatively rotate about a common axis, wherein the carriages are interconnected so that stopping one of them causes the other to rotate.
These prior art systems do not meet the stringent requirements of a full-function tracking or fire-control radar system, and it is desirable to have a system employing both a broad-beam main antenna and a narrow-beam auxiliary antenna that can be coordinated to achieve the increased system functionality and efficiency required.


A buffer characterized by a pull-up network and a pull-down network which are both coupled between an input and an output of the buffer. Each of the networks include a number of switch elements which can be sequentially turned on or off by means of an RC network to provide slew-rate control for the buffer. Preferably, each of the networks are associated with diode bypass networks to reduce crowbar current. In operation, both the pull-up network and the pull-down network turn on slowly but turn off very quickly due to the diode bypass networks.

This invention relates generally to electronic circuitry and more particularly to output buffers for digital integrated circuits.
Output buffers are used in digital integrated circuits (ICs) to drive an external load. Since the size of the load is not usually known, output buffers are designed to provide enough current to drive loads up to a maximum permissible level. This is typically accomplished by providing an output transistor large enough to drive the maximum permissible load or by providing a number of smaller transistors coupled in parallel to drive the maximum permissible load.
A problem is encountered when output buffers of the prior art are quickly turned on or off. Since the currents are so large, fast switching of the prior art buffers can cause transients such as noise spikes on the power, ground and data busses which can cause data errors, latch-up and other problems in the digital electronic circuitry. This problem can be reduced by a technique known as slew-rate control.
Slew rate is defined as the rate of output transition in volts per unit time as set forth below: ##EQU1## Conventional digital output buffers with slew-rate control use a number of parallel transistors which can be sequentially turned on to reduce the abruptness of the transition and thereby reduce the aforementioned transients. The parallel transistors of the buffers can be controlled by delay elements or by feedback from the output of the buffer.
The transistors of a digital output buffer can be arranged as a pull-up network which can pull-up the output of the buffer to about V.sub.dd and a pull-down network which can pull down the output of the buffer to about V.sub.ss. A problem encountered with slew-rate control is that as one of the networks of the buffer is being slowly turned on the other network of the buffer is being slowly turned off, resulting in a time when both networks are active simultaneously. This can allow a very large current known as a "crowbar" current to flow between V.sub.dd and V.sub.ss.
This problem has been addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,747 of Stein et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,195 of Stein. In the Stein et al. '747 patent, a CMOS output buffer has a pull-up transistor 12 and a pull-down transistor 14 which can be individually and sequentially activated for slew-rate control. Transistors 36 are provided to quickly turn the pull-up transistor 12 off and transistors 40 are provided to quickly turn the pull-down transistor 14 off to minimize crowbar current.
A problem encountered with the buffer of the Stein et al. '747 patent is that the transistors 36 and 40 are active devices which require an input signal IN to control their operation. The input signal IN is inverted by a transistor 38 to control pull-up transistor 12 and is inverted by a transistor 44 to control pull-down transistor 14. Unfortunately, this inversion requires that transistor 38 be of the opposite polarity of transistors 12 and 36 and thus must be formed in a separate well in the substrate than those transistors. Likewise, the inversion requires that transistor 44 is of the opposite polarity of transistors 14 and 40 and must be formed in a separate well in the substrate than those transistors. Since transistors 38 and 44 must be located separately from the transistors that they control, additional sets of interconnect lines are required to couple the transistors together, thereby increasing the complexity of the interconnect layer and the size of the circuit.

Digital output buffer and method with slew rate control and reduced crowbar current


The invention relates to a device for separating, delivering, and depositing material blanks, for use in the textile industry or the like which improves heat transfer to the gripping surface in a device in which the heating device is arranged in such a way that it is protected from external forces. The device comprises a heatable gripping plate, which has a gripping surface and an expansion chamber adjacent thereto, in which a refrigerant is able to expand and thus cool the gripping plate to below the freezing point so that a material blank will freeze onto said gripping surface. The side of the chamber opposite the gripping surface is closed by a nonmetallic intermediate plate whose surfaces are essentially parallel to said gripping surface and can be coated with metal, and which intermediate plate has a noncoated surface with an electrical heating resistor arranged therein and a metal-coated surface that is in metallic connection with a plurality of webs that form a bridge for heat transfer from the intermediate plate to the gripping surface.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general to a device for separating, delivering, and depositing stacked blanks of material and more particularly to improvement on West German publication No. 3212741.
According to the device disclosed in West German 32 17 741 if its gripping surface is pressed against an object and the gripping surface with the film of condensed water formed on it during cooling is cooled to below the freezing point by evaporating off a pressurized refrigerant admitted through an inlet opening in an expansion chamber adjacent to the gripping surface, a firm connection is established between the surface of the object and the gripping surface via the frozen condensed water. The object can be lifted and transported to, for example, a processing machine. The firm connection can be dissolved by heating in order to deposit the object. With this device, warm air is blown into the expansion chamber for heating through the same inlet opening through which the refrigerant was fed to the expansion chamber. Special precautions are therefore needed when the refrigerant is to be circulated in a closed cycle. As an alternative, it is stated in the West German publication that the object may be detached from the gripping surface by heating with an electrical heating coil provided in the gripping plate. However, this method requires resistant electrical insulation of the heating coil from the gripping plate, which will impair the heat transfer to the gripping plate.
West German publication 2404863 discloses a design variant of a freezing gripper, in which heating by an electrical resistor is also used instead of warmed air blown-in to thaw the layer of ice in order to dissolve the connection and deposit the object. To achieve this, the gripping plate, which consists of a material with good thermal conductivity, such as copper, and which material is permanently cooled by a cooling medium to a temperature below the freezing point, is provided on its lower side with webs separated by grooves from one another and is covered with an electrically insulating, heat- and cold-resistant plastic film, which film is pressed into the grooves by bars of a holding rake, so that the foil and the bars stand back behind the lower side of the webs in the zone of the grooves. Electrical strip resistors are laid along the lower side of the webs. They are arranged such that they are isolated from the gripping surface and other parts of the device. The spaces between the bottom of the grooves and the foil are filled with air or another heat insulator in order to keep the heat transfer in the zone of the grooves low and to cool to low temperatures only the webs and--through the film--the strip resistors via the gripping plate.
In this arrangement, the objects to be gripped are frozen directly to the exposed side of the strip resistors and are dropped off by heating the strip resistors. What is disadvantageous here is not only that the strip resistors are freely exposed and unprotected, thus representing a source of hazard for the operating personnel, but also the fact that the strip resistors are loaded by the weight of the object to be lifted, as a result of which they are subject to mechanical wear. Diffusion of heat to the crown of the web, which retards the cooling process, can also be expected to occur with this arrangement. Furthermore, the film, being an insulating layer, also hinders the heat transfer from the gripping plate to the strip resistors during cooling.

Device for separating, delivering and depositing blanks


A rollout wheel apparatus for performing welding. The rollout wheel apparatus may comprise a mount; a support section; a spindle extending from the support section; a substantially circular hub disposed on the spindle and free to rotate about the spindle, the hub having a narrow portion facing the support section and a wide portion facing the chuck, the hub further including a brake pad disposed about the circumference of the narrow portion; a brake, the brake being affixed to the support section and having a cantilever design, wherein the brake is cantilevered from the support section to a point located radially outwards from the brake pad of the substantially circular hub; and a chuck, the chuck comprising a chuck locking mechanism and a plurality of jaws.

Welding pipe can be one of the most difficult tasks in welding, to the point where skilled pipe welders are some of the most highly demanded and highly paid welders in the profession. One of the main reasons why welding a pipe fitting is so difficult is because it demands very precise welds. A given weld will typically have to create a perfect seal in the pipe fitting for it to be useful in a pipe; otherwise, it may experience leaks or even cracking. Furthermore, after a pipe fitting has been welded and the pipe has been put in use, the pipe, and the weld, will generally have to deal with vibrations, variance in temperature and pressure, and other conditions that can cause cracking in a bad weld. As such, it is important to be able to achieve a careful, consistent weld.
However, due to the geometry of pipes, this is often difficult to achieve. In order to seal a pipe, a weld must be placed around the entire circumference of the pipe, which can generally be very difficult to do without shifting or moving the pipe in such a way that the existing weld is disrupted. Further, because of their geometry (long, thin, cylindrical, and without many mated surfaces that can be clamped together) many pipes can be difficult to clamp in place or otherwise secure. Some pipes may also have complex geometries with various bends and turns, and these may make it difficult to get the pipes in the right position to be welded. Many pipes may also be composed of materials that are considered to be difficult to weld, adding to the complexity of welding a given pipe fitting and making it more likely that the welder will make a mistake.
A device for assisting in the creation of pipe welds may be envisioned.


The present invention comprises a method for use of a biosensor for in-situ microthermometry. This biosensor is a substantially spherical vesicle impregnated with a dopant which varies its optical emission spectrum as a function of the local environmental temperature of the biosensor in the temperature range to be observed. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, this dopant is the fluorescent dye 6-dodecanoyl-2-dimethylamino-naphthalene (Laurdan.TM.). This method for in-situ measurement of temperature in a biological system uses such a vesicle by introduction of the vesicle into the biological system to be measured and manipulation of the vesicle to the location where temperature is to be measured. The temperature is then calculated from the optically measured generalized polarization at that location and the known relationship between temperature and generalized polarization for the membrane of the vesicle.

With the advent of modern study and treatment of biological systems, there has arisen an increasing need for monitoring of the internal state of biological systems that is either non-invasive or is minimally invasive. For example, micro-endoscopes and catheter-based ultrasound probes have been developed to produce images of the interior of organisms. Many other technologies have been developed to measure the physiological and anatomical features of the biological system in question. These technologies have proven invaluable in the diagnosis and treatment of such systems.
It is desirable, therefore, to perform thermal imaging of biological systems in a minimally invasive manner as well. Such imaging would make possible real-time three-dimensional thermal mapping, allowing both researchers and medical personnel to study the micro-metabolic functioning of cell and tissue systems in-situ, i.e., in actually functioning biological systems. Such imaging could provide to such personnel otherwise presently unavailable information about the actual metabolic functioning of the biological system in question.
In addition, such thermal mapping could prove invaluable in assessing in real-time the effects of sample exposure to a highly focused laser beam during both diagnostic and therapeutic treatment. Given the increasing reliance on the use of such lasers in both diagnostic and therapeutic treatment, such imaging could become an important method of critically assessing the ongoing treatment and for avoiding unintended thermal damage to the tissue.
Further, such monitoring may facilitate the development of new thermal techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of the tissues in question. For example, temperature-sensitive liposomes have been used in combination with the inducement of local hyperthermia or hypothermia (see for example, M. B. Yatvin, I. M. Tegmo-Larsson and W. H. Dennis, "Temperature and pH-Sensitive Liposomes for Drug Targeting", Methods in Enzymology, Vol. 149 (1987), pp. 77-87). The availability of in-situ thermal monitoring will undoubtedly lead to additional diagnostic and therapeutic treatment that cannot yet be foreseen.
In addition, there are a wide range of systems other than biological systems for which; microthermometry would be advantageous. For example, it may be desirable to measure temperatures in-situ in a variety of fluidic media, such as water, gasoline, and solvents. Again, the availability of such imaging would clearly be advantageous in additional ways yet unforeseen.
There have therefore been a number of attempts to provide techniques for the measurement of temperature, temperature changes and heating effects in dielectric and organic samples. Such techniques previously attempted include laser-induced fluorescence, Raman spectroscopy, photochemical absorption spectroscopy, and Zeeman interferometry. These techniques have proven either to be limited by poor spatial, temporal, or thermal resolution, or are difficult to adapt to in-situ use in biological or other systems.
Hence, it would be advantageous to develop a high resolution sensor designed for use in-situ in biological systems. Such a sensor should ideally be organically compatible with the surrounding tissue to avoid reactions therewith which would be both disruptive of the accurate measurement of temperature and normal metabolic function as well as potentially damaging to the tissue being observed. Such a sensor should additionally be easily manipulated using conventional technology.

High resolution biosensor for in-situ microthermometry

The Regents of the University of California


A gas reclaiming equipment capable of separating SF6 gas from a mixed gas efficiently and shortening reclaiming work under reduced pressure. A gas separation equipment is provided between a gas insulated equipment and a gas liquefaction system. The gas separation equipment separates nitrogen gas from the mixed gas, and concentrates SF6 gas. Only SF6 gas is sent into the gas liquefaction system. The gas separation equipment uses pressure swing adsorption using an adsorbent with selective adsorption. Moreover, a buffer tank for storing mixed gas is provided between the gas separation equipment and the gas insulated equipment. The buffer tank and the gas liquefaction system are connected by a reflux-line. The reflux-line refluxes the gas in a gas phase in the gas liquefaction system to the buffer tank. Furthermore, the gas separation equipment is connected to a storage tank. The storage tank accumulates the nitrogen gas separated with the gas separation equipment. The adsorbent to adsorb SF6 gas is enclosed in the storage tank for exhaust gas. To absorb decomposed gas, the filter has an adsorbent of the chemisorption type. The adsorbent has of a metal hydrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gas reclaiming equipment used for gas insulated equipment filled with an insulating gas, and more particularly to gas reclaiming equipment adapted for gas-insulated equipment filled with environmentally problematic gasses such as SF6/nitrogen insulating gas mixtures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a substation has a circuit breaker and a disconnector to perform a system change and a maintenance check. In particular, large-sized equipment from among the above mentioned equipment use gas insulated equipment filled with SF6 gas is especially adopted.
Generally, SF6 gas is highly desirable because of its insulation performance and arc interruption performance. Moreover, since SF6 gas is a chemically stable and harmless gas, it has been widely adopted as an insulation medium in the above-mentioned equipment. However, SF6 gas contributes to the greenhouse effect and has a long decomposition life.
Because of environmental protection concerns over a long period of time, the exhaust of SF6 gas is regulated. Therefore, when performing periodic inspection and parts exchange, the SF6 gas should be reclaimed so that it does not leak to the outside from the gas insulated equipment.
When reclaiming and storing the SF6 gas, a large-size tank for storing the SF6 gas is necessary as the volume of the SF6 gas gets large. However, it is advantageous to change the gas into a high-pressure state and to reduce the volume of the SF6 gas. This, however, may generate safety problems.
Accordingly, it has been proposed to use gas reclaiming equipment that converts the SF6 gas to SF6 liquid by pressurization and liquefaction of SF6. By using such equipment, the tank for reclaiming can be greatly reduced. Furthermore, the safety can be improved.
FIG. 1 shows a basic structure of the gas reclaiming equipment. The gas reclaiming equipment is used for reclaiming the gas from gas insulated equipment 1. The gas reclaiming equipment consists of a filter 2, a vacuum/compression pump 3, a gas liquefaction system 6, an SF6 liquid tank 7, a refrigerator 11, and a cooling pipe 12.
The gas-insulated equipment 1, the filter 2, the vacuum/compression pump 3, the gas liquefaction system 6, and the SF6 liquid tank 7 are connected to each other through a pipe 13. A valve 14 for controlling the flow rate from the gas liquefaction system 6 or the SF6 liquid tank 7 is provided. In addition, the filter 2 adsorbs decomposed gas of SF6, which occurs due to an arc. The filter also absorbs particulate foreign substances.
SF6 gas with high-purity and high-dryness is required for the gas insulated equipment 1. Therefore, an adsorbent is used for the purpose of removing moisture or decomposed gas. As the adsorbent, Zeolites with a pore size of approximately 5 Å or 10 Å are commonly used, since the decomposed gas molecules are larger than a molecule of H2O. Even, Zeolites with pore size of 9 Å can be used. That is, the size depends on what kind of gas is being reclaimed.
In a conventional gas reclaiming equipment, the SF6 gas is sent into the gas liquefaction system 6 from the gas insulated equipment 1 through the vacuum/compression pump 3. Additionally, a refrigerant, like chlorofluorocarbon, is sent through the cooling pipe 12 from the refrigerator 11. The SF6 gas is liquefied in the gas liquefaction system 6 and then the reclaimed SF6 liquid is stored in liquid tank 7.
If moisture, and various decomposition gases (HF, H2O, SO2 and SOF2, SO2F2), and a related gas molecule (CF4), are put in order in terms of the largest to smallest adsorption power, the order could be shown below:                HF, H2O, SO2 and SOF2, SO2F2, CO2, SF6, CF4, N2, O2
In the above-mentioned list, the reactivity of HF is the highest and HF is chemisorbed. Its adsorption energy is about 100 kcal/mol. It is believed that the rest of the gasses are absorbed by physisorption. The adsorption energy in physisorption is approximately 1–4 kcal/about mol.
Compared with chemisorption, physisorption is weaker in terms of adsorption. So, it is believed that gas molecules de-sorb from the adsorbent under the influence of molecular movement in a reduced pressure state. In addition, even if the molecule with weak adsorption is adsorbed by physisorption, when a molecule with strong adsorption arrives, the molecular with strong adsorption adsorbs such that the molecule with the strong adsorption replaces the molecule with weak adsorption.
Among these gases, it is hard to de-sorb moisture under reduced pressure. However, under a reduced pressure state for reclaiming SF6 gas, gases such as SOF2, SO2F2, CO2, SF6, CF4, N2, and O2 de-sorb from the adsorbent. Therefore, gases such as SOF2, SO2F2, CO2, SF6, CF4, N2, and O2 may discharge from the gas insulated equipment 1, and may go into the reclaiming equipment. If so, the filter 2 catches the decomposed gas and any foreign substances, and prevents invasion of the decomposed gas and foreign substances into the gas liquefaction system 6.
For when the earth's environment, the quantity of discharged SF6 gas needs to be reduced further. For that purpose, it is desirable to reduce the quantity of SF6 gas used.
The use of mixed gas, having nitrogen gas as a main component and a little SF6 gas, is considered to be effective in the curtailment of SF6 gas. However, the properties of SF6 gas and nitrogen gas differ remarkably. That is, under the conditions in which SF6 gas liquefies, nitrogen gas does not liquefy simultaneously. Nitrogen still exists as a gas. Therefore, it is possible to liquefy only SF6 gas in a mixed gas and to separate SF6 gas from nitrogen gas.
The characteristic values of mixture ratio and liquefaction pressure are shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1Mixture ratioLiquefaction pressure100 vol % SF6 gas2 Mpa 50 vol % SF6 gas4 Mpa 10 vol % SF6 gasMore than 20 Mpa
If the purity of SF6 gas is high, the pressurization liquefaction of SF6 gas is easy at room temperature, such as 20 degrees C. However, in order to liquefy SF6 gas in a mixed gas, high pressure is needed.
As shown in Table 1, since a pressure of 20 Mpa or more is needed at room temperature, the liquefaction of SF6 is very difficult in the case of 10 vol % SF6 gas. Moreover, large-sized refrigeration equipment needs to be used and the liquefaction pressure needs to be lowered. Consequently, the enlargement of equipment has become a problem in reclaiming and recycling mixed gas.
Gas reclaiming equipment is disclosed in Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) No. 2000-135412. However, there are the following problems with the conventional technology of reclaiming mixed gases containing SF6 gas. That is, when a mixed gas is incorporated into the gas liquefaction system 6 and the gas liquefaction system 6 liquefies SF6 gas continuously, the following problem occurs.
The concentrated SF6 gas is liquefied in the gas liquefaction system 6, but the main composition gas, such as nitrogen gas, of the mixed gas continues to accumulate in the gas liquefaction system 6. Therefore, before exceeding the design pressure of the gas liquefaction system 6, this main composition gas needs to be extracted from the gas liquefaction system 6.
However, the main composition gas may contain some SF6 gas, and thus the main composition gas cannot be emitted into the atmosphere. Therefore, in order to prevent the SF6 gas from remaining in the main composition gas, the reclaiming ratio of SF6 gas is preferably improved. Moreover, in considering reclaiming the mixed gas, the gas pressure in the gas-insulated equipment is high early in the reclaiming stage. Therefore, the gas automatically flows into the reclaiming equipment side by only opening a valve. As a result, adjusting the flow rate is easier.
However, in the case when the reclaiming work has been performed, the reclaiming work under reduced pressure becomes necessary. The reclaiming work depends on the capability of the vacuum/pressurization pump. The processing quantity per unit time is reduced under reduced pressure. Therefore, it becomes difficult to secure a sufficient flow rate and the reclaiming efficiency is lowered.
Furthermore, when gas is forcibly extracted with the vacuum/pressurization pump, decomposed gas de-sorbs from the adsorbent in the gas insulated equipment beforehand. Therefore, the decomposed gas will be discharged into the reclaiming equipment side.
If the decomposed gas enters the reclaiming equipment, the life of the reclaiming equipment is adversely affected. Decomposed gas causes, for example, chemical degradation of the pipes in the reclaiming equipment and degradation of the material of the adsorbent.
Therefore, it is desirable that the decomposed gas discharged from the gas insulated equipment be captured with certainty. Moreover, as mentioned above, in the gas insulated equipment, an adsorbent having various Zeolites, for example Zeolites with 5 Å or 10 Å pores, is usually enclosed.
At this time, the adsorbent includes Zeolites with approximately 10 Å pores which adsorbs SF6 gas for reclaiming. Therefore, if there is a high quantity of the adsorbent, when reclaiming in a reduced pressure condition, the SF6 gas will de-sorb from the gas insulated equipment side gradually for a long period of time. Therefore, there is a problem in that the reclaiming of SF6 gas takes a long time. On the other hand, if the adsorbent material has Zeolites with a size if 5 Å, it is difficult to adsorb a decomposed gas larger than 5 Å in size, and the rate of absorption may decrease.
Therefore, optimization of the combination of Zeolites in the adsorbent in the gas-insulated equipment is desired.


Process for pathogen reduction in waste where dewatered sludge having a solids content in the range of 10-60% is mixed with a selected alkaline additive selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide or calcium carbonate group. Hydration to calcium hydroxide occurs with an attendant release of heat. The pH of the sludge is then elevated and the heat of the hydration reaction is retained. Supplemental heat is added to the sludge, either to preheat the sludge prior to mixing it, or while mixing it, or both, such that effective neutralization of pathogens results. The supplemental heat is added by indirectly heating the sludge by heat generated by electric elements carried either in the mixing member, or by the chamber, or both, with electric power being supplied from outside the chamber.

The safe and sanitary disposal of waste is an ages old problem. Untreated waste, both in solid and liquid form, may contain any number of substances noxious to humans and the environment, including particulate solids, organic and inorganic compounds and pathogens.
It is desirable, therefore, to treat the waste before disposal. The treatment of the waste to destroy pathogens can be accomplished by a number of methods.
One method to treat waste to kill pathogens is to heat it to a high temperature for a period of time. Commonly known as pasteurization, this process neutralizes pathogens to a degree dependent upon the level of temperature and length of time that the waste is exposed to the elevated level.
Pasteurization, while effective to neutralize pathogens, may not reduce the odors emanating from the waste and may not reduce vector attractiveness. In the absence of reduction of vector attractiveness, vectors such as rats, mice and flies, will be attracted to the untreated waste. Vectors pose a health risk by themselves, as well as potentially spreading any pathogens present in the waste. Therefore, any treatment and subsequent disposal must reduce odors and attendant vector attractiveness factors.
One method to reduce vector attractiveness and also neutralize pathogens is by lime stabilization, which elevates the pH of the waste to a sufficient degree, for a sufficient period of time. This method is usually accomplished by the addition of an alkaline substance to the waste. Substances such as calcium oxide or calcium carbonate and compounds consisting of or containing them such as lime or quicklime, lime kiln dust, cement kiln dust, or dolomitic lime are commonly used for this process. The relatively low expense of sufficient quantities of these materials and their high alkalinity makes them well suited to the task.
In addition to the noxious components potentially present in and possible vector attraction to untreated waste, a further disposal problem is presented by the fact that untreated waste rarely is purely solid. Rather it usually has both solid and liquid components, with the solid component further potentially containing some degree of bound liquid, usually water. Thus the percent of liquid in the waste may be a sum of both the free liquid component as well as the liquid bound to the solid component. Due to the presence of both these components, waste may vary from a liquid type consistency and appearance to a thick solid consistency and appearance. The need to deal with this variety of phases complicates treatment and disposal. For example, if the waste has mostly a liquid type consistency, the majority of the free liquid portion of waste is separated out and dealt with through techniques known in the art. The remaining solid portion, or sludge, includes the remaining free liquid water, any bound water and the solid. That sludge, which may have a solids content of from 1 to 4%, then undergoes a further dewatering step by any of a number of processes known in the art. If the waste is of a more solid consistency, then the dewatering is usually done is a single process.
After the waste has been dewatered sufficiently, it is referred to as dewatered sludge, which may have a solids content of anywhere from approximately 10% to 60% with the remainder water. This dewatered sludge is difficult to handle. The varying solids content and percentage of water as bound and free give the sludge physical characteristics ranging from a viscous, colloidal liquid to a dry cake or clay.
The Environmental Protective Agency (EPA) has promulgated regulations for proper treatment and disposal of waste or sludge. To ensure neutralization of pathogens to what it deems an environmentally safe level, the EPA has currently imposed two statutorily defined levels of processes for disposal of waste: Process to Significantly Reduce Pathogens (PSRP); and Process to Further Reduce Pathogens (PFRP). The use of either or both PSRP and PFRP depends upon the use to which the treated waste is to be put. Currently, PFRP result in a greater degree of pathogen reduction and waste treated by PFRP has less restriction surrounding its disposal. Although PSRP and PFRP as currently promulgated in Appendix II to 40 CFR 257 are limited to a few named processes, it is possible to qualify a process for either level by meeting, inter alia, the statutorily defined reduction in pathogens.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,842 discloses such an invention. Although the process set forth therein is not named as a PSRP or PFRP specifically in Appendix II 40 CFR 257, the process achieves pathogen reduction to current PFRP mandated levels. It does so by mixing the waste with lime or a lime mixture sufficient to raise the pH to 12 for at least a day, and then drying the lime waste mixture, by a natural or aeration process, for a period of time sufficient to reduce pathogens to the current PFRP regulations set forth in that patent.
The disclosure in the '842 patent is limited to current levels of pathogen reduction necessary to achieve PFRP, however. Changing regulations may lead to changing levels of pathogen reduction and the '842 patent does not seem to be easily adaptable to such a circumstance.
Accordingly, while there are many different methods that are used to stabilize or reduce pathogens in sludge and to condition sludge for reuse, including digestion (aerobic and anaerobic), lime stabilization, chlorine stabilization and composting, and while there are other processes that are used to reduce the volume and to stabilize the sludge, such as heat drying or incineration, such techniques may lend themselves to other problems.
For example, incinerators heat and burn sludge resulting in an ash which has no significant beneficial reuse potential. Heat drying treats the sludge in order to drive off the water contained within the sludge while leaving much organic or inorganic solids intact, with the end product usually being pelletized and used for fertilizer.
The methods used to heat sludges are generally broken down into two categories, direct heating and indirect heating. For direct heating, heat transfer is accomplished by direct contact between the heating medium and the wet sludge, with the heating medium normally being hot air or hot gases.
Indirect heating is accomplished by contact of wet solids with hot surfaces, with the heating medium being normally kept away from the sludge and heating a surface which is in contact with the sludge. The heating medium in such instances is usually hot water, steam, or hot oil.
The amount of heat which can be transferred through indirect methods is a function of the heat transferability of the heat medium, heat transfer surface, and the material to be heated. The amount of heat transferred is formulated as follows: EQU .sup.q cond=.sup.h cond.sup.A (.sup.t m-.sup.t s)
where:
.sup.q cond=conductive heat transfer, Btu per hour (kJ/hr); PA1 .sup.h cond=conductive heat transfer coefficient, Btu per hour per .degree. F. (kJ/hr/.degree. C.); PA1 A =area of heat transfer surface, square feet (m.sup.2); PA1 .sup.t m=temperature of heating medium--for example, steam, .degree. F. (.degree. C.) PA1 .sup.t s=temperature of sludge at drying surface, .degree. F. (.degree. C.).
Various methods have been developed to try to optimize total heat transfer. Most of these prior efforts have attempted to increase the surface area in order to increase the total heat transfer.
Prior inventions have often attempted to increase heat transfer primarily by increasing the surface area. Such techniques may, for example, include a hollow rotating shaft in order to move the heating medium through a larger surface area, thereby providing an increase in total heat transfer. Variations and improvements on such have included the addition of hollow disks on the rotating shafts, in order to get the heating medium to the exterior of the shaft.
The use of hot water as a medium is restricted to 212.degree. F. (100.degree. C.). At 212.degree. F., the temperature differential (.sup.t m-.sup.t s) is very small. As a result, total heat transfer is extremely low. To overcome this restriction, steam may be used to allow for higher heat medium temperatures. Alternatively, oil can also be used. Above 250.degree. F., steam develops pressures in excess of 15 psig. At this point, special constructions such as A.S.M.E. coding of all fabrication must be done for proper safety. In addition, once pressure is utilized, leaks can occur which allow the heating medium to escape into the sludge. Leaks cause not only loss of pressure and heat, but also contaminate the sludge or material being heated.
This invention teaches a method and apparatus which increases the temperature differential (.sup.t m-.sup.t s) in order to increase the total heat transfer. The invention provides for an economical, high temperature method of heating the rotating mechanism to indirectly heat and to mix sludges with other material.
This invention thus provides a means to eliminate a fluid heat medium, avoiding elevated pressures and the possibility of leakage and contamination.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method to achieve currently mandated levels of PSRP and PFRP.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method to achieve different levels than current regulations mandate of pathogen reduction in waste.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus to achieve effective neutralization of pathogens in waste.
A further object is to provide an apparatus capable of both stabilizing and pasteurizing raw sludge in a low cost, time-efficient manner.
It is thus a further object of this invention to accomplish the above objects, wherein a method and apparatus is provided for adding supplemental heat to the sludge which indirectly heats the sludge by heat generated through electric elements.
Further objects and advantages, such as sensing the temperature of the sludge and controlling the amount of heat via a feedback control, by the placement of heat elements within either the mixing member, such as within a rotating cylindrical member, or by placing the heating elements outside or inside the walls of a chamber, are also provided.

Process and apparatus for pathogen reduction in waste


A door opening and closing device for a refrigerator includes a door coupled by means of a hinge unit to a main body defining a storage compartment therein, a gasket disposed between the door and the main body to provide a hermetic seal therebetween, and an opening and closing unit for opening and closing the door with respect to the main body, wherein the opening and closing unit includes a drive unit for generating a driving force, a gasket separation mechanism for pushing the main body using rotational force transmitted from the drive unit to separate the gasket from the main body or the door, and a door rotating mechanism for rotating the door using the rotational force transmitted from the drive unit.

In general, a refrigerator is an apparatus for storing objects to be kept in a fresh state for a long period of time using cool air supplied into a storage compartment. The cool air supplied into the storage compartment is created through heat exchange with a refrigerant. The cool air supplied into the storage compartment is uniformly distributed throughout the storage compartment by convection so that foodstuffs can be stored at a desired temperature.
The storage compartment is defined in a main body that forms the appearance of the refrigerator. The storage compartment is open at the front thereof such that foodstuffs can be received through the opening. A door to open and close the storage compartment is mounted at the front of the storage compartment. The door is hinged to the main body to open and close the storage compartment.
In order to prevent the leakage of cold air to the outside and to ensure close contact between the main body and the door, a gasket is disposed between the main body and the door.
The gasket is typically magnetic in order to improve sealing performance.
In order to open the door automatically, it is necessary to provide force not only to rotate the door but additionally to separate the gasket from the main body.
In conventional refrigerators, a technology of connecting a motor to a hinge unit of a door is used. In this case, since there is a significant difference between the force required to separate the gasket and the force required to rotate the door, an excessively large actuator is necessary, which is inefficient. In addition, since the refrigerator is required to have increased space in order to accommodate the large actuator, it is difficult to provide the increased space without compromising the size or thermal insulation performance of a conventional refrigerator.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Door opening and closing device for refrigerator


A system may forward to a network device an advertisement label mapping message that requests an establishment of an active performance monitoring (APM) control channel. Further, the system may process a reply label mapping message that is sent from the network device in response. The system may establish the APM control channel and a pseudowire associated with the APM control channel.

Legacy network systems, such as ones based on Frame Relay or Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), may communicate with packet switched networks (PSN), such as an Internet Protocol (IP) switching network or a Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network through pseudowire emulation (PWE). It may be necessary to manage and control the PWE and associated pseudowires.

Performance monitoring of pseudowire emulation


A power steering system includes a reversible pump for supplying hydraulic fluid to pressure chambers of a power cylinder through first and second passages, an assisting-force detector for detecting a steering assisting force to be provided to a steering wheel, a motor control circuit outputting a drive signal to an electric motor in accordance with the detected steering assisting force so as to obtain a desired hydraulic pressure, a communication passage for providing fluid communication between the first and second passages, a solenoid valve for switching between communication and interruption of the communication passage, and a current detector for detecting a current passing through an energization circuit of the solenoid valve and between the solenoid valve and a ground.

The present invention relates to a power steering system for assisting the steering by driving an oil pump through an electric motor.
With a typical power steering system, an oil pump is driven by an electric motor rotated in accordance with output of a torque sensor for sensing a steering torque, increasing the hydraulic pressure within one of the power-cylinder chambers separated by a piston, thus assisting the steering. The pressure difference occurs between the chambers by the steering made by the driver. With the pressure difference being greater, when the pump stops due to its anomaly and the like, the steering is locked.
In order to cope with such inconvenience, an electric hydraulic power steering system is proposed comprising a bypass circuit for providing fluid communication between the chambers and a fail-safe solenoid valve for switching between the communication state and the non-communication state of the bypass circuit. With this power steering system, when some anomaly occurs, the solenoid valve is switched to the communication state, canceling the pressure difference between the chambers, thus allowing non-assisted steering (refer hereafter to as "manual steering") wherein a steering force is produced by the driver only.


This invention relates to a coupling of the ball-and-socket joint type between two objects. Connected to the one object, which may be a driver's seat in a working vehicle is a joint socket and a joint ball with a gap between them. Connected to the other object, which may consist of a base for a driver's seat, for example, is a coupling element in the form of a spherical shell disposed in the gap between the joint socket and the joint ball. The latter are pressed towards one another by means of powerful cup springs so that the spherical shell is locked firmly and the two objects are thus located in relation to one another. The grip of the spring force can be cancelled by means of a tightening element connected to the joint ball, as a result of which the coupling becomes movable again so that new positions can be adopted. The coupling can be used in various connections where it is desired to adjust two objects in relation to one another simply, securely and quickly.

The present invention relates to a coupling of the ball-and-socket joint type between two objects, comprising coupling members connected to each object. The one object may consist, for example, of a work table, a tool, weapon or instrument holder etc. while the other object may consist for example, of a stand, a foot or a base etc. for example for one of the first-named objects.
A particularly advantageous field of application for the coupling according to the invention is for driver's seats in working vehicles such as forestry machines, agricultural machines, earth movers, excavators etc. The technical development of this type of vehicles has been very rapid. The same applies to the development on the military side for example of tanks. The development of driver ergonomics has not kept pace, however. In certain cases--despite the fact that the driver's technical aids have certainly been improved--it may even be maintained that driver ergonomics have become worse since the stresses have increased in keeping with the better traversability of the terrain, the higher speeds etc. There are therefore great deficiencies still both in older and in newly constructed machines with regard to driver's seats inter alia, and the cases of sickness directly related to faulty ergonomics are common. In order to avoid various form of fatigue through faulty positions of the body, therefore, the driver's working milieu must be radically renewed and an ergonomically logical development of the seat must take place. Particularly noteworthy is the need of for devices for making the driver's seat horizontal in working vehicles in forestry and agriculture, in mines and other work places. In forestry one can point out, inter alia, how extremely tiring it is to work for long shifts in a machine which is standing on inclined ground without any possibility of making the work seat horizontal. In agriculture, ploughing work involves heavy stresses on the back as a result of the fact that the machine is inclined the whole time. The need for couplings by means of which the driver's seat can be made horizontal or otherwise be adjusted in relation to a base is therefore very great.

Coupling of the ball-and-socket joint type


A system and method for enhancing passwords, access codes, and personal identification numbers by making them pace, rhythm, or tempo sensitive. The password includes a sequence of characters and an associated timing element. To access a restricted device or function a user enters the correct character sequence according to the correct pace, rhythm, or tempo. The entered sequence and timing element are compared with stored values and access is granted only if the entered and stored values match. In an alternative embodiment the stored timing element is set, and periodically altered, by a computer or program without consent from the user and visual, auditory, and/or tactile prompts indicate the correct timing element to the user during the authentication process. The meaning of the prompts are provided to the user in advance.

One common security feature for controlling access to computers and/or computer systems is a private code unique to a user that must be accepted by the computer to gain entry. Normally referred to as a password or personal identification number ("PIN"), these access codes are widely employed in a variety of applications to guard restricted functions.
Though very useful, passwords and PINs are not problem-free. The primary obstacle is the user's memory as it is not unusual for a user to have to remember a number of different passwords. Many users, for example, have a PIN for accessing a savings or checking account at either an automated teller machine ("ATM") or point-of-sale, a password for unlocking a mobile phone and/or a password for accessing a voicemail system, one or more passwords for using a desktop computer or a handheld computer device, a separate password for opening an e-mailbox, etc.
And it is not uncommon, as security concerns of all types increase, for a workplace to install electronic cipher locks that require the entry of a code to gain admittance to a facility.
Even the lucky user who need memorize only a single password is often now required to change the password periodically to increase protection. Authorized users who access restricted operations infrequently have an even greater problem because one's memory of a password can fade if not reinforced through regular use.
To lessen the chances of forgetting it, users often select as their password a frequently used word (such as "password"), the name of a family member or favorite celebrity, or a common keystroke pattern (e.g. "qwerty") on a keyboard. A few users, as a memory aid, resort to writing their password down on a piece of paper. Clearly security can be seriously compromised by such practices.
Some system operators, in response to threats against and attacks on their computer systems, are considering mandating the use of so-called "complex" passwords that must include upper and lower-case letters as well as numbers. Remembering one's password will only become more difficult as a result of these and other procedures. Unfortunately, a human being's memory typically does not improve with age so the problem of forgotten passwords will likely become more prevalent among an aging population of computer users.
The second problem usually associated with password use is the relatively low protection they offer. Longer passwords are harder to crack than shorter ones, but sophisticated hackers using automated schemes can try millions of different passwords in a matter of moments. Thus, a longer password does not necessarily result in perfect security. Furthermore, especially when using an ATM or a stand-alone electronic device in a public area, there is always a possibility that the user can be observed entering their password (the so-called "shoulder surfing hack").
To address these and other problems a number of replacements for passwords have been proposed. Most notable are those arrangements based on sophisticated cryptographic techniques or challenge-response authentication schemes. Many of these approaches, however, only work if there are multiple computers involved (for example, a client and a host) that can both encode and decode passwords. Another limitation of these solutions is that they do not always relieve the user from having to memorize a complicated password and/or change their password frequently. Even solutions that do effectively eliminate long passwords remain vulnerable to code-breaking software attacks.
Some additional disclosures rely on biometric identification. Still other approaches suggest using iconic passwords that have visual images in place of words. (To input an iconic password the user must select or manipulate an image.) All of these approaches might work, though they also necessitate fundamental changes to existing computer systems. Significant economic costs associated with the extensive changes required, or other hurdles, might make these solutions impractical in some instances.
The ideal solution for strengthening passwords/PINS would be one that can be installed through software instructions and/or hard-wired circuitry in a variety of applications, including stand-alone devices and gadgets or mechanisms (standalone or otherwise) that lack speakers or a display. It should also be compatible with both single-user and multi-user systems. The present invention provides such a solution and is therefore conducive to widespread use. It is intended to increase the security afforded by passwords and to make them easier to use.

System and method for user authentication with enhanced passwords


An adhesion promoter layer is formed on a surface of a substrate as an adhesion promoter layer, on which a photoresist is applied. The photoresist is lithographically exposed. Soluble portions of the lithographically exposed photoresist are dissolved in a developer solution including tetraalkylammonium hydroxide. Tetraalkylammonium hydroxide salts are formed in crystalline forms on surfaces of the substrate. A water-soluble acidic polymer layer is applied over the surfaces of the substrate to dissolve the tetraalkylammonium hydroxide salts. The water-soluble acidic polymer layer is rinsed off by water, thereby providing clean surfaces that do not include the tetraalkylammonium hydroxide salts on the substrate. Subsequent processes can be performed on the substrate, which is covered by remaining portions of the developed photoresist and has clean surfaces in regions not covered by the photoresist.

The present disclosure relates to lithographic methods, and particularly to a method of removing crystalline salts on a substrate primed with a solvent that induces deposition of the crystalline salts.
Primer materials are commonly employed on a semiconductor substrate before spin coating to form an adhesion promoter for a photoresist. An adhesion promoter layer can be formed on the surface of a patterned or unpatterned substrate, which can be a semiconductor substrate, in many different ways. After formation of the adhesion layer, a photoresist is applied and planarized. The photoresist is subsequently lithographically exposed and developed to form a pattern on the substrate.
The thickness of the adhesion promoter formed by various methods known in the art depends on the method of deposition, and is affected by the composition of the underlying material. For example, it has been observed that an undoped silicon surface tends to cause the adhesion promoter to have a thickness of about one atomic monolayer of the adhesion promoter material, while a silicon surface doped with phosphorus tends to cause the adhesion promoter layer to have a thickness of several atomic monolayers of the adhesion promoter layer.

Removal of alkaline crystal defects in lithographic patterning

International Business Machines Corporation


A scan control for use with an ion implantation system. A servo motor having an output shaft scans a wafer support through an ion beam to controllably treat the wafer. A digital signal processor monitors an encoder output corresponding to motor shaft orientation and compares this position with a desired position of the wafer support. An error signal modifies a motor energization signal based on this comparison. Velocity damping based upon sensed motor speed and wafer support speed smooths the scan motion via a second motor energization correction.

One technique for doping semi-conductor wafers is to direct a beam of ions to impinge upon such a wafer to produce controlled concentrations of doping impurities within the wafer. An important parameter of a semi-conductor wafer ion implant process is the spatial uniformity of the implanted dose across the wafer. Another important parameter is the angle of incidence of the ion beam with respect to the wafer and internal lattice structure of the silicon crystal (or GaAs lattice or other crystalline substrate). The angle of incidence is important because of the role it plays in the phenomenon of channeling. Dopant depth profiles vary as a function of position on the wafer surface if the incident angle of the beam varies across the surface.
In medium and low current ion implanters, the ion beam is commonly directed across the wafer surface by deflection scanning of the beam in a controlled pattern. This has commonly been done using two orthogonal pairs of electrostatic deflection plates or electrodes to produce the beam deflections. Application of a triangular waveform voltage to the plates can produce rectangular raster scan patterns on the wafer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,637 to Dykstra et al. discloses one such medium to low current ion implanter.
Electrostatic ion beam deflection scanning results in different angles of beam incidence at different locations on the wafer surface. This is the source of a major depth nonuniformity (from the resulting channeling variations) which occurs in this type of implanter.
High current implanters move the wafer through a stationary beam by mechanical means such as attaching the wafers to a spinning disk passing through the beam or other well-known mechanical scanning techniques. These mechanical scanners have tended to be designed so that as the wafer moves through the ion beam, the angle of beam incidence remains constant or nearly so. For this reason, mechanical scanning of wafers through a stationary beam has come to be considered as a superior method to x-y deflection of the beam for producing depth uniformity and minimum mask shadows variation.
Batch wafer handling imposed by the high current ion beam techniques have generally resulted, however, in reduced wafer throughput and required large costly wafer handling stations. Deflection scanning machines on the other hand have advantages in size, simplicity and cost, but suffer from varying angle of beam incidence problems.
To help eliminate the effects of channeling, the wafer is tilted at an angle relative to the incident beam. The wafer tilt causes the beam velocity to be lower (higher dose) for areas of the wafer closer to the source and beam velocities to be higher (lower dose) for areas of the wafer farther from the source.
Recently issued patents relating to ion beam scanning systems for medium current implanters are U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,366 to King et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,846 to Ray, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,655 to Dykstra et al. which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention. These patents concern an ion implantation system that controllably sweeps the ion beam back and forth in a plane. The deflected ions pass through a lens that redeflects the ions so that the ions follow generally parallel paths and form a thin ion beam through which a wafer is scanned along a linear implantation path.
The present invention concerns a control for scanning the wafer support and wafer through an ion beam. One system for achieving a back-and-forth scan of a wafer support is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,615 to Brune et al. which is incorporated herein by reference.


A network security apparatus includes a packet detector detecting transmission of data packets between a plurality of hosts and a plurality of domains and defining a plurality of links therefrom. A model builder circuit receives the plurality of links from the packet detector, receives ground truth information labeling one or more of the plurality of hosts or one or more of the plurality of domains as benign or malicious, generates predictive models from the received links and ground truth information, and stores generated predictive models in a predictive model database. An anomaly detector circuit retrieves the generated predictive models from the predictive model database and uses the predictive models to label each of the plurality of hosts and plurality of domains, that have not previously been labeled by the ground truth information, as benign or malicious.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a network security apparatus and, more specifically, to a method for detecting malicious behavior in computer networks via cost-sensitive and connectivity constrained classifications, and a network security apparatus making use of the same.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Every day, a large number of malicious attacks result in causing costly damage to large-scale computer networks. Accordingly, cybersecurity has been brought to the attention of researchers, enterprises, and government. One of the ways in which cybersecurity experts have been able to mitigate the damage associated with malicious attacks is by monitoring computer network data to determine when the security of one or more devices on the network has been compromised. For example, enterprises may analyze the flow of network traffic at core routers, Domain Name System (DNS) traffic at DNS servers, HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) traffic through gateways or firewalls, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) traffic at the DHCP server, and so on. However, due to the limited amount of ground truth and the issue of imbalanced label distributions, it is challenging to automatically detect malicious behavior and abnormal network activity.

Network security apparatus and method of detecting malicious behavior in computer networks via cost-sensitive and connectivity constrained classification

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A method of determining a commission comprises providing a plurality of selectable variables. The plurality of variables are associated with an asset. A commission associated with a sale of the asset based at least partially on a selection of at least one variable from the plurality of variables is calculated. Calculating the commission includes assigning a value to each variable selected from the plurality of variables.

The invention relates generally to a system and method of calculating a commission and in particular to a system and method of creating an adjustable commission based on a selection of variables.
A variety of different real estate services are available to owners of real property who wish to sell their property. A typical real estate commission is based on the selling price of the real estate and is generally expressed as a percentage of the selling price (typically around 5-7% of the selling price). The commission is typically split between the selling agent and broker and the buying agent and broker. In some instances, the selling agent and broker and the buying agent and broker are the same. In the typical commission transaction, the commission is one fee that covers all expenses associated with selling the property. Such expenses may be associated with advertising, marketing, administrative matters, travel expenses, etc.
Recently, other options for selling property have become available to real property owners through discount brokers and discount real estate sales agents (collectively "discount service providers"). Discount service providers may provide a set fee for selling the real property, rather than a commission based on a percentage of the sales price of the real property. The set fee is typically much lower than 5-7% of the selling price. Other discount service providers may offer selected services, such as placing the real property on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), providing advertising signs to be placed on the property, and placing advertisements in newspapers. In such an arrangement, the seller may be responsible for selling the real property on their own (i.e., without the assistance of a real estate agent). In other cases, the owner may offer a percentage commission to an agent for bringing a buyer to the property. This commission is usually half of the typical overall percentage (approximately 3-4%). Such services are available from, http://www.forsalebyowner.com, http://www.realestatecafe.com, http://www.helpusell.com, and http://www.assist2sell.com.
Typically, the services described above, are provided with little or no flexibility as to what services the owner of the real property needs. In some cases, the owner of real property may not receive certain services they need or want. In other cases, the owner may receive services they do not need, yet the cost is usually not adjusted. These services do not consider real time events that can impact the commission rate.
In most real estate sales situations, there are a variety of factors that affect how fast the property will sell and what selling price can be obtained. Some of these factors include location of the property, condition of the property, and conditions related to the economy, such as interest rates for mortgages. Yet, the commission and/or fees are typically the same regardless of these factors. Also, as economic and market conditions change, as well as changed circumstances for the owner of the property, the services needed by the owner may also change. For example, a property that sells in two weeks has lower marketing costs than one that sells over a period of several months.
Thus, there is a need for a method for providing a real estate commission or fee that can be custom designed to meet the requirements of the particular owner of the property. There is also a need for a method of providing a commission or fee that is adjustable as factors and conditions change that may affect the sale of the property.

System and method of creating an adjustable commission


The invention pertains to a method for the integration of physical and genetic maps and markers. The method is based on the use of AFLP fingerprinting with primers of varying selectivity on a library of artificial chromosomes such as a BAC library. The fingerprinting is performed on the individual BACs and on the pools of BACs. Subsequent alignment generates a contig and provides the integration of physical and genetic markers resulting in the integration of the physical and genetic map.

Integrated genetic and physical genome maps are extremely valuable for map-based gene isolation, comparative genome analysis and as sources of sequence-ready clones for genome sequencing projects. The effect of the availability of an integrated map of physical and genetic markers of a species for genome research is enormous. Integrated maps allow for precise and rapid gene mapping and mapping of all microsatellite loci and other application such as SNA marker based gene manipulation. Various methods have been developed for assembling physical maps of genomes of varying complexity. One of the better characterised approaches use restriction enzymes to generate large numbers of DNA fragments from genomic subclones (Brenner et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., (1989), 86, 8902-8906; Gregory et al., Genome Res. (1997), 7, 1162-1168; Marra et al., Genome Res. (1997), 7, 1072-1084). These fingerprints are compared to identify related clones and to assemble overlapping clones in contigs. The utility of fingerprinting for ordering a complex genome is limited, however, due to variation in DNA migration from gel to gel, the presence of repetitive DNA sequences, unusual distribution of restriction sites and skewed clone representation. Moreover, fingerprinting alone, unless combined with other methods, does not link genomic clones directly to genetic maps. Therefor most high quality physical maps of complex genomes have been constructed using a combination of fingerprinting and PCR-based or hybridisation based methods.
Selective restriction fragment amplification or AFLP is known, for instance from the European patent application 0 534 858 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,994 by applicant and from an article by Vos et al. Nucleic Acids Research (1995), 23, 4407-4414, incorporated herein by reference. In general, AFLP comprises the steps of:                (a) digesting a nucleic acid, in particular a DNA or a cDNA, with one or more specific restriction endonucleases, to fragment said DNA into a corresponding series of restriction fragments;        (b) ligating the restriction fragments thus obtained with at least one double-stranded synthetic oligonucleotide adapter, one end of which is compatible with one or both of the ends of the restriction fragments, to thereby produce tagged restriction fragments of the starting DNA;        (c) contacting said tagged restriction fragments under hybridising conditions with at least one oligonucleotide primer;        (d) amplifying said tagged restriction fragments hybridised with said primers by PCR or a similar technique so as to cause further elongation of the hybridised primers along the restriction fragments of the starting DNA to which said primers hybridised; and        (e) identifying or recovering the amplified or elongated DNA fragment thus obtained.
The amplified DNA-fragments thus obtained can then be analysed and/or visualised, for instance by means of gel-electrophoresis. This provides a genetic fingerprint showing specific bands corresponding to the restriction fragments which have been linked to the adapter, have been recognised by the primer, and thus have been amplified during the amplification step. The fingerprint thus obtained provides information on the specific restriction site pattern of the starting DNA, and thus on the genetic make-up of the organism from which said DNA has been derived.
AFLP can therefore be used to identify said DNA; to analyse it for the presence of specific restriction site patterns, restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) and/or specific genetic markers (so-called "AFLP-markers"), which may be indicative of the presence of certain genes or genetic traits; or for similar purposes, for instance by comparing the results obtained to DNA-samples of known origin or restriction pattern, or data thereon. AFLP is eminently suited to characterise genetic markers by means of one or more of the AFLP fragments thus visualised.
The primers used in AFLP are such that they recognise the adapter and can serve as a starting point for the polymerase chain reaction. To this end, the primers must have a nucleotide sequence that can hybridise with (at least part of) the nucleotide sequence of the adapter adjacent to the 3′ end of the restriction fragment to be amplified. The primers can also contain one or more further bases (called "selective bases") at the 3′-end of their sequence, for hybridisation with any complementary base or bases at the 3′-end of the adapter ligated restriction fragment. Located between the part of the primer that hybridises to the adapter and the selective bases that hybridise to the restriction fragment, the primer may contain a section that is capable of hybridising to the remains of the restriction site. Thus, in general an AFLP primer has the following structure: adapter complementary part-restriction site remains complementary part-selective bases. The adapter complementary part-restriction site remains complementary part is generally depicted as the 'constant sequence' of the AFLP primer and the selective bases as the 'variable sequence'.
As, of all the adapter-ligated restriction fragments present in the mixture, only those fragments that contain bases complementary to the selective bases will subsequently be amplified, the use of these "selective" primers will reduce the total amount of bands in the final fingerprint, thus making the fingerprint more clear and more specific. Also, the use of different selective primers (i.e. different variable sequence) will generally provide different fingerprints, which can also be used as a tool for the purposes of identification or analysis.
The selective nucleotides are complementary to the nucleotides in the adapter-ligated restriction fragments that are located adjacent to the constant primer sequence.
Primers containing selective nucleotide are denoted as +N primers, in which N stands for the number of selective nucleotides present at the 3′-end of the primer. N is preferably selected from amongst A, C, T or G.
N may also be selected from amongst various nucleotide alternatives, i.e. compounds that are capable of mimicking the behaviour of ACTG-nucleotides but in addition thereto have other characteristics such as the capability of improved hybridisation compared to the ACTG-nucleotides or the capability to modify the stability of the duplex resulting from the hybridisation. Examples thereof are peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), locked nucleic acids (LNAs), inosine etc. When the amplification is performed with more than one primer, such as with PCR using two primers, one or both primers can be equipped with selective nucleotides. The number of selective nucleotides may vary, depending on the species or on other particulars determinable by the skilled man. In general the number of selective nucleotides is not more than 10, but at least 5, preferably 4, more preferably 3, most preferred 2 and especially preferred is 1 selective nucleotide.
A +1 primer thus contains one selective nucleotide, a +2 primer contains 2 selective nucleotides etc. A primer with no selective nucleotides (i.e. a conventional primer) can be depicted as a +0 primer (no selective nucleotides added). When a specific selective nucleotide is added, this is depicted by the notion +A or +C etc.
By amplifying a set adapter ligated restriction fragments with a selective primer, a subset of adapter-ligated restriction fragments is obtained, provided that the complementary base is present at the appropriate position in the restriction fragment. Using a +1 primer, for example, the complexity (and the number of visualised fragments) of the amplified mixture is reduced by a factor 4 compared to a amplification with a non-selective primer (a+0 primer) Higher reductions can be achieved by using primers with multiple selective nucleotides, i.e. 16 fold reduction of the original multiplex ration is obtained with 2 selective nucleotides etc.
As AFLP provides amplification of both strands of a double stranded starting DNA, AFLP advantageously allows for exponential amplification of the fragment, i.e. according to the series 2, 4, 8, 16, etc. Also, AFLP requires no prior knowledge of the DNA sequence to be analysed, nor prior identification of suitable probes and/or the construction of a gene library from the starting DNA.
For a further description of AFLP, its advantages, its embodiments, as well as the techniques, enzymes, adapters, primers and further compounds and tools used therein, reference is made to EP-0 534 858, and to Vos et al. Nucleic Acids Research (1995), 23, 4407-4414 both publications are incorporated herein by reference. Also, in the description hereinbelow, the definitions given in paragraph 5.1 of EP-0 534 858 will be used, unless indicated otherwise.
The potential of AFLP as a technology for the integration of physical and genetic maps has been recognised before. Klein et al. in Genome Research, (2000), 10, 798-807 have described the use of AFLP in the integration of physical and genetic maps of Sorghum. The method of Klein et al. comprises generating AFLP fingerprints using +3/+3 selective primers of all individual BAC clones in a library. The method further comprises the generation of pools of clones. The pools are also analysed by AFLP fingerprinting albeit using different restriction enzymes and otherwise other circumstances compared to the generation of the AFLP fingerprints of all the individual BACs. The use of different enzyme combinations renders the method difficult. The method of Klein et al. although feasible, is complex and laborious and comes with several other disadvantages. One of them is that the method is unsuitable for positioning non-polymorphic markers on the integrated map.
It is a goal of the present invention to provide for an improved method for the integration of physical and genetic maps. It is a further goal of the present invention to provide for an improved method based on AFLP. It is yet a further goal of the invention to provide for a high throughput method for the integration of physical and genetic maps that results in maps of improved quality such as measured by increased marker densities or as a result of more reliable contig generation.

AFLP-based method for integrating physical and genetic maps


The invention teaches the preparation of a concentrated sanitizing and cleaning preparation. The preparation has a dual use for cleaning and sanitizing food surfaces as well as food contact and non-food contact surfaces. The composition of the invention shows rapid microbicidal properties against representative gram positive and gram-negative bacteria. The invention uses GRAS, food additive ingredients and/or ingredients that are approved by the USFDA for use on food.

This invention relates to sanitizing chemical compositions that can be used on fresh fruits and vegetables as well as on hard surfaces that come in contact with food thereby reducing the risk of illness caused by harmful chemical residues and/or infectious contaminating microorganisms. The invention further helps to increase the shelf life or keeping qualities of food by reducing the population of spoilage microorganisms carried on the surface of the food.
Most common antimicrobial products accomplish reduction of microbial populations on food and hard food contacting surfaces by oxidation of the target microorganism. To accomplish this, common antimicrobial products of this type contain or utilize compounds having highly oxidizing compounds such as chlorine, chlorine dioxide, peracetic acid, ozone, hydrogen peroxide used to reduce microbial population on food. These oxidizing chemicals inactivate microorganisms by reacting with their organic material. However, these chemicals can also react deleteriously with organic food material and other compounds to produce unknown chemical residues which may be harmful to health. For instance studies have indicated that hypochlorite (chlorine) produces carcinogenic residues on food in certain situations.
An additional drawback of these common antimicrobial oxidative products are compositions which generally lack significant detergent action or cleaning properties. Thus it is often necessary to employ several materials in potentially multi-step cleaning processes to remove all undesirable material and residue from the foodstuff or hard food contacting surface.
Most chemical products suitable for use on foodstuff or hard food contact surfaces do not have significant antimicrobial and microbial properties. Sanitizing products which exhibit significant antimicrobial and/or microbicidal properties have historically been considered unsafe or suspect as containing ingredients which are not classified by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) as GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) for food contact or as a food additive.
Various other sanitizing products require incorporation of additional antibacterial compounds in the preparation to inhibit or kill microorganisms. Such commercial sanitizing products are permitted for use on food contact hard surfaces. However, they cannot be used on fruits and vegetables as they have certain components that are expressly prohibited for use on fresh foods by regulatory agencies.
Additionally, it is economically or logistically necessary to store and ship such sanitizing preparations as concentrate liquids or solids which can be dissolved or diluted to a suitable use solution. Various known formulations can exhibit cloudiness, opalescence or precipitate when diluted with tap water. This phenomenon can interfere with the optimal function of the sanitizing solution.
Thus it would be highly desirable to provide a sanitizing composition which was composed entirely of components approved by regulatory agencies such as the US FDA for use on both fresh fruits and vegetables. It is also desirable that the aforementioned solution be capable of achieving cleaning and sanitizing of food contacting hard surfaces thereby providing a composition which can be utilized for various cleaning and sanitizing operations with increased efficiency and economy. It is also desirable to provide a cleaning and sanitizing composition which can be prepared and stored in a highly concentrated form increasing ease in storage and transport. It is also desirable that the sanitizing material be suitable for use in automatic dispensing operations thereby eliminating risks involved in manual handling. It is also desirable that the composition be one which results in a clear solution without opalescence, cloudiness or precipitate particularly when a concentrated form of the composition is diluted with water.

Concentrated sanitizing compositions for cleaning food and food contact surfaces