Provided are a memory device and a memory module, which perform both an ECC operation and a redundancy repair operation. The memory device repairs a single-bit error due to a ‘fail’ cell by using an error correction code (ECC) operation, and also repairs the ‘fail’ cell by using a redundancy repair operation when the ‘fail’ cell is not repairable by the ECC operation. The redundancy repair operation includes a data line repair and a block repair. The ECC operation may change a codeword corresponding to data per one unit of memory cells including the ‘fail’ cell, and may also change the size of parity bits regarding the changed codeword.

Advancements in semiconductor manufacturing technology have led to an increase in the memory capacity of semiconductor memory devices. As a microfabrication process technology has advanced, the number of 'fail' memory cells has increased. In this case, not only the yield of a process of manufacturing a semiconductor memory device decreases but also a memory capacity thereof cannot be guaranteed. Accordingly, there is a need to develop methods of repairing 'fail' cells to improve the yield of a process of manufacturing a semiconductor memory device.

Memory device for performing error correction code operation and redundancy repair operation

Samsung-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do


A refrigerating device is provided which can improve COP when a required load is 50% of a maximum load or below. When the load required of a common evaporator is 50% or less, a control unit stops a second compressor and controls the volume of a first compressor. Accordingly, it becomes possible to improve COP when the required load is equal to or below 50% as compared to the case of controlling the first and second compressors simultaneously to a low volume.

There is a conventional refrigerating device composed of a first refrigerating cycle unit including a first compressor, a second refrigerating cycle unit including a second compressor, and a control unit for controlling the volumes of the first and second compressors corresponding to a load required of the first and second refrigerating cycle units (see PTL 1: JP 7-111181 B2).
The control unit controls the volumes of both the first and second compressors to be 50% or less when the required load is 50% of a maximum load or below.


A method of fabricating a flip chip image sensor package includes forming an aperture in a substrate and mounting an image sensor to the substrate. The image sensor is mounted such that an active area of the image sensor is aligned with the aperture. A bead is formed around a periphery of the image sensor. An aperture side of the aperture, the image sensor, and the bead define a pocket. The method further includes filling the pocket with a transparent liquid encapsulant and hardening the transparent liquid encapsulant. The hardened transparent liquid encapsulant serves as the window for the flip chip image sensor package.

The present invention relates generally to the packaging of electronic components. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of fabricating an image sensor package.
Image sensors and assemblies are well known to those of skill in the art. In these assemblies, an image sensor was located within a housing, which supported a window. Radiation passed through the window and struck the image sensor, which responded to the radiation.
In the assembly, an image sensor was mounted to a printed circuit board. After the image sensor was mounted, the housing was mounted around the image sensor and to the printed circuit board. This housing provided a hermetic like barrier around the image sensor, while at the same time, supported the window above the image sensor.
As the art moves to smaller and lighter weight electronic devices, it becomes increasingly important that the size of the image sensor assembly used within these electronic devices is small. Disadvantageously, conventional image sensor assemblies required a housing to support the window and to hermetically seal the image sensor. However, these housings were relatively bulky and extend upwards from the printed circuit board a significant distance, e.g., 0.100 inches (2.54 mm) to 0.120 inches (3.05 mm) or more.
In addition, mounting these housings at the printed circuit board level was inherently labor intensive and made repair or replacement of the image sensor difficult. In particular, removal of the housing exposed the image sensor to the ambient environment. Since the image sensor was sensitive to dust as well as other environmental factors, it was important to make repairs or replacement of the image sensor in a controlled environment such as a cleanroom. Otherwise, there was a risk of damaging or destroying the image sensor. Since neither of these alternatives are desirable and both are expensive, the art needs an image sensor assembly which is simple to manufacture and service so that costs associated with the image sensor assembly are minimized.
In the event that moisture was trapped inside of the housing, defective operation or failure of the image sensor assembly was observed. More particularly, the moisture had a tendency to condense within the housing and on the interior surface of the window. Even if the housing later dried out, a stain was left on the window. In either event, electromagnetic radiation passing through the window was distorted or obstructed by either moisture condensation or stain, which resulted in defective operation or failure of the image sensor assembly.
For this reason, an important characteristic was the temperature at which condensation formed within the housing of image sensor assembly, i.e., the dew point of the image sensor assembly. In particular, it was important to have a low dew point to insure satisfactory performance of the image sensor assembly over a broad range of temperatures.
In accordance with the present invention, an image sensor package includes an image sensor having an active area, which is responsive to radiation. The image sensor is mounted to a substrate, which is transparent to the radiation. The image sensor is mounted such that the active area of the image sensor faces the substrate.
During use, radiation is directed at the substrate. This radiation passes through the substrate and strikes the active area of the image sensor. The image sensor responds to the radiation in a conventional manner.
Of importance, the substrate serves a dual function. In particular, the substrate is the window which covers the active area of the image sensor. Further, the substrate is the platform upon which the image sensor package is fabricated.
Recall that in the prior art, a housing was used to support the window above the image sensor. These housings were typically formed of ceramic, which is relatively expensive. Advantageously, an image sensor package in accordance with the present invention eliminates the need for a housing of the prior art. Accordingly, the image sensor package is significantly less expensive to manufacture than image sensor assemblies of the prior art.
In one embodiment, a bead is formed around a periphery of the image sensor such that the image sensor, the bead, and the substrate form a sealed cavity. The active area of the image sensor is located and hermetically sealed within this cavity. Hermetically sealing the active area reduces complexity and cost in the event the image sensor must be repaired or replaced compared to the prior art.
Recall that in the prior art, the housing, which hermetically sealed the image sensor, was mounted directly to the larger substrate. Thus, removal of the housing necessarily exposed the image sensor to the ambient environment and to dust. For this reason, the image sensor had to be repaired or replaced in a cleanroom or else there was a risk of damaging or destroying the image sensor.
In contrast, the active area is hermetically sealed as part of the image sensor package. The image sensor package is mounted to the larger substrate. To repair or replace the image sensor, the image sensor package is simply removed and a new image sensor package is mounted to the larger substrate. At no time is the active area exposed to the ambient environment during this procedure. Advantageously, this procedure can be performed in any facility with or without a cleanroom. The old image sensor package is discarded or shipped to a central facility for repair. Since the image sensor package is simple to manufacture and service, the cost associated with the image sensor package are minimized compared to the prior art.
Further, the image sensor package is relatively thin compared to prior art image sensor assemblies. In particular, by mounting the image sensor directly to the substrate, which also serves as the window for the image sensor, the resulting thickness of the image sensor package is relatively small, e.g., is 0.99 millimeters (mm). Recall that in the prior art, the image sensor was mounted directly to the larger substrate and a housing was used to support a window above the image sensor. This housing extended a significant distance, e.g., 0.100 inches (2.54 mm) to 0.120 inches (3.05 mm) or more, from the larger substrate. Since the image sensor package in accordance with the present invention is relatively thin compared to an image sensor assembly of the prior art, the image sensor package is well suited for use with miniature lightweight electronic devices, which require thin and lightweight image sensor assemblies.
In another embodiment, a step up ring is used to elevate interconnection balls above the image sensor, the interconnection balls being used to connect the image sensor package to a larger substrate such as a printed circuit mother board. Advantageously, use of the step up ring allows the interconnection balls to have minimum size and pitch. This may be important, for example, when a large number of interconnection balls must be provided in a limited area.
In one embodiment, a plurality of image sensor packages are fabricated simultaneously to minimize the cost associated with each individual image sensor package. In accordance with this embodiment, image sensors are attached to an array type substrate, which includes a plurality of individual substrates integrally connected together. Beads are formed around the peripheries of the image sensors. The array type substrate is then singulated, either before or after the array type substrate is populated with interconnection balls or other interconnection structures.
By forming a plurality of image sensor packages simultaneously, several advantages are realized. One advantage is that it is less labor intensive to handle and process a plurality of image sensor packages simultaneously rather than to handle and process each image sensor package on an individual basis. By reducing labor, the cost associated with each package is minimized.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, an image sensor package includes a substrate having an aperture. The aperture is defined by an aperture side. The image sensor package further includes an image sensor having an active area aligned with the aperture. A window is in contact with the aperture side. In one embodiment, the window is formed of a hardened transparent liquid encapsulant.
Advantageously, by forming the window with a low refractive index, the sensitivity of the image sensor package is improved compared to the prior art. Recall that in the prior art, a housing was mounted around the image sensor and to the print circuit board. This housing supported a window above the image sensor. However, located between the window and the image sensor was air. Disadvantageously, air has a relatively low refractive index compared to the window. As those skilled in the art understand, as visible light or other electromagnetic radiation passes from a material having a high refractive index to a material having a low refractive index and vice versa, a significant percentage of the electromagnetic radiation is reflected.
Since the electromagnetic radiation had to pass from air, through the window, and back through air to reach the active area of the image sensor in the prior art, a significant percentage of the electromagnetic radiation was reflected. In particular, the electromagnetic radiation had to pass through three interfaces: (1) the air/window interface; (2) the window/air interface; and (3) the air/active area interface. This resulted in an overall loss of sensitivity of prior art image sensor assemblies.
However, in the image sensor package in accordance with this embodiment, radiation passes from air, through the window, and reaches the active area. Accordingly, the radiation passes through only two interfaces: (1) the air/window interface; and (2) the window/active area interface. By minimizing the number of interfaces, the amount of reflected radiation is also minimized. Accordingly, the amount of reflected radiation is reduced compared to the prior art. This improves the sensitivity of the image sensor package compared to prior art image sensor assemblies.
Further, instead of having air between the window and the active area of the image sensor as in the prior art, the window completely fills the region between the ambient environment and the active area. Advantageously, by eliminating the prior art cavity between the active area and the window, the possibility of moisture condensation within the cavity is also eliminated. Accordingly, the image sensor package does not have a dew point.
In contrast, prior art image sensor assemblies had a dew point, i.e., a temperature at which condensation formed within the housing, which enclosed the image sensor and supported the window. Disadvantageously, this limited the temperature range over which the image sensor assembly would satisfactorily perform. Alternatively, the image sensor assembly was fabricated in a low humidity environment to avoid trapping moisture within the housing and was hermetically sealed by the housing to keep out moisture. This added complexity, which increased the cost of the image sensor assembly. Further, in the event that the hermetic seal of the housing failed, the image sensor was damaged or destroyed.
Since the image sensor package in accordance with this embodiment does not have a dew point, the image sensor package operates satisfactorily over a broader range of temperatures than image sensor assemblies of the prior art. Further, since the image sensor package is formed without a cavity, there is no possibility that moisture will leak into the image sensor package. Accordingly, the reliability of the image sensor package is greater than that of the prior art.
The window also relieves stress on the bumps between the bond pads of the image sensor and the traces on the substrate. In particular, to the extent that the image sensor has a different thermal coefficient expansion than the substrate, the window insures that the image sensor does not become dismounted from the substrate as a result of differential thermal expansion. By minimizing the possibility of failure of the bumps, the window insures the reliability of the image sensor package.
Advantageously, by mounting the image sensor to the substrate as a flip chip, the image sensor is positionally aligned to within tight tolerances. More particularly, since the bond pads of the image sensor are connected to the traces on the substrate, the image sensor is inherently aligned to the traces. Further, since the interconnection balls are formed on these same traces, the interconnection balls are inherently aligned to the traces. As a result, the image sensor is precisely aligned to the interconnection balls. By precisely aligning the image sensor, the performance of the image sensor package is improved compared to a conventional image sensor assembly in which bond pads were wirebonded to traces.

Flip chip image sensor package fabrication method


In a situation where a first computer program has been translated to obtain a second computer program, an error occurring during execution of the second computer program is reported in the context of the first program. This is done by aborting execution of the second computer program when the error occurs; determining a first address which is the address of the instruction in the second computer program that caused the error; determining from the first address a second address of an instruction in the first computer program from which the instruction in the second computer program was translated; and reporting that the error occurred, and using the second address to indicate that the error is associated with the instruction in the first computer program. Preferably the second address is used to reference traceback and symbolic name information generated when the first computer program is compiled from source code. The traceback information provides the line number of the source code from which the instruction in the first computer program was compiled, and the symbolic name information provides the name of a routine containing the instruction in the first program or a variable used by the instruction.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to systems and methods for adapting program codes for execution on different computer systems and more particularly to systems and methods for reporting errors in an original program during the execution of a translation of the original program.
2. Background Art
In the early years of computer programming, instructions for computer programs were generated at the microcode level. With the development and growth of software engineering, more tasks were combined in single complex instructions executable by computers having a hardware architecture designed for the instruction complexity.
Increasing instruction complexity generally provided increasing price/performance benefits in the developing environment of computer hardware costs and performance capabilities. As a result, complex instruction set codes (CISC) became widely accepted.
With increased instruction complexity, however, it has become more difficult to design system hardware for higher execution speed. Instead, a reduced instruction set code (RISC), coupled with correlated RISC computer hardware architecture, has gained acceptance as a mechanism to lead to significantly improved system price/performance.
A RISC system generally employs simpler basic instructions to direct desired operations. A single RISC instruction normally specifies a single operation with at most a single memory access. Further, a RISC system normally provides a register for each basic instruction. The instructions in a RISC instruction set are thus still at a higher level than microcode.
In the typical CISC system, a single instruction may specify a complex sequence of operations and it may make many direct accesses to memory. Thus, operations performed by a CISC instruction may require several RISC instructions.
A RISC system is generally designed with optimized hardware and software tradeoffs that provide faster system operation, better overall system performance and lower system cost relative to available hardware cost and performance capability.
One obstacle to conversion from CISC systems to RISC systems is the existence of large software libraries which have been developed for CISC systems and which are not generally available for RISC systems. When a computer system user chooses to acquire a new computer system, one of the user's major considerations is whether the user's library of application programs can be used or converted for use on the new computer system, and what the cost of replacing that library would be. Thus, for computer system users who wish to achieve better price/performance through RISC computer systems, it is highly important that an economic and effective mechanism be provided for adapting, or "migrating" the user's library of application programs for execution on the RISC computer system.
Several choices are available to the user for program migration. Recompiling or recoding can be employed, but these techniques are typically used for migrating programs written in a high level language such as FORTRAN which either have no detailed machine dependencies or which have any existing machine dependencies removed by manual programming modifications. Further, in recompiling or recoding, the user typically bears all responsibility for program modification and program behavioral guarantees.
Alternatively, interpretation procedures can be used, but the penalty for this approach typically is substantially reduced program performance. More particularly, interpretation procedures are software programs that run on one computer and read a stream of subject instructions (which may well be instructions for a different type of computer) as data, and for each subject instruction perform the indicated operation. Such procedures typically execute 10 to 100 machine instructions on the one computer to interpret a single subject instruction. Thus, interpretation procedures provide substantially reduced program performance, compared to direct execution of functionally-equivalent code on the one computer.
The most effective and efficient migration, however, involves code translation. In code translation, each instruction from an existing program is translated into one or more instructions in the language of the destination machine. Accordingly, a translation of CISC programs to RISC programs, or more generally a program translation in which the translated code has a relatively reduced instruction set, requires "multiple" or "many" instructions in the translated code for each instruction in the code being translated.
A problem resulting from CISC to RISC code translation is that when execution of the translated program aborts due to an error, information about the error is usually based upon the state of the RISC machine. Debugging programs typically associated with high-level CISC source code, however, assume that information about an error is based upon the state of a CISC machine. A debugging program, for example, uses debug information generated when the CISC source code is compiled into CISC object code. The debug information typically includes information associating symbolic (ASCII) names with numerical CISC program and data addresses. The debugging program uses this symbolic name information to permit the programmer to inspect the contents of memory in the CISC machine at addresses specified by selected symbolic names. Typically the debug information also includes traceback information associating line numbers in the CISC source code with corresponding numerical addresses in the CISC object code. When an error occurs during execution of the CISC program in the CISC machine, the operating system in the CISC machine reads a hardware register in the CISC machine to determine the address of the CISC instruction causing the error. The operating system passes this address to an error reporting program that references the traceback information to report to the programmer the line number of the CISC source code from which the error originated.
Because the debugging programs associated with the compilation of CISC source code are based upon CISC object code addresses, CISC instructions, and hardware in the CISC machine, they do not provide the debugging of CISC source code during execution of a translated program on a RISC machine. The debugging of CISC source code during execution of a corresponding RISC object program on a RISC machine could be done by a debug program referencing debug information generated by compiling the CISC source program directly to RISC object code, but this technique would require re-compilation of the CISC source code. Moreover, in some cases CISC source code has been lost or destroyed so that re-compilation is not possible.

System for reporting errors of a translated program and using a boundry instruction bitmap to determine the corresponding instruction address in a source program


A sterilization device which causes occlusion to the fallopian tubes of a patient is designed to be trancervically positioned in the intramural portion of the tube without perforating the tube. The device includes a flexible hollow catheter having an interior passageway, a distal end for insertion trancervically into a patient, and a proximal end opposite the distal end for grasping and manipulation by a physician. The device further includes a pair of diametrically opposed electrodes, each being movably mounted on the distal end of the catheter and radially movable with respect to the distal end. The electrodes are elongated axially and arcuate transversely and are expandable from a closed state, which defines the distal end of the catheter with a reduced diameter for proper transcervical delivery and placement in the fallopian tube of a patient, and an open state, where the electrodes are separated from one another a greater distance than when they are in the closed state, to define the distal end of the catheter with an enlarged diameter. In the expanded state, the diametrically opposed electrodes stretch the tissue of the fallopian tube to reduce blood flow and to help localize heating of the surrounding tissue. The electrodes are provided with RF (radio frequency) energy in their expanded state to heat the tissue of the fallopian tube which they contact. A temperature sensor situated at the distal end of the catheter measures the temperature of the heated tissue. The RF energy provided to the electrodes is controlled to ensure that the tissue is not overheated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to devices for occluding a body lumen, and more specifically relates to a permanent contraceptive or sterilization device for occluding a reproductive tract or lumen. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a device which causes sterility in women by occluding the female reproductive fallopian tubes using RF (radio frequency) energy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many methods of female sterilization have been investigated. One method is surgical tubal ligation, which is a procedure in which the uterine tubules are tied and cut or clamped through an incision made through the wall of the abdomen. Tubal ligation done with a laparotomy requires a surgical incision in the abdomen under general anesthesia. Drawbacks of this procedure necessarily include the risks inherent with anesthesia and the permanent scar formation at the site of the incision. Another technique involves transcervically instilling the sclerosing agent quinacrine into the uterus and fallopian tubes to create a permanent closure of the fallopian tubes. Drawbacks of this procedure include the need of repeat applications and a significant level of side effects.
A further procedure involves transcervically injecting a curable elastomeric composition such as silicone into the fallopian tubes in an amount sufficient to fill the portion of the oviduct adjacent the uterus, which composition is allowed to cure and solidify to non-surgically block the tube. This technique is time consuming and requires a high level of technical skill.
There are also permanent contraceptive or sterilization devices which are transcervically delivered and mechanically anchored within the fallopian tubes and which promote tissue in growth into the device and scar tissue formation which eventually totally occludes each fallopian tube. Such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,432,116 (Callister et al.) and published U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/912,067 (Nikolchev et al.).
Sterilization has also been performed using RF (radio frequency) energy. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,396 (Cohen et al.), an electrically energizable electrode is advanced into the fallopian tube and energized to thermally damage the fallopian tube, thereby causing enough scarring of the fallopian tube to permanent occlude it. Further sterilization devices using RF energy are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,066,139 (Ryan et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,102 (Harrington et al.).

Tubal sterilization device having expanding electrodes and method for performing sterilization using the same


A system for automatically controlling the wiping of automotive windscreens is disclosed. The wiping is conducted at a rate corresponding to the amount of water determined to be on the windscreen at each wiping cycle.

In Australian patent 546327, a detector mounted externally of the vehicle continuously monitors rain to provide a value for the amount of rain fallen since the completion of the last wipe of the windscreen wiper blade. Once that rain total reaches some predetermined level the wiper blade is again actuated. Such is typical of prior art automatic windscreen wiper controls which integrate detected actual rainfall signals in order to determine the rate or frequency of windscreen wiper operation.
However, such systems are in general deficient, at least in regard to the fact that the windscreen needs to be wiped not only in consideration of rainfall, but also in consideration of other water sources such as spray from nearby cars.
It is known to control windscreen wiper systems in response to measurements taken by a moisture sensing device. Typically in the prior art the moisture sensing device attempts to measure the rate of precipitation and the control attempts to initiate a wiping action once some predetermined amount of precipitation has occurred. While many such systems have been postulated, very few have apparently come into existence and those generally suffer erratic operation under at least certain conditions.


An automatic batch sequence computer control system is configured to automatically operate process valves in a delayed coker for a complete coke drum cycle. Double verification of the movement of the process valves is used to confirm advancing to the next step. Primary verification is achieved by using position sensors on the valves. Secondary verification is achieved by using monitored process conditions and confirming the measured conditions correlate with expected process conditions for an arrangement of valve positions at a given sequence in the coke drum cycle. A safety interlock system may be integrated with the control system.

A delayed coker is a unit that thermally converts vacuum distillation column bottoms residue product into lighter distillate and coke. The coking process is primarily a semi-batch process with two or more coke drums operating in pairs in alternating cycles—one drum is filled while the other is emptied. Typically, one coke drum is filled with a batch of heated feed material, such as vacuum distillation column bottoms residue product (also known as "vacuum resid"), that has been heated to a high temperature, between about 830 to 950 degrees Fahrenheit ("° F."), at a low pressure, between about 15 to 60 pounds per square inch gauge ("psig"). The batch of feed material is allowed to thermally react in the coke drum for a period of time. The gaseous reaction products of the thermal cracking are removed from the top of the coke drum and sent to a fractionator. The remaining reaction products remain in the drum and solidify into a product known as petroleum coke, or simply coke. The coke drum is then steamed, cooled and vented, after which the coke drum is opened to the atmosphere and the coke is removed from the drum by cutting it up with high pressure water into small chunks and allowing it to drop out of a large opening at the bottom of the drum. Typically, a single batch of coke may be formed during one cycle that allows the coke drum to be filled for a coking period of between 12 to 18 hours. Thus, one complete fill, coke and unload cycle typically will be double this time.
Originally, this process was operated manually. Human operators would open and close valves manually in a predetermined sequence to route the feed to one coke drum, while other valves are opened and closed to isolate the other drum that is full of coke product ready to be emptied. The delayed coker unit may include up to twenty or more sets of valves for each coke drum, with some valve sets including two valves for a double-block isolation. As such, it can be a very labor intensive operation to open and close the valves in a precise sequence required for safe operation of the delayed coker during each coke drum cycle with very short times of at most a few hours between each step requiring numerous valve position changes. Because some valves in the unit are on process lines that are exposed to both hydrocarbons and the atmosphere at different parts of the cycle, it is important to avoid exposure of hot hydrocarbon to oxygen by verifying the right valves are closed and/or open at each step of the process.
Beginning in the 1990's, delayed coker process units began to take advantage of automation equipment. Manually operated isolation valves were replaced with locally operated motor operated valves and then remotely controlled motor operated valves. Additional double block valves for ensured isolation were installed in some locations. Remotely operated automated top and bottom deheading valves replaced manually operated deheading valves. Electronic safety interlock systems were added to verify valve position and prevent operators from opening the wrong valves or correct valves at the wrong time that might expose heated hydrocarbons to the atmosphere, or expose the operators to the hot hydrocarbons. Partial automation of portions of a delayer coker operation have been proposed. Despite these improvements, the operation of a delayed coker still requires significant labor of human operators in the unit.

Automated batch control of delayed coker


In the present invention, an image processing method includes a dividing process, a performing process, and a superimposing process. In the dividing process, an image is divided into plural local portions. In the performing process, the blurring processing is performed on at least one of the plural local portions. In the superimposing process, the artificial noise is superimposed on the at least one local portion.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image processing method, an image processing apparatus, a computer readable medium, and an imaging apparatus which perform blurring on part of local areas of an image.
2. Related Art
If a person is shot with a camera (imaging apparatus) with its shooting mode set to a portrait mode, the aperture of the stop is set wide and the depth of field is made shallow. A resulting image becomes such that the outline of the image of the subject person is clear whereas the background image is blurred, that is, the image of the subject person stands out sharply against the background image. Likewise, if a flower, for example, is shot with a camera in close proximity with the shooting mode set to a macro mode, an image can be taken in which the background portion is blurred and hence is not conspicuous while the image of the flower (main subject) is clear.
As described above, in shooting a subject with a camera in certain kinds of scenes, it is important to blur a background image. However, whereas a background image can be blurred easily in the case of a camera having a large-diameter lens, it is difficult to take an image with a blurred background in the case of a camera having a small lens such as a compact digital camera.
In the above circumstances, as exemplified by the conventional techniques disclosed in the following Patent documents JP-A-2008-271240, JP-A-2008-271241, and JP-A-7-021365, image processing has come to be performed so that blurring is performed on a portion to be blurred and extracted from a subject image.
An image having a superior touch of blur is obtained by performing blurring on a local portion (in the above example, background portion) other than a main subject portion of a subject image taken with a camera.
However, image quality improvement by blurring is attained only in a case that blurring is performed on an image taken with low ISO sensitivity (e.g., ISO 80 or ISO 100). If blurring is performed on an image taken with high ISO sensitivity (e.g., ISO 400, ISO 800, or higher), a problem arises that a main subject portion appears too rough and noisy against a background portion that has been subjected to the blurring, as a result of which the image loses unity and feels incongruous as a whole.

Image processing method, image processing apparatus, computer readable medium, and imaging apparatus


A modular air stripper apparatus comprised of a plurality of stacked air stripping chambers.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus of new design for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from water by air stripping.
Current apparatus used for the decontamination of water and other liquids (herein generally level water) by air stripping include the well known stripping towers and apparatus of the type shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,869,832; 4,954,147; 4,663,089; and 5,045,215, just to mention a few.

Apparatus for air stripping contaminants from water


A computer-implemented method for concurrent multi-user computer-aided manufacturing may include (1) receiving a tool path descriptor resulting from a tool path request on a local copy of a part model, (2) submitting the tool path descriptor to a server for application to a shared copy of the part model, (3) receiving, from the server, shared model data corresponding to the tool path descriptor, and (4) applying the shared model data to the local part model. Various other methods and systems are also disclosed.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to computer-aided manufacturing, and apparatus, systems, means, and methods for concurrent multi-user computer-aided manufacturing in particular.
Computer-assisted manufacturing (CAM) systems have forced users into a strictly serial process that has limited the efficiency of the tool path planning systems. The CAM system user typically selects the machining environment, then analyzes and creates supporting geometries by defining the stock material size and shape, setting the machine coordinate system, specifying the machine to be used, and identifying the work piece. What follows is typically an iterative process in which the user defines a manufacturing operation by selecting an appropriate cutting pattern, tool, depth per cut, cut area, etc. The user may start with a roughing operation, then analyze the remaining material, choose the next operation (e.g., semi-roughing, finishing, or adding features such as slots, holes, or chamfers) and repeat until all the excess material has been addressed and the part manufacturing process has been fully defined.
Besides the efficiency constraints created by the iterative nature of CAM process planning, additional limitations may arise due to a CAM system user's lack of knowledge or experience with a particular machine involved in the manufacturing process. The user may have to put process planning on hold while seeking additional information or assistance from a more experienced user.
Given the foregoing, what is needed is additional and improved systems and methods for concurrent multi-user computer-aided manufacturing, in particular, systems and methods that facilitate multiple simultaneous users. The embodiments disclosed herein were developed in response to these issues.

System and method for concurrent multi-user computer-aided manufacturing


The method of the current disclosure provides for methods of increasing sulfilimine bonds in collagen IV using bromide containing agents and conditions that either promote peroxidasin cross-linking of collagen IV.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the fields of biology and medicine. In particular, the invention relates to methods of producing collagen IV.
2. Description of Related Art
Collagen IV scaffolds are critical components of basement membranes (BM), a specialized form of extracellular matrix that underlies all epithelia in metazoa from sponge to human. Collagen IV molecules are assembled into networks that support the assemblage of BM components (Hudson et al., 2003). The scaffolds confer structural integrity to tissues, provide a foundation for the assembly of other macromolecular components, and serve as ligands for integrin cell-surface receptors that mediate cell adhesion, migration, growth and differentiation (Moser et al., 2009; Hynes, 2002; Yurchenco and Furthmayr, 1984). The networks also participate in signaling events in Drosophila development, in the clustering of receptors in the development of mammalian neuromuscular junction (Fox et al., 2007), and they are involved in autoimmune and genetic diseases (Gould et al., 2006; Gould et al., 2005; Hudson et al., 2003).
The collagen IV networks are assembled by oligomerization of triple-helical protomers by end-to-end associations and by intertwining of triple helices through their N- and C-terminal domains (Khoshnoodi et al., 2008; Khoshnoodi et al., 2006). At the C-terminus, two protomers associate through their trimeric non-collagenous (NC1) domains forming a hexamer structure. The protomer-protomer interface is covalently crosslinked, a key reinforcement that strengthens the structural integrity of networks. In the case of humans, the crosslink also confers immune privilege to the collagen IV antigen of Goodpasture autoimmune disease (Vanacore et al., 2008; Borza et al., 2005).
The inventors previously identified a sulfilimine bond (Met93-S═N-Hyl211) that stabilizes the NC1 trimer-NC1 trimer interaction in which the sulfur atom of methionine-93 (Met93) residue from one NC1 domain connects to the ε-nitrogen atom of hydroxylysine-211 (Hyl211) of an interacting NC1 domain (Vanacore et al., 2009). The crystal structure of the NC1 hexamer (Sundaramoorthy et al., 2002) demonstrates that this bond plays a critical role in not only stabilizing the quaternary structure of the NC1 hexameric complex but also as reinforcement to the entire collagen IV network. The inventors have also determined that the enzyme responsible for this bond formation is human peroxidasin (PXDN).
The sulfilimine bond likely occurs in diverse metazoan species. NC1 dimer subunits, a signature structural feature indicative of crosslinks, have been identified in collagenase digests of basement membranes including human (Weber et al., 1984), bovine (Weber et al., 1984), dog (Thorner et al., 1996), and mouse (Weber et al., 1984). Furthermore, a phylogenetic analysis of the Lys211 and Met93 residues, based on a multiple sequence alignment of the NC1 domain across the metazoan phylum (Vanacore et al., 2009; Aouacheria et al., 2006), revealed that the sulfilimine bond may occur in many metazoans, except in hydra, flatworm, sponge, and placozoa. A further comparison of the sequence motif (X-K-A/S/G) that confers hydroxylation of lysyl residues by lysyl hydroxylase (Kivirikko and Pihlajaniemi, 1998) occurs in the NC1 domains of all metazoa except hydra, sponge and placozoa. The motif is also absent in the α4 NC1 domain of human, mouse, bovine and chick, which in the case of bovine Lys211 does not undergo hydroxylation and leads to the formation of s-lysyl-methionine crosslink (Vanacore et al., 2008). Phylogenetic analysis suggest that the sulfilimine crosslink is a key biologic feature for tissue organization, development, and maintenance.
Though a great deal has been learned about collagen IV formation and crosslinking, including key enzymes in its regulation, further insights into how to exploit this molecule and the machinery that forms it in therapy remain to be uncovered.

Methods for the production of collagen IV


A scroll type machine is disclosed which is designed to enable it to be fully assembled prior to being installed in a hermetic shell and incorporates an improved mounting arrangement for the non-orbiting scroll member. This design enables the compressor to be tested without the need to first install it in the outer shell. This feature in combination with the mounting arrangement greatly facilitates manufacturing, assembly, testing, effectively prevents radial displacement of the non-orbiting scroll member, and offers the advantages of axial compliance. In one embodiment, the non-orbiting scroll is axially movably secured to a bearing housing by means of a plurality of bolts or bolts and sleeves. In another embodiment a rigid annular ring serves to axially movably secure the non-orbiting scroll to the bearing housing while in a third embodiment a stamped ring is secured to both the non-orbiting scroll and the bearing housing. In another embodiment a two piece main bearing housing includes an integral ring for radially positioning the non-orbiting scroll member and means for securing anti-rotation and axial stop means thereto. A method of assembling and/or testing the compressor is also disclosed.

The present invention relates generally to scroll machines and more specifically to an improved axially compliant mounting arrangement for scroll type compressors and arrangement for assembling the components thereof together which greatly facilitates the assembly thereof as well as enables testing of the compressor prior to installation of the compressor in the outer shell.
A unique axially compliant mounting arrangement is disclosed in the above referenced parent application Ser. No. 899,003, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,293. One embodiment of this mounting arrangement utilizes an elongated leaf spring strap having opposite ends secured to a flange portion provided on the non-orbiting scroll member. The center portion of this strap is secured to a pair of upstanding spaced posts provided on the main bearing housing. A stop flange is provided on the non-orbiting scroll which engages the lower surface of the strap to limit axial movement of the non-orbiting scroll member away from the orbiting scroll. A retainer overlies the center portion of the strap and serves as a backup to aid in limiting this axial separating movement of the non-rotating scroll. While this mounting arrangement offers excellent performance and durability characteristics, it requires a substantial number of components which render it rather costly in terms of both manufacturing and assembly time and material.
Accordingly, the present invention seeks to provide an improved mounting arrangement which offers all of the advantages provided by the above described mounting system but additionally requires fewer components and hence offers substantial cost savings in both manufacturing and assembly. In one embodiment, the non-orbiting scroll member is secured to the main bearing housing by means of a plurality of bolts extending therebetween which allow limited relative axial movement between the bearing housing and the non-orbiting scroll member. In another embodiment, a separate annular ring is fixedly secured to the bearing housing in surrounding relationship to the non-orbiting scroll member and includes abutment surfaces operative to allow limited relative axial movement of the non-orbiting scroll. A third embodiment is disclosed which is similar to the second embodiment except that the annular ring is integrally formed with a portion of a two piece main bearing housing and separate axial stop means and anti-rotation means are provided. In this embodiment, the two piece main bearing housing is designed to be secured to a lower bearing housing into which the motor stator is fitted. Thus, the entire compressor may be assembled and tested if desired prior to installation of the compressor assembly in the outer hermetic shell. Additionally, this arrangement eliminates the reliance on the outer shell for relative positioning and/or alignment of the components. In a fourth embodiment, an annular stamped ring is pressfitted or otherwise fixedly secured to the non-orbiting scroll and bolted to the bearing housing. The stamped ring offers sufficient flexibility to allow limited axial movement of the non-orbiting scroll.
Each of these embodiments offer distinct advantages with respect to overcoming the often conflicting problems of minimizing the amount of high precision machining required, the need for accurately positioning the non-orbiting scroll member relative to the orbiting scroll member, minimizing the number of components required and hence the complexity and time required for assembly as well as minimizing costs without loss of durability and/or reliability of the resulting scroll compressor.
Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Scroll compressor having upper and lower bearing housings and a method of testing and assembling the compressor


A tactile notification device that can be embodied in, e.g., a wristwatch, communicates via wireless link with plural personal computing devices, including cellular telephones, pagers, and palm top computers, of the person wearing the notification device. When one of the personal computing devices alerts, e.g., when the telephone receives an incoming call, the pager receives a page, or the palm top computer receives an email, the personal computing device sends a signal to the notification device, which generates a discrete tactile signal against the person's skin. The notification device can generate different tactile signals, and each tactile signal can be correlated as desired by the user to one of the personal computing devices. In one embodiment, opposed pinch bars are provided on the skin-facing tactile surface of a wristwatch to gently pinch the skin and thereby establish a first tactile signal that can be correlated to, for example, an alert for an incoming phone call. Also, a rotating bar can be provided on the tactile surface of the wristwatch, and the tactile signal that corresponds to, e.g., an incoming page can be established by rotating the bar against the skin.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable computing devices, and more particularly to systems and methods for alerting a user when one of a plurality of wearable computing devices have generated a user alert.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal computing devices that can be carried by a person have become popular, and such devices continue to proliferate as the size of computing devices shrinks, allowing the devices to become comparatively unobtrusive and lightweight to carry. Examples of personal computing devices are information devices such as pagers, cellular telephones, laptop and palm top computers, personal music systems, camcorders, and dictating machines, and sensor devices, including biosensors such as heart rate sensors and blood pressure sensors.
As recognized by the present invention, as computing devices continue to be miniaturized, people can be expected to carry more and more wearable personal computing devices. Furthermore, the effectiveness of such devices, as well as their ease of use, would be promoted if some or all of a person's personal computing devices were integrated in a single system or otherwise configured to work in concert with each other. With this in mind, a wireless radiofrequency (RF) communication protocol, referred to as "Bluetooth", has been proposed by an industry consortium to enable computing devices to communicate with each other using what is essentially a wireless standardized local area network.
The present invention recognizes, however, that even should personal computing devices be configured to communicate with each other, such devices nonetheless generate unique alerts that are not integrated with each other. For example, a cellular telephone rings to indicate an incoming call, a pager beeps or vibrates to indicate a page, a biosensor might alarm when a setpoint is reached, a palm top computer might display a visual alert of an incoming email, and so on. In other words, each personal computing device generates its own alert, whether audible, visual, or vibratory.
As understood herein, the generation of many unique alerts has drawbacks. One drawback is that a person must constantly "tune in" to multiple sensory alerts, i.e., the person must listen for a pager beep or cellular telephone ring, visually observe a palm top computer screen, and remain sensitive for a tactile signal. This undesirably diverts the person's attention away from other activities.
Additionally, it is frequently the case that existing alerts are either ineffective or inappropriate, depending on the circumstances. For example, a vibratory tactile alert is ineffective when a person subjected to the alert is operating a vibrating piece of machinery. Also, an audible alert might be ineffective for a person who is hard of hearing, or who is in a noisy place. Moreover, auditory and visual alerts are often inappropriate when, for example, a person is in church, or a meeting, or other circumstance that renders audible and/or visual alerts unwelcome distractions.
Accordingly, the present invention understands that with so many devices requiring a person's attention at various times and under various circumstances, a need exists for an integrated alert notification system. The present invention recognizes that the above-noted shortcomings can be addressed as set forth herein.

Integrated touch-skin notification system for wearable computing devices

International Business Machines Corporation


A dimmable light emitting arrangement (100, 200, 300, 400) has a relatively low correlated color temperature in the dimmed state, and a relatively high and constant color rendering index. The dimmable light emitting arrangement (100, 200, 300, 400) comprises a first light source (10, 10a, 10b) adapted to emit light of a first wavelength range between 380 and 460 nm, a second light source (20, 20a, 20b) adapted to emit light of a second wavelength range between 570 and 610 nm, a first wavelength converting material (30), and a second wavelength converting material (40). The first wavelength converting material (30) receives light from the first light source (10, 10a, 10b) and converts light of the first wavelength range into light having an emission peak within a third wavelength range between 470 and 570 nm. The second wavelength converting material (40) receives light from the first and second light sources, and converts light of the first wavelength range and light the second wavelength range into light having an emission peak within a fourth wavelength range between 590 and 630 nm.

Nowadays, incandescent light sources are frequently substituted by light emitting arrangements based on solid state light sources. A light emitting arrangement based on a solid state light source, e.g. an LED, has many advantages over an incandescent light source, such as reduced power consumption, long service life, and environmental conservation. However, it is desirable that at least some features of traditional incandescent light sources are adopted by modern light emitting arrangements.
An incandescent light source is a light source that produces light from heat. An incandescent light source changes its color temperature from about 2700 K to about 1900 K, when dimmed from 100% light output to 5% light output. The so-called dimming curve of the light emitted from the incandescent light source ideally follows a planckian curve, also called blackbody curve, in a CIE chromaticity diagram. A lower color temperature makes the light appear more reddish to the human eye. Thus, a lower color temperature is associated with a warmer, cozier and pleasant atmosphere.
It would be desirable to provide a light emitting arrangement, based on a solid state light source, which mimics the behavior of an incandescent light source in the dimmed state, i.e. at low levels of luminous flux. Such behavior is advantageous e.g. when the light emitting arrangement is used in hospitality settings. Preferably, the correlated color temperature of the light emitted from a light emitting arrangement, based on a solid state light source, should also follow a planckian curve in a CIE chromaticity diagram.
WO 2010/103480 disclosed a lighting device comprising an LED driver, a two-terminal LED module, a first LED group and a second LED group, wherein the LED module was designed to vary the LED currents to the first LED group and the second LED group, respectively, such that the color behavior of the light output of the LED module on dimming resembled the color behavior of an incandescent lamp.
However, there is still a need in the art for light emitting arrangements having a relatively low correlated color temperature, similar to the color temperature of an incandescent light source, in the dimmed state, and having a relatively high and constant color rendering index, close to the color rendering index of an incandescent light source.


An elevator system includes a microprocessor-based cab controller mounted directly on an elevator car, which controls the operation of the elevator door. Elevator door motion is commanded in response to the difference in actual door velocity from a desired, dictated door velocity in accordance with desired rates of acceleration and deceleration, maximum velocity, acceleration and deceleration, the point at which deceleration is to begin, and a velocity at which deceleration is to decrease. The disclosed invention provides selective modification in maximum velocity along with the point at which deceleration is to begin, the velocity at which deceleration is to decrease along with the point at which deceleration is to begin, and/or simply the point where deceleration is to begin, so that door velocity profiles may be tailored to suit any particular door of a given type. An exemplary environment for and details of the present invention are disclosed.

Typical elevators known to the art control elevator door motion with analog systems which vary the elevator door motor voltage as a function of the position of the door, which in turn is controlled either by cam switches, switches positioned along the path of the door travel, or potentiometers responsive to door position. In such systems, the inherent time constants in the analog circuits, the necessary time for relays to operate, and the mechanical inertia of the door system as a whole provide inherent lags that necessarily smooth out the response to discrete and time variant signals. And, step function voltage changes are similarly responded to in a lag fashion, which avoids excessive jerky response, overshooting situations, and the like. Such systems therefore have very wide tolerances, and a particular design will normally work on any elevator door of a given design and size. But such prior systems are subject to all the frailties of mechanical systems, such as wear and misalignment: frequent adjustments may be required in order to derive proper operation of the door, diagnosis of faulty door operation is difficult, and maintenance is costly. And, such systems are not well suited to providing various optimum characteristics to suit a variety of constraints imposed upon the door under all circumstances.
In more sophisticated door controls, door behavior may be precisely dictated in accordance with desired response, examples of which are described in detail with respect to related inventions, hereinafter. However, the most sophisticated of such systems may operate in response to discrete states and discrete values, such as digital representations of speed, motor current, and the like. Since digital systems can be very precise, so that controlling door response by means of a dictated velocity in accordance with a desired door motion profile can be very carefully controlled in a closed loop fashion. In order to derive maximum benefit from such a system, it is desirable to dictate velocity in accordance with a door motion profile which causes the door to move (open or close) at the highest possible speed consistent with smooth operation and safety constraints, such as inertial limitations depending upon the speed and mass of the door. However, if the operation is very precise and perfectly suits one door, it may not suit another door of precisely the same type, due to manufacturing and/or installation tolerances.


An electrical power boosting apparatus includes a metal substrate having a monomolecular carbon-based film on first and second surfaces, a conductive core, a positive electrode at one end, and a negative electrode an opposite end and magnets positioned adjacent and in a spaced-apart relationship to the metal substrate, the magnets are oriented so that north and south poles of each magnet are matched with opposite poles of an adjacent magnet. Electrical power is boosted by passing an initial electric current having an initial voltage through the conductive core of the metal substrate and causing or allowing an interaction between the metal substrate, the monomolecular carbon-based film, and the magnets to produce a modified electric current having a final voltage that is greater than the initial voltage.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a monomolecular carbon-based film and an electrical shield incorporating such film for enhancing power transmission across a conductive material.
2. The Related Technology
Electrical power lines are used to transmit electricity from power plants to grid substations, then to homes, factories and other end users and are found all over the world. Power lines are transmission cables made up of electrically conductive wires. Because current typically flows over transmission cables that are without insulation, a major problem is corona discharge, which is composed of an electromagnetic field of electrons. When a corona is fully crested the dam of electrons cracks, resulting in a loss of voltage and release of electrons to the atmosphere. To compensate for voltage and current losses, power must be regenerated and/or boosted about every fifty miles between grid substations to recharge current. It has been estimated that up to 60% of the average power plant production of energy is lost to corona discharge, as reported in Washington D.C. by a Dr. Clayton Teague, Director National Nanotechnology Coordination and Office of Nano scale Science, Engineering, and Technology.
In view of the foregoing, there is a long-felt but unsatisfied need to provide a more efficient method of transporting electrical power over power transmission lines.

Apparatus and methods for boosting electrical power


A computer-implemented method includes receiving a rule, wherein the rule includes at least one token, and receiving at least two dictionaries, wherein the at least two dictionaries include at least one general language dictionary and at least one domain-specific dictionary for a domain. The computer-implemented method further includes, for each of the at least one token, selecting at least one word at random from at least one of the at least two dictionaries and adding the at least one word to a test data line, such that the test data line includes a candidate statement conforming to the rule. The computer-implemented method further includes filtering the candidate statement based on a domain-specific model for the domain and including the candidate statement in training data provided to a machine learning model. A corresponding computer program product and computer system are also disclosed.

The present invention relates generally to the field of machine learning, and more particularly to generating training data for classifiers and other machine learning modules.
In recent years, machine learning has come to dominate numerous fields of computer problem solving. In particular, machine learning modules have been successful in gleaning knowledge from voluminous unstructured natural language data, such as rich corpora of scientific, technical, and medical texts. Such rich data is not always available. For example, in such fields as medical diagnosis and financial fraud detection, patient records and customer financial records may be highly restricted, both in terms of access to the data and permissible uses of the data. That is, data science providers may have no ability to accesses sufficient data to train classifiers or other machine learning models, or, if they do, the authorized uses of the data may be insufficient for training classifiers well. Accordingly, data scientists continue to face challenges in obtaining sufficient training corpora for machine learning products of all kinds.

Generating training data for machine learning

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for producing a thermoelectric material, comprising: mixing an Sn powder and a powder containing a first dopant element to obtain a first mixed raw material, heating the first mixed raw material at a temperature allowing for mutual diffusion of Sn and the first dopant element to obtain a first aggregate, pulverizing the first aggregate to obtain a first powder, mixing an Mg powder, an Si powder, and the first powder to obtain a second mixed raw material, heating the second mixed raw material at a temperature allowing for mutual diffusion of Mg, Si, Sn and the first dopant element to obtain a second aggregate, pulverizing the second aggregate to obtain a second powder, and pressure-sintering the second powder, and wherein the first dopant element is one or more elements selected from Al, Ag, As, Bi, Cu, Sb, Zn, P, and B.

In order to effectively utilize heat emitted from factories, automobiles, electronic equipment, etc., a thermoelectric device that can convert heat energy to electric energy is being studied.
The material used for the thermoelectric device includes a thermoelectric material such as Mg—Si-based, Bi—Te-based, Pb—Te-based, Si—Ge-based and Fe—Si-based materials.
When a thermoelectric material contains a specific dopant, the performance of a thermoelectric device is enhanced. By containing a specific dopant element in the thermoelectric material, thermal conductivity is reduced, electrical conductivity is improved, and/or Seebeck coefficient is improved.
The Mg—Si-based thermoelectric material includes a thermoelectric material in which part of Si of magnesium silicide (Mg2Si) is replaced by Sn. Enhancing the thermoelectric performance is being studied by containing a dopant element in such a thermoelectric material.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a thermoelectric material having a composition of Mg2Si1-xLxMy (wherein L is either one of Sn and Ge, M is at least one member selected from Al, Ag, As, Cu, Sb, P, and B, x is from 0 to 0.5, and y is from 0 to 0.3).

Method for producing a thermoelectric material


A portable, self contained skimmer utilizes an endless flexible belt which depends into the liquid to be skimmed and is driven between two rollers for removal of liquid from the belt.

While the present invention has many and varied uses in separating mutually immiscible liquids, it is described herein in connection with the removal of oil from the surface of a body of water. However, the invention is not so limited and the appended claims should not be so construed.
Although skimming devices have been widely known and used for many years, with the growing need for better control and removal of liquid pollutants from streams, rivers and other water bodies, it has become increasingly important to provide less costly oil skimmers so as to enable a greater and more widespread use of such equipment.
The prior art skimming devices have in general utilized a motor driven member such as a drum, a disc or a belt which adsorbs a floating liquid such as oil and transports it to a collection area. The prior art devices have been designed to be highly efficient and as a consequence have been relatively complex and expensive to manufacture. Such devices have not, therefore, found application where only relatively small quantities of oil are to be collected. For example, one application where present day oil skimmers are uneconomical is in machine shops wherein acqueous cooling liquids are contaminated by oil and should not, therefore, be discarded into a sewer. In such applications the time required to separate the oil from the liquid on which it is floating is not an important factor inasmuch as the separation need only be carried out on intermittent batch bases.

Skimmer having a wide drive roller, a guide means, and a tension means


A curable composition comprising (A) a phenol resin and (B) 1 to 200 parts by weight of, per 100 parts by weight of the phenol resin, a polyether having at least one silicon-containing reactive group, which provides a cured product having improved properties such as flexibility, impact resistance, toughness, peeling strength and tensile strength.

The present invention relates to a curable composition containing a phenol resin and a polyether having a silicon-containing reactive group, which provides a cured product having improved properties in flexibility, impact resistance, toughness and strength.
A phenol resin has hitherto been used for various purposes, for instance, used as molding materials, adhesives and paint or coating materials, or in plywoods and laminates. However, it has the defect that the cured product is brittle, which is a problem common to these uses.
Various polymers having a silicon-containing reactive group are known. For instance, hydrolyzable silyl group-containing polymers are curable to form cured products by exposure to moisture in the atmosphere. A polyether having a silicon-containing reactive group has an interesting property such that it is cured even at ordinary temperature to form a rubber-like elastomer, but has the defect that the strength of the cured product is small and, therefore, is restricted in its uses.
An object of the present invention is to improve the brittleness of the cured phenol resin and the strength of the cured polyether having a silicon-containing reactive group.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a curable composition of a phenol resin which eliminates the defects of the cured phenol resin, namely impact resistance, flexibility, toughness, peeling strength and the like.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a curable composition of a polyether having a silicon-containing reactive group which eliminates the defects of the cured polyether, namely strength and the like.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the description hereinafter.

Curable composition of phenolic resin and polyether containing silicone containing reactive group

Kanegafuchi Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha


A murmur frame for a participant to communicate expressive information with other participants in a meeting includes a personal information section that contains a name of the participant, one or more icons indicating inputs and reactions of the participant related to a subject matter or other aspects of the meeting, and one or more annotation banners containing comments or questions of the participant. The input may include pictorial, textual, and audible inputs. The murmur frame is subdivided into sub-areas each dedicated to a specific aspect of the meeting. The choice of a sub-area in which an icon is displayed is significant. The murmur frame containing the expressive information may be transmitted to the other participants through a computer network system to advance communication for the meeting.

Remote meetings have long been crippled because participants cannot effectively convey or exchange important expressive information with the whole group. During a presentation, very often no one voices confusions or concerns, because each participant, unable to observe similar confusion on other participants' faces, typically thinks that he/she is the only one who has the question. Similarly, a speaker making a presentation typically does not know when to stop explaining, since he/she cannot readily observe reactions on the audience's faces. As a result, important questions and objections are often not raised, and too much time is spent explaining what is already understood.
Similarly, during a cross-cultural group meeting where group members cannot confidently interpret each other's demeanor, participants may feel cut off from the group, while leaders may have trouble controlling meeting pace and leading discussions effectively.
Some existing remote meeting tools enable participants to send verbal or nor-verbal messages to a leader or a moderator of the meeting. However, the messages are typically available only to the leader or the moderator, and other participants cannot use the messages to gauge the flow and tenor of the meeting. Accordingly, the participants typically cannot directly contribute to the group's dynamics as they would in a face-to-face meeting.
Some other existing remote meeting tools enable participants to communicate very limited expressive information. For example, participants may be able to show degrees of enthusiasm on a sliding scale through a handheld device, or sign up on a list indicating a desire to speak. However, the indications are often ambiguous. For example, a participant who expresses an intention to speak typically does not indicate whether the desire is to ask a question or to comment.
Remote meeting participants sometimes use text chat to augment telephone conferencing. However, two important limitations relate to the text chat. First, in many cases the text chat does not embrace the entire group, but serves as a sidebar conversation among a subset of the participants. Thus, the text chat serves more to fragment the meeting than to contribute to the overall dynamic of the group as a whole. Second, the text chat tends to be keyboard-intensive, requiring the same kind of attention and mental processing as the meeting's main discussion. Therefore, the text chat often competes with the main discussion of the meeting for the participants' mind share. When feelings run high or a topic under discussion calls for concentration, the participants generally abandon the text chat, or abandon the main discussion and simply vent feelings in the text chat. Third, as participation increases, the speed with which information in a chat window scrolls up and off the page increases, i.e., the more people contribute, the faster the contributions disappear, and the harder for the participants to follow the text chat. Accordingly, while a text chat window may be adequate for communicating reactions of a few participants among themselves, the text chat is inadequate for communicating expressive information among a large group of participants.
Remote meeting participants have also tried to use video transmission as a medium for expressing and exchanging reactions. However, video cameras do not provide feedback effectively because expressive information is typically communicated through body language and gestures. Even if network bandwidth and computer power are able to accommodate multiple video transmission, trying to watch an array of video windows proves to be inadequate. Meeting participants, unlike professional actors following a script, tend to focus on the subject of the meeting and the meeting itself, not on conveying a specific message through a camera. Accordingly, the nuances of body language that depend on physical proximity and eye contact simply cannot be conveyed through independent videos. In addition, trying to follow multiple video screens may be distracting and tiresome for participants.
Emote icons such as  and  have become common ways to communicate participant reactions in text interchanges, and many instant messaging products have "improved" the emote icons with color and other graphic detail. However, the improved versions of the emote icons typically lose clarity and readability. Additionally, the range of expression in emote icons is limited and the means for delivery (e.g., text chat) has the drawbacks described above.

Frame for communicating expressive information for meetings

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A method for selecting the most effective arthropod repellent from stereoisomers of a compound, involving testing each stereoisomer of the compound for its effectiveness as an arthropod repellent against an arthropod of a particular genus and species, comparing the test results and selecting the most effective arthropod repellent stereoisomer from the stereoisomers of the compound, wherein the compound is a piperidine analog. A composition for repelling arthropods, containing a carrier material and an arthropod repelling effective amount of a stereoisomer of a compound, wherein said stereoisomer is selected by the above method. A method for repelling arthropods (e.g., Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus) from a mammal, involving treating the mammal with an arthropod with the above repelling composition (e.g., containing (1S,2xe2x80x2S) stereoisomer of 1-(3-cyclohexen-1-ylcarbonyl)-2-methylpiperidine).

The present invention relates to a method for selecting the most effective arthropod repellent from stereoisomers of a compound, involving testing each stereoisomer of the compound for its effectiveness as an arthropod repellent against an arthropod of a particular genus and species, comparing the test results and selecting the most effective arthropod repellent stereoisomer from the stereoisomers of the compound, wherein the compound is a piperidine analog of the formula
in which R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 may be the same or different and represent hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, or butyl groups, wherein said methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, or butyl groups are optionally substituted in their primary or secondary position with a hydroxyl (xe2x80x94OH) group, and R1 represents unbranched or branched C1-8 alkanes, unbranched or branched C1-8 alkenes, C5-8 cycloalkanes, C5-8 cycloalkenes, methyl substituted C5-8 cycloalkanes, or methyl substituted C5-8 cycloalkenes or R1 is xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94R7 wherein a carbon atom of R7 is attached to the O of xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94R7 and wherein R7 represents unbranched C1-8 alkanes, branched C1-8 alkanes, unbranched C1-8 alkenes, branched C1-8 alkenes, C5-8 cycloalkanes, C5-8 cycloalkenes, methyl substituted C5-8 cycloalkanes, or methyl substituted C5-8 cycloalkenes, and wherein said compound has at least one asymmetric center. Generally, the compound has one or two asymmetric centers.
The present invention also relates to a composition for repelling arthropods, containing a carrier material and an arthropod repelling effective amount of a stereoisomer of a compound selected by the above method.
In addition, the present invention also relates to a method for repelling arthropods from an object (e.g., mammals such as humans) or area (e.g., a surface such as human skin), involving treating the object or area with the above composition.
Racemic 1-(3-cyclohexen-1-ylcarbonyl)-2-methylpiperidine was first identified as an insect repellent twenty-two years ago (McGovern, T. P., et al., Mosq. News, 38: 346-349 (1978)). The U.S. Department of Agriculture assigned the compound a code number, AI3-37220, hereafter referred to as 220 (FIG. 1). The so-called repellent does not necessarily reduce the number of blood-sucking arthropods visiting a site where the compound has been applied, but it does reduce the number of bites sustained by an individual whose skin has been treated topically with the compound; the term repellent is used herein in this context. Field and laboratory studies against many species of blood-sucking arthropods have consistently shown that 220 is more or as effective as the commonly used arthropod repellent deet (N,N-diethyl-3-methyltoluamide) in reducing bites (Robert, L. L., et al., J. Med. Entomol., 29: 267-272 (1992); Coleman, R. E., et al., J. Med. Entomol., 30(3): 499-502 (1993); Walker, T. W., et al., J. Am. Mosq. Control. Assoc., 12: 172-176 (1996); Frances, S. P., et al., J. Med. Entomol. 33, 511-515 (1996); Frances, S. P., et al., J. Am. Entomol., 35(5): 690-693 (1998)).
Compound 220 contains two asymmetric centers and standard symmetric synthesis yields a equal mixture of four stereoisomers. All previous repellent studies were conducted using the stereoisomeric mixture (racemate). Up to now, the repellent properties of the individual stereoisomers of 220 or of other known repellents were never evaluated. The present study determined if chirality plays a role in repellents (e.g., 220).
A method is disclosed for selecting the most effective arthropod repellent from stereoisomers of a compound, involving testing each stereoisomer of the compound for its effectiveness as an arthropod repellent against an arthropod of a particular genus and species, comparing the test results and selecting the most effective arthropod repellent stereoisomer from the stereoisomers of the compound, wherein the compound is a piperidine analog of the formula
in which R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 may be the same or different and represent hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, or butyl groups, wherein said methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, or butyl groups are optionally substituted in their primary or secondary position with a hydroxyl (xe2x80x94OH) group, and R1 represents unbranched or branched C1-8 alkanes, unbranched or branched C1-8 alkenes, C5-8 cycloalkanes, C5-8 cycloalkenes, methyl substituted C5-8 cycloalkanes, or methyl substituted C5-8 cycloalkenes or R1 is xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94R7 wherein a carbon atom of R7 is attached to the O of xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94R7 and wherein R7 represents unbranched C1-8 alkanes, branched C1-8 alkanes, unbranched C1-8 alkenes, branched C1-8 alkenes, C5-8 cycloalkanes, C5-8 cycloalkenes, methyl substituted C5-8 cycloalkanes, or methyl substituted C5-8 cycloalkenes, and wherein said compound has at least one asymmetric center. Generally, the compound has one or two asymmetric centers.
A composition is disclosed for repelling arthropods, containing a carrier material and an arthropod repelling effective amount of a stereoisomer of a compound selected by the above method.
A method is also disclosed for repelling arthropods from mammals, involving treating the mammal with the above composition.

Methods and compositions for repelling arthropods

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


The present invention relates to a modulated light source, in particular for use as part of an opto-electronic communication network. The modulated light source has a laser and an external electro-optic modulator for modulating the intensity of light produced by the laser. A temperature sensor senses the temperature of the laser and the modulator. A control circuit connected to the temperature sensor adjusts the bias on the modulator so that the band edge of the modulator follows the changes in wavelength of the laser as the laser warms up during operation. This avoids the need for a cooling element to keep the temperature of the laser constant.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a modulated light source, in particular for use as part of an opto-electronic communication network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an opto-electronic communications network, it can be desirable to produce a high frequency modulated light source. One way of achieving this is to pass light of initially constant intensity through a modulator. Normally the modulator is formed from a modulator material whose optical properties depend on the electric field applied across it, so that modulating the electric field across the modulator material results in a modulation in the intensity of light passing through it. Examples of modulators used to modulate light from a laser outside the lasing medium include electro-absorption modulators, Mach-Zender interferometer modulators, and Fabry-Perot modulators.
The modulator material is normally biased with a quiescent voltage in order to bring it into an operating mode where an absorption edge of the modulator material is close to the wavelength of the light being modulated. A modulation voltage is superposed to the quiescent voltage in order to modulate the intensity of light passing through the modulator material, the quiescent voltage normally being constant in time or slowly varying as compared to the modulation voltage (typically, the quiescent voltage will vary with a frequency of less than 10 kHz, whereas the frequency of the modulation voltage will normally be between about 1 GHz and 100 GHz).
However, the absorption edge and other characteristics of the modulator material can vary if the temperature of the modulator changes, with the result that the modulator is no longer as effective. It is known therefore to mount the modulator on a temperature control element in order to keep the temperature of the modulator stable but this can be expensive.
It is an object of the present invention to address the above issues.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a modulated light source comprising a laser and a modulator assembly for modulating the intensity of light produced by the laser, wherein the modulator assembly has: a modulator element with a modulating medium for modulating the intensity of light passing therethrough; electrodes for applying an electric field across the modulating medium; a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the modulating medium and for producing a temperature signal indicative of the temperature thereof; and, an electronic compensation circuit having an input for receiving the temperature signal from the temperature sensor, an output connected to the electrodes of the modulating medium for applying a quiescent voltage thereto, and a control unit for controlling the quiescent voltage according to a predetermined functional relationship with the received temperature signal.
The predetermined functional relationship between the temperature signal and the quiescent voltage can be chosen to suit the modulating medium employed, so that that if the modulating medium and/or the laser changes temperature during use, the applied quiescent voltage changes also, in such a way as to keep the modulator operating effectively. This reduces the need for a cooling element to keep the temperature of the modulator and/or the laser constant.
The control unit will preferably have a memory with a look up table, the look up table having data representative of a plurality of temperature signal values and data representative of a plurality of quiescent voltage values, wherein each temperature signal value is associated with a quiescent voltage value, and wherein the quiescent voltage value for each temperature signal value is chosen according to the predetermined relationship. This will allow the control unit to easily produce the correct quiescent voltage for each received temperature signal.
The control unit may also have a processor with a feed back algorithm programmed therein, such that if the quiescent voltage applied to the modulating medium is not equal to a target quiescent voltage, a change in the quiescent voltage is made, the change being a function of the difference between the applied quiescent voltage and the target quiescent voltage.
If the predetermined relationship between the quiescent voltage and the temperature signal is sufficiently simple, the control unit may comprise a transistor circuit having an output for outputting an output signal, an input for inputting an input signal and one or more transistors, the transistors being connected such that relationship between the input signal and the output signal is representative if the predetermined relationship between the quiescent voltage and the temperature signal. Such a transistor circuit will be particularly useful since it will reduce the need for a look up table if the predetermined relationship between the quiescent voltage and the temperature signal is linear or quasi linear.
The modulating medium will preferably have an absorption edge, the wavelength at which the absorption edge occurs being dependent on the electric field applied across the modulating medium. The quiescent voltage can then be set such that the wavelength at which the absorption edge occurs is close to the wavelength of the light produced by the laser (typically between about 1300 nm and 1550 nm), with the result that a small modulating voltage superposed on the quiescent voltage will cause a significant modulation in the amount of light that is able to pass through the modulator element.
If the wavelength of light produced by the laser remains constant, the predetermined functional relationship between the temperature signal and the quiescent voltage can be chosen to keep the absorption edge at the same wavelength when the temperature of the modulator changes.
However, in many situations the laser will self heat during use or its temperature will change as a consequence of ambient temperature variations, with the result that the wavelength it produces will change. Therefore the modulator element will preferably be in thermal contact with the laser so that the temperature of the laser can be inferred from the temperature of the modulator element. The predetermined functional relationship between the quiescent voltage and the temperature signal will then be chosen such that the absorption edge of the modulating medium follows the changes in the wavelength of light produced by the laser.
The modulating medium will preferably be formed from a semiconductor material. The semiconductor material may be a bulk material, in which case the absorption edge will be the band edge of the bulk material, the wavelength of the band edge being electric field dependent according to the Franz-Keldysch effect.
The modulating medium may be formed from a plurality of layers, such as a multiple quantum well structure, and the field dependence of the absorption edge may be due to the Quantum Confined Stark Effect. The laser may also be formed from a plurality of different semiconductor layers.
The different layers of semiconductor in the modulating medium and/or the laser will preferably be formed from combinations of In, Ga, As, Al, Sb or P in different proportions.
In order to facilitate fabrication, the laser and the modulator element may be formed on a common substrate as a monolithic device.
The modulator element will preferably have an input facet and an output facet through which light respectively enters and leaves the modulator element, and the laser will preferably have at least one light emitting facet through which light is emitted, the laser and the modulator element being arranged such that that the light emitting facet of the laser faces the input facet of the modulating element. This will make it easier for light produced by the laser to enter the modulator element.
The light emitting facet of the laser may be coincident or in contact with the input facet of the modulator element, such that the laser and the modulator are butt coupled Alternatively, a waveguide and/or a lens may be provided between the laser and the modulator element in order to reduce the amount of light that is lost between the laser and the modulator element. A mode converting element may be provided between the laser and the modulator to increase the amount of light from the laser entering the modulator.
An optical isolating element may be provided at the output of the modulator to reduce the amount of light reflected back into the modulator. Alternatively, the optical isolating element may be provided between the modulator and the laser.
The laser may be a distributed Bragg reflector laser or a distributed feedback laser. To stabilise the wavelength of emitted light, the laser may have an external Bragg grating. The external Bragg grating may be an formed from an optic fibre or a waveguide. The waveguide may be fabricated substantially from any one or more of the following: a polymer material, silicon, silicon nitride, or silicon oxide.
The laser and the modulator element will preferably be placed on a common chip carrier, so as to form a single packaged unit. The packaged unit may be fabricated using conventional techniques such as soldering, adhesive bonding, laser welding and thermo-compression bonding.
The temperature sensor may be placed on the chip carrier, in thermal contact with both the laser and the modulator element. Alternatively, the temperature sensor may be formed integrally with the laser or the modulator element. If the laser and the modulator element are formed as a monolithic device, the temperature sensor may be formed integrally therewith, in order to reduced the temperature gradient between the monolithic device and the sensor.
To provide a more accurate temperature reading or if the laser and the modulator are thermally isolated, the modulated light source may comprise two temperature sensors, one sensor for sensing the temperature of the laser, and the other sensor for sensing the temperature of the modulator element.
The or each sensor may be a thin film sensor such as a platinum resistance thermometer, or a semiconductor sensor, the semiconductor sensor being for example a p-n junction or a thermistor.
In one embodiment, the laser will be placed on a first chip carrier and the modulator element will be placed on a second chip carrier, a light guide or optical fibre being provided between the first and second chip carrier to feed light from the laser to the input facet of the modulator element. This will allow the modulator assembly to be used with different lasers, allowing more flexibility. A laser temperature sensor producing a laser temperature signal will preferably be provided on the first chip carrier to measure the temperature of the laser.
The first and second chip carriers may be placed adjacent to one another, or on different positions on a circuit board. Alternatively, the first and second chip carrier may be separated by a distance of several meters or several kilometers if an optic fibre is used to couple the first and second chip carriers.
A modulating circuit associated with the laser may be provided for modulating the laser light output with a digital code representative of the laser temperature. A detector connected to the compensation circuit may be provided with the modulator assembly to detect the light from the laser and read the digital code representative of the laser temperature, so that the compensation circuit can take into account the laser temperature when setting the quiescent voltage on the modulator element.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light modulator assembly for modulating light intensity comprising: a modulating medium for modulating the intensity of light passing therethrough; electrodes for applying an electric field across the modulating medium; a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the modulating medium and for producing a temperature signal indicative of the temperature thereof; and, an electronic compensation circuit having an input for receiving the temperature signal from the temperature sensor, an output connected to the electrodes of the modulating medium for applying a quiescent voltage thereto, and a control unit for controlling the quiescent voltage according to a predetermined functional relationship with the received temperature signal.


The invention relates to a method of producing a grinding roll in which a roll tire made from a highly wear-resistant bainitic cast material is applied to the basic roll body. In order to create a roll tire with particularly high reliability against fractures and with relatively high wear resistance and compression strength, the roll tire is produced from a ductile bainitic spheroidal graphite cast material having a breaking elongation of approximately 0.1 to 2.5% and a compression strength of approximately 1,000 to 1,800 Mpa.

It is already generally known that relatively brittle mill feed materials, such as for example cement raw materials, cement clinker, ore material, coal and the like, can be comminuted particularly economically or with a saving of energy in a so-called material bed roll mill in which two grinding rolls which can be driven in rotation in opposite directions are pressed against one another with a relatively high pressure (cf. for example Walter Duda, Cement-Data-Book, Vol. 1, 3rd edition, 1985, pages 255 to 261).
Since the outer circumferential roll surfaces are subjected to very high stresses both with regard to abrasion (wear) and also with regard to pressures, especially in the case of the aforementioned brittle and abrasive mill feed materials, the tire of each grinding roll is produced from particularly wear-resistant material. These roll materials include chilled cast iron as well as alloyed hard materials which are applied by build-up welding onto the roll base material. Nevertheless when comminution occurs in a material bed roll mill the high pressures acting on the roll surfaces or roll tires have the effect that, after a period of time, the roll material, particularly the build-up welded roll tires usually used nowadays, becomes fatigued particularly in the region near the surface, in addition to the sometimes considerable wear. This material fatigue limits the service life of these grinding rolls so that the roll tires can no longer be reused.
In EP-B-0 563 564 a material bed roll mill is proposed in which grinding rolls have a tire made from a wear-resistant chilled cast iron, which may for example be inter alia a highly wear-resistant bainitic cast material. The special feature of these known grinding rolls is that profilings in the form of weld beads made from wear-resistant build-up welding material are applied to the surface of the chilled cast iron tire of each grinding roll. It has in fact been shown that, by constructing the grinding rolls from chilled cast iron with build-up welds, a markedly higher compression strength and thus a longer service life with regard to wear can be achieved by comparison with the build-up welded grinding rolls mentioned above. In providing these known grinding rolls with a tire made from chilled cast iron, however, the chilled cast iron or chilled cast material has a relatively brittle behaviour. In the case of relatively pulsating or striking comminution work or stress, such as is frequently the case with very brittle mill feed materials in large lumps, this can lead to spontaneous fracture of the chilled cast material. Moreover, unwanted fractures can even occur during the production of the grinding rolls; that can occur due to the contraction strains occurring when the tire is being shrink-fitted onto the basic roll body.
The object of the invention, therefore, is to improve the known method referred to above in such a way that, while maintaining a relatively high wear resistance and compression strength, a particularly high operational reliability of the roll tire (and thus of the entire grinding roll) in relation to fractures can be achieved.