A sensor device has an optical waveguide containing an electro-optic crystal for propagating light, a coupler provided adjacent to the optical waveguide to propagate a terahertz wave generated from the electro-optic crystal as a result of the propagation of light in the optical waveguide, and a detector for detecting the terahertz wave propagating through the coupler or the light propagating through the optical waveguide. The terahertz wave is totally reflected in a section of the coupler opposite to a section where the coupler is adjacent to the optical waveguide while passing through and propagating in the optical waveguide, and in the total reflection section, the terahertz wave interacts with a subject placed close to the total reflection section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sensor device using a terahertz wave containing electromagnetic wave components in a frequency domain from a millimeter wave band to a terahertz wave band (not less than 30 GHz and not more than 30 THz), and a sensing system or an imaging system using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, non-destructive sensing technology using terahertz waves (THz waves) has been developed. As an application field of electromagnetic waves in this frequency band, there is technology for safe fluoroscopic inspection equipment as an alternative to X-ray equipment to perform imaging. Further, there have been developed spectroscopic technology for determining the absorption spectrum or complex permittivity inside a substance to examine physical properties such as the bonding state of molecules, measurement technology for examining physical properties, such as carrier concentration or mobility, and electric conductivity, and biomolecule analysis technology. As the method of generating a terahertz wave, a method using nonlinear optical crystal is widely used. Typical nonlinear optical crystals include LiNbOx (hereinafter, also referred to as LN), LiTaOx, NbTaOx, KTP, DAST, ZnTe, GaSe, GaP, and CdTe. Second-order nonlinear phenomena are used for generation of a terahertz wave. As a system, there is known difference-frequency generation (DFG) using incidence of two laser beams having a frequency difference. In the DFG system, when two laser beams different in frequency are entered, nonlinear polarization having a cycle corresponding to a difference frequency of the two laser beams occurs. In the nonlinear optical crystal, the energy state is excited by the incidence of the laser beams and an energy wave is radiated when returning to the original energy state. When the nonlinear optical crystal is nonlinearly polarized, an energy wave corresponding to the polarized frequency is radiated, while when it is polarized with a frequency of a terahertz wave, the terahertz wave is radiated from the nonlinear optical crystal. There are also known a system for generating a monochromatic terahertz wave by an optical parametric process, and a system for generating a terahertz wave pulse by optical rectification with radiation of a femtosecond pulsed laser beam.
As a process of generating a terahertz wave from such nonlinear optical crystal, electro-optic Cerenkov radiation has recently drawn attention. This is a phenomenon in which, as illustrated in FIG. 8, a terahertz wave 101 is radiated in a conical shape like a shock wave when a group velocity of propagation of a laser beam 100 as an excitation source is faster than a propagation phase velocity of the generated terahertz wave. A radiation angle θc (also called "Cherenkov angle") of the terahertz wave is determined by the following equation according to a ratio of refractive indexes in a medium (nonlinear optical crystal) between light and the terahertz wave:cos θc=vTHz/vg=ng/nTHz  (1).
where vg and ng denote the group velocity and group refractive index, respectively, and vTHz and nTHz denote the phase velocity and refractive index of the terahertz wave, respectively. Up to now, there has been reported that a high-intensity terahertz pulse is generated by optical rectification using the Cerenkov radiation phenomenon by entering a femtosecond laser beam with inclined wavefront into LN (J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, vol. 25, pp. B6-B19, 2008). Further, it is described that a monochromatic terahertz wave is generated by a DFG system using a slab waveguide having a thickness sufficiently smaller than the wavelength of the generated terahertz wave to eliminate the necessity of wavefront tilt (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-204488 (Patent Document 1)).
The examples described in the aforementioned conventional art documents are related to a proposal of performing phase matching in the radiation direction between terahertz waves generated from different wave sources because the terahertz waves are generated by traveling-wave excitation to reinforce the terahertz waves with each other in order to improve extraction efficiency. A terahertz wave generated from a slab waveguide propagates in an adjacent coupler (Si prism in the case of Patent Document 1) and is extracted from the coupler into a space. The features of this radiation system include the fact that a high-intensity terahertz wave can be generated with relatively high efficiency among those using nonlinear optical crystal, and the fact that the terahertz wave band can be widened by selecting absorption in a terahertz region due to a phonon resonance unique to the crystal on a high frequency side. Compared with terahertz generation by a photoconductive device, these techniques can widen the generation band, and in the case of generating a terahertz wave pulse with optical rectification, the pulse width can be reduced. Therefore, it is expected that the device performance can be improved when the device is used in a terahertz time-domain spectroscopic apparatus, for example.
However, in the systems described in the aforementioned conventional art documents, Cerenkov radiation of a terahertz wave generated in nonlinear optical crystal (which is the term used in these documents, and in this specification, the term "electro-optic crystal" as an approximately equivalent term is used) and propagating in the coupler is all extracted into a space. Then, light is focused on a sample desired to be sensed as necessary by means of a parabolic mirror or a lens to analyze a microscopic region of the sample. In this case, since the wavelength of a terahertz wave used is typically about a few hundred μm, light can only be condensed up to a beam diameter corresponding to the wavelength due to the diffraction limitation. The reality is that the spatial resolution is generally in millimeters though it depends on the optical system. This makes it difficult to sense a microscopic sample or to deal with imaging of a component distribution at a resolution equal to or less than the wavelength. To respond to a request for observation at an improved spatial resolution, it is necessary to use known near field technology in an optical region.


An improved electronic display that includes components selected to enhance display performance. The improved display includes an active substrate that has a plurality of thin film transistors and a plurality of thermally transferred color filters that include a colorant in a crosslinked binder. The active substrate can also include a black matrix. Other components in the improved display such as a liquid crystal material, spacers, and bottom polarizer, can be selected to enhance display performance characteristics such as brightness, power consumption, response time, weight, and thickness. The invention also provides a method of forming a color filter substrate for displays including the steps of thermally mass transferring a plurality of color filters and crosslinking the plurality of color filters after transfer. Before the crosslinking step, the plurality of color filters can be inspected and removed for reworking of the substrate.

Difficulties can arise in the fabrication of full color active matrix liquid crystal displays (LCD), especially as demand increases for displays to become larger, brighter, thinner, and lighter, with higher resolution and faster switching times, all at a lower cost.
Active matrix LCDs commonly include a liquid crystal material disposed between an active substrate and a non-active (passive) substrate. The active substrate generally has a regular array, or matrix, of thin film transistors (TFT) arranged in pixels. To add color, color filters can be provided for each of the pixels in an LCD. Currently, color filters in active matrix displays are typically formed onto the flat, non-active display substrates, using either photolithography or direct printing techniques.

Process for making active substrates for color displays


An organic electroluminescent device includes a pair of electrodes; and an organic layer between the pair of electrodes, which includes a light-emitting layer and contains a compound represented by the following formula (1):

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic electroluminescence device capable of converting electric energy to light and thereby emitting light (which device may hereinafter be called "organic EL device", "luminescence device", or "device"), in particular, to an organic electroluminescence device excellent in light emitting property and durability.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, research and development on various display devices (organic luminescence devices) using organic light-emitting materials are actively performed. Of these devices, organic EL devices can realize luminescence with high luminance at low voltage and therefore are drawing attention as promising display devices.
In recent years, devices have improved efficiency by using a phosphorescent material therefor. As the phosphorescent material, an iridium complex and a platinum complex are known (refer to, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,303,238, and International Patent Publication Nos. 00/57676 and 00/70655). Satisfactory durability cannot however be attained even by the technologies disclosed therein.
International Patent Publication No. 02/047440 discloses the use of an organic compound containing a deuterium atom, but it has no description about effects produced by combined use of such an organic compound and a phosphorescence emission metal complex material.
JP-A-2005-48004 (The term "JP-A" as used herein refers to an "unexamined published Japanese patent application".) discloses the use of a deuterium-containing carbazole material that produces phosphorescence at ordinary temperatures, but it also has no description about effects produced by combined used of such a carbazole material and a phosphorescence emission metal complex material.

Abstract: wherein each of R1 to R7 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent with the proviso that at least one of R1 to R7 represents a deuterium atom or a substituent containing a deuterium atom.


In an electric toaster, a power switch unit is switched by a actuator provided on a support seat, which is movable together with a carriage, from an OFF-mode, where power to an electric heating unit is cut-off, to an ON-mode, where power is supplied to the heating unit, when the carriage is moved from an upper limit position to a lower limit position. A control unit energizes an electromagnet when the switch unit is switched to the ON-mode to attract a magnetically-attracted plate on the seat so that, once a force to move the carriage to the lower limit position is relieved, a biasing device biases the carriage to move from the lower limit position to a toasting position, thereby holding the seat in a lower retaining position against biasing action of a biasing member and thereby holding the carriage in the toasting position.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electric toaster, more particularly to an electric toaster that can enhance safety.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional electric toaster includes a housing having a toasting compartment, and a carriage. The toasting compartment is provided with slots at its top for receiving bread to be toasted. An electric heating unit is disposed in the toasting compartment. The carriage is operable so as to move between an upper position and a lower position. When the carriage is disposed in the upper position, the electric heating unit is deactivated. When the carriage is moved to the lower position, the electric heating unit is activated so as to toast the bread loaded in the carriage. In a normal state, the carriage can be moved automatically from the lower position to the upper position in a known manner after a predetermined toasting cycle. Generally, an excited electromagnet is used to attract the carriage during the toasting cycle. It is noted that an over-heating problem cannot be prevented when the carriage is jammed at the lower position for some reason. In order to overcome the aforesaid problem, a relay can be used to control the supply of electric power to the electric heating unit. Such a solution, however, results in a relatively high cost.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an electric toaster that can effectively control deactivation of an electric heating unit even when jamming of a carriage occurs.
According to the present invention, an electric toaster comprises:
a housing including a toasting compartment;
an electric heating unit disposed in the toasting compartment;
a carriage mounted in the toasting compartment and movable vertically among a lower limit position, an upper limit position, and a toasting position between the lower limit and upper limit positions and located closer to the lower limit position as compared to the upper limit position, whereby a food item to be toasted is adapted to be loaded in and unloaded from the carriage when the carriage is in the upper limit position, and whereby the food item is adapted to be toasted when the carriage is in the toasting position;
a biasing device disposed in the housing for biasing the carriage to the upper limit position;
a magnetically-attracted retaining mechanism including
a support seat movably supported by the carriage so as to be movable together with the carriage among the upper limit position, the lower limit position and the toasting position, the support seat being further movable relative to the carriage between an upper releasing position and a lower retaining position,
a biasing member provided on the support seat for biasing the support seat to the upper releasing position,
a magnetically-attracted plate mounted on the support seat, and
a switch actuator provided on the support seat;
a control unit connected electrically to the electric heating unit, the control unit including a power switch unit disposed in the housing and switched by the switch actuator from an OFF-mode, where electric power to the electric heating unit is cut-off, to an ON-mode, where electric power is supplied to the electric heating unit, when the carriage is moved from the upper limit position to the lower limit position upon application of an external force against biasing action of the biasing device; and
an electromagnet disposed in the housing adjacent to the carriage and connected electrically to the control unit, the electromagnet being energized by the control unit when the power switch unit is switched from the OFF-mode to the ON-mode to attract the magnetically-attracted plate so that, once the external force applied for moving the carriage to the lower limit position is relieved, the biasing device biases the carriage to move from the lower limit position to the toasting position, thereby holding the support seat in the lower retaining position against biasing action of the biasing member and thereby holding the carriage in the toasting position.


An electronic device. The electronic device includes a first electrode and a coating layer. The electronic device is fabricated on a substrate; the substrate has a cavity created in a top surface of the substrate; and the first electrode is electrically coupled to the substrate. The coating layer coats at least part of a substrate surface in the cavity, and the presence of the coating layer results in a mitigation of at least one parasitic leakage path between the first electrode and an additional electrode fabricated on the substrate.

Parasitic leakage effects in electronic circuits and devices can result in unwanted and often detrimental spurious signals. Modern devices have become more and more sophisticated with the associated requirement for improved performance with respect to parasitic effects, as well as other performance characteristics, in amplifier and receiver circuits used, for example, in microwave and radio frequency (RF) applications.
RF filter devices built on semiconductor substrates, such as film-bulk acoustic resonators (FBARs), can be susceptible to leakage effects between traces and pads, especially between input and output pads due to intimate connection between the pads and the underlying semiconductor. FBARs manufactured in the manner of an acoustic resonator suspended over a cavity are also susceptible to leakage paths along the floor and walls of the cavity. Extraneous conduction paths can result in multiple deleterious effects, such as poor passband performance. Different types of conduction paths may exist, for example, substrate and surface conduction paths.

Electronic device on substrate with cavity and mitigated parasitic leakage path

Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.


A method is disclosed for blocking a cloned mobile device by a processor of a network. The processor receives a first registration from a first mobile device at a first location. The first registration includes a device identifier and a phone number. The processor then confirms that a second registration from a second mobile device at a second location includes the device identifier and the phone number and calculates a first fraud score for the first mobile device and a second fraud score for the second mobile device. The processor then determines that the second mobile device is the cloned mobile device, when the second fraud score exceeds the first score, and blocks the cloned mobile device from registering on the network.

A current problem for network operators and subscribers is that devices in the network are being cloned, e.g., where serial numbers and telephone numbers are being copied and used by an unauthorized device. When an unauthorized device registers with the network at a particular location, the legitimate device in a different location might be erroneously deregistered. The network usage by the unauthorized device may also appear as charges on the legitimate subscriber's bill. The network operator will typically remove such charges when the network operator is able to confirm that the charges were incurred by the unauthorized device. However, the network operator is still providing unpaid network usage to the cloned device. In addition, the network operator must assign customer care agents to handle subscriber complaints, at further cost to the network operator. The legitimate subscriber may still come away dissatisfied after having to prove that he or she did not incur the charges and after having service disrupted when the unauthorized device obtains registration on the network. Thus, cloned devices remain a significant problem to network operators.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Detection and blocking of cloned mobile devices


A transport refrigeration unit for a transport container in which the refrigeration unit has side-by-side evaporator and condenser compartments 18 and 20 in the upper portion of the exterior frame, with a power compartment 24 extending across the entire width of the lower portion of the unit, the power compartment containing an internal combustion engine 26, a motor-alternator 28 and a refrigerant compressor 30 in in-line relationship, a radiator coil 62 condenser coil 64 being in inclined disposition in the condenser compartment and receiving air therethrough from condenser fan 66, the evaporator coil 72 being inclined in the evaporator compartment and in a disposition in which a portion of the coil projects out of the plane of the rear face of the frame, and a pair of double inlet centrifugal fans 74 are provided in the upper portion of the evaporator compartment to draw air from the upper part of the container and direct it downwardly through the coil 72 back into the container, and separate panels 36 and 40 are provided for the evaporator and condenser compartments for individual access, the evaporator panel including an adjustable vent plate 38 for controlling the exchange of air between atmosphere and the container interior.

This invention pertains generally to the art of transport refrigeration units and in particular to that part of the art relating to such units adapted for use on freight containers which may be transported by truck, train or ship.
A refrigeration unit according to our invention has various features believed to be superior to prior art units used in the same type of service. While some of these features have been available individually with particular prior art units, no prior art units of which we are aware has all of these features available in one package
As background for better understanding the desirability of some of these features, a brief discussion of the type of service to which sea-going refrigeration freight containers are subject, and the relationship of this service to the refrigeration unit, is considered in order.
These freight containers are in the form of large, thermally insulated boxes which may be stacked on the deck of container ships for ocean travel, and may be transferred thereto or therefrom to a train flat car, or a truck trailer chassis for land transport. Because of such handling, such containers are typically constructed with a pocket or recess at the front of the container to receive the refrigeration unit, which should fit within the pocket without projecting beyond it, thereby to avoid damage to the refrigeration unit in handling of the freight container. To provide flexibility in the transport mode (ship, train, truck) it is desirable that the refrigeration unit be adapted to be powered either electrically, or by an internal combustion engine. Since not only the refrigeration compressor requires power, but also means must be provided to drive evaporator and condenser fans, it is considered desirable if possible to use motors to drive these fans to avoid maintenance problems experienced with fan belt drives that are driven from the prime mover.
Continuing with the characteristics desirable in such a refrigeration unit, obviously the unit should have adequate refrigeration (and heating) capacity to maintain the proper temperature in the container, regardless of whether the container is being transported through desert heat or is in some more moderate climate. Since the container may be transported on deck of ships, which may encounter heavy seas at times, then it should also be constructed in a manner that is not likely to fail under such conditions. At the same time, since most man-made objects are subject to failure, the arrangement and construction of the unit should be such that service upon it is not unduly difficult, even though it may be at the top of a stack of container units aboard a ship encountering heavy weather. Finally, another important consideration is that the container owner desires that the refrigeration unit take up as little internal space in the container as possible so as to maximize the available cargo space.
It will be appreciated by those familiar with the refrigerated container art that these considerations, along with others not here mentioned, are not all easily obtained in a single unit, since some of these considerations and desirable characteristics impact upon each other. In other words, certain features may be available only at the expense of other desirable features. However, we believe that a unit according to our invention yields a reasonably good balance of the major ones of the desirable characteristics, and is a unit eminently suited for its intended service on a refrigerated container.


A deodorant detergent product comprises a non-soap detergent active compound, and a deodorant composition. The product can be used for personal washing of the skin and will as a result reduce human body malodor. The product can also be employed for washing fabrics which when subsequently worn in contact with the skin aid in the reduction of human body malodor.

It has long been recognised that the development of body malodour is largely due to bacterial action on the products of the sweat glands. Washing the skin with a detergent, for instance in the form of a personal washing detergent bar, removes malodorous products and reduces the concentration of bacteria on the skin. Likewise, washing soiled clothing with a fabric washing detergent product, for instance in the form of a powder or liquid detergent product, removes malodorous products and bacteria derived from the skin.
It has been customary to incorporate germicides into detergent products, particularly those designed for personal washing, in the belief that growth of those skin microflora that contribute to body malodour can be inhibited and the production of malodorous substances suppressed. Germicides are at least partly effective in reducing or retarding the development of body malodour, but they do not completely solve the problem, possibly because there are other causes of malodour development on the skin which are unrelated to the proliferation of bacteria.

Detergent product containing deodorant compositions


A feature image generation apparatus includes circuitry. The circuitry generates, on the basis of a processing target image in which an object appears, a first image showing the object, and generates, as a feature image showing a feature of the object, at least a part of a rotational composite image obtained by composition of a plurality of rotated images obtained by rotating the first image.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image processing.
Description of the Background Art
The technology of classifying whether an object corresponds to a comparison target using image processing has conventionally been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent No. 5317250 discloses the technology of classifying, using image processing, whether a component being a test target that appears in an image corresponds to a genuine component, namely, a non-defective item.

Feature image generation apparatus, classification apparatus and non-transitory computer-readable memory, and feature image generation method and classification method


A process comprises passing a contaminated gaseous stream through a photocatalytic stage and, thereafter, through a catalytic stage.

The present invention is drawn to a process and catalyst for destruction of contaminants in a gaseous stream (preferably air) into less harmful products by irradiating the contaminated air with ultraviolet light in a first photocatalytic stage wherein the photocatalyst is irradiated with ultraviolet light while in contact with the contaminated air to convert at least a portion of the contaminants into carbon dioxide. The contaminated air then is passed into a second catalytic stage, wherein the contaminant is exposed to a catalyst without further heating of the contaminated air. Surprisingly, it is found that the pretreatment in the first photocatalytic stage increases overall process efficiency, by efficiently releasing heat utilized by the catalytic stage and by producing intermediate species which are efficiently converted in the second catalytic stage without forming harmful byproducts.
In spite of decades of effort, a significant need remains for an advanced technology to control stationary source emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as for example benzene, chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) as for example trichloroethlyene, and toxic air pollutants (TAPs) as for example acrylonitrile. A particular need exists for technology which controls emissions from industrial processes and other applications where VOCs and TAPs are present in high flow rate air streams.
Pollution control in high flow rate air streams is becoming recognized as a major environmental control issue for the United States industrial community at large. For example, the control of emissions associated with solvent degreasing operations is necessary, including the emissions associated with exhaust ventilation fans. Also, air stripping of contaminated groundwater produces air emissions for which current technology provides no satisfactory solution. Catalytic combustors are available, but require processing tremendous volumes of air and result in uneconomic performance. Thermal incinerators require excessive supplemental fuel for dilute mixtures, and exhibit uncertain selectivity when CVOC's are involved. Gas membrane processes are only now emerging for gas separation, and are ill-suited for dilute mixtures. Pressure swing adsorption using zeolites or resins is not applicable to dilute mixtures, and rotating wheel adsorbers are uneconomic for such dilute concentrations of organics. Packed bed activated carbon adsorption is widely practiced, but creates a hazardous solid waste which is increasingly difficult to manage. Carbon regeneration by steam is costly, and is generally economic only for very large scale operations. Landfill options for spent carbon will become more limited, as it involves transportation and disposal of hazardous wastes, particularly for CVOC applications.
Control of indoor air pollution is also of growing importance, with the objective of enhancing workplace environmental health and safety protection. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is promulgating new regulations to reduce workplace exposure to indoor air contaminants such as CVOCs. Many CVOCs are particularly toxic. Certain CVOCs are suspected carcinogens, others are linked to possible birth defects, and still others are suspected active precursors in the destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer. Of the 189 targeted air toxics in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, about one-third of the compounds are chlorinated.
In spite of considerable efforts of researchers in the field, most UV photocatalysts exhibit shortcomings in catalyst activity, selectivity, and deactivation which limit their commercial utility for air pollution control.
Researchers have studied titania photocatalysis, although not achieving the benefits of the present invention. Raupp has reported titania photocatalysts for the UV oxidation of organics in air (see Raupp, G. B., et al., "Destruction of Organics in Gaseous Streams Over UV-Excited Titania", 85.sup.th Annual Meeting, Air & Waste Management Association, Kansas City, Jun. 21-26, 1992). The activity of a titania photocatalyst rapidly declines with time-on-stream with trichloroethylene (TCE) in air (see Raupp, G. B., "Photocatalytic Oxidation for Point-of-Use VOC Abatement in the Microelectronics Fabrication Industry", Air & Waste Management Association, 87.sup.th Annual Meeting, Cincinnati, Ohio, Jun. 19-24, 1995). Ollis describes photocatalytic reactors and reports that TCE photocatalysts in air can lead to 75 ppm(v) of phosgene in the reactor product in the photocatalytic oxidation of organics over a thin titania bed (see Ollis, D. F., in Photocatalytic Purification and Treatment of Water and Air, 481-494, Elsevier, N.Y., 1993; and Peral, J. and D. F. Ollis, "Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Oxidation of Gas-Phase Organics for Air Purification", J. Catalysis, 136, 554-564, 1992). Pichat has reported great difficulty oxidizing aromatics in the gas phase with a titania photocatalyst (see Pichat, P., in Photoelectrochemistry, Photocatalysis and Photoreactors, 425-455, Reidel Publishing, Boston, 1985). Researchers at Purdue have investigated gas phase photocatalysis of TCE using titania on a concentric reactor wall around a UV light source (see Wang, K. and B. J. Marinas, in Photocatalytic Purification and Treatment of Water and Air, 733-737, Elsevier, 1993). They employed residence times of over 6 seconds, and found evidence of byproducts, suspected to be phosgene. Teichner reports that byproduct formation with titania photocatalysts is the rule, not the exception (see Teichner, S. J. and N. Formenti, in Photoelectrochemisty, Photocatalysis and Photoreactors, 457-489, Reidel Pub, Boston, 1985). Nutech Energy Systems has disclosed titania impregnated on a fiberglass mesh (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,712 issued Jan. 9, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,759 issued Oct. 30, 1990; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,241 issued Jul. 16, 1991). A technical paper on the Nutech technology disclosed a gas phase residence time of 8.4 seconds and evidence of byproducts formation up to 34 seconds residence time (see Al-Ekabi H., et al., in Photocatalytic Purification & Treatment of Water and Air, 719-725, Elsevier, N.Y., 1993). The University of Wisconsin investigators have used 100 second residence time for photocatalytic destruction of gas phase TCE using titania (see Yamazaki-Nishida, S., et al., "Gas Phase Photocatalytic Degradation on Titania Pellets of Volatile Chlorinated Organic Compounds from a Soil Vapor Extraction Well", J. Soil Contamination, September, 1994; Fu, X., W. A. Zeltner, and M. A. Anderson, "The Gas-Phase Photocatalytic Mineralization of Benzene on Porous Titania-Based Catalysts", Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 6, 209-224, 1995; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,078 issued Jul. 30, 1991).
Titania has been used for decades in photocatalysis (see Formenti, M., et al., "Heterogeneous Photocatalysis for Oxidation of Paraffins", Chemical Technology 1, 680-686, 1971 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,781,194 issued Dec. 25, 1973). Due to the high absorption of UV light by titania, about 99% of the incident UV radiation is absorbed within the first 4.5 microns on titania (see Peral, J. and D. F. Ollis, "Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Oxidation of Gas-Phase Organics for Air Purification", J. Catalysis, 136, 554-564, 1992). Hence, the patent literature discloses methods to distribute the titania in thin layers in an attempt to overcome this deficiency. In 1973, Teichner disclosed a method of using titania supported on a matrix in a thin film reactor to oxidize hydrocarbons to aldehydes and ketones (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,781,194 issued Dec. 25, 1973). Titania has been deposited in thin layers on glass wool, on a ceramic membrane, and the wall of a reactor (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,101 issued Dec. 19, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,078 issued Jul. 30, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,665 issued Oct. 30, 1990). Raupp has disclosed titania for photocatalytic use when mixing two gas streams, and included thin bed catalytic reactors (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,288 issued Sep. 3, 1991).
The requirement of thin film reactors is a major deficiency, leading to greatly increased cost and complexity in commercial reactor construction. For example, a commercial reactor may require 500 to 1000, or more, UV lamps. Methods to provide illumination of thin films of catalyst require a huge surface area for impingement of incident UV radiation. For example, one common method of deployment of catalyst in a thin film is to coat the interior of a reactor tube, which surrounds a UV lamp in the centerline of the tube. This method, then, requires that 500 to 1000, or more, individual reactor tubes be constructed and assembled, which is costly and cumbersome. In addition, the flow must be equally split and balanced among the 500 to 1000, or more, reactor tubes in parallel operation, which is difficult and costly to accomplish and maintain. Further, to prevent the gas from bypassing the catalyst by preferentially flowing between the UV tube and the thin catalyst layer, the gap between the UV lamp and the catalyst must be very small or a turbulent promoting flow disruption must be inserted between the UV lamp and the catalyst. These lead to a very high pressure drop for the gas flowing through the reactor. Particularly for the large flow rates of gas in commercial reactors, this leads to high pressure drop, requiring both expensive gas compressors and a cooling device to remove the heat of compression of the gas. For these reasons, little or no commercial practice of thin film titania photocatalysts has been accomplished.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,665 discloses the use of titanium dioxide as a photocatalyst for destruction of chlorine-containing organic compounds in an oxygen-bearing vent gas. The method was used in a system wherein the titanium dioxide was supported on the wall of a reactor through which the vent gas is passed. This is an ineffective reactor design for large gas flows, requiring a very large number of small diameter parallel tubes among which the flow must be equally balanced. Further, the cost of such a reactor is very high compared to a single large diameter reactor. Still further, when a vent gas containing 30 ppm TCE was contacted with titanium dioxide for 26 seconds, 90% destruction of TCE was obtained. However, the analysis of the reactor products revealed the formation of byproducts such as 4 ppm phosgene and 1 ppm carbon tetrachloride which are more hazardous than TCE.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,288 discloses a method of removing organic contaminants from a gaseous stream, wherein a mixing step is conducted, combining (a) a gaseous oxygen bearing stream and (b) a contaminated stream. This mixture is then passed over a photocatalyst exposed to UV radiation of wavelength not greater than 600 nm. The reaction conditions must be preselected to prevent formation of a liquid phase on the catalyst. Only when the reactor comprises a body portion having a window for passing visible light, the photocatalyst may be selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide, antimony oxide, zinc oxide, stannic oxide, cerium oxide, tungsten oxide, and ferric oxide. The invention is deficient in that it requires mixing two streams, requires avoiding liquid phases, and requires a visible light window, all of which are impractical in commercial systems. Further, the catalyst compositions are not effective.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,101 discloses a system for photocatalysis wherein a semiconductor is entrapped in a fiber mesh. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,892,712 and 4,966,759 disclose a photocatalyst for detoxifying organic pollutants from a fluid, comprising a substrate in the form of a plurality of layers of a filamentous, fibrous, or stranded base material, and a photoreactive metal semiconductor material bonded to surfaces of said layers. The photoreactive material is selected from anatase, CdS, CdSe, ZnO.sub.2, WO.sub.3 and SnO.sub.2. This disclosure is of limited value because the substrate leads to a high pressure drop under conditions providing intimate contacting of the fluid flowing through or by the substrate. Further, the base material is generally of low surface area, leading to poor overall reactor performance. Still further, the design also generally requires a sleeve of this material around each bulb, leading to a costly reactor design. Finally, the photoreactive metal semiconductors are not of high photocatalytic activity. U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,241 provides a similar system for killing microorganisms in a fluid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,287 discloses a method of decomposing volatile organic halogenated compounds by passing the gas through silica gel or quartz chips, and the bed is thereafter irradiated with UV light. Ozone or hydrogen peroxide are added to an aqueous phase. The system lost catalytic activity and required heating with nitrogen gas to restore the decomposing activity. Presumably, this loss of activity was due to the decomposition of the CVOC, rather than promoting its complete oxidation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,957 discloses a method for decomposing CVOC's present in gases and aqueous solutions. The aqueous phase CVOC's are removed by volatilizing into a gaseous carrier. The gas was then passed through silica gel and simultaneously irradiated with UV light and/or exposing the bed to ozone. The system required a great excess of ozone, using 2% ozone to decompose TCE at air compositions of only 50 parts per billion (ppb) to 700 ppb, which is generally uneconomic.
Accordingly, it is a principle object of the present invention to provide a process for efficient destruction of contaminants in a gaseous stream such as air utilizing a two step process.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process as mentioned above which comprises a photocatalytic step followed by a catalytic step.

Two stage process and apparatus for photocatalytic and catalytic conversion of contaminants


A flow management system for extracorporeal blood treatment application helps to ensure proper balance of incoming and outgoing fluids by precise balancing of relatively small balance chambers. The invention employs combinations of features that help to ensure accuracy including underfilling of the waste flow side of a fixed volume chamber and mechanical connections to synchronize valves and pumps.

There are many types of blood processing and fluid exchange procedures, each providing different therapeutic effects and demanding different processing criteria. Typically, such procedures entail the removal of blood or another fluid from an individual and the return of blood or another fluid to the individual in a controlled fashion. Examples of such procedures include hemofiltration (HF), hemodialysis (HD), hemodialysis with hemofiltration (HDF), and peritoneal dialysis (PD).
In carrying out these procedures, specially designed fluid circuits, which can be complex and convoluted, are placed into a prescribed operative association with pumps, clamps, and sensors, which are typically mounted on a machine that is also specially designed to carry out the intended procedure. Numerous safety and control elements of the fluid circuit and the machine must be placed in operative association in order to carry out the procedure in the intended way. As a consequence, the process of loading a fluid circuit on the machine can be tedious and error-prone.
There is a need for simplicity and convenience when loading a fluid circuit in a prescribed way in association with safety and control elements on a blood and/or fluid processing machine.
Typically, when performing the blood processing and fluid exchange procedures of the type just described, a replacement or make-up fluid is returned back to the individual in some proportion to the amount of fluid that is removed from the individual. The type and make-up of fluids that these procedures handle vary according to the particular treatment modality being performed, e.g., among waste fluid and replacement fluid (in HF or HDF); or replacement fluid and dialysis solution (in HD or HDF); or fresh peritoneal dialysis solution and spent peritoneal dialysis solution (in PD. Controlled balancing of fluid amounts can be achieved by monitoring the weights of fluid removed and replacement or makeup fluid. However, weight sensing itself requires additional fluid circuit elements (e.g., weigh containers), additional hardware elements (e.g., weigh scales), as well as additional processing control and feedback features. These items add further complexity to the systems and their operation.
There is also a need for simplicity and convenience when undertaking a controlled balancing of fluids during a blood processing and/or fluid exchange procedure.

Systems and methods for performing blood processing and/or fluid exchange procedures


The present invention relates to an assorted co-staging and counter stage hydro-treating process configuration scheme is disclosed for deep desulfurization and deep hydro-treating of diesel range hydrocarbons for obtaining diesel product having product sulfur less than 10 ppm and cetane number more than 51.

A full range diesel pool in refinery comprises of various streams from primary units such as crude & vacuum distillation units and secondary conversion units like FCC, visbreaker, resid FCC, delayed coker, etc. These various streams constitute varying concentrations of various organo-sulfur compounds and varying concentrations of paraffinic, naphthenic and aromatic compounds. The diesel specifications for sulfur and cetane number are the two major properties which are targeted to achieve by hydrotreating family of reactions. The hydrotreating reactions include hydrogenation, hydrogenolysis, isomerization associated with some undesired thermal and catalytic cracking leading to formation of coke and lighter hydrocarbons.
The sulfur compound species found in the diesel pool can be broadly categorized into two types namely: 'easy sulfur' type species and 'difficult or refractory sulfur' type species. The 'easy sulfur' species undergoes desulfurization in hydrotreating by hydrogenolysis reaction mechanism. The reaction is much faster and hence diesel streams constituting the easy sulfur species require lesser amount of catalyst volume per unit volume of feed per hour (i.e. less reaction time), lesser temperatures, and pressures. Also, the diesel streams constituting 'easy sulfur' are composed of higher paraffins and naphthenic compounds and lesser aromatic compounds. Hence, for cetane improvement of these streams one require again lesser amount of catalyst volume per unit volume of feed per hour (i.e. less reaction time), lesser temperatures, and pressures. On the other hand, the 'difficult or refractory sulfur' species needs to be first hydrogenated and then hydrogenolysis reaction. This reaction is slower and hence the diesel streams constituting the difficult or refractory sulfur species require higher amount of catalyst volume per unit volume of feed per hour (i.e. more reaction times), higher temperatures, and pressures. Also, the diesel streams constituting 'difficult or refractory sulfur' are composed of lesser paraffins and naphthenic compounds and higher aromatic compounds. Hence, for cetane improvement of these streams one require again higher amount of catalyst volume per unit volume of feed per hour (i.e. more reaction time), higher temperatures, and pressures.
It is known in the art that 'difficult or refractory sulfur' species and higher aromatics are relatively more concentrated in higher boiling part of full range straight run diesel streams. Further, the 'difficult or refractory sulfur' species are also present in the diesel range streams obtained from the secondary conversion units like FCC and delayed Coker units. The concentrations of aromatics are also high in these streams compared to the straight run diesel streams. Further, it is also known in the art that the diesel streams comprising higher concentrations of 'difficult or refractory sulfur' species contains not only higher concentrations of mono-aromatics but also higher concentrations of aromatics having two or more rings. These compounds require higher catalyst volumes i.e. more reaction time, and higher pressures and temperatures to 'treat' them effectively. The term 'treat' means removal for sulfur from sulfur species and deep saturation of aromatics.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,126,814, 6,013,598, and 5,985,136 discloses hydrodesulfurization processes, wherein the diesel with high sulfur content goes through two consecutive stages of hydrogen treatment: the first stage removes smaller sulfur compound molecules and thereafter the second stage removes larger molecules. In a typical two stage hydrodesulfurization process, the first stage operates at a temperature of about 300° C. and a pressure of about 44 barg. The high temperature and pressure is necessary to reduce the wetting barrier between solid, diesel, and hydrogen. The second stage operates at a temperature of about 400° C. and a pressure of about 58 barg. The higher temperature in the second stage is required to mitigate the higher resistance to mass transfer of the more stearically hindered sulfur compounds such as benzothiophenes, dibenzothiophenes, etc.
However, the hydrodesulfurization process not only reduces the amount of sulfur in the fuel, but also saturates olefins and reduces the amount of other heteroatom-containing compounds, including nitrogen-containing and oxygen-containing compounds in the fuel. Further the process also saturates the aromatic amount in the middle distillate, thereby improving the cetane number (an very important parameter) of the Diesel. It is widely known that the hydrodesulfurization reaction also involves some undesired thermal and catalytic cracking leading to formation of coke and lighter hydrocarbons and thereby generating unwanted dry gas (methane and ethane) and wild naphtha. These unwanted reactions in the hydrodesulfurization process can be minimized by optimizing the contact time of feed with catalyst. The optimization of contact time is also very vital to achieve ultra-low sulfur levels (below 10 ppmw) in the fuel. The reaction products formed due to hydrodesulfurization and other associated reaction also contains H2S and NH3 having inhibition effect on the hydrodesulfurization reaction itself. However, the presence of optimum quantity of H2S in the reactor system is also very important for maintaining catalyst in active form. Therefore, appropriate staging effect is required to maintain only the optimum quantity of H2S in the reactor system.
Hence, it can be seen from the aforementioned that there remains a need in the art for an improved process for removing sulfur compounds from petroleum-based fuel that overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.
The present invention provides a process configuration for deep desulfurization and deep hydrotreating of diesel range hydrocarbons to obtain diesel products by optimizing the contact time of feed with catalyst system and providing efficient staging effect. The efficient staging effect means maintaining optimum amount of H2S in the reactor, so as to reduce the inhibition effect due to H2S without hampering the catalyst activity.

Assorted co-staging and counter staging in hydrotreating


Apparatus for indicating material level that includes a pair of ultrasonic transducers on opposed sides of a space for receiving the material at the level to be detected. A swept frequency oscillator is coupled to one of the transducers so that the transducer radiates into the material space ultrasonic energy that continuously sweeps back and forth between a low frequency range at which such energy is transmitted to the other transducer by resonance of the entire apparatus and independent of presence of material in the material space, and a higher frequency range at which such energy is transmitted to the other transducer only when material is present in the space between the transducers. Detection circuitry indicates presence of material between the transducers upon receipt of the higher frequency energy, and failure of the apparatus upon failure to receive the lower frequency energy.

There are a number of commercially available devices for indicating when material, particularly liquid material, has reached a level to fill a gap or slot between two ultrasonic piezoelectric transducers. One transducer is energized to transmit energy through the material space toward the other. When air fills the material space, the ultrasonic energy is attenuated before reaching the other transducer due to the relatively poor sonic conductivity of the air. On the other hand, when the space is filled with liquid, the ultrasonic energy reaches the second transducer, and is detected by appropriate electronics to indicate that material has reached the level of the transducers. Since absence of detected energy at the receiving transducer can result from failure of the measurement apparatus, including failure of either transducer or of the bond between either transducer and its associated window, it is desirable to provide a mechanism for testing system integrity and operability.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an apparatus of the described character for determining material level that includes facility for automatic self-testing of the entire apparatus, including the transmitting and receiving transducers and bonding thereof to the associated windows. A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the described character that is economical to fabricate, that automatically performs the self-testing function during operation without operator intervention, that provides an indication of system failure to an operator, and that includes facility for selective testing of system operation independently of actual material level and independently of transducer condition. Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the described character that is self-calibrating in the sense that changes in temperature, material characteristics, and enclosure style or material are automatically accommodated in both the measurement and self-test modes--i.e., without operator intervention or adjustment.
In the apparatus in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, electrical signals are applied to the transmitting crystal to radiate ultrasonic energy at different high and low frequencies into the material space toward the receiving crystal. Electronic circuitry is responsive to the energy received at the receiving transducer at high frequency for indicating presence of material in the space between the transducers, and at the lower frequency for indicating operative condition of the apparatus. At high frequency, the energy is radiated into the material gap, and energy at the receiving crystal thus indicates presence of material in the gap. At lower frequency, the entire structure of the apparatus is placed in resonance, and energy at the receiving crystal indicates proper operation of the system.
In the preferred embodiment, the transmitting crystal is coupled to a swept frequency oscillator for continuously sweeping back and forth between the high and low ultrasonic frequency ranges. This technique has the advantages not only of automatically and continuously testing system integrity at low frequency between each high frequency measurement cycle, but also readily accommodates a wide variety of differing measurement conditions, liquid temperatures and densities, air bubbles or the like, which would otherwise affect measurement reliability if specific fixed measurement and test frequencies were employed. That is, resonant frequency of the apparatus can change with enclosure and probe geometry, enclosure and probe composition, geometry and composition of the vessel to which the enclosure and probe are mounted, as well as presence or absence of material in the vessel. In the same way, optimum measurement frequency can change with material composition and temperature, presence of air bubbles, etc. as discussed above. By continuously sweeping back and forth between high and low frequency ranges during operation, such changes in optimum self-test and measurement frequencies are automatically accommodated. The electronics may therefore be employed in conjunction with a number of probe and enclosure geometries and compositions, and the entire system may be employed in conjunction with a wide variety of vessels and materials, without design change or adjustment. Furthermore, once installed in a particular application, any changes due to variations in operating conditions are effectively ignored.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention in which the energy radiated into the material space is continuously and alternately swept back and forth between high and low frequency ranges, the energy received at the receiving crystal transducer is converted to a pulsed signal having a pulse width that varies as a function of time during which ultrasonic energy is received at the receiving transducer. If only air is present between the transducers, this pulse duration would be relatively short, reflecting duration of resonance in the low frequency range. If material is present between the transducers, the pulsed signal would be of longer duration, while a system failure would result in a signal of zero pulse duration. Time duration of the pulsed signal is therefore compared to a first threshold for indicating system failure when the pulse duration is below such threshold, and to a second higher threshold for indicating presence of material between the transducers when the pulse duration is of correspondingly greater duration. Separation of these thresholds accommodates a variety of differing materials and measurement conditions as described above.
The apparatus of the preferred embodiment of the invention also includes facility for selectively testing operation of the apparatus independently of the transducers and of presence or absence of material in the space between the transducers. Specifically, a pair of switch elements are connected in series between the transducers. The first switch element is normally open, and closes in response to selection of a test mode of operation. The first switch device may comprise a reed switch responsive to placement of a magnet externally adjacent to the apparatus, or a photo-optical switch responsive for remote selection of a test mode of operation. The second switch element, which may comprise jumpers programmed at the time of manufacture or installation of the apparatus, has one conductive condition for applying energy from the first switch, when closed, to the second crystal, and thereby simulating presence of material between the transducer crystals independently of actual material level. In the second condition of the second switch element, energy from the first crystal through the first switch element is fed to ground, thereby simulating system failure.


An annular sealing apparatus is disclosed for disposition in cooperation with a body defining a bore and a rotating member rotatably received in the bore, the bore and rotating member bounding a high fluid pressure region and a relatively lower pressure fluid region therebetween, the sealing apparatus inhibiting fluid leakage between the high and lower fluid pressure regions, the sealing apparatus has a fore cover plate disposed in the high fluid pressure region and aft cover plate disposed in the lower pressure fluid region. A sealing element comprised of a plurality of comb-like diaphragm members is disposed between the two cover plates. Each of the diaphragm members has a foot portion that seals against the rotating member. A fore spacer is disposed between said fore cover plate and said sealing element and an aft spacer is disposed between said aft cover plate and said sealing element. The aft spacer has a plurality of cavities that are separated from the low fluid pressure region. A passageway is provided that places these cavities in fluid communication with the high fluid pressure region.

Gas turbine engines employ sealing devices in various capacities where it is necessary to restrict the flow of fluid or gases from one portion of the engine to another. A common use is for separating the primary engine flowpath from the secondary flowpath. The primary engine flowpath directs the flow of gases to the compressor and turbine stages, from which the engine derives thrust or power. The secondary flowpath comprises a series of conduits for delivering compressed air throughout the engine for performing a variety of functions. Compressed air is used, for example, to cool individual components, provide a bleed air source, buffer the lubricated bearing cavities, control the ventilation among engine cavities and structures, and affect the thrust balance of the engine. Loss of compressed air from the secondary flowpath through leakage can have a substantial adverse effect on the performance of these functions. In a turbine engine, at least one sealing device typically is required for each turbine and compressor stage of the engine.
Another common use for sealing devices in turbine engines is for separating the secondary flowpath from engine cavities containing fluids such as lubricating oil. In pressurized aircraft, bleed air taken from the secondary flowpath supplies the aircraft environmental control system. Even small amounts of oil in the bleed air can render it unsuitable for this purpose. Further, oil leakage can lead to coking of the seal, and ultimately reduced seal life. To prevent this, buffered sealing devices typically are incorporated adjacent lubricated bearings and engine oil sumps.
Among the sealing devices more recently developed is the finger seal. Finger seals are comprised generally of a plurality of flexible members fixed at one end, the opposite ends sealingly engaging a surface that is rotatable relative thereto. The fingers of a finger seal are an integral part of the seal, usually formed by machining a series of curved slots in a forged ring or a length of sheet stock, the slots being of consistent length and extending from a common edge of the material. A complete seal is usually made up of two or more layers of fingers relatively positioned such that the gaps between fingers in one layer are blocked by the fingers of the next layer.
During engine operation, the fingers deform in a generally radially outward direction due to various factors including centrifugal growth of the rotating surface. In order to maintain an effective seal, it is also necessary for the fingers to restore themselves radially inward as the rotating surface shrinks. Fluid pressure acting on the radially deformed fingers, however, causes the fingers to deform axially often resulting in forceful contact between the fingers and adjacent structures. This axial deformation creates a frictional force that hampers radially inward recovery of the fingers as rotational velocity of the rotatable surface subsides. Consequently, the fingers are unable to re-engage the movable surface as it shrinks. Accordingly, the desired seal therebetween is undermined leading to engine inefficiencies.
Accordingly, a need exists for a seal capable of preventing or reducing the frictional forces between the finger members and adjacent structures such that the seal between the finger members and the movable surface is maintained during the full range of engine operation speed and power levels.


The invention relates to microporous films of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene and to a process for the preparation thereof by forming a solution of UHMWPE in an evaporable solvent into a film and evaporating the solvent from the film at a temperature below the dissolution temperature, the shrinking tendency occurring in the film being prevented in at least one direction in the plane of the film.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for the preparation of microporous films of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene by forming a solution thereof into a film and removing the solvent from the film, as well as to films that can be obtained in this way.
In the context of this invention the expression "(micro)porous film" is understood to mean not only a film in the ordinary, general sense, but also a tube, a tubular film, one or more hollow filaments with micropores.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such a process is described in patent application WO-A-86/02282. The solvent should be a porogene, which according to said patent application should be understood to be a material that can be mixed with ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, for the sake of brevity denoted as UHMWPE, be heated to form a solution of porogene and polymer, and subsequently cooled to form a mixture comprising a separate phase that is rich in porogene. According to said patent application this phase can be isolated from the mixture and a microporous structure can be made of it. When a solution of UHMWPE in such a porogene is extruded to a film, phase separation is stated to occur in the film upon cooling. The porogene must then be removed from the film.
Though the above-mentioned patent application mentions aliphatic, alicyclic and aromatic hydrocarbons as possible solvents, in the examples use is made exclusively of a mineral oil having a viscosity of 60 cSt at 40.degree. C., i.e. a dynamic viscosity of about 52 mPa.s at 40.degree. C. An oil having such a viscosity contains considerable amounts of high-boiling hydrocarbons, a large part of which cannot, or only with decomposition, be distilled at atmospheric pressure. The mineral oil can be removed from the film only by extraction, as also described in the examples of WO-A-86/02282. In doing so, the extractant needs to be refreshed at least once, and after extraction any residual extractant is to be removed from the film by evaporation. Such a process not only is laborious, time-consuming and expensive, but mineral oil extraction is not complete, either, and the residual amounts of mineral oil in the film are not small, which is undesirable.
The preparation of porous films of UHMWPE on the basis of UHMWPE solutions is described also in EP-A-160.551. Though it is stated there that the solvent may be any solvent capable of dissolving the polyethylene to a sufficient extent, for instance aliphatic or cyclic hydrocarbons, such as nonane, decane, undecane, dodecane, decalin and paraffin oils or mineral oil fractions with corresponding boiling points, but in the examples use is made exclusively of a liquid paraffin having a viscosity of 64 cSt at 40.degree. C. In this method, otherwise already complicated, the solvent, preferably a non-volatile solvent, must also be extracted from the film using a readily evaporating solvent, which has the disadvantages already outlined in the above.

Process for making microporous films of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene


An ignition system for internal combustion engines, has a plurality of spark plugs, an ignition coil provided for the spark plugs and having a secondary circuit, at least one trigger diode cascade formed as a high voltage semiconductor switch and connected in the secondary circuit of the ignition coil prior to each of the spark plugs so as to change suddenly from a blocking state to a conducting state at a preselected voltage for generating ignition sparks, and a capacitor connected parallel to the secondary winding of the ignition coil between the ignition coil and the trigger diode cascade.

The present invention relates to an ignition system for internal combustion engines with high-tension switches.
More particularly, it relates to an ignition system in which at least one trigger diode cascade, as high-voltage semiconductor switch, is connected in a secondary circuit of each ignition coil prior to each spark plug and changes suddenly from a blocking state to a conducting state at a preselected voltage for generating ignition sparks.
The ignition system mentioned above uses high-voltage switches which are arranged on the secondary side, preferably in the spark plug terminal. Trigger diode cascades are used as high-voltage switching elements. A stack of 10 to 50 trigger diodes is used depending on the electric strength of an individual trigger diode and depending on the desired breakover voltage. With such a high-voltage semiconductor switch which changes suddenly from the blocking state to the conducting state, it is possible practically to eliminate the influences of shunts at the spark plug. Because of their self-capacitance, long ignition lines subsequent to the trigger diode cascade negatively affect the steepening effect of the trigger diode cascade. For this reason, the high-voltage semiconductor switch is preferably arranged in the spark plug terminal. In contrast, relatively long lines prior to the trigger diode cascade have an advantageous influence because, due to their self-capacitance, they suddenly release the stored energy as the high-voltage semiconductor switch becomes conductive. When such semiconductor switching elements are used in double ignition coils, the division of voltage on the secondary side makes it necessary to keep the breakover voltage of the high-voltage semiconductor switches low enough so that this breakover voltage is achieved in every case. However, this has the disadvantage that there is hardly any steepening effect when the breakover voltage is clearly below 11 kV.

Ignition system for internal combustion engines with high-tension switches


A method for preparation of a high-viscosity polyester hot-melt adhesive with a partially sensitive viscosity-temperature property is disclosed, including the steps of: i) subjecting terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, dodecanedioic acid, adipic acid, butanediol, dipropylene glycol and hexanediol to an esterification reaction in the presence of tetrabutyl titanate serving as a catalyst; and ii) adding an antioxidant to a product resulting from step i) to conduct a polycondensation reaction under a reduced pressure so as to obtain the high-viscosity polyester hot-melt adhesive which has a low melting point of 130° C.-135° C. and a partially sensitive viscosity-temperature property.

Preparation of a high-viscosity polyester by secondary processing on a corresponding low-viscosity polyester tends to require a complex process. For example, Chinese Patent Pub. No. CN1317030A describes a process in which a low-viscosity polyester is produced and mixed with oxazoline to form a matrix which is then blended with a high-viscosity polyester for subsequent processing. This process is cumbersome and the used oxazoline is biologically and environmentally hazardous. In order to overcome such shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a method for preparation of a polyester hot-melt adhesive which has a low melting point of 130° C.-135° C., a high viscosity of 700-750 Pa·s (at 160° C.), and a partially sensitive viscosity-temperature property.

Method for preparing polyester hot melt adhesive with high viscosity and locally sensitive viscosity-temperature property

KUNSHAN TIANYANG HOT MELT ADHESIVE CO., LTD

SHANGHAI TIANYANG HOT MELT ADHESIVE CO., LTD

EAST CHINA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


System and method for detecting a fraudulent activity at a barcode scanner is disclosed. The method issues an alert when the fraudulent activity is confirmed by comparing the visual signature of the item being transacted over the checkout terminal to the model visual signature. The model visual signature is obtained by averaging the collection of visual signature of the item gathered over a period of time. A human validation via a remote processor is employed to confirm the fraudulent activity verified by a computer.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a security system and method to prevent fraudulent activities occurring at a checkout terminal. More particularly, it relates to a method and system for detecting a fraudulent activities using a barcode scanner and a camera. The present invention, in part, provides a solution to detect a fraudulent activity known as "ticket switching".
Description of Related Art
Retailer lose billions of dollars annually due to the theft and improper scanning of the merchandise they are selling. This can occur in numerous ways, due to both employees stealing from the retailers as well as due to customers stealing. Of all the methods used which result in loss to the retailer, a significant portion occurs at the checkout itself. Improper scanning, "sweethearting", leaving items unscanned in carts and shopping baskets are just some of the ways in which customers and cashiers alike contribute to inventory "shrinkage" which results in a loss for the retailer.
One way in particular that a cashier or a customer can engage in fraudulent activity is through a process called ticket switching. Ticket switching is the process of replacing the barcode of one item with a barcode of another item of lesser value. (This is enabled by means as simple as pre-printing the less expensive barcode on a sticker before entering the store.) For instance, one could replace the barcode on the box of an expensive cordless drill with the barcode of an inexpensive tool. Thus, when the item is rung up for sale, the less-priced item is recorded instead. If it is the customer engaging in the fraud, the customer may hope that the cashier does not notice the difference.
Likewise, a customer could use a self-checkout register and bypass that mode of uncertainty altogether. If it is the cashier engaged in the fraud, often in collusion with the customer, he or she may have various other ways of engaging in the act of ticket switching. They may have barcodes ready on the side which are scanned in place of the certain expensive items. For instance, in a grocery store, the cashier may wish to ring up an expensive meat item for a friend by scanning in an inexpensive item, like a can of beans, in place of the meat barcode. Likewise, a cashier may stick the barcode of an inexpensive item to his or her wrist such that the wrist barcode gets scanned while the cashier moves a more expensive item (with its barcode un-viewable by the scanner) across the scanner.
Such fraudulent activities significantly contribute to the inventory shrinkage and subsequent loss of revenue for retailers. Therefore, what is needed is a system and method that protects retailers' assets from inadvertent or deliberate loss by preventing a fraudulent activity at a barcode scanner.

Fraudulent activity detection at a barcode scanner by verifying visual signatures


A conductive line for programming a magnetoresistive memory device which includes a metal interconnect region positioned proximate to a magnetoresistive random access memory device, wherein the metal interconnect region supplies a current which produces a magnetic field and wherein the metal interconnect region includes a metal layer with a length and a width and has a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side wherein a ferromagnetic cladding region with a thickness is positioned on the first side, the second side, the third side, and the fourth side of the metal layer, and wherein the ferromagnetic cladding region positioned on the first side has a trench having a length less than the length of the metal layer and a width approximately equal to the thickness of the ferromagnetic of the magnetic cladding region. The length of the trench can be changed to adjust the magnitude of the magnetic field.

This invention relates to semiconductor memory devices.
More particularly, the present invention relates to enhancing the magnetic field for programming semiconductor random access memory devices that utilize a magnetic field.
A magnetoresistive random access memory (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cMRAMxe2x80x9d) device has a structure which includes ferromagnetic layers separated by non-ferromagnetic layers. The ferromagnetic layers each have a free magnetic moment vector that can be oriented in one of several preferred directions relative to a pinned magnetic moment vector that is fixed in direction.
Unique resistance values are created by the orientation of the free magnetic moment vector relative to the pinned magnetic moment vector. These unique resistance values are used to represent stored information. Accordingly, stored information is read by detecting resistance changes of the magnetic memory device. In typical magnetic memory devices, two resistance states are available. The stored states can be read by passing a sense current through the cell in a sense line to detect the difference between the magnetic resistances of the states.
In MRAM devices, the memory cells are programmed by magnetic fields produced by a current carrying conductor such as a copper interconnect. Typically, two orthogonal interconnects are employed, with one positioned above (hereinafter referred to as the bit line) the MRAM device and the second positioned below (hereinafter referred to as the digit line) the MRAM device. The purpose of the bit and digit lines is to provide magnetic fields for programming the MRAM device.
A problem with programming a MRAM device is the large current required to produce a magnetic field of sufficient magnitude. This is especially a problem for low power applications, such as laptop computers, cell phones, pagers, and other portable electronic devices. In addition, as the magnetic memory cell is reduced in size to increase the areal density of the memory, the magnetic field required for programming of the ferromagnetic free layer must be increased to maintain the stability of the memory state against thermal fluctuations. Further, a MRAM device integrates magnetic memory elements and other circuits, for example, a control circuit for magnetic memory elements, comparators for detecting states in a magnetic memory element, input/output circuits, etc. These circuits are usually fabricated in the process of CMOS technology, which operates at low current and high efficiency, in order to lower the power consumption of the system.
In the prior art, the bit lines and digit lines are typically surrounded by a ferromagnetic cladding region to focus the magnetic field towards the MRAM device. For an uncladded conductive line, the magnetic field is given by the equation Hxcx9cI/2.w, where I is the current flowing through the conductive line and w is the width of the conductive line. For simplicity of discussion, we are ignoring the magnetic field loss caused by the finite distance between the bit and the conductive line, as well as the field loss caused by the finite thickness of the conductive line. However, for a conductive line cladded on three sides, the magnetic field is given by the equation Hxcx9cI/w, which is a factor of two larger than the uncladded bit line. Hence, the magnetic field of a conductive line can be increased for a given current by adding a ferromagnetic cladding region. Thus, by adding the ferromagnetic cladding region, it is possible to program MRAM devices with less current. However, further reductions in current are desired so that MRAM devices are more compatible with CMOS technology.
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved magnetoresistive random access memory device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved magnetoresistive random access memory device which reduces power consumption of the device.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved magnetoresistive random access memory device which is more compatible with CMOS technology.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved magnetoresistive random access memory device which operates at currents typically produced by CMOS technology.
To achieve the objects and advantages specified above and others, a conductive line for programming a MRAM device is disclosed which includes a metal interconnect region, wherein the metal interconnect region is capable of supplying a current which produces a magnetic field. The metal interconnect region includes a metal layer with a thickness and a width and has a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side wherein a ferromagnetic cladding region with a thickness is positioned on the first side, the second side, the third side, and the fourth side of the metal layer. Further, the ferromagnetic cladding region positioned on the first side has a trench having a width, g, which is less than the width, w, of the metal layer and a depth approximately equal to the thickness of the ferromagnetic cladding region. The trench within the ferromagnetic cladding region is positioned adjacent to a magnetoresistive random access memory device. The purpose of the trench is to concentrate the magnetic field proximate to the magnetoresistive random access memory device, wherein the magnetic field is increased by a factor approximately equal to w/g, the width of the metal layer divided by the width of the trench.

Narrow gap cladding field enhancement for low power programming of a MRAM device


A method and an apparatus for detecting signals in an electromagnetically noisy environment by detecting electromagnetic signals comprising a noise signal and a known signal, and compressing the electromagnetic signal to thereby generate a compressed signal. The compressed signal is filtered to generate a filtered signal comprising substantially the known signal, and the filtered signal is expanded.

Devices used to trace and detect audio signals on metallic conductors are commonly referred to as tone detectors, inductive amplifiers, or tone probes. These devices are used by telecommunications personnel, Local Area Network (LAN) personnel, Wide Area Network (WAN) personnel, cable television personnel, or by any persons wishing to locate and identify a particular conductor. Tone probes couple to a conductor electromagnetically, amplify the signal, and output the audio signal to a speaker or headset so the user can hear the signal on the conductor.
Tone probes are often used in conjunction with a tone generator or tone sender. The tone generator transmits a known or characteristic electrical signal at one or several audio frequencies. The tone generator is attached to a conductor at a known location and transmits over the conductor to a location where the conductor is to be identified using the tone probe. The distance between the transmitter and identification location may be from several feet to many miles. If the distance from the tone generator is many miles, the locating signal will be attenuated. Additionally, the conductor that is to be identified may be in a cable with many other metal conductors or wires. Often other wires and conductors are carrying other signals that induce noise onto the pair that is carrying the locating signal. Thus, the undesired noise signals may be at a higher level than the locating signal and the locating signal will be undetectable by a user using most common tone probes.
Conventional tone probes may be either unfiltered or filtered. An unfiltered tone probe converts all electrical signals that it receives in an audio frequency range to an audio signal. A tone signal sent by the tone generator can be easily detected if the environment in which the signal is being received is noiseless. The user must discriminate between noise and signal if noise is present where the conductor is being identified. The signal may not be identified at all if noise signals are so strong that the user cannot discriminate the tone.
Filtered probes assist the user by attempting to reduce the unwanted noise signals, thereby making the signal of interest more distinctive and easier to discriminate and locate. Filtration available today consists of low pass, high pass, band pass, and comb filtration.
Low pass and high pass filtration filters electrical signals above and below a certain frequency, as implied by the name. Tone probes designed with these types of filters have a cutoff frequency that is selected to reduce most of the noise, while passing the signal of interest. The filter also passes audio frequencies below or above the cutoff. These filters are often inadequate because noise can still dominate in those portions of the audio spectrum.
Some probes use band pass filtration that passes frequencies only related to the signal of interest and attenuates all other signals to a certain percentage. Band pass filters attenuate the noise signals better, but are often insufficient if the signal of interest is low in amplitude and the noise signals are high. Noise often still dominates the output of the tone probe in this case.
Much of the predominant noise on cables installed by various utilities is caused by power influence, or 60 Hz AC induction. Noise in these situations exists at 60 Hz and its harmonics. That is, energy in the electromagnetic spectrum will exist at multiples of 60 Hz (e.g., at 60, 120, 180, 240, 360, and continuing up the frequency spectrum at multiples of 60 Hz). Comb filters in tone probes are designed to notch out or attenuate the 60 Hz harmonics and pass all other frequencies of interest. If other noise is present, or the power influence is not precisely at 60 Hz, this method may become inadequate as well.
Accordingly, a continuing search has been directed to the development of methods and apparatuses that can filter out noise while amplifying a desired signal, so that tones may be readily detected in relatively noisy environments.

Method and apparatus for filtering unwanted noise while amplifying a desired signal


A special broadcast communication link is provided between a central processing unit and plural computer peripheral devices, the communication link being in addition to normal data and addressing communication lines, and providing a distributed control channel which is used to inhibit selected classes of interrupt signals from controllers associated with the peripheral devices in accordance with an interrupt classification system. This communication channel permits the central processing unit to issue a data command which selectively inhibits the peripheral devices from issuing selected classes of interrupt signals.

This invention relates to communication links between central processing units in computing networks and peripheral devices used for inputting and outputting data to and from the central processing unit. More particularly, this invention relates to a method of controlling interrupt signals generated by plural peripheral devices in order to permit the central processing unit to preselect interrupt signals by interrupt classification.
The prior art development of communication networks linking central processing units with plural input and output peripheral devices has developed along two primary paths. In the first of these paths, a central processing unit develops a time sharing system by polling plural remote peripheral devices in a selected sequence, giving each of the peripheral devices an opportunity, in turn, to communicate with the central processing unit. In most such systems, a polling signal is generated at the central processing unit, as by addressing each of the peripherals in turn, so that the data transmission from the peripherals can be synchronized. Such polling systems are inherently inefficient since they require that the central processing unit address peripherals in turn, regardless of whether those peripherals have data to transmit to the central processing unit. Thus, each time that a polling signal is transmitted to a peripheral device which does not require servicing, a wasted communication step is incurred.
In order to overcome this inefficiency, the prior art has developed a peripheral communication scheme based upon interrupts. In such systems the peripheral devices are each associated with a controller which provides an interrupt user request signal to the central processing unit when data is to be supplied to or from the peripheral device. Typically, in response to this interrupt user request, the central processing unit, when time is available for processing the peripheral data, will issue an interrupt address request signal to the controller associated with the requesting peripheral device. In response to this address request, the peripheral controller will typically provide a vector signal on a data bus. This vector signal provides an address for the central processing unit which identifies a location in the memory of the central processing unit. This memory location typically stores the necessary operation codes required for servicing the interrupt signal. The central processing unit, in response to these operation codes, will direct the peripheral device, through its controller, to transmit data on the data bus.
With systems of this latter type, which are based upon peripheral interrupts for servicing peripheral devices, the central processing unit will often include priority logic which will permit the central processing unit to service simultaneously received interrupts in a priority order predetermined on the basis of the class of peripheral devices involved. Such schemes, however, do not permit the preselection of interrupt signals by the central processing unit, so that even those peripheral devices which are not to be serviced by the central processing unit will always, in prior art systems, issue interrupt signals which must be processed and then ignored by the central processing unit. This transmission of interrupt signals without preselection by the central processing unit causes inherent inefficiencies in the system.

Remote distributed interrupt control for computer peripherals


A digital video memory circuit. The circuit includes a DRAM for storing thereto and reading data therefrom, a register group having registers for holding data to be written to and read from the DRAM, a selector having switching transistors connecting registers in the register group to an I/O data bus, respectively, for storing data on the I/O data bus to the DRAM and for transferring data from the DRAM to the I/O data bus. The register group includes a first register set and a second register set connected serially between the DRAM and the selector, the second register set transferring data on the I/O data bus to the first register set, and the first register set transferring data from the second register set to the DRAM. The second register set can receive data on the I/O data bus while the first register set writes previously received data to the DRAM.

In a video apparatus such as a video camera, a television, a video tape recorder, etc., an analog signal obtained by scanning an image in a Braun tube or a video capturing device such as, for example, a charge coupled device (or "CCD"), is digitized and stored in some type of storing means. One type of storing means is a digital video memory, which is used for retrieving image data by reading the video signal stored therein and for reconstructing the image on a display screen.
Such a digital video memory is illustrated in FIG. 1, and the operation timing for such a digital video memory is illustrated in FIG. 3. A register circuit used in this type of digital video memory is illustrated in FIG. 2. The register circuit will be explained first referring to FIG. 2.
In the register circuit illustrated in FIG. 2, the source of PMOS transistor MP1 is connected to receive enable signal SRG, and the drain of transistor MP1 is connected to bit line (data line) /RBL, and the gate of transistor MP1 is connected to bit line (data line) RBL. The source of transistor MP2 is connected to receive enable signal SRG, the drain of transistor MP2 is connected to bit line RBL, and the gate of transistor MP2 is connected to bit line/RBL. The source of NMOS transistor MN2 is connected to Vss, the drain of transistor MN2 is connected to bit line RBL, and the gate of transistor MN2 is connected to bit line RBL. The source of transistor NMOS transistor MN1 is connected to Vss, the drain of transistor MN1 is connected to bit line /RBL, and the gate of transistor MN1 is connected to bit line RBL.
Transistors MP1 and MN1 constitute a first inverter, and transistors MP2 and MN2 constitute a second inverter. The first and second inverters operate as a latch.
If a "1" (high level voltage) is applied to bit line RBL, a "0" (low level voltage) is applied to bit line /RBL, and a high level voltage is applied as enable signal SRG, then transistors MN1 and MP2 turn on, and transistors MN2 and MP1 turn off. As a result, this "register" latches the values of bit lines RBL and /RBL.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional digital video memory, which consists of dynamic random access memory ("DRAM") 1, register 2 and selector 3.
DRAM 1 includes a plurality of sense amplifiers 4, 5, 6, 7 (SA1, SA2, SA3, . . . SAn), a plurality of bit lines BL and /BL, and a plurality of word lines WL.
Register 2 includes a number of registers 8, 9, 10, 11 (RG1, RG2, RG3, . . . RGn) which are connected to transfer gates (switches) 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19. These transfer switches (MOSFET transistors) are connected to bit lines /BL and BL of the sense amplifiers, respectively, and the gates of the switches are connected to receive transfer signal XF.
Selector 3 has switching transistors 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, . . . 26 and 27, which are NMOS transistors. Bit lines BL and /BL, which are connected to sense amplifiers in DRAM 1, also are connected to sources of transfer switches in register 2. Gates of the transfer switch MOSFETs are connected to receive signal XF and drains of the transfer switch MOSFETs are connected to each register, respectively. Each register performs a latching function, with the enable signal line of each register connected to receive enable signal SRG. The inputs of each of the registers is connected to a drain of a respective transfer switch, and the output of each register is connected to a source of a respective switching transistor of selector 3.
Each pair of gates of the switching transistors connected to each of bit lines RBL and /RBL of selector 3 are connected to receive a corresponding select signal S1-Sn, and the drain of each transistor of the switching transistor pairs is connected to an I/O line, and the other drain of each transistor of the switching transistor pairs is connected to the other I/O line. Bit lines RBL and/RBL are outputs of each register of register 2.
Operation of such a conventional circuit will be explained with reference to the timing chart illustrated in FIG. 3. In read mode, firstly a WL of the DRAM is selected by a row address. Data stored in designated DRAM cells, which are connected to the selected WL, are amplified by the sense amplifiers. As a result, bit lines BL and /BL connected to each of the sense amplifiers are established as "0" or "1" according to the data stored in the DRAM cells.
FIG. 3 illustrates a case in which bit line BL becomes a "1". After signal SRG goes to a "hi-Z" state (or high impedance state) for a short time, each of the signals of bit lines BL and /BL are transferred to the corresponding registers in response to signal XF being a "1." Signal SRG becomes Vcc level, and the input signal of each of bit lines BL and /BL are latched in the respective register. Thereafter, column address signals S1-Sn sequentially select the registers in response to system clock /SC, and thus the data stored in the DRAM are output serially from the registers in accordance with the system clock to data bus I/O.
Before all data in register 2 are output, a new WL in DRAM 1 is selected, and data sensed by the sense amplifiers are established on bit lines BL and /BL. After all data are read out of register 2 through data bus I/O, signal SRG goes hi-Z again, and signal XF becomes "1." Thereafter, signal SRG becomes Vcc level, the input signals of each of bit lines BL and /BL are latched again in the respective register, and column address signals S1-Sn sequentially select the registers, and thus the data stored in the DRAM are output serially from the registers in accordance with the system clock to data bus I/O. In such a way, data stored in the DRAM can be transmitted serially from the register to data bus I/O.
In write mode, signals S1-Sn are enabled sequentially according to the system clock in response to the column address of the DRAM, and serial data appearing on data bus I/O are written in each register, respectively, while the register enable signal SRG holds a "1" state. When data are latched in the register, a WL is selected by a row address of the DRAM, and the data from the register are transferred to cells of the DRAM by transfer signal XF going to a "1" state. After this operation, signal XF goes to a "0" state, and new data are written in the register from the data bus I/O.
As described above, in the conventional digital video memory, while the word line WL is assigned for writing data to DRAM cells, and data are being transferred from the register in order to write data, the register cannot receive new data from data bus I/O.
Digital video memories need to synchronize the data transfer cycle with the system clock and write consecutively in order to receive and store consecutive data. But conventional techniques do not satisfy this need at a speed fast enough to receive consecutive serial data from data bus I/O in a desired manner.