A two-dimensional array of phase values is calculated from digitized phase-shifted shadow moire fringe patterns that are indicative of the flatness of the surface of an object. The light intensity "I.sub.1 " of a pixel in a first of such shadow moire fringe patterns is approximated by I.sub.0 +Acos.o slashed., the light intensity "I.sub.2 " of the pixel in a second of such shadow moire fringe patterns is approximated by I.sub.0 +Acos[.o slashed.+(.pi./2)], the light intensity "I.sub.3 " of the pixel in a third of such shadow moire fringe patterns is approximated by I.sub.0 +Acos[.o slashed.+.pi.], and the light intensity "I.sub.4 " of the pixel in a fourth of such shadow moire fringe patterns is approximated by Acos[.o slashed.+(3.pi.)/2)]. The phase values ".o slashed." are equal to arctan((I.sub.2 -I.sub.4)/(I.sub.1 -I.sub.3), and a first two-dimensional array of phase values are calculated. A plurality of two-dimensional arrays of image values are calculated from a first two-dimensional array of phase values, and the two-dimensional arrays of image values are filtered. A second two-dimensional array of phase values is calculated from the filtered two-dimensional arrays of image values. Discontinuities between adjacent phase values in the second two-dimensional array of phase values are identified by searching along a plurality of one-dimensional arrays of the two-dimensional array of phase values, and those discontinuities are adjusted. After the first row and, thereafter, the first column are searched, the other rows are sequentially searched, and thereafter the other columns may be sequentially searched.

In some situations the surface flatness of objects, such as printed circuit boards, ceramic and metal substrates, papers, plastics, woven items and the like, is of special concern. For example, the manufacture of printed circuit boards and other electronic interconnection products is a multi-billion dollar global industry, and the flatness of these products is critical to their ability to undergo further manufacturing steps and to their ultimate reliability in operation as parts of computer, automobile, telecommunications, aerospace, military and other electronic systems. Non-flatness, or warpage, is a frequent problem in manufacturing due to inadequacies in design, materials, and/or processing of components, which are typically complex devices composed of several different materials. The ability to analyze surface flatness plays an important role in the designing, manufacture, processing and maintaining of objects for which surface flatness is an important characteristic.
Shadow moire measurement techniques are known in the field of photomechanics and have been applied previously to the measurement of warpage in printed circuit boards and other electronic packaging components. Examples of systems and methods for using shadow moire techniques for measuring the surface flatness of objects, such as printed circuit boards, are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/778,214 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,364, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
A shadow moire fringe pattern is created when the surface of an object is generally parallel to a grating, and the surface is viewed through the grating. The surface is illuminated through the grating so that a shadow of the grating is cast upon the surface of the object, and the shadow and the grating interact to create a shadow moire fringe pattern that is indicative of the warpage of the surface of the object. It is common to capture and analyze the image of the shadow moire fringe pattern. One prior conventional technique relies on counting the number of fringes within the image to quantify the flatness of the surface of the object. For many applications, this prior technique is very satisfactory. But the resolution possible with this prior technique is comparable to the distance between the grating lines. For example, for a 100 line-per-inch horizontal grating with an angle of illumination of 45.degree. relative to the vertical and angle of observation of 0.degree. relative to the vertical, the resolution of the analysis is 10 mils per fringe. This resolution is too large for many required measurements where a resolution below 1 mil is necessary for quality control or performance characterization.
After the acquisition of a shadow moire image that is indicative of the surface flatness of an object, it may be desirable to convert the image into a quantitative measurement of the out-of-plane displacement of the object at each point on the surface of the object. Using some conventional techniques of shadow moire analysis, this conversion step is slow and difficult. A single shadow moire image does not contain the information necessary to identify the maxima and minima in the surface contour, or the gradient of the contour at each point. Adding the required information to the analysis from other sources generally requires significant operator intervention.
It is known to use phase-shifting image processing to increase the sensitivity of shadow moire techniques and to automatically obtain an array that identifies the displacement of relative points on the surface of the object being examined. An example of a system and method that utilize shadow moire and phase-stepping image processing techniques to analyze the surface flatness of objects is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,152, which is incorporated herein by reference. Whereas the use of phase-shifting image processing with shadow moire techniques has provided advantages, it is believed that further improvements to systems and methods for measuring surface flatness using shadow moire technology and phase-stepping image processing would be further advantageous with respect to the design, manufacture, use and maintenance of articles of manufacture, such as printed circuit boards, ceramic and metal substrates, papers, plastics, woven items and the like.

Measuring surface flatness using shadow moire technology and phase-stepping image processing


There is described an apparatus for inspecting the underside of bridges, with an undercarriage (1), an intermediate carrier (11) attached to this, a guide member (9) mounted on the intermediate carrier rotatably about a horizontal axis of rotation (12), and a lifting tower (4) received by the guide member, movable perpendicularly relative to its axis of rotation and having four corner spars. The guide member (9) has a flat shape and is in sliding engagement only with the two corner spars adjacent to it, these two corner spars being designed with a higher load-bearing capacity than the other two. The intermediate carrier (11) is preferably mounted on the undercarriage (1) by means of a lever parallelogram pivotable about vertical axes and consisting of at least two levers (13( 14) (FIG. 6).

The invention relates to an apparatus for inspecting the underside of bridges, with an undercarriage, an intermediate carrier attached to the undercarriage, a guide member mounted on the intermediate carrier rotatably about a horizontal axis of rotation, a lifting tower received by the guide member, movable perpendicularly relative to its axis of rotation and having four corner spars, a lifting-tower bottom part mounted on the lifting tower rotatably about its longitudinal mid-axis, and a work platform attached to the lifting-tower bottom part.
In known apparatuses of this type for inspecting the underside of bridges, the lifting tower has a symmetrical, especially square cross-section, and the guide member encloses it all round. Such a guide member of hollow cross-section which receives the tower cross-section, is also designated as a guide box. Disadvantages are the large amount of space required, which makes it difficult to fold the apparatus together compactly for transport, and the unfavorable weight distribution as a result of the symmetrical cross-section of the lifting tower.

Apparatus for inspecting the underside of bridges


The present invention provides an optical module with an improved temperature condition surrounding an opto-electronic device. The optical module of the present invention comprises an optical sub-assembly including an opto-electronic device, a first circuit board electrically connected to the optical sub-assembly, an electronic device mounted on the first circuit board, a lower housing for mounting the first circuit board, an upper housing for covering the circuit board and electronic device, and a metal cover for covering the upper housing. Constructed in the optical module are a first heat-dissipating path for dissipating heat from the electronic device to the cover via the upper housing, and a second heat-dissipating path, different from the first heat-dissipating path, for dissipating heat from the optical sub-assembly to the cover by way of the upper housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hot-swapping optical module.
2. Related Background Art
Optical modules are widely used in optical communication systems such as optical LAN, and the like. A conventional example of optical modules comprises a housing having a bottom face provided with a substrate. Mounted on the substrate are a transmitting optical sub-assembly, a receiving optical sub-assembly, electronic components, and the like. The electronic components include a driver device for driving a light-emitting device (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,335,869 B1).
Meanwhile, the light-emitting device included in the transmitting optical sub-assembly is to be affected by heat, which makes it necessary for the surroundings of the light-emitting device to minimize their temperature rise in order to improve the reliability and performances of the optical module.


Systems, methods, and program products are provided for scheduling vehicle maintenance by identifying a future location at which a vehicle is available for a service and electronically providing at least the future location, a time and time duration that the vehicle is estimated to be at the future location, and an identified service, to a mechanic.

Vehicles such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, and the like use various wearable components and fluids that break down over time and/or with use and, thus, should be serviced. As such, vehicle manufacturers have provided a maintenance schedule for a vehicle with information such as how often the vehicle should be serviced. For example, the maintenance schedule may specify how often various fluids and/or components should be replaced, cleaned, adjusted, inspected, etc.
In addition, vehicles have included a fault detection system with visual indicators such as lights and meters that notify an owner when the vehicle should be serviced. Examples of such indicators include a check engine light, a lower oil pressure light, a charging system light, a brake system light, a temperature gauge, etc. Maintenance of some wearable components such as tires, windshield washer blades, etc. have been specified by the manufacturer of the component and/or determined through visual inspection.
Vehicle owners often take their vehicles to a mechanic for service rather than perform the maintenance on the vehicle themselves. Unfortunately, the owner may not always be aware of when their vehicle needs service. For instance, the owner may not remember or know that a component should be replaced after 50,000 miles, which may not be reached for 2 or more years after the purchase of the vehicle. Even when the owner is aware that the vehicle should be serviced, the owner has to locate a mechanic that performs the particular type of service and find the time to bring the vehicle to the mechanic. Moreover, the owner often has to wait at the service station until the service is completed or otherwise find temporary transportation. In some cases, the mechanic must bear the liability and expense of providing such temporary transportation.

Location-based vehicle maintenance scheduling

International Business Machines Corporation


An intravascular or other 2D or 3D imaging apparatus can include a minimally-invasive distal imaging guidewire portion. A plurality of thin optical fibers can be circumferentially distributed about a cylindrical guidewire core, such as in an spiral-wound or otherwise attached optical fiber ribbon. A low refractive index coating, high numerical aperture (NA) fiber, or other technique can be used to overcome challenges of using extremely thin optical fibers. Coating and ribbonizing techniques are described. Also described are non-uniform refractive index peak amplitudes or wavelengths techniques for FBG writing, using a depressed index optical cladding, chirping, a self-aligned connector, optical fiber routing and alignment techniques for a system connector, and an adapter for connecting to standard optical fiber coupling connectors.

Vardi & Spivak U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,659,957, 7,527,594, and U.S. Pat. Pub. No. US-2008-0119739-A1, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describe, among other things, an elongated imaging apparatus, for internal patient imaging, the apparatus including an electrical-to-acoustic transmit transducer and an acoustic-to-optical receive transducer.
Bates & Vardi U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,245,789, 7,447,388, 7,660,492, 8,059,923, and U.S. Pat. Pub. No. US-2012-0108943-A1, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describe, among other things, an elongated imaging apparatus, for internal patient imaging, the apparatus including an optical-to-acoustic transmit transducer and an acoustic-to-optical receive transducer.
Aharoni et al. U.S. Pat. Pub Nos. US-2005-0131289-A1, US-2007-0123776-A1, and US-2011-0251490-A1 are directed toward ultrasonic transducer probes.
Mayr U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,112 is directed toward a ribbon conductor comprising a plurality of light waveguides, each having an outer diameter in the range of about 400 micrometers to about 600 micrometers.
Jackson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,126 is directed toward a bonded array of transmission media, such as optical fibers having an outer diameter in the range of about 500 micrometers to about 1000 micrometers.
Hattori et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,173 is directed toward a method of making an optical fiber ribbon, such as having an outer diameter of 250 micrometers.
Tanaka et al. U.S. Pat. No. 7,400,810 is directed toward ribbon assembly, such as of optical fibers having an outer diameter of 250 micrometers.
"Corning Cable Systems Generic Specification for Connectorization-Grade Optical Fiber Ribbons," Rev. 4, (2002) is directed toward ribbonizing optical fiber having a cladding outer diameter of 125 micrometers.
Optomagic "Technical Specification for Single Mode Fiber Ribbon" is directed toward single mode optical fiber ribbon using optical fibers having a cladding outer diameter of 125 micrometers.
Dyneon Fluorothermoplastics Product Comparison Guide (October 2010) includes information about fluorothermoplastics such as can include tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene, and vinylidene fluoride.

Optical fiber ribbon imaging guidewire and methods


The present invention provides an electric double layer capacitor. An electric double layer capacitor element sandwiches a separator between a cathode and an anode, arranged inside a container comprising a concave shaped containing portion and lid. A first conductive layer on the inner bottom face of a containing portion is covered by an insulating layer, and opening portions formed on the insulating layer penetrate to the first conductive layer. A second conductive layer is formed on the insulating layer and inside the opening portions, and is connected to a cathode through a conductive adhesive. The first conductive layer penetrates through the side wall of the containing portion, and is connected to a connecting terminal. An anode is connected to a third conductive layer through a conductive adhesive, and a collector is connected to a connecting terminal by extending between the containing portion and the lid.

Conventionally, an electric double layer capacitor has been proposed, the electric double layer capacitor is mountable on the surface of a printed wiring board of a mobile phone and so on. An example of such technology is described in the Japanese published unexamined patent application no. 2005-210064.
FIG. 3 is a cross-section diagram to explain the configuration of a conventional electric double layer capacitor. The conventional electric double layer capacitor is hereafter explained in reference to FIG. 3.
In the conventional electric double layer capacitor, as shown in FIG. 3, an electric double layer capacitor element 102, which sandwiches a separator 102c between a cathode 102a and an anode 102b, is arranged inside a sealed container 101 comprising a lid 101a and a concaved containing portion 101b comprised of ceramics, such as alumina.
On the inner bottom face of the containing portion 101b, a first conductive layer 103 comprised of tungsten is formed, and a insulating layer 104 comprised of ceramics, such as alumina, is further formed and covers the first conductive layer 103. On the insulating layer 104, an opening portion 104a, which reaches from the surface of insulating layer 104 to the first conductive layer 103, is formed, and a second conductive layer 105 comprised of a valve metal, such as aluminum, or a carbon is formed on the first conductive layer 103 inside the opening portion 104a. A conductive adhesive 106 is formed on the insulating layer 104 and the second conductive layer 105, and a cathode 102a is connected to the second conductive layer 105 through the conductive adhesive 106. Also, the first conductive layer 103 penetrates through the side wall of the containing portion 101b, and is connected to a connecting terminal 107 that reaches from the side face to the lower face of the containing portion 101b.
A conductive adhesive 108 is formed on the anode 102b, and the anode 102b is connected to a third conductive layer 109 comprised of gold and nickel formed on the lower face of anode 102b and lid 101a through the conductive adhesive 108. Also, the third conductive layer 109 extends between the lid 101a and the container portion 101b, and is connected to a connecting terminal 110 that reaches from the side face to the lower face of the containing portion 101b.
Also, the inside of container 101 is filled with electrolytic solution (not shown) to sufficiently impregnate the cathode 102a and anode 102b. In this way, the conventional electric double layer capacitor is configured.
In the conventional electric double layer capacitor, the first conductive layer 103 comprised of tungsten is likely to undergo an anode corrosion, thus the first conductive layer 103 is coated with the insulating layer 104 comprised of ceramic to inhibit the corrosion. Also, by filling the second conductive layer 105 that connects the first conductive layer 103 with the cathode 102a inside the opening portion 104a of insulating layer 104, the first conductive layer 103 is not exposed to the electrolytic solution. Further, in the conventional electric double layer capacitor, the second conductive layer 105 is comprised of a valve metal, such as aluminum, or a carbon which are anode corrosion inhibiting. Consequently, in the conventional electric double layer capacitor, the second conductive layer 105 and the first conductive layer 103 are hard to dissolve even when a high voltage of approximately 3V is applied to the cathode.
However, in the conventional electric double layer capacitor described above, there are problems of a separation between the first conductive layer 103 and the second conductive layer 105 when heated by processes, such as reflow soldering. In this case, there is an issue of an increase in internal resistance for the conventional electric double layer capacitor described above.
The present invention is made to solve issues as described above, and one of the objectives for the present invention is to provide for an electric double layer capacitor whose internal resistance is less likely to increase.


A solid golf ball having good shot fee, high spin amount and excellent durability and having an intermediate layer formed on the core, and a cover covering the intermediate layer, wherein the cover has a Shore D hardness of 40 to 55, the core has a diameter of 31 to 36 mm and a JIS-C hardness of 60 to 85, the intermediate layer has a lower JIS-C hardness than that of the core by 5 to 25, and the average specific gravity of the core and the intermediate layer is within the range of from not less than 1.0 to less than 1.3. The intermediate layer and the core are formed from a vulcanized molded rubber composition comprising a base rubber, a metal salt of an unsaturated carboxylic acid, an organic peroxide and a filler.

Hitherto, many golf balls have been commercially sold, but they are typically classified into thread wound golf balls and solid golf balls. The solid golf ball is further classified into a two-piece golf ball and a three-piece golf ball. The solid golf ball is generally approved or employed by most of amateur golfers, because it has better durability and better flight distance than the thread wound golf ball. On the other hand, the thread golf ball is generally approved or employed by professional golfers or high level amateur golfers, because it has a better shot feel and a higher spin amount than the solid golf ball.
The two-piece golf ball is generally inferior to the thread golf ball in shot feel and controllability on approach shots. The improvement in shot feel and controllability for approach shots in a two-piece golf ball has been intensely studied. It has also been proposed that its core is made of two layers, whereby the resulting golf ball has more excellent shot feel than the two-piece golf ball.
Golf balls having a two-layer structured core are described, for example, in Japanese Patent Kokai Publication Nos. 241464/1985, 181069/1987 and 80377/1989. These golf balls have one common structural feature, that is, that the hardness of the outer core is higher than that of the inner core. That is, making the inside of the core softer than the outside largely deforms the golf ball when hit by a club and provides the golf ball with a soft shot feel. However, a golf ball having such a structure has poor durability.
Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 23069/1994 proposes that the hardness of a core is made softer as it is farther from the boundary between the inner core and the outer core. In this structure, however, the inner core shows poor rebound characteristics and reduces the flight distance of the golf ball, because the inside of the inner core is softer than the outside.


There is disclosed herein a bag-in-a-bag system wherein the outer bag is windowed and content indicia is displayed in the window. In this system high resolution graphic indicia is provided for the content indicia and low resolution indicia, usually text, is provided on the bag. Furthermore, the graphic indicia is applied to a patch which underlays the window but is larger than the window and smaller than the window-carrying panel, usually the front panel. Furthermore, a protective adhesive liner is applied to the front panel and secures the patch in place. This layer is of a size larger than the patch and a out the size of the inside of the front panel. A method for making this bag-in-a-bag system is also disclosed.

This invention relates to bags for carrying prepackaged items, and in particular, a bag-in-a-bag system which includes an aperture in the outer bag having high resolution content-indicating graphic indicia displayed in the aperture and having lower resolution text printed on the bag itself.
In U.S. application Ser. No. 707,856 which is commonly assigned, there is disclosed a bag-in-a-bag system for carrying contents wherein the contents of the inner bag is indicated in a window in the outer bag by a graphic layer appearing in the window.
However for manufacturing purposes it has become desirable to provide a more readily manufactured construction. As, for example, the graphic layer can have edges that catch on various parts of the machinery during the manufacturing operation.
Thus an object of this invention is to provide a more readily manufacturable system which eliminates the possible disadvantages of a prior system.
In connection with manufacturing the prior window bag, the graphic layer is substantially larger than the window aperture. As a result graphics may be positioned behind the bag panel, not at the window, are not visible, and thus perform no function.
Thus it is another object of this invention to provide a bag-in-a-bag system where the graphic indicia is principally in the window and non-visible graphics are minimized.
In windowed bag-in-a-bag systems the outer bag itself may be imprinted with text material and the layer in the window with the content-indicating graphic material. The use of low resolution printing techniques (such as rubber plate printing) may be suitable for the outer bag but are not suitable for the graphics because of the detail needed to graphically depict the bag contents. On the other hand, while the use of high resolution techniques may be suitable for the graphics they are not needed for the bag indicia, may be excessively costly, and are principally text-like.
Thus it is yet another object of this invention to provide a bag-in-a-bag system that employs a combination of printing techniques that provide suitable bag and graphic printing, which minimize costs and present an optimum combination for fabricating the outer bag for a bag-in-a-bag system.
These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following disclosure and appended claims.

Bag-in-a-bag window bag assembly with high resolution content indicia


An organic light emitting display includes a display panel including subpixels and a driver for driving the display panel. The display panel includes a reflection reduction layer, which is formed on an internal surface or an external surface of a substrate and is positioned correspondingly to a non-opening area defined in the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to an organic light emitting display.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
An organic light emitting element used in an organic light emitting display is a self-emitting element having a light emitting layer between two electrodes. The organic light emitting element receives electrons and holes from a cathode serving as an electron injection electrode and an anode serving as a hole injection electrode and injects the electrons and the holes into the light emitting layer. The injected electrons and holes are combined to form an exciton. The organic light emitting element emits light when the exciton drops from an excited state to a ground state.
The organic light emitting display forms a display panel using the organic light emitting element. The display panel may be classified into a top emission type, a bottom emission type, and a dual emission type depending on an emission direction of light. Further, the display panel may be classified into a passive matrix type and an active matrix type depending on a driving method.
The display quality (visibility, luminance, etc.) of the organic light emitting display may be reduced due to the incidence of ambient light. Hence, when the display panel of the organic light emitting display was manufactured in a related art, the related art limited incidence of the ambient light by attaching a circular polarizer to an external surface (or a display surface) of the display panel.
However, when the circular polarizer was attached to the external surface of the display panel in the related art, a luminance of the display panel was reduced to about one half. Further, an increase in the manufacturing cost was caused by the circular polarizer.


A method for forming a flash memory cell structure comprising the steps of providing a semiconductor substrate, and then sequentially forming a bottom conductive layer and a cap oxide layer over the substrate. Next, a pattern is defined in the conductive layer and the cap oxide layer. Subsequently, a thermal oxidation method is used to form a silicon oxide layer on the sidewalls of the bottom conductive layer. Then, a gate oxide layer is formed between the bottom conductive layers above the substrate. Thereafter, source/drain regions are formed in the semiconductor substrate. Then, spacer structures are formed adjacent to the silicon oxide layers. Using the spacer structures as masks, a portion of the gate oxide layer is etched. Then, the spacer structures are removed to expose the gate oxide layer. Next, a thermal oxidation method is used to form a tunneling oxide layer in the narrow region between the gate oxide layer. The tunneling oxide layer has a long narrow top profile. Finally, a floating gate layer, a dielectric layer and a control gate are sequentially formed to complete the flash memory cell structure.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a flash memory cell. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an NAND-type flash memory cell that has a high coupling ratio and a low source/drain resistance. Additionally, when a programming or erasing operation is performed using the Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) tunneling effect, the operating voltage applied for proper working of the flash memory is lowered.
Description of Related Art
In general, the gate of a conventional flash memory has two layers, namely, a floating gate and a control gate. The floating gate layer fabricated from polysilicon material is used for the storage of electric charges. Normally, the floating gate is in a floating state because it does not have any direct connection with outside circuits. Above the floating gate is a control gate, which is used for controlling the storage and retrieval of data. Normally, the control gate is connected to a word line. The aforementioned floating gate and the control gate together constitutes a gate terminal structure, which is commonly referred to as a stacked gate. Since a flash memory can provide fast programming and erasing operations, it is a very popular type of erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM). In general, the speed of a read or a write operation in a flash memory depends very much on the transferring speed of electrons from the floating gate to the source/drain terminal. For a flash memory structure having a high coupling ratio, the electric field necessary to initiate an F-N tunneling is small. In other words, the speed of transfer of electrons from the floating gate to the source/drain region is fast. Therefore, at present, the method to produce a flash memory structure that has a high coupling ratio is an important issue in semiconductor manufacture.
The conventional method of increasing coupling ratio in a flash memory includes increasing the overlapping area between the floating gate and the control gate, or decreasing the tunneling oxide area beneath the floating gate. However, according to the design rule, the flash memory must have a minimum size in the wafer in order for its layout to have the highest density. Under this condition, the overlapping area between the floating gate and the control gate above is limited, and therefore, a high coupling ratio is difficult to obtain. When the coupling ratio is low, a higher voltage must be supplied in order to operate the memory programming and erasing actions. For example, a voltage as high as 15V to 18V is needed. A high operating voltage makes any dimensional reduction of the flash memory very difficult. Besides, a thick gate oxide layer must be supplied to the peripheral MOS transistors to deal with the high voltage. For example, the thickness must be increased to about 200 .ANG. to withstand the high voltage. This will increase the difficulties in implementing the design.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need in the art to provide an improved flash memory cell structure.

Method of manufacturing a flash memory cell having a tunnel oxide with a long narrow top profile


Systems and methods of determining compliance of content in a website or web application are disclosed. The systems and methods comprise a compliance tool to retrieve data associated with website or web application content. The compliance tool can scan the data to determine references to network locations. The compliance tool can compare the references to one or more approval rules to determine whether the references comply with the approval rules. A report can be compiled and outputted that indicates which references comply and which references do not comply with the approval rules. A user can have the option to add non-complying references to an approved list. The compliance tool can further remove non-complying references from the website or web application data and/or register non-complying references with a firewall.

In a computing network and related systems, a blacklist can be used to list network locations that a website or web application is prevented from linking to or accessing. In exemplary situations, the website or web application can comprise references to other network locations, and a system can compare a uniform resource locator (URL), domain, or similar reference of the network locations to network locations on the blacklist. If the reference of the network location matches a network location on the blacklist, then the website or web application will be deemed to not comply with the blacklist and content from the network location will not be accessed via the network. Blacklisting can be useful for blocking access to network locations that are known to be malicious and/or unsecured, or that facilitate the installation or the spread of spyware, malware, viruses, and/or the like. Further, the blacklisting approach can protect networks from security breaches, hacks, network attacks, and/or the like.
Blacklisting, however, can be a tedious or even futile effort. In particular, every day new malicious or otherwise potentially harmful network locations appear that need to be included on a blacklist. A manager or overseer of the blacklist normally does not include a network location on the blacklist until the manager knows of the network location and/or knows that the network location belongs on the blacklist, which can take time. Therefore, the malicious website can pose a security concern because the network location can be accessed by or embedded in websites or web applications prior to the network location being added to the blacklist. Further, a blacklist that constantly updates with new malicious network locations not only will be infinitely large but will likely never be up to date with all current malicious sites.
A need, therefore, exists for a network administrator to allow websites and web applications to comprise references to only network locations that are known to be harmless or otherwise approved for access. Further, a need exists for a listing of network locations that is not exceedingly large or in need of constant updating.
It should be noted that some details of the drawings have been simplified and are drawn to facilitate understanding of the embodiments rather than to maintain strict structural accuracy, detail, and scale.

Systems and methods for determining compliance of references in a website


Various methods for forming dyed microspheres are provided. One method includes activating a chemical structure coupled to a dye using heat or light to form a reaction intermediate in the presence of a microsphere. The reaction intermediate covalently attaches to a polymer of the microsphere thereby coupling the dye to the polymer and forming the dyed microsphere. Additional methods are provided for forming a dyed microsphere coupled to a molecule. These methods include dyeing the microspheres as described above in addition to synthesizing the molecule on an outer surface of the dyed microspheres. A population of dyed microspheres is also provided. Each of the dyed microspheres of the population includes a dye attached to a polymer of each of the dyed microspheres by a chemical structure. A coefficient of variation in dye characteristics of the population of dyed microspheres attributable to the dye is less than about 10%.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to methods for forming dyed microspheres and populations of dyed microspheres. Certain embodiments include activating a chemical structure coupled to a dye using heat or light to form a reaction intermediate in the presence of a microsphere such that the reaction intermediate covalently attaches to a polymer of the microsphere thereby coupling the dye to the polymer.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.
Spectroscopic techniques are widely employed in the analysis of chemical and biological systems. Most often, these techniques involve the absorption or emission of electromagnetic radiation by the material of interest. One such application is in the field of microarrays, which is a technology exploited by a large number of disciplines including the combinatorial chemistry and biological assay industries. One company, Luminex Corporation of Austin, Tex., has developed a system in which biological assays are performed on the surface of variously colored fluorescent microspheres. One example of such a system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,180 to Chandler et al., which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. These microspheres are interrogated in a fluid flow device by laser excitation and fluorescence detection of each individual microsphere as they pass at relatively high speed through a detection zone. These values may be easily exported to a database for further analysis.
In the above-mentioned system, fluorescent dyes are absorbed into the microspheres and/or bound to the surface of the microspheres. The dyes are generally chosen based on their ability to emit light at the wavelength of the selected detection window. Further, the detection windows are spaced apart by a certain number of wavelengths, and the dyes are typically designed to minimize the overlap of a dye's fluorescent signal within adjacent windows. In one example, by employing two detection windows and two dyes, each at 10 different concentrations, there would thus be 100 fluorescently distinguishable microsphere sets.
Conventional methods of dyeing microspheres by covalent and noncovalent reactions can be summarized as follows. For instance, dyed microspheres can be produced through dispersion polymerization by several methods. Dyes can be dissolved in the monomer prior to polymerization as described by Horak, D. et al. in J. Polym. Sci., Part A, Polym. Chem., 33, 2961-2968, 1995, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Microspheres can also be dyed after polymerization using an organic solvent to swell the particles and transport the dye into the particles. Examples of such dyeing methods are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,559 to Ober, U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,295 to Chandler et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,528,165 to Chandler et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,599,331 to Chandler et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,632,526 to Chandler et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,649,414 to Chandler et al., which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Copolymerization of reactive dyes may be employed to obtain particles with chemically bound dyes. Examples of such methods are described by Winnik, F.M. et al. in Eur. Polym. J., 23,617-622, 1987, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Alternatively, the particles or microcarriers can be optically encoded by fluorescent dyes (or smaller dyed particles) that are covalently bound to their surfaces. Examples of such methods are described by Sebestyen F. et al. in J. Pept. Science, 4, 294-299, 1998, Egner, B.J. et al. in J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Commun., 8,735-736, 1977, Nanthakumar, A. et al. in Bioconj. Chem., 11, 282-292, 2000, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,268,222 to Chandler et al., all of which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
C—H bond insertion by a carbene or nitrene moiety is a desirable pathway for establishing a stable covalent linkage between two organic molecules as described by Breslow, R., Scriven (Ed.), Azides and Nitrenes, Chapter 10, AP, New York, 1984, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. The use of nitrene as the reactive intermediate has stimulated efforts to develop new reagents which undergo C—H insertion efficiently as described by Autrey, R. et al. in J. Am. Chem. Soc., 109, 5814, 1987, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Perfluorophenyl azides (PFPA) have been shown to exhibit improved C—H insertion efficiency over their non-fluorinated analogs. Examples of such azides are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,697 to Keana et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,955 to Keana et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,273 to Keana et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,597 to Keana et al. and U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2003/0017164 to Rajagopalan et al., all of which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
The methods described above, however, do have a number of drawbacks. For example, dissolving a dye in monomers prior to polymerization usually results in reduced conversion and polydisperse particles (a mixture of different sized particles) due to radical chain termination by the dye during polymerization. In addition, the usefulness of copolymerization of reactive dyes is limited by the lack of dyes that are stable under radical polymerization conditions. In particular, reactive dyes can change color during polymerization as described by Yates, M. Z. et al. in Langmuir, 16(11), 4757-4760, 2000, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Accordingly, in view of the present state of the art in covalent coupling of dyes to microspheres for generating solvent-fast or organotolerant beads, there remains a need for a suitable method for covalent dyeing of microspheres.
Various molecules containing multiple azide groups have been used to crosslink polymers. Heat and light have been used to convert azide moieties to reactive nitrene groups. For example, conversion of carbonyl azide using light is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,278,305 to Urbain et al., which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Conversion of sulfonyl azide at 175° C. is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,829 to Bostick et al., which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Conversion of aromatic azide using light is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,379 to Clecak et al., which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Conversion of PFPA using light is described by Cai et al. in Chem. Mater., 2,631, 1990, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
In the early 1970s, Kodak was assigned a series of patents for permanently dyeing hydrophobic polymers with various dyes (e.g., azo or quinone dyes) with appended sulfonyl azide moieties. The sulfonyl azide moiety was used to covalently attach dye molecules to a polymer substrate through the intermediate nitrene that is generated with heat or light. Unreacted dye molecules could be subsequently washed away. In particular, Great Britain Patent Nos. 1 344 991 to Holstead et al. and 1 344 992 to Holstead et al. describe the use of sulfonyl azide moieties attached directly to aromatic rings of various dyes and fluorescent brighteners. After heating or irradiation of dye-embedded-polymer (in the form of film or fiber), the dye forms a new bond with the polymer. Great Britain Patent No. 1 344 993 to Holstead et al. describes the use of similar reactive dyes as part of photographic materials. Great Britain Patent No. 1 406 996 to Shuttleworth describes the preparation of reactive dyes through the attachment of benzene sulfonic azide through a linker group to various dye molecules. Great Britain Patent No. 1 412 963 to Pullan describes the use of dyes with various reactive groups (including sulfonyl azide) in transfer printing onto fabrics or films. All of the Great Britain Patents described above are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Other companies have patented the use of sulfonyl azide containing dyes for the fast dyeing of fibers and shape articles as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,821 to Kuroki et al. and photographic dry copying as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,480 to Kampfer et al., both of which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Armstrong World Industries, Inc., Lancaster, Pennsylvania, received patents in the early 1980s relating to the use of sulfonyl azide containing compounds to impart permanent yellow and brown colors to articles as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,211 to Hoyle et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,334 to Hoyle et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,625 to Lenox et al., all of which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. In addition, several academic groups have explored the use of sulfonyl azide groups for the fast dyeing of polymer fibers as described by Ayyangar, N.R. et al., in Journal of the Society of Dyers and Colorists (JSDC), pp. 13-19 and 55-57, 1979, Griffiths, J. et al., JSDC, pp. 455-458, 1977, Griffiths, J. et al., JSDC, pp. 65-70, 1978, Milligan, B. et al., JSDC, pp. 352-356, 1978, and Modi et al., Dyes and Pigments, 23, pp. 25-32, 1993, which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
The effect of substituents on the thermal decomposition of sulfonyl azides to nitrenes has been studied as described by Karamancheva, I. et al., Dyes and Pigments, 13, pp. 155-160, 1990, Ayyangar, N.R. et al., Indian J. of Chemistry, 30B, pp. 42-45, 1991, and Leffler, J.E. et al., J. Org. Chem., 28, pp. 902-906, 1963, which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Studies into the basic mechanism of the sulfonyl azide reaction have also been reported as described by Abramovitch, R.A. et al., J. Org. Chem., 40, pp. 883-889, 1975, Abramovitch, R.A. et al., J. Org. Chem., 42, pp. 2920-2926, 1997, and Ulrich, J., J. Org. Chem., 40, pp. 802-804, 1975, which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Certain biological assays require the attachment of chemically synthesized biomolecules (e.g., oligonucleotides, peptides, or oligosaccharides). These biomolecules may be produced by automated synthesis on microsphere resins (non-dyed) in organic solvents. After synthesis, the biomolecules are cleaved from the support and then attached to dyed microspheres using aqueous methods. This process would be simpler and cheaper if the synthesis could be performed directly on dyed microspheres. However, currently used microspheres would exhibit a loss in dye if exposed to the organic solvents involved in the synthesis. Hence, "organotolerant" microspheres, or microspheres that would retain their fluorescent signatures even if exposed to organic solvents, are desired.
Methods have been developed to impart organotolerance to microspheres that would otherwise be organo-intolerant. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,528,165 to Chandler, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein, describes silicon and sugar based coatings that when formed on dyed microspheres could impart organotolerance to the dyed microspheres. In addition, other molecules (such as antigens or drug candidates) with relatively low solubility in water or aqueous solvents would be more easily coupled to microspheres if the coupling could be performed in alcoholic or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent.

Methods for forming dyed microspheres and populations of dyed microspheres


For supporting a foundation of other structure, there is provided a system for driving a pile into the ground using a rotary power device. In one example, a system includes a first member with a first end connecting to a drill and a second end having a keyed protrusion; and a second member having a hollow pile adapted to receive the first member therein, one or more blades along a perimeter of a lower portion, and a keyed opening for receiving the keyed protrusion. In use, a drill is connected with the first member, and the first member is inserted into the second member, and the drill drives the first member into and through the ground. The drill and the first member are removed, leaving the second member positioned into the ground at its desired depth.

Structural foundations have often been formed using concrete for the foundation. However, foundations may also be formed without the use of concrete. Foundations for structures such as buildings, platforms, or other structures can be formed using a foundation base connected with piles or other structural members that are driven into the ground.
One problem that arises when attempting to install a pile-type foundation is where the ground is stiff, rocky, cobbly, solid rock, or even the soft muck type of a geotechnical subsurface. In such difficult environments, it can be challenging to install conventional piles into the ground, and as recognized by the present inventor, a pile can be damaged during installation if it is driven from the top.
As recognized by the present inventor, what is needed is a system of piles or other foundation members that can be installed into the ground, including into rock or other surfaces.

Rotary drive tip system for installation of piles or other foundation members into the ground


A monitoring camera device adds image capturing time data to image data which is successive with respect to time, and stores the image data on a recording medium. A plurality of directories are prepared on the recording medium for containing a predetermined number of items of image data, and are each named according to a directory naming rule, such that a portion of the name is made different when the directory is prepared during the period of standard time and when the directory is prepared during the period of daylight saving time. The directory also has attached thereto directory preparing time data indicating the time when the directory is prepared.

Common surveillance or monitoring camera devices are systems comprising a digital still camera and having the function of continually capturing still images at intervals of a predetermined period of time. The still image data obtained is stored on a recording medium with image capturing time data added thereto. Useful as recording media are hard disks, optical disks, etc. of great capacity which are accessible randomly for storing still image data which is successive with respect to time. The monitoring camera device erases the image data of the oldest image capturing time when the quantity of image data stored approaches the capacity of the recording medium or the recording capacity set on the recording medium, in order to obviate the likelihood of the camera device becoming unable to capture images upon the quantity of still image data stored exceeding the capacity of the recording medium. This enables the camera device to continually capture still images at intervals of a predetermined period of time unless the user performs an ending manipulation.
The monitoring camera device has the same image capturing mechanism as common digital still cameras, and the still image data to be recorded is prepared according to a known data compressing method such as the JPEG method. The still image data obtained by capturing images is stored temporarily in a buffer memory within the camera device, and image capturing time data is added to the image data, which is then recorded on the recording medium successively. The camera device manages the image data with reference to the image capturing time data. The above-mentioned oldest image data is erased also with reference to the image capturing time. However, the data management with reference to the image capturing time data is likely to involve trouble due to the system of daylight saving time.
Daylight saving time is a system wherein timepieces are advanced by a predetermined period of time from the standard time during a specified period of from spring to fall. Daylight saving time is presently adopted by at least seventy countries. In the U.S., for example, the period of daylight saving time starts at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of April and ends at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday of October, and during this period, timepieces are advanced by one hour. Stated more specifically with reference to FIG. 12, the period of daylight saving time in 2001 AD starts at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of April, i.e., April 1. Accordingly, the time of day following April 1, 1:59 a.m. is not 2 a.m. but 3 a.m. The period of daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday of October, i.e., October 28. The time of day following October 28, 1:59 a.m. is not 2 a.m. but returns to 1 a.m.
Monitoring camera devices comprise a timepiece adapted for daylight saving time and are given image capturing time data by the timepiece. During the period of daylight saving time, the timepiece adapted for this system calculates daylight saving time by adding a predetermined time correction value to the standard time. Such a timepiece needs to have set therein information serving to provide a basis for judging whether the current time is within the period of daylight saving time. Generally provided as this information are conditions for a transition from the standard time to daylight saving time (hereinafter referred to as "DST transition conditions") which are determined for each year and which comprise the starting time and ending time of the period of daylight saving time. In the case of the U.S. in 2001 AD shown in FIG. 12, determined as the DST transition conditions are "the first Sunday (1st)of April, 2 a.m." as the starting time of the period of daylight saving time and "the last Sunday (28th) of October, 2 a.m." as the ending time of the period. The starting time is expressed in the standard time, and the ending time in daylight saving time.
The surveillance or monitoring camera device is intended for surveillance or monitoring, and successively and continually records image data at intervals of a predetermined period of time, so that image capturing time data for giving information as to the image capturing time or times is important. By erasing the oldest data from the recorded image data, the monitoring camera device is capable of continually capturing still images at intervals of a predetermined period of time and recording the images obtained. Accordingly, the image capturing time data needs to be added to the image data in corresponding relation with the image capturing order. No problem will arise if the system of daylight saving time is not adopted. If the image capturing time data according to the standard time is added to the image data, the image capturing order of the image data can be recognized by reference to the image capturing time data. However, in the case where the system of daylight saving time is adopted, problems will arise because when daylight saving time is changed over to the standard time, a situation will occur wherein time reverts.
With reference to the case of the U.S. shown in FIG. 12 as an example, at the current time of October 28, 2 a.m. in daylight saving time, the time of day output by timepieces returns to the standard time from daylight saving time. The time of day in the standard time is then October 28, 1 a.m. Thus the change of summer time to the standard time involves a lap of time zones (after 1 a.m. and before 2 a.m.).
If times lap which are indicated by the items of image capturing time data corresponding respectively to an item of image data and another item of image data which are obtained by the monitoring camera device, it is impossible to recognize the order of image capturing times corresponding to the respective items of image data. This gives rise to the problem that the monitoring camera device is unable to continue to capture and record images by erasing the oldest data from the recorded image data.
The present invention provides a monitoring camera device which is adapted to continually and successively capture and record images by recognizing the order of image capturing times corresponding to stored image data and erasing old image data, even if a lap of times occurs due to a changeover from daylight saving time to the standard time, and an image data management method for the monitoring camera device.

Monitoring camera device capable of adjusting the changeover between standard time and day light saving time

Abstract: The camera device judges whether each of the directories is prepared during the period of the standard time or during the period of daylight saving time with reference to the name of the directory, and judges the order of directory preparing times using the time indicated by the directory preparing data of the directory when the directory is found to have been prepared during the period of the standard time, or using a value obtained by subtracting a time correction value from the time indicated by the directory preparing data of the directory when the directory is found to have been prepared during the period of daylight saving time.


A stream server that includes a first interface for transmitting and receiving packets to and from a client apparatus belonging to a particular network without involvement of a firewall apparatus and for transmitting and receiving packets to and from the client apparatus belonging to a network different from the particular network via the firewall apparatus, a second interface for transmitting and receiving packets to and from the client apparatus belonging to the network different from the particular network without involvement of the firewall apparatus, the second interface being connected to a wide area network and a process module for executing a communication process, via an interface identified in accordance with a network attribute and a type of a communication protocol of the client apparatus and based on the communication protocol, relative to the client apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stream data distributing method and system, and more particularly to stream data distributing techniques capable of preventing illegal accesses to a stream data distributing server by a security mechanism such as a firewall.
2. Description of the Related Art
A stream data distributing system is generally constituted of a stream server and clients. The stream server has a storage for storing contents (e.g., image data and the like) and distributes stored contents. Each client transmits a stream data distribution request to the sever and reproduces the received stream data.
A firewall is software or hardware installed between the Internet and a network (LAN) used only in a private organization. The firewall prevents illegal accesses to LAN by monitoring network traffic at LAN and allowing only permitted packets to pass. The firewall permits only a packet whose protocol and destination port are allowed to be transmitted or received by using these protocol and port as permission keys. "Firewall Support", [online], by RealNetworks (registered trademark of RealNetworks, Inc, Internet URL: http://service.real.com/firewall/adminrs.html) proposes two stream data distributing methods in order to prevent illegal accesses to a stream server. One method distributes stream data by a UDP/IP transport protocol which allocates a dynamic port, and the other method distributes stream data by an HTTP protocol which allocates a static port.
When a stream server distributes stream data to a client in the same LAN as that of the stream server on the same side of a firewall, the stream server can distribute the stream data by the "UDP/IP protocol" using a "dynamic port" being designated by the client.
"Firewall Support" proposes the following two configurations in order to distribute stream data to a client on the Internet.
With one configuration, stream data is distributed by the "HTTP protocol" allocating the "static port". If stream data is to be distributed by the "UDP/IP protocol" allocating the "dynamic port", it is necessary to set the firewall in such a manner that all packets having ports settable by clients are permitted to be passed. However, this setting poses some security problem. In view of this, in order to distribute stream data to a client on the Internet by preventing illegal accesses to LAN, the stream data distributing method with the "HTTP protocol" allocating the "static port" has been proposed, with which method only particular destination ports can be set to the firewall.
With the other configuration, a stream server is installed also on the Internet outside the firewall. Since the stream server is installed outside the firewall, stream data can be distributed by the "UDP/IP protocol" allocating the "dynamic port" while illegal accesses to LAN are prevented.

Stream server apparatus, program, and NAS device


A headlamp module for providing a uniform field of illumination at a predetermined distance includes a headlamp housing having a first end and a second end. A light source such as a terminated fiber optic cable is disposed within the first end of the housing. A condenser system is disposed within said headlamp housing in optical communication with a light source which is positioned close to the condenser. The condenser system, which comprises a pair of planar convex lenses oriented with the convex sides facing each other, is in optical communication with a reflecting element such as a planar mirror or a reflecting prism. The light reflected by the reflecting element is directed to an exit lens, such as a projection lens or an objective. The light exiting the exit lens provides the uniform field of illumination despite the presence of a real image of the light source termination at a distance close to the exit lens. An iris may be used between the condenser and the reflective element to narrow the light reaching the reflective element.

In a prior art headlamp module, specifically for use by surgeons, a light source was placed relatively far from a condenser system according to conventional projection technology, so as to prevent the formation of a real image external to the module. In this configuration, much of the light emitted by the light source does not enter the condenser system, thereby making the system less efficient with respect to the amount of light emitted by the light source compared to the amount of light exiting the module. This results in a high power requirement in an operation room environment for example, where power may be at a premium. Also, a greater amount of heat must be dissipated and reliability is compromised.

Headlamp with enhanced light gathering condenser


A recovery device comprising: a cap configured to cover a nozzle face in which a plurality of nozzle groups are formed; and a cap holder supporting the cap; wherein the cap includes: a sealing lip being configured to sealingly contact the nozzle face; a plurality of partitioning lips that partition an inside area surrounded by the sealing lip into a plurality of compartments corresponding to the respective nozzle groups; and a plurality of suction openings provided in the respective compartments; and wherein a common flow path, which is communicated with suction openings of some or all compartments and connects the suction openings to a negative pressure source, is formed in the cap or in the cap holder, or by a space containing faces of the cap and the cap holder opposed to each other.

Conventionally, a recovery device for a nozzle head has a cap, the cap covers a nozzle face of the nozzle head on which a plurality of nozzle groups are formed. This cap realizes a capping process by contacting a tip end of an annular sealing lip formed of elastic material to the nozzle face. Moreover, as described in Japanese Publication of Unexamined Patent Applications No. JP-A-11-314376, an inside area of the sealing lip is partitioned by partitioning lip into a plurality of compartments, so that a plurality of the nozzle groups can be enclosed in these compartments for respective groups. The compartments comprise the suction openings for liquids respectively, the suction openings are communicated with exterior sucking unit independently from one another. And, when a negative pressure is created inside the sealing lip, it is possible to suck the liquids independently from the respective nozzle groups by way of the respective suction openings.
The recovery device comprising such a cap has following disadvantages. In case where the nozzle groups on the nozzle face (for example, rows of the nozzles) are increased in number in order to improve a performance of the nozzle head, an area of the cap must be increased correspondingly, which is undesirable from a view point of making the device compact. Moreover, in case where the area of the cap is increased, a bottom of the cap tends to be deformed due to the negative pressure created in the cap and comes into a state warped toward the nozzle face, when the liquids are sucked from the nozzle groups through the respective compartments. Therefore, there is such anxiety that the bottom of the cap may get in touch with the nozzle face, and the following countermeasures are considered.
(1) To provide a distance between the bottom of the cap and the nozzle face, by increasing heights of the sealing lip and the partitioning lips.
(2) To suppress deformation by increasing thickness of the bottom of the cap.
(3) To suppress deformation by bonding a plate of rigid material (such as stainless steel) to a back face of the bottom of the cap.
(4) To enhance rigidity by integrally molding the cap with a holder for holding the cap.
(5) To employ rubber having high hardness, as material for the cap.


Turn signal assemblies for motor vehicles that employ shape memory alloy actuators to provide automatic cancellation of turn signals. A controller is in operative communication with the shape memory alloy actuator and is programmed to provide an activation signal to the shape memory alloy.

The present disclosure generally relates to turn signal assemblies for use in an automotive vehicle, and more particularly, to turn signal assemblies employing shape memory alloy actuated automatic cancellation mechanisms.
Most motor vehicles utilize a turn signal to provide a visible indicator to the driver and others external to the vehicle as to the intended direction of the vehicle. Initial activation of the turn signal is generally by hand movement of a turn signal assembly such as a turn signal stalk, button, switch, or the like. For example, on automotive vehicles the turn signal actuator is typically a turn signal stalk that is located on the left side of a steering column, movement of which generally corresponds to the intended direction of vehicle. Once the turn signal is activated by movement of the turn signal stalk, automatic cancellation is generally achieved via a ratchet or latch type mechanism that is initiated with a physical turning of the steering wheel. The implementation of ratchet and latch type mechanisms within the stalk is relatively complex, requires a relatively large amount of space within the stalk and/or steering column, and is not very robust for the various scenarios in which the turn signal is operated and cancelled.
Generally, the turn signals remain active until manually disabled by the occupant by physical movement of the stalk to the off position or when the steering wheel is turned a predetermined amount and returned. For example, when the steering wheel is turned past a designed-in arc angle in the direction of the intended turn, and subsequently returned, a mechanism is tripped to reset the turn signal to the off position. These pre-determined arc angles are designed by the motor vehicle manufacturer and are fixed angle points within the steering column. As such, multiple fixed angle points are generally utilized to provide a robust automatic cancellation mechanism.
Manually turning off the turn signal can generally be achieved in one of two ways. The first involves the operator physically moving the turn signal stalk back to its original off position. Secondly, the vehicle operator can manipulate the turn signal stalk to an intermediate position between the on and off positions so as to enable the turn signal. As long as the stalk is held in this position, the turn signal remains on. Removing the hand allows the turn signal stalk to return to its original off position. This mode is independent of the steering wheel position or movement and is generally implemented during a lane change, where the turning radius is minimal.
The problem with this art is that the automatic cancel feature generally responds to steering wheel rotation only, and/or employs a complex mechanism that is relatively bulky and expensive to produce. The fact that the current automatic cancel feature is not robust for all driving scenarios has been comprehended in some vehicles by the addition of a chime reminder, which is generally activated automatically based variously on miles or time driven. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for less complex turn signal actuators that can be readily and easily programmed to account for the variety of scenarios for which automatic turn signal cancellation may be desired.

Turn signal assemblies and methods for operating the same


A titanium oxide powder holding a barium compound on the surface of the particles thereof is used for manufacturing a highly crystalline fine barium titanate powder by solid-phase reaction. When the titanium oxide powder and a barium-containing powder material are mixed and calcined to prepare the barium titanate powder, the barium compound on the surfaces of the titanium oxide powder particles inhibits the sintering, or the growth, of the titanium oxide during the calcination. Consequently, the resulting barium titanate powder is highly crystalline and fine.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to titanium oxide and barium titanate powders, methods of manufacturing the same, dielectric ceramics and multilayer ceramic capacitors, and particularly to an improved method for preparing a highly crystalline fine barium titanate powder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sintering a powder material mainly containing barium titanate results in a dielectric ceramic. The dielectric ceramic is used, for example, for forming dielectric ceramic layers included in multilayer ceramic capacitors.
For miniaturizing the multilayer ceramic capacitors and giving them high capacitance, it is effective to form thinner dielectric ceramic layers. In order to form thin dielectric ceramic layers, the barium titanate powder used for the dielectric ceramic layers needs to be finer.
Hydrothermal synthesis and hydrolysis have been suggested and put to practical use to readily obtain fine barium titanate powders, but these methods increase the cost of manufacturing the barium titanate powders. Accordingly, solid-phase reaction has been traditionally used for manufacturing barium titanate powders.
In the solid-phase reaction, starting materials, for example, a barium carbonate powder and a titanium oxide powder are mixed, pulverized with a medium, and then are calcined. For manufacturing finer barium titanate powder by solid-phase reaction, it is effective to pulverize titanium oxide powder or to use a much finer titanium oxide powder.
Unfortunately, while barium titanate is synthesized at temperatures of 1000 to 1200° C., titanium oxide is sintered at about 800° C. Hence, titanium oxide starts to be sintered, that is, grains grow, before the barium titanate starts to be synthesized. As a result, even when the fine titanium oxide powder is used, it cannot be effective enough to obtain a fine barium titanate powder.

Titanium oxide powder, methods of manufacturing the same and barium titanate powder, dielectric ceramic, and multilayer ceramic capacitor


A refuse collection vehicle has a lifting apparatus for lifting a refuse storage container onto and off the vehicle's flat bed body. The lifting apparatus employs a pulley apparatus including a plurality of pulleys and a pulley carrier that is moved reciprocally by a single fluid actuated cylinder. A pulley cable is connected to the pulleys in a predetermined manner to apply to the pulley carrier substantially equal forces so the carrier avoids twisting laterally as it moves reciprocally.

One type of refuse collection vehicle uses a lifting apparatus, commonly referred to as a "roll off," to lift a refuse storage container off the ground onto a flat bed of the vehicle and lowering a refuse storage container on the flat bed to the ground. Such conventional "roll off" lifting apparatus typically use a pair of hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders to move reciprocally a pulley apparatus as the refuse storage container is moved on and off the flat bed of the vehicle. It would be desirable to use only a single hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder, but proposed designs using only a single hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder create a lateral torque that twists the pulley apparatus, causing increased wear due to friction, or even jamming of the pulley apparatus.

Refuse collection vehicle and lifting apparatus therefor


Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating communication of data upon a communication channel which exhibits fading. Orthogonal transmit diversity techniques and trellis-coded modulation techniques are utilized to form a signal permitting the communication of data at high data rates while maintaining spectral efficiency, good error rate performance, without excessive computational complexity. The apparatus and associated method is advantageously implemented in a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) constructed pursuant to the IEEE 802.11 standard.

A communication system is formed, at a minimum, of a transmitting station and a receiving station interconnected by a communication channel. Communication signals generated by the transmitting station are transmitted upon the communication channel to be received by the receiving station.
A radio communication system is a communication system in which at least a portion of the communication channel is formed of a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Increased mobility of communications is permitted as a fixed or hard-wired connection is not required to be formed between the transmitting and receiving stations.
A cellular communication system is an exemplary radio communication system. A subscriber to a cellular communication system, when positioned at almost any location throughout an area encompassed by the network infrastructure of the cellular communication system, is able to communicate by way of the system with a mobile terminal.
The network infrastructure of an exemplary cellular communication system includes spaced-apart, fixed-site base stations which include transceivers. In such an exemplary system, each fixed-site base station defines a cell. As the mobile terminal used by the subscriber to communicate with another communication station travels between cells of the system, uninterrupted communication is possible by handing-over communications from one base station to another.
Several analogous types of wireless communication systems have been implemented, and others have been proposed, to encompass limited areas, such as the area encompassed by a building structure or office workplace. Wireless communication systems sometimes referred to as microcellular networks, private networks, and WLANs (wireless local area networks) are exemplary of such systems.
Wireless communication systems are typically constructed pursuant to standards promulgated by a regulatory or quasi-regulatory body. For instance, the IEEE 802.11 standard, and variants thereof, promulgated by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering) is a wireless LAN standard pertaining generally to communications at various wireless frequencies including a 5 GHz range and a 2.4 GHz range. The 802.11 standard specifies an over-the-air interface between a wireless client, e.g, a mobile terminal, and a base station or access point, as well as among wireless clients. Standards pertaining to a physical layer and an MAC (media access control) layer are set forth in such standard. The standard permits automatic medium sharing between different devices which includes compatible physical layers. Asynchronous data transfer is provided for in the standard, generally by way of the MAC layer which utilizes a CSMA/CA (carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance) communication scheme.
While the IEEE 802.11a standard requires that data be able to be communicated at relatively high data rates, e.g., data rates in excess of 54 Mbits/sec, achieving such a throughput rate is difficult when the communication channel upon which the data is transmitted exhibits fading characteristics. The high data rate communication is required to be effectuable within a stringent spectral efficiency range, a stringent error rate performance level and within appropriate computational load requirements. At a data rate of 96 Mbits/sec, a spectral efficiency of six bits/s/Hz, including coding, is required. The 96 Mbits/sec data rate is desired to be effectuated with an error rate performance at least as good as the error rate performance set forth in the IEEE 802.11a standard at a reduced rate, e.g., a 54 Mbits/sec data rate.
Generally, to overcome distortion introduced upon a signal transmitted upon a channel which exhibits fading characteristics, various techniques are utilized.
Time encoding of the signal, prior to its transmission, is sometimes utilized to counteract the distortion introduced thereon during its transmission upon the channel. Time encoding introduces signal redundancy upon the signal. By increasing the time redundancy of the signal, the likelihood that the informational content of the signal can be recovered, once received at the receiving station, is increased. Introducing time redundancy into the signal is sometimes referred to as creating time diversity.
Space diversity is sometimes also utilized to overcome the distortion. Typically, space diversity refers to the utilization of more than one transmitting antenna transducer from which a communication signal is transmitted, thereby to provide spatial redundancy.
And, various modulation techniques are also utilized. TCM (Trellis-Coded Modulation), for instance, is sometimes utilized. Conventional TCM techniques typically utilize an acceptable number of states, e.g., less than 256 states. But, a resultant trellis that is utilized in conventional TCM requires parallel transitions between states. The performance of a TCM scheme with parallel transitions provides almost no coding gain, relative to an uncoded communication scheme, when operated in a fading environment.
Multiple TCM is sometimes also utilized. In a TCM scheme, multiple coded symbols are transmitted during each transition in the trellis defined in the modulation scheme. Coding gains, sometimes almost 3 dB in magnitude, are sometimes achievable in the use of multiple TCM in contrast to conventional TCM. But, each increase in the effective length of the multiple-TCM requires another coded symbol to be added per transition. Additionally, each additional coded symbol requires another set of encoders, thereby increasing the complexity of the code. Additionally, coded symbols of the M-TCM require orthogonal channels for transmission. As spatial dimensions are generally not orthogonal, orthogonal time slots or frequency carriers are required to be used. The use of orthogonal time slots or frequency carriers would be contrary to the requirement to maintain spectral efficiency.
Additionally, trellis STC is sometimes utilized. When trellis STC is utilized, at least as many states are required as there are transitions per state. In other words, a trellis STC implementation would generally require at least 256 states. Such a trellis utilizing two-dimensional constellation is unable to provide a coding gain, merely a diversity gain, and thereby also is inadequate. ED-TCM (Enhanced Dimensional Trellis-Coded Modulation) is also sometimes utilized. In ED-TCM, subsets are selected from a Cartesian product constellation. Through such selection, though, the required spectral efficiency cannot be achieved.
As a result, while various modulation schemes are used to combat the effects of fading exhibited upon a communication channel, the existing modulation techniques are not able to ensure that data can be communicated at high data rates as required, e.g., pursuant to the IEEE 802.11 standard, while also maintaining acceptable spectral efficiency levels, error rate performance, and appropriate computation complexity levels.
If a manner could be provided by which better to modulate data which is to be communicated at high data rates upon a channel susceptible to fading, improved communication quality levels when operating a communication system would be possible.
It is in light of this background information related to wireless communications that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.

Apparatus, and associated method, for forming a modulated signal utilizing OTD and TCM techniques


A process for secretory production of a calcium-binding protein very useful for producing heterogenic proteins in Escherichia coli according to gene recombinant technique is provided, which process comprises using Escherichia coli and using a secretory expression system with the promoter of lipoprotein and the gene of signal peptide of outer membrane protein A, according to recombinant DNA technique.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for secretory production of a biogenic substance, which process is characterized by fusing useful proteins with a calcium-binding protein
2. Description of the Related Art
Photoprotein aequorin is a calcium-binding protein isolated from photogenic Aequorea living in the ocean near the suburbs of Friday Harbor Island, Washington State, U.S.A. As to the aequorin, apoaequorin as a protein portion and coelenterazine as a substrate portion form a complex in a medium containing molecular oxygen in nature, and the aequorin is characterized by causing luminescence by binding of calcium with the complex. By utilizing this luminescence, it is possible to measure calcium concentration.
The present inventors cloned cDNA of apoaequorin from photogenic Aequorea according to recombinant DNA technique and determined its primary structure (Japanese patent application laid-open No. Sho 61-135,586), and then using this cDNA and Escherichia coli as host, succeeded in intracellular and extracellular production of apoaequorin (Japanese patent application Nos. Sho 60-280,259 and Sho 61-249,098). Further, we prepared aequorin gene bound with the functional gene and succeeded in production of a fusion protein thereof (Japanese patent application No. Sho 62-196,031). Further, we developed a metal-detecting method by the use of luminescence of aequorin (Japanese patent application No. Sho 61-103,849). Further, we prepared aequorin gene bound with the gene of specifically bound protein and succeeded in production of fusion protein thereof (Japanese patent application No. Sho 63-308,424).
Further, in order to utilize the fusion protein for immunoassay of enzyme, we established a method for preparing a high purity specimen of the fusion protein (Japanese patent application No. Hei 1-69,862), and succeeded in practical application thereof to immunoassay (Japanese patent application No. Hei 1-74,742).
The present invention is based upon analysis of the mechanism of extracellular secretory production of apoaequorin in cells using Escherichia coli as host, and is directed to production of a useful biogenic substance utilizing the secretion production system.
Now, the usefulness of aequorin has been well known to persons skilled in the art, and by utilizing the luminescence of aequorin, it is possible to detect various substances. Namely, aequorin is applicable to all measurement systems such as immunoassay, DNA probe, biosensor, etc., and in view of the above-mentioned functions, aequorin can be expected to be useful as agents such as used in diagnostics.
In view of the above-mentioned technical situations, the present inventors have made extensive research, and as a result, have elucidated the mechanism of the secretory production of apoaequorin using Escherichia coli as host, and could have invented a process for secretory production of a useful biogenic substance.

Process for secretory production of a calcium-binding protein


The invention provides a dispersion of particles of rutile titanium oxide wherein the particles of rutile titanium oxide have a D50 in a range of 1 to 15 nm and a D90 of 40 nm or less in particle size distribution as determined by a dynamic light scattering method; a specific surface area in a range of 120 to 180 m2/g as determined by a BET method; and a rate of weight loss of 5% or less as obtained by heating the particles of rutile titanium oxide from 105° C. to 900° C.

Many processes for producing a dispersion of rutile titanium oxide particles are already conventionally known. The most general process is the one in which a titanium salt is hydrolyzed to prepare slurry of hydrous titanium oxide, and the slurry is peptized with an acid or an alkali to obtain a dispersion. However, the particles of titanium oxide in the dispersion of rutile titanium oxide obtained in this conventionally known process have a D90 of 40 nm or more, and therefore they cannot be used in such an application of a resin molding or a coating agent for hard coating where the particles are required to have a high transparency.
Recently, some processes for producing a dispersion of fine particles of rutile titanium oxide are proposed. For example, a process is proposed in which titanium tetrachloride and hydrochloric acid are mixed in water having a temperature of 65 to 90° C., and the mixture is heated to a temperature of 65° C. to a boiling point of the resulting mixture to hydrolyze the titanium tetrachloride, thereby a dispersion of particles of rutile titanium oxide is obtained (JP 2006-335619A). According to this process, a dispersion of fine particles of rutile titanium oxide having a BET specific surface area within a range of 50 to 300 m2/g can be obtained, but the process has a defect in which the particles of titanium oxide have a low crystallinity. In general, the higher the crystallinity of the particles, the more effective the exhibition of various physical properties of the rutile titanium oxide such as UV shielding property, photocatalytic activity, and a refractive index, and hence the higher crystallinity is preferable. The increase of the crystallinity can be confirmed by increase of peak intensity of a powder X-ray diffraction without being accompanied by particle growth.
Furthermore, it is believed that the particles of rutile titanium oxide obtained by thermal hydrolysis of titanium tetrachloride are not increased in crystallinity because an amorphous titanium compound is intermixed therein, and that there is a volatile component such as water which is contained in or adheres to the particles. For comparison of the amounts of the amorphous titanium compounds, variations in weight loss on heating may be compared. It can be said the smaller the weight loss on heating, the higher the crystallinity.
It is traditionally known that the crystallinity of the rutile titanium oxide can be increased by calcining it, but when the oxide is calcined, the particles grow at the same time, and therefore the crystallinity cannot be increased while the particles remain fine. To be highly crystalline is traded off against to be fine in particle size.
As another process for producing a dispersion of fine particles of rutile titanium oxide, for example, a process is proposed in which fine particles of rutile titanium oxide which have been previously produced are dispersed in water (JP 07-232925A). According to this process, however, the particles of titanium oxide dispersed in water have a minimum average particle size of 70 nm.

Dispersion of particles of rutile titanium oxide, process for producing the same, and use of the same

Abstract: Such a dispersion of particles of rutile titanium oxide is obtained by a process according to the invention, which comprises: a first step in which an aqueous titanium tetrachloride solution is heated and hydrolyzed to obtain a slurry containing the precipitated particles of rutile titanium oxide; a second step in which the slurry obtained in the first step is filtered and washed with water to remove water-soluble salts dissolved therein from the slurry; a third step in which the slurry obtained in the second step is subjected to a hydrothermal reaction in the presence of an organic acid; a fourth step in which the slurry obtained in the third step is filtered and washed with water; a fifth step in which an acid is added to the slurry obtained in the fourth step, and the resulting mixture is subjected to a wet dispersion treatment, thereby obtaining a dispersion; and a sixth step in which excess acid and water-soluble salts are removed from the dispersion obtained in the fifth step.


Disclosed is a DC-DC converter including: a first switching element ON/OFF controlling a current fed from a primary side to a secondary side; a second switching element provided in parallel to the first switching element, controlled at a substantially same timing as an ON/OFF timing of the first switching element and being lower in current rating than the first switching element; and a resistance inserted and connected between a node of a primary side of the second switching element and the primary side of the first switching element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a DC-DC converter which lowers a primary direct-current voltage to output a secondary side voltage, and in particular, relates to a DC-DC converter using current detection to generate a shutdown timing signal for an internal switching device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Miniaturization of apparatuses has become increasingly common year by year, and in power supply circuits, miniaturization and greater efficiency have been requested. In order to miniaturize a power supply circuit, it is important to make passive elements small, which is possible by making the switching frequency high. When a power supply circuit is configured with discrete semiconductor elements, it is impossible to operate at high speed due to inductance and the like coming from wiring in a wiring board and bonding wires. It is possible to reduce these influences significantly by configuring a DC-DC converter with a one-chip device.
Meanwhile, there is a DC-DC converter having a structure to detect current in an inductor provided on the output side and shut down (OFF) an internal switching device when the peak value of the current reaches a reference value (so-called current mode DC-DC converter). Here, when voltage fluctuation on the load side is fed to generate the reference value, the response as a DC-DC converter becomes favorable.
In the current mode DC-DC converter, current detection in the inductor is almost indispensable, but if a resistor is inserted to the inductor in series for this purpose, efficiency is badly affected. In other words, since current flowing to a load flows through this resistor, it is necessary to reduce the resistance value in order to limit loss. When the resistance value is made small, the generated voltage drop becomes small, which makes the current detection difficult. There is also parasitic inductance in the detected resistance, and this parasitic inductance causes more than a little error.
A related DC-DC converter is disclosed, for example, in the following Patent Document 1. In the disclosed DC-DC converter, current detection does not rely upon the resistor connected to the inductor in series, and therefore, in the sense of reduction of loss generated in the detection resistance, the disclosed converter is improved to some extent compared with an ordinary current mode DC-DC converter.
[Patent Document 1] JP-A 2001-245469 (KOKAI)


A system and method for monitoring system including a embedded sensor coupled to an article, wherein the embedded sensor is a direct write embedded sensor using a high temperature light emitting material. A camera system detects illumination signals from the embedded sensors. A processing section processes the illumination signals and determines gas/surface temperatures and strain data for the article.

Monitoring, particularly in harsh environments, is a challenge in many industry applications. The ability to provide reliable data in real-time in such harsh environments has applicability in jet engines, power generation gas turbines, industry finances, and manufacturing processes and the like.
For illustrative purposes, electric power generation is described herein. By its very nature, large scale electric power generation using fossil fuels involves processes that occur at extremes of both temperature and pressure conditions. Monitoring these processes, and the condition of the equipment in which they occur, is of paramount importance for reliable, cost-effective, efficient power generation. Monitoring of turbine machinery used in power generation would be particularly useful. Modern gas turbine achieve higher efficiency and reduced fuel consumptions by using higher combustion temperatures, hotter coolant temperatures from higher pressure ratios, and reduced cooling flow rates. In addition, higher combustion temperatures adversely affect the availability, reliability, and safety of gas turbines, particularly the life of high cost, critical hot gas path (HGP) components. The life of power system components working under harsh environments depends strongly on temperature and strain. Improved temperature measurement accuracy would directly translate into an improved turbine operating efficiency due to the ability to safely operate the machine close to its operating limits. High fidelity inputs for physics based lifing models would enable order-of-magnitude improvements in lifing prediction accuracy. In most advanced gas turbines, combustion temperatures exceed the melting point of the HGP components, and these components must be actively cooled. Large design safety margins are generally incorporated for these critical components. High fidelity real-time data would improve confidence in design safety margins and potentially shorten the turbine design cycle. Multi-property online measurements during the power system tuning phase would enable designers to better assess critical component lifing and potential compensating design modifications. The accurate, real-time, simultaneous measurement of strain and temperature in the monitoring of power systems/component may improve prediction accuracy of physics based lifing models. This improved accuracy may translate into improved turbine operating efficiency due to the ability to safely operate the machine closer to its operating limits. In one example, calculations show a 10% reduction in cooling flow can lead to up to $9 million of savings during the 20-year operating life of one combined cycle gas turbine.
Despite the need to obtain accurate online temperature and strain data from within an operating turbine machine, achieving this goal has remained quite elusive. Within the past decade, development of rare-earth based light emitting materials that are suitable as optical (luminescence-based) thermometers has enabled some progress to be made; however, issues of relatively high cost and poor sensitivity at very high-temperatures remain. In addition, the online optical detection of strain has not yet been adequately addressed. There is a continued desire to address this monitoring need by developing a low cost, non-intrusive, multi-functional embedded sensor system for online assessment of power systems.

Method and system for multi-functional embedded sensors


Methods and apparatus for combining radar signals of a two-dimensional primary radar covering a surveillance area and a passive adjunct radar to provide three-dimensional data for targets and weather. In exemplary embodiments, high beam and low beam data from the primary radar and elevation data from the adjunct radar can be used to mitigate interference from clutter, such as wind farms.

As is known in the art, there is degradation in the performance of two-dimensional (2D) Air Surveillance Radars (ASR) when tracking aircraft near or above windfarms and when providing coverage at low elevation angles for targets such as ground targets, marine vessels, low flying aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and the like. It is also challenging for these 2D radars to provide an estimate of the height of a target.
The presence of windfarms within the field of view of primary surveillance radars (PSR) degrades performance since echoes originating from these structures can have similar characteristics to those of an aircraft (including Doppler signature) and can be significantly stronger in amplitude. If not removed, these unwanted echoes can result in false tracks, missed tracks, track seduction and false weather.
Conventional attempts to mitigate the effects of wind farms include Sensitivity Time Control (STC), Range Azimuth Gating (RAG), Track Initiation Inhibit, Velocity Editing, and Plot Amplitude Threshold (PAT). Other known systems use discrimination techniques applied at pre-detection, detection and post detection stages of the radar signal processing chain. However, some of these known techniques may reduce radar sensitivity.
It is noted that in the United States wind energy currently provides about two percent of U.S. power generation. There is a plan to increase this to twenty percent by the year 2030. Unfortunately, there is a relatively high correlation between the location of windfarms and ASR radar sites. Thus, there is a need to address the performance degradation of ASR radars in the vicinity of windfarms.

Methods and apparatus for 3D radar data from 2D primary surveillance radar and passive adjunct radar